Astros/MLB discussion
The TalkZone is an open forum for Zone-dwellers to discuss the Astros and baseball in general. Posting in the TZ is a privilege offered by OWA, not a sacred right. The following posting standards should be observed:
Spamming/Solicitation. The TZ is not a bazaar for selling Viagra, mortgages or your crappy sports Web site. If you want to unload an extra ticket for a game, fine. But the TZ is not a general forum for solicitation.
Harassment. The TZ is a rough-and-tumble world, but personal attacks and stalking will not be tolerated. This includes attempts to provoke and taunt other posters, or “ankle-biting.”
Threats. Serious threats of any kind – such as threats of physical violence or threats to release personal information – are grounds for expulsion from the TZ.
Vulgarity and Profanity. The TZ is not a place for kids, and most content will be tolerated within reason. Posts that cross the line, in the sole discretion of SnS, may be deleted.
Flaming. The TZ has a long tradition of tolerating fans of other teams seeking intelligent baseball discussion. Trolls simply seeking to pick fights or antagonize other posters should expect to get run.
Copyright Infringement. Posting copyrighted material on the TZ is illegal, and such posts will be removed or edited. Quoting brief passages and posting links are acceptable.
Subject Matter. While non-baseball conversations will be tolerated to an extent, repeated use of the TZ to discuss non-baseball matters will be regulated.
OWA reserves the right to enforce these rules in its sole judgment and to change these rules without notice. The decision to grant, revoke or restore posting privileges belongs exclusively to OWA in its absolute discretion.
The TZOL
Always lurking in the shadows of the TZ is the TalkZone Overlord. TZOL’s origins are little known. While most long-time Zone-dwellers have witnessed his handiwork, few who have crossed his path have lived to tell about. When things in the TZ get out of hand, TZOL clears the board. He goes by many names but is hard to miss when he makes an appearance.
Lately TZOL has manifested himself as W.A. “Spack” McGrimm. Spack was a star in the the old Constitutional Brotherhood Base Ball Association, a rival major league in the 1890s. Spack once pitched all 27 innings of a triple-header. A line drive broke his right collar bone in the seventh inning of Game 3, but he managed to finish the day with his left arm. He also held the Constitutional Association record by getting beaned in the head four times in a single game. The licorice stains on the ball left black scuffs on his cheekbones and forehead for a week.
Spack thinks today’s game is for wussies, and he don’t put up with no foolishness in the TZ.