KFDM COOP

I'll call your dad!!

After tonight hopefully it will all be over.

Signal, Gilmer Buckeye Fan, Jacksonville Indians, BuckEyeBacker79, SawEmOff2010, Strawberry 66.

You avaiable to kick?

The meeting is Monday night (tonight).

That would be nice. You never know, that's why the game is played!

Tonight is the All Star Basketball game on Fox.

Thanks... 8)

It starts with the lights, oh so bright and oh so high above the green grass, painted up to be a gridiron, the shrine of towns across the state, where fans come out, dressed for the weather, in school colors, faces painted, ready to cheer loudly for their children playing for the pride of the school and town, trying their hardest to beat their rival, or whoever they may be playing that night, so the town can have bragging rights for another year, until the lights go up again, above the green grass, shining like a beacon letting everyone in town know that it is once again a football night. So it is in Texas, where each fall teenagers play to make their town proud. So it is in Texas, where each fall entire communities pack stadiums on Fridays. So it is in Texas, where high school football is not just a way of life, it's THE WAY OF LIFE!

Just a different feel come week 0, i know what you mean.

[Hidden Content]

I know what you mean. Has that feel of Fall sometimes around week 0.

Shawn Michaels looks for revenge against the Samoan Bulldozer..

Orange Crush Softball Tryouts will be held at Memorial Field in Orange. Tryouts for 10&U will be held Saturday, August 5th from 4 to 7. Tryouts for 12&U will be held Sunday, August 6th from 4 to 7. Contact John Collins for any additional details (409) 313-3731.

:twisted: It was close though! To Close.

Astros upset over failed Tejada deal It was going to be a blockbuster – Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada for Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt, shortstop Adam Everett and a third player. The Astros believed that such a deal was close Friday night, but barring a last-minute shift, Oswalt won't be going anywhere, and Tejada might not be, either. The Rangers continue to pursue Tejada, according to a major-league official, but the Astros and Angels no longer are engaging in active discussions with the Orioles. The Astros, major-league sources say, are steamed that Orioles owner Peter Angelos apparently quashed the original Oswalt-Tejada deal as well as several revised proposals. But there may have been another issue. The Astros, one major-league executive says, feared that the Orioles would flip Oswalt, their most prized acquisition for Tejada, to Houston's cross-state rival, the Texas Rangers. A National League executive disputes that theory, saying the Astros "knew all along" that the Orioles were trying to flip Oswalt. The executive says that the Orioles indiscreetly shopped all of the players they were offered to other clubs, calling it "no way to do business." The Orioles apparently intended to trade Oswalt to the Rangers for third baseman Hank Blalock, Class AAA shortstop Joaquin Arias and one of the Rangers' top three pitching prospects – left-hander John Danks, right-hander Thomas Diamond or right-hander Edison Volquez. The Orioles also would have ended up with two other players from the Astros – Everett and possibly third baseman Morgan Ensberg – effectively making the deal a 5-for-1 for Tejada. Presumably, the Orioles then would have spun one of the third basemen, Blalock or Ensberg, or moved one of them to first, while moving their current third baseman, Melvin Mora, back to the outfield. For the Astros, losing Oswalt to the Rangers could have been a public-relations nightmare, evoking memories of when Nolan Ryan went from Houston to Texas. The Astros had similar concerns when Roger Clemens was courted by the Rangers as a free agent last spring. However, a second N.L. executive says the Astros would have been less concerned about Oswalt going to the Rangers than their biggest N.L. Central rival, the Cardinals. While the Astros' inclusion of Oswalt in the Tejada discussions seems shocking, this almost certainly will not be the last time Oswalt's name surfaces in trade discussions. Oswalt, 28, is a free agent after the 2007 season. He is expected to seek a contract of at least five years. And his injury history and slight, 6-foot, 185-pound frame make him a long-term risk. As for Tejada, the Orioles still have a chance to trade him to the Rangers for a similar package, a major-league official says. But that might be their only chance to complete a Tejada blockbuster. The Angels, who offered the Orioles a package of right-hander Ervin Santana and Class AAA shortstop Erick Aybar for Tejada, also have pulled out of the Tejada discussions, the official says. The Dodgers are not actively pursuing Tejada, other sources say.

Me either.. :twisted:

[Hidden Content] Astros take Oswalt off market after including ace in discussions involving Tejada The Astros still want to acquire Miguel Tejada, but they're not going to give up ace righthander Roy Oswalt to get the All-Star shortstop in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles. General manager Tim Purpura had made it clear he was open to discussing any Astros player who doesn't have a no-trade clause, including Oswalt, heading into the non-waiver trading deadline at 3 p.m. today. But Purpura and the Astros have let the Orioles know that Oswalt is no longer on the market, according to a top National League Central official with intimate knowledge of the trade talks. As a policy, Purpura doesn't publicly address names in trade rumors, but a top front-office executive with an American League East team told the Chronicle that the Orioles were never offered a package of Oswalt, Morgan Ensberg and Adam Everett for Tejada, as the Baltimore Sun reported. Had such a proposal been made, the AL East official said, the Orioles would have accepted. The executive said Oswalt was, however, offered in another package for Tejada, and the Astros didn't deny it. Although Oswalt isn't on the table anymore, the Astros haven't given up the quest to upgrade their offense. "We're still open," Purpura said Sunday night. "We'd like to make a deal, but it's got to be a good deal." Astros owner Drayton McLane and Purpura have explored and listened to several trade scenarios in an attempt to upgrade an offense that has been the main reason the team has fallen seven games under .500, six games behind the Cincinnati Reds in the National League wild-card race and 9 1/2 games behind the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals. "We've looked at all the combinations," McLane said after the Astros informed teams Sunday night that Oswalt was not available. "I didn't say they were on the market. We considered all different types of offers. " We did consider all combinations. Almost everybody on our team was considered. We're just not going to comment (further) at this stage. At the correct time, we will. There have been no definite players we've talked about." The Astros fell short in their quest to acquire slugger Carlos Lee from the Milwaukee Brewers before he was dealt Friday to the Texas Rangers, who have inquired about struggling Astros closer Brad Lidge. The Astros also have been trying to land left fielder/second baseman Alfonso Soriano from the Washington Nationals. While Tejada still has three years remaining on his contract, Soriano is less attractive because he can become a free agent after this season. Tejada, who won the 2002 AL Most Valuable Player Award with the Oakland A's and is hitting .330 with 19 home runs and 77 RBIs this season, or Soriano would provide a boost to an Astros offense that ranks 14th in the National League in runs. Soriano is hitting .286 with 32 home runs, 64 RBIs and 26 stolen bases. "We've certainly been working hard to work out (a trade on) several players," McLane said from his home in Temple. "We've worked hard on Carlos Lee. It wouldn't be right to comment on those two (Tejada and Soriano) that are still in the process." One reason the Astros would be reluctant to part with Oswalt is that he is the only established veteran pitcher under the team's control beyond this year. Oswalt is 8-7 with a 3.23 ERA in the final season of a two-year, $16.9 million contract. He is eligible for arbitration after this season and can't become a free agent until after the 2007 season. Andy Pettitte will be a free agent and has indicated he's not sure he'll want to play beyond this year. Roger Clemens, who will turn 44 on Friday, also might retire after this season. Oswalt was the Most Valuable Player in the National League Championship Series last October after holding the Cardinals to two runs over 14 innings while going 2-0. That led McLane to reward the Mississippi native with the gift of a bulldozer. Based on his friendship with McLane, Oswalt put off a family trip to Mississippi to participate in the All-Star Game on July 11 at Pittsburgh's PNC Park.

[Hidden Content] PN-G coach shapes all-star roster - and much more AUSTIN - Matt Burnett surely hasn't gone to all this trouble because it beefs up his wallet. And he hasn't done it for the love of coaching, either. In fact, for about six months now, the Port Neches-Groves coach hasn't really been a coach at all. Why, then, was he here Sunday afternoon for yet another session at the University of Texas' practice bubble, decked out in nylon shorts and a T-shirt, traipsing back and forth between huddles like he's done for decades? Good question, he said. The answer didn't come quickly or easily. "It's been a lot of work, but I'm happy to do it," Burnett said. "It's fun." If you say so, coach. Some six months ago, even as Southeast Texas was stuck replacing blue roofs and mildewed carpets, Burnett got a call from D.W. Rutledge, executive director of the Texas High School Coaches Association. Rutledge needed someone to serve on the selection committee for its annual all-star football game, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Memorial Stadium. He asked Burnett to play a part. "They called me sometime in February and asked, 'Would you like to be on the committee?'" Burnett recalled. "I figured, why not? Coaching's a profession and you have to give back. The association has definitely done a lot for us coaches." Burnett said he knew how much time it might take, evaluating players and making arrangements for them to play - even when most of them would report to a college campus just a few days after the all-star game. That was the beginning. Burnett was responsible for selecting Class 4A players for the South squad, which on the surface, seems like a simple task. How hard can it be, right? Just find a list of players who made the all-state team, call them up and ask them to spend a week in Austin, right? Wrong. So wrong. First of all, every team played for a state championship - Divisions I and II, in all classes - automatically sends players to the game. Then the host region - in this case, Region IV, which represents Central Texas and the Austin area - sends a few extra players to the game. After that, rosters are evenly divided from each region. "I had to contact all the coaches who nominated their kids and ... make sure their kids are going to be available," Burnett said. "Then (the coaches) send a video of their players to each committee member. I got all the 4A South." From there, Burnett had to break down the videos and rank every nominee. In March, he headed to the THSCA headquarters in San Marcos, where the selection committee hammered out preliminary rosters. Once again, because even distribution is almost as important as talent, Burnett's rankings didn't have final say over who makes the roster and who doesn't. In other words, some of the best players in Texas miss the cut, thanks to geography or their teams' lack of success. "You can't overload the 4A South with 20 (players) from Houston," he said. "We have to draw from the regions down south and in the east, too. So you shuffle through the regions. They'll say, 'We can't have this linebacker because we've got too many from that region. Do you have somebody else?' Then, yeah, you say you've got Bill Smith. He's from the right place." And what if Bill Smith blows out his knee between now and then? "Then you immediately call your backup. You always have a backup plan." Before Burnett left for Austin last Thursday, he said the toughest part of his job - hammering out the roster - was over. Perhaps he ought to reconsider. You see, thousands of duty-free colleagues have descended on Austin this week for THSCA's "coaching school," a weeklong series of seminars and exhibits. Sometime during mid-afternoon, they can all retreat to hotel rooms or restaurants. But while many of them, including West Orange-Stark coach Dan Hooks, watched Sunday afternoon's practice from the comfort of the sidelines, Burnett was still busy. And technically, he still wasn't coaching. Although Burnett might have occasionally pitched in for the South staff - moving a player here, dishing out advice there - he mostly handled other details. A problem with equipment? Burnett's problem. A problem with transportation? Burnett's problem. A problem with players breaking curfew? Burnett's problem. Awards for the players? Organizing photo shoots? Dorm inspections, physicals, tickets? You get the idea. As Burnett explained it, his job this week has shifted from assistant general manager to senior administrative assistant. Or something like that. The poor guy still hasn't blown a whistle all week - or, for that matter, the last six months. But he has watched game tapes; selected personnel; debated pros and cons with other coaches; whittled out a group of Class 4A players for Tuesday's all-star game; found replacements for last-minute back-outs; driven to Austin two days before coaching school began; supervised the South team's players; and, when necessary, moonlighted on the practice field. By the way, his responsibilities don't end until Wednesday morning. Doesn't that sound like fun?

www.espn.com Pressure on for Gatlin to explain positive testAssociated Press While his coach claimed Justin Gatlin's positive drug test was a result of sabotage, the leader of the World Anti-Doping Agency on Sunday called for the U.S. sprinter to be banned for "up to life" if the results are confirmed. Gatlin's coach, Trevor Graham, told The Washington Post on Sunday that the Olympic and world champion and co-world-record holder in the 100 meters was the victim of a setup by a massage therapist. Graham told the newspaper for a story posted on its Web that the massage therapist rubbed a testosterone cream on Gatlin without the sprinter's knowledge. Graham declined to name the massage therapist, saying he did not want to jeopardize the case. "We know who the person is who actually did this," Graham told the Post by phone from Raleigh, N.C., the home base of his Sprint Capitol team. "Justin is devastated. Myself, too. We're extremely [upset] right now. We are trying to go out and make sure we can prove his innocence, and we hope this individual has the guts to come forward and say he did it." On Saturday, Gatlin acknowledged he had been informed by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that he had tested positive for testosterone or other steroids after a relay race in Kansas in April. The revelation came just two days after Tour de France champion Floyd Landis' victory was thrown into question for allegations of similar doping violations. Gatlin said he did not know why the test came back positive and promised cooperation with USADA, as it continues with the case. Gatlin's connection with Graham, however, is viewed as problematic. Gatlin has long positioned himself as a champion of drug-free competition in a sport dogged by problems, while Graham is a key figure in the BALCO investigation and has coached several athletes who have tested positive for steroids. Gatlin's attorney, Cameron Myler, said she and the sprinter had ideas about how his drug tests came up positive, but she would not get into details and said she did not condone Graham's allegations. If Gatlin is found guilty, his world record would be stripped. He tied Jamaican Asafa Powell's mark (9.77 seconds) in the 100 meters in May, after the positive test. Gatlin would also be banned for life, the standard discipline for a second positive test. The head of WADA, Dick Pound, called for such a penalty. "He needs to be banned for up to life," Pound said in an interview on BBC Radio Five Live. "There may be some extenuating circumstances to come out, but I think if he just continues to come out with some bland denial that, 'I never did anything, I can't imagine how this result occurred,' that will not help him when it comes to sentencing. "If they can find someone who did, in fact, spike it, then it is for them to prove but short of something like that I think he has a very serious problem." WADA bylaws do provide relief for accused athletes who can prove they have been victims of sabotage, although the burden of proof is steep. The International Association of Athletics Federation said in a statement Sunday that Gatlin will be suspended for life if his positive drug tests -- both his 'A' and 'B' samples came back positive -- are confirmed. Gatlin was suspended for two years in 2001 after testing for illegal substances, the result of taking medication to control attention deficit disorder. "If the USADA procedure concludes by confirming the violation, the sanction under IAAF rules will be a life ban," the IAAF said. Gatlin's case next goes in front of a review panel. If the positive test is upheld, Gatlin could then take the case to arbitration, which could be his best chance to prove he was sabotaged, if that's the course he pursues.

Mets should win the NL. I predicted them last year but this year they just have it.

Maybe?? Will see about any last minute trades.

I think folks as you see here said what we thought they would say..90% positive.

Like tvc184 said if PNG can just keep it close until Half!!

He will...