Balta1701

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 09:24 AM) Why were they insufficient? Basically, if the rumor presented here is true, it means that MLB did not follow their own procedures. That doesn't mean by any stretch that there's any reason to think that the sample was contaminated, but it does mean that MLB can't suspend people if they can't follow the agreed-to procedures.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 09:19 AM) Why? Guy tests positive after winning MVP, positive test thrown out on technicality, and no one knows about it? That strikes me as total BS. Just like it strikes me as BS that the 2003 list hasn't been released. I'm much happier that I know about the situation here for some reason.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 09:08 AM) This would have never been known had they been able to keep this private like they were supposed to. Which would be total BS.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 09:12 AM) Sorry, but an independent arbitrator found him not guilty. Incorrect. An independent arbitrator found that the quality control standards on the test were insufficient.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 09:04 AM) But it seemed to me that he was implying the League intentionally allows the star players to escape punishment. Unless they are griping just for show, that does not seem to be the case here. Whether or not they are incompetent is irrelevant. I guess that is the question...incompetent or nefarious?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 08:59 AM) Pretty much Brandon McCarthy ‏ @BMcCarthy32 "Hey hun, what's this next to the olives?" "That's a bottle of Ryan Braun's piss." "Oh." And yet...I don't know that I'd say Brandon has added much muscle since the years we had him...

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 08:56 AM) The League "vehemently disagreed" with the ruling, and the League's arbitrator voted for the suspension, didn't they? That really doesn't matter though...the problem is that the league insisted that they could set up and handle their own testing system and didn't need outside help (i.e. they didn't need to just have the program run by USADA), and clearly the league has failed to establish effective quality control procedures. There is talk that the league will sue in federal court to overturn this arbitrator's ruling.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 08:49 AM) Don't worry, if you are good, they'll just figure out a way to get you off. You're going with MLB screwed that up on purpose?

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 04:59 AM) Wait a minute. You watched last night's game and feel MORE confident against the Heat? lol. Whatever. Basically last night was Chalmers shutting down Lin, right? Chalmers can't do that alone to Rose. That's a big differenc.e

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 10:27 PM) Again, he's only seen one top-tier PG and one elite defense to this point. I can't wait until this crap is over and we can get back to Heat, Bulls, Thunder and, um, I don't know who the second best team in the west is. The way they're playin...Spurs?

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 09:41 PM) Im not sure you can project his ceiling because he already has broken through it a few times before. The fact is the guy has a tremendous work ethic. If he can improve his shooting dramatically, he can improve his ball handling. It was evident the first few games that Lin did not feel as comfortable on the left side of the floor (when hes facing the basket), eventually teams are going to see the tapes. But he can work on that, I think he can be a starter. He can clearly be a starter, question right now is whether he can push to an all star or elite level (especially in a dantoni offense).

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 05:18 PM) The Nissan Leaf?! Obviously the Volt. Not sure i want to pay insurance on 2 cars just so I can have one electric for local driving.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 08:55 PM) Probably referring to the bandage on his arm. I'd imagine from HGH testing which is reportedly requiring players to have 7 vials of blood drawn. Many players are complaining about it and how it's making them sick and feel like s*** well afterwards. Really, they have blood testing now? Yay!

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 09:23 PM) To clarify, the original comment made it seem like his lawyers were basically admitting Braun was guilty, but do to improper handling, he got off. The example of that is: I got a speeding ticket and I won because the police officer forgot to sign the ticket. There is no doubt as to my guilt, they just cant win. What I likely believe there argument was, is this example. I got a speeding ticket, but I won because the radar gun said I was going 5000 mph and my car could only go 150, so there was no reliable evidence as to what my speed was. Either way, if MLB can't follow their own procedures, thy can't suspend the guy. He may be clearly guilty, but it's mlb's job to run the program correctly.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 09:03 PM) Were these pee tests or blood tests? Pee tests being stored improperly could result in evaporation which could cause the entire sample to be much stronger. My guess is that MLB tries to keep it secret what happened, because otherwise every player will raise it as a defense. As far as I know, MLB still does not have the right to do blood tests.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 08:27 PM) Apparently Gavin is making money on the side donating plasma. Huh?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 08:05 PM) Pathetic. Screw Braun. Screw MLB for not knowing/following standard accepted procedures.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 03:58 PM) I agree. I lie sports where it's talent that wins (on the field and front office) not just he who spends the most money wins. I liked when football put in the hard cap. I wish baseball would. I know it won't happen but the changes are making it more competitive for all teams. One nice thing about baseball is that the money has put a few teams on top, but the system has allowed a number of other teams like the Rays, Rangers, Giants, maybe the Royals in a year or two, to claw their way back up and genuinely compete with the big money guys. Baseball has just about as much mobility in terms of standing as any sport, and you can get teams with really low payrolls making the playoffs. The worry though was that the Yankees, Red Sox, etc., might well have figured out all the loopholes, so they could really start stockpiling the players that other teams would count on to give them a shot in the first place. The new CBA pretty much renders that impossible...the Yankees and White Sox are now on even footing in the draft and minor league prospect market, the answer now is to scout better. The one worry about the new system though is that there were teams, like the Rangers, maybe the Pirates soon, who were building their rosters by exploiting that set of loopholes too. Thus, closing those loopholes could hurt those teams in the short term...but in the long term, if the Yankees wanted to sign international players and end the Rangers hopes of ever signing one, they woudln't have any issue doing so...

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 04:51 PM) Why 2013? Losing more of the regular players maybe? Because next year we'll have shed Peavy's salary so we might well be able to add in players and come into the season with an eye towards competing. We'll also know more about what we have in guys like Morel, De Aza, Beckham, Viciedo, Sale, Humber, etc.

QUOTE (PlaySumFnJurny @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 03:44 PM) Dave Duerson's family is apparently suing the NFL for wrongful death over his suicide. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/foot...8&eref=sihp I guess they have that right, but to me, that is wrong on a number of levels. If you want to look at a bright side...anything else which forces the NFL to deal with this issue is a good thing.

QUOTE (Rex Kicka** @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 03:29 PM) And Canada isn't running its existing pipelines to capacity currently. That doesn't mean building the infamous pipeline wouldn't increase global gasoline production capacity though, it would somewhat do so. Of course, that wouldn't mean a substantial decrease in price from this level, because production of the material that would travel through that pipeline would not be profitable if prices went down much from here.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 03:34 PM) Well, then Asik is in and when he went down in last years series, that was big. He only missed 1, 1.5 games though.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 02:27 PM) You mean like having the highest level of domestic production in decades? Because we do. The other part of it is that we now have oil prices hovering around $100, which makes a lot of production profitable which wasn't profitable a decade ago at $30. So, I read "Boy if only we'd started drilling a decade ago" as "Boy, oil prices have been way too low for the last 15 years".

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 02:25 PM) GM and Ford products have improved a lot in that time Plus GM built my dream car.