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Mar 14, 2009 9:56:40 GMT -5
Post by manintheshadows on Mar 14, 2009 9:56:40 GMT -5
Aw shit.
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Mar 14, 2009 16:30:53 GMT -5
Post by Lungsey on Mar 14, 2009 16:30:53 GMT -5
hahahahahahaha
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Mar 15, 2009 17:50:20 GMT -5
Post by Fields at Midnight on Mar 15, 2009 17:50:20 GMT -5
My Alma Mater made the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Basketball Tournament for the first time in 8 years (my Freshman year). So Go Matadors!
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Mar 16, 2009 21:03:00 GMT -5
Post by gr0undzer0 on Mar 16, 2009 21:03:00 GMT -5
Once again, tragedy has struck Iraqi soccer.
During victory celebrations following a match on Saturday between the Shiite villages of Sinjar and Enana, a fan accidentally shot the victorious goalie to death, the police in Babil Province said Monday, according to a report in The New York Times.
During the celebrations, an off-duty policeman started firing his pistol in the air but lost control of it, the police said, according to the Times. A bullet struck the Sinjar goalie, an 18-year-old high school senior named Mohammed Amin, in the head, killing him instantly, the paper reported.
There was no indication of foul play; the policeman was himself a Sinjar fan. Sinjar had won the game 2-1.
The officer, Jawad Kadham, 28, has been charged with recklessly discharging an official weapon and with negligent homicide, according to the report. He remains in custody.
The family of the goalie is demanding so-called blood money from the policeman, the police said, according to the report.
Word of the incident comes two days after an Iraqi soccer player was shot dead by a fan just as he was about to kick what could have been the tying goal. It appears the two shootings occurred on the same day.
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Mar 28, 2009 9:25:23 GMT -5
Post by manintheshadows on Mar 28, 2009 9:25:23 GMT -5
Formula 1 starts tomorrow! And it's kicking off before it's even started... Both Toyota's drives have been shunted to the back of the grid as the diffusers at the back of their cars have now been judged as being illegal. This might mean that Williams' and Brawn's cars (currently 1st, 2nd, 5th & 11th) might also get bumped back due to continuing protests from the three teams (Red Bull, Ferarri & McClaren) whose car designs won't allow these diffusers to be fitted...
EDIT: And now Williams have protested against Red Bull and Ferrari. At this rate, everyone'll be starting from the back...
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Mar 29, 2009 21:48:15 GMT -5
Post by gr0undzer0 on Mar 29, 2009 21:48:15 GMT -5
opening day is but a week away !
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Apr 9, 2009 16:01:34 GMT -5
Post by manintheshadows on Apr 9, 2009 16:01:34 GMT -5
Ooooh, there's a game on, and I forgot all about it! After the crap I got at work yesterday (helped somewhat by a comedy Liverpool display that made it a bit better this morning), I could really do with an embarrassing loss for City tonight. Back in a min while I have a look for the score...
EDIT: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahaha! Why does it have to be a bank holiday tomorrow?
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May 16, 2009 16:28:36 GMT -5
Post by Fields at Midnight on May 16, 2009 16:28:36 GMT -5
Biggest piece of shit in sports.
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May 18, 2009 6:43:07 GMT -5
Post by hamilton on May 18, 2009 6:43:07 GMT -5
Biggest piece of shit in sports. ive no idea who he is but i love the sentiment.
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May 18, 2009 10:01:00 GMT -5
Post by Fields at Midnight on May 18, 2009 10:01:00 GMT -5
He is Randy Johnson. He is a pitcher in the MLB. Pitched for m0ng0's beloved Mariners, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, and, currently, the San Fransisco Giants.
I hate him because he thinks he is bigger than his team. He, and he alone, is the most important member of the team. God help you if you make an error while he is pitching.
It all came to a head when he was on the Diamondbacks. Left Fielder Louis Gonzales dropped a fly ball and let in a run or two. He made a mistake because he was human. Johnson took it upon himself to start a fight with him in the clubhouse ramp during the game as if Louis Gonzales meant to do it.
Ever since then, I have hated Johnson and labeled him the worst person in baseball. If I was a pitcher I would intentionally hit him every time he came up.
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May 18, 2009 16:58:33 GMT -5
Post by gr0undzer0 on May 18, 2009 16:58:33 GMT -5
bAH, Gonzales was cadillacing.....he deserved it
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May 18, 2009 23:06:31 GMT -5
Post by gr0undzer0 on May 18, 2009 23:06:31 GMT -5
it looks like Seattles run in 1st place is officially over........why did we pass on Lincecum for a 24 year old closer who cant close
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May 19, 2009 5:17:04 GMT -5
Post by hamilton on May 19, 2009 5:17:04 GMT -5
He is Randy Johnson. He is a pitcher in the MLB. Pitched for m0ng0's beloved Mariners, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, and, currently, the San Fransisco Giants. I hate him because he thinks he is bigger than his team. He, and he alone, is the most important member of the team. God help you if you make an error while he is pitching. It all came to a head when he was on the Diamondbacks. Left Fielder Louis Gonzales dropped a fly ball and let in a run or two. He made a mistake because he was human. Johnson took it upon himself to start a fight with him in the clubhouse ramp during the game as if Louis Gonzales meant to do it. Ever since then, I have hated Johnson and labeled him the worst person in baseball. If I was a pitcher I would intentionally hit him every time he came up. i see. well, when you've played for so many teams, i can imagine there would be no loyalty and it WOULD just be about your own success. it kinda ruins sport for me. i want people who are at a club because they believe in the club and love them, not just scumbag chancers who jump from big contract to big contract and wear the club's badge because it is paying them the best at that moment in time. i want characters like Steven Gerrard, Ryan Giggs, etc.. (look them up) who are there because they fucking LOVE the club they're at, and are prepared to devote their whole career to them.
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May 19, 2009 5:23:11 GMT -5
Post by gr0undzer0 on May 19, 2009 5:23:11 GMT -5
He is Randy Johnson. He is a pitcher in the MLB. Pitched for m0ng0's beloved Mariners, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, and, currently, the San Fransisco Giants. I hate him because he thinks he is bigger than his team. He, and he alone, is the most important member of the team. God help you if you make an error while he is pitching. It all came to a head when he was on the Diamondbacks. Left Fielder Louis Gonzales dropped a fly ball and let in a run or two. He made a mistake because he was human. Johnson took it upon himself to start a fight with him in the clubhouse ramp during the game as if Louis Gonzales meant to do it. Ever since then, I have hated Johnson and labeled him the worst person in baseball. If I was a pitcher I would intentionally hit him every time he came up. i see. well, when you've played for so many teams, i can imagine there would be no loyalty and it WOULD just be about your own success. it kinda ruins sport for me. i want people who are at a club because they believe in the club and love them, not just scumbag chancers who jump from big contract to big contract and wear the club's badge because it is paying them the best at that moment in time. i want characters like Steven Gerrard, Ryan Giggs, etc.. (look them up) who are there because they fucking LOVE the club they're at, and are prepared to devote their whole career to them. sadly in many cases the teams are just as shady as the players......
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May 19, 2009 9:07:32 GMT -5
Post by Fields at Midnight on May 19, 2009 9:07:32 GMT -5
The fact that he jumps from team to team doesn't bother me as nearly as much as attacking his own teammates for selfish reasons.
I don't like the fact that people jump from team to team for big contracts, but that is the world w have been living in since 1969.
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May 19, 2009 9:17:30 GMT -5
Post by Montage on May 19, 2009 9:17:30 GMT -5
Americans and their baseball
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May 19, 2009 9:26:19 GMT -5
Post by hamilton on May 19, 2009 9:26:19 GMT -5
The fact that he jumps from team to team doesn't bother me as nearly as much as attacking his own teammates for selfish reasons. I don't like the fact that people jump from team to team for big contracts, but that is the world w have been living in since 1969. not that common in sport over here (although Robinho joined Man City from Real Madrid and accidentally said he'd signed for Chelsea...) you still get a lot of big players who stay at 'their' club for their whole careers. Matt Le Tissier was wanted by a lot of big teams at the peak of his career, and stayed at the relatively lowly Southampton. Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and others have seen out their whole careers at Man United... Steven Gerrard at Liverpool that's the kind of dedication, love and passion that i want to see.
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May 19, 2009 20:21:09 GMT -5
Post by Fields at Midnight on May 19, 2009 20:21:09 GMT -5
I blame free agency and the player's union.
EDIT: and the Yankees
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May 19, 2009 21:09:53 GMT -5
Post by gr0undzer0 on May 19, 2009 21:09:53 GMT -5
its strange as baseball has NO salary cap, football has a hard cap, basket ball and hockey which are somewhat in the middle are a little better about keeping players that were drafted, so maybe there is some middle ground. I think as much as finances are apart of the game it has as much to do with the actual player.
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May 19, 2009 21:24:27 GMT -5
Post by Montage on May 19, 2009 21:24:27 GMT -5
I think (many) players get paid too much for how little they actually do...I feel as if baseball players sit on a bench for half a game. They are probably at a much lower risk of injury than say, football or hockey, in which a simple injury could end your career.
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May 19, 2009 21:30:34 GMT -5
Post by gr0undzer0 on May 19, 2009 21:30:34 GMT -5
or in Joe Sakics case a snowblower in his front yard
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May 20, 2009 6:27:52 GMT -5
Post by hamilton on May 20, 2009 6:27:52 GMT -5
i still dont understand this 'drafting' thing, or college teams etc.
english football = some kid plays football at his local school at low level, or for a local village, town or innercity club. a scout from a pro club might pop down and give them a tryout. kid signs up with pro club, gets a small amount of money on youth scheme (like an apprenticeship) and cleans boots etc (this is not happening so much now, because the high quality kids are precocious rich fuckers by time they're 16-17).. then when his time's up he either gets a pro contract there or he doesn't. that's roughly it.
no college systems. no drafting. basically just - a club might want you to play for them when you're v.young, and they have the intention of maybe signing you as a pro in 5+ years, or you could disappear and try out for another club.
i think it helps keep a bit of loyalty. it also encourage teams to invest in youth players and training rather than buying a player from another team when he gets good.
eg, Wayne Rooney played at Everton when he was a kid, and broke through into their senior team at the age of about 16 (because he was so good). he cost them nothing but his salary. a couple of years later they sell him to Man United for about £30million.
Steven Gerrard came through the youth academy at Liverpool, and is still there to this day. Cost them nothing. he's supported and loved the club all his life. It'd cost silly money for anyone to buy him, and he wouldnt want to leave anyway.
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May 20, 2009 9:32:06 GMT -5
Post by Fields at Midnight on May 20, 2009 9:32:06 GMT -5
College Sports is big money and has a long tradition in America. A lot of people see it as "more pure" seeing that the kids don't get paid and do it for the love of the game, not to get a payday (although, the end goal for every college athlete is to get a big payday).
It's not really a college system, just colleges have sports programs to help raise money, and to help get prestige to the school.
With baseball, the draft is different. they draft college and high school kids and send them to their minor league affiliates. Once they get through the Minor League system (4-5 levels), they get the league minimum for 5 years ($300,000) and are not eligible for free agency.
If, during those five years thy perform well, they can go into arbitration and have a court appointed mediator decide if they deserve more money. Doesn't happen too teerribly often, but you can do that.
What usually happens when a small market team (Pittsburgh Pirates, or Kansas City Royals) has a really good player, they will wait until the last year of the contract, and trade them in July so they can at least get something for him.
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May 25, 2009 23:03:08 GMT -5
Post by gr0undzer0 on May 25, 2009 23:03:08 GMT -5
Let's say you had a pitcher that made 13 consecutive starts in which he pitched until at least the seventh inning — including six complete games, two of them shutouts, one of them a one-hitter.
Let's say this pitcher racked up 10 double-digit-strikeout efforts in those 13 games, including two in which he whiffed 15. He went over 100 pitches in each of those starts, and over 130 pitches in eight of them.
What would you call this pitcher? A workhorse? A stud? An ace?
Some Mariners fans still call him a tanker.
As you've probably guessed, the pitcher in question is Randy Johnson, and those starts are his final 13 as a Mariner before being traded to Houston on July 31, 1998.
The popular wisdom remains, in many quarters, that Johnson tanked that season. He came to camp greatly agitated with the Mariners because they had opted to not talk to him about a contract extension (although the deeper story of his contract dispute is a sordid he said-he said affair).
The Big Unit — coming off a season in which he went 20-4 with a 2.28 earned-run average — started off horribly. He had a 6.12 ERA in six starts in April, and was logging a 9-10 record with a 4.33 ERA when he was traded. With the Astros, Johnson was a new pitcher, going 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA and four shutouts.
I know there's a vocal contingent that disagrees with me, but I don't think Johnson tanked the 1998 season, at least as I understand the term "tanking." With the Big Unit in town this weekend with the Giants, the debate has been revived.
I know many people will go to their graves believing that Johnson gave less than full effort in 1998.
Here's what Lee Pelekoudas, the Mariners' assistant general manager, said to The Seattle Times in a story on Aug. 18, 1998, after Johnson had been his old dominating self for the Astros:
"It's amazing to see that someone's performance can turn around so abruptly as Randy has made his. It makes you wish he had shown the same intensity and drive with us that he is showing now."
(Here's Randy's response when I went to Houston in September to cover the playoffs. I asked him if Pelekoudas's comments hurt: "After everything I did there, what do you think? ... He's lucky he's not mopping floors somewhere. He's lucky I pitched the way I did in '95, or he probably would be.")
My personal feeling is that Johnson was distracted and upset that year, and it affected his performance. But tanking is one of the most serious accusations you can make. It means, as I see it, that he deliberately gave less than his best effort; indeed, purposely performed poorly. For someone with the competitive drive of Johnson — someone who would be a free agent after the season and was gunning for a contract — I just don't see that.
Derek Zumsteg, of the popular fan site U.S.S. Mariner, wrote a very thoughtful essay in 2007 refuting the notion that Johnson tanked. His conclusion, after examining the statistics: "The most damning thing we can say is that Johnson's time in Seattle [that season] was wildly erratic."
As Zumsteg points out, part of the statistical disparity is attributable to the fact that Johnson went from the Kingdome, one of the best hitters' ballparks, to the Astrodome, one of the worst. And, it should be noted, to a powerhouse Astros team (headed for 102 victories) that still managed to lead the National League with 874 runs.
Here are some more statistics I culled from that season: From May 3 until he was traded — 17 of his 23 starts with Seattle — Johnson went 8-9 with a 3.87 ERA, six complete games, and 165 strikeouts in 127-2/3 innings. In 11 of those 17 starts, he threw 124 pitches or more.
Yes, he was erratic and inconsistent, but to say he tanked it ... I don't think the evidence is there.
Here's what Woody Woodward — the Mariners' general manager who executed the trade to Houston — told me this week when I asked him if he believed Johnson tanked the season:
"I don't remember it that way, and I didn't look at it like that at the time. I don't think you can be as competitive as he is and even consider something like that."
And here's what Norm Charlton, his former teammate (though not in 1998), said this week: "Very rarely do you run across a guy that tanks it. It appears to have happened with Manny [Ramirez] in Boston. I wouldn't say Randy had that character at all. As much as he wanted to win and embarrass people, whether or not he was happy or not happy with his contract, there's no way Randy would ever tank it. Randy wanted to do good for Randy, and for the ballclub. He took it personal every time he went out there."
I did numerous interviews with Johnson in that period — the one in Houston at the end of the '98 season, another in spring training after he signed with the Diamondbacks, and yet another one in Phoenix before the Diamondbacks played an interleague game in Seattle — and each time Johnson veered the conversation back to his departure from Seattle (after vowing not to talk about it, if I recall). He just couldn't resist.
Here's what he said in a spring-training interview from Tucson in March 1999:
"I guess what bothered me the most is that just because I was 9-10 with a four ERA that was coming down ... and then I go on to Houston and went 10-1, people say, 'Was I tanking it?' Of course I wasn't. I went to a better team. I went from not enjoying the way I was pitching to having a lot more fun in Houston."
And, from the story I wrote in Houston on Sept. 28, 1998, right before the playoffs (in which Johnson lost twice as the Astros were eliminated in the first round by the Padres):
"When I was 9-10, that was killing me inside, because I'm that much of a competitor. I was doing everything possible to shake the way I was pitching. I was doing everything I had done in my best years — working as hard as I ever had in the weight room, going over hitters I'd be facing so I was mentally and physically prepared."
I happen to think Johnson has been given an unfair rap on this topic. I know he had his personality quirks, but I refuse to believe that the same guy that came out of the bullpen to pitch three of the guttiest innings imaginable in the 1995 playoffs would sell out his team three years later.
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May 26, 2009 22:28:44 GMT -5
Post by Fields at Midnight on May 26, 2009 22:28:44 GMT -5
He tanked. Moreover, baseball would be better without him.
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