CubinNY

Same as the last few days mostly The owners ran out of ideas a long time ago.

Reading between the lines a little, it appears the owners can't get in agreement, whether by design or real conflicting interests. They appear to have miscalculated the player's resolve. What a mess.

Turns out the photographer is a racist and homophobe, so no harm no foul?

I very clearly don't understand this well, but I'm thinking that this would only increase the opportunity for service time manipulation by the owners?

Are you referring to Pat Hughes? He'd be awful on tv. And he'd spend the entire broadcast hawking one of this scam side projects. He wasn't awful last year. His first game was a little rough, but he got better.

My opinion is that the Cubs could do better than a part-time PBP guy with the reputation of being a nice guy. Boog is just ok, but I'd prefer not having a roving band of fill-in guys. I know a long-time radio guy who would be perfect for the job who works in the next both over.

You're also not already a couple of dozen times over millionaire, I assume. Context is everything.

I wonder if the 2020 season plays into the players cracking sooner than later. They lost a lot of money because of 2020 and unlike the owners their earning potential is limited to their at most ~15 year playing career. Of course they stand to gain money if the owners cave on certain isues but I'm sure there's a point where the losses outweigh the potential gains and that is probably what the owners are waiting for. I don't know. That pressure is always constant. I read an article a few days ago that said the average career length is down from around 4 years to 3 years and the average time to break into the majors has increased. All the changes have benefited the owners, funneled players from the minor leagues to college, etc. It think they know they have to make a stand.

Basically, they want appearance fees from the PGA for the top golfers. That's what this is about. It's kind of sickening to me that blood money is the tool by which they are trying to extract extra money from the PGA. Chamblee was right to call out Mickelson. I guess private jets don't pay for themselves. I don't play or watch golf for a good reason. $230 million is far more than traditional appearance fees. The money being thrown at these players makes appearance fee money seem tiny. Might as well make it a billion since it's just rumored money.

Golf media has been pretty much unified in its opposition to the SGL. How can they not be, since the King of Saudi Arabia killed one of their own? As Will Bardwell just wrote, sportswashing is designed to stop human rights reforms, but the players threatening to leave are saying that they think the new league will open up reforms in Saudi Arabia. The SGL isn’t a truly competitive league. They are willing to lose hundreds of millions to take the heat off of their human rights issues. It’s not an open market that the players are missing out on. And the Saudis found willing pawns in Phil and Bryson and DJ who are greedy enough not to care how the sausage is made. Phil and DJ have reportedly been offered over $100 million for a few years plus on-course earnings. Bryson has reportedly been offered $230 million. Tiger has only made $130 million on-course in his career. This is big money. The SGL wants to start this summer. The big questions are how many players will leave, will they be banned by the PGA Tour and DP Tour if they leave, will sponsors leave these players if they go to the SGL (Royal Bank of Canada wouldn’t let Dustin Johnson where their logo in Saudi Arabia), will they get world ranking points if they leave, will the majors let them in even if they have qualified for those tournaments, who will broadcast these tournaments (Fox, streaming?), and will the players sue the PGA Tour or the majors if they get kicked out. Basically, they want appearance fees from the PGA for the top golfers. That's what this is about. It's kind of sickening to me that blood money is the tool by which they are trying to extract extra money from the PGA. Chamblee was right to call out Mickelson. I guess private jets don't pay for themselves. I don't play or watch golf for a good reason.

Some perspective on dates if they can ever come to an agreement. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-lockout-why-spring-training-likely-wont-start-on-time-and-when-opening-day-would-be-in-serious-jeopardy/ The owners seem to be willfully trying to kill the game off. They reportedly made a proposal to trim the minor leagues by approximately 30 players/team. They don't seem to understand that the minor leagues are R&D. I really don't understand it.

More like Alan Page, Joe Greene, or Reggie White than LT.

Yes, for all the complaining about the Bears (and rightfully so), they aren't in the category of the Lions. They had Stafford and Calvin Johnson for 7 years. They never won a playoff game.

The owners are banking on the players blinking. I hope they don't.

With the DH now in both leagues, his price is going to be sky-high. He was made for the position. Voglebach is going to make some money too.

That timeframe is a little bit cherry picked given the crash in 2002. I'm sure he'd be able to cherry pick time frames where his statement is true. Maybe, but it's a 20-year time span, so I'd say it's probably a pretty valid assumption.

arent they both from about the same time period? I remember Avellini..but not fondly I believe so, throw some Mike Phipps in there as well, jeez, our Bears have had some horsefeathers QB's. The list is quite funny https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chicago_Bears_starting_quarterbacks

BN is on a leaked story that the Cubs are going to make an offer for Rizzo when the lock-out is over. I have an irrational love of Rizzo and think he'd be a great fit for this team, but even I don't think the Cubs are serious in their pursuit.

As the guy pounding the drum on not ignoring amateur info, or info in general particularly in regards to these mysterious teens with next to nothing to work with in the pros, another way to look at Howard is that he's never not hit outside of maybe a couple hundred A ball PAs I'm speaking more generally in underrating the frame and athleticism, there's plenty of comments out there and no need to call anyone out, understand that no one questions the defense or makeup since they're essentially beyond reproach That's pretty funny, I wonder for what job...He was at Seton Hall (his alma mater) and then St. Johns for 20+ years before joining the Mets, so maybe he's just an East Coast guy approaching 70 who didn't want to move or do the traveling It's strange (but not for you) that you appear to be bullish on Howard and bearish on Hernandez.

I would imagine that it would be in addition to, not instead of. As always, the Ricketts timing is impeccable.

I actually think the problem is not enough long term thinking. - 5 years ago the MLBPA was fat and happy. Willing to sell amateurs down the river for roomier bus rides and like a dedicated omelette chef or w/e. MLB decided to pull back on FA spend, and now have a full on labor crisis - Last year we got the weird bastardized 60 game season because small market owners were going to lose money on a per game basis with revenue sharing suspended. The league passed on two months of assuredly bonkers tv ratings, including far more young eyes than they'll ever reliably be able to reach again - They're losing brand favorability with every day this current spat goes on, even though they could make major concessions to the players and still be north of 50/50 in revenue moving forward - They've not really invested in youth outreach beyond RBI. They've also dragged their feet on in market streaming and lifting the archaic in market streaming rules. All opportunities to spend a little short term money and expand the audience. They have to their credit cozied up with the online sports books. Smart long term thinking would be to only take ~50% of "baseball revenue" to keep the MLBPA complacent while enjoying skyrocketing franchise values and continually expanding baseball adjacent revenue streams that the PA wouldn't get their fingers in. The PA would have essentially rubber stamped this CBA. Now they're fighting tooth and nail, and there's probably going to be enough left over acrimony for this to happen again in 5 years. Yes, I phrased that wrong. I agree.

By all reports, Harsin is a major league douchebag who treats his players, subordinates, and the media like trash. His last hire lasted about a week. His DC took a job at OK State at the last minute and he can't recruit. My wife works for Auburn and the entire university system is a mess right now hemorrhaging money.

The owners think they will get a better deal if they 1) delay the process for as long as possible and 2) seek 3rd party mediation up to a point of giving a final and best offer before they get a ruling. As always, the owners have their eyes on long term profit maximization over all else. They are so greedy they are killing the sport in order to wrestle every last nickel they can out of the fans and players.

It's the easiest question to answer if they've put in any preventative measures.