lostfan

That's something Gates has been trying to change at the Pentagon since he got there, but something he didn't have the authority to do on his own. There's a lot of redundancy with these weapons programs but there's just so many entrenched interests and agendas that it's like turning an aircraft carrier (maybe coincidentally, it just so happens Gates is not a fan of carriers in a modern navy).

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 05:07 PM) Bernstein is expressing my feelings on this situation now. I think it's crucial and imperative that Angelo explores the Cutler situation deeply, but I don't think he has to pull out all stops to get him. I support Angelo pursuing Cutler fully, but I see a lose-lose situation for Angelo here unless he gets lucky. Scenario A is that he gives up an irrational package for Cutler that it's impossible for Cutler to live up to, handcuffing him for the next couple of years. Scenario B is that some other team outbids him with a silly package (or the Broncos just decide not to deal Cutler) and the meathead fanbase blasts him for not trying hard enough.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 12:32 PM) After 2007, I was one of the few who was OK with the idea of Owens starting in 2008. I really felt he could get on base at a .350-ish clip, and steal 75-80% of bases, while playing OK defense in CF (other than his noodle arm). Not great, but, acceptable, if he was the weakest player in the lineup. I admit it. But I am starting to be even less happy now, looking at his 2008, his injuries, his 2009 spring, and oddly enough... his attitude. Not that I think he is a bad guy, but, I think his head is in the wrong place. His quotes always say that he has only one goal - to be healthy. WTF is that? No, your goal is to be a good centerfielder and a good hitter. That concerns me as well. I am no fan of BA, other than his defense, but I think he is the better option right now, no doubt. Co-sign

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 02:52 PM) get shot in Afghanistan serving your country? come home with a $30,000 medical bill wtf A funding shortfall is a funding shortfall, but if I'm reading this correctly, it's bulls***.

QUOTE (shipps @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 02:49 PM) your a celtic fan? i thought you were all chicago. No, just being cynical, I forgot KG was out.

This is really not gonna go over well. http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/17/ve...ppy-with-obama/

I'm looking forward to watching the Bulls get skull-f***ed by Boston on WGN tonight.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 01:27 PM) Brandon McCarthy was a huge White Sox fan prior to being drafted. The Big Hurt was his favorite player. Also true for Justin Verlander which is why he wears 35.

Opposing view: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/business/17sorkin.html?em

I would assume that Josh at least wore contacts or something before?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 10:17 AM) I'd cheer but theres no way I would be a "fan" of the Cubs and especially the Wolverines. Nobody would know that I was faking it so it's irrelevant how much of a fan I'd actually be.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 02:06 AM) I'd start by offering Orton, a 2nd round pick, and Chris Williams. That's a heck of a lowball though, and the offer would only increase from their. Were this the case though the choice would be to ether sign Pace or just hope like hell Oher is still available in the draft. Jesus, you guys know there's a sensible limit to how much you could and should give up for a player, no matter who it is? Cutler's not THAT valuable, let's take a step back and remember that even though he's a proven commodity, he had an 86 QB rating behind one of the better lines in the league, with some great WRs, not to mention he's a pouty little b**** and was before this whole episode. Young franchise QBs hardly ever almost never become available, true. But what value does Cutler have to the Bears if they trade away the only (possible) blue chip on the line, especially a tackle, and have him get murdered back there behind a line that's even worse than last year? Cutler's no Roethlisberger, and even Roethlisberger has WRs to throw to.

bmags, for my assignment last week one of the chapters was called "Terrorism and the Media" and it made me think of you for whatever reason.

Not really, I go to CNN.com. I don't watch lowest-common-denominator network news anymore except for the occasional hour here and there.

Every single day the lead story on CNN is either about how worried people are or a story about someone who got f***ed by the bad economy.

QUOTE (ozzfest @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 05:31 AM) You couldn't give me any sum of money to be a stupid cubs fan. If someone gave me Z's contract but said I had to be a Cubs, Packers, and Pistons fan, I'd go out and buy season tickets for all 3 that same day.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 12:41 AM) Wow, this didn't take as long as I thought it would. PHOENIX (MCT) -- You can’t hit the ball with the bat on your shoulder. Sure, Ken Williams knew he was taking a risk when he traded Chris Young to the Arizona Diamondbacks two years ago. He was living dangerously, and he knew it, but he couldn’t foresee how little impact Javier Vazquez would have on the White Sox. Nor could he know that Brian Anderson would suffer an allergic reaction to big-league pitching. Still, in the spring of 2006, when he was still dreaming of a long run atop the American League, Williams acknowledged the risks he was taking in regularly trading young talent for known quantities like Vazquez. “One of these deals is going to come back to haunt us,” Williams said during a talk at the Sox’s Tucson minor-league complex. “It’s part of the price that we pay to try to win on a consistent basis, not just every now and then. I know that’s going to happen. There’s going to be a guy who shows up in the ESPN highlights all the time, making me get sick to my stomach. Chris could be that guy. He’s a really good player, but not the only one we’ve got.” http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/08...c0357539409.prt The bold is pretty cut and dry to me. Kenny and his people messed up. It happens. Just recognize it and move on. And yet, still he said "could." Maybe spot him an extra 50 points of batting average, assuming he keeps the walks.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 11:28 PM) Hes saying that so far Young hasnt lived up to the hype, and to tell him when he does, but so far he hasnt. I think thats pretty simple. Exactly what I was saying, thank you.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 11:20 PM) So players are peaking at 25 now? No, when did I say that? But 1401 is a lot of plate appearances don't you think? He doesn't look like anything more than a decent MLB player yet, but hearing Sox fans piss and moan about how KW f***ed up by "giving him away" or whatever you'd think he was a guaranteed perennial all-star. It gets old. I've learned to tune it out, but every 200th post or so about him I have to chime in.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 11:05 PM) As I said before, Young is flawed. But if it takes you more than a tenth of a second to determine who you'd rather have between he and Anderson at this point, well, I don't know what to say. I just don't see what everyone else sees in Young, ever since he passed the requisite number of MLB ABs to see what kind of player he is. Like I said, come wake me up if he ever actually lives up to that hype.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 10:24 PM) His power numbers are more than decent for a CF. He also provides plus speed and defense. Projecting what Brian Anderson could do over the same amount of at-bats is irrelevant. Chris, who has his obvious flaws, is two years younger than Brian and has shown considerably more. Brian is just flawed and has shown us nothing outside of being able to play a quality CF. Still, wake me up when Young actually does something statistically significant at the plate besides hit a few homers.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 08:06 PM) I'm sorry but these people don't deserve s***. These f***ers want to kill people, and nothing but... and you're worried about their rights. Please. I'm not so much worried about their "rights" (I could give a s*** about their rights) as I am about making sure things get done the right way.

QUOTE (qwerty @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 06:54 PM) From everything he has said about owens in the past up until this very day there is no doubt is a fan of owens. He always gives owens always gets the benefit of the doubt. Balta's never once struck me as an Owens fanboy. Is it because he doesn't rant and rave about how much bad Owens sucks at every chance? Not really the same thing.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 07:13 PM) Didn't Peolsi say she was going to run the most honest House ever. MORE CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN!!! That's Obama's slogan, Obama and Pelosi really don't even like each other that much.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 07:14 PM) Overall it's both if you count the $450 million total. A few of the very, very top people have agreed to give up their bonuses because the Feds could probably make them individual scapegoats. There seems to be about $175 million in this batch going directly to the Financial Products division. Yeah, in that case, f*** these guys. It's unfair to the rest of AIG that they get lumped in with the financial division, but that's how it goes.