bugatti

I love the sound of an ocean. But there is nothing more annoying than a beach to me. I loathe the sand. Pool wins. A pool ocean side is the way to go. I was in Mexico in February and hung out at the pool 90% of the time. 10% on the beach.

All about money. The owners, instead of buying out the $5.9MM owed to Bonilla, set up his deferment contract (at 8% interest) so they could give the money to their financial guy for investment purposes. That guy: Bernie Madoff. Yes, that Bernie Madoff. Needless to say, that money was rolled into the Ponzi scheme Madoff was running and the Mets' owners kissed that money good-bye as well as the near $30MM they will end up paying Bonilla when the contract expires in 2036. There are other deferred contracts in baseball, btw.

Correct. Also a minor blip in today's day in age: the approximate $5MM they could have paid him when this all started and that would have been the end of it.

Looks as if the Tennessee state of emergency has been extended through August 29th, presumably delaying the start of their fall sport's season. No official word yet on what that means.

Few things to point out. The bubble will decrease. After the regular season ends, a handful of teams are sent packing, and once the playoffs get going, every other week the size of the bubble will be cut in half. I envision this being a fun experience until the playoffs get going, then the summer camp feel will go away. These dudes will be away from their families for potentially weeks and mentally over it. I think the play will suffer because of it. This is an interesting read on the bubble: https://www.theringer.com/nba/2020/6/22/21298581/nba-safety-disney-world-campus-guidelines - Players have begun testing, and upon arriving to Orlando will isolate for a couple days and need two negative tests. - Games, barbers, hair braiders, and manicurists on scene. - No testing for recreational drugs (hmm...). - Ability to leave with prior approval, but a big problem with it all is Disney employees will still come and go each day, so it really isn't a bubble. The other issue with prohibiting players from leaving campus is that other people—namely, Disney employees—will be allowed to come and go each day. As of now, they will not be tested daily beyond temperature checks, either, although some players have voiced concerns and NBPA president Michele Roberts said she will pursue more restrictions if she deems necessary. In May, when the NBA was first considering Disney as a site, I wrote, “Isolating a hotel or two full of guests is a hazard in itself, but that’s before accounting for hotel concierges, who have to interact with the guests; maids, who have to clean where others have slept, breathed, lounged, and bathed, and who have to launder their clothes; kitchen staff and servers; and sanitation crews, both in the hotels and the arenas.” Tack on the guy who has to split up doubles teams in ping-pong, and that’s putting a lot of people from the outside world into a supposedly protected one. - Family/guests are not allowed until the final 8. By the time it will have been 50 days away from home. - Masks are "required" (sure). - Players will be given a ring which can apparently track symptoms. I assume that means monitoring temperatures.

Probably for another thread, but are FCC rules with language incredibly relaxed now to the point fines are negligible? I am all for the unedited on-court content.

Jinx! The first under the new format.

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What is everyone's thoughts on the Orlando bubble being set-up to finish out the NBA season? Will this go off without a hitch? Will it be awkward watching teams perform with no fans? Does this benefit or harm any teams?

I know we have many in the "no way on Earth will I ever will a mask" camp. But, if everything were allowed to open with no restrictions, aside from wearing a mask, would that be suitable?

BBQ, Baked Beans, and Collard Greens.

Hope you had a great one, CWB. :thumb:

Slightly cool tap water, no ice. Heck, that is me year-round.

Confederate flag waiving has always irked me more than statues or other historical relics in communities. I always chuckle that the "reason" people think it should be waived is to honor one's heritage. Sure.

That's a loaded question and probably deserves its own thread. Unions formed to protect workers from unfair labor practices, unsafe working conditions, etc. Something I think we can all agree is a good thing. One could argue there are enough regulatory controls in place now to cover their original intent. There are still multiple employer abuses which exist, so it is good to have a Union in that respect. But now they have become a de facto (legal) rep for any employer regulation or discipline administered, even if it is justified. It is fashionable to blame PDs or the employer for some of these issues, but it often has to do with having their hands legally tied by a Union contract.