Dick Allen

QUOTE (Lamar Johnson 23 @ Dec 17, 2012 -> 01:59 PM) Assuming that AJ isn't coming back, the Sox should go hard after Michael Bourn. He would give the Sox a REAL lead off hitter, a left handed bat, 30-40 stolen bases, gold glove defense, etc., and he's only 28! He'd also give us the flexibilty to trade one of our OFs, maybe for a REAL 3B or a REAL C and/or some bullpen help. Well, the FAKE lead off hitter the Sox currently happen to be employing, actually is younger than Bourn, slugged better than Bourn and got on base the same amount as Bourn and is about $15 million a year cheaper. He also bats left handed.

If the Bears win their next 2 they most likely will be in the playoffs.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 16, 2012 -> 04:27 PM) Philadelphia's offensive line is terrible and they're in the top 10 in offense this year. No offense line is j'Marcus Webb at LT terrible.

The Bears can bring in anyone they want to coach. If they don't do something about the offensive line and rhe aging defense, they won't win more games.

Each one of those teachers, who probably made peanuts, but took bullets for those kids are far bigger heroes than anyone who plays a game for a living.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Dec 15, 2012 -> 01:02 PM) I was a victim in Lincoln Park. Got roughed up a little bit and had to give up my bag to get away (luckily escaped with my wallet). I'm hardly alone, the officers I talked to about it say they've been really busy with those kinds of attacks in their precinct. For one, if you're in the midst of a home invasion you have absolutely no time to try and analyze the situation. They could be in there just looking for s*** to steal but if you startle them or get a good look at them there's no guarantee they wont severely harm you. People deserve every right in the world to defend their property and their family when they are being targeted in their home. At the very least the presence of firearms within the home serves as a deterrent to burglary and the violence that can easily ensue if a homeowner confronts burglars. And the point I was really trying to make is that gun control enthusiasts absolutely love to point out statistics about Japan, Europe, China... whatever other country they can with tight gun control and low firearm deaths. But when it comes to looking at the same statistics across our own country, they'll make any excuse they can about why cities who violate 2nd amendment rights also suffer from the most violent crime. Too many things can go wrong for the against all odds,chance you have armed people in your home while you are there. The guns used in this tragedy were purchased with the intent of protecting a home.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Dec 15, 2012 -> 11:15 AM) People break into homes in good neighborhoods in Chicago, nice suburbs, etc. Unless you live on a farm 40 miles from civilization, I'm not quite sure where you can be safe. How often do you read about people breaking into a non gang related home or non organized crime related home and killing a family? Usually when a family gets gunned down its one of the parents shooting them with a legally obtained weapon, many times after years and years of being a loving parent.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Dec 15, 2012 -> 10:14 AM) I agree with this. Here's the thing, if you actually need to defend yourself, you need quick access to that gun. I don't know how people can have quick access but also have it locked away so well that no one else can get to it. That is definitely the rub. I think if you really have a fear of someone armed breaking into your home, you really need to move. That would be the best way to protect your family.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Dec 15, 2012 -> 09:49 AM) Oh give me a f***ing break. Unless you live in the worst areas of Chicago, you have the exact same worries as any other city in this country. And not only is this issue specific to certain areas, it's also highly highly-gang related, so making guns easier to attain would be by far the dumbest thing we could do. Do you live in one of these areas? I agree. You have about the same odds of winning the powerball as you do of people busting into your house with guns ablazing, especially if you're not in a gang or a member of organized crime. Out on the street in Chicago, you can get shot at any moment, but it is very rare someone needs to "protect" their home from armed intruders.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 15, 2012 -> 03:19 AM) So I own a gun in Chicago to protect my family from others that clearly have guns, am I wrong? IMO there is a far greater chance a loved one gets injured by your gun through an accident than its presence will actually protect your family. A night doesn't go by in Chicago where multiple people don't get shot, it's just very rare a home invasion winds up with people shot. It does happen obviously, but most residential burglars don't carry a gun with them. It seems to me more people get injured cleaning a gun or finding daddy's gun, than people using a gun to successfully defend their home, although some 80 year old guy did it a month or so ago.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Dec 10, 2012 -> 10:35 PM) I can't imagine Deb risking her life to get Dexter to break up with Hannah. I mean, she was hanging upside down in her car in a ditch for christsakes. Yeah, I get Deb setting up Hannah, that makes sense, but not in such a dangerous fashion. She could have drank the bottle right as she got to Dexters, collapsed, and then she'd be in the hospital either way, making a claim against Hannah. Doesn't make sense to risk your life for that. Also, why the hell wouldn't Dex just KILL Hannah? She knows everything about Dexter. She could easily get back at Dexter by telling everyone his methods, what he does, etc. Consider Deb is a by the book never miss a trick cop who wanted Hannah in jail. Why wouldn't she mention the water that Dexter found in her car? She knew Dexter would look for it and have it tested. I don't think he killed Hannah because he actually loves her. I do think the preview showing Dexter getting arrested is a dream sequence, but I have the feeling he will get arrested during the show but somehow the charges won't stick.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Dec 14, 2012 -> 05:22 PM) Or "hey see this gun? Let me in." If he wanted in, he'd get in, it's not a building made for security purposes. Heck, he could have killed the person protecting the buzzer and let himself in. He would have got in for sure, but perhaps the ruckus and delay that would have caused could have saved a few more lives. We will never know.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 14, 2012 -> 02:32 PM) Trucks from Mexico and a guy on the corner that can sell you an illegal handgun? Are gangs going to start outdancing and outsinging the other? You guys are completely delusional if you think making gun ownership illegal would magically cure this problem or even put a dent into it. So you suggest everything remain the same or find a way to arm everyone? Something has to change. Again, no one really knows if it would have made a difference today, but you really have to be in denial if you think it wouldn't make a difference any day.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Dec 14, 2012 -> 02:12 PM) This would not uninvent guns. This is typical knee jerk reaction that doesn't solve the problem you're all attempting to solve. We tried this with prohibition. Didn't work. Drugs are illegal, but they're f***ing everywhere. How do you assume this would work any differently with guns? All you'd end up doing is creating an illegal and very dangerous black market for guns, and the problem remains unsolved. Oh, and this black market wouldn't give a s*** any laws or any kind of waiting period or gun law...if you had the money, they'd sell it to you. Reality people. Please live in it. You will never be able to get rid of guns, but right now there are more guns than people in the US. If you could somehow cut the number of people owning guns down, innocent people getting shot and possibly killed will go down as well. I don't know if it would have prevented what happened today. But getting a gun is too easy.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Dec 14, 2012 -> 12:49 PM) I understand the idea of owning guns to defend yourself against the government. I get the origins of the amendment. However... this was before the government developed flying aircraft and precision missiles. The idea that "I own guns to defend myself against the government" is out of date. Exactly. You should be able to own tanks and anti aircraft stuff, but those would be far too expensive or impractical for most criminals to have at their disposal.... The argument that everyone being armed is a deterrant to violence apparently has never heard of gangs. They are all armed. The more guns, the more danger.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 14, 2012 -> 01:23 PM) That still leaves them something like $20 million in room under the tax to add pitching if they want. Thanks for the number. Can't the Dodgers go way over the threshold, and not get charged due to some agreement with their purchase?

QUOTE (2nd_city_saint787 @ Dec 14, 2012 -> 01:10 PM) And there shouldn't be. Like I've said if he relapses into DRUGS then all that will happen is the Angels will be SOL for that year. They'll get their money back because Josh will be gone from the league. LAA is gonna be scary offensively. 3 legit MVP candidates, Morales should be healthier this coming up season and has the potential to put up MVP numbers, and Trumbo has dirty pop. If they add another pitcher they should be the favorites. BTW, Kaplan was on his show yesterday, and talked about the Hamilton story in AZ a few years ago. Apparently one of Kaplan's neighbors called him at 11:30 one night and asked him if his son could call him. His son calls him, the guy was in college at Arizona State, he said to Kaplan a guy started hanging out with them at a bar, was really muscular and heavily tatooed. Said the guy was trashed, and asked them if they knew where to get drugs. They told him they didn't partake, but he continued hanging out with them. They had no idea who he was until they googled him. Apparently Kaplan when he heard the story called Hamilton's agent. That was kind of cool, because he could have broken a huge story. Kaplan is supposed to be a really good guy, even if he is a Cubs fan. Kaplan said the only reason he would even mention it now is because Hamilton admitted to everything earlier. The panel was discussing whether they would sign Hamilton to a huge contract considering his past. They all said no.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 14, 2012 -> 09:14 AM) I thought that about some of their late-2000's contracts and they still managed to trade for Miguel Cabrera then. The days of big money for Ordonez, Guillen, etc. The checks obviously aren't going to bounce, but according to Forbes, the Tigers don't make money, and they are spending more now than ever before. $80 million for Sanchez? That's just crazy, although I'm sure Scherzer is pretty thrilled, and they still have to extend Verlander, and you know the Dodgers will give him a blank check.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 14, 2012 -> 09:07 AM) I am OK with Detroit paying him $16 million a year for the next 5 years. Yes. Eventually all these contracts will bite the Tigers.

They still have to extend Verlander. Sanchez didn't publicly say he would go back to Detroit with any offer. It seems to me, and it is a player's right to do it, if they are planning on doing that, unless they are coming from a fiscally conservative team, you are basically doing all the work for them. Apparently Arte Moreno offers you a lot of money and says its take it or leave it. If Hamilton wanted to see if Texas would match, there would be nothing to match. Maybe Theo needs to adopt this style of negotiating. Sanchez is a nice pitcher, but $16 million a year for 5 years is probably going to be dead weight at some point.

QUOTE (3E8 @ Dec 13, 2012 -> 02:59 PM) What was wrong with Trumbo in the 2nd half of last season? To give you an idea of how bad he struggled, Alexei Ramirez had six more extra base hits than Trumbo did in that timespan. He was playing with what ultimately was diagnosed as a stress fracture in his foot. His first half numbers were impressive and he hit a ton of homers on the road. The ball doesn't carry well in California at night. He would be a good bet at 35-40 playing half the time in USCF.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Dec 13, 2012 -> 02:52 PM) Trumbo's awful at 3B. He's also awful in the OF. His bat's decent, but he's also really inconsistent. I wouldn't trade anything more than Floyd for him, but I think the Angels would want more than just Floyd. I think if the Angels would do Trumbo for Floyd, Rick Hahn would be running to a press conference right now before the Angels sobered up.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 12, 2012 -> 10:52 PM) No, I mentioned improvement in wins. Win differential from year to year. (Badge, I b****ed that its been 33 years since OSU had a COTY, and Urban took a 6-7 team to 12-0 and didnt win it) The first few years of Alvarez were cleaning up dogs***, thats why his win % is a little harder to study. BB came into a good program with high expectations and followed a system already in place. Right, and I've mentioned that. Bielema still won a higher percentage of his games than Alvarez did if you don't count the games until the season Barry won the Big Ten for the first time..After Alvarez won back to back Rose Bowls and his 3rd overall, he went 13-19 his next 4 years in the Big Ten. Now it's embarrassing for one 4-4 season. I bet at least 80% of college football fans has some kind of problem with the coach at the school they root for, and 99 % have a problem with the coach no matter how successful he has been if he leaves for more money. Then all the same stuff comes out. Can't get along with anyone. Was probably on his way out anyway. Is a bad coach, doesn't beat the best teams. School is way better off without him....

QUOTE (Cali @ Dec 13, 2012 -> 01:47 PM) Will Hamilton's body hold up for 5 years? I honestly would be surprised... Pujols as well. They may be awesome for a few years, but it's going to get ugly eventually.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 13, 2012 -> 01:32 PM) Jeff Passan ‏@JeffPassan RT @JeffWilson_FWST: Jon Daniels says #Rangers did not get call to match Angels' offer. Daniels is not pleased with how negotiations ended. Why don't I feel sorry for him?