Next book on my reading list

Discussion in 'Politics' started by Maverick74, May 5, 2004.

  1. I love basketball, football and soccer, but I've just grown out of talking about them. What do sport's conversations actually come down to (most of the time)? One person's opinion about which team or player is better than/the best, no? I'm just not that interested in 'proving' the 80s Lakers were better than the 90s Bulls.
     
    #11     May 5, 2004
  2. Maverick74

    Maverick74

    Well, I think we are going to have an all Chicago World Series this year and the Bears are going all the way baby!

    Just my very objective opinion. LOL.
     
    #12     May 5, 2004
  3. Chicago has baseball teams? Sorry, I'm from NYC and we never heard such a thing around here. Go figure.
     
    #13     May 5, 2004
  4. Maverick74

    Maverick74

    LOL. Yeah, yeah, you let me know when Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams are hitting over .200. I think the Yankees as a team are only hitting .244. Ouch. LOL. And even though A-Rod is finally starting to hit a little, I think you guys overpaid big time for him.
     
    #14     May 5, 2004
  5. All true. . . AND WE'RE STILL IN FIRST PLACE. :eek:

    Seriously, the hitting will come (though I think Bernie's on his last legs). I'm much more concerned about the starting rotation. No lefty starters in Yankee Stadium? Bad idea. They never should've let Petitte go. But I'm sure George will get another arm or two by the All-Star break. Bring back Hideki Irabu!

    By the way, what are the names of your Chicago teams? I bet it's something cute and cuddly.
     
    #15     May 5, 2004
  6. damir00

    damir00 Guest

    horses. is there a sport with more stat junkies than horses? baseball, maybe. love parimutuel. now that OTB is more or less internetized, when i get the time i want to build an autobet system for the ponies.
     
    #16     May 5, 2004
  7. #17     May 5, 2004
  8. "On Writing" by Stephen King. Then "Hunter" by James Byron Huggins.

    Mav, I have posted to a lot of the sports threads, specifically basketball.

    Didja catch the Spurs almost give the game away to Shaq and Co. today? Are you surprised Sac beat the Wolves in Game 1?

    Nets will get it together against Detroit, but I'd rather not see Kidd go to the Finals again for another drubbing. If the Pistons don't knock them out, the Pacers had damn well better.
     
    #18     May 6, 2004
  9. Maverick74

    Maverick74

    Ok, I just finished reading this book "Ugly Americans". Wow, what a book. Very different from what I was expecting. There is no doubt they will turn this into a movie. Kevin Spacey bought the movie right's to Mezrich's last book "Bringing Down the House" and I'm sure this one will be next. What a fascinating story. Half the fun is in trying to figure out who the real characters are since all the names have been changed to conceal their real identities. The only name they did not change was Nick Leeson's.

    This book really gave you a first hand look at Japanese culture and the trading scene in the far east. Very different from American. Also, you learn a lot about the Yakuza and what they call the "Water Trade" which is the sex industry.

    My only question with this book is the ending seems almost too fairytale like. I mean it's right out of a movie and I know that real life, things never turn out that way. But who knows.

    The final trade this kid pulled off is one for the books and is reported to be the biggest one day trade ever. And considering it was done by a 27 year old kid that played football at Princeton who didn't even know what a future's contract was when he graduated college.

    I have to tip my hat to the author Mezrich. He is one sharp cookie. Since we live in the time of Google, he made it very very hard to figure out who the people are. For example, I know this kid played for an ivy league school but I don't think it was Princeton although I did find the football he was referring to where the Ivy League all stars went to Osaka in 1992 and beat the Japanese All Stars 69-3. But he could have been from any of those schools. I knew it would be too easy to just look up the football records.

    Anyway this kid is in the Bahamas now and I guess he would be in his early to mid 30's now and supposedly we all know his name as he is one of the biggest players in the game now. Anyway, great book, great ending, great author, fascinating look at life in Japan both Osaka and Tokyo. Interesting reading on the Yakuza and a lot of shit about the sex industry in the far east.

    And for those of you that were fans of the book "Rogue Trader" about Nick Lesson, the chapters in this book about Leeson were very interesting as they were told from a completely different perspective.

    If anyone has any questions about the book or if you have read it and you would like to discuss it, let's chat.
     
    #19     May 16, 2004
  10. LOL! The triple crown discussed at Redneck.com eh? Horse Racing is most definately not a hobby, actually its not even a sport -- its the sport of kings! Get a clue...
     
    #20     May 16, 2004