nl5xsk1

I meant winning a World Series. My apologies for leaving it so open-ended (and it's what I get for not re-reading what I wrote before posting it). Having said that, though, I think that there are probably a lot of Sox fans that would choose beating the Yankees in the ALCS and then losing the World Series over winning the Series but not getting to beat the Yankees to get there. And I disagree that it'd be bad for baseball if either the Red Sox or Cubs win it all. There's still other "jinxed" teams (Indians, for example) that could carry the mantle moving forward.

I think it's non-hockey fans voting for the NY-NJ game. Most hockey fans know that Sundin, Satan, Drury, Nolan, Mogilny, etc. provide a more exciting game than Jagr does at this poing. And all hockey fans know that watching the defense-first (and second, and third) style of play that the Devils endorse is about as much fun as watching paint dry. It's the basketball and baseball fans (who are at-most casual hockey fans) that are voting for NY-NJ.

I wouldn't use that as an example. It's not like the rivalry has been based on the Yankees always being such a better team that they squash the Sawx like bugs everytime. It's always been two really good teams going head to head, in games where the Yankees manage to get the duke. It'll be interesting to listen to the reactions from both sides when the Sox finally win one (if the Sox finally win one). I'm sure lots of Sox fans will thump their chests and brag, and lots of Yanks fans will point out that it's still just one win. But even having the Sox win just one time will change the dynamic to the entire rivalry. Too bad most of baseball, and most non-NY and Boston fans, will still hate both teams with too much of a passion to enjoy most of it.

Hey, I'm there with you ... I voted for Toronto/Buffalo, too, and was astounded by how many more votes had been registered for NJ/NY. It's actually closer now than it was when I voted, 51.9% - 48.0%. And I can't agree with your reasoning (the # of people in the Tri-State area) - neither of those teams have strong fanbases, so it's not like Detroit or Colorado where there would be tons of people voting for their hometeam. The only thing that I can think of is that the Toronto fans that are online are more likely to be on tsn.ca rather than espn.com, so it's just American fans voting. And most people outside of the Northeast division are probably unaware of the roll the Sabres are one (with the 2 minutes that sportscenter gives to hockey, if it's not a brawl or a serious injury, you're not going to see many highlights). So, the average fan is voting for the Devils based solely on their Cup appearances, rather than how mediocre they're playing now and how boring their games are.

Yeesh. He was talking about when SMU football got the death penalty in the mid 80s. It did? Remember I'm new to this and so I'm not boned up on my history. I wish my college had a history of sports.....that'd rule. Someone fill me in. Damaramu, check out this link (ironically, about OU) ... it details quite a bit about the SMU case: http://www.ccchronicle.com/back/2001-01-16/sports7.html

Yeesh. He was talking about when SMU football got the death penalty in the mid 80s. Exactly, SMU was given the death penalty in 1987, and literally had to disband for a year (I think it was just a year, maybe 2 - I want to say just one, b/c I think 1989 was their first year back). I can see the NCAA limiting scholarships or making CU ineligible to appear in a Bowl game, or at most not allowing them on TV. But there's no way that they're going to issue the death penalty for this.

Question for the Yankees fans on the board, and I'm truly not trying to bust balls ... It's generally thought that ARod is the better defensive shortstop, so if Jeter starts having issues, how will be the fans & media react (with my definition of issues being errors, or not getting to grounders, etc)? Will people call for the two of them to switch positions?

I don't remember hearing Sam Houston state, but he definitely said Billy Gunn had a rodeo scholarship. Lawler laughed out loud when JR said it. I just did too. How can a wrestling announcer mock rodeo?!? At least rodeo is real ... and I'm sure the average person on the street would view being a pro wrestler as being more laughable than being a bullrider.

There's a good chance that Colorado State University (where I went to school) is playing CU this year. I can't remember if last year was the last time that the two teams agreed to play or just the last time that they'll be playing at Invesco/Mile High. (living in Massachusetts makes it hard to follow the CSU-CU rivalry). If they play, I think that CSU would take them. They barely beat us last year, and their team should be weaker b/c of this scandal (particularly if Barnett is forced to step down)

Flair also cheated to win as often as not, or had what is now known as a "Dusty Finish". It wasn't like he was treated as a superhuman capable of overcoming any obstacle to win, he was someone that needed help almost every time. Hogan was scripted to be larger than life, Flair was scripted to need assistance to stay on top.

I'm probably in the minority here (screw that, I'm definitely in the minority here) but I don't think that Benoit losing at Mania will "kill his cred". While I agree that it'll look better for Benoit to win at WMXX, it's not like he'll be a laughingstock if he wins it one month later. Smarks will love him regardless, and marks don't analyze things like where and when he won the belt as much as smarks do. And I truly think that the pop he'd receive for winning the belt in Edmonton would outweigh the one that he'd receive for winning in NYC. I can see a scenario where Benoit is about to win, but Michaels sneaks in and gets a cheap pin. He wins, but Benoit was robbed. He won't lose credibility if he was the one that deserved to win. That sets up the rematch the next month, and Benoit wins then. Would I want it that way? No. But do I see that happening? Yes.

Question for the Leafs fans ... will Belfour be able to come back and finish the year at 100%? After watching the Bruins dismantle Trevor Kidd the other night, if Belfour can't come back and finish the year fully healthy, I'd think that they'd be smarter to go after Kolzig (or some other netminder) rather than another D. And I'm not trying to jinx myself, but I'm loving the fact that while the Sens and Leafs were so busy focusing on each other, the Bruins have snuck right back into the mix. 7-0-1-2 in their last 10, only TB and Buffalo have more wins in that time. And a big game tonight against Philly.

He's been a dickhead since he left Northwestern, I think. If memory serves, he kind of fucked them over when he left for CU. It's just he's now added "callous" and "unable to think before he speaks" to his resume.

Ghettoman, just the opposite: I'm mad that I'm STUCK IN THE MIDDLE of the greatest sports rivalry of all time. I'm a diehard Bruins and Pats fan, yet have to listen to the jackasses on sports radio talk about the Red Sox 365 days of the year. The Pats win 2 of 3 Super Bowls, yet trade rumors get most of the airtime. I'd give anything to be able to avoid "Evil Empire" talk for a while.

In the Red Sox defense, they DID make the trade, but had it vetoed by the PA. The fact that they'd have had to pay $5-million/year of Manny's salary, on top of the full ARod salary, wouldn't have been feasible. It'd have been a bad business decision, and they'd have been unable to sign as many of their potential free agents at the end of this year. They went as far as they could financially, and when the PA ixnayed the idea, they decided to stick with the team that they had. And to say that they alienated their best two position players is a bit of an exaggeration. Manny doesn't really care one way or another, he'll be the same clueless jackass regardless of these trade attempts. And Nose-mar is only after the almighty dollar, if the Sox offer him enough $$$ he'll stay here without a problem.

It's not the Yankees themselves that I root against, it's their fans that rub me the wrong way. For the most part I'm apathetic about baseball, so a certain team winning (or losing) doesn't bother me or fire me up too much. But having known so many belligerent Yankees fans in my life, it was hard not to start rooting against the team that they rooted for. I normally root against the Red Sox, too, for the same reason (nothing in this world pisses me off more than Yankees Suck chants ... especially when it happens at a Bruins game, or a Pats game, or even at Fenway when it's not a Sox-Yanks game. Fucking meatheads overusing that stupid chant). But big points to Steinbrenner ... perfect comeback.

New York Yankees/Brooklyn Dodgers World Series. 1941 1947 1948 1952 1953 1955 1956. (Yankee/LA Dodgers World Series: 1963, 1977, 1978, 1981. But that's not the point I'm trying to make.) I'll agree that the Yankees and Dodgers had a rivalry - to deny that would be wrong. But, the Giants-Dodgers rivalry was placed as one of the 10 biggest rivalries in sports by ESPN (http://espn.go.com/endofcentury/s/other/bestrivalries.html) and have had such historic incidents as The Shot Heard Round the World, Marichal creaming the guy with the baseball bat, and that murder in LA last year (maybe 2 years ago now). The Yankees/Dodgers rivalry really doesn't match up with that. And I disagree with using World Series matchups as "proof" of an oldtime rivalry. The Dodgers and Giants have virtually always been in the same league, thus making it difficult to play in the World Series. And if you want to use history as proof, I remember reading some article about how the Giants and Dodgers have been rivals since the 1880's. If I wasn't so lazy, I'd google it up and paste the link. Lastly, to bring the thread back to the Jackie Robinson debate, nothing is more ironic than people suggesting (or, as in the case in Fenway, actually using) different colors or different locations for Robinson's 42. Something about "separate but equal" and segregation comes to mind.

In LA. What cracks me up about this post is that the fact that it came like 3 hours after your last post. Did you come back to this thread just looking for more to complain about? And when no one had responded to your last post, decided to re-read previous ones to find something to nitpick about?!? The guy broke the color barrier. What he did was bigger than sports and bigger than mere rivalries. Bigger than LA and bigger than NY. Does it suck to have the number of a non-Yankee posted in Yankee Stadium? Yes, I'm sure it does. The same way that it sucks for the Red Sox, and Mets, and Indians, and Braves, and Cardnals, and Cubs, and White Sox. Hell, the Giants have a bigger rivalry with the Dodgers than the Yankees do (or did) but you don't see any Giants fans upset that a Dodger has their number retired there. And to say that Ruth "saved" baseball is hyperbole. Baseball wasn't in drastic danger of disbanding without the great Bambino. Revisionist history to prove your point, at least in my eyes.

Why the FUCK can't the Bruins make a trade like the Bondra one?!? Yes, I recognize that he's due to get $6-million/year, but this is the last year that he's guaranteed that money, with next year being a club option. So, basically pay him for the remainder of this season and then let him walk. The B's have enough prospects to afford to lose one, and a 2nd round pick isn't that much to add on top of it. Winning a playoff series would MORE than pay the remainder of Bondra's salary, and would have given the Bruins two very good lines. But, no, they'll just sit on their ass for now. Maybe pick up another #5 or 6 defenseman, or another 3rd line forward to add to the collection of crap.

I was thinking more likely to be the male one from the Wonder Twins, the one that always took the form of something water-related. (*Girl Wonder Twin: "Shape of a flying gorilla that could kick anything's ass" ... **Guy Wonder Twin: "Form of water" and he'd splash into a bucket)

I feel horrible for saying this about someone who's only being shown because she was raped, but she's a lot cuter than I anticipated her being. I kind of presumed that a female kicker on the football team would have been a bit more, ahem, rotund. Oh, and before I forget, FUCK CU and their scandal marred program. I hope they get put on permanent probation. nl5: proud to be a CSU graduate.

I was 10 when Hogan first won the belt, and thus had my "prime" wrestling years when the Hulkamania boom was exploding (10-12 yo, '84-'86). And I hated Hulk Hogan with every fiber of my being. From day one I rooted for the heels (the first wrestlers that I marked out for were the Road Warriors in the AWA, the Freebirds in WCCW, and Flair in the NWA.) I always hated the faces, especially Hogan. It wasn't until the Warriors went face that I actually found myelf rooting for a face. But I digress ... I knew wrestling was scripted, and I think that's why I hated Hogan. Seeing one person win every time, in a fake competition, was tiresome.

Besides what's been said about keeping rats alive being a pain in the ass, if you drop a live rat in the cage and the snake doesn't kill it (for any reason, such as it's not hungry or the rat isn't moving enough for the snake to want to kill) the rat can sometimes bite the snake and whatnot. I had a neighbor that had a snake while I was in college, and we'd always get high and watch her feed the snake. When the snake wouldn't kill it, she'd get all creeped out and make one of us grab the rat from the snake cage. nl5: barely got educated in college.

To compare what Babe Ruth did for baseball (play it very well) to what Jackie Robinson did for baseball (break the color barrier) is a farce. No player, in any sport, deserves to have their number retired across the league just for being great (not even Gretzky, who re-wrote the record book like no other pro athlete ever has or will). Although I can understand why you'd be upset to see a Brooklyn Dodgers' number in Yankee Stadium, with how many epic Brooklyn Dodgers/New York Yankees games you watched growing up (sarcasm intended), what Robinson did was incomparable, and he deserved to have his number retired for it. And as a Bostonian, I'd die laughing if MLB forced the Sox to retire Ruth's number. People here (Boston, not TSM) would have such a coronary, sports radio would be funnier than a sitcom)

It's funny, I just watched CB4 on Sunday ... and paid attention to who the actors were, figuring that some of them must be more famous now. And lo and behold, there he was, as Gusto, Charles Q. Murphy. Who knew that I'd see him in a prominent role in a Chappelle re-run just 2 days later? (I missed the original airing of Chappelle; Wednesday is a big going out night for nl5.) For a complete listing of Charlie Murphy's roles: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0614151/