clyons

I was raised a Cub fan, but as a kid I loved baseball so much that I followed both teams. There were no lights at Wrigley back then, and night games at the old park, with that behemoth of a scoreboard belching fireworks after home runs, seemed so much cooler, especially as I got older. In 1979 I met and became friends with a big Sox fan who is still my best friend today, and it was around 1981 when I switched for good. For some reason, I remember being really pissed off when the Cubs hired Preston Gomez as manager. That was also the time Reinsdorf and Einhorn bought the team and started making some positive changes. Fisk's opening day homer (granny?) set a big hook. The Winning Ugly team had me reeled in for good. By 1984 I wasn't looking back. When the Cubs choked away the pennant to San Diego, I was laughing my ass off.

I’m about halfway through the 1st season of Homeland on DVD, and have found it has lived up to all the great things I’d heard about it. As good as it is though, I’m having trouble accepting the central premise from its pilot episode; namely, that after taking so much risk and going through so much trouble to get Intel from that prisoner in Baghdad before he was executed, Carrie never bothered to tell anybody what he said, and didn’t say anything about a POW being “turned” until after Brody’s rescue months later. When she finally tells Saul, she says she didn't because she thought there were no POWs alive? For such a “smart” show, that just seems stupid. I expect some context to explain that later on.

Yeah, they don't build those 100K capacity behemoths at too many middle of the road programs. The correlation between top 10 college football stadiums and programs isn't perfect, but its telling.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 03:47 PM) I feel like there's very little chance this movie doesn't suck. If only because Diane Lane is Ma Kent. Diane Lane is my age. I've wanted to f*** her for a long time. I've never quite had those feelings about Ma Kent.

I never heard of Jeff Keppinger before yesterday. I'm wondering whether that says more about me as a fan or him as a player.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 4, 2012 -> 04:03 PM) Purdue essentially just hired a Beckman-caliber coach I have all the respect in the world for Barry Alvarez. No disrespect to the Boilers, but there's no way he goes that route. Edit: That's not meant to diss the MAC or its coaches either; mostly just Beckman.

As an Illinois guy, I will be anxiously watching to see whom Alvarez hires, because I expect it to further underline the sigificant disparity between those programs. Obviously, the successor isn't going to make three consecutive Rose Bowls, but somehow I don't expect the Badgers to miss too much of a beat.

QUOTE (GoodAsGould @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 06:40 PM) I think Gonzaga is going to be a big wakeup call for the Illini. They play tough 3 point defense and Illinois seems to thrive on that shot going down to win games, if they win my expectations will have gone way up. I agree. To this point, Illinois' reliance on the three-ball reminds me too much of last year. And to put the rankings in perspective, I certainly wouldn't be optimistic about an Illini v. Kentucky contest.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 30, 2012 -> 01:19 PM) Oh yeah, slow to investigate one incident by a week = slow to investigate a dozen incidents by several years. Again, you have to exaggerate a ton just to make a point. Oh, and who attacked the victim's character? Other than the player's defense attorney, and that's what defense attornies do. Not quite the same thing, but wasn't it you that brought up her "mental health" issues in an earlier post? She took Effexor for depression (as did I and thousands of others). Why do the dome shiners never fail to cite that disparagingly when defending their beloved ND? Because depressed people are prone to fabricate criminal allegations? Or to disparage the victim and imply she's crazy? Prince Shembo will go on to play in the NFL and make millions because he was lucky enough to [allegedly] prey upon a depressed girl whom he [allegedly] made so much more depressed that she killed herself, and thus could not testify agaisnt him. Cheer, Cheer for old Notre Dame. Edit: "Allegedly" inserted so that the Board won't get sued or shut down.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 03:02 PM) That's a steal when you consider that any coach is going to be a waste the first year or two anyway as they clean up Beckham and Zook's messes. I thought the hiring school still had to somehow "show cause" in order to justify the hiring, which is how that coach-specific penalty got its name? I would also think that having successively hired and suffered through Zook and Beckman, Illinois could probably satisfy any applicable threshold.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 09:07 AM) Bernstein said Illinois is actively working "back channels" to get a specific coach to replace Beckman that people will like. If they get him, Beckman will be fired. If they cant get him, Beckman will stay for at least another year. Jim Tressel, come on down.

Some "Justice League" rumors here: http://entertainment.time.com/2012/11/27/b...caped-crusader/

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Nov 20, 2012 -> 02:58 PM) Texas at this point yes, UNC not really. There are rumors that many moons ago the Big10 approached UNC and the UNC faculty/admin were interested. Its merely hearsay on my part, so who knows. I think Texas and the Big 12 are going to be proactive and try and nab Clemson/FSU before everything goes to hell. And Im pretty sure the SEC and Big want someone else to be the villain who destroyed the ACC. I recall quite a bit of TX to the B1G talk a couple years ago, though. Granted, that was pre-Longhorn Network.

ESPN has the East with the ACC, I think. I'm no expert, but I keep reading that all is not rosey with the Longhorn Network. It would no doubt have to get bought out by Fox/BTN for TX to join the B1G, but that might not be as big a deal breaker as may appear at first blush.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Nov 20, 2012 -> 12:58 PM) So, there was an insider who called Rutgers and Maryland to the Big Ten awhile ago and he hit us again with this nugget to keep an eye on: UNC and Texas. TIFWIW I could buy that. Crazier things have happened. UNC could still schedule an annual bball game against Duke at a "neutral" site like Time Warner, and TX could probably keep the Red River football game vs, OK in Dallas.

Thanks. I remember it took about a month for the NBA, but wasn't sure if hockey might be different.

I need to decide whether I can make non-changeable, alternative plans for 12/7, which is when I have Hawks/Devils tix. Even if by some miracle they reached an agreement this week, there's no way they'd be playing that soon, is there? I'd estimate a 2% chance, at best.

Illinois is currently "ranked" #6 in something called CBSSports.comRPI: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball...ings/rpi/index1 Frankly, I have no idea what that could possibly mean after just four games against middling competition, but it still made me feel sorta glad.

QUOTE (ewokpelts @ Nov 16, 2012 -> 02:09 PM) Again. You can go for $5 each. That's a LOT less than what you paid last year. C’mon. Do you honestly not understand what I’m trying to explain, or are you just being intentionally provocative? I get that certain seats will cheaper, but we don't like to sit in those $5 seats. They generally don't allow access to the Rain Room, the old ballpark shower, or any other feature of the lower deck that my kids and I enjoy. We like to sit in the bleachers for day games, ok? And we don't mind choosing from one of just a few select Sundays. Or making an adventure out of riding the train. So again, ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL for us, it will be slightly more expensive for us to do the typical Sunday “Kids Day” thing we’ve done for years, where Dad and his two kids make a day out of riding the train, soaking up sun in the Bleachers, and having fun getting soaking wet in the shower and rain room. See post #28 for the math. I’m not b****ing about any of this, I’m merely stating facts based upon my own family’s preferences and experience. Sheesh.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 16, 2012 -> 01:39 PM) I'm sure one can find multiple specific cases where 2013 may actually cost a little more than 2012 for a game... but for MOST people, MOST group sizes, in MOST sections on MOST days... 2013 will be cheaper. Which is all good by me. Anything that brings more people to the park is good by me, even if (all things being equal) it costs me a few bucks more on Sunday. Which it will. /beating dead horse.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Nov 16, 2012 -> 12:59 PM) Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son! It seems to be worklng out ok for the new league MVP.

Greg Doyel is a bomb-thrower, but he weighs in here on the ND debate: http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/s...egon-and-kstate

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 16, 2012 -> 01:05 PM) Yep, if you qualify for collegiate sports, Duke will take you. Phil Henderson wanted to transfer from Duke to Illinois, but Illinois wouldn't accept him. That says all you need to know.

This means we are one step closer to a world where "Zombieland" is reality. Seriously, though, I'll believe this when I see it. They will be reorganized or bought out. Like Fannie Mae candy or the Berghoff restaurant, both of which previously also closed "for good."

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Nov 16, 2012 -> 11:02 AM) For one, parking his cheaper, and that's part of this plan. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was in your post, you get a $1 ticket for every paid adult ticket. So, you'd have to buy 2 adult tickets, no? I was going with family of 4 so you get 2 $1 tickets. So yeah, 2013 is a better deal. But if you take the train (as I have done) parking is moot, and no, you didn't have to match each kid with a paid adult. I know because i have done this for years. Again, for me it worked out cheaper under the old system. Why is that so controversial?