Cheech Tremendous

I would have gone the more obvious route for Wrestlemania IV and skipped the tourney for Savage-HTM and Hogan-Dibiase. I'd have Savage go over in hard fought match with HTM to finish off their program. In the main event, I would have let Dibiase, with Andre in his corner, get the victory over Hogan by using every dastardly tactic in the book. After the match, Andre and Dibiase could do a number on Hogan and Savage could come out for the big save. Hogan hulks up and slams Andre, does a quick celebtration and the show ends on a positive note to send fans home happy even with a new heel champion. From there Hogan could go shoot his movie and you can transition into a Savage-Dibiase program with Savage eventually winning the belt at Summerslam in a cage match (maybe Dibiase costs Savage the IC belt shortly after Mania). Hogan returns and you set up the same Megapowers storyline for WM V. I'm not sure that this would have made things better but I just never got into the tournament idea for the original show. I think there were better ways to put Savage over and keep Hogan strong while he left to film No Holds Barred.

See above with regard to Spring Training statistics. Remember Hansen is still only 23. It has less to do with statistics and more with scouting. He can't replicate his arm slot. He can't locate pitches. His slider, once rated the best in amateur baseball, is completely lost. He has no velocity on his fastball. His pitch selection is maddening. I don't know if it's a developmental problem that comes from the organization's insistence on changing mechanics and approach (Cla Meredith being the prime example) or something mental with Hansen. But if you just watch him pitch, be it this year or last, you can tell that he just isn't performing to his ability. Of course I want the kid to succeed. He's young and there is time left to right the ship. However, his major league contract is forcing the team's hand in rushing his developmental process. He needs a full year at High A or Double A to work on his approach away from the brutal Boston media scrutiny.

Did anyone catch the Red Sox-Reds game today complete with Craig Hansen meltdown? I know the kid is still young but I can't see him being that next great closer now, and I sort of wonder if he will ever be a consistent major leaguer. This new Hansen doesn't even remotely resemble the one that came out of St. John's several years ago. Whether mental or physical, he's an absolute mess with mechanics and approach.

As a Red Sox fan, this makes me very happy.

Sorry I can't support that. Let It Bleed is my least favorite of the Stones' big four. I agree on the shitty artwork though.

As a whole, the Stones' singles leave a little something to be desired. They do sound a little generic. To get the Stones you have to hear the big four from the early's 70s. In my opinion, I could take Exile, Sticky Fingers, Beggar's Banquet and Let It Bleed and leave the rest of their catalogue (well maybe Some Girls too). The whole "world's biggest rock and roll band" schtick undermines their awesomely gritty middle period where all the good stuff happened.

I've found every hip hop group to be terrible or near terrible in concert. It's just not a musical style that lends itself to a live environment. So I'm not surprised that a group like Gangstarr came off poor in that settting, especially since the beauty of their music is Premier's flawless production and Guru's understated lyrics. Maybe they just aren't for you, but the last time I listened to Full Clip (their greatest hits package) I still couldn't believe that they weren't one of the biggest bands in rap. It's just amazing song after amazing song from start to finish. In my opinion, Gangstarr and EPMD are the lost icons of rap's young history.

Exactly. They've avoided going outdoors since 1993. Vince wouldn't even entertain the idea of opening the roof at WM XIX. Obviously they have some plan or he wouldn't have changed his mind. According to Meltzer they were looking at the smaller Orlando Arena previously. The Citrus Bowl has to offer something that they didn't consider before.

I stated in this thread a few days ago that Houston was trying their hardest to trade Carr but that there was zero interest. The teams that were interested had Houston over the barrel because they knew that the Texans couldn't afford to keep Carr. There is no need to give up picks and big money when you can get him for nothing now.

Sid was one of the greatest things ever. He most definitely had "it", whatever "it" is. He was one of my favorites during the 90s.

Took the words right out of my mouth. They're not bad, bud best band ever? Far from it. Okay, wait. The Stones are probably the second most overrated band ever, behind the Grateful Dead. Whoa... I don't know what to say.

Reason no. 1 why they won't: Jon Kitna

But part of being a great shooter is finding a good opportunity to get off a shot. You can't extrapolate current performance to 37 shots per game. Kobe, Arenas and a few others are the only ones who can get away with that type of performance because of their ability to create a shot off the dribble penetration. The new rules totally favor their style of play. MJ would have scored 40-50 per night if he was playing under the current rules.

Here are some more just to get conversation going: -The choice of Diesel over Bret as world champion in 1995 was a good one. Bret had limited upside as a babyface champion while Diesel was easier to "sell" as a dominant world champion. -WM IX wasn't that bad and the ending was extemely unique and interesting. It didn't do anything to harm business because it added an element of excitement to all future main events.

It's really efficient. At his current rate of performance, Dirk would average about 53 points a game if he took 37 shots every night.

The Kings aren't a bad team, just one lacking identity. They need a creative mind to put all the pieces together effectively. You can't just hire a defensive coach and expect the team to start playing defense when you don't have the personnel to match. They are half-way between rebuilding and being a contender and can't accept the fact that you have to tear it down first. The Artest trade was a bad move and they are componding it by standing still with a mismatched roster.

WP was fucking annoying, plain and simple. The best all-time shitty poster is, of course, fanofcoils. Man could he butcher a thread with one single post. It was a sight to behold.

I was with you until you said that. Gangstarr doesn't suck in any way, shape or form.

I don't even see why they are bothering with Bynum in the first place and I never have. What's the best case scenario for his development? He's just not ready to make an impact yet. It took Eddy Curry 5 or 6 years before he learned how to play basketball. I know Bynum's young and shows tons of potential, but it just seems like a waste to keep a roster spot open for a guy who's going to take so much time and energy to develop. Kobe needs teammates who can help him win now, not five years down the road. That roster is constructed so poorly for his strengths.

"Just Want to See His Face" might be my favorite Stones song. It's so murky and distant on the surface, but rich and complex at the same time. Such a microcosm for Exile on the whole. A hidden gem from their outstanding catalogue.

I was unimpressed with Exile the first few times I heard it, but it might now be my favorite album of all time. Give it some time... let it rest awhile. You'll come to appreciate it with time.

So I'm still new to this whole Frank Zappa thing, but I'm really into his long guitar improvisations (e.g. "Yo Mama"). Are there any albums that feature a heavy amount of his exploratory guitar work?

I'm really disappointed in this move for several reasons, and it's not all tied to my perspective that closers aren't that important in the grand scheme of team building. I'm more concerned at the reactionary nature of the move. In the past, I've been quick to defend the front office for moves that turned out poor because I always felt that they were justifiable as part of the long term plan. When they get burned is when they make quick moves to cover-up mistakes (e.g. Bard/Cla for Mirabelli). Moving Papelbon to closer reeks of desperation. What this move signifies is that none of the seemingly dozens of reliever choices they brought in could be trusted with a ninth, which is scary given the concerns of an already shakey bullpen. What does this mean about Papelbon's shoulder? Are they forgoing their own medical team for short-term gains, or did they deceive the fans in the first place by generating a story that would allow them to move him back into the rotation without opposition? Either way, it reflects poorly on the front office decision making. As for how this plays out on the field? In the short run, they will use the off days in April to use a four man rotation with occassional spot starts by Julian Tavarez. Hopefully Lester is ready by June to take the fifth spot. Papelbon will be used as closer, but in a much more rigid pattern. No multiple inning shots or 4 appearance in 5 days. Hopefully his shoulder takes to the new program, or one of the young flamethrowers grabs the closer's spot by mid-season.

You greatly overestimate Sacramento. I missed my prediction of a six-game losing streak by one... I still think the Kings are going to find a way to get that last playoff spot. They're not good, but they are better than Golden State, LAC or New Orleans.

They were a great, great team. There are some good anecdotes about that team in The Teammates (which is a fairly boring book by the way). I don't think people realize how close they came to winning the Series that year and how much differently they'd be remembered if they did. I wanted to pick them as my team, but eventually opted for the '04 squad since they actually won and I was alive to see it.