RockRaines

QUOTE (knightni @ Dec 5, 2011 -> 06:34 PM) If I had to guess, I'd say that he would get type B free agent return. One top 5 or two top 12-15 guys from a good system. At the deadline if he produces he will draw a hefty return.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Dec 5, 2011 -> 05:11 PM) But, this only makes sense if BOTH Floyd and Danks go for prospect packages AND Buerhle is willing to come back on some sort of a hometown discount because we give him a NTC and essentially the opportunity to retire in Chicago. And, to be clear, the rebuild has to be the top priority. And there still has to be a net salary drop team-wide. Outside of all the fluff in your post here is a point that actually has some truth in it, in fact I mentioned it before this offseason even started. KW wants to rebuild on the fly, because here you cannot go to 60 wins and continue to make money on the team. Players they are going to unload are: Thornton, Quentin, Danks, Floyd, plus the salaries of Pierre, Castro, and Omar. You then bring back Buehrle, some guys in the pen and bank on Sale and Stewart to replicate the contribution of Floyd and Danks. Your overall payroll goes down, you back fill your positions with the prospects you already have and you hope you can pick up some good young players for the guys you dealt. Thats the plan, we'll see how it shakes out.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 5, 2011 -> 04:57 PM) And it's also "when you win", and when you win a game against a top ten opponent while the other contender sits at home because they couldn't win their division to get into the conference championship that used to matter. But now we know. Win a conference championship = meaningless. Lose a conference championship = f***s you out of any BCS bowl. Sit on the sidelines = Key to having a bowl bid. Suck just enough not to have to play for the title, while not so much that you are a bad team. How many s***ty losses did USC have that last decade and writers still put them near the top every year? It doesn't matter if you are a classic team, I guess. All of your former football players are all over TV, and the writers have followed you their whole lives. Yes, worst possible outcome for a team is going to their conference championship game and then losing. You WILL fall in the polls and with the computers. Its better to lose in your conference early on and then win out while some other shlub goes to the CCG.

Now all of these cases are starting to make it easier for other industries to come out. http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/...rg-experts-say/

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 5, 2011 -> 03:56 PM) Interesting - $12M-$13M per for 3 years. I was saying before all the sweepstakes he'd get less than his last contract, and everyone scoffed. He's not likely to get the 4/$56 kind of deal people are talking about, unless one of those teams goes nuts. At 3/$36-$39, if the Sox can move a few salaries, I'd love to see them do it. And I still stick with my earlier assertion, 60% chance he stays. Buehrle's agent will come back to the Sox and present them the ballpark his value is and they will get their shot. JR will also be involved. I wouldnt be all that nervous unless someone comes out of the woodwork and offers him 15 mil a year.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 5, 2011 -> 03:54 PM) That's who I think SHOULD win it too. He has the 2nd most TDs in a season in D-1 history, just behind Barry Sanders. Wisconsin's two losses will probably hurt him though. I think Richardson ends up winning it, with Griffin second, Ball 3rd, followed by Luck & Moore. This Wisconsin team isnt really as good as last year's team, their o-line is much more suspect (Ogelsby as first team is laughable) and their defense is not nearly as good, yet Ball goes out and almost sets a record. Unreal. I would also give Luck a ton of credit considering he seems to completely carry that team at times.

I'm told the White Sox Brass and Reds brass have an appt to chat later

QUOTE (danman31 @ Dec 5, 2011 -> 03:41 PM) Heisman anyone? Haven't really heard enough about it, but it's the closest race I can remember. To me, it comes down to Griffin and Mathieu. My vote would be Montee Ball, it takes alot to do what he's done this season, and somewhat quietly. This is an O-line that graduated 3 NFL starters.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Dec 5, 2011 -> 03:26 PM) I think Kansas State has a bigger gripe about not being in the BCS than Oklahoma State does with not being in the title game. No reason they shouldnt have been in the Sugar bowl. No reason at all.

I may be thinking on the negative side today but I can see the Big Ten getting swept or only winning 1 bowl game.

QUOTE (Felix @ Dec 2, 2011 -> 07:48 PM) One of my old roommates had heard about it from a friend a few years ago so we started watching it. It's a superb show... one of the few that could sustain a pretty significant cast change from season one to two and still maintain its quality/improve. It's perfectly casted... just an outstanding series. It's up there with Arrested Development as my favorite comedy. I was sold from the very first scene of the show, which is the first twenty or so minutes of this trailer: While I'm linking to awesome Party Down scenes, why not: Party Down is unquestionably brilliant. Once again some former Freaks and Geeks cast characters help make the show what it is. Say what you want about Apatow but he really had an eye for young talent. Almost everyone on F&G and even Undeclared are starring in something these days.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 5, 2011 -> 11:43 AM) Sugar bowl was a joke with selections. I don't feel these bcs bowls should get extra significance if they are just going to pick whoever they feel will make the most money rather than reward the best teams that year. That's great Michigan, you made a BCS bowl...because your fans travel more than Kstates. Great resume. The only reason they made it was because the team that actually won their division lost the CCG. Thus is the BCS

They are kind of worthless from my experience. Some of them have to charge for hours to give a good one to your phone.

Bama is probably the 2nd best team in the country, but I hate seeing teams in the BCS Championship game that didnt even make it to their conference title game. Sometimes we are at the mercy of consistency and that has to be valuing the conference win of Ok St IMO.

I dont know about you guys but I LOVE when these types of teams get exposed for ignoring defense. Championships are won on the defensive side of the ball.

Ruh Roh Houston.

QUOTE (He_Gawn @ Dec 3, 2011 -> 01:32 PM) Both teams are incredible. Hope we can give UK a game next week. I think Teague will get rattled by the crowd. He's going to try to do too much trying to put it to us. You have to stop Gilchrist and Davis to stop UK. A very tough feat.

QUOTE (He_Gawn @ Dec 3, 2011 -> 01:17 PM) How many times did they say Cody Zeller during this game? I only caught the last 5 minutes, and i think they thought he was playing. Even Anthony Davis at the end of the game... "UNC has some good players in Jon Henson and Cody Zeller"... it's not that hard.... Its got to be hard to root for that ugly bastard. There was probably a minimum of 8 draft picks in that game today, just awesome talent all around. Anthony Davis is a beast.

KY UNC is awesome. So much talent on the floor at one time.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 2, 2011 -> 01:19 PM) Also apparently there's software in almost every Android, Blackberry and Nokia phone that records and transmits almost everything you do on your phone. where's my tinfoil... Yeah, and within a year or two every shopping center and mall is going to be able to use your RFID to tracak your movements and spending patterns. Outside of that there is going to be a universal user store that will collect every piece of information you put on the internet from your google, FB, aol etc account and will allow 3rd party companies to access it at their whim. Everytime you use FB to log into a web site like bestbuy.com it pulls all of your personal info as well as information about your friends. There is no privacy.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 2, 2011 -> 05:26 PM) fun for the fans too. One of the more underrated parts of the bowl season is that those teams get an extra month or more of practice time, which is totally invaluable. For young teams who expect those players to carry their teams the next year, bowl season is a MUST.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 2, 2011 -> 01:13 PM) Against either Richmond or Illinois State he pulled out either a 2-3 or a 1-3-1. Lasted about 2 minutes and I think it was just until he could get some fresh guys in the game. I dont understand why he wouldnt use a 2-3 matchup at times. It would favor his young squad and keep people out of the paint with a big shot blocker. oh and this guy thinks coach K is full of s***, and the Big Ten is the best conference in america http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball...lege-basketball

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 2, 2011 -> 12:27 PM) But I also think the comparison between business and sports is very weak. Probably true with ESPN, but I think that reporting for a large organization should come with some obligation to be morally and factually correct.

AS predicted I heard today that Illinois has or had reached out to Luke Fickell

QUOTE (iamshack @ Dec 2, 2011 -> 11:13 AM) I would normally not make an issue of it, except for the fact that ESPN's biggest talking head so righteously explained to us all when the PSU scandal broke how reporting a crime such as child molestation to the police trumps all customary reporting procedures. To not do so is a moral outrage! Especially when they have tied up millions of dollars arguing a case with the ohio and now the federal supreme court suing Ohio State for student's records and emails. I wouldnt expect any less than total hypocrisy from ESPN to be honest, which has been shown to be the case here.