NOLA

Well, if Spagnuolo takes over, that will all depend on how much influence Payton gives him over personnel. Spags is big on his guys (not unusual) but a lot of his guys aren't very good. One thing we found out early on is that he doesn't think much of outside linebackers, so unless he's overruled, I wouldn't expect any big names to complement Vilma. His defense requires an aggressive front four since he blitzes in moderation. And somehow, some way he can make due with some very poor cornerbacks. The Rams were literally hauling in guys off the street and they were semi-productive. Al Harris was having a pretty good season and he was 35. I would expect the Saints to be vastly improved in their secondary with Spags. Not necessarily. I don't think Williams has lost his touch and I trust that Fisher would recognize if he had. The Rams have some good pieces in their secondary which makes Gregggg's relentless blitzing more effective. The Saints blitzed more than any team in the NFL this season. I agree that the Rams have more players for Williams to scheme around, but a defensive game plan based on blitzing all the freakin' time cannot be consistent against good QBs. Many of them beg for you to blitz them. Also, how do you play man coverage in the last 1:50 of the game when the other team needs to go the length of the field? I'm not saying play prevent defense, but really?!? That Vernon Davis guy is pretty good. Maybe double coverage was in order?

The D-line of the Saints has some decent talent with Will Smith and recent 1st rounders Sedrick Ellis and Cameron Jordan. I'd like to see them do more though. This is my biggest issue with GW. That line was not bad at all and had depth, yet their pass rush was almost nonexistent. I agree about Martez. I NEVER understood how Shanle saw the field over him. Even Dunbar played better. I would say the secondary is a bit of a strength for the Saints, Harper excluded, especially when you consider there was no heat on the QB and they were left on an island half the time because of all the blitzing. Count me in for Spags, although I've been hearing a ton about Nolan.

I always thought Williams was an overrated DC. The Saints would be scary if they landed Spags. Maybe. I think New Orleans needs to improve their personnel. When you blitz 51 percent of the time and rank in the bottom half in sacks, you probably need better players. Yes and yes. This season's team sack leader was safety Roman Harper. It's good that he he adept at getting to the QB because he couldn't cover anyone. I can only hope that the new coordinator realizes he has no linebackers outside of Vilma and that Will Smith is ridiculously overrated. That and maybe preaching sound defense instead of relying on blitzes and takeaways. The Rams have been had.

Trying to be as objective as possible, but there is a ton of appeal for a stud wide receiver to go to Arkansas. You can count on playing in a pro-style system with a quality quarterback who can get the ball to you. Tyler Wilson returns next year, who broke SEC passing records set by the previous Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett. He's followed on the depth chart by a redshirt Sophomore Parade All American QB. You have a chance to put up video game type numbers in a conference which is all over TV every single weekend, not to mention playing against NFL caliber players every week. There is an excellent chance that 3 or 4 Hog WRs will get drafted fairly high next season, which means that playing time is there for the taking right away. Just sayin'... That's trying to be objective? That's a lot of facts, not opinions. I really, really think Missouri is going to have to have big time trouble adjusting to the SEC defenses. Both the QB situations at Texas and OU are in flux. The SEC owns ESPN every Saturday night. Bobby Petrino, love him or hate him, knows how to coach an offense and utilize talent. Now that's a lot of personal opinions. Some are facts; some are less factual. All are from your biased viewpoint. Doesn't mean you're wrong (though I share TT's skepticism). But just bc you post quasi-factual stuff doesn't mean your post was objective. OK man, we're talking about college football recruiting. Just having some fun. I do think much of what I said is pretty concrete. The fact is with the players leaving Ark this year that there is opportunity there. And the SEC is on TV a lot. And he'd be catching passes from a record setting returning senior. There is a draw there. One of my best friends is a Mizzou alum and I razz him all the time about next year. I just don't think it is on the same plain in an 18 year old receiver's mind.

Trying to be as objective as possible, but there is a ton of appeal for a stud wide receiver to go to Arkansas. You can count on playing in a pro-style system with a quality quarterback who can get the ball to you. Tyler Wilson returns next year, who broke SEC passing records set by the previous Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett. He's followed on the depth chart by a redshirt Sophomore Parade All American QB. You have a chance to put up video game type numbers in a conference which is all over TV every single weekend, not to mention playing against NFL caliber players every week. There is an excellent chance that 3 or 4 Hog WRs will get drafted fairly high next season, which means that playing time is there for the taking right away. Just sayin'... That's trying to be objective? That's a lot of facts, not opinions. I really, really think Missouri is going to have to have big time trouble adjusting to the SEC defenses. Both the QB situations at Texas and OU are in flux. The SEC owns ESPN every Saturday night. Bobby Petrino, love him or hate him, knows how to coach an offense and utilize talent. Now that's a lot of personal opinions.

As compared to who? Mizzou? OU? Texas? Being a higher ranked and having all 3 top receivers graduating this year doesn't hurt, I'd imagine. OU and Texas are better schools than Arkansas. Missouri and Arkansas is probably a wash. I agree with the OU and TX part, but talk to me after this first season for Mizzou in the SEC. They will have to adjust and it will take a few years. The fanbase will have to adjust too. This isn't the Big12 North anymore.

Trying to be as objective as possible, but there is a ton of appeal for a stud wide receiver to go to Arkansas. You can count on playing in a pro-style system with a quality quarterback who can get the ball to you. Tyler Wilson returns next year, who broke SEC passing records set by the previous Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett. He's followed on the depth chart by a redshirt Sophomore Parade All American QB. You have a chance to put up video game type numbers in a conference which is all over TV every single weekend, not to mention playing against NFL caliber players every week. There is an excellent chance that 3 or 4 Hog WRs will get drafted fairly high next season, which means that playing time is there for the taking right away. Just sayin'...

Why? Most people don't want to pay to watch crappy baseball. We HAVE been watching crappy baseball, and I for one had next to zero hope that things would get any better anytime soon. Maybe at best the Cubs might could win a Wildcard one year, get swept, then back to sucking for a few years. If attendance drops noticeably this year then yes, we stinks as a fanbase. We got the front office we almost universally were hoping to get, and he seems to have an actual plan on how to build a franchise. You might not agree with it, but he knows what he's doing. I for one will watch to see how this complete shift in philosophy plays out. If we don't tune in if the Cubs suck in YEAR FREAKING ONE, then I think that's terribly short sighted and BS. Why? The Cubs have the highest ticket prices in baseball. Why should anyone feel obligated to shell out for that if the product is garbage? Hey, great, they want to build for the future; I'll actually pay to watch them in the future as well, but not now if the team is bad. If someone wants to go, good for them, but you shouldn't begrudge people if they don't want to pay while the team sucks. I don't begrudge anyone, unless they start with the whole "we suck, more of the same old [expletive]" chorus. I live in LSU country, home of the worst fans in the sports. Sure things are great now, but as soon as things go south they bitch and moan and rip on the team at every chance. I realize it's easy for me to say since I live on the other end of the country from Wrigley and I only attend one series a season. Maybe I harped too much on the butts in the seats and not enough on the general negativity I'm sure will come with a bad season record-wise. There will be plenty of good reasons to watch next year. Maybe the Cubs will be taking one step back, only to take 2 steps forward the next season...I hope. I've advocated a total rebuild for a few years now, something that yes, a big market team can do. Build a good foundation, then spend on the big pieces to put you over the top and really contend.

Why? Most people don't want to pay to watch crappy baseball. We HAVE been watching crappy baseball, and I for one had next to zero hope that things would get any better anytime soon. Maybe at best the Cubs might could win a Wildcard one year, get swept, then back to sucking for a few years. If attendance drops noticeably this year then yes, we stinks as a fanbase. We got the front office we almost universally were hoping to get, and he seems to have an actual plan on how to build a franchise. You might not agree with it, but he knows what he's doing. I for one will watch to see how this complete shift in philosophy plays out. If we don't tune in if the Cubs suck in YEAR FREAKING ONE, then I think that's terribly short sighted and BS. Incidentally, I don't care what Cards fans think either. I am surrounded by them and mainly tune them out. It doesn't make them wrong, however, if things happen this way. I don't think anyone ever suggested that we should blindly fall in line just because Theo is sitting upstairs.

I agree 100%. The past couple of years have as uninteresting as I can ever remember. The past 2 Springs we haven't been close to really contending, yet we didn't identify that fact and didn't address the future. No hope for the present, nor any hope for the future either. If we are going to be bad this year, then I will watch to see how our guys in the majors and minors develop. I'll get excited in July to see what young talent we could get via deadline deals. I want to see if we will be more fundamentally sound and a better team in August and September under Sveum. BTW, if attendance really does drop off dramatically in the first year of the Theo regime, then Cubs fans ARE as bad as White Sox and Cards fans say we are. I am getting a bit edgy about the lack of activity too, but [expletive], I am ready to see how a capable management team can build an organization that was in total disarray. My apologies, rant over.

This is eerily similar to one of those hideous lighted signs in a trashy Indian restaurant. All we need is Buddha and that five headed elephant.

I hear crickets.

Jason Stark, as respectfully as possible, called TLR out this morning on Mike and Mike this morning. I'm too lazy to find a link. Basically, he said that while he has the upmost respect for TLR blah, blah, blah... At worst, it was unbelievably bad baseball that a righthander was not warming up in the bullpen. Terrible oversight. At best, it was the one of the biggest screw-ups in the history of the World Series. "I don't know, maybe he couldn't see over the wall into the bullpen. But still..." The game after Pujols received criticism for his error, he hits 3 home runs. I wonder if the Cards will try to rally behind TLR after this.

Maybe not as optimistic for the short term, but for the long run, no question.

There's more reason for optimism than we've had for a long time. I'm 40 and I can't remember this much optimism, not just for a particular year but as an organization going forward. Maybe 1989? 2004 was pretty damn huge. Yes, then there was 2005. Alas. Even then as enthusiastic as I was, I was worried about Dusty overuse of the starters and had little faith in Hendry. If Theo brings in a solid manager, we as fans have to feel good about the next several seasons.

There's more reason for optimism than we've had for a long time. I'm 40 and I can't remember this much optimism, not just for a particular year but as an organization going forward. Maybe 1989?

I know I really don't post often but I come here all the time. Here's to hoping that this place is welcoming to new posters and those jumping back on the bandwagon. Unless of course they are idiots. This place cannot become cluttered with morons like other boards.

2nd half 2011 Game Threads 4,269 4 Theo Epstein threads 8,736 Total 2011 Game Thread posts 17,865 Apparently nothing is fundamentally wrong with this site. We just needed something to get excited about. My guess is this place will get a lot busier in the coming year.

Handsome man that one. New Orleaninan and a great guy. His family is really involved in the baseball community down here.

Can a rookie of the year be obscure? In this case I think so. Jerome Walton. I remember seeing Lance Dickson in his big league debut. That didn't last long.

This did not go unnoticed. Awesome. Seriously, he would never come back.

Orel Hershiser, 1988 W/L: 23-8 ERA: .226 CG: 15 SHO: 8 WHIP: 1.052 59 1/3 consecutive scoreless inning streak

Completely idiotic, but I can't stop snickering... http://i56.tinypic.com/vsotqw.gif

Wow. Just got home and the game thread is on page 1 going into the 6th inning. Just wow.