Brad

I really don't get these seven-year contracts for any position...let alone a pitcher. You're pushing your luck at 5-years. Has there really even been one that didn't turn out to be a disaster in the long run? Ack! A couple of the best signings I could think of off the top of my head (and then looking up the contract) were Maddux by the Braves and Reggie by the Yankees. Both were 5 year deals though. Barry Bonds was signed for 6 by the Giants when he joined them so they got their money's worth there. But 7 years...for a pitcher? I suppose the comforting thought is that longterm big ass deals don't seem to make trades impossible. To change the mood back to springtime bliss, by jove Felix will anchor a staff of young up & coming pitchers, Jesus will rise to Johnny Bench levels (with the LF fence moved in), Jason Bay will rediscover his Pittsburgh years mojo and the M's will have the deepest outfield in the AL. Ackley rebounds from the sophomore slump, Seager heads towards early prime production and the M's shock the West! Gotta love the hope around spring training. *Edit - The Cards signed Pujols to 7 years in 2004. He was only 24 when the deal was signed. Brilliant! As Blue Train mentions, it's very hard to find long term deals that have proven to be wise investments. In the NBA the Spurs had a now expired 7 year deal with Tim Duncan which worked well for both parties. For Bay's sake, I hope so. He had several rough years with the Mets; they're still paying for this year.

Piazza has a new book coming out, which was discussed on WFAN in NY this morning. Apparenty, he admits to doing Andro, VIoxx (a pain killer which has been withdrawn from the market) and other stuff. The understatement of the year would be that it hurts his HOF chances. He also apparently said that he had wished that he fought Clemens after that bat throwing incident in the WS in 2000. For those interested, he's going to be interviewed by Mike Francesa on WFAN this afternoon, www.wfan.com

Au contraire TTK

I think the East could be wide open. I know everyone is hot for the Jays but let's not forget that they have a lot of Marlins players. Had those been players been that good, Miami wouldn't have cratered last year. Also Reyes needs time to adjust to a new league. Maybe that's overhyped but Pujols got off to a slow start. Will Dickey have the same year he had last year? People are predicting 85 to 90 wins for Yanks. They have a lot of HRs they have to make up. Maybe it's small ball for them. I also can't see the Os as good. Not sure about TB so does that leave the possibility of Bo Sox.

RIP. Was just listening to him and Pepper.

It was a good non-call. The refs had been letting that go all game. It would have looked bad if they decided to call it there. Plus, it looked liker the receiver pushed off with a hand to the defender's face/hemet. Bullshit. If it was the other way around, you'd say the same thing? I sincerely doubt it. It could have gone either way. My first reaction was that it was PI but after seeing the replay with Crabtree pushing off on the defender's helmet I think he was guilty as well. But in the context of the game where, as you noted in your previous post, the refs where letting A LOT of shit go it would have been bad if they had called PI there after all the shit they ignored all game. Not too mention they would have opened themselves up to the whole "fix is in" argument seeing how a SF TD would have let them Niners cover the spread. Then, with all due respect, you weren't watching the same Super Bowl I was. This is not about covering the spread. It is about making sure a San Francisco team doesn't win and an East Coast team does. Win one for Lewis, the double-murder suspect. The refs were tampered with and even the referees acknowledge that because of the complaints as to who and how they got chosen. The game was fixed. Screw these guys. I know you're upset because your team just lost but to come on here and say that the game was fixed over and over again just makes you look silly. Take a step away from the keyboard. Relax. The Niners had a great season and they have a great shot at being back in the Super Bowl next year. Take comfort in that. I can deal with a loss, it is after all just a game. I have already acknowledged the Niners didn't play their best. What I cannot abide is blatant and obvious bias by the referees [hand picked in a way which other refs questioned] to purposely influence the outcome of a game. That, my friend, is unforgivable. It has been happening with regularity over the past decade throughout the NFL and I have had enough. The NFL is no better than the WWF. Again, I know you're upset. So was my son, who roots for them. However, from what I heard, the criticism that I heard about other refs not being happy had more to do with union management issues than anything else. Moreover, the 49ers probably got a gift on that running into the kicker call. It just wasn't meant to be although they probably should have won. I just don't think the NFL were out to get them. It's also apparently the case that the SB gets called differently than a regular season game. To me that seems odd but unless it's a blatant penalty, they don't want a SB decided that way. Just the way it is.

Arod has hired a big time attorney (Roy Black) and has denied it. So has Gio. I think you can wave bye bye anyway to the Hall. The Yankees statement wasn't supportive of Arod. They'd like to figure out anyway they can to avoid paying him.

Outstanding indeed. Many thanks.

Amazon sellers have it for a little less http://www.amazon.com/Bopland-Legendary-Elks-Club-Concert/dp/B0002W4V0Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359182498&sr=8-1&keywords=Bopland+the+legendary Probably a testament that it's not that great.

That's what you call a woman!

John Farrell, their ex pitching coach. Ummm, aren't you forgetting his time with the Blue Jays, the only managing experience he has? Or does only BoSox time count? Not at all. I was just referring to the fact that he had been the BoSox ex-pitching coach. No slight intended.

Thought that was a top paper. Hemingway would not be happy.

He was a classy individual, an icon. Stan the Man.

Did not know this station but it's a real shame to lose a station like this. Must have been a shock to expect one thing and get another.

John Farrell, their ex pitching coach.

I seem to remember that "unimpressive" team kicking the 49ers' asses this season. How soon you forget. Yeah, WAY back in week six when they actually looked like a winning team. Seahawks did, too. The Niners, however, are in the NFC Championship game. You have to wonder how the G men did it because the last half of the season they were awful.

If anybody has, tell where to find him. He owes me money. Look in the mirror?

Manti, meet Lance.

Apparently, the Mets worked out Brian Wilson and were not impressed, according to the NY Post, http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/source_mets_not_impressed_with_wilson_TBaQYJ5tlbTX7sSpVH8CcL

You can't go wrong on this one.

Two of the weirdest ones have to be sing along with Millard Fillmore and There's No One as Irish as Obama.

How about the look when the White Sox wore shorts. My son didn't believe me when I told him that.

As far as I know, the debt isn't passed onto your heirs, unlike times passed. It's all typical of the live now, pay later mentality.

I just contributed a small amount as well. Hopefully, they raise all they need.

Kind of a silly article. Nothing particularly new. They make good fries though