dc.

As a side note, Torrey makes that catch a lot. Randy Moss and others made it more often and more consistently. But even they missed it sometimes. And Travis Taylor, our favorite, was notorious for making that kind of difficult catch and then dropping anything else. So again, I just shrug. Happy it didn't matter but not able to muster much worry...

I'm not calling out anyone in particular for nit picking, just generally in sorts discussions everywhere - and every sport. And really just saying in the aftermath of the game, I just don't care that much. If we lost, we might be focused on that play but my question is simply what about any of the other 100+ in the game... And it's just not worth it in my mind to always run through those exercises.

My second point was more that we critique every last motion Joe makes, but not the other 10 guys on the offense each play. It's rare - and on some level impossible - to break down every microsecond of every play to actually know what's going on and perhaps less so to know what's meaningful and what's not. Yanda makes a decent block, but not great, the DL gets a bit further inside than he's supposed to, Joe winds up having to side-step a half step, the throw is a little bit wide, a little bit high, it hits the receivers fingers just barely, the receiver was actually a bit early on his cut... we walk away saying, "Joe messed up the throw." Maybe that's fair. Maybe the throw was behind a receiver who was early in his cut or was affected by being pushed a step sideways by a block that was 90% there. We simplify into "Ray Rice sucks this year" too much. I just don't have the energy for it anymore. "Great receivers make that catch" --> edit: great receivers make catches similar to that one. edit: great receivers make catches similar to that one most of the time. I'm not saying Torrey is a #1.

I don't disagree, but I just think we nit pick so much sometimes. What's the point? We don't pick at so many other plays that don't seem as big, but we don't know how big they would have been if the play had been made, right? So I just think, meh... Hard play. Wish it had been made. Can't really fret from my view.

I was clearly looking for your approval.

I think we often forget how hard it is to actually drag your feet. Forget or just unable?

Because the Ravens should have win more games in the regular season - in fact, being obvious they should have been at least 13-3 (Cincy x2 and San Diego) - it is hereby established that this team should have had a bye this week. Thus, because thus team should have had a bye this week, this game is hereby declared unofficial and erased from all records. Thusly, being that this game didn't happen, Joe Flacco, John Harbaugh and everyone else on this team still suck. Right? (Sorry, couldn't resist...)

More than respectable.. 13-1, #12 in the AP poll... Never expected that. And could be a big year at least in conference given how weak the B1G basketball programs are this year.

I think Joe is nursing an injury of some kind. Less movement built in to the plays, less movement in the pocket in his own, a somewhat changed throwing motion - including an inability to set his feet most throws. Seems beyond his normal, occasional bad form.

As an add-on - reports that she "returned to the scene" are being somewhat disputed. Some local papers are reporting that she was tracked down by other cyclists in the area who identified the broken windshield on the car and then got her to return to the scene. Not yet confirmed.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/north-baltimore/bs-md-ci-roland-park-fatal-bicycle-accident-20141227-story.html Cyclist fatalities - too common, no penalties. The woman has now been identified as the #2 in command in the Maryland Episcopal Church. She returned to the scene after 20 minutes. No arrest yet. First, she should have been arrested for leaving the scene. Maybe stopping with assistance and a 911 call would have saved the poor guy's life. Second, even if she did stay at the scene, I'm unsure why she shouldn't at least be arrested and processed - just in case. People are never held accountable for their actions. As the article below says, with most drivers, if you weren't drunk, simply saying, "Sorry, I didn't mean it" is good enough to avoid any charge. How is that possible? I might not get arrested, but if I cause an accident in a major highway that results in fatalities, you can be sure the police (and insurance) will investigate and assign blame to me as needed. And charges could certainly follow if I was in serious error. But with bikes, we just shrug. I don't bike on roads much anymore mainly because I'm scared of this - not that I did frequently in the past. But I have many friends who are active in commuting circles or just bike for fun. At the least, people need to face fines, license suspensions, etc. Yes, it was an accident. But that's not a good enough excuse all the time. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/opinion/sunday/is-it-ok-to-kill-cyclists.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Nail on the head with this one:

Was just reading an article (link below)... Good overall message (priest is democracy, not anti democracy - seems obvious to me). But scarier facts... Like 600 complaints against LAPD officers, not one sustained by the department. Or the Maryland cops who tired a guy to a poler for another unit to pick up, found irresponsible and outside of duty, but given an exemption for good faith. Aka, we didn't think this was actually malicious... Sure it wasn't, just incompetent. And we're the one who are acting outside of our authority? http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/12/police_brutality_protesters_history_of_civil_rights_women_s_suffrage_child.2.html?utm_source=pulsenews&utm_medium=referral

I just never understand the hyperbole, except that I know people who don't have much depth to their argument use it as a crutch. When did matching against police brutality equal marching against police and desecrating tombstones? When did civil protest automatically become violent rioting? (Yes there were some violent spots, but none here oh cousin of mine) Why can't I say that several deaths at the hands of police in a member that is suspicious deserves attention without being labeled anti cop? When did asking for accountability equal persecution? (As a teacher I am well aware of the notion that people like to paint with broad strokes, but I've also just accepted it and also accepted that they are right about some teachers being crappy!)

Oh, I know. And worse yet, she was off by a day in complaining. The video she posted of the peaceful die-in at Towson Mall was from the day prior to her rant about not being able to shop "today." And several people I know who worked at the mall and saw the protests said they were loud and made a scene, but were gone quickly without issue. More disheartening are the number of people who agreed with my cousin that, even if not violent, the protests were stupid - especially because "i want to shop" and "why should my family's christmas suffer..." ... do you understand what social protest is?

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/12/22/fox-affiliate-deceptively-edits-protest-footage-show-protesters-chanting-kill-cop.html Fox45 caught editing protest footage to show Baltimore protesters saying "Kill a Cop" - they were actually saying, "til Killer cops are in cell blocks" But let's stoke tensions some more. I also had to hold it in a bit when my cousin complained on Facebook about "violent rioters" at Towson Mall who made the place unsafe and she didn't get to go shopping. Reality was it was a peaceful "die in" protest that last 30 minutes. Even the video she posted with it showed it was peaceful. But of course, that's not what she saw or posted to the world. I did correct her. Little good.

Sad. But no connection to Ferguson or anything else unlike the NYPD shooting.

Grubber, that point is valid but only to an extent. On one side, you have to acknowledge that everyone has their cause - would you have even known Mike Brown's name or ever posted in this forum if not for others? But the bigger incongruity is that anytime anyone says "injustice" there is a rather large response of, "what about every other murder?" And certainly, every murder is tragic. But not every murder is committed by agents of the state. And the murders that get attention tend not just to be committed by people in positions of authority, but also wind up without accountability. That's the distinction and it's not a small one. Regardless, the NYPD shootings are being sad. They were committed by a man without a heart and probably without a mind. And there are certainly people who are less than saddened by it, which is pathetic and inexcusable. But posting about Ferguson but not about these shootings is not a statement of support.

Wil Myers, Matt Kemp, Justin Upton... In a few days they're all Padres, and as far as I can tell not for much cost... Wild. Not saying good or bad, just impressive on the speed and aggressiveness fronts

Anyone see the video released by some police department trying to show they don't always kill bad people? Body cams catch a nice long standoff and foot race with a guy holding as knife, who is eventually taken down by a taser... Good show. Except, of course, the guy is white. Kind of reinforcing the norm that certain folk get a longer leash, even when waving a knife at cops in sort range and beating up women. Worse, the slime ball just grinned in court as he was sentenced to ten plus years.

It's funny... cause if it's me, who really gives a flying you-know-what? It's really all about title, ego, etc etc? What's really to be gained there? But whatever, his preference. I don't think it's about "seeing where the team is headed" though - there is a lot of good stuff happening still in the organization. Or at least that's my read. BUT, I do think it could be fatigue with Angelos, fatigue with not having a budget that can really allow him to build a mega-super-powerhouse kind of club. We're never really going to be able to offer that as an option, even without Angelos here.

Except, Dan apparently wants to go to Toronto - or wants a higher level job - and only PA is in the way. The work-around to PA's objection is to simply resign his O's position, then go to Toronto. He would have to do that without knowing for sure if the Blue Jays want him, though, because they can't talk without permission. Apparently there are some in the O's organization who are "not opposed" to him leaving - perhaps because the O's would be reimbursed for his departure by the Jays. Difficult spot. I am still not really sold on Dan as a a GM in the sense that he has some special insight or philosophy. But I am sold that he has the ability to play Peter's game just right.

Very. I'm not so concerned we couldn't find a smart guy to make similar moves,I think there are lots of "money ball" guys out there now. I'm concerned we won't find someone who will be able to stand up to Angelos...

Don't entirely disagree, but here's what's different. In 1998, we were shelling out buck after buck - in bad form - to try to hang on to something that couldn't be held on to. We were holding bad contracts, extending them. This year, we're doing the opposite. i don't think we're giving up on 2015 by any means, but I don't think we're selling the farm on 2016-2020 just for one more year - we were certainly doing that 1998-2000. Just to prove it - in 1998, we had the league's highest payroll at $71m... more than $6m more than the Yankees (nearly 10% more than the next best). What did it buy us? 79 wins, 13 more losing seasons to follow... Here's the biggest give away... not a single regular starter in that line-up was under 30. Our average age on all players was 33 (5-6 years past prime by today's standards!) Mike Mussina was 29 and the only other real regular was Sidney Ponson in his rookie year, at 21. Eric Davis, Harold Baines and Cal Ripken were all over 37. Brady Anderson, Lenny Webster, Chris Hoiles, Rafael Palmeiro, BJ Surhoff were all 33-34. Hell , that was the year we signed Joe Carter - 38! That's the definition of trying to hold on to something that simply doesn't exist anymore. http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BAL/1998.shtml We don't want to be that next year. Markakis might have only been 30-31, but his best years were 3-4 years ago. Nelson Cruz will be 35 next year. You don't invest in that. Last year, Nelson Cruz and JJ Hardy were the only Orioles over 30 of our regular start 9. Our average age as a team was 28 - dead on prime years. Our oldest starting pitchers were Ubaldo (ugh) and Gonzalez, both just 30. With a few of the "older" guys going we can drop that age further and invest in the future. It sucks. I feel your pain. But it can't only be about 2015. And Nelson Cruz can't be bought after his best consumed by date...

Fresh, fine (though I disagree) But he'll hit 240, ground into plenty of double plays... All worth 30m of course. We've lost a lot. No one is happy about that. But I can't pay 9m for a set up man. I can't pay 11m for a 390slg in rf who is about to have neck surgery (third surgery in the years?). I can't pay 4 years of tens of millions for a 31+ dh who may or may not hit 30 hr ever again. Will that hurt this year? It well might. But this year isn't the end all...