FB: Liberty League

[bman]

JT

Bman hates when he "sleeps wrong" and then can't turn his head one direction in the am...

+K to gro...for the Okoye reference

Bman was/is a Chiefs fan

[labart96]

TGP meant to pontificate until TGP jr sounded off indicating he had a poopie diaper.

Re: Hobart Lax.

Hobart ain't going back to DIII.  Although it might make sense from an institutional standpoint (since all other sports are DIII save sailing and squash which have the wine, cheese and caviar divisions), Bart has too much pride to admit the D1 switch didn't work out.  In fact, the D1 switch was going pretty well esp when Bart was in the Patriot League (with Colgate, Bucknell, Navy, etc), but the boot to the ECAC has been brutal.

TGP has been chatting with several Bart alums on the laxpower boards about the struggles this season.  Here's the general consensus from former Bart players (many whom TGP gathers were on the D3 championship squads in the 70s, 80s and very early 90s).

1)  Bart has the talent to compete (note the 1 or 2 goal losses to SU, Georgetown, etc) and the lack of scholarships really isn't a valid issue.  D1 lax schools get 12.5 scholarships.  Bart has old time tradition, but a real lax blue chipper is going to go to 1 of 6 schools (there have only really been 6 or 7 schools that have won the D1 championship over the last 40 yrs).  TGP is certain that Bart can come up with a way to get a kid in via  institutional monies or otherwise.

2)  Bart has a really, really crappy defense.  Start ups like Bing, Drexel (who beat UVa this year), St John's etc have all built their teams around D.  Bart has a long tradition of great d and goalies back in the day, but really hasn't had one since the 98 squad.  

3)  Bart's coach has been accused, and the track record seems to hold up, that he over recruits - creating a "recruiting mill" rep that makes some parents take them less seriously in the market.  When you keep bringing in classes of 20+ kids a year for 5 years and only 2-5 are still around for their junior season, something is wrong.

4)  Same deal with FB, Bart is in a remote location that's far from NYC/CT/MA/MD etc.  Why freeze your azz off playing lax in snow flurries in Feb when you can be kicking it in high 50-low 60 degrees?  

TGP could go on and on but will spare the rest of the LLPP his thoughts on this topic.

PS - Sox are playing Toronto, but the games are at Fenway.  They hit the road on Weds to play B-More, then to the Bronx...

[JT]

JT

Bman hates when he "sleeps wrong" and then can't turn his head one direction in the am...

+K to gro...for the Okoye reference

Bman was/is a Chiefs fan

JT is a side sleeper currently forced to sleep on his back, so it currently driving him nuts. JT might start sleeping in the Lazy Boy.  It helped 8 years ago.

['gro]

Hobart Lax is probably in the same boat as RPI & Union hockey... not enough national recognition, not enough money, and lackluster facilities.

['gro]

this is a pic from UAlbany's fountain day


click me

is the girl in the center topless? Is that some man lovin to the right of PTG (potentially topless girl)?

[Jonny Utah]

RE: Clemens...

I wouldnt mind the guy if he signed at the beginning of the season.  But hes going sit out and wait while other pitchers work their asses off in spring training and the first half of the season while hes in the bahamas smoking and joking for the first 5 months of the year?  Thats a chump and I dont want a guy like that on my team.

RE: Hobart Lax....

Tradition is dead there now it seems.  Way too many new regional lax programs that have already passed them or caught up to them (Albany, St Johns, Fairfield, Delaware, Penn St,).  They have to land a stud recruit from West Genny or F-M (I dont see any on their roster) in order to compete with the big boys in the future.

RE: Pedroia

U89, give him one more month.  If its one thing I like about the red sox its that they take chances.  They think hes good, then lets wait and see if hes good.  Sure theres the Renteria and Damon mistakes, but for every one of them theres an Ortiz and Dice-K....

[Jonny Utah]

Hobart Lax is probably in the same boat as RPI & Union hockey... not enough national recognition, not enough money, and lackluster facilities.

Plus the fan base is probably big too.  BU hockey sells beer!  And they sell out basically every big game (6-8K?).  Pretty good astmosphere.  Same goes for all those other schools, (new hampshire, Maine, BC,)  they have thousands a game....

[union89]

RE: Clemens...

I wouldnt mind the guy if he signed at the beginning of the season.  But hes going sit out and wait while other pitchers work their asses off in spring training and the first half of the season while hes in the bahamas smoking and joking for the first 5 months of the year?  Thats a chump and I dont want a guy like that on my team.

RE: Hobart Lax....

Tradition is dead there now it seems.  Way too many new regional lax programs that have already passed them or caught up to them (Albany, St Johns, Fairfield, Delaware, Penn St,).  They have to land a stud recruit from West Genny or F-M (I dont see any on their roster) in order to compete with the big boys in the future.

RE: Pedroia

U89, give him one more month.  If its one thing I like about the red sox its that they take chances.  They think hes good, then lets wait and see if hes good.  Sure theres the Renteria and Damon mistakes, but for every one of them theres an Ortiz and Dice-K....

I hear ya Utah....I just don't think he has the tools....I hope I'm wrong...

[lewdogg11]

Renteria wasn't a mistake.  He wasn't fit for Boston.  I can't even stand to look at that guy.  And as far as Damon is concerned, the Red Sox were smart with that one.  The Yankees have ANOTHER monster contract.  Maybe he's worth it, but I don't think so.  In his place, the Sox were able to get Becket, Dice-K, Lowell, and JD Drew.  And even Coco holds his own out in the field.  You can only keep running these salaries so high.  They had the balls to finally step down and let the Yankees payt he bill.  You think George wasn't going to keep outbidding Theo? 

[Jonny Utah]

Im just saying that signing Renteria, like getting rid of Damon, hurt the redsox at those positions.  Then again, if it werent for Renteria, the sox might be stuck with Cabrera, who isnt a Lugo who I actually like now. 

And you are right about the Yanks outbidding for Damon, but the sox could have had him wrapped up before it got to free agency.  Coco and willy moe have to be close combined to Damon right?  Then they could still have Drew in RT with Damon in center and Lugo at short. 

And of course the Aroyo moved kind of bombed too but ah well.  At least they have some balls and make the moves unlike the Celtics.....

[lewdogg11]

The Arroyo move wasn't horrible, only for the fact that he is now overpaid, and it again gave them the opportunity for a Dice-K, and while they could have used him last year, there's just no room this year.  Lester will be healthy soon, and he'll get that 5th spot instead of psycho Tavarez.  And you never know if Clement will come back.  Their biggest f-up recently was losing Hanley Ramirez and maybe Annabel Sanchez, but those aren't even a big deal.  I like Lugo, except he grabs his nuts too much and it makes me uncomfortable.

[labart96]

The Arroyo move wasn't horrible, only for the fact that he is now overpaid, and it again gave them the opportunity for a Dice-K, and while they could have used him last year, there's just no room this year.  Lester will be healthy soon, and he'll get that 5th spot instead of psycho Tavarez.  And you never know if Clement will come back.  Their biggest f-up recently was losing Hanley Ramirez and maybe Annabel Sanchez, but those aren't even a big deal.  I like Lugo, except he grabs his nuts too much and it makes me uncomfortable.

The quadruple ballchow

[Jonny Utah]

The Arroyo move wasn't horrible, only for the fact that he is now overpaid, and it again gave them the opportunity for a Dice-K, and while they could have used him last year, there's just no room this year.  Lester will be healthy soon, and he'll get that 5th spot instead of psycho Tavarez.  And you never know if Clement will come back.  Their biggest f-up recently was losing Hanley Ramirez and maybe Annabel Sanchez, but those aren't even a big deal.  I like Lugo, except he grabs his nuts too much and it makes me uncomfortable.

Yea they could have had arroyo cheap and he would have fit in the pen at least.  There was something else going on with him though.  He was nailing Mannys wife or something like that.  Clement was also a horrible signing.  Good thing they have the money to eat up garbage like that though.

And lugos nutrubs are some of my favorite parts of the games now.....

[JT]

Renteria wasn't a mistake.  He wasn't fit for Boston.  I can't even stand to look at that guy.  And as far as Damon is concerned, the Red Sox were smart with that one.  The Yankees have ANOTHER monster contract.  Maybe he's worth it, but I don't think so.  In his place, the Sox were able to get Becket, Dice-K, Lowell, and JD Drew.  And even Coco holds his own out in the field.  You can only keep running these salaries so high.  They had the balls to finally step down and let the Yankees payt he bill.  You think George wasn't going to keep outbidding Theo? 

The Sox spent major bucks for D-K although a big chunk went to a Japanese company.  I like Damon, but I have concerns about him staying healthy.  If he stay reasonably healthy its not a bad contract.  Now that the Tampa connection is gone (those useless ****heads) that had George's ear, and Cashman has full control spending is getting a little more responsible.  It was the Tampa coaches (Billy Connors et al) that convinced George to piss away young talent for washed up old doods.

The major thing is 2009 with the new stadium.  Paying off the stadium loans mean no more luxury taxes.

[labart96]

yet another great weekend recap on the Sox-Yanks:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/blog/index?name=simmons