47 Comments

Elsewhere in college (pro-adjacent)

Expand full comment

Looks like Nick Saban is riding off into the sunset and goin' fishin' with his old Browns buddy Bill.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39281202/alabama-crimson-tide-football-coach-nick-saban-retiring

Expand full comment

I think Saban has the grace to know when it's time to leave.

Here's hoping his retirement is long, healthy, and full of contentment.

Expand full comment

Wow he's 72. I know a lot of football coaches look older than age so I thought he was still in his 60s but he actually looks younger than his age.

I don't like him but I respect him as a successful football coach and I wish he has a happy retirement.

Expand full comment

PRO

Expand full comment

Boy, Aaron Rodgers is really giving Butte College a bad name...

Expand full comment

I don't think he was always like this. The Covid years have really driven some people insane.

Expand full comment

The derangement of a significant portion of the American polity is deeply concerning. It goes well beyond Aaron Rodgers.

Expand full comment

Yes, would be like a funny joke if 30% of the country didn’t totally agree with him. Custom always lags technology and I think we are still getting accustomed to social media / the internet / the absence of gatekeepers in the information landscape

Expand full comment

While Florida Man is a national phenomenon, we must respect the local Chico Man phenomenon (which is probably more like Redding Man now).

Expand full comment

Hah! Totally!

Omfg I cannot wait until espn pulls the plug on McAfee (and consequently also Rodgers). He is such an unwatchable douche nozzle and yet somehow his dumbass face is constantly splattered across their tv coverage and their website. My brother deleted the espn app from his phone to avoid seeing him; I am not far off!

Expand full comment

They pulled the plug on Qron (but not McAfee) today. https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/10/business/aaron-rodgers-pat-mcafee-show/index.html

Expand full comment

Cubbies got Imanaga on a pretty reasonable deal ($15m AAV for a short time, tho no precise details yet). I like it! He’s probably a no 3 starter in MLB but a number 3 starter is very valuable! Hopefully we pair this with bringing Bellinger back and getting an upgrade over Wisdom at third (Chapman?). Would be super sweet if the rumors of getting Cease via trade from the White Sox are true…

Expand full comment
Jan 10·edited Jan 10

I’m not sure what to make of him. He was solid in the NPB, but not elite, and I’m always weary of guys that rely on deceptive motion to disrupt a hitters timing and get guys out. Once he faces the league, how is he going to hold up.

His stuff is decent enough tho, and I think the SP3 is probably an accurate ceiling, and that’s not nothing…I got serious Kikuchi vibes, which is great if you get the ‘23 Yusei stat-line…if so, $15M is a steal. Also good for the Cubbies that they went out and made a move while Farhan slept.

Cease would be a great pickup as well.

Expand full comment

Yeah he doesn’t have a lot of velocity but he has a funky release and a lot of movement which gives him a high K/9 (more K’s than Yamomoto last year). He does give up the long ball, though I like these international signings as they don’t cost you a comp pick. I think the Cubs’ starting rotation could be pretty good if Steele maintains last season’s form and their two young prospects pan out (Horton and Wicks). Gonna have to pull some more levers if we really want to compete with LAD, but I’ll take this as a nice start!

Expand full comment

Imanaga was the Baystars ace this past year over Bauer, and Bauer, with a lot of curiosity, followed around Imanaga to learn his routines. He is a different type from Yamamoto, but his value comes in being lefty and high strike out rates. He started the championship game vs USA in the most recent WBC.I think he will be similar to Kenta Maeda when he was with Dodgers.

Expand full comment

#Fire Farhan

Expand full comment

I swear to God, Jimmy.

Expand full comment

I mean, I’m fine NOT overpaying for guys like Marcus Stroman (33 y.o., average SP, 130 IP max, for $25M per - pass) and especially Chapman (duplicative - JD was better with the bat, and the glove isn’t really that big a drop-off either, and he’s 1/3 the cost).

But do something. And where’s the urgency? This organization is nothing more than leverage for other, more attractive rosters.

Sigh.

Expand full comment

DBD A/V

Expand full comment

I watched the Sting yesterday - fun period movie (1930s Chicago), though the ending was a little wanting after all the build up. Still, seeing Newman and Redford together in their primes is well worth it.

Expand full comment

Have to disagree about the ending - for me it was totally satisfying, and wrapped the story up in a nice bow. Better than endings in 95% of movies.

Expand full comment

It wasn’t a bad ending at all, but I think the first 75% of the movie was so good, it raised my hopes for the ending to levels that were unrealistic

Expand full comment

That's an excellent point.

Expand full comment

There was a guy in Bowles at the time who was a good pianist, and people kept asking him to play the Entertainer until we were all totally sick of it.

Expand full comment

Bowles! I was there in 97-98. Did people drink on the balcony at room 507 during your time there? Was cool that it was across from the Greek so you got to listen to the concerts and drink on the balcony. Good times!

Expand full comment

I will neither confirm nor deny that there was any drinking on all the balconies, or in the rooms or the hallways or corridors.

Good times, yes!

Expand full comment

Robert Shaw is great. Doyle Lonnegan!

Expand full comment

Really the entire cast was great - all pros!

Expand full comment

The cast was outstanding. Nearly everyone in the cast was a character actor who had a list of credits as long as your arm. The story was solid and well-played.

It stands the test of time as a movie. It doesn't hurt that it was Best Picture of 1974 (IIRC). Remember, Newman and Redford had already done a movie together in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. They were remarkable in the Sting.

Expand full comment

CAL

Expand full comment

Playing CU in hoops tonight @8pm PST, ESPNU.

One of Cal's 3 wins last season!

Projected 1st round (#1 according to nbadraft.com?!?) NBA draft pick Cody Williams might play.

Expand full comment

I could watch on ESPNU but just too late for this old guy.

Expand full comment

Go Bears!

Expand full comment

Heart

Expand full comment

Nancy Wilson's acoustic rhythm guitar somehow always seemed to be more lead than Fisher's lead electric.

Expand full comment

When I was a freshman (at Cal of course), I felt like there should be a song that gave credit to other bodily organs. Hence…

I left my heart in San Francisco

I left my brain in Portland, Maine

I left my spleen in New Orleans

My pancreas in Arkansas…

Expand full comment

<3 is my favorite emoticon.

Expand full comment

I use that one a lot.

Expand full comment

DBD is found on the front page today. Kudos to somebody!

Expand full comment
deletedJan 10·edited Jan 10
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

Also, Hello. My name is rocksanddirt and I waste far to much time on the internet. Including WFC and it's predecessor.

Expand full comment

My name is OskiOfTarth, and I'm here because I hope to get out of doing anything productive today.

Expand full comment

DBD is a bit slow today but you're in the right place.

Expand full comment

Goring around sounds painful.

Expand full comment

I see you fixed it. Thought maybe "goring around" was some newish vernacular that I didn't know.

Expand full comment

Welcome to the internet

Expand full comment