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QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jun 20, 2014 -> 06:01 PM) Patrick Mannelly announced his retirement today at 39 years old. He had a job that was largely thankless and overlooked, but he did it very well for a very long time. I don't think he was overlooked, he was one of the most popular bears players. I'm not that sad, i'd love if we could find a longsnapper that is a legitimate backup. Last year we had 2 players whose sole worth was special teams (Hester/Mannelly)

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 20, 2014 -> 06:35 PM) I don't think the Bulls have a player to match Thompson. Noah is older, more expensive, and isn't nearly as dynamic of a scorer. You don't need a dynamic scorer next to Pekovic, you need someone to guard the rim. I think this board continues to overrate butler and underrate Noah. There aren't that many centers in the league. Look at the garbage people trot out there.

The difference is David Lee has a terrible contract for next 2 years while Noah's is pretty onpoint. David Lee is not a feature of that deal, though he is a nice player if isolated from money. I still maintain moving Noah for Love defeats the purpose of competing now. I have no idea what garbage we'd be throwing out at C.

I still think that both teams going in the crapper at the same time, especially with baseball's popularity struggles with teenagers was terrible news for the Sox. I have not had a single person invite me to a baseball game this year (I've invited several). Nobody talks or cares, and it's no surprise when people talk about baseball they say both teams are terrible. They aren't even bothering to pay attention. If cubs get competitive with Sox, all things considered, that is good news for attendance. But I'm surprised baseball revenues are up because it has some terrible popularity trends coming their way.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jun 20, 2014 -> 03:58 PM) To me, there's way to much in these threads about "earning" and "winning" and "fickle fans" and "excuses" and justice and righteousness and crap. The bottom line is this: the Sox are in the entertainment business, and if people aren't watching, they need to do something different to make them watch. They don't "deserve" fans. It doesn't matter what happens in Milwaukee or whatever. They're a business on the south side of the city of Chicago, and their market is made up of people that live on the south side of Chicago. So they need to get creative to produce a product that will appeal to those people to the degree that those people will consume the product in a profitable manner. All this "shaming" crap has got to stop. We make the team sound like a book store whining about the Amazon Kindle. "Well I just don't know why people don't enjoy the FEEL of a real book like EYE do! I just shake my head at kids these days! This generation just doesn't have GOOD taste!" No, the reality is the world doesn't bow to your whim. Just because you make a book doesn't give you the right to be paid handsomely for it. This is how capitalism works. There are people and they have money, if you want that money than you must do something that convinces them to give it to you. Changing nothing and whining because people don't mold their desires around YOU does nothing but put you out of business. "Poor musicians" are the same way. You actually DON'T have the right to live your dream; what you DO have is the right to attempt it unimpeded. No one is going to write you a check in the event that you didn't do something that anyone gave a s*** about. If attendance is really an issue, the Sox need to be willing to discard the model of how a team gets people in the stadium and replace it with one based on Chicagoans in 2014. Between the constant evolution of technology and pop culture, the answer to "what people want" is always changing and always will. Discovering and executing this is the very nature of private business. Pitch perfect.

I got lucky last year with Jose Fernandez. Hoping to strike gold twice (obviously will not be that good, but I have quintana who is fantasy fools gold).

My team died when Jose Fernandez went on DL. Can't express how nice having 30 points automatically (sometimes 60) does to help win. I've been in the doldrums but took a flyer on Andrew Heaney weeks ago and Henderson Alvarez. I've been really pleased with Alvarez, and just hope like hell Heaney is bigtime.

I agree with all of that, but man, the Dave Wilder era is such a black eye. That's something I just can't shake.

I've found walking around neighborhoods looking for "for rent" signs is usually best deal/living situation in Chicago. Not sure about Columbus. Also adore http://www.padmapper.com/# for searching for apts. Basically brings in craigslist/other data into google maps api.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Jun 19, 2014 -> 06:02 PM) I saw this all over my Facebook the past couple days and people complaining about it (live in the St. Louis area). I just now watched it and I don't see a problem with it.. They said Molina was a great catcher but they are just supporting their guy and they think he is better.. I can't stand the Cardinals fan base and the whole "we are the best fans in baseball" stuff they do. I've been laughing my ass off at the "bestfansinbaseball" twitter handle. I get so much entertainment about the card fans always talking about how classy they are and how other players have no class! And no respect for baseball! Unlike cardinals fans, who will spend hours on twitter telling him to "get f*****d"

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jun 19, 2014 -> 07:44 PM) As a move/receiving tight end, yes, I think you are looking for talent there, but defenses will recognize that as a slow slot receiver and adjust. The true talents are those that can block too, and a lot of that is developed skill. That's what makes Witten and Gronk such special players. And Martellus Bennet should he make a production leap. But I wouldn't say defenses have figured out who to place on these 6'6 faster than linebacker TEs.

Let's feast on some last place twins.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jun 19, 2014 -> 08:38 PM) Noel was a much less accomplished big man with just as many injury concerns and he went 6th overall (given, in a very weak draft class). Someone will absolutely take a chance on Embiid. He's a big man, he's going to get banged up and miss some time, but you just hope that some means "10-15 a year" rather than "multiple seasons and a shortened NBA career." It's funny, but I bet this ends up reaffirming the NBA hierarchy. If CLE/Bucks take him, wouldn't be surprised if he busts. Narrative will be "Stupid teams didn't read writing on wall re: injuries, draft plagued c bust" If PHI/Celts/Lakers trade up or end up getting him, it will be teams that see the potential and are willing to be patient to bring him along. And he'll probably succeed. The NBA seemingly has to be this way. It just never seems to shake up too much.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jun 19, 2014 -> 08:26 PM) @kfishbain: Per @BradBiggs, the Bears have informed TE Fendi Onobun he will be released. He had two drops today and another yesterday. Goodbye Fendi Brickhands I still think Bears should continue to take flyers and development on players like him. TE recently seems to be a position of almost natural talent as opposed to developed skill.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Jun 19, 2014 -> 08:01 PM) @RobDemovsky MM: I have some unfortunate news about Johnathan Franklin. Organization will address it tomorrow. He will not be back with us. Packers must lead the league over the past 20 year in players suffering career ending injuries. Tough break. And he's probably going to be living in pain for a long time.

I don't think he falls past 4. Blake Griffin was injury prone too until he wasn't.

TBH this does kind of sound like a Sweaty Freddy type deal.

I think that would end the era of the Rays as a smart organization.

Man that sucks for the sixers. I suppose they may view this as a blessing since Presti may be more patient than Bucks/Cavs and select him at #3.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jun 19, 2014 -> 02:38 PM) I've missed the news on this. Other than this naming issue, what else is out there on Snyder? Not Snyder, George Preston Marshall.

surprise surprise: http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/06/...H7oN/story.html

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Jun 19, 2014 -> 02:00 PM) Wasn't the name "Fighting Irish" named be the Irish? Sshhh, don't ruin their dream of equating a predominantly Irish Catholic universities mascot wildly popular with midwestern Irish families of being entirely the same as one of the most racist owners of the 20th century naming his team the Redskins.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Jun 18, 2014 -> 10:19 PM) Looks like the Mariners will be paying an overage. Yeah, but on the other hand...High Schooler.

Everytie I think this team is about to absolutely tailspin they come back for a string of wins.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jun 18, 2014 -> 09:05 PM) But the point is NO one does this. Perhaps what hurts that group then, is with huge portions of the country that will never run into a modern Native American, the most iconic representation of their group of people is an ethnic slur harking back to the 19th century.