Cheech Tremendous

That was pretty funny. Man, Portland looks bad so far. First quarter of the first game, but still. I could have made some of those open looks.

I wasn't aware that the Bears got any praise at all. It seemed that everyone was picking them to lose 12 or more games this past offseason. They certainly aren't that bad, and might even win the division, but who's talking them up?

I've long thought that Warrior should have been brought back in the early '00s as a heel, sans makeup and Warrior garb. He could have played a character based on his real-life conservative lunatic persona. I think a nutjob character deriding the fans for being into steroid monsters and the "old" Warrior could have worked. Think of something like Right to Censor, but with a wrestler fans actually cared about.

Can we use this as an opportunity to bitch about MLB extending the season into late October/early November? There's no reason that they should be playing games this late into the year. Go back to the 154-game schedule and ax the divisional round. That would go a long way in fixing these problems.

Rick Rude is the classic example of a guy who had to a heel. That cocky, smarmy attitude just drippd with contempt for the fans.

1. How often do you visit TSM? How long are you here on a typical visit? How many minutes, or hours, do you spend here daily? I probably stop by a dozen or so times a day. Most of the visits last no more than a few minutes. I do most of my boarding at work. I like to drop in and check out what's going on. Keeps me sane during the daily grind. 2. Which folders do you spend the most time in? Why? Which ones do you skip over? A typical visit will start in Sports. When I'm done there I'll check TCS and General Wrestling. The amount of time I spend in the other threads is usually dependent on the active threads at the time. A few weeks ago I was in Current Events. Recently its General Chat. I skip over the TNA and Overseas folders. Never really been in Comics either. 3. Who are your favorite posters? What makes a poster "good"? I'd really hate to start naming people and fail to mention someone, but there are a few who deserve recognition. For instance, Venk and Kamala are good in the wrestling folders. Al is quality in sports. Kinetic and Slayer are the funny ones. Czech's the most interesting. I get along with Dandy the best. There are a lot of posters I like. Basically anyone who can bring a quality thought now and again. Humor doesn't hurt either. 4. Who are your least favorite? Why? It's not necessary to call anyone out by name. Basically, I have a problem with those who try and create a message board persona. Oh, and posters who use their stupidity to derail threads. 5. Who is your favorite mod? Can you actually name the mods we have? I can name all the mods, but that's probably because I used to be one. I like all of them as posters, but Al does the best moderating. He keeps his folder in order, solicits feedback and stays above petty disputes. It works well. 6. What brought you to TSM in the first place? Do you still come for the same reasons? Do you still watch wrestling? It's hard to recall how I got here in the first place. I started reading Scott Keith around '99 and followed the board's origins from Rantsylvania. At some point I joined one of the boards (it was yellow I think), but mostly just lurked and eventually left. I came back in the summer of 2004 mostly because I wanted to see what happened to the place. I stopped actively following wrestling in the fall of 2004, but kept tabs on what was going on. I haven't watched a minute of WWE since the Benoit incident. Anything I know about today's product comes from what I glean from the WWE folder. 7. When was the board at its best? Unlike some people who cite certain eras, I can't remember anything that happened more than a week ago. It sort all runs together for me. 8. What is the one thing, above all else, that keeps you coming back here? Honestly, it's mostly habit at this point. I left the board for six months or so earlier this year. One day I dropped in and ended up posting about ten times in a baseball thread. I've been around ever since. Coming back for new posts is an addiction. It's hard to stay away because things are always evolving. I am always interested in seeing the latest posts. 9. If you could change one thing about TSM, what would it be? I've spent more than my fair share of time complaining about the board in the past. Are there things I'd like to change? Sure, but for the most part I enjoy the experience when I log in. It's just my nature to want to try and improve things, but I'm trying to lighten up on that. 10. How much longer will TSM be around? My first inclination is to say that it will just stick around forever. There will always be someone who cares enough to keep it going. In reality, it'll probably just up and disappear one day when those in charge decide it's not worth keeping afloat.

This might be the winner.

Didn't you think my real name was Travis? Wait, do you still think my name is Travis?

CM Punk is really popular, at least amongst those people without phones.

From mlbtraderumors.com

The coroner said that it only took him nine seconds to die. Seemed more like twenty-five to me.

First Kawalimus, now me. At least my name wasn't in honor of a retarded garbageman.

What's this business about them having a wrestler named Cheech?

I thought that the note she left with Joan indicated that she was taking Don back for good. Season 3 will probably pick up in 1964 (I've heard that each season is spread out two years) with child already born. Not sure what the anonymous sex was about. Perhaps it was her way of getting back at Don, or maybe an indication that we don't know her character that well yet. Hadn't though about that. That could be a good way to go, but I was thinking that it might lead to Pete leaving his wife. Lots of possibilities here. They sold their ownership shares to the London company. I think they'll all stay around in management positions, but have no real authority in decision making. Duck will start as president, but I think he gets canned quickly for his drinking issues. Maybe Don takes over at that point?

Oh, I definitely watched. Great episode all around, as they managed to tie up most of Season 2 while at the same time opening a huge can of worms for next year. I am curious as to where they take the Peggy/Pete deal. Not sure that I see Duck as president, either. And Betty having anonymous sex in a bar? WTF?

The first three episodes of the season were really disappointing to me, but I loved last night's episode. I haven't been much of a fan of the Holly/Michael storyline, but I have a feeling things will get interesting now that Dave Wallace is involved.

Yes I did, and it was amazing. Thankfully I finished S1 and figured out the whole "Don Draper" thing before he went off to LA in Season 2. I think I would have been really fucking lost. Someone in my office had already given away the payoff to the Peggy/Pete storyline before I saw it, but it was still brilliant watching it come about. This is, without a doubt, may favorite show on television. From the characters to the style, everything is done perfectly.

I vote for the Chris Benoit photo. Give him a witty catchphrase like "Check out TSM. You might just find me 'hanging' around."

I recently realized that I know next to nothing about Joy Division, a band that is often mentioned as a major influence from the post-punk era. I've downloaded a couple of songs over the years and have enjoyed them, but have never felt compelled to explore the catalog. So, TSM Music Nerds, please educate me on Joy Division. Tell me where to start and what I'm going to find along the way. I understand that the catalog is thin, with just two studio albums and a couple of collections of rarities, but what do I need to hear and what, if anything, do I skip? Best songs? Must-buy albums? Bands to explore next? Feedback required.

Terrible, terrible list. I don't even know where to start. The top 10 is okay, but the rest just seemed like they were drawn randomly out of a hat.

Seems like we could have used a three run homer tonight. Anyways, congrats to the Rays. They've had a great season and they did what was necessary to win tonight. Best of luck to them in the World Series.

I'll keep my distance. Lester and Garza both look good so far. I think we are going to get a competitive game.

Will you look at that... they won.

Nostradamus is in the thread!

Lineups tonight: Rays 2B - Iwamura CF - Upton 1B - Pena 3B - Longoria LF - Crawford DH - Aybar C - Navarro RF - Baldelli SS - Bartlett Red Sox CF - Crisp 2B - Pedroia DH - Ortiz 3B - Youkilis RF - Drew LF - Bay 1B - Kotsay C - Varitek SS - Cora