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I wouldn't discount the idea of another bullpen arm (I suspect Ohman or Eyre) being traded thus opening the option of moving Miller to the pen should he prove healthy. I think that's the most likely option if the best case scenario happens and Prior and Miller are both healthy and effective. The rotation would then be (not necessarily in exact order): Z Prior Hill Lilly Marquis Bullpen: Cotts Miller Howry Dempster Wood Wuertz Eyre/Ohman (whoever is not traded)

ok, now post his numbers for 03, 04, and 05. And where did I say Giles was great? Seriously, tell me where I said Marcus Giles was great. While he may not be great yet, he's been very good and could still get better. He's only 28 and last year's bad numbers could be partially due to the fact that he's said he hates hitting leadoff. The Braves were forced to hit him there for most of the year and that may have impacted him significantly. I'd happily take him for a one-year deal or longterm.

As would I, but if last year wasn't a fluke for DeRosa then he will be very similar to Giles if my memory serves me correctly. The problem is, you know what you're getting from Giles, but I'm not positive DeRosa will repeat (though I'm fairly confident). I'm fairly confident we'll see a .750ish OPS from Derosa, but I'll be pleasantly surprised if that's not the case. If that's the case, which it well might be, then I'd greatly prefer Giles. My hope is that whatever adjustment he made in Texas that aided him in his big year last season is a permanent thing. If so, I would expect higher than .750ish (perhaps much closer to .800ish or slightly better) but I realize it's far from a certainty.

As would I, but if last year wasn't a fluke for DeRosa then he will be very similar to Giles if my memory serves me correctly. The problem is, you know what you're getting from Giles, but I'm not positive DeRosa will repeat (though I'm fairly confident).

I'm curious about how you know for a fact Hendry and/or Baker had nothing whatsoever in any way shape or form to do with Hill improving. What others are asking, it seems, is what hard, factual evidence do you have to support your argument? what hard, factual evidence do you have to support yours? my evidence is hill was awesome in AAA in 2005. he was equally awesome in 2006. he was equally awesome his second stint in 2006. he was the same AAA pitcher each time he went down there. the reason he got better was because he got more innings under his belt, got more run support and became more comfortable pitching in the bigs. it's not like he went down to AAA and added 2 more k's per 9 innings or added a screwball. I don't have to have any evidence because I didn't make an argument. To be honest, I'm not sure if Hendry/Baker had anything to do with Hill's improvement at all. On the other hand, they may have. You have the burden of proof because you're trying to prove the point. It's very possible that Hill made some slight adjustment while in the minors that facilitated his improvement and the need for that adjustment was seen by Rothschild, Baker or Hendry. Or maybe not. Do you know if he did anything different when he went down, perhaps working on locating his fastball a little better or challenging hitters more (which is something he didn't do his first time up in 2006 but did do his second time up)? That's my question, I'm not trying to prove a point, just asking.

??? Does Marcus Giles have a choice in the matter? Yea, the Braves didn't offer him arbitration (I believe is the case) thus he's a free agent, able to sign with whomever he pleases. Sure wish the Cubs would've grabbed him, he'd look nice right behind Soriano in the lineup.

I'm curious about how you know for a fact Hendry and/or Baker had nothing whatsoever in any way shape or form to do with Hill improving. What others are asking, it seems, is what hard, factual evidence do you have to support your argument?

I think it'll be a good game, especially if you like great defenses and incompetent offenses. :) I agree, soccer10k, ASU-Hawaii is going to be a great game. Funny thing is, the ASU-Hawaii game will likely be the exact opposite of the FSU/UCLA game. Neither team has a defense and both have good offenses. The over/under may in the 70s for that game. :lol:

The draft is so deep in WRs that I wouldn't worry about missing out on Calvin Johnson - Jarrett, Ginn and Meachem should all be in the 8-20 range. I hope you're right, but I'm afraid Calvin won't drop below top 10 and if we keep winning, we'll be out of that area. Also, as much as I like Meachem, I doubt he goes above Calvin if Robert decides to leave early. I didn't mention Calvin because I think he's a top-5 pick. Meachem is with the guys like Ginn and Jarrett, I think. I see what you were saying in the post now. Sorry about misunderstanding it. I also doubt Ginn will drop below the top-10 so he's probably ruled out. After those two, with no disrespect for Meachem or Jarrett, I'd just as soon the Titans look at impact ends. The DEs in the draft are not high first round quality but if the Titans settle in around the teens, somebody like Abiamiri from ND or the kid from Purdue (maybe CubColtPacer or some other Big Ten fan can refresh my memory, I think his last name's Spencer) would look real good. Not that I wouldn't be happy with a WR, I just think Ginn and Calvin are a level above Meachem and Jarrett. A DE? How about Gaines Adams (Clemson) or Quentin Moses (Georgia)? The Boilermaker you're talking about is Anthony Spencer. I would love Adams but think he'll go somewhere in the top 10 and we likely won't be there. Moses and his teammate Charles Johnson are guys I had forgotten about but would love to have. Moses would likely have to be taken with the first rounder, but Johnson may fall to the second round. Thanks for reminding me of Spencer's first name, I keep forgetting it. :?

The draft is so deep in WRs that I wouldn't worry about missing out on Calvin Johnson - Jarrett, Ginn and Meachem should all be in the 8-20 range. I hope you're right, but I'm afraid Calvin won't drop below top 10 and if we keep winning, we'll be out of that area. Also, as much as I like Meachem, I doubt he goes above Calvin if Robert decides to leave early. I didn't mention Calvin because I think he's a top-5 pick. Meachem is with the guys like Ginn and Jarrett, I think. I see what you were saying in the post now. Sorry about misunderstanding it. I also doubt Ginn will drop below the top-10 so he's probably ruled out. After those two, with no disrespect for Meachem or Jarrett, I'd just as soon the Titans look at impact ends. The DEs in the draft are not high first round quality but if the Titans settle in around the teens, somebody like Abiamiri from ND or the kid from Purdue (maybe CubColtPacer or some other Big Ten fan can refresh my memory, I think his last name's Spencer) would look real good. Not that I wouldn't be happy with a WR, I just think Ginn and Calvin are a level above Meachem and Jarrett. Jarrett's going to be very good. Don't get me wrong, I agree. Both Meachem and Jarrett will be legit #1 receivers for a long time, I just think if we don't get one of the top two, the need is greater for an end.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/bengals/2006/12/10/ddn121006bendiary.html :| I'm a wrestling fan (I realize I may have just lost some credibility, but oh well) and they have Federline in a current storyline. He is terrible, I can't wait for him to get off the air. I am also not a rap fan, but I find his "music" especially annoying. Sorry for the tangent by the way, just figured I'd throw this out there since he was mentioned.

The draft is so deep in WRs that I wouldn't worry about missing out on Calvin Johnson - Jarrett, Ginn and Meachem should all be in the 8-20 range. I hope you're right, but I'm afraid Calvin won't drop below top 10 and if we keep winning, we'll be out of that area. Also, as much as I like Meachem, I doubt he goes above Calvin if Robert decides to leave early. I didn't mention Calvin because I think he's a top-5 pick. Meachem is with the guys like Ginn and Jarrett, I think. I see what you were saying in the post now. Sorry about misunderstanding it. I also doubt Ginn will drop below the top-10 so he's probably ruled out. After those two, with no disrespect for Meachem or Jarrett, I'd just as soon the Titans look at impact ends. The DEs in the draft are not high first round quality but if the Titans settle in around the teens, somebody like Abiamiri from ND or the kid from Purdue (maybe CubColtPacer or some other Big Ten fan can refresh my memory, I think his last name's Spencer) would look real good. Not that I wouldn't be happy with a WR, I just think Ginn and Calvin are a level above Meachem and Jarrett.

The draft is so deep in WRs that I wouldn't worry about missing out on Calvin Johnson - Jarrett, Ginn and Meachem should all be in the 8-20 range. I hope you're right, but I'm afraid Calvin won't drop below top 10 and if we keep winning, we'll be out of that area. Also, as much as I like Meachem, I doubt he goes above Calvin if Robert decides to leave early.

Time for Vince to lead the Titans to within one game of second place in the AFC South! Never did I think I would be even hopeful that the Titans would have a chance to beat Jax this year, but now I expect a close game and think we have a good shot at a win. :shock: It's a great feeling, even though we're going to miss out on the number one receiver (Ted Ginn or Calvin Johnson) we need so badly.

Eh, after reading some Dodger forums, sounds like his arm is about as weak as Pierre's, in addition to probably not being able to play full time. I'd rather have Church. I'd rather have Church too, but last I heard the Nats wanted the farm for him. Is he that much more valuable than a year of Lofton and then Pie to give up as much as it sounds like the Nats want? I'd love him, but I'm very unsure about the cost.

No chaos. It would only make the 2 best teams meet in the NC game There's a difference between the two best and two most deserving. Michigan doesn't fit the latter. Um, they played the 2nd or 3rd toughest schedule in the country, and their only loss came to the #1 ranked team in the country (by 3 points). How are they not most deserving? They lost to Ohio State in their final game and, thus, have had no games with which to redeem themselves. It's silly to lose your final game of the season and not win your conference, yet still be handed a shot to try to be the best team in the nation. Had they had games (playoffs maybe) in between their match w/Ohio St then I wouldn't have a problem with a rematch. Simply put, you cannot be the second best team in your conference and be handed a shot at being the best in the nation. You should earn the chance and Michigan doesn't have that option.

Boise and ND both look to be near-locks for BCS bowls. With Michigan already in the Rose Bowl/NC game, that leaves one spot for LSU, Florida (if they lose to Arkansas) or Louisville (if Rutgers beats WV). I'm guessing Florida loses to Arkansas and takes that final at-large slot, leaving Wisconsin vs LSU as the greatest non-BCS game of all time. Why would ND get an at-large over LSU who out-ranks them by five spots? Because they're Notre Dame and the bowls like them. That's the sad truth about the crap system we're having forced upon us. ND brings in viewers and money, thus the bowls and media loves them.

I wasn't necessarily talking about what should happen, but rather what will happen-and there is almost no way that LSU is chosen over ND this year. This is one of many reasons why I despise the current system. It rewards teams that make the NCAA and the bowls the most money, not the teams that earn things on the field of play. I don't have that much of a problem with Notre Dame and I certainly disagree with some of the opinions they have a very weak schedule. But, LSU is more deserving of a BCS appearance this year because of their realtive wins. I do think an LSU/ND BCS match-up would be a lot of fun to watch though. I really hope this doesn't happen as I graduated from LSU and am a big Notre Dame fan. I had this happen back in '97 or '98 and hated the situation. Haha. That is a bad situation, but I would enjoy watching the game. :D The two compare very well. Actually, I don't think they compare very well at all. LSU's offensive strength is passing, a weak point for ND's D. ND's offensive strong point is passing, but LSU is equally strong against the pass and the run. From what I've seen of ND, I think LSU's D would wear them out (ND would likely have to pass all day and LSU's DB's are among the best in the nation. Jamarcus Russell along with LSU's receivers, IMO, would eat ND's DB up. ND might be able to contain LSU's running game, but the passing game would eventually open that up. That all depends on the day JaMarcus Russell had. He's terribly inconsistent which is the reason, I believe, they have two losses. Also, ND struggles with deep passing games. Chad Henne to Mario Manningham toasted them, Booty deep to Jarrett, etc. Their secondary doesn't have the speed to keep up with deep threats. LSU's strength is working the ball down the field through the air. I haven't seen them do well consistently going deep down the field. Russell's got the arm strength without question (probably the strongest arm in the nation) but his inconsistent accuracy often gets him in trouble throwing deep. The LSU offense excels by being physical and dominating through strength, wearing down opponents. I think ND could defend that well for a while, but eventually would lose the game. All this is moot, though, if the bad JaMarcus Russell shows up like he did against Florida. Inconsistent yes, but I wouldn't say terribly inconsistent. He's had one really bad game against U of F and one sort of bad game against in AU in those 2 loses. I wouldn't chalk up both those loses solely on his inconsistency. There were coaching issues, quesitonable penalities, turnovers, dropped passes etc. His deep threat ability is more than enough to beat ND regardless of his inconsistency, especially if the passes that should be caught are held onto. If he all out sucks that day ND might have better chance against the LSU defense. I wouldn't rely on an awful JaMarcus showing up for ND to win. I shouldn't have narrowed my analysis to just Russell as the whole team is very inconsistent. They were awful against Florida, bad against Auburn, bad again against a terrible Ole Miss team, so-so against Tennessee. And I don't think ND has to count on them playing bad, but if the Tigers do, ND could beat them big. Also, LSU really doesn't have a great deep threat. Early Doucet (cool name) is good but they don't seem to have a Skyler Green or Bennie Brazell that specializes in outrunning people down the field. That really seems to kill ND more than anything. One problem the Irish would have that I didn't think of earlier is the LSU defensive line. ND's O-line is awful and the Tigers' D-line is one of the best. Ultimately I think LSU would win, but it'd be a fairly close game. If a much better FLA team couldn't beat LSU big (23-10, not big IMO as the game was a little closer than the score indicates.), I don't think a so-so ND could beat them w/o the benefit of a poor LSU showing. You are correct about a legitimate deep threat, though. While LSU has some of the best recievers in the country their only true speed is a midget named Trindon Holliday. He is awesome though. I wouldn't use Bennie Brazell as an example to bolster your point though as his nickname around these parts is "butterfingers". Y'know, I don't really think Florida is much better than ND. Chris Leak is very talented but is very shaky and uncomposed in big games. The defense is great but I don't like the offense much. And I don't think ND beats LSU without a poor Tiger showing, but I think it'll be close (very similar to Florida game just with LSU on top). If LSU plays bad, ND wins. I like the nickname for Brazell, wish he played that way against UT more often. :) My main point about him, though, was he had the speed to beat people deep, whether he catches the ball or not. Holliday's a nice young player but I wouldn't count on him in the biggest game of the year just yet.

No chaos. It would only make the 2 best teams meet in the NC game There's a difference between the two best and two most deserving. Michigan doesn't fit the latter.

I wasn't necessarily talking about what should happen, but rather what will happen-and there is almost no way that LSU is chosen over ND this year. This is one of many reasons why I despise the current system. It rewards teams that make the NCAA and the bowls the most money, not the teams that earn things on the field of play. I don't have that much of a problem with Notre Dame and I certainly disagree with some of the opinions they have a very weak schedule. But, LSU is more deserving of a BCS appearance this year because of their realtive wins. I do think an LSU/ND BCS match-up would be a lot of fun to watch though. I really hope this doesn't happen as I graduated from LSU and am a big Notre Dame fan. I had this happen back in '97 or '98 and hated the situation. Haha. That is a bad situation, but I would enjoy watching the game. :D The two compare very well. Actually, I don't think they compare very well at all. LSU's offensive strength is passing, a weak point for ND's D. ND's offensive strong point is passing, but LSU is equally strong against the pass and the run. From what I've seen of ND, I think LSU's D would wear them out (ND would likely have to pass all day and LSU's DB's are among the best in the nation. Jamarcus Russell along with LSU's receivers, IMO, would eat ND's DB up. ND might be able to contain LSU's running game, but the passing game would eventually open that up. That all depends on the day JaMarcus Russell had. He's terribly inconsistent which is the reason, I believe, they have two losses. Also, ND struggles with deep passing games. Chad Henne to Mario Manningham toasted them, Booty deep to Jarrett, etc. Their secondary doesn't have the speed to keep up with deep threats. LSU's strength is working the ball down the field through the air. I haven't seen them do well consistently going deep down the field. Russell's got the arm strength without question (probably the strongest arm in the nation) but his inconsistent accuracy often gets him in trouble throwing deep. The LSU offense excels by being physical and dominating through strength, wearing down opponents. I think ND could defend that well for a while, but eventually would lose the game. All this is moot, though, if the bad JaMarcus Russell shows up like he did against Florida. Inconsistent yes, but I wouldn't say terribly inconsistent. He's had one really bad game against U of F and one sort of bad game against in AU in those 2 loses. I wouldn't chalk up both those loses solely on his inconsistency. There were coaching issues, quesitonable penalities, turnovers, dropped passes etc. His deep threat ability is more than enough to beat ND regardless of his inconsistency, especially if the passes that should be caught are held onto. If he all out sucks that day ND might have better chance against the LSU defense. I wouldn't rely on an awful JaMarcus showing up for ND to win. I shouldn't have narrowed my analysis to just Russell as the whole team is very inconsistent. They were awful against Florida, bad against Auburn, bad again against a terrible Ole Miss team, so-so against Tennessee. And I don't think ND has to count on them playing bad, but if the Tigers do, ND could beat them big. Also, LSU really doesn't have a great deep threat. Early Doucet (cool name) is good but they don't seem to have a Skyler Green or Bennie Brazell that specializes in outrunning people down the field. That really seems to kill ND more than anything. One problem the Irish would have that I didn't think of earlier is the LSU defensive line. ND's O-line is awful and the Tigers' D-line is one of the best. Ultimately I think LSU would win, but it'd be a fairly close game.

There have been rumors of Proehl signing with the Colts since their bye week after week 5. For it to happen now does not spell good things for Brandon Stokely, I'm afraid. It might be that Proehl is just an insurance policy though just in case Stokely never comes back. Clark walked off-that's either good, or it's very, very bad. We won't really know until tomorrow. Proehl is a good pick up in my opinion. Do you really need another receiver (if Clark is ok)? Clark looked ok walking off the field but I've seen that happen and the guy has a torn ACL or MCL. I agree, probably won't know for sure for a couple days. Against a 3-4 defense, we need a good 3rd receiver. Aaron Moorehead against the Cowboys was terrible, and that really prompted the Colts to finally work on making the move to Proehl. Think you'll have any interest in Robert Meachem should he come out this year. With the other WR talent likely to be available, he may drop to you.

There have been rumors of Proehl signing with the Colts since their bye week after week 5. For it to happen now does not spell good things for Brandon Stokely, I'm afraid. It might be that Proehl is just an insurance policy though just in case Stokely never comes back. Clark walked off-that's either good, or it's very, very bad. We won't really know until tomorrow. Proehl is a good pick up in my opinion. Do you really need another receiver (if Clark is ok)? Clark looked ok walking off the field but I've seen that happen and the guy has a torn ACL or MCL. I agree, probably won't know for sure for a couple days. Against a 3-4 defense, we need a good 3rd receiver. Aaron Moorehead against the Cowboys was terrible, and that really prompted the Colts to finally work on making the move to Proehl. C'mon now, you know as well as I do that any receiver is a good receiver when being thrown to by Peyton. :D

I have no clue why he just quit on the play. Either he thought Vince was going down or he thought Vince threw the ball and was afraid of getting a roughing the passer penalty. If it's the latter, Giants fans can thank these ridiculously overdone rules to "protect the QBs" that take much of the competitiveness out of the game.

There have been rumors of Proehl signing with the Colts since their bye week after week 5. For it to happen now does not spell good things for Brandon Stokely, I'm afraid. It might be that Proehl is just an insurance policy though just in case Stokely never comes back. Clark walked off-that's either good, or it's very, very bad. We won't really know until tomorrow. Proehl is a good pick up in my opinion. Do you really need another receiver (if Clark is ok)? Clark looked ok walking off the field but I've seen that happen and the guy has a torn ACL or MCL. I agree, probably won't know for sure for a couple days.

VERY bad news for the Colts if Dallas Clark is hurt for any period of time. Also, interesting to hear the Colts agreed in principle with Ricky Proehl. Very interesting news.