iamshack

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ May 23, 2012 -> 02:18 PM) You are ignoring geographic realities. Having a few bus routes to take you to/from certain dense hubs (i.e. apt complexes to commercial strips) doesn't really help if your town is 90% neighborhoods. It's practically impossible in rural towns. In many of these rural areas, there are like 4 total streets. The bars could pay a driver to take people home when the bar closes or something. The cops, who otherwise are sleeping probably, could also shoulder some of this burden.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ May 23, 2012 -> 02:14 PM) Yeah, because for the majority of American cities a massive public transit system is financially feasible. Also, I'd imagine you can look at the numbers and find that Chicago has quite a number of DUI offenders out there. I'd say the City does a pretty good job providing public transit to just about anywhere you want to go. Having a system in place isn't stopping people from drinking and driving. Chicago is actually the 19th worst offending city, so I think the public transportation does help. Or maybe Chicago is just very poor at enforcing them.

QUOTE (Tex @ May 23, 2012 -> 02:09 PM) No one is advertising drink to excess and drive yourself. Laws have restricted advertising of alcohol. Bars have had restrictions on happy hour drinks. Why should there be any infrastructure for being drinking too much? Know when to say when. Have a designated driver. Don't order six drinks. And society has offered a ton of warnings and deterents. I believe you would have a better case if DUI was cheap. That would be society saying hey it's no big deal. Instead the penalties are plastered on bill boards and everyone knows. And these are all for the most part ineffective. The issue is, many people make the incorrect decision once they begin drinking. You're asking someone to make a responsible decision once they are already impaired. It's just not going to happen a lot of the time.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 23, 2012 -> 02:06 PM) (Of course, if society were to choose to provide better public transportation options, then people like me who would like to have a few drinks at a restaurant but still be able to get home would be likely to purchase more products at those establishments as there was a safe path home, thus providing a significant boost to that sector of the local economy, and the failure to do so thus is a negative impact on those businesses, on the local economy, and on tax revenues in general) This, or perhaps the municipalities could offer more options, or the drinking establishment itself.

QUOTE (G&T @ May 23, 2012 -> 01:54 PM) People using resources should be paying for the resources. First, there are plenty of court impose rehabs. There really isn't much else the government can do. Second, getting a cab is perfectly possible for almost everyone. I've lived in places were cabs are hard to get, and those that are around aren't regulated. But they exist and I've used them for weddings, parties, etc. and so did everyone else that attended. Oh, and if you live in a place with no cabs, how many cops do you think are waiting to pull people over? Probably none. Third, and probably most important to your point, is that our society is one of the few that revolves around drinking at home more so than in public. I drink a lot. More than most people in this country, but I primarily do it at home. If I want to go out, I don't drink much. Fourth, a .08 isn't as easy to hit as you think. It would probably take 3-4 glasses of wine for an average male to hit the limit. The government is plenty lenient in allowing you to go out and partake and get home safely. Those are not rehab programs, they are basically a video tape and forms to fill out... Second, I disagree...unless you are willing to pay $50-100 in many instances, in which case people wouldn't choose to go out in the first place and our local businesses would go belly-up even more. And to your cops point, I flat-out disagree. The focus of municipal police forces has changed from getting impaired driver's home safely to using DUI offenders as an atm card. Third, many people drink at home because of the size of this country and the lack of mass transportation in most areas. People are spread out all over the place, unlike much of Europe, for instance. I agree people should use better judgement when going out. Fourth, .08 is pretty easy to hit...there wouldn't be so many people with DUIs if it wasn't. The percentage of adults in this country who now have a DUI on their record is rising at a staggering rate. I believe I saw some 30% of US drivers have a DUI conviction... Third

You guys need to use your imaginations...I know you were sort of unfortunately led to believe you would just pop out of college and immediately be handed a great job, but that's not usually how it works. The best advice I can give you is to network with everyone you know, and then go out and meet more people to network with. Be willing to do anything, really, not just something in your area of study/interest. In the meantime, go to the library and read books. Read business books. Read best-sellers. Read self-improvement books. Exercise. Play sports that are cheap. Enjoy your free time while you have it. You never know what might lead you to your next job.

There are only 4-5 real threads that get any action in the SportsBar...why not just have Bulls and Bears threads and then general NBA and NFL threads?

QUOTE (Reddy @ May 23, 2012 -> 12:08 PM) watch out y'all - i'm about to say something all the conservatives on this board will agree with. personal f***ing responsibility. it's not the governments job to say "stop advertising alcohol, stop trying to sell your products" and it's not the governments job to babysit full grown adults. make your own damn decisions and pay for them. Yeah, that is the tough-guy way to say it...unfortunately, it doesn't actually achieve anything. You can't say "Support our local community businesses...which revolve around you leaving your home and drinking alcohol at our establishments, meanwhile not having the infrastructure to support such behavior, and then sticking it to that person to make up for your other s***ty budgetary shortfalls. It is really easy for you to say this, Reddy, because you live in New York, where there are an abundance of cabs and trains to take if you've been out. Trying living in a non-metropolitan area. Don't mistake my position as advocating or tolerating DUI, because I don't.

QUOTE (Tex @ May 23, 2012 -> 12:59 PM) You could say that about any fine that the courts impose. It all generates income and there are ways to make people pay. The anti-DUI lobby is strong and gets stronger everytime someone is killed by a drunk driver. I will agree fines should be lower and jail time longer. Compare the fines of other misdemeanors and felonies to those imposed by the system in place that they put DUI offenders through...ask a DUI lawyer in Illinois how much money a DUI is going to cost as opposed to other more serious crimes.

QUOTE (Jake @ May 23, 2012 -> 12:41 PM) Welcome to...uh, Earth. We just punish because that has some remedial ability and noone feels bad for being "easy". No, it's because they realize they have people bent over the barrel because of the way our society works. People who don't live in a major metropolitan area need their cars in order to get to work. There is very little public transportation available. If they cannot get to work, they cannot make money, and thus cannot live. This does not give local municipalities and state governments the right to extract as much money as is humanly possible from DUI offenders. If that is the case, we should start doing the same for other crimes. Especially crimes that are much worse in nature.

My problem with the whole DUI thing is that we encourage and enable this result by revolving so much of our society around alcohol, and then we seem shocked that these people actually get in their cars and try to get back home again when they are finished. Then, the municipalities and states bend these people over as if they are murderers and rapists to try and extract as much cash as possible in order to make up for other shortfalls in their budgets. The entire process is extraordinarily punitive without doing s*** to actually try and address the root cause of the problem.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 23, 2012 -> 11:54 AM) Go back to post #1 in this thread. HERE I WILL LINK YOU - READ PLEASE. I've had mlb.tv for two straight seasons. I have watch a LOT of out of town baseball. I have been sampling more dishes than any normal human should. I have sampled, thanks to an incredible feature that allows me to pick not on the TV broadcast, but also have the radio announcers, upwards of 8 gentlemen talk about the game during any given game. It's fun, it's awesome. It was stated IN THE LEAD POST. (I only bring up reading comprehension when it's relevant, bud.) I even flipped to Len and Bob this weekend and enjoyed their broadcast better than Hawk. I was taken aback (seriously) when they spoke knowledgeably about White Sox players - because I so rarely get any information on the opposing teams hitters other than "I tell ya what, this [iNSERT PLAYER NAME] is really good." Hawk is a hack. Hawk is the guy who insists the only person with comparable bat speed to Carlos Delgado is Dayan Viciedo - and that these two gentlemen have the quickest bats in the history of baseball. My bad...that was hundreds of posts ago and I forgot... I guess I was more going off the fact that your recommendation was someone from the score, and not all those other broadcasts you've been watching. Vasgersian was ruined for me by The Show, but otherwise, he isn't too bad...kind of like a robot for my taste.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 23, 2012 -> 11:38 AM) I was throwing it back at you, Chief. Your position is "young people don't know everything". My position is "old people don't know everything, and are also cranky." Oh, and that Hawk Harrelson is horrendous at his job, and women deserve equal opportunity. I'm such an asshole. No, my position is that I respect Harrelson's 50 years in the game, and while I don't always like when he is whining about calls or talking about the '67 Red Sox, I have heard enough other pbp men to realize that the overall product we have is pretty solid. I don't think that makes me a meatball fan. I think it makes me someone who has sampled the other dishes on the menu and realized the one I've been ordering stacks up pretty well. You, on the other hand, haven't even tried any other dishes on the menu other than that one you think you remember being really good a long time ago, but is no longer available. No, I don't think you're an asshole.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 23, 2012 -> 11:26 AM) This is such a thing old people say. I don't believe I have the world figured out - that's just weird. The only things I have figured out in life are my marriage and the fact that the government sucks. Again, you are like a walking contradiction. You open the post with a blanket generalization and then go on to claim you really don't know much...but just enough to still be able to make that blanket generalization. Maybe old people have been around the block long enough to observe a few things? The reason you often hear older people say things like this is is because it is true. Many people, as we age, go through the phase in life where we think we really have a good handle on things...much better than what our parents or other elders do...how could they have not realized all these things I have? It must be because they are stupid. Then life happens, and as you get older and experience things, you realize how little you actually knew all along, and learn to respect what people with loads of experience have to say...

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 23, 2012 -> 10:04 AM) How old do you think I am, exactly? 27? 28? Right about the age where you think you've got the world all figured out...

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 23, 2012 -> 10:04 AM) You've got me! I'm a coward! I have clearly stated numerous times that the pig-headed comments about women in sports were ridiculous. I have also stated multiple times that folks that love Hawk can have their opinion. I opened talking about how much I used to love Hawk. The very first post. I don't know what more you want. You are offended by something. You are in attack mode. I will let you do your thing from here moving forward - go get 'em, Tiger. And yet you keep running away from the most critical part of the implication, Steve....which seems to be those who like Hawk are also pig-headed, or "meatball fans." That is the part of the implication I found insulting. It was your entire point in making the post. So no, you're not just stating your opinion in regards to what you think of our pbp man...you're basically implying that anyone who likes Hawk is a meatball fan, and that that doesn't surprise you.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 23, 2012 -> 10:55 AM) Think what you want. Every year thousands of professional broadcasters are honing their skills in the hopes that a position opens up. Hire Slavko Bekovic for all I care, but there are many, many qualified professionals trained to engage the viewer and do the play by play. Hawk is a defined color man doing a play by play man's job. The peak of MLB play by play is Matt Vasgersian, and I am sure there are more out there like him. Sound good, tell me what's going on, and then let the color guy jazz things up. A three man booth would be fantastic as well. There are so many options, but we're stuck with someone who is definitively the worst at his profession. 100% of non-Sox fans agree, and it seems like about 50% of Sox fans agree that Hawk is a hack. No matter who has been with Hawk, he has had little interest in engaging that person and had no problem talking over them. He's a dinosaur, and I'm tired of it. I don't get why you take such offense. You may have your opinion. My disliking Hawk does not mean I have a problem with old people. Seriously, move along, at this point you are going back and forth. My job is not to hire the next great pbp guy out there, but I guarantee, said person exists and would kill for the position. Let's just say I think a lot of people your age will learn some things in your next 10-20 years.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 23, 2012 -> 08:24 AM) It's so painfully black & white with you. Fans who think women don't belong on their sports networks are completely close-minded and ignorant. There are plenty of older people whom I'm happy to listen to - just because Hawk is old that doesn't mean he's right - he's making up stories and saying the same thing over and over. I, nor anyone else on this planet, have anything left to "learn" from Hawk. Nothing. There's nothing left for him to say. I have nothing against listening to experienced people tell me about the game. I certainly don't complain about every older person in the world. Steve Stone is 65 and I have stated multiple times in this thread that he's brilliant. Stop painting the picture you want to see and open your f***ing eyes and learn how to comprehend words on a computer screen. No one attacked you here - if you like Hawk, good for you. I just think you're crazy and we're missing out on what could be an improved telecast. Very few things are black and white to me, Steve. That's pretty much what I am trying to get across to you. Very rarely will you see me take a position like you seem to take on an almost daily basis. You're the one that often starts threads like these...that something sucks, or something is just such a way, or someone needs to "just stop" (my personal favorite of yours). YOU are the one that sees everything as black and white. And this "reading comprehension" schtick that you like to use when someone disagrees with you gets very old. I am very good at reading comprehension. I always did well on that part of standardized tests. You, on the other hand, post things like this: Do you notice how you accused me of something and then immediately followed it up with the same very thing you accused me of? That seems to be a failure of comprehension on your part if I have ever seen one. Or at least a very odd way to make your point...no wonder people apparently have trouble comprehending your self-contradictory posts. I'm not painting any pictures either. All I am asking you is to *look* at the entire picture, instead of thinking you know everything. And you did attack me and others here, it's right there in the thread. You made a clear implication and you're now playing dumb because you're too much of a coward to admit it.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 23, 2012 -> 08:16 AM) I wasn't trying to be trendy. You sure seem to think you know everything. Thinking Ken Harrelson is bad is not trendy, it's correct. We have one of the best color men in the business being cut off from speaking and never asked for his input on anything because know it all, been there done that, revisionist history Hawk is there to tell y'all how it was back in the day. "I tell ya hawhat Stone Pony. I ain't seen no one field the ball at short like Alexei does since Rico Petrocelli. That boy, hooo, he could go get it." That's certainly engaging. So tell us what should be engaging to us, Steve...so far your only suggestion has been Laurence Holmes. If that is your idea of an improvement, you are just wrong on this one. Steve Stone gives his input all the time...I've been listening to Steve Stone since 1984 when he was working with Harry Carey. He got bullied by him too. I guess Stone is just the whipping boy for geriatric fools. Do you find this coincidence at all odd, Steve? That Stone has been most loved when he was the second fiddle to an outrageous larger than life character doing pbp?

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ May 22, 2012 -> 10:35 PM) Well at least we all now officially know that Pauly is Jesus. I thought he was but never had confirmation until now. Well Jesus cost us a few runs in the field yesterday, unfortunately. I hope he is better out there tonight.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 22, 2012 -> 10:58 PM) Meatball fans are dumb people. So again, are you stating that people that appreciate Hawk are "meatball fans"? Maybe there is something else to it? Like respecting the fact that the guy has been involved in baseball about twice the number of years you have been alive? Or that he's forgotten more about baseball than you'll ever know? I get it...I recognize he isn't polite, and he's not particularly knowledgeable when it comes to advanced metrics, and he has some of his ridiculous philosophical ramblings that change from year to year...I remember when "you were only as good as your starting pitching," now "you're only as good as your bullpen." He likes to talk himself into believing the Sox have a chance every year, but it's hard for me to blame him for that considering they are his life. He's not close to perfect, and I respect your opinion, however I disagree. That doesn't mean those who have an appreciation for Hawk are "meatball fans." Why don't you stop and think that maybe you don't know everything about everything? That maybe as you get older you will recognize some things and gain some insight from experience and realize that hey, maybe I'm not the smartest person on earth after all?

I just think it's message board trendy to be young and know everything and complain about everyone older than 30 years old and claim "they suck at their job." Again, someone please tell us who the good broadcasters are, besides John Rooney. What qualities of a tv broadcaster do you appreciate or want to see?

QUOTE (Jake @ May 22, 2012 -> 09:29 PM) That's pretty well played Except for what he actually stated was this: Why am I not surprised that the "Keep Hawk" demographic is aligning with the "no women on my sports network" demographic.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 22, 2012 -> 08:28 PM) I did no such thing. Many posters were complaining about women having equal opportunity. I pointed it out. If you think that makes them cavemen, then that's your assumption. See the thread in question.

QUOTE (Jake @ May 22, 2012 -> 08:24 PM) I won't deal Gavin until we get something nice in return. Certainly not going to deal him when we're within a series of first place. This is something that has really cost us in previous years...with most players I am firmly with you on this...but on Gavin...I think his time has come...he's just not ever taken the next step, will most likely not ever take the next step, and I'd rather get something for him while he's 50 starts away from FA than get less when he's only 18-34 starts away.