tmwiese55

I use to feel the same way, but he started to loosen up last year. I know a lot of people don't like Rock either, but I think they've grown together and are pretty entertaining. It's really tough to balance calling a good game, providing insight on the game, and having some fun with each other during a 3 hour broadcast. I think they've gotten to the point where they do it pretty well. Now if they would massively overhaul (or drop) the pre and post game commentary, we would really have something. I agree. It's very easy to get sick of your hometown announcers when you watch every game every day and hear the same stuff over and over. IMO these two have a good balance of everything. Also, I didn't really appreciate our announcers until MLB Network came along and did the look ins to other games with home announcers, if you spend some time doing that you'll be shocked at the amount of dead air and just nothing being talked about. You'll realize we have better than most, no matter how you want to nitpick our guys.

I think I saw last night that Monmouth is still expected to make it, apparently they've beaten several major conference teams. Just glad UW isn't on the bubble on anymore to worry about this anymore. Although things like this are made up for by Louisville and SMU freeing up two extra spots. It would be cool to see UWGB make it as a surprise, they've had several good teams the last few years that could've easily made and were even favorites to do it but ended up blowing it in the conference tourney, so they're kind of due.

I used to be against any expansion of the netting but having sat behind the netting several times the last few years it really isn't much of bother, you actually end up forgetting it's even there. You probably don't need it the extent it is behind the plate but a few feet tall of it going down the line a bit won't hurt anything. My biggest complaint was the same as yours, you should be watching the game, etc. However, at this point we have to accept the preponderance of smart phones (and their use for enhancing the game by looking up stats or other info, and they're likely to be used soon to order food/drink to your seat). Honestly this could happen to even the most adamant watchers of the game as they look away to pay for a beer, read a text, look up OBP, how old a player is, check their fantasy team, wash their kids face off, and may other perferctly routine things. Why not put a little extra net up to reduce the chances greatly.

The way I understand it they'll play Maryland on Friday. After last night I think I'd rather play MD than deal those bigs at Purdue again. Overall UW played great and would win most nights, Purdue just played better. Have to just tip your hat and accept it. They were fired up and hit shots, good game on their part.

While DeGrom is underpaid now this is the system that was agreed upon by their union (supposedly the strongest in the world) therefore he should accept it. This is the same system that will allow him to make 30+ mil per year at age 34 when isn't any good anymore. It balances out on the backend as long as you get there. But again, it was agreed to in the CBA.

Agreed, I'm hoping to get to the 6 line to avoid the top teams like MSU, Oklahoma, UNC, Kansas, UVA, etc. Will probably be tough to get above 7 without beating Purdue though, unless they make the B1G title game.

Iowa will forever be crippled by Fran as the coach. We get up by two and they frantically come up and turn it over several times in a row very badly. Then factor in that he frequently erupts on refs when the call is clearly correct and he has nothing to complain about, and then later on some 50/50 things won't go your way. He doesn't just complain, he completely goes off on the refs. Which should be reserved for only clearly egregious instances

Well technically Dudley is worth just about what we got for him...which is slightly more than squadoosh. Ersan is Ersan, and just got traded again with another bum. ZaZa is doing OK, but he's just an average player with not much defense. I got the point of Vasquez somewhat...he was available, has size, a good FT shooter, can hit an occasional shot, and a decent passer. Was he worth a 1st round pick to me? No, but in reality it wasn't giving up much. I think we were hedging ourselves against MCW not developing with a decent, somewhat young PG, but once he got hurt that whole plan went out the window for the year. Correct me if i'm wrong but my memory tells me that 1st rounder via the Clippers is top 15ish protected, and if we don't end up turning it around here in the 2nd half we'll still have that pick this June. The 2nd rounder is worth nothing..those picks never amount to anything. Have you watched this season? Zaza is averaging a double double starting for the 5 or 6 seed in the west, even got cursory all star talk, we got nothing. Ersan played generally well and has helped Detroit turn things around, then was traded for 24 yr old who just signed 16mil per year contract. What did we get? Nothing. Dudley is a solid rotation player hitting 46% of his 3s while playing great defense, and even starts most games for a team that was supposed to make the playoffs, we got nothing. I never thought Vasquez would be as bad as he was and it was likely due to injury but how do we give up 3 solid players for nothing. Yet they get a first and a second for one solid player? The real kicker is that we're supposed to be a young team, why give up a first for one year of a backup PG.

Yes, that Vasquez trade was mind boggling, not just now after the bad play and injury, but at the time it also made no sense. We're #owningthefuture but giving up a first rounder for one year of a backup PG? Compound that with that we gave away Irsan, Dudley, Zaza for literally nothing. I mean, if Vasquez is worth a first and a second how are those guys worth nothing. Huge bad sign for Kidd as our future GM (well, he currently is the GM too I guess so...)

Prince was 5'10 at most, and was predictably bad at defense. But he did play first for years. A guy like this doesn't have the bat for it as a starter. But as a bench player it helps him find more PA and just overall flexibility to the roster.

Monroe was a no lose situation. If he comes in and clicks, great you win. If not, no big deal, you trade him for whatever you can get and you're only out the money you spent on his contract. easy asset acquisition and no risk since they weren't winning anything this year anyway. Even if they keep playing this way with the real starters staggered, he's still playing 30 minutes and contributing. He just overlaps with Jabari less which helps. But of course that role isn't worth 20+ mil like he'll want in his next contract. I would guess a trade in the offseason as well for him. A big surprise to me lately is that Plumleee really isn't bad, if Henson could ever stay healthy and play consistently they could easily get by for a year or two with a Henson/Plumlee combo until they find the next Sanders.

Nova played two ranked teams in the Non conference and lost to both by double digits - Oklahoma and Virginia. I know the Big East rates well in the computer rankings but it just feels like a conference that is going to struggle to get teams to the second week of games in the NCAA tourney. Teams like Providence, Butler, Creighton seem like teams destined to be out in the first our second round. Xavier isnt incredibly impressive either. Villanova has not been a good tourney team recently either. Hasnt been out of the first weekend the last 6 years and they were a 1 seed once and a 2 seed twice. As a Badger fan if the Badgers make their way to the 8-9 line Nova is the 1 seed I would love to be with. I totally agree. Every year I comment on how these teams aren't that good. People defend them based on some rankings system and then Nova loses in the second round almost every year. I'd love to be 8/9 and get them or be 7/10 and get Xavier second round. Would rather not see Kansas, UNC, Oklahoma types.

Anderson is there for depth, these rebuild seasons are a lot less painful to the fans if you're losing 6-3 instead of 11-3 and you're not down 6-0 after two innings, which is what comes when you have to run out minor leaguers or days of all bullpen pitching. For example, last April was horrible to watch as a fan, the rest of the year was fine. And just overall it's less painful if you win 70 games instead of 56. Cheezwiz, hit it on the head regarding giving up Wagner for Anderson. You have to give something up, deals can't all be one sided.

Agreed on Master of None. One of the best things I've seen in a long time. Very well written and real.

I get that maybe he should stay away from the media as a story like this hurts the Brewers leverage. However, I don't agree with being mad at him for being honest, calling him a whiner, etc. How much do we complain about athletes giving canned BS answers of no substance. Here you have a guy give a completely honest and fair answer for once. And then everyone gets mad it him for saying it, well, this is why they all lie and give cliche BS answers. Because they know anything else will lead to some sort of blowback.

Only thing I would throw out would maybe be the picnic type area behind the RF fence. I've never done it but it seems like a good option for groups due to being able to kind of mingle a little bit more rather than sitting in a row of seats where you really only talk to the people next to you. Not sure on the cost vs normal tix and what extra you get but in a season like this they're probably willing to be flexible if you call a rep.

19 pt spread right now. Everyone expects a bloodbath

Yea Santana isn't the one to go. It's going to be Davis unless someone gives them a monster deal for Braun which isn't happening. And I don't necessarily mean monster just in prospects, but also be willing to take on all the money, or if they won't take all the money then the prospect return will need to be very strong. With no other salaries on the roster there's really no harm in keeping Braun around unless you get a solid return, which I doubt they will. So Davis will be the one going out.

I'm fine with the trade, like the return. Have to think a Davis trade is going to happen and if not Braun will start the move to 1B. But I fully expect Davis traded now, well Lucroy too. Kind of kicking myself or re-upping my tickets for next year, but as David Puddy would say, you gotta support the team.

One thing I didn't see mentioned in the thread is the structure of free agency in baseball being a factor as well. These salaries look outlandish but their somewhat subsidized by forcing guys to play for next to nothing(relatively speaking of course) their first 7 years. What the NBA max salary did was force the money to be spread out to the rest of the roster rather than 50% or more of it going to the true superstars (where it would really go if it was a free market). Instead you have backup players making 8mil, and now 12 mil that the cap is jumping up. Really the result is the same in the NFL too, but since they don't have guaranteed salaries it's a different animal and not easy to compare. If MLB had a real salary cap and allowed players to be free agents sooner it would balance things out a bit more throughout the roster and maybe these wouldn't look as ridiculous. Yea it's going to be amazing to see what Harper gets since he will go all the way to FA. Trout would've gotten a monster too but signed early.

I'd rather pay David Price $30mil...or whatever Greinke gets paid. I think most like it on account of only being 5 years though, not so much the yearly. So you end up committing less than 50% as much money that those top guys will get. And as long as you get the first 3 years at reasonably close to what he's been then you can sigh that you didn't get completely killed on it. Also, I'm not sure on an opt out on zimmerman. But most of these mega deals for pitchers include an opt out after 3-4 years. So, if they guy is good he's going to demand another 7+ year deal after 3 years, so you're on the hook now for 10. If he's bad or gets hurt during the first deal, you're stuck with 7.

Whiteside is the exact type I would've preferred as opposed to Monroe's type. At this point though you already have Monroe, too late. Can't have 50 mil per year locked into one position in an era when you can only play one big. And when you already have Giannis/Jabari using up the 4 position for a lot of minutes. Another target of similar game/potential would be the backup C in Houston. Cappella I think is his name. Would be much much cheaper. I thought he was a good target before we got Monroe, but again it's moot now that they re-signed Henson.

I wouldn't say he's from Memphis, he's just been there most since HS. I don't think he would've stayed if Memphis was planning on trading Randolph, letting Conley walk and starting a rebuild. I think it's been reported in the Memphis circles that they talked and agreed to both stay. I agree, Middleton is very good and I'm happy with him in spite of the slow start. And I agree I don't see them forking out 20+ mil to a FA but rather will focus on drafting or grabbing some young guy who's buried. Like a Reggie Jackson or Eric Bledsoe type of thing. Which is why the Teague rumblings start as they have a young guy pushing up.

Right we just committed over 30 mil per year to the C position, not needed. If we didn't have Monroe a Whiteside (or well basically Larry Sanders) type is exactly what I would've preferred. Conley and Gasol almost assuredly made an agreement that Conley would stay or else Gasol wouldn't have stayed. Atlanta isn't likely to trade Teague any time soon, would probably need to wait until he's a FA as suggested, or at least at the deadline before. There's a good shot Horford leaves this year and with the cap rise they won't be up against it any time soon so no reason to rush a trade. Try playing both together and see what happens. Check out Boston's roster. That might be where a PG option comes from. They have several already and have a ton of draft picks coming up where they'll need to free roster spots.

Copeland and Vasquez have been brutal on D too. Copeland basically looks immobile and can only do one thing, shoot. I was against the Vasquez trade based on giving up a 1st rounder for a one year contract. But I still thought he'd be a solid rotation player, and he still might turn out that way. But the early returns aren't good on him. Someone like Monroe appears to be engaged defensively, gives effort, and wants to do well, that's half the battle, just needs to be coached up and he should be passable on D eventually. They have some very winnable games coming up now, need to right the ship.