Mplssoxfan

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ Dec 4, 2005 -> 11:31 PM) How in any way is the poll system better than the BCS? You're going to let a bunch of sportswriters and errand boys for the head coaches determine the national championship? The BCS isn't perfect, but it's a lot better than the polls. If we still had the old system, USC would be playing PSU in the Rose Bowl and Texas would be playing Georgia in the Fiesta Bowl (or Sugar Bowl, whichever that setup used to be). Both teams would have a very good chance of winning, and we'd have solved nothing. About every other year, their isn't a whole lot of controversy with the two teams and they get a chance to settle things on the field. Even some of the other years the controversy is a bit overblown. Yes, a 4 team playoff would probably work the best. That way the regular season is still as meaningful as in any other sport, and you get a little more chance to settle things the right way. Then the controversy is a little lower on the totem pole, and there are usually only about 4 teams that stand out (this year isn't really one of them, although it probably would be USC, Texas, PSU, and OSU). "Old System" Bowl matchups this year: Rose - USC vs. PSU Orange - Texas vs. ND Sugar - Georgia vs. Virginia Tech Fiesta - OSU vs. Oregon I'm fairly confident that's the way it would have broken down.

I've said this before, but, man I really miss Carm's.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 2, 2005 -> 04:09 AM) We did that "Hell Yeah" stuff eight weeks ago. 'Tis true, but I'm still pumped.

QUOTE(qwerty @ Dec 1, 2005 -> 04:16 PM) Ooops... I saw this on Primetime, and I laughed my ass off. f*** Jeremy Shockey.

Eight short weeks ago, the Sox closed out the Sawx in Boston! Give me a HELL YEAH!

For me, there are only two good things about Frank playing in the Teflon Dump: 1. I'll get to see him play a lot more than I have in years. 2. I'll get to hear the Twins fans rationalize the signing. That will be really fun.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Nov 29, 2005 -> 07:41 PM) I don't believe corked bats were actually banned until something like the 70's...Craig Nettles was the guy in 74 who was caught when his bat exploded and superballs started bouncing everywhere...he wasn't suspended, because it wasn't really a rule he could be suspended under. I'm not sure you're right, Balta. Here's this: I'll have to do a little more research to see when Rule 6.06 (d) was adopted, but I'm fairly certain it was before the '70's.

Happy, Happy, you ol' Hoosier!

QUOTE(Punch and Judy Garland @ Dec 1, 2005 -> 01:20 AM) Yeah but they took that right away after soem goofy choices. I can't recall who it was that was the straw that broke the back but I know there was fear that Wade Boggs would try to go in as a Devil Ray. It was near that time that they took the chocie away. Kind of dumb to me. As long as a player played there, it should be his choice in my opinion IIRC, it was in Boggs' contract that he would go in the HOF as a Devil Ray. The HOF stepped in and said, "Not so fast, guys. We'll decide."

QUOTE(THEWOOD @ Nov 30, 2005 -> 09:49 PM) What games have you seen of OSU and PSU....and yes I know PSU beat OSU, so please spare me that harp. I am just curious what games you are using to make your judgement. PSU: Minnesota, MSU, some of Michigan, some of OSU. OSU: Minnesota, some of Michigan, some of OSU, *clanging my memory banks*... maybe I haven't seen as much of OSU as I thought. Just using the two Minnesota games as examples, PSU was dominant for 60 minutes, OSU was dominant for 20 minutes. Perhaps if the venues of the two games were different, the domination factors would be different. I dunno. Note that I'm not saying I think OSU is a poor team. I think they deserve a BCS at-large bid over Oregon and I also think they'd give USC all they could handle. OSU and PSU are both excellent teams, there might not be a dime's worth of difference between them. It's just that, from what I've seen, my nickel goes to PSU.

Oysters Rockerfeller. And how do you have a thread like this and no one mentions any pork products? Bacon and Italian Sausage!

I was wo...wo...wo I was wro...wro... wro I was not right. Heeeey!

QUOTE(Wedge @ Nov 29, 2005 -> 11:57 PM) What's to discuss? They have a locked BCS berth, end of story. My guess is they play the ACC winner in the Orange Bowl. There isn't too much more to talk about, really. My point was more that a few people are asserting that OSU>PSU. I've seen both of them play a couple of times this year, and I see it as PSU>OSU. In fact, from what I've seen of USC, I think PSU would give them all they could handle. I haven't seen a down of Texas this year, so I can't really comment on them.

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Nov 30, 2005 -> 05:26 PM) Iowa Sucks Is that why it's so windy here in Minnesota?

Everyone on this board secretly loves the Cubs.

Happy happy, man!

QUOTE(Steff @ Nov 29, 2005 -> 04:38 PM) Wow.. you seriously just about said verbatim what 3 different attny's told us when we were this/close to buying one. The start up is brutal. Seriously, think long and hard about it. It's more then just a career change. And first you really should look into the insurance risks. Even if we had the time some of them just weren't worth it. Smart lawyers.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Nov 29, 2005 -> 12:10 PM) :headshake you would think the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee would have better things to do. My thoughts exactly. Arlen, don't you have hearings to prepare for?

How often does it happen that an athlete turns down an "insulting" offer, only to sign for less money? More often than not, I'd guess.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Nov 29, 2005 -> 07:37 AM) I think there needs to be a display/room/area that discusses baseball history and Rose should be discussed there, along with the Black Sox, etc. IMHO the Hall needs to be part of a baseball museum. I will say this, I think betting on baseball, in the manner that Rose did, is less an offense than using steroids when they were banned. Rose betting on the outcome of a game he was not involved in does not effect the competition, a player in that same game on steroids is taking an unfair advantage outside the rules and does effect the competition. The first part of your post, concur 100%. In fact, it would be a disservice to not discuss things like that. They are an integral part of baseball history. The second part, though I have problems with. If he bet on the Reds while he managed them, and he didn't bet on them every day for the same stakes, he could use his bench and his bullpen differently with extra money on the line. I'm not saying he did, but I wouldn't doubt it. If the Reds were playing say, the Braves, and the Braves were pitching Smoltz the next day against the Dodgers, and Pete knew he was going to bet the Braves the next day, and the Braves took a lead, would Pete manage differently? Extremely hypothetical, I know, but I wouldn't put anything past Pete. I recall reading somewhere that the Mariners (way back) were looking at a travelling exhibit of old bats put on by Hillerich and Bradsby and Dave Henderson was examining a bat used by Babe Ruth, and came to the conclusion that it was corked. Wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Personally, I think it was my inane superstition of not using Rally Crede as my avatar that spurred Joe on. "F***in' Mpls, leaving that stupid Harold Baines ball as his av, I'll show him...

I find it intriguing that through this BCS discussion, many of you are discounting PSU. I don't get that at all. They have an excellent defense, a decent offense, they are one play away from a 11-0 season, yet they get no love here. I don't get it.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Nov 29, 2005 -> 04:23 PM) IU's playing the best they have since the Final Four run, and this is without White and AJ. I don't know how bringing those two back into the mix could make this team worse; they'd just get better. Defenses have to pick their poison against this team. You have to decide to put all your powers into stopping Killingsworth, and that'll just open up the outside game. We've hit 16 three's the last 2 games. Or, you can worry about the guards and outside game, and that leaves Killingsworth open inside. Putting White into that will just make their decision even harder. AJ just got cleared to play for the Duke game, so he could see some time off the bench, especially for his defense. I have no idea what the line is, some betting guy should look it up. College Basketball lines are not generally released until the day of the game.

Wow, good discussion. Thanks, everyone. A few points: 1. I'm pretty sure that Rush just became eligible this year or last. I certainly could be wrong about that, though. I think they're in soon, maybe the next couple of years. 2. Run-DMC, GrandMaster Flash and Public Enemy will be inducted; in the case of PE, probably in their first year of eligbility. 3. Even though I still don't see it, I guess Miles is a good choice. Bob Marley is in, and I would guess Miles is nearly as influential as Bob. 4. Blondie? C'mon, now. They were a construct of Andy Warhol, they didn't last very long, and one of their biggest hits was Debby Harry rapping (and I use that term unbelievably loosely) nonsense. "All they do is eat guitars"? Please.

QUOTE(Steff @ Nov 29, 2005 -> 04:17 PM) We considered it. And un-considered it when we saw all that was involved. Good to have a s***load of capital up front.. a very well detailed insurance policy... and a lot of free time (that nixed it for us). Good luck. All true. Be prepared to work for 18 hours a day for at least 2 years, unless you go in with a friend who you trust with your life. Cleaning the joint to save cash, either after close or in the morning (after 5 hours of sleep), working open to close some days, dealing with every piddling city inspector (each of whom tells you different things), dram shop laws, ugh. I love the restaurant biz, but I don't know if I'd like to be on the ownership end. And I hope you like Mac and Cheese and Ramen Noodles, because if you're using your own money to finance it, you won't be able to afford much else. Of course, if you can make it, and, again, find someone who you can trust to run the place, after the first couple of years, you might, just might, be on easy street.