Quoner

Outside of a few individual efforts, these games have been queefs in a bag. Selfish shots, absurd decisions, bad execution... it's like an endless buffet of spareness. Yeah, they are close, but I'm pretty sure I could manufacture a close decision by letting two special ed kids box for a few hours.

Fun with the CIT: Today, the DMN said SMU pays $31,500 a game to host and then keeps the gate and concessions. SMU listed an official attendance of 1,090 for the first game. Tickets sell for $10 or $25 a piece. If they somehow sell an equal number of each, they still lose $12K. This is actually not as bad as I expected, but I expect the ticket mix would skew more towards the cheap seats, so let's say they lose closer to $15K a game. (Feel free to add in the $1-2K concessions estimate on your own time.) If the exposure was there, this might be worth it. However, the only reason I even remembered any of this is because someone texted me a joke about the cost per game. I think it's fair to assume the tournament's biggest fans at this point are me and Matt Doherty. I can find enough first weekend tournament games to whip my ass and make me hate basketball and most average fans feel the same way.

You totally went there, girlfriend. Snap!

Let's...be careful there.

But what seat are they? I still don't think much of the SEC; they just got a good draw.

I went into a guy's home the other day and he was talking about how his kids are the best kids and not acknowledging my kids at all, so I punched him in the face.

Have we worked up a matrix of her free periods and whether she works A or D lunch? I'd hate to miss the opportunity to talk live while Texas or Houston have her on the phone. I know she's popular with a group of folks and I respect what she did at UTA, but being the better choice than what we had shouldn't be the only qualification.

Don't forget a quick strafing run on Johnny Jones and his inability to play or beat Drexel.

Or perhaps a series of telegraphs sent between fans of the 1939 Lone Star conference champions?

Possible giant karma kick in the nuts for a group of our fans going over there to cheerlead UALR at the beginning of the season when we should just ignore the Poneys completely?

WHY DO WE NEVER NGUYEN DA BLECHR REPT SLD SHOW!!>:e32;3ko;

Every single time I wear my NT gear out, I get FOUR TIMES THE STEAK! That's like a whole honkin' cow. /winning

Agree. And it would help even more to watch the broadcast online from several computers and share it with friends.

/Remixed. Is the point of this discussion to figure out what the larger fan base wants, or what a small (and admirably faithful and supportive) group of people want? I only ask because I honestly can't tell what is most important to this board.

Can't believe we gave that sand-bagger Craig Miller an entire day. Pathetic and embarrassing.

Illustrating a point with a self example? Genius.

OK, your reading comprehension on what this - and isn't - is not very good. Nothing against any of your ideas, I just think you're yelling at the Chevy plant guys because your Ford broke down. Does this makes us enemies? Is this your unofficial RFP for therapy? Where do I bid?

So, to recap, you want an outside agency to come in, write us a cheer and then cascade it through the alums, students and fan base? Or is this just more of a general therapy session?

I'll bet you a bizzilion dollars you're right, because none of those are part of the RFP. In fact, only 25% of that RFP is even about sports.

If they were TRULY serious about this, they'd dig up Edward Bernays and call it a day. In all seriousness, I think we still have a few posters with Blackie Sherrod, Joe Bob Briggs and Skip Bayless at the top of an old Rolodex. Maybe we could pull together a GMG-backed official response.

I love you and was quite enjoying this. You're a smart, savvy man of great learning. I'm also glad you called out +/-. I don't think it tells a whole story by any means, but I think the guy your describing sounds way more Sheldon Souray than what he is. The significant part to me was that he managed to lead a team in it while playing 5th D-man minutes. It's not perfect and is partly a function of playing with a good checking line, but Orpik and Letang get to skate with some of the best players in the world. It's by no means a measure of his full value, but it shows he has something -- just like I think it's significant Grossman's is high for us. As for giveaways, in 60 games in PIT, he had 31. In 60 games with DAL, Daley had 36. I assume they haven't played the same minutes, but it's not like he's running around handing the puck to other teams. Unlike Daley, he has only played 2 full seasons so far and is still growing. As for Niksanen, did you see his exciting Pittsburgh debut? I know riding the D corp is a hobby for good teams. Remember how much people hated Matvichuk, Hatcher, even Zubov at times? When you're good, every mistake is magnified. When you have the injury problems Pittsburgh had and are struggling to score, he gets even more magnified. When they were healthy and rolling, I didn't see many criticisms of his play. Goals may count the same, but Neal gave up his share of goals as well, and keeping the puck out of the net through posession is just as important. Starting breakouts are important. Not wearing down your goalie with 30 shots a night in part because you refuse to back check is important. Not pouting when you don't score for a few games is important. Finally, w agree he's not going to be a number one. He's a 3 or best case a 2. We need more and we need a reasonable investment in our D from whoever takes over this thing. I know we're agreeing to disagree at this point, but this was good time hockey fun, you freaking commie, gas-guzzling jackwagon.

That's just a recent feature article with no relation.

NEVER FORGET. My #31 Cowboys Roy Williams jersey never will.

I think you're underestimating Goligoski's game. If he was just a power play specialist, he wouldn't lead the team in +/-. I agree he is not a number one, but I think a young top 4 defensemen is worth more today than ever before. Richards might - MIGHT - bring you a number one -- that's about it unless you're ready to bundle a big group of players, picks and talent. I also cannot think of a single team that would have given us a top defensemen for Neal. To get Johnson -- who I consider top flight -- it took a proven young NHL scorer and a top D prospect. If I gave up Larsen and Neal together, I'd want freaking Lidstrom in his prime. I'm also glad you brought up Robidas and Daley. They are playing top 3 minutes and still can't match what this kids done as basically the 5th d-guy in Pittsburgh. His game needs to mature -- experience should take care of that -- and he can become a top guy here. I disagree that we need the same snarl that everyone used in the 90s. Who on Detroit, SJ, TB, VAN, WAS or Phoenix goes out and rings people up every shift? The Stars already have two D guys in the top 30 in hits (Grossman and Robi.) I argue it's not making that big a difference. Most of the top guys skate and keep it away from the other team -- I think that's how you win now. I'm not saying it's a dead art, but I think the game is more about keep away than ever before, and outside of Zubov, that's something no one for the Stars has ever been able to do on the back line. In the end, Pittsburgh had a ton of defensemen and we had extra wingers. The trade matched. It's not always a fleecing. I liked the way the kid played last night and I think both teams will ultimately feel good about making this trade.

Good...not great trade, but the people freaking out about this are basically the ones you expect -- those still pissed Marty Turco isn't in goal and Mike Modano's handsome mug isn't flapping down the ice on the third line for all to see with 8 goals and 15 assists with the season winding down. When you spend less on defense than all but two teams in hockey, your blueline is going to suck. I was a little bummed we didn't use Neal to start a conversation with the Blues before Eric Johnson got traded, but the Avs ultimately could give them more because they had a defensive prospect to give back -- which we don't. If you have any warm feelings for Niksanen, I can only assume you've never watched him play his position by himself. He can't make an outlet pass and he can't keeep anyone out of the crease. He has one less assist than the freaking goalie. He may have started strong in that last playoff run, but the fact that we were able to shed his salary is a plus (even if it's annoying to talk salary when the team is willingly $10M under the cap because the owner sucks.) Robidas is the best D guy on the team -- and he should be a 3. No one trade was going to completely solve 5 seasons of total neglect for the position. Throw in Neal's slumps, conditioning issues (why do you think he started fast and then diddled himself the last 2-3 months each season) and unwillingness to play a consistent two-way game, and he was the most expandable to go. He'll do well with Crosby and I hope -- like Turco and a few others who had to go -- he wins a cup or two. Meanwhile, this opens the top line for Benn (who is a real superstar) and he can keep growing into a complete, dominant player. I know I'll be in the minority on this, but unless they finalize a sale in the next two days, trade Richards for at least another top 4 D-man and a RW. Maybe you can sign him in the offseason, but the rebuild will go a lot quicker if they keep redistributing resources into the blueline. What they've done this year is the equivalent of the 2004 Rangers making a run at contending despite what was a god awful pitching rotation. The only solution is to build it from the back up. Oh, and we should have drafted Fowler and I will always be pissed we didn't.