Sammy Sofa

Who said anything about endorsements? This would hardly only be about that. The "NYC thing" goes well beyond endorsements. There's simply no other city where an NBA player could go and be that huge if the team is winning. It's easy to forget because they've been crappy for a while, but the Knicks are gingantic in NYC, and that's by far the biggest market out there. There's nothing else like that out there. Plus him going there as they stand right now would be somewhat similar to the pseduo-myth of Jordan going to the Bulls and making that team his and turning it into the force that it was. If LeBron goes to the Knicks and they become contenders again the general perception will be that it was his team and those were his wins. Yeah, that could be the case in Cleveland, too, but then it comes down to Cleveland vs. NYC and which team is in the better position to give him what he wants. Cleveland is obviously further along as a team but seem to be at a breaking point in terms of what they can add to put them over the top. NY has a huge pile of money to spend. I just don't think you can underestimate ego in all of this. If he wins with NY, that's all him. That's his team, his championship, his legacy, his city. Again, same thing in Cleveland, but again, it's also just Cleveland. If he goes to Miami then he's just joining a regularly competing team that's already Wade's team. And it was Shaq's team just a few years ago. The Knicks would be all his on every level even if someone like Wade joins him there because it's like Wade came to him and not vice-versa. And do not underestimate how much money the Knicks have to spend. Yeah, they've only got a few decent players right now, but they could very easily buy themselves a contending team even after signing LeBron. LeBron + NY (both because it's NYC and because they have an assload of money) = instant draw.

That's arguably the appeal for someone like LeBron. If he can go there and get that team winning and get someone like Wade to show up, boom, that's bigger than he could ever get on any of the other teams out there. Despite the Knicks' crappiness, NYC is still NYC and the Knicks rule that town when they're good.

NO, I WILL NOT MAKE OUT WITH YOU.

Just like "Dewey defeats Truman." Bookmark this page, suckah. *Though if either ended up on the Bulls being wrong would be glorious.

LeBron and Wade will both be on the Knicks in 2 years. PRINT IT.

I'd rather have Bosh than Wade. Wade is obviously amazing, but Bosh is a much better fit for what this team needs.

Good move for an AL team.

Creepy. Just be sure to quote it as much as possible to increase the chance of a search engine finding it.

Ryan Theriot killed JFK. Ryan Theriot killed JFK. Ryan Theriot killed JFK. Ryan Theriot killed JFK. Ryan Theriot killed JFK. Ryan Theriot killed JFK. Ryan Theriot killed JFK. Ryan Theriot killed JFK.

Yes, I'm glad you understand the sound logic in all of this. Now let's make up great search results for anyone seeking out information about him. Ryan Theriot did 9/11. Ryan Theriot did 9/11. Ryan Theriot did 9/11. Ryan Theriot did 9/11. Ryan Theriot underage porn scandal. Ryan Theriot underage porn scandal. Ryan Theriot underage porn scandal. Ryan Theriot underage porn scandal.

OK, psycho.

Ryan Theriot is a clubhouse cancer. I'm going to start derisively saying "Theriot-lovers," too. Us haters aren't the one with the problem.

Seems like Kanes are determined to suck at baseball: http://www.baseball-reference.com/pl/player_search.cgi?search=kane

Much better.

This is unfortunate and unnecessary.

I also don't understand how one can be implying that steroids make someone aggressive but speed does not.

He has been anything but quiet. The guy talks all the time, and half the time he's talking he's wearing one of those god awful affliction t-shirts, so you know he is a horrible human being right of the bat. He whines about happy clubhouse issues and tried to sell the excuse that Milton's attitude made the team worse last year and that they should sign Ben Sheets because he makes jokes that will make everybody happy and play better. He's also on the wrong side of 30 and likely to get worse as time goes on, and hasn't been that good to begin with. A guy who isn't good and whose only value is not costing too much shouldn't be telling the GM what personel decisions to make. He can ask for whatever he wants, and I'd love it if the tighter budget makes them think about dealing him sooner than later. But the little SOB won nearly $6m in arbitration on my MLB2k9 season, so he's persona non grata in my clubhouse. His repeated attamepts at the douchiest possible facial hair variations don't help, either.

Yeah, nobody was using PED's before the 80's. I find it hard to believe that some people put steroids, that build you UP in the same catagory with coke and speed that tear you down. The only benifit of using uppers is to get a short term mental alertness, not long term power and speed. And I sure don't recall Fergie ever throwing a broken bat back at a hitter. Let's not forget that a huge chunk of this society was coking up in the '70s and '80s. In many circles it was concidered chic to do so. I believe that there are plenty of over 40 posters around here that snorted the stuff. As a matter of fact me and a softball teamate decided to drop some speed before a game believing it would help, and be fun. Let me tell you...it wasn't. I was fine 'till I had to run out a double and my head just about split open. Same for my friend who acually threw up and had to sit out the game. Speed may be good for driving a race car, or bowling, or pool shooting, but it DAM sure hurts in real athletics. If there is anyone around here that had a different experience with the stuff I would sure like to hear it! I realize that Doc Ellis once pitched an 8 walk no hitter on LSD, but that's another subject. I'm not only talking about speed. PED's to build strength and get over injuries have potentially been in the game in some shape or form as we're most familiar with them since the 1960's. They can be used to get stronger without getting all jacked up or turning into the stereotypical "'roids monster."

Which makes Theriot's demands even more frustrating since he is, at his very best, a league average SS.

Not when the team is hurting for cash and he plays the one position where the Cubs actually have a line forming of young prospects who are ideally much, much, much better than him. Screw Theriot. The sooner he gets traded the better, and I hope he's out of baseball ASAP after it happens. Let the twerp go rock the bitchin' Ed Hardy gear while selling cars, bra.

Skills competitions would never work with football because it's a game were injury slurking around every corner moreso than the other points. Nobody is going to risk a player hurting something through a meaningless display. Look how little they try for the Pro Bowl itself; you really think they'd get anyone trying to push things to the limit in a skills competition? Besides, look at what you're reduced to suggesting. Baskteball has the dunk and baseball has the home run as their sideshow. Football gets kickers doing ANYTHING? Fastest man? Please. Everyone's barely jogging in the Pro Bowl itself. No chance this ever happens. Of course they're all exhibition games. The difference is that football has to basically play a lazy version in regards to all the critical parts that make the game popular. Crappy tackles, crappy blocking, crappy running, crappy kicking, mundane passes, etc., etc.. I can't think of one thing that these players do during the Pro Bowl that's up to snuff. At least with basketball you still get guys trying to outdo each other will ridiculous shots and moves in the lane and dunks during the ASG and that requires some skill. Baseball you still have guys having to make the pitchers and defensive plays because they can't just roll over without it being glaringly obvious. You still have guys who have to hit off of the best pitchers in the game actually trying to get them out. With the Pro Bowl the most excitement you get are from pumped up scores due to guys trotting across a wide open goal line because nobody is trying. At all.

Yeah, follow up one stupid MI contract with another one. That'll be swell.

Sorry, was trying to type that on the phone and didn't have the ability to multitask and check splits. Brain farted on Fox. Still, the beauty of AAAA guys is that they're freely available pretty much anywhere. They don't have to come from the Cubs system. A platoon with Fuld is putting Dye behind Fuld versus about 75% of the league's pitchers. Now for the meat and bones... If by some magic Dye managed to play a full season (let's say 650 PA or so) and every single pitcher was a left-hander, he'd be about a 2 or 2.5 win player. (For reference, he was a 1.8 win player in 2008 posting 645 PA with an offensive contribution approaching his 3 year splits versus lefties). Last I checked, about 27% of pitchers are left handed. Let's call it 30% to adjust for the idea that we're putting him in that role with the idea we're gonna pull him for a defensive replacement every once in a while. That puts him around .6 to .75 WAR... which makes even a 3.3 mil contract a bit expensive for the production he provides. Not hugely so, but again, that's assuming he's only put in that perfect role... a role so strict that he likely wouldn't have been willing to sign with the team if he knew what he was getting into. Well, I never wanted him for $3.3 million. My support of signing him hinges on him being able to be had for cheaper and as a part time player, so in that scenario I don't give a dman who he is "behind." And come on, you're vastly overstating things here by acting like if he did anything besides see LH pitchers he'd be a disaster. Obviously, regularly starting him isn't something to be done, but you keep coming at this like he's constantly one bad play away from ruining a game if he's not facing lefties.

Yes, but the critical difference is that you have far more of the "best" players opting out with the Pro Bowl than with the ASG. It's simply not the same thing. There's basically no point to the Pro Bowl because more often than not most of the truly best players in the NFL have nothing to do with it. That's where, I think, having the game before the Super Bowl is even worse. With the Pro Bowl before the Super Bowl, guys like Brees, Peyton, Clark, etc. who would play can't because they are in the Super Bowl. It's not like it was significantly different when played afterwards. Plus with basketball and baseball you at least have things like the home run derby or the slam dunk contest if the games aren't good. Football has nothing of the sort.

Yes, but the critical difference is that you have far more of the "best" players opting out with the Pro Bowl than with the ASG. It's simply not the same thing. There's basically no point to the Pro Bowl because more often than not most of the truly best players in the NFL have nothing to do with it.