WSFAN35

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Aug 7, 2005 -> 09:39 PM) Trust me, I know Phoenix's organization very well... this is NOT a good move by Gretzky, unless he's getting more control then he has now, and I'm not talking about coaching control. Please explain why you believe it's not a good move by Gretzky

QUOTE(LDF @ Aug 7, 2005 -> 07:32 PM) i am total agreement with everything you said. my only problem with the list of players on "D" is Steve McCarthy. i don't know why, but i don't see what others like in him. i would shed a tear if he was traded or wasn't in the pict for the future hawks Trading McCarthy would be a very unwise move. I don't know if there's any team that couldn't find a roster spot for someone with his kind of talent.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Aug 7, 2005 -> 07:36 PM) Well, considering steroids are illegal and the fact that professional athletes are role models, I think it's a big concern. Don't kid yourself. When athletes make millions of dollars by using illegal drugs (that are immoral and harmful), younger people have more reason to use them, too. If you have a choice to be better and make millions upon millions of dollars, or to just feel better about yourself (also a big concern with adolescents), a lot of people will take that chance. Any by Congress getting involved in MLB's policy, kids are going to be less likely to take steroids. I find that laughable. The kids that are going to do it are going to do it regardless. I just think that Congress has a lot more pressing matters than getting involved in this.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Aug 7, 2005 -> 07:47 PM) I know, I'm getting ahead of myself. But, I keep thinking about this question, and I can't come up with a definitive answer for myself. It looks right now that a pitcher from the Sox will win the Cy Young. With the injury to Halladay and the sub-par pitching from most other teams, it seems almost certain that the Cy Young award is going to Garland or Buehrle. There's pitchers with outside chances, such as Zito, but there isn't much of a chance that it will happen. Yes, things can go to hell at any time, but one of these two guys are going to get it if things continue anywhere near the way they are. Garland has a big advantage in the win category, but Buehrle's ERA is much lower and he's considered the ace. So, who would you pick and why? I don't consider three wins a big advantage. I think they'll be pretty close come the end of the season. Buehrle has a better chance of winning the Cy Young than Garland, because he's been good for so long and writers will really take notice of that.

I don't understand how Gretzky can be doubted as a coach. For one, the Coyotes aren't that bad. Take a look at their roster and tell me they don't have as much chance to win as anybody. They've got arguably one of the best two-way defenseman in the league in Morris, Tanabe, O'Donnell, Ference, Mara, are all solid NHL vets, and with Gauthier coming up this year, they're going to have a solid D-Core. Their offense is filled with good players: Comrie, Hull, Nedved, Doan, Saprykin, Ricci, Nagy. Plenty of goal scorers, and they still have room left under the cap. Boucher is a solid goalie, I'm not sold on him, and I don't think Coyotes management is either, so I think they'll be upgrading in that department. As for the Great One as a coach, no one could see the ice better than him. No one could take what seemed to be a non-opportunity into a scoring chance like he could. I'm not saying he can teach this to every one of his players, because he can't. But there's no way that the all-time leading scorer, who's records will probably never be broken, doesn't know the game of hockey as good or better than any of the best coaches out there. Gretz will be successful, Phoenix will go far in the West, maybe even to the finals if they get a solid goalie. GREAT move by the GREAT one.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A member of the House committee that held hearings on steroid use in March says Congress may feel compelled to get involved in testing major league players for banned substances. "At this point I think [the chances are] getting better and better because of baseball's inability to police their own players," Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., said Saturday on the ESPN program "Outside the Lines." Witnesses before the House Government Reform Committee included Rafael Palmeiro, who adamantly denied using steroids but later failed a drug test. He has said he never intentionally took steroids and he doesn't know what caused the test result. The Baltimore Orioles slugger began serving a 10-day suspension last week and will be eligible to return to the lineup Thursday. The House committee won Palmeiro's permission last week to obtain documents from Major League Baseball about the steroid test that led to his suspension. That information will be used to investigate whether Palmeiro committed perjury. "I think [commissioner] Bud Selig and the players' association as well should allow us to have full disclosure when it comes to this matter, and all of these drug testing matters," said McHenry, a freshman congressman. "It's important to the integrity of the game. We're talking about our national pastime and who our kids look up to as heroes." Major League Baseball has penalized its players for positive steroid tests since 2004. Selig wants more stringent testing by an independent authority and harsher punishments for steroid users, including a 50-game suspension for a first offense, 100 games for a second and a lifetime ban for a third. The quality of the players under suspicion raises the importance of assuring that baseball is clean, McHenry said on the program. Palmeiro is one of four players in major-league history with 500 homers and 3,000 hits. A celebration of his 3,000th hit -- which came after the positive drug test but before the results were released -- was planned for this week but canceled at his request. "The reality is this: This Palmeiro situation, we wouldn't be talking about it if it were some second-string left fielder from the Colorado Rockies," McHenry said. "We're talking about the Hall of Fame and whether or not you can be there with Willie Mays and Hank Aaron." McHenry was dismayed by some of the March 17 testimony, specifically that of retired slugger Mark McGwire. McGwire has denied using steroids but repeatedly dodged the question while testifying under oath, saying: "I'm not here to talk about the past." "I walked into that hearing a fan of Mark McGwire and walked away greatly disappointed," McHenry said. "His reactions to the questions that day just seemed to be stonewalling." Palmeiro, he said, made a more favorable impression at the time. "It turns out that maybe the reason why he was so good is that maybe he wasn't telling the truth," McHenry said. Seriously, give me a f***in break. Congress doesn't have anything better to do than to intervene in a professional sport's drug testing policy? Is it really their concern? I personally think that in the grand scheme of things, professional sports don't mean squat, and I don't understand why Congress is adding this to the top of their priority list.

QUOTE(LDF @ Aug 7, 2005 -> 05:30 PM) going back on the subject of the hawks, i think they are going to be fun to watch. however, i think the hawks need another forward, an elite winger. what do you guys think of the young d-man we have. do you thiink a older experience dman like steven can help in the teaching and solidify the defense The Hawks definately need more scoring, who doesn't? They have an excellent young core of defensemen, and Stevens would be a huge, huge, huge influence on every one of them. He is one of the best leaders in the game, and one of the hardest hitters. He would make the defense so much better, if only because he logs 25 minutes a game and keeps the weaker guys off the ice. He's going to command a lot of money if he's going to leave NJ, but he would fit right in with the Hawks brand of hockey. He's the kind of player that belongs in a Hawks sweater.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Aug 6, 2005 -> 11:34 PM) You just hope for the team's sake the people in Pittsburgh show up to games, and they get that arena situation sorted out sooner rather than later. And I would like Kris Beech on this team no doubt about it. But with the likes of Colin Fraser etc. already scrapping it out for a 3rd/4th line place, I doubt that will happen. He does deserve an oppurtunity though. Pitts has already sold out a bunch of games because of Crosby. People are going to watch this team. It's not going to be like last season where just about everyone on the team is a rookie. Colin Fraser is a good prospect, but he's small and certainly not ready for the Show. Kris Beech is a much better physical force in front of the net, and he has much more experience playing professional hockey.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Aug 7, 2005 -> 09:46 AM) I dunno, Kap, they're going to score a lot of goals, but I also think they're going to get scored on a whole bunch, too. Their defense doesn't impress me much at all... A lot of people underestimate the Pens D. They have an excellent mix of stay at home and offensive defensman. Gonchar/Orpik, Tarnstrom/Melichar, Strbak/Jackman, not many people are familiar with any of these guys, but they're all solid NHLers. Not many teams have six solid guys at the blue line. The pens forward core is also filled with players that are excellent in their own zone, Lemieux, Crosby, Malkin (if he comes over), Recchi, Malone, Koltsov, and Kraft are all going to get prime playing time and they'll be there to help out the D. QUOTE(LDF @ Aug 7, 2005 -> 10:24 AM) don't look past philly and what they have done. imo, philly and pitt are the teams to beat now. Forsberg alone in Philly is going to tip the scales in the East. Their defense looks imposing, however I don't feel that they'll be as effective as people think with the new obstruction rules in effect. Philly seems like the team to beat, but they have holes just like any other team, like scoring depth in particular, and there are going to be plenty of competitors in the East. Pittsburgh, without a true number 1 goalie will be a 4th or 5th seed. With their fast paced offense, they're going to give up a lot of scoring chances and they need a goalie that can steal a few goals. They're looking to sign Sean Burke which is good because he'll help Fleury into his role, like he did with Esche, but bad because Burke is old and just not that good.

Mike Downey in the Trib I want that leprechaun put to sleep. Do you hear me, NCAA? I don't want to see that darn leprechaun at Notre Dame's games anymore. No more of that goofy green suit. No more of that hokey hat. Most of all, no more of that offensive, insensitive, insulting, dehumanizing dance. As a proud Irish-American, I demand that you make the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame get rid of that stupefying, stereotypical mascot of theirs. And that little jig of his. And I mean pronto, if you'll excuse my use of Indian lingo. Ladies and gentlemen of the NCAA, I implore you. Do that thing you do. Do what you did Friday, when your executive committee announced that it no longer would tolerate any "hostile and abusive racial/ethnic/national origin mascots, nicknames or imagery." A leprechaun is all that. He is mischievous by nature. He is up to no good. He clearly is abusive. Have you ever seen him treat Notre Dame's enemies with any kindness? And what of that big, crooked stick in his hand? He doesn't carry that cudgel because he is lame. It isn't a cane. A leprechaun doesn't limp. Look at that little fool do his dance. He moves fine. No, a shillelagh looks like a weapon to me. You wouldn't let a Seminole or an Illini walk around a football stadium with a bow and arrow, would you? I can guess what you are thinking. You're thinking an Irish-American is not an oppressed minority. Or hasn't been one. Well, you couldn't be more wrong. Irish immigrants were given a very bad time in America when they first came here. They were treated as suspicious foreigners. Their ancestry and accents were mocked. They were maligned as "Micks" and stigmatized as brawling drunks. Therefore, I would like you righteous brothers and sisters at the NCAA to put an end to the degradation of this "Fighting Irish" slur once and for all. A lot of us don't fight. I don't fight. Well, I did toss a guy out of a bar in Greece last summer, but he was drunker than I was. The NCAA has made a good start. The actions it took Friday gave notice to the Bradley Braves and Central Michigan Chippewas and Utah Utes that they had better take all of their Native American garb, arrowheads, weapons and war paint and dump the whole pile into a Dumpster. If these people want to host a postseason competition ever again, they will have to abide by the NCAA's rules and lose the Indian theme. You, noble warlords of the NCAA, are taking no prisoners. University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux? What do you care if there are Sioux who don't care? So what if there are remaining members of the Sioux tribe who are honored by this legacy? Your edict has come down. You have spoken. The next time North Dakota plays for a national championship, its mascot had better be Buffalo Bill. OK, so a lot of us happen to believe that tribal names are not unto themselves offensive. Illini, Seminole, Chippewa, Choctaw … these don't seem so bad to us. They have history and dignity. We have entire states named for Indian tribes, for heaven's sake. What do you think the word "Illinois" is, anyway … French? Its origin is Algonquin. What some of us do resent is the way Caucasians paint their faces red and wear buckskin and feathers and go hey-yo-yo-yo and woo-woo-woo. It doesn't matter if there are some Indians who take no umbrage at this, not until you have taken a vote from every last one of them in this land that their ancestors founded. Jimmy Carter was as humane and decent a president as this nation has had in this last half-century. So it was appalling to see him at Atlanta Braves baseball games, chanting and chopping a make-believe tomahawk. There are ways to support a favorite team without making a mockery of an entire culture and race. Somebody should take those Cleveland Indians caps with the grinning red-faced Indian and fling them into Ohio's largest incinerator. Somebody should go up to an African-American athlete on the Washington Redskins and ask him how he would like it if his team were known as the Washington … uh, you know. I don't mind a team being called the Irish, I really don't. I take pride in my heritage. I wish we could live in a world in which a university's teams could be called the Fighting Italians, the Fighting Mexicans, the Fighting Japanese or the Fighting Germans. Yet if we get rid of some, mustn't we get rid of all? Can a school really get away with calling itself the Fighting Irish in the wake of this NCAA posse's vigilant PC crackdown? Doesn't this scurrilous nickname need to go? Isn't it time for the leprechaun to sleep with the fishes? We have come to a seminal moment in the history of America's collegiate athletics, and I do not mean the team names at Florida State.

QUOTE(Pauly8509CWS @ Aug 6, 2005 -> 01:43 PM) Again though, goalies get better with age. In 99 the Bulin Wall was in the minors. So I don't think regression is happening to Fleury, just inexperience. Nikolai was in the minors because he was holding out for more money, so he signed a deal in the IHL. As for Fleury, he's definately not regressing. He's still a kid, he's growing into his body, and he's adjusting to the speed of the game. Jumping from juniors to the NHL or even AHL is a lot easier for a skater than a goalie, and it will take time for him to realize his potential. By the time he is 26, people will be talking about him as the arguably the best goaltender of all time. I could see the Penguins as major suitors for Thibault, as they need a veteran goaltender that would start, however be willing to give up 30 games or so to a backup. I doubt Cujo would be willing to play 50 games or less, however I could see Thibault, especially with his injury history, willing to settle for less playing time. The Blackhawks have a good core of young defenseman, so in a deal for Thibault, they'll be looking for scoring power. The Pens have Kris Beech, a kid who was a number 7 draft pick by the Capitals, and touted as a Jeremy Roenick type power forward. He hasn't lived up to the hype in the NHL, but Pittsburgh hasn't seemed to want to give him an extended stay. He's been ridiculous in the minors, and he really deserves to play in the NHL. He would be a solid 3rd line center for the Hawks. The Pens also have Rico Fata, another centerman, who has game breaking speed, but his hands haven't quite caught up to his legs. He goes hard to the net and can score a few goals, he's also feisty and plays with a lot of heart. Colby Armstrong, 01 1st round choice, and Shane Endicott 00 2nd round choice, both seem like likely candidates for a trade as well. Armstrong is an agitator with goal scoring ability, and Endicott is an excellent two way center. All of these guys have a future in the NHL however there doesn't seem to be a place for them in the near future with the penguins. I think any of these guys would be a good fit in Chicago, and I think Tallon would pull the trigger on a deal with the Pens. I hope he does, because I'd love to see Thibault in a Pens sweater.

LA got him for nothing. The Hawks should've picked him up. I think he would have lit a fire under the asses of the rest of the team, and he should retire with the Indian Head on his sweater.

Did anybody tune in? If so, what did Coop have to say?

QUOTE(ChWRoCk2 @ Aug 3, 2005 -> 12:28 PM) i really dont see the point in acquiring burroughs when we have crede and blum, i know burroughs is capabl of playing second but are their other positions he is capable of playing If the Sox pick up Burroughs it will be to push Crede for the starting 3b job next season.

QUOTE(White Sox Josh @ Aug 3, 2005 -> 01:55 AM) hopefully if nobody picks him up he would be willing to accept a Minor League Deal again. I'm sure they would be willing to offer him that if he doesn't get an offer in the next week or so. Released, already getting paid his 2.5 mill for the season.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Aug 2, 2005 -> 09:26 PM) Do we want to pick up Aaron Sele? Just asking. No... and no

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Aug 2, 2005 -> 08:18 PM) Ozzie was quoted as saying: "Excuse me kind sir. But why, pray tell, are you allowing young Mr. Towers such a widened home plate while my very own dearest Jon Garland has been recieving a far lesser width of home plate?" That's too funny

QUOTE(WSFAN35 @ Aug 2, 2005 -> 08:04 PM) What did Ozzie get ejected for? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?

What did Ozzie get ejected for?

Anybody for Rosey Brown?

QUOTE(KevHead0881 @ Aug 2, 2005 -> 12:15 PM) Yah, I think these are pretty specific tests. What these tests are looking for, I don't think you can get out of something you bought at a GNC. I may be wrong though. Does anyone here know what's on the banned substances list?

Does anyone know if Seattle is looking at releasing Pineiro or waiving him. I could definately see him signing a Wade Miller type deal with the Sox, since I'm pretty sure KW has coveted him for a while. You could DL him for the rest of the season, let him have surgery and get 100% and have him return next year replacing Count.

Steroids aren't the only answer for players getting busted by the new policy. For Bears fans, I'm sure you all remember Jim Miller getting suspended 4 games for violating the NFL's substance abuse program. He never took steroids, but there was a banned substance in the suppliment he was taking that made him fail the drug test. I'm not sure about what substances are banned by major league baseball, but I'd say that there's a good possibility that Palmiero and Franklin could have a similar case as Jim Miller.

Who's likely to get called up for September?

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Aug 1, 2005 -> 08:24 PM) He doesnt really lead the team..... and I dont think the players really look at him as the leader like Manny or Schilling.... With Sweeney partly because of him being such a great guy and part because he is on a very young team i bet everyone in the KC clubhouse looks up to him. Sorry, but I didn't know that you were in the red sox clubhouse to see who their leader is. The catcher leads every team and Varitek is widely praised as an excellent clubhouse leader.