Balta1701

QUOTE (South Side Fireworks Man @ Dec 31, 2012 -> 06:35 PM) You just can't stop s***ting all over an appreciation thread. I think AJ would kinda like having fans call him a giant a**hole in his appreciation thread.

Nss, haven't you been one of the many saying how terrible, awful the deficit is and how we need to solve tht immediately because of the imminent enormous inflation spike that was supposed to happen in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012? The fiscal cliff gets rid of the deficit. The biggest problem with the fiscal cliff is the deficit rapidly shrinks in the middle of a minor depression. But anyone who has complained about the deficit...should have very little problem with this. And finally...you accuse me of denial about "overspending". Yet you ignore the fact that spending has gone up over the past presidents term by the lowest admount in decades and the yearly deficit has shrunk more rapidly since 2009 than at any point since 1946. Anyone who is not in denial about the long term budget will talk about health care costs growing at 8% a year, because if Medicare grows at 5% a year, it eats up the entire budget...at a time when 50% of our economy is health care costs. The PPACA bought us maybe a 5-10 year delay, but that is literally the entire long term budget gap (assuming we can get back to 6% unemployment).

QUOTE (balfanman @ Dec 31, 2012 -> 04:49 PM) I would not be suprised that Emery made the decision at least several weeks ago to let Lovie go and has a pretty good idea right now who he wants to bring in. I think he made the decision that Smith would be gone unless there was a deep playoff run.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Dec 31, 2012 -> 12:00 PM) It was difficult to see a way the Sox could contend for the division when the offseason began. After ~80+% of player movement is finished it is still difficult to see. It's a lot easier to see than last year, though.

QUOTE (Lamar Johnson 23 @ Dec 31, 2012 -> 11:58 AM) I never said getting Danks back wouldn't be huge. Correct me if I'm wrong; isnt Danks coming back from his injury more of a risk than V-Mart coming back form his, based on the nature of the injuries and their respective positions? It's a mixed bag. Yes, VMart has an easier position to play, but he has also been out longer and is 34 years old. Yes, Danks's problem was a shoulder problem and those are always iffy, but Danks is younger, and we have at least the trainer on this site saying his problem is one that he can recover from by next year.

QUOTE (balfanman @ Dec 31, 2012 -> 11:25 AM) Thanks Chisoxfn, I did not know that they had "locker room issues". I do remember his days as a host on "the Score" and he came across as very knowledgeable to me, but whatever, just a thought. The Cam Newton stuff earlier this season screamed "Locker Room issues"

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 31, 2012 -> 10:44 AM) If Lovie is gone, I for one, will not be saying he was an "average" coach. Any coach that takes his team to the SB with Rex Grossman behind center is better than average. I just hope they bring in someone proven, or the Bears could be the KC Chiefs fairly quickly. Lovie Smith might have been the best Bears coach of my lifetime, but he hasn't earned a career free pass.

QUOTE (Lamar Johnson 23 @ Dec 31, 2012 -> 09:35 AM) $70 million for 5 years for Carlos is not a lot of money, not in today's market. You're actually right it's not, but you're ignoring how the contract is structured. Cargo is paid a pittance this year, something like $7 million. His contract explodes and he's paid $20 million for the last year. So if you're trading for him this year, you have to pay the price for a guy who isn't expensive this year and could help the Rockies win a lot of games this year, and could legitimately get better and raise his value even more while being cheap. But if you trade for him now, you have to deal with a $20 million player on the books in a few years. So you have to pay the high talent price to get him now, and the high financial price for him later. It's a double-whammy.

QUOTE (Lamar Johnson 23 @ Dec 31, 2012 -> 09:39 AM) Except that Detroit added Torii Hunter and gets Victor Martinez back; two HUGE additions to their lineup. (The Sox "countered" those moves by adding Keppinger and subtracting AJ.). The gap between the two teams has obviously widened, (as of 12/31/2012). I'm still a fan of how getting Victor Martinez back is a huge addition and he'll suffer no ill effects from missing a season with injury...while getting John Danks back is a middling addition and he's guaranteed to suffer injury effects. It's not like Danks has piled up a higher fWAR than Martinez for 4 of the last 5 years, or 3 of the last 4 when they were healthy, or in 2011 when they both were last healthy.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 09:11 PM) Yeah, was waiting for that... Honestly, I feel like Martz would have worked out here if it weren't for the OLine being so goddamned awful. Jake had a point though...outside of Andy Reid, who could they bring in that you'd really feel much better about? Everyone has heard me begging for Chip Kelly, but I think most people would have more questions about him than Lovie. What if we just replaced Tice with Norv Turner? If Norv Turner is coming to Chicago... I'd be content with Lovie Smith having another year as HC.

Hillary Clinton admitted to NY hospital with a blood clot.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 08:46 PM) I honestly wouldn't mind keeping him, if you hired a very, very strong-willed OC, but I just can't see that happening. Like...Mike Martz?

QUOTE (iamshack @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 08:42 PM) What do you think the fanbase would do? Angry calls to the radio stations. Otherwise, known as "Monday".

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 08:40 PM) Most New Years I enjoy just hanging out with friend at home, but my friend got some free tickets to the House of Blues to see Third Eye Blind. Wasn't going to pass that up. I will forever remember their lead singer yelling about how much money we were paying them for that show...

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 08:20 PM) You have to select the correct players. The Bears have developed several players,just not offensive linemen., I believe the Bears are the 13th team not to make the playoffs with a 10-6 record. How many seasons have they been playing 16 games? Around 30 I would guess. Prior to this year, 61 teams had started 7-1. 58 had made the playoffs. The bears are the 4th team to start 7-1 and miss the playoffs, and the first in ~17 years.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 08:15 PM) And the defense didn't disappoint. That is Lovie's speciality. They were offensively challenged even with playmakers because they have blown off the OL for years.the problem is, when they finally get around to fixing the line, their defense is going to be living in retirement communities. The other problem is...if you gave the Bears O-line 2 straight #1 O-line picks, they wouldn't be able to coach them into anything useful.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 08:13 PM) You like Lovie as coach and I do not..............NFL is a results league and Lovie's results overall not so good. Lovie If he stays next year, Offense will be in bottom 5 again as always under a Lovie coached team and we are having this conversation again next year! I like Lovie as a coach, but I cannot support bringing him back. He'll get another job next year or the year after, but his time with the Bears should be up.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 08:13 PM) Mizzou My apologies. Given which thread we're in, I have to request that you not randomly decide to shoot me.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 08:08 PM) I was told I wasted my vote by not voting for Gary Johnson because if he got 5% something would have happened. It's just funny because my friends who started the student organization "Tigers Against Partisan Politics" are all Libertarians...which is still a party. LSU Tigers? Or something funny involving "Tapp"?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 08:09 PM) So you think a better coach would have faired better even with a roster that isn't as good? If the Bears had as nice of a roster as the Packers the past 3 years, I would agree, but they haven't. Changing coaches won't change the results. Look how happy everyone was when Tice became OC. Now he is a dope. If the Bears don't address their OL, they will be lucky to go 10-6 in 2013 no matter who is coaching them. Yes, I think that a better coaching job could have done a better job with a worse roster.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 07:59 PM) I do not see based on results how he is retained...............he has been a failure overall. Even if you had multiple super bowl runs beforehand, you cannot have 1 playoff appearance in 6 years.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 07:55 PM) Fan base is not going to accept Lovie getting another shot at this point, that ship has sailed. He needs axed on Black Monday. I don't think anyone would call me one of the meathead Bears fans, and I'm in on this. The Bears need to restart.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 07:48 PM) It is when you start 7-1 and miss the playoffs First time that's happened in >15 years.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 07:45 PM) Adrian Peterson should absolutely win the MVP. What an incredible season by him. He won it with that 20 yard run.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 30, 2012 -> 07:44 PM) Bears have nobody to blame but themselves Correct.