GatorBait19

Day 102 and we have canceled games. I have a couple of questions to ask 1) When does the lockout end? 2) How does this lockout compare to the 98 one 3) How does this one effect the fan base/popularity of the game 4) Who budges first. Let's face it, this isn't the NFL where we knew no games would be canceled 5) How do you feel about this, do u still like/love the game? I remember the stories about baseballs strike and how it almost killed the league. This is the second time in 15 years that the NBA has canceled games. I really don't see the lockout ending this year because of the fact that the owners might not be completely united on all items, but are united with the goal of making this a thriving business. I would be shocked if this one didn't hurt the popularity of this game for the simple fact of how the economy has been. I also believe that the players do budge with the deal. In the NFL there are a bunch of players who make under 3 million a year, but in NBA the avg salary I believe is around 5 million. The Lakers have a bigger payroll then some NFL teams The players r also not set like NFL, NFL players have at least a 2 year degree and are only one year away from graduating. They could have sat out for a year and gone back and finished their degree, most NBA players roughly only have one year in college. This lockout is horrible for the players (not mega ones like Kobe, Lebron) but the little guys are going to struggle with this.

1) I think Papi is gone; they could replace his contract with another’s (i.e. Albert or Prince) 2) I think they should trade Lackey (or attempt) 3) They are shedding a lot of payroll if I am right, from Papi and JP, to half the bullpen and J.D Drew (Red Sox fans rejoice) 4) Scutaro has an option, but had a very good year that could land him a longer contract. 5) Daniel Bard and Jed Lowire are arb. Candidates along with Ellsbury and Jason S. That is a good core that could be kept for a good price 6) They need to use their money smartly. I think Albert or Prince would make wonder additions as a DH (Prince more than Albert). These two along with Jose Reyes are going to command a nice chunk of change though. There are others out there that are talented and could help the Sox more than one major signing. Josh Willingham is a pretty big bat, maybe not avg. wise but power and runs yes. I believe he plays a pretty good OF as well. C.J Wilson would be a nice fit to their rotation. I think he will command from 6 to 9 mill, but shouldn't hit more than that. Roy Oswalt is due to make 16 million if the Phil's pick up his option but as their fourth and starter that is a lot for one team. He could fill in and be a good 2nd or 3rd starter. Also he did well in minute maid and Fenway is another hitter’s ballpark. He won’t command 16 mill but he might try for 10 and see his bids be low. With no World Series I could see him taking a short deal (1-2 years) with a cheaper salary. He's pitched in two World Series and could add a veteran leadership to this team that they'll most likely lose in Wakefield and Papi. Cole Hamels is also a free agent I believe. After a bad 09 season, Cole bounced back the last two years for a 26-20 record and an ERA around 2.90. He will be a key piece for the Phils to keep, but with them paying Halladay and Lee how much can they offer Cole. Cole and Oswalt are typically 200 inning pitchers Heath Bell is a very good closer and could replace JP at a cheaper price. He could also move Bard to the 7th inning and take over the setup man position. Edwin Jackson is the pitcher of perfection, well not really, more like inconsistent but he could make a great 5th pitcher or even a closer. People have thought Jackson would make a great closer (seeing as how the second time through an order is typically when they start to hit him) Jackson did well this year and could be a viable 5th man for a struggling pitching staff that is shooting themselves in the foot with so much money wasted on Lackey and Dice-K Mark Buehrle could be a nice fit for the Sox's, he reminds me of Beckett in the sense when they are on they are dangerous, when they aren't they are still a better option than most. He is older and he eats innings and could probably be gotten for cheap. Grady Sizemore has an option but he is a health risk on a young and improving Indians team. He could be gotten for cheap in hoops of a player with something to prove Big signings might be what the Red Sox Nation wants, but there is a better team out there to be had. If it was me I would rather have 5 good quality players, then one great player and 4 prayers

Good thing is he doesn't have to be, he just needs to hire people who are good football guys.

Every QB gets hit late at some point, hell for that matter a lot of people get hit late. The NFL is about drama and with late hits not being called and being called they add drama to the game. Refs are not always going to be 100% which is what helps make the game exciting. Which players and teams overcome these bad calls or no calls and which don't

Best season of baseball in a while????? both wildcards are tied with the last game tonight. Rays go against the best team in the AL while Sox play on of the worst. Cards the worst team in MLB in Astros while Braves get best team in NL (yes better than Brewers) in the Phils. Cards and Rays came back the final month after trailing a combined 17.5 games. The Rays are one of the best pitching teams in the MLB and Sox one of the best Offense. I think this is great for baseball and to me this should say to Rays fans "Hey if you filled that stadium 25k monday through thursday and 30k plus Friday through Sunday the Rays could afford to keep people and pay people to come here. Anyways, great season. My awards AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera if the Soxs dont make it in, if the Sox get in the Ellsbury AL CY Young: Verlander, sorry I think this is a run away. AL Rookie: While Nova has the better record he also gets a lot of run support and his 3.70 ERA points this out. Jeremy Hellickson to me is the top rookie this year with a winning record and a 2.90 ERA AL Comeback Player: James Shields, Shields has been the ace of the great Rays rotation and leads the league in complete games and his past two games went 8.2 innings each time. AL Manger of the Year: Joe Maddon, I don't even know who else to consider. The Rays lost a crap load of talent, didn't promote their C.C replacement till August, Traded their number 2 pitcher (and only no-hitter) to the cubs and replaced their entire bullpen with cast offs, yet on the last day of the season at a 40 million dollar payroll they are 1 win away (and a bosox loss) from the playoffs. (side note) Jim Hickey (Rays pitching coach) and Joe Maddon have always caught a lot of crap from Rays fans for this team, but I believe (honestly) Maddon is the best (or at least top 3) mangers in the league. I honestly think they need a better hitting coach. Hickey has gone and helped guide Hellickson, Davis, Neimann, into respectable pitcher and the bullpen has looked amazing this year. Most teams spend 10's of millions on bullpen and the Rays probably spent a combined 5 mill or less on theirs. AL Fireman (reliever): Jose Valverde, I know a bunch of people want Mo, but Jose is perfect on the year. NL MVP: Matt Kemp, I am sorry I don't look at records when I do this. Matt Kemp was the most valuable to his team with out a doubt, 3rd in avg, tied for 1st in hr (only because Fielder went ape **** last night), 1st in RBI, 1st in runs, 2nd in hits, and the list goes on. If Kemp was on the Cards surrounded by better player I could only imagine. Hell A-Rod won it on an even worse team in an offensive era. NL CY: Kershaw, Listen this is a four horse race, but again the other 3 are on winning teams, Kershaw has the best ERA and tied for wins. Kershaw to me is the CY Young and the Dodgers become the first team ever to have the MVP and CY Young winner and yet don't make the playoffs. (if I were picking) NL Rookie: Freddie Freeman, I think the Braves are starting their rebuilding while they are still in contention. NL Manger: Kirk Gibson, yeah, brewers and Phils are top two. Kirk though took a struggling team and turned them around. Phils were supposed to win, Brewers traded for Zach G. to give them a front of the rotation guy. Arizona traded for Yankee cast off..... ya NL Comeback Player: Jose Reyes, wanna know why..... go look at his play and numbers from last year and this year (hell you can look two years ago as well) NL Fireman: John Axford..... ya I like that pick.

Sorry but that's wrong. Vick has five personal fouls drawn and if I am correct that is 2nd place among other QB's. Vick might have a right to complain about that call, but that's something you take up with the league and don't go out and blast the officials to a camera. My thought process would be, well if they aren't calling them don't call them out in an interview. Oh and that stat dates back to the first game last year so you know. If I am right he hasn't played as much as the others and this is also a guy who couldn't play throw a football because his non-throwing hand was broken (sorry bruised)

ehh, Kordell didn't have that great of a year in 97-98. He did well with rushing TD's but he made mistakes throwing the ball all year had 6 fumbles throughout the year. Kordell honestly was never that great of a QB his numbers never matched his first and you could be right about the AFC title game hurting him mentally, but I think it had more to do with him not being a good QB. Ben had a rough first Ben is a good QB (not elite) who is on a great team. I am not saying if Ben need to win a game he couldn't, but he looks more comfortable in helping out early and pretty much controlling a game. The only debate with playoffs is some players do great under pressure (Brady, Montana) others crumble. Just like the preseason where people can look great against a 1st teamer and then the season begins and nothing. It's a different mentality from the three sub-seasons. Preseason no one cares other then ones trying to make the team, Season everyone cares because they are playing for real to make it to the true season which is, Playoffs everyone is focused and trying their best. Some cut it, others can't.

So I was just thinking about this. Is it messed up that Lane Kiffin has been involved in two scandals in college football and hasn't received any time of sanction?

Not only that but they would still have two shows to showcase the storylines. This would allow for multiple storylines still that can be spread out evenly and maybe offer up more build up to matches instead of just four episodes. Personally I wish they would get rid of the women's division. It can have some nice action every now and then (....) but the feuds sucks and 80% of the matches just aren't fun.

So which Sin Cara is it?

When will NWO die? I never really thought NWO was better then D-X or Four Horse Men. NWO will never be a good stable like D-X and FHM can be. NWO was a great stable and helped WCW in the monday night wars, but its a storyline that to me has just been beaten into people. If there was an actual plan to bring it back and give it an appealing story then I could understand bringing it back, but if they are just bring it back to try to get ratings because the NWO is back, then I'd rather not watch it.

Isn't Hogan's theme in TNA a remixed version on it? Also wwe.com has an article hinting at Nash and the NWO

I meant Alvirde (mistico) sorry. He was he own worst enemy within the WWE because of his attitude. All you would ever hear about the guy was the he rubbed everyone backstage the wrong way with his attitude and recent reports are that it didn't change when he came back which wont help him with WWE and looking at keeping him as an employee.

Averno was his own worst enemy. He was doing a character that was going to get him pushed (based of on merch sales) he was just to ****y for his own good. It sucks because I though Sin could have been huge for in the E and now it could be a character that never reaches it's full potential.

The thing for me is it just gives me a different look for sting. He has always (IMO) a good mic worker and this new style entertains me. How he beat Gunner up and then goes and gives him a pep talk just made me laugh.

So I have been catching up with Impact on Fios on Demand and I must say I love Stings character.

So I was watching NFL Network last night for the their live look in show and a couple of funny things caught my attention. 1) Rich Eisen, Warren Sapp, or Marshall Faulk should never announce for a live game ever. 2) Dennis Dixon came on to the field last night wearing 10 and had a visor on and Eisen goes "Is the Kordell Stewart?". Sapp says "No, it's Dixon" then Sapp said "Slash never wore a visor" and I kid you not Eisen goes "Who?" 3) They were looking in on the Cards game and Faulk compared a forth year QB to a rookie (Kevin Kolb) saying that you give the type of money Kolb got to rookies and they sit a couple years and the Kolb wont get that chance? I understand the lockout cut his learning curve of the new offense, but we are still talking about a 4th year guy. 4) I really just don't believe Sapp likes Eisen and Eisen is just an awkward host. Throwing in random facts while the other guys are trying to talk just makes it annoying to watch and listen to him.

That does make sense. It's just gonna suck if no one signs hims though.

I was surprised to see the Blazers tender Oden the 8.8 mil. offer.

I read an article that pretty much said the players are vaults right now, just trying to keep their stuff they have now locked up. I think it's going to be hard for the players to keep the cap the way it is right now. Owners are hell bent on it and again this isn't the NFL where everyone would lose money if no games are played. NFL makes more in preseason probably than the NBA does by the All-Star break.

So I thought for fun we could do a can't miss and no chance players. Pretty much you name a former can't miss prospect who never panned out and a player who really didn't get that shot who turned into something great. Can't miss I would say Lasting Milledge, he was predict to be the next 5-tool player for the Mets and turned out to be nothing. the no chance player I'd say Albert Pujols, he was a 13th rounder and it took him just 2 years to make the show

ehhh, big difference. Smith is a small QB at 6'0 where Pryor stands at around 6'6 with a much much better arm.

hmm the Bucs decided to hold their team workouts the same week and at the same place as the the rookie meetings where media would be all around.......... Josh Freeman and Barber are marketing genius lol Also ESPN has been doing the Gruden/Pryor videos and I love how Gruden pretty much tells him "Hey the NFL aint gonna baby you with hugs and gatorade after a first down". Maybe it was just me, but it truly seemed like Pryor was getting upset with how Gruden was acting. I think Pryor might be a bit of a problem in the NFL

It's gonna be difficult to get this CBA done. This isn't football where players play 3 years of college then do NFL and in between complete three years of college. Most players are one and done in the NBA so if a lockout takes away from paychecks there isn't much these players can do. For some they will look overseas for work and others like Lebron, Wade, Kobe, Howard, Durant can live off of endorsements. I think though this CBA is key for certain players and teams like Boston, Lakers, If there is a lockout Lakers and Boston could lose there chance for their title hopes with their current rosters. Basketball isn't football at all and players are going to have to be a little more careful in how they are looked at by the public. The Lakers, Magic, Mavs spent more money in payroll this year then some football teams and football teams employ 54 players a squad compared to 12 to 15 in basketball.

Which is why a hard cap would be okay with big market teams. With a hard cap it means teams have to spend wiser. With a hard cap of say 50 mil. that is a cut down of like 12 mil from this years cap. The fact that you cant go over it, means no more luxury taxes. So look at the Orlando Magic, one of the top payrolls in the league and were probably 14 mill over the cap. That means they paid 28 million more then a team under that cap, because you take the 14 mil they were over then add the other 14 mil (because of dollar for dollar) Bucks borrowed 55 million from the league this year. I don't know how accurate those numbers are, but if it's true they are one of those teams who were over the cap. Lazor said it last year about how teams need to be smarter with their money and it's true, but I still believe a cap will help handicap those dumb teams who spend way to much and need to borrow money.