Rex Hudler

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Dec 11, 2005 -> 05:22 PM) Just a random question; why does every single IU fan play the history card? I can give you two answers... pick the one you like the best. 1. Have you ever seen me play the history card? 2. Because we have the card to play!

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Dec 11, 2005 -> 05:09 PM) Indiana could very well win the conference if White and Marco stay healthy AND if they get consistent guardplay. But I have been very underwhelmed by the guards Indiana has, so they need to find somebody who can get it done at that spot in conference play. I agree. But I think that will change when Vaden becomes more of a wing player once White gets back and as Ratliff continues to adjust to the broken hand. Ratliff doesn't look real athletic, but the guy can jump out of the gym and I think his upside is huge. How much of that we see this year remains to be seen. I'm optimistic, but you won't see me around here predicting any champinships just yet.

I'll be very surprised if Fields isn't in AAA. He has adjustments to make, but he can make them at the next level. He hit 16 HR and finished third in the league in RBI with 79, so its not like he didn't do anything.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Dec 11, 2005 -> 02:18 PM) It's going to be absolutely huge when this team gets DJ back. Vaden's been having to play the 4 a majority of the time, since DJ's been out. He's held his own, but he's much more suited for the SF. This is just going to make Vaden look better, and we're going to have a lot more options on offense. Killingsworth-Davis will definitely be a fun matchup. IU and MSU get to do the home and home this year, so we'll really see what they're made of. While I agree, I think there will be an adjustment period once White gets back as the teams learns to play together again. I am also really looking forward to Ben Allen getting more minutes. He's definitely a role player, but I think he'll be very good down the road, especially when his confidence to play inside grows. I like the potential I see with IU, but the road will not be without a few bumps along the way.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Dec 11, 2005 -> 04:04 AM) If Hummel was chosen in the AAA portion of the Rule-5, shouldn't that mean that he has to stay at AAA for the whole season? (I have no clue how the minor league portion of the Rule 5 works) I agree, that Schnur will be the 3B at Bham. Hummel's gonna end up at 2B in Charlotte. There are no roster requirements for players taken in the AAA or AA phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Dec 10, 2005 -> 04:15 PM) UK has no inside game. They have 2 big guys who are, IMO, major stiffs. They need to go down low with Killingsworth early, establish him, then open up the gates from behind the 3-point arc. I like IU in this game by around 10 or so, but if UK plays their best game, it could be a really good game. It all depends on whether Sparks, Moss, Crawford, Bradley can defend on the perimeter. So far this season, those guys have not done the job. Really only Rondo is a good perimeter defender for UK. IU just needs to move the ball well and get good shots and they should be fine. I agree, but those stiffs always seem to find a way to kill IU. Last year Alleyne (sp?) absolutely killed them. It may have been his only good game all year! IU does need to win, but like the Indiana State game, no one game is make or break for this season for Coach Davis. Granted, the more games they lose, the more important later ones become. I'm not as confident as you, but I am certainly prepared to be pleasantly surprised. This rivalry has become so lopsided, that I have lost a little interest. It's tough seeing your team get killed so regularly against a team you despise. Have fun today and hopefully the Hoosiers can pull one out. The atmosphere for this game is always great. The 50/50 split is pretty awesome.

I think that 5 years from now, no one will give a damn about this new law. Like in CA, people will get used to it and actually appreciate it. I do not smoke cigarettes, but love a good cigar on occasion. I will miss (a similar ordinance was passed in Birmingham) firing up a good stogey with some buddies but in the overall scheme of things, it's not a big deal. Sometimes what is for the greater good has to be chosen over what is good for individual rights. In this case, I have no problem with it at all.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Dec 9, 2005 -> 12:31 AM) I'm not really asking why the guy being shot is news...that's clearly a news story - first time the air marshalls have done anything lethal since 9/11, yeah. But I'm asking why CNN is putting stories up suggesting that there's doubt as to the motives/propriety of the actions of the air marshalls when there really is no logical reason at all to doubt their actions. Because that is the nature of the media today. It is much easier to pick something apart in hindsight and sensationalize it, then to accept that in the heat of the moment trained professionals may have just made the right decision.

I'll share a Winter Meetings story, since tonight is the Gala held each year at the Winter Meetings. Since most of the goings on from the Meetings land in this thread, I'll post it here. The last time the Winter Meetings were held in Dallas was 2000. Each year there is a huge Gala, usually on Sunday night, as the meetings are winding down (until this year). When the WM are held in an MLB city, the gala is always held at the MLB ballpark. That year it was held at The Ballpark at Arlington. They bus everyone there and dropped us off at the museum entrance. We walked through the museum as wait staff were carrying trays of Budweiser and Miller Lite offering to anyone who would take one. We checked out the museum for awhile and then headed out into the ballpark. Basically there was a path to follow, which led behind CF and around the park. Along the way there were food vendors in portable stands, offering different types of food and of course, beer. The "tour" followed to the visiting locker room where they had a full southwestern spread, complete with Mexican beers and food. We nibbled a bit, had another beer or two and moved on. We ended up in the private club behind home plate (now called the Crown Royal Club). There they had the biggest spread you have ever seen. They had a huge double buffet line with just about anything you could imagine. They had carving stations for beef, separate stations where you could get nachos and tacos, a huge dessert table with 20-30 different kinds of dessert. They had a band playing. Just outside of the club, they had a Jose Cuervo station where you could get free shots of Cuervo Especial(?) and a Mexican hand-rolling cigars, all of this free for the taking. After we ate a ton and had several beers, we sojourned out on the patio and enjoyed a little Cuervo (I'm not a big tequila drinker) and stood in line to get a cigar. The line was about 30 people deep and this guy was rolling them as fast as he could. Well I got mine, along with a few others and we were enjoying them. I was standing next to the line talking to some other friends that had yet to get theirs. While in line, a girl comes up to the guy rolling them and checks to see how many more he had left. She came back about 15 minutes later and took five. When asked what they were for, she said Mr. Hicks (Rangers owner) had a very important meeting and wanted them for later that night. We didn't think too much of it and we continued our fun, drinking, etc. The next morning, we had a flight out of Dallas somewhere around 10. As we were leaving the Anatole Hotel to head to the airport, there was a buzz around the lobby. It was announced very shortly after, that the Rangers had signed Alex Rodriguez to the biggest contract in baseball history. I smiled knowing that I smoked the same cigar that Mr. Hicks, Scott Boras and company had smoked the night before after consummating the deal. I was hung over and had to get on a plane, but it was pretty cool knowing that deal was being negotiated right there in the stadium that night while I was getting drunk.

It looks as if the Sox will lose Fabio Castro (at least temporarily). He is expected to be the first player drafted in the Rule 5 Draft Thursday. Chisox lefty Castro to go No. 1 in Rule 5

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Dec 8, 2005 -> 04:33 AM) The winter meetings officially end thursday. Pardon my ignorance. I didn't know the Winter Meetings were Monday thru Thursday this year. In past years they have ALWAYS been Thursday thru Monday, with the Rule 5 draft on Monday and the Closing Banquet Monday night. Damn, blink and you miss stuff....

QUOTE(White Sox Josh @ Dec 8, 2005 -> 04:31 AM) this has been one of the most active offseasons i have seen in a long time. Especially since the Winter Meetings don't officially begin until Thursday.

you beat me by a freakin minute!!!! mods, please delete duplicate thread. Thanks in advance!

Texas dealt Alfonso Soriano to Washington for Brad Wilkerson, Terrmel Sledge and a player to be named. Rangers Trade Soriano

I would not go overboard holding out players in a planned sense. If a game dictates taking them out of a game, then I'd do it. But players play. That is what they do. As someone has already said, injuries are random. A player can get injured in practice (and sometimes they do), but teams don't stop practicing. I would look for opportunities to get them out of a game, but in no way would I send them out to go through the motions. That is an easier way to get hurt. If they are on the field, they need to go at it 100%!

I'll give you all the free picks you want. Just give me your game and keep track of how I do. I guarantee you that you will be a big winner during basketball season or I will give you all my fees back!!

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Dec 7, 2005 -> 04:40 PM) From Katz's article today on MSU: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/stor...andy&id=2250617 Damn good article by Andy talking about how they shouldn't have dropped so far in the polls. I'd be hard pressed to find 4 teams in the land better than MSU yet they are ranked No. 14. Just goes to show how much the voters overreact to a couple of early season losses in Hawaii. The good thing about that is the the polls don't mean squat right now. So it doesn't matter if voters overreact. All they have to do is be there at the end.

QUOTE(sec159row2 @ Dec 7, 2005 -> 04:17 PM) just want to enter a complaint about this forum... one thread for college basketball is outa control... i'm not going thru 60-some odd pages to find out the various topics that are being talked about... so please bear with me if i repeat topics..... how long will this thread be by march?... i wish i could offer a suggestion with my complaint, but I don't know the intricacies(sp?) of messege boards.... but, i guess this has worked in the past, personnally I stop reading threads after about the second or third page, cause at that point they get pretty redundant.... this being said... how many games will mike davis lose for indiana this year... outcoached back to back games... he's like a weatherman... he can be wrong and still have a job... No need to read all 65 pages. This thread is basically an ongoing conversation. Just read a few pages from the end and then keep up as best you can. I read it every night, so rarely do I ever have to read more than a page or two at a time. Lots of stuff you can skip because it is talk about the days game. I really like the format. If there is a hot enough topic then I guess another thread could be started, but for the most part, this thread is basically just a bunch of guys standing around the proverbial water talking about last night's games.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Dec 7, 2005 -> 04:34 AM) I still think Andre Woolridge was VASTLY underrated, and am consistently surprised not to see him playing in the NBA. I go back to the Gamble/Armstrong/Marble teams.... I recently ran into Wade Lookingbill. THE GREAT WADE LOOKINGBILL! -- The MSU game after Chris Street died was pretty special too. I sat behind the Iowa bench at Mackey Arena at the height of the Marble/Armstrong era. I remember a few things about that game... 1. Mackey Arena was as loud of an arena as I have ever been in. It was packed and a big time atmosphere. 2. BJ Armstrong looked like a 16-yr old on TV. He looked like a 12-yr old in person. 3. Ed Horton may have had the widest shoulders I have ever seen on a human being. 4. Sitting in the folding chairs behind the bench sucks because you can't see over the damned players! In that era, you may remember Mark Jewell, was was from Lafayette (Indiana Mr. Basketball 1986, I think?). He was recruited to Iowa by Coach Raveling and then Tom Davis took over. Mark didn't fit into that offense as well and transferred to Evansville. He and I became real good friends at UE. We went up to Lafayette to see the Iowa game in his reds*** year, hence the above story.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Dec 7, 2005 -> 03:11 AM) I should just add that is f***ing pathetic by Iowa. They gave up 2 offensive rebounds in the possession and NIU finally hit a 3 to take a 2 point lead (it was the 3rd 3 they attempted of the posession). Jason how long you been an Iowa fan? How far back do you go with Hawkeye Hoops?

QUOTE(SnB @ Dec 5, 2005 -> 10:55 PM) this is probably a major thread hijack, but i've always been in favor of a 4 team playoff. 1) it adds only 1 game to the schedule 2) it will get rid of all those complicated years with 3 undefeated teams. 3) Some will say "but then we'll have the same argument over the 4th and 5th team". But isn't that better than an argument from a 2nd and 3rd team? 4) It definitely doesn't take away from the whole idea of "the entire season is a playoff" but that's just my 2 cents Isn't that pretty much what they are doing next year with the +1 deal???

QUOTE(THEWOOD @ Dec 4, 2005 -> 10:12 PM) But you do know the PSU is 3 OSU is 4 and Oregon is 5....maybe I am reading your post wrong. I really dont see how there is any doubt that OSU is going to be playing ND in the Fiesta Bowl. You were. I was painting a hypothetical scenario.

QUOTE(OilCan @ Dec 4, 2005 -> 11:22 PM) Hook 'em Horns. That game against Ohio State set the tone for them. And the game against Texas A&M gave them a sense of urgency to get the job done. Remember - the Horns have that same defensive coordinator, who's name escapes me, from Auburn a year ago. It took a bit, but the defense has gelled to the point of shutting teams down when it counts. Yeah, Reggie Bush and LenDale White will get theirs but so will Rashonce Taylor and Jamaal Charles, the two headed monster back there for UT. Should be an awesome game. Gene Chizik is Texas Defensive Coordinator

good stuff, jugg

QUOTE(THEWOOD @ Dec 4, 2005 -> 07:38 AM) Buckeyes are going to a BCS bowl. TOP 4 teams automatic bids!!!!!!!!!! Now how would that work in a scenario where the #3 an #4 teams were say, Ohio State and Oregon, but Notre Dame finishes #6? Let's say for example purposes that the #1 and #2 teams are USC and Penn State in this scenario. You can't have three at-large teams! How can the twop 4 be automatic and Notre Dame have their deal? What if Texas were still #2 and Penn St. was #5, but still won the Big Ten over Ohio St (let's say a non-conference loss has them ranked behind Ohio St. or that Penn St. won the Big Ten berth via tiebreaker in a year they did not play OSU). See how "automatic" cold present problems? I don't hate the BCS like so many other people do, but there is no way the BCS can be designed to handle every possible scenario.