LouisEly

Jeez Gobias, did Sanders pee on your Cheerios? The Bucks need big men - the only players they have under contract who are over 6'8" are Bogut and Ilyasova, and Ilyasova plays more like a SF than a PF. Kurt Thomas' contract is up and he's 37 years old. Who are they going to have as the backups at C and PF? Last year the Bucks ranked 12th in the league in 3-point FG %, but they ranked 17th in rebounding differential. In the playoffs they ranked dead last (16th) among playoff teams in rebounding differential. When Bogut was out they got killed on the boards. Jennings is a year older and should improve his FG%, Delfino is a decent 3-point shooter, and I think it is easier to find SGs in free agency than C/PF. They picked up Stackhouse in the middle of the season. I think Hobson is going to be another Bucks 2nd round sleeper pick. He has Delfino-esque stats in that he puts up crooked numbers across the board - 15.9 ppg, 9.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 steals. Interesting that all of the Bucks picks are rebounders - Gallon had the fewest at 7.9/game (as a freshman). ESPN doesn't have anything on a trade with Jordan - hopefully that is the case. Given that they don't have a backup C on the roster I hope they keep him. And is Gallon a "solid" 300 lbs or a... "soft" 300 lbs.? Overall I like it; I wanted a high risk/reward foreign player in the 2nd round, but seeing as how they only had seven players under contract (likely 8 with Redd) they needed all four picks to fill the roster. So now the roster looks like: C - Bogut, Sanders, Jordan PF - Ilyasova, LRMAM, Sanders, Gallon SF - Maggette, Ilyasova, CD-R, Hobson SG - Delfino, Maggette, Redd, CD-R PG - Jennings So they still have a spot to fill, particularly at PG as Jennings is the only one under contract. Hopefully they have the cap room to resign Ridnour who has the ability slide over to SG if needed.

Overall this seems like a relatively weak draft, doesn't it? With three picks in the 2nd round I hope they take one or two high risk/reward European/foreign players who can take a couple of years to develop overseas, a la Ilyasova. With three picks they don't need three players competing for roster spots right now.

Bruce, just because you can do something doesn't mean that everyone else can. You know what it's like to be you, but you don't know what it's like to be someone else. Adipose tissue is a secondary producer of hormones. For people who have below-average amounts of hormones, the body will react to produce more hormones by adding body fat. The body recognizes that it needs the hormones so additional exercise will result in burning muscle instead of fat. When you give someone testosterone or any other hormone (HGH, steroids, Winstrol, etc.), they lose body fat. This is because the body reacts to the additional hormones - they burn the fat off essentially; the body knows it does not need the excess hormones so it reacts by not storing fat. The reverse is true - when hormones are low the body works to store fat to produce more hormones. There is a direct correlation between hormones and body fat - I read years ago that men with high testosterone levels are 75% less likely to be obese than men with low testosterone levels. While it hasn't been proven (yet), I would be willing to bet there is a correlation between hormones and appetite. I work for a company that makes hormones. I know how they act with the body, and the body reacts to them. I know lots of people in the fitness and nutrition industry, including a guy who owns several world records for weightlifting. He works for a big nutrition company and even he admitted to me that if you have low testosterone levels it is extremely difficult to have a lean physique. And that guy makes his living selling supplements - he has a vested interest to tell people that it's possible. Most people who go from pudgy to lean/ripped got pudgy because they are/were lazy. But there are always people at the gym - look around and you'll see them - who are there religiously and always sweating profusely doing everything right, but always have this layer of fat on them. They are losing the hormone battle.

First, congratulations on your dedication to health and fitness - keep it up! As for the abs... here's the truth that the supplement and fitness business does not want you to know. Diet and exercise will only get you to a certain point. Beyond that you need to have above-average testosterone/hormone levels if you want "six-pack" abs over the age of 25. Yes, some people can do it (but not many). No, not everyone can do it, no matter what they do or how hard they try. You have to be genetically predisposed (or have help from pharmaceuticals) if you want to have those type of abs over the age of 25 - there is a stronger correlation between a "washboard stomach" and genetics than diet/exercise. Testosterone and hormones regulate the body's natural amount of body fat (excluding overindulgence and lack of exercise), so you need to have high amounts if you want low body fat. The reality is that one man can have 3-4 times the testosterone as another man and both be considered in the "normal" range. So what I'm saying is don't spend tons of money on supplements thinking that they will work - generally they are not worth it. Your best bet is to eliminate simple carbohydrates/sugars, any/all types of bread, and eliminate alcohol and eat exclusively fresh lean meat (get your Omega-3s from fish - salmon, etc.), nuts (almonds, walnuts are also good sources of Omega-3s; avoid peanuts, cashews as they are not nuts) and fresh vegetables & fruit. If you can do that, God bless you - I enjoy beer and ice cream too much, so I'll settle for relatively flat with a little padding.

Maggette can be a me first guy to some extent The Bucks will also need a go-to guy if Salmons leaves - you need someone with the guts to take things into their own hands late in games. There is a fine line between selfish and being a go-to guy. His stats on GSW are very inflated, due to 1) them not having much scoring options and 2) him being a very inefficient scorer -- some guys just shouldn't shoot 3's. Incorrect on both counts. Maggette was only the third highest scorer on their team last year - Curry and Ellis scored more points, and they had 11 guys average double digits PPG when they played for the Warriors. Also, Maggette only started 49 games - he came off the bench in 21 others. He also did this in only 29.7 minutes per game. Also, defense is a team game. If no one else on the team is playing defense, why should you? Put Maggette on a team that plays good defense and let's see what happens.

Gadz - 2.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.4 apg Bell - 6.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.5 apg Combined - 9.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.9 apg For the same salary they get: Maggette - 19.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.5 apg + 2nd round pick Looks like a pretty darned good deal, as they get a lot more production for their $$. And for Bell to pout like he did in the playoffs and not show up for a meeting/practice/whatever and being a distraction to the team - good riddance. As for Maggette and being a ball hog and defense... well, if you spent the last 10 years playing for the Warriors and Clippers you probably wouldn't have the best attitude either. If he's half as fired up about being a Buck as CD-R is he'll be a great addition. I can't imagine that Maggette won't be ecstatic about going to the Bucks after playing for the Warriors and Clippers. Between Maggette and CD-R they should have the SG spot covered in case Salmons isn't back and Redd isn't healthy, so they can focus on the PF/C spot in the draft. Oh, just saw that Charlie Villanueva was charged with Domestic Assault.

I really hope he gets to the big leagues one day to make some money. IIRC, he got over $1M to sign in 2002 and invested it wisely, which is one of the reasons he has hung around this long trying to realize his dream. Many players drop out because of how little money they make in the minors (unless they get a huge signing bonus), especially if they have a family/children to support. From what I understand, money is not an issue to Mike. Kudos to you Mike for investing it wisely, unlike many athletes who get big $$. Thanks for the effort Mike. Unfortunately the reality is that if he wasn't a former first round pick, the BB:K ratio coupled with average numbers from prior seasons would cause most people to not bat an eye at this move.

This is because it is kind of hard to get to balls that are hit as hard as they have been off of Brewers pitching.

The Brewers have also been to the post-season two years more recently than the A's, and have advanced past the first round of the playoffs the exact same number of times the A's have since expanding to the Wild Card format - zero. The Red Sox also have the second highest payroll in the majors with 11 players making over $7M/year and seven players making 8-figures. I will grant you though, that had Weeks caught a particular throw in the 2008 playoffs they might very well have beaten the Phillies to advance to the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Whoa, whoa, whoa... I could have sworn that one of the criteria for the U.S. Open was that the course had to host a major championship before. That's why Whistling Straits had to go for the PGA Championship first. If what you're saying is true, Herb Kohler is pissed. It's not on the U.S. Open website... what's your source?

Looks like I'll be spending most of the next 8 months in northern NJ/NY. Our office is on the NJ/NY border (last exit on Garden State Parkway before heading into NY), and I'm looking for recommendations on places to live. My company is going to find corporate housing so they will find it, I just have to tell them what area. Looking for a place that has a good "30's" crowd and is near stuff to do/bars & restaurants/activities but not too far of a drive from the office (preferably within 30 minutes). I'm not a NYC person - been there enough times to know that for me it's a nice place to visit but I need to see sunlight, grass, trees, and not have a big hassle finding parking. Hate living in the shadows of skyscrapers. Some have mentioned Hoboken, but my colleagues say it is more than the 40 minutes the map says and is like NYC but without the skyscrapers. Others have mentioned Ridgewood, NJ. One suggested Nyack, NY - don't know anything about that place. Anyone familiar with that area and have any suggestions or more knowledge of those cities? Thanks!

Thanks for the suggestions. As mentioned, I would be watching it on an airplane, so anything streaming or on-line would not be an option. I'll see if I can sneak iTunes by. I think I saw someone else with that on their laptop. I'll say I need the music for a presentation.

We're not handing him the starting job - he might be a good RH bat off the bench. Good athlete, lots of triples too, was voted best OF arm in their organization a couple years ago. Could be a decent cheap 4th OF who could platoon with a LH bat if they trade Hart.

Well, I truly believe he will be horrible, but if he is somehow pretty good for them the rest of the year (sub 4 ERA)...some people will be getting fired and they will deserve it. Either that, or Duncan is a miracle worker worthy of sainthood.

As he starts losing velocity, he's really going to get harder. Tell that to Jamie Moyer. So... what's your criteria for a solid #2 starter? Not old. (see above) Didn't know that 34 was old. Lilly was a solid #2 but not anymore. So a guy with a 2.90 ERA, .605 OPS-A, and 1.00 WHIP this year and a 3.10 ERA, .661 OPS-A, and 1.06 WHIP is "not anymore" a solid #2? Wow...

I think Lazar Hayward profiles better as a pro than most people think, a la Wes Matthews. Lots of people kicking themselves for not drafting Matthews. Hayward seems to fit the mold of the pick-and-roll/isolation/post up NBA player. He routinely guarded guys bigger than him the last two years and is a better defensive player than people think, and has a good post game and outside shot. I'd be really happy with Hayward in the 2nd round. As for #15, I'll take whomever profiles as a big guy who is a good role player and can play defense and rebound, a la Robin Lopez/Marreese Speights/Roy Hibbert (#15/16/17 in 2008), or Jason Thompson (#12 in 2008). A Danny Granger (#17 in 2005) or David Lee (#30 in 2005) would be nice too.

To get technical, you left out Brad Nelson (cup o' coffee), Chris Barnwell (c.o.c), and Chris Saenz (got hurt) in 2001; Callix Crabbe (c.o.c.), Craig Breslow, and Tim Dillard (c.o.c) in 2002; Mitch Stetter, Ty Taubenheim (c.o.c), and Drew Anderson (c.o.c.) in 2003; Periard and Darren Ford as prospects plus a guy they drafted but didn't sign - Kanekoa Texeria - is currently on the Royals from 2004; Jemile Weeks (unsigned), Steve Garrison, Andrew Bailey (unsigned), and Brendan Katin (AAA) in 2005; Mike McClendon (AAA) and Rob Bryson in 2006; and Farris (AAA) and Scarpetta (40-man roster) from 2007.

Outside of his 8.1 no-hit innings tonight, I'd say looking at what he's done the last 3.3 years he is. Considering that there are 16 teams in the NL, is he one of the top 32 starters in the NL? Well, he's been in the top 32 in ERA each of the last 3.3 seasons (the worst being #27), and in the top 15 in three of the four. He's been in the top 15 in WHIP each of the last 3.3 years, and in the top 5 in three of the last four. So... what's your criteria for a solid #2 starter?

Over the next 8 months I will be traveling back and forth from LA to NJ somewhat frequently for work. As far as entertaining myself for those 5-hour cross-country flights Blockbuster used to be great because they gave you up to two weeks before charging you any extra fees, but now they charge you extra after 5 days. The "one-at-a-time" Netflix doesn't work because you need more than one DVD for 10 hours of airtime. One other issue is that with a company-issued laptop I'm not supposed to install any software/programs on it. So what is the best source for downloading movies and TV shows? The most important thing to me is download time - I have Verizon FiOS 25/25 so my download speed is really, really fast - I can download a movie in a couple of minutes. I don't mind paying for it, but I'd rather pay less to rent it than own it. I see that Blockbuster allows you to download stuff and keep it for up to 30 days (once you start watching it they give you 24 hours to finish it), however you have to install their player and I don't know that I want to install it on my company laptop. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Who's your guy Louis? The Brewers will have pitching coming up through the minors in two years, so they don't need a long-term deal. I'd take a one year deal on Webb if the medical report checks out, or a two year deal on Hudson or Lilly. It doesn't have to be a FA - it could be someone who is under contract or due a big arby raise from another team looking to shed payroll.

I'm not surprised at all that they went pitching in 4 of first 5 rounds. From what I had read it sounded like this draft was fairly weak for bats, so no sense in reaching for a bat just to get one when there is better value in pitching. And you can always trade pitching for bats. I think this is a good philosophy - bats at the major league level come cheaper than pitching, so I'm all for drafting pitching. Unless you have an everyday player who projects to a >.900 OPS like Fielder or >.800 OPS and plus defense at a premium position like C/SS/3B/CF, I'd take my chances on pitching. In reality you only get 3-4 major leagers out of a draft. So if three of the top 5 make it and one later guy (my sleeper is Mike Walker) they will have done their job.

Bingo. When I add up Suppan, Hall, Davis, Hoffman, Zaun, Riske, Bush, Gerut, Vargas, Edmonds, and Counsell I come up with $49M. I don't know about buyouts, so I'm estimating $3M in buyouts plus raises to Braun, Gallardo, and others under contract (not including arby raises) it still is over $40M. Those eligible for arby include Coffey, Fielder, Gomez, Hart, Parra, Villanueva, and Weeks - say an average of $2M arby raise for each comes to $14M in arby raises, which leave $26M. Even if it is $20M in arby raises hat still leaves over $20M freed up for next year - that's without trading Hart or Fielder. If they trade both that leaves almost $45M freed up ($40M - $10M in arby raises + $15M in Fielder/Hart salary). Starting rotation - Gallardo, Wolf, Parra, Narveson, plus legit #2 starter acquired with the $20M+ freed up. Bullpen - Axford, Braddock, Coffey, Villanueva, Loe, two of Hawkins/Smith/Stetter/Capuano IF - McGehee, Escobar, Weeks, Fielder/Gamel OF - Braun, Gomez, Hart/? Lately Parra and Narveson have been pitching better than average for #4/5 starters. If you want, consider Parra a #3, Wolf a #4, and Narveson a #5. So really they only need a legit #2. I know, sounds like a broken record. But I think they can clear enough salary where they can sign Fielder to an extension and get a legit #2.

@#$%&!! Manny falls apart after 90 pitches. Last outing it was 85 pitches, so he's moving in the right direction. Next start it will be 95. Has the strike zone been as tight as it looks on Gameday?

After the first inning it has been Parra of last week. 4H, 1BB, 7K in 5 IP so far. I know I just jinxed him for the 6th...

As far as day trips, I'd recommend driving down the coast to Pacifica, Big Sur, and Monterey. There is a Best Western in Monterey that is literally on the sand - a cool place to stay for a night. I think there is an aquarium in Monterey too but it isn't that big. I think there is also a Six Flags or some other type of amusement park that is northeast of SF - go across the bay to Oakland and follow I-80 East and it will take you past it (Vallejo?) - not entirely sure where, but I've driven past it several times. I think SF has a decent zoo. And of course if the kids get out of line there's always Alcatraz. Teatro Zin Zany is a fun show - tickets can be a little pricey. And Doug is correct in that SF will be colder than you think - windy 55 degree temperatures with damp air gets chilly. In general though, SF and the Bay area is not a real kid-friendly place and does not have a lot of "family" entertainment. Lots of YUPpies, DINKs, and Hippies. (I would not call the Hispanic population a "minority" in Southern CA. Technically they represent the same % of the population in LA county as Caucasians. Hell, when the 2010 Census comes out I wouldn't be surprised if technically Hispanics are the majority.)