rician blast

(cough)...roids...(cough cough)...hgh....

Uhhh...right. That entire toilet shoulda been flushed 2 decades ago.

Don't look now B's, Devils only 4 pts back for Conference lead. As bad as the Bruins have been, look at their record, it's damn good. But playoff hockey is ultimately about hot teams and hot goalies...unless somethign radcially changes, the B's are in for a short playoff stint.

Never speak Gedman's name around here.

http://men.style.com/slideshows/mens/standalone/details/feature/0409/alex-rodriguez/00005f.jpg This shot was likely taken with the Divinyls "I touch Myself" playing in the background...jeez, can this clown get any creepier???

Save it for the Lester thread, where you've ingored all of the evidence and support that illustrate that Lester's contract represents a somewhat unique circumstance where the opportunity for the Sox to lock up someone LT, at a young age, at a price a bit higher than might typically be expected, makes absolute sense.

So they should just concede to his asking price? Regardless of the market? Regardless of the economy. Regardless of what their business plan might indicate is the prescribed path? Why, because that is what the Yankees would do? I think it's very early to say that the Yanks won't sign ANY more 35+ guys...if the best available player at a particular position is 35+ and he fits a Yankees need, you think they'll say "nah...he's 35"? Doubt it. They'll buy the best players available of it helps them win and sell tickets.

There was a stretch where he did exactly that, which is why he's still among the league leaders in many categories (still 1st in GAA or save %? not sure). But I agree, he shows signs of not being able to make the big save when it really counts. More than that, though, this loss today has me convinced this team is not a contender, and now I'm thinking that perhaps the reason the Bruins didn't make a huge splash at the trade deadline (which woulda cost more than they gave up) was that the FO didn't believe this team was a legit Cup contender. If the B's don't turn things around they'll be lucky to get out of round 1 of the playoffs.

Love when a Yankee fan incriminates himself. Yeah, yeah 1918, 26-?, etc. all part of the reason Yankee fans have the rep they do. I bet in your mind Bucky Dent won the 78 playoff series for the Yanks right? And Buckner lost the 86 world series for the Sox? FYI, it was the Red Sox TEAM that won in 2004 and 2007, not an individual player...but if you want to harp on FA's, teams with management that want to win and have $ to spend go after FAs. The Sox signing Manny is not some anomoly. FA signings are part of the game...some teams just do it better than others and are more conservative than others. The Yankees, recently, don't fall into either camp.

Good point...perhaps I'll let the juicer slide for now.

But what if guys like him were doing it right from the get-go? Coanseco, who has been proven right again and again, says ARod was introduced to 'roids back in high school. I think that's entirely possible...these guys who ripped from day one and continue to rip just might have used from the start and still be using now.

crap I can't get into the league from work (it's filtered)...if anyone gets a chance, let me know what the Mullets vs. Puck Yeah tally is as of today.

Oh, I know that bro, just kidding. So here's my dilemma tonight..Thomas should be in the net but can I even trust the Bruins to win a fkn game? Hell, Thomas could shut them out and they'll somehow lose in a shootout!

That's true. If you equate it to, say, lifting weights, you see that extremes under either approach can result in fatigue and injury. Consider those who hit a body part once per week vs. those who hit every body part 3 times per week. The once per week guys annihilate whatever muscle group they're hitting that day...and hope that the week rest gives sufficient time for recovery/healing. Go too heavy or too many sets and it sometimes catches up with them...sometimes additional rest/time off is prescribed. The 3x per week for each body part guys generally do less sets per body part and less weight...knowing they'll tax that body part again in 2 days. Go a little too many sets or too heavy and there's a good chance of fatigue and injury. The key is to (1) identify what approach works best for this lifter..or in the case of baseball players, each player and (2) manage not only the players game-time load, but pre and post performance conditioning. In the case of lifter, those who stick to the approach that keeps them fresh and healthy perform better over the long-run...some simply can't stick to the plan (push too much weight, don't rest enough) and hurt themselves. Since pitchers are managed by their manager/pitching coach, they alone don't make the decisions of what situation to be in, how much rest to get etc. right? Where I'm going with this is that I think GENERALLY teams try and identify where a player is best suited...body wise...to perform with the least chance for injury and other complications. Unfortunately, even once that is identified, SOMETIMES I think a team considers what is best for the TEAM, despite the data and observations they might have regarding that pitcher's best interests.

He was asked a question and he told the truth....didn't we all suspect that Manny was bringing the team down, especially when the players voted to get rid of him by such an astounding majority? Who fkn cares, it's not like he's bashing a current teammate, his coaches or the FO. That'll come later....if and when he greases the skids to leave for more lucrative pastures.

Plus Rinne from Nashville and perhaps Jonas Hiller of the Ducks.

Anyone know if MLB can test a guy while he's on the DL?

Maybe that's cuz last year he was so focused on his stroke at the plate and this year he's gone in saying "I should probably work on my 'D' cuz I can't f***ing hit to save my life."

Relax, Rules, no conspiracy here, we're all just doing the best we can.

Agreed. Let's suppose Lester averages 17 wins over the course of this contract, ERA is in the 3.50 range. Let's also assume he files for FA after these seasons. I think it'd be a fair assumption that the Yankees would offer a pitcher of this ilk $$$ that would make Lester's current deal look like a joke. So when the Yanks outbid everyone and themselves by $15-$20m on a contract for a player like Lester, will the outrage be there? Or will those outraged by Lester's current deal use some silly years of service excuse to explain why the 500 lb. Gorilla flexing it's might once again is somehow not so egregious?

It's about a contract that a poster here says is bad for baseball, yet I didn't hear him up in arms about the Yankees signings that I mentioned which are clearly worse for baseball based upon the criteria he's chosen to evaluate Lester's deal. The Yankees deals are absolutely pertinent and the absence of his outcry vs. the Yanks most certainly makes this about the Yankees. You chose the convenient and cowardly response, but it is offbase.

I think you have to look at Lester a bit differently than other pitchers with similar years of service (because of his performance recently, because of his 2007 playoff accomplishments, because of the challenges he's overcome...this is a business, Lester is a Sox "asset" who has value beyond most in his situation). That said, are you f***ing kidding, harping on the Sox going above the previous high? (By the way, I'd like to know where you read that opinion before espousing it here). For the record: The Yankees exceeded the previous highest salary for a shortstop some years ago. The Yankees exceeded the previous highest salary for a 1B this past offseason. The Yankees exceeded the previous highest salary for a SP this past offseason. The Yankees exceeded the previous highest salary for a 3B a couple of years back. The Yankees exceeded the previous highest salary for a catcher with Posada's last contract. All of those moves, plus the fact that they're paying f***ing invalids like Damon and Matsui $13m a piece, must be absolutely horrible for MLB if Lester's deal is such a crime. In fact I think a fair argument could be made that what the Sox have done here...rewarding a guy earlier in his career for all that he's accomplished and HOW he's done it and the challenges he confronted in doing so are all GOOD for baseball. Don't worry GOM...if and when Lester hits FA...and assuming he's been a solid pitcher in the interim...the Yanks will get their chance to try and overpay for him, and you can be content that at least he doesn't only have 2 years of service under his belt.