1984Echoes

He has experience as a fake businessman on The Apprentice... I'm on board with this! Tell him: "You're Fired!!!" And see if he pouts his way out of the White House and all the way over to HGTV... "They don't like me... I quit!" Works for me! I would LOVE him as a failed president with his own HGTV show!!! I promise... I would NEVER watch it! But that could be the new go-to TV program for MAGA to watch diligently...

If Meadow is NOT injured on opening day... I would see him starting there in CF... And Baez used wherever Hinch sees fit... SS or CF pinch-hitting and taking over when a lefty gets on the mound. If Meadow IS injured on opening day... Well, that's an easy call... start Baez in CF.

BINGO! I love this early call out on the OD lineup...!!!

1) Monty has a lot of great talent for a RB. 2) Our high-end O-Line, when functioning superbly (like last year) let our RB's produce. Monty/Gibbs had 2,185 yards last year with 28 TD's and an average 5 yards per carry. 3) Our O-Line has been a sieve this year at times, and spectacular at other times (freeing up both of them for some great runs). It makes it hard on all the RB's when they are a sieve... But still, Monty/Gibbs have combined for 1,750 yards this year and ~ 5 yards per carry, along with 21 TD's, with two games left still. 4) But other RB's do produce behind this line. For the past 3 years, Craig Reynolds has averaged 4.5 yards per carry. And in 2022 Jamaal Williams and Swift did the same thing as Monty/Gibbs: 1,608 yards and 22 TD's (mostly Williams), at 4.5 yards per carry. 5) Sione Vaki has explosive talent (or so the Lions and Holmes believe...); which, if he is healthy in 2026, and our O-Line is fixed... I believe he can produce at a very high level. I believe he will be able to produce at a higher level than Craig Reynolds or Justin Jackson. All of the above are true. So I don't discount Monty's talent. I just think the health/ competence of our O-Line trumps all. On a WAG, I'm going to guess a healthy Vaki could put up similar numbers to Craig/ Swift/ Justin Jackson in 2022 if he ended up with 150-ish carries, for whatever the reason (this is all faith in Brad Holmes speaking here) at 750-ish yards, high 4 to low 5 yards per carry and half a dozen TD's... Which doesn't say as much about Monty IMO (as you are saying) but I think says a whole lot more about the health of our O-Line.

The running game will be fixed when the O-Line is fixed/ improves.... And Monty and Sioke and Gibbs will ALL benefit... Because noone can run behind an O-Line sieve. And it won't matter whether it's Monty or Sioke... As soon as the O-Line is working, Sioke will be just as explosive as Monty (or even more so), able to gain the same tough yards, more catches out of the backfield, and still have some room for superior explosion run plays than Monty. IMO.

Also, if they play him "in-the-box" 99% of the time there is less deep threat exposure for him and he can work in smaller spaces (within 10 yards of the Line) as a box or strong safety. If he's at least 96% of his prior ability (I just made that number up), it may be good enough to be effective in a role like that...

"Does he think his supporters are stupid?" Absolutely.

Transition apartment since the divorce many years ago and I haven't purchased a house since... although I am looking for a permanent (house) spot in (or near) Lakeland Florida next year so... One day I may do a live tree again. Once I have a house instead of an apartment. But for the past few years, my small artificial tree (about 4 1/2 feet) works perfectly well. To Cas's consternation with live trees... no mess no fuss. And yes... spinning disc with several colors going through the fiber optic cables to light up the tree. SO... UNCOMPLICATED!!! And my daughter loves it!

The first one I got ("Oh stuff it!")... The second one I wasn't certain about... I couldn't tell one way or the other... But I am in a wonderful light-hearted mood these days so... Good all around!

Way too far into the past for me... 50 years or so... Besides... for some reason I guess they didn't actually stick... Oh well! Merry X-Mas, Festivus, Christmas, Hannukah, Solstice... Whatever works for ya'!!!

I'm the other way around.

Errr... yeah, this. Short version.

Annual Winter Solstice festival. Celebration of... from going into the darkness (shortest day of the year...) to earth being reborn (days get longer after the winter solstice/ more sun = earth has renewed itself...) Evergreen pine or spruce because they never die, they are green all year round. What better way of defeating darkness than a green-all-year-round tree? A festival that is approximately 3000 years old. Christians were smart, in order to coopt paganism they needed to usurp all pagan holidays with religious ones... Hence, at the biggest pagan feast/ celebration of the year, Christians would need to find a substitute big enough to usurp... so, they decided Jesus was born on December 25th. The bible says the animals came in from the fields I believe? That would be springtime, or later, not December 25th. So the PAGAN evergreen tree, is now Christianity's. Smart move. But the "Christmas tree" is PURE, and still, pagan. Sorry.

Under my pagan evergreen tree?

PS: On the bright side... ASP is 20 years old. And in the NHL already on a 2nd pairing with Ben Chiarot.

I'm also eager to see Buium on NHL ice for the Wings... Start him out 2nd or 3rd pair and let him work his way higher... If he has that ability...

I'm not going to say Karlsson... But he was -9 in October and -3 in November and -2 in December... So... Maybe he's improving a little bit? I know he'll have his ups and downs (the past week was a big downer for him...), But I expect him to get a bit stronger for next year now that he is experiencing just how difficult the NHL is... Again, I'm not going to say Karlsson... But I am certainly hoping that he can be better than Gostis 2.0.

Yeah, I'm probably just whistlin' dixie on that... I am obviously locking into the future... And I do not mind Frank being a part of that... even if he is a starter in 2026. How about a time-share between Frank & Tate?

I love the spirit of giving during these holidays... Not even gifts... But the giving of warmth and kindness, patience, love to family and friends, hugs and kisses... So the gifts are just a part of that (to me) and it doesn't even have to be big things... just something small in a "thinking of you" manner. Also, I don't believe in an all-consuming everybody, only those closest... outside of that it has to be an agreed upon thing... So... I never want to overdo it... But I do enjoy a few small gifts, giving and receiving, with closest friends and family. More than anything else... I enjoy all the smiles and happy spirits/ times...

I'm going to create a new holiday on the eve of the shortest day of the year and call it... Solstice-amas. Adorned evergreen tree, no Jesus. Father Time (Santa if I can't let go of old custom) and Frosty the snowman are allowed however. As is gift-giving and overall good feelings towards others...

So trade him for whatever we can get... which hopefully is better than a bag of balls. I still have it my mind that someone is going to be willing to take that chance... But I don't know whom that might be. A losing team with a rotation vet (old guy) that fits/works for us better than Ivey does... On a guess.

Can't. They have to hope someone wants to take that chance... I would imagine that he will be cheap next year. Sign some sort of short-term (1/ 2/ 3) year contract to (hopefully for him) build up some actual play-level value.

I just looked at xGoals For versus xGoals Against: Seider-Edvinsson: +8.4 (xGF 24.1 - xGA 15.7 = 8.4) Johansson-JBD: +1.6 (xGF 9.6 - xGA 8 = 1.6) Chiarot-ASP: -2 (xGF 17.2 - xGA 19.2 = -2.0) Johansson-Hamonic: -3.3 (xGF 6.6 - xGA 8.9 = -3.3) Edvinsson-ASP: -3.4 (xGF 4.1 - xGA 7.5 = -3.4)

I would be more interested in Andrew Nembhard than Coby White. Little iffy on the 3... but better defense, and a much better Assist to TO ratio...

Is there a bottom to this? I'd love to see the Johansson-Hamonic and Johansson-JBD numbers...