Raw Biz

I think Gomez needs to be fined $10k every time he swings at the first pitch.

I usually start watching every year about a month before Wrestlemania but then give up shortly after because the product just isn't what it used to be. My favorite days were the Attitude Era and the Monday Night War. Now it's all PG stuff and while that isn't necessarily a bad thing, I think most of the wrestlers now are garbage. Or at least the characters are. I actually miss the days of over-the-top gimmicks and that kind of stuff just doesn't exist anymore. Everybody is more or less "normal." I'd love to see some more face-paint or crazy costumes. I also don't like how tag teams are basically non-existent. And the ones that do exist are basically just singles guys teaming up. I loved the themed team tag teams (L.O.D., Rockers, Smoking Gunns, Demolition, etc.). I will say that I am pumped for this weekend though. I made a Double Power Hour DVD of all Wrestlemania matches (1 minute clips) and we're doing that Saturday night. Sunday is Wrestlemania and Monday is opening day. Can't wait!

From my experience, yes, the dollar dogs are inferior. However, they still only cost a buck. I'm pretty sure there is still a section that sells dollar dogs every game but few people want to waste 2 innings walking to a special section to get an inferior product for a cheaper price.

It's definitely nice to be able to bring stuff in but sometimes it's also nice to be able to eat "baseball food" while actually watching the game. I would say stuff like burgers, brats, hot dogs, nachos, etc. I don't think you can bring this type of stuff in and if you could, it probably wouldn't be as good since it wouldn't be fresh off the grill. For me, eating a sub while watching a game just doesn't cut it. I understand the need to increase prices a bit but I think they should do a few more promotions throughout the year, more than just dollar hot dogs. Maybe $3 brats or burgers or $2 nachos or something like that. Or perhaps a team-based promotion where if the Brewers win a certain number of home games in a row or a player does a certain feat, then there will be some kind of special for the next home game or homestand. I just think that would be a way to not only sell more items but also sell more tickets (although that doesn't seem like much of a problem so far).

We were able to tailgate when we went in April 08. It was a smaller parking lot and it was actually mostly Brewer fans but it was close enough to walk to the stadium. As for places to go out, this was talked about in another thread but I'm not sure which. Cincy doesn't offer a whole lot of night life but if you go across the bridge to Kentucky (5 minute or so cab ride), there's a great German beer hall. We were only there for a night but this is where we spent it.

I wouldn't dispute this. However, I would say that the average player now is better than the average player then. Sure there were studs but the difference between them and every one else is a lot bigger than the difference between today's studs and everyone else (by everyone else, I mean average).

I think part of the reason pitchers were able to throw so many innings 40+ years ago is because hitters weren't as skilled as they are today. Sure there were great hitters then but the average player today is better than the average player then. Add to that the fact that mounds were at least five inches higher off the ground, so pitchers had even more of an advantage. Plus, pitchers weren't throwing as many sliders and splitters like today, which put added stress on the arm. Combining everything, pitchers then didn't have to exert as much energy as they do today and they were conditioned to throw longer. I think most pitchers could go out there and throw 100+ pitches every 3 or 4 days if all they were throwing was fastballs and changeups. But that's just not how the game works these days.

Steel Dragon FTW! How can you not come out to a song from a fake band consisting of Mark Wahlberg, McNulty from The Wire, Zakk Wylde, and John Bonham's son?

They've already said that Michael will leave before the season finale. I think Will Ferrell's first episode is Michael's last. So there should be at least three more after that.

I still think we could support an NHL team. The Admirals draw pretty well for a minor-league team and the Badgers have a long history of success. It just makes more sense to me to have teams in hockey cities, not west-coast or southern cities. That may be why Phoenix and Atlanta have both had their problems. I still don't understand the need for 2 teams in Florida and all the teams on the west coast, in addition to PHX and ATL.

The only BP ones I haven't seen are 127 Hours, Black Swan, and The King's Speech. When I think about what should win BP, I think about not only the impact it has in its particular year but also how well it will hold up over time. I also don't like most typical "Oscar-bait" movies. They may be good movies but most of the time are completely overrated. I'm still upset that Crash won in 05, even though the class wasn't particularly strong that year. The King's Speech (from what I've heard/read) and Social Network both seem like these types of movies. The King's Speech will probably hold up better over time but a movie about a stuttering British king just doesn't seem enjoyable to me (I know there's more to it than that but still). I enjoyed the Social Network and thought the writing was great but I don't think it's BP worthy. There were just too many factual inaccuracies for me. Same thing with The Fighter. I know both are fictional movies but when films make a point of saying they are based on true stories (more specifically, recent true stories), I think there should be more fact than fiction. True Grit was good and visually looked great but I don't think it really did anything that the original didn't. Winter's Bone and The Kids Are All Right feature great acting but for me, that's about it. I found both rather slow-moving and kind of dull. I liked Toy Story 3 more than I thought i would but it's still completely overrated and I just don't think animation belongs in the BP category because it's a different vehicle than live-action. For me, BP comes down to Inception and Black Swan (just from what I've heard/read). I thought Inception was amazing, from the story to the visuals to everything in between. I usually don't like big blockbuster movies winning awards, but in this, I think it's justified. I think Inception will definitely hold up over time. From what I've heard, the same would be true for Black Swan. I just think people will be talking about these two movies more than King's Speech and Social Network 20 years down the road.

Melvin said no Young. We can probably put this rumor to rest, though it could just be Melvin speak. Trading Wolf for Young and money would offset some of Young's contract but I think it would hurt our pitching too much. Wolf isn't a stud but he's a pretty darn good #4.

I counted three. Even the Royals have a game scheduled (against the Rangers). I know the Brewers seem to play worse on national tv but that can't last forever.

Brewers not on Fox Saturday Schedule I know games can be switched around but I think it's surprising that there are no games scheduled to start the year. Given the big off-season acquisitions, I would've thought that they would at least have a couple of games scheduled against the Cubs and Cards. I do think they will end up having a couple games scheduled by the end of the year and hopefully a bunch more in the playoffs, which are the only ones that really matter.

I think that Rays Stadium would've been the coolest stadium out there if built. I love the open air concept leading to the water in right field.

I'm going to make these for the party I'm going to as well. If you end up making them, I'd be interested in hearing how they turned out and how everyone enjoyed them.

Yeah I watched that last night. Even though everyone knew it was gonna happen, I like that they split up the Sedins. I wish there was a little more controversy though and Lidstrom would've taken Staal's brother or Skinner to split up the Canes. I do like that Phil Kessel (Madison native) got a car for being the last pick though.

I've been to Great American Ballpark, New Busch, Coors, and obviously Miller Park and County Stadium. All were really nice but I think my favorite would have to be new Busch as far as walking around the stadium is concerned but sitting in the bleachers in Coors was probably my favorite watching experience. I would really like to go to PNC despite the fact that I'd have to watch the Pirates.

This is basically the recipe I use. I got it out of a cookbook five or so years ago. But like I mentioned, you could use any cheese you want. I've switched it up and used cream cheese to add a jalapeno popper flair and that works well too.

Well I will say that the first time I had them, I had been indulging in some adult beverages for awhile so that made it easier. But the next day I ordered them again without drinking and they were just as good.

I use fresh (Mexican) chorizo as opposed to the cooked Spanish stuff. Using cooked chorizo would make the peppers hard to stuff. I combine the fresh chorizo with shredded cheese (usually cheddar but could be any kind) with a 2:1 sausage to cheese ratio. You could add more or less of either if you wanted. Look for medium to large peppers which also makes stuffing easier. I cut a small slit lengthwise from just below the stem to the bottom and remove all the seeds and membrane (keep the stems attached for easy handling). The peppers should look like canoes. Stuff the peppers with the chorizo/cheese mixture. I usually a half strip of bacon to wrap pepper, holding in place with toothpicks. For larger peppers, a whole strip of bacon could be used. Then I grill for 30-40 minutes until the bacon is cooked, at which point the chorizo should be cooked too. This is more of a summer grilling thing but they could also be made in the oven. I made them a couple of times in the oven and they turn out decent but the best results come from the grill.

The Red Dot serves poutine and it is awesome. I don't know how creative these are though, especially the sausage kabob. I guess that is added since it can features the racing sausages. I still think my bacon-wrapped chorizo-stuffed jalapenos would be better than these. I had the Rocky Mountain oysters twice at Coors Field last year. They are actually really good and basically taste like chicken tenders, though a little chewier. The only thing I didn't like was that they served it with some kind of weird dipping sauce. They would have been even better with ranch.

During the summer I make bacon-wrapped chorizo-stuffed jalapenos on the grill. I actually submitted the recipe for the Brewers Concession Item contest. It's probably too complicated (since all peppers have to have seeds and membranes removed) to win but they taste great.

I think everyone (players, coaches, etc.) that was with the team for at least 3 years and if a player, out of baseball for 3 years, is automatically put on the ballot. Then they need to get at least 5% of the votes to stay on. I find it surprising that guys like Vuke, Oglivie, Higuera, and Cirillo haven't made it. They are basically the names that come up when you think of former Brewer stars (after guys already in like Yount, Molitor, etc.).

Betancourt will lead the team in HR and play average defense. Most of Brewerfan will still hate him.