55fan

That's because Jack is cool. Calvin comes up with some nice things too. They are both nifty people. The person below me would like to hang out with the vast majority of the people in this thread.

Either one, actually. Probably give ice cream a slight edge. Ticks or poison ivy?

That depends entirely on the identity of the goofy person. 4-leaf clovers or rabbit's feet?

Nope. Rather partial to the book of Esther, and she's long dead. (Not sure if she actually wrote it, but whoever wrote it is dead anyway.) The person below me has been to Asia.

The bolded part is the crux of the matter. As it was, it was approved because no one knew how long he could/would play, as you said. However, now someone is saying that they did know; that there was conversation about Hossa not finishing the contract and just signing the "extra" years on the end so that they could lower the cap hit. If the rat is blowing smoke, then there is nothing there and the contract is perfectly legitimate and will (or should) stand. If the rat is right, and Hossa and Someone sat down and agreed that Hossa would just sign a bunch of garbage years at the end so that it would bring the cap hit down and then he would retire, then what we have here is collusion and an attempt to circumvent the cap. It's a conspiracy. The question is who is conspiring against whom. Is the rat trying to hurt the Hawks? Are the Hawks trying to cheat the CBA? Tune in next week... Like sands through the hour glass, so are the Days of our Lives.

Love Carly! Simon or Garfunkel?

No, but I have arthritis, so I feel your pain. Where are your aches? Have you been overusing it or doing something strenuous or with repetitive motion? Does it help to put a heating pad on it? If you don't know what's causing it, and if it bothers you and/or hangs on for a while, see your doctor. The person below me gives unsolicited advice.

Fritos. Just kidding, Loo. I am not skipping your post. The person below me is in someone else's bed. (I'm visiting my mom's.)

Puppy dog. Kitty cats make me sneezy. Bubble gum or chewing gum?

Too much misinformation if you ask me. The person below me has seen a live swan.

I keep my clocks set ahead 20 minutes. If anything, I'm early. The person below me has found free games on the internet to be addicting.

Poo. Tigger or Eeyore?

Not even close. And between you and me, that's really saying something. The person below me doesn't eat the watermelon too close to the rind.

And there's the weight on the see-saw. Did they talk about it? Is there an understanding? If so, then it was as you said. If not, then it is perfectly legal. I'm sure that any front-loaded multi-year contract is signed with both sides acknowledging that something might happen where a player might not fulfill the full contract. I'm sure all of the "what if's" go through their heads and might even be discussed in the theoretical. What if Z's back flares up again and he's forced to retire at 34? What if Hossa gets traded with a couple of years left on his contract to a team whose owner wants to dip less into his pockets and has spare cap space? What it all boils down to is what was said. There's a world of difference between "Ya know, Dale, I might not be able to finish this contract if my shoulder bothers me when I'm old." and "Here's the deal, Marian. We sign you to this deal, but you're gonna retire at some point after you're 38. We'll let you know if we need cap space or if you're not playing up to snuff." What I don't get is why Pronger's deal is being investigated. Did they decide to take away his next birthday?

Since he's over 35, would his NHL salary still count against the cap even if he was playing at a lower salary in the minors? (Assuming we're talking about the 3-year deal here.)

Teemu chlorophyll or xanthophyll?

Over all, I'd say it was pretty darn good. The person below me hates clipping their toenails.

Given my recent question in the TPBM thread, I bet you can guess that I'll say "neither!" Saku or Mikko?

I haven't done that since it was on the top 40 charts. I tend to wake up with "It's a Little Too Late", although I usually have several songs in my head. The person below me has seen an Elvis impersonator.

Wind. Condoms or vasectomy?

I haven't stubbed my toe lately (knock wood), but I have said hockey words. The person below me has done something lately that they haven't done in forever and found that their age is really catching up with them.

Nope. I'll be sleeping through most of y'all's dinner time since I work overnight. The person below me has had a piece of fresh fruit today.

Yes on the whiskey. Sitting up is hard. Holding my chin up is not so bad; it has a second one to rest on. Schnauzers or Dalmatians?

Just sign Murph. He's down there already. No sense having someone have to make an extra trip. Pyatt and Malhotra weren't on my wish list, but I wouldn't have said no to either of them had the price been right.

Oh, indeed. The person below me finds the GD highly amusing at times.