Matthew

I see where Ray Allen dropped 28 point in 27 minutes against Minnesota last night. Celtics might, just might, have a good team this year. Honestly, if everyone stays healthy, a 50 win season is in the offing.

Received word that I'm getting a copy -- good thing for Aggie, now I don't have to go postal on him...

I wonder if they would even televise a Cleveland vs. Colorado World Series?

Not for Cleveland fans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And were we watching the same series, except for the Game 1 massacre, the games have been close. Congrats on the win. If you don't mind, I will now jump on the Indians bandwagon. I realize some of the games were close, maybe it was just Tony Gwynn getting under my skin. Hey, don't worry about the Yankees next year, they'll be getting Carl Pavano back!

Are you completely ignorant of what has been talked about all season long? Here's a clue: its called an opt-out clause, and Scott Boras doesn't put it into his client's contracts unless he expects them to exercise it. The possibilities are these: A-Rod signs an extension with the Yankees without actually exercising the opt-out clause. It has the advantage for the Yankees of keeping the Texas owner on the hook for his share of A-Rod's salary for the next three years. A-Rod ignores the money that is on the table and simply chooses not to use the clause, plays out the remaining three years of his deal, and becomes a free agent at 35. This makes zero sense because right now his value is the highest it will ever be. There is more money in the game, and more teams that would bid on him, and he is only 32 and is coming off one of the greatest offensive seasons in this or any era. Being a free agent at 35 would make it tougher to get a big money, long contract. A-Rod opts out, and then the Yankees have to decide whether to stick to their guns and refuse to join the bidding, or realize that they desperately need his right handed bat, and do what it takes to re-sign him, knowing that the Red Sox, Angels, and possibly Mariners, Giants and Cubs will be in on the bidding and they won't have Texas' money to defray the cost. I agree with the points Dan lists here, I don't see any Boras client not opting out. Besides, why should ARod stay with the Yankees? unless a really major overhaul takes place, I don't see the Yankees getting any better next year, in fact, they'll probably struggle even to get into the playoff in 2008. Can you imagine the treatment ARod would get in that situation? All of New York booing your every move? I wouldn't be surprised to see ARod wind up with the Cubs.

Since the Funny Rat thread doesn't seem to get too many looks, I'm going to again recommend this box set, which I absolutely love. My post from Funny Rat: For the past couple of months I've been listening to Andrea Centazzo / Mitteleuropa Orchestra: The Complete Recordings, and it is a very interesting listen. Counter to, for want of a better term I would call, "The New York School of Large Groups," the Mitteleuropa Orchestra has a much more composed feel to it, and I'm becoming convinced that Andrea Centazzo is very much an underrated musician/composer in todays music world. There are such artists as Franz Koglmann, Theo Jorgensmann, Gino Commisso, and a host of others. If you like large group music, that has a free jazz/composed feel to them, this box set is worth checking out. One word of warning: It is very poorly packaged, the cds come in a six-pack dvd case, and the liners look like the secretary went to the back room copier and then put them in the case. When it came to my home, the interior of the box was all broken up, so I had to buy a new, sturdier box for the cds. Given that though, I really enjoy the music.

Great, the Yankees are out. Probably Arod's last at bat for the Yanks in the ninth, too bad it was a fly-out.

Thanks for the heads up. Just re-ordered, fingers crossed!~ Dude, you better not be getting mine!

I put in an order, what the heck, if I get this and the Monk box, I'm set for some great music at a steal.

Moldy fig alert!

Can anyone imagine what a Cleveland vs. Colorado World Series would be like? In late October?? Almost makes me glad that I have to go to Rome on business and will be missing the whole thing. On the bright side, it might get snowed out...

It's still up at the cheap price, so it might be for real after all. You'd think if it was wrong it would be pulled down by now....

Dang, I really hate it when the Yankees get some wiggle room like this. I hope Cleveland can close it out tonight, but I don't have great confidence in Byrd though.... .

Not quite sure if I agree with that, but I've come to believe that Clark's solo work is a fantastic gold mine of great music, he is still so underrated, most of his solo work you can only get import.

I have to wonder just "how in control" Steinbrenner is at this point. All reports are that he's in very bad shape, and supposedly in even worse condition then we've been let on to believe.

Heaven help me, I bought this today, and I've never seen an episode all the way through in my life. Arrived a couple of days ago, and I'm still on season one. I must admit that I'm really enjoying the series so far. Very relaxing just to watch an episode or two a day. The first seasons were good, however as the show moved on, then it got a little cheesy and had way too much sentimentality that i could handle plus the fact that i could not stand any of the main characters anymore made me give up on it Up to season eight now, enjoyable series, nothing too heavy, so it's nice to put the mind on hold and watch. I agree that the first five seasons are the best, once Chandler moved out, and forced the roommate alignment to be broken up, the series never had the same feel, it lost a lot the chemistry that made it so fun. Kind of like Mike and Gloria moving out on All In the Family? Just finished the last episode (The Last One) of Friends this evening, and I enjoyed the series much more than I thought I would. Season seven was the pits, really awful, but other than that one, the rest were very enjoyable. It did change its feel once Chandler & Monica married, but I thought seasons 8,9 & 10 were good none the less. Friends and Scrubs are now Official Matthew Stress Busters™

PS: I forget, thanks for the tip David.

What the heck... I just ordered it.

great personality + great sense of humor = Matthew!

In a week Dan, you'll be acknowledging the greatness of my baseball insight regarding JD. In fact, it's ok to admit that now.

Love Bill Simmons take on JD Drew: We knew about the "no emotion" thing, as well as the "penchant for taking called third strikes to kill late-inning rallies" thing and the "he may not have any actual blood in his body" thing, but everyone's main concern about Drew was that he couldn't stay on the field. Well, he stayed on the field. In fact, most of us wanted him off the field so Jacoby Ellsbury could play. We couldn't get this guy off the field. Then he started hitting in September (.342 BA, 1.072 OPS, 4 HRs, 18 RBIs) and you could totally see how these scouts and GMs get sucked in by the J.D. Drew Experience -- he has five tools, he uses them all, and he has the world's most perfect swing. Now I don't know what to think. Is he getting hot at the right time? Is he suckering us in for the ultimate screw job? Am I going to be peeing blood in two weeks because of him? There's no way to know. I hate this. I hate not knowing. Ha!!! I just knew the Red Sox Nation would fall for this! I stand by my prediction:

Heaven help me, I bought this today, and I've never seen an episode all the way through in my life. Arrived a couple of days ago, and I'm still on season one. I must admit that I'm really enjoying the series so far. Very relaxing just to watch an episode or two a day. The first seasons were good, however as the show moved on, then it got a little cheesy and had way too much sentimentality that i could handle plus the fact that i could not stand any of the main characters anymore made me give up on it Up to season eight now, enjoyable series, nothing too heavy, so it's nice to put the mind on hold and watch. I agree that the first five seasons are the best, once Chandler moved out, and forced the roommate alignment to be broken up, the series never had the same feel, it lost a lot the chemistry that made it so fun.

Porcupine Tree: Nil Recurring. Just don't like it. Might be time for Steve Wilson to rethink what he's doing with PT, he seems to be at a dead end now. He did a major push for Fear of a Blank Planet to make PT a popular band, emphasizing cd sales, playing the entire cd during the concert tour, and it didn't work. Might be time to close shop and move on, the metal thing isn't working.

I mean: you don't deserve the win. Believe or not, there are some rumblings that Seattle might be interested in Bonds for DH next year. Oh, that'll be fun.

It looks like Isiah/Knicks are going down hard in this trial. Again, how can Thomas keep his job after this juvenile BS! NEW YORK -- A jury indicated Monday that it believes New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden committed sexual harassment against a former team executive. There was no official verdict, but the wording of a note to the judge by jurors makes it clear they have reached decisions on the key points of the $10 million lawsuit that has turned into a public relations disaster for the franchise. Jurors reached a decision on eight of nine questions on the jury form. They were deadlocked on the one question, which asks whether Thomas should pay punitive damages. That question only becomes relevant if the jury of four women and three men first determines Thomas and Madison Square Garden committed harassment against Anucha Browne Sanders. The judge sent the jury home for the day, asking the panel to deliberate Tuesday on the deadlocked question. Lawyers for both sides declined to comment on the development, which came on the second full day of deliberations. Browne Sanders, fired from her $260,000 a year job in 2006, has accused Thomas and Madison Square Garden of sexual harassment and said MSG fired her for complaining about the treatment. Sheridan: What's next? Isiah Thomas appears headed for a fall, courtesy of a New York jury. Here's what might happen next for the Knicks, Chris Sheridan writes. Story Her case presented the Garden as "Animal House" in sneakers, a place where nepotism, sexism, crude remarks and crass language were part of the culture. Browne Sanders, a married mother of three, spent four days on the witness stand laying out her case against the Garden and Thomas, who is married with two children. A former Northwestern college basketball star, Browne Sanders characterized Thomas as a foul-mouthed lout who initially berated her as a "bitch" and a "ho" before his anger gave way to ardor, with Thomas making unwanted advances and encouraging her to visit him "off site." Thomas, hired in December 2003, followed her to the stand and denied the allegations. Attorneys for Thomas and the Garden portrayed Browne Sanders as incompetent and unable to adapt once Thomas arrived as the Knicks' president. "That's not about sexual harassment," MSG attorney Ronald Green said in his closing argument. "That's about team politics." Thomas acknowledged trying to kiss Browne Sanders in December 2005, asking her "No love today?" when she recoiled. MSG president Steve Mills said he spoke with Thomas about the single incident, and the former point guard said it wouldn't happen again. In her closing argument, Browne Sanders' attorney Anne Vladeck made note of Thomas' charismatic style and incandescent grin. "There is no question Mr. Thomas can be charming and flash an engaging smile," she told the jury. "That does not give him the right to treat Browne Sanders like she is his woman." Browne Sanders filed her lawsuit after she was fired in January 2006. MSG chairman Jim Dolan, who testified before Thomas, said he dismissed the team's vice president for marketing and business operations after learning she was pressuring Garden subordinates to bolster her complaint. The case, from its inception, proved a public relations nightmare for the Knicks and the Garden, with coverage of the three-week trial focusing on its tawdriest aspects -- star guard Stephon Marbury having sex with an intern outside a strip club, raunchy come-ons from a Marbury cousin to his Garden co-workers, Thomas' videotaped remarks about the racial dynamics of calling a woman "a bitch." "The World's Most Heinous Arena," read one New York Post headline about the case. The trial did steer attention from the Knicks' on-court woes as the team geared up for its second season with Thomas as head coach. The Knicks finished 33-49 last year and have yet to win a playoff game during the Thomas regime. Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press