Cheech Tremendous

I find it odd that they can't seem to nail down any of the names that are in the package. We know Greg Smith is part of the deal, but I've also heard Brett Anderson, Ryan Sweeney, Huston Street and Carlos Gonzalez. Is it one of those guys? Two of them? None? Beane must think that this team can compete this year, and he'll ride Holliday for a year and then collect draft picks. Either that or he thinks he can get a superior package at the deadline if he decides to trade him. The only thing we can know for sure is that he won't be coming up with $200 million to get an extension done.

And now we play the waiting game... Also, on that note, the reported death of Chris Masters, and subsequently JN News, was one of the best moments of the last year. Too many great things about that thread (the MSN contact, Pizza Hut's Game Face, Gargoyle Edge, The Dantaur).

They needed 75% of the votes to be yes, not 75% of the board. I think there were ten votes total. Rousing success, I know.

Voting is closed. All seven nominees have achieved the 75% threshold for induction. TSM's first HOF Class is: The Czech Republic Agent of Oblivion Milky Kinetic Slayer Incandenza bob_barron Congrats to all.

Well, if he's not a gimmick why are we keeping him around?

It's rhetorical, but I'd like to know why he hasn't been banned. This gimmick seems to be in favor with the higher-ups. He'll burn himself out soon enough.

I never "get" any of these gimmicks. Seems like a lot of work for someone when the content isn't that funny.

If he didn't get in trouble then he should have. Whether intentional or not, he nearly blew that whole segment.

I outlined my thoughts earlier in this thread. The advanced stats (from Football Outsiders) indicate that he's one of the worst corners in the league. Scouting reports differ heavily. On one hand, he has the speed and instincts to be a shutdown corner, but it doesn't appear that he has the will or the smarts to actually employ his natural gifts. There are certain systems that he might excel in; the Raiders were not one of them. Dude's got a horrible attitude, too. Perhaps that can be rectified by playing for a real organization. But when Atlanta AND Oakland give up on you it doesn't look so good.

Looks like the Knicks are going hard after Al Harrington and Golden State wants to deal him, but they can't match up on talent. Warriors aren't particularly interested in a deal for Eddy Curry or a package with David Lee and Malik Rose. It will probably take the involvement of a third team, and both Charlotte and San Antonio seem like possibilities.

MLB Trade Rumors seems to think they are the front runners for Matt Holliday as well. Could the rebuilding phase be over already?

Maybe I misinterpreted his posts, but does 909 not realize that we are in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression? Things have already tanked. Badly.

Matt Holliday is going to leave next year as a free agent. Why wouldn't you trade him now for something valuable instead of being left standing with your dick in your hand one year from now?

In news that only Czech will find interesting, the Washington Nationals unveiled new road uniforms today. It changes the grotesque block letters from the previous incarnation with a cursive font. This makes loads of sense, seeing as how the cap always featured a cursive logo. They are also replacing the DC block logo on the alternates with the cursive W. Although not mentioned, it stands to reason that they are going with the red caps for road games now. I like them. The Nats are one of the few teams in modern times to update their uniforms and get it right. No gawdy gimmicks, boring colors or strange fonts. Just a simple, traditional design.

If he didn't, it's merely a formality. The idea of a two year deal for Ramirez is even more far-fetched than a six year contract that Boras suggests. Perhaps you are correct, but who will trump the Dodgers two or three year offer to Manny? The Yankees are moderately interested, but that would only be if they fail on the Teixeira front AND trade Matsui. The Mets don't seem too concerned. Philly would probably re-up Burrell instead. The Angels might be a fit, but $25 million + per year seems out of line with their approach. Boston... bahaha. I just don't see where Boras' elusive "mystery team" will come from this time. I say take the money and run. This might be A-Rod 2009, where one team supposedly "wins" a bidding war that never actually occurred.

I almost laughed out loud when I heard that ESPN report today indicating that the Cubs were now the frontrunners in acquiring Jake Peavy. How exactly do they plan to acquire him? Kevin Towers is one of the sharpest GMs in the game and I doubt he's going to move the face of his franchise for the Chicago poo-poo platter.

How close? Like coat hanger close?

Correct. Bonuses are added to base salary in the formula. Therefore, guys who just got new contracts have the benefit of the signing bonus added in (Big Ben's was $25 million this year). If you were to do a list with AAV, it would look a lot different. But that would be equally misleading, as most contracts are terminated by the team long before they actually end. Didn't catch the JaMarcus as WR thing. I just c/p the list.

This is really interesting. It is a list of the 20 highest paid players in the NFL. 1. QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh $ 27,701,920 2. DE Jared Allen, Minnesota $ 21,119,256 3. WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona $ 17,103,480 4. WR JaMarcus Russell, Oakland $ 16,872,400 5. RB Michael Turner, Atlanta $ 16,003,840 6. G Chris Snee, N.Y. Giants $ 14,890,000 7. CB Asante Samuel, Philadelphia $ 14,145,000 8. WR Randy Moss, New England $ 14,006,720 9. T Flozell Adams, Dallas $ 14,005,760 10 .DT Tommy Kelly, Oakland $ 13,978,480 11. WR Terrell Owens, Dallas $ 13,731,560 12. WR Bernard Berrian, Minnesota $ 13,705,000 13. T Michael Roos, Tennessee $ 13,505,520 14. C Jeff Faine, Tampa Bay $ 13,105,760 15. DE Will Smith, New Orleans $ 12,950,000 16. QB Tony Romo, Dallas $ 12,886,600 17. G Travelle Wharton, Carolina $ 12,850,000 18. DE Antwan Odom, Cincinnati $ 12,800,000 19. CB Terence Newman, Dallas $ 12,611,240 20. RB Marion Barber, Dallas $ 12,522,400 List courtesy of USA Today.

One of the major statheads over at SOSH converted all the +/- data into runs. He then ranked the outfielders based on their value above average. Here's how the list shakes up (first column is raw +/-, second converts to runs prevented): 1. Carl Crawford +24 / +22 runs / 150 G 2. Franklin Gutierrez +29 / +21 3. Carlos Gomez +32 / +17 4. Alex Rios +26 / +15 5. Jacoby Ellsbury +22 / +13 6. Carlos Gonzalez +10 / +11 7. Denard Span +9 / +8 8. Luke Scott +12 / +8 9. Nick Markakis +12 / +7 10. Johnny Damon +4 / +4 11. Melky Cabrera +6 / +3 12. Emil Brown +2/ +3 13. Adam Jones +3 / +3 14. Ryan Sweeney +5 / +3 15. Ichiro Suzuki +3 / +1 16. Grady Sizemore +7 / +1 17. Gabe Gross 0 / +1 18. Garret Anderson +1 / 0 19. David DeJesus 0 / 0 20. B.J. Upton -9 / -1 21. Marlon Byrd 0 / -1 22. Franklin Francisco 0 / -2 23. Xavier Nady -2 / -2 24. Coco Crisp -2 / -2 25. Torii Hunter -5 / -4

AMERICAN LEAGUE GOLD GLOVES P- Mike Mussina C- Joe Mauer 1st - Carlos Pena 2nd - Dustin Pedroia 3rd - Adrian Beltre SS - Michael Young OF - Torii Hunter, Grady Sizemore, Ichiro Michalel Young? Really? The three outfielders aren't egregiously bad, but I'd say that all three are below average.

Since no one has mentioned it, it should be pointed out that Hall would have received $16 million in bonus money had he made it through the season. The Raiders rightly figured out that it was better to waste $8 million on someone who wasn't contributing than $24 million. I don't know what you guys were watching if you think Hall was having a decent year. He wasn't. It was retarded that they gave up a second round pick for him. It was stupid to give him a monstrous contract. But cutting the guy now is not a bad move.

Aren't most of our threads misogynistic? This seems redundant.

Okay, I'm sorry, but DeAngelo Hall sucks. If you want to attribute that to being in a bad organization go ahead, but he wasn't that good in Atlanta and he's only regressed in Oakland. Cutting him isn't a bad move; it was signing him in the first place. This isn't me just talking out of my ass because I'm a Raiders fan either. Football Outsiders has him rated as the second worst corner in the league. Maybe that's because he's getting thrown at more by being across from Asomugha, but scouting reports continually indicate that Hall can't figure out a defensive system. He "floats", which allows him to occasionally get big plays but more often than not ends up with him getting burned. Perhaps some other organization can unlock his talent, but good luck. I just don't see it.

GROUP A "Sold To The Highest Bidder" by Electric Prunes vs "Build me up Buttercup" by The Foundations "Ring Of Fire" by Johnny Cash vs "Psycho" by The Sonics "8 Miles High" by the Byrds vs "Venus" by Shocking Blue "I Can't Explain" by The Who vs "Respect" by Aretha Franklin "Hang On Sloopy" by The McCoys vs "Return to Sender" by Elvis Presley "Itchycoo Park" byThe Small Faces vs "Cupid" by Sam Cooke "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Cream vs "Hair" by The Cowsills "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley vs "She's Not There" by The Zombies "The House Of The Rising Sun" by the Animals vs "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding "Remember (Walkin' In The Sand)" by The Shangri-Las vs "Sounds of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkle "Bonnie and Clyde" by Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot vs "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" by Elvis Presley "She Loves You" by The Beatles vs "Handy Man" by Jimmy Jones "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye vs "Waterloo Sunset" by The Kinks "Incense and Peppermints" by Strawberry Alarm Clock vs "Mr. Tambourine Man" by Bob Dylan "Good Vibrations" by Beach Boys vs "Monkey Man" by The Rolling Stones (Tough matchup... these might be my two favorites on the list) "Under the Boardwalk" by The Drifters vs "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash GROUP B "Eight Days A Week" by The Beatles vs "Surf City" by Jan and Dean "Dance to the Music" by Sly & the Family Stone vs "Alone Again Or" by Love "Unchain My Heart" by Ray Charles vs "My Way" by Frank Sinatra "Hey Jude" by The Beatles vs "Crying" by Roy Orbison "It Ain't Me Babe" by Bob Dylan vs "My Girl" by The Temptations "In Dreams" by Roy Orbison vs "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield vs "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin "Sloop John B" by Beach Boys vs "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In" by The First Edition vs "I Fought The Law" by The Bobby Fuller Four "A Day in the Life" by The Beatles vs "Hello Goodbye" by The Beatles "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In" by the 5th Dimension vs "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King "Tous Les Garcons et Les Filles" by Francoisie Hardy vs "Visions of Johanna" by Bob Dylan "Daydream Believer" by The Monkees vs "Happy Together" by The Turtles "MacArthur Park" by Richard Harris vs "Jumpin Jack Flash" by The Rolling Stones "Get Together" by The Youngbloods vs "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes vs "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke GROUP C "Space Oddity" by David Bowie vs "Unchained Melody" by Righteous Brothers "Down In The Boondocks" by Billy Joe Royal vs "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison "Reflections" by The Supremes vs "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley "Only The Lonely" by Roy Orbison vs "The Witch" by The Sonics "Then He Kissed Me" by The Crystals vs "Dark End of the Street" by James Carr "Sure Nuff 'N Yes I Do" by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band vs "Street Fighting Man" by The Rolling Stones "Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James and the Shondells vs "Hurdy Gurdy Man" by Donovan "My Generation" by The Who vs "Runaway" by Del Shannon "Gloria" by Them vs "Don't Worry Baby" by The Beach Boys "Purple Haze" by The Jimi Hendriz Expierence vs "All Along the Watchtower" by Bob Dylan "The Weight" by The Band vs "Georgia on My Mind" by Ray Charles "Israelites" by Desmond Dekker vs "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival "I Get Around" by The Beach Boys vs "Time of The Season" by The Zombies "Heroin" by The Velvete Underground vs "Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys vs "Out in the Streets" byThe Shangri Las "Viva Las Vegas" by Elvis Presley vs "Reach Out, I'll Be There" by The Four Tops GROUP D "Walk Away Renee" by The Left Bank vs "Venus in Furs" by The Velvet Underground "Catch The Wind" by Donovan vs "In The Year 2525" by Zager and Evans "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5 vs "California Dreamin'" " Mamas and the Papas "Tears of a Clown" by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles vs "(I Know) I'm Losing You" by The Temptations "Green Onions" by Booker T. and the MGs vs "In The Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett "I Was Made To Love Her" by Stevie Wonder vs "Turn, Turn, Turn" by The Birds "God Bless the Child" by Blood, Sweat, & Tears vs "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding vs "Sealed With A Kiss" by Brian Hyland "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson vs "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" by The Band "Gimme Shelter" by Rolling Stones vs "Suite/Judy Blue Eyes" by Crosby, Stills, and Nash "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" by James Brown vs "Spanish Flea" by Herb Alpert "Break on Through" by The Doors vs "Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell "Norwegian Wood" by Beatles vs "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam "Natural Born Boogie" by Humble Pie vs "Scarborough Fair" by Simon & Garfunkel "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong vs "Be My Baby" by The Ronettes "Come See About Me" by The Supremes vs "Arnold Layne" by Pink Floyd