rawaction

Matt Jones, my favorite remaining FA WR target, is NOT going to be suspended any additional time in 2009. 6'6", 220 lbs, 4.37 40-yd, 39.5 vert, 65 catches, 700+ yards in 2009. Would be a low risk, high reward type of signing.

Yes, because sleeping around on your wife at other times is so noble.

What is a franchise QB? That's like a #1 WR to me. What's the standard? It's obviously not Superbowls because Roethlisberger is not on there. Is it great talent and production? My definition of a franchise QB is a quarterback who plays for a franchise who's foreseeable future is going to be closely related to that team's success. Teams with franchise QBs will not look at bringing in a starting caliber QB within the next 3 or so years barring disaster (see Vick, Michael) or stupidity (see Broncos, Denver). By my count, that's: P Manning, E Manning, Brady, Palmer, Rivers, Cutler, Brees, Schaub, and Roethlisberger. By the end of the 2009 season, that list could include: Cassel, Ryan, Flacco, Edwards, Sanchez, Stafford, Rodgers, and Quinn. And that list doesn't include guys who have been franchise QBs who may be on their last legs at least with their current teams: McNabb, Warner, Delhomme, and Hasselbeck....or QBs that still are young enough to have a chance: Russell, Jackson (Min), Leinart, and Campbell.

Meh. They should still be favored in their first four. The first 3 teams they faced (CLE, DET, SF) all finished in the bottom 7 in rushing offense last year, which is where teams might be able to expose them without the Williamseseses. They get GB in week 4, but it's in the Metrodome.

Yet he has still been better than Bradley, Fontenot and Soto, and will be better this year than Fox or Hoffpauir would be on the field full-time. Lee might not be "that good" anymore, but why isn't he getting the benefit of the doubt when guys like Fontenot (who wasn't a highly regarded prospect and has never performed in a full-time role) and Soto (who had a mediocre minor league career until he blew up in AAA and last year in the majors) are?

So, basically the only changes are Fox for Derrek Lee and Hoffpauir everyday instead of Scales/Miles/Freel. It's funny that everyone is in such a hurry to get Lee out of the lineup, but are perfectly fine with Fontenot, Bradley, and Soto....who have all been FAR worse than Lee this season. Not too mention the continued hope that two 4A players in their late 20s will come in and end all this team's offensive troubles. But clearly, Derrek Lee is the team's problem and starting 5 players that are either (a) not doing as well as he is this year or (b) not going to do as well as he is this year is the answer.

Good. I like the guy but he's very expendable especially if Noah keeps improving. I don't get the Thomas and Noah being too similar arguments. Who cares? Look at a team like Denver. Kenyon Martin and Andersen are similar long, athletic, high energy, limited offensive game players. Nene gives them some strength and stability inside, but I think that's where a guy like Blair could come in and help secure a board when the other 2 are flying all over the place. I think you only trade Tyrus in a package to get a great scoring big man like Bosh or Amare. If you can't get a great big, I think you go into 2010 looking for a great 2 or 3 (Joe Johnson) and follow the Denver equation of a strong 1-2-3, and athletic 4-5.

They add Eric Gordon and I am done with them. Why? He's basically Ben from 4 years ago: Gordon's rookie stat line Don't get me wrong - I'd prefer to replace Ben Gordon with Chris Bosh and start Salmons at SG, but I don't know how realistic that is. I can't stand him. No basketball reason really. I don't get why a lot of Illinois fans still can't stand him. Thanks to him, he hurt Indiana's program much more than he could have helped the Illini for one year. Gordon's one of the only ones on the team that didn't hurt the program. It had nothing to do with him. Everyone else on the team (outside of DJ White and the walkons), but mainly Sampson hurt Indiana's program.

if you can't hit, you better give up fewer runs than everybody.

Looks like the Bears have a decent shot at signing Pisa Tinoisamoa and Roderick Hood. This could go a long way to making the Bears defense close to as good as it once was. Tinoisamoa is a really good LB and a big upgrade of HH and Roach. A resurgent year from Urlacher and the Bears again have the best LB corps in the league. Hood was a starting CB for the SB Cardinals, and would be a great 3rd CB, who won't kill you if he starts. I do think if these 2 are signed, you could see Hillenmeyer and Vasher fighting for their Bears careers. Either that or Corey Graham could get a longer look at FS.

I've watched maybe 1.5 seasons each of Survivor, Big Brother, and American Idol. The only reality show I watch now is Biggest Loser, with my wife.

I think Eric Maynor is a potential steal in this draft. He won't be a star in the league, but I don't know who will be in this draft other than Griffin. I think he's the most ready of all players to step in and start for a team. He'll give a team a steady traditional point guard with an outstanding mid-range game and variety of ways to get his shot off in the lane. He could be a great pick-n-roll PG as he can take it up a gear and get in the lane and has pretty good passing ability.

Be a great move for the Brewers. I don't think they would have to give up much.

<3 Blair wouldn't be 6'10" if he was standing on Levance Field's beer belly.

That's how I felt about the whole Eric Gordon situation. Nobody woulda cared if EJ wasn't very good.

The funny thing I didn't think about was that Harrison has already been to the White House when the Steelers won 3 years ago! Seriously, a black man goes to the Bush White House, but not the Obama White House? he didn't go the last time either. I read the CBS sportsline headline that says "Harrison passes on another trip to White House". I took it as he passed on going again, rather than he again passed on going.

The funny thing I didn't think about was that Harrison has already been to the White House when the Steelers won 3 years ago! Seriously, a black man goes to the Bush White House, but not the Obama White House?

Yea makes no sense our best Ph doesnt see the field in a close game like that, yet Freel and Miles do. Lous in game managing leaves so much to be desired. Just to make it even dumber, please give the #1 reason Hoffpauir made the squad in the first place. I was mowing the lawn and only caught portions of the 8th and 9th inning on the radio, but I knew that the pitcher's spot was coming up in the 9th and assumed there was no question that it would be Hoffpauir. The next I heard, Soriano had hit a home run and there was 1 out, so I was certain that Hoffpauir had made an out. After reading this thread, I went back and checked the box score to find that Miles was used instead. That is completely inexcusable to leave the team's best pinch hitter on the bench, especially when Miles was the alternative. Lou treats Hoffpauir as if he is a .220 hitter with power who is only valuable in situations where a home run is required. Me too, I figured Hoff made an out as well. WTF is with some of these decisions? I think Lou was saving Hoffpauir for an RBI situation and didn't want to waste his power leading off an inning. That in itself isn't a bad idea. However, when you have your 1-6 hitters coming up, you aren't going to pinch hit for any of them anyway. Granted if Soto had gotten a single, you would have had a chance to win with Hoffpauir hitting for Fontenot. But you can't save Hoffpauir to be the 8th hitter coming to the plate in the inning. You simply cannot allow your team to lose a close game with your best bench player sitting it out completely.

If this is the Cubs thinking, then I'd imagine they'd try to wait it out until Zambrano comes back. If he goes out and throws 2 gems between now and then, though, I'd imagine they'd wait until he struggles or if he throws a high number of pitches.

This could go in the hockey or basketball thread, but does anyone else think the 2-2-1-1-1 format is unfair to the home team? Granted, the home team has the advantage with the first 2 at home and the decided game at home. But the lower seeded team has a 3 of 4 game stretch at home. If the road team takes one of the first 2, it's would take a complete collapse (i.e. losing 2 or 3 at home) from them to lose before the 7th game. Wouldn't it make more sense to have a 1-1-2-2-1 (high seed- low seed- high-high-low-low-high) series? This method rewards the higher seeded team for having a better regular season more than just an extra home game. I think the higher seeded team would take the potential of being up 3-1 with 2 on the road coming up over being up 2-0 with 2 on the road coming up.

This has been the perfect series for me (Cubs/Pads). Cubs about to sweep. Padres have scored 8 runs in 3 games. My only Padre, Adrian Gonzalez, is responsible for 6 of the 8 runs. 5-9, 4 HRs, 6 RBIs, 2 walks. 29 points in a 3-game series will work!

Wow. I can't believe this team is 4 games over .500 and 1.5 out of first place. The projected 3-4 and 6 hitters had respective OPS's before tonight of .649, .644, and .492, and have missed a total of about 25 games. The team's best hitter has missed 13 games already. And it's not like the role players have been out of their minds. Fontenot has been mediocre. Miles bad. Reed Johnson no where close to last year. Hoffpauir is doing about what was expected with extended playing time. And it's not like the pitching is carrying them. Coming into this game the 2 best starters from a year ago had ERAs of 4.83 and 4.98. Zambrano wasn't doing much better at 4.50 and is on the DL. The bullpen hasn't really taken control and dominated either, as the back 3 of the pen all had ERAs over 4 and WHIPs of 1.63, 1.60, and 1.53. Patton, Samardzija, Cotts, and Fox also have combined to give up 24 ERs in less than 23 innings. This team is going to be in very good shape when they get healthy and their great players start playing like they should. Hats off to Fukudome, Marshall and Guzman who have all stepped up and performed at the top of their respective groups (offense, SP, RP).

football is easily better than baseball. basketball's actually a better sport than baseball.

Lovie's married to a white chick? Didn't know that. Lots of interracial relationships apparently.

I like Kellen Davis a lot, based on potential. I would hope he would prove worthy to be kept around. Though, I really don't see the point in 4 TEs in the roster, even if one plays FB a couple plays per game.