IlliniBob72

Mariotti is nothing else but a master of using the media and the masses to get rich and notorious. He is the master contrarian. The only popular figure that he didn't trash was MJ, and I'm surprised Mariotti could type his column while cupping MJ's balls. 99% of the population enjoys The Beatles. The Beatles? Overrated noise that Mariotti finds unlistenable. Abraham Lincoln? Too tall and needs to get rid of that mole. '85 Bears? Worst team to ever go 18-1! He goes the opposite way to generate talk and anger, and unfortunately, it works. I wonder if the money is worth it if he can't go into a bar without getting his ass kicked.

If Reed is such a spectacular prospect when compared to Borchard, who many here consider a bust, why would Seattle even bother asking about him? And about Billy Beane, how can he be such a brilliant GM when he traded away the future HOF catcher Miguel Olivo for a middle reliever???

That is simply brilliant!

Let me get this straight...the woman in question gave Larry Flynt an affadavit stating that George W. Bush forced her to have an abortion, and then after giving the affadavit said not to use it? I'm not saying anything about the veracity of what you're saying, but does that really make sense to you?

That's fine, but if CLee is as dumb as you and others let on and constantly getting picked off hasn't taught him a lesson, a public dressing down isn't going to do it either. A child learns not to touch a hot stove quicker by getting burned than having mommy yell at him. The problem here is that Lee is a grown man that isn't going to appreciate getting humiliated. Typically, I don't give a crap about players' feelings, but we have a chance to do something special this year and Lee is a big part of that. No use in losing him now.

I just read the whole thread again and haven't seen anyone say that showboating is good.

What would ripping CLee in such a public manner have accomplished? Nothing but causing trouble. You count on CLee learning from the incident and move on. I think Ozzie handled it properly.

What do you do if you're a fan watching this scene? I'd think I'd jump in and stop them, but then does a riot ensue?

I am very happy. Now the Sox have a very good top 4 of the rotation. Olivo and Reed may be very good players, or maybe not. You weren't going to get Garcia for Matt Karchner.

I'm surprised by the negative reaction I'm seeing concerning the trade. MO is a nice player, but when exactly did he become Johnny Bench? He's a nice player with a good arm, but he has thrown out a lesser percentage of baserunners than Alomar this season. The bottom line is that the Mariners weren't going to give Garcia away for nothing. We've been crying about our lack of pitching, but now that we actually had to give someone to them to get him, we're all crying. It's sad to see him go, but I'll like watching Garcia take the bump. As for Reed, I guess KW feels that Borchard can play right next season, assuming Maggs isn't back, and then Anderson, Sweeney, and Nanita will fill the OF down the line.

I had a brain cramp and meant Poland, but the point is still the same. And you surely should vote for Kerry because it sounds like your approach to the war on terror is the same. Prosecute them in the courts. Unless we actually get videotape of Hussein signing the order to attack the U.S., then nothing should be done about it. People want their cake and eat it too. Bush is incompetent because he didn't act on 75 investigations into Al Qaeda plots to attack the U.S., and he's a warmonger because he did act on intelligence from our own agencies and several foreign ones that Hussein was planning attacks. s***, this guy can't win!

You have a serious wealth issue. Out of curiosity, what is the minimum income one must have to be considered "rich" by you? I'm curious because Central Illinois is solidly republican and am wondering what the average person here makes. If "rich" is anything more than $33,000 I'll be stunned.

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That's a nice little diatribe, but is he wrong when he says that Hitler is in the ad because it is showing a Kerry ad using the image? If so, how? Saying something is wrong doesn't make it so. Saying something I said is bulls*** doesn't make it so. I said that Bush is much less immoral than Clinton, who had had a 12 year affair with Flowers, sexually assaulted women, according to Kathleen Wiley and Juanita Broaddrick and Paula Jones, and was fellated in the Oval Office by an intern. Then he lied both on the stand and directly to the American public, saying that the Lewinsky affair never happened. And I'm not even getting into shady business dealings and blackmail and such, or the missing FBI files that turned up on Hillary's desk, or drug use or prostitution or draft dodging, all of which has been alleged. None of this is polical immorality, but personal immorality. Historian Richard Dunn ranks Clinton as America's all-time most immoral President. And you point to Cheney saying "f***" and an ad that seems to be misinterpreted by you as evidence that the idea that Bush is less immoral than Clinton is pure bulls***?

Regardless, they were not the only ones in the air. And the fact stands, Clarke let them out, not Bush.

And the threat in that memo that the 9/11 Commission made such political hay about was specific? All that said was that there were like 75 investigations ongoing about Al Qaeda's desires to attack in the U.S., but that didn't stop anyone from saying that Bush ignored the threat and is responsible for 3000 deaths. So, which is it? Oh my God, are you serious??? So if France was told in 1939 that Hitler was planning to attack, they should have done nothing? FDR is told that Hirohito is planning an attack, and it's just one dude planning an attack? I'm sorry, but that's funny. How many "dudes" does it take for it to be a threat to respond to?

Do you honestly think that foreing nations will help the U.S. if they like our leader better? Bulls***. They will help the United States when it is in their best interests, pure and simple. If they act otherwise, they are doing their country a disservice. Besides, from most reports, Bush is very likable in person. Even Clinton has said that after meeting Bush he just liked the man. One question I'd like answered is this. If, as reports are true, Bush received information from our intelligence and foreign intelligence like the Russians, that Saddam and Iraq were planning attacks against the U.S., what on earth should Bush have done??? Had he not followed the course he did and an attack took place, and then info came out that Putin told Bush it would happen, holy s***!!! Lefties like Moore would have a f***ing stroke! When does it become necessary to go to war? When is a threat imminent? Hell, if Bush ahd taken out bin Laden before 9/11, people would have been outraged that it was unnecessary.

And the rest of the world loved America before 9/11? No. And even if it did, what did that get us? 3000 dead citizens. One could also say that WW II grew more violent after we got into after Pearl Harbor. Should we have stayed out of it? I'm paying less taxes than before and I'm squarely middle class. So, how do you figure? Besides, I'm certain that the top 20% of the population, wealth wise, is still paying like 80% of the taxes, so don't worry your little head about that. Really? s***, compared to our last Prez, he's a regular saint.

It was left-wing darling Richard Clarke who shipped the bin Ladens out of the country. He has said as much. This is incorrect and has been admitted as such by everyone. Moore's personal mouthpiece was on some news show stating that while F9/11 may lead the audience to believe that they were the only ones allowed to fly, they never said so explicitly. They were in the air after planes were allowed to fly again.

I think it is a bit much to lead police officers on a harrowing car chase and then expect them to treat you kindly, but the fact remains that you can't beat someone with a flashlight. What I find more amazing is that in today's age where there are cameras, video recorders, and photo taking cell phones that cops would still do this. When will they learn that people are watching?

My problem with this is that nothing is proven. Lots of s*** is said during custody battles. He kept dragging her to these sex clubs against her will? I read that he tried to "coerce" her into having sex with him there. What does that mean? Did he put her in a headlock? Give her an Indian burn? Or does it entail, "Hey honey, we should do that! Awww c'mon. OK, forget it." I'm not saying it is an outright lie, but there is a lot left unexplained and I'm not going to take unproven allegations as proof of his depravity.