Complete Denial. Epstein: "completely baseless"; Henry: "no talks whatsoever"; Hicks: "deader than a doornail"; Boras: "wholly unrealistic." Reports from Boston, Chicago, New York and Texas: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. ... 2004 Deals: Nixon's 2004 deal is worth $6.6 million and could be discarded in favor of a three-year deal before spring training. Kim will be paid $4 million this year and $6 million in 2005. Epstein expects Kim to be the #5 starter and Bronson Arroyo "would be our sixth starter. That could mean bullpen work at the beginning, but he would be ready for any time we might need him." ... David Ortiz asked for $5 million and the Red Sox offered $4.25 million; shouldn't be too hard to come to an agreement there.

SOTU: Hey, weren't we going to Mars or something? I guess that's old news; now it's on to the evil of steriods. ... January 28, 2003: "The United Nations concluded in 1999 that Saddam Hussein had biological weapons sufficient to produce over 25,000 liters of anthrax ... materials sufficient to produce more than 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin ... had the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent. ... upwards of 30,000 munitions capable of delivering chemical agents." ... January 20, 2004: "We're seeking all the facts - already the Kay Report identified dozens of weapons of mass destruction-related program activities and significant amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations. Had we failed to act, the dictator's weapons of mass destruction programs would continue to this day." ... What in the hell is a weapons of mass destruction-related program activity? Would running to Staples for more crayons to draw some of these qualify?