Royals Links: DeJesus Rumors, Chunky Moose, Gold Glove Outrage, Pete Rose's Galpal, Bill Simmons, Lech Walesa and Rany's Return

by Will McDonald on Nov 12, 2009 4:38 PM EST Comment 14 comments

The big news in Royalsville are the DeJesus rumors and the announcement that Alberto Callaspo did not qualify for arbitration as a Super Two. Expect Moore to get great anti-value for these guys any day now. The little news, but maybe a growing meme, is the Mike Moustakas weight gain. Sickels brought back a negative report from Arizona, and I've seen at least one other reference as well.

If you're into irony, you'll note that the headline about "controversy" from Arkansas Expats does not refer to their basketball team's horrific rape scandal/allegations. Life in the SEC.

Lastly, there are two interesting pieces in their regarding the man of the moment, Bill Simmons, who now stands at the top of the mountaintop as basically the top guy on ESPN.com and the author of a wildly popular book.

Royals:

Baseball:

Grab Bag:

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That "reels" ad sucks big time

It plays even if you just roll over it with your mouse.

by Olentangy on Nov 12, 2009 8:29 PM EST reply actions

Re: Simmons

Interesting takes from two guys that know about writing to an internet audience. I guess I’ve always taken Simmons for granted. I do remember going to ESPN for the purpose of reading him many years ago. I guess there will always be new guys finding him and that will drive his audience and THAT is what will also make me an old man.

I used to work with an old man that told me. Son, every workplace has a dumbass, if you don't have one where you work, then I'm afraid you're it.

by Warden11 on Nov 13, 2009 12:33 AM EST reply actions

I really wish I would have stumbled across Simmons earlier than I did.

Im not sure how I went as long as I did without reading his stuff.

This space for rent.

by averagegatsby on Nov 13, 2009 1:33 AM EST up reply actions

And to add with all honesty to my comment,

I haven’t read any of his stuff regularly in the last 3 years. The years before that I couldn’t get enough of him.

I used to work with an old man that told me. Son, every workplace has a dumbass, if you don't have one where you work, then I'm afraid you're it.

by Warden11 on Nov 13, 2009 2:13 AM EST up reply actions

I'm right there with you

He was basically the only reason I’d get on ESPN’s site, but then he almost completely stopped writing and I hardly ever go there anymore. Sorry Bill, I really can’t sit there through your 45 minute long, rambling BS Reports, especially while I’m at the office. And the last thing I want to do is take 45 minutes out of my evening listening to that.

And about your “old man” comment…the saddest part is that Simmons has already become that old man. At some point, the new guys (i.e. college-age and just out guys) are going to find even Simmons’ pop culture references to be hopelessly outdated. I definitely think he’s smart enough to realize that. Maybe that’s why he’s not writing as much anymore.

"Now…put that in your [BLEEP]ing pipe and smoke it." -Hal McRae

"I was doing this when BJ was in his father's nutsack." -Renzo Gracie

by Sweep_the_Leg on Nov 13, 2009 2:53 PM EST up reply actions

I am being completely serious here.

I had no idea Bill Simmons was this big, and I’ve never purposefully read his stuff.

by AxDxMx on Nov 13, 2009 11:01 AM EST reply actions

simmons is huge and awesome...

especially if you’re an NBA junkie like me. He’s extremely knowledgeable and entertaining when writing about the NBA

Fire Everyone

by billybeingbilly on Nov 13, 2009 1:55 PM EST up reply actions

That's probably why I don't read him.

I can’t stand the NBA. I tried watching the Cavs home opener vs the Celtics, and there was zero energy from the crowd, the announcers were bored, and I quickly decided to change the channel. College basketball is at least exciting in March, NBA isn’t exciting until the Finals.

by AxDxMx on Nov 13, 2009 2:48 PM EST up reply actions

you're going about it the wrong way in my mind....

i dont have a team, dont particularly care about any teams. I watch games for the players. Look at last night, highly entertaining game. Lebron, Wade and Shaq…these guys are just incredible. Kobe was on the late game….same deal. If you’re looking for guys setting screens and short white guys throwing up 50 threes/game then go watch a college or HS game. If you’re interested in seeing incredible athletes doing incredible things, then the NBA is great.

Fire Everyone

by billybeingbilly on Nov 13, 2009 3:23 PM EST up reply actions

No, that's exactly the reason I tried to watch Cavs vs Celtics.

I’m just not amazed by the things they do in the NBA. And honestly, I don’t watch any college basketball until the end of conference season and the tournaments. I might get an MU game in here or there, but I’m just not a basketball guy I guess. I’d be way more likely to support a hockey team here in KC over an NBA team, and I think I’ve watched 2 hockey games in my entire life.

by AxDxMx on Nov 13, 2009 3:41 PM EST up reply actions

have you ever seen an NBA game in person?

if not, dont judge until you do. If you think hockey is awesome in person (which it is), the NBA is a completely different beast. The things these guys do with seemingly no effort is astounding.

Fire Everyone

by billybeingbilly on Nov 13, 2009 3:55 PM EST up reply actions

I couldn't afford to see an NBA game in person

I don’t think sitting in the nosebleeds counts as being there. I think part of the reason I dislike the NBA is that there seems to be no plan to what is going on, just get the ball in the hands of your best player and let him go 1 on 1 to the hoop. Boring.

by AxDxMx on Nov 13, 2009 6:24 PM EST up reply actions

maybe

but college is even worse in this respect, unless you really like watching low level conferences

the gap between the good players and the filler is huge in elite cball

by Will McDonald on Nov 13, 2009 8:31 PM EST up reply actions

Sure that's true.

But then you have teams like Missouri that can take on anyone just because of the 40 minutes of hell philosophy. You show me an NBA team that presses all game, and I’ll show you where Santa Claus lives. Then again, those guys are probably talented enough to break the press after a few tries and score layup after layup.

Maybe the NBA players are so athletic and they make it look so easy, I don’t find it interesting. Like Jim Edmonds vs. Carlos Beltran. Beltran makes it look so easy, but Edmonds was flashy because he had to try harder. I don’t know. I honestly don’t know enough about basketball to pinpoint why I can’t watch the NBA. I’ll concede that if KC had a team, I’d probably at least be somewhat interested in following them, but probably wouldn’t go to games. That may be the whole reason right there actually. No local team to care about. Baseball is my passion, fantasy football is an obsession that leads to watching a ton of NFL games, and I love to play golf, but watching it on TV is boring (though in HD, you can start to actually see the break and read greens, which is really cool).

by AxDxMx on Nov 14, 2009 1:18 AM EST up reply actions