Texsox

There are teams that year after year have zero hope of ever smelling post season play. There are a more teams that have almost no hope of ever winning a World Series. I would rather Baseball have some salary min/max system in place.

All this to win a $20 bet from Dubya. I agree with Prof Jim. The VP's people should have had him in a warm, dark overcoat like everyone else. There is proper protocol and this isn't it.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jan 29, 2005 -> 04:00 AM) Ilitch has a plan to put accordian players in the Winsdor Ontario strip clubs and tie in a special night for stippers and accordian player at Comerica. This is all a plot to pull in the Canadien market so they can increase attendance and therefore afford Boras' demands for Magglio. I think it will work. Actually, sources close to me, tell me, that this was Boras' plan, and three teams are studying the plan while being mesmerized by highlight reels of Maggs before the injury.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jan 29, 2005 -> 01:45 AM) http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...dc&e=2&ncid=757 A stripper and an accordian player worth C$2.5 million. Only in Canada! I gotta love a guy who googles accordian players, strippers, and Tigers. I'm guessing this had something to do with Maggs?

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jan 29, 2005 -> 01:28 AM) Welcome to Soxtalk. (Someone delete the thread where Jeckle says all that stuff about his gf) LOL, May I bring a can of spam to this welcome party?

Greedy team, where's the loyalty after he saved baseball and put them on the edge of a World Series.

Maggs should trust his agent who has more experience in this sort of thing. If any player was more experienced in negotiations than their agents, why hire one? I would also be surprised if these accounts were accurate and that the Tigers were the ones the leak was targeted to. Boras just set the starting point for any other team that is interested.

If Mags plays near his usual level 5 years $55 is a steal for the Tigers. I'm not a Doctor, so I will not assume to know just how bad his knee is.

greedy bastard

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jan 28, 2005 -> 09:47 AM) Bulletin board material: 2001 AL Central Final Standings 2002 AL Central Final Standings 2003 AL Central Final Standings 2004 AL Central Final Standings That should take care of any needed bulletin board material. s*** go a l l t h e w a y b a c k to the last World Series.

QUOTE(RibbieRubarb @ Jan 28, 2005 -> 11:51 AM) Denzel Washington > Meryl Streep - Machurian Candidate Meryl Streep > Jim Carrey - Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unforutate Events Jim Carrey > Ed Harris - The Truman Show Ed Harris > Melanie Griffith - Milk Money Melanie Griffith > Morgan Freeman - Bonfire of the Vanities Morgan Freeman > Ashley Judd - Kiss the Girls My Turn: Liam Neeson to Reese Witherspoon I was just about finished

QUOTE(mreye @ Jan 28, 2005 -> 11:05 AM) No, I mean if it came out in addition to this story. If it came out exclusive of this, I think it would get about as much coverage as this has. The press is usually good at tearing each other up, if given a chance. In a nice, collegiate sort of way. I would be interested if we paid any columnists during Fords WIN (Whip Inflation Now) campaign. I know there was money spent to promote and make Americans feel confident about our economy. Sadly, in reality, it took a few more years, and a giant like Reagan to make that happen.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jan 28, 2005 -> 10:58 AM) I don't doubt it one bit. Ahh, but that's the beauty of the set up, Trails End is not part of BSA. Although I would be willing to bet a lot of the shareholders own a Scout uniform or two [geek speak] with gold epaulets. [/geek]

QUOTE(mreye @ Jan 28, 2005 -> 10:58 AM) No, but extensively? Yes. I would guess it would get about as much as this has, which isn't all that much. Remember the frenzy with Monica? The impeachment trial? This isn't close to that magnitude, nor should it be.

QUOTE(winodj @ Jan 28, 2005 -> 10:52 AM) It's obivous when someone is doing a commercial on the radio. With the exception of Paul Harvey (but if you're a fan, you'd know quite easily that the ads are on Page 2 and Page 4 of his 5 page newscast at noon), there is a very clear line of demarcation - they usually stop the show altogether, and the "live read" commercials are more often than not, prerecorded. There is a big difference between a paid endorsement running in a commercial and a government buying off a critic. I didn't see where the government bought off a critic. They went to low level fans who generally agreed with them. Which is one reason I think it was a waste of money. Give it to Rush, he's got a bigger audience.

QUOTE(mreye @ Jan 28, 2005 -> 10:33 AM) And I will be shocked if it's reported! Seriously, do you really believe that?

Mental illness is such a nightmare. Even with, presumably, access to the best medical care, he still wound up like this. Tragic for everyone involved.

Too bad Maggs doesn't have a good agent that would get him a one-year for $1.2 million with incentives.

They also have a caramel and chocolate covered popcorn The $7 version of Cracker Jack is very good also. I forgot about 6 tins I had in my garage for almost a year. I opened one and passed it around a meeting and thought, these damn kids will eat anything. Then I saw one of the adults chowing down. A year later, it still tasted fresh. Damn that scared the crap out of me. What kind of preservatives do you need to keep sealed popcorn fresh for over a year It was good, I ate almost a tin by myself

Sitting here wondering what I would do. If I had just wrote a column that states Dubya has put together the best cabinet of any President this century and I pick up the phone and Chaney is offering me $50,000 to promote the Bush cabinet, do I take it? It is clearly something I already believe, I am not altering my views, and it seems like easy money paid to me wink wink consulting firm.

http://www.jordanzane.com/

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Jan 28, 2005 -> 09:40 AM) Yeah, but hearing about someone from Hamas getting wasted brightens my day ( Damn I miss I4E ) Like I said. I think this is a wrongful use of taxpayer money. Scary enough, I also miss 4E.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Jan 28, 2005 -> 09:37 AM) There is no justification for this. It's flat out wrong and even the biggest Republican around here ( me ) wont dispute that. It sounds striking like Chicago machine politics to me. Which is why I'm guessing it has been done before, and I wouldn't be surprised if it reached back to Kennedy or before. If the Department took ads out in major newspapers and on various talk shows to promote the policy initiative, would that have been ok in your eyes? I am leaning towards yes. The administration also has access to all the talk shows and Sunday morning news magazines. For programs, I am solidly in favor of the government spending money to promote the program. What good is a program if no one knows it exists?

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Jan 28, 2005 -> 09:17 AM) I didn't say I agreed with this if it's in fact true? Cause I don't. That pithy enough for you? It lacks the usual effort you would give if it was like someone from Hamas getting wasted or the offspring of a DEM getting busted for slashing tires. By the way, it was public records that revealed the payments. Our government cannot hide most spending from our eyes. At this point, the payments are not considered illegal, they just raise an ethical debate. I also would prefer to not call it a Bush initiative. Calling it a government initiative better frames the debate. Our government had a policy they were wishing to promote, they paid commentators to write nice things about it. Is that a good use of tax payers money?

To swerve this from political swipes, what should the governments role in propaganda be? Should our government be allowed to advertise, plant stories, pay commentators, etc. to champion government policies? As I mentioned earlier, I doubt Dubya and Chaney thought this stuff up on their own. If it didn't happen under Clinton, I will be really shocked. I don't see this as much as a DEM or GOP issue, but a role of our government. I do believe it is appropriate for the government to promote policies and programs. Perhaps they could do even better when someone like Lesko can write a book that lists government programs and make money. Taking ads out, printing up fliers in various languages, hosting community outreach events all seem like valid uses of our taxes. Paying someone to write an opinion piece just seems wrong. When I listen to a commentator, I want to believe it is not a paid political commercial. I understand that Fox panders to the right for better ratings and more money, like the LA Times does for the left. I would hate to believe in addition to the advertising, their staff was being paid by the White House. Further, it's our White House regardless if we voted for the President or not. His duty is to all Americans. Again, this issue highlights the b.s. in our current political climate. Defend anything "your" guy does and attack anything "my" guy does. It's dividing the country. This shouldn't be a partisan attack on the GOP, but rather a taxpayer's attack on the government for wasting our tax dollars. Can anyone justify the government paying a columnist?