iamshack

QUOTE (knightni @ Jan 1, 2011 -> 02:45 PM) Kelly is the first coach since Parseghian to have a winning collegiate record before coming to ND. This season finishing at 8-5 is also the first time that Kelly has had an over .500 team in his first year at a new school. This includes the loss of their starting QB, RB, TE, and best WR for the majority of the season. I'm really excited about the next few seasons. ?

QUOTE (MuckFinnesota @ Jan 1, 2011 -> 01:21 PM) The "woe is me" attitude stems from the fact that I don't know where I fit in an organization. I'm more of a written communications guy than spoken anything. The reason I didn't choose marketing is that I couldn't do sales (which is all I see out there for entry level jobs - they could fire me when I don't make the numbers since I know I couldn't cold call). The reason I didn't chose accounting or finance is because those bore me to tears. Administration/Management was pretty general so that made sense, but unfortunately none of what I've looked at in terms of requirements for communications jobs wants a business degree. So I either shot myself in the foot or I made a genius move - I don't know that yet. This is why I really just feel the need to sit down with people in different fields (comm, university work, etc) and see what further education that I need so that I have a path to go towards. Certainly not many of you can see this, but I do my best and apply myself, as the GPA indicates, along with recommendations from professors. And it should be noted that several twentysomethings who are about to graduate have the exact same problem as I do in thinking, "What did four years of higher education do and where can I go since I don't have one of the hot degrees?" Ross, don't worry so much about it! Take the best opportunity you can find through either blind luck or networking, and start moving your career forward. Work hard and apply yourself, and you'll find that you'll end up somewhere in general that you'd like to be. Trying to plan out every move or limit yourself to this field or that field...unless what you are trying to get into is very technical, i.e., medicine, law, engineering, accounting, it really doesn't matter a whole lot what. The key is getting your foot in the door somewhere and working your way up through hard work and application of your skills and personality.

QUOTE (MuckFinnesota @ Jan 1, 2011 -> 12:47 PM) I would agree that a college degree isn't necessary for a lot of jobs that require one. I look at the entry level jobs and think to myself, why did I major in something more challenging than a liberal art when I have the skills that this job description requires? I guess what I wonder about is what exactly does an employer look for in terms of skills? Sure, I got a business degree, but it doesn't mean I remember a lot if any of what I studied, and I got at least 3.3 GPA. What I'm feeling is that I should have studied something more communications oriented (like Public Relations) because I would have had some actual skills to an employer in terms of how to write in a PR setting. Now I wonder if I should go get a Master's in PR at DePaul, even if it is real expensive, just so I can get some skills. Otherwise, I'm just going to have to see all of you at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and tell all of you that I should have partied harder in college if I knew I was going to have to do menial jobs with my unique skill set. Seriously, Ross, this sort of "woe is me" attitude is exactly what will land you in a job you feel you are vastly overqualified for. Once you get out into the real world a bit more, you'll find that your degree is a lot less important to what field you eventually get into than your ability to communicate well, with confidence, your ability and desire to learn new things, your willingness to work well and get along well with other team members, and your effort in getting the task at hand done efficiently and correctly. And if you do have to start out at the bottom of the totem pole, their is nothing wrong with that. The adage "the cream rises to the top" is usually true when it comes to good companies, and if you do your best and apply yourself, you'll get a lot further in your career than constantly second guessing your degree choice or college choice, or b****ing about having to take a position that you feel is below you.

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Jan 1, 2011 -> 12:36 PM) I'll take a different route in this argument: if Weis struggled relating to players and their familes, it sure as hell didn't show in the recruiting classes. In his time at ND (not counting the '05 class when he was hired late, including 2010 since that was mostly with him recruiting), the Irish signed 7 five-star recruits and 57 four-star recuits. A lot of them didn't pan out, especially on defense, but there were still plenty of highly regarded players in South Bend. Well, first of all, it's Notre Dame - it's really not that difficult to recruit there considering they are a historic program that offers an outstanding education. Secondly, I really don't care enough about Notre Dame or Charlie Weiss to really argue about this any more. I was watching ESPN last night when they broke in about Weiss potentially going to Florida to be the OC, and Mark May mentioned that Weiss had difficulties with recruiting and his relationships with the kids and their parents. I related that information on here, since we were a bit baffled as to why Weiss would make this move. A poster comes in and says "Mark May wouldn't know anything if he didn't have a teleprompter. His opinions are pretty much worthless." I took exception to the comment because this sort of outright dismissal of ESPN or other mainstream media members and their reporting acumen, out of hand, and with no other evidence of incompetence other than the fact that the reporter is annoying/obnoxious/"a blowhard"/douchebag, is bs. It's become all too fashionable to dismiss what we see in the mainstream media, and yet, we are supposed to believe unsupported and many times anonymous message board chatter. It's illogical, irrational, and just plain ridiculous. That's all I really care to say about the matter.

Finished Boardwalk Empire last night. Had been saving it up to watch it marathon-style since the series ended. Was very impressed. Great cast, solid acting, plenty of plotlines, and lots of gratuitious nudity, of course. Two thumbs up!

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 1, 2011 -> 03:48 AM) May is a first class douche. Maybe not everyone agrees with me, but he is. He is remarkably biased, especially towards teams that embarrassed PITT. Look, I don't like him either. And I don't like many of the personalities on ESPN, including Mortenson. I don't like Mel Kiper Jr. either. This isn't a case of the guy commenting on the play of a team or the strength of a team or who he thinks will win a game. This is obviously him commenting of what he has heard from other coaches around the league. I'm sorry, but no matter what kind of a douche the guy is, you get exposed to a s***load of sources by working for ESPN, cartainly more than anyone on this forum.

QUOTE (knightni @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 09:14 PM) May is a member of the golden cleat club. He's an ex-athlete who got his job on name recognition and because he can speak well enough to be on TV. He is a football analyst. He uses information given to him by others or things that he has seen himself to form his opinions (the same as any other human), except May uses his opinions and states them as fact on a TV show in front of millions of people who may or may not believe his opinion as fact. After watching his smug arrogantness on ESPN every week; and seeing his disregard for anyone else's opinion as a possibility of truth. I have my own opinion. He may be on TV, he may talk to a coach or player on occasion, but that does not make his personal opinions worth any more than anyone else's. His opinions are for the most part, useless or worthless to me as a viewer. That is my opinion. It may or may not be fact, but perception is personal reality. In fact, others who have posted above this post stated a similar opinion of May. No offense, iamshack. Oh, this is rich. I understand that you feel his opinions are not worthy of your time. That would probably explain why you looked him up on wikipedia to write this post. Be that as it may, it does not make his opinions worthless to the rest of the english speaking world, as you proclaimed earlier while thumping your chest in your best Tarzan impression. His resume certainly trumps mine and yours when it comes to this subject matter, and so I'll continue to take his word, until proven otherwise.

The issue isn't whether you guys like him, it's whether he has developed reputable sources through his playing the game and his job of covering college football for ESPN to be knowledgable of the situation. No offense to Knightni, but my guess is May's opinion is a little more informed than his (or mine or yours, for that matter). To say his opinions are worthless is probably not a very legitimate position to take.

QUOTE (knightni @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 07:19 PM) Mark May wouldn't know anything if he didn't have a teleprompter. His opinions are pretty much worthless. Wait, what? Based upon what? The guy is a former college and NFL player. He's been covering college football for years and years and is pretty sharp. I know it's fashionable to dismiss media personalities from ESPN as completely ignorant, but May is not one of the guys that gets accused of this. I'll trust him and his sources unless proven otherwise.

QUOTE (knightni @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 08:16 PM) Weis recruits just fine. He just can't teach anyone who doesn't already know how to run a pro-style offense. Sure, the 22 year olds with 3-4 years of school do well, but the 18-19 year old kids right out of HS struggle because he sucks as a teacher. Mark May seems to think he is a poor recruiter. He doesn't do well talking to the families.

I've heard his weakness is the recruiting and getting along with the kids though...so it seems a bit odd that he would choose to go back unless something else was forcing his hand a bit....my guess is there is something else going on here.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 06:30 PM) John Foxx officially done with the Panthers after this season He's not going to be without a job for long.

Guess who will reportedly replace Weiss if he leaves, KC? McDaniels... Something doesn't smell right here.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 06:43 PM) The White Sox have given out the 4th and 7th biggest contracts this offseason. I would say that qualifies as 2 major free agent signings. Well considering I have both CarGo and Juan on my fantasy team, I should be in really good shape this year then...

QUOTE (chw42 @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 05:31 PM) I doubt Jerry would have ponied up the money for Beltre. Plus, Boras is his agent. Well, I think the Boras angle is overplayed at this point, and it is hard to say he wouldn't have ponied up the money considering all they have committed to recently, but yeah, it's definitely a bit of a pipe dream.

I can't help but think about the possibility of having signed Beltre instead of Konerko, and then Lee instead of Crain. For a few million more dollars this year (obviously we would have more committed down the road), I feel like we could be a lot better.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 04:19 PM) I'd take Konerko...if I had no confidence in having a replacement in a year. If the Orioles are risking $8 million on him, then it's probably true that their medical staff is happy with him. Well he came back from the injury and hit well the last few months of last year, didn't he?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 04:16 PM) Ok, Derek Lee 1 year/$8 or Paul Konerko 3/$36? Yikes....definitely Lee.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 02:00 PM) Maybe I should have gone to 77/23 just to make it so you couldn't correct me. Anyway, reason #77 why i don't gamble. Turnabout is fair play, my friend. And had you said 77/23, I wouldn't have thougt you had done anything other than calculated those odds precisely...

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 01:50 PM) I'll lay you at least 75/25 that in an alternate universe where there's already been a labor agreement reached, he loses that job. Otherwise known as 3 to 1...

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 01:22 PM) It tells me that his top worry isn't managing the Sox, and that he would rather do things his way and be out, than to not and still have a job. While that may indeed be the case, he strikes me more as a guy who's head has become a bit too large to fit through the door anymore. There is a difference between "doing things your way" and acting recklessly. In my humble opinion, the behavior of the Guillen family over the past year or 18 months would be characterized more towards the latter.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 01:18 PM) What manager is "invincible"? If anyone knows that they can get dumped, it is Ozzie. His actions certainly seem to belie that idea.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 01:04 PM) Actually before all of the pointless tangents, the point was that the Marlins asking us for Guillen doesn't diminish his value. Us asking for a top 10 prospect to make that happen doesn't change that either. But back to the non sequitor, I would imagine if the Yankees got offered a Stanton for Girardi type of deal, Joe would be gone. Hell they let Torre walkaway for nothing. If anyone sees managers as interchangeable it is the yankees. The Rays have already traded a manager for a player, even knowing he wanted to be there. I have no idea what the Angels would do. Well, that is the point as you see it. The point as I see it is that it would have never been publicly admitted to if not to show Ozzie that he wasn't invincible. It never had anything to do with Ozzie having any "value" or not. Perhaps this is the source of our disagreement here; you keep fabricating points I supposedly made previously.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 12:54 PM) That's been a big deal on talk radio around here (I'm in Houston) the last few days. I'm very surprised Kubiak seems to be staying as HC, as are most people. There is ZERO reason, whatsoever, that the Texans shouldn't have made the playoffs this year. They have boatloads of talent at multiple positions (except a weak secondary), so I think it's a poor coaching job by Kubiak. A team with a Pro Bowl caliber QB, RB, WR, TE (when healthy) and a solid O-line on offense should simply dominate. Plus, you have individuals on defense who are damn good as well - Mario Williams, Ryans (of course he missed 10 games), Cushing, Okoye. They need to add a few guys to their secondary, but other than that, this team could be very good. How did Slaton fall out of favor so quickly? I was shocked that he went from all-purpose back to a no one so quickly.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 01:52 PM) The Marlins aren't trying to gain some legitimacy by trading for Guillen in south Florida's market? Remember they came to us with the idea. We just told them who it would take to make it happen. The Marlins have won two WS titles in their brief history. I'd say they've gained their legitimacy already. Seattle wasn't seeking to trade Lou anyways. Lou was the one who wanted to leave. The situations aren't analogous other than the fact that a manager was exchanged for a player as compensation. What you're saying is that the Angels/Rays/Yankees would trade their manager for Mike Stanton. That's not even close to being the same thing.