Rex Hudler

QUOTE(He_Gawn @ Dec 30, 2006 -> 12:06 PM) God, next year with EJ we should be sick. Esp since D. J. White should be back. On a football note: Michigan 5-star QB recruit Ryan Mallet has already enrolled in school and will begin classes after the Jan. 6 All-American All-Star Game. He'll have a head start going into spring practice.

1. I threw two no-hitters, one in a Little League All-Star game and one in American Legion (game was shortened to seven innings due to the 10-run rule) 2. Played D-I baseball at Evansville. Was teammates with Andy Benes and Sal Fasano. On 1988 NCAA Regional team when Andy Benes beat #1 ranked Arizona St. 1-0 in Tempe. That game made him the #1 overall pick in that year's draft. 3. I remember exactly where I was when the whole University of Evansville basketball team was killed in a plane crash on Dec. 13, 1977. I was in a classroom waiting for my class to go on stage during a grade school Christmas program. I had gone to the first two home games that year, the first two I had ever been to. 4. I spent three days with Willie Mays, including driving him around in my car. I have an autographed October 1960 issue of Sport Magazine with Willie on the cover. 5. I worked for the Sox AA affiliate for 8 years, allowing me to get to know many current and former Sox players and some of their families. I've drank beer with many. I also created the giveaway items during that time, including all the bobblehead dolls and stadium replicas. a few more to add..... 6. I played a 30 & over game (when I was 29) at Rickwood Field, the oldest baseball park in America, built in 1910. 7. I bowled on a club team in college that competed in a league with Indiana, Illinois, Ball St., Illinois St, Purdue and others. Averaged about 175. Highest game ever = 266. 8. Still single at 38. 9. Had to testify in the trial of the police officer convicted of killing my next door neighbor about 12 years ago. 10. I am good at darts, foosball, trivia, video games, etc. but not at pool. lastly... 11. I have a huge bobblehead doll collection made up of mostly MLB players in their Minor League uniforms. Also have a nice autographed baseball collection which includes 13 current or sure-fire Hall of Famers.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Dec 30, 2006 -> 12:07 AM) Very relieved, that game really did scare the crap out of me. Now back home for the Shocks on Monday. Can't wait to get back there. Hate to say I told ya so, but.... I Told Ya So!

QUOTE(Felix @ Dec 29, 2006 -> 10:58 PM) Let me just say f*** you to every heartless player on that Minnesota football team, especially to the defensive unit, defensive coordinator, and head coach Glen Mason. Dude, I know you are pissed and disappointed, but it was the INSIGHT BOWL.

Anyone ever seen Billy Joel? He's coming to Birmingham in February and I am thinking about going. The tickets are pretty pricey, but I think it may be worth it.

Evansville thumps Drake tonight 78-57 to go 9-4 after losing their first 2 games. With their next two games at Bradley and Northern Iowa, we'll see quickly if they are truly making any headway in the MVC. Indiana State also beat Purdue tonight 89-70. I've heard of overlooking a team, but damn, that's a thumpin.

This in itself doesn't indicate Colt Brennan will win the Heisman next year and I am sure there are 50 different similar stats people could find to show his abilities, but I found this interesting. Brennan and Hawaii opened the season at Alabama, losing 25-17, yet having an attempted pass in the end zone fall incomplete as time ran out (not a hail mary). Brennan lit up the Bama defense for 350 yards, going 30-44. He added 2 TD's and had 1 interception Only one other QB threw for more than 300 yards against Alabama this year and that was Erik Ainge from Tennessee. In that game, Ainge racked up yards, but had three interceptions and zero touchdowns. The only other QB to even break 200 passing yards against Alabama this year was Jamarcus Russell of LSU who threw for a whopping 207. Alabama wasn't the best team this year, but their defense was solid. And considering they only allowed 3 teams to pass for more than 200 yards, I think it shows their pass defense was pretty solid. It also indicates Brennan and the Hawaii offense can do it against just about anybody.

Since we are discussing Florida's team from last year, I heard a Billy Donovan interview today (it was taped, so I am not sure when it aired originally). This is what he said about last year's team. He said they had lost approx 70% of their scoring from the previous year, losing Roberson, Lee and somebody else I can't recall. He told his team before last season that it would have to be different. He told them he wasn't looking for someone to score 20-25 points a game. He said they needed to build a team that would play together for the team first with personal achievement taking a back seat. He said they needed to have a team where on any given night, anyone could score 25, but that on average their goal was for all starters to average 10-15 points. He then said that last year's team bought into that like on other team he has every been around. He said they not only had the talent, but they had the mental acuity in terms of basketball to make it happen. He said every team is different, regardless of talent. What makes a great team, a winning team, is what they bring together collectively between the ears and add it to their talents. Last year's team did exactly what he wanted and that translated into a National Championship. He said teams like that are very rare and the fact that they all came back just shows that they put personal goals on the back burner. I'm not sure how a basketball purist would say that is undeserved, but hey, that's just me.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Dec 27, 2006 -> 12:30 PM) All of those schools except for UConn have offered a schollie. No one really knows where he's headed yet. Bernstein decided on the day I posted that. It was looking like UCLA was a strong possibility as of late. Will Steve Alford or Craig Neal be around in 08? They have no excuse to be as bad as they are. Neither Iowa or Iowa State should lose to Drake, but at least Iowa State lost half its roster. Haluska and Smith should be able to carry them to more wins than they have. Craig Neal? Is he an Iowa assistant? Is he the former Ga Tech player? If so, he is from tiny Washington IN and I remember seeing him play in HS.

How do you figure they were one of the least deserving? What is that based on? You state it as if it were fact.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Dec 23, 2006 -> 11:41 PM) two meaningful games? Or two tough games on the road? They are a young team, obviously they need time to gel, especially with Oden coming back with one hand. And Oden needs to get in shape.

QUOTE(SnB @ Dec 23, 2006 -> 04:25 PM) florida lighting the place on fire. OSU looks extremely tired. They did against UNC as well.

Oden is getting tired. He's sucking wind up and down the court right now. He'll need a rest soon. I'll be curious how much he has left in the tank toward the end of the game. If I were a Big Ten team, I'd be taking notes and see if you can push the ball up and down the court against OSU. And yes, the Florida pom-poms (or shakers as they call them down here) are incredibly gay. It's a dumb southern thing.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Dec 23, 2006 -> 02:53 PM) Dawgs win a tough game against the Gaels. Move to 9-2 and are done with our non conf till the bracketbuster in February. Valley play for us starts Friday against Illinois State, that game scares the hell out of me as we play Wichita State afterwards and it would be too easy to look ahead. Illinois State will NOT present a problem for SIU. Take a deep breath and relax, my friend.

Michigan getting thrashed by UCLA... Ohio State and Florida about to begin. Should be a good one.

Does anyone have access to Rivals? Can someone check to see which school Doug Wiggins picked tonight? He is a 4-star athlete from Florida and announced at his HS banquet tonight. I am traveling and can't remember my rivals password, so I can't access it. The info would be much appreciated.

Nice sig, Rowand! IU walks over IUPUI tonight 86-57. Ball State up next and then on to the Big Ten. I still don't have a good feel for what Indiana can do in conference this year. I can see them anywhere from 3rd to 7th. We shall see soon enough.

QUOTE(Steff @ Dec 21, 2006 -> 05:11 AM) Hey Rex.. Just busy with Christmas, work, the grandkids, etc, etc... I've been visiting daily keeping up on things. Hope everyone has a nice Christmas and safe New Year. Good to know you are doing well. For a minute there I thought you were another SoxTalk casualty and left us or something. Happy Holidays!

Haven't seen or heard from Steff in awhile. Anyone heard from her lately? Is there a story I missed?

QUOTE(Iwritecode @ Dec 20, 2006 -> 11:19 AM) I think I'm one of the last people in the world that still has a waterbed. I love it. Keeps me nice and warm in the winter. That is a huge factor considering my bedroom is in the basement. It also has 2 sets of drawers underneath it so it sits about 3 feet off the ground. I had a 90 or 95% motionless waterbed and loved it. But I moved three times in two years. That was the end of the waterbed. QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 20, 2006 -> 01:43 AM) I have a 2 inch temperpedic type pad on top of a spring mattress. I highly recommend it. Memory foam (visco) is a very high grade foam and will last longer and have less body impressions than standard foams. Mine mattress has it as part of the makeup of the pillowtop. I definitely recommend either visco or latex. But the all foam beds are just different to me.

QUOTE(thedoctor @ Dec 20, 2006 -> 09:53 AM) but let's not get on our high horses and put this as "oh, illinois fans are just pissed they didn't get their guy." tommy amaker, tom izzo, matt painter, and jim delaney are all on record saying they thought the situation was handled poorly. The general consensus was the situation could have been handled better and Sampson should have called Weber and told him what was going on (which I agree with). None of them have said Sampson did anything wrong or unethical. I don't think anyone thinks he should be absolved. He's paying the price as he should. But, I think a point can be made that worse things go on all the time and he should not be made out to be the scum of the earth because of some phone calls. I'd rather people just call him stupid for not being as technologically advanced as the coaches who did/do the same exact thing he did, only through unregulated text messages. If Sampson was a little tech savvy, this wouldn't be an issue. Also, let's not forget the phone calls happened over a four year period, two of which Oklahoma was investigating the issue. If they knew he was doing something wrong, all they had to do is tell him to QUIT shortly after the investigation started and then turn themselves in to the NCAA. It would have then been a much more minor infraction, but they let it go on for two years after they suspected what was going on. Lastly, I know this is a rare mentality on a message board, but I do believe that people can learn from mistakes and become better off having made them. We're all human and everybody makes mistakes. Call me naive, but I do believe people can change. I DON'T think IU would have hired him had they not believed the same.

One other note on the all-foam mattresses such as the Tempurpedic.... 1. I didn't like them because while they conform to your body, they do so to a degree it is hard to move around in them. I felt like I had to swim to get out of it and it was very hard to roll over. 2. I do hear a lot of reports that they sleep very hot, so if you tend to sweat at all when you sleep, it will be worse with these. The way to help combat this is to buy better sheets 400TC or above and keep the room you sleep in cooler. So basically to stay comfortable, you have to spend even more money. That said, I know people that swear by them.

QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Dec 19, 2006 -> 10:46 PM) Good point, but I wonder how you would react if the situation was reversed. And don't tell me that you wouldn't feel the same way, etc. because you have no idea how you would react. Actually, I can tell you how I would react. I would understand how it went down, I wouldn't like it, but I would get over it and not whine about it. My friends tell me I am a pretty objective and fair guy. They say I see both sides of a situation and don't overreact without all the information. Even if I don't agree with something, I try hard to see why and how a situation came about and give those involved the benefit of the doubt. While I am opinionated on here, I do think that is a fair representation of my demeanor. So I DO know how I would react. I also know I wouldn't like it, but that is not the point.

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Dec 19, 2006 -> 09:30 PM) Rex, I had no idea when I asked this question that I had access to any of your hot buttons, let alone the mattress one. Thanks a lot for your information. This is amazing. Miss PA and I will be sleeping like a King and Queen...on a King sized bed. and FWIW, it's PA not Soxlife, but it's cool. Sorry about that. From now on I will just call you Mr. PA. In all seriousness mattress shopping can be a major headache. Having knowledge going in will help. Good luck.

Soxlife, you pushed one of my hot buttons. I bought a mattress this summer and spent several months shopping, testing and researching. Here are a few things I found. 1. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A MATTRESS SALE. Mattresses are always discounted off of "retail" price and no one ever pays retail. If you don't believe me, go shopping for a mattress and write the specific model down. Then, wait until that store has a sale and check out the price. It's no different. Mattress "sales" are simply marketing what they already do. That said, in some places you can negotiate a deal, but never be fooled by newspaper ads, signs, and "special offers". 2. The mattress companies have their own racket going, making it virtually impossible to comparison shop. You can walk into three different stores that sell Simmons, Serta, Sealy, etc. and none of them carry the same models. Each store carries model names that are unique to them in a certain area. You may find an occasional duplication but it is rare. The key is to find out the composition of the mattress. What is it made of? What kind of foams? How thick are the foams? Memory foam or latex? Finding out exactly what each mattress has in it, will help you compare. For example, Simmons has a high end bed called the Medalist Blvd (plush or pillowtop). In another store it may be called the Lindbergh View (same mattress). Others may have a different name. 3. How you sleep will help determine what you need. Are you a front, back or side sleeper? What do you weigh? Back problems? Those kinds of things will help figure out how to narrow down what will work for you. 4. Don't go cheap unless you want to buy again in a few years. As others have mentioned, you spend a lot of your life on a mattress, most of it sleeping. A quality mattress can give you a better night's sleep and keep you from having back, shoulder and neck pains. 5. Each place will tell you why theirs is better and why their competitions is not. Simmons dealers will tell you how their individually pocketed coils are great because they provide great motion separation, meaning two people can sleep comfortably without disturbing the other (hence their bowling ball example). Stores that don't carry Simmons will talk about high rate of returns and a lack of durability because the individually pocketed coils are not intertwined. I eventually chose a Serta Perfect Day Super Pillow Top. Below is a link. The link lists the model as an Uplifting, while mine was called the Enlivenment. Note the pricing for the bed at this link. It shows the King as regularly $5100. Nobody pays the regular price anywhere (see #1). I got mine locally for $2200 including tax, delivery and a frame. If you don't like the prices you are getting locally, don't be afraid to check out online options. Be sure to see their return policies and understand them before you do. But if you test a bed and are pretty comfortable that it is the right one for you, then save a few bucks. You just don't have the convenience of the local store if you decide quickly you bought the wrong model. Serta Perfect Day Uplifting Super Pillow Top I chose the Serta because it has a stronger innerspring system than Simmons and I am not a small guy. I wanted something that was going to last me for a long time, so I paid more for durability. They also say that memory foam mattresses tend to sleep hot. Serta has technology that reduces this and it has not been a problem for me at all. Here is a good resources to learn more. It is an ongoing Q&A from Charlotte, NC that is very informative. They are a Simmons dealer and their info tends to slant toward Simmons, but they are pretty objective. They give you good information and offer pretty good prices. I liked Simmons mattresses a lot and almost went with the Medalist Blvd. I would have gone with the Quinlan SPT or the Florin SPT if I did not need the strongest spring system. I did not find Sealy's very comfortable, but that is just me. Check out the links and take your time. Go shopping with your wife or girlfriend (preferrably not both) and lay in each bed for more than just a few minutes. Two minutes on the bed in a store will not give you a good enough read on its comfort. Hope my painful, drawn out experience can help you in some way or another. If you have any specific questions, let me know. Ask the Expert - Charlotte