In other news: In my alternate baseball world of 'Out of the Park Baseball 9', Manny just accepted my offer of 3 yrs/62.5 million. He sent me an email saying how happy he was to be back with the Dodgers. I wonder how far off that will be from reality... besides the email which I know will never happen.

Russell Martin just rejected my attempt to sign him to a 4 year deal with a team option.

I am certain that this is not an original idea, but what would be the disadvantage of getting Bobby Abreu in here and just washing our hands of Manny contract mess? We could get Abreu for 1/$12 mil and have some payroll flexibility in case a big time arm or bat came on the market in June. Once next season rolls around, we could use Abreu and Schmidt's money to go after Holliday.

What is the disadvantage of this in terms of predicted win shares?

I'm sorta rooting for AZ because I always root for the underdog of course, but my prediction is:

PITT 30
AZ 20.

Don't get me wrong, Manny is great, but Boras is just plain evil. Manny is not worth the 4 year 100+ Million contract Boras is asking for. The way Dodger pitching is going to look this year, better to spend the money on some pitching, and or another bat like Dunn rather than on a 37 year old player.

http://support.apple.com/manuals/

Anyone else echo my sentiments? I never grew up with a football team and my dad is foreign -- so nobody to really root for. The one Raider game I saw in 1993, a female fan alluded to castrating another fan in a WAY more vulgar manor...she could not have cared any less about being in earshot of an eight-year-old.

Amen brother!

Anyone got plans to go to Dodgers Spring training....I'm on the fence. Got a business trip out to Florida in March, so can catch some East coast teams, but thinking about driving out to Phoenix for a weekend to see the new complex and catch at least one game.

Wake me up when halftime starts.

(but I've been wrong most of the post-season)

Dodgers GM Colletti talks about Manny Ramirez

>> And what would happen of Manny doesn't re-sign?

"We've got three everyday outfielders," Colleti said, adding that there might be another player out on the market that would fit. "We'll keep on going." <<

http://tinyurl.com/b3c8gz

Now, why was John Elway wearing old school Broncos uniform for that Heroes ad instead of the one he had more SB success in?

Anyway, here's Broooooooce! I didn't predict he'd open with 10th Avenue Freezeout.

So do the fans on the field have separate admissions for the halftime concert? I always wondered how that works.

Joe Beimel, lhp; Gary Bennett, c; Nomar Garciaparra, ss; Jeff Kent, 2b; Greg Maddux, rhp; Pablo Ozuna; Manny Ramirez, of; Mark Sweeney, 1b.

Not sure if it says anything about Ned or not, but it's still kind of funny that 5 of the 8 Dodger free agents might very well retire.

--if this went thru, Ken is done playing with the server--

That last play is really close. I thought his other foot didn't touch the ground once he had the ball, but so close I think they did right in not overruling such a big play.

Office was incredible.

You guys have a much different reaction to the Office than my friends I watched it with.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2009/02/million-manny-march-2.html

That song will always make me think of Napoleon Dynamite.

And how many times have you been in a situation with your girlfriend/wife where you have no idea what you said to someone that has caused her to react a certain way.

Great episode to cap a great TV night.

--

And one more re: The Office, I can only hope that no cats were harmed in the making of that episode.

I thought Office was good, for a very casual watcher.

BH was a good host, tri tip, ribs, carrot salad(no mayo), Chinese salad, Carrot Cake, stuffed mushrooms(Eric) and more.

I missed the start of the office so I guess I'll have to visit the Alec Baldwin site to view it. Didn't the roast seem tame? I expected the hammer but they used a rubber mallet.

So how many wifes turned to their husbands and asked them if they loved them like Jim loves Pam? I sensed a lot of uncomfortable households in America.

Plus, I will never understand the fumble vs an incompleted pass call in the NFL. Of course, I am a bitter Raiders fan.

Based on numbers, you would think Warner would get MVP for Cards, but I argued that the 100 yard interception TD was just too dumb of a play, so I would give it to Fitzgerald.

I hope that is not a bannable offense here.

The Kitten Halftime Show was good, too.

According to the guide, the Puppy Bowl was on for like 4 hours. If you watched the whole thing than you probably need see a therapist.

http://tinyurl.com/c2hja8

http://tinyurl.com/gmnen

There is no way this winter is ever going to end as long as that groundhog keeps seeing his shadow. I don't see any way out of it. He's got to be stopped. And I have to stop him.

AZ came back from 13 down on the Steeler defense, AZ had a couple of great roal line stands, Warner threw for 344 yds and 3 TDs, a couple different times AZ receivers made Polamalu miss tackles and look like a rookie (in fact Warner had him looked off the plays all game), and Fitzgerald set the record for most receiving TDs in a postseason when he caught that 64 yarder.

Great win for Ben, great game for Holmes, but AZ needs to get credit.

92 That Heyman piece by Lederer was great. I can't believe there were two people defending Heyman in the comments there.

He was a thief
You got to belief
He stole my heart and my cat

I half agree here, as a long-time Steeler fan.

With that said, I feel like Big Ben is on the fast track to becoming a Hall of Famer. Two things I'll always bring up when someone says "fortunate situation".

Big Ben gets NO help from his offensive line. Half the time he's out of the pocket with guys running right after him. If either of the Mannings or Tom Brady had that O-line, they would be finished. It's amazing how he can do so much with that bad of an offensive line, year after year.

If the Steelers ever focused one draft on O-linemen, we would be seeing some serious Steeler passing records broken. With all that said, for now, I say Big Ben is excellent on the Steelers, and overall, very good but not "best of all time" good... not yet.

Oh yes, one more point: Ben Roethlisberger has some very good WRs, but nothing near the talent that Warner has, Montana had, or Peyton Manning has. Brady is the exception, save 2007. That, of course, is why Brady is a LOCK for Canton, OH.

Spying on other teams doesn't hurt, either.

Woo

I can go either way on this. I also think Brees has amazing numbers and is playing HOF level football right now. I felt like Brees was the best QB in the NFL this year. He very rarely has a BAD, AWFUL game.

Otoh, Terry Bradshaw's numbers were pretty mediocre for half of his career, but I think most fans agree he deserves the vote into the Hall of Fame.

It's just as crazy and interdependent on the defensive side.

Agreed. It always annoys me when people overreact to a single game or single play.

The passage of time is a true test of greatness.

I meant with respect to a guy's entire career. Not the play itself. Basically what cargill said in 127 .

But not from me.

We are always going to get some of those Shimmin votes but we hope the majority votes using the proper brain cells.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2009/02/01/2009-02-01_lakers_visit_knicks_at_madison_square_ga-3.html

Would Abreu be willing to play LF or does Ethier have to move?

But it could be longer, and the damage could be more serious, pending results of an MRI taken yesterday in Manhattan.

Where did they get 6 weeks out of? That number looks like it was taken out of a hat. I'm not going to believe anything until the MRI results are actually released.

#1 Giants vs. Patriots - SB XLII (2008)
#2 Rams vs. Titans - SB XXXIV (2000)

Yesterday's game was Top 5 worthy and Pats/Panthers from 2004 was also great.