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Right. And Schilling's injury would have made a difference if he couldn't pitch 93 mph with it. What you're saying is, "It didn't make a difference."

We've had this discussion. Does it injure your sensibilities when a receiver pleads with a referee that he caught the ball when he clearly hasn't? When every basketball player whines that they didn't foul someone after they just took someone's head off? When Manny pretends like he caught the ball even though he clearly trapped it? It's like you've never watched sports before.

TM

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Why? I don't know -- I don't get it. But why them? Because both of them have the cred to talk shit about whoever they want.

Same thing with that faker Willis Reed. Why, the fact that he got off the pine and played in that game just showed he wasn't that sick.

I bet Schilling wouldn't have been throwing so hard if he hadn't had the will power/etc. to pitch through the pain from his foot.

I was.

Idol
 

Wow. 2005 SXSW is quite something. Here's my thoughts:

Top draws of the festival:
The Dears
The Donnas
The Doves
Elvis Costello
Fatboy Slim
Inora George
Ray LaMontagne
Stephen Malkmus
M.I.A.
Michelle Shocked
Ske (if you like Sigur Ros . . .)

Curiosity items:
Ash
Dogs Die In Hot Cars (1 hit wonder? Or . . .)
Hot Hot Heat
The Kills
The Wallflowers (ditto . . . except I think we know the answer)
Glen Phillips (from Toad the Wet Sprocket)
Duncan Sheik (Barely Breathing at this point)
Shonen Knife (let's knife!)

Sleeper:
Willy Mason . . . I love his stuff. Check it out.

Great names of bands I've never heard of:
Bear vs. Shark
Holy Fuck (Toronto!)
I love you but I've chosen darkness
Jai Alai Savant
Parts & Labor
Selfish Cunt
Sharq (bonus points for being from Taskhent!)

Don't confuse them with their more famous namesakes:
Tia Carrera (punk trio)
Whitney Houston (Rock outfit from Edmonton)
Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3 (probably not the guy who owns the Mirage)

My enlarger is in the shop
 

Sure it does. Instead of running through the guy -- as you pointed out, an aggressive, physical play that would have also been by the book -- A-Rod avoided the contact, slapped at the ball, and then told the umpires he hadn't done it. It was his moment.

My enlarger is in the shop
 

They ran Lowe out of town for having worse numbers every year for no apparent physical reason, and for being maddeningly inconsistent at key times, like last September. And because they knew that some team would overpay him based on what he did in October.

If this goes to trial, will Koko get to testify?

My enlarger is in the shop
 

I read your original post as a comment on the current state of affairs in the press. My response was that in Boston, the Sox players bashing on ARod is not getting the press that it is in New York. Maybe the Patriots, or Tedy Bruschi's stroke, or the cancelled NHL season, or the stupid idea of not handing out the WS rings on Opening Day are taking up the print inches. Now that Tedy is on his way home from the hospital and the WS rings have been sorted out we'll see if the papers make more of the ARod story.

I haven't heard anything about ARod on my brief surfing of the local evening news programs.

Damon's wedding got more press than the current round of ARod bashing.

I can't comment on the radio show guys because I can't stand listening to them. Idiots.

If you want to debate the contents of the comments I need to find them and read them. Maybe they are making the comments because reporters are asking them the questions. The 5 major NY papers send reporters to the Sox camp for spring training?

In general, I think players talking smack before the season has even started are just stupid. You haven't even played a game yet. Both teams have different personnel. Shut up and practice and let's see what happens in April.

FWIW we also booed ARod when he was with the Rangers.

On that note, I'm heading to the bar.

My enlarger is in the shop
 

He knocks out Cornrow - who was clearly in the baseline - it starts a brawl. Tino cries to the league - and Selig - the Steinbrenner/Yankees hater that he is - suspends him for the rest of the Series for "attempting to injure" We now have Enrique Wilson playing third base.

Quite frankly, I would have preferred this result, and watched Cornrow's head bleed.

But for the love of god don't all of a sudden say this result would have made for a different response from RSN. If anything, we'd still be hearing about how big, bad A-Rod ran over a defenseless pitcher.

My enlarger is in the shop
 

OK, in order: (1) usually not (see below); (2) yes (and in hockey, too. sniff); and (3) usually not.

The difference? The guy who cross-checks Yzerman and argues with the ref knows he broke the rules. Dude, suck it up. You got caught. Skate to the box like a man.

If the wide receiver pleads a bit, but then trots back to the huddle, no problem. And if the outfielder traps the ball and tries to pretend he caught it, same thing. Maybe this is a distinction without a difference to you, but they didn't cheat. They tried to catch the ball, and are hoping that the ref/umpire didn't see that their attempt failed. To me, that is different than hoping that the ref/umpire didn't see them breaking a rule.

Be like Graig Nettles was when he was caught with the super ball-loaded bat back in the day. Smile, shrug, take your medicine, and move on.

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If only we had Detroit in the AL East instead of TB, Boomer would be the first player in MLB history to play for every team in a division at some point in his career.

I am 90% certain that nobody has done this; not even in the 4 team NL West or AL West.

Wait, did Boomer ever pitch for the D-Rays?

My enlarger is in the shop
 

2

I don't think Wells will do well. Can't back it up with stats, just a gut* feeling.

*unintentional

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I thought you and I had conversations about this. For the last few years - and until the middle of last season - Boston's infield was like a sieve.

My enlarger is in the shop
 

I'll tell you why. Because they have no class.

And I'll give you Schilling, but please note that Trot kissed Jeter and Posada's ass in his quotes because he still only has one ring and has beat them all of one time.

I knew you would bring this up. How many points did he score when he came back? If he had played well when he did, then he wasn't that injured. But I believe Walt Clyde was the real hero of that game. And no one says shit about what he did, do they?

Kiss my ass, please. He was shot up so high that he couldn't feel it if his foot came off. If you want to give him extra credit, do it for that.

Cool. As long as you know it had nothing to do with what we were talking about before you jumped in, I'm fine with that. In fact, feel free to continue talking to yourself about the World Series.

TM

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You poor, poor Yankees fans. Even if A-Rod had played it hard and clean, the umpires and everyone else would have been picking on you.

We did. It was sieve-like all of that time, during which Lowe's numbers got worse. He improved some in August when they got Cabrera and Mientkiewicz (note correct spelling!), and I thought getting rid of Nomar made the difference, but then Lowe completely lost it again down the stretch in September, when he was trying to make his case for the play-off rotation. There were good reasons that he ended up behind Wakefield and Arroyo.

My enlarger is in the shop
 

Wasn't Detroit in the AL East back in pre-expansion days?

Now, I'm going to the bar. Really.