Texsox

Could we reach a point where the majority of the top 40 to 50 universities are aligned under one conference structure and they basically create their own rules to maximize revenue and freeze out lesser schools?

What's the end game? Once there are more teams than available dates it's what? Do we have the top twenty teams in one conference, the next twenty in another?

He didn't even lose sleep over it.

Football also tricks up extra time instead of playing a fifteen minute overtime. I'm thinking what has changed that they would want to screw with this? I come up with two reasons, one even more aggravating than the other. One. When we pitchers could be expected to go seven or eight innings extra innings weren't that big of a deal. Now five or six and guys are out of gas. Two. TV pays the bills and has some pull.

I think it's more in response to pitchers and players than fans. With starters basically becoming long relief pitchers, extra inning games chew staffs quickly. I'd be mildly surprised if this was too appease fans.

I'm conflicted. A big part of me wants to place most of the blame on grown men who have been playing baseball forever and only a little blame on any manager (taking my personal dislike for Tony out of it). But my favorite job description of coaching is getting players to do the things they don't want to do so they can become the players they want to be. That's on the staff and manager. So in the end they all suck.

If rather see the White Sox version of this

Achy is the word of the season.

By the end of the season one of these teams will reign supreme as the most disappointing team in Chicago baseball history. Fast, hard, crash or a season long debacle?

You can't get swept until you lose the first two. Tony saw his shadow and we have six more weeks of losing until a meaningless run that leaves us just out of a playoff spot.

You can't lose them all unless you lose the first one. How many tough losses until Tony re-re-retires?

Retire Tony.

No matter where I am The city and The lake always means Chicago and Lake Michigan. Ravenswood Hospital on the north side was where I made my debut. Lived on Maplewood Ave until dreams took my family to the burbs.

I want them all gone. I'm not convinced Katz is really all that great either.

It's a point we discuss regularly. It is subjective. The Filibuster was shut down in a big part not because of the arguments there, but how they spilled over into all the other areas. Posters would be at odds over a Filibuster thread, then start arguing about a baseball topic. It kind of polluted everything. It's usually the arguing, not the subject, that gets threads shut down. We expect baseball arguing, we try to avoid arguing in other areas. The Highland Park event was on everyone's mind. Randomly posting articles about being afraid, or how bad the city is, becomes trolling.

I believe the line is somewhere between *what* and *how*. One fundamental function of a society is to protect the people within that society. Discussing what should be done to achieve that can usually happen without discussing the politics. How it gets done, or why it hasn't, starts stepping on the political line. Reactions to major events in the Chicago area also are allowed a little more leeway that events in New York, California, etc. Another example, "hey rising food prices are really squeezing my wallet, what can I do?" Is fine. "This is what you get for voting for X, Y, and Z" isn't. We do our best. We're not always perfect.

In the world of MLB baseball he's bad. Compared to every person on the planet, he's really, really, good. I also wonder how he would do with a steady on field and batting order positions. Where I really appreciate the guy is there are probably a few thousand people on the planet with better physical attributes. There are probably a few thousand people on the planet with baseball skills comparable to his. He has made a career by literally being willing to do most anything to stay on a roster. Iirc he's even given up 28 a couple times. He'll play any position, bat anywhere in the order, and gives 100% each time. He has to know he's being put in positions that the odds of him being successful are low, but never complains publicly, he just goes out and tries his best on every play. Like I said, I wish he had better physical abilities or we could graft his attitude and work ethic on a few guys. People boo him when they really want to boo JR, the front office, and Tony.

Leury seems to me as a guy that keeps himself in top shape. Just my opinion, but it seems to me he's worked his ass off to play baseball. I wish he had as much talent as a few of the guys on the team.

When does the Bears season begin?

Politicians are protecting them. There have only been a couple work arounds that have produced results.

There are very few politicians with the donor base and voter support to speak and vote their concious. John McCain was one of the last. A rep needs several terms to build that base. I think the last great statesman I can remember who was respected by both parties was Paul Simon. If term limits ever become a thing we'd see nothing but clones wearing red or blue. The donors and parties would control everything.

Banning gun advertising would be a nice step, but unconstitutional. How about a warning label? "Buying this product will not cause your dick to grow or women to suddenly pay attention to you. It will not solve your problems"

I believe we have many good, competent elected leaders. The problem is they need millions of dollars to be elected dog catcher, even more money for anything with real authority. So they do what they can while toeing the party line which is determined by the biggest donors. George Washington was right, party politics are bad.

You don't need much proof to put a guy on the IL. Some teams will hide a player there. The ethics others can debate.

For a frame of reference I'll guess that almost everyone I talk to IRL on a regular basis is a gun owner. Hunting, target shooting, skeet, trap, etc. All are responsible, normal folks you'd want as a neighbor. Some collect guns and have collections that non collecting folks might find excessive. Kind of like having 25,000 baseball cards. I haven't shot in close to two years now. I'm also vacationing and not carrying for the first time even though I'll be in some very remote areas with bears a potential issue. I'm just sick of them now. I see them in a much different light.