maqroll

I grew up with Muslims living next door to us. Nice people, no problems at all. The father was never around, just the mum and the two sons, one of whom later in life became schizophrenic, a big giant of a guy, too.

The police will clamp down at the slightest hint of a protest. It's strange to reconcile the fact that there will be millions of Brazilians who don't even want the World Cup there. I reckon we won't see much of that dissension from our living rooms, but for traveling fans, things could get spicy. As for stadiums falling apart, it's a nightmare I don't even want to think about.

KiYoTaKe!

It's a good one. Those two guys truly saved the league from real obscurity. In the 70's, they showed the championship finals on TAPE DELAY. Amazing.

Back when the NBA had personalities and real rivalries, and teams with distinctive styles. It's all so boring now. Has anything caused the sport to become boring? I haven't really followed it closely in years but when did it start to go downhill in your opinion? For me, "The Golden Age" of the NBA ended around 1994. By then, the league expanded to Vancouver, Miami, Minnesota and Charlotte, so that meant players who would not have been deemed good enough before, were now "good enough". And the quality of play suffered. All the 80's superstars were either retired or benchwarmers. Boston Garden was torn down, followed by Chicago Stadium and the Philly Spectrum. Arenas started blaring prerecorded rap and dance music at every stoppage of play, whereas there used to be some old geezer in the balcony playing an actual pipe organ. The atmosphere really changed for the worse. It also didn't help that the Celtics (my club) endured the worst run in their history. Some say is was a curse from when Len Bias and then Reggie Lewis died.

I wonder if Vince Vaughn will have a Vince Vaughnaisance and start playing brooding detectives and AIDS-having bull riders

Looks like "Old School" in an office

I got about 1/3 of the way thru it and stopped watching. Seemed kind of silly. I still have it stored though, maybe I'll give it another go. Is that the one with John Turturro?

Wha? Typo police. Thanks. Ah, I didn't notice your post...for a minute I was thinking Texas_Mike was suggesting "The deal has gone through"..... God, it sucks grasping at straws

Wha?

LOL

Nearly a like from me Tony, except for the opener, which to me should have read 'is ill informed and *appears* highly offensive' The OP is someone who holds a generally amiable stance across his contributions to VT and has alluded to his not being the most educated person in the past, yet he remains a colourful and worthwhile contributor. By delving into such off topic threads RV demonstrates a desire to contribute and learn, and there are plenty of perhaps better educated political contributors of all areas of the political spectrum on here that can assist him, and the many of us who are prepared to listen and learn, in forming and refining our own views. Well said. I've learned a ton reading this forum over the years. It's one of the reasons I keep coming back!

Demitri, thank you for your avatar, don't go changing

I don't care about Atletico Madrid, but I do feel sorry for their supporters. Always in the shadow of Real, and just seconds away from icing the cake on a brilliant season in the biggest club game possible. Must be devastating for them.

Grr, no GoT this week... Made due by watching part one of Band of Brothers again, and noticed that both Simon Pegg and Michael Fassbender are in it.

Our starting pitching is not good enough- Buchholz is a shadow of himself from last year, Peavy has been terrible, Lackey inconsistent...and then the lineup is simply not good enough either. Other than Ortiz, there is nobody else really doing well. Victorino has been on the DL most of the season, so that's hurt. Pedroia's production is down...Middlebrooks sucks when he's not out injured...the outfield is a joke. The only thing saving us is that the division in general is weak this year. If Baltimore had any decent pitchers, they'd be running away with it, but they never have good pitchers. I am convinced we'll make a run at Stanton. We'll send them Gomes, a handful of prospects and draft picks, and a briefcase full of cash. And they'll take the deal. Stanton at Fenway for the next 10 years will be immense.

I wonder how much anti-immigrant fervor is behind these victories in UK, France and Denmark? Can it be considered the decisive factor?

They have their own league and everything, but they give it a Canadian twist

Yep, dazzy clearly knows things we don't. Better lock the thread, he's right. After all, speculating about exciting possibilities isn't fun.

Another good basketball doc- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtykEHPRO1Q

Boston has now lost 10 straight, capped off with a bench clearing brawl today... A trade for Giancarlo Stanton would surely help...

Unless there's a really good barbecue. Or if you are General Krulak

The one thing in our favor is that the team always has strong spirit and relatively little pressure to achieve anything at all, ever. Where some countries crumble under the pressure, USA avoids all that madness.

And we draw them both in our group this time around! Mission impossible, really, w/ a strong Portugal side as well.

Ghana are our boogey team, they always beat us. We play better against Germany, actually. Not that it matters, the officials still screw us over in the end-