It sounds like alot of you don't know much about Bennett, so I thought I'd share what I know about him.  Coming out of high school Bennett was one of the most sought after recruits (football and basketball) in the state.  He signed with A&M to great fanfare from all my Aggie friends.

When he got to College Station, though, he was almost invisible.  There were large portions of games that he was not on the field.  This was partially do to the terrible coaching staff, I'm sure, but there were performance problems as well.  Bennett cannot block.  That might even be an understatement.  A&M was a running team while he was playing, so this may have been one of the main reasons he missed playing time.  In the passing game he is a threat, having posted 39 and 49 catches the last 2 years for a bad team, but he always dropped the important passes.  As a Tech alum, I always loved seeing the ball thrown to Bennett at the end of our games.

As for character, he's not one of the throngs of Aggies that got arrested the last few years, but he's also a guy that nobody there liked.  I've heard quotes out there saying that there wasn't one coach on the team that liked the kid.  Whether that's true or not, he has a big mouth and a HUGE ego.

Lastly, he isn't nearly as fast in pads as he times.  Tech has been slow at linebacker and safety since Zach Thomas left.  Bennett took advantage of that for exactly 4 catches for 35 yards.

All that being said, I want to confess a few things.  Being a Tech alum, I don't like A&M much, but I've always been willing to put that aside if a player is good.  I was pleading with the Cowboys to move up and get Limas Sweed.  The guy if a freak!!!  But This pick of Bennett is confounding.  He's god upside, but I don't see him in any way as a second, much less for a team with a pro bowl TE.

I've done a decent search for the poison pills in Harris' and Howard's contracts, but came up with nothing but vagues references to them having poison pills in them.  Can anyone tell me what their respective pills are?  I know what a poison pill is, just not the specifics of what it is in each contract that is a poison pill.  Thanks a ton.

No new posts in a month, Wes?  There's all sorts of stuff to talk about.  Heck talk about USA basketball.  Or about the article up on the front page of ESPN.com about what Dirk's been up to.  If you want to take some time off let people know.  I understand you're doing this for free, but if you want to build a community, it takes some effort.  You could have had any number of people post for you while you were taking a break.  I'm starting to think you've gotten tired of all this stuff and you're letting it die.

I think his production will be missed.  He seemed like a nice enough guy at times, and seemed like he did alot for the community.  In the end, though, he bought too much into Scott Boras, and that's not a good thing.  When the team is talking about extending you and you start talking about the economics of baseball, how the owner sucks, how the team acts like it's small market, and how you would love to play in other cities, that is not a good thing, and not good for the team.  I understand that he felt that way, and he was right about most, if not all, of it.  The problem is, you don't do that going out the door.  If he felt that way and wanted to be traded, he needs to go to JD and tell him there's no way he says back and he needs to go ahead and get a deal done.  It's like the guy at the office that starts interviewing with other companies and does nothing but complain about yours.  If you're getting out, keep your mouth shut and be respectful.  If it's worth bitching about, it's worth you putting in the effort for you to fix.  If you aren't going to be around, shut your trap and let those who are do the talking.

My other problem with Tex, he always came of as fake.  You know, that A-Rod kind of fake where he seemed to be controlling himself, even when he was  "excited."  When you saw him after a big comeback win he seemed like it was a half-scripted response.  There were a few times where he seemed like he might have been "real", but there was never that youthful enthusiasm that is easy to cheer for and seems to pull teammates together.  I'm sure as a teammate it's hard to bond with a guy like that, and in some ways that can effect chemistry and performance.

I'm not saying he was a cancer, or a bad player.  I'm just saying he didn't help a situation when he's the best player on the team and yet, from a public perspective, he's not really "part" of the team.  Especially when Buck was the manager, I don't think he did anything to help bring the team together.  I know some will say that wasn't his job, and you're right, but it helps, and wasn't that his gripe with Hicks.  He said Hicks didn't do everything to win and worried about making money.  It seemed like Tex was so focused on being a Boras disciple (making money) that he wouldn't let go and help bring the team together.  In the end, though, this is just a perception and I don't know what it was really like.  I would be interested in hearing what BGL has to say on that topic though.

The other thing I wanted to say a whole lot quicker was that if we can knock A-Rod for not being clutch, I think we can say the same thing about Tex.  Honestly, I don't think either one is really deserving of that tag, but I think both are in the same situation when it comes to that.  On the Rangers, though, neither one was given a whole heck of a lot of chances at it.

Any other games going to make it to TV.  I don't have NBA TV so I won't be bale to watch the ones on satellite.  Could someone post up a broadcasting schedule if there is one.  I'd really like to see these guys play, especially Pops and JJ.  I'm hoping Pops plays some with the big boys this year and can give us a little scoring inside.  If he continues to develop, he could be a valuable player in a couple of years.

Why are we not talking about trying to get him?  Everyone talks about how we need a pure point guard, or even just a better PG, so why is his name not coming up.  He is the 2nd best PG on the market, and in the long run might prove to be a very good PG.  at 24 he's a really good defender and averaged 17.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 6.1 apg.  He's got room to improve, but I think he's better than Devin Harris right now.  That's not saying Devin have more potential, I just think that Mo Williams is a better PG right now.  Plus, wouldn't you rather have 2 young guys that have a ton of potential rather than one.  If we can get Williams and Wallace for Terry and Howard I think we've made a couple of upgrades.  And I say that loving what Terry does for this team.

OK, so I set up the league again and the draft is tomorrow.  I meant to make it Wed, but I messed up.  If you can get in tonight or tomorrow, do it.  If not, I'll try to remake it Teusday.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

I know I haven't checked in in awhile, but I went online to see what happened with the online draft and it's asking me to join a league?  It has me listed as being in the BTB Cage MAtch, but it sends me to the select a league page when I click on the link.  Anyone know what's going on with it.  Did I get kicked out since I haven't been on here much?  I've been crazy busy with coaching, but I check in to read the stories and catch up on news as much as I can.  Let me know what the story is.

Fasano has agreed to a 4 year deal.  No word on the #s.

Hatcher's deal is a 4 year, $2.22 mill deal, with a $600K signing bonus.

Watkins got a 4 year, $1.69 mill contract, with an 80K signing bonus.

Stanley's deal is a 4 year base salary deal, but DC.com says, "although his total package his around $1.67 million"

My oldest brother is coming into town this weekend and he was talking about going to see the Roughriders on Saturday night.  Anyone know who's going to be starting?  If we end up making it out there I'll be sure to write up anything of interest.

Also, since we'll have to be out there for dinner, what's a decent place to eat in Frisco.  I know they're got all the major stuff, but is there a good local spot?  And what's the policy on bringing stuff into the ballpark?

I know we have sevreal people on here from Houston, so I figure I might as well take a shot.  I'm going to be in Houston from Thursday to Sunday with the Junior High kids from my church.  We're going to the game against Atlanta on Thursday.  Problem for me!!!  That's the same night as the Mavs-Heat opener.  I was wondering if anyone might have access to a suite out there?  Even if you don't want a bunch of teenagers in there, I'd be more htan happy to stop by and check the score everyoonce in awhile.  Longshot I know, but worth the shot.

To the more realistic, I have to be somewhere Saturday morning for a test.  We're staying right next to Minute Maid Park.  I was wondering if any of you could tell me how long it would take to get from The Juice Box to 6707 FM 1464.  Here's a link from MSN maps:
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?wip=2&v=2&style=r&rtp=~&&msnurl=home.aspx?%26 redirect%3dfalse&msnculture=en-US

Thanks guys.

That's right, according to Benett Salvatore and his flock of blind mice, the Spurs played one of the cleanest halves in league playoff history.  In that same time period, the Mavericks were whistled for 14 fouls and the Spurs hhad a 15-3 FT shooting advantage.  Anyone else get a whiff of an overflowing septic tank?

Welcome to David Stern's league!  Makes you glad that MLB umpires are the calibre of NBA refs, right?

Why did Kinsler not start last night?  I guess it is understandable if you don't think he can catch up to a 97 mph fastball, but I would hope that he can.  The kid got two starts and then sat against a righty in the 3rd game?  Maybe I'm missing something, and I've been known to be out of the loop before.

To me it looks like more of the Buck doesn't like playing young guys (IE guys w/o much PT).  My question is, how do you get experience when they won't let you play cause you have no experience?  I'd like to hear what ya'll think.

They're jerks.  We had an big loudmouth ladie sitting behind us that decided to cuss us because we were chanting "Go Home Red Sox" in OUR ballpark.  Somehow that's disrespectfull?

In the end, though, they Drove 1500 miles, spent at least $1000 in gas, tickets and hotel, and the only thing they're going to remember is US.  How sweet it is to know that basball is only a game.

Now football, that's another thing all togather. ;)

Hey guys, I wanted to see what ya'll know about the Lexus Club Box seats are like.  I'm trying to get my brother to go to a game with the fam, but he's legally blind.  It's not that he's blind, per say, just that he has TERRIBLE vision.  basically, he has no depth perception.  He said that the only seats he's really been able to see from are the Lower Infield, but really , the only other place I've ever been with him is the OF and Upper Reserved.

What I was kinda wanting to know is what the Lexus Club Box seats were like, Are there any TVs around up there that he could see?  Is it just about as close as the Lower Infield, just a little higher?  What's really the perk of the seats?

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2006_03_28_texmlb_oakmlb_1

I noticed something interesting.  Doesn't the second starter in these things usually go in right after the starter?  Dickey didn't come in till the 8th.  By then all the regs are usually out of the game, are they not?  Still, neither guy put up a good line.

ESPN has a stupid article up that actually has an interesting piece of info out about one of the SuperBowl refs.  The backjudge that made the pass interference call on Jackson, the clipping call on Hasselback, and the original fumble call on Hasselback that was overturned, is from Pittsburg.

Now, I'm not one of those conspiracy theorist guys that thinks the NFL made everything happen, but I do think the NFL was dumb in letting a guy from Pitt ref a SuperBowl where his home team is playing.  It would be like me refing a SB with the Cowboys playing.  I wouldn't want to intentionally make a bad call, but I can almost guarantee that I will see some stuff that isn't really there.

That's also not to say that the other officials did any better.  Leavy, the head ref, made 2 or 3 terrible holding calls/non calls.  The linesmen also didn't show up for work as they let three absolutely clear offsides call against Pitt's D go uncalled, one of which lead the the "holding" call on the 1st and goal pass.  They let both Ds line up across the ball all night and seemingly botched the goalline TD, though that was more in the way he called the TD than the accuracy since it could have gone either way.

In the end, this will probably lead to full-time refs, though I don't know if that will help.  The NFL really needs to go back to fewer rules, and define what they are better.  I mean a "football move"???

Here's the US roster for the WBC:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/worldclassic2006/news/story?id=2294648

Starting pitchers
Jeremy Bonderman, RHP, Detroit Tigers
Roger Clemens, RHP, free agent (formerly Houston Astros)
Roy Halladay, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
Danny Haren, RHP, Oakland Athletics
Tim Hudson, RHP, Atlanta Braves
Al Leiter, LHP, New York Yankees
Brett Myers, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Jake Peavy RHP, San Diego Padres
Andy Pettitte, LHP, Houston Astros
C.C. Sabathia, LHP, Cleveland Indians
Ben Sheets, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Dontrelle Willis, LHP, Florida Marlins

Relief pitchers
Chad Cordero, RHP, Washington Nationals
Brian Fuentes, LHP, Colorado Rockies
Todd Jones, RHP, Detroit Tigers
Brad Lidge, RHP, Houston Astros
Gary Majewski, RHP, Washington Nationals
Joe Nathan, RHP, Minnesota Twins
Scot Shields, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
Huston Street, RHP, Oakland Athletics
Mike Timlin, RHP, Boston Red Sox
Billy Wagner, LHP, New York Mets
Dan Wheeler, RHP, Houston Astros

Catchers
Michael Barrett, Chicago Cubs
Paul Lo Duca, New York Mets
Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
Chad Moeller, Milwaukee Brewers
Brian Schneider, Washington Nationals
Jason Varitek, Boston Red Sox

Infielders
Eric Chavez, Oakland Athletics
Craig Counsell, Arizona Diamondbacks
Morgan Ensberg, Houston Astros
Bill Hall, Milwaukee Brewers
Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves
Derrek Lee, Chicago Cubs
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies
Mark Teixeira, Texas Rangers
Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
David Wright, New York Mets
Michael Young, Texas Rangers

Outfielders
Lance Berkman, Houston Astros
Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants
Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Johnny Damon, New York Yankees
Jeff Francoeur, Atlanta Braves
Luis Gonzalez, Arizona Diamondbacks
Ken Griffey Jr., Cincinnati Reds
Matt Holliday, Colorado Rockies
Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays
Randy Winn, San Francisco Giants

It seems that there are some big names not on the list.  Oswalt, Morris, Beckett, Carpenter, Beurhle, Burnett, and Smoltz are all not on the pitching roster.  Konerko, Giles, Sheffield, Dunn, Glaus and Hafner miss the cut on the pos player side.

I see some of the names on that list and start to wonder who in the world picked the team?  Craig Counsel?  Chad Moelher?  Bill Hall?  And don't even ask why Al Leiter is on that team...

Did anyone else see what Kobe did last night?  It's on ESPN motion.

Basically, Kobe fouled Mike Miller in the 3rd quarter and pulled Miller's elbow into his own face.  Kobe bad to get stitches to close a gash over his eye and was yelling at Miller that he would get payback.  In the 4th quarter he came with a cheapshot right at Miller as he drove the lane.  He thrust his elbow out at the charge circle and ran straight at Miller and hit him right in the jaw with the girliest 'bow shot I've ever seen.  When I say girly, think Olsen twins in the 90s.  You really have to see it to believe that it came from an athlete.

Anyway, the refs didn't even throw Kobe out, and it looks like the league office is looking the other way.  I'm just wondering how many games any other player in the NBA would have gotten suspended for a premeditated blow to the head of another player?

The think is, this isn't the first time he's gotten away with this kind of thing.  He has mastered the art of throwing his elbows on fouls, like the one on Dirk the other night, and never been called.  He also had that one last season on Howard I think, when he caught him with the elbow in the middle of the floor without a foul being called.

The guy is bad for the game and bad for his team.  The NBA needs to reign him in!!!

That you are not listed under the best blogs from your boy over at Red Reporter?
 http://www.redreporter.com/story/2005/12/20/21158/982

I was gonna vote for you and the Cowboys Blog taht I read, but you weren't there.  Neither is Jamey, suprisingly.  Do you know the guy over there?  Does he know anything about sports blogs?  I would have figured he would have at least heard of Jamey and might check someone on the the Blog network as himself, but I guess not.

You, or we, should write him a scathing repartee about this scandalous omission.  Or, we could just let him know you and Jamey are around and ask to be added so one of you can win the vote.

By the way, for those of you that want to vote for a good Cowboys blog...

http://www.redreporter.com/story/2005/12/20/21136/279

I haven't seen anything posted on this so I thought I'd add it.  CBSSportsline.com is saying that the rumored Braxton deal would include another prospect coming over from the Dodgers.  I'm sure it'll be a run of the mill PTBNL, but anything can turn out to be something.  I would say that we try to pull the trigger on that now if we can.

BTW, is there any other word on the Walker for Bradley swap?

This per FoxSports.com:

"Former Orioles bad boy Sidney Ponson, a free-agent RHP, could prove a worthwhile risk -- he has stopped drinking, lost weight and grown his hair out, according to a friend. "With everything he's doing, you can see he's making a fresh start," the friend says. Ponson, 29, has told teams he prefers to start, but would close under the right circumstances."

If that is the case, I wouldn't be adverse to signing him to a minor league deal or even investing a little bit of money in him, maybe with a club option for a 2nd year.  I guess since Hart is still meddling in the team business, this might be a possibility.

I don't know how many of you have seen this article:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=2220374
Basically, Vasquez has asked to be traded to somewhere further east so that he can see his family in Puerto Rico more.  He expressed the same opinion a year ago when the Yanks wanted to trade him to LA.  It seems that the whole decision is based around his family and not about the team.

That being said, I'd like to see him here, especially if Orel is still around.  I don't have all the stats to back up this hope, but from what I've seen from the guy, he's got guts, and that seems to be worth more in TBIA than any stats a guy has coming in.  Vasquez has 2 years/$24 mill left on his contract, so it isn't a huge investment, and the rumor is that AZ has been looking to clear payroll.

I was just wondering what the sentiment on him was out there.  I don't know what they would want in return for him, but I would think they would ask for a bat or two back, at least.  Please, don't rip me too hard for this, I just like the guy.