20 comments:

Koko said...

Ah, nice Rant Regs. Your contributions are very appreciated.

Instead of going right to the "Regs you are batshit crazy," routine. I'm going to change it up and begin things we actually agree on.

-You're right Romney does give you the best chance of beating Obama and the Republican party is an even bigger mess than it was 4 years ago. To that fact, your best chance isn't even someone who has pure conservative ideals. Very odd indeed.

-I agree, I think the Packers would have absolutely torched the Pats. It would have been a very boring game, a la Super Bowl XXIX 49ers/Chargers in '95.

-Yes, the way Gronk and Light acted is indefensible. It shows absolutely zero care for the fans or the organization they represent.

-Overall cable TV destroys network shows. Although they do have the advantage of a much more liberal existence under the FCC, and a cable show can go for 5-10 years averaging only a 2 or 3 share. If a network show isn't getting at least a 5, it gets canceled quickly.

Some really good Network shows:
-Up All Night
-30 Rock
-House
-Bones
-How I Met Your Mother
-New Girl
-The Big Bang Theory


-Absolutely, there hasn't been a great new rock band in a very long time. I still just defer to Aerosmith.

-And yeah, I do wish more people would post and comment that actually read the blog as well. Don't be shy or lazy, at the very least, just a small little quip so we know you're on the blog would be highly appreciated.

-Ok, enough of this kumbaya, world peace, let's just all get along garbage. REGS ARE YOU BATSHIT CRAZY!

"Restoring order to the country?" Do you really think any of the substitute teachers the Republicans are running up there are capable of even restoring order to a Church's Chicken, let alone the entire country?

And restore what order? Is there a run on the banks I'm not aware of? Is the financial system on the verge of collapse?

Oh that's right, no it's not, because Obama saved it within his first 2 months of office. Not to mention our automotive industry.

And yeah, we wouldn't want to go 4 more years like the last 4, with increasing job growth every year, getting our soldiers out of country we should have never invaded, killing the guy responsible for 9/11, reforming the credit industry and student loan program, and making sure every single American has heath coverage.

WHAT A FUCKING DISASTER IT'S BEEN!

-And yes again, I agree the Pack would've killed the Pats. But that's the 2nd place team. You still lost once again to the reigning champs, The New York Football Giants.

-And please Regs, I hope you never own a pro sports team with that attitude. If your Orlando you absolutely can NOT just keep Howard for spite. Your first responsibility is to the fans that pay the ridiculous prices to see your games and buy your merch. You better damn well get something good in return for him. The Nuggets did a great job in their trade, and the Magic need to hold out for something similar.

And how exactly is Howard backing his team into a corner. NO, that would be letting his team believe he's going to resign and them pull the rug out from under them at the last second so they get zero in return and take the franchise into a dark age.

At least players like him and Mello let their team know up front their intentions so they can get the max in a trade. That's the right thing to do. What else can you expect of them? Besides eliminating free agency or installing a franchise tag, you can't begrudge players from wanting to maximize their potential in a bigger market.

February 13, 2012 at 10:17 AM  

Regs said...

I think there are many different interprtations to the job reports. I'm sure they will be discussed in more depth as the debates get heated up. One thing for sure is that the debt has gone up $5 Trillion since Obama took office. I also think what every independent voter must do is look at their situation and decide if they feel like their life has improved since Obama took over or is at least starting to move in the right direction. Most "average Joes" out there would answer "no" to that question, I'm guessing.

And please stop riding the Bin Laden train. It looks desperate and pathetic. Obama made a call that any President would have made. It was a no brainer. The fact that Biden said that he disagreed with the decision is startling.

As far as the Magic go, what is wrong with riding out his contract and doing the best they can. This is a team that made the finals 2 years ago. The best offer that I have seen is Brook fucking Lopez and 2 low 1st round picks. Making that trade is like giving up on the season that many people have already paid a lot of money for. The Brewers had the same choice last year with Prince. They didn't like the trade offers, so they basically said "do the best you can to fullfill your contract and after the season you are free to go to any team you want" The team won 96 games and advanced to the 2nd round of the playoffs which is pretty good for a small market team in a league with no salary cap.

Howard's max deal with another team, based on the NBA CBA is $30 million less than what Orlando can offer. If he hates the Magic so much and needs to leave, fine, but he will be giving up $30 million. Let's face it, Orlando will not get what Howard is worth anyway. Let him walk and use the extra money to sign somebody else.

February 13, 2012 at 2:37 PM  

Koko said...

Yes I know there will be a lot of "interpreting" going on because as Jack would say, "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH."

So instead they will try and skew and warp what's actually going on in any way possible to try and make Obama look bad. But it's just getting laughable now as the stellar creative minds of the republican party are having to reach farther than Mr. Fantastic in order to present a scenario where these bunch of loons they have running would actually make a better president.

And guess what Regs? You guess wrong. I consider myself a very average joe when it comes to my tax bracket, living situation and consumer habits.

Am I better off now than I was 4 years ago? Hmmmmmmmmm . . .

Uh, hell fuck to the yeah!

4 years ago I was scared shitless. Our entire financial system was on the verge of collapse. My customers were not purchasing because their credit was frozen, and people were being fired at my company at a higher rate than Celebrity Apprentice.

Even though I'm currently looking for a better job right now, my current job security is very good, my sales are at an all time high, and I actually lived to see the day where Bank of America had to send me a refund check because of the credit reform, due to their unfair late charges and fees throughout the years.

Now of course the home value situation is still in the crapper, and that's a problem Obama inherited. Is it better now, not really, but it's not any worse either. Obama's first job when he took office was to stop the bleeding and he did that. And guess what else, that takes MONEY!

You really have the gall to say the debt is up! You really just said that? For fuck sake man, if you rented your house to someone for 8 weeks and they just absolutely trashed it. Didn't take care of anything, the plants are all dead, the carpets are ruined, even the damn driveway needs to be repaved.

Are you just going to leave it that way?

That's what Obama took over, a country after a fucked up House Party. Of course he has to spend money to fix it. And the fact that the ass hats in congress try to block every god damn idea he has just for the sake of blocking it, doesn't really help either.

And please what's pathetic is that Bush had 7 years to get Bin Laden and Obama did it in 3. That's what happens when you have a President with actual brains in his head instead of beer and coke.

As for the Magic, you cannot have what happened when Shaq left. If he's going to leave you gotta get something for him. You can use the extra money if he leaves not matter what the scenario, at least get picks, GET SOMETHING! It's not like in baseball where you have an entire farm system to rely upon. In basketball if you lose your big star, the franchise can be crippled for years.

If he's really set on leaving they owe it to the fans to work a trade in a similar fashion as the Nuggets did with the Knicks.

February 13, 2012 at 4:54 PM  

Rich said...

I'm enjoying the bantering.

February 14, 2012 at 10:42 AM  

Regs said...

It is not about spending, it is about wasting and borrowing. It is about promises made that have not been kept. It is pretty naive to think that Obama rode in on his magic carpet wearing a cape and saved the country from imminent disaster. Give me a break. You are talking about a guy with no financial or economic background or experience prior to entering the White House. He was a lawyer and a first term Senator. Most of the people he hire, as experts, to "save" us don't even work for him anymore.

If you look at our country's history, it shows that the economic downturn was inevitable. As long as we have been a country, the economy goes up to a point and then it goes down. It didn't matter who was in power. The forces are more powerful than one man. The key is limiting the negatives and leading us back toward prosperity. It is impossible to get ahead if you continue to go into debt. That is a fact.

As for the Magic, the only scenario that I would trade D12 is if I could get Bynum from the Lakers.

February 14, 2012 at 11:04 AM  

theJUANdiggler said...

Promises being kept regs???
We are talking politicians here right?
Its going to take longer than any Obama term to turn this sinking ship upright , and in my belief we will never return to the America of old.
Am i not patriotic enough if I believe otherwise?
Everyone has a right to vote for who they want of course , but not any of these bumbling bafoons I see running in the GOP warrant to unseat Obama.
Not even close

I think its funny how Tragic fans are singign kumba-ya, and please stay dwight howard songs outside the arena while he pretty much is spitting in there faces and sayin , sorry orlando your just not cool enough for me.
Boy I would look good playing wit d-rose , kobe , and d will.

February 14, 2012 at 3:28 PM  

Koko said...

". . . economic downturn was inevitable.

Yes Regs, that's true, but NOT total fucking collapse. That's the unprecedented ledge that Bush brought us to. And we are now starting to come back from the worst economic downturn since The Great Depression.

What happened to this country doesn't happen by accident. You don't get to just brush it off as something cyclical. Asshat Jr. had to work really hard at being a total an complete fucking imbecile to put us in this mess. He walked in with a record surplus and left us in ruins.

Obama has accomplished a ton of shit in his first term. Sure I wish he was more heavy handed on some of the issues and didn't try to compromise with the Republicans so much, but the fact is accolades have been piling up very quietly and it will be showcased during the next election.

Again Regs, the country is not a Fortune 500 company, the government is NOT a business. You need someone who actually cares about people. ALL PEOPLE. Not just the rich.

February 15, 2012 at 10:31 AM  

Regs said...

It is real easy to look back at things that occurred and play shoulda woulda coulda. It is a lot harder to tell people that they are making too much money and they should back off. Or that they have a house too big for themselves.

The specific legislation that is creditted with causing the housing market to collapse and, in turn, the economy to collapse was a Democratic legislation passed by the Clinton administration.

And, for the record, the U.S. government is a business. They have receivables and payables. They have a budget and a payroll. If they can't pay their bills, they take out loans with interest. Just like any other business. They also have to answer to investors (voters) and a board of directors (congress and senate).

I don't understand how this is such a difficult concept to understand. Do you we think that we tell China "well because we are not a real business, we shouldn't have to pay interest on the trillions of dollars that you are loaning us" Our government has a credit rating just like you and I and this credit rating is about to drop, so we will have to pay more interest.

The democrats think that we have the magic money tree in the back that we can pluck money from forever. Or, because of their negligence and waste, people who have EARNED a high income should pay more to offset the governments' inability to stay within a budget.

February 15, 2012 at 3:38 PM  

Koko said...

You're a MAAAD MAN, A MAAAAAAAAAAD MAN!

"Shoulda, woulda, coulda?" You're acting like Bush was the owner of a baseball team and made the wrong trades.

Oh wait, he did that too.

It wasn't something frivolous Regs, he bankrupted the country, and he did it over a period of 8 years of shear arrogance and ignorance.

And NO, it's still not a business. A business exists for one reason only. PROFIT. That's not how you run a country. At least one where there's not a dictator in charge.

Our government does need to run on a balanced budget but it also has to take into account the human factor and sometimes provide necessities for day to day life and provide relief to those who are being oppressed or can't help themselves.

What it should be is a very large Not for Profit organization. And if you want to call that a business then go ahead, but I know that is not what republicans mean when they tout about business experience.

February 16, 2012 at 9:35 AM  

Double S said...

Time for me to chip in some pennies!

Hello everybody! Looking forward to seeing all of you tomorrow night. If you don't know, facebook is telling me that Dinger's Birthday happens to be on Saturday. Hopefully, he shows up tomorrow night so we can celebrate the day of his birth.

As the resident Magic fan in this melting pot Cobra Kai blogsite of everybody is from somewhere else, I was here when Shaq signed with the Lakers in the middle of the night during the '96 Olympics. It was a COMPLETE SHOCK that Shaq left. I still remember the sight of Shaq sitting at a table with a damn Lakers cap on announcing he was heading to LA. He left a damn good team behind to run to Hollywood. The Magic offered a what was a big deal back then (4 year, $54 Million.) To think of it now, that would have been a bargain! The Magic upped the deal (don't remember the #'s) to re-sign him after he bluffed at the first offer. Behind the scenes, the Lakers were clearing cap room in a number of deals, mainly shipping Vlade to Charlotte for a draft pick which happened to turn into some Philly high school kid named Kobe. Anyway, Shaq bounced. It destroyed the hopes and dreams of Championships to come.

The Magic still had a good team & tried to make moves to keep them in contention by bringing in Rony Seikaly to man the paint. After a couple seasons, Penny's injuries doomed the team as he couldn't lead them any longer.

Regardless, Shaq leaving killed the franchise for years. I still think of those 3 Shaq & Kobe titles and know, those would have been won by Shaq led Magic.

You can compare Shaq leaving Orlando to LeBron leaving Cleveland. Both held news conferences announcing where they were signing. It was much more a shock with Shaq leaving because there wasn't much media coverage about it. There was no fanfare about teams going after Shaq. I, and most people thought it was a given that he was going to re-sign with the Magic. The Championship possibilities were endless with him here on a young, loaded team. The Magic were the absolute #1 team in the East as long as there was no Jordan on the Bulls.

With Dwight, it's a little different but he's still the face of the franchise. He has no equal, just like Shaq did. He wants to play with a better point guard and have better overall teammates. I want a better point guard on the Magic. I've seen lil Jammer dribble and literally fall flat on his face this season on a few occasions. The Magic are loaded with bad contracts (Duhon, Turkoglu, Baby Davis, dare I say JJ's also) which has killed their salary cap. The only good contract is Ryan Anderson's and his is up at the end of the season and he will get a big new contract. Until the team has cap room, there's no where to go but down in a loaded East with Chicago and Miami dominating.

I'd love for Dwight to stay, but if the Magic trade him then I want a young, potential filled PG along a C. If a trade happened, I'd love to see it become a 3 team trade with a crappy team for their draft picks (Minnesota or Charlotte.) Bottom line is, if Otis pulls a crappy Dwight trade then the fans will be angry. If the Magic call Dwight's bluff and not trade him only to lose him in free agency then the fans will be angry. The Magic are in a lose-lose proposition.

February 16, 2012 at 12:44 PM  

Regs said...

I agree with a lot of your points, Sully. I think that if the Magic could get a fair deal, they should take it. What is being offered from the 3 teams he said he would play for, is a maximum of 50 cents on the dollar. The Nets offer is a joke. The Lakers don't want to trade Bynum, and the Bulls don't want to trade any of their core players.

Also, 1st round picks might look good on paper, but picking in the mid to late 20's is very difficult and very rarely produce impact players.

My thoughts are that people act funny when there is a lot of money involved. When Shaq left, he received more money from the Lakers than the Magic offered, so it was a no-brainer to him. More money and a big market.

Under the new CBA, the Magic are able to offer $30 million more to retain Dwight than any other team could offer. $30 Million!!!!! Once again, $30 million!!!

What Dwight wants to do is force a trade to the team of his choice for 50 cents on the dollar, so he can re-up with that team and get the $30 million more.

If the Magic keep him and force him to play out his very rich contract that he signed, make him a max offer after the season, which would be $30 million more than any other offer, there will be a moment when Dwight is sitting in his $10 million mansion in Orlando in 80 degree weather looking at all of the offers on his table. Every offer will be virtually the same except one: big city, same money ect. The exception will be the one that is $30 million more and he doesn't have to move.

At that point, I would put my money on him staying. Is it a gamble? Of course, but if he does leave, there would be plenty of cap space to attract another free agent.

February 16, 2012 at 1:49 PM  

Double S said...

Yes, my point on bringing a 3rd team into a Dwight trade would be take the draft picks from a sucky team where Dwight isn't going. Wherever Dwight lands, that team's draft pick will be somewhere in the 20's so it's useless...especially with Otis drafting.

I'd take a Dwight for Pau and Bynum deal. Tops on my list is wherever Dwight goes, they're taking back a shitty contract too. If it were to the Bulls, I'd want CJ Watson (whom the Magic tried to sign a few years ago but Golden State matched the offer,) Deng and Noah.

To add 2 network shows not mentioned earlier. Modern Family and Happy Endings are hilarious.

February 16, 2012 at 2:38 PM  

Koko said...

You keep saying $30 million, 30 million Regs, but that's very deceptive.

The max contract the Magic could give him is a 5-year-deal worth about $110 million. The max deal another team could give him as a free agent is a 4-year-deal worth about $80 million.

The total difference in payout for the first 4 years between those two contracts is only about $3.7 million. Not exactly a game changer.

Now if Howard was a player coming up on his last big contract, then yeah, the Magic would have him by the short and curlies, but that's not at all the case. Howard is only 26 and can easily get another max deal at the age of 30. He may even prefer a 4-year-deal over a 5-year one anyway.

If he's set on leaving, the Magic have to get some good compensation. Sure every team is going to say "We're not trading (insert name here)." But when it comes down to the wire and it looks like another team might get him, all of the sudden GM's are willing to throw in more than they originally said.

Of course the Lakers would include Bynam in a trade for Howard, that's ridiculous.

February 16, 2012 at 4:20 PM  

Regs said...

You also have to throw in the state income tax and cost of living increase that Dwight would have in any of his destinations. Orlando is very reasonable compared to New York, Chicago, or LA. State income tax : New York 8.82%, Illinois 5%, California 9.3%. You do the math on how much it will affect $80 million.

Also, you never know what could happen over the next 4 years. Dwight could blow out his knee and never regain his explosiveness. Having an extra year at $22 million is huge.

February 16, 2012 at 4:30 PM  

Koko said...

Nah, that's the most overblown and overstated excuse when talking about players leaving for other cities.

Besides, it's an easy work around. Howard just keeps his primary residence here and he doesn't have to pay any income tax from another state. Many athletes have homes here in Florida for that reason alone.

Plus you also have to count the influx of outside money Howard could make in New York or LA.

I just would not play the chicken game with him on this, when the only card the Magic hold is $3.7 million more for the first 4 years of a new contract.

The risk/reward is not there for the Magic, they have to ensure the future of the team the best they can.

February 16, 2012 at 5:04 PM  

Regs said...

If you do some research (like I just did) you will realize that in the last 30 years, there has been exactly 1 NBA champion that has not had at least 1 elite superstar. (Detroit 2003-2004). Every other champion has had one. Go back and google "NBA champions" and you will see it. Getting 3 or 4 decent/ good players sometimes is even worse than just bottoming out for a year and getting a top pick.

Also, I just did my taxes this past weekend and I'm pretty sure that you are taxed where you earn your money, not where you live. One of the questions Turbo tax asks is if you earned money in another state, to determine whether you had to file state taxes in that state.

All I'm saying is that if i look down and see my offers being.

Chicago- 4 years $80 million
New Jersey- 4 years $80 million
LA Lakers - 4 years $80 million
Orlando - 5 years $110 million

I'm taking the guaranteed money and running. There is a long list of players who were elite at one time, got injured and never returned to form. Also, the CBA is good for 7 years, which means that no matter what, the same rules will apply for Dwight when his contract is up.

February 16, 2012 at 5:14 PM  

Koko said...

You're not making any sense there Regs, the NBA is a lottery draft system, so just bottoming out guarantees you nothing.

And this is just a long shot here, but when superstar athletes do their taxes, I'm pretty sure it's not with Turbo Tax. High-priced accountants are high priced for a reason.

And I'm not arguing the validity of the extra year and the money. If it's my decision I'd take it as well. But Howard does not seem like the most rational person if you've ever heard him in interviews before. Plus the type of money he could make in endorsements is extremely higher in a market like LA or NY (Brooklyn).

I'm just saying it's not a chance the Magic can afford to take. If he leaves and they got NADA, they are going to have a big brand-new half-empty building night after night.

February 16, 2012 at 5:22 PM  

Regs said...

My point is that Orlando is an above average team with D12. With any of the trade offers I have heard, none of them would IMO make Orlando any better. The lottery is weighted and although there is no guarantee, there is a chance.

There are a lot of teams out there that live in permanent mediocrity because they are good enough to win some games, but never really challenge for the championship. I don't think Orlando wants to be like Portland, or Houston, or Denver or Atlanta. That's where they would be headed if they take Brook Lopez or Andrew Bynum or Noah.

February 16, 2012 at 5:30 PM  

Double S said...

Brook Lopez sucks! I don't want him!

February 16, 2012 at 7:22 PM  

Koko said...

The best trade is always the one you never hear about. Of course teams will play it close to the chest.

And if Orlando cannot make a deal for a group of really good players, then at least get some more draft picks and expiring contracts out of it so you then have the financial freedom of losing Howard and the potential of snagging a gem in the draft as well.

February 17, 2012 at 9:55 AM  

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