BrandoFan

Bollocks! Everyone knows there is not a goddamn Bond out there better than David Niven. Just ask Ian Fleming.

let me know.

Guillen was very good as a Red, but the risk is high with him as 2003 was his only really good year. 3/10 Mill?

Breakaleg!

Damn, you guys like cornered the nom market by now. How about 3 of you for the best bow tie? Meanwhile, I could use another nom....Lord knows I didn't really have to do anything to get the only one I got!

Actually, it was a typo. I meant witesoxfanthatsright, he only had like 3 posts, but it's the quality, I tell you, the quality. Hilarious kid.

or to vote for himself Oh and F me.

Well, my personal special mention would go to witesoxfan, JimH, The Critic, SI1020, FlaSoxxJim, HSC, whitesox10682, Cheat, Jim Fainter, winodj, Tolleson, whitesox247, LDF, baggio.......they made me think and laugh, and for that I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

It's the middle of December and there is at least another 4 weeks to make a deal. I don't doubt for a moment Kenny has a big trade or two in mind....Konerko and Ordonez are just two examples. Everything KW does from then on, will depend on whether or not he'll be able to shed 33 Mill dollars worth of Koch, Valentin and the above two would you agree?

Rector, you're WAY off base. Julie is just very awkward, inexperienced and not very good at articulating her views...and OF COURSE that the cell-phone celebtration s*** is ridiculous, is it her fault majority of NFL Wideouts are Black? Give me a break, you got a TRUE racist/controversy merchant Mike North reigning as the highest paid sports personality in the mid-west with total impunity....while Awkward Julia and brillant Dan Bernstein are the ones who have to ward off ham-handed racist accusations....Puh-lease. Skiles is TWICE the coach Cart is, and if you can't see the difference in play/attitude you're blind. Cart's team was blown out in most losses, while Skiles, without his best power-forward AND without HOF Pipper, had his team in EVERY game. PS If I recall, Julia was Jerry Maneul and Dusty Baker's biggest supporter during the year when half the callers were ripping on them for one thing or another....hw convenient to leave it out?

Give it up for Texsox, people. Something like this takes balls to pull off, and TRUST me, you couldn't BELIEVE how hard --I am not using the word lightly here--it was for them to leave SOME of you out. Most of the time, the NEXT five was just as deserving as the one which ended up on the ballot.

Jose's my MAN, but whatever is best for the Sox is best for the Sox. The truth is, we DON'T know if his defensive breakthrough of the last 4+ months of the season was permanent. We DON'T know if he can hit LHP from the left side. I understand that's ONE too many "I don't know"s for Sox to be paying 10% of the payroll to. Sad but true. It's not going to be Seattle, tho.

Yossarian, you f***ing expressed what I struggled to in 30+ paragraphs. Amen.

I personally have countless posts where I slam fellow Sox fans and generally argue from a Devil Advocate, er, JR's perspective and all........But are you effin' serious, mate? Does the whole *situation** seem THAT simple to you? Do you think Jerry Reindorf is gonna WIN the battle with Sox fans? Arguably, there is NO winning for either side if only 1.5 Mill fans attend games (with all the half-price s*** it it's actually worse than it looks) and hardly anyone watches TV or buys merchandise in 2004...... meaning among other things Mr. Frugal Businessman Jerry Reinsdorf will stand to lose those same "10 Million" that he so desperately wants to keep from spending on payroll.....And that is EXACTLY what's gonna happen on the SouthSide if a team full of "grinders" (Uribe, Harris, Olivo, Carlos Guillen, Rowand, Wright, Garland, Munoz, etc) loses 85 games in a pathetic ALC in 2004. Do me a favor, tell me what YOU think Sox should do, what "financial model" SHOULD they follow given that this is a SPORTS franchise in a city so desperate for a WS appperance it almost defies belief....and not a meat-packing factory. EDIT: Again, I don't ask for unrealistic things like a an 80+ Mill payroll; I do realize Sox fans haven't earned it.... BUT when you need to keep Kip Wells and Keith Foulke and it comes down to a mill or two.....f***ING DO IT if you care about the future of this franchize....and by extension FUTURE profits.

"Elaine, it's a Ziggy....."

I think the prevailing attitude is no longer wanting to see White Sox be a laghing stock of AL. Devil Rays are bound to win the world series before us if only by law of probability. I have been Sox fans' harshest critic, almost justifying JR's two-faced, penny-pinching ways......But where do you say 'enough!'? JR's cheapness has led TWO seasons of pathetic failure in a pathetic division- if he only kept Foulke and shelled out more money for a FA pitcher instead of getting Ritchie (we keep Wells naturally), things would have been different...... Do you want the Sox repeat that in 2004 and 2005 (and all this "bargain-hunting" produces Rick Whites, Daubachs, Ritchies, Claytons and Armando Rioses MUCH more frequently than it does Esteban Loaizas) and then find themselves faced with a re-built Indians team and/or re-aligned ALC in 2006/07? I don't. Mediocrity is not tolerated. Business? Sure. Ther is such a thing called "prudence" and "vision" which JR sorely lacks......When Sox finish 10 game back of Royals (and dealing Thomas, Maggs to fit in Ponson and Perez will help accomplish just that) in 2004 and draw 1.4 Mill fans in 2004-2005, leading Chairman to slash payroll to 40 Mill.....I'll get back to you. Spend 10 extra Mill NOW....you will make 20 extra Mill tomorrow. Don't spend, you'll LOSE 10 Mill tomorrow. It's JR's choice. (and, no, I don't absolve Sox fans of their loyal-less ways. just looking at the bigger picture)

At this point JR has to choose to be AGGRESSIVE, using the super-weak division and stadium renovation-led momentum and putting EXTRA dough (even if it means going into red a little) into the team. 75 Mill pauroll may be out of the question, but what about 65-68? How much better will the team be? OR he could go his usual route (and I wouldn't expect anything less from J-Arrah) and find every EXCUSE in the book NOT to spend, thus further putting the Sox a perilous situation of having to win with medium talent or they risk losing even MORE fans who are tired of the BS and will have even LESS cash flow which will in turn force JR to drop the 2005 even lower....Vicous cycle. Frank Thomas is the GREATEST Sox player of all time. This franchise is fighting for fans. He is only making 6 Mill (compared to 20 for Manny, 18 for Delgado, 17 for Sosa, etc). If he AND Maggs are traded for anything but first rate talent (and who will give that to Kenny, lol?), we're f***ed and deservedly so.

No what will end up happening is Magglio being traded for a mediocre Odalis Perez and a future bust pf a prospect.....while Frank and Valentin is traded for a couple of utility infielders. Saving money....losing too much production and incurring fans' and media's great wrath and ridicule. Frank looked GREAT last year and Magglio will rebound. You wanna get Soriano? Fine. Huff? Sure. Fullmer if we deal Konerko beforehand? Ok. Hell, I'll take Evrett making 3 Mill in 2004 at this point for Maggs......Perez? No.

Getting rid of BOTH Magglio AND Frank???? Why stop there, why not deal Loaiza, Marte and Burhle? I am sure Crede and Carlos Lee will find takers. Better yet, how about we MOVE White Sox to Nevada and get it over with, whadayasay?

Juju bean?

1. s*** I forgot about Fullmer. 2. Borchard is all potential and there is no idea how good a slugger he'll be once his wrist tendonitis is healed. And it's not like Sox are gonna get the nobus back, away. That was paid in 2000. What we musy consider is his defense in RF in the future, solid base speed and awesome power potential for the next 5-6 years until free agency....Same for Rauch.

I don't know about much-faster PS2 CPU......But in Madden 2000 on PS1, all you had to do to beat the computer (unless it was like Bengels versus Broncos type thing where talent discrepancy was too much) is MASTER only 4-5 audibles and generally keep it as simple as you can. Even on hardest level of play, the computer would reward you for "logical" and "fundamentally sound" plays. If you don't go for big or fancy plays (offnse and defense) all the time, you have a pretty good chance of beating CPU. If you want 40 yard passes and interceptioons/sacks on every other play, you're gonna get blown away, sure. Again, can't speak for the new Maddens.

I am saying I am just sayin'.

1. Don't trade Konerko or Koch NOW. Wait until they show something during spring training and first 6 weeks of the season. Their value should go higher. (readL from no value to ok value) 2. Maggs for Mota and their top prospect? Sure. Then we'll save a ton of dough to get Audrey Huff, Scott Williamson and a legitimaten ace pitcher. And Fullmer. 3. Borchard and Rauch are NO-NOs. Sorry, they are just too talented and cheap. Pacheco is a solid prospecxt as well. Odaliz Perez is very overrated, will be a DISASTER in AL and is FAR from cheap in 2004.

The man has all the twitchy mannerisms, injury history and bulging neck veins of one. You think Fullmer LIKES making 1 Mill a year? He is worth more than Spezio (read: 3/10), and I that ehow Sox alweays have to get players AFTER they've been a bargain for OTHER teams...