OctaShields
Apr 25, 2010 May 31, 2012 33 5546
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A person should mean what he says or else he should refrain from comment. That type of individual is the bigot upon whom we must concentrate our efforts. . . The forces of intolerance and hate are on the march today. The seed of hate and discord is being sewn all around us. It is our task to inculcate our worthy ideals into the warped minds of weaklings before this seed takes root.
- Angelo Paterno, 1945
4 months ago
OctaShields
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/Exasperated sigh
by OctaShields on Dec 14, 2011 12:21 PM EST
on Black Shoe Diaries
Guys, I don't want to tell you how to react to this because that's not my steez. But I'm going to pretty much guarantee that your first feeling will be RAGE. Take a second.
A friend of mine sent me a link to the popular Texas Longhorns forum ShaggyBevo. There is a thread there wherein certain fans and presumably alumni and current students at Texas are planning on attending the TicketCity Bowl with a dude dressed in a PedoBear outfit. Here is a link to the thread.
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"...we need to provide accurate information"
by OctaShields on Nov 23, 2011 12:29 PM EST
on Black Shoe Diaries
The title quote comes from Joe Puzycki, currently a university assistant vice president and formerly chief disciplinary officer under Vicky Triponey. The full quote comes from an AP article I found on Yahoo and is something that many would be wise to consider:
“I think it is important … that as we move forward as an institution that we need to provide accurate information.”
In the article, Puzycki directly refuted a few claims from the Triponey articles published yesterday, namely her claim that “Coach Paterno would rather we NOT inform the public when a football player is found responsible for committing a serious violation of the law and/or our student code,” she wrote, “despite any moral or legal obligation to do so,” and that Paterno had influence to handle the discipline of players outside the sphere of the University's Judicial Affairs.
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What is a Grand Jury Presentment?
by OctaShields on Nov 15, 2011 9:32 PM EST
on Black Shoe Diaries
I found this in the comments section of the PennLive article about McQueary saying he didn't just turn and run, by a commenter named MediaConsumer. I've been wanting to write something like this the last week, but I figured this is better and more concise than I'm capable of producing, so I'd just copy and paste.
May I suggest people understand the word "summary". Hopefully readers will take the time to understand that the 23 page Grand Jury report "summarizes" the 3 years of the grand jury investigation. It is not appropriate to expect that a "summary" includes all of the details of such a lengthy investigation.
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Let's All Feel Superior
by OctaShields on Nov 15, 2011 1:55 AM EST
on Black Shoe Diaries
I don't know how many of you have read David Brooks' November 14 article titled "Let's All Feel Superior" but it's a very good and informed take on some of the psychology behind why the media's righteous indignation is ignorant of the well-documented limitations of the human mind. It really gets into the manifold tricks that the human mind plays on people, and the subconscious limitations and weaknesses that might cause someone to look the other way, without even consciously looking the other way.
It cites a lot of studies and objective data on many different factors that might have caused any inaction - it's not just a bunch of pansies defending why they feel they might not have done the right thing, but actual proof that maybe you wouldn't either. When these situations come up, it's never as simple as "yo, here's the right button and the wrong button, push one please," but is likely very complicated, in ways we realize and in ways we can't process. The sooner we are aware of how our weaknesses manifest themselves, we can learn how to exercise discipline over them and figure out to do when confronted with such savagery (paraphrasing the article, not my own language).
The whole article is worth a read, but here's an excerpt from the beginning:
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Story of Similar Child Sex Abuse in Red Sox Organization in the 1970's
Very good article about a strikingly similar case that I had personally never heard of before. Focused on one of the victim's who was abused by the Red Sox former clubhouse manager, this article gets a little deeper into the psychological effects that such crimes can leave on the victims. Very sad, but worth the read to improve understanding.
Early Mock Drafts
Still is currently being predicted to be taken in the late first round. as the 2nd or 3rd DT off the board. One would think there is room for his stock to continue rising with some good showings against the big boys of the B1G.
Lessons learned from Alabama?
by OctaShields on Jun 8, 2011 10:59 AM EDT
on Black Shoe Diaries
No, I'm not talking about "Trent Richardson is a beast." I'm talking about lessons we, as college football fans, can glean from the Committee on Infractions/Infractions Appeals Committee opinions handed down to Alabama in the early 2000's.
I posted this over at ATO, but since it ended up being long (I re-typed a lot of content from a casebook) and of general interest, I thought I'd share with everyone here.
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Dohrmann Article Live Blog
by OctaShields on May 30, 2011 8:40 PM EDT
on Black Shoe Diaries
Alright everyone, I wanted to consolidate threads and create a new post specifically for this momentous occasion. It should be posted any minute and I trust that we'll all be here, lounging with laptop on barbecue-stuffed stomach, reading and posting about our glorious, glorious schadenfreude.
Edit - Here it is: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/magazine/05/30/jim.tressel/index.html#ixzz1Nt5CFzg5
RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE RAPTURE
Who would you part with?
by OctaShields on May 9, 2011 12:46 AM EDT
on Minor League Ball
I know sometimes people get pissed about fantasy questions, but this is also general interest to some extent. I'm in a keeper league with 8-man MiLB rosters and since none of my guys are on the verge of a call-up, I want to try to include one in a trade so I can open a spot to pick up some of the early breakout guys in the minors. Here's my 8:
Jameson Taillon
I'm leaning towards trying to move Perez, Lamb or Parker. This league has a 1250 innings cap, so you only really need to roster 5-6 SP, and consistency is a key trait to look for to be efficient with the innings. All 3 of those guys have high upsides, of course, but may not be the best to invest in for fantasy stats.
What do y'all think: Anyone on here that's setting off your bust-meter? Anyone you think I should absolutely NOT get rid of?
HOSMERPOCALYPSE
by OctaShields on May 5, 2011 5:55 PM EDT
on Minor League Ball
After hitting .439/1.107 in 98 AB with a BB/K of 19/16, Mr. Eric Hosmer is preparing to bring his reign of terror to the American League. Hold onto your butts!
Here is a link to Royals Review's breaking of this story, filled with existential angst and a guest posting by Chicken Little.
I'm tingly all over! So much so that I'm going to write a few more words so that SBNation allows me to post this. I'm also assuming that between right now and when I post, someone else will have posted the same story.
Emails forwarded to Pryor's "Mentor"
[BH: We'll obviously have much more to say about this as time moves on, but for now, here is your post for talking about the lessons of Dick Nixon that Jim Tressel never learned.]
I'd have to think this can't be positive. But whether it's just kind of bad or pink-slip-portendingly bad, I don't know. Anyone care to weigh in?
Jason Grey's take on some Pirates bounceback candidates
by OctaShields on Mar 12, 2011 11:10 AM EST
on Bucs Dugout
5. Kevin Correia, Pittsburgh Pirates, 2010 ERA: 5.40. Last season, Correia focused more on throwing a cutter, which showed promise but was inconsistent. Although he might rely on it a little too much, I think we can expect some improvement in the pitch in its second year of use, especially because he can still throw that true slider (which is a quality pitch) when he needs to. I think he's going to do a better job this year of staying off the barrel of the bat against lefties and has a chance to improve his numbers even moving out of Petco. His homers-per-fly ball rate was just under 15 percent, which as I've already mentioned is a very high number. It's unlikely to be as high again. Correia posted the best ground ball rate of his career in 2010 and his best strikeout rate as a starter, which are two more promising signs.
One other thing that at least bears mentioning here: Kevin's brother, Trevor Brent Correia, died in a tragic hiking accident last May, and you have to think that might have affected him in some capacity. When the tragedy happened, the pitcher was clicking along with a 3.97 ERA; after it, he posted a 5.84 ERA.
He did what now?
Best line: "Davies was one of Fredette's favorite targets in the post, ran the floor well and gave the Cougars length and size inside."
He's baaaack
Check the left column, about 3/4 of the way down.
Good Lord, people
At least we bear out our hatred for one another somewhat civilly. Killing trees?
Prospect makeup thread
by OctaShields on Feb 10, 2011 12:32 PM EST
on Minor League Ball
No, I'm not talking about Bryce Harper signing an endorsement contract for L'Oreal's new "face smear" cosmetic product. I wanted to start a thread where people can cut and paste or link to something that indicates a certain players "intangibles" "work ethic" or "makeup".
I got this idea from hearing a few talent evaluators and scouts claim that a lot of their misses come down to makeup and work ethic concerns instead of misconceptions about their natural ability. Of course those scouts may be a little personally invested in defending their evaluations and placing the blame on something out of their control, but it still bears attention.
Anyway, I'd like to try to keep this thread alive and have people post something new about certain players whenever they come across some good information.
It feels strange being jealous of Utah State for anything involving student sections, but this is awesome. Also, check out this video
Rudy Owens
by OctaShields on Jan 29, 2011 4:43 PM EST
on Minor League Ball
Over at fellow SBNation Blog Bucs Dugout, there's a story about some statements that Pirates President Frank Coonelly made during a bloggers info session regarding Pirates LHP prospect Rudy Owens. Please click the link above for the full story, though I'll throw out the choice quote after the jump...
Oh, Phil Taylor
McShay has him going in the first round.
Been away since Jan. 2 - What did I miss?
by OctaShields on Jan 10, 2011 11:04 PM EST
on Black Shoe Diaries
Hey BSDulace, I just spent 8 days in New Orleans without much internet access, so I wasn't able to keep up with the goings-on of our beloved Nittany Lions pretty much since watching us give the Outback Bowl away on Jan. 1.
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Penn State's Hertzog at #7 on Latest MLS Draft Big Board
from Soccer by Ives (one of the biggest soccer blogs in the US). Hertzog has accepted a Generation adidas contract (meaning, in a nutshell, that he won't count against a team's salary cap) and will forego his senior season in Happy Valley to enter the draft on Jan. 13.
Wait, does this mean they're starting to get it?
This is from Fox Sports Ohio. From all the Buckeye drop-ins here at BSD, I thought they'd never come around.
Not that anyone cares about soccer
But anyway, Corey Hertzog from Penn State is #10 on Ives Galarcep's (who runs the best US Soccer Blog out there) MLS Draft Board. I don't think we have anyone playing professionally, and he's only a junior so this is big news. Good luck!
So I was watching highlights of Peyton Hillis today, and immediately something came to mind. Aaron F-ing Harris.
For no real reason, I've been thinking about the teams from 95-99 a lot lately. I remember Enis being great and getting the attention, but no one ever left an impression on me watching a game like Aaron Harris. He was a pro-style running back and I think he would have been an absolute force on Sundays if not for his terrible and untimely injury.
I'll never forget the way this man ran. It's worth a watch if you haven't seen it, and worth another if you have.
In Which I firejoemorgan Livingston
by OctaShields on Nov 11, 2010 6:59 PM EST
on Black Shoe Diaries
Alright, I pretty much shirked all other responsibilities today to write this. I really can't control myself when I'm faced with the confluence of the unholy triumvirate of rage-inducement: poor logic, hidden agendas and a complete lack of factual support.
This is probably best read as a complement to the post on the main page and the brilliant comments below, which parse out a lot of the statistical arguments that I didn't delve into.
Here is the original article, which honestly doesn't deserve your pageview
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Others receiving votes
Wow. And these are the same people who used to actually determine the national champions (see: Nebraska, 94)
One of these things is not like the others:
Others receiving votes: USC 51, San Diego State 42, Miami (FL) 39, Penn State 29, Baylor 23, North Carolina 20, Kansas State 18, Pittsburgh 14, Northern Illinois 9, Florida State 6, Temple 4, Navy 3, Syracuse 2, Delaware 1
Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle
by OctaShields on Oct 13, 2010 9:33 PM EDT
on Black Shoe Diaries
Turns out someone helped RA out a little bit and went ahead and did some research. Might have even figured out what elite means. From an ESPN Insider article at http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/insider/news/story?id=5678264
Rate these 1B for keepers
by OctaShields on Jul 10, 2010 4:38 PM EDT
on Fake Teams
I'm looking to rebuild for next year and I want to get a rock at 1B that I can count on for across-the-board production (well, except SB) for the next 4-5 solid years. How would you rate the following?
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