Ahh...I know Pontius - The Big Unit and Schilling both suffering big injuries earlier in the season. Our two big horses out - hence 12 games down on the Giants. I discovered baseball watching the 2001 World Series Yankees vs D'backs - seriously, it BLEW MY MIND. D'back fan since then. A great game, baseball - a story unfolding over nine innings every time.

Of all the pro sports I'd like to actually go to the park and watch, Baseball is it. Football and basketball are fine on TV.

I actually like Football and basketball at the semi-Pro (aka college or NCAA) level better than the pro.

The farmers with sore heads and sad hearts stood there in the middle of their barren fields. They waited.

Zoshan, " it is confirmed, the pirate corvette has left our atmosphere ... the Torrian tracking probe was not detected."

Surther, " this was one of our finest harvesting planets...but it is a small price to pay if we finally get the location of the Dreaded Pirates mothership."

Idle, " but did we have to let him shave our heads?"

Surther, "well we didn't expect that but we had to make it look authentic otherwise he would have been suspicious."

Zoshan, "We have it sir, but it is not going to be easy. The mother ship has layed anchor in the Regulus system. She is in good company at least 30 Overlords and a host of Avatars."

Kyrofx, "Isn't Regulus in Anzac space??"

Surther, "They must be there lurring more Aussies away with those robitic wombats" Alert the Corn Husker Brigade. Have them rondevue with the 1st Buckeye light infantry and engage the enemy.

Idle, "What about the Anzac..?"

Surther, "Send their Senate a Transport with our best 30 sheep..That should keep them distracted long enough to wipe out the Dread Pirates."

I have to disagree somewhat about the merits of baseball. Of all the professional sports here its by far the most corrupt and disorganized. The commissioner is a figurehead at best and the league is actually run by the richest owners. There is a terrible lack of parity and the lack of a salary cap means that the richest teams continue to dominate and the small market teams are consistently delegated to trying to win by bringing up minor league talent. Of course as soon as the minor league talent matures and becomes a quality player, they are snatched up by the Yankees, or the Rangers or the Angels or any other big market team.

Sure small market teams do occaisionally pop up on the radar and compete (ie. the Twins) but as soon as the season ends, the small market players that were key to the resurgence are snatched up by the big market teams and thats that.

Compare that to the NFL where the parity in recent years has been great. Just about every fan's team has a chance to do well and I attribute this directly to the salary cap and the free agent system in the NFL. Not only that but the NFL has a strong spoken commissioner in Tagliabue compared to the weak and powerless Selig of the MLB.

Until baseball institutes some form of salary cap and effective revenue sharing, its popularity will continue to decline due to fans like myself who have completely lost interest due to the inability of small market teams to compete.

Oh and I must agree Pontius, I am a much bigger fan of what I consider the more pure forms of both basketball and football as seen in the college ranks.

I only pay attention to College Football. They just seem to play with more heart and every game counts. In pro you can lose a bunch of games and still win the championship. In college if you lose one you could lose your chance at the championship, lose two and you can forget it (depending on how everyone else is doing for the year).

I don't know. I've stopped watching NFL. To me, unless you're just a pure fan of the sport, the game has become the NO FUN LEAGUE. Everyone drives between the 20's and settles for a short fieldgoal. That just bores me to tears. The Hard Salary Cap is nothing more to me than enforced mediocrity. Look at the last few superbowl winners.
Patriots. Bucs. Ravens. None of those teams rank anywhere near the greats of all time. Not a one.

As to baseball. Both my teams are in essence small market. One is becoming big market through it's own actions. The other is probably going to move. And the problem is, the small teams got revenue sharing. Which they put into front office bonuses instead of signing players. And they are making money. Damn cheapskates. I'd never go see a Brewers game, a Pirates game, or a couple others were I a fan of theirs. NEVER. Not untill the owner made a committment to fielding a quality team.

Nor does money automatically buy success. Rangers. Orioles and Redsox have been prime examples of that recently. Yanks too. for all but 5 years of the last 30 or so. I agree more revenue sharing is needed. But I do agree with Steinbrenner one one key point. Why should he pay revenue sharing when those that he has to share it with are not spending it on fielding a better team? They are pocketing it.

One other problem with baseball. All foreign players are free agents. They do not go in the draft. That needs to be fixed. That alone is a huge advantage to high revenue clubs.

Good points Pontius. While I am a die hard football fan, you are right about the past super bowl winners and mediocrity...the age of the dynasty is over, the best you can do now is to hope to remain competitive and to try and secure your top 3 players. I wouldn't go quite as far as you and say that the game is not fun anymore and is boring, I would bring up the gritty determination of the Packers and Farve, the high flying Falcons and Vick, the hard hitting defense of the Buc's and the scrappiness of the Eagles and McNabb as just a few examples of the excitement in the NFL yet today. And I wouldn't ever sacrifice that for the old days of one dynasty like the 49ers or the Cowboys versus the lowly Buc's or Packers of the 80's.

Is there a difference between what some call mediocrity and what others call parity...probably not, after all you can't have a league full of dynasty's, it kinda defeats the point. All I know is, I can't wait for the kickoff of the regular season.

Well I gotta pick pro or college this year. Wife won't let em in the cave to watch both. So I'm going with college. More games=more chance one of em will be good hehe. I like college where every game is important.

Really interesting comments, guys. I'm not close enough to know about corruption in MLB - although I am aware of the feelings about Bud Selig and basically share them - the guy seems a complete dork. Last year's All Star game proved that. Salary cap issues are common all over - in Australian Rules football, we have a hard salary cap and some fledgling franchises that get financial concessions (much to the annoyance of other clubs when those new guys end up winning the premiership). It certainly is a sort of sporting socialism - but does it level the field too much (too boring if every horse in the race has the same odds)?

Pontius' comment about Steinbrenner is food for thought - he spends buckets, but at least he spends it on winning players for his club. Some owners seem content to ask their managers to 'make do' with junior talent - how are they going to rise up the ranks?

The other interesting point is including foreigners in the draft. Since Dave Nilssen (baseball) and Darren Bennett (Pro Bowl kicker) made the big time, more scouts tend to travel down here looking for kids, and I presume they're also going to Sth. America, Japan, etc. I think they should be included in the draft - it's the only fair way in the end, and I'm surporsed that this doesn't happen already.

I only have a small portion of time to allocate to my hobbies (Galciv being one of them). That said Baseball dpesn't get much attention at all. I may watch a few playoff games and some of the world series if I care about the team(s). Baseball is just too slow paced.

Another overcast day here in Western Michigan. The Great Lakes are both a curse and a blessing. It seems we have had one of the wettest summers I can remember. On the plus side the temperature has only reached 90 twice this year (so far). I everyone has a great weekend. Hopefully I will finally finish a game (and submit it properly).

MWC is now 50 members strong and continues to grow.

That is a good milestone and nothing to be ashamed of. Too bad that both MWC and GROSS need to double our numbers to eclipse the sheer people power of the 99 in GG.

I think there are a lot of Undead in GG. Look at their last submission dates. :notsure:

Two days old! You farmers must be out enjoying the summer. I haven't forgotten ya! BUMP!

Ah just back from Chicago. I see our honorary member Wild Wombat is keeping our string alive. Why not joint up and I will make you director of the Information Ministry. (Never mind that we seem to have or info minister assasinated every other week)

Yes, I noticed that...not exactly secure employment you're offering....

Well well,

Seems like a good time to dust off the old 'MWC Comm Thread' and put it back on page 1.

The MWC is alive and well in our little corner of the metaverse. Activity is picking back up after a nice couple weeks swimming, BBQing, etc.

I encourage all metaverse participants to check out our little corner of cyberspace http://idle.thehueys.com/midwest If your looking for an empire we'd love to have you in our ranks. If you're already in an empire, well, sorry to hear that, especially if you have an eyepatch and/or a pegleg

idle

~SDC~

Idle got a letter from lil Idle's school This is what it said.

Dear Idle: Your child lil Idle, has been sent home from school today for singing the following song to the tune of I wanna be a cowboy.


I wanna be a pirate
And you can give me your booze.
I wanna be a pirate,
And you can give me your money.
I wanna be a pirate
And you can give me your women.
I wanna be a pirate
And you can give me your ship.
I wanna be a pirate
and ye can be run through.


Lil Idle is hereby suspended from Heartland Primary and recommended for one year's expulsion. Hearing to commence one week from date of notice.

Head Master Skinner.

Idle read the letter, called the school and indeed this was not another Pontius trick, it was indeed genuine. Had lil Idle been taught this song on that fieldtrip? Who knows. Idle just clasped his hands together and sighed. He knew Mrs. Idle would pin the blame on him. It's always the father would be the topic of conversation at her quilting club the next day. Idle could just sense it.



Principle Skinner.


La la la la la

Yup... that's definitely one of the songs I taught those cute little MWC tikes.

~SDC~

It is a good thing we can't attach sound bites. I am scared of what Pontius would sound like singing that little tune.

We've been wanting to home school anyway.

idle

~SDC~

Nothin but Superiors in NMEA competition baby. Accomplished Baritone.

Although if I am not mistaken, those lines in that song were rapped rather than sung.