Jake

I'm of the opinion that an ace is one of the most overrated possessions. I think having a great rotation is the best thing to have, but having an "ace" is not all that different from having a really, really good pitcher. What ace was on the 2005 team? It was filled with guys we'd say were 2s and 3s.

I'm happy to deal Sale if the price is right. And no, it doesn't have to be some dick measuring contest with the other GM. It just has to make us better

Gronk dying was my final stroke of bad luck. Also, deciding between Cam Newton and Phillip Rivers on a week-by-week basis has been a puzzle I've been unable to solve. Already lost Arian Foster and re-lost that butthole from Jacksonville in my receiving core My other team is the 1 seed and got a bye week, though, and I don't think anyone on that team got hurt.

QUOTE (Tex @ Dec 8, 2013 -> 07:03 PM) I cut my pay in half from VP Sales to college student / teacher. Cutting in half again for a PhD program is really tough. Texas Tech has a Rhet/Comp program that is basically on-line except for two weeks at the end of May where you are on campus. Nice, but I'm not really interested in Rhet/Comp. My main reason for seeking a program is the intellectual challenge, the name recognition of the program is secondary. So I'm considering smaller programs where I could possibly teach AP courses at a high school or Community College and attend classes. Congrats on doing it when you are young. I would say a bigger congrats to you for pursuing it almost solely for the love of doing it -- I wish more people understood the benefits of humanistic study, just for the sake of doing it

As I said elsewhere early in the offseason, he makes a lot of sense for us, but only if Keppinger is gone. He makes a little sense if, maybe, Beckham is gone. Somebody has to be gone for him to fit on the roster as it is, though.

I would definitely part with Quintana to get Headley if he was under contract

Was an 85% favorite in the fourth quarter of the NE game and suddenly Tom Brady has 400 yards and I am 88% likely to lose

QUOTE (Tex @ Dec 8, 2013 -> 03:21 PM) I am at that point where I am looking at some literature programs. I wish I had done this before kids and career. Even the funded positions are really funded enough. Do you mean "aren't" funded enough? Then yes, I agree, especially when you have a family like you said. Texas schools (I'm thinking mostly of UT-A) have been notorious for yanking funding out from underneath people when their budget gets cut, which is part of the reason I didn't bother applying there, despite their strength in my interests. Competitive funding on a yearly basis is the last thing you want. One of the big draws for Ohio State is that if I get the fellowship, I'm looking at $2,000/month for 9 months and I think that should stretch quite a bit in Columbus. For instance, I think that might be better than the ~$22,000-$25,000 I could get from Northwestern if accepted there due to COL. Big factor for me is my girlfriend/fiance is seeking a lit PhD as well and our financial situation (again, with no "strings" attached like children) would be much less dire if we are somewhere that we can live together. I'm guessing we could make Evanston/Milwaukee or Madison/Milwaukee work, for instance. She's also applying to OSU so we'll be anxiously awaiting word on that.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 8, 2013 -> 06:46 AM) What program/major and congrats and buck the f***eyes. QUOTE (Tex @ Dec 8, 2013 -> 07:26 AM) Awesome. Toss out some details. It ain't braggin' if you done it. There, I would be getting a PhD in communication. I specialize in political entertainment and news (specifically, the fact that the perceived difference between those things is just that: perceived) and their effects on public opinion, knowledge, deliberation. I like to combine critical/literary/theoretical approaches with social scientific research, which is something they do there.

What a collapse by the Lions. QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 8, 2013 -> 02:55 PM) With all the emphasis on helmet to helmet, I think you may see more helmet to knee injuries like that one. Yeah, this is the big question of human nature -- we tend to opt for short-term gains and that's what we see with all the guys saying they'd rather have a concussion. Science is telling us that head injuries are going to reduce your intelligence, ability to regulate your emotions, the length of your life, and could have various other huge ramifications. Experience is telling them that if their knee gets destroyed, the paychecks stop showing up while they usually can recover from getting their head knocked.

Just a speculative article -- of course we're not going to spend just to reach our budget ceiling, and we're not going to spend on aging guys that aren't a good bet to be good throughout all of the next 3-5 years. This means that there aren't any great looking free agent fits, but I think we're willing to spend if we can get the right guy in here. Headley on a pricey extension, for instance, would make sense.

Early reports that the on-field diagnosis was ACL/MCL for Gronk, though a reporter also heard he may have also gotten concussed on impact to the ground

Eagles have looked completely hopeless on offense

We have a really talented, latino core. Promote it. Push Sale, Santiago, and Danks as our pitchers as they're all charismatic guys.

If you add Headley, this team starts looking viable for next season. By no means a favorite to be a winner, but reduces the amount of good luck it takes to win

Might as well just root for them

I'm guessing that winning a playoff series is a more likely outcome than missing the playoffs at this point

The whole thing is illegitimate without a playoff, and a playoff that has more than 4 teams in it

Also, I liked Teague tonight. Looked competent

Any game in which Jennings shoots like this, you'll lose

QUOTE (scs787 @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 07:22 PM) Also worth noting that Nate Jones has been better against LH hitters than he is against RH hitters so he might as well be considered a LH reliever. Nate had always been better against RHH in the minors, so I think there is a sample issue here. I'm guessing it is because we would never let him see a decent LHH in an MLB game, except under extenuating circumstances

Also, I feel like "boom goes the dynamite" is a phrase designed for Mike Dunleavy

Do you think him lasting so long in Chicago was just us tolerating him to get his production? Did Ozzie have some kind of magic to keep him under control?

So (humble brag, btw) Ohio State is offering me a funded position into a PhD program there and when I told my dad the good news, the first thing he says is "now you can finally get that tattoo you wanted"

I love this lineup Chicago is running out there. Our bigs are athletic enough that having Taj-Boozer-Noah out there at the same time doesn't really hurt us defensively, especially with a 3 that is non-elite athletically. Of course, since Taj guards LBJ on occasion, I don't see why we can't try it in more situations.