Balta1701

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 09:15 AM) Yes you will, and do. You've seriously seen CNN or MSNBC say something like "Are the Republicans declaring war on America"? Man alive, you better be able to back that one up.

QUOTE(Soxfest @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 01:10 AM) Paxson will sit on ass and say we need more time to see what he has .....BLAH, Blah same old crap. Sitting on his ass is probably the right move right now unless a shockingly good deal comes down the pipe. At least until you know what number that Knicks pick will be. I would hate to move that as just a "High lottery pick" and then have it wind up bieng #1. On the other hand...I'm not sure I like the idea of just holding Thomas's expiring contract through the summer, since there's not necessarily going to be much on the FA market, so if we could find someone decent on a team that wants salary cap relief, it might be a useful chip. But it has to be someone useful.

Am I reading that right...the Bank One on Willowcreek is now a Chase? Man it's been a while since I've been there.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 08:33 AM) As long as voting along party lines is not a requirement. Just help us get 1 house of Congress. That's all I really want right now...subpoena power.

Bush: "People don't need to worry about security. At the ports, we sure don't."

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 10:20 PM) Its why in the NFL I never root for a team to lose in order to get a draft pick because in some ways teams need to learn how to win cause no matter how many great draft picks you have, there is no guarantee of success. Teams need to learn to win. Happily...we don't have to do that thanks to our good friends in New York...we just have to root for the Knickerbockers to lose!

NYT

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 10:11 PM) Oh and when I say a guy like Kaman I mean a solid low post guy that could get us 12-15 PPG while grabbing down boards and playing solid defense. I think LaMarcus Aldridge could be that guy, but if we got him it would push the championship timetable back a bit cause he'd have to develop, but I could see him being a Duncan type player (really like his ability, but he's still raw and would have growing pains in the NBA). Well, on the other side...we're still a very, VERY young team right now anyway. A lot of the guys on our team are still probably a couple years away from their peaks. Which would give Aldridge more time to develop. Chandler certainly still has his best years ahead of him, Deng also, Hinrich hopefully...Gordon maybe...You stick Aldridge in there, and he's roughly on the same development schedule as a lot of the other guys. You stick a guy like PP or KG in there, and you're hoping that the guys around him develop fast enough to take advantage of the vet's skills while they're still at the top of their game. Problem is...you don't know when age will catch up with those guys, and you don't know how long it'll take for your guys to start playing all the way up to their potential. I think I lean towards the youth movement continuing...UNLESS you can get KG for a fair deal or PP for a song.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 10:03 PM) I completely agree. Its why I said curry was more valuable to the Bulls than to other teams since we had no other low post options when it comes to scoring. Its very hard to be consistently good when your team struggles to find high percentage shots. Aldridge would definately be a key to most of my ideas. Of course there are other options that may not be as attractive but could semi get the job done. I just hope that Knicks pick will be enough for us to get him. There are a couple things that give me hope, aside from just Thomas's work in NY...While neither of them are healthy right now...Charlotte does sort of have a couple of fairly big guys already. If they wind up ahead of us, they may very well be looking more at Gay than Aldridge...I just think he'd fill a need more. If someone like Portland or Atlanta wound up ahead of us...they might be in the market for an extra pick just to try to get another player on the court. Or Gordon might pique their interest.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 09:59 PM) I'd give up Duh or Noc if thats what it took. For Pierce...the only things I wouldn't want to give up are the #1 pick, Hinrich, Chandler, and Deng. For KG...the only thing I wouldn't want to give up are those 3 players.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 09:56 PM) You look at him and say no way is this guy #1 overall pick worthy, but he's a very smart and solid player, and considering he's a legit 7 foot tall 5 player, maybe he is worth that high a pick.....centers are just too hard to find these days. The question you have to try to think about is...where would the Bucks be if they had drafted Paul?

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 09:30 PM) I think Pax is smarter than that. Now if we move someone like Noc in a deadline deal and end up getting LaMarcus Aldridge in the draft than I wouldn't have much of a problem going with a guy like Nazr or Harrington if the price was right (assuming a Noc/Gordon type deal would get us a good scorer at the 2 position which would allow Hinrich to play PG full time and guard PG's most of the time). I for one think that the best thing this team could possibly do assuming KG is unavailable is to make a bull rush at Aldridge. Even if we have to trade 2 picks to move up, or give up Gordon and a pick to move up. This team is missing strength in the middle. It's the same thing that hurt us in the playoffs against Washington last year...Washington had a couple different post players, none of whom were totally dominant, but all of whom together were enough to get Chandler worn out and in foul trouble, leaving the lane wide open for penetrating guys. This team needs someone who can turn around and do that on the other team. That's the 2nd biggest thing we lost when we got rid of curry, next to the headache. Hopefully, Aldridge can develop into the kind of guy we're missing. And if we can get him without giving up Gordon...having that extra size and strength in the lane may very well make all the other guys on the team better, since they'll wind up with more open shots.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 07:53 PM) CNBC had a lengthy talk about this issue this morning. Yeah it seems unfair they pay the execs more cash but if they dont pay up for top talent they wont retain it. Kind of a catch 22 for all involved except those getting the cash. "Top talent"? Are there seriously that few people in this country who are capable of performing these sorts of decision making tasks that companies have to compete for those workers, and not t'other way around? I still find that unbelievable.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 09:06 PM) I was hoping that '06 pods could outrun '05 pods. What did he have, 22 steals in a row before the AS break? I'll take that.

AP: White House had secret deal with UAE company.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 04:51 PM) Rick Santorum on Hardball (in a few minutes) discussing this with Chris Matthews. Let us know if he answers any questions, or is asked any questions, about the mortgage he got on his house.

Good ol' Fox.

America for Sale: the cost of Republican Corruption. 130 page report on the ways Republicans have hurt this country in efforts to enrich their campaign contributors/friends/cronies, etc. From the same group that a few months ago released a report detailing all of the Republican abuses of procedural rules in the House.

So is there any way this could actually help the Knicks this season? Cause I would really like that #1 draft pick.

Wire reports are saying 75 Sunni Mosques were attacked in response today. 27 in Baghdad. Ayatollah Sistani, in what is reportedly a rare moved, called for street protests, but asked that they be "peaceful". Iran is also pretty angry. Both Iran and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, head of SCIRI, one of the main political parties in Iraq, have blamed the U.S. for not protecting the Shrine. al-Hakim is specifically citing comments by the U.S. ambassador to Iraq made last week which suggested that the Iraqis should try to avoid "Sectarian" influence in the government...a code word for saying the Shia should be more willing to accept Sunni influence in the government. USA Today.

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 02:56 PM) Harry Reid has also said that he wouldn't vote to illegalize abortion. That doesn't mean he would be willing to support a filibuster of said bill, which if it ever comes up would have its biggest fight be over cloture if the Senate remained closely divided.

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 03:31 PM) Yes they are. They actually hate us even though our country has saved their asses a number of times. And lots of people here hate them despite that whole American Revolution thing.

QUOTE(vandy125 @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 03:13 PM) I love the word "anti-choice" in here. Just a question of complete curiosity, did you think about it when using that word, or did it just come out? Not bashing or anything, just curious. Sometimes, I like looking at the words that are used when this type of thing is discussed. Actually I did give that some thought...it wasn't just a knee-jerk thing. I think there's a big difference between being pro-choice and pro-abortion. There's also a big difference between being anti-choice and being anti-abortion.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 01:14 PM) My own 2 eyes will suffice. When I was in Iraq we found literally tons of brand new weapons and othe military hardware stamped "Made in France" and the waybills had origin points in France. Thats pretty compelling evidence if you ask me and it got swept under the rug. Well, the question to put to you in reply should be...can you prove that this equipment not only came from France, but that the French government knew about it? Link with tons of Duelfer report data here...none of which seems to allege that the French government was actively helping any more than the U.S. government was.