Hot Stove Thread 2011-2012

[Dave James]

Take me now, Lord. Signs that the apocalypse is near:

ERIC KARABELL

Eric Karabell is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He has covered fantasy sports for ESPN since 2001, specializing in baseball and football. Eric is the host of the Baseball Today Podcast, is seen several times a week on ESPNEWS and contributes to ESPN The Magazine. He has been honored twice as fantasy sports writer of the year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, his blog was named best fantasy baseball series for 2007 and he was inducted into the inaugural FSWA Hall of Fame class in 2011.

[Quincy]

he was inducted into the inaugural FSWA Hall of Fame class in 2011.

I've decided to sire children, just so on an autumnal day I can take my young 'uns to visit the hallowed halls of the FSWA HOF.

[JSngry]

Why don't you just write a novel about it instead? Same thing.

[Brad]

The NFL Channel has someone who just covers fantasy football and they treat it very seriously. I've often turned to my son and said is this for real?

[Dave James]

I guess I just don't get it. Nonetheless, according to my brother and several of my friends who are active fantasy league participants, if you don't do it, you don't understand the allure. My perspective has always been that if you do get involved, you wind up rooting for individuals and not for teams. That's no fun for me. I'm a Yankees, Eagles and Red Wings fan through and through. It's been that way for decades. Those are my TEAMS, not my PLAYERS. The fact that the media has pushed this to a whole new level should not be terribly surprising. In the 24/7 world of televised sports, this is just another way to fill up air time.

[Quincy]

you wind up rooting for individuals and not for teams.

I avoided fantasy sports for this reason for many years. And while this may happen for the 1st year you play it goes away, or at least it did for me. Although maybe I'm just "blessed" in being a fan of teams that haven't gotten near the playoffs in awhile. It's all about perspective, and it's easy enough to keep fantasy and reality separate. Were it not for fantasy basketball I would probably not bother to tune into much of the goings on in the regular season. As for baseball, because of fantasy I have a respectable knowledge of what goes on in Kansas City and Pittsburgh which without fantasy would be close to zero. So while it can be a sickness it doesn't have to be. I do find the idea of a fantasy sports writer's hall of fame to be a hoot.

[Tim McG]

I guess I just don't get it. Nonetheless, according to my brother and several of my friends who are active fantasy league participants, if you don't do it, you don't understand the allure. My perspective has always been that if you do get involved, you wind up rooting for individuals and not for teams. That's no fun for me. I'm a Yankees, Eagles and Red Wings fan through and through. It's been that way for decades. Those are my TEAMS, not my PLAYERS. The fact that the media has pushed this to a whole new level should not be terribly surprising. In the 24/7 world of televised sports, this is just another way to fill up air time.

Wait, now hold on....Yankees, Eagles and the Red Wings?

Is your house located on the Interstate or do you just travel a lot?

Edited March 21, 2012 by GoodSpeak

[PHILLYQ]

I guess I just don't get it. Nonetheless, according to my brother and several of my friends who are active fantasy league participants, if you don't do it, you don't understand the allure. My perspective has always been that if you do get involved, you wind up rooting for individuals and not for teams. That's no fun for me. I'm a Yankees, Eagles and Red Wings fan through and through. It's been that way for decades. Those are my TEAMS, not my PLAYERS. The fact that the media has pushed this to a whole new level should not be terribly surprising. In the 24/7 world of televised sports, this is just another way to fill up air time.

There's also a LOT of $$ involved. I know a guy who's in a bunch of fantasy football and baseball leagues, and last year he made some nice $$.

[Brad]

Those are my TEAMS, not my PLAYERS.

Couldn't agree more. When a player is gone from my team, I don't follow him anymore.

The fact that the media has pushed this to a whole new level should not be terribly surprising. In the 24/7 world of televised sports, this is just another way to fill up air time.

Fantasy sports has been around for awhile. Before the internet age, back in the mid 80s fans would call up radio stations asking how so and so did and the hosts would read off stats so people could update their leagues.

[JSngry]

Fantasy sports has been around for awhile. Before the internet age, back in the mid 80s fans would call up radio stations asking how so and so did and the hosts would read off stats so people could update their leagues.

The people I knew just read the box scores in the paper, preferably the afternoon paper, which would have the west coast games too.

[Neal Pomea]

Washington sent Bryce Harper to AAA to start the season and plans to try him out at centerfield. He will probably be in MLB by mid-summer.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/nationals-send-bryce-harper-back-to-the-minor-leagues-where-hell-play-center-field/2012/03/18/gIQA747XLS_story.html

[paul secor]

Fantasy sports has been around for awhile. Before the internet age, back in the mid 80s fans would call up radio stations asking how so and so did and the hosts would read off stats so people could update their leagues.

The people I knew just read the box scores in the paper, preferably the afternoon paper, which would have the west coast games too.

When I was a kid, I used to study the box scores every day. On Sunday, the N.Y. Times had complete batting and pitching records of every player who had a minimum number of at bats or had pitched a minimum number of innings. I probably spent more time with those figures than I did doing homework for school.

Then I discovered music and baseball stats went on the back burner.

[Dave James]

Wait, now hold on....Yankees, Eagles and the Red Wings?

Is your house located on the Interstate or do you just travel a lot?

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon. Never been to Detroit. Visited New York once when I was around 10, Philadelphia, never. I think my choices, since I made them when I was just a kid, were probably based on how much I liked a team's uniforms. I know I loved the silver wings on the Eagle's green helmets and the winged wheel on Detroit's sweaters. And the Yankees? Who doesn't love the Yankees?

Edited March 22, 2012 by Dave James

[Dan Gould]

Anyone with a soul.

[JSngry]

Are we compiling a list?

How many years should I block off for the job? More than 15?

:g

[Tim McG]

Wait, now hold on....Yankees, Eagles and the Red Wings?

Is your house located on the Interstate or do you just travel a lot?

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon. Never been to Detroit. Visited New York once when I was around 10, Philadelphia, never. I think my choices, since I made them when I was just a kid, were probably based on how much I liked a team's uniforms. I know I loved the silver wings on the Eagle's green helmets and the winged wheel on Detroit's sweaters. And the Yankees? Who doesn't love the Yankees?

Fair enough.

I'm a former SoCal boy who roots for the Giants, 49ers, Angels and Lakers.

Go figure.

Anyone with a soul.

ROTFLOL

Funniest thing I have ever read by you, Dan...thanks for the laugh

[Tim McG]

Things are not looking good at 2B for the Giants; Sanchez' shoulder is taking much longer to rehab.

That leaves the light hitting Emmanuel Burriss, Mike Fontenot or Brandon Crawford.

I think the Giants' front office is going to regret giving up on Jeff Keppinger. Dumb move, IMHO.

[Quincy]

Even worse for the Giants is Sports Illustrated picked them win the pennant. They have them losing to the Angels in the World Series. SI doesn't have a very good record with preseason predictions, although Mariners in last sounds about right.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Quincy

[Tim McG]

Even worse for the Giants is Sports Illustrated picked them win the pennant. They have them losing to the Angels in the World Series. SI doesn't have a very good record with preseason predictions, although Mariners in last sounds about right.

Winning the NL West is always a struggle. The division is very competitive when everybody's healthy, so we wait and see if SI got it right.

Picking the Angels to make it to the WS is a fair bet, IMHO.

[BERIGAN]

[Quincy]

Hooray for Minor League Guy! The NBA's Spurs had a smartass moment the other day when Tim Duncan didn't play in a game. The excuse was DNP-Old.

As the Opening Day game in Japan will be the debut of Yoenis Cespedes, check out the man's eyebrows.

[GA Russell]

Stan Kasten and Magic Johnson are getting the Dodgers for a whopping $2 billion.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/la-dodgers-sold-to-group-with-magic-johnson/article2383660/

[Tim McG]

When do the half court drills start?

LA Times story:

Edited March 28, 2012 by GoodSpeak

[Soulstation1]

Ok if the dodgers are worth $2B

What are the yanks worth? $5B

[Dave James]

Stan Kasten and Magic Johnson are getting the Dodgers for a whopping $2 billion.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/la-dodgers-sold-to-group-with-magic-johnson/article2383660/

Frank McCourt paid $430 million for the Dodgers in 2004. Since then, he's run the team into the ground and now, seven years later and in the midst of the worst recession since the 30's, it's worth $2 billion? Not sure I can pencil that out. But, that's not all. The gilt on this lilly is that the $2 billion will be paid in cash.