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| Articles about Open Thread |
| Tuesday Headlines/Open Thread | | 2008-07-08 00:31:40 | |
Sully advocates medicating Cubs
Though he stops short of calling them Bipolar Betty.
From the Trib:
The Cubs have shown a split personality of late, looking like a slightly better-than-average team the last three weeks after performing like world beaters the previous three.
They haven't won two games in a row since their sweep of the White Sox June 27-29, after winning nine straight from May 26 through June 3.
So who are the real Cubs?
The team that won 16 of 20 games going into the dreaded Cooperstown trip, or the one that has lost 10 of 17 games since?
With the All-Star break only six days away, the Cubs still remain a mystery.
They've held on to first place in the National League Central since May 26 and still have the best record in the NL. But nagging doubts remain, and some believe they should be better than their 53-36 record.
The Cubs are a combined 29-10 against Pittsburgh and the atrocious NL West teams, but only 24-26 against everyone else. They've failed to win on the ro | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Free Agency-Day 2 (open thread) | | 2008-07-02 10:37:21 | | [Promoted to the front page because I'm lazy. -Joe]
Since there are still a significant number of UFAs to sign, probably today, and the Avs could still make some noise I figured we should start another thread to keep track of the signings (I didn't see a new one)
While it's tempting to add onto yesterday's epic a new thread will be a little easier to follow.
Today (so far)
TB re-signs Niskala and Ryan Craig
Carolina signs UFA defenceman Josef Melichar | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Tuesday Caffeinated Headlines/ Open Thread | | 2008-07-01 08:40:10 | |
DeRosa steps up to the plate
And sends a couple of souvenirs to the bleachers
Monday was also the first time DeRosa had hit a home run in 17 games. He had just three RBIs in his last 10 starts, but he smacked a two-run shot off Giants pitcher Barry Zito (3-12) in the fifth. Then he added a grand slam in the eighth. He tied a career high with six RBIs.
Both balls were hit to the same spot in left-center field. The first scored Geovany Soto, who reached on a double and also had a single and a walk. The slam, the third of DeRosa's career and the second of the Cubs' season, plated Ryan Theriot, Derrek Lee and Soto, who all reached on walks.
"It was just nice to get back on the winning side," DeRosa said. Speaking of Zito, DeRosa said, "You walk runners and you put guys in scoring position, eventually somebody's going to get a hit."
So they didn't have Aramis or Soriano, who cares. Lou is bad cop, Rasputin is good cop?
Who do you want to visit?
When Cubs manager Lou Piniella ambles ou | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
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| | Thurday Headlines/ Open Thread | | 2008-06-26 09:36:02 | |
I want the team to do well, but he's making me not dislike him
The great men from the Northside bested their heated AL rivals from Clipper City last night in a game most of us couldn’t watch anyway. But since they won we should talk about all the good things. The Hitting A four-run first inning and two-run second gave the Cubs an early cushion, with Ryan Theriot, Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto producing multihit games. Jim Edmonds' seventh home run was among the Cubs' 12 hits. I heard about the first inning from the Reds fan watching the game in the BWI airport, presumably under protest.
The Pitching Carlos Marmol gave up a leadoff single in the eighth before striking out two, and Kerry Wood struck out the side in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 20th save.Kerry is a beast. And the ok things
The Other Pitching
Lilly was kicked out of the #2 starter spot by Dempster, but now he’s back up until Carlos comes back. Lets hear what he thinks of his pitching Lilly (8- | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Monday Headlines/Open Thread | | 2008-06-23 02:35:14 | |
There's no place like home Dempster reveals secret to home success
Performance enhancing? You bet!
From the Trib:
Ryan Dempster (9-2) remained perfect at Wrigley Field with eight-plus innings of one-run ball, improving to 9-0 while pitching the Cubs to their 14th straight home win, their longest streak since 1936.
Dempster and the Cubs are traveling in a parallel universe, looking unbeatable at the corner of Clark and Addison Streets. What's the secret to Dempster's success?
"It's Otis' cooking," he said, referring to clubhouse man Tom "Otis" Hellmann. "It's as fine as it gets. It really gets you prepared. We're going to have him start cooking on the road."
The Cubs are definitely cooking at home, moving 41/2 games ahead of the Cardinals in the National League Central with Sunday's win.
The Sox, meanwhile, suffered their ninth consecutive road loss and saw their lead over the Twins sliced to 11/2 games in the AL Central.
In the end, the City Series again lived up to the hype, with em | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
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| Friday Headlines/Open Thread | | 2008-06-20 05:25:33 | |
We all have a bad day sometimes.
Big Z to miss a start
Let's hope it's not more than that.
From the Trib:
Carlos Zambrano will undergo an MRI arthrogram on his right shoulder Friday and miss at least one start.
Zambrano flew to Chicago on Thursday and was examined by team orthopedist Stephen Gryzlo and other doctors, but the Cubs said they will know more about the condition of the shoulder after getting the results of the test, which is more detailed than a regular MRI.
"I have nothing to add except I hope it's not serious," manager Lou Piniella said. "I hope we find out what's wrong and we can take care of it in short order."
Left-hander Sean Marshall, who pitched Thursday night for Triple-A Iowa, is likely to take Zambrano's start Tuesday against Baltimore. Marshall allowed one run on four hits over eight innings for Iowa on Thursday. He compiled a 4.15 earned-run average in 13 relief appearances with the Cubs before being sent down to Iowa to become a starter.
"He has been stretc | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Thursday Night Open Thread: Cubs Win! | | 2008-05-15 16:36:57 | |
Nice job, but stay away from my record.
Ryan Dempster struck out 12 batters today in the Cubs 4-0 win over the Ruschless and Edmondsless (btw--we're calling him "Butters") Padres. That's like, 8 strikeouts away from being Kerry. What would any of us do if Dempster struck out 20 batters?
Did I just blow your mind? In other, more predictable news, Butters went one for three with a meaningless single and left 10 men on base. This now puts Butters on pace to leave 1458 men on base for the season.
Box score
Discuss.
| | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Open Thread: Let's get to know each other better | | 2008-05-04 06:00:13 | |
It's a Sunday in May, and there truthfully isn't much football to talk about.
So, let's do something we haven't done in a long time. Let's throw the floor open for a completely open thread.
You want to talk NBA playoffs? Go for it.
You want to talk about the crummy starts by the Yankees and Mets? Go for it.
You want to tell us a little about yourselves? Please do. I've noticed quite a few unfamiliar names commenting in recent weeks. Tell us a little about yourself -- why you love the Giants, how you became a fan, where live, whatever -- so we get to know you better.
Been here a while and want to tell us something new about yourself? Please do.
I'll start with this little tidbit. I start a new full-time job on Monday that I'm thrilled about. You guys have benefitted from the fact that I got laid off 6 weeks ago, but Monday morning it is back to the real world for me.
Don't worry, though, I'll still be here for ya!
Other than that, the floor is yours. Do with it what you will.
| | By: Big Blue View | | |
| | Playoffs Open Thread | | 2008-05-04 00:21:11 | | Philadelphia finished off the surprisingly ineffective Canadiens 6-4, to win the series four games to one. Most likely there will be a battle of Pennsylvania in the Eastern Conference Finals. Sunday's games: Rangers at Penguins, 12:00 PM Mountain time on NBC, and then the Sharks at Stars at 7:00 PM on Versus. This is a game day open thread for anyone inclined to discuss these games. Have at it. | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | WCS Game 4: Red Wings At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-05-01 13:00:03 | | In some ways, it's hard to believe this could be the last game of the season for the Avalanche. In other ways, it's hard to believe the season didn't end on April 6th. But I'm not going to write a season wrap-up just yet, since the Avs could still conceivably win tonight and keep their playoff hopes on life support for a bit longer. Paul Stastny, Ryan Smyth and Wojtek Wolski are all out for sure. They won't be back even if the Avs pull a Red Sox and make it to the next round. Marek Svatos, if he's off his crutches by now, has been warming up the local golf courses for his teammates. And, this just in: Peter Forsberg is out as well. The Avalanche will dress seven defensemen instead because, well, they can. Tonight TJ Hensick and David Jones will get another chance to show off their developing skill sets, since they'll have to play significant minutes filling in for the injured regulars on the team. Poor Jones has been struggling to score goals sin | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | WCS Game 3: Red Wings At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-04-29 13:08:05 | | Okay, first of all, I'm proud to announce that I've been meeting with a psychologist for the past two days and major progress has been made. I'm no longer superstitious about goalie names. The therapist helped me to realize that not saying the name(s) of the Avalanche goalie in the past two game threads didn't do jack to prevent the Red Wings from scoring a crap ton of goals. So I'm over it. Feel free to compliment Jose Theodore (or attack him) in the thread, as MHH no longer believes in silly things like superstitions. As for Theodore, I still think Budaj should get the start tonight, but I understand the other side, and the ESPN preview (linked below) suggests that Theodore was indeed still sick in game 2, so both of his consecutive meltdowns may have been due to fever and nausea and not a simple reversion to his 2007 self. Of course, that begs the question, why the hell did Coach Q let him play? But whatever. That's in the past. Tonight' | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | 2008 NFL Draft: Final Thoughts Open Thread | | 2008-04-27 17:55:33 | |
It's over.
The 2008 NFL Draft is behind us, trailing away in the rear view mirror as we run (slowly) toward the 2008 regular season. We know more now about the Jaguars than we did a week ago, and I'll be the first to say that it's impossible to know how these things will play out.
The only prospect that I previewed to end up on the Jaguars was Quentin Groves, a player that I very much like. Trevor Laws, Red Bryant, Jason Jones, Brian Johnston and Tom Z were all drafted. Tommy Blake, despite my hopes, was not drafted.
Jacksonville ended up making five picks, four went to the defense. We reshaped our defensive line with two explosive pass-rushers, and were largely idle during the rest of the draft.
I'm meeting up with some family in New York City for the evening, consider this an open thread to discuss the NFL Draft, the Jaguars, the failure of the Jaguars.com website, and anything else football related.
-Chris
Poll
Grade the draft | | By: Big Cat Country - An Unoffical Jacksonville Jaguar | | |
| | 2008 NFL Draft 5th Round Open Thread | | 2008-04-27 12:45:46 | |
Here we go, we have two picks in this round. Who are we taking?
1.(136) Detroit Lions - WR Kenneth Moore, Wake Forest
2.(137) Minnesota Vikings - QB John David Booty, Southern Cal
3.(138) Atlanta Falcons - OLB Robert James, Arizona State
4.(139) Denver Broncos - RB Ryan Torian, Arizona State
5.(140) Kansas City Chiefs - CB Brandon Carr, Grand Valley State
6.(141) Carolina Panthers - TE Gary Barnidge, Louisville
7.(142) Chicago Bears - CB Zackary Bowman, Nebraska
8.(143) Dallas Cowboys - CB Orlando Scandrick, Boise State
9.(144) New Orleans Saints - DT DeMario Pressley, North Carolina State
10.(145) Cincinnati Bengals - DT Jason Shirley, Fresno State
11.(146) Detroit Lions - FB Jerome Felton, Furman
12.(147) Buffalo Bills - OLB Alvin Bowen, Iowa State
13.(148) Denver Broncos - DT Carlton Powell, Virginia Tech
14.(149) Arizona Cardinals - RB Tim Hightower, Richmond
15.(150) Green Bay Packers - OT Breno Giacomini, Louisville
16.(151) Houston Texans - DT Frank Okam, Texas
1 | | By: Mile High Report | | |
| | 2008 NFL Draft 4th Round Open Thread | | 2008-04-27 10:59:32 | |
Finally, another selection for the Broncos. The Broncos make 2 picks in the 4th round....Talk about them here....
1.(100) Oakland Raiders - CB Tyvon Branch, Connecticut
2.(101) St. Louis Rams - CB Justin King, Penn State
3.(102) Green Bay Packers- DE Jeremy Thompson, Wake Forest
4.(103) Tennessee Titans - DE William Hayes, Winston-Salem State
5.(104) Cleveland Browns - OLB Beau Bell, UNLV
6.(105) Kansas City Chiefs - WR Will Franklin, Missouri
7.(106) Baltimore Ravens - WR Marcus Smith, New Mexico
8.(107) San Francisco 49ers - OL Cody Wallace, Texas A&M
9.(108) Denver Broncos - OG Kory Lichtensteiger, Bowling Green
10.(109) Philadelphia Eagles - OT Mike McGlynn, Pittsburgh
11.(110) Miami Dolphins - OT Shawn Murphy, Utah State
12.(111) Cleveland Browns - TE Martin Rucker, Missouri
13.(112) Cincinnati Bengals - OT Anthony Collins, Kansas
14.(113) New York Jets - CB Dwight Lowery, San Jose State
15.(114) Buffalo Bills - CB Reggie Corner, Akron
16.(115) Tampa Bay Bucs - | | By: Mile High Report | | |
| | 2008 NFL Draft Round 3 Open Thread | | 2008-04-27 09:05:49 | |
I am going to be running around New York today so use this as the official Open Thread for the 3rd Round. As it stands, the Broncos don't have a pick in the 3rd round, but with 7 picks remaining the ammo is there to make a move.
Awesome job by EVERYONE yesterday, proving once again that MileHighReport.com is the best fan site out there! Enjoy Round 3!
1.(64) Detroit Lions - RB Kevin Smith, Central Florida
2.(65) St. Louis Rams - OT John Greco, Toledo
3.(66) Miami Dolphins - DT Kendall Langford, Hampton
4.(67) Carolina Panthers - CB Charles Godfrey, Iowa
5.(68) Atlanta Falcons - CB Chevis Jackson, LSU
6.(69) San Diego Chargers - FB Jacob Hester, LSU
7.(70) Chicago Bears - WR Earl Bennett, Vanderbilt
8.(71) Baltimore Ravens - OLB Tavares Gooden, Miami
9.(72) Buffalo Bills - DE Chris Ellis, Virginia Tech
10.(73) Kansas City Chiefs - RB Jamaal Charles, Texas
11.(74) Carolina Panthers - OLB Dan Connor, Penn State
12.(75) San Francisco 49ers - DB Reggie Smith, Oklahoma
| | By: Mile High Report | | |
| | 2008 NFL Draft: 2nd Day Open Thread | | 2008-04-27 08:38:10 | |
We've got a couple of rounds before the Jaguars pick again and I've got some Radio City adventures in my future before I can toss up the "live blog".
Use this for draft talk, speculation, rumors, and ideas for what the heck we should do with two fifth round picks!
Don't Forget, visit Alligator Army and Track em' Tigers , our Florida Gators and Auburn Tigers blogs!
-C
| | By: Big Cat Country - An Unoffical Jacksonville Jaguar | | |
| | 2008 NFL Draft: Day 2 Open Thread | | 2008-04-27 08:30:01 | |
Day 2
After a fun, but exhausting day yesterday, we are back for day 2, which begins at 10 am EDT. Still some very good players available and it sure would be good for the Dolphins, for once, to uncover a "hidden gem" here in the later rounds. This is where great teams are made and solid depth is found.
I won't go on and list all the players I would like to see taken, but here are a few I wouldn't mind Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland selecting here on day 2:
-RBs - Kevin Smith, Jamaal Charles, Tashard Choice-WRs - Mario Manningham, Andre Caldwell, Earl Bennett, Early Doucet-OLs - Jeremy Zuttah, Carl Nicks, Roy Schuening, Anthony Collins, John Greco-DLs - Red Bryant, Pat Sims, Frank Okam-LBs - Beau Bell, Dan Connor, Cliff Avril, Tavares Gooden, Shawn Crable-DBs - Reggie Smith, Charles Godfrey, Justin King, DaJuan Morgan, Antwaun Molden, Josh Barrett, Tyvon Branch
As you can see, some very good players are still on the board.
**UPDATE 9:51 am** The Dolphins have traded pic | | By: The Phinsider | | |
| | NFL Draft: Round Three Open Thread | | 2008-04-27 08:28:19 | |
Welcome to Day Two of Buffalo Rumblings' coverage of the 2008 NFL Draft! This is going to be a short post that will serve as the open thread for the very early portion of Round 3. The Miami Dolphins start today's picking process off with pick #64, and the Bills are scheduled to pick at #72, so we should not have to wait long for Buffalo's next selection.
So this will be a short one. Give us a shout out if you're here for day two!
| | By: Buffalo Rumblings | | |
| | The 2008 NFL Draft Day Open Thread -- 2nd Round | | 2008-04-26 17:42:46 | |
Time for the 2nd Round. What will the Broncos do at #42??
#32 Miami Dolphins -- DE Phillip Merling, Clemson Concerns about Merling's recovery from a sports hernia surgery dropped the talented ACC pass rusher out of the first round. With the first pick of the second round, however, the Dolphins added a big, physical defensive lineman that projects nicely outside to end in the 3-4 alignment.
#33 St Louis Rams -- WR Donnie Avery, Houston Someone could have made a lot of money in betting that Donnie Avery would end up being the first receiver taken in the 2008 draft. Avery lacks the big name of some of the other highly rated receivers, but his stock has been skyrocketing in recent weeks and he fills a clear need as a slot receiver and returner for the Rams.
#34 Washington Redskins -- WR Devin Thomas, Michigan State Once Jim Zorn was hired as the new head coach of the Washington Redskins, it was clear that the club would be adding taller receivers soon. The Redski | | By: Mile High Report | | |
| | | | The 2008 NFL Draft Day Open Thread -- 1st Round(21-31) | | 2008-04-26 16:24:48 | |
Two-Thirds of the way through the draft. Is it me, or are we flying through the First Round???
#21 Atlanta Falcons -- OT Sam Baker -- Another trade, another surprise. I felt that Baker would be available early in the 2nd round, but it's obvious the Falcons didn't agree. The Falcons need help on the O-line if new quarterback Matt Ryan is to stay alive.
#22 Dallas Cowboys -- RB Felix Jones -- Jerah Jones went to Arkansas, Felix Jones went to Arkansas. How cute is that. Seriously, Jones provides a worthy replacement to Julius Jones and much needed insurance for Marion Barber III.
#23 Pittsburgh Steelers -- RB Rashard Mendenhall -- What a pick for the Steelers. Great value for Mendehhall, who slips all the way to 23. With Willie Parker already there Mendenhall won't have to come right in and perform. A perfect situation for him and the Steelers.
#24 Tennessee Titans - RB Chris Johnson -- That is a shock. an absolute shock. | | By: Mile High Report | | |
| | | The 2008 NFL Draft Day Open Thread -- 1st Round(11-20) | | 2008-04-26 15:16:46 | |
Welcome Back! The Broncos are only 1 pick away and every one of the OL's are still on the board. TRADE DOWN!!!
#11 Buffalo Bills -- CB Leodis McKelvin -- The Bills undoubtedly tried to move down. Reaching for a WR here would have been a huge reach so the Bills made the wise move taking the best DB on the board. Remember, the Bills play against Tom Brady twice a year. Nice move for the Bills.
ON THE CLOCK -- THE DENVER BRONCOS!
#12 Denver Broncos -- OT Ryan Clady -- I guess we had to know this pick was coming when all these linemen fell. Clady and the Broncos have been connected at the hip during this entire process. I said on MHR Radio that O-Line would be the safe pick. It turned out that the Broncos decided to stay safe. Styg50 will have his thoughts ASAP.
#13 Carolina Panthers -- RB Jonathon Stewart -- The Panthers waste no time taking the card with Stewart's name to the commish. Stewart has question | | By: Mile High Report | | |
| | It's Here!! The 2008 NFL Draft Day Open Thread -- 1st Round(1-10) | | 2008-04-26 12:47:06 | |
(1:15 PM est) - Welcome to the 2008 NFL Draft Open Thread! After weeks and weeks of talking about it, writing about it, commenting about it, losing sleep over it, the day is finally here. Can the Broncos continue a decent trend of solid draft picks? Will Kansas City use the bounty they received in the Jared Allen trade to immediately improve? Can the Raiders finad a way to screw up another draft?? We'll find out in a little over 90 minutes.
MileHighReport has you covered today, from Jake Long to Mr. Irrelevent. Be here all day to talk about everyt pick and enjoy the Auto-Refreshing Comments! Get involved by posting your thought in the FanPosts or FanShots. New to the site? Sign up, Sign In, and GET INVOLVED!!!
(1:30 PM est) - Some team may have forgotten the start time is 3 hours later this year. It already appears the Top 4 picks are set, though some of it may be a smoke screen. As of now, here is what we are hearing -
#1 - | | By: Mile High Report | | |
| | | 2008 NFL Draft Open Thread | | 2008-04-26 10:30:06 | |
AND IT'S FINALLY HERE!
The 2008 NFL Draft is finally here. After months of speculation and debate, the time for teams to take action is now. And while the intrigue of the Dolphins' #1 overall pick has been killed thanks to the pre-draft signing of Jake Long by the Dolphins, there are still plenty of things to watch as this weekend unfolds.
So what will I specifically be looking for on day one of the draft? I'll be very interested in seeing if the Dolphins do draft a QB at any point on this first day. I don't think they will. And if they do indeed pass on a QB, does that mean this new regime is giving John Beck a vote of confidence? Of course, I'll also be interested in seeing if this regime can indeed swing a deal for another 1st or 2nd round pick by shipping Jason Taylor out of Miami.
Speaking of the Jason Taylor saga, Armando Salguero is at it again. Apparently he has sources nobody else does, writing that he knows for a fact that Taylor | | By: The Phinsider | | |
| | WCS Game 2: Avalanche At Red Wings, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-04-26 06:37:05 | | Gut check time. As in, seriously, every Avalanche player should check their stomachs, ribs, and any other body parts for illness, sprains, breaks or any other kind of injury before suiting up this afternoon against the Red Wings. Wojtek Wolski, we learned yesterday, is out for the rest of the series. Peter Forsberg is as reliable as Republicans banning abortion or Democrats creating universal healthcare. Don't expect him to play. If he does, it will be a nice surprise. His absence clears the way for some guy named Jaroslav Hlinka to play today, whoever that is. I vaguely remember him, but it seems like years ago since we saw him on the ice. Dater says: Jaroslav Hlinka needs to have the attitude that "I’m going to play the game of my life tomorrow." If there was ever a chance for a guy to start proving that he is a PLAYER in this league, tomorrow is it. I don’t think Peter Forsberg is going to play in Game 2, so Hlinka has the ch | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | WCQ Game 6: Wild At Avalanche, Open Thread | | 2008-04-19 13:45:37 | | The Avs need to put the Wild (and their fans) out of their misery tonight. Strike quick, strike hard, and be done with them. None of that lazy crap that dominated the first two periods of game 5, because the Wild aren't going to lose again if that's the way the Avs play. Nothing else needs to be said. A game 7 back in St. Paul is not an option. If you're at the game, help bring the house down. If you're not, help us get this thread going. Let's go Avs! ESPN preview. | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | WCQ Game 5: Avalanche At Wild, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-04-17 09:15:20 | | With emotions from Game 4 still running high, I figured the game thread today couldn't be posted too soon. We saw the Wild's true colors come out on Tuesday, with cheap shots and attempts to injure, multiple misconducts and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. We saw Stephane Veilleux take a flying leap into the back of Paul Stastny's head and more or less embarrass himself all night long with bush league behavior. In a typical show of inconsistency that has plagued them all year, the NHL's disciplinary overlords are apparently not going to punish Veilleux for his grossly illegal and dangerous attack. So be it. Minnesota has become the State Of Denial as they continue to whine and cry about the Avalanche, specifically Ian Laperriere and Cody McLeod, accusing them of being just too darn annoying, not to mention cowards despite their repeated willingness to fight the perpetrators of crap penalties by the Wild. The Wild faithful are still crying over the " | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | WCQ Game 4: Wild At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-04-15 17:19:45 | | I think we've just about covered all the things the Avalanche needs to address as they prepare for this game in the last two posts. The power play must score. Tyler Arnason must sit. Jeff Finger should sit or see a major reduction in ice time. Peter Forsberg must be wrapped head-to-toe in ace bandages and ice (no word on whether or not he'll play tonight). And the Avs can't sit back on a lead---EVER AGAIN. Factors that will surely play into tonight's game for both teams: The Avalanche Losing two in a row stings. Time for redemption. Still at home. The team can feed off the fans if they want to. Lappy, Smyth and Wolski have been great. The altitude, maybe. The Wild Winning two in a row means forward momentum. Cheap play and hard hitting have worked so far. Gaborik is itching to score. Backstrom plays his best in OT. The game is late again tonight, starting at 8:00 PM Mountain time, 10:00 PM Eastern and will air on Versus. I'm | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | WCQ Game 3: Wild At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-04-14 14:01:36 | | Let's get this show on the road. Had the Avalanche won game 2 on Friday night, they'd be cruising into the friendly confines of the Pepsi Center with a 2-0 lead in the series and everybody would already be speculating about their second round opponent. But they didn't win game 2. Instead, it's all even as the Avs head back home to Denver. Two things have to happen for the Avs to win tonight and tomorrow night in Colorado. First, they have to quit blowing leads. Two games they scored first, two games they found themselves in overtime because they let the Wild get momentum. Second, The Can has to put Xcel Energy Center to shame. Each member of the much-maligned Avalanche fanbase needs to take out a couple of loans (for tickets), swallow their disappointment (at the coaching staff), and act like they've been cooped up all winter and are ready to bust out. The Can needs to be bursting at the seams. Denver used to be a place other teams dr | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Saturday Brunch Headlines/Open Thread | | 2008-04-12 09:59:32 | |
Big Z has a start from the past
Recovery is a process.
From the Trib:
The new, decaffeinated Carlos Zambrano was back to his old ways Friday night at Citizens Bank Park, letting his emotions get the best of him in a 5-3 loss to Philadelphia.
Whether he was snapping back his glove after taking a throw from catcher Geovany Soto, stalking behind the mound after issuing a two-out walk or throwing back his head in disgust after a Pat Burrell fly dropped a few feet away from right fielder Daryle Ward, Zambrano was a study in frustration.
Afterward, Zambrano was relaxed and contrite in the Cubs clubhouse.
"We don't have to worry about those plays," he said. "We just have to worry about our players and do our jobs. My team gave me a lead, and I blew it. But those things are part of the game and you have to deal with it. Forget about today."
Zambrano was he wasn't upset with himself or any of his teammates when he displayed some body language in the fateful sixth after the ball fell near Wa | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | WCQ Game 2: Avalanche At Wild, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-04-11 10:51:58 | | Another early start to the game thread because there's nothing else to talk about today except tonight's matchup. Sure, things fell the Avs' way in Game 1, but don't think for a second---even with the mounting injuries faced by the Wild---that Minnesota is out of it. If anything, getting humbled in front of their own crowd is only going to make them play harder. Nobody wants to go home early from the playoffs. Mark Parrish is out, but Martin Skoula will play with a sore leg and Chris Simon will likely be in, so the Avs will have to keep their heads up at all times because he's the dirtiest player in the league. Forsberg needs to stay light on his skates because he'll be dodging two-handers all night long. Even Forsberg shadow Brent Burns is not above cheap play, and neither is the rest of his team. The good news is, Burns had to play 30 minutes in game 1, and if he has to do it again tonight, he'll be toast. Foppa wasn't happy with his line's p | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Round 1, Game 1: Avalanche At Wild, Preview Omnibus And Open Thread | | 2008-04-09 09:38:12 | | Let's get this going early, shall we? The game tonight doesn't start until 7:00 PM Mountain time, but the anticipation, anxiousness, and sheer joy of the postseason started a week ago, at least for me. It's time to get crazy. Anything less than the Stanley Cup is a failure. First of all, let me get this out of the way. The Wild are a boring team. They play a boring system of defense-first trapping. Sure, you could argue that the Avs play a similar style and scored a similar number of goals as the Wild this season, but I don't care. That doesn't make the Wild exciting. It makes the Avs boring, too. I stand by what I wrote in my cameo appearance on The Pensblog yesterday: Watching the Minnesota Wild play hockey is like watching the New Jersey Devils play hockey. Sleep-inducing. At least the Devils have some great history and three spots on the side of the Stanley Cup. The Wild, not so much. The Avalanche have history, too, but they had t | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 80: Avalanche At Wild, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-30 16:30:58 | | Just in case you don't grasp the pure insanity of this final little bit of the season, consider the following facts: The Avs can still win the Northwest Division title. The Avs can still finish fourth in the division. The Avs can start the Western Conference playoffs in the third seed. The Avs can miss the playoffs entirely. That's ridiculous. As for personnel in tonight's game, despite being "out of gas" at the end of regulation against the Oilers two nights ago and then skipping the next day's practice, Peter Forsberg made the trip to Minnesota with the team and is expected to play. Maybe he was out of gas because Coach Q played him more than 22 minutes in regulation (he didn't play in overtime). Probably not a good idea, Coach Q, three assists or not. If the Avs make the playoffs, they're probably going to need a very healthy Foppa around. The rest of the team appears to be up and running just fine. Jordan Leopold is expected to return soon, and th | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 79: Oilers At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-28 16:07:45 | | Has it been a long season or what? Tonight the Avalanche and the Oilers face each other for the eighth and final time this year. Colorado has so far dominated the series, but they can't rest on their laurels. Edmonton still has an outside chance to make the playoffs, and beating the Avs would go a long way to helping them achieve that goal. A win for the Avs tonight would guarantee that the Oilers couldn't steal a playoff spot from them. Nashville still could, but not the Oilers. Adam Foote is set to return---again---from a hip injury that has made him miss the last few games. Hopefully it's fully healed this time. Unfortunately, the hip injury bug has been passed to poor Jordan Leopold, who will miss tonight's game but not much longer, according to the team---for whatever that's worth. Jose Theodore will be in net. The game starts at 7:00 PM Mountain time, 9:00 Eastern. ESPN preview. | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 78: Canucks At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-26 14:25:23 | | For those of you living in a cave, this game is important. Critical. Win-or-die-trying critical. A win tonight moves the Avs out of eighth place in the West and into seventh, and a much better position playoff-wise. Sure, the San Jose Sharks are freakin' mean as hell, but the Avs beat them twice this year already and I honestly believe they could beat them again. Maybe. The Wings? Eh, not so much. Beating Vancouver tonight is one of those "four point games" against a divisional foe they'll only face one more time this season. The Avs lead the series 4-2 so far, and could really make a statement by drubbing a team I think is probably the weakest overall of any of the Northwest Division right now. A loss tonight makes it that much easier for Nashville (or Edmonton!) to catch them and steal the final playoff seed. All this said, I'm still on the fence about making the playoffs. The win against Calgary changes nothing. Coach | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 77: Flames At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-24 13:19:58 | | Flames again. Phadouche will be back in The Can, up to his usual dirty tricks, but this time with an able-to-fight Lappy no doubt itching for a good scrap with him. Lappy fought in the Edmonton game for the first time in weeks now that his lacerated finger has healed, and he definitely had a good showing. Let's hope he wastes little time wrecking the Flame-Outs defenseman. Now, lets talk about line combinations for the 150 millionth time, shall we? I know everybody is just dying to talk about them some more, so I don't have a choice. Dater (who I owe some serious royalty checks to lately), says tonight's lines (at least for half of the first period) will appear as such: Wolski-Sakic-Brunette Smyth-Stastny-Hejduk Forsberg-Arnason-Jones McLeod-Guite-Laperriere In his morning preview of tonight's game, Dater asked Coach Q about Wolski returning to the first line with Super Joe and Andrew Brunette. Quenneville said: Asked about his line-juggling | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 75: Avalanche At Flames, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-20 13:14:49 | | Well look who we have here. If it isn't the Flame-Outs, fresh off a most impressive 3-0 shutout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who don't have a healthy starting goalie, or a veteran captain, or much of an offense other than Rick Nash. Nice work. I suppose Dion Phadouche (0g, 0a, - 3) wasn't properly fueled for the game. The bad news is that Colorado hasn't been all that hot lately, either. A frustrating loss to New Jersey and an unforgivable choke job against the Wild mean the Avs are treading water when they should be backstroking into the upper seeds of the playoffs. Peter Forsberg is being over-played (and trying to over-play), the power play is causing a kitten holocaust, and the defense periodically takes a night off here and there. It's time to separate the men from the not-men. The Avalanche need to rise above their injuries, the bad coaching, and all the other problems they've succumbed to this season and make a statement that the glory d | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Wednesday Morning Headlines/Open Thread - Late Edition | | 2008-03-19 09:28:44 | |
Please don't throw balls at $48 million necks. Lou wants us to squirm
I mean, really, that's the only explanation, right?
From the Trib:
Lou Piniella used his probable Opening Day lineup Tuesday in a 6-5 victory over Kansas City, although he had to insert a few qualifiers while announcing it.
"Unless there is an injury or unless there's a trade or whatever, this possibly could be our Opening Day lineup," Piniella said.
That lineup of Ryan Theriot, Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Kosuke Fukudome, Mark DeRosa, Geovany Soto and Felix Pie combined for five of the Cubs 10 hits, including two infield hits, so if you're filling out your Opening Day scorecard, be sure to use a pencil.
Everything is open to change if the Cubs manage to acquire second baseman Brian Roberts to lead off by the end of spring training. Then, Theriot moves to the bottom of the order and DeRosa goes into limbo as a super-utilityman.
Piniella, however, said he would like to have everyone's role set by Mo | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Off day open thread | | 2008-03-17 20:33:00 | | Nothing going on today so I thought I would post some links to other stuff.
Only 19 players in MLB history 6’ 6” or taller have successfully stolen a base. Interestingly, 6 of them have been pitchers. Adam Dunn ranks 4th all-time and leads the list among active players.
Ever wondered how many home runs have been hit by players of a specific height? Now you know.
Lou says the trade rumors involving some of the Cubs young players is “unsettling” to them. That’s because they’re anxious to head to another organization where they may get a chance to play.
AJ Burnett’s change up is faster than 37 starting pitchers fastballs.
Mike Redmond saved 7.1 runs above average per 120 block opportunties (ball in dirt) in 2007. As it turns out, Michael Barrett was pretty much average in 2007 and Jason Kendall was actually above average. Be careful with this information. It’s mere existence could shatter you know who’s world.
| | By: Another Cubs Blog | | |
| | Game 74: Avalanche At Wild, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-17 13:30:08 | | THE STRETCH RUN BEGINS Well, kiddos, every game matters now. Every game is a must-win---even the games against Edmonton. The Avs are 2-3 so far this season against the Wild, but they've won eight of their last ten and are finally getting healthy again. Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote are both expected to return to the lineup (I have no time for "maybe"), and Paul Stastny's groin seems to be doing just fine, if his two points and 22 minutes of ice time against New Jersey are any indication. Jose Theodore and the Avalanche defense looked weak in the Devils game on Saturday, so hopefully the return of Foote will tighten up the loose ends and remind the others how well they are capable of playing. Theodore I don't worry about too much anymore. He'll either be fine or he'll be on some other team next year. Either way, it will ultimately work out fine for the Avs. The line juggling should be truly epic tonight, since Q has already switched Hejduk, Smyth and H | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 73: Devils At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-15 13:56:44 | | This has all the potential to be a really great game. Or, it could also be the most boring game ever played. You never really know with the New Jersey Devils---a team Colorado almost never plays. The Devils are good, and currently lead the Eastern Conference by just one point over division rival Pittsburgh and Northeast Division foes Montreal and Ottawa. All three teams are tied with 87 points. The Avs are still in sole possession of first place in the Northwest Division, but losing today is really not an option for them. Every other team in the division, with the exception of idle Calgary, plays tonight. A Colorado loss and wins by Vancouver and/or Minnesota would result in yet another annoying tie for first place. And nobody wants that. The Devils are hot, winners of four of their last five games. The Avs are hot, winners of eight of their last nine. Ryan Smyth is expected to return to the lineup, and Paul Stastny, despite t | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | | Game 72: Oilers At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-13 13:24:31 | | The Avs are in good shape right now. Calgary lost last night, and so did Vancouver, which leaves Colorado in a tie for the top spot in the Northwest Division going into tonight's game against surprisingly resilient Edmonton. The Oilers have been pretty hot lately, and a win against the Avs would compliment their continued good fortunes. Luckily for the Avs, though, the Oilers seem to only win in overtime, which means a point in the standings for our boys and that would still help. As far as injuries go, Ryan Smyth and Ruslan Salei both participated in a "scaled-down practice" on Wednesday and appear to be ready and/or just about ready to return. Salei's eye is improving and Smyth's concussion symptoms are gone. Adam Foote and Peter Forsberg remain mysteries, though, since neither skated on Wednesday and the team has played its usual hall of mirrors injury report routine. Coach Q seemed optimistic about Foppa coming back, but his status has still | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 71: Avalanche At Thrashers, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-11 17:55:44 | | The Atlanta Thrashers suck. They're not a good hockey team. The Avalanche should have no trouble beating them tonight and gaining two points in the standings. Enough said. In injury news---since all my game previews are actually injury reports this season---Adam Foote is expected to return to the lineup, but fellow defensemen Ruslan Salei and Jordan Leopold will miss at least one game due to their respective injuries. Salei does not have a broken orbital bone and is predicted to return for Thursday's game, while Leoprone is showing symptoms of a minor concussion and may have to sit longer. I really feel sorry for him these days. The poor guy may never play a full season. Peter Forsberg is still out with a sore groin, but he skated in practice and is showing signs of improvement. Hopefully he just needs a little more rest and will be good to go on Thursday as well. The game starts at 5:00 PM Mountain time, 7:00 PM Eastern. I'm not sur | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 70: Avalanche At Stars, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-09 15:40:00 | | The rematch. I bet the Stars are pretty pissed they blew that game last night. I bet they're going to try harder to win. I also bet that the Avs will be trying hard, too, because a win tonight (and a loss by Minnesota) would move Colorado to first place in the Northwest Division. I'm posting this kind of early, so I don't know for sure if Peter Forsberg, Adam Foote or Jose Theodore will be playing tonight. There was some question about whether Foppa could handle back-to-back games on his vulnerable ankle, and while Foote is not seriously hurt, his hip could probably use some more rest. They're both effectively day-to-day. Coach Q has a tendency to play his goalies in games on back-to-back days, but hopefully he'll have the sense not to wear out Jose Theodore with so many games left to play. And Peter Budaj could use a refresher course. I'll update later when more is known. UPDATE: Forsberg is out with a groin injury, according to ESPN. | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 69: Stars At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-08 11:01:20 | | The Colorado Avalanche is still in the playoff picture with just 14 games left to play, and has won five games straight. But, this new, improved version of the Avs sure has its work cut out for it. Today they face the steamrolling Dallas Stars, the best team in the Pacific Division and arguably the Western Conference. Detroit has a better record, but Dallas is deeper and hasn't endured a long slump this season. They've lost the past two games, but it's barely a blip on their radar. The Avs need just ten more wins to duplicate their 15-2-2 run of last season, having started this year's final 19 games with a 5-0-0 record. Can they keep it up? And can Peter Forsberg finally get on the scoreboard? The game starts at 1:00 PM Mountain time, 3:00 PM Eastern. Jose Theodore will be in net, and everyone should be praying for the poor kittens. ESPN preview. | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 68: Ducks At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-06 14:30:03 | | It's tough to play in the Northwest Division. The top four teams, Minnesota, Calgary, Colorado and Vancouver are all within five points of each other, and there is still a possibility that all four could make the playoffs. But the Northwest isn't the most intimidating division in the NHL. That honor goes to the Pacific. The Anaheim Ducks, the defending Stanley Cup champions, come into the Pepsi Center tonight in third place in the Pacific Division. That's third place having won eight games of their last ten. That's third place with 83 points, seven more than the Avalanche, who are in third place in the Northwest. Though the Ducks don't score goals like Detroit or Dallas, their offense has gotten a burst of energy from the return of Teemu Selanne, and they've only lost once with him back in the lineup. They play an extremely physical game, by far the most penalized team in the NHL, with 1315 total penalty minutes---even ahead of the Br | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Gameday Open Thread / Cubs @ Diamondbacks | | 2008-03-05 12:56:50 | | You can find this article and plenty more at our new home at thecubreporter.com. So please reset your bookmarks and we hope to see you there soon.
The Cubs and Diamondbacks play in Tucson, their first meeting since the clubs matched up in last season’s NLDS. (I don’t recall who won.) Carlos Zambrano makes his second [...] | | By: The Cub Reporter | | |
| | Wednesday Morning Headlines/Anniversary/Open Thread | | 2008-03-05 03:31:24 | |
Today's a special day, I baked a cake.
"Special day?" You say.
"Why yes," I reply, "It's LOHO's first anniversary." (awaits spontaneous rendition of "Happy Anniversary")
You may be wondering what the appropriate celebration would be, and I think, in your hearts, you already know the answer. DRINK. Get out your flasks (I know you all have them) and raise a toast to the blog Carrie Muskat calls "home to a bunch of sick m-f-ers."
Booze it up.
And don't forget to pass the cake, so everyone gets a piece.
Fukudome goes from .142 to .400 in one day
He's the greatest Cub hitter ever.
From the Trib:
It's perhaps inevitable that some fans would make snap judgments on Kosuke Fukudome based on his first week of play in the Cactus League.
Anyone who signs a four-year contract for $48 million is going to be held to a high standard.
But Fukudome knows he's going to need some time to adjust, so he wasn't fazed by his 1-for-7 start with the Cubs. And after manager Lou Piniella switched him | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game 67: Kings At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-04 14:44:46 | | Good lord this game is important. First of all, the Canucks and the Avalanche are tied at 74 points, with Vancouver's superior win percentage giving them seventh place in the Western Conference and Colorado, eighth. Nashville, still stuck just outside the bubble, also has 74 points and faces Edmonton tonight---so it's critical that the Avs win. Second of all, tonight Peter Forsberg will make his triumphant return to the Pepsi Center once again wearing the Burgundy and Blue (only in a more ugly, aprony form). How much ice time he'll see and on which lines is yet to be determined, but it doesn't really matter. The Can is going to be crazy the second he hits the ice. Said Ian Laperriere upon learning that Foppa will be on the bench tonight: "He's playing? It's great news. It's Christmas again." To all the MHH members who will be at the game, know that I am jealous beyond description and I hate all of you. In a good way. The third reason this is a huge game | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | New Design 3 UPDATE: Everything Works!! (Open Thread) | | 2008-03-02 18:02:20 | | I just got everything to work folks. I hope you will be happy with the new design. It should load much faster than before, and it is much better to look at as well.
Please let me know if you see anything on another blog that you want me to add.
Also, I am aware that the commenting system is a little slow at the moment because of google servers, so I added a chat bar to the right so that you...
Click the Headline Link to Visit Copious Dissent and Read the Full Story.
| | By: Copious Dissent - Your Daily Dose of Liberty | | |
| | New Design 2 UPDATE (Open Thread) | | 2008-03-02 13:09:03 | | I am presently working out the last few errors with this blog design. I have been experiencing some problems with the server, where the bar at the top of the screen disappears for a few hours.
If anyone else is experiencing this problem, please let me know. Sadly, if this problem occurs, you are not able to comment on this post either. So, please do me a favor and email me at copiousdissent...
Click the Headline Link to Visit Copious Dissent and Read the Full Story.
| | By: Copious Dissent - Your Daily Dose of Liberty | | |
| | Open Thread: Bills to Host WR Johnson, TE Troupe | | 2008-03-02 07:55:12 | | Update [2008-3-2 12:29:29 by Brian Galliford]: Is it just me, or is the AP on a roll with inaccurate reports lately? First they mess up the Stroud deal, then they falsely report that Jason Taylor is on his way out of Miami, and now they've apparently gotten this story wrong too. Per Rotoworld, the only visiting free agent in Buffalo today is Falcons FB Corey McIntyre, a restricted free agent with special teams potential. The Bills are waiting for Troupe to finish up a visit with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Bryant Johnson is not reportedly coming in until Monday. Rotoworld reports this via the Buffalo News. End Update With three solid defenders added to the roster over the past two days, the Buffalo Bills are now apparently focusing on bolstering their offense. The AP reports, via SI.com, that two more free agents - Cardinals WR Bryant Johnson and Titans TE Ben Troupe - will visit with team officials at One Bills Drive today. The two players are represented by the same agent, | | By: Buffalo Rumblings | | |
| | Game 66: Kings At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-03-01 15:46:35 | | Peter Forsberg will not be in the lineup tonight for the Avalanche, so there's really not that much to talk about. The Avs got a serious personnel upgrade when Adam Foote and Ruslan Salei joined the defensive squad. They've won both games they've played since Foote's return, but not in regulation. The Kings are the worst team in the entire NHL. The Avalanche should have two primary goals tonight: win in regulation and win big. The game starts at 6:00 PM Mountain time, 8:00 PM Eastern. I have no idea if I'll be present for the game, but please, don't let that stop you from threading away. ESPN preview. | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Free Agent Open Thread: Jerry Porter and Cleo Lemon to visit Jacksonville | | 2008-02-29 00:29:14 | | [editor's note, by River City Rage]: Wow, the more I hear the more I realize how WRONG I've been about everything... Wide Receiver Jerry Porter is visiting Jacksonville tomorrow According to Alex Marvez of Fox News. Others speculate that an agreement may have already been reached with Porter. Pay attention to this one. Quarterback Cleo Lemon is visiting Jacksonville as well. I'm also hearing that the Jaguars are making a run on Bengals Safety Madieu Williams. For the record, I've been wrong so far on everyone. More to come as I hear it! -Chris | | By: Big Cat Country - An Unoffical Jacksonville Jaguar | | |
| | Free Agency Open Thread: Midnight Edition | | 2008-02-28 22:10:48 | | [editor's note, by Brian Galliford] Use this thread to post rumors that you see, as John says, but please also note that WABillsFan is working hard (or hardly working) to keep us updated into the wee hours of the morning as well. Get pumped, Bills fans! End Note When the clock strikes midnight in less then an hour the 2008 NFL free agency period officially begins. At that point all bets are off. Rumors are already starting to circulate around the net (could you imagine free agency without the internet? How depressing!!). We'll be here all night updating all the news related to the Buffalo Bills. If you hear of anything - even rumors - make sure you add it to the open thread. To start it off here is some news/rumors that either directly or indirectly relate to the Bills that are making their way around the world wide web this Thursday evening: The Tampa Tribune is reporting that the Bucs has "great interest in free agent WR D.J. Hackett. The Washington | | By: Buffalo Rumblings | | |
| | The Official MHR Free Agency Open Thread!!! | | 2008-02-28 17:35:34 | | Here's a place to throw out thoughts on the upcoming free agency rush of buys and trades. Here are some of my thoughts, and be sure to throw out some of yours. Rogers - no way. Not only is he an underperformer, but his legal history is shameful. I wouldn't want him for free. Walker - His bonus/cut deadline is coming up, so I hope we get a trade. At this point (since he's a goner) I would be happy with almost anything. Moss - (WR from NE) I think he would work out, but very short term. Might be an answer until a draft pick pans out. Vilma - (ILB from the Jets) Everyone at MHR seems to love the guy. I think his speed alone makes him a good fit. But I still don't want to move Williams outside (he could be our future there for years to come), and Vilma does have some injury issues. If we picked up Vilma with the intent of turning around and trading him for something else I would be good with that. Safeties - There are several safeties being m | | By: Mile High Report | | |
| | Game 65: Avalanche At Canucks, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-02-27 15:05:37 | | Wow. It's been a busy week. Forsberg got signed, Foote got traded for, Skrastins got shipped off to the suckers in Florida (when have the Avs ever not gotten the best of the Panthers?), and I somehow got into a silly pissing contest with an angry talk radio host. I should take a vacation. The Avs should take one, too. Tonight is the final game in a five-stop road trip that began last week. The Avs beat Calgary in overtime last night, but it's even more important that they beat the Canucks in regulation tonight. The Canucks are just two points ahead of them in the Northwest standings and also in the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Losing tonight is not an option. If I've been wrong before, I'm not wrong now when I say that this is a must-win game. Newly acquired d-man Ruslan Salei is present and accounted for and ready to join the team against the Bad Luck 'Nucks. Though I don't know for sure, I'd assume that Kyle C | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 64: Avalanche At Calgary, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-02-26 17:57:16 | | Hoo boy. What a day. The trade deadline has passed and the Avalanche are now the proud owners of Peter Forsberg, Adam Foote and Ruslan Salei. They are minus one Karlis Skrastins, definitely a third round pick in 2008, and maybe a first round and a fourth round pick as well. Only time (and Adam Foote) will tell on those. I'm excited about the Skrastins trade because I was never excited about Skrastins. I don't know much about Ruslan Salei's exploits with the Panthers (seriously, the Panthers are still a team?) but I've heard good things, and everyone seems to agree that he's an improvement over Skratch. I'll gladly take that. Forsberg, well, I'm glad he's back like I'm glad when my sick grandfather gets out of the hospital. It's good to see him again but there's a nagging feeling that he won't be around for very long. At least Foppa will only cost the Avs around $1 million and some pride if he goes down for good. Footer, on the other | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 63: Avalanche At Oilers, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-02-24 16:35:51 | | One would think that the Avalanche would have no problem beating the weaker Oilers tonight. The Avs are still on the road, where they've played fairly well as of late (compared to their last few home games, which were atrocious), and the Paul Stastny is back in the lineup and scoring again (1g against Phoenix on Friday). But this is the Colorado Avalanche we're talking about, and anything goes. They're just as likely to lose 2-1 as they are to win 6-3. Regardless, there are just 19 games left to play after tonight, and every match up, especially against division rivals, is critical. Jose Theodore will be in goal again. Joe Sakic has a very small 50/50 chance of playing tonight, but it's more likely that we'll see his he could return in the next Avs game on Tuesday against Calgary. I'm unsure if Jeff Finger will be back after missing one game with an apparent hand injury. Let's hope. The game starts at 6:00 PM Mountain time, 8:00 PM Eastern. ESP | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 62: Avalanche At Coyotes, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-02-22 12:00:43 | | There are a few teams in the NHL that the Colorado Avalanche just can't seem to beat anymore. One is Detroit. Another is Anaheim. And, surprising enough, one is the Phoenix Coyotes. The Avs are 0-1-2 against the 'Yotes this season, and tonight's final matchup is inarguably the most important---the teams are tied with 66 points and share the ninth spot in the Western Conference. Ilya Bryzgalov has anchored Wayne Gretzky's merry band of rookies and cast-offs, who could make the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Beating the Avs tonight would certainly help their cause. The Avs, on the other hand, are looking to extend their five-game losing streak in hopes of missing the playoffs for the second straight season. Paul Stastny, who will likely return to the lineup for the first time since his appendix (and then his groin) betrayed him just before the All Star break, will look to emulate his new teammate Ryan Smyth, who has been totally inv | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 61: Avalanche At Ducks, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-02-20 12:27:35 | | In Isaac Asimov's Foundation series of novels, a vast, galaxy-spanning empire begins to fall apart. At first it's barely even noticeable. Only a few futurist mathematicians (called psychohistorians) even notice the tiny scraps of evidence that indicate something is wrong. The empire itself doesn't notice, not until the conflicts on its borders become more than just mildly bothersome and whole star systems begin to fall out of control. Recognizing that the entropy is too big to prevent, a man named Hari Seldon and his followers set off to a distant, isolated corner of the galaxy to establish what effectively amounts to a giant backup disk---a "Foundation" that will maintain the legacy of the original empire after the inevitable collapse is complete. Just as predicted the empire eventually dies and the long process of rebuilding must begin. The Avalanche franchise is that empire, fraying and falling apart at the seems, unable to adjust to the changes ar | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | It's 10 Years Today/Open Thread | | 2008-02-18 14:19:52 | |
Drawing by Tim of Cubby Blue
So I wasn't going to mention that today was the 10th anniversary of Harry's death. I mean, we've just finally made it to Spring Training (despite the fact that it's still like 8 degrees here in Chi-tonw), it's never fun to talk about death and old people, anyway, and because Harry died in a particularly gruesome way AND because all it does is remind me that I'm stuck with Lon and Beb in the booth instead of Harry and Stoney.
But then every OTHER Cubs blog had to go and put up a post about Harry, so we would have looked like a bunch of insensitive jerks if I didn't put something up. Oh, and Wrigleyville stole the photo I wanted to use.
So RIP, Harry. We'll never forget you.
Discuss.
| | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game 60: Red Wings At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-02-18 12:15:16 | | Well, the good news for the Detroit Red Wings is that they should have no trouble ending their six-game losing streak tonight against the Avalanche. They're no doubt crazy motivated to win right now, playing against an old rival and struggling to regain the momentum that has carried them through the season up until just recently. Of course, six straight losses means they still only have 15 for the whole season, but you know they're tired of seeing that "L" in the box scores. The Avs, on the other hand, are starting to embrace the L. Or, I should say, "Commit To The L." No team looks more committed to losing right now than Colorado, with the exception of the Flyers, of course. Funny that those two teams are supposed to be the top two choices of Peter Forsberg, who is now rumored to be interested in playing for Minnesota. If his ankle doesn't explode (it will), his superb two-way play would fit right in with the Wild's defense-first system. | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | | Friday Happy Birthday Max Power Headlines/Open Thread | | 2008-02-15 07:26:25 | |
LOHO's resident hunk, Max Power, celebrates a birthday today. Let's give him a birthday spanking. Wood frontrunner for closer?
Sully says yes, Kerry says no.
From the Trib:
The battle that figures to receive the most attention in Cubs camp is the one for the closer's role, and, whether he admits it or not, Kerry Wood enters the spring as the odds-on favorite.
Wood has built-in incentives in his one-year contract based on games finished. He's apparently injury-free for the first time in years. And he has seniority, with 10 years in a Cubs uniform entering the 2008 season.
"Seems like 30," he said with a laugh.
But Wood doesn't consider himself the front-runner to replace Ryan Dempster and said he's satisfied to compete with Bob Howry and Carlos Marmol.
So let the battle begin, and may the best arm win.
"We're set up for a great bullpen," Wood said. "We have a lot of good arms, so I know the staff and (manager Lou Piniella) will put the right guy in."
Rick Morrissey m | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Game 58: Blues At Avalanche, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-02-14 13:46:22 | | Man, Mile High Hockey's been on post overload all day. Good lord, I must be bored. Anyway, let's do this. The St. Louis Blues have been sucking something awful lately, even if you include the win against Los Angeles the other day. All that momentum they had at the start of the year is gone, pretty much. Now they're just running on fumes and Paul Kariya's nightmares about Scott Stevens. You know he still thinks about it all the time. Ouch. The Avalanche, on the other hand, are running on prescription pain killers, which might explain why they tend to fall asleep halfway through the second period of almost every game they play. The whole team is hurt and full of Vicodin. I'm excited about Ryan Smyth returning to the lineup tonight after a six week absence due to a broken ankle, but not because I want to see him play or think he'll contribute to the team. I'm excited to see what new injury he'll no doubt suffer tonight. Skrastins not w | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | | Monday Morning Headlines/Mesa Tourist Information/Open Thread | | 2008-02-11 07:49:59 | |
When in Mesa, be sure to check out the Mormon temple. Daily Herald beat writers tell you everything you want to know (and more!) about Arizona
If it weren't for spring training and the Grand Canyon, I don't think Arizona holds anything that I'd want to see.
From the Daily Herald:
If you're heading to Arizona for spring training, all we can say is, you lucky dog ... and, the following primer is for you.
If you can't make it this year but plan on going some year soon, you might want to do some clipping and saving because our baseball beat writers Scot Gregor (White Sox) and Bruce Miles (Cubs) -- both veterans of the Arizona scene -- have offered some inside info on the ins and outs of the spring-training experience.
As you read on, imagine the desert sun and the crack of the bat and bask in the knowledge that opening day of the regular season for the Cubs and the White Sox is only 50 days away.
Q. What's a typical day like down there? Is there always a morning/afternoon practice early | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | | Game 46: Avalanche At Lightning, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-01-15 13:20:11 | | The Avalanche finish their tour of the Southeast Division (and their five-game road trip) tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning, despite boasting league-leading scorer Vincent Lecavalier, are the second-worst team in the league behind Los Angeles. The Lightning only really have one scoring line (Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Vaclav Prospal), so all Coach Q really has to do is set McCormick, Lappy and Ben Guite on them the whole game and shut them down. If they fail, it's only Jose Theodore between the Lightning's big boys and the goal line, and his impending meltdown could happen at any moment. Let's hope it doesn't. After all, Theodore's fragile hold on the starting position could be gone in an instant, and we certainly wouldn't want that to happen. Poor Peter Budaj would have to shake the cobwebs off and somehow instantly win five games in a row if he ever wants to get consistent playing time again. Coach Q hates him, apparently. The game starts tonight at 5:30 PM Mountain time, 7:30 PM Eastern. Happy open threading to all! ESPN preview. | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 45: Avalanche At Panthers, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-01-13 13:49:08 | | Honestly, why do the Florida Panthers even exist? Why does most of the Southeast Division even exist? Regardless of the reason, the Avalanche fly into Florida today to face the struggling Panthers, a day after beating the struggling Hurricanes with a dramatic third period comeback led by new team hero Marek Svatos. Svatos' rise couldn't have come at a better time. The Avalanche continue to make adjustments on their offensive lines due to the injuries of Ryan Smyth and Joe Sakic. It's gotten so weird that rookie power forward Cody McLeod has been seen on the top line---Dater even wrote a quick blurb about it. Goal scoring has been way down, but last night against the Hurricanes everything came together for them. Stastny and Hejduk scored for the first time in what feels like forever. Tyler Arnason had two assists. Jose Theodore actually won a game. Will last night's success be short-lived? The team rarely plays well on the road and this game, back-to-back with last night's, is the fourth in a five-game road trip. Surely the team is feeling the wear and tear. A win tonight would go far in getting the Avs back in contention for the Northwest Division lead, especially since all four other rival teams are playing tonight, including the latest installment in the Battle Of Alberta (Calgary vs Edmonton for you newbies). The Avs must win! Game starts early today, 3:00 PM Mountain time, 5:00 PM Eastern. I hope to see everyone here for the thread. ESPN prevew. | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | Game 44: Avalanche At Hurricanes, Preview And Open Thread | | 2008-01-12 16:43:01 | | Well, the Avalanche take on another defenseless Southeast Division team tonight. This time it's the Carolina Hurricanes, who are allowing an average of 3.3 goals per game and suck on the penalty kill. That's all well and good, but Colorado just lost to the Capitals (only scoring one goal against them), and Washington is not exactly a defensive powerhouse either. I'll save all the bitching and moaning I could write here, and instead just say that the gap from first place in the Northwest Division to the Avalanche isn't getting any smaller. Now there's a three-way tie for first among Calgary, Vancouver and Minnesota. The Avs are five points back and Edmonton is winning games again. If things don't turn around and the offense doesn't get their shit together, this season is as good as done. Last year the Avs waited until game 65 to really get rolling---and it wasn't enough. This year they can't wait past game 45. Let's get some goals! Game starts at 5:00 PM Mountain time, 7:00 PM Eastern. I won't be around. Please keep the thread rolling along and I'll do my best to join in at some point. Go Avs! ESPN preview. | | By: Mile High Hockey | | |
| | | Monday Morning Roger/Open Thread | | 2008-01-07 04:50:55 | |
Lavender shirt? Good choice. Could've used some Debbie bedazzling, though. Big Phil on Big Rog on 60 Minutes
I get the feeling he'd write about Rosie O'Donnell if there were nothing else going on.
From the Trib:
Roger Clemens doesn't just want the benefit of the doubt. He believes, for some unexplained reason, that he deserves it because he has won 354 games.
Clemens is clearly infuriated and perplexed that so many Americans believe strength coach Brian McNamee and the Mitchell report, and not Clemens' statement that he never has used steroids.
Click here to find out more!
"It's hogwash for people to even assume this," Clemens said during an interview with CBS' Mike Wallace that aired Sunday night. "Twenty-four, 25 years ... you'd think I'd get an inch of respect ... an inch."
Throughout his career as one of the greatest pitchers in history, Clemens often got several inches of respect from umpires, calling his borderline pitches strikes when they would have been balls if the | | By: A League of Her Own | | |
| | Random Information (Open Thread) | | 2008-01-06 14:19:08 | | 1) We were just linked to Olbermann Watch for our Naomi Klein and Keith Olbermann critique.
2) I may vote for Fred Thompson (90% chance). After seeing the most recent Republican Debate, he is the clear choice for limited government other than Ron Paul (who I believe has an irresponsible foreign policy of "Just bringing the troops home.")
3) Consider this an open thread.
UPDATE: If Fred...
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| | By: Copious Dissent - Your Daily Dose of Liberty | | |
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