bigruss

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 03:03 PM) I guess I dont know what the line of ridiculous scandal is. Because USC, Michigan, have had pretty big scandals and most academics could care less. Let's just say Illinois has had enough bad headlines in the news lately, I'd rather not have more just because of sports. We've been dirty enough in admissions, I'd rather not that image grow.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 02:59 PM) Im pretty sure that statistics would find this to be false. Michigan had the fab 5, during that period their applications went up, when the fab 5 got sanctions, no one cared/remembered. Wisconsin since 1999 has improved its academic rank due to better sports. How many people even remember the Shoe Box incident? If you care about your school's academic rank, then you should want it to have good sports programs. There are some pretty good studies about the application bump that occurs after a team does well. More applications = more selective = better school. I want my sports programs to do well, I never said that I didn't. I just said I want them to do it right (meaning no ridiculous scandals, every school cheats, I get that).

QUOTE (Boogua @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 02:42 PM) Apparently there is no middle ground. Fair enough. Getting heavy sanctions on your sports programs has a direct effect on your school's image. I'd rather the school/donors invest in legal and NCAA allowed methods, such as facilities, coaches, etc. Do things the right way, no matter what.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 02:35 PM) Can you imagine the strikeout potential of a lineup with BJ Upton & Dunn in your top three? I can feel the breeze from here. Upton wouldn't be a top 3 hitter for me until he got the OBP above .330 again. His power got better this past year but he took a step back in walks. Still, he would fit nicely as a replacement for Rios for less money.

QUOTE (Boogua @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 02:32 PM) f*** playing it clean. What we have right now is almost as bad as sanctions. I'd rather experience a few amazing years followed by some terrible ones (due to sanctions) instead of all terrible ones. Getting blown out by La Tech at home, Penn State (a team with sanctions), and ASU on the road (admittedly not a bad team) isn't fun to watch. Even if we did it the "right way". You clearly view Illinois as a sports first school, I don't.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 02:08 PM) I like the idea of trading Rios and signing Victorino as a reclamation project. BJ Upton is more intriguing to me, depending on the price of the two players.

QUOTE (flavum @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 01:26 PM) Nobody knows how to spell anymore. It's just easier to ignore it. Who else remembers BearSox (I think that was his name) that always said series in stead of serious(ly).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 10:29 AM) I am sure this will be the next wave of building done at college campuses. You can bet other programs won't get left behind. It used to be practice facilities. Now that everyone has them, I'll bet these dorms are the next big thing. I worked in University Housing at UI for a couple years, saw most of the plans for the new buildings (they're replacing the 6-pack, the largest student housing area, and also current home to student-athletes). I didn't see any plans for a special building like that, and considering those dorms are the closest to all things athletic on campus I'd be surprised if they were building elsewhere. Then again, maybe a few floors are just going to receive some special upgrades (the new buildings as a whole are/going to be gorgeous).

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 10:23 AM) The only thing that dorm was missing was a stripper room (maybe that's on the next tour). I'm sure some local bar/establishment covers that.

How much money did those non-student athletes have to pay to get in there?

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Oct 5, 2012 -> 08:18 AM) Unemployment drops unexpectedly to 7.8% Romney won the debate, easy correlation right there.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Oct 4, 2012 -> 08:32 PM) Judging from the dozens of excited people on my Facebook feed, Kentucky must have landed some major recruit today. 2, Harrison brothers.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Oct 4, 2012 -> 07:12 PM) Good. Focus on the in-state kids Groce. CPS/Simeon connections are getting much stronger.

Simeon PG Jaylon Tate commits to Illinois. Not a huge prospect, but he's been impressing a lot lately and was garnering big interest from more than mid-major schools lately. I think this is a good get, someone that will be in the program for 4 years and be a solid contributor and teammate. Get XRM to commit and I would just be thrilled with this class (pretty damn happy already).

QUOTE (fathom @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 09:23 PM) Bieber is way more talented and actually attracts fans And speaks English.

It's not as near as good as it used to be, but I still enjoy it. I'll see it through the end as long as they don't overextend it too much.

First, I should've said something more along the lines of have bad contracts/won't bring much in return in a trade. QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 01:15 PM) Define bad contract? My definition of a bad contract is that you could go out and sign a free agent who could perform just as well for less money. Konerko is owed $13.5M for one year (with the money spread out). You might be able to get a 1B with an .853 OPS for less than that, but not much less. Konerko's age and health make it so that he has very little value. The deal is okay for the Sox at the moment, but he really needs to be healthy again as he was terrible since he hit the .399 mark. Well I clearly don't think he'll be anywhere near .850 again next year, I think we'd be lucky if he hit over .725 OPS next year. And history backs that up. Personally, I trade him for what I can get and go after a different CF as I move De Aza to LF where he claims to be more comfortable (or find a different corner outfielder as plan B). $15mm for an .800 OPS DH is way over paid, and he most likely won't return much. We're stuck paying him most likely to produce at half his salary levels. Danks is a tossup, the past two years he hasn't been healthy, who knows how he is going to return. I see Ramirez getting back to around .750 next year, still a lot of money for him but passable because of the position. Crain is a keeper, and has decent value imo. Thornton could bring back a decent prospect, but $10mm for two setup men is pricey and that money could most likely be better spent (I'd trade Thornton and bring in a cheaper alternative). Well that's why I said the Sox don't have enough young talent to field a winner, how far away they are is kinda a big component of that.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Oct 3, 2012 -> 12:32 PM) Why suggest pipe dreams? Let's also trade for Mike Trout while we're at it. Stay realistic. Grienke hates pitching in the Cell and we can't afford him. /idea This, Grienke for a ton of reasons on both sides is not coming here.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 2, 2012 -> 09:23 PM) The way I see it, if I'm Rick Hahn (and we did graduate from the same high school only a year apart), I give Jerry a three scenario presentation.... 1. Tear it Down - trade away everything that you can get something of value for that has a contract for 7 figures. Acquire all prospects possible. Shoot for 2014 or 2015. Payroll cost: $50-$90M. 2. Tweak to improve - this is the plan I started the thread with, basically. Try to get just a little better, which combined with some maturing young players and stretched out pitchers, might give the team the +5 games it needs to get there. Payroll cost: $95M-$105M 3. Go for it - need enough money for the Tweak scenario, plus enough to go get a 3B, and a few mill for a better pitcher pickup. This puts the team in the best spot, competitively. Payroll cost: $110-$120M. Which do you think Jerry would want? Option 2 is Jerry's MO. Ensure there will be profits, hope the team gets hot/lucky enough to get in the playoffs. I personally think it'll be right around $100mm and Hahn has to sell some players on the current roster to be able to field a playoff team, tweaks won't get us over the Tigers who if they make a playoff run will spend even more next season (opinion, not fact).

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Oct 2, 2012 -> 07:29 PM) That may be correct, but it doesn't sound like the best way to do it. The thread was about YOUR plan, not a prediction. I get what you mean about trades, but you aren't naming any targets, so my original point still stands regarding the players available. Who are you targeting at those positions? What are you paying? Headley's value is premium and we won't be able to get him. If I'm targeting players then they have to be upgrades, and I named a few in my first post: Trades- Headley Doumit Sign- BJ Upton 2nd tier starter (Jackson, Guthrie, etc, not a huge upgrade but it is when you can trade Floyd for talent, and replace him). Reed Johnson We'd have to get creative, including trading guys like Rios/Thornton to save salary, accumulate whatever talent we can get, and create packages that entice other teams.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Oct 2, 2012 -> 07:33 PM) I don't know if you are advocated this approach or if you are saying this is what they will do. Either way, building a middle-of-the-pack team inspires nobody. I don't, but the Sox have put themselves in a position where most of their best players have bad contracts, and they don't have enough young talent to build a winner from within. Thus, they see themselves in an awkward position of trying to add to a mediocre team that can't sell off some of it's assets (or would be hard to do).

Gordo's defense plays well in a UTIL role, but his bat would be awful there imo. He doesn't have the mental ability to handle a PT role.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Oct 2, 2012 -> 07:17 PM) I don't understand the tweener mentality -- it seems like most of you want to see the Sox go into 2013 with a marginally worse team. If you think it's a loss cause, fine, but then why not blow it up? I say shore it up or tear it down. The Sox don't do tear it down, they say that they evaluated doing that last summer but didn't get enough potential return, and it will most likely never be enough return for them to do such a move. And they went the way of spending it up in 2011, and won't take that risk again for awhile. They'll stay around $100mm, because they can afford it, and they'll hope they can get some career years and some great acquisitions to once again make a run.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Oct 2, 2012 -> 07:04 PM) You can't magically create players in those positions. Who would you sign? Youkilis is the only thing resembling a decent 3B available in FA. AJ is the best FA C. You're joking if you think we should spend money on a UTIL or RP instead of a frontline starter. It may not be much per player, but those lesser salaries add up. And Im not saying sign someone for $5m for the bench, just that we have to be wary with what money we do have to spend to fill out the roster. One of the biggest things that got us this year is depth, and I'm sure KW/Hahn will be avoiding that again, and it was really because not many people thought we would be in first place with 2 weeks to go in the season and depth guys weren't as important then. There are also things called trades, and FA or Trades will require cash for those players. Using our $15mm or so in open cash on 1 player is f***ing stupid when you have 2-3 big holes to fill. Especially on one that could so easily blow up in your face.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Oct 2, 2012 -> 05:24 PM) On what? You have to be kidding me. I guess we don't have holes at: 3B C UTIL RP SP (depending on options) He fills in 1 hole, for the amount of money we probably have to fill all 5.