Balta1701

QUOTE (Felix @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 05:52 PM) All valid points, but I've said this before and I'll say it again, I'd rather play 25 games against the Bobcats, Wizards, Pistons or Raptors than play 19 games against good competition. Over the same number of days though, there's something to be said for the 19.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 04:50 PM) Perhaps more than the average WIsconsis worker, yes. I also employed 6 others, 3 of whom made more than I did. But I guess that makes me eeeevil. They were clearly overpaid as well, they made more than the average worker.

QUOTE (DrunkBomber @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 04:45 PM) To me the NFL has the best division structure in sports. 4 divisions of 4 teams in each conference seems perfect. The playoff structure is good too. Id hope theyd relocate before they expand. I think they should move to a city that has never had a team though. Florida and California will always struggle with new franchises because a large portion of the population are transplants and they will never get the fan support like a city that has been starved for an NFL team forever, even if the population is smaller. In LA, it might be the case that there are a number of transplants, but the city just overwhelms any trend like that with size. There are literally 10 Jacksonville Metro Area's of population in the L.A. basin.

That statement has everything in it that it should have. I wonder if losing his last accountability buddy to Milwaukee was a part in that.

The Liveroided-upstrong campaign has chipped in another $100k to Planned Parenthood.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 03:58 PM) The 40 man roster isn't exactly screaming World Series title. Depends on if 80% of it underperforms like we saw last year.

QUOTE (SOXOBAMA @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 02:51 PM) that's a real sad group of candidates.. It is going to be a long year. Non roster invites do not really have anything to do with the expected quality of a team's year.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 02:31 PM) Except for the tax cuts, which had to be passed. Having this data is going to come in real handy.

Link.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 11:41 AM) When I was CEO of my company I made about $50k. Why, you made $20k more than the average worker. Clearly you were overpaid.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 11:37 AM) That doesn't include the universities, and it was more list $45k, and was almost $10k MORE than the average resident of the state. Not a lot for say New York, but apparently in WI, it is. Just face the facts. The state saved jobs, and budgets. Everyone paid the price, INCLUDING TEACHERS. They can't be immune to the same realities that everyone else has to face. Keep twisting and changing the goalposts, you are good at that. First they are boned. Then I show that they are not. Then they are poor. Then I show they are not. Then they are poor compared to teachers elsewhere. Just keep on moving the posts, you never lose that way. Except for the tax cuts, which had to be passed.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs reportedly told Israel that if they choose to attack Iran, they will be on their own. That's the kind of move you make when you expect something to actually happen.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 09:36 AM) Continued deterioration of the dollar... Would be a great thing for the recovery of the American job market.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 09:32 AM) Or continued commodities inflation. And raising rates in response to that = completely nuts.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 09:27 AM) Or they could be expecting inflation. AKA, a vastly improving job market.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 09:05 AM) Despite the Fed saying otherwise, the Fed Funds have priced in a 100% chance of a 50 bps rate increase by the end of 2013. If that's the case, either they're betting the Fed is insane or they're betting on a solid improvement in the job market. The latter would be a good thing.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 09:03 AM) Apparently this off season didn't happen? Yes they added some pieces, but the non-Mets in their division can have confidence going into the year too. The Braves are young and talented, the Marlins have spent a fortune and hired a manager who will win them a world series within the next 2 years, the Phils have lost Howard for a good while which is their real opening, but they also probably upgraded their bullpen.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 08:52 AM) It also takes him getting to the majors, and the odds are a lot bigger when you are being described as topping out 90. If that is how he is scouted, it probably means he sits in the Mark Buehrle range in reality. To put those dollars into perspective, that is just short of what the #1 pick in the 2011 draft received, and more than the #3 and #4 picks. Would you draft a guy throwing that hard at #3? His margin of error is zero already. The other way to look at it...if you signed 5-6 of those guys, at that salary level, you'd be spending $35-$40 million. If 1 of them became a successful, above average MLB starter, then $30-$40 million in excess value is a reasonable expectation for what he could generate. If 2 of them became average MLB starters, same deal. Some of this is on the scouts and what they say, admittedly, if they told me "He's AAAA fodder" then that's money you can't spend, but this could be a recoverable investment.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 08:53 AM) That is a very solid team with a great rotation. That finished 21.5 games out of the division last year. The White Sox finished 16 games out. Yeah, they're getting better, but that's a challenging division where everyone other than the Mets are spending money, they got a couple astonishing performances last year that might not be replciated, and can you tell me how much you can count on Stras's arm? If you're going to take a 1 year deal to "Compete", it's Boston and you know that. Unless you also want to pitch in the NL to improve your ERA, and also pitch in a big ballpark for the same reason.

QUOTE (GoodAsGould @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 08:53 AM) Really there should not be a team in Jacksonville, they don't support them at all.....so if they make a new team in LA they'd have to find 2 cities for a new team and the Jaguars. Cincinnati has a real problem with never selling out their stadium/being on TV, the Rams are agitating for a new stadium and have already been in L.A., and then there's poor Buffalo. When you've got a list of 4+ franchises that are struggling and really bieng supported by the rest of the league, you're not going to expand.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Feb 2, 2012 -> 11:10 PM) Hey, you man Obama says everyone needs some skins in the game, and the top people should contribute more. Turns out Wisconsin teachers make mroe than the average Wisconsin resident. Average resident pay is $37,398. Average teacher salary is in the mid $40's. Not including benefits. http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/dataondemand/33534649.html http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/21/wisconsi...yre-letting-on/ Wow, $40k a year for a teacher. I mean, that's f***ing ridiculous. Greedy pigs.

"When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 08:48 AM) Goodell said that if the NFL brings a team to the LA market it would most likely be a new team and that they'd want to add another as well to keep an even number of teams. That would make 34 teams. Personally I'd be all for it. Love football and I don't think more teams would dilute the game at all as the talent pool is large enough to sustain it. No mention of where that other team would be. Memphis? San Antonio? Portland? SLC? Toronto? Montreal? I really don't believe those words at all. I think he's trying to keep support for the LA Project going, but he doesn't want to undermine one of the franchises that could move there by saying their name in public.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 07:03 AM) This could have the same effect on Hamilton's career as an injury would. He is gonna be a FA next season and will be looking for a big payday. It is the media's business. Like it or not, this directly impacts next season's MLB pennant. Last "Relapse" year was a down year for him too.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2012 -> 08:21 AM) JonHeymanCBS Jon Heyman edwin jackson turned down $30M for 3 yrs to sign for 1 year with #nats. sought to play for contender & establish value. So why is he in Washington?