Tom Daley, no idea why but have to change channel when he appears on  TV

[whittle it down the 25 players that they allowed on the playing roster come opening day of the season.]

What, & why so named, are the Cactus League & Grapefruit League?

 The Cactus League and Grapefruit League are basically where teams carry out their pre season or Spring Training as they call it. They are named after plants found in the areas that the leagues are held. Cactus League based in Arizona, Grapefruit League in Florida.

This year there is an even split between the two with 15 teams in each league but both leagues have mixture of American and National league teams. Most teams have their own complex that they will use for Spring Training but a couple of teams share facilities. My team, the Seattle Mariners (American League ) share their complex with the San Diego Padres ( National League)

Teams can start with upwards of 80 - 90 players invited to the start of Spring Training but will eventually whittle it down the 25 players that they allowed on the playing roster come opening day of the season.

Thanks Scott.

So the Squad is 25. How many in the Team? How many on the bench?

Tighty pretty much covered it all 

Only detail to add is that although the active roster is 25, clubs actually have a 40 man roster.  The 40 man roster includes all players that have a major-league contract who can be called into the 25 man active roster at any time. If they aren't on the 25 man roster for the major-league they would be playing for the clubs minor-league or  AAA team

Players with minor injuries are also included on the 40 man roster in the form of the 15 day "disabled list" or D/L as its known. Any player with a longer term injury can be put on the 60 day D/L but players on this list are not included in the 40 man roster so no team will be disadvantaged by having players unavailable through injury.

On the 1st September each season the 25 man active squad expands to the full 40 man roster. Any player on the 40 man can now play for the team in the run to the post-season.

 

What, & why so named, are the Cactus League & Grapefruit League?

 The Cactus League and Grapefruit League are basically where teams carry out their pre season or Spring Training as they call it. They are named after plants found in the areas that the leagues are held. Cactus League based in Arizona, Grapefruit League in Florida.

This year there is an even split between the two with 15 teams in each league but both leagues have mixture of American and National league teams. Most teams have their own complex that they will use for Spring Training but a couple of teams share facilities. My team, the Seattle Mariners (American League ) share their complex with the San Diego Padres ( National League)

Teams can start with upwards of 80 - 90 players invited to the start of Spring Training but will eventually whittle it down the 25 players that they allowed on the playing roster come opening day of the season.

[Volleyball]

Just caught up on the Lefthanded reference in the betting thread. My Dad was made to learn how to use his right hand. Its strange though me and my brother / sis all lefthanded. My two kids lefthanded. Our nursery asked me if I wanted them to try encourage her (4) to use her righthand? i am like wtf why? makes no sense.

It makes no sense whatsoever, & it is a mystery why some think it is a problem.

Each of our individual minds are wired a specific way, & it is perfectly natural that we will develop along those lines.

I write left handed, & am a lefty at Snooker, Bowls, & Volleyball, but right-handed for Cricket & Golf. Right-footed, too. 

The thing with forcing young children to change, as they did in my youth, was the humiliation we felt, as if we were somehow inferior. For a kid, that is the nut bad thing. Things were so different then, though, & we should not blame the parents & teachers, it was what they understood to be right, & it was not done maliciously.

Volleyball 

What a gorgeous day. I've done my paperwork, my shopping and my bike ride, now gonna chill in front of the TV for an hour.

Discovery channels....  What to watch? So many good progs on atm

I watched this last night Red-Dog

http://www.discoveryuk.com/web/falklands-hero-bravo-november/

Concentrates on the Chinook with that call sign.  I was only 7 when the Falklands took place so I learned a bit more about the war, especially the number of casualties and ships lost.

Well worth a look I'd say, repeated on Saturday at 5pm

There's a name from the past! Hope you're well fella

Cheers Kin !

Still here but more of a lurker nowadays. Still have the occasional nightmare about that hand ... 

Thanks Laxie 

First team coach I think Tighty

Football supporters, admittedly myopic, queue up to mock Mike Ashley, & some of his football decisions do look "interesting".

Meanwhile, Dave Whelan over at Wigan seems to be Steady Eddie.

But Sports Direct (run by Ashley) is crushing rival JJB Sports, run by Dave Whelan.

Sports Direct reported absolutely sparking half-year numbers yesterday, whilst JJB Sports admits it will almost certainly fall foul of it's Loan & Banking covenents next year.

How very odd.

Given a choice of investing in Sports Direct or JJB, it's the former every time.



Things are rarely as obvious as they seem to outsiders, & Ashley is nobody's fool.

Dave Whelan has not run JJB for about 4 years or so now Tikay. He sold all his shares after a fallout with the Board  and then went back a couple of years later and purchased all of JJB Fitness gyms from them renaming them DW Sports Fitness. I think he also has some retail stores branded as  DW Sports. 

Most of JJB's problems seem to have occured after Whelan sold up.

I'm still trying to get my head round this "International Federation of Competitive Eating" & "Major League Eating".

It can't be real, can it?

http://www.ifoce.com/index.php

ESPN  actually televised the annual hotdog eating contest live from Coney Island earlier this afternoon - not to be watched while having a meal. Not pleasant viewing   

England are playing well and deserve to be winning but this commentary on BBC is tilting the f*ck out of me. Lawrenson is an absolute cock!

+ 1
The other one is just as bad !

freediving ?

Zapcat racing ?

I can remember being told that chess was actually a sport

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