jersey cubs fan

that mets game was cold. as soon as the sun went away it was brutal

That is not the only real argument you can make. I think you really need to rethink the way you define average. The thing you are ignoring is there has been an explosion of offense the past 20 years. A so-called "average" starting QB today is not an historically average QB. In 1992 you had 8 teams attempt 500 passes, in 2012 you had 23. The average went up by 75 attempts. The average yardage went up by 700 passing yards and 5 touchdowns. The average completion percentage has gone up. The problem is you are treating quarterbacks like pitchers and football like baseball. There isn't a farm system with guy ready to come up tomorrow. There isn't a rotation and the possibility of replacing one guy by sliding everybody else up. There is one primary QB, and his backups. There's 100 or so QBs around the NFL at any given time and maybe 15-20 you'd actually want leading your team. That group of 15-20 aren't average. They are all well above average. They are all quite good. Baltimore took a chance with Flacco by letting him reach free agency. Had he struggled this year he wouldn't have done well in his contract. He essentially got a bonus for winning a super bowl but that is the cost of doing business. It's a gamble most teams would be more than happy to make. They aren't just paying him whatever he wanted. They are paying him what they have to pay him to keep him.

beat 'em with harmony

They don't win them on their own is the point. You have to have a good team around that QB and by severely overpaying an average QB, you hurt your chances of building a good team around him. In your theoretical world where only one team is "overpaying an average QB" and everybody else has a more cost efficient situation at QB and the rest of the team, that would be true. But in the real world, you're wrong. Everybody with a QB is paying that QB. SF and SEA get to pay their QBs relative peanuts in the meantime but that won't last.

It's still over a week away, but I wanted an excuse to post this: http://deadspin.com/bubba-watson-has-a-hovercraft-golf-cart-465618284 Bubba Watson Has A Hovercraft Golf Cart

is Fluker not an option? Trufant, Eifert, Patterson

They have got to get better with no outs and runners on second and third, though. Did you see that stat where the Cubs only scored 65 percent of the time last season in that situation? And then they follow that by not scoring in that situation. I have no huge expectations this season, but if the Cubs want to win a few more games, it would be nice to see that stat get into MLB average territory. You can't really "get better" with no outs and runners on second and third. As Kyle pointed out, it would help if you didn't have incompetent hitters at the plate in those situations.

Giants select Ogletree

What's your solution dew? Let them walk and trade for Colt McCoy? You aren't making any sense.

It has to be Feldman. A RHP with an F or P to start his name

If you believe other reports, it was substantial, and Samardzija turned them down. He's going to be expensive. I thought I remember some quotes from him saying he's more than happy to wait. And he should be. He's been making 2-3m per year for multiple years now. It's not like this is his first chance to make some real money. As long as he hasn't been an idiot he should be set from a "nobody in his family will go hungry" standpoint. He can afford to wait for big one.

True, but that reinforces my point that QBs don't win or lose Super Bowls. Teams do and by paying average to below average QBs top dollar, you're making your team worse. If you're trying to call Flacco below average you're sounding very uninformed. If you have a QB play well in a winning SB season and hit free agency, you can let him walk and then reset your organization and try to find another very difficult to find QB. Or you can pay him. This isn't baseball. These guys aren't replacable parts. There aren't 75 quality QBs around the league and dozens in the minors waiting to take the place of other guys. You have won, you have to pay him or you will lose him and be screwed. There are maybe 80-100 NFL QBs out there. 7 or 8 get drafted every year. In any one season maybe 25 of them are acceptable for their position while less then that actually do much of anything to help you win. Your definition of average is stupid and your thoughts on paying QBs are absurd.

I vaguely remember him being here for like a week or something.

I'd rather have Haren

Chris Kuc ‏@ChrisKuc 2m #Blackhawks give up fourth-round draft pick for Michal Handzus, according to @TSNBobMcKenzie. 4th round pick for a 4th line center I guess.

He's not a 2nd line center, right? He's just center depth?

val not buena enough

Chris Kuc ‏@ChrisKuc 3m According to @TSNBobMcKenzie, #Blackhawks acquire Michal Handzus from the Sharks.

What does everyone see in Valbuena? an acceptable baseball player. You won't find much of that here. It's admirable that he seems to be able to work a count, but it doesn't usually amount to much. I feel like there's plenty of Valbuena acceptance around these parts.

Don't we all? That place freaks me out at night; too many areas of the city seem completely deserted. I've never been to Pittsburgh, but that's exactly how I felt about Cincinnati when I went for a couple of Cubs games in 08 and I was there on Friday and Saturday nights. Feels like a zombie apocalypse has happened and nobody told me. and then the sun goes down

For a woman. not PH balanced

Stewart would have hurt himself there

what are you doing swinging there?

freaking aggressive baserunning. Gained them nothing there

He's also one of the highest paid QBs. And he's been a very average QB for a while now. I think very highly of the Ravens' front officer (Ozzie Newsome is the best GM in football), but they paid Flacco because he has a ring on his finger. That's it. I meant in what it measures - both look at an amount that a player is over a specified point. For WAR it's replacement, for DVOA it's average. If you're questioning the reliability, that's a legit argument, but in this case the more traditional stats match the advanced one. You are missing the whole GD point that you can't just dial up an average NFL QB. They aren't replacement players. They aren't 3rd starters in your rotation. They aren't prospects spending 6 years developing in your minor leagues and forced to play for the minimum their first three years. You can't replace one expensive one for two affordable ones and get similar production. It's the most important position in the game and without a competent one your team will blow and you will all lose your jobs. Tom Brady was just an average QB for years who got paid because of the rings then he pretty much dominated. I would hate for my team to go out and sign Flacco as their QB in some sort of effort to be a savior, but if the Bears win the Super Bowl this year and Cutler signs an even bigger deal I would be plenty happy. You pay QBs, or you spend a decade looking for his replacement.