whitesoxfan99

Thats a little misleading because Manny has missed a lot more games than Pujols. Thats why I chose the last two years because they have both played in 150+ games in each season.

Pujols is without a doubt a better player than Ramirez but as a hitter I would have a hard time taking Pujols over 2000 Manny Ramirez (as just a hitter). He hit .351 with an OBP of .457 (OPS of 1.154) and had 38 HR and 122 RBI in 118 games. Imagine what kind of numbers he would have put up that year if he would have been healthy for the whole thing.

Not a problem, and there isn't anything wrong with not being as good as Pujols. When its all said and down there might not be anyone as good as Pujols.

I wonder how he feels about Bush? Anyways even if you don't agree with what he says I thought it was still a very good video. Requires quicktime player MOSH

No offense man but your argument doesn't make any sense. I see what you are saying but the question is who is the best right handed hitter in baseball now, not over the last 9 years. That answer is Pujols. The last two years he has had more hits, HRs, RBIs, doubles, total bases, a higher on base percentage, slugging percentage, and batting average plus less strikeouts than Ramirez.

*Wondering to self why this thread hasn't been closed.*

I love how people have tried to compare him to Kevin Garnett (including Chandler himself). The only things they have in common is that they are tall, skinny, and athletic. Garnett can shoot, Chandler can't, Garnett is a very good ball handler, Chandler isn't, Garnett is a very good passer, Chandler isn't. So yes, Tyson, if you become a completely different player you could become just like Kevin Garnett.

You've pretty much got me convinced UNC won't have depth problems. I want to see a little more out of David Noel and I would like to see another big step up and be able to give you guys some quality minutes but the more I look at it the more I think you are right about your depth.

My bad on Keith Langford, I can't believe I put a baseball player in the starting backcourt for Kansas. The funny part about that is thats not even close to the first time I've called him Ray Langford and I can't figure out why I mess that up all the time. Anyways as for the big men I know what freshman they have coming in but the big men are still a question mark to they step out on to the floor. And when you are going to make fun of me for calling the guy the wrong name you really should get the rest of the players from your own teams names right. Its not Darrell Jacson, its Darnell Jackson.

They still threw the WS, doesn't matter if they were acquitted or not.

I forgot to add out of foul trouble but yes I did over state that and I would without question take Sean May, Wayne Simien, and Ryan Gomes over him. I don't think Shelden Williams is all that much better than Erik Williams though. He still is one of the better bigs in the country if he is healthy and stays out of foul trouble. I'm more intrigued by a healthy Danelius from WF anyways. Like I said before, I very well could see UNC having a good deal of depth but they have to prove it on the floor. Depth was a big issue for them last year and the only sure thing UNC added was Marvin Williams. I like the intangibles that Jackie Manuel brings to the table and Scott is alright but every other player on the team hasn't proven a thing. And I know you hear good things about guys from scrimmages over the summer but so does every other team in the country. Right now UNC has a 7 man rotation that I like but I do think they need someone else to step up. My main problem is not overall depth but depth inside. And while it shouldn't be as big of a problem as last year with the addition of Marvin Williams, UNC is still very thing inside if anything were to happen to Sean May. Its a question that they have to answer, thats not something that I'm flat out saying will be a problem. I personally think Illinois' frontcourt will be fine this year but until they prove it it is a question mark. If you look at my post I actually did say that both Hakim Warrick and Julius Hodge could be the best player in the country. I lean a little more towards Hodge as far as an all around player because his offensive game is more diverse but I think Warrick may be the better player. McCants is a great scorer but he just hasn't shown me the well rounded game that Hodge and Warrick have at this point in time. Duke may be rated a little too high, but the problem is that I'm not really sold on any of the teams after them. Kentucky is relying a ton on freshman, Maryland played good basketball for a very short period of time last year, outside of Dean and Garcia I'm not all that impressed by UL, and the rest of the teams I just flat out feel aren't as talented as Duke Basically, the teams I rated 1-6 I felt were interchangeable and after those at this point in time I see a drop off to the next tier.

Its because Jerry Reinsdorf doesn't want to open at home because he is worried about the weather.

Posting my top 25 again now that I finished it (Wisconsin moved down a couple slots do to Boo Wade taking a leave of absence and yes I have a man crush on Julius Hodge, the guy is an amazing college basketball player) 1. Georgia Tech-Last years runner up, returns star PG Jarret Jack, explosive guard Will Bynum, as well as leading scorer BJ Elder. They still have Ismail Muhammed who is one of the best athletes in the country as well as Luke Schenscher who is one of the premier centers in the country. They also brought in a nice class of freshman Question mark: Besides Schenscher do they have the inside presence necessary to win the title? 2. Illinois-Along with Wake Forest has arguably the best backcourt in America with Dee Brown and Deron Williams. Luther Head is as good as any third guard in America and should barring another incident finally find consistency this year. James Augustine is one of the more talented big men in the country and Roger Powell is an effective scorer from the PF position. Also, quality depth with the likes of Nick Smith, Jack Ingram, and Richard McBride returning. Illinois returns everyone except for Jerrance Howard from their Sweet 16 team last year. Question Mark: Can the Illini score and defend the post on a consitent enough basis? 3. Wake Forest-Justin Gray and Chris Paul together are one of the best backcourts in the country. Jamaal Levy provides a very good athlete and versatile defender at the SF position. Eric Williams if he can stay healthy is as good as any big man in the country. If Wake Forest has a healthy Vytas Danelius they may have the best team in the country. December 1st the Deacons had to the Assembly Hall to play Illinois. Question Mark: Can this team stop anyone? Theres no question they can put the ball in the basket but you have to play D to win it all. 4. Kansas- Returns the best big man in the country in Wayne Simien. The backcourt of Aaron Miles and Keith Langford is a good one and these three seniors are going to go out with a bang. JR Giddens is a great shooter and athlete and gives Kansas their deep threat. Just like the previous three teams on this list they are very capable of winning it all. Brought in one of the best recruiting classes in the country Question Mark: Who is going to step into the other big position vacated by transfer David Padgett and graduate Jeff Graves? 5. Syracuse- Hakim Warrick may be the best player in the country this year. He is one of the few players in college basketball capable of taking complete control of the game. Guard Gerry McNamara is as explosive of a scorer as you will find in college basketball. They will get a huge boost if Billy Edelin can make the grades and join the team. Supporting cast is solid but hardly spectacular Question mark? Can the supporting cast do enough to help their Warrick and McNamara get to the promised land? 6. UNC-Perhaps the most talented team in the country. Sean May, Rashad McCants, and Raymond Felton are as good as any trio in the country. Jawad Williams had a great year last year and he and super FR Marvin Williams should give UNC perhaps the best starting lineup in the country this year. Qustion mark: Will chemistry be a problem and will they have enough depth to overcome possible injuries or foul trouble? 7. Oklahoma St.- Final 4 participant last year. Lost star guard Tony Allen but Oklahoma St. still has the horses to make another run. PG John Lucas is a great clutch player who makes this team go. Also returning are Joey Graham, Ivan McFarlin, and Daniel Bobik. The core of this team is very tough nosed and they've been there before, question is can they do it again. Queston Mark? Can troubled freshman Jameson Curry help to makeup for the loss of Tony Allen? 8. UCONN- One of the more intriguing teams in the country. Frontcourt of Josh Boone and Charlie Villanueva should be as good as any in the country. Rashad Anderson and Denham Brown are both very good shooters who can get very hot in a hurry. Freshman Rudy Gay could be the key to a final four run. Hes a tremendous talent who UCONN will need to have a big year to make a repeat run to the final four. Question Mark: With the uncertain status of AJ Price, who will run the show for UCONN? 9. Mississippi State- I have them this high for one reason and one reason alone: Lawrence Roberts. The guys is a tremendous inside force and was a first team all american last year. The supporting cast is a bit weak but Lawrence Roberts should be able to carry this team to a great performance in the SEC. Question Marks? If Roberts has an off night do they have enough around him to beat other good teams? 10. Arizona-Returns Mustafa Shakur, Salim Stoudamire, Channing Frye, and Hassan Adams as key contributors from last year. Arizona is extemely athletic and explosive but weren't able to find any consitency last year. Arizona brought in a very talented freshman class led by Jawann McClellan. Question mark? Can they replace Andre Iguodala and finally find some consistency? 11. MSU- Returns nearly everyone from last years team. Paul Davis is one of the best big men in the Big 10 and should keep MSU in nearly every game this year. They have lots of depth on the wings in Chris Hill, Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown, Anderson, and Kelvin Torbert. They have two very good freshman coming in in the form of Marquise Gray and Drew Neitzel. Question Mark? Can Neitzel run the show and can Gray provide the inside toughness missing from MSU last year? 12. Duke- They may have lost Chris Duhon and Luol Deng to the pros (plus signee Shaun Livingston) but Duke as usual still is pretty loaded. Sheldin Williams and Shavlik Randolph give Duke a very solid front line. Sean Dockery will need to step up his role on offense and be able to run the show for Duke. JJ Redick gives Duke one of the streakiest shooters in the country, but when he is on he doesn't miss. Freshman Demarcus Nelson could be the key to this team. Question mark? Will Dockery be able to live up to the hype he had coming out of high school and be the PG Duke needs? 13. Kentucky-The Wildcats lost quite a bit of talent from last years squad. Key returners include Kelenna Azubuike and Chuck Hayes. What will determine this teams fate is transfer Patrick Sparks and the incoming freshman class that includes three McDonald's AA in Rajon Rondo, Joe Crawford, and Randolph Morris. Question Mark; Can the freshman live up to the hype? 14. Maryland-Maryland made a tremendous run through the ACC tourney last year earning this rank. The Terrapins are lead by PG John Gilchrist and Nik Cader Medley as well as a strong supporting cast including DJ Strawberry and Chris McCray. Question Mark: Can the Terrapins play consistent ball and show that their ACC tourney run last year was no fluke? 15. Louisville- Led by Francisco Garcia and Taquan Dean in the backcourt. Ellis Myles returns from injury in the frontcourt. Garcia is the reason that Louisville has a chance to turn some heads as he is one of the best players in America. Question Mark: Can the find a way to be consistent and can the frontcourt help out Dean and Garcia? 16. Pittsburgh-Key players for Pittsburgh are PG Carl Krauser and forward Chris Taft. Taft is the key guy for this team as he has the potential to be one of the best big men in the country this year. Question Mark: Do they have enough around Krauser and Taft to make some noise come tourney time? 17. Wisconsin- The Badgers lost one of the best players in the country from last year in Devin Harris. However, they may have the best all around front court in the country. With Mike Wilkinson the return of Alando Tucker, Brian Butch, and incoming freshman Greg Stiemsma the Badgers have no shortage of good big men and should compete for the Big 10 title. The backcourt will be this teams weakness as they have no real go to guy. Shariff Chambliss a transfer from Penn St. should be solid for the Badgers come Big 10 season if he can recover from surgery. Question Mark: Can the Badgers backcourt play at a high enough level to replace hide the loss of Devin Harris? 18. Texas- Texas is a very interesting team much like UCONN in that they lost a great deal of talent from last year. Luckily for Texas they brought in a terrific freshman class that will probably produce three starters in Lamarcus Aldridge ©, Daniel Gibson (PG), and Mike Williams (PF). Key returning contributor for Texas will be PJ Tucker. This team is one of the hardest to predict in the country. Question mark: Very simply, how will the freshman develop? 19. Alabama-Made the Elite 8 last year after upsetting Stanford in the second round. Kennedy Winston is their star player and they will need him to produce on a constant basis for them to attempt a repeat performance of last years run. Question mark: Which Alabama will show up, the one that made the elite 8 or the one that struggled all year before that run? 20. Washington- Team that is very exciting to watch play. Nate Robinson the 5-9 guard is one of the most explosive leapers in America and is very fun to watch. Washington returns nearly all key contributors from last years team. Question mark: Can they play any defense? 21. Notre Dame-Chris Thomas and Torin Francis form a very formidable 1-2 punch if healthy. Thomas is one of the more explosive but streaky scorers in America and Francis is one of the most talented big men in the Big East if not America. Surrounded by Dennis Lattimore, Chris Quinn, Colin Falls, and Jordan Cornette. Question marks: Defense as well as health 22. Michigan- A team that is an enigma. With Daniel Horton, Lester Abram, Brent Petway, Courtney Sims, and Dion Harris they have the talent to try to go after the Big 10s big 3 of Illinois, Michigan State, and Wisconsin but have not been able to produce on a consistent basis. Questionable coaching for this team as well. Question mark: Can they be consistent and live up to their ability? 23. Providence- Ryan Gomes is as good as any player in America and Providence showed a great deal of potential at times last year before fading down the stretch. Donnie McGrath is the Friars PG and he is a good one. Quetion mark: Is Gomes alone capable of leading this team to big things? 24. NC State-Two words: Julius Hodge. The best player returning in the ACC. Yes you heard me right, better than Rashad McCants, Sean May, JJ Redick, Chris Paul, and Jarret Jack. The guy is quite possibly the best all around player in the country and is the returning ACC player of the year. Question mark: Do they have the talent to go along with Hodge to make noise in the ACC? 25. Gonzaga-Ronny Turiaf and Adam Morrison give Gonzaga a very good frontline. Expect Morrison with increased playing time to step up and potentially put up 20 PPG. This team lost their star guard and does not appear to have a ready replacement. Question mark: Do they have the backcourt to be "cinderella" again come time for the big dance?

Addicted to Food Good article talking about the cause of that. LINK Askmen.com Couple more articles on overcoming this. I realize there are people that become addicted to eating but this can be overcome. The person has to really want to do it and have a lot of support though. This goes back to my point about parents watching their childrens eating behaviors because if this is checked at a young age it is much more easy to overcome than it would be as an adult. I do believe it is possible that there are people born with lower dopamine levels making them more susceptible to addictions like this but I also don't believe anyone is born addicted to food.

I disagree. You can't do anything to change your sexual orientation but you sure as hell can do something about your weight and appearance.

What did Jordan have to prove when he came back with the Wizards? These guys are typically ultra competitive and they have a hard time staying away from the game when they know they can still compete at a high level.

How much a player is worth is relative to how much you can afford. Is Pedro worth $13 million to a team on a limited budget? Probably not. But he certainly is worth $13 million to a team like the Yankees or Red Sox.

And lets not forget he is only one year removed from posting a 2.22 ERA and prior to this year he hadn't had an ERA over 3 since 1996.

The link works. A little from column a and a little from column b. I understand that there are people that have genetically are more inclined to gain weight. But there are no people that can't do anything about it if they decide to get help. There are surgeries that limit how much you can eat and I repeat, if you burn calories then you take in you will lose weight no matter who you are. I blame the obesity problem in this country mostly on parents. If you see your kid is becoming overweight do something about it. Don't keep sweets around the house, don't get fast food, and cook smaller meals. Then I hear parents say that they don't want to change their lifestyles, well too f***ing bad you have kids you put their needs before your own end of story. If parents would introduce healthy eating to kids at an early age you will develop better eating habits as you get older. And we have to improve gym classes in this country. The teachers don't make kids do nearly enough to improve what kind of shape they are in and no one works hard and takes advantage of the opportunity to work out and improve their conditioning. Fact of the matter is, most of the over weight people I know are some of the least active people I know and most of them don't have a very healthy diet. There are exceptions but that seems to be the majority.

Fact is, if the White Sox are good ESPN will talk about them. When we were getting into the division race in 2003 Baseball Tonight talked about the Sox a ton. And I hope they don't bring up the Sox ineptness at winning the WS because I really don't feel like hearing that all the time because unlike Red Sox and Cubs fans I don't feel that is some kind of badge of honor.

Spending a ton of money doesn't guarantee a championship but it does make it a hell of a lot easier to get to the playoffs, well that is unless you are the Rangers or Mets.

Even so, we had a 3 1/2 game lead for the wildcard, plus the second best record in the AL behind the Yankees.

I'm not sure about that. 1 title is not a trend and there have been plenty of fluke champs in all sports (I see the Red Sox being around for a while mainly because of the all mighty dollar). But this entire post season has given credence to the theory that in the new era of baseball money can buy championships. You can bring up sabremetrics but how good would the Red Sox be with out having the benefit of a payroll easily exceeding $100 million dollars.

Hell, I'll take the Bears run in the mid 80s with the 1 SB even though that team had the talent to win more than that.

If you are going to pay a guy's entire salary why not just keep him on the roster for an insurance policy. That is unless he is a clubhouse cancer.