NYU

Obviously, we're a few months before the Season 7 premiere of 24...but there was a press statement released by FOX today that talks about a huge spoiler for the upcoming season. While it does seem a little suspicious, sources like TV Guide and IGN have picked up on it, so I'm going to put the rumor up here for some discussion. Copied from IGN. Read at your own risk. Personally, I'm excited for it.

It's going to be quite interesting to see Big Show and Edge break out into a duet as they get ready to sign the contract for WrestleMania.

Yes. Money in the Bank is looking like an absolute trainwreck.

Now what? His records are tainted. He used performance enhancing drugs. And he lied about it. So now, his credibility is shot both professionally and personally. Case closed. That's my point in a nutshell. Zoo, just for my own interest, do you have this same attitude about everybody in the steroid era? I don't just mean the Yankees. I mean McGwire and Bonds and Palmeiro. Is this just something that should be brushed aside and forgotten about for ALL players that have been accused of steroids, denied it or pleaded the fifth, and then been found lying later on?

Doubt it. For someone who worries about public opinion as much as he does, it's counterproductive for him to stop taking steroids immediately after being given such a huge contract and being traded to the biggest team in baseball. These results were never supposed to come out. He tested positive without so much as a slap on the wrist, and the penalties for steroid use weren't increased until the beginning of 2005. There were so many holes in the testing policy in 2004 that A-Rod could have easily found his way around it for that year if he wanted to. Obviously, I don't believe he's using performance enhancers anymore or has since the harsher testing started. But I also don't believe for a second that he essentially stopped using for the entire '04 year on little more than he just wanted to be honest.

No, it's not about that. It's about that he had previously been asked the question and he knowingly lied about it. Agreed, there hasn't been an active player to come out and do that yet, but that doesn't change the fact that A-Rod has absolutely ruined his credibility by tackling this issue with Katie Couric the way he did. Once you take that stand and deny you took steroids, whether it's before or after the accusation has been hurled at you, you better be prepared for the consequences. Rafael Palmeiro learned it when he took that big, dramatic stand before Congress and we later learned he was a liar. Roger Clemens learned it when he decided to sue McNamee for defamation only to realize oops, he's not really that innocent after all. And A-Rod is learning it now. I don't see it as being self-righteous but just being annoyed that in this case, A-Rod would have been perfectly fine coasting to the home run record knowing this blemish existed in the background and knowing that he lied on national television in order to prevent anyone from finding out. Especially because, at this point, he has made a career of making bush-league moves both on the field and off.

You know what else is the kicker about A-Rod coming out today and saying that he used only in 2001, 2002, and 2003? We're supposed to believe that coincidentally, he decided to stop using steroids in the offseason after '03 when he was traded to the Yankees. So it was when he was making the biggest move in his life into the sports media capital of the world that he suddenly decided to stop taking the performance enhancers that had previously given him MVP numbers on a last place team? It makes no sense. No way do I believe he suddenly stopped using once the Rangers traded him, and it seems to me to be a clear-cut case of damage control more so for the Yankee organization than himself. And besides, as naiwf has pointed out, we're supposed to take him at his word now that these are the only years he used? Really? When he previously lied on national television before about whether he used? Has he even addressed the fact that he lied about it? As far as I'm concerned, his credibility as far as anything is completely shot.

But are they even going to go after Sheets? They let Lowe -- a bonafide #2 pitcher who would have filled a gaping hole in their rotation -- slip through their fingers because they didn't want to pay any more than the bare minimum. Yes, wonderful. They addressed their bullpen. But unfortunately, there's still the lackluster rotation to worry about. As well as the incredibly weak second baseman, the unproven left field platoon, and the first baseman who they should have traded this offseason while his value was high and is bound to come crashing back down to earth this season.

It does but not always -- i.e. the end of Season 2 with President Palmer. I enjoyed tonight's episode but there's no way FBI Chick is dead. Not a chance.

Admittedly, I don't really watch wrestling much at all anymore, but has Vladimir Koslov suddenly become so big that he gets his own Pay Per View poster? Exactly what is so enticing and marketable about him that will make people order No Way Out?

Czech and I have been speculating for months now that Hoff might be dead. I very much hope that's not the case but he hasn't been seen or heard from in ages.

In actuality, I really did like her a poster and it does bother me that she may have kicked the bucket. I always found her an extremely knowledgeable and entertaining person and though I didn't know her outside of the boards, it sucks to see anybody who has become a part of this totally dysfunctional internet family between the Pit and TSM pass away. R.I.P. if true. Or just forget this whole post if false.

I think Marney intentionally chose this time to die so that she could get a lot of late support in her bid to become TSM's Champion in the Poster Tournament of 2009. Heath Ledger has nothing on her.

Ah the wit. Let me elaborate. I don't care about who is blocking mellowjoyful, whether theone is a pot or a kettle, or anything else. Take it to the bottom of the board if there's a personal issue here.

Cut it out. Next person to make a petty, unfunny remark about this feud I know nothing about gets a warning.

Manny has to end up on either the Dodgers or the Angels. There really is no other market for him. People on MetsBlog have been screaming about how the path is wide open now for Omar to scoop up Manny for three years to replace the Tatis/Murphy platoon they're going with next season but I don't see that happening. Their priority should still be signing a #2 starter -- preferably Derek Lowe over Oliver Perez -- and doing something about that mess at second base.

Well, if we're bringing up teams that don't want to make it to the playoffs, it'd be unfortunate if we didn't mention the Jets.

Was Lost not eligible for the Golden Globes this year? Season 4 was outstanding, and I was hoping it'd garner a nomination in something at least.

So....are the Mets planning to do anything this offseason? I know the same old song and dance of how Omar Minaya likes to bide his time and all, but considering how AJ Burnett, Derek Lowe, and CC Sabathia have all been offered contracts in the past few days, he might want to start sending out contract offers. I fail to see how there is no sense of urgency when it comes to the Mets rotation -- Santana, Pelfrey, Maine. That's it. I truly would not be surprised if his big game plan is to re-sign Pedro to a one year contract and shove Jonathan Niese into the #5 slot thereby maintaining the status quo once again.

Classic Brett Favre right there. Totally off interception that shelves the Jets momentum for the time being.

So how is Mama Petrelli's team supposed to compete against Papa Petrelli's team anyway? "Hi! My team can fly, dream about the future, heal, know your thoughts, and release gas pipes inside dark, dank sewers. Yours?" "Oh the usual. Steal all your powers, freeze you to death, electrocute you to death, burn you to death, punch a hole through you, kill you just by touching you."

This thread will be used to continually note how Jericholic82's life has been inspired by Circuit City because God knows he can't make a post without acknowledging the company he works for. Never have I seen someone working for a company close to bankruptcy consider it the pinnacle of his career but here we are. Yes, we are all impressed you get the first shot at WWE DVDs before the rest of us do -- proudly displaying that knowledge as if you are actually some figure of authority that can provide expert analysis. Here's some expert analysis of my own: you suck. Yes, you fucking douche. Because I imagine when Bernie Mac was working his way up from poverty, he dreamed that one day he might possibly have an entire endcap dedicated to him. I wish your supervisor posted here too so I could ban the both of you.

*throws self off roof*

Can I ask why the Mets are so dedicated to offering Omar Minaya a four year extension? The situation with the bullpen this year is entirely his fault because these pitchers were just as bad in 2007, and he decided to hold onto nearly all of them. The only move he DID make in the offseason was adding Matt Wise and that was a complete bust considering he was totally useless before he got injured, and he's been on the DL indefinitely since then. Oh ho, not to mention the 4 year contract for Luis Castillo that was head-scratching when he did it a year ago, and now it just becomes sickening. So what has Minaya done to deserve an extension here?! If the Mets don't make the playoffs this season, he needs to be gone. Even if they DO, he might need to go.

And just to complete the trifecta: Horrible hitting + Terrible starting pitching + ANOTHER bullpen collapse.