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bjkrautk

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Everything posted by bjkrautk

  1. bjkrautk
    Liked (in hastily-assembled order): Iron Man (Downey Jr. plays a pitch-perfect Tony Stark.) Hellboy 2 (Never read the comic, but but Del Toro's style as a filmmaker really shines through in the Hellboy movies....especially as someone who remembers Blade II.) Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Any movie that alternates between scantily clad Kristen Bell and scantily clad Mila Kunis is off to a good start...and unlike a certain blogger, I thought it was funny.) Zack & Miri (...the plot and the core of the film were classicly Kevin Smith, but the snappy dialogue was notably absent) Quantum of Solace (Felt more like a 'Bourne' homage than Casino Royale; still missing some sort of 'Q' cameo / role.) Tropic Thunder (Although everyone else I watched it with hated it) Neutral: Cloverfield (As a popcorn flick, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit....but the presentation and all of the trappings surrounding it just makes the end product feel...unfinished.) The Dark Knight (Just like Batman Begins, the film's ending just kills it for me.) Hulk (I appreciated how much closer this movie was to the source material than Ang Lee's version....but the Marvel Zombie in me has never really clicked with the big green guy.) Disliked: Wanted (No part of this movie worked for me. Adimittedly, I'm not much of a "turn your mind off and watch" guy.) Indiana Jones 4 (Keep the Indy-Marian characterization, lose pretty much everything else, and they could have something...) Didn't See Pretty much everything else.
  2. bjkrautk
    There is only one tool with which MLB will ever push forward towards greater competitive balance: revenue sharing. Prior to Selig's tenure as Commish, there was no revenue sharing in MLB. It is only by shifting funds away from the top markets and towards the bottom that the league can approach parity. This kind of sharing is far easier in the NFL, where the TV rights are sold as a bundle (whereas MLB, and even the NBA, have to rely on local TV deals in addition to the national packages). One of the best (and least heralded) things I think Selig has done was to bundle MLB online rights; as that positions the league to have greater shared revenue in the long run. Will things ever be perfectly even? No. They aren't that way in the NFL either; teams are increasingly looking for non-shared revenue streams as a means to circumvent revenue sharing. The Cowboys are practically building a mall around the periphery of the new Texas Stadium, and the Packers have started buying up real estate surrounding Lambeau should they need to do likewise. (That doesn't even begin to mention the Lambeau Field Atrium, and its year-round revenue.) I'd also be curious as to the disparity in revenue generated from pre-season football games (which are handled locally). You're never going to see 1/30th of all revenue split equally in the next CBA; incremental change is the way these things work.
  3. bjkrautk
    Valkyria Chronicles has running and shooting, but it's a strategy game and not an FPS. (VC is the # 1 game that I'd recommend to anyone with a PS3....in case you couldn't tell from all the references in this thread.) If the game has to be an FPS, you might want to take a Look at Resistance 1&2 (haven't played personally). If you just want to shoot stuff, and don't mind some occasional deviations from the running and shooting, try out Rachet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. (The game looks beautiful on an HDTV, and is just fun.) Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is a another shooter-esque game, but comes off as more of an improved Tomb Raider game than a pure shooter, but there's still quite a bit of gunplay (again, haven't played). I've heard mixed things about the PS3 version of SOCOM, but that's another title you may want to look at if you're that into multiplayer shooters. And I would be remiss if I failed to point out that Call of Duty: World at War is based on the CoD4 engine. Finally, if you haven't played it on PC (or 360), you're getting a ton of game for your $ by picking up The Orange Box. Team Fortress 2 (great multiplayer FPS), Half Life 2, and HL2 Episodes 1 & 2 (single player FPS), and Portal (first person, 3d comedy/puzzle/platformer) all on one disc.
  4. bjkrautk
    "Mercedes is the only sponsor that is officially not renewing for next year," he said. "Their deal was up. We knew going into the '08 season that Mercedes was getting some funding from the national company and sometimes that money goes away. J-S Online update on the team's financial situation. Interesting to note: the other sponsors are paying more for their ads, based on the higher attendance / ratings.
  5. bjkrautk
    If anyone is going to be able to get you an answer to this kind of question, try the AVS Forum.
  6. bjkrautk
    The idea was to take a quick 2 and foul, hoping to squeeze an extra possession out of the game. The problem wasn't the decision, per se, but the execution. There was 24 seconds on the clock after Texas hit their last jumper; Wisconsin ran 18 seconds off the clock before getting their shot. Right now, the Badgers have go-to answer in the post when Landry isn't in the flow of the game. Landry has had to go to the bench with foul trouble in 2 of the 3 Wisconsin losses (Texas, Marquette), and while Leuer could become that kind of scoring presence....he's not there yet.
  7. bjkrautk
    http://www.theonion.com/content/node/27656 I keep thinking about this story, even if it was written 6 years too early.
  8. bjkrautk
    I think the Yankees' revenue sharing / luxury tax payment is going to be higher than some teams payrolls for the next few seasons. While I would love to have had the Yankees' first round pick instead of the second, I'm more concerned about getting a good player with that pick (which is certainly possible).
  9. bjkrautk
    I haven't tried Shaun White's game yet, but I have to post if only to stop people from picking up SSX Blur for the Wii. It's just not that good; they changed all the mechanics to adjust to motion control....by replacing the fun parts of the game (ubertricks) with attempts to flail the wiimote & nunchuck in a pattern, and trying to guess why it didn't work. My biggest disappointment of this generation is that there hasn't been a good SSX game. Also, if you like strategy games at all, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is the best game I've played on the console (mainly because it ignores most of the Wii's trappings, and sticks to the series' base). It's a direct sequel to the GameCube version (which I actually prefer, for what it's worth), but is one of the most challenging strategy games I've ever played. Boom Blox is a great, fun casual / party game.
  10. bjkrautk
    Vista itself seems to eat up about 1-2 GB of memory on the Dell I bought in November; I couldn't in good conscience recommend 1GB of RAM to anyone unless they were running XP (and even then, I'd recommend upgrading). I can easily recommend the Dell Studio 15 laptop. Whatever laptop you look for, you should try to find one with an HDMI output, as the Brewers will most likely look better on an HDTV than on your 15" or 17" laptop screen. I also recommend trying to find the best graphics chip in your price constraints (as, unlike RAM, they are nearly impossible to upgrade on a laptop). Once you do get locked in to a particular computer model / configuration, keep an eye on the company's website for price changes / "deals." Dell, in particular, loves to bundle together different feature sets and then drop $20-100 off the price as a means of hooking customers.
  11. bjkrautk
    I've never understood the euphoria over plugins; just give me a good web browser that already does the things I want it to (like, say, browse the web) and I'm perfectly happy. I'm sure I have some of the plugins on your list (flash being the most obvious example), but other than plugins, I run straight vanilla Firefox. (At home; work leaves me stuck with IE.)
  12. bjkrautk
    Trot Nixon = Geoff Jenkins; decent player for a bench role, and can start against most RHP. His most similar player (by age 34) is Raul Ibanez, who just signed for considably more money. Seems like a good, low-risk guy. Duffy, however, will most likely spend all year in AAA.
  13. bjkrautk
    I don't think anyone believes otherwise; the question Doug Melvin is working on is whether Cabrera and an extra $7-10 million to spend on free agent(s) will provide an upgrade over Cameron.
  14. bjkrautk
    I had posted a link to the Don Walker blog piece (J-S Online) in the fiscal responsibility thread, but it may well deserve its own topic. If I had to make a guess at the next sponsorship to go, that MLB-wide deal with Chevrolet would be a good place to start...
  15. bjkrautk
    JohnBriggs12, I'll see your Mike Cameron, and raise you an Alfonso Soriano .268 / .304 / .432 as a 25 year-old rookie for the Yankees. Cabrera doesn't turn 25 until the second half of 2009. If you project his 2008 numbers down (MLE Calculator), they'd be on-par with Alcides Escobar last season....and there's a contingency of Brewers fans clamoring for him to be in the majors. And that was in a down year. Melky Cabrera already has over 1400 ABs in the majors, and is now at the age when a number of prospects are first cracking an everyday lineup. To use those ABs as though they represent his peak performance....just seems wrong to me. Granted, his age is no guaranty that he'll improve over the next few years (see Weeks, Rickie) or that any improvement will be permanent (see Hall, Bill -- someone whose numbers take a huge upswing at age 25). His dip in walk rate over from year 1 to years 2 & 3 give me cause for concern. I still think there's at least a real chance of buying low on Cabrera. There are 3 aspects to be taken into consideration for this trade (if it happens): 1) Does Cabrera improve, like you would expect out of a player in his age range? 2) Can Mike Cameron put up another season above his career .788 OPS....at age 36? 3) What does Milwaukee do with the cash savings? Don't forget, when thinking about # 3, that the Brewers saved $0.75M by exercising the option on Cameron, instead of a buy-out. Assuming they trade Cameron, they're essentially free-rolling on the deal.
  16. bjkrautk
    I think that the Economic uncertainty can have all kinds of ripple effects on the Brewers revenue streams and projected income. If their revenue coming in isn't as large as it was last year, I don't think it's crazy to push down the payroll with that in mind. (Even if they can keep attendance high....will there be a trade-off in lowered concession / merchandise revenue?) That's not to say that the Brewers should field a team in the $40-million range next year; a slight bump upward from the 2008 starting (pre-C.C.) payroll would be fine. I also hate the idea of projecting win #s for a team that isn't even close to training camp....as though the number itself has any real value. They're not done putting the team together yet. The interesting part of the Mark A. quotes - to me anyway - was the discussion of a "Budget-busting name." The acknowledgement that there are players whose reputations alone will help put fans into the seats. I hardly think it's coincidence that Randy Johnson and John Smoltz are on the FA pitchers list, as they're both guys that I would make sure to buy a ticket just to see in a Brewers Uniform (like I did C.C. and even Hideo Nomo back in the day). Call me optimistic, but I think the Brewers will sign one "budget-busting" name before the off-season is over.
  17. bjkrautk
    Melvin had said all along that Sabathia was a "special case" and losing him didn't mean he'd roll the $100 million over into an offer for another free agent pitcher. The Brewers were willing to have a higher payroll with Sabathia and stretch their budget. "There's not a lot of starting pitching that I think we'll bid on," said Melvin. Brewers Blog, J-S Online.
  18. bjkrautk
    http://sports.excite.com/news/12042008/v9903.html $0.95 million, according to AP. Good deal for the price. I second the 'Jorrible Julio' nickname.
  19. bjkrautk
    I'm going to retroactively blame this trade for my flipping San Diego and San Francisco in the (fake) Renteria to SF thread. Depending on how the money works out (he made $4.5 mil in '08), St. Louis may be well served by buying low on Greene. If they can get the 2005-2007 version, playing passable defense, and providing some pop, it will be a good deal for them. Looking into the numbers, as his HR totals shot up in '07, his selectivity went down (from 3.9 P/PA in '06 to 3.56). Although his pitch selection bounced back (3.78 P/PA in 2008, right around his career norms), he kept trying to hit the ball out of the park (GB/FB of .64, significantly off his career .79 figure). Assuming the Cardinals can bring him back to his old approach, there's at least cause to believe he can revert to form.
  20. bjkrautk
    ...or at least he is when his character doesn't turn on a dime, like he did Monday night. (Don't think that one's spoiler worthy, since I didn't give any details.) I liked the original series quite a bit, and really enjoyed TNG; was never able to get into the other spin-offs. I don't think I even saw the last two movies. J.J. Abrams has me hooked, going all the way back to season 1 of Alias, so I'm sure I'll be watching this one in the theater. Also, Simon Pegg as Scotty. :D
  21. bjkrautk
    I'd be curious on a HoF trial for David Cone; 1 Cy Young + 5 WS rings, 22nd All-time in Strikeouts (although not a full-time starter until about age 25). On the other hand, he only won 20 games once in his career (amazingly, not the same year he won the Cy Young), and it's difficult to say he was the best starting pitcher on most of those Yankees teams. Henderson's a no-brainer.
  22. bjkrautk
    Congratulations on making a lot of us feel old. Plesac is the first Brewers closer that I remember; I learned about the save rule due to an article about him in one of the team's yearbooks (1989?). I don't know that he was a dominant closer long enough to make it into the hall, but he became one of the game's top situational lefties (although I think Orosco probably has him beat as one of the original LOOGY's), which has really transformed the way that teams view the bullpen.
  23. bjkrautk
    I've only skimmed the thread, but seeing as how I haven't seen anyone else say it: Sounds like Swindle could be a real steal.
  24. bjkrautk
    Just to provide the update, the PS3 version of Rock Band 2 was updated this week to fix any compatability issues with the GH:WT drum kit.
  25. bjkrautk
    Well, if the Badgers had to lose, a loss to the #2 ranked team in the country isn't the worst loss. (Not to mention, playing another Big East team will be good for the RPI). The silver lining was watching Rob Wilson go right after Thabeet (and draw the foul). With Freshmen, I like to see little signs of encouragement...and he showed something tonight.
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