Balta1701

We feel a lot like this.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 10:05 AM) Oh, for sure. Lets hope that this is how he will play moving forward and that he is not just on a hot streak. I think it's reasonable to expect him to keep this up. By his own admission he was out of shape early in the season after not working out while his contract was being discussed.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 10:01 AM) Well, I believe he said that Tyson WOULD be the MVP if he played like that every night. He had a good game, and 2 really nice blocks at the end of the game as well. Redd wondered where that arm came from as it swatted his shot. If he had played like he is now for the first 2.5 months of the season...I bet we'd currently be holding onto one of those playoff spots.

Thank God. The world will be made a much safer place. We'll never have to worry about NYPD Blue ever being able to rebroadcast the episode where they say "s*** happens".

Former Senator and Presidential Candidate Bob Dole has reportedly been hired as a lobbyist by the Dubai firm in question to try to push this deal through. Mr. Dole's wife, you'll remember...is currently a sitting U.S. Senator. Roughly similar to the relationship which caught Tom Daschle quite a bit of flak.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 09:34 AM) It's not just this issue. It's all of them... I agree that this one needs questioned, no doubt. But there's crap piling on before people even knew what they were talking about, as per usual. If piling on this one forces nothing else but extra funds directed towards actually taking concrete steps to secure the U.S. ports...then I could care less if it tore the country apart for months. Next to our southern border, I think our ports are probably the single biggest vulnerability in this country right now.

If it had a chance in Hell of working, it'd be a great idea. As installed...it doesn't.

Ok...as far as I can tell...NO part of this quote will be made up. GWB: "This deal wouldn't go forward if we were concerned about the security for the United States of America." Oops.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 09:31 AM) I think its a horrible idea. He hits into Dp's and k's alot. Perhaps they're hoping he'll be able to do what we're hoping Uribe will be able to do. He will have a couple of pretty scary bats behind him...so he'll see a lot of pitches to hit...they're probably hoping he can learn to fix the problems he had last year.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 09:14 AM) Look, I'm not saying I'm for this deal, but why is it automatically assumed the worst thing possible every time the President does something? That's the part I don't get. What if there are more reasons then what's being said? What if these guys were going to help us set up some ways to monitor middle east shipments, etc better? What then? But of course, there would never be any mention of those things. Then in that case, he should have no problem calling up Bill Frist and Dennis Hastert and saying "We have this extra deal in place to make sure x happens. Don't tell people what the deal is, but say we talked and you were mollified." Thus far, even Frist and Hastert don't support the thing. Or, alternatively, the President could easily order the legally mandated National Security investigation (it's well within his ability to still do so). The investigation would then take a look at any secret clauses on the deal and determine whether or not they justify the deal and actually work to improve U.S. security. Neither of those has happened, and they're both logical recourses if there was some other element to this.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 09:15 AM) Yes you will, and do. You've seriously seen CNN or MSNBC say something like "Are the Republicans declaring war on America"? Man alive, you better be able to back that one up.

QUOTE(Soxfest @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 01:10 AM) Paxson will sit on ass and say we need more time to see what he has .....BLAH, Blah same old crap. Sitting on his ass is probably the right move right now unless a shockingly good deal comes down the pipe. At least until you know what number that Knicks pick will be. I would hate to move that as just a "High lottery pick" and then have it wind up bieng #1. On the other hand...I'm not sure I like the idea of just holding Thomas's expiring contract through the summer, since there's not necessarily going to be much on the FA market, so if we could find someone decent on a team that wants salary cap relief, it might be a useful chip. But it has to be someone useful.

Am I reading that right...the Bank One on Willowcreek is now a Chase? Man it's been a while since I've been there.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 08:33 AM) As long as voting along party lines is not a requirement. Just help us get 1 house of Congress. That's all I really want right now...subpoena power.

Bush: "People don't need to worry about security. At the ports, we sure don't."

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 10:20 PM) Its why in the NFL I never root for a team to lose in order to get a draft pick because in some ways teams need to learn how to win cause no matter how many great draft picks you have, there is no guarantee of success. Teams need to learn to win. Happily...we don't have to do that thanks to our good friends in New York...we just have to root for the Knickerbockers to lose!

NYT

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 10:11 PM) Oh and when I say a guy like Kaman I mean a solid low post guy that could get us 12-15 PPG while grabbing down boards and playing solid defense. I think LaMarcus Aldridge could be that guy, but if we got him it would push the championship timetable back a bit cause he'd have to develop, but I could see him being a Duncan type player (really like his ability, but he's still raw and would have growing pains in the NBA). Well, on the other side...we're still a very, VERY young team right now anyway. A lot of the guys on our team are still probably a couple years away from their peaks. Which would give Aldridge more time to develop. Chandler certainly still has his best years ahead of him, Deng also, Hinrich hopefully...Gordon maybe...You stick Aldridge in there, and he's roughly on the same development schedule as a lot of the other guys. You stick a guy like PP or KG in there, and you're hoping that the guys around him develop fast enough to take advantage of the vet's skills while they're still at the top of their game. Problem is...you don't know when age will catch up with those guys, and you don't know how long it'll take for your guys to start playing all the way up to their potential. I think I lean towards the youth movement continuing...UNLESS you can get KG for a fair deal or PP for a song.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 10:03 PM) I completely agree. Its why I said curry was more valuable to the Bulls than to other teams since we had no other low post options when it comes to scoring. Its very hard to be consistently good when your team struggles to find high percentage shots. Aldridge would definately be a key to most of my ideas. Of course there are other options that may not be as attractive but could semi get the job done. I just hope that Knicks pick will be enough for us to get him. There are a couple things that give me hope, aside from just Thomas's work in NY...While neither of them are healthy right now...Charlotte does sort of have a couple of fairly big guys already. If they wind up ahead of us, they may very well be looking more at Gay than Aldridge...I just think he'd fill a need more. If someone like Portland or Atlanta wound up ahead of us...they might be in the market for an extra pick just to try to get another player on the court. Or Gordon might pique their interest.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 09:59 PM) I'd give up Duh or Noc if thats what it took. For Pierce...the only things I wouldn't want to give up are the #1 pick, Hinrich, Chandler, and Deng. For KG...the only thing I wouldn't want to give up are those 3 players.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 09:56 PM) You look at him and say no way is this guy #1 overall pick worthy, but he's a very smart and solid player, and considering he's a legit 7 foot tall 5 player, maybe he is worth that high a pick.....centers are just too hard to find these days. The question you have to try to think about is...where would the Bucks be if they had drafted Paul?

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 09:30 PM) I think Pax is smarter than that. Now if we move someone like Noc in a deadline deal and end up getting LaMarcus Aldridge in the draft than I wouldn't have much of a problem going with a guy like Nazr or Harrington if the price was right (assuming a Noc/Gordon type deal would get us a good scorer at the 2 position which would allow Hinrich to play PG full time and guard PG's most of the time). I for one think that the best thing this team could possibly do assuming KG is unavailable is to make a bull rush at Aldridge. Even if we have to trade 2 picks to move up, or give up Gordon and a pick to move up. This team is missing strength in the middle. It's the same thing that hurt us in the playoffs against Washington last year...Washington had a couple different post players, none of whom were totally dominant, but all of whom together were enough to get Chandler worn out and in foul trouble, leaving the lane wide open for penetrating guys. This team needs someone who can turn around and do that on the other team. That's the 2nd biggest thing we lost when we got rid of curry, next to the headache. Hopefully, Aldridge can develop into the kind of guy we're missing. And if we can get him without giving up Gordon...having that extra size and strength in the lane may very well make all the other guys on the team better, since they'll wind up with more open shots.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 07:53 PM) CNBC had a lengthy talk about this issue this morning. Yeah it seems unfair they pay the execs more cash but if they dont pay up for top talent they wont retain it. Kind of a catch 22 for all involved except those getting the cash. "Top talent"? Are there seriously that few people in this country who are capable of performing these sorts of decision making tasks that companies have to compete for those workers, and not t'other way around? I still find that unbelievable.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 09:06 PM) I was hoping that '06 pods could outrun '05 pods. What did he have, 22 steals in a row before the AS break? I'll take that.