Teletopez

I think someone quoted Daisy Khan as saying that they planned to open it up on 9/11/11. I don't know if she was misquoted or if that was somewhere in their plans. Either way, it isn't a slap in the face, if you consider what the intentions of the planners would be behind opening it up on that date. What the heads of the project have in mind (assuming the opening date rumor is true) is that ten years later, terrorism is on the losing end, Islam is no longer associated with such deeds, and those whose lives were lost being caught in the middle of this conflict are remembered. It shouldn't be viewed as a slap in the face.

That analogy is terribly incorrect. Number one, a statue has the sole purpose of celebrating or glorifying. The religious center's primary purpose goes well beyond celebration of anything. And what makes you believe that this is an act of attention? $100M is not being spent to receive attention. Number two, there is a direct connection between Hitler and the Holocaust. If there is anyone out there that thinks there is a direct connection between a mosque or religious center and the 9/11 attacks, shame on them. I think the easiest way for me to bring my point across is this. People need to stop labeling those terrorists as Muslims. It's not only that the mindsets of the terrorists do not agree with what Muslims believe. They oppose what Islam teaches. Why, then, should anyone even be bringing the 9/11 attacks into this? I don't even want to bring religious freedom into this. Because in the end, the construction plan may end up winning simply because the opposition will reluctantly step down, accepting the 1st Amendment, while still showing hatred. Forget religious freedom for a moment and consider this: do you really that think Muslims (as in those who act according to what Islam teaches, since that needs to be specified) were and are celebrating what happened on September 11, 2001? Or were they expressing the same sorrow as those opposing this project? A fraction of followers either misinterpreted what Islam is about or tried finding a way to use Islam to justify their unacceptable actions. Is that a legitimate reason to come in the paths of those who correctly interpret the belief system?

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Two 10-1 leads blown on the same day. San Francisco rallied to an 11-10 lead before surrendering a game-tying single. Reds-Giants tied at 11 in the 11th.

Major momentum shift in Colorado. 10-1 deficit turns into a 12-10 Rockies victory. If the same story doesn't happen in Anaheim, the Yankees have a chance to take a 1 game lead on the Rays in the AL East again.

I pity Phillies nation... http://i37.tinypic.com/snp5zm.jpg Michael Bourn Called Safe Even after the Ryan Zimmerman incident a few days ago, Scott Barry doesn't learn anything and throws out Howard.

Good to have you back, man. It's only a matter of time before our activity rockets up again (ha, Rockets).

Johnny D is staying in Detroit. Boston fans are going to deliver a different level of boos the next time he goes to Fenway, I suppose?

Apparently, the no-trade clause may or may not be able to block the Tigers from handing him over to Boston. It depends on the wording of the contract.

Johnny Damon has been claimed by an unidentified team. Possibly Boston, New York, San Francisco, among other clubs. Edit: It's Boston, but the no-trade clause causes problems. Just to block the Yankees and Rays, I'm guessing?

When Teixeira was intentionally walked, I called a Cano grand slam (then again, a bunch of others probably did as well since A-Rod has GS'd twice this year after a Tex IBB). When the first pitch to Cano was on the way, I knew that was a pitch he could crush, and he ended up driving it into the seats.

So we got rid of CD-R, who clearly did not want to be here, for a second rounder, and Lee, who was depressed when he was traded here and "relieved" when he was traded away, for someone who does want to be here.

That may be true. I just think that considering how desperate Melo is to leave a pretty good situation in Denver, he won't be too picky about the new situation he's entering, especially with the Nets moving to Brooklyn. The deal would include draft picks, cash, plus significant talent from our youth. This is the third time I'm saying it, but if reports say Harris and Lopez might not be untouchable, you know the deal would extend beyond Favors and Williams.

Only thing is I wouldn't expect the Nuggets to take Outlaw's contract.

What deal are you referring to? I haven't heard of any specific package being offered. I've just heard names that are bound to be included should this deal go down. Favors would be sent along with other pieces. As I said, with the reports that Lopez might not be untouchable, I get the idea that we will end up having to give up more than what Carmelo is worth.

We may very well have the best offer, but I'm not in favor of trading for Anthony. That would lead us to having to give up Favors or T-Will. Favors could develop into one of the league's top PF's a few years down the road. And I feel that the value of Williams, with his ability to play the 1, 2, or 3, court vision, and athleticism, is going to be underestimated if he is dealt. For some ridiculous reason, Lopez may no longer be untouchable according to reports. That makes me think that whatever we would be offering, it would be giving up too much, which sounds crazy when you hear that Anthony is being sent in return. But we'd be giving up at least one potential all-star, maybe even two alongside draft picks and cash. All this to bring over a SF when we've already signed Outlaw to an expensive five-year deal, while Damion James may start contributing right off the bat, being that he's possibly the most NBA-ready rookie. If Anthony were a FA, it's a different story. But to be on the losing end of a deal in which the player you receive fills an already stacked position?

Which players are untouchable on the Nets right now? If you were offering a deal for Anthony, who would you include in the package? Which do you find more appealing? The Prudential Center or the Barclays Center, simply based on design rather than location? Favorite Nets newcomer this offseason? Favorite Yankee newcomer from this past trade deadline (Berkman, Kearns, or Wood)?

I would be more concerned about Harris' unexpected performances last year if we had a better coach, if he were healthy, if the rest of the team were more productive, if he didn't prove his all-star ability the year before, etc. It was a long season, and as a fan, you can get tired of the losses and switch the channel, but the players are still on the court even after the arena that already started with 6,000 seats empty is nearly cleared out. It takes a big mental hit on you when all you're playing for is the number of ping-pong balls in a lottery machine with a good part of the season remaining.

I'm not the biggest fan of this move, assuming that it is a change of the actual team name and not just the "New Jersey" to "New York" or "Brooklyn." But we'll see what the new name is. "Nets" may not be the best name out there and is subject to receive some laughs, but both "Brooklyn Nets" and "New York Nets" sound perfectly fine to me. Besides, who doesn't want to hear the N-E-T-S chant again? One writer said it's a smart idea, moving past the 12-70 season and creating a new beginning. We've created a new beginning in plenty of other ways. New owner, new coach, new home, and only four players from Jersey's squad at the end of last season remain.

I just happened to be thinking about the possibilities of Austin Jackson hitting his second HR of the season at Yankee Stadium. Jeter is dropped to the two-spot in the lineup today. He originally left batting second for the leadoff spot partly due to his frequent grounding into double plays, but that same reason has sent him back to the two-hole. This time, though, it may be better for him batting second with Gardner a threat to steal when he's on base. Let this be a new start for the offense.

And Zardari decided to finally show up a couple days ago after his long visit to London. His scheduled meetings there were clearly too important to him to cancel, while the number of residents affected in Pakistan is unbelievably high.

We had the lowest number of one-run games before... http://i33.tinypic.com/2ag2ssi.jpg

Classic! Once New York brought it to 6-5, you knew it would be a heartbreaker for the side that lost. The Yankees were three outs away from losing their third straight one-run game. Good to see that we held Lee to less than seven innings while crossing the plate four times. Rivera got into and out of a man-on-third with no outs jam with just eight pitches. Young swung at the first pitch and was robbed of an RBI by Kearns, Hamilton took two balls and grounded out back to Mo, and Vlad took one ball before grounding out to A-Rod. And congrats to Jeter for becoming the players with the most hits to ever wear a New York uniform.

That's like saying baseball has caused steroid use. There is nothing that Islam has laid out that has pointed to and encouraged some of the warfare you see today. When you say, "Islam and peaceful don't go together," you make it seem like there is some direct connection between the religion and lack of peace, even though what Islam preaches and what most of its followers live by conflicts with that idea.