madbad2000

This is something that does not get addressed enough by those claiming this virus is not that big of a deal. I have seen far too many people I personally know claim COVID-19 is just a "bad cold" or on par with normal flu. The effects of this outbreak go much farther than just X amount of people get it, X% will die, XXX are at risk and XX are not. Any numbers we get out of this (flawed or not) are going to be taken in a vacuum and only considering COVID. The strain on the hospital system is a very real danger not just for COVID, but for any other issues a person has to head to the hospital to receive treatment. This is bad because it may force an issue where certain people will not be able to receive treatment for this or other medical issues. Without treatment, that increases the risk and likelihood of severe outcomes for all issues. We only have a finite amount of doctors, nurses, beds, etc. This is something to consider when evaluating the regional differences in cases. The amount of beds and advanced care capability that is available in Chicago is different than Milwaukee or Cheyenne, WY. Keeping this isolated is the best defense for everyone and not just from a COVID 19 aspect.

I love Aussie Rules Football. I watched quite a bit of it during my time in the Army since I was working with some Australians who explained it to me. Once you get the rules down, the game opens up quite a bit. I have a great appreciation for these guys. More running than soccer, big hits (no pads) like football and lots of skill/strategy. The stamina required goes for everyone since every position has to run. Can't go wrong for following this sport. Go Roos!

The worst foul ball injuries I have seen are further down the line toward the foul pole. When a player turns on it and really rips it foul with everything. I saw a lady get hit in the eye by an absolute screamer because she wasnt paying attention. To stop that one the net would have had to go all the way to the wall. Others have made great points regarding railings. That doesnt seem to get brought up that often and I like the examples provided about Miller Park. I have no problem with them extending the netting. It does impact my personal viewing of the game quite a bit and makes it less enjoyable. It doesn't go away for me and I do not get used to it. I also like to take photographs some games and the netting impacts that too. I'm with MrTPlush and I will adjust my choices accordingly,. I generally like to be near the action and will have to scout out the best seating options when the net is in place. Hard to know how it will impact view until it's in place.

I'm not a fan of extending the netting, but I get it. It really is nothing to get worked up over and if that is such a deal breaker to your experience, try watching it on TV.

I'm not a fan of extending the netting, but I get it. It really is nothing to get worked up over and if that is such a deal breaker to your experience, try watching it on TV.

Dang it, the Brewers finally come to Baltimore for a series the year after I move away. I would highly recommend a road trip to Camden Yards.

I'll be there this evening to close on the house. Heading there for work, family, and cost of living. Ran my course in Maryland, time to get closer to family.

Well I'm about to move to Alabama, so I'll definitely try to get tickets and tkae the 2 hr drive to Tuscaloosa.

I think an International Draft is a necessity. Why not just have 1 draft? If its split, I could see the Innternational side being a lottery for non playoff teams. Even odds. Then add the playoff teams as they lose each round ased on lowest winning percentage.

Lots of good discussion on this topic. I have not attended many games over the past 10 years. Part of that is that I'm not close to Milwaukee to see my team, but the main thing is that costs far exceed the benefit to me. As my family has grown, so do the number of tickets I need to purchase. I can get into the stadium with a cheap seat, but that is not that enjoyable to me anymore. The seats I want to sit in cost close to a hundo a piece. So that starts me off at $300 a game (soon to be $400 in the near future). That doesn't get me any food or drinks. I would argue that is one of the big drivers in reduced attendance. Next time you're at a game, take a peek at the dispersion of fans in the different sections (box seats, reserved, cheat seats, etc.) to see where people are buying and attending. I would bet that "middle class" of tickets are probably a bit more barren. Just a guess. I'd much rather go to a minor league game and sit in the box seats for $12-14 a piece. It also doesn't help that TV has become such a convenient way to watch a game without the huge costs. Cannibalizing ticket sales most likely. Baseball has a few issues to deal with on both sides. First topic is dispersion of salary. Starts with what percentage goes to the player pool. Set a percentage and use that as the base. Owners and Players need to be honest and accept they both need each other. Owners do not have a business without players and vice versa. Second, fair playing field for team spending. You cannot keep this up with the vast difference between have and have nots of big and small markets. Third, make sure that spending is "uniform" with a cap and floor. Fourth, pay players across the board to include minor leaguers. It's sickening how little minor leaguers get paid. Pay them enough so that every player can focus on baseball 100% and not have to get part time jobs to survive. I'm fine with the level of control that teams have for developing players, but I'd like to see their salaries go up a bit. I really dislike the Arbitration process, this seems like it should be able to be simplified in terms of how to allot salaries. If you lower the years of team control, I would wager that you would see more of the service time manipulation to ensure you get the max performance at the cheapest rate. This means no learning at the MLB level. As a fan, I want to see the best and exciting players on the field. Need to find a way to make sure teams are not afraid to bring up their young guns and avoid having young stars toiling in AA/AAA instead of flashing their game at the MLB level.

I think there was a, how should I put it, a certain subset of Twitter that was actively rooting against them after Rapinoe's comments came out before the match against England. I'll leave it at that and hope others don't get political here. Well said Homer, we will leave it at that and avoid the politics. I also think that globally there are a lot of soccer fans that would have liked to have seen the team fail whether due to them being US, the heavy favorites or not their style of play (too cocky). I saw some similarities to how Brazil is generally viewed on the men's side. Perenially they are the favorites and oftened labeled as cocky. Lots of people like to see them lose whether that is because of their personal feelings or the satisfaction that their team won't have to play them in the knockouts.

The big problem I have is that FIFA controls the money and they are absolutely loaded. According to FIFA's 2018 financial report, the organization pulled in $4.6 billion, $2.89 billion in expenses/investment and has $2.74 billion in cash reserves. It's not comparable to owning a football or baseball team where the profit goes to the ownership group. And when you look at what they are paying in terms of their events versus what they force host nations to spend in order to host is nuts. It is hard for me to look at that organization and feel as if they are operating at the bottom line and payouts for each tournament need to be based on revenues of that event. The World Cup (men and women) are huge events for FIFA in more terms than revenue. According to FIFA's mission, their purpose is to spread football throughout the world through investments/development and maintaing consistent rules/fair game policy. The publicity and draw to soccer as a whole is nearly incalcuable in terms of the value they are receiving. This world cup was huge for drawing interest to soccer in the States, for both men and women viewers. The buzz of this tournament is what is needed to get additional countries to start their women's teams. Don't forget the women's tournament is only 24 teams vice 32 for the men. The more countries that buy in only means more viewers/advertisers/hosts for the women's tournaments. And the payout for a World Cup is only once every 2 years. It would be incredibly easy for FIFA to match the payouts for men and women and still roll away from their events swimming in cash. And to be fair, they can quite easily par some of that payout from the men's side to pay the women's. I would guess that a large percentage of the men's tournament players would likely accept playing for free as their main source of revenue is from their professional clubs. (not advocating this position, just saying that pride/winning is huge to players) There are other things they can do such as have a portion of the payout go to the winning club's national program with input from the players. This would serve their mission of investment while giving a charitable aspect to the team's performance. Lots of ways that FIFA can handle this to come out of this latest push with a major win and not really hurt their financial position.

Has there been any buzz on 13th rounder Jackson Gillis? An interesting case with how little he pitched on a team that just won the CWS.

I don't think there is really a comparison in terms of speed between Badger backs. Bennett was far and away the fastest RB that I have seen come through the program. I have never seen anyone bust through a hole and be gone like he did. In terms of burst, he was likely the best at that too. The one thing I saw with Bennett was that he would hit the jets a bit too premature before waiting for the hole to fully open. As an overall back, hard to top Melvin Gordon. I loved what he did his last year in terms of improving his hands and receiving ability. After all the flack he was getting for being a one dimensional runner, the next year he showed the completeness. In terms of running ability and patience, Dayne was the man. Watching that dude ride the hip of a lineman and shuffle with them until that gap was there and then hit the second level was a thing of beauty. He also had that burst once he turned it on and then you have the fun mismatches of DBs trying to tackle the wrecking ball. I am excited to see what Taylor does this year and hopefully we can see some of that growth that Gordon showed in terms of becoming a complete back that is such a weapon.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/06/brewers-sign-first-round-pick-ethan-small.html Small signed per MLB Traderumors

The Orioles have a new GM and staff and there is no history between the two front offices in terms of completed trades. What they do have is that Mike Elias (Baltimore) and Stearns both come from the Houston Astros pipeline with the same analytical goals. I would assume that means they would value the same players which could be good or bad. We will have to see how that plays out. For what it is worth, I live in the Baltimore area and follow the birds as my adopted local team. Mike Elias just did an interview where he was asked directly about trading Mancini. Instead of the normal canned response, he made it known that any player is available for discussion and the Os are open for business.

Anyone have a reasonable offer on the Brewers Stitch and Pitch bag SGA from June 4th? PM me.

I believe the Monument is supposed to open this Spring at some point. That is what the NPS site is showing. https://www.nps.gov/wamo/planyourvisit/index.htm

Texas is one of the top 3, if not the top school in terms of money. That doesn't mean they dictate what will happen with a super conference. If they decide to not move when super conferences happen, then they have just cut their revenue stream significantly and shut out any chance at a football national championship. I highly doubt their donors would like that. I can see Texas jump starting super conference change since they can take their pick of a conference since everyone will want them and the Big 12 can't survive as a major conference without them. I doubt Texas has the power to hold everything up because they don't want to move when super conferences become a thing. Once the movement happens, the prime target for expansion is going to be the Big 12. Outside of the Big 12 schools, the pool for expansion starts to get small pretty quickly. So if Texas says no thanks, are you saying the rest of the big 12 will stand pat instead of taking their chance to stay in a major conference to compete at the highest stage? From what I gather, most of the Big 12 schools do not like Texas since they take what they want and get special treatment.

I don't think Texas or Notre Dame are strong enough to stop super conferences from coming. Once it hits, they will be one of the first to move knowing that they will be shutout of any title hopes or major conference affiliation for their cash cow. If Oklahoma were to leave the Big 12, by themselves, I think the conference could survive. I don't think Oklahoma would leave by themselves. They have the gravy train right now as the dominant power in the Big 12 and yearly tickets to the playoff. If they are leaving, it's because the super conference moves have started and others are jumping ship too. I'm curious to see which conference is the one to start the domino. It seems to be in a bit of a standoff waiting for the others to blink. I wonder if the actual holdup is waiting on the lawsuits to finish and see how much the schools are going to have to pay their athletes. No need to worry about super conferences until that is settled as that may affect which schools even continue to play football.

I see super conferences happening and the major conferences are kind of just holding off until someone blinks. The biggest issue is likely going to be politics and the Big 12. I think it's fair to say at this point the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Pac 12 will be left standing and the Big 12 will split. You have Oklahoma and Texas as the major powers in terms of money and success within the Big 12. The last go around of expansion brought some interesting political comments regarding pairing of certain schools with Oklahoma/Okie State, Kansas/Kansas State and even Texas/smaller school like TCU or Baylor mentioned by some as a package deal. If cards actually started to fall, Notre Dame is likely to go ACC. Texas is the true wild card as their profile is a huge draw for a conference and they could have their pick of the Big Ten, SEC or Pac 12. From there the dominos will fall and some schools will be left out. It's also possible that poaching could happen in terms of schools from major conferences going to another. If super conferences become a thing, the wild west could happen with people jockeying for best position. If Texas can join the Big Ten and be put in the West, that is likely their best route to a championship vice SEC West or PAC 12 South with say Oklahoma. Scheduling is also nice as it should eliminate duplicate matchups in conference championships. You play the other 7 teams in your division, 5 non-conference. With 5 non-conference it gives more potential games for those schools not playing in a major conference to get good matchups. This format also allows teams to schedule tougher matchups without fear of losing out on a title chance because what matters is winning your division and conference, not rankings. Early season marquee matchups can make some nice cash which schools will want to grab since their share (TV, bowl pool, etc) goes down if you add more schools to your conference. It also allows you to schedule traditional rivalries if split. Say Oklahoma goes Pac 12 and Texas Big Ten. They can still play the Red River Shootout every year. Notre Dame can still schedule USC or Michigan or whomever they desire. You still keep bowl system so all parties cash in. You get a true champion format without polls as the 4 conference champions engage in a playoff for the winner. Conference matchups rotate yearly, no seeding required and they take place in the top bowl games. Removing the human element/bias will further help eliminate the debate over the process. Makes too much sense to happen, but I wonder if the NCAA even cares if they have an undisputed champion and the publicity/debate keeps their product in the public eye constantly.

The argument will never end whether you have 8, 16 or 32 teams. The best scenario that I see is 4 super conferences. It captures the major college teams in terms of inclusion and sets up a natural 4 team championship scenario that does not involve opinions/polls. Win your conference and you're in. Beat what is in front of you and you're the champion. The debate will come from which teams to include in the super conferences, but those conversations are not involving major teams thare realistically have a shot at the title.

I highly recommend renting bikes to see the monuments. It's incredibly fast and after you've walked the entire mall/monument loop you will be fairly sweaty and have easily logged your "steps" for the day. My favorite monument is probably Jefferson. I love the location mostly as it is across the basin by itself and normally gets a great breeze. I also recommend Arlington Cemetary/changing of the guard. Pretty classic visit there. Spring to take the transportation. The cemetary is on a hill and pretty large. The best tip I can give you is the same as FVBrewerFan. Go see the monuments at night. No crowds, they are all lit up and gives you a very peaceful feeling. Make sure you don't go too late as some of the lights go off. When we went to the White House we got there like 10 minutes before they shut them down. Museums are everywhere. I really enjoyed the American History Museum. Great exhibits and you can go see the original Stars and Stripes on display. Holocaust museum is great, but I had already been to Dachau and so it felt redundant and less powerful than the real thing. The Portrait Gallery is great too, much better than I would have imagined. If you like art, the National Gallery of Art is worth a visit. It is hard to miss on any of the museums and choose based on your own affinity for the subject matter. The Natural History Museum tends to attract more kids as it often has stuff like dinosaurs and what not. As NeedMoreFans points out, it can get busy. We are past the heavy season for tourism in DC, but it can still get crowded. The Udvar-Hazy Air and Space at Dulles is great, but it's a bit of a drive. If you're on a timeline, then skip it. If you have the time, check it out. Plus they have a 5 story high IMAX theater if that catches your fancy. Seeing an SR71 Blackbird, Space Shuttle and Enola Gay are worth the drive alone. They also have so much more than that. One spot my family and I really like are the botanical gardens by the Capital. Often gets overlooked, but they have some really nice displays. I have not been to either, but both always get recommendations: Spy Museum and Newseum. These are not part of the Smithsonian chain and have entrance fees. I know quite a few people that have done both and loved them. I also have not been to the National Archives to see the Declaration of Independance, Constitution, etc. The National Zoo is also popular if that is your thing. The big draw are the pandas. Once you are in DC, work the Metro if you can or walk. Driving and parking can be a pain and expensive. It is significantly better on the weekends, but can turn at a moment's notice. Sundays you can park for free on the streets. Restaurants are a tricky thing to suggest. My wife and I really enjoy Founding Farmers which is a farm to table restaurant that does amazing breakfast. DC is a food town and I usually just wing it. Restaurants are everywhere. I'd probably just use some travel site to search in the immediate area you are in and do somethine new. I have never had a bad dining experience in DC.

So how is that different than any other major sports that kids play in the US? We seem to be developing talent pretty well in baseball, basketball, football, and hockey.

In the past when Angelos was running things, yes. One of the big problems in Baltimore right now is who is actually calling the shots and there appears to be a power struggle going on. Duquette is the GM and his previous flirtation with leaving ( Toronto ) coupled with some bad contracts (Davis) has not gained confidence within the organization. It's pretty much assumed that he is gone at years end and a lame duck. Brady Anderson is currently serving in a back seat driver position where he has been doing some GM like duties without consultation with the GM and no real repercussions. Rumor is that he seeks more of a President of Baseball Operations role vice GM...but with oversight of GM actions. Buck Showalter is a legend in Charm City with the success that he brought. He is likely done coaching after this year and most feel like he has been positioning himself as the next GM to include taking a greater role in personnel decisions. But he may actually prefer a President role too which comes with less of the 24/7 duties the GM possesses. Angelos has essentially handed over his role to his two sons, which means we have two different owners opinions on how to run the franchise. Couple all of this with the reports that the Orioles have already started interviewing executives to include former Dodger GM Ned Colleti and this is an organization going in a different direction sooner rather than later. So for this deadline we have a likely lame duck GM, a likely lame duck manager with personnel influence, a meddling Executive with aspirations (Anderson) and 2 new ownership influencers. I would not use past actions in any way to try to predict what the Orioles are thinking. If I'm a decision maker for this team, I dont care at all if Machado takes the field in an exhibition. We already have our All Star selection. I'm giving Machado's last hoorah in an Orioles uniform to my paying fans at Camden yards instead of the hated Nationals.