BagBoy

I'm trying to come up with an eggplant/plantain casserole right now and vanilla is a given, but how much is too much?

I'm definitely not a fancy stats guy, but I really like a lot of the rationale that you've come up with here. It makes sense for me for the vast majority of players on a given team, but I'm a cynic, so I gravitate to the outliers. Chris Drury in 2005-06 was -11, and +1 2006-07. Those were both very good Sabres teams, and his relative TRpm against his teammates would have been poor, but that guy was the most important skater on that team. He always matched up against the opponents' #1 center and/or line. He took tons of D-zone draws. I’ve always liked +/- as a stat vs. teammates, keeping in mind that players with tougher responsibilities/matchups would have “artificially” lower totals, and I was always fine with that. I think TRpm is clearly superior to +/-, but like +/-, it seems like it might have a blind spot for shutdown guys, especially forwards on good teams.

Wow! I figured someday some #16 would beat a #1 seed, but I damn sure didn't think it would be this game. UVa wasn't some kind of iffy pick that got a #1 seed. They were the best team in the country. And they got hammered. People will talk about this game long after we are all dead (hopefully).

As a COMPLETELY objective UNC alum, I resent that remark about UNC- lol. Naturally I could not agree more about the dook part of your comment, but don't take my word for it. Fans of Mercer, Lehigh, South Carolina, etc. all know what a paper tiger dook is! Edit --- Go Bulls!!!

Delusional indeed! I have many well loved family members in Toronto, and was born there myself, but good gracious, there has been a giant disconnect with the Leafs and reality there for literally decades now. How does this happen? My theory is that there is a certain arrogance to the average Torontonian. Toronto is one of the most dynamic, diverse and well educated cities on earth, and the people who live there are well aware of it, and proud of it. You know how when we have a major hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico and the weather channels use different colors to show how bad things could get? And Texas has all these pretty colors over it, but everything in Mexico is just gray, even though they’re probably going to get hit harder than Texas? At least this analogy has national overtones, but with Torontonians, it’s pretty much this mindset, only the borders don’t even extend into the rest of Ontario, let alone the rest of the nation. They identify much more as Torontonians than as Canadians. Vancouver? Smelly hippies. Calgary and Edmonton? Stetson wearing rednecks. Winnipeg? Ha! Not even worth commenting on. Montreal? Get real, that’s in Quebec! East of Quebec? Couldn’t care less. Okay, now put yourself into the place of the Toronto Media. You could run stories on how well the Winnipeg and Calgary rebuilds are progressing…and fail miserably. Or you could run stories about how Morgan Rielly will probably win 3 or 4 of the next 5 Norris Trophies, and win the Canadian equivalent of a Pulitzer. The math is pretty easy, even for an English major. Then it starts becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy type of thing. “The Globe and Mail said the Norris Trophy would be renamed the Rielly Trophy any day now, so of course it’s true!!!” The next thing you know these people start breeding and spreading this crap to their kids like it’s the gospel truth. Okay, glad I got that off my chest. Now for the fun part. The reason the Leafs will never win another Cup is The Ghost of Harold Ballard. Harold Ballard was the owner of the Leafs until he died in 1990. He was probably the most abrasive, vile, vindictive, petty, cantankerous, soulless basstard to ever draw breath. Everybody hated him. He made Ty Cobb look like the Dean of a charm school. Even his dog hated him. He wasn’t eligible for Heaven, but the Devil didn’t want him hanging around hell. From this unique, undead place in Purgatory, fearing neither God nor Satan, The Ghost of Harold Ballard has the ultimate say on what happens to the Leafs, and I don’t like their chances. The Cubs were cursed for 108 years. The Leafs are already at 50 years, but The Ghost of Harold Ballard will crush the next 58 years like Chuck Norris crushes 58 onion rings!

I would. Inaugural season, and an historic one at that. Ultimately you're probably more likely to regret not going than parting with $90.

start at 0:24 to skip the intro.

Lindsey Vonn seems to be both a great teammate and person from what I have seen in these Olympics, in addition to a great skier. Bode Miller has done a great job commentating on the skiing. I've learned a lot from him over the last week or so. Curling rules! I'm watching 3 hours of that every night! CNBC - Curling, Nothing But Curling! I didn't think I would be into these Olympics much, but I'm really enjoying them.

I totally agree with this. It was like Wayne literally knew exactly what 2 seconds in the future looked like - always. But it was more than just angles. He seemed to understand how both teammates and opposing players would react to situations well in advance of anybody else.

Great points by all. As phenomenal as Gretzky was, it was almost a perfect storm of circumstances that allowed him to get to those Babe Ruth type stats. But I think the main reason that even Wayne in his prime could never come anywhere near to the stats he achieved in today's NHL is the salary cap. With the salary cap, there will never be teams like those '80's Oilers teams again. And that's a good thing IMO. And Kottbullar, I'm with you - #66 when healthy was other-freaking-worldly like nobody ever, including Gretzky. I think even Gretzky would say that.

You might want to cook that chicken a little longer than you normally do. (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

Good stuff NS! I didn't know about this guy. But living here in Greensboro, NC, Cornwallis is a very familiar name in terms of street names, national parks, etc. Your boy Eddie Cornwallis had a twin brother named Charles. Charles was a big-time loser, also. He got his ass handed to him by George Washington's men in the Revolutionary War. Then he showed up in the Southern Colonies and fared no better. Here's how things went in NC... Cornwallis optimistically began to advance north into North Carolina while militia activity continued to harass the troops he left in South Carolina.[47] Attempts by Cornwallis to rally Loyalist support were dealt significant blows when a large gathering of them was defeated at Kings Mountain,[48]only a day's march from Cornwallis and his army,[49] and another large detachment of his army was decisively defeated at Cowpens.[50] He then clashed with the rebuilt Continental army under General Nathanael Greene at Guilford Court House in North Carolina, winning a Pyrrhic victory with a bayonet charge against a numerically superior enemy.[51] In the battle, he controversially ordered grape shot to be fired into a mass of combat that resulted in friendly casualties but helped break the American line.[52] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Cornwallis,_1st_Marquess_Cornwallis p.s. Greensboro is named after Nathaniel Greene.

Wow! I couldn't agree more! I woke up to that song one morning in Winnipeg close to 40 years ago. It was like some kind of religious experience. I have never forgotten that, even after all these years. Apologies if already mentioned, but other songs that have left a permanent positive impact on me back when I was a young kid are Tommy James and The Shondells doing "Crimson and Clover", and "In the Jungle" by The Tokens.

This one goes to 11 (Spinal Tap reference) https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjevYbos9HYAhUxSt8KHYSeCloQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.martecgroup.com%2Femotional-intelligence-connections%2F&psig=AOvVaw36SF_Xv8XMDxbiAJpVCDZ3&ust=1515811163806535

Jimi Hendrix Paul Newman Lou Reed Brian Griffin

The 2018 groups have been determined: A: Russia, Uruguay, Egypt, Saudi Arabia B: Portugal, Spain, Iran, Morocco C: France, Peru, Denmark, Australia D: Argentina, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, Korea Republic G: Belgium, England, Tunisia, Panama H: Poland, Colombia, Senegal, Japan Group A is a joke - average FIFA ranking is 45! Go Iceland!

I turned a friend of mine onto Greta Van Fleet last night and somehow his youtube (or whatever) experience brought him to a song by a band named Steel Panther. Yes, with a name like Steel Panther, you would be correct to assume they are a parody band. Not only are they hilarious, but they rock! Check them out.

Whoa! Greta Van Fleet really is the sh*t! Maybe a little too much like Zep if anything, but that ain't no crime! Thanks Buno for the shout-out!

As much as I dislike hyperbole, especially concerning yet-to-happen unpredictable events, I am 100% with you on this one. This one is really not good. The weather report I heard this morning said that over 90% of the structures on the island of Barbuda were destroyed. They said that the island looked more like a tornado had hit than a hurricane. I work virtually, but with many many people in the Ft. Lauderdale area. Our office there didn't close until 10am this morning and many are basically already stranded there as a result. I'm sure you have all heard that northbound traffic from South Fla. has been insane all day. The main reason it's not worse is that 9 out of 10 gas stations are empty and the ones that were still open had 2-hour lines (heard this from a resident this morning - undoubtedly worse now).

Here's the latest from TSN.ca: HOW WILL THE SOLAR ECLIPSE AFFECT THE LEAFS’ DEFENSE? We here at TSN have an undying passion to report on what we, as Torontonians, feel is important to the nation that as a whole barely tolerates us. So in light of today’s solar eclipse, with our fingers planted vaguely in the neighbourhood of the pulse of some people who can actually read a full TSN article without projectilely vomiting a la Linda Blair in her pea soup grandeur, we give you the ruminations of the defensive corps of what may very possibly be one of the best hockey teams in Toronto this year. TSN: So tell us, what did you think of the eclipse, and how it will affect you and your peers on defense? Connor Carrick: I ###### love eclipses, especially the chocolate ones! Jake Gardiner: No, you moron, you love eclaires, not eclipses. You hate eclipses. You’re afraid of the dark. Morgan Rielly: I don’t know anything about any eclipses today. TSN: It started early this afternoon. Morgan Rielly: Funny. I thought it got late kind of early today. Coach says when it gets dark, it’s best to just go home and stay out of trouble. Now that it’s light again, does that mean it’s actually tomorrow already? And time for doughnuts?!?! Eric Fehr: What are you asking me for!?!? I’m a center dammit! What, just because I only got 11 points last year you assume I’m a D-man? ###### you TSN!!! Martin Marincin: I didn’t know there was an eclipse. I’ve been in my basement, on the phone, with my agent, since May. Ron Hainsey: Why are you picking on me? Just because the only country that this eclipse crossed is the US, and I’m from the US, and the US just recently elected…never mind. Nikita Zaitsev: I think maybe I make mistake coming to Leafs…BIG mistake…

Well thanks so much for sharing this adware herpes you have stumbled upon! Now find me a link with a 60lb hairy cat doing crafts with large wheels of cheese and I’ll be happy! Please forgive any perceived snark. Your post absolutely cracked me up!

Good God, people, even a moron like me knows that it takes longer for urban districts to report final totals, which will go in the Dem's favor. Then there's the west coast. Remember how many granola eating Prius drivers live out there? Take a flipping valium if you can't handle it.

Breaking News! Here are the early results! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31FFTx6AKmU

Probably semantics, but unless you went to the trouble of renouncing your US citizenship, I think you are still a US citizen. Of course, if you no longer have a residence in the US, then you are not eligible to vote in the US. Edit - you have adapted well to Canadian culture, because you are having supper, instead of dinner!

I get a discount on my health insurance for being a non-smoker - 10%. I get my health insurance through my employer. I quit smoking 10 years ago, but I smoked for almost 25 years. I think people absolutely positively should be given a discount for not using tobacco. It's not fair for tobacco users to run up the costs of healthcare with no repercussions. As for the "enforcement", that one is pretty easy. If I tell my insurer I'm not a tobacco user and then I try to make a claim that involves medical treatment/analysis that shows I'm all jacked up on nicotine, my insurer will deny my claims as a result. I'm no lawyer, but at least to me, that is a real and tangible risk, especially here in NC where insurance companies have traditionally been very powerful. I'll put it this way, when I smoked, I had no intention of ever lying to my insurer about that to save money.