Fear The Chorizo

Bumping this one back up to the top - because even if the Tigers are now "just" 6.5 back in a bad division's standings, they'd still have 3 teams to climb over to win it...and they aren't winning an AL wildcard spot. Skubal dominated last time out and will likely have two more starts before the trade deadline - I think if after his next start he looks like he did against the Angels and the Tigers aren't any closer in the division standings, the Brewers gotta make a serious play for him. It's a rental, but adding him would come at a time when the Brewer rotation needs a horse - and he's pitching for a mega contract whenever the CBA gets sorted out. It will be expensive, because I'm sure the Dodgers and other teams will be in the mix - but pairing a young MLB talent with a couple talented but blocked prospects....thinking along the lines of Henderson or Crow, Jett Williams, and a low minors flyer....does that get it done and would you make that trade? I would, knowing both the quality and depth of the Brewers' system right now is going to force some difficult rostering decisions on that 40 man unless you plan on some selective thinning by trading them away.

I dont think any of that planning stuff for roster management is worth it given a very high likelihood ther isnt a normal offseason with the CBA issues going on.

My gut tells me he's got nobody to sign and rehab with since there will be a lockout that could leak into a strike-shortened 2027 season. Ill say this with the absolute best intentions, because i love Woody....if he signs another MLB contract, great for him - but it better not be with the Brewers.

Wouldn't need to be across the entire country - focus on the areas previously disturbed by logging/human activity first and then expand that footprint around more remote areas of human development. A huge portion of what you describe in Canada's forest hasn't been heavily logged, and while wildfires do occur in those areas they don't carry the property damage risk that disturbed forests closer to towns/homes/resorts do.

I agree with some of this, strongly disagree with other parts of it. Logging practices 100+ years ago that were done in a rushed effort to supply development with raw materials in the midwest created many of these problems, and inevitable population growth into areas that are historically prone to wildfires are also to blame. I do agree allowing these wilderness areas to ultimately return to their original state is the longterm goal, but for that to happen without risking unnecessary property damage and human health risks over time, a measured approach to forest management in areas that were significantly altered by clearcutting practices is required. And historically, wildfires were just as intense and were far more expansive - there just weren't as many people on this planet and living near many of these wildfire-prone areas. IMO using manmade climate change to explain away annual wildfires originating in portions of Canada and US that are now wilderness areas that were historically logged heavily and now sit completely unmanaged, creating a reactionary firefighting approach, is lazy - and quite frankly fails to focus on what measures can be done by humans to reduce risk as these forests work their way back towards equilibrium conditions (which by the way will and should always include wildfires). Limited snow cover in this part of the country the past few years is a growing issue and concern that has played a role in spring and summer wildfire risk, but that comes and goes in cycles that have occurred forever. Weather has typically played the chief role in when/where wildfires occur before humans got the idea they can control it. p.s. - heavy rains overnight up there along the US/Canada border, and hope that at least helps knock things back and give firefighting teams more time to get control of what's burning. Air quality in my area has improved a ton mainly due to a wind direction shift, I know it's still not great in many other parts of the country rn from this.

One of these fires at/near the BWCA was likely started by a controlled burn that never fully extinguished - so yes controlled burns are happening. The problem with this material is the window to do controlled burns and have any hope to actually control them is very, very small due to how much dead and standing timber there is over such a vast area. So controlled burns are very small and limited to areas deemed too close to civilization/human development to risk a natural wildfire ripping through it unchecked. Methods like creating extensive fire rows/fuel breaks and logging roads/lanes via targeted logging would also provide better access for responder/firefighting equipment and would be great additions to controlled burns, and could be done on a much larger scale without having to light things on fire - and revenue from that logging could be used by forest services to cover the costs to perform those activities. Those things are not occurring at the levels necessary to prevent us from breathing woodsmoke in the upper midwest a few months each summer on what now feels like an annual basis.

Much of the cause goes back many, many decades when portions of these areas (including the boundary waters) were heavily logged and clearcut when they were more mature and established forests. Then these areas saw too-dense regrowth of smaller spruce and other boreal type vegetation. A significant spruce budworm outbreak naturally follwed that, which decimated and killed off a ton of these smaller trees, particularly across the BWCA, leaving what amounts to a tinderbox of dead and/or diseased, standing small pine trees - wood that rots incredibly slowly and readily ignites. There has been a period of drought in the region, but the main issue is all the dead and densely packed timber through wilderness areas that have seen little to no forest management in recent decades - when lightning rolls through, it's like lighting matches on pine straw and the density of dead and dry fuel is going to cause wildfires. I'm supposed to be up in the BWCA in mid August and remain hopeful these fires (at least those near Ely area) get contained to the point where entry permits arent cancelled for my trip....but local outfitters and people who live up there will all tell you this is going to keep happening until the dead and standing pine wood is significantly thinned out.

Is that gas price hope based on your region, or the US on average? If it's US on average it won't get that low because of how much blue states tax it, and the west coast currently has a self-inflicted supply mess on its hands regardless of what is going on in Hormuz. Last time it was $2.50-$2.75 a gallon nationally for more than a hot second, we were in year 2 of the two weeks to stop the spread routine that cratered demand 5-6 years ago.

If they did they were way off...3.5% in June.

I know there are years where it isnt the case, but this team seems to find a way to have train wreck series in Pittsburg right before the AS break routinely, especially at the end of a long string of games without off days ot extended road trip. Hate seeing road games against the pirates in July on the schedule

Brewers may easily get through a day night doubleheader in the midst of summer in STL using 5 pitchers. Amazing in the middle of thjs extended stretch without a day off!

Hard for me to not see the air go out of Egypt's sails after getting robbed of one of their own goals scored...understanding that they did post a 2nd goal not long after that couldn't be stolen from them after the fact. Once Argentina got rolling Egypt wasn't going to slow them down and they mentally fell apart.

I get it, Argentina is great at soccer.... They're also the benefactor of an outrageous amount of favorable calls and reversals in a sport where just one can determine the outcome of a match. In a way it's sickening to watch - Egypt deserved to win and advance

Soccer is accessible here, too - it's simply that there's more money stateside in other sports and the USMNT rostering model within the US is far too reliant on collegiate programs who get their players from suburbia and not develop athletes starting at young ages. That's also part of the reason so many players on the USMNT happen to be dual citizens or were part of military families stationed overseas, because they benefitted from European training academies.

For anyone watching Argentina/Egypt....So VAR can be used to take a goal away due to a common foul not called during the game on the entire opposite side of the field roughly 45 seconds earlier in the match? How is that a thing? That's like taking a touchdown off the board at the end of a 6 play drive by going back to instant replay and having an offensive holding call retroactively imposed on the first 3rd and 5 conversion of the drive that wasn't even flagged by an official. I'll say it again, soccer rules are stupid....and quite frankly they really need to rein in what VAR can be used for.

If I had my choice to trade between Mitchell and Sal, I'd go with Sal. I get your point about trading in-season, but with the extensions to both Pratt and Lara and the real possibility there won't be a 2027 season, I think this organization finds itself in a unique spot where they could trade pieces from their existing MLB roster to dramatically improve areas of perceived need come postseason (IMO another impact starter and a shutdown reliever) and then actually improve or at worst maintain the level of production of the guys you trade away with prospect promotions like Lara.

The US needs better goalkeeping and needs to prioritize getting freak athletes with size to develop into defenders who are also terrors on set pieces in the penalty area. I think they have enough quality and options in the midfield, wings, and striker positions to take the next step, but they continually ask too much of those positions to help with a weak back end. The team this cycle really struggled to keep any opponent from scoring, so when the opponents get better and pressure ramps up, it winds up looking like this when they can't keep possession and control the game.

I think one of Sal or Mitchell becomes trade bait - you dont bring a prospect up youve already signed to a longterm extension without having an idea he's a starter. I'd give the Red Sox a call and see if they'd have interest in Sal + a prospect for Chapman

lol - somehow this is going to wind up in front of the Supreme Court. If that appeal happens after the decision is made (assuming Belgium wins they won't appeal, but if they lose I'm sure they will), do we just have to start the whole World Cup over?

The combination of the teams, venue, and moment made that match one of the most entertaining I've seen - I'm no soccer diehard, but that was awesome to watch.

The reaction to all this is a big reason why soccer just doesn't resonate in the US the same way the other major sports followed in our country. Feels like the feigned outrage is based on how an off-the-field procedure was followed/interpreted for what was a universally-panned and unfair red card issued on the field. The end result is getting a perceived star player onto the field in an elimination game, and every other team besides the USA is upset about it in the spirit of "fairness". I'll ask this simple question - if Messi, Haaland, Yamal, or any other country's star player switched spots with Balogun on that exact play - would VAR have even called down to the sideline to have the referee review the play knowing the still images would lead to that player getting red-carded? European fans upset over this because of fairness when that continent gets 1/3rd of the World Cup bids to start with is laughable. US culture wants teams to be at full strength or as close to full strength playing each other so it's "best on best", and star players get special treatment - it's high time this sort of break goes in the US' favor for soccer, when we all know the rest of the world's stars wouldn't ever find themselves under that sort of VAR scrutiny/review for a penalty that wasn't called directly on the field by a referee in the flow of the actual game.

As if everything in the history of FIFA doesn't reek of political influence, much of which has been driven by European countries in the history of soccer. Care to dive into how Qatar ever got to host the event 4 years ago? If you dislike political influence and the corruptness of FIFA, I'd advise you not to crack that egg. If the US were to win the entire world cup without this nonsensical red card drama, Soccer purists would deem it tainted anyway because the US was one of the host countries for the event this go-round - despite the fact it's been an incredible success for a sporting event of this caliber.

Eh, I don't care...lol

No way its tainted in my book - honestly if they lose tomorrow without him because of a bogus red card that would be tainted. FIFA has always made up rules as they go, for once it benefits the US

I agree - this is the year to go big. 2027 may not even have a season and who knows what the financial changes will do with prospect control/player salaries. Go get an impact starter and shutdown reliever....hope for a bat that can help, too.