hogan873

They spent a lot of time well into the night yesterday working on a deal. I think (hope) they're closer than it seems. I'd be surprised that, after working so hard yesterday, they'd walk away at 5:00 and say "Oh well."

So, we were all glued to Twitter and SoxTalk yesterday (especially last night), and we'll be glued to both today. Then once the lockout is over, it's going to be a feeding frenzy for signings and trades, so we'll be glued to Twitter and SoxTalk again. If the lockout ends today, I'm not getting much work done the rest of the week.

I would think I'm more radical, but I see some of the suggestions and I realize I'm not that radical. However, I like most of the suggestions I've read. What I'd like to see: - Universal DH - A more balanced schedule (I know I'm in the minority, but 76 games against their own division is too much) - Limit pick off moves (maybe more than 3 in an at-bat equals a ball) - More scheduled double headers - Expanded playoffs - Salary floor (tanking has got to be stopped - too much meaningless baseball down the stretch) And more ways to speed up the game. As someone else mentioned, keep the batters in the box during an at-bat.

I see this being a years-long "war". I don't think we'll see much in the way of western/US forces being involved, nor do I think there should be. The war in Afghanistan should be a warning for other countries thinking about getting involved. I don't think Putin cares what the rest of the world thinks. I'm not sure what sanctions and condemnations will do.

It is a sequel, and there's a few minutes of backstory referring to the original.

I'm with you on the expanded playoffs. Adding playoff teams will make more teams competitive. There will still be teams that tank, whether purposely or not, but there will be more meaningful games in mid to late summer. And I don't agree with the notion that it's not fair for a .500 team to go up against a team that had 95 wins and knock them out of the playoffs because they played out of their minds for a couple games. Every team has to go into the playoffs putting their best game out there. If there's an upset, there's an upset. Happens in football all the time.

There's way too much to lose on both sides. It's nice to see they're taking it more seriously by meeting everyday, but when you hear how far apart they are on key issues it's frustrating. Someone will have to give in big, and maybe they'll each take hits on a couple issues. I feel that the final agreement will be closer to what MLB is offering now. I don't see them meeting in the middle. Regardless, they know it's urgent, and they know the risk of fans' frustration and possible loss of interest.

Reacher is a great show. Alan Ritchson is a must better Jack Reacher than Tom Cruise. Looks the part and delivers the dialogue like I'd expect the character in the book to. So far it seems to be following the book (Killing Floor) pretty well.

Don't watch a lot of movies, especially having not been to a theater since COVID started. But with football winding down, we did watch a few recently. Ghostbusters Afterlife was fun. Entertaining with plenty of nods to the original. The Tender Bar was really good. Nothing exciting, just a well done movie. Easy to watch. Candyman was decent. Gory and scary in parts.

February 27th. Lots of progress will be made this week, and we'll hear Sunday afternoon that a deal has been reached.

Not a peep from the meeting today so far. Hopefully that's a good sign that they're actually negotiating instead of sticking their tongues out at each other. It will be interesting to hear what kind of progress was made.

Good news. Makes the games more watchable, cuts down on risk to pitchers, and gives more guys an opportunity to play.

Both sides are going to sit in the corner, arms crossed, holding their breath until they get what they want. No consideration for the fans. I get there are legitimate gripes on both ends, but all we hear is how far apart they are on some key issues. And every meeting that happens, there's little to no movement. If either or both sides really want to get the season going on time, they'd have meaningful, constructive meetings and get it figured out. They have no interest in doing so right now.

The first half of season of Ozark is great. Episode 7 was fantastic. Can't wait for the second half. And holy crap, Peacemaker is a lot of fun. Perfect mix of action and humor. John Cena is perfect in the role.

Should be pretty wild. Hopefully the Sox get involved.

Reading on a Kindle is very convenient, and I read most books that way. But there is something about reading an actual book. I'll still grab one from the library once in a while.

I primarily read fiction, but I've read some non-fiction lately. Douglas Preston's The Lost City of the Monkey God is one of my favorites.

It's very good. I didn't know what to expect, even with the nearly 100% positive reviews. It jumps around in time a lot, but it will at least tell you what year it is (in pandemic years with 2020 being year zero). The bulk of the story takes place in 2040 (year 20), but there's a ton of flashback and character detail. I was surprised at how much I enjoy it.

Just started Bad Blood, the story of the Theranos start-up that scammed hundreds of millions of dollars from investors. Pretty fascinating so far, and it's written almost like a thriller. I didn't know much about Theranos until I saw there is going to be a series on Hulu and a movie on Apple coming out this year. I figured I'd read the book first. So far, I'm really enjoying it.

I read that they did away with the confusing out-of-sequence time jumps from the first season. At the very end of the first season it all came together, and we realized that the story was told out of sequence, and it made sense. But it was probably over done.

Watching Invasion on Apple+. It was panned by critics and audiences complained it was too slow. I'm actually really enjoying it. I like the slow build and not seeing the aliens right away. The character building it decent, although not many of the characters are likable. I find this to be pretty realistic, though, with people being selfish and motivated to do what's best for them when disaster strikes. Station Eleven on HBO Max is very good. I didn't know what to expect based on the description, and I didn't know if I was ready to watch a show about a pandemic. But, the show does a nice job of jumping around it time showing how the pandemic unfolded and then how life is after (decades into the future). The second season of The Witcher is awesome. So far, it's even more fun than the first season while expanding on the universe.

There's been essentially no news on negotiations, and I don't expect to hear much until after the new year. I hope they get to work and hammer out an agreement early so we don't lose any games next season.

I'm a fan. I also picked up a bottle of Evan Williams egg nog, made with bourbon. It is quite good.

I'm not going to pretend to know all of what is being bargained over. I would think most of us don't know much more than the obvious. As far as supporting one side or the other, I don't know...or care really. Both sides will be at fault for a work stoppage. It was obvious, to me at least, that neither side cared much what the fans thought when they squabbled over when to start the 2020 season. I'm just hoping for a quick resolution to this and there being no effect on when the 2022 season will start. I do hope a few things come out of this, including the universal DH, expanded playoffs, and a salary floor.

That would make sense. And maybe that is what they're aiming to do. I think if the Sox offered the Kimbrel/Segura swap, the Phillies may have already agreed to that. Regardless, I don't see Kimbrel being a part of the 2022 Sox.