rwa12

I've heard the opposite about this draft. It's supposed to be pretty deep, depending on who comes out.

I think the wait simply means that they were at least able to put together a case that was worthy of some consideration. Perhaps everyone in the chain of custody must be interviewed now? Like said above, at least the time should show that it wasn't a frivilous appeal.

I haven't been since '05, so my info may be dated. I saw many of the regulars swinging in the cage, but they weren't too accessible. I didn't try to hit the practice fields. I was able to get everyone I wanted before the game. I would arrive early to get seats right on the 1B line, and everyone stopped and signed pretty well. Most would chat and pose for photos too. Wes Helms was pretty chatty, Bill Hall wasn't bad, Prince was really nice...and I think I startled Enrique Cruz when I asked him for an auto by name (and in Spanish). Not sure anyone else there knew he was. Of course, all those guys are gone now...

Self Centered Indifference? If it happens to me I notice, if it doesn't, I don't care.

I guess it could be loosely considered an outlier. It is an event that is possible but happens infrequently. Maybe there is a better one?

JJ, I've used them in the past, I'm not in WI, so I'm guessing my guy won't be all that useful to you. These days, I think you almost need one, or a recruiter. So many job boards and online applications lead to a black hole. I've found a recruiter so useful in at least learning about and getting interviews for opportunities. I work for the gov't, so I feel you on getting somewhere that actually "pays" you. I just haven't found the right one yet. Good luck, if you are looking for something in the STL area, I'd be happy to PM you the guy's info. Rob

I don't recall there ever being much deliberation in these matters. I could be wrong, but I thought it was a pretty quick response.

I think we won the posting fee because most people can find their 4th and 5th OF without having to pay for negotiating rights.

I would guess that if Nyjer regresses, his schtick might draw some ire. I could see Gamel drawing some heat if he doesn't come out of the box hitting. I think Aramis brings big expectations, a prolonged slump is going to draw out the haters in the casual fanbase.

I haven't read all 38 pages, so forgive me if I am repetitive. He has been found guilty, so I don't understand the sentiment of "innocent until proven otherwise". This is an appeal, not an initial case, the verdict has been turned in. It is also not a traditional case, IMO, in that the plaintiff (MLB), has little to gain with a victory. In this scenario, it is entirely on the defense to refute the evidence. MLB is hurt by a reigning MVP testing positive, I don't expect them to be lenient, but I'm sure they are hoping he has a valid reason or case. The plaintiff does not have to prove guilt, they already have. They will have to defend their methods, and chain of custody, but I'm sure they have reviewed this already. I believe Braun did something wrong, how wrong or for what reason, I'm not sure. I don't believe their case will necessarily exonerate him. I think that the silence is because their case will somehow test a loophole or vulnerability in the process or claim. This is cynical, I think if he is found not-guilty it won't necessarily be because he was wrongly prosecuted, but because there was a mistake made along the line by MLB (along the lines of OJ). I don't think he wants the strategy or evidence leaked. I think he is hoping he wins his appeal in silence, and that MLB's response is that he won, and that is all. I don't think he wants the info of why he is innocent made public, because it won't portray him in a better light. This is purely speculation, as everything is with Braun, but given the way the scenario has played out, it would make sense to me. They don't want MLB aware of the loophole until they present it, they don't want there to be time for it to be closed. Hope I am wrong, hope he was taking viagra, or they switched the sample, or some such case. I think he receives the 50 game suspension, much to everyone's dismay.

Brewers Packers St Louis Blues Badgers Duke basketballBucks

St Louis Blues vs. Chicago Blackhawks- Almost always a good game, and my Blues are finally competitiveThe Winter Classic-Don't care who is playing, I love the outdoor hockeyPackers vs. Cowboys- I love when they beat the Cowboys.Wisconsin vs. Ohio St. in anything. I hate Ohio St. With a passion.

I think Harris is still probably 2 years away from contributing. He was the youngest player in the draft, and if memory serves, he was more athlete than ball player. Those guys take awhile to find a groove, if they ever do. I liked the Leuer pick then, and like it now. He seemed like a Scott Skiles guy.

Absolutely right Yoshi, mixed up my Post Players. Either way, I liked the previous deal more.

Hurts to lose Gordon, but the Clippers should still be decent. I'm not sure I like this haul better than the other one for NO. I think this trade hinges on the draft pick from Minnesota. Hornets should be competitive, and they got younger pieces, but I think they would have been better the next 2 years with Gasol/Martin/Odom.

Odom still has some value as well. They would be competitive with those additions. Can't forget, Paul is walking away with no return compensation in 7 months. This is a pretty big haul compared to that. They're not trading pennies on the dollar. Probably getting 75 cents on the dollar in this trade.

Gotta disagree Yoshii. I think NO was getting the best of this trade. A pick, Kevin Martin and Luis Scola. Scola is way underrated, and Martin is a valuable player. Paul has a bad wheel, no telling when that goes out again. I had no problem with the trade, with the exception of the league vetoing it.

I'd hang onto Bogut, but everyone else is available. He's a top six center, they just don't come along very often. Everyone else can be replaced. I'm curious to see how Jennings does with a vocal leader like Jackson. If Captain Jack can reign him in, they may be slightly above average. I would like to see them add another scorer before the season. Maybe they finally hit on the athlete in this years' draft, they can't all be Haislips...

I read on one of the sites that the Bucks should show interest in Jamal Crawford for his scoring. Brilliant idea, as the Corey Maggette project worked so well. I think Captain Jack will actually succeed here. If we can get decent performances out of the supporting cast, I could see a 7-8 seed again.

I agree with trwi, these guys are just dumb. The unfortunate part, is that the loudest opponents are guys that are near the end of their career, and have made their money. The offers aren't going to get better. Maybe they should be getting the 2 NBA players that actually went to college to represent them. As it is, guys with basically a high school education are trying to compete against men who, for the most part, have made billions with their business savvy. This is more lopsided than the Packers-Vikings game last night.

A few years ago, everything was Harry Potter knockoffs. Next year, it will all be variants of The Hunger Games (which I read, not knowing before I started the first that it was teen fiction, they're not terrible, and the first book was fairly decent). I've watched one of the movies, at my wife's request, and found it awful. I most likely will have to see the new one as well. It's not the story that is the problem, it is the horrible acting.

I agree with Al about Bridesmaids, he actually summed up my feelings on it entirely. I thought that Melissa McCarthy was the only character that made it watchable.

These thoughts have been banging around my head, they are loosely related, not sure if they belong here, or if Off Topic would be more appropriate. I'm curious, as a fan, what other fans expect of players. Here are a few thoughts to get the ball rolling. 1) At what point are these guys humans, and at what point are they property? Greinke would be a good example of this. I've seen fans at many sites complain about the accessibility of players, that they are not particularly friendly or won't sign autographs. I believe if a player is contractually obligated to fan interaction, then that is his responsibility, otherwise, it can really only be my expectation that he will perform on the field. It's nice when guys are personable, but not expected. This is obviously only one aspect of this topic, it can be taken from many different angles. How long is too long to stay away when your wife gives birth? What if there is an illness in the family? What is the player's obligation to the team over self? You and I get sick leave and the like, why shouldn't they? I understand the importance of each game, but is there a line? 2) The hometown discount. I see this a lot, not necessarily here all the time, but in many forums. Fans feel that the team that drafted the player should be given special treatment. This is interesting to me, because I think it varies by situation. Mike Piazza, to me, owed the Dodgers a hometown discount. They drafted him in the boonie rounds as a favor. They gave him his shot, that he most likely would not have garnered otherwise. Should he sign for far below market? No, but it is my feeling that all things equal, consideration should be given to the team that got you here. Just my opinion, could be wrong. Guys like Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, etc. don't really owe the team anything, IMO. They were high picks, that would have been happily scooped up by the teams immediately following. The Brewers didn't do them any favors, they were going to make money regardless. I also find it interesting because, it would seem in any negotiation that the arrived upon salary would be the lowest amount that management had to play to keep their asset. I don't know of a ton of teams that pay extra for players just because they like them, obvious exclusion of Derek Jeter. 3) Professionalism. This one I find especially fascinating. We here constantly that these guys are professional, they should carry themselves in a certain manner. These guys are where they are because of a special talent at a child's game. Most are not highly educated, and many came from less than stellar backgrounds. This spans all sports. Newfound wealth from sports does not equate to professionalism. Pro players, for the most part, have lived their lives being the best around at their chosen game. From little league through the draft, they were the best. Entering the pros, they meet their counterparts. What prepares these guys to react to being not the best? Kevin Youkilis is a fairly well acknowledged hot-head, he gets angry over popping out in non important games, he's thrown tantrums. Sportswriters and teammates roll their eyes and comment on this, but seriously, what has prepared this guy to fail? He's always been the best. Doctors, lawyers, businessmen, are trained in etiquette. They have been taught how to maintain themselves in a professional manner. It seems to me that people assume the wealth of players should lead them to be professional. I could be way off base on most of this, would appreciate thoughts.

Chipper Jones talked about Heyward's struggles earlier this season here . If he can adjust, he'll be a superstar. If he doesn't, he'll be Jeff Francoeur.

The Kotsay play wasn't routine, it was a catch that Gomez and probably Morgan makes. At the least it's on the run, with a slide possible. Kotsay botched the ball, and should never have been in CF, however Braun absolutely should have backed up that ball. He's a great hitter, not much of a left fielder, I think that's established. He knew Kotsay was in the game, he could see the play unfolding, there was a better chance than not that MK doesn't make that play. Braun has to be ready, call it fundamentals, call it common sense, whatever you want. Kotsay should have caught the ball, Braun could have bailed him out, neither did the job in that situation. I agree with others, game 5 was the turning point in the series for me. They were awful, hard to bounce back from that with any confidence.