NorthSideSox72

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Apr 13, 2007 -> 11:57 AM) Here's to hoping he gets better. In the heat of the 2005 Governor's election, he blew off a campaign event to watch the White Sox in the playoffs. He's a huge White Sox fan. http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A...3/NEWS/70413009 No seat belt? It amazes me people are still that ignorant. I'm sort of surprised the Trooper even allowed that to be the case. I certainly hope he recovers quickly.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Apr 13, 2007 -> 08:52 AM) Juan has shortened his swing a lot like he did during that amazing run he had the first couple of months of 2004, hence the great start (at least based on what i've seen). He's never going to walk at all, but if he can consistently keep that swing short (and thus see the ball further in and go the other way sometimes), he's a much better hitter. Juan has already walked twice in 7 games.

Donny Lucy (C, B-Ham) 2-for-4 with 2 more doubles, 2 RBI. Dude is hitting .444 in the first 6 games, OPS is 1.302. Lovin' it, from a catcher in our system.

Two more to consider... Greg Luzinski Ross Gload.

So, there has been a lot of talk lately about former TN Senator and actor (currently of Law & Order) Fred Thompson running for the Republican nomination. He recently revealed that he has non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, a cancer which is likely non-deadly. Thompson would of course come in with instant name and face recognition, and some degree of credibility, from his acting career (silly though that may be). I thinking fairly well of him as a Senator. But that was a bunch of years ago, and I do not even really recall his stances on issues. I'm not a huge fan of any of the current GOP candidates, so his entry could be a good injection into that race from my point of view. What do people think about him running?

QUOTE(DrunkBomber @ Apr 12, 2007 -> 03:29 PM) Wow. I wonder if theyre gonna be able to find out what idiot is behind this, or even worse if thats really the name of the color from the manufacturer. The manufacturer is in China.

Moveon.org hosted a virtual town hall meeting online, with the 7 announced Dem candidates for Prez, focusing on their views on the Iraq situation. Here are links to the transcript (you can click to each candidate if you want, from the top), and an article with a few highlights. Here are the NSS72 highlights... Richardson is still my favorite candidate, but I must say I found parts of his Iraq plan a bit lacking. I think he'll have a hard time trying to put together a revenue-sharing government if we've promised to move out entirely. I dislike Biden in almost every way, but I have to admit I think he's got the best plan of anyone I've heard on either side of the aisle for Iraq's future. Hilary comes off as being having plenty of polish but little in the way of substance. Its weird, she's by far the best chance for a female candidate in history, but everything she does is whiney and ineffectual. Obama sounds pretty solid, I like what I hear from him so far on Iraq. He doesn't layer all his statements in the B.S. that most of the other candidates do. He also comes out and says that if Bush vetoes the current funding plan (the one with withdrawal dates), that he is commited to finding the 67 votes in the Senate to override the veto. That's a pretty ballsy statement. We'll see what happens. Edwards, like Clinton, seems more fluff and polish than any real substance. Senator Dodd, well... seems lost. Like he doesn't even belong. And Kucinich is Kucinich. Farthest left of the candidates, seems like an honest fellow, but he's idealistic to a fault on Iraq (as on many issues).

QUOTE(Jenksismyb**** @ Apr 12, 2007 -> 03:14 PM) I don't think anyone is arguing that because rappers say racist/sexist things, he should be allowed to say those things too. Most people would agree it was a dumb thing to say and a dumb forum to say it in. The argument is that the reaction towards rappers using that language isn't anywhere near the reaction that Imus' comments have gotten, especially from the 'leaders' of the black community. That is a double standard in how to deal with the problem of racist/sexist/hateful speech. I think there are "leaders" in the black community who do indeed despise the use of not just insulting words, but all the violence in urban music, etc. Many of those leaders, including some I've spoken with, people who lead congregations and local groups, don't make it on TV. Instead, we see Jesse and Al, who shouldn't be role models for anyone. Kind of similar to how we see talking heads "representative" of both political parties (the Rush Limbaughs of the world) come on the TV to take sides on an issue, even though most of us are not at all represented by their views. Again, the media loves the extremes, and the shock value. They also tend to get lazy and call on the same old people over and over again. So, we get Jesse and Al on this one.

Manny or Aramis Ramirez. Vicente Padilla. Also Barrett for being the opposite of what he tries to come off as. And Ivan Rodriguez for deigning to be called "Pudge", when sir, you are no Carlton Fisk.

I this thread. QUOTE(Kalapse @ Apr 12, 2007 -> 12:59 PM) How 'bout this. You blindly support Ozzie about as much as I blindly hate on Ozzie. Fair enough.

QUOTE(tealeafreaderii @ Apr 12, 2007 -> 12:13 PM) Do you think part of the reason Uribe was so bad last year and so good in the first week or so of the season this year is because he no longer has BA behind him in the order? Now that he doesn't have an automatic out behind him in the line up, he doesn't need to press as hard. That may help, but BA was actually a better hitter than Uribe in many facets for the second half of the season. Also, watching Uribe hit this year, he looks much more disciplined. He keeps his head and shoulders inside a bit longer, he lays off some bad pitches, goes the other way sometimes, and he doesn't do the Tasmanian Devil thing anymore. Plus he looks like he is in much better shape. I think Juan just came to camp in better shape and with a better approach.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Apr 12, 2007 -> 12:06 PM) Why didn't you start a thread about Ozzie's tirade then? You can say he gets no credit but I'm sure if you started a thread praising Ozzie for getting the Starting Pitching going the majority of the board would have been right with you in heaping praise upon him. Sometimes you have to take the initiative, you better believe if Ozzie f***s up someone is going to be right there to b**** about it within a few minutes of the incident so when he does something positive like this the exact same should be done. Make an attempt to counteract the negative discussion with some positive news. Um... I did point out the positive. I wasn't the one to point it out originally in this case (Rock was), but I agreed. I was supportive of him kicking a little ass in the clubhouse. Is that not an attempt? And yes, I did add the negative part about the Ozzie bashers. I think some people just bash everything he does. That's pretty much what I was pointing out. If it makes you feel better, next time I see something Ozzie does specifically that I really think was a positive for the team, I'll start a new thread. We'll see how many posts it takes for me to be told I defend Ozzie blindly and all the time, that whatever happened must be due to anything other than him, and that I shouldn't bother starting whole new threads just because of one thing Ozzie did right. /jaded

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Apr 12, 2007 -> 11:07 AM) So must every thread turn into one of these? I'm just wondering how you're going to prove that Ozzie getting pissed off turned the pitching around after what 1.5 bad outings? Javy hits the mound and dominates, since then the starting pitching has been great, I'm curious as to how Ozzie doing a little screaming in the press had this major effect on the pitching when there really was no problem to begin with, seeing as how only 2 starters got to pitch substantial innings. Who knows? That's kind of my point. Every situation in baseball has some what-ifs attached. If those what-ifs are negative, and there can be any sort of connection made at all to managerial decisions, then Ozzie tends to get bashed for it. Here we have a situation where he did the right thing, and it may have had a positive result. Its just the extreme rarity around here that he would get some credit for that. And no, not every thread needs to become that. If Ozzie screws up, that's what should be discussed. But when something positive changes in the attitude of the team, which it apparently has (and it wasn't just the 2 starters, or even just pitching necessarily), then it should be noted that perhaps Ozzie got the team back on track. Part of the problem with evaluating managers is that the positives they bring are usually subtle, and not easily identified or quantified. But if they screw up, that's usually pretty apparent. Its the same with any manager in any business. So when stuff like this happens, yeah, I'll usually tend to give Ozzie some credit, even though his effect may have been very small or very large.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Apr 12, 2007 -> 10:18 AM) In case you were wondering, after ozzie went on a tirade, the pitching has been lights out. Yes, but you know how this works. We'll hear about Ozzie's screw-ups every day (and I certainly agree he has plenty of them), but rarely does anyone acknowledge the positives he brings to the table.

QUOTE(Jenksismyb**** @ Apr 12, 2007 -> 10:01 AM) This is the joke that is MSNBC: They hired the guy precisely because of the shocking things he says. Ten million people this week thought to themselves "Imus who? Hmm, I should check that out." He has said far worse in the past and MSNBC loved it. How can you buy that this was a business decision? WHO WOULD STOP LISTENING BECAUSE HE SAID THESE COMMENTS? 10 people? 20 people? Give me a break. And that's the point. The reaction to this story is completely ridiculous. The media has taken it over. And why? Two words: White guilt. White people for some reason have to WANT to feel like this is the worst crime in the history of man. White people WANT to act (pull out their sponsorships, fire employees [http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_101163705.html], call for his firing, etc) this way because it makes them feel good, like they're somehow helping the cause. People jump on this bandwagon of slamming Imus because it makes them look good ( Which begs the question, do people even care? Do normal, everyday people care what he says? Or does the media 'create' these situations to get people interesting, to get people attracted to stories about it? If you polled the black community, how many would be hurt by these comments? How many people would sincerely care what the hell this Imus guy said? I bet less than 10%. Yet this is all we hear about. Morons like Jackson and Sharpton continue to stir the pot and impede any sort of progress we've made towards racial equality and acceptance. But to me the bigger morons are the white people who feel obligated to make something like this a story. No one said that a ton of people would stop listening. Some might stop, others might start. But if you actually read the article I linked, and look at the reasons I cited, its pretty darn clear that yes, it was a business decision, and probably the right one. That said, I agree with many of your points - there is a guilt factor there for many people, most people don't care what Imus says (myself included, other than this discussion), MSNBC probably wanted the shock value, and JackSharp are stirring the pot. But that doesn't change the reality of the situation MSNBC is in. IT makes perfect sense as a business for them to fire Imus at this point, and they did. One thing I'll disagree with here, though, I'd be a lot more than 10% of blacks would care about what he said. You can argue whether or not its justified, but that number would be much higher.

Answers to all of your questions about the matchups this weekend.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Apr 12, 2007 -> 09:14 AM) It's pretty much impossible to lose email in any permanent sense, which is what makes this 'dog-ate-my-homework' strategy so absurd and pathetic. Even if the all copies of these emails have been deleted from the personal computers involved and even if the RNC email servers have been destroyed and replaced, how many other servers did the emails bump into and and still possibly reside on? I think the White House saying the emails were inappropriately deleted is telling the cybergeeks out there that it's fair game to hunt the "lost" communications down. There will be little chance of claiming Exec privilege to keep their contents private since the supposed reasonfor using the RNC accounts and computers was that it was for non-Executive political communication. On top of that, how vital to our national interests could it be that the secrecy in these emails be maintained if officials decided they didn't warrant the high level of security the White House system would have afforded? The country is being run by the friggin' Keystone Cops. Well its not impossible to delete them, but its certainly hard to do. No arguments there. I just think that single repository with legally-protected access would be a decent way to keep people just the slightest bit more honest.

So ultimately, it was a business decision. Advertisers pulled out, MSNBC wants to be taken seriously and not be looked at as just shock jocks, interviewees like Obama refuse to return... so those things combined to one conclusion - fire Imus. Sounds about right to me. Now as for the media hos (yup, I called them hos) like Jackson following him around until he's never on the air again (which won't work), hey. Let them waste their time. I could care less.

What are people thinking on Matsuzaka in the long run? Seems to me that most pitchers who come over from Japan or Korea have a habit of being virtually unhittable for a short period, like one or maybe 2 seasons tops, then once MLB players figure them out, they go downhill fast. Will this guy have the same problem, or no?

Well that list was dumb. Though I kind of like that the King was in there. Another name not yet mentioned that should be: Moose Skowron.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Apr 12, 2007 -> 07:56 AM) Race issues are every so much fun, they really bring out the hypocracy of the race card in America. Think about this for a second, the two people who are most publically leading the charge against Imus, are two notorious racists themselves. Jackson and Sharpton both are on record as having said racist statements against Jews, but look at what they do now... They both lead religious and race-based organizations. Why aren't they willing to resign their positions to show how much they believe that racism is always wrong? Why isn't anyone really calling for them to do exactly what they are asking of Imus? If you stop and look at the way the situation is being handled, its a part of the reason that racism still simmers in the US. You would expect people someone leading a religious organization to offering forgiveness to someone who has publically apologized on many occasions, and is asking to meet with the people he directly hurt, to apologize to them in person as well. You would also think that someone who is the leader of a race based organization to be trying to use this as an educational opportunity to address the latent racism that still exsists today in American society, by reaching out to someone like Imus and trying to make an example that the only way to overcome stereotypes and hate is through education. Instead they are totally both focused on the punative aspect of things. Its this hypocracy and double standard that totally invalidates the legitimacy of organizations like the ones Jackson and Sharpton run with a lot of America. Until you stop drawing lines in the sand, and become consistant on this issue, nothing is going to change. Jackson and Sharpton may be "leading the charge", but who cares? I agree, its just two idiots going after another idiot. Why do we care what any of the three of them say? I think the way to make diminish racism is to not make race an issue. To continue the analogy from before, if I'm running MSNBC, let's say for a second I don't really care about being a serious news outlet, and I want some goofy talk TV crap like Imus on my channel. OK. Mr. Imus, you go right ahead and make an ass of yourself. Jesse Jackson calls and says he's offended? OK, Mr. Jackson, you're known to be a racist jerk too, so we'll give you some air time as well. More money for me. But I'm not firing anyone. Its about treating everyone with the same respect. If you don't want jerks in the room, then remove all the jerks regardless of race. If the jerks make you money, then by all means, keep them around (as long as taxpayer dollars are going to your racist jerks, which is a little different).

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 11, 2007 -> 08:07 PM) Gosh. I'm. So. Shocked. (via the AP). Perhaps there should be an archive somewhere, maintained by the GAO or OMB (whichever one is the executive - I always forget), of all email traffic in and out of the servers for the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Something encrypted and locked up, to be accessed only via warrant or properly legal congressional investigation. Military or security-sensitive information would still, as I am sure it is now, maintain its existing protections. But the files would always be there for recall. I have little time for privacy issues in the business of government, which should rarely be private at all.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Apr 11, 2007 -> 06:04 PM) The Onion link the Balta tossed out there is a joke. It's the Onion. Too many frickin' MBAs around here Thanks Tex, I hadn't the slightest idea that the Onion was a farcical periodical. ...where's that rolly eye smiley... signed, NSS72, MBA

QUOTE(Shadows @ Apr 12, 2007 -> 12:37 AM) I didn't find anything wrong with what he said.. Mainly for the fact that is absolutely RIDICULOUS the way they are handling this. First of all, it was in jest. Secondly, if a black person had said it there wouldn't even be this big of an explosion over it. This stuff only becomes a problem when a white person says it. Dave Chappelle, Carlos Mencia, etc make racial jokes all the time yet they are on Comedy Central all the time. Same with all the other comedians who do the same thing, what makes Imus trying to make a joke any different? I just don't like the fact that people hardly make a fuss over when someone of that race makes a crack about their race but when it comes out of the mouth of someone who is not of that race its the end of the world. I am tired of turning on the TV and seeing this story all over the place because he said "nappy headed hoes" give me a break You didn't find anything wrong with what he said?! Idiots like Imus should be able to be idiots on the air if they choose to (as long as its not on publically-funded airwaves). So I think whether or not he gets fired should be up to MSNBC, and its a matter of what kind of station they want to be. If they want to be taken seriously as a news channel, then Imus should be shown the door. If they just want viewership any way they can get it, then keep him around. Its just a business decision. But on a personal level, how anyone can not find anything wrong with what he said is beyond me. What he said was classless and racist, and it was a slimey thing to say. It makes me dislike him even more than I already did. And that dovetails right into the business decision - what audience does MSNBC want? That ultimately should be the deciding factor for them. If its my decision, knowing that MSNBC seems to want to be taken seriously as a competitor for CNN and the like, then I would have fired Imus straight away. As for Nuke's double standard... it does exist in some cases. But to be clear, if again I were running MSNBC, I wouldn't ever have morons who spout that crap on anyway, regardless of race.

This will not be replacing the Grind thing. Just adding to it, same as the South Side Board of Tourism stuff. The Sox really do have some pretty decent marketing the last few years. I like that they are pasting their banners, including "We are Chicago Baseball" all over the red line train cars (inside and out), which go right by Wrigley as well. Also hitting the cabs hard, and banners all over the north side. They are definitely not marketing small these days.