buckeyemike

I don't know. I figure if the economic crisis lasts through 2009, you're going to see some major problems with the sports leagues. Arena Football already cancelled next season. I think if a team or two is forced to fold or declare bankruptcy, that might get people's attention. We might not be very far from that, I'm afraid. Some of these teams apparently took financial management lessons from Mr. Madoff.

Thanks, Promo. This is another issue I wanted to talk about. I mentioned the other day that Jerry Jones is literally mortgaging his team to build this new palace in Arlington. If you haven't seen the pics, it is spectacular. I also believe that he's reached the apex on how luxurious sports facilities can get. But, there are several things wrong with what he is doing. First of all, I understand this facility has "sideline suites" that people will be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for. If this is true, are you kidding me? Anyone who has ever sit in the first few rows of a stadium knows that you have a hard time seeing plays because the players and sideline staffs are in the way of the action. You're much better off being about 10 rows up, and higher. Will the rich people and corporate stiffs who bought these suites be complaining because they can't see anything? Second, this is yet another case of pricing the average fan out of the stadium. I have no love for Cowboys fans, but they have been faithful to this team for nearly five decades. Those over 55 remember sitting in the Cotton Bowl. Then, they moved to Texas Stadium, a palace for 1971. Now the Cowboys are closer to Fort Worth than Dallas. That's approximately where the cheap seats in the Jones Mahal will be too. Third, I wonder about the outright opulence when millions of people in this country are struggling. It's the same thing with the Yankees, with their new park and the free-agent signings. The attitude almost seems to be like a middle finger pointed straight at the middle class...or what's left of it. I understand that these stadiums were planned, and started construction, prior to the current economic crisis. But, it seems awfully gauche to me. Fourth, Jerry Jones is on the hook for cost overruns. I've seen that such overruns are now in the $500 million dollar range. Does Jones really have this kind of money? Has he worked in any other field since buying the Cowboys 20 years ago? That may result in a financial disaster for Jones if the overruns get any higher. I have no love for Jones either (I blame him mostly for the NFL focusing on corporate $$$ rather than the average fan); it just doesn't seem fiscally sound. What he's trying to do is build a permanent monument to himself. I remember when the Orange Bowl and Tulane Stadium used to be good enough for NFL teams. Not anymore.

So all the pressure is on the Yankees to win 120 games and sell out every single game in the new Yankee Stadium. My guess is they win closer to 98, re-take the AL East, and choke in the playoffs. Like they have every year since 2004, except for 2008, when they didn't even go the playoffs. I don't know when the Steinbrenners will learn that the better way to win titles is building through the farm system. The best thing to happen to the Yanks since 1990 was George getting suspended. It allowed the team to rebuild their minor league system, and that resulted in the success of the late 90s. Note to Hal: Every dime you spent on Sabathia, Burnett, and Teixiera would have been much better served going into your farm system. By the time CC and Tex are done in eight years, they will be shadows of what they once were. And Burnett's arm isn't going to last more than three more seasons.

Two pairs of sorely needed boots...one pair of dress boots, one pair of everyday boots. Several DVDs, including FNL Season 2, Jericho Season 2, and three seasons' worth of The Simpsons in their prime. Cold Hard Cash. The MST3K 20th Anniversary Boxset. Chicago boxset (the band, not the musical) Assorted clothing, and a much-needed clothes brush.

Happy Holidays to you and yours, from me and mine.

One thing you forgot to list in the article: some of the bailout $ went to "professional money management". Aren't these people bankers? Shouldn't they know how to manage money? Oh, the irony...

I agree 100%. It's like the owners want to cater only to the ones who are rich, who can afford the club seats and luxury boxes. They're the ones saying to the average fan, "Sorry, you've had a good run, but we're pricing you out now. We gotta pay Teixiera $22.5 million a year for the next eight years, so we're kicking you up to the fringes of the upper deck to make way for 10,000 more club seats." And I think it may eventually backfire on the leagues. Wait until they completely price themselves out of the average fan's income bracket. People can, and will, find something else to do with their Sunday afternoons, or their free time.

and a Happy New Year too! :wallbash: Hope all is well with everyone here...celebrate the holidays with your loved ones and remember the purpose of the season, of the Babe born in Bethlehem. Mele Kalikimaka to all.

This is one big reason why I'm having a hard time watching the NFL anymore. What we're seeing in Buffalo may eventually kill the franchise...or force it to move. We all know the economic troubles the country is having. And it's much worse in both NE Ohio and WNY. It's also why if I'm going to root for one certain NFL team from now on, it's the Packers, for the following reasons: a) They will never move. I will walk through hell in a gasoline suit before I go through that again (to paraphrase Pete Rose). b) The stadium. Lambeau Field is for REAL fans. All the club seats and luxury boxes are at the top of the stadium, which means the best fans are on top of the action, and the rich people get the crappy seats. c) The tailgating. Simply great, one of the three best in the league (along with Buffalo and KC). d) They seem to be somewhat fan-friendlier than other NFL teams, probably because of the stock ownership setup. The Browns certainly aren't. e) Success in recent years. I think this year's been a blip on the radar screen. f) Great, great history. Only the Bears come close. g) Most of an entire state (and many across the nation) support the team. h) They are more dependent upon the fans than other teams, as most of their supplementary income is through Pro Shop sales (visit their website here.), stadium tours, concessions, and Curly's Pub restaurant at Lambeau, which is open year-round. i) The Packers, in order to increase their income, are looking at purchasing property around the stadium for further development. A hotel/waterpark and parking garages have been discussed if the Packers buy additional surrounding property. All the more to compete with the Cowboys' new palace that Jerry Jones is mortgaging his team for. ij They will never move. k) Stadium is on the fringes of a residential neighborhood, with smart looking ranch houses...similar to OP, but quite a bit more built up. Two blocks from the stadium looks like my hometown of Rocky River, Ohio; except for the green and gold fire hydrants and the signs that say "No Parking on Game Days". l) Bars and restaurants all around, most notably Favre's steakhouse and the Stadium View Bar. m) They will never move. n) A Hall of Fame inside the Lambeau Field Atrium. I went to the old one the only time I was up in Green Bay, in 1998. I hear the new one is much bigger and nicer. o) Did I mention that the team will NEVER, EVER move? Sorry, but that's a big one for me.

Will he or won't he be back? Brett, please stop this right now. I think that the Packers are better off, long-term, without him. The drama of the last several years in the off-season had to be a distraction for the team. Now, it's gonna be a distraction for the Jets, who if they lose Sunday, are out. Just like the Packers are. Maybe Brett Favre's arm could make the retirement decision for him. For good. For once. Tony Kornheiser's seat over at MNF is warm, Brett. Go take it. Starting next September.

It's quite good when served with scrambled eggs. There are two delis nearby which do a good job with the hash.

Some people talk as if people are FORCED to join the military in this country. There has not been a military draft since 1972. I, like every other male in this country, registered for Selective Service when I turned 18 in 1987. When I turned 26 in 1995, they took my name off the books. By the time I was 26, I was a practicing lawyer. My understanding then (correct me if I'm wrong here) is that if I went into the military at that time, I would have gone through basic training, then received my commission as an officer, since I have a law degree and had passed the bar exam, and probably would have been placed in the JAG corps. That's actually what happened to a friend of mine, anyway. A practicing lawyer, he joined the reserves in the summer of 2001 -- and got called to active duty after 9/11. He was, in fact, an officer in the JAG corps. He's older than I am (43) and is still on reserve status.

Is that supposed to be his appeal? I know it's very, very cold tonight in Chicago, but the man's done nothing but complain about the weather. He should be grateful the game's not in Green Bay; it's even colder there. The current temp in Chicago is 6 degrees. It's minus 5 in Packerland right now. Plus the weather in Chicago was even worse yesterday. Please talk about the game and the teams, Tony. Nobody wants to hear about how the poor media types have to sit in a booth with no windows. 61,000 people are sitting out in the cold too. Quit yer whinin'.

Didn't even watch it today. Stayed online, then took a long nap. Probably just as well.

Best line in the trailer: both Rourke and Tomei's characters agreed that "the 90s sucked" as far as music was concerned. Agree 100%.

And Pink Taco.

I didn't mean for the other balloons to explode...sorry.

If Cus D'Amato had lived just another few years, Tyson would not have turned into what he became. Remember that it was in 1990 that he lost to Buster Douglas, and a couple of years after that, he served time for rape. Dollars to doughnuts none of that happens if Cus makes it to 1990.

2008 has been a year of redemption for some...most notably, Robert Downey Jr. for "Iron Man". But there is another, potentially bigger story out there in Mickey Rourke. I haven't seen Mickey Rourke in a movie in years. But his performance in "The Wrestler" is generating all sorts of Oscar buzz and has already earned him a Golden Globe nomination. An Oscar nod is likely next. I think what a movie like this shows us is, despite the fact that society has become increasingly bitter and unforgiving, there is still such a thing as redemption. I've never been a huge wrestling fan (except for a brief fling in the mid-80s), but I'm planning on seeing this movie when it opens on January 16. Link to the trailer for "The Wrestler".

Nope, I checked the coupon book. Runs out in December 2009. My wife said that I know where to find all the free food deals.

You think the good people of Hawaii are going to complain about the thousands of Notre Dame fans coming to the islands this Christmas and spending their money? I sure as hell wouldn't be.

Two years ago, I did the same thing with Chick-Fil-A. This morning, a new Buffalo Wild Wings location was opening about a four-iron from my office. They were offering free wings for a year to the first 100 people in line. I had court this morning, so I initially wasn't going to go. I get done early downtown, and come back out here to my office. I decide to drive by the location to see how many people were in line. I saw that there weren't many and decided to chance it. We've had freezing rain and sleet here all morning, so that obviously kept the crowd down. So, I stood in line starting at 10:20. At 10:45, they initially announced that they had their 100, but they let us in anyway. To my surprise, they had 10 extra books for the free wings, so I got one. I was #103 in line. 25 minutes in a cold rain (with an umbrella), 6 free wings a week for a year. Hope I don't catch a cold after this.

I have Chevy's book...it's a great read.

Because that's a modified golf cart. Apparently, those are legal. I will remember that the next time I'm on a golf course, when I borrow a cart and try to drive one down the road.

I told my mother that Caroline might get Hillary's Senate seat. The two words she said to me? "You're kidding!" I had to tell my mother I was serious about this. I wonder if Mom thought I'd been drinking.