Texsox

The only conclusion I have come up with this organization's steadfast devotion to Walker is they approve of the approach and the players believe it is the best approach. Players are not going to bet their careers, season after season, on a bad system and the team is not going to stick with a guy teaching a method they do not approve of. So they must have supreme confidence in the Walker Method, and believe it is the players who are not producing. The players somehow have bought into it as well. Perhaps Walker has gone to the Scott Boras school of influence and getting people to do things not in their best interest.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ May 8, 2008 -> 01:01 PM) G. Bush I was actually a pretty good candidate...but I suppose he didn't campaign well, so maybe not a good candidate. He was a good president as far as I'm concerned (way better than Bush II) I think his biggest struggle in getting reelected was he was just too tired. He also signaled in various ways he did not want the job. That was offset against a young and charismatic opponent and he was toast.

Believe it or not, this is probably more legit then when the parties got together at a convention, and in closed door, smoke filled, backroom, deals. Made or broke careers and politicians.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 8, 2008 -> 10:34 AM) Exactly. The amazing thing is, this actually hurts Hillary. Because his margin ahead of her is so big compared to the amount of delegates left, all this does is move it closer to completion. Could be Obama driving the bus, which is what I thought first. Great offensive move on his part.

Speaking of blogs, I believe we all understand what they are, and are not. Should they be stopped?

I'm just not happy with changing the rules in mid stream. I am also not happy with delegates not having their voices heard. So there was no win anywhere that I saw. Those that followed Michigan closer please chime in but, it seems like Michigan would have been a Clinton state and in a straight up, "normal" primary, it would be fair to say at that point in the campaign she would have won. I know that you could not point to anything to "prove" that statement, JMO

I don't think it is quite that bad. What we have is a system where people can buy access and all it offers. The party people, for reasons both altruistic and for personal gain, want a member of their party in office. They have to be convinced that that candidate can win the election. This parallels what you are saying. Not that they would be a great leader in that position. Who among us can win? So the parties, if given a choice, would take someone who would be bad in that position, but who can win, over the better person for that job, but who may have a tougher time winning. Like it or not, for many people high up in the Dem party it isn't "will Obama or Clinton be the better President" it is "who can beat McCain". And how often, before the GOP was finalized did we hear McCain and his supports claim he should be the nominee because he had the best chance to beat Clinton?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 8, 2008 -> 11:00 AM) They may very well. The fact that you have to spend an inordinate amount of time raising funds has kept many a solid candidate away, because that's the dirty part of the job. But the other side of the token is...the media and money can also help prevent better candidates from winning. Agreed. Managing money and media is a huge factor and winning today.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 7, 2008 -> 07:47 AM) Good to hear. Learn your lesson and come away a better person for it. That is the most important thing you can do with this situation. Even better if a few more people learn a lesson from his mistake . . .

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 7, 2008 -> 12:51 AM) I'll be locked away from July 11 until July 20. The height of the pennant race

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 8, 2008 -> 10:04 AM) Upon request for that kind of stuff... \ oops, that is something I should have mentioned, thanks.

So media and money prevent even better candidates from running?

QUOTE (knightni @ May 8, 2008 -> 10:01 AM) If the list is different enough, I can go Tex and Tex's Evil Twin. I can be wrong twice! btw, that first post should have been in green, noobie error

QUOTE (shipps @ May 8, 2008 -> 08:16 AM) It sounds like you live in the Middle East. Actually I think Pittsburg would be middle east, Boston would be far east

QUOTE (knightni @ May 7, 2008 -> 02:23 PM) 12 from Soxtalk, about 5 from TalkBears. You mean I can vote twice? Swwwweeeeeeeeeeet

QUOTE (WilliamTell @ May 6, 2008 -> 04:06 PM) 32 pages to go in 43 hours, I'm soaring!!! I need to deactivate my facebook and soxtalk accounts for the next 2 days, haha. BTW, we suspend accounts all the time for big projects. Usually it is the mods and admins.

First off I'm not certain the candidates today are any better or worse then at any other point in our history. I think we now know more about them and their are much more efficient methods to build up and tear them down. But for the sake of discussion . . . How can we improve out choices for elected office? From the local level to the White House. What needs to happen to attract better candidates to puiblic service?

I promise, my final words I was mildly surprised it was still being discussed. This is the area that the employer has clearly set aside for interviews with the media. The area that has not changed since the players joined the professional ranks (in some cases over ten years ago). That is why the office analogy holds true to me. This is not something new they needed to adjust to. For some players, over 1,000 times after a game a reporter has been in this room waiting to interview them. They know the expectations, and the risks and rewards of their actions. Each day they are given an opportunity to send a message to their fans via the media, this was the message they chose to send. Obviously it was well received by some, poorly received by others. The topic has worn itself out. Sticking bats up latex dolls butts does not stop a losing streak. Large problems like fans running onto the field after Disco Demolition or fans running on the field to attack a coach, create the image; small events like this either confirm or contradict that image. This, and the fan reactions, adds a little more confirmation. This did not enhance the team's image in any way I could be proud of. If they are trying to attract more fans that think latex blowup dolls are cool, it may have worked. This did not enhance the image of the players in any way I could be proud of. Maybe some people are impressed that adults with kids can still act like college drunks. I'm not. It is reasonable to expect adult men to conduct themselves at work in a manner that enhances the team's image and maintains a professional image for themselves. It is called being a responsible adult and employee.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 8, 2008 -> 09:05 AM) The last thing we need is another all or nothing guy who can't hit in the clutch. do you mean The Walker Method™?

Sox fans? Yeah, there the ones that get drunk and assault players and think simulated sodomy is a perfect PR move. I always wondered who used those dolls. Mystery solved.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ May 6, 2008 -> 05:03 PM) Your movement for respect to all blowup dolls everywhere is commendable sir. Are you this sensitive at home? TV must kill you. Again Rock. This was done with reporters around. Mr. Ball Player, we are going to pay you $6,000,000 per year. In case you forgot, reporters will be in the clubhouse. We need the reporters to wrote nice articles about us, which makes people come to the ballpark and watch on TV. Then we make money and can cover that paycheck. So sparky, do you know how to act around reporters? To make a comparison to my reaction to TV is as ridiculous as if I said I guess you wouldn't mind your dad putting up this same display at Christmas in your living room. Two different venues. I also said if they did this at a private party, I'd cut them all the slack. The problem is they produced a sexist, perverted display, in their workplace, with reporters around to see. Unless they are totally clueless, they knew this would offend a segment of the fan base.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 6, 2008 -> 02:56 PM) Just got back from court. I will be sentenced to 10 days in CC for driving on a statutory suspended license (it was originally suspensed for driving drunk). Anyway, I've never been in actual jail before. I'm a little nervous. Has anybody from the board spent any time in jail? What should I expect? Are the "don't drop the soap or else" myths true? Any info will be appreciated. QUOTE (shipps @ May 6, 2008 -> 03:34 PM) Wow after reading the posts in this thread jail dont seem half bad.I could really use a vacation,do they have pamphlets or a website with their rates? Shipps and NSS have caused havoc with my keyboard today.

QUOTE (shipps @ May 6, 2008 -> 03:34 PM) Wow after reading the posts in this thread jail dont seem half bad.I could really use a vacation,do they have pamphlets or a website with their rates? A number of years ago a buddy and I were thinking a couple years just reading books and hanging out in a minimum security palce sounded pretty damn good. Some even have golf courses. I think you have to be a politican to get in that one.

It was fun. Grown men needed to place bats up dolls rectums; knowing it could and probably would be reported. Sox fans defend the action. A proud day to be a Sox fan

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ May 6, 2008 -> 04:22 PM) No there is outrage based on the poor child that could hear the story. I suggest listening to he news/radio or surfing the net can find you a whole bag of worms that is worse than the Doll story. So you are defending the doll based on there being worse things out there? And comparing the doll to a triple rape? OK. I'm done. I do not have any response to logic like that.