Thiel quip
DMZ · January 4, 2006 at 9:55 am · Filed Under Mariners, Off-topic ranting
I know I’ve poked at Art Thiel before for his occasional reach for metaphors and similies, but this, on the Sonics:
An incredibly wealthy ownership, nevertheless quivering at continued operational losses, must have limited the talent search to the bench of the Los Angeles Clippers, where they found guard Rick Brunson and center Mikki Moore. Each has contributed about as much as the most recent first-round draft choices, Johan Petro and Robert Swift — a four-man whiff unseen locally since the bottom of the Mariners lineup.
I laughed, I winced, I shook my head and grinned.
Also, former M Dave Edler is now the mayor of Yakima. Yes, it’s a slow news day.
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59 Responses to “Thiel quip”
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This is an off-topic rant on an off-topic rant thread. I hope that is okay.
[deleted, ot, there's a whole tread for that topic specifically -- as you note]
then where do I post it?
Gee, how about the thread that you’re writing about that you want to say “I told you so” about?
That seems appropriate.
I posted it in that buried thread. I didn’t realize you left access to old threads. Thanks for the sarcasm. Always seem welcome on this board!
So stuff like the last 4 posts on this thread…is this the stuff that makes the comments part so unattactive?
Dangit, I jokingly used tags to surround the word sarcasm and it ate them, therefore ruining my witty reply. All the luck
Sorry, Wordpress tries to interpret fake tags as tags… you’ve got to go to [] if you want that.
As to the other issue… it’s like walking into someone’s house and saying “Hey, I’ve really got to take a leak and I know you have a bathroom down the hall but I have decided to pee here in the entryway because it’s the first place I came to.” It’s just rude.
Also, this is not a board.
“As to the other issue… it’s like walking into someone’s house and saying “Hey, I’ve really got to take a leak and I know you have a bathroom down the hall but I have decided to pee here in the entryway because it’s the first place I came to.†It’s just rude.”
It was an honest mistake. You should know that seeing as you and I are the only ones who read my post. You assume everyone has bad intentions and it results in YOU who is being rude.
On topic…
Two rudderless ships on the Seattle seas, the Mariners and Sonics. Ugh.
Seattle has a basketball team? Really…..
Yes, as my best friend and constant companion, you are, of course, entirely qualified to speak to my perceptions and motivations.
Now *there* is sarcasm.
No, actually, it doesn’t result in Derek, et al. being rude, any more than the time one of my professors snubbed me for asking an inappropriate question in class meant he was being rude. It was an honest mistake on my part, too, but that was only an explanation, not an excuse — it was still my responsibility, not his, to apologize (which I did, promptly). An honest mistake is still a mistake, after all; the fact that it’s honest rather than dishonest doesn’t shift the responsibility off the person who made it.
As regards Thiel, I had the same reaction, save only that there’s still more hope for those four Sonics than for the bottom third of the M’s lineup. (After all, Petro and Swift are young enough yet to turn into something, while Brunson can’t be judged when he’s too hurt to play.)
Rusty, you are forgetting the UW football program…
Hollywood & Vine: Seattle has two pro Basketball teams.
Rusty: How about those Seahawks?
“Gee, how about the thread…”
Clearly, without knowing you, I can infer that you are mocking me.
“Hey, I’ve really got to take a leak and I KNOW you have a bathroom down the hall”
I did not KNOW anything. You are the one who was assuming the nature of my motivation. I have no problems with anybody else wherever I post…except for the “authors” on this site. Why? It would seem to me that it is because I disagree with you. You had no problems with me last time, yet this time you were rude… Forget it. Fighting with the cult leaders over here isn’t worth my time. I don’t mean to spoil this topic for everybody else. After you read this (assuming you do read before you delete), please delete this and all of my other comments on this topic so as to not detract from the USS Mariner experience for anybody else.
“An honest mistake is still a mistake, after all; the fact that it’s honest rather than dishonest doesn’t shift the responsibility off the person who made it.”
Yeah, well seeing as I apologised if a mistake had been made in the original post, I would think that base is covered.
Yeah, well seeing as I apologised if a mistake had been made in the original post, I would think that base is covered.
Think about this for a second. If I start a phrase with “Now, no offense”, that doesn’t excuse me to then follow it up with “but you look like a beached whale in that dress, lady.” Adding “no offense intended” doens’t make it less offensive.
If you start with saying “hey, I know you guys have a policy against off topic hijacking, so I’m sorry ahead of time”, that doesn’t make it okay to hijack a thread and take it off topic.
I say this with the utmost kindness and concern: step away from the keyboard for a while and take a walk. It’ll be best for everyone.
The category is “off-topic ranting.” How am I supposed to know if it is okay or not? I see know that you mean the threads are off topic, not the rants.
I’ve left a milliion typo’s and grammar mistakes go today, but I meant “now” not “know.”
AMarshall… USSM is an acquired taste. Think of all the other blogs out there as Budweiser. Not a particularly bad beer but it is mass produced with many preservatives to appeal to the broadest market. Unmoderated, unregistered blogs are like this. When people want to rant, they get to rant to their hearts’ content even if such rants are off topic. It has that same Budweiser taste.
Meanwhile, USSM is like a fine IPA. When you first taste it you are surprised at the bitterness. In fact, it’s easy to swear off all IPA’s even if you’re bold enough to drink 2, 3 or 4 full pints. But if you stick with it, you learn that a fine IPA becomes a great drinking experience. And you also learn that you can do without the preservatives (non-moderation) and mass appeal taste (non-registration), as well as the off topic ranting.
And with that tortured metaphor I think I am back to on topic since the original post had to do with Thiel’s metaphors.
AMarshall, I wish you well in your endeavors to find a better beer.
ummm. IPA.
so here is a untutored basketball question raised by Thiel’s comment–how many ‘first round draft choices’ contribute in their 1st year?
Thiel always makes me giggle. He’s nothing compared to the one P-I writer who writes about horse racing, though. Read some of his articles sometime. Oh, the flowery prose.
Re: “Dave you’re such a jerk!”, it’s getting very tiresome to have people turning every thread into an argument about how unfriendly they perceive the authors here to be. Every time you post, you’re indicating that you’ve read and understand the comment guidelines, and “author abuse” is one of the things you agree not to do.
Please. There’s the P-I board and the official M’s board if you want an unmoderated playpen.
(as always authors, feel free to edit this part of my post out, I’m just frustrated with this type of conduct)
Post #11 was said in jest. I knew about the Storm, but forgot about the other pro basketball team, Seattle Prep. Sorry about the confusion.
Back on topic: From what I hear, Thiel’s “OUT OF LEFT FIELD” was a good book. I do not regularly read Thiel’s columns because I can’t read. But from what my wife says, Thiel has a flair for the 5 syllable verb and his personal pronouns are terrific.
Geez…can’t wait til spring training so I can meet Mr. Thiel in personal and we can swap adverbs.
I think maybe it is time to pull the old switch-aroo. They can let Sund/Walker run the mariners and Bavasi lead the sonics. They can follow them around with camera’s to see how things go.Really, what is the worst that could happen? I know I would tune in.
Btw..I’m just trying to lighten up this thread.
If there is any poetic justice, Art Thiel’s obituary will be written as one long sentence with 47 dependent clauses.
#27– maybe it has been… can anybody check the obituaries on file at the PI?
Thiel’s book “Out of Left Field” should be required reading for serious M’s fans. It’s on our recommended reading list (see link on the upper right there)
But, to paraphrase a review DMZ wrote, it’s a triumph of story over storytelling. It takes patience to pick through Thiel’s dense, sticky, overwritten, self-aggrandizing prose.
So has anyone heard anything about this rumored three way trade with the Marinres, Red Sox, and Cubs? Aparently we’re going to give up Reed and Ibanez. Sounds fishy to me.
It’s ugly,if true. I liked the phrase about Bavasi maybe strangely infatuated with Corey Patterson. Strange,indeed.I’m not familiar with the website though and have no idea how accurate it is.
#13 The Husky football program found a rudder last year when they hired Coach Willingham. Now they have to find some more TALENT!
Apparently it’s not too accurate. It’s petty much what you’d expect from a rumormonger.
Man, I suck at xhtml tags…
the mentioned chat-link for the Gammonsing has this odd note from Big Petey: “One thing I’ve heard that if Marte went to Tampa the Red Sox also might get Joey Gathright and use Gathright in a deal with Seattle for Jeremy Reed.”
huh?
Not to piss in anyone’s hallway, but Gordon Edes already suggested there is nothing to that 3 team rumor.
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/
Let’s talk about Boone signing with the Mets!
AAron Boone is a met?
I was just about to say– two NRIs today, Boone with the Mets & Mulholland with the D’backs
If USSM ~ IPA then Thiel ~ Heineken.
Heineken is more of a ‘tweener’ beer. If you’ve experienced the real stuff, i.e. German beer in Germany (not the imported stuff) or Belgian ale over here (REAL Belgians, not, like, the Fat Tire or Blue Moon ‘Belgian Style’ wannabes), you kinda get a craving for it. But, since it can be easier to find Heines than the other beers, you’ll find yourself ordering one instead of the Bud or Miller. Even if you have to spend an extra buck or two (over a mere Bud) to wade through one…
Actually, I equate USSM to Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier. An interesting, unique beer that kicks your butt upon first sip. Definitely something different that you don’t expect in a beer. But it sucks you in and the more and more you experience it, the more you appreciate it.
I’ll bet anyone here five bucks that Boone is released by the end of spring training.
After Paul’s comment, I think you might get more takers betting a case of Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier.
I still wouldn’t take it, though–I’d be surprised if Boonie makes it halfway through.
Apparently the Mets have some pretty solid middle infield prospects on the way up, so either him or Matsui, or both could be on the way out then. From what I see, they’ve tried to move Matsui in every possible way this winter to no avail. Least Bavasi didn’t fall sucker to that move.
At this point, Bret Boone is the training camp equivalent of a fluffer in porn movies … sort of like Ricky Gutierrez and Benji Gil in the Mariners’ camp last spring. He’s just random free, loose, floating talent (in the most technical sense).
Thiel can turn a phrase, he’s just not good at getting into anything in depth. Too much time as a columnist lately, not enough as a journalist.
That 3-way trade would be retarded for us to make- we give up 2 OF’ers and Meche to get Ryan Franklin’s younger twin and Corey Patterson back? An OF of Ichiro/Patterson/Lawton or Everett? Unnnnggggghhhhh.
I would have liked to see us pursue a Patterson for Meche swap before we signed Everett (Patterson fits my category of young player who’s an interesting gamble, the kind of “draw to an inside straight” move you have to make when you suck)…but not if it comes with Arroyo and means we lose 2/3rds of the starting OF. Heck, Raul’s VORP at DH (39.0) wasn’t THAT far behind Ichiro’s VORP in RF (45.0).
It makes him feel important. Boone needs to feel important.
MLB is just doing him a favor, give him something to do.
Actually, it’s not a bad job. Work out all off season, have a month to gab with real major leaguers — around the cage and what not.
“Here kid, this is how you hit a real major league home run!”
…whiff…
… then drink the season away. Wash, rinse, repeat.
#45: nuthin’ like starting a thread with Thiel and morphing it into a porn analogy….
Anyway, I apologize in advance for hijacking this thread but….stick ‘em up……put the money in the bag and turn this ship toward Bermuda….
[oh no you don't]
I’m resisting the urge to present my stock “inferences are always irrational” speech.
how many ‘first round draft choices’ contribute in their 1st year?
Far more in basketball than in baseball, certainly.
Do you think Thiel could come up with an analogy about if you take I-84 east to the Eagle exit from Nampa and proceed north, you will run into Eagle? Or, follow the Corcomance.
*soon to be deleted for the first time*
Hmmm, great memories of heavy drinking (with our teachers) during a high school trip to Bamberg. Those were the days … and yes, I went to a German school, not an American one.
Some excellent choices. I personally might equate USSMariner with Rasputin. About as strong as you can handle…. if you can handle it.
I’m inclined to go along with Steve Kelley’s call for Walker’s head. Poor draft choices, poor head-coach selections, inability to fix roster holes (Rick “Pokey” Brunson anyone?) – Weiss was working with one hand tied behind his back. The fact that the star players were lobbying for Bobby Nice Guy should have been the first clue – ever heard players say what great guys Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloane, Larry Brown are?
And now back to baseball….
You’re right, I didn’t.
That Swift draft pick still boggles my mind. 7 foot white guys never work out.
Robert Swift = Shawn Bradley
Seriously when I saw his picture I thought they’d drafted Conan O’Brian’s younger brother.
50: I-84 East to Eagle is ridiculous. Much faster to take Power Line Rd (which turns into Victory), due to the ridiculous traffic at the Meridian exit during most hours of the day (road way too narrow)
And actually, taking I-84 east from Nampa to the Eagle exit doesn’t even take you directly to Eagle. You have to go about 5 mi North on Eagle Rd, and THEN you have to turn right on State St (not to be confused with Boise’s State St, which is ID 44) to get into downtown Eagle.
Corc ….
what?