Jake

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jul 3, 2014 -> 03:49 PM) The other thing to look at is vision problems. These can change it as well. Mike Olt

Seems like we're just getting progressively further from the facts at this point

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jul 3, 2014 -> 12:25 PM) It has been stated that Melo wants Taj Gibson to remain on the Bulls. If that is the case, about $70 million is the best the Bulls can do. Now if Melo wants more $$, I'm sure that the Bulls would trade Taj Gibson and sign Melo for the $$. He can't have both though. He can't want more $$ and want the Bulls to keep Taj. Doesn't make sense. Yes he can. Who wouldn't want both of those things? It could end up being the reason he walks away. He might want to play for the Thunder, but he doesn't want them to trade Durant to free up cap room. But he has to earn minimum salary if Durant stays. So he just doesn't come.

Just remember - it isn't just Carmelo is either all about the money or not at all about the money. Each aspect of changing teams has a price. Winning is worth a certain amount of lost earnings, moving his family nullifies a certain amount of the benefits of winning, etc. He could reject the Bulls for their inability to make a max offer without him being greedy. If max is 4/96 and we offer 4/64, his turning us down does not mean that it was 4/96 or nothing. In other news, I've been impressed with Melo in this process. When he left Denver, I saw him as a big baby who strong-armed his way out of town. Throughout the entire mess in NY, Melo has been quiet about his intentions and likely dissatisfaction with the Knicks. He hasn't been making public evaluations of each suitor. By all accounts, he has been incredibly good at keeping his private thoughts out of the rumor mill. Every rumor is "NBA executives think" or "people who are friends of Melo but haven't spoken to him in months believe."

It's not unreasonable for Melo to talk things out with us and decide that he can't balance his interests and the Bulls interests.

That's awesome. You guys do a great job. There's really nothing better out there. Perhaps the services like BA might have more "talent" for this sort of thing, but they don't put the time and effort on our players like you do.

A question, which you guys can feel free to measure as vaguely as possible: To what extent is FutureSox solely a labor of love? Is there any money made? Does it pay for itself?

Only teams with cap space can bid on him. I would guess that he'll get at least half of his due pay from his new team.

They probably informed him, "you'll be amnestied unless..." whatever it is

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jul 2, 2014 -> 08:34 PM) Which reminds me. Who can show me where to find custom date range stats? Like if I wanted to know what Davidson has been doing since June 16th? Go to his minors page on Baseball-Reference. Game log. Click on June 16, click on his most recent game. Ta-da!

Tank chronically lets the ball get too deep. Even his grounders to short, which is his go-to sort of out lately, are from mistiming. You can tell particularly because they are usually chopped. You can handle seeing the ball deep when he is pounding balls to the opposite field, but even when people were highly optimistic about him, they were hoping he'd learn to catch the ball out front.

It interests me that Tank has kept his plate discipline stat of main concern (O-Swing) to a much lower figure than he has in the past, yet his struggles have continued. Given how low I would guess his trade value to be, I wouldn't trade him just to get next to nothing. On the other hand, past this season, I wouldn't promise him anything. If we can't get anyone better than him for LF/DH, he can have it. If we do, he has to fight his way into the lineup, primarily in platoon spot starts.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jul 2, 2014 -> 02:07 PM) Funny: http://plannedparenthood.tumblr.com/post/2...oes-an-iud-cost I'm sorry, you guys are really grasping at straws here to make this a much bigger deal than it is. You act like dropping a grand on anything is feasible for your average Hobby Lobby employee

Likewise, some of the stuff being taken away isn't inexpensive. People that can't handle normal birth control due to side effects often need IUDs, which are a four-figure cost when factoring in the "labor" cost of getting them put in. Someone I know was lucky enough to find a "last resort" charity that covers the cost of things like this.

I think there's no f***ing way he goes to the Rockets. What an awful fit that would be. How many basketballs do they play with down there? Salary cap space isn't there, just like with Bulls. As soon as Parsons is signed to an offer sheet, HOU is f***ed. There's no big 5 there - it's incredibly dubious that they can even keep Parsons if they want Melo. HOU is even more in need of a S&T than Chicago. Will he stick with the Knicks? That would make a lot of sense. Chicago is a better basketball situation with star power, depth, and personnel that makes it make sense to bring in a ball dominator like Melo. He gets to stay in the East, which appears to be the easier conference to play in. Chicago is a city with real culture and personality without some of the headaches of NY (I don't think paparazzi are going to follow Melo to dinner every night in Chi-town). Also, trading Jimmy Butler to open up 2 million in cap space ought to be a f***ing fireable offense. Sweet Jesus are there better ways to achieve that end.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jul 1, 2014 -> 09:29 PM) I'm glad you oppose right to work laws. They can just find a job somewhere else if they don't to pay union dues. :notworthy :notworthy

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jul 1, 2014 -> 06:57 PM) Again, does that sound like something an organization with this major impass between front office and coach? Maybe that was part of the reason they did it (to alleviate that perception), either way, it sure seems to me that everyone is on the same page and all this media talk about Thibbs and FO is completely overblown. I'm guessing that Gar and Thibs have beef but they've managed to sustain a solid working relationship anyway.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 1, 2014 -> 05:24 PM) She got her degree. She resigned her post as president in what appears to be about the calmest manner possible. Her statements throughout scream "me me me; I am great." Well what she did is a pretty minor offense. She put on lacrosse clothes and mocked the right wingers on her campus. She also said she recognizes that she hurt people's feelings and then voluntarily left her post. I fail to see the big deal here. Seems like another example of white folks wanting to feel like they too are oppressed.

I don't see your point, greg. It seems like they ran her out of town.

So since it is not the individual owners keeping something from employees, but instead the company doing so...am I allowed to start a company and bestow upon that corporation religious beliefs that, rather than reflecting my own, could earn me the most profitable exemptions? QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jul 1, 2014 -> 03:19 PM) Because it's 100% their money that is going to support something they don't believe in. That's why the distinction between Hobby Lobby and Wal-mart, to me, is key. You're talking about what basically amounts to a very large mom and pop shop. They don't share their revenue with anyone else. And if they all don't want to contribute towards something that offends or runs counter to their religious beliefs, I think it's perfectly fine for them to be exempted from it. I mean, let's step back - do you agree that the Catholic Church or some other religious groups should lose their exemptions? Should they be required to provide that coverage even if their employees will, by choice, never use it? Yes - and the bulk of their tax breaks. Yes - they cannot coerce their employees not to use benefits whose presence are guaranteed by just refusing to provide those federally guaranteed benefits. The risk pools are larger than just them anyway (usually, at least). The most ironic part is that this will indubitably increase abortions.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 1, 2014 -> 12:15 PM) This is SOOO bulls front office: http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bulls/post/_/id/19663/ This is the reason they get so much s***. This just sounds like a reporter grasping for straws.

Make sure your business fills a need. If you're the type of business that serves a geographic area (like a storefront), this is even more important. Talk to your wife about contingencies before you launch. How much money are you willing to lose, how much time are you going to allow to get things off the ground, what kinds of personal/social sacrifices are you and aren't you willing to make. On a related note, know when to pull the plug. If it isn't going to work out, then it isn't going to work out. No sunk cost fallacies. I'm of the belief that the small things matter. Every little thing about your company should look excellent to outsiders. Get a good looking logo, a well-designed website (hire a professional if needed and don't accept a mediocre job from them), and ensure all your materials look great and are devoid of things like grammar and spelling errors. Nobody will tell you that these things put them off because it will happen subconsciously. Make all of their interactions with your business give them the expectation that you're great - then, when they actually approach you for whatever service you offer, they'll be convincing themselves that what you say confirms their initial impression that you guys are good. Be personal.

Unions are one of the best safeguards against unfair wealth distributions. Like everything, especially economic things, there are pluses and minuses.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Jul 1, 2014 -> 10:28 AM) I thought teams could go over the salary cap (e.g. go into luxury tax) as long as it's re-signing their own players. Or am I completely crazy? Is this not the same situation with the Heat? Example: They sign several free agents from other teams before the re-sign LBJ, Wade, and Bosh. Then it doesn't matter where they sit in regards to the salary cap because they can go over it as long as they pay luxury tax. So all of them could still get max deals, right? They would just end up paying like $100M in luxury tax. Your salary cap figure includes "cap holds" for free agents at roughly the amount they earned last year, with the exception of rookies where a rougher estimate is used. You have to renounce their Bird rights in order to use the cap space those players' cap holds occupy if you want to sign someone else. QUOTE (chw42 @ Jul 1, 2014 -> 10:36 AM) Why can Melo make more on the max than him? They have the same years of service. I don't remember specifically, but does this have something to do with previous earnings under old CBA? QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jul 1, 2014 -> 10:57 AM) I think the Heat thing is going to be very interesting. If these guys come back, you are going to probably have a lot of teams asking the commissioner to step in. Below are some interesting snippets from Wojo (best NBA reporter in the biz as far as I'm concerned). It would be one thing if Wade truly takes less money but if they all sign for these "reported" deals, you wonder what amounts of "circumstantial" evidence would be needed to get the league to pull a CP3 veto attempt. The other question is whether it would be for the good of the league to try and block said superteam (kind of like they did with CP3 and the Lakers). Of course, another could argue that having a "thorn team" could actually be good for the league, as long as other teams have legit shots at upending them. I can't believe that it's a violation of the rule to ask the front office what kind of free agent value you'd have. Obviously, that's pretty damn close to coming to a gentleman's agreement on a contract. QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jul 1, 2014 -> 12:02 PM) I think Ben Gordon will be signing a minimum deal with the Bulls during free agency. It makes some sense, though I have to think he'd make Thibodeau's head explode

I'd love to see it, it's a lot of fun, but if he's so set against it, that's his call. Get Dunner in that thing