I imagine there's all kinds of ways that guys part ways with a program. To me it sounds like:
Butler: "Good luck at your next stop. Turn your badge in to Dolores on the 2nd floor."
Niblett: "I just spoke with Coach So-and-So at UNT, he and I go way back. He said they could really use a guy like you and they'd love to bring you in for a visit."
So just to kind of sum up where we're at with portal needs/wants:
QB - All set
RB - They seem fairly happy here. No visitors/interest that I can remember. Maybe they look at a Velton Gardner break-glass-in-case-of-emergency type guy.
WR - Definitely seems like they'd take another badass with experience. Wouldn't everyone?
TE - Likely done with Endries?
OL - Flood doesn't seem like a portal guy, and we're looking at a huge high school class, so I don't see it.
IDL - Gotta be done with 5(!) additions from the portal so far.
EDGE - I could definitely see it. We brought in the Stanford guy for a visit. Would have to be someone they think can contribute.
LB - This one I'm not sure. Seems like Spence is getting good reviews. Depth chart is a little light in underclassmen though. If the right guy came along that had a few years to play like Watson, seems like it'd make sense.
DB - I wouldn't think so unless it's a guy that's just too good to pass up. The depth chart is stacked and crowded.
P - Done
K - Done
Thoughts?
I could definitely see a 6-man rotation unless and until Corbin melts down or someone else gets hurt. They've got to think about limiting innings for Rocker and Leiter, too. Rocker pitched <50 last year, Leiter around 100 I think.
I don't get the point of letting the guy flail in the majors like this. Send him down to AAA to work this shit out. These games count the same as ones in September.
Now that we're on the subject, is it weird that we haven't pursued any transfer EDGE/DE/Buck/Jack/whatever? We seem a little thin there, especially considering Vasek's injury history. They must really like what they're seeing out of Zina and Terry?
I just checked and Ouellet is 80 and Scola is 83. I think technically they could be elected (any Catholic male is eligible), but they won't even be at the conclave so it seems pretty unlikely. So yeah, I don't think I'd be willing to put money on them.
NYT listed our dude Pizzaballa, Parolin, Erdo, Tagle, Fridolin Ambongo of Congo, Matteo Zuppi of Italy, and Anders Arborelius of Sweden as contenders. No mention of Ouellet or Scola.
If SPY breaks 500 again, then so help me God I'm going to YOLO all my cash into broad-market equity index funds like the sensible and dutiful middle-aged Gen X'er that I am.
Probably a lot of people in the same boat. What else are we going to do? Hookers and blow? I'm too old for that shit.
I just counted up Wikipedia's list. Here's who appointed the 135 Cardinals eligible to vote. It says the rules say only 120 can participate in the conclave, not sure how they make the cut.
Francis = 108
Benedict = 22
JP2 = 5
Recteq just came out with a pellet smoker that can somehow also go all the way up to 1250 for traditional high heat grilling. I've been thinking about getting one and getting rid of my Weber gas grill. I only have room for 1 grill/smoker/etc in my outdoor space.