Flash Tizzle

Granderson representing UIC well this series. I'm glad he's gaining national exposure. His presense alone makes it easier to root for Detroit to defeat the Yankees.

RIGHT HUR

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Oct 5, 2006 -> 07:00 PM) McVeigh I'll grant you is only very peripherally a religious thing. Not so in any way with Waco though. The Branch Dividians were a religious cult - it's the reason they existed and the reason for the Waco compound. Why the FBI botched the seige doesn't change that. Religion - a very whacked one in this case - had a very real bearing on that event. You're right about one technical point -- for the Branch Dividians it was a religious event. Carish told members held up in the compound the FBI seige fulfilled their whacked out doomsday prophecy. They believed him. Some still do today. What I was referring to -- and I know it didn't come off as such in my post -- was how law enforcement handled the situation. Conspiracy theorists claim outside agencies of Catholic standing were intimidated by the odd beliefs of the Davidians, and were more than willing to use force. Your post only reinforces the argument Waco can't be grouped under intentional acts of violence committed by Christians. This is what Reddy seemed to suggest, which I disagreed with.

QUOTE(Reddy @ Oct 5, 2006 -> 06:20 PM) oh yeah and that little thing in Oklahoma City... oh yeah Waco was pretty neat too You're stretching a bit for those two, which I often hear in connection with Christianity. I'm not one to defend any religion -- especially those seeped in as much violence as Islam and Christianity -- but where is the connection? Again, this is going to sound like I'm defending Christians -- but there's a difference between committing acts in direct connection with ones religion (9/11, etc.) and those which have no bearing on the event, aside from people suggesting, "he's a Christian -- so let's group this under them." There was a tremendous special of the Discovery Channel recently about the Waco seige. When you look at merely the FACTS (not some unfounded conspiracy theories), you'll realize it was a doomed operation from the beginning. None of which transpired because the "heavily Christian based FBI leaders" were intimidated by the branch dividians. And branching from that event, McVeigh's motives were exclusively politically based. He was upset about how the government handled Waco. I've never heard any religious motives.

13. Why manually brush the snow off the top of your car when it can blow off automatically; hopefully into the view of passing motorists.

QUOTE(beautox @ Oct 3, 2006 -> 05:11 PM) ^^^ wow, looks like Kansas city is going to get even better. Unfortunately for Kansas City they screwed themselves sweeping Detroit. One more win than Tampa Bay this season. Now, saying Price is everything people have said of him, imagine if Williams were to trade McCarthy to the Devil Rays for Crawford. They'd have a future 1-2-3 consisting of Kazmir/McCarthy/Price. It'd suddenly become a lot tougher in the American League East.

QUOTE(bmags @ Oct 2, 2006 -> 11:17 PM) Scarface - no Carrie - no Carlito's way - haven't seen Untouchable - completely undercut by depalma, over the top in so many ways. The guy is the cecil b. demille of our era, completely superficial as a director. I hate him. He's lucky he had pacino and de niro and garcia and spacek. You're right about one thing -- Brian DePalma is severly overrated. When I think of his movies, not Untouchables in particular, "over the top" does come into my mind. Scarface is one example. Another is his attempt at updating Hitchcock's "Rear Window.'" For the life of me I can't recall the title, but basically, this guy witnesses his neighbor murdered and decides himself to persue the killer. And what's better to persue a killer then becoming a f***ing pornstar and having the 80's song "Relax" played as a soundtrack to a scene. EDIT: Name of movie is Body Double. He's a coked up version of Michael Mann. Atleast Mann can effectively create an atmosphere within his movies without appearing too cheesy. BTW, Carlito's Way is a quality film. I find it far more enjoyable than Scarface. Characters are more believable, story line isn't over sensationalized for the sake of shock-value.

QUOTE(Queen Prawn @ Oct 2, 2006 -> 02:25 PM) In most cases, it isn't a loony who walks in off of the street. It is a kid who has lost it from being picked on and no one wants to discipline either side of the situation. Columbine was a perfect example of kids getting picked on and then their (shooters) parents turning a blind eye to how angry and violent their kids were becoming. Except Klebold and Harris weren't picked on as much as people may believe. I recall a feature on The Discovery Channel where someone close with both families remarked Klebold was well liked. He had many friends outside of his group of "loners," The Trenchcoat Mafia. I don't blame the parents either. Just think about growing up, and everything you did (or could have done) without them knowing. I snuck out of my house, late night, for two straight summers in high school without my parents knowing. Let's say I committed a violent crime -- immediately someone would probably ask, "where were his parents?" Some things you can't control or predict. Parents of the Columbine students may have known their children were violent. They may have been worried about their childrens involvement with crime (on a website someone was threatened), but even something as simple as checking someones room never occurs until afterwards. There wasn't exactly a school shooting on par with Columbine which would lead someone to believe such an act is possible.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Oct 2, 2006 -> 12:30 PM) Not going to derail this thread, but I think that among many other societal problems, we have a gun control problem in this country, folks. What's it matter at this point? Control or severly restrict the distribution of guns, you still have 200 million+ in America. Somone is intent on shooting another, and has the proper resources (money, contacts), they'll get their guns. Columbine still happens, as did nearly all the others we've seen with gun-control in effect. It just seems to me to be a political talking point full of hot air. You can show statistics from countries with gun-control and suggest it's working, but I do believe it's a societal issue. Something we haven't even begun to quantify or fully explain. It's probably different on another level because there are actually words in our constitution which allows citizens to own guns. Not sure if other nations had such language present within theirs. I recall reading several weeks ago that shooting deaths have actually increased since the clampdown on assault weapons. We heard about their dangers, and possibility of inflicting mass casualty, but as everyone knows, it's not going to solve anything. Atleast within a short period. In our nation of fast-food drive thrus and immediate service, people are not going to be patient when gun-control doesn't take an immediate effect. Thread has officially been derailed.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Oct 2, 2006 -> 12:47 PM) So...I'm surprised no one has brought it up yet... How did things go the last time a player for the White Sox took Scott Boras's advice on medical issues? It turned into a huge fiasco. Ultimately, Ordonez became rich in Detroit and now is in the playoffs. He's standing, an All-Star, and doesn't appear to exhibit any of the long-term problems many on here thought. Including myself, for that matter. Sure had no problem hitting tatters off our pitching the last series in Chicago. This problem REALLY irritates me because, once again, it appears there's going to be an issue with a player come contract negotiations. I'm honestly tired of this Boras hatred. Remove ourselves from dealing with him in the future because of events such as Ordonez or Crede, we're avoiding a lot of talent players. I just wish if there were problems concerning Crede's back, or his reluctance to have "minor-surgery" performed, he wouldn't air such problems over the radio. Now we'll hear a battle of words between Crede/Boras and Williams for the entire offseason. SUPER!!!! Oh, and if we are trading Crede, nothing less than a blue-chip/can't miss prospect better be coming this way as a package.

QUOTE(ZoSo @ Oct 1, 2006 -> 06:54 PM) Just a hypothetical there, but you just can't measure the importance of defense. Uribe's always going to be streaky, but as long as Anderson hits his weight next year, we won't have the two holes at the bottom of the order and thus we won't have a problem. Brian will have to hit better than 215. Even if he miraculously limits stretches of poor AB's and has an average around .250, it may not be enough for Guillen. Remember, he doesn't appear to acknowledge defense -- a strong component of Anderson's game. His AB against Nathan earlier was atrocious, and served as a reminder to anyone penciling him in for immediate improvement next season. It was as if he's never seen a ball move downward. When I witness pathetic matchups against elite pitchers -- especially within our division -- I imagine patience is growing thin. Winterball will be very important for Anderson. He'll probably have to hit .350 for Guillen's views to dramtically change. Sweeney, however, has been showered will praise and can do anything he wants; as we've seen with people who Guillen supports.

QUOTE(MSHAWKS @ Oct 1, 2006 -> 08:53 AM) I would agree with you, if only St. Rita were a little better at football. Mt. Carmel is a first tier program and St. Rita is a second tier program. This one certainly gets a whole lot of undue hype, considering MC almost always wins. I was close to criticizing you, until I actually researched St. Rita's history and found they haven't won a state football championship since 1978. Providence and Mt. Carmel, conversly, have won 8 between them since 1995. The hype is more based upon location, rivalry among students, and the stigma of toughness Chicago league teams seem to have. Since I basically ignore football North of Ogden AVe., any rivalry doesn't exist to me out above such boundary. I've always held this belief of football being exclusively a South Side of Chicago fascination. People down around these areas, more than others, seemingly are descendants of former HS football players. I just can't imagine any prissy, North Side school such as New Trier or Winnetka assembling a championship tradition. Does the NEW TRIER TREVIANS immediately invoke football pride? LOL, just found out in their schools 105 year history they have yet to win a championship. That's how sterotypes are formed, lol. Anywho, back on the topic, I believe the biggest state rivalry -- all factors included -- would be Joliet Catholic and Providence.

QUOTE(TaylorStSox @ Oct 1, 2006 -> 04:55 PM) One thing that people forget about Uribe is that he's an impact player. He's got huge balls. He plays hard and he's not scared of s***. He's always on the attack. He'll lollygag the occasional ball, but EVERY SS in the league does. He can be painful at the plate, but he's also talented enough to carry a team for a week at a time. In the past, he's always been good at getting strong AB's in clutch situations (3rd/less than 2 outs). IMO, he's a keeper. If we can get some speed at SS or deal for a super prospect that's hiding behind a good big leaguer, then do it. If not, he's our SS. Your post is one giant cliche. Really, I agree he'll ultimately be our starting shortstop next season unless a legitimate backup is found. It's impossible to guess what Williams is looking at, but browsing across the list of available SS FA's there's none I'd consider breaking bank and replacing Uribe for.

I'll address everyone of your points -- QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Oct 1, 2006 -> 05:19 PM) I just have a hard time listening to your b****ing when you cherry pick your arguments. You slurp the Tigers for having Miller/Sanchez in the wings, yet unproven to say the least. If you were to believe regression for Detroit's rotation is possible, as I've heard people mention --and I agree is legitimate -- they have two capable prospects available. There's no guarantee Miller or Sanchez can immediately produce, yes. Just considering their peripherals and pure stuff, they hold talent. Certaintly better than anyone currently in our minor league system. And I guarantee Leyland wouldn't dick around like Guillen if one of his starters begins to tail off. Because from reports, his "serious" injury is one which doesn't require surgery. Twins are merely playing safe and limiting throwing rather than risking the future of their franchise. Could it be false? Yes. I'm just going under the assumption he'll be ready next season until news of the contrary is given. Tough against us. Cleveland's troubles were recognized by many people prior to this season. Lose several key components within your bullpen, and a very dependable pitcher, it's difficult to expect consistency. Early injuries from Miller, Betancourt, Sabathia set them back further. Royals aren't exactly a pushover. Ask Detroit. They current general manager Dayton Moore can certaintly be expected to improve upon Baird's mess. Moore worked around the best in Atlanta, and I wouldn't put it past him to slowly put together a respectable team.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Oct 1, 2006 -> 05:05 PM) Wasted? Kenny basically came out and said we have 2005-2007 to make some noise, and in that time, we have something NO OTHER team has, a Championship. Wasted? This club won 90 games this season, and Williams has shown me nothing to think that he will not improve this club this off season. I don't believe one-and-done was what Williams envisioned. If it were, why did he make the trades he did following last seasons championship? For all the talent we supposedly have, and that 2005-2007 period Williams has acknowledged, I EXPECT playoff appearances at the least. Every damn year. You may call it unrealistic, but withholding the vaunted pitching staff and improving the offense should about guarantee success. Fair or not, that's how I feel. We failed this season. For points I previously pointed out, I'm not confident for next season either.

QUOTE(Jimbo @ Oct 1, 2006 -> 04:58 PM) The tigers will not have a lead on the yankees the entire series. Book it, they are very lucky to be in the playoffs. I don't know how you can "book" that. Not even ONE lead the entire series? Hell, if you believe Tigers are lucky to be in the playoffs, you should feel embarrassed (as I do) that our ballclub couldn't take advantage. I was browsing opponents message boards last season and their fans seemed to be making similar statements towards us. ALDS is a short series -- ask Beane sometime about that. Anything can happen.

Atleast there's a positive to their season. No more Dusty Baker or Andy McPhail. We're not going to the playoffs AND still have Ozzie Guillen to make inane decisions for next year.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Oct 1, 2006 -> 04:47 PM) We did last year. I believe you mean that we won't defeat them with this rotation pitching way below career norms like this year. I don't believe of the 5 pitchers currently in our rotation, ALL FIVE will rebound. Buehrle's struggles worry me. Contreras' back worries me. It could be argued last season was really the abberation for Garland. Vazquez, even with his last season surge, will give you outtings such as todays. Even McCarthy's success isn't guaranteed. Yet, teams within our division are growing stronger. Detroit's pitching, even if it were to regress, has Miller/Sanchez available in the wings. Minnesota has something we'll never have -- Liriano. And a contributing minor league system. If they're winning the last month+ without him, just imagine him in the rotation. Cleveland is always tough, and you reasonably expect new management in Kansas City to turn things around. I'm not confident for 2007, I'll be honest. If they can't do it next year, you can forget about winning anytime soon. We'll have effeciently wasted our window of opportunity. One which I already believe may have closed.

Twins Division Champions 2006. And I'm sure several more times beyond that. We're sure not defeating them with this rotation of ours.

Kansas City scores two (so far) in the top of the 10th inning. Unbelievable. Entering the series tied, all Detroit needed was a combination of one victory from them and one loss from Minnesota to win the division. We won the first two against Min, Det lost their first two. Then on the day which either a White Sox/Det winner ensures victory, THEY f***ING BLOW IT. You can pencil in atleast one victory for Santana. No way Oakland is defeating him twice at the dome when even one loss is a once-a-year occurence.

See this bullpen for Minnesota -- Reyes/Rincon/Crian/Nathan -- we can't even touch it. I'm not even going to go into the differences between the rotations. Boof Bonser would be our ace. JESUS CHRIST. I don't understand how Minnesota's pitchers throw straight 95 mph fastballs and it's almost as if they're the most devasting pitchers on the planet. Whereas Thornton throws 97, Jenks 97 and the pitches are continually fouled off. Another noteable difference between the clubs -- shortening up swings against pitchers with good fastballs. We seem to be swinging freely during every count. Wow, Anderson is embarrassing to watch. He's really become pathetic.

Ha, Kenny Rogers has replaced Todd Jones in the 11th inning of teh KC/DET game.

Was Cintron running with s*** in his pants? Talk about a slow developing double play. Reyes took his time; Barlett held onto the ball for a good two seconds, and even with AJ's rather pathetic takeout attempt Cintron STILL didn't make it close. ------------------------ Haeger's 85mph fastball must look 95 to hitters sittong on his knuckleball. And he throws to second base........ Good lord. It seems the differences between our minor leaguers and Twins are more apparent everyday. You'd never see Neshek make that throw. 5-1. Unfortunately with the fastball, it's too obvious he'll resort to throwing it behind in the count with two men on base.

Any other horror fans looking forward to the release of "Feast" on DVD? I've heard a lot of buzz about the move since its limited theatrical release last year. It'll be released on DVD October 17. The way I look at it, I'm not expecting a film on par with "Evil Dead II" or "From Dusk Till Dawn." Cost a measly million dollars to finance this movie. Feast is just a lowbudget flick from Project Greenlight by legitimate fans of the genre. No worse than anything else Hollywood trots out.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Oct 1, 2006 -> 12:21 AM) Or even 'only' greenies. But considering their supposed use across the league in previous years, don't you believe Hemsley would differentiate between greenies and more potent performance enhancing drugs? I'm sure the FBI's inquiry to name names was for substances greater than amphetamines.