Balta1701

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 09:23 PM) That can't possibly be right, he'd be in the second year of a contract extension that averages 18.8 mil a year. Next year might conceivably be $15.5, but for 2013/2014 it'd be higher than that. And it doesn't really improve their flexibility at all. They still don't have any room to make major additions and the team is done as soon as Gasol isn't elite anymore (some would argue he isn't right now). I think most people would agree that Gasoline would be a great addition to play alongside Rose next year, but becomes more questionable with time. Only 1 problem....

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 08:34 PM) terrible precedent set. the president just declares amnesty bypassing the rest of the countries elected officials. so what can't the president dictate? The President has a secret kill list and this is te terrible precedent.

QUOTE (2nd_city_saint787 @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 08:19 PM) I figured I was gonna be wrong again somehow....how the hell did Miami get Bosh and James??? They had 1 player on their roster when they made that signing, Chalmers, at a minimal salary, and Lebron and Wade still took $10 million less than they could have gotten elsewhere. And the rules regarding trades are more strict, and Pau gets paid more than Lebron or Wade because he's been in the league longer.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 07:28 PM) An open question to any of hispanic heritage here, either legal immigrants or first born. YOU are here legally and are enjoying the benefits of citizenship. YOU did things the right way. do YOU really want millions of people who DIDN'T do tings the right way here JUST because they share a heriage with you? I have no affinity for people just because they are white. If you are an asshole or a crook, you are an asshole or crook regardless of your color or religion. So are you for helping people cheat the system because they share your heritage or are you against it? An open question to you. If a 4 year old is brought to this country by their parents, doesn't speak the language in the country of their birth, grows up here, maybe doesn't even know that they're illegal, has no connection to any other country other than this one, and doesn't want to be deported, does that make them assholes and crooks?

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 07:30 PM) You think so? How are all these millions of Americans who are out of work going to feel having to compete against a few million MORE people for the same rare jobs? It will 'fire up his base', but as with most base firing moves of either side, it also energizes the other side's base. You really think that the People who are fired up by hating Latinos aren't already fired up to vote against the Kenyan socialist Muslim? And now the Latino community has a reason to be back interested despite the deportations. And on the other hand, now Mitt Romey has to choose between alienating his base or undermining the Republicans with the Latino vote again. And look, a completely useless statement in reply already today.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 06:22 PM) I don't know why you'd get rid of your second most valuable player in Noah. I sure as hell don't want that ball-hog Tyreke Evans for Noah, even if it's with the 5th pick. If you trade anyone, it's Deng and that is if he's tradeable. The Kings are far enough under the cap that they could absorb Noah's contract for next year, saving the Bulls $5 million or so each of the next 2 years before Evans would need to be extended. That helps too, if for no other reason than JR isn't likely to go into tax territory this year with Rose being out.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 06:03 PM) The contract he signed said he can opt out once arbitration hits. If I understand it though, he can opt out of the contract, but he's still under team control. I could have probably lived with that, it would only have wound up creating a few million more for the guy unless he's playing like Josh Hamilton. And if he is, who cares about the extra couple million in arbitration.

Man, I remember the days when Jerry Hairston Jr. was a utility man for the Cubs. I don't care what kind of hot streak he's on, a lineup with Jerry Hairston Jr. batting 5th is not a particularly strong lineup.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 05:53 PM) I don't see Soler being any better than Viciedo. Assuming you've got the kid for the full arb cycle, $25 million on a Viciedo level player seems reasonable to me. Not sure that I'd push farther than that though, given how many talents wind up having an issue.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 05:43 PM) Noah is far more polished than either Leonard or Drummond. Drummond is a complete wildcard, I think he shot 29% from the free throw line. Well obviously he's going to be more polished, he's been in the league for quite some time. Give me a hypothetical, best case scenario for the guy if you happen to stick him next to a great PG and a great coach?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 05:29 PM) I honestly prefer grabbing a big man who is better in the pick and roll and can actually make a shot. Defense and energy are easier to find IMO. Great. How many of those are there in the league?

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 04:40 PM) Guns have the same types of restrictions and more of them. And iphones/smart phones are not normal luxury items (as we've argued before, they're not a luxury but a necessity!) like a car. It's a specific item that, at least here in Chicago, criminals are targeting. And they're doing it in systematic fashion at the same types of public areas (public transit/public transit stations). It's now a dangerous object to carry around because of that target. It's still a "thing" that has increased crime merely for possessing it, just like having a gun is supposedly increasing crime merely for owning/carrying it around. And I obviously don't agree that the only purpose of a gun is to kill people. A car isn't a necessity either (you cite people on trains for example). But anyway. If you can give me a setup where banning people from carrying smartphones in the public or in certain places not only decreases crime but does so without significantly impacting economic activity, I'm happy to listen. If you could give me evidence that having people carrying guns significantly reduced the crime/murder rate, I'd be similarly happy to listen. We do accept some measure of fraud/crime associated with the presence of various economic actions. We could ban credit cards to reduce ID theft, but that would seriously impact economic activity, so we don't do it. If we banned cash, that would put a major crimp on people being mugged for their wallets, but same deal. Unfortunately, my problem here is that I can give you a mechanism on the firearm front that has very little cost economic cost (have the George Zimmermans of the world keep the weapons in their homes), would appear based on the evidence available to have positive impacts on the crime rate, and could be at some level enforceable/doable (considering cities regulate where you can have firearms all the time anyway). And yet, that option is not only off the table, but things are moving in the other direction.

QUOTE (2nd_city_saint787 @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 04:03 PM) I'll take some heat for it but in my book Noah is replaceable. With a defensive guru like Thibs as the head coach, if the Bulls get a high energy big man like Noah then Thibs can turn him into a good defender. Offensively Noah gets all his points from working the boards which a high energy big would be doing the same... That said I obviously wouldnt be against trading him. This deal though I'm not to sure about, Evans and Rose are too similar to me, Bulls don't need another slasher they need someone with a good mid-range/ 3 point shot...Like a Rip Hamilton only younger and less fragile. Noah is definitely replaceable...but the biggest problem is, 7 footers are not easy to find. Athletic seven footers even less so. A guy who is not irreplaceable does not equal the guy is easy to replace.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 03:20 PM) But seriously, Greg, the Sox are NOT trrelevant right now. They are in first place. They have a guy who could end up being the HR leader for the season. They have an outstanding young pitcher that is just about the best in the AL. They have a first baseman that keeps getting better every year and after every pitch to the face. They have a talented, young bullpen. AND they DON'T have Ozzie Guillen, thankfully, because his shennanigans would take the focus off of all the good stuff I just mentioned.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 03:18 PM) Hmm, so an executive ordered amnesty program, and he's not taking questions? If Bush pulled this move we'd be hearing about it non-stop for 7 days. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/201...ion_speech.html Hopefully we do hear about this for 7+ days, it's a great campaign move.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 03:24 PM) Balta, I was thinking of something on my drive in this morning re: our discussion of guns increasing/escalating crime. By your same logic, shouldn't we ban iphones/smart phones? If you carry an iphone/smart phone, the data would show (if a report would ever be conducted) an increase in criminal activity relating to people carrying iphones/smart phones. Shouldn't we ban them for the safety of all individuals? And before you say it's not to the same degree of harm, keep in mind a victim last year died as a result of an attack over an iphone. No, but I have little issue with regulating where and when they can be used. For example, if you're using one while driving, you've put other people at increased risk, taken away their rights, and that's something we might want to avoid. If you could illustrate a practical method by which removing smart phones from people's hands/pockets while on the street would substantially decrease the crime rate, I'd listen. But of course, that's not going to happen, because any time people take an item of nonzero value outside, it's possible for it to be stolen. It would be just as sensible to ban automobiles because they might be stolen. The point of course also differs in another way. If I try to rob someone on the street, I'm unlikely to try to steal a concealed weapon from them. Thus, the setup and motivation is fundamentally different. And smartphones, cars, money, etc., presumably everything else you'd be carrying that could be stolen, would likely be expected to have some use other than killing people.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 03:01 PM) When was that ever discussed? Or is that just randomly thrown out there? The Red Sox were supposedly annoyed that we dealt Santos to Torotno without talking to them, and then they turned around and traded Reddick for the not-very-healthy closer from the A's. I think most people would take from those deals that the Sox could have had the same offer that the A's got.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 02:28 PM) So, no comments on the prosecutor editing testimony? Why do you post this without adding a link? Augh!!!! Extra clicks!

So, since this thread has gone down the tubes again, this is the official admin-agreed upon warning that the thread needs to clean up or stronger actions will be taken without additional warnings.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 12:37 PM) George Bush Approval Ratings George W. Bush's High Point: 90%, 2001 George W. Bush's Low Point: 25%, 2008 THINGS CHANGE IN A SPAN OF SEVEN YEARS GREG. I'd like to note for the record that I had nothing to do with this post.

This is worth 8 minutes of your time if you're not at work.

One of these days, 10:00 a.m. is going to roll around and we're going to get the PPACA decision. Until then I have to be content with movement on this case. The Court met yesterday to decide whether to take up this case. If they voted to do so, then the case won't be heard until 2013. If they decide they like where things are after the Citizens United decision, and thus not take this case up, we'll probably hear about that next week.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 08:28 AM) Pretty sure one scouting site compared him to a young Juan Gonzalez at one point as well If he was actually the age he was supposed to be when he was signed, then that might have been a reasonable development path.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 15, 2012 -> 09:25 AM) It really seems like the guy is struggling with movement on his fastball out of the stretch. I am guessing he is having problems rushing stuff while using the slide step they have him going with now. Hawk gave a theory last night that he's also using the cutter enough that it's screwing up his grip/control/motion on the 4 seam fastball, and I'm wondering if there's something to that also.