Fan in Chicago

As this thread seems to have been hijacked anyway, I will feed it further. I think marijuana, or heck drugs even, should be legalized. While I agree with your last sentence, I don't see why the government should spend so many $$ in controlling drugs. Looking at it from an economics stand-point, legalizing it will drop prices, go a long way in destroying drug cartels, reduce crime and save a bunch of law enforcement money/effort. Will this cause social problems ? Possibly for a while they will increase till they stabilize in time. Society has programs to discourage use of alcohol and drugs which can continue anyway. Also, organizations, such as the NFL, can continue to enact and enforce rules against personnel that consume these substances. It is not much different, philosophically, than showing up for work drunk. I think the illegal status of drugs is a political issue which no one dare go against. Back to the current RW issue - he should be suspended for life from the NFL. He is a repeat offender and should be treated according to the rules. Sc*mbag !

Don't agree. I totally subscribe to the free market theory but do agree when the government intervenes to help the health and security of its people. Also to a certain extent, support for upcoming technologies is good as corporations would not risk shareholder wrath for putting money towards a new technology that can pay off in 10 years as opposed to the next year (e.g. biofuels, alternative energy sources)

Not a valid argument - raw material is taxed and so is any end product so no reason why oil and gas out of the ground should be any different.

I am a bit confused. First it says that royalty relief triggers stop at oil prices above $35 but were waived for leases granted in 1998 and 1999. That means leases granted before or after that would still be subject to royalties if oil is above $35. Then the article calculates the loss of royalties based on $65 billion worth of oil and gas. For this value to be true, a heckuva lot of licenses must have been granted in 1998-99 and those wells must be incredibly productive. I cannot believe this is true. Something in the NYT calculations is askew. I am a oil industry apologist normally, but this time I am with the philosophy of the article that the industry should get no sops for exploration and production of both oil or gas as the robust demand will let them reap a lot of money anyway. No reason to help them out. Actually I don't agree with the sops even at prices below $35/barrel but that is a different argument.

It is not so black and white (nothing is). My wife are certainly not dumb when it comes to protection against an unwanted pregnancy. As I said in an earlier post, a contraceptive method once failed and she used this pill. It was much better than waiting anxiously to see if that accident caused her to be pregnant and then going for an abortion. Her mental trauma of going through an abortion would have been incalculable. I do agree with your last statement. Note that not all unwanted pregnancies are due to rape or promiscuous teen behavior.

I have not read the entire thread, but agree with this one. My wife did have to use this pill as our contraception method (condom) failed on one occasion and she was ripe for a conception on that day. Availability of a prescription drug should not be a demand-based stocking idea. For all the great supply chain solutions that Walmart has perfected, they need to apply those principles to consumer goods only such as shampoos and toothpaste.

Did you miss a sarcasm smiley on that sentence ? He was part of the line and hence part of the problem.... I know the line has to work together, but my feeling is that he pulled down their performance rather than pushed it up (which is what would classify him as 'good')

If someone before us picks a player we wanted (Ngata, Williams), then we can trade down. Else we stay put. As for another 1st for NC, that will certainly help. But we will have to either expend FA $s or another pick to replace NC and that changes the dynamics. As we are going to a Cover-2, we better have a damn good secondary and some half-way decent depth at those positions. Don't let NC get away just to save a few dollars and get a #1 pick. A bird in hand ....

Really ? http://www.superbowl.com/history/boxscores/game/sbxxvii

Fabulous post ! I agree completely.

If he wins on Sunday the attacks he will face on this board will at least not be directed at his sexual orientation. Remember how posters on this board attacked Tom Brady ?

I am supporting Pittsburgh cos they repeatedly make playoffs and seem to have character players who play their hearts out always. My liking of the Steelers has nothing to do with them being an AFC team or if their fans are (Supposedly) obnoxious. Who cares ? I like the product they put on the field and their lack of controversy off the field.

I am having a Superbowl party with 12 adults and only 3 are really interested in the football aspect. Rest are there for the event, the commercials and my booze.

I think poeticlaw is attempting to put in perspective a sentiment that there should be a veteran brought in to challenge JP and KH. His point is well taken - there isn't anyone out there that can add value to our existing dynamic duo.

We all agree that the lines have to be bolstered. 2005 Chicago's strengths were the DL and linebacker (Urlacher). Chicago's problem was a weak secondary of which Vasher stood out for a while due to interceptions. We already have a couple of good linebackers in Fletcher and Spikes but need to make sure the DL is bolstered along with keeping the secondary intact or upgrade (as yo mentioned). I am of the opinion that NC should be kept and depth added for Vincent, Milloy. Upgrading the DL itself will do a lot for the overall performance of the D (NC included). I am not too worried about this hire as DJ is a defensive coach and can step in should Fewell screw-up.

After the rash of coaches from Pittsburgh, is it Chicago's turn ? Jauron and now Fewell ! Kidding ofcourse. I actually am looking forward to seeing how he performs having worked with good defensive coaches and from a team with a good defense. Given that there was not much to pick from, this hire is interesting.

Dude, Randy Cross got roasted by posters here (including you) for calling the Bills a mess. Does that make you a moron too ? http://www.stadiumwall.com/index.php?showtopic=40950

What does that have to do with anything ? My choices are not dependent on theirs. Having said that, I would hate the Cowboys even if their fans rooted for us.

Fair enough.

Precisely why they are my second favorite team (Green Bay a close third or depending on my state of inebriation). Add to that an ethical organization that plays hard year after year ....

Buford, dude, it sounds nice to hear but do you really think you will enjoy a life like that ? I will certainly not and will be bored out of my mind if there is nothing to occupy the gray cells. Good riddance to the likes of Bates who would rather get the easy money. We are better off with someone who likes to earn his keep.

No I am not new to this board. But what I am saying is beneath the doom and gloom, we all start off a new season with very high hopes and belief that we can make the playoffs. The mere vitriolic intensity of attacks that board posters direct at national media analysts that dare put down our team indirectly indicates how optimistic we are. So in a way, we are dysfunctional - we can bash the team decisions no end but how dare a national media person do the same ? He must be a moron !

Where did I refer to or compare with the Packers ? And I did not intend to clear up Cross' comments. My point is merely that, what exactly did he state incorrectly ? This board goes ballistic whenever a national expert blasts the team. As fans, we support the team and are perenially optimistic. But as analysts, their job is to call it as they see it. If we are objective enough, we can see that he has made no comments that are blatantly incorrect or offensive.

Is it just me that sees nothing wrong in what he said ? Admit it - we are a mess and it will take next season to say whether we are going to pull out of it. Mularkey was not handled properly and that is a fact. We will never know if some of the bone-headed ways MM handled certain players such as JP, EM etc. were his own ideas or forced down by TD. As to Jerry Gray, how do we know that Cross is wrong. One the one hand people here argue that we did not have the personnel to work with. And on the other hand, we say the coaches were all idiots. I for one, would have liked to see MM and JG perform one more year with a more talented roster on the OL and DL. Your last paragraph seems to make sense - we do not know. For Randy Cross to opine one way does not make him an idiot. The experts were calling for a disastrous season in 2005 and we lambasted them for being total morons. Guess time did tell who were the idiots in that story right ? The hiring of ML and subsequently Jauron+fairchild may be a master stroke of genius or utter idiocy. None of them has a track record to give us the warm fuzzies for 2006.

Hang on - do you really think ML is looking for other people's opinions be it ex-coaches or fans ? have to agree with KellyTFBD on this one, we are speculating wayyy too much based on nothing.