Balls, Brats and Beer

With no more football, enter basketball

2012-02-07T20:05:00.002-06:00

I don't know how any of you felt about it, but that Super Bowl we just witnessed was awful in just about every aspect until it entered the final three minutes. Terrible commercials. Terrible halftime show (I'm still waiting for LMFAO to perform). A National Anthem performed correctly. And of course the actual game which lacked exciting, meaningful plays. In fact, there was only one play that got me off my seat (well, not really) and it's pretty apparent which play I'm talking about. Anyway, the Giants beat the Patriots...again...and anyone who places bets on sports (I'm getting there) would have been stupid to take New England in this one. Nevertheless, the moment after the Packers managed to hold off the Giants in week 13 38-35, I knew the one team I didn't want to face in the playoffs: the Giants. It happened, and there's no doubt in my mind that it should have been the Packers on that podium with confetti falling down on them on Sunday.

So football is over and if you haven't already done so, it's time to either turn your attention to basketball or hockey because it's not quite time to start tailgating in the Miller Park parking lots (however, here's a link to get you thinking about the upcoming baseball season). Since there isn't a professional hockey franchise in the state of Wisconsin, I'm not going to talk about hockey. And since there still hasn't been a decision made on the Ryan Braun situation, I can't discuss that, either. That only leaves one point of interest, and that's basketball. Soon it will be time to preview the Brewers and think about what the heck the Packers need to do with that putrid defense, but for now, the state of Wisconsin has two nationally ranked division I college basketball teams and a professional basketball team sitting in the eight seed in the Eastern Conference. That's right - the Wisconsin Badgers, Marquette Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks would all make the postseason as of right now. I can guarantee you this much...two of those teams will certainly extend their seasons in 2012. Still too early to tell with the Deer.

Before you get excited over this prospect, let me dampen your spirits a bit. Not one of these teams is going to win a championship this year. Call me a negative Nancy, but all three of the major basketball teams that we follow in this state have notable flaws that championship teams simply don't possess. You can even look at the Packers...that defense was simply not good enough to win a Super Bowl and the prolific offense led by Aaron Rodgers helped cover that fact up for 18 weeks. Finishing near the top of their respective conferences may look good in the eyes of fans and the selection committee for Marquette and Wisconsin, and they might even get through a round or two of March Madness. But here is a major flaw(s) for each team that will prevent further success.

Marquette (20-5, 9-3): Slow starts, No inside presence

Coming into the season, for once their was promise down low with Chris Otule rapidly improving as a big man and Javante Gardner ready to back him up after dropping 20 pounds. Otule went down with an ACL injury and now Gardner has a nagging ankle injury that has kept him out of the last three games, leaving Jamil Wilson, who is 6'7", as the tallest Marquette player. We saw it years ago when the Warriors played Stanford and the Lopez twins, and it looks like we're heading down the same path - Marquette's athleticism fails to overcome the extreme height differentials it has with other tournament teams. Couple this problem with Marquette's tendency to always fall behind early in games and it's going to be difficult for this team to make it past the sweet 16 even though they are second in the always tough (but this year down) Big East.

Wisconsin (18-6, 7-4): Too reliant on the three

Aside from Jordan Taylor, there really isn't anyone that can carry the Badgers this season. Guys will occasionally step up, and thank goodness they have, because Taylor hasn't had the privilege of having Jon Leuer to lean on and hasn't been as good as expected. Speaking of not having Leuer, there is almost no inside presence with the Badgers either, which is probably why Marquette was able to beat them back on Dec. 3. This leads the Badgers to rely too much on the three point shot, which is something I did and look where I am now. This isn't to say Wisconsin can't get hot and string together some wins in the tourney, but it's just not something we're used to seeing and the Badgers just don't seem to be built for March Madness.

Milwaukee (10-13, 8th in East): Defending the paint, consistency

When Andrew Bogut (shockingly) went down with an injury earlier this season, all hope appeared to be lost for the Bucks. But Brandon Jennings has emerged as a legitimate All-Star candidate and Drew Gooden has been surprisingly effective filling in for Bogues. Other than that, there isn't much going for the Deer. It's a team mainly composed of role players and Gooden, who really isn't a true center, is being counted on to replace Bogut's rebounding numbers. This isn't realistic, and while guys like Ersan Ilyasova have helped fill that void, teams are out-rebounding the Bucks. Meanwhile, some nights Milwaukee has been able to defend well and other nights, like tonight against the Suns for instance, it's been God awful. Inconsistency has never resulted in overall success and unless the Bucks go out and find a legit big man (maybe in a trade for Stephen Jackson) and become more consistent on both ends of the floor, this team will likely find themselves out of the playoffs.

Keeping it short and sweet

2012-01-22T23:07:00.001-06:00

Clearly, I like to write. Normally, I write too much. They say that the more you write, the less skilled of a writer you are because you can't express what you want to say effectively enough. You know what I think about that? Baloney. The reason I write a lot is because I have a lot to write about. But I understand this philosophy and also understand the age we live in today...people don't want to sit on the same web page for ten minutes and read something because they get bored and want to move on to something new. It's safe to say that long attention spans did not make the transition from the old millennium very well. From now on, I will do my best to honor this new wave of short attention spans and write less in my blog posts. I'm doing this for a few reasons. For one, I'll be able to post more frequently, hopefully be more timely with my posts and I won't waste my life away sitting down for two hours at a time to blab about sports. Two, you guys won't get bored midway through my post and say eff it, I'm done with this whole reading thing.

I haven't been on here since the Packers dropped an extremely frustrating NFC Divisional Round playoff game against the freaking New York Giants, and I have little desire to speak about it. What's done is done, and the reasons for Green Bay losing at the hallowed grounds of Lambeau Field are this: fumbling, dropped passes, missed opportunities and atrocious defense. It's as simple as that. No need to recap the game...we all saw what happened. The question now is: how do the Packers fix these problems? Well, I have a few answers.

Sure, it's fun going 15-1 during the regular season, rarely having to worry about playing in poor conditions, whipping the ball all over the field and getting away with playing awful defense week after week because of those reasons. But when football season enters January and the men are separated from the boys, it gets cold out. It gets windy out. It gets snowy/rainy out. You know what isn't easy to do in these conditions? Throw the football. Of course, unless, you're going up against the Packers defense. My point is that the Packers have been built to play in a dome...at least their offense is. Last season, they were able to get away with playing in frigid conditions twice against the Chicago Bears late in the season because of the play of the defense and the great depth it had. Not only this, but James Starks emerged and gave Green Bay a legitimate running game, making things easier on soon-to-be MVP Aaron Rodgers.

So what happened between the Packers' Super Bowl run and their second round playoff exit this season? In no particular order...for one, A.J. Hawk was resigned to a ridiculously lucrative 5-year deal instead of Nick Barnett, who clearly had a better year than Hawk. Starks wasn't healthy for a large portion of the season and leading into the playoffs, leaving Ryan Grant to carry the load. That ship has sailed. Nick Collins suffered what is looking more and more like a career ending injury (let's pray for him and the Packers that it isn't). The secondary suffered as a result and took far too many risks. The Packers didn't draft an outside linebacker to compliment Clay Matthews. Joe Philbin's son drowned in the Fox River. The team, which is part of a family-first organization, clearly lost it's focus and make mental mistakes we hadn't seen from them all season long.

The pain from the loss of Philbin's son will wear off, maybe Starks will return to the form he was in during last season's playoffs and Hawk may very well never be back in a Packer uniform, but the fact of the matter is that there are issues to fix, whether it be through the draft (likely) or free agency. Areas that need help, in order of importance:

1. Outside linebacker (pass rush)
2. Running back (running game)
3. Secondary (cornerback)
4. Defensive line (pass rush, stopping the run)
5. Quarterback (KIDDING, I KID)

The Packers had an opportunity in the last draft to take a guy like OLB Brooks Reed, who was key for the Houston Texans number one defense this season filling in for Mario Williams. They obviously didn't do it, but I don't think they make that same mistake again, assuming there is an outside linebacker deserving of a late first or early second round pick. From there, go down the list of needs and draft accordingly. Oh yeah. I put cornerback third on the list...allow for me to explain myself. I'm going out on a limb and saying that Nick Collins won't ever play professional football again. Therefore, I see Green Bay moving Chuck Woodson to the safety position opposite of Morgan Burnett, which leaves a spot open at corner. I don't think Sam Shields is ready to be the number two guy - I like the Packers keeping him as the nickel corner. Then with the d-line it's Raji, Pickett...and that's it. That's a bit of a problem. And I know I jokingly listed quarterback on the list of areas that need improvement, but hey. Matt Flynn is likely gone, leaving only Aaron Rodgers and Graham Harrell. It might be a good idea to take a flyer in the later rounds of the draft on a QB. Because Ted Thompson isn't a guy who usually makes a big splash in free agency, gear up for the draft, Packer fans. It might be the difference between Super Bowl...or bust.

2012...where Win-sconsin goes to die?

2012-01-10T01:26:00.000-06:00

On New Year's Day when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Detroit Lions to finish the regular season at 15-1, it was almost beginning to seem too good to be true. Say what you will, but not too many Packer fans expected a team almost completely composed of backups to knock off a team that was playing for the five seed and a chance not to play the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the playoffs. Early on, it appeared this wasn't going to happen, mostly due to the incompetency of Pat Lee to return a kickoff, and it was 9-0 Detroit. From there on, we all know what happened, and on an afternoon where a state filled with thousands of hungover Packer fans laid down on their couches to watch a meaningless, stress-free football game, Matt Flynn did the impossible. A franchise record in touchdowns (six) and passing yardage (480) was still barely enough to send the Lions home with the six seed in a thrilling 45-41 victory. And what a game it was...but have you noticed how the other Wisconsin sports teams have performed since we brought in the New Year?

Let's begin with the two major Division I college basketball programs, the Marquette Warriors and the Wisconsin Badgers. Both teams, as usual, have fairly hefty expectations and at the very least are expected to reach the NCAA Tournament held at the end of each college basketball season. Well, at this point, it's looking more likely these teams make a trip to the NIT rather than March Madness. Not really...I think. The two teams have a combined two conference wins. They've played a combined seven conference games. The Badgers stand at 12-5. The Warriors stand at 12-4. There are distinguishable reasons as to why each team has hit a proverbial brick wall here in early January just as conference play has picked up. First of all, the Badgers. A team that was at one point ranked in the top six before falling at Chapel Hill to the Tar Heels. Since then, Wisconsin has fallen AT HOME to Marquette, Michigan State, and most embarrassing of all, Iowa. Back in 2009, the Badgers had a pretty rough stretch such as this one when they dropped six games in a row, and they still managed to make the tournament (only to get blown out of the water by Arizona). In Wisconsin's defense, the schedule this season in Big Ten conference play is lethal, likely only second in difficulty to the Big East...and even between those two it's close. There are four schools in the Big Ten ranked in the top 13, which is ridiculous. The Big East? Only two.

Along with the difficult schedule, the Badgers have been struggling from the field, and I mean struggling. For some reason, this team, specifically Jordan Taylor, decides to wait until the final five minutes of the game to show up and make shots. We've all seen this before, but this season it hasn't been enough. Against Michigan State last Tuesday, the Badgers rallied to force overtime and then once again rallied to nearly force another overtime, only to have a banked-in three as time expired from Ryan Evans waved off. I'll get to Wisconsin's athletic teams inability to get plays off in time in a moment. What it comes down to is this: Jordan Taylor hasn't been who he was expected to be this season, this team consists of a bunch of role players and the schedule has been difficult. Will they still make the tournament? I would assume so. Does the schedule start to get a little easier? It would appear that way. But Taylor simply needs to play better because as far as star-power is concerned, he's all the Badgers have got.

The struggles for Marquette are much more understandable, in my opinion. I'll start with the Chris Otule injury. Otule is now confirmed to be out for the season after suffering an ACL injury during non-conference play against Washington. It might be drastic to say this, but this might be the dagger in Marquette's season as far as a potential Big East championship and deep run in the NCAA Tournament is concerned. Now the biggest man on the Warriors' roster is Davante Gardner, who is 6'8" but a load of a man. Otule gave this team the man down low it needed, and he had worked so hard to get where he was in his college career. It just piles on to the depressing news as of late. Moving past Otule, this team still has some depth, plenty of athleticism, and a lot of heart. However, there is still plenty of growing up to do. Aside from seniors Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom, the Warriors are young. They also got thrown right into the Big East gauntlet with games on the road against Georgetown and Syracuse. Marquette had a huge second half collapse against the Hoyas and made a comeback of their own against the Orange, but MU came up just short in each contest. Despite the tough losses, there is plenty to be optimistic about...unlike the Badgers. Besides a game at home against a struggling Louisville team, Marquette doesn't face a ranked opponent until Feb. 18. Barring any sort of letdown, MU should string together some wins here to get back on track.

Getting back to the clock issues. Have you ever seen anything like what happened considering the circumstances at the end of the Rose Bowl and the Michigan State game at the Kohl Center? It's almost comical. Almost. I really have no desire to relive the final "play" of the Rose Bowl game against Oregon, but I kind of lost my cool after what happened and entered a bit of a Twitter debate about whether or not it was the right move to try and spike the football as time expired. First things first, it was terrible execution by Russell Wilson and Peter Konz, who apparently couldn't get the football snapped in two seconds. Whether or not you want to argue that the clock operator was a little too quick on the trigger with starting the clock or if it is solely on Wilson and Konz for not getting the football snapped (I'm still not sure on this one), the Badgers were facing an uphill battle, still 30 yards away from the end zone and down by seven. The game ended 45-38 in favor of Oregon in a game that played out much like many expected. But here's why it was the right decision to try and spike the ball with :02 seconds remaining.

Let's go back to the previous play. I have nothing wrong with the route Nick Toon ran and how he was tackled in-bounds. In college, you can afford to run routes that won't get you out-of-bounds because of how the clock stops on first downs. Toon made the catch and was brought down instantly with two seconds to go in the fourth quarter. Now on the play, Toon was in obvious pain from the hit he took, but another receiver (Abbrederis I believe) helped him onto his feet because, I believe, he was just as confused as me when it came to injured players under two minutes. In the NFL, if a team doesn't have a timeout and time has to be stopped due to an injury with less than two minutes left in the game while the clock is still running, there is a 10-second run-off. There is no such penalty in college football, so Toon technically could have stayed down on the field, and officials would have had to stop play. This would have given the Badgers some time to draw up a play, although the clock would have been started on the referee's whistle just like it was last Monday night. I know what you're screaming at your computer screens right now...then why didn't Toon stay on the ground? Well, Abbrederis pulled him up, probably a natural reaction considering the intense hurry-up mode the Badgers were in, so there's that. Also, since Toon was obviously able to stand (he was up when Wilson was trying to get the ball snapped in time), he wasn't THAT hurt. If he stays down on purpose in order to get the clock stopped, consider these two aspects: first, by rule, he is unable to return for the following play. Who knows...maybe if the Badgers get that spike off, he is able to shake it off and stay in for the next play. There's no denying Toon is not only Wisconsin's finest receiver, but also an NFL-caliber wide-out. Second, can you imagine the outrage from people (especially Oregon fans) if Toon stays down? Toon is not the guy who's going to pull something like that. It challenges the integrity of the game. Sure, if Toon is hurt badly enough to not get up (which wasn't true), then he stays down, but even then there is going to be controversy considering the situation. To close out this extremely lengthy paragraph, consider this...can't there be an easier way to signal to the quarterback the start of play? The head referee is standing BEHIND Wilson, and even though he blows his whistle, it's incredibly loud and the motion he's making with his arm to signal the start of the game clock isn't in Wilson's line of sight. But man do those two seconds go by fast. I'll bet you Wilson thought he had more time to hike that ball. Would it kill football to use a decimal point in their clock when it goes under a minute? This moment brings up so much debate. Kray.

I know that it never should have come down to this had Bret Bielema not burned that stupid second timeout early in the second half because he wanted a challenge on something that didn't need to be challenged, and I know Bielema for some reason can't win the big game, but that's not what I'm arguing here and I think I make a pretty strong case for the Badgers spiking the ball in that situation. Of course, Wisconsin still faced a virtual Hail Mary to even TIE that game, but it would have made for a much more exciting ending and not left such a bitter taste in my mouth. Speaking of bitter tastes, how about that Badger defense? Maybe they should take lessons from the basketball team. Speaking of which, the very next night, the Badgers had to host red-hot Michigan State at the Kohl Center, making a furious comeback in overtime. The Spartans clanged two free throws while up 63-60 with little time remaining, so Taylor rushed the ball up the court, missing the game-tying three. With still a few seconds to go, Ryan Evans grabbed the rebound, stepped outside the three point line, and heaved a prayerrrrrrr...it banked in! Double overtime! Hold up. As is normal protocol with made shots at the buzzer, the referees reviewed the play to see of the shot was released in time. Go figure this was happening 24 hours after another controversial issue involving the Badgers and clocks. Now get this: the stadium clock showed .01 seconds remaining when the ball left Evans' hands, but the clock on the basket showed time had expired, and the red light on the backboard had lit up before Evans released his shot. The made basket was overturned, and on consecutive nights, the Wisconsin Badgers had lost in heartbreaking fashion. Bru. Tal.

To cap off what was a horrid week aside from the Packers in Wisconsin sports (a combined 2-10 record from Jan. 1 - Jan. 8 between GB, WISC, MARQ, MIL), the Bucks lost five games in a west coast road trip. Shocker. Then again, Andrew Bogut missed four of those games dealing with personal issues, so that hurt, but all in all, it's been a rough year thus far for Wisconsin sports. Let's hope the Pack can turn it around this Sunday against the New York Giants, a game I'll try and preview sometime this week. Until then, let's hope Win-sconsin is just taking a short vacation, because 2011 was way too fun.

On a serious note, please keep Joe Philbin and his family in your prayers for the unfortunate event that transpired this weekend in Oshkosh. The news of his son Michael's death is not only saddening, but untimely considering the Packers' preparation for the Giants game, but Joe and his family needs to take the necessary time to grieve their loss and if this means no Philbin on the sidelines this upcoming weekend, so be it. It's hopefully something where the Packer players can rally together for Philbin and play inspired, but first and foremost, let's keep him in our thoughts.

On WIN-sconsin.

A Year in Review: 2011

2011-12-31T14:49:00.004-06:00

I wanted to do one final blog post in the year 2011, but was struggling to find a topic with the Packers forced to wait a few weeks for a meaningful game, NCAA basketball just starting up conference play...and nowhere near tourney time, and the Bucks, albeit garnering more of my attention than I anticipated, not worth talking about until we know for certain they are legit. Oh, and the final verdict on Ryan Braun should be coming up in a few weeks. Can't wait for that! So with that, I decided it would be a good time to, well, relive the good times - the most memorable moments in Wisconsin sports from the year 2011. I regret not doing this for the year 2010, but to be honest, it doesn't even compare to what we witnessed in the past 364 days. After about 15 minutes of research and personal bias, I was able to compile a top 10 Wisconsin Sports Moments list for all of us to enjoy. So before you go out and celebrate the arrival of 2012, the final year for us humans here on Earth, let's marvel in the glory that was the Green Bay Packers, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Wisconsin Badgers, the Marquette [Warriors], and at times, the Milwaukee Bucks (well, not this year).

10. June 27 - Wilson becomes a Badger

Rumors swirled around Madison early summer that former NC State quarterback and minor league baseball player Russell Wilson, who had a year left of eligibility, would make his way to Wisconsin to leave baseball (for the time being) and play under center for the Badgers in 2011. Wilson earned the starting role over Joe Brennan to the surprise of only Brennan's parents and had a spectacular season, finishing second in the nation in pass efficiency while throwing for 2,879 yards, 31 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Those eye-popping numbers, along with the performance of Heisman Trophy candidate Montee Ball, helped lead the Badgers to their second consecutive Rose Bowl where they'll play Oregon on Jan. 2. Without Wilson, the offense likely would have had trouble overcoming their deficiencies on defense and been unable to win the Big Ten. Wilson's signing is one of several off-the-field moments that will make their appearance on this countdown.

9. March - Wisconsin, Marquette reach Sweet 16 (1st for MU since '03)

For the first time since 2005, two Division I schools from Wisconsin had made the Regional Semifinal game, or Sweet 16, in the same year (UWM, Wisconsin). For the first time EVER, Marquette and Wisconsin reached the Sweet 16 in the same year. Neither team had an exceptional regular season, with the Badgers earning a four-seed and the Warriors barely sneaking in with an 11-seed. Unfortunately, each team would lose to their respective opponents, Wisconsin to eventual runner-up Butler and Marquette to North Carolina in rather ugly fashion. Still, because March Madness is one of the most exciting times in sports and this accomplishment never occurred before, it ranks ninth in 2011 Wisconsin sports moments.

8. November 22 - Braun wins MVP

The Milwaukee Brewers had two legitimate MVP candidates after their National League Championship Series run and Central Division Championship in 2011 in Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. Although I truly believed Prince deserved the honor for protecting Braun in the lineup and having an almost equally impressive season, I knew deep down Brauny had a better shot at beating out Matt Kemp for MVP, and that he did. Braun was among league leaders in several categories and ended up hitting .332 with 33 home runs and 111 RBIs. His late-game heroics created hysteria among fans time and time again and I think his clutch ability was what pushed him above Kemp in the voting race for the award. Although Braun is now under scrutiny from Dodger fans who think he should give up the award, now is not the time to be negative...but those idiots can shut their pie-hole. The MVP belongs to Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin.

7. Fall - Rodgers' rewrites the record books

Holy cow. What a year for Aaron Rodgers. Not only was he the Super Bowl MVP back in February, but he's likely to win another MVP award for his ridiculous 2011 NFL season. Assuming A-Rod gets shut down against the Lions on New Years Day, here are his final numbers for the season: 4,643 yards, 68.3 completion percentage, 45 touchdowns, six interceptions, 122.5 quarterback rating. No, this isn't Madden 2012. This is real life. Not only does Rodgers currently have the highest passer rating of all-time throughout a career, he'll break the single season passer rating record. Also, there's not a doubt in my mind Rodgers would have taken the single season completion percentage record away from Drew Brees had our receivers not developed a chronic case of "the dropsies." He also set the Packers' single season record for touchdown passes. I'm certain I'm missing other various records Rodgers took from He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, but let's hope he can do something else that douche never did...win back-to-back Super Bowls.

6. September 23 - Brewers clinch second division title ever

Remember in 2008 when the Milwaukee Brewers clinched their first playoff birth in 26 years? Ryan Braun smacked the go-ahead two-run home run over the left field wall in the eighth inning to beat the Cubs and earn the Wild Card. Once again, a spot in the postseason was on the line when Braun stepped to the plate - in the eighth inning - against the Florida (now Miami) Marlins. Now granted it wasn't the most pressure packed situation with the Brewers having several games left to clinch the division, but the moment was still tense with over 44,000 packed inside Miller Park. With two men on, Braun launched a bomb out of the park to take a 4-1 lead and take the Central Division crown. It's one of those moments in sports where you wish you were there, but luckily there's another moment left on this countdown that I was fortunate to be a part of.

5. The Packers don't lose for 362 days

Dec. 19 was the last time the Green Bay Packers knew the feeling of defeat up until they fell at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 17, nearly a whole year later. I know some of you probably took that loss a little harder than you should have simply because we all forgot what it was like to suffer through a Packer game like we did a few weeks ago. Failing to make history and go 19-0 is a little disappointing, but like the Packers, my main focus is winning the coveted Lombardi Trophy. Rodgers had a career high five touchdown passes last Sunday night and sealed the top seed in the NFC, which was the final remaining regular season goal for the Green and Gold. Perhaps another 362 day stretch of not losing has just begun.

4. December 3 - Badgers win thriller against Michigan State

The Badgers suffered one of the most heartbreaking defeats I can remember when their undefeated season was interrupted by a Hail Mary against the Spartans in East Lansing. Next week's loss against Ohio State wasn't much easier to swallow, and the Badgers all of a sudden faced an uphill climb to even reach the Big Ten Championship Game after having hopes of reaching the National Championship game. Wisconsin still found it's way to Indianapolis, and a familiar opponent stood in their way of grabbing a Rose Bowl birth - the Spartans. Down 39-34, Russell Wilson found sophomore wide receiver Brandon Duckworth on a prayer fourth down throw, much like the one Michigan State threw up several weeks ago, and the Badgers would take the lead on a Montee Ball touchdown run. Punter Brad Nortman's flop would allow the Badgers to keep the ball up to the final whistle, and in two days it will be Wisconsin squaring off against Oregon in Pasadena. Have fun in the Capital One Bowl, Sparty. You earned it.

3. February 12 - #1 Ohio State goes down in the Kohl Center

The unbeaten first ranked Ohio State Buckeyes came into Madison on a crisp, cool February evening to face a talented Wisconsin team led by Jordan Taylor and current Milwaukee Buck Jon Leuer. A legitimate National Title contender led by freshman big man Jared Sullinger and several other veteran players, the 18th ranked Badgers had other plans and knocked off the top team in the country. Fans rejoiced and (rightfully) stormed the court to lift Leuer up on their shoulders and celebrate one of the biggest victories in Wisconsin men's basketball history. Although the Badgers would have a rather disappointing end to their season, this win was one of the most exciting moments in the past 12 months not only in Wisconsin sports, but in college basketball.

2. October 7 - Tony Clutch walks the Crew into the NLCS

In the most exciting moment during my lifetime watching the Milwaukee Brewers (Braun's HR in '08 is a close second), the Brewers' electrifying outfielder Nyjer Morgan stepped to the plate with a man on second and one out in a tie game in the tenth inning. It was Game 5 of the National League Divisional Series and the crowd was on pins and needles, reminding me of the regular season finale I attended between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers when a playoff birth was on the line. Similarly to that game, I was present when Tony Plush punched a base hit into center field, allowing speedster Carlos Gomez to round third and beat the throw home and give the Brewers and exhilarating 3-2 win and a spot in the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Fans stayed for nearly a half hour after the game to celebrate and revel in the moment with confetti floating down all around them. It was the farthest the Brewers had made it in the playoffs since 1982, when they also squared off against the Cards. And just like '82, Milwaukee would fall to St. Louis, but the season was a success and the big off-season moves to bring in Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and Nyjer Morgan and the in-season moves to bring in K-Rod and Jerry Hairston Jr. paid off. Morgan's walk-off Game 5 base hit would be number one almost any other year, except...

1. February 6 - The Packers win Super Bowl XLV

The NFL is the most popular sport in America, and the Super Bowl is the most-watched event in the country year after year. The Green Bay Packers, who sneaked into the playoffs as a six seed with a 10-6 record, were forced to win three road games in order to reach the Super Bowl last season and they did just that, first winning in Philadelphia, then Atlanta, then Chicago, all places of which they had played during the regular season. Now, a team that needed help to reach the playoffs, a team that was 3-3 and 8-6 at different points of the season, a team that had 16 players on injured reserve, had SOMEHOW found its way to Dallas to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 45. Memorable moments included an interception returned for a touchdown by Nick Collins, a couple of thread-the-needle touchdown passes by Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, and of course, the forced fumble by Clay Matthews when the Steelers were driving down the field to take the lead with all momentum on their side. After the fourth down stop by the Packers defense, it was all over and the Lombardi Trophy was back in Green Bay for the first time in 16 years.

Has there ever been a year like this in Wisconsin sports? I don't think so. We witnessed the Badgers in the Rose Bowl, two Sweet 16 teams, the Brewers two wins away from getting in the World Series and the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers...all in the same year! Incredible. To expect anything of the sort in 2012 seems unrealistic, but fans will naturally have higher expectations of all their professional and collegiate teams. One question remains: can the Milwaukee Bucks get the state of Wisconsin on their side and rise to the occasion? We'll see, as they were the only major sports team unable to find success in 2011. Looking forward into 2012, Wisconsin has two top 25 teams, the Rose Bowl game and a one seed in the NFC, but before we bring in the new year, remember the fun ride we had as fans and continue to relive these moments.

On WIN-sconsin.

OFFICIAL 2011-2012 BASKETBALL Preview

2011-12-23T02:17:00.001-06:00

That's right. Not just the Milwaukee Bucks are getting previewed in this installment of the Balls, Brats and Beer blog; so are the two major college basketball teams in the state of Wisconsin from Madison and Milwaukee. Why? Because let's face it. I don't care what NBA franchise you are: you don't deserve your own blog post for a season preview, especially when your league couldn't figure out how to play a full season. In all reality, this works out nicely for my seasonal basketball preview. With the strike-shortened season beginning on Dec. 26 for the Buckaroos and conference play starting up for the Badgers the very next day (Marquette starts up Big East play on New Year's Day), now is the perfect time to dissect the big three if you will. To any of you clamoring about me ignoring the great institutions of UW-Milwaukee and UW-Green Bay, consider this: I didn't even preview my own UW Oshkosh Titans' basketball season...or their football team, for that matter. So there. I think I've justified that decision.

2010-2011 Milwaukee Bucks: 35-47, 3rd in Central Division, 9th in Eastern Conference (missed playoffs)

That's right. The Bucks weren't even eliminated from playoff contention until the last week of the regular season, and only missed out of the playoffs by one spot! Gotta love the NBA. Two years ago, the Deer managed to go 46-36 to earn a six seed in, as always, a very weak Eastern Conference. However, times have changed because teams like the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks have loaded up, not to mention the on-the-rise Indiana Pacers and the New Jersey Nets, who will soon not only be moving to Brooklyn, but also likely acquiring Dwight Howard. That's just speculation, but I think it's inevitable. Anyway, back to the Bucks. Last season's result was certainly not a surprise for a few reasons. We obtained a career-loser in Corey Maggette, a move I hated from day one. We resigned John Salmons, who everyone knows only plays well immediately after getting traded to a new team. Andrew Bogut was playing with one arm. Too much was expected of Brandon Jennings, who went through his sophomore slump. Too many teams got better while the Bucks took a step backward. And finally, whenever something big is expected from the Bucks, they don't do something big. So what's changed for the 66-game 2011-2012 season in Milwaukee?

Key losses: G/F Corey Maggettee (traded to CHA), SG John Salmons (traded to SAC), G/F Chris Douglas-Roberts (tear), SG Michael Redd, PG Keyon Dooling, PG Earl Boykins

Key additions: SG Stephen Jackson, G Shaun Livingston, PG Beno Udrih, F Tobias Harris (rookie), F Jon Leuer (rookie), F Mike Dunleavy

Returnees: C Andrew Bogut, PF/C Drew Gooden, PF Larry Sanders, F Jon Brockman, F Ersan Ilyasova, F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, G/F Carlos Delfino, SG Darington Hobson, PG Brandon Jennings

So the Bucks lost six and gained six and got rid of A LOT of extra baggage with Redd's contract and Salmon's corpse. In fact, according to HoopsHype.com, they are under the salary cap, leaving them in good shape in the coming years. I believe that General Manager John Hammond pulled all the right strings during the offseason, getting rid of cancers and potential cancers and replacing them with guys that will contribute and avoid clashing with each other. Last season was a complete disaster chemistry wise due to having a ball-hog like Maggette and the team struggling with injuries, including...well...just about everybody. Now, with an extremely compressed 66-game schedule and even a few back-to-back-to-back stretches, depth is more important to have than ever. Here's a look at how I think the Bucks 12-man roster will shape up on Dec. 26:

PG: Jennings - Udrih (Livingston: Inactive)
SG: Jackson - Delfino (Hobson: Inactive)
SF: Dunleavy - Harris - Leuer
PF: Mbah a Moute - Ilyasova - Sanders (Brockman: Inactive)
C: Bogut - Gooden

I could very well be wrong on this estimate for a few reasons. First of all, head coach Scott Skiles hasn't been at all thrilled with the play of Ilysova and Sanders, who simply make too many mistakes and aren't decisive enough, but their defensive ability will be enough in my opinion to make the 12-man roster. There could also be a debate whether or not both Dunleavy and Mbah a Moute start over Delfino and Gooden, but Mbah a Moute is the team's best defender (Skiles' specialty) and Dunleavy brings a scoring presence along with Captain Jack. There are also some of you who are going to question me putting Leuer on the active roster, but how can you argue with his preseason numbers? Livingston has always been a guy I feel the Bucks eventually part ways with, Hobson needs to do more to earn a roster spot after being a D-leaguer last season and Brockman brings energy, but just doesn't do a whole lot out there. These are not only the 12 guys I want to see on a nightly basis, but they are also the 12 guys I truly think will be on the roster opening night at Charlotte, where we get to see our old friend Corey Maggettee. Again, look at the DEPTH on this team...not bad, right?

Alright. Prediction time. Last season, I thought the Bucks would earn a five seed in the Eastern Conference and make a run at 50 wins...(face palm). Okay, that was stupid. In hindsight, I should have factored in the problems I mentioned before involving injuries, Jennings' slump and Maggette-spaghetti. This season, there are three teams I KNOW will finish better than the Bucks: Miami, Chicago and New York. Who will probably finish better than the Bucks? Indiana, Atlanta, Boston and Orlando. That leaves one more playoff slot in the East, and yes, I believe the Bucks can snag it. They could actually earn as high as a five seed because of the following reasons: Boston is old, making it harder to play a compressed schedule, Atlanta lost Jamal Crawford, a key contributor, and who knows how the Dwight Howard saga will end. With Jennings expected to bounce back (and be healthy), Bogey's right arm back to somewhat-full strength, and new additions I really, really like...

Regular Season Record: 36-30
Playoffs: Six seed, lose in 1st round

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Now for real basketball, the kind that takes place at the college level. The state of Wisconsin has four Division I teams, but there are only two that I consistently follow/give a crap about. The Green Bay Phoenix haven't had much of a program for as long as I can remember while UW-Milwaukee has had it's moments, most recently winning the Horizon League and then losing in the Conference Tournament final to eventual runner-up Butler. That leaves the Marquette Warriors and Wisconsin Badgers. One team plays up-tempo, the other plays slow. One team plays in Madison, the other plays in Milwaukee. One team is mostly white, the other mostly black. BUT, there is one similarity between these two - they both reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, riding the winning wave the Green Bay Packers began in February. Currently, the Warriors stand at 11-1, ranked 10th in the country while the Badgers are 10-2, standing at 14th in the polls.

2010-2011 Marquette Warriors (Golden Eagles): 20-14 (9-9), T-9th in Big East, Sweet 16 in NCAA

After barely sneaking in the tournament last season as an 11 seed, Marquette went on to upset Xavier and fellow Big East member Syracuse to reach the Regional Semifinal against North Carolina, who slaughtered the Warriors by 18. Now led by seniors Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder, the Warriors only defeat so far this season came at the hands of LSU down in Baton Rouge earlier this week. I really didn't think it was fair for the Tigers to march their football team out there, but hey, whatever it takes to win. In college basketball, letdown games come about just as often as someone imitating Aaron Rodgers' belt celebration, so I didn't really get too hellbent over this loss. I think the biggest storyline for Marquette heading into their conference opener against Syracuse on Jan. 1 is the health of Chris Otule, the opening day starter at center. Coming into this season, MU finally had some size with Otule and backup Davante Gardner, but Otule suffered an ACL injury a few weeks back against Washington and the decision to bring him back this season or not is still being mulled over by head coach Buzz Williams. To not have Otule there toward the end of the season puts a lot of pressure on Gardner to pick up the slack and stay out of foul trouble and also brings us back to the typical small lineup Marquette always finds themselves using. Fortunately, their is a ton of talent in that small lineup. Freshman newcomer Todd Mayo (yes, O.J. Mayo's little bro) can flat out score the basketball and sophomore Vander Blue will combine with Mayo to help take the pressure of DJO and Crowder in terms of scoring while transfer and hometown guy Jamil Wilson brings some athleticism and length.

This team has the ability to light up the scoreboard, but can also play the half-court game, which I believe is a valuable asset. Many experts are picking the Warriors to finish toward the top of the Big East among teams like Syracuse, Louisville and Connecticut, and I feel compelled to agree. Of course, a lot of this depends on the senior leadership of DJO and Crowder helping some of the younger guys along as well as the potential return of the 6'11" Otule, but I think this team has what it takes to win 24 or 25 games and earn a 4 or 5 seed in the NCAA tournament. With a fairly favorable conference schedule, my official prediction falls at:

Regular Season Record: 24-8 (13-5), T-3rd in Big East
NCAA Tournament Seed: Four
NCAA Tournament Result: Sweet 16

2010-2011 Wisconsin Badgers: 25-9 (13-5), 3rd in Big Ten, Sweet 16 in NCAA

Every year, the Badgers aren't expected to make much noise in the Big Ten, and every year, they do, because that's just how Bo Ryan rolls. Unfortunately, Ryan's teams never seem to be built for the style of play that wins games in the tournament. You know, teams that shoot the ball before the shot clock reaches .000001 seconds left. Watching the Badgers play basketball is an acquired taste to say the least. Last season, Jon Leuer helped lead Sconnie past Belmont and Kansas State before Leuer completely fell apart against Butler in the Regional Semifinal. With Leuer now in the NBA, Jordan Taylor assumes the leadership role for the Badgers, which we are still waiting to see translate over to the court. He's only averaging 11.8 points per game, but he still has that assist/turnover ratio at an impressive 3.2. I get the feeling that Wisconsin and Taylor are just starting to figure things out, which is good because they kick off Big Ten play at Nebraska two days after Christmas. This team lost two close games to North Carolina and Marquette so far and has also struggled through victories at UWM and vs UNLV as they gear up for what is a daunting Big Ten schedule. There's no question that it's now officially the second toughest conference in the nation. So other than Taylor, who will need to step up this season? The current leading scorer is Jared Berggren at 12.3 PPG, but I suspect JT will soon overtake that category. Ryan Evans is becoming more of a force on the boards and now has a starting role along with forward Mike Brusewitz and guard Josh Gasser, who has improved his jump shot since last season. Speaking of jump shots, sophomore Ben Brust has come out of nowhere to light it up from three on a couple different occasions, so we'll see how often Bo turns to him when the Badger offense needs a spark. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot to talk about regarding what may have been...believe it or not...a slightly overrated team coming into the season.

Sure, Wisconsin may still be able to run the table when it comes to home conference games and still have a successful regular season overall with their slow it down, shot clock draining style of basketball, but it just never seems to bring success in March, which is when a lot of people flip on the NCAA Tournament and actually care about college basketball. Teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois and Indiana are all going to give Wisconsin trouble in what is one of the strongest Big Ten fields in quite awhile. With that being said, here is my prediction:

Regular Season Record: 22-8 (11-6), 4th in Big Ten
NCAA Tournament Seed: Five
NCAA Tournament Result: Round of 32

There you have it. No surprise, but I'm predicting each of the three major basketball teams in Wisconsin reach the postseason. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see UWM sneak in there with Butler having a down year. Feel free to chime in with your feelings regarding my predictions and how you feel these teams will fare as we move into 2012, the year humanity will cease to exist.

May everybody have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Stay safe!

Dealing With Imperfection

2011-12-21T20:28:00.000-06:00

WIN-sconsin. I think most of you are now familiar with the term coined by us Wisconsinites late last summer. It was very fitting and also probably the first time in my life this combination of the words "Win" and "Wisconsin" was deserved when referring to the high level the state's sports teams were playing at. The Brewers were heading into the playoffs, the Badger football team seemingly couldn't be defeated and the Packers were the reigning Super Bowl Champions and hadn't lost since December of 2010. For the first time in my life, I felt spoiled as a sports fan. Never had these three teams been this successful at the same time. Never. But all good things must come to an end. The Brewers were eliminated by the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. A few months later, the Ryan Braun news surfaced. The Badgers lost in heart-breaking fashion two weeks in a row, although they were able to pull it together and reach the Rose Bowl for the second consecutive year. And then there's what happened early this week...Marquette's undefeated season came to an end in a loss against LSU on Monday. Well, that DID actually happen, but nobody cares about non-conference basketball. Let's get to what I'm actually referring to:

December 19, 2010. I was back home for Winter Break just like I am right now, watching the Matt Flynn-led Green Bay Packers play the juggernaut New England Patriots at Foxboro Stadium. The Packers were 8-5, barely clinging on to their playoff hopes. Green Bay would eventually lose, albeit by only four with a chance to go ahead at the end, but this was also the last time the Packers would lose until last Sunday, December 18, almost a year later. Ironically enough, the last two Packer losses have occurred while I've been back home, so I think I know how to fix this problem...move far, far away and never come back. No? I thought it sounded reasonable.

The fact of the matter is, this day was going to come eventually. Yeah, it was against the 5-8 Kansas City Chiefs, but who cares? Anyone can beat anyone in professional sports on any given day...especially when you're down to only two starting offensive linemen, you're number one wide receiver is out and your defense is somehow incapable of stopping Kyle Orton. I could go a little more in depth as to why the Packers lost, but I don't think anyone wants to relive the feeling of pain and anguish that we hadn't felt in almost exactly a year. In one sentence, it was a combination of injuries, dropped passes, failing to challenge what should have been a touchback, the inaccuracy of Rodgers, a team playing for its coach and having a piss poor excuse of a defensive strategy for a guy who was cut in favor of Tim Tebow. Final result: Chiefs 19, Packers 14. Should have been a whoooooole lot worse.

13-1. You know...that's a record I can live with at this point of the year. Better than losing in late January, that's for sure. What's even better is that no team is closer than two games behind Green Bay, which means it's extremely likely the Packers hang on to the number one seed and get home field advantage in the NFC. All that needs to happen is either one more 49ers loss or one more Packers win and by God, if the Pack loses to Josh McCown and the team that calls itself a professional football franchise, then it doesn't deserve to get the one seed. That's not something I'm even going to think about right now. What's important to think about is how the Packers now gear up for the postseason, both physically and mentally.

Here is the current Green Bay offensive line:
LT - Marshall Newhouse (Chad Clifton)
LG - Evan Dietrich-Smith
C - Scott Wells
RG - Josh Sitton (Derek Sherrod)
RT - T.J. Lang (Bryan Bulaga)

The players in parenthesis are currently injured, Sherrod done for the season after a gruesome leg injury. Other regulars who have been hampered by injury might remind you of the list the Packers compiled last season. Greg Jennings, James Starks, Alex Green, Andrew Quarless, A.J. Hawk, Desmond Bishop, Ryan Pickett, Mike Neal, Vic So'oto, Frank Zombo, Nick Collins. I'm probably missing a few here and there, but that number is getting awfully close to the number of players injured by the end of the '10 season, granted not all of the players I listed are on injured reserve. What was 'good,' if you will, about the Packer injuries last season were that many of the notable ones occurred early on in the season, giving the Packers time to recover and plug in new players to get adjusted to more playing time. What concerns me is that this season, many injuries, especially up front, are coming toward the end of the year and guys are playing in spots they aren't used to (i.e. Lang at right tackle), making it harder for the team to mesh together with so many players in new roles. But really, that's a fairly minor concern for a few reasons...Jennings will be back, which I think is the biggest reason Green Bay had trouble moving the ball on Sunday. Also, Clifton and Bulaga, the two starting tackles (and the two most important spots on the offensive line), should be healthy for the playoffs. Bishop should be back. Pickett should be back. Really, it comes down to the Packers willing to let everyone get healthy in time for what's really important: the playoffs. Of course, obtaining the one seed is the main goal right now, and that is unlikely to avoid Green Bay's grasp.

The second concern I have is in regards to the defensive unit. By this time of year last season, the defense was beginning to click and the bend but don't break mentality was in full force. If you watched that Kansas City game, the defense was bending to the point of nearly snapping in half, but let's be real...it looked horrendous. Maybe that had to do with gameplanning for Tyler Palko instead of Kyle Orton (we saw what happened when the Bears trotted out Caleb Hanie in the NFC Championship game last season), but the defense was unable to force any turnovers and as a result, the Chiefs moved the ball at will. Here's the interesting stat of the day: when was the last time the Packers failed to create a turnover? December 19, 2010 against the New England Patriots. That's right. The last time Green Bay lost a football game. 19 games later, and Dom Capers' defense didn't manage a forced fumble or an interception, resulting in a loss. I don't know what the deal is this season. Whether it's the loss of Nick Collins, an aging Chuck Woodson, Clay Matthews failing to reach the quarterback enough, or the overall inability to rush the passer, something isn't there yet. There are still two weeks to get on a little run, so it's nothing to get our panties in a bundle over. I thought the Oakland game was a start, but the Kansas City game was a step backward. We'll see how the defense (and the offense, for that matter) can close out the season without some of its key pieces. For now, let's forget about the failed attempt at an undefeated season and relish in 13-1, the best record in all of football.

Figured you might want a little update in my football life. Well, I doubt it, but you'll get it anyway. In fantasy football, I once again entered an auction league to go along with the two leagues I play in with friends, one of which is for money. I'm currently in the finals in my league that's for money ($80 to the winner!) with friends and I'm also in the finals in the auction league for the second year in a row. In case you forgot, I finished third in the money league last season and won the auction league, so I'm sitting pretty once again. As far as the third league I'm in, my commissioner failed to alert me that he would be rewarding a ridiculous amount of points for defenses, AND it was a PPR (points per reception) league, meaning a wide receiver gets an additional point for each catch they make. Think this might have affected my draft strategy a bit? The answer is yes, and the result was going 7-6 and losing in the first round of the playoffs two weeks ago. Good thing no one cares about that league. Besides, I won it last year. Gotta share the wealth.

As far as guessing games with the spread...same old story. Last year, I went 132-124. Through 15 weeks this season? 112-112. Imagine that. So I'll have to go 20-12 over the last two weeks, which are always hard to guess, in order to match my 2010 effort. Wish me luck!

I'll be back soon with a Milwaukee Bucks' season preview. Whether you want to read it or not is an entirely different issue. Perhaps they'll join in on the WIN-sconsin fun? Only time will tell.

My take on Braun, the Pack and Roses

2011-12-15T16:10:00.000-06:00

My goodness. It's been far too long, my friends. A busier-than-anticipated fall semester has finally drawn to a close and this blog has missed the Badgers thrilling Big Ten Championship Game victory and a baseball off-season I'd rather forget. But one thing this blog hasn't missed is a Packers' loss, which is why I'm almost afraid to post here for the first time in nearly two months. Since nobody was exactly clammering for me to get back on this thing, I'm guessing everyone was able to go on with their everyday lives, but I thought I'd still enlighten you on what has been going on recently in the Wisconsin sports scene.

We'll go from least important to most important, in my mind at least, and start with the Wisconsin Badgers' trip to the Rose Bowl for the second straight year. Yeah. This is the least important of the three. Two weeks ago to the day, the Badgers pulled out one of the most thrilling victories I've seen in college football for quite a while. Well, other than that one game in East Lansing a few months ago. It was a game that featured little defense, a couple of bonehead mistakes from Michigan State and the emergence of a future star at wide receiver. That receiver I speak of is sophomore Jeff Duckworth, who made a couple of crucial plays that the Badgers needed in order to win the Big Ten Championship. His most notable play was hauling in a 36-yard prayer from the game's MVP Russell Wilson on fourth down to essentially keep the Badgers alive. The real crime is that Wilson won the inaugural BTC MVP because I can think of a few players who deserved it more.

The most obvious candidate is soon-to-be most touchdowns in a single season record holder Montee Ball. Not only did Ball have four rushing TDs to bring his season total to 38, but he also completed a beautiful 32-yard pass to Wilson. Heck, if the Badgers don't end up finding an efficient replacement for RusselMania next season, they could just turn to Ball to play quarterback and running back at the same time. That is, if Ball decides to return for his senior year, which I have a feeling he will. I hope. Ball needs just two touchdowns to break the all-time record of 39 TDs in a season held by Barry Sanders. To be fair, Sanders recorded this feat in only 11 games, and the bowl game didn't count toward his total. How many scores did Barry get in the bowl game that season? Five. Oh well. Times have changed and Montee is going to take full advantage of that.

So who's the second MVP candidate? I think you know where I'm going with this one: Badgers' punter Brad Nortman. Nortman showed what the Milwaukee Greater Metro Conference is all about and went down after a Michigan State player who won't be named (I don't want him getting any death threats) plowed into Nortman after punting the ball away late in the fourth quarter with Wisconsin up 42-39. I think it's fair to say that the hit wasn't hard enough to make an 8-year-old girl crumble over, but everyone knows that if Nortman doesn't go with the flow and fall down on that play, the referee doesn't throw his flag. The rule is that if you run into the punter, it's a penalty. That's exactly what the Spartans' player did, and that's why the Badgers were able to seal a trip to the Rose Bowl to play Oregon on Jan. 2. Sucks to suck, Michigan State. Take that hail mary and shove it where the sun don't shine.

Oregon, who is ranked fifth in the country, should very well be playing in the National Championship. Instead, their kicker had other ideas and missed a chip-shot field goal to beat USC last month, leading to them pummeling UCLA in order to get into the Rose Bowl. It's a classic matchup of speed vs. power. On offense, the Badgers arguably hold the edge at both quarterback and running back, but Oregon has faster players at each position, which could pose some trouble for a Badger defense that I continue to lose faith in week after week. Basically, it's going to come down to whether or not the Badgers can outscore the Ducks because with their speed, they'll be able to rack up tons of points on the slow defensive line and the extremely porous secondary of Wisconsin. This is the game where Russell has to prove to Badger fans that he was the right choice. This may sound ridiculous, but Wilson shrunk a little bit in the team's losses to Michigan State and Ohio State earlier in the year. Granted, he put up pretty decent numbers in each game, but it took the Badger offense way too long to get going in each of those games, and in the end it bit them in the rear end because it came down to the defense trying* to get the job done. A slow start isn't going to cut it against Oregon - I can guarantee you that. I predicted the Badgers would get to the Rose Bowl again this year and only lose one game (they lost two), and I'll predict that they come up a bit short for the second year in a row. Sorry. Just going with my gut.

Okay. Spent a little bit more time on Wisconsin than I planned, but now it's time to move on to the second most important on-going story in the state. This was tough for me, especially since I'm a bigger baseball fan than anything, but the Ryan Braun scandal still takes a back seat to the undefeated run of the Green Bay Packers simply because of the timing. As everyone knows by now, Braun tested positive for having synthetic testosterone in his system and the news was leaked a week ago even though Major League Baseball has yet to complete the appeal process. Thanks, ESPN. I was alerted of this news while at the library studying diligently for my brutal finals week and my heart sank to the pit of my stomach. Suffice it to say, but I was no longer in the mood to study and my night at the library was cut short.

Of course, I went on to read anything and everything I could related to this devastating news and began to build hope that the decision to suspend Braun for 50 games next season as the result of using performance enhancing drugs could be reversed, or at least reduced. Braun took a second drug test immediately after hearing of his positive test and tested negative. From what I've heard, between the time he took the two tests, there is no way that amount of testosterone could have left his body, which could mean the first test was a farce and was somehow messed up. That's the most hopeful solution Brewer fans can hope for. I've also heard that Braun's suspension could be reduced from 50 games to 25 games because the substance he tested positive for wasn't a performance enhancing drug. Of course, missing Braun for any sort of extended period would be a killer for this Brewer team, who has gotten better at third base (Aramis Ramirez) and shortshop (Alex Gonzalez) and remained strong at the tail end of the bullpen (K-Rod), but has a huge question mark at first base (Prince Fielder leaving, Mat Gamel arriving).

Here's the final and most preposterous (although not out of the question) rumor I heard regarding Braun. He has herpies. Some dude commented on ign.com that he has a friend who is a trainer on the Brewers' staff. This trainer relayed him the information that Braun has herpies and the medication that he was given by his doctor to treat the condition is what triggered the spike in testosterone. Let me tell you something. If this were somehow true and I was Braun, not only have I been getting a lot of tail, but I'm almost willing to take that suspension rather than face such humiliation. Since the medication was prescribed from a doctor though, this would mean the suspension would go bye-bye and Braun would be able to play without sitting out any time.

So many different scenarios! Of course, what people keep complaining about is the following:

- No one has ever successfully overturned a positive drug test in the MLB (Wrong: yes they have. Normally, the appeals process goes through BEFORE THE POSITIVE TEST BECOMES PUBLIC, so we never know if someone has won an appeal that tested positive before.)

- Players are guilty before proven innocent (Sure, that's fair. But who cares? If Braun gets through this without being suspended, then I don't get what the big deal is. If you have the viewpoint that his reputation is tarnished no matter what, then that's your problem. Let the process play out.)

- Braun should have to hand over his MVP to Matt Kemp (Shut up. SHUT up. SHUT UP. All of a sudden, Dodger fans are coming out of the muck that is their organization and bantering for Braun to give up his MVP because he's a "cheater." Dear lord. The MVP award almost NEVER goes to a player on a team that didn't make the postseason unless it's a transcending player like Albert Pujols. Also, the positive test was in October, AFTER the regular season and AFTER all the baseball writers had voted for the award. Therefore, Braun didn't cheat during the regular season, or in any previous season for that matter, because he has been tested multiple times and it's random. Besides, his numbers this season were just like any other season, maybe slightly better, but since he was on a 96-win ball club, he was rewarded with an MVP. So once again, SHUT UP.)

Unfortunately, the appeals process won't be over until January, so I'm stuck here waiting anxiously for redemption. I've almost never felt more depressed than when I read the text message announcing Braun's positive test and potential suspension. He's one of my few heroes and someone I look up to as a role model, and for this positive test to be upheld would certainly be devastating. That's the only word I can use to describe it. Even if it comes down to Braun accidentally taking something he didn't know had an illegal stimulant in it, there's no excuse. You have to know what you put in your body. Here's hoping this all just goes away.

Let's sandwich this bad news with another bit of good news. Great news, as a matter of fact. Do you remember the last time the Green Bay Packers lost a game? Well, it was literally one year ago. 19 games in a row the Packers have won. How ridiculous is that? What's funny is that coming into the season, people were forgetting about the defending Super Bowl champs. It was all about the Eagles and the Cowboys and the Saints and the Falcons...who would end up going to Super Bowl 46 from the NFC? Well, here's a thought: maybe the team that would be returning 16 players from injured reserve? Okay, so not all 16 players were returning, but the Pack would be getting guys like Jermichael Finley, Ryan Grant and Morgan Burnett back on the field in 2011. Low and behold, here we stand: 13-0 with three very winnable games remaining to become the second team ever to complete a 16-0 regular season. I hope the '72 Dolphins are shaking in their old, torn up boots.

Of course, along the way Green Bay has lost Nick Collins for the season and had guys like James Starks, Desmond Bishop, A.J. Hawk, Frank Zombo, Chad Clifton, Josh Sitton, Andrew Quarless and now Greg Jennings miss extended time due to injury. The defense has had its issues, especially in games against the Saints, Chargers and Giants, but this season has been all about Aaron Rodgers and the Packer offense. Rodgers is having perhaps the best single season a quarterback has ever put together, or at least one of the better ones we've ever seen. There hasn't been much of a run game, and Finley hasn't contributed nearly as much as people expected coming in, but the beautiful thing about it is that Rodgers always makes sure everyone is involved, forcing the defense to be even more on its toes. Jennings and my boy Jordy Nelson have had career years (Jennings was just cut short), James Jones' hands have been sure, and Donald Driver continues to get it done at 107 years of age. Helping out with field position is rookie Randall Cobb, who already has two returns for touchdowns...look out, Devin Hester. More will be expected of Cobb, fifth in catches among receivers, with Jennings out, but with Jennings expected back for the Divisional Round of the playoffs, his injury shouldn't be a long-term problem.

On defense, the numbers tell that it's been a struggle, but things are going to come around with this bunch. One number that shouldn't be overlooked is the number of takeaways this unit has, something that Dom Capers takes a lot of pride in. This defense has players like Chuck Woodson, Clay Matthews, B.J. Raji and Tramon Williams, who are going to step their game up now that it's getting colder out and the Green Bay offense simply won't be quite as effective as a result, especially going up against a higher level quality of opponents. The most important part about being 13-0 isn't the chance to become the second team in NFL history to not lose a single game throughout the regular season and the playoffs; it's about having that home field advantage, something the Packers apparently didn't need last season. Unlike last season, having basically nothing to play for at this point of the season could be a little concerning, but I haven't seen a team as mentally strong as this group of guys, and having a week off to start the playoffs while being a one seed is something I think this team would prefer over last year's scenario.

Getting back to people forgetting about the Packers...heard of that Tebow guy lately? Thank God for him. I'll go on the record and say that I love every second of it. Seriously. I love Tim Tebow. Talk about him all you want, ESPN. Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith going at it each morning on First Take is surprisingly one of the most entertaining things on television, although I can't stand it when Skip talks about Rodgers. Sorry he hasn't had any come from behind fourth quarter victories this year like your beloved Tom Brady. He hasn't been in the position to. And the one time he did have to have a late drive to win the game when the Packers were tied with the Giants with 56 second left, he waltzed down the field to set up a walk-off field goal. Anyway, back to Tebow. He's 7-1 as a starter, isn't necessarily good at what he does, and has the whole nation mesmerized, helping to take a huge chunk of attention off the Pack...just as they'd prefer it.

So let's just say January is another huge month for our beloved sports teams. It'll start off with the Rose Bowl game, then the NFL playoffs will get going and eventually the final verdict will come forth on Ryan Braun. Enjoy your break if you just got done with finals like me, good luck if you are yet to take them and have a merry Christmas if I'm not back on here before then. Once the new year arrives, it'll be time to avert your attention back to the greatness that is Wisconsin sports.

Never Forget

2011-10-18T01:21:00.000-05:00

I get it. The Wisconsin Badgers and the Green Bay Packers are a combined 12-0. It's awesome and surreal, don't get me wrong, but I'll have plenty of time to talk about the success of Wisconsin football. For now, the Brewers should get your undivided attention for one last time this year.

Last night, when the clock struck midnight on the Brewers' magical run, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I've sat through countless playoff defeats from the Packers, the Badgers, the Bucks and the Golden Eagles as a die-hard fan of Wisconsin sports, but NOTHING has ever hurt as bad as losing game 6 of the National League Championship Series to the hated St. Louis Cardinals. I sat with my head in my hands for several minutes, trying to allow all the unforgettable memories from the past season override the agony and despair of the season being over at the hands of a team who I hope a rivalry will continue to grow with. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who questioned the decision to start the lifeless corpse of Shaun Marcum or the idea to go with a lineup that didn't give the Brewers the best chance to win, but the fact of the matter is that the Brew-City Bombers ran into a buzz-saw Sunday night. The Cards were the hotter team, but not necessarily the better team...I refuse to acknowledge that. From the day that Nyjer Morgan went to Twitter to begin a mini war of words and tell St. Louis to "have fun watching the Brewers in October from their couches," the Cardinals went on a tear. Whether you want to blame it on what Plush would consider some friendly trash talk, managers like Tony LaRussa and players like Albert Pujols don't need to be given any extra motivation to succeed, and that's exactly what they've done. Succeed. Succeed beyond expectations.

As difficult as this may sound right now, none of those things should be what defines the 2011 Milwaukee Brewers. The expectations were higher than ever heading into April because of acquisitions like manager Ron Roenicke, Morgan, Takashi Saito, Shaun Marcum (ugh) and Zack Greinke, and they got even higher towards the end of July and the beginning of August by adding all-time single season saves leader Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez and utility man Jerry Hairston Jr. All of these additions were somehow pulled off without losing any core players like Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks and Yovani Gallardo, although the farm system was left almost completely decimated. But just like when the Brewers traded everything and the kitchen sink for C.C. Sabathia three years ago, fans supported the moves. They were all-in, just like General Manager Doug Melvin. Naturally, I made some predictions:

1. Shaun Marcum will win 15 games. (WRONG, although a lack of run support didn't help)
2. Prince Fielder will either collapse under the pressure of a contract year or have a career year because of the motivation of a contract year...then walk after '11. (RIGHT (so far), it was a career year without question...Prince has yet to walk though)
3. Nyjer Morgan will eventually become the main guy in center field after starting the year in a platoon with Carlos Gomez and the Crew once again realizing Go-Go sucks. (RIGHT, although by the end of the year I was calling Gomez's name)
4. John Axford won't top his 2010 season in the closer role but do enough to stay in it. In addition, set-up man Zach Braddock will be an absolute beast. (PAINFULLY WRONG for obvious reasons)
5. The Brewers will rank in the bottom five in the MLB in defense. (BARELY WRONG, they were 24th, but are currently dead last in postseason defense)
6. Zack Greinke will not perform as well as expected, but Yovani Gallardo will succeed thanks to a lack of pressure. (KIND OF RIGHT)
7. The Brewers will acquire a key bench player mid-season. (RIGHT, Hairston)
8. Manager Ron Roenicke will win NL Manager of the Year. (STAY TUNED)
9. Mark Rogers will be called up at some point during the season and make some key spot starts...maybe even earn the fifth spot at some point. (WRONG, Rogers was injured/we didn't end up needing any rotation replacements)
10. Sergio Mitre will make one start and then find his way to the bullpen, where he had some success last year with the Yanks. (WRONG, but who cares)
11. Mat Gamel will not be touched in the minor leagues (barring injuries at the major league level), but will replace Prince Fielder in 2012 at first base. (WRONG, unfortunately, but he may be the opening day guy in 2012 at first)
12. Milwaukee Brewers 2011 record: 91-71, 1st place in NL Central (PRETTY RIGHT, 96-66, a franchise record in wins, was enough for 1st in the Central)

Some of these predictions are still pending, but let's move on.

Roenicke brought a lot of excitement to the table and it took him some time to feel out the cast of all-star players and the situation he walked into, but any realistic fan knew there would be some growing pains. He had an aggressive style of managing, which naturally excited Brewer fans, and eventually he figured out the right assortment of players to put on the field and implemented strategies in certain situations once he got a feel for the club. It was a slow start to the season, partly due to a lack of chemistry, but mostly due to injuries to several key players. Players came back, and things started to click, especially once Greinke returned from his freak basketball injury. They hung around the top of the division for the next few months, and the post-All Star game additions Melvin made were enough to jump-start the Crew once again, despite the gruesome ankle injury Rickie Weeks sustained, and give them a comfortable edge in the NL Central. Throw in the inspired performances of potential MVPs Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, the leadership in the rotation of Yovani Gallardo, the shut-down closing ability of John Axford, and the Brewers simply showing more will to win than their opponents - many times in heart-stopping fashion - and that in a nutshell is why the Brewers landed in the postseason.

So Milwaukee, the smallest pro baseball market in the league, drew the Arizona Diamondbacks in round one, a team they battled with until game 162 to earn home-field advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. I was fortunate enough to earn the right to buy tickets to game 2, but decided to pass. Ha. Yeah, right. They won that game for me along with game 1 thanks to a dominating performance by our ACE, Yovani Gallardo. Of course, the road woes crept back into the minds of the Brewers and as much as I felt it wouldn't happen, there would be a game 5 at Miller Park. Speaking of Miller Park, if that stadium could seat 100,000 people, it would have been filled each and every game this postseason. The SMALLEST MARKET in baseball. What about Chase Field in Phoenix, you ask? Game 4, there were roughly 10,000 empty seats in the D-Back's home ballpark. That's embarrassing. Also, it gave me the feeling that the Brewers deserved to win this series, even after the lackluster performances by Marcum and veteran lefty Randy Wolf. The night of Saturday, Oct. 8 rolled around and I was planning on watching the final game of the series either on my own coach or from one of the many bars located in Oshkosh, but then I remembered something. Kyle's mother, who had purchased four standing room only tickets to game 5, was giving her tickets to Kyle, which meant I had to consider if I wanted to or would be able to go. Of course I wanted to go, and thanks to the gracious gesture of my roommate Will, I drove his van down to Milwaukee Sunday morning for the biggest baseball game in Milwaukee in decades. Flash forward to about 7:30 PM...

Can I even explain this moment? Probably not. Gomez, a defensive replacement, singles to left. He takes second on a wild pitch. Plush knocks one up the middle, Go-Go scores the NLDS-clinching run. Hysteria ensues. The Keg was flowing. If there is one moment of my young life that I'd never forget, it was being at Miller Park when Gomez crossed home and the ten minutes that followed, fans going absolutely nuts, the building maybe the loudest it had been at any point during the actual game. Unforgettable to the maximum meaning of the word. I embraced tens of hundreds of random people and made sure to snap some pictures, capture the moment on video and grab a few pieces of confetti for keepsake. I know the Brewers would eventually lose in six games the next series, but being there for that moment might just make up for it alone. The only thing I missed as a result of attending game 5 was T-Clutch shouting obscenities into the TBS microphone held by Sam Ryan. Shouldn't have been standing there, Sam.

Most of you who talk to me regularly about baseball, are friends with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter probably already know what I'm about to tell you about the Cardinals/Brewers suds series II, but I'll go through it nevertheless. After the first few games, it was apparent who wasn't going to help contribute to the Brewers' run at a World Series, and those names included Corey Hart (slumping at the plate, useless in the field), Nyjer Morgan (one of the most clutch hits in Brewer history, I know, but facing the same struggles as Hart), Rickie Weeks (simply not healthy enough to contribute in any way) and Shaun Marcum (completely out of gas). Marcum's performance in game 2 was hard to watch, but not as hard to watch as in game 6. Usually, when you give up more runs than record outs, you're in trouble. The fact of the matter is that Marcum had never gone past 200 innings in his career and Roenicke was leaving him for dead by putting him out there in an elimination game. Sure, he had a very short leash...if even a leash at all...but he never should have been out there in the first place, and it was enough to set the tone for how the Crew's final game in 2011 would end up. And of course, Hart, Plush and Weeks were all out there for game 6 as well. What should have the stubborn Roenicke done for game 6? I know it sounds extreme and idiotic, but...

RF Morgan, CF Gomez, LF Braun, 1B Fielder, 3B Hairston, SS Betancourt, C Lucroy, 2B Counsell, P Gallardo/Estrada

Gallardo on three days rest? But it's only three days rest! And then he can't pitch in game 7! Shut up. Even if Gallardo can't go here, pitch Estrada. He was a gem spot starter.
Counsell over Weeks? He hit .170 on the season! Yeah, but the Brewers needed defense, and Counsell >>> Weeks in that regard. Oh, and Weeks hit .146 in the playoffs.
If you were against playing Plush, why is he in there? Because he's the best DEFENSIVE option in right, plus there needs to be someone in the lineup with lead-off experience.
Hairston in the 5 hole? And Yuni in the 6? Why mess with that chemistry towards the bottom of the lineup? Sorry, you're right. Protecting Prince isn't that important.

And if you even question having Gomez in there because it was against a righty, don't even look at me.

I hated the idea of starting Mark Kotsay in game 3 and then I hated not having him in there in game 5. I hated how our defense sucked, making Greinke's game 5 start look bad when it really wasn't. I hated how Roenicke wouldn't give Taylor Green a chance to at least pinch-hit instead of continuously marching out McGehee (why even put him on the roster then?). I hated a lot of the decisions that were made in the NLCS, only proving why 29 years of experience managing trumps one year. I appreciate what guys like Marcum, Hart, Weeks and Plush did for us all season long and they were a HUGE reason why the Brewers got to the point they did, but just because someone helps you get to where you are doesn't mean they have to go the distance with you. Man, I sound like a dick. No wonder I don't have a girlfriend.

So what's next? First things first, I don't think I can bring myself to watch a single inning of the World Series. I said the same thing in 2007 after the Packers' depressing loss to the Giants in the NFC Championship game about the Super Bowl, but I watched it. Not this time. I hate the Cardinals way too much and not seeing the Brewers in the first World Series of my lifetime just hurts too much. Plus, I really have some school work to catch up on after watching all this playoff baseball. Once the World Series comes to a close, we as Brewer fans have a few things to root for:

Ryan Braun or Prince Fielder (or both) winning the MVP award.
Ron Roenicke, despite his joke of a managing effort in the NLCS, winning the NL Manager of the Year.
The Brewers front office continuing to push forward and making this team as competitive as possible.
Fielder returning in a Brewer uniform in 2012 without crippling our payroll for the next decade.

For as greedy as I am, I would be happy to see two of these things happen and for as awesome as personal accolades are, I hope those two things are the last two listed. What else will be going down as soon as free agency hits in a few weeks?

Yuni B will probably be gone.
Craig Counsell will be gone.
K-Rod will probably be gone.
Haiston will probably be gone.
Hawkins will probably be gone.
Saito will probably be gone.
Kameron Loe might be gone.

Greinke will be back.
Marcum will be back.

Prince Fielder. Sigh...this is probably it, Brewer fans. Over six years of the big fella crushing baseballs, cracking that boyish smile in the dugout and celebrating with Ryan Braun after each home run. Not sure if you caught this, but Prince still hasn't left out returning to Milwaukee according to the post-game interview he gave last night. His exact words were "the amount of fun...it's just been the best, easiest year I've ever had for me mentally, just going out everyday and playing hard. This year's been awesome...HOPEFULLY I'LL BE HERE FOR MORE YEARS TO COME, but if not, it's been cool."

Yeah...that's just me clinging on to the last string of hope. The way everyone got choked up when the team left the clubhouse for the final time this season, especially Casey McGehee, who's son has cerebral palsy. Fielder was especially supportive, and just thinking about the embrace they had before Prince left for good is bringing tears to my eyes as I type this. The tone of players, coaches and Prince himself give off the impression that one of the greatest players in Brewers franchise history is walking into greener pastures, if you catch my drift. If this is indeed the case and the Brewers, who will certainly make a strong push to bring back Fielder's services, are unable to re-sign Prince, then that money should be used to fill other voids that will undoubtedly be left. Despite losing so many studs from the farm, there are still promising youngsters that will have their shot to make the big league club next season and free agents brought in to do the same. As much as I want to get into that discussion right now, I'll save it for another time.

Right now, let's just remember what the 2011 Milwaukee Brewers and Prince Fielder gave us: the highest of highs and at times, the lowest of lows. Moments we'll never forget. The deepest playoff run in 29 years. And in Fielder's case, six-plus years of the greatest display of power to march through Wisconsin in...well...perhaps ever. What a ride it was, and maybe what a ride it will continue to be. Just like back in '08, now that I've gotten a taste, I want the whole thing. This will forever be the sport I love the most, and it's still hard to accept that I must move on. The success in Madison and Green Bay will help me cope. Okay. We've given the Brewers the time they've deserved, but while you're tuning in to football, basketball, hockey or any other sport this winter, NEVER FORGET the ride a group of 25 men gave you last summer, and remember how we all enjoyed every second of it.

Sports are amazing.

See you next year.

And Here. We. Go.

2011-09-30T02:17:00.001-05:00

Consider this the "mega-blog post" of all blog posts because there's A LOT to get to. I've finally come to the realization that this will be my last post ever. No, I'm not willingly quitting the blog. I'm accepting its fate. Just take a look at what I have on my plate this weekend.

Saturday:
12:00 AM - My 22nd birthday
1:07 PM - Arizona Diamondbacks @ Milwaukee Brewers, Game 1 NLDS
7:00 PM - #8 Nebraska Cornhuskers @ #7 Wisconsin Badgers

Sunday:
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM - Recover, get picked up by from Oshkosh by Mommy
12:00 PM - Round up the troops for Game 2 of the NLDS
1:30 PM - 3:00ish PM - Tailgate the s*** out of the Miller Park parking lot
3:15 PM - Denver Broncos @ Green Bay Packers
3:37 PM - Arizona Diamondbacks @ Milwaukee Brewers, Game 2 NLDS

Uh huh. Yeah. This one's gonna be a doozy. Before I look ahead to what's about to completely rock my world and probably change the course of my life forever, I'd like to recap what happened in the past even though it's impossible to change. I'll start with the Wisconsin Badgers' final pre-conference tuneup against poor old South Dakota. The Coyotes (pronounced "kai-otes") I'm sure were paid a whole lot of green to march into the vice grip of Camp Randall Stadium and to be perfectly honest, I don't recall exactly what the final score was. What I do remember is Russell Wilson and Nick Toon hooking up over and over and over and me beginning to think that Toon has the makeup of a pro wide receiver. I know it was against South Dakota, but there's no question Wilson has found his favorite target with Jared Abbrederis being a solid number two option and tight end Jacob Pedersen eating up the redzone. This is probably the most I've ever talked about the air attack of the Badgers. Don't worry. Montee Ball is still there. James White is still there. The run game is still the bread and butter for this offense.

The Badgers now face their first test of the season, and oh, what a test it is. Nebraska makes its Big Ten conference play debut and no way was the Big Ten going to allow the Cornhuskers to play the Indiana Hoosiers back in Lincoln to help them get acclimated with their new conference. Hell no. You guys get to play a night game...in Madison...against a top ten team...with College Gameday in town. Have fun with that. In all seriousness, though, this game is going to take a four quarter effort from the Badgers offense and most importantly, their defense, in order to escape with a victory. The number one unit for Wisconsin hasn't given up much this season as far as points are concerned and kind of have that bend-but-don't-break mentality...that phrase is really starting to become cliche, but I'm too lazy to think of a better descriptor. Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how the D handles Nebraska's Taylor Martinez, a sophomore dual-threat quarterback. There's no denying that the Huskers can put points on the board, but their defense has been unimpressive and with the second most efficient passer in the nation and one of the best running back duos there is, Wisconsin should be able to exploit this weakness. Sure, it's hard to gauge just how impressive the Badgers are from top to bottom because they haven't played anyone yet, but what about Nebraska? Their most difficult opponent to date has been a home date with middle of the Pac-10 team Washington (see what I did there?) and they gave up 38 points to the Huskies. The most Wisky gave up thus far is 17 to UNLV with most of those points coming in garbage time. I think the Badgers have the edge on offense, on defense and in location. Looking forward to watching the game on my couch enjoying a few cold ones, although I do envy those who will be in the house at the game that has produced the most coveted ticket in Wisconsin's history. Go Bucky.

In case you forgot (which I'm sure you didn't...just needed a transition), the Chicago Bears foolishly believed that they would be able to knock off the Packers in Soldier Field for the second straight year in week 3, but the Packers would have nothing of it. They took care of Da Bears 27-17 in a game that was never really all that close. Green Bay never relinquished their lead after Aaron Rodgers found Greg Jennings what seemed like 15 times on the first drive, leading to a touchdown catch by Jermichael Finley. I'm not going to give a play-by-play because I know everyone saw this one, but I would like to point out a couple of performances that shouldn't go unnoticed. First of all, I understand that Finley's performance didn't exactly fly under the radar, but did you notice how he was getting his scores? The Bears' secondary was so afraid of Rodgers throwing up the fade in the corner of the endzone to Sirmichael that they forget he can just cut inside on a slant and find himself wide open. Man, talk about a dilemma for future opposing defenses. Are they really going to have to focus two guys on our tight end to avoid him beating us? Probably, and I don't know why more teams do it. After all, Finley is the Packers' only real threat through the air and...wait a minute...you're telling me Green Bay has five wide receivers that are good enough to start for any other team in the National Football League? Oooooo. That sucks, rest of league. Good luck with that one. And if that's not enough, Ryan Grant is kind of starting to rekindle that old flame inside as he rushed 17 times for a convincing 92 yards, although he did suffer a bruised kidney and could be held out of the Broncos game as a precautionary measure. That's fine by me, because James Starks can then take over and maybe we would even get to see a little of the rookie, Alex Green. I mean, c'mon, let's be real...it's the Denver Broncos coming into town. I think we'll survive. The only downer about the weekend I'm about to experience is that I'll miss the Packers' game in its entirety because of the scheduled time of Game 2 that I HAVE to attend. But I think I'll get over it. I mean, c'mon, let's be real...it's the Denver Broncos coming into town. Quick shout-outs to Morgan Burnett (2 picks against the Bears, you the man Morgan), and injured Packers offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga (glad the knee injury isn't anything serious, get well soon), defensive end Mike Neal (take it slow, buddy) and linebacker Frank Zombo (apparently 100 percent now). Go Pack.

Get this, everybody. It'll be October 1st on Saturday, and the Brewers will still be the talk of the state; at least in my mind. Why's that? Well, the Milwaukee Brewers have stolen the hearts of Wisconsin because of their potent 1-2 punch in the middle of the lineup, an outspoken and fiery competitor who gives the best interview in sports...other than the mustache aficionado John Axford, a team that set the franchise record in wins with a 96-66 record and obtained home field advantage in the first round. But most importantly, we're here today because of a competent starting rotation and a bullpen with defined roles. I remember 2008 quite vividly, and I'm in the same boat as many when I say that I was just happy that the Brewers reached the playoffs. Whatever happened after that was gravy. I'm embarrassed to an extent to admit that, but...it was the Brewers in the POSTSEASON. It hadn't happened before in my lifetime...by a long shot. What I will always remember most about the Brewers' first playoff appearance in 26 years is Ryan Braun's game clinching go-ahead 2-run homer in the bottom of the 8th against the rival-Chicago Cubs, then watching the New York Mets fall to the Florida Marlins to give the Brewers the NL Wild Card position. The champagne started to flow, hilarity ensued and tears flowed from my eyes. Seriously. Don't judge. Three years later, albeit about a week earlier than in '08, Braun once again stepped to the plate in a 1-1 ball game with a chance to clinch a playoff berth and what happened? Of course. Braun bashed one out to deep center for a 3-run homer and the Brewers were NL Central Divison champs. All that was left to do was root for the Braves to hold onto the Wild Card position (they didn't...that honor belongs to the hated Fightin' LaRussas) and cling onto the number two seed so that the Crew had home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Despite the best efforts of the baseball gods, Milwaukee earned the two seed and will host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Divisional Series beginning on Saturday.

I'm not sure if anyone wanted that two seed worse than I did. In case you weren't aware, I was randomly selected out of over 190,000 entries to have the OPPORTUNITY to purchase postseason tickets to a Brewers' home playoff game. When I opened my email last Saturday and saw the "NLDS Ticket Opportunity: Congratulations" subject heading, I went completely bonkers, immediately texted longtime friend/fellow sports enthusiast/friend of the blog Kyle and we held about a 15 minute conversation screaming "Oh my GOD" back and forth to each other. There was nearly an identical conversation that took place last Friday night (good song) after the Beer Makers clinched a playoff spot. The email told me to follow a link and enter a code on Tuesday, beginning as early as 9 AM. I got in the waiting room. I was selected instantly. I nabbed those left field bleacher seats. The only aspect that poked at me was that I bought tickets for the 2nd home game rather than the first. Why? Because two of the people I would be bringing with me to the game go to Madison and the first home game was potentially going to fall on October 1st (enough said). So what was the problem? Well, what if the Brewers hadn't gotten the two seed? They would be on the road the first two games, then return to Miller Park for game three. It would've been unlikely to happen, but what if the Brewers got swept in three? I'd be stuck with tickets for game four. No playoffs for me. Someone would surely die. Thank goodness for the will of the Crew and the managerial skills of Ron Roenicke to help lead Milwaukee to that coveted two seed and restore comfort to my insides.

So it'll be 17-game winner Yovani Gallardo, the Brewers unprecedented ace no matter what you tell me, against 21-game winner Ian Kennedy, a former Yankees reject who appears to have rejuvenated his career. Arizona is just as hot if not hotter than the Brewers and won the season series over Milwaukee, 4-3. It's all out the window now. Playoff baseball is a totally different monster. Now we wait for the Crew to announce their playoff roster on Saturday morning as well as the game 2 starter, who we can only hope is Zack Greinke. If you don't hope it's Greinke, here's why you should: the Zack Attack is 11-0 at Miller Park this season and the Brewers are 15-0 when he starts at home. 15-0! Holy, man. I know it would be his second start on three days rest, but he didn't go as deep into the game on Wednesday as he could have and my feeling is that he will be able to talk his way into a start on Sunday. Grienke at home >>>>>>>>>>>>> Greinke on the road. 'Nough said. Go Crew.

On a lighter note, I went to see the movie "Moneyball" a few hours ago and it basically rocked my socks off. For a baseball nerd like me and a stats nerd like me, I was hooked from the very beginning and the emotional roller coaster that Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill lead me on helped me forget that it was over two hours long. Every single minute of that movie was worth it. I hate to hype up a film and cause anyone who plans on seeing it to have high expectations going in, but it's that good. Then again, that's just me talking. I HIGHLY recommend it, baseball fan or not. It goes beyond baseball and that's what helps make this film so special.

Well, guys...it's been nice knowing ya. I hope the state of Wisconsin has braced itself for what's about to take place this weekend, because I have. That's for damn sure.

Duhhhh...WINNING

2011-09-19T00:47:00.003-05:00

What a week for Wisconsin sports. I can't remember a more exciting time to be a sports fan in Wisconsin. Well, maybe that whole Super Bowl thing last February, but now we have multiple teams that are legitimate in their respective sports. I challenged the Brewers a week ago to step it up and trim that magic number down to about four and whaddaya know; it's four. The Philadelphia Phillies did the Crew a favor by beating the Cardinals once this weekend, but the Beermakers took care of their own business and won four of five games during the week, including a sweep in Cincinnati, to basically wrap things up in the Central. Along with the Brewers recent success, the Wisconsin Badgers and Green Bay Packers won games that they should win, albeit the Pack didn't do it in the most convincing fashion. At least we haven't seen either team drop a game this fall. Let's hope it stays that way.

I'll begin with Wisky, who brought a bunch of cheeseheads with them down to Chicago and Soldier Field to play a "neutral" field game against potential dangerous mid-major Northern Illinois. You might think that my sarcastic use of the word "neutral" meant that I felt NIU would have an unfair advantage as far as fan support because they were playing in their own backyard. You'd be mistaken. Badger fans were in the majority Saturday afternoon and Wisconsin took care of business by defeating the Huskies 49-7. Northern Illinois didn't stand much of a chance after Wisconsin pulled away for good from a 7-7 tie midway through the first half. I'm guessing the Badgers looked good - apparently the MAC had television rights for this game and therefore it wasn't televised in my neck of the woods. Sure, I could have walked down the street and watched on ESPN3.com, which is free on college campuses, but I decided it wouldn't be worth my time. That, and I'm a lazy piece. What I got out of watching gamecast on ESPN is that Russell Wilson and Montee Ball are still viable Heisman candidates, especially Wilson, and that the Badgers' defense is doing a good job of keeping teams out of the endzone. So now Wisconsin stands at 3-0 in preseason college football and faces one more joke of an opponent before we reach the big test: Nebraska coming into Camp Randall for arguably one of the biggest games in school history. Oh yeah, and it's on my birthday. We'll see whether or not my birthday combined with either a depressing loss or an inspiring win powers my binge drinking Saturday night. Just kidding, mom!

Fortunately on Sunday, I actually got to WATCH football rather than follow it on the internet when the Packers took the field at Carolina. If this one didn't scream "trap game" going in, I don't know what did. Low and behold, the Pack started off about as bad as you can by letting Cam Newton walk down the field (with some pretty impressive throws, mind you) and jump ahead 7-zip. If that wasn't bad enough, upstart rook Randall Cobb ran into the back of his own teammate returning the ensuing kickoff and coughed up the football. 10-0. Then it was a three-and-out for the offense and the Panthers' offense had the ball back once the first quarter came to a close. That's right. Green Bay's offense was on the field for three plays in the first quarter. THREE. PLAYS. Ouch. But after the Packers' D was able to limit the Panthers to a field goal again, the O kicked things into high gear.

After Aaron Rodgers hooked up with Jermichael Finley what seemed like 15 times, John KUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHN punched it in after dropping a touchdown and it was a ball game. The offense absolutely exploded in the third quarter, racking up four scoring drives. Unfortunately, only one of those drives resulted in a touchdown...the first one, which took under three minutes and ended with a wide open Greg Jennings hauling in a 49-yard touchdown. Even though the Packers were unable to bring the hammer down on their next three drives, the Panthers started turning the ball over...a lot. For as awful as the Packers' defense looked early in the game, particularly Chuck Woodson covering Steve Smith, they made up for it and then some. Charles "In Chuck We Trust" Woodson picked off Cam-not-really-the-man-especially-in-the-red-zone on the first second half Panther possession and then recovered a Smith fumble on their next possession to make up for his lackluster start. After it was 20-13 Packers, Newton carelessly threw another pick, this time to safety Morgan Burnett. 23-13. Game's over, right?

Not so fast, my friend (Lee Corso voice). All of a sudden, the Panthers were knocking on the door inside the GB 5-yard line down by just a touchdown. But it was fourth down and Clay Matthews smelled blood, bringing down a scrambling Newton...all he does is make huge plays..before the goal line to get the ball back in A-Rodg's hands. Rodgers hits Jordy Nelson on a slant route for a rather exhilarating 84-yard score...Jordy's only catch of the game, by the way...and that was your dagger. Sure, Newton racked up a bunch of meaningless garbage time yards through the air, but he looked like a rookie in many ways. Also, there was no Tramon Williams, no Frank Zombo and no Nick Collins after a scary play in which Collins' neck got jammed, leaving him to be carried off on a stretcher. Thankfully, the news is promising regarding Collins, and the Packers beat those pesky Panthers 30-23 to improve to 2-0. Never a dull moment in Titletown. Week 3 presents a matchup with Da Bears in Soldier Field. If they can do half as well as Bucky did yesterday and get either/both Collins and Tramon-man Williams back, the Pack should be in good shape. Then again, losing against the Bears last season in week 3 didn't exactly turn out to be the end of the world...hmmm...

Saving the best for last (in my opinion), the Brewers eliminated any doubt in the minds of their fanbase...which honestly shouldn't have been lingering around in the first place...and trimmed their magic number down to 4. I'm sorry. There actually IS still some doubt. ESPN currently has their "% chance of making the playoffs" at 99.9. Don't breathe easy just yet! To make you feel better, it's now a 6.5 game lead over the Cardinals for the division crown, and if the Crew really needs to look somewhere for motivation, I've got a couple places. First, that two seed would be nice to obtain. They have a two game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks for that number two seed and if they were to relinquish that spot, they would have to face the Phillies - again - in the first round of the playoffs with no home field advantage. Should they hold on, they would get to play the slumping Braves - with home field advantage. I think I know which option I'd prefer. Second, have you seen the Brewers' road record lately? 38-40. If they sweep the Cubbies at Wrigley, they will have broken .500 away from Miller Park, which would be completely insane. And then their last six games are at home. Milwaukee holds a half-game lead on the Phils for the best home record in baseball and I'd like to think that's an honor the Brewers would like to hold. So there you have it. The Brewers are 90-63, would have to completely tank to not surpass my prediction of a 91-71 record (a prediction I'm sure all of you found ignorant), and are set to claim their first title in 29 years. Cool. Pretty much all that's left is to figure out who will be on that postseason roster. Taylor Green over Josh Wilson? I think so.

Coming up...

Milwaukee (90-63): @ Cubs (MON-WED), vs Marlins (FRI-SUN)
Green Bay (2-0): @ Bears (1-1) SUN, 3:15
Wisconsin (3-0): vs South Dakota State

Let the good times roll.

Winning Over Here, Losing Over There

2011-09-12T16:53:00.004-05:00

Good evening, everyone. I'd like to mention a few things before we get started. First of all, I hope all you guys took the time to remember what happened 10 years ago yesterday. There were many touching shows dedicated to the 9/11 attacks and I thought the sports world did a great job honoring the ones we lost on that fateful day - I especially thought what they did at every NFL game where the players from both sides stepped out to hold the enormous American flag was an awesome tribute. Second, I know I'm going to be pretty late with my game reviews of the Packers and Badgers, but like I said before, working two jobs and starting up school again is gonna be a doozy and I'll try my best to keep this thing active. Which brings me to my next point...if anyone would be interested in writing a guest post here and there so that I don't leave so much time in between posts, they would be more than welcome. Whether anyone ACTUALLY wants to do that is another question because writing is pretty boring, but the offer is on the table.

So let's start with what took place Thursday night at the hallowed grounds of Lambeau Field. No, I'm not talking about the Kid Rock concert...the Green Bay Packers kicked off their season by welcoming the New Orleans Saints to town and these two teams seem to be similar in several different ways. The most obvious comparison comes at quarterback and if Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers aren't currently top four quarterbacks in the NFL, then I've lost all faith in humanity. Both Brees and A-Rodg tore apart the opposing secondaries and once the first quarter was all said and done, it was apparent that whoever bet the over on the over/under points number was going to be raking in some cash. It was about as good of a start as Packer fans could've hoped for...the Packers won the toss and elected to receive...a no brainer and possibly the biggest reason Green Bay prevailed, Rodgers hit Jennings for six after a five minute drive, an ensuing fumble by the Saints was recovered by Tramon "Man" Williams (miraculously the only turnover of the game - was that the difference?) and then another quick score on a pass to my boy Jordy Nelson. After the first quarter, the Pack had jumped out to a 21-7 lead thanks to a no-huddle offense being run to near perfection by Rodgers. I felt that even though there were a few false start penalties, the guys up front really dominated and gave A-Rodg enough time to do what he wanted - the no-huddle was without question hindering the Saints defense, who couldn't put pressure on Rodgers.

There's no denying that the Packers' offense was slowed down for the remainder of the game and I think there were a few reasons behind this: the Saints defensive coordinator figured out a new scheme to keep Green Bay's offense at bay, sure, but I also thought Mike McCarthy lifted his foot off the gas pedal for some reason. It just seemed odd that the offense could go from completely unstoppable to being held in check for the last three quarters. Whatever the reason for this, Brees took advantage and used his ridiculous accuracy to get the Saints back in the game faster than I would've preferred. Special teams for both squads were about as up-and-down as they could possibly be, with Darren Sproles taking a punt to the house for the Saints and rookie sensation Randall Cobb returning a kickoff from Appleton all the way to the end zone - 108 yards in all - to inject new life into the Packers and jump ahead by 15. Funny thing about Cobb...he ran the wrong route on his touchdown reception in the first quarter and then by no means should have taken that kick out of his own end zone, but I think coach McCarthy will begrudgingly accept the results.

Then there was the frantic finale to the NFL's opening game. With the Packers up 42-27 and Green Bay unable to convert a third down with just under six minutes left, they were forced to punt and watch Brees lead a hurry-up offense down the field in just over three minutes to make it an eight point game. During this drive, Williams took a helmet to the shoulder from his own teammate and it appeared as though he may have separated his shoulder (we now know it was just a shoulder bruise). Even though the Saints failed to recover the onside kick, they still had a timeout and the two-minute warning on their side. Fast forward to a punt after some questionable play calling, a crazy-fast drive down the field and a questionable (bull s***) pass interference call on A.J. Hawk, and the Saints had it at the GB one-yard line with barely any time left on the clock. At this point, I was wondering how the Packers would manage to stop the two-point conversion, but then the Saints made their second questionable play call of the game when faced with a yard to go and got stuffed on a run up the middle. Ball game...whew...and a classic one at that.

So I liked what I saw in the passing game and the run game was actually somewhat respectable thanks to the success Green Bay had through the air. Obviously, the performance of the defense left something to be desired and it was especially concerning that whenever the Saints scored, they did it very quickly. Like I mentioned before, I didn't like how it seemed that the offense slowed things down and didn't keep up with the no-huddle offense after how successful it was early on. The biggest play call I had a gripe with was when McCarthy predictably called a run on second down of the Packers' final possession and then risked stopping the clock on the third down with a dump off (for a loss) to John Kuhn. I'm certain that for as long as I live, I'll question what in God's name some coaches are thinking when they call a certain play. Those are my biggest concern moving forward into week two's match-up with the Carolina Panthers, but for now I'll relish in the 42-34 victory for the Super Bowl Champs.

The Wisconsin Badgers continued their sheer dominance of college football by shutting out an Oregon State team that arguably might not win a game this season. Once again, Russell Wilson and Montee Ball had enormous performances while Nick Toon looked as sharp as ever and tight end Jacob Pedersen scored twice in a 35-0 route of the Beavers. The Badgers are now up to seventh and eighth in the two major polls, Wilson and Ball should both be legitimately considered for the Heisman trophy up to this point...for whatever that's worth...and Wisky still hasn't played anybody that'll reach a bowl game this season. That'll change next week when they go up against former defensive coordinator Dave Doeren and a dangerous Northern Illinois team down in Soldier Field. Could prove to be a bit of a test for the Badgers, but if they can keep playing the way they have been playing, Wisconsin should come back to Madison with a 3-0 record. That's all from me about preseason college football.

In case you forgot, the Milwaukee Brewers still have a season going on and are somehow managing to cling onto a division lead. The reason I say "somehow" is because they have literally been doing everything in their power to blow a lead that was at one point 11.5 games. That lead is now down to six, but the magic number has also gone down...which is a good thing. It's now at 10 and the Crew has for the most part cleared the difficult part of their September schedule, so my hope is that it'll be smooth sailing from here. Since I last posted, the Brewers lost five games in a row to two of the more elite National League teams (Cardinals and Phillies), including the game I attended Friday night in order to get a Tony Plush rally towel. Not only did Nyjer not respond very well to 30,000 towels being waved (went 0-4), but the Brewers played the most uninspired game I've personally attended this season. Not much of a surprise, really...it's September. The last four times the Brewers have been in playoff contention, including this season, they appear to have lost all will to live. Not sure what it is, but things are getting a little dicey and even though I remain confident that the Brewers will be playing in October, their play against top teams recently, and this season in general, should be cause for concern. If only everyone had the swagger and attributes that Taylor Green brings to the table...

Coming up...

Milwaukee (86-62): vs Rockies (TUE-WED), @ Reds (FRI-SUN)
Green Bay (1-0): SUN @ Carolina (0-1)
Wisconsin (2-0): SAT vs Northern Illinois (Soldier Field)

The Cardinals still have to travel to Philly for a 4-game series and are currently in Pittsburgh for a three-gamer. I would be pleased to see the Brewers' magic number down to that 4-5 range by the end of the week so I don't have to rely on the Packers to calm my worries. Besides, I can't remember the last time watching a Packer game was a calming experience.

Taking a stab at the NFL

2011-09-06T20:47:00.004-05:00

I'll admit that this might not be fun for you to read, but I'm about to unleash my NFL predictions like I said I probably would at the end of my last post. But don't worry...this is basically replacing the boredom I put everyone through week after week during the last NFL season where I guessed the lines with Kyle, got dominated and barely broke .500 on the season (a moral victory to say the least). And before I get to picking the over/unders and eventually settling on a final record for each and every team in the NFL, I'll update the world on a few newsworthy items regarding Wisconsin sports. By the way, there aren't many. With the Brewers cruising along and the entire state in a calm before the storm mode before the Packers take the field on Thursday, I'm scrambling, which makes it a good time to do the over/under thing. So here we go:

The Brewers magic number is currently 11. This number goes down every time the Cardinals lose or the Brewers win, so that's why tonight's loss is unfortunate. Only one more game to go this season against the Cards.

Today it was announced that on the rise linebacker Vic So'oto hurt his back in the weight room and will miss Thursday's game against the Saints. This is extremely disappointing because of how fun So'oto was to watch in the preseason, so now it looks like it will be the Erik Walden and Brad Jones show opposite of the Claymaker.

The Badgers look to continue their strong start to the season on Saturday at Camp Randall against Oregon State. For what it's worth, the Beavers lost to Sacramento State last week. I know what that's worth...Oregon State sucks something fierce. Should be an easy task for Bucky. Phillip Welch will be out for the second straight week after having a minor surgery, so it's be Kyle French holding the kicking duties again.

Alright. That's all I've got for now. I'll have more to blab about after Thursday night for obvious reasons. For now, let's get to the over/unders!

NFC NORTH:
Green Bay: 11.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 11-5
Chicago: 8.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 9-7
Detroit: 7.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 9-7
Minnesota: 6.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 6-10

NFC EAST:
Philadelphia: 10.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 12-4
Dallas: 9.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 9-7
NY Giants: 9.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 9-7
Washington: 6.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 5-11

NFC SOUTH:
Atlanta: 10.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 11-5
New Orleans: 10 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 11-5
Tampa Bay: 8 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 9-7
Carolina: 4.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 4-12

NFC WEST:
St. Louis: 7.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 8-8
Arizona: 6.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 6-10
San Francisco: 7.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 6-10
Seattle: 6.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 4-12

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AFC NORTH:
Pittsburgh: 10.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 11-5
Baltimore: 10.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 11-5
Cleveland: 6.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 8-8
Cincinnati: 5.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 4-12

AFC EAST:
New England: 11.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 12-4
NY Jets: 9.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 10-6
Buffalo: 5.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 7-9
Miami: 7.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 5-11

AFC SOUTH:
Houston: 8.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 10-6
Indianapolis: 9.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 9-7
Tennessee: 6.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 6-10
Jacksonville: 6.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 4-12

AFC WEST:
San Diego: 9.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 10-6
Kansas City: 7.5 - [UNDER] - PREDICTION: 7-9
Oakland: 6.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 7-9
Denver: 5.5 - [OVER] - PREDICTION: 6-10

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Playoffs:

NFC: 1. PHI, 2. ATL, 3. GB, 4. STL, 5. NO, 6. DAL
AFC: 1. NE, 2. PIT, 3. SD, 4. HOU, 5. BAL, 6. NYJ

NFC Champ: Philadelphia
AFC Champ: New York Jets

Super Bowl Winner: New York Jets

Whatever. Everyone knows this is a bunch of crap, but just by looking at the schedules of each team and going with my gut feeling, I think other teams have managed to do just a bit more than the Packers in an NFC Conference that I feel might be better than the AFC this season. The Jets have been knocking on the door to get in the Super Bowl the past two seasons and I think this is the year they break through. As for the Eagles, they give me the same kind of feeling the Miami Heat gave me and therefore, I have them losing in the biggest sporting event in the World. I'm sure I'll look back at this in February and regret I'd ever set myself up for such failure.

Don't Panic, Don't Overreact

2011-09-02T13:00:00.007-05:00

Over the past three days, some of us Brewer fans might have suffered from a mini panic attack. Milwaukee was swept by the one team I'd rather not see sweep the Brewers...the St. Louis Cardinals. It was a series in the which the Brewers could've essentially seized the Central Division and put the Cards in their rear view mirror, but instead St. Louis is now seven back in the loss column and the Brewers' magic number remained at 18 for three consecutive days. But there's no need to fret. Get this: if the Brewers play .500 baseball the rest of the way, the Cardinals would have to go 20-5 just to tie Milwaukee. And if that doesn't make you feel any better, the Brewers have a chance to get back on the right track this weekend before heading to St. Louis next week by playing a 3-gamer against the lowly Astros. In my mind, the Brewers need to take this series, or else they could be staring at a suddenly minuscule lead with plenty of baseball yet to be played. The Brewers combined poor defense with poor starting pitching and poor clutch hitting in the 3-game series against the Cardinals, things we weren't accustomed to seeing over the past month or so. For now, the Brewers still hold a 7.5 game lead and all of the winning the Crew did over the month of August paid off so that such a large margin could still be in hand. Now it's time to take down the 'Stros and get our swagger back.

I'll update as I go since I'm currently watching the series opener of the Astros/Brewers' series, but if things stay as they are right this very moment, the magic number for the Crew will drop to 16 and Milwaukee will extend their lead to 8.5 games. For the first six innings of this game, the Brewers' offense once again failed to adjust to facing a pitcher they had never seen before and Zack Greinke had somehow managed to only give up two runs despite clearly not having his best stuff. With the Brewers down 2-0 in the top of the seventh and two men down, guess who stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter...Mr. Taylor Green himself. Green, who got a hit in his first career major league at-bat earlier in the week, did an amazing piece of hitting and poked one out to left to keep the inning alive. Three hitters later, Ryan Braun was driving in two runs (and getting in another rundown...this one not as depressing as Wednesday's) and the Beermakers all of a sudden found themselves up 3-2. The man who pinch ran for Green, Logan Schaefer, is a player who I thought would get the call-up in September and he did a great job running the bases to eventually score on a wild pitch. Schaefer isn't someone I've talked as much about because of how loaded the Brewers are in the outfield, but he is definitely someone to keep an eye on to get some pinch hit opportunities and perhaps even make the big league club next season depending on what happens during the offseason. Sit back and relax as we watch the legend of Taylor Green grow right before our very eyes. Meanwhile, the Brewers have held on to win after a clinching 2-run blast and a four hit game from King and the Reds managed to knock off the Cards. Magic number = 16, and that's all that matters.

Speaking of the growth of a legend, anybody catch that Badger game Thursday night? Russell Wilson and Montee Ball completely dismantled the UNLV defense and when all the dust had settled, the Badgers had won 51-17 without scoring any points in the final quarter. I'm pretty sure most of us knew coming in that this game wouldn't be much of a contest and that Wisconsin would come out on top, but this game wasn't in doubt after the first quarter. Wilson gave Badger fans a taste of something they have never seen before out a Mad-town quarterback when he scampered 45 yards into the endzone in what was the exclamation point Thursday night in Madison. It became not so exciting to watch after halftime with the starters being pulled and the Badgers failing to move the football anymore and I found myself watching the end of the Packers' final preseason game instead. Therefore, this dominating performance by Wisconsin was nice and might get people really jacked up about Wilson and the two-headed monster in the backfield, but there is still plenty of room for improvement for the Badgers...especially on the defensive side of the ball, which simply made up for any miscues they made by using their superior size and speed. Feel free to add Wilson and Ball to your Heisman watch lists, but what I'm really waiting for is the October 1st (my Birthday!) matchup at Camp Randall against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. For the time being, I'm treating these non-conference games like the NFL pre-season and therefore will halt my Badgers' recap.

Speaking of the pre-season, the Green Bay Packers wrapped up their pre-season with a game Thursday night, a week away from the season opener against the New Orleans Saints, against the Kansas City Chiefs. I didn't catch too much of it because of the Badger game, but if there's anything I took out of the happenings at Lambeau last night, it's that our backups can hang with several NFL teams, including a team like the Chiefs who just happened to make the playoffs last season. With the Chiefs keeping several of their first team players in for the duration of the game and compiling about 400 more total yards than Green Bay, the Packers still managed to win by one in a fairly entertaining final quarter thanks to doing what the defense does best...force turnovers. Five in all. One guy that got me all kinds of excited was undrafted rookie and outside linebacker Vic So'oto. Not only is this dude's name legit, so is his play on the field. A former defensive end for BYU, So'oto was making plays all over the place in the final two games of the pre-season and looks poised to earn a spot on the 53 man roster. The final cut is on Saturday and several guys are on the bubble, including players like wide receiver/return man Chastin West, tight end Ryan Wilson and fullback Quinn Johnson. We'll see if there are any surprises once it's all said and done, but now that the exhibition season is wrapped up and I've gotten a taste of real football with the Badger game yesterday, my mouth is watering for what will take place next Thursday night at Lambeau Field.

In my next post, I'm thinking I might have some fun and do my over/under guesses on how many wins each NFL team will post this season along with an actual record prediction. I'm debating on whether or not I'll post my picks against the spread each week like I did with Kyle last season, but if the people speak, I'll continue with the tradition. And just like last year, I'll periodically give an update on how fantasy football is going. Speaking of fantasy, I'm currently in the semi-finals in both of my fantasy baseball leagues, so should I reach the finals and even perhaps win, you'll be sure to hear about that because nothing is more fun than tooting your own horn. With school about to begin once again here at UW-Oshkosh, the blogging will probably become a little less prevalent than what it was this summer, but I'll do my best to get on here as often as possible to spit sports knowledge on everyone, especially with the excitement buzzing around the three teams currently in session.

Get psyched for football, but keep the Brewers at the forefront of your hearts. I know I will.

2 for 1 Special: We're in Beer Haven

2011-08-29T16:04:00.004-05:00

81-54. That's the current record of the Milwaukee Brewers after sweeping the rival Chicago Cubs once again at Miller Park.

50-16. That's the current home record of the Milwaukee Brewers, the best in baseball by a long shot.

10-0. That's starting pitcher Zack Greinke's record at Miller Park, where he also sports an ERA under 3.00.

.334. That's the batting average of MVP candidate Ryan Braun, who is only two points behind Jose Reyes for the NL lead and fourth in all of baseball.

102. That's the number of RBIs that MVP candidate Prince Fielder has, which is good enough for 1st in the National League.

37. That's the number of consecutive saves for closer John Axford, who has 40 overall and is tied for the league lead in converted saves.

10.5. That's the number of games the St. Louis Cardinals are behind the Beermakers, who will square off in the three game series at Miller Park starting Tuesday.

18. That's the magic number for the Milwaukee Brewers to clinch the Central Division, their first division title in almost 30 years.

5. The number of games the Brewers trail the Philadelphia Phillies by for home field advantage in the playoffs. The two teams meet in Milwaukee for a four game series September 8-11.

What in blazes is going on in Milwaukee? I'm hoping my last post previewing the Packers got you psyched up for football, but those numbers I just threw at you regarding the Brew Crew has me even more jacked up - and it should have the same effect on you. All of those statistics are incredible and some of them were completely unexpected, but even though the personal achievements Braun and King are on their way to earning and Greinke and Axford have achieved, the most important figure to me is "5." The Brewers are only five games behind the Phillies for the National League crown. It's almost impossible to stress just how important this would be for the Crew to obtain. I think everyone is with me when I say that I have more confidence in the Crew's performance at home compared to on the road, although the play away from Miller Park has been MUCH improved post-All-Star break. I know we are still about a week and a half away from the Phillies series (I'll be attending the Friday night game fyi), but imagine if the Brewers could manage to shave another game or two off of Philly's league lead...exciting.

Now I was away from the computer for about three days which is why I was a little late on the Packers' season preview and missed a lot of the Brewers' sweep, so I don't have all that much to mention regarding the Cubs series. However, there was a rather significant roster move made this weekend. Relief pitcher Tim Dillard, who hasn't been receiving much work with the Brewers rarely finding themselves in cleanup mode, was optioned to Triple-A and guess who was recalled? That's right...Taylor mother effing Green. It only took the Brewers about two and a half months to heed my advice, but better late than never is what I say. If you haven't heard of Green, consider the numbers he put up in the minors this season - .336 AVG, 22 HR, 88 RBI in 120 games. Holy smokes. So why did the Brewers decide to make the move just before rosters expand in September? Manager Ron Roenicke denied that it was so Green could be eligible for the postseason roster, but let's get real...that's why this move was made. It's mindboggling that Green wasn't called up earlier than this in the first place, so it seems strange that the Brewers would wait until now to do it. My guess is because Milwaukee wants to make sure the bench, and the starting lineup for that matter, is as solid as possible heading into the playoffs, and Green could be a guy that shores it up.

Of course, we'll see guys like Mat Gamel, Wily Peralta and Dillard on the squad once rosters expand along with possibly a few others, but calling up Green now HAD to happen. His numbers are just too good, and it has to be seen if he can translate that success to the big league level and contribute to the Brewers. Some might wonder why Gamel wasn't given the same opportunity, but I think it's apparent that Gamel doesn't succeed in a part time roll and his real moment will come next season at first base should King be lost in free agency. It could be argued that reliever Frankie De La Cruz could be sent down for Gamel since he's rarely used as well, but I guess Milwaukee decided Gamel had already gotten a legitimate chance this season. Both Gamel and Green have absolutely torn up the Pacific League and hopefully in the near future they will both tear up Major League Baseball. So who else might warrant a call-up to the Bigs?

OF - Logan Schaefer (.331 average at Nashville)
OF - Caleb Gindl (.311 average, 15 HR, 58 RBI)
RHP - Mike McCledon (5-4, 2.80 ERA in relief)
RHP - Mike DeFelice (2-1, 2.17 ERA in relief)
LHP - Danny Herrera (well...maybe not)

Isn't it fun to talk about these things instead of complaining about sucking on the road or Casey McGehee being awful? Well, McGehee is still doing his best impersonation of an incompetent third baseman in the field, but now that Green is up, I'll be able to whine about how he isn't playing enough. If that's my biggest worry at this point of the season, I guess I'll take it. As long as the Brewers can take care of business in this three game set against that idiot Tony LaRussa, all that will be left to do is evaluate the team and decide who makes the 25-man playoff roster. Excuse me if I sound giddy...these are uncharted waters for a lifelong Brewer fan.

OFFICIAL 2011 Green Bay Packers' Preview

2011-08-25T03:14:00.003-05:00

2011 Green Bay Packers: 10-6, 2nd in North Division, Won Super Bowl XLV

Last August, I dedicated the third blog post of my life to preview the 2010 season for the Green Bay Packers. Having come off a year where the Packers were arguably the third best team in the NFC and yet suffered such a demoralizing loss in the first round of the playoffs, I was cautiously optimistic going into Aaron Rodgers' third season as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. I felt that the pieces were nearly in place and that a deep run in the post-season would be another step in the right direction for the league's smallest franchise, so that's what I predicted: the Packers would finish 11-5 and fall in the game leading up to the Super Bowl. It seemed to make sense...Green Bay hadn't lost any key contributors in between '09 and '10 and therefore it made sense that they would make a jump, but deep down I knew that perhaps if the chips fell right, the Pack could find themselves in Dallas for Super Bowl 45. After a 3-3 start and names like Ryan Grant, Jermichael Finley and Nick Barnett on the shelf, this feeling had left and didn't plan on making a return. Or so I thought.

Fast forward about three months and the Packers are celebrating on a podium in the middle of the Dallas Cowboys' brand new stadium with the Lombardi Trophy while Clay Matthews gives Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers an actual championship belt. Finally, Rodgers' celebration was justified and Green Bay had won a Super Bowl that I could truly call my own...first grade Dave could only appreciate winning Super Bowl XXXI so much. As fun as winning the Super Bowl was, it's time to put it in the rear view mirror and focus on the new task at hand. Because of all the injuries the Packers sustained through last season, it didn't seem necessary to make any splashes in free agency since the players returning from injury were essentially additions to a team that just won a championship. As a result, other teams around the league like the Eagles, Jets and Patriots garnered a lot of attention...and that's just the way Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy want it. With that, let's take a look at some of the players the Packers saw walk away as well some key players making a return.

Key losses: DT Cullen Jenkins, SS Atari Bigby, LB Nick Barnett, LB Brady Poppinga, LB Brandon Chillar, RB Brandon Jackson, OT Mark Tauscher

Key returnees/additions: TE Jermichael Finley, SS Morgan Burnett, RB Ryan Grant, FB John Kuhn, WR James Jones, K Mason Crosby, OG/OT Derek Sherrod, WR/KR Randall Cobb, RB/KR Alex Green

The Packers will hardly lose anything on offense and in fact will probably get better thanks to using their first three picks on offensive players (offensive tackle, wide receiver, running back) along with starting running back Ryan Grant and starting tight end Jermichael Finley returning from season ending injuries. With the departure of o-linemen Jason Spitz, Mark Tauscher and Daryn Colledge, Green Bay finds themselves a little depleted up front, so they used their first round pick on Derek Sherrod, an offensive tackle. He has been moved back and forth between tackle and guard during the course of the preseason since there is still uncertainty at left guard, but it's beginning to appear that he will back up both tackle Chad Clifton and guard T.J. Lang. The next two players drafted, wide receiver Randall Cobb and running back Alex Green, should both also be utilized in the return game, an area that the Packers could definitely use some improvement. Cobb has looked solid thus far in the preseason at both receiver and returner and Green had his moments in the second week of the exhibition season. The Packers probably like Green for third down situations and he could develop into even more than that should the Pack eventually part ways with Grant. By bringing back wide-out James Jones at a cheaper price than they expected, there isn't much room for Cobb in the receiving corps, but it now means that the Packers are LOADED on the outside with Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Donald Driver all returning.

Oh, and I heard that the Packers had a pretty good guy under center. Aaron Rodgers is obviously a stud, but so is his backup - and maybe even his backups' backup. Matt Flynn has looked as solid as ever during the preseason and we all saw what he can do in real games last season against the Pats. And then there's Graham Harrell, who has probably done enough to earn a roster spot each and every week. I don't think the Packers can afford to place Harrell on the practice squad again for a couple reasons...for one, Flynn has become a valuable trade commodity, so he could be gone sometime in the next year or two. I mean, look what the Eagles got in return for Kevin Kolb - a 2nd rounder and a starting corner? Imagine if Green Bay could get something similar for Flynn. This leads me to my next reason...if Harrell is on the practice squad, he could be claimed by another team and then Flynn isn't quite as expendable. I love Flynn and I think he's great to have, especially if Rodgers goes down like he did last year, but what we could get in return for him might be better for the Packers in the long run...and then Harrell could step in to the number two spot. This is all just speculation, but probably an issue that needs to be addressed.

The old saying goes, "defense wins championships," and that's one saying that I have always found to be rather stupid. You know what else wins championship? Offense. Special teams. Good play calling. Good execution. Limiting mistakes. Making big plays. You get it by now, but the Packers did come up with some big plays on defense in Super Bowl XLV and they return many players from the unit that "won" the championship. Barnett and Jenkins are gone and the loss of Jenkins still stings (especially since he went to the Eagles), but safety Morgan Burnett is back and the Packers arguably are better at middle linebacker with Desmond Bishop. Up front, there are still questions and I was surprised that Green Bay didn't use any early draft picks on the defensive line, but there are still guys like B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett fence to help plug the middle. Several others will be in the mix, but that is definitely an area to keep an eye on, especially since the guys up front are the ones who allow the Packers to blitz and stuff the run game up the middle. Speaking of questions, now that Frank Zombo has gone down with an injury and could possibly be placed on IR (hope to God not), it's between Erik Walden and Brad Jones for the spot opposite of Clay Matthews. My feeling is that it will be a bit of a platoon, with Walden providing more of a blitzing option and Jones being much better dropping back into coverage. Moving on to the secondary, not much has changed, but Burnett is back and appears to have regained his starting role at strong safety with Charlie Peprah providing an excellent security blanket. Burnett will be surrounded by pro bowlers in the secondary, so their shouldn't be much cause for concern. Nick Collins and Tramon Williams are only getting better as they are still early in their careers and we'll see if old Father Time starts catching up with Chuck Woodson. If there are problems at the corners, which I don't expect, there is plenty of depth with Sam Shields, Jarrett Bush...I suppose...and newcomer Davon House. House was the first defensive player drafted by Green Bay and I'm holding out hope that House won't turn out to be like fellow Packer corner Pat Lee, who frankly doesn't deserve a roster spot.

A quick blurb on special teams...kicker Mason Crosby apparently earned a new, luxurious contract and is back with the Pack. There's no denying that Cros has a big time leg, but he needs to start making the big kicks. Fortunately, there weren't any tough situations presented for Crosby late in the 2010 season, but the Packers probably won't be so lucky this season. For once, there isn't any preseason competition at punter and the job belongs to Tim Masthay, who was huge last year in the playoffs - man, it's good to finally have a punter who lasts longer than one season in Green Bay. Like I mentioned previously, rookies Alex Green and Randall Cobb should be involved in the return game. However, Cobb is battling an injury that no one knows the extent of, so we could see Jordy Nelson back in the return game equation or even Chastin West, whose strong preseason performance could land him as a return option or number five receiver.

Prediction time. The Packers finished second once again and therefore face about as tough of a schedule as they did last season, when they went 10-6. Of course, injuries contributed to this record (which should have been better) and it's hard to imagine the Packers seeing that many injuries two years in a row (knock on wood). With many players back from injury and the additions outweighing the subtractions, I'm expecting big things in 2011.

Regular Season Record: 11-5
Playoffs: Lose in NFC Championship game

Yes, I said the exact same thing last season. Yes, my prediction partially stems from the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles got way, way better and the NFC is getting tougher and tougher each year. Yes, I'm a superstitious idiot.

The Road is the New Home

2011-08-21T18:21:00.003-05:00

I believe I've wasted several hours of my blogging career complaining about how pathetic the Brewers' play was on the road. It was hard to ignore. My hope was that the All-Star break would be a time for players and coaches to not only get some rest and forget about their road woes, but to also look forward and figure out what exactly they needed to do to improve away from Miller Park. They didn't have a choice. If the Brewers wanted to reach the post-season, they would have to start winning on the road - it's what good teams do. Oh, and it just so happened that the Crew had to play 11 games on the road to start off the second half of the season. It was make or break time, no question, and after Milwaukee was able to get by with a 5-6 record against the top three teams in the West Division, they were still right near the top of the standings and began a stretch loaded with beatable teams. Let's just say the Beermakers took that opportunity and flew to the moon with it...the Brewers are now 76-52, nine games ahead of the second place Cardinals and 13-7 on the road post-All-Star break. Huzzah.

Believe it or not, that nine game lead is the largest division lead in baseball and the largest division lead in franchise history. I knew that this team was something special and continued to reiterate during the Brewers' early struggles, but their performance recently is absolutely ridiculous...there's no other way to describe it. I believe it is now 22 of the last 25 games Milwaukee has pulled off, and it's due in part to an entire team effort. King Fielder and The Hebrew Hammer continue to battle amongst each other for MVP honors (Braun for a batting title, Prince for a HR & RBI title...combined Triple Crown, anyone?), the starting pitching has been superb and the bullpen keeps on keeping on, with Marco Estrada filling in nicely in a couple spot starts and the Ax Factor refusing to let one get away. In Saturday's afternoon melee against the New York Mets, it felt like the Brewers of old had returned...I was upset with how hard our pitchers were getting hit, but I was also disappointed in Ron Roenicke's decision to leave Jerry Hairston in center field late in a close ball game with Tony Plush readily available. It cost the Brewers and spoiled K-Rod's return to Citi Field and completed the Brewers blowing a six-run lead...and then some. It was 9-7 Mets heading into the top of the ninth; that's when the Brewers of new returned and did what it took to win the game. Those who have come up clutch all season long...Nyjer Morgan, Mark Kotsay, Prince Fielder and even Casey McGehee...put up incredible at-bats and then it was just up to Axford to close it down. The comeback victory seemed like gravy at this point. The Crew could probably afford a loss like this thanks to the division lead they've stretched out, but their resiliency wouldn't allow it, and that as a fan is incredibly comforting.

I try not to do this too often, but I want to look ahead into my Milwaukee Brewers' crystal ball and figure out what the Crew will do once they are faced with a few difficult decisions. One of them was just made today as Felipe Lopez was designated for assignment (a.k.a. released) to make room for Chris Narveson, who will start the front end of the doubleheader today against the...yes...Pittsburgh Pirates. Rosters expanding once September rolls around will make bringing Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez back a lot easier since the Brewers won't have to send anyone down. I'm still pretty excited to see who Milwaukee decides to bring up in September and who will begin to see their playing time diminish. But back to the real issue here...who would we see not make the 25-man playoff roster should, hypothetically speaking, of course, the Milwaukee Brewers make the post-season? We just saw a position player (Lopez) take the hit when Narveson was added back to the active roster. I suspect that bullpen member Frankie De La Cruz would not make the cut when Weeks gets back, who I think will return before Gomez. When Go-Go is ready to come back, this is where things get a little more difficult. The Brewers will have 12 pitchers and 13 position players on the team and I doubt Roenicke will want to drop down to 11 arms for the playoffs. So which position player walks? Hmmm...I can't even figure that one out. I know everyone is screaming "Craig Counsell" right now, but I just don't see that happening. Perhaps Josh Wilson falls out of favor by then. Perhaps Gomez doesn't become healthy enough to make the playoff roster. Or maybe Counsell really does get left off. Kotsay isn't an option because of his ability to play the outfield, and the Brewers only have four true outfielders on the current roster. I guess we'll see what happens...remember, this whole playoff thing is only hypothetical.

Way back on Friday night, the Green Bay Packers played their second pre-season game and their first game at Lambeau Field since I was in attendance to watch the Pack down the Bears to make the playoffs. Again, this is the pre-season, so I don't really feel like getting all hyped up about things or go into great detail. The one guy who really stood out was practice squad member Chastin West, who caught five passes for 134 yards, including a 97-yard connection between West and Matt Flynn. Flynn looked quite solid as well, which makes me believe the Packers will eventually part with him to not only give Flynn a chance to start in this league, but to also get a valuable commodity in return. Third stringer Graham Harrell isn't to shabby himself and could probably be a viable backup to Rodgers as well, but for now let's enjoy the incredible depth the Packers sport at quarterback. Speaking of incredible depth, the Green and Gold has a few players at wide receiver that might contribute this season. And even though Jermichael Finley isn't a wide-out, he might as well be. It was good to see Sir Michael back in action for the first time this season and it doesn't look like Finley missed a beat, catching four passes for 33 yards. Rodgers and Greg Jennings hooked up for a touchdown for the second straight game...the league might want to look out for that tandem. We also saw rookie Alex Green for the first time in a Packer uniform and he managed to run for a score and have a significant reception. Otherwise, the first team defense looked stellar, but it was all downhill from there. Last season, I wasn't really happy with the defense in general when the Packers were in their early stages last season, so I'll consider this an improvement.

Today, look to see how the Narve-Dog does in his return, if the offense can continue to stay hot and if Greinke can continue his dominant second half performance.

OFFICIAL 2011 Badgers' Football Preview

2011-08-18T00:28:00.009-05:00

Badgers in a bit, but first let's get to the toast of the town.

I'm starting to wonder if DJ Khalid plays for the Milwaukee Brewers. After every game the Crew wins at Miller Park, "All I Do Is Win" blares through the speakers. Hold on...let me rephrase that. After every game the Crew plays at Miller Park, "All I Do Is Win" blares through the speakers. I mean, c'mon, folks. This is getting flat out ridiculous. I understand that the Brewers have hit a rather smooth portion of the schedule, with the only team in the past three weeks or so giving the Beermakers any sort of trouble being the Cardinals. I'm also aware that you could argue the road woes aren't gone for good (although I think those days are behind us). And of course, 15 of the last 21 games have been at home against rather easy opponents, a stretch where the Brewers have gone an astounding 19-2. But hey...do I look like I care? Milwaukee is 73-51 (wow), seven games ahead of St. Louis in the Central (wow) and Zack Greinke has been making me say "wow" a lot over his last eight starts, basically all the starts he's made post-All-Star break. Just how much (and how quickly) has the man who has now earned back the nickname "Zack Attack" turned his performance around?

July 3: 7-3, 5.66 ERA
August 17: 12-4, 3.92 ERA

Holy Toledo. What changed for Greinke? You could look into various statistics to find out...or you could just use your own two eyes. Greinke just flat out isn't messing around anymore. He's keeping hitters off-balance a lot better than he did earlier in the season while nailing his spots. When he wants to make batters chase with two strikes, he buries his nasty curveball in the dirt. When he needs an out pitch, he doesn't just rifle a gopherball right down the kitchen sink...he still pinpoints it, and it isn't necessary always a fastball. Notice how Greinke has been giving up more walks lately? Early on, he had a ridiculous K/BB ratio, but he was too predictable...guys knew that he was always going to throw strikes, and even though Greinke has such great stuff, hitters were able to zero in every once in awhile and hit it out of the park. Now, he's willing to accept giving up bases on balls so that he doesn't have to watch as many balls fly over the wall. That, combined with his improved command, is why Greinke is in the state he is...just took a little longer than we would've preferred.

Aside from that, the offensive production seems to be down in part to not having Rickie Weeks in the lineup and facing some good pitching as of late, but when your pitching is this good, it don't matter. Everyone is getting it done...even Marco Estrada, even without a lefty in the 'pen. It's an incredible luxury to be able to burn either LaTroy Hawkins or Takashi Saito in the sixth and seventh inning. Lately, the Brewers haven't even had to do that because of how stellar the starting five has been. Even when the games are close in the later innings, you just have that feeling, especially at Miller Park, that someone will come up with a big hit. When the pitching can always be counted on to keep it close, it takes so much pressure off the offense. And that's about all I have to say about the stifling hot Milwaukee Brewers, but damn has it been fun.

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2010 Wisconsin Badgers: 11-2, Lost in Rose Bowl vs. TCU

We weren't left with a very good taste in our mouths the night of January 1, 2011, also known as the day that the Badgers fell to Texas Christian University in the Rose Bowl. To be fair, the Badgers lost to a quarterback who will be starting in the National Football League this season and a tank disguised as a football player went completely off (Tank Carder for those of you keeping track at home). In my opinion, the respect that the Badgers' defense gave Dalton and diverting from the run game cost the Badgers a Rose Bowl trophy. But that was seven and a half months ago and it's time to turn a new page.

The 2011 Wiscon - holy crap, a bat! That startled me a bit. That thing flew in here like a bat out of hell (sorry) - sin Badgers have lost a few key pieces from last season, but they've gained a few as well.

Key losses: DE J.J. Watt, RB John Clay, TE Lance Kendricks, QB Scott Tolzien, OT Gabe Carimi, OG John Moffitt, SS Jay Valai, LB Culmer St. Jean, WR/KR David Gilreath, Defensive Coordinator Dave Doeren.

Key gains: QB Russell Wilson, LB Chris Borland (injury)

It might not look good on paper as the Badgers lost a ton of talent from a year ago. In fact, they only return 11 starters total, although a few others have starting experience. Still, there are several players ready to step up this season and there simply isn't another team in the Big Ten that's in as good of shape as Wisconsin. Of course, the move that everyone has been talking about is the arrival of North Carolina State transfer Russell Wilson, a man who would've set numerous ACC passing records had he not tried to chase his dream to play baseball. Since Wilson realized baseball wasn't going to work...at least for now...he turned his attention to football and made the move to Madtown, much to the delight of the Grateful Red. So we know who will replace Scotty T, who is now in the San Diego Chargers' camp, but what about at the other positions that took a hit? On the offensive line, there is always another massive body ready to step in, and surprisingly enough, the Badgers return players with lots of experience - even at tackle and guard. Ricky Wagner will take over at left tackle for Gabe Carimi and even though Wagner can't be expected to have the same impact as Carimi, he had a helluva 2010 season in place of Josh Oglesby, who will try to hold on at right tackle yet again this year. Travis Fredrick will fill in for Moffitt, a 6'4" 330 lb sophomore who has seen some time and should fit in nicely between Wagner and center Peter Konz.

The O-line continuing their success shouldn't come as a surprise, and neither should it at tailback. John Clay's loss doesn't even hurt the Badger offense. In fact, it might even help it. It will give junior Montee Ball and sophomore James White a lot more carries and even allow highly touted freshman Jeffrey Lewis to see the field a bit. I'm normally excited each and every season to see what the Badgers' backfield can do, but this season has me more excited than I can ever remember. And with the addition of Wilson at quarterback, teams will have to respect the pass, and Wilson's dual-threat ability, giving the backs even more of an advantage to go along with the beastly offensive line. But wait...there's more. The Badgers' receiving situation is in good hands with the return of a hopefully healthy Nick Toon and breakout freshman turned sophomore Jared Abberderis. Behind these two, there aren't any proven commodities, but once again, this is where Wilson should prove to be so valuable. Finally, the loss of Kendricks will be impossible to replace, but with tight end Jake Bryne as more of a blocking specialist, look for sophomore Jacob Pedersen to step up and make his mark - he could have some impressive numbers at year's end with only two proven targets at wide out.

That's the offense...now for the D. The Badgers' borderline prolific offense overshadowed what was a pretty good defensive unit...a unit that is hugely responsible for the Badgers' Rose Bowl appearance. For Wisconsin to once again to return to Pasadena (at least), they will need to find a way to continue rushing the passer without current Houston Texan J.J. Watt and scheme for opponents without Doeren, who left to coach Northern Illinois. Sure, the Badgers defense also lost guys like Blake Sorenson and Niles Brinkley, but these losses can be overcome...Watt simply cannot. Nor can Culmer St. Jean. But who's gonna try? Former track star Louis Nzegwu is certainly the guy most will look at, and there is also the man who will line up at the other end spot in place of Watt, David Gilbert. There will be a lot of pressure on these guys to live up to Watt's legacy and only time will tell if they are up to the task. Moving back the linebackers, Mike Taylor and a returning Borland should be absolute beasts for Wisconsin...it's just a matter of health. According to depth charts, the vacant spot left by St. Jean will be filled by senior Kevin Claxton, who at least has tenure on his side. In the secondary, I expect to see safety Aaron Henry have a big year and I'm intrigued to see who wins out in the battle for the strong safety position - Dezmen Southward or Shelton Johnson. Apparently, Johnson has the edge but I'm holding out hope that Southward gets the job...he has a sweet name. Devin Smith and Antonio Fenelus will hold down the cornerback slots and both have experience - Smith can be shaky at times, but I like what he brings to the table. I think for the Badger defense, it all comes down to what they can do upfront and where the pressure will come from. It could make-or-break Wisconsin's 2011 campaign (hey...I think I said the same exact thing last year. Defense wins championships, right?)

Special teams? Brad Nortman will punt yet again, and in no way is that depressing. There has been speculation that kicker Phillip Welch would lose his starting job to red-shirt freshman Kyle French, but I think a lot of that had to do with Welch's leg injury, so I expect to see Welch remain the starter and continue his successful career as a Badger. Losing return-man David Gilreath is definitely tough - everyone remember how that Ohio State game started out? - but I think Abbrederis and White, who saw time at kickoff and punt returning, can step into that full-time position and perform well, especially White. Head coach Bret Beilema coaches the special teams unit, so hopefully he knows what he's doing.

Prediction time!

Chalk it up in the win column games:
vs UNLV, vs Northern Illinois (Soldier Field), vs South Dakota, vs Indiana, vs Purdue, @ Minnesota

Last year, I had seven games in this category - now we're down to six. This is probably more of a product of me becoming more realistic than a product of the Badgers not being as good as last year. It's always hard to put road games in this category, but Minnesota was a no-brainer. They are without question in rebuilding mode with a new coach and even though it's a rivalry game, Bucky should take care of business.

Should be a win but could present a problem games:
vs Oregon State, @ Ohio State, @ Illinois, vs Penn State

I recall placing a game versus a different Pac 10 (now 12) team in the chalk it up category last season, and the Badgers narrowly escaped with a victory. Thus, Oregon State is here (wink). Ohio State as a should be win? Well, they are in quite a bit of turmoil with all the NCAA infractions and the loss of star quarterback Terrell Pryor, so yes, I think Wisconsin should win. Illinois is a threat because they have a solid QB themselves and Penn State coming in on senior night should be a W, but you never know with JoePa at the helm.

This could be a tough one games:
vs Nebraska, @ Michigan State

The big showdown with Nebraska is marked on everyone's calendar. They are in this category for a few reasons. 1. The Cornhuskers are an unfamiliar opponent, not to mention dangerous. 2. This is the first true test of the season for the Badgers, a spot they faltered in last year (Michigan State). Speaking of Sparty, Michigan State handed Wisconsin their first loss last year, and this year they could do it again. It's the Badgers' first true road game - although they will have already been tested by Nebraska at this point in the schedule. If you're wondering why we have to travel to East Lansing two years in a row, it's because Nebraska messed everything up. Gee, thanks a lot.

Legends Division Winner: Nebraska
Leaders Division Winner: Wisconsin
Big 10 Conference Champion: Wisconsin
Regular Season Record: 11-1
Bowl: Rose

I want to say National Title so bad...I really do. But I can't. A little voice in my head won't let me do it. There are still plenty of questions in Madison, especially at quarterback (can Wilson succeed like he did at NC State?) and in the front seven (replacing Watt, rushing the passer). This is why I fluctuated between nine wins and even twelve, but I think with the level of talent in the Big 10 right now and the determination and drive these players have after coming so close to a Rose Bowl trophy last season, they will get back to Pasadena...and then some. Feel free to blame the 8-4 season on this blog post.

Phew...longest post in history? Very possible. With the Crew playing so well, forcing me to talk about them...a lot...combined with a much better Badgers' preview compared to last year (my second blog post ever), this is what you get. And now I get some sleep.

Walking the Plank

2011-08-14T22:55:00.003-05:00

Oh, the life of a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. About three weeks ago, it was probably one of the more exciting things to be. Unfortunately for the Buccos, everything came crashing down to Earth...very, very quickly. And then they had to travel to Milwaukee for a three game series with the Brewers, a team that they hadn't beat all season and a team they have little to no success against in Miller Park. The beat goes on as the Crew took care of business, albeit not in the most efficient way possible. But they got the job done and that's what I always look for. After a sweep of the Bucs, the Brewers now stand at an impressive 70-51 with a five game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals, a team led by a man who thinks a fan base that just filled Miller Park with 45,000 fans is composed of "idiots."

Fair enough, Tony LaRussa. We idiots have our own Tony around these parts who we can't get enough of, and his name is Nyjer "Tony Plush" Morgan. The player who hasn't received enough discussion for the Comeback Player of the Year Award did it again today, and I'm not talking about the interview department. Plush came up in the bottom of the 10th with runners on second and third and one down and crushed the ball to deep right center. It turned out to be a long sacrifice fly as George Kottaras trotted across home plate and the Brewers celebrated a 2-1 extra inning victory - and a sweep of the Pirates. Pittsburgh proved it can play with the Brewers, especially because of their stellar starting pitching, but they didn't have the killer instinct that the Crew displayed in all three games this weekend. The game I attended on Friday wasn't really in question for the most part, but once the Pirates closed to within two in the eighth, the always reliable Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder combo hit back-to-back jacks two sections from where I was sitting to put a nail in the coffin. If that wasn't enough, Casey McGehee tripled and K-Rod legged out an infield single for his first career hit to make the fans go absolutely nuts. When Saturday afternoon rolled around, Yuni B. popped one out, Marco Estrada pitched admirably for five innings and the bullpen (Tsunami Saito, Hawk, K-Rod, Axe) shut it down. Most notably, the Ax Factor gave up a lead-off triple in the ninth only to weasel his way out of the mega-jam and nab his 31st consecutive save. Ridiculous. And then their was Sunday, where the Brewers trailed nearly the whole game 1-0. Brauny stepped up in the eighth and rifled a run scoring base hit to center off Pirates' closer Joel Hanrahan to tie the game. Tony Plush finished the Bucs off, and that was that.

Not only are the Brewers an astounding 70-51, but they are a league best 44-15 at Miller Park thanks in part to thousands and thousands of idiots packing the house night in and night out. It doesn't get more fun than this. So what did we learn from the weekend? The Brewers are taking advantage of the weaker teams in the Central Division and taking care of business - just like they should. What else? Marco Estrada has a future as a starting pitcher in this league. He just has a different demeanor on the mound as a starter and if the Brewers can't find a spot for him in the starting rotation next season, I fear that somebody else will. Anything more? The Brewers have some major ice water in their veins. I'm not willing to put the effort in looking this up, but the Brewers have won many more one-run games than their opponents and they also have some of the more clutch hitters in the league. We know the obvious candidates, but how about guys like Casey McGehee or Mark Kotsay or George Kottaras? These guys might not be putting up the best overall numbers, but man do they come through when it matters. A lot. In my mind, this is one of the most important ways a player's performance should be measured. Maybe I'll start up my own statistic...

As fun as it is to talk about the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers, who start a four game series at home against the bankrupt Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, the Green Bay Packers played an exhibition game Saturday night out in the greatest city in America...Cleveland! Am I right or am I right? Naturally in the opening preseason game, the starters will only play a series or two, so I won't spend too much time discussing a rather meaningless game. The usual suspects were in attendance; A-Rodg hooked up with Greg Jennings for a touch and other guys like Ryan Grant and Clay Matthews saw the field (sadly no sign of Jermichael). However, I really liked what I saw from a few players - most notably newcomer Randall Cobb and safety Morgan Burnett. Both of these players will be battling for significant playing time this upcoming season...and both of them deserve some. Burnett suffered a season ending injury last season in week five and was replaced by Charlie Peprah, so those two will be going at it in practice, but I thought Burnett really had a nose for the ball Saturday night and made a few plays that stood out to me. As for Cobb, he made all the catches he was supposed to make and was pretty stellar in the return game. With rookie running back Alex Green out with an injury, Cobb got more looks at kick returner. As the game went on, there were the players that surfaced who were trying too hard to earn a roster spot and I began to lose interest in the game...a game the Packers would lose 27-17. Darn.

My next post will more than likely include my Wisconsin Badgers football season preview while, of course, continuing to touch on the play of the Brewers. With the Crew playing out of their damn minds lately, I really can't scrap together all that much to talk about...I'm so used to being negative about everything. Now in the last year, the Packers win the Super Bowl, the Badgers go to the Rose Bowl, Wisconsin and Marquette basketball reach the Sweet 16 and now the Brewers, who have won like 100 of their last 101 games. Something like that. So you're starting to see a new "me," like it or not. Let the good times roll.

To BE the Best, You Have to BEAT the Best

2011-08-11T22:21:00.007-05:00

The St. Louis Cardinals aren't the best team in the MLB by any stretch of the imagination, but they are the best in the National League at a few things. They score the most runs. They have the highest team batting average. They have the biggest d-----bag manager in the history of baseball. So going into their mid-week series against the Cards, the Milwaukee Brewers were not only looking to hold on to first place...they were looking to continue their dominance of St. Louis and eliminate any hope the Cardinals had of winning the division. Maybe the latter isn't possible just yet as the Crew and the Cards still have to tangle six more times and play 44 more times apiece. But to once again prove me wrong in my prediction that the Brewers would only take one game home from Busch Stadium (which I'm perfectly fine with, by the way), Milwaukee won the series 2-1 and extended their division lead to four games. Behold the power of beer.

To make my prediction even more wrong, I thought the one game we would squeeze out would be in game three when Yovani Gallardo went up against Chris Carpenter. AAAAYYNNN! Wrong. Gallardo (pronounced gah-lard-oh here in America) just didn't have it and left plenty of pitches over the plate, especially for Albert Pujols, who had four hits and a dinger. Yovani has definitely had his ups and downs, but at the beginning of the series with the Cardinals, he had the best ERA and most wins among Brewers' starting pitchers. He's now third in ERA behind Shaun Marcum and...get this...Randy Wolf. Wolf's dominant outing on Wednesday came in the one game I thought we would for sure lose, and the one man Wolf pack jumped on the prove Dave wrong bandwagon and now leads the team's starters in ERA. But going back to Gallardo; I'm trying to figure out why this guy can't put it all together...all the time. Obviously, Yovani is a great talent and still only in his mid-20s, but he has plenty of experience at The Show by now and just when you think he's figured it out, tonight happens. Granted, Yo didn't have the best effort from the defense tonight, but usually our pitchers don't because our D is border line atrocious.

One of the theories I read and agreed with was how it looks like Gallardo struggles when he works slowly. I've always been a believer in working quickly, but not rushing. I do it in many aspects of life...like back in my heyday when I pitched and nowadays when I disc golf and golf among other things. Get your mind out of the gutter. Anyway, getting back to Yo...he was a bit deliberate out on the mound tonight against the Cards and he wasn't even close to hitting his spots. To be honest, he's lucky to have only given up five runs, but it didn't matter in the end as the Brewers would fall because of a lack of clutch hitting and poor defense to go along with a bad outing for Gallardo. These are things Brewer fans have probably seen enough of and also things that the Brewers haven't been doing lately, but I guess every now and then there's a slip-up. Besides, without Ryan Braun in the lineup to keep everything cool with his laid-back Jewish attitude, we had to expect a semi-meltdown. But a 5-1 road trip is exceptional, especially when going up against the second place Cardinals and considering the Crew's ridiculous home-and-away split. Along with Gallardo speeding up his process on the mound and being unable to make adjustments, I'd like to see more of Jerry Hairston Jr. at second base. For what we gave up for him, there's no excuse to have him sitting on the bench as much as he has been. Hairston should be receiving more playing time at second than Lopez in my mind and will continue relieving Tony Plush in center whenever a lefty is on the hill. Otherwise...keep pushing on, Brewers. I'll have a front row seat in the Beerpen tomorrow night (thanks, Kyle) to undoubtedly heckle the Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder and beg Corey Hart to toss me a baseball. Speaking of Corey, don't be an idiot and give up a triple to Pujols again. Thanks.

Not sure what else to blab about, really. I'll definitely have more after the Packers break the seal on their preseason schedule Saturday and will be sure to preview the Wisconsin Badgers upcoming football season sometime next week as well along with the normal Brewer chatter. Out of the Badgers camp, I've been hearing a few different things...Russell Wilson is getting comfortable in the Badgers' offensive system and finding Nick Toon to be one of his favorite targets. Hopefully he begins to take a liking to tight end Jacob Pedersen as well; that would bode well for my fantasy team. Also, there was a no-name backup receiver who will miss some time because of a hernia (ouch) and there have also been some talks about the Badgers' kicking situation, which is interesting. Because returning starter Phillip Welch is nursing a leg injury, red-shirt freshman Kyle French has been getting some looks. I have a bone to pick with Mr. French because back when he was attending my rival's high school, he beat us with a 48-yard field goal as time expired. Brutal. Ruined my night. Better not do it again.

In Packerland, there are a few noteworthy items to touch on now that I think about it. Today, former Packer running back Ahman Green officially retired. Green had some solid years earlier in the decade for the Green and Gold and also signed on with the Pack in '09 when Green Bay was hurting at RB depth. He's Green Bay's all-time leading rusher which speaks for itself. We'll see if that and his five 1,000+ yard seasons running the ball in a Packer uniform will be enough to get him enshrined in the Packer Hall of Fame...I have little doubt that it will. And did you hear about this, folks? Clay Matthews, who saw his production fall off quite a bit in the second half of the season last year, has a pretty good excuse as to why: HE HAD A BROKEN LEG! Umm...what? This guy is nuts. Although the golden haired linebacker did say that it was feeling fine by the Super Bowl in which he made one of the biggest plays in Green Bay Packer history, this shows Matthews' incredible perseverance and makes me proud to be a fan of the Pack.

Looking forward to tomorrow. Looking forward to Saturday. And hopefully, looking forward to the fall for more reasons than football.

Trust Issues

2011-08-08T23:50:00.003-05:00

Happy one year Balls, Brats and Beer anniversary! It's been a fun ride.

You know what's insane? The Green Bay Packers play on August 13. Yeah...that's Saturday. I'm more than excited to see actual football again, but there's another team in Wisconsin that deserves just as much if not more attention for the next few months or so. Lately, this team has been winning, winning and...winning. They have created a lot of buzz around the state of Wisconsin with their play at home and their play in general, winning 11 of their last 12 games and stretching out a three game division lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. Did I mention that all 12 of those games were against division opponents? Granted, six of them were against the lowly Houston Astros, but three were against the Chicago Cubs (just had an eight game winning streak) and the other three were against the hated Cardinals. The Brewers are 65-50 and about to face off against the Cards again in what has become a two team division race; this time in St. Louis. It's just as big as if not bigger than last week's series at Miller Park because we are that much closer to playoff time and it will be a tougher task for the Brewers to go into a hostile environment and succeed. When it's all said and done, I expect the Crew to take one game of the three game set to retain the division lead, but of course the fan in me would like to see the Brewers win AT LEAST one game.

A two game lead would be nice to have heading into the weekend series against the struggling (to put it lightly) Pittsburgh Pirates. The ongoing season series with St. Louis will only continue to get bigger as we get later into the season - the Brewers have nine more to go against the Cardinals. Before this series begins on Tuesday, there's something I'd like to address: trust. As the season has progressed, I've found myself gaining more and more trust with the Milwaukee Brewers - in the first month of games or so, I trusted:

Ryan Braun
Prince Fielder
Rickie Weeks*
Shaun Marcum

These were all players that in mind deserved to be All-Stars, and three of them were. Notice how the low number of players correlates with how poorly the Brewers were playing early on in the season. However, as more games were played and more players came back from injury, I began to trust more players like:

Jonathan Lucroy
Yovani Gallardo
Randy Wolf
John Axford
Nyjer Morgan

The Brewers were performing better and barely managed to be in first place once we got to the All-Star break (which seems so long ago now), and then they had to survive a brutal road trip. By going 5-6 in Colorado, Arizona and San Francisco, the Brewers somehow managed to remain in first and that's when they went on their recent tear. In the first part of the second half of the season, many more players started to become reliable which helped the Brewers get over the losses of Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez to injury:

Corey Hart
Yuniesky Betancourt
Zack Greinke
Kameron Loe
Takashi Saito
LaTroy Hawkins

Current trust count: 15 (Hitters: 7, Pitchers: 8)

Other players on the roster, like Casey McGehee and Francisco Rodriguez, are on their way to earning my trust, which would make a total 17 players on the trust list. McGehee's three home run outburst showed he might be getting his stroke back (finally) and although K-Rod has had some sketchy moments in his time in a Brewer uniform, the Brewers have yet to lose a game as a result of K-Rod. Some guys simply don't play enough to earn my trust (Josh Wilson, Mark Kotsay, George Kottaras, Carlos Gomez*, Tim Dillard), some haven't been in a Brewer uniform long enough to earn my trust (Felipe Lopez, Jerry Hairston Jr.) and some haven't quite performed well enough to earn my trust (Craig Counsell, Marco Estrada, Chris Narveson). Agree with my reasoning or not, the point is that we feel better about this team each and every day. When the offense was struggling, the pitching was superb; as of late, with the pitching not performing quite as well, the offense has been pounding the baseball. This helps explain how close the number of players I trust is between pitchers and hitters. And just because I don't trust a player doesn't mean I don't think they are performing well for their role. This season, I began to take a liking to Go-Go because I could accept that he was only good for world class defense in center and good base running. With the Narve-Dog, he is probably one of the most reliable number five starters in baseball. Other players provide good depth and fill in nicely when needed.

Not much to complain about these days, and that's saying something, because I almost always have something to b---- about. Playing poorly on the road? The Brewers are 8-6 on the road post All-Star break. Replacing McGehee? He is beginning to provide stability in the five hole. Lack of production from guys not named Braun and Fielder? Almost everyone has stepped their game up on offense over the past week. Kameron Loe? Totally shutting down hitters in any situation he's called on to enter. So on that note, be sure to check out the Cards/Brewers series this week. It's a biggie and who knows what fireworks we'll be treated to with that nut case Tony LaRussa sitting in the opposing team's dugout.

Like I said at the beginning of the post, the Packers' opening preseason game is right around the corner. There have been a few minor injuries that some players are dealing with (most notably Greg Jennings (hip flexor), Tramon Williams (hip flexor) and Mason Crosby (ankle)), but for the most part we should be seeing everyone participate in the game Saturday against the Cleveland Browns. Earlier talks around the Packer practices have revolved around how the offense has looked sloppy, but this has to be expected considering how much time players missed during the lockout. I didn't get a chance to watch the Family Night intrasquad scrimmage since I was up north, so I'm excited to see the 2011 Packers in action for the first time and give my feedback on the game.

Along with a season preview for the Packers, a look ahead for the much-hyped Wisconsin Badgers will be coming soon. I know I said that I would be previewing Bucky on August 10, but I feel like that's too far away from the start of the season (September 3), so I'll plan on waiting another ten days before I do my write-up on the Badgers. And since Green Bay begins their season on a Thursday night on September 8, I'll give my Packers' preview about five days after my Badgers' preview. Last year I was a rookie blogger and didn't know what to write about right off the bat, so I was a tad early on my football season previews. Sorry to let you all down, but we've got a good Brewers team to distract us from that disappointment you're feeling.

Thanks for staying with me over the past year. Let's hope there are many more to come.

Flipping the Bird

2011-08-04T22:03:00.004-05:00

Forgive me if I sound dumb in this entry. The following thoughts are only those of an idiot fan. Not only that, but I just got done watching the season premier of Jersey Shore and I can't say I've ever been more ashamed than today to be an American. But it's entertaining stuff. Moving from people undeserving of attention to those who warrant some recognition, the Milwaukee Brewers just completed an 8-1 home stand and finished it off with an anything-but-boring series victory over the Tony LaRussa-led St. Louis Cardinals. Anybody else lose a little bit of respect for that franchise? Over the last couple years, it's safe to say that LaRussa has managed to turn one of the most proud franchises in baseball into complete thuggery. LaRussa managed to steal the attention away from what was really important, and that was two teams fighting for a pennant in August. Maybe I'm just an idiot fan, but what I saw from the Cardinals in that series - the complaints about the lighting in the stadium from LaRussa - pitcher Chris Carpenter claiming that the Brewers were stealing signs - LaRussa ordering pitcher Jason Motte to throw at Ryan Braun...TWICE - Yadier Molina bumping and spitting in an umpire's face while arguing a strike three called...and only getting suspended for FIVE GAMES - I'd be embarrassed to be a Cardinals fan.

Trust me. I was a lot more infuriated on Tuesday night than I am tonight, a night that featured a game in which the bush league moves of Tony LaRussa took place and the Brewers eventually lost in extra innings. Now that I've calmed down (for the most part), I would like to turn my attention back to baseball. The Brewers are now 62-50, 12 games above .500 (the most they have been above .500 all season) and three games above the Cardinals in the Central. If there's one thing that the series with the Cards proved for Milwaukee, it's that a lot of guys are beginning to tickle the ball pretty well. I mean, who's NOT feeling it at the plate right now? Corey Hart has raised his average over 20 points in the last week, we've seen the turnaround of Yuni B in the second half, Braun and Fielder have both recovered from mini-slumps, Tony Plush continues to do his thing at the plate, in center and in the interview department, Jonathan Lucroy is still hanging around .280, and then there's Casey McGehee...I know I've been calling for McGehee's head for the better part of the season, but the complaints were warranted. McGehee hadn't found it at the plate all year, but with the loss of Rickie Weeks to injury and the troubles in the five hole, manager Ron Roenicke went back to what he started with - McGehee was hitting fifth again.

Low and behold, McGehee went OFF on the newly acquired Edwin Jackson and hit three dingers off of Jackson before Wednesday's game came to a close. McGehee had five home runs before Wednesday; he now has eight. In fact, he was 2-5 in Tuesday's game, so I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that this was McGehee's best two-game stretch of the season. And that's the thing...it was only two games. But McGehee has shown signs of snapping out of it. He's been staying inside the ball better and using all fields (his first, second and third home runs went to right, left and center field respectively) while hitting the ball hard. I'm not going to get ahead of myself and jump back on the Casey McGehee bandwagon just yet, but nobody's happier than me to see him succeed. All in all, the Brewers' offense exploded against the Cardinals...and to think I predicted the three game series wouldn't see any high scoring games. The Crew put up 23 runs on Carpenter, Jaime Garcia and Jackson, and the later was left out to dry because of how many relievers were burned in Tuesday night's marathon. Hopefully the bats can stay hot as they move forward into another series with the Astros. Oh yeah, and then the Brewers travel to St. Louis to play another series with the Cards - three of the nine remaining against the fighting LaRussa's. If my math is correct, Molina won't be playing in one of the games as a result of serving his suspension, but with the way he played on Wednesday I wouldn't mind seeing him in there.

There's the red-hot Brewer offense, and then there's the suddenly not so solid pitching. After having some ridiculous number of straight quality starts, Shaun Marcum and Randy Wolf struggled over the past two games and luckily, the offense was able to step it up to keep the Brewers in the game. But I'm still not concerned one bit about our starting pitching because this is just one instance for Marcum and Wolf, two guys with sub 3.50 ERAs who have been reliable all season long. That and the emergence of Zack Greinke (finally) has me sleeping well at night. The bullpen? Ehhhh...yeah they're alright for the most part. K-Rod hasn't exactly prevented heart attacks in the eighth inning, but so far he hasn't cost us any wins. Takashi Saito is reliable for the most part, but he's a big reason why the Brewers didn't sweep the entire home stand. Axe has been incredible...so has Hawk...so has Loe...wait a minute - so has Kameron Loe? Yes, you heard correctly. The man has 41 scoreless appearances on the year, and that's nothing to joke around about. Loe is a shut-down pitcher against righties and as long as RR continues to use him in the right situations, he will continue to provide a huge boost late in games. So while the pitching has been a little suspect lately, there's no reason to get up in arms. If anything, the Astros should help us all feel better.

Now for a short segment on football. One more signing was made by the Packers since my last post, and that was fullback John KUUUUUUUUUUHNN much to the delight of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the entire Packers' fan base. That should basically be it for Green Bay as far as signings and cuts until we get a few games into the preseason and the roster has to be slimmed down. A few things to note thus far: first round draft pick Derek Sherrod is seeing time at left guard, the only position on the offensive line that is in question right now. With Chad Clifton protecting Rodgers' blind side and last year's first rounder Bryan Bulaga holding down right tackle, Sherrod wouldn't have a chance to see much playing time at his natural position, thus the move to guard. I'm in full support of this move because quite frankly, we don't really have anyone else to fill the void that Daryn Colledge left (in my opinion, we didn't lose much - with the money the Packers offered College, they didn't think so either). There is also a three-man rotation going on at the outside linebacker position opposite of the Claymaker between Brad Jones, Erik Walden and Frank Zombo, so we'll see how that shapes out over the course of training camp. Defensive line is also a question with Cullen Jenkins gone, but Ted Thompson must like what he has up front with B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett and Mike Neal among other guys like Howard Green and C.J. Wilson. More battles? How about at strong safety (Morgan Burnett v. Charlie Peprah) and running back (Ryan Grant v. James Starks v. Alex Green). It's difficult to say what will end up happening with the safety situation, but I can't see Burnett overtaking Peprah...at least not right away. Peprah performed nicely for Green Bay last season after Burnett went down, so I think it's his job to lose right now. Meanwhile, the Packers seem to have the perfect dilemma at the running back position. Starks is going to push Ryan Grant and there will probably be somewhat of a platoon between the two, and then there's Alex Green, who can come in for third down situations because of his pass catching ability. Personally, I've seen enough of Ryan Grant and James Starks proved that he could step in and do some things Grant could not...like, you know, not run straight forward all the time. Should be fun to see how all of the aforementioned position battles shape out.

The Wisconsin Badgers football team has just begun hitting the practice field, so I'll have more on them pretty soon. In fact, August 10 is the set date for my Badgers' season preview, so get ready for that. I know I'm ready for a little college football and if I could attend a game in Madison that was even half as awesome as the Ohio State game last year and watch Russell Wilson play, I'd be satisfied. Despite my love for the Big Ten (12), I was assigned to cover the Big 12 (10) for a college fantasy football site. I must admit that I'm a little out of my element covering this conference, which might be obsolete in the next few years, but it's a pretty cool gig and it led to me taking part in my first college fantasy football league...yes, those exist. I'll let you know how it goes, especially since I'm forking up $20 for it. Speaking of fantasy football, I should probably get going on starting up my annual league...

...AHHHHH, I GOTTA GO!

Daylight Come and I Wanna Stay Home

2011-07-31T14:08:00.007-05:00

It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. The Brewers come back home after dropping out of first place on the road, only to continue their dominance at Miller Park (now a ridiculous 39-14 at home) and reclaim the top spot in the Central. Winning six straight may look impressive on paper, but the teams the Brewers have been whooping up on, the Cubs and the Astros, are in a bad place right now. It's been a joy to watch the Crew kick teams of a lower caliber like these around, especially because they should (and especially because it's the Chicago Cubs), but I have my eye on the upcoming series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Before we size up the Cardinal series, I wanted to look back at some of the deals that went down for the Brewers over the past week. The first move General Manager Doug Melvin made was one that's hard to argue against - acquiring second baseman Felipe Lopez from the Rays for cash. Lopez had success here during his stint with the Brewers in '09, when he also replaced Rickie Weeks due to injury, and therefore it makes sense to bring in someone who is already comfortable with Milwaukee as well as someone who is proven at the position. That's not to say Felipe wasn't having his struggles this season (his numbers were anything but impressive at Tampa), but Lopez should at least bring some kind of stability to second while we wait for Weeks to return. Originally, the Brewers brought up Eric Farris, who hasn't quite earned a spot in Milwaukee, from Nashville to get a start here and there while Craig Counsell and Josh Wilson shared some time at second as well, but the day after Farris came up, Lopez was dealt for. Speaking of short stints in The Show, outfielder Brett Carroll was up for a whole week before being designated for assignment when Milwaukee traded '10 minor league player of the year Erik Komatsu to the Nats for Jerry Hairston Jr.

This move I question. Did the Brewers really need to give up one of their better prospects for Hairston? It's going to be a rental since his contract is up after the season...Komatsu is only 23 and was having a pretty solid year down in Huntsville, so it's not like he was was bad or anything...Hairston is versatile, but he's only going to have so many chances to play, especially once Weeks and perhaps Gomez return from injury. I trust our management and I certainly think Hairston can contribute and gives the Brewers more depth, but my personal opinion is that this trade was not only unfair, but also unnecessary. It bothers me that younger players in the system haven't been given a legitimate chance (other than Mat Gamel) to help out the Big League team. Those that read this blog regularly know by now that I think Taylor Green should have been called up by now. I worry that Green is on the PTBNL (Player to be Named Later) list in the K-Rod trade, a trade in which the Brewers must give up two players to the Mets after the season ends based on Rodriguez' performance in Milwaukee. Shouldn't we all be worried? Look at Green's numbers...insanely good. And with all of the problems the Brewers have had with putting a quality bat in the five hole, why not put Green there? He has some experience at second base this season, which is where he would probably have to play since Casey McGehee's leash apparently still has more slack. But it's not only the Taylor Green thing that bothers me...it's other guys not getting a legit shot, like Caleb Gindl and Brett Carroll. I can understand the argument that if they are going to play at the Major League level, the Brewers want them to basically have an everyday role (we've seen how that's hindered Gamel's progress), but you can't assume that since Gamel struggled in that position that other guys would as well. Gindl probably wouldn't hardly play at all since he's a left-handed hitter like Morgan, but Carroll had pretty respectable numbers in AAA and bats right-handed, so he would be guaranteed a spot every time a lefty was out of the mound. I'll leave it at this: as long as the Brewers haven't included Gindl or Green on any PTBNLs, they WILL be in a Brewer uniform in the very near future. Here's to them not being traded soon...we've already dealt away enough young talent over the past year for me to stomach.

One more note about the Brewers and the trading: since there wasn't much of a market for lefty relief pitchers, it doesn't appear that Milwaukee is going to make a move for one...perhaps they will after the deadline once a player has to clear waivers, but word on the street is that there isn't much available. My feeling is that once teams begin to fall out of the playoff race and realize they can't contend, they will be willing to part ways with players they weren't going to earlier in the season and the Brewers might see someone on the block emerge that they want to take a stab at. With lefties Mitch Stetter and Manny Parra both out for the remainder of the season and Zach Braddock continuing to struggle on the mound, the Brewers are left with zero left-handed options in the bullpen. They managed to shore up their depth because of Weeks and Gomez going down, so this is really the one glaring issue on the Brewers' roster right now. That, and Casey McGehee.

Wow...judging by my tone so far, you'd think the Brewers are out of the playoff race. There are so many good things that outweigh the bad on this team (I literally just got out every quip I have with the Brewers). Just a few minutes ago, the Brewers completed a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Astros to complete their second straight sweep. Axford closed it down for the 28th straight time even though K-Rod gave up a run in the eighth on a wild pitch...the bullpen has been on lock-down mode recently now that Loe has essentially become a righty specialist and guys like Hawk and Saito can be called upon before the eighth inning. Over the past 16 games, a starting pitcher hasn't given up more than three runs. Crazy. Corey Hart is catching fire...so is Prince...so is Yuni B...so is Braun. Lucroy is anchoring the bottom of the order nicely and had 4 ribbies today. Greinke is figuring it out. And the Brewers took care of business, winning six games against the Cubs and 'Stros that they should have. See? It's (almost) all good. Just don't want people getting the wrong idea.

Back to the Cardinals series. It's rather big. It makes me wish I was living back in Sussex for the summer so I could attend at least one of the games against STL. The Cards will be within three games of the Brewers no matter what once the series begins, so it's a chance for either St. Louis to regain first in the Central or for the Brewers to stretch it out to a comfortable lead. Should be a good one and hopefully a well-attended series. CAN'T WAIT!

Alright. Get ready for this. I'm about to talk about something that hasn't been discussed on this blog for quite awhile. FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! While several NFL teams have been wheeling and dealing during this free agent signing frenzy, the Packers have made their fair share of moves while flying under the radar of media coverage...just like Teddy T would like it. The first news to come out of Green Bay revolved around linebacker Nick Barnett, who was informed that he would either be traded or released. Eventually, Barnett was released and as of a few hours ago, is now a Buffalo Bill. He was always someone who was good but not great for the Packers, but Barnett brought a lot of life and energy to the team and worked hard to get where he was in the league. Good luck with the rest of your career, Nick. The other players who were cut by the Pack were OT Mark Tauscher, LB Brandon Chillar, LB Brady Poppinga and DT Justin Harrell. I'm not too disappointed to see Harrell and Poppinga go, but I'm holding out hope that Chillar will be re-signed for less money because I think he would still bring something to the Packers, especially since Green Bay is all of a sudden quite thin at middle linebacker. I'm sure that guys like Brad Jones or Erik Walden would be able to jump into the middle to relieve Hawk and Bishop every now an then, but Chillar would add more depth at linebacker. And after seeing the Packers' Super Bowl run last season, we all know depth is a good thing. Other players who were free agents and signed on somewhere else were Daryn Colledge (Arizona), Brandon Jackson (Cleveland) and Cullen Jenkins (Philadelphia). Colledge and Jackson...fine. Jenkins...ouch. He will be missed.

The Green and Gold didn't only get rid of players; they made some signings as well. Green Bay re-signed kicker Mason Crosby, who has made a total of zero at-least-semi-difficult-clutch field goals during the course of his NFL career. He's got a boot, there's no doubt, but Crosby needs to figure out how to rise to the occasion before I'm on board with his return to the Packers. And just today, thanks in part to Plaxico Burress going to the Jets, James Jones returned to Green Bay. I'm torn on this one. One part says: this makes the Packers' receiving corpse ridiculously deep (Jennings, Nelson, Driver, Jones, rookie Randall Cobb)...it's insurance for when Driver inevitably stops playing football...Jones' has a very high ceiling and if he can overcome his case of the dropsies, he'll be very valuable. The other part says: he drops way too many passes and he gets in the way of Cobb's development. His play this year will hopefully help me become untorn - turns out that isn't a word. Along with Crosby and Jones, the Packers also signed all of their draft picks. It should be interesting to see how many things play out over the next month. Where will Derek Sherrod fit into the offensive line...how will the running back situation play out with Grant, Starks and now Alex Green thrown into the mix...will the Packers' receiving group be considered the best ever...how will the Packers add more depth to the front seven? Tune in to find out.

Football is back. The Brewers are cruising. Ahhh...life is good.

Damage Control

2011-07-26T01:09:00.009-05:00

I will admit I said I'd be happy if the Brewers were only a game or two out of first place once they got done with the West Coast circus known as their 11-game road trip. Today, I have different feelings. Sure, the Brewers were somehow still tied for first place once they returned to Milwaukee (they are now 1/2 game behind Pittsburgh and St. Louis after play on Monday), but then something hit me...this team is better than 54-49. At least five or six games better than 54-49. And while Ron Roenicke bringing an aggressive-minded style to Milwaukee has been exciting at times, it's been just as frustrating if not more. Oh yeah. Don't forget about the defense, either.

Let's get one thing straight: this isn't the brightest Major League Baseball team to ever assemble. I won't name names, but over the course of this post you'll probably be able to pick up on a few of the guys that have been responsible for the Brewers underachieving thus far in 2011. The game on Sunday against the San Fran Giants is a prime example of how to throw away a ballgame, and it's definitely not the only game the Brewers have let slip down the drain this season. Sunday's game started off on a good note, just as many games have this season. This time, it was Ryan Braun continuing his home run tear by bopping one out in the top of the 1st off of starter Madison Bumgarner (no, I didn't make that name up). And just like so many times this season, the Crew seemed content with the offensive output they contributed early in the game. It seems as though pitchers make adjustments against our hitters as the game goes along when it's supposed to be the other way around. Hitting coach Dale Sveum preps his hitters well for what they'll see from an opposing pitcher, but then seemingly doesn't give tips on how to approach the same pitcher or other pitchers later on. Perhaps it's just a recent trend, but I've seen it multiple times this year...the Brewers jump out early, maybe even score five or six, and then get a little too comfortable. That happened on Sunday. Braun went deep...and that was that.

The sad thing is that might have been enough for a victory had the Crew not resorted to bonehead baseball. In the top of the second, Milwaukee got their lead-off man on in Yuni B and then up stepped Jonathan Lucroy. Lucroy flew out to center...and Betancourt got doubled off. Huh? In the bottom of the third, the Giants tied it up thanks to a double by the pitcher...it happens, I guess. Here's the thing, though...Gallardo also doubled in the third, got to third base with one out after a sacrifice...and was stranded. And then there was the bottom of the fourth, where third baseman Josh Wilson decided that it wasn't necessary to wear sunglasses on a bright afternoon day in California and watched a pop-up land two feet to his left to lead off the half inning. Thankfully, this mistake didn't end up costing the Brewers or end up resulting in the go ahead and game winning run and...wait...it did? Shucks.

On Satuday, the Brewers also made two crucial errors on the basepaths, including an awful call on Rickie Weeks at home plate that cost Milwaukee a run and an extension to their lead. Still, mistakes are being made on the bases in addition to the field. Today, I heard an alarming and yet unsurprising stat - the Brewers lead all of baseball in outs on the bases with 54. Here's the kicker...that doesn't even include caught stealing. Ouch. Normally, the players who are getting thrown out are the ones with the most speed, like Nyjer Morgan and Rickie Weeks, but rarely do we see people like the recently injured Carlos Gomez or stolen base leader Ryan Braun make an out on the bases. It partly comes back to Roenicke's insistence on being aggressive. I apologize if I've said this before to you in person or on the blog, but there is a distinct difference between aggressive baserunning and stupid baserunning, and there has been a lot of the latter going on this season. Do you realize how many games stupid baserunning has cost this team? At least a couple. AT LEAST. Tack on the joke of a defense the Brewers run out behind their starting pitchers each and every game and we're talking about another couple games. I hope you're starting to realize the sneaky value that Go-Go had on Milwaukee. Even in the games where Gomez entered in the eighth inning or later, he had an affect with his glove and his feet. Even with his limited playing time as the season wore on, Gomez is second on the team in SBs.

Now let's be real...we knew coming into this season that the Brewers were willing to take some hits on defense in order to improve their pitching and keep their dangerous offense intact - when Alcides Escobar was essentially swapped for Yuni B is the most telling evidence - but the idiotic baserunning blunders are something that can be avoided...especially when people like Braun, King and Weeks are at the plate or due up. There are ways to avoid these mistakes and it's knowing when to take calculated risks. By now, players should be smart enough to know when it's time to take off or hold and hopefully RR has realized by now that being "aggressive" on the bases can easily be and has been taken out of context this season. We've seen Roenicke go through his fair share of growing pains as a first year manager, but we've also been treated to more exciting baseball and RR has also bounced back from his mistakes to pull a rabbit out of his hat every once in awhile. I've been fine with Roenicke this season for the most part and think that it's unfortunate that he couldn't have had more time to work with these players seeing as how this is a do-or-die season for the Brewers.

In the end, it comes down to this: the two biggest problems this season for the Milwaukee Brewers have been defense and baserunning, with a sprinkle of un-clutch hitting and poor middle relief. One of the major issues can be fixed internally. One cannot (the funny thing is, the Brewers are actually the second best fielding team in the division despite being 23rd in the league in regards to errors. The only team above Milwaukee? Cincy...in 6th. That's why they aren't going away easily). If the Brewers want to make a move to shore up their bench, replace the struggling Casey McGehee, get better defensively or all of the above, that would be fan-flipping-tastic. But I think defense should be the number one priority as Milwaukee nears the July 31 trade deadline (then McGehee...then bench). They've already dealt for a solid arm in the pen and now it's time to trade once again. If they don't, a few things could happen. This team could get by with what they have now and sneak into the playoffs, not get by with what they have and flounder down the stretch, pick up a player off waivers once the trade deadline passes or search from within their farm system for what they need. It was nice to see the Brewers play better than usual on the road (5-6 on the recent road trip) despite some tough losses, and if they can continue to sure up their play away from home while maintaining their dominance at Miller Park, a move isn't necessarily necessary.

But it would be nice.

Baseball...Baseball...Football?

2011-07-21T16:13:00.004-05:00

I love baseball. Possibly more than life itself. We all know that. But it's been awhile since there's been anything to talk about OTHER than baseball. Football ended last February (in dramatic and awesome fashion, I might add), but then we went into a lockout and haven't had anything to talk about other than the NFL draft. Pro basketball is a subject that hasn't been touched for awhile and probably won't be touched for many months to come because of, yes, another lockout...only the Bucks' draft picks and trade have been discussed ever since they floundered their playoff chances away in March. College basketball will receive more attention as a result, but that doesn't begin until November, nor gain much relevance until January and February. As much as I have fallen in love with the NHL over the past few seasons, I don't have a team to discuss on this blog because Wisconsin doesn't have a pro hockey franchise. So I'm going to talk about baseball some more, but there's no need to worry. Remember when I started this thing up back on August 8th of last year? That time is drawing close, and I believe that my preview of the Wisconsin Badgers football team was done on August 10th. Which means...that's right. I'll be talking about football soon. Not only that, but once this NFL lockout comes to a close (which supposedly is very soon), the Packers can start looking at free agents, begin practicing and...holy s---...their first preseason game is on August 13. Can that be right? Like...three weeks from now? Nice.

So we've got some things to look forward to. College football. Pro football. The one-year anniversary of Balls, Brats and Beer. But that's not all. How about playoff baseball? The Brewers once again reclaimed first place from those pesky Pirates last night despite new acquisition Francisco Rodriguez doing his best Derrick Turnblow impersonation and won against the D-Backs 5-2 in ten innings. For those keeping track, the Brewers have now won back-to-back road games twice...and both have happened in the last five days. Milwaukee is 4-3 on the current road trip, which to be honest is better than I expected. Before I get to the big picture, I'd like to discuss a few things from last night's game that caught my eye that pertain to rookie manager Ron Roenicke.

Once the Brewers had grabbed a two-run lead after seven innings and had seen Stephen Drew break his ankle sliding into home and Carlos Gomez fracture his clavicle making a beautiful diving catch in center (both are likely out for the season), Roenicke made a decision that is easy to look back on and criticize. Starting pitcher Chris Narveson had been brilliant through seven innings and his pitch count was only in the mid-80s, but RR decided to go with what had worked on two separate occasions and bring out K-Rod for the 8th. A half-inning later, the game was tied due in part to Rodriguez getting behind in the count and Ryan Braun's calf preventing him from cutting off a ball that was heading for the left center field gap. So why didn't Roenicke leave in Narveson to see if he could keep on rolling? Good question, but it's already been answered. The K-Rod/Ax Factor 8th-9th inning combo had yet to fail, so RR turned to it again. However, this situation was different and Narveson should have been given the chance to finish what he started. In the other two games that K-Rod and Ax have finished it out (both against Colorado), K-Rod didn't relieve the starting pitcher - he relieved another reliever. Roenicke shouldn't have treated it like any other situation. The Narve-Dog was rolling along and even if he did get left in and ran into trouble in the 8th or 9th, then that's where you should step in and put in Ax or K-Rod. Simple as that. I'm sure Roenicke has learned a valuable lesson. Luckily it didn't cost us a victory.

But get this: Roenicke redeemed himself almost immediately. In the bottom of the ninth with a runner on third and no one out, Reliever Takashi "Tsunami" Saito was in a jam and a half. Just like he has done on previous occasions, RR brought in a fifth infielder from the outfield (Brauny) and put his faith in Saito to force the batter to hit a ground ball. The next two hitters grounded out to McGehee and the Brewers were able to put Braun back in left and return to their normal alignment. After a fly-out to Gomez' replacement, Tony Plush, the Crew had momentum back on their side. The very next half inning, none other than Nyjer Morgan had the game winning and go-ahead base hit and Axford put the Ax down for yet another save. Pirates lost. Cards lost. Brewers win. Brewers in first. Everyone's happy.

The Milwaukee Brewers now sit at 53-46 and 0.5 games ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who don't play the Crew again until August 12 (the first of nine remaining games against the Brewers, including the final three games of the season), a game which I will be attending in the Miller Lite Beer Pen thanks to Kyle's birthday. The August 13 game was moved to an afternoon start so that it could be nationally televised. Really? An August Brewers-Pirates game? And if that's not enough, to close out the season the Crew and the Bucs will play three games at Miller Park. Get your tickets now, folks. I have my doubts that the schedule makers put the Pirates-Brewers series at the end of the season because they knew it would have playoff implications, but that seems to be what it's shaping up to have. What the Brewers have going for them is that they have completely dominated the Bucs over the past couple seasons, especially at Miller Park. As a matter of fact, they are 5-0 against Pittsburgh this season. But as the season has progressed, the Pirates have morphed into a team with exciting young talent and a surprisingly good pitching staff. People are waiting for Pittsburgh to fade...and it's not happening. Not yet, at least.

Things have been promising lately for the Brewers. Ryan Braun appears to be getting closer and closer to 100%...the bullpen received a nice boost with the addition of Francisco Rodriguez (despite last night's effort)...another move to improve the bench and/or left side of the infield appears to be in the making...and the Brewers are holding their own on a very difficult road trip that will close out with a showdown against the fellow first place San Francisco Giants. Unfortunately, Go-Go's loss means no late-game insurance in the outfield or on the base paths for some time to come. To replace Gomez, outfielder Brett Carroll, 28, was called up from Triple-A Nashville. This season, Carroll was hitting .281 with 15 HR and 51 RBI, but has been struggling as of late and hasn't exactly proven himself at the big league level. I would've preferred to see someone like fellow outfielder Caleb Gindl (22 years old, .290 AVG, 12 HR, 35 RBI) or even another infielder like Taylor Green (24 years old, .316 AVG, 13 HR, 55 RBI), but perhaps the Brewers don't want to tinker with Gindl's progress or make the infield too crowded. Besides, Gindl is a left-handed hitter so he wouldn't be able to replace Gomez in the righty/lefty platoon in center field. Still...why not give this Green guy a shot? I talked about him earlier in the summer as a possible replacement for McGehee, who continues to do a whole lot of nothing for the Brewers this season. At the very latest, we should see Green as a September call-up (or late August call-up so that he's eligible for the postseason roster) perhaps get a few chances to start over Casey. Just another little something for us Brewer fans to look forward to.

That's all I've got for now. Don't worry. Football is on the horizon for those of you who are tired of me blabbing about baseball. For now, let's just sit back and enjoy...no...let's ride an emotional roller coaster...as we watch the Brewers duke it out for a spot in the playoffs.

Another Shot in the Arm

2011-07-17T23:03:00.003-05:00

When you're right, you're right.

A week ago, when I reviewed the pre-All-Star break Milwaukee Brewers and apparently dealt out incorrect grades to each player on the roster, I suggested that the Crew make a rather ballsy move. I believed (and have since before the season even began) that Rickie Weeks should be removed from the lead-off spot in the lineup and hit in the five hole. Thankfully, Brewers' manager Ron Roenicke is an avid reader of the blog and decided a change was necessary after dropping the first two games of a four game series at Colorado. Although he didn't put Tony Plush first in the order like I had suggested, he did swap Corey Hart with Rickie Weeks and low and behold, the Brewers are 2-0 with Hart first and Weeks fifth. The change had an immediate impact on Saturday when both Hart and Weeks went yard, with Weeks' blast coming in the top of the ninth after Fielder got on base. Weeks' home run was not only noteworthy because it gave the Brewers the lead, but because it shows how important it is to have a run producer hitting behind King because of how much Fielder gets on base. And as if Weeks' blast Saturday wasn't enough, he was part of the tie-breaking rally in Sunday's win over the Rockies in the fifth inning. In other words, this appears to be a solid move by RR and he knows when to heed good advice.

With the two wins over the Rockies, the Brewers split the series, gained some momentum heading into the Arizona series and won consecutive road games for the first time in six weeks. Plus, the Brewers once again responded to the Pittsburgh Pirates being in first place and jumped back into the driver's seat in the NL Central. That's right, folks...the Brewers are in first...AGAIN. Something tells me this division race is going down to the wire and I'm going to have to go to the well for some heartburn medication. Let's hope it isn't dry.

But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, just like we have throughout the entire season whenever the Brewers go streaking. The Brewers are playing the three best teams in the NL West in ascending order during this road trip, which means it's only going to get harder this next week. Milwaukee played the D-Backs right before the All-Star break at home and lost two of three, so it's not going to be easy going into Phoenix where it can't possibly be any warmer than here. Holy hell it's hot right now. Then again, Prince appears to enjoy playing there judging by his MVP performance in this year's ASG. Speaking of the All-Star Game, the Brewers were the main attraction not only during the Midsummer Classic with Fielder, but also immediately afterward. Of course, I'm talking about the kind-of-blockbuster deal that brought K-Road, Francisco Rodriguez, to Milwaukee. So far, I can't say that I'm disappointed in the single season saves record holder. All K-Rod has done since putting on a Milwaukee uniform is get a win and a hold in his only two appearances thus far. Gotta admire how General Manager Doug Melvin continues to push any remaining chips he has in the middle of the table. They might not always pay off, but if the Brewers really are going for it all this season, making moves like trading for Greinke and K-Rod are needed.

To recap: The Brewers are 2-0 when Rodriguez pitches and 2-0 when Rickie Weeks hits fifth in the lineup. Yes, this means that the Brewers will never lose when either of these things happen...simple as that. But really, I really, really, really like the two moves I discussed above. Should be interesting to see when K-Rod gets his first opportunity to save, especially since Ax has been a little iffy lately.

Tough day for America. The U.S. Women lost in the World Cup Finals to Japan, a game they certainly should have won, and both Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson faltered after both being at or near the top of the leaderboard during the Open Championship on Sunday. Oh well. I'll continue to care about women's soccer every four years and golf roughly four times a year. Stay cool, everyone.

First half (56.8%) Review for the Crew

2011-07-11T20:05:00.007-05:00

The timing of the All-Star Game has really thrown me off. Usually when baseball reaches the Midsummer Classic, people assume that the season is halfway done. In reality, the Brewers were through 81 of their 162 games a few weeks ago and have technically now completed 56.8% of their season...so let's just call the following the 46/81 review for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Record: 49-43, T-1st in NL Central
Team MVP: 1B Prince Fielder, .415 OBP, 22 HR, 72 RBI
Team Cy Young: Yovani Gallardo, 10-5, 3.76 ERA, 104 K

I already did a mini-season review for The Sports Jury, but I'll be putting my blood, sweat and tears into this one so you've come to the right place. With baseball getting a little breather with the exception of the Home Run Derby (currently putting me to sleep) and the ASG, it's a good time to reflect on what the Brewers have accomplished so far this summer. If you wanted to take the short route in summing up the Brewers, it could be done with one word...inconsistent. There probably isn't a better team to root for than Milwaukee if you're looking for some health problems. The Brewers could easily be looking up to the division leader instead of the ones on top if they didn't manage several heart-stopping comebacks, although they have also let a few leads slip away late in ball games. Earlier in the season, I wrote about how there is something different about this team than in past years and I still believe that to this day. When the Crew hit their lowest point of the season and were 13-19, they picked themselves up and went 21-7 from May 7th to June 6th. Since that time, they have had their ups and downs, but here they are...in 1st place. And that's what really matters.

Before the 2011 season began, General Manager Doug Melvin realized the trend that was going around baseball. Teams were loading up on pitching...and it was working. The other trending topic, if you will, was teams loading up on defense. This hasn't been as much of a success (see: Seattle, Oakland, Chicago White Sox), and Melvin decided that he wasn't going to go the defensive route...we'll get to that later. The two pitchers that the Brewers gave up so much for were Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, who have gone a combined 14-6 so far this season. Yeah, you can go ahead and complain about Greinke's struggles...and he certainly hasn't been right for the majority of the season...but the way he pitches to contact (99 Ks & only 16 walks), works fast and keeps the defense on its toes can't be overlooked. Hitters reward Greinke with lots and lots of runs, which explains his solid record despite his 5.45 ERA. Before the season, I thought that Greinke wouldn't perform as well as expected, but Gallardo would succeed due to some pressure being taken off his shoulders. And in my mind, Yo has been the rock of this team and that's what makes him the M-V-Pitcher for the Crew. Gallardo has been healthy all season (unlike Marcum and Greinke), has already reached double digits in victories and has gotten HUGE wins when the Brewers needed them the most (when they were 13-19, after losing 6 of 7, etc). I still have faith in Greinke coming around, but as long as he keeps getting Ws, I'm happy. As for Marcum, he might only have seven wins (thought he would get 15), but he should probably have ten or 11. He has either pitched in a lot of low scoring games or watched Kameron Loe take the opponent off the hook with his blown saves...I'll get to that and the rest of the 'pen later. It's okay. There's still time for Mr. Marcum to reach the 15 win plateau. To round out the starting rotation, Randy Wolf has been a pleasant surprise (3.65 ERA), but he's kind of a dick for not letting Johnny Lucroy catch him so I'm not going to give him any further praise. Last but not least, we have the Narve-dog, Chris Narveson. 6-5 with a 4.75 ERA for a number five starter? Yes, please. There's no question the performance of the starting rotation is why the Brewers are where they are right now. For those of us that are religious, let us pray for continued good health and more wins. Here are the grades:

Yovani Gallardo: A- ... An All-Star last year, he has become very reliable.
Shaun Marcum: A- ... A true pitcher, Marcum almost always keeps team in games.
Randy Wolf: B+ ... Always keeps hitters guessing but has struggled of late.
Zack Greinke: C ... Tends to miss too much with his spots and it kills him.
Chris Narveson: B- ... Like I said, I'll take his numbers for a #5.

Overall: B+

It's hard to argue with who the most valuable player for the Milwaukee Brewers has been so far. Perhaps Ryan Braun has an argument for this honor with his gaudy average and productive numbers hitting in front of Prince, but that's the thing. It's partly due to hitting in front of Prince. Fielder has embraced being in the final year of his contract and is making his case for not only a massive pay day, but also MVP of the National League. In my season preview, I noted that King would either collapse under the pressure of a contract year or have a career year. I think I'll give myself a correct prediction on that one up to this point. Speaking of correct predictions...Nyjer "Tony Plush" Morgan. Even before the season began, I felt like a giddy school girl every time I thought about what Plush could bring to the table once coach Ron Roenicke finally decided it was time to give the Carlos Gomez experiment a rest. The result has been spectacular defense, a .327 batting average, speed on the base paths and possibly the most entertaining interview in the history of sports. Alright. It's time to go through all the position players the Brewers currently have on the roster:

LF Ryan Braun: A ... A total stud in the 3-hole. Not much more can be said.
OF/1B Mark Kotsay: B- ... Surprisingly clutch, but a liability in the field.
OF/IF Josh Wilson: B ... Was he the key bench player pick-up the Crew needed?
CF Carlos Gomez: C ... Can become likable when accepting the role he plays.
OF Nyjer Morgan: A- ... This guy should get a job setting tables. Or in comedy.
RF Corey Hart: B ... His numbers are about where you'd expect, so can't complain.
3B Casey McGehee: D- ... Terrible at protecting Prince and at the hot corner.
SS Yuniesky Betancourt: D+ ... Hasn't really done much of anything for MIL.
IF Craig Counsell: C- ... Can't be too harsh. Solid with the glove, good teammate.
2B Rickie Weeks: B+ ... Definitely Weeks' best year to date, but still bad w/glove.
1B Prince Fielder: A ... It's a damn shame that he's leaving Milwaukee because...
1B Mat Gamel: INC ... Gamel still hasn't figured it out at the Big League level.
C Jonathan Lucroy: B+ ... Putting up league leading numbers among NL catchers.
C George Kottaras: C ... A nice power threat to have and handles Wolf well.

Overall: B ... Even though it appears on paper that this offense is fairly impressive, there doesn't seem to be enough help around Braun and Fielder. We all know about McGehee and the lack of production from Yuni B and I think there is a simple solution: take Weeks out of the lead-off spot. We've seen how well Plush gets on base to start rally after rally, and therefore I think he has the ability to assume this role from Rickie. Morgan has hit first before in his career and Weeks is better suited in the five hole because of his immense production as far as lead-off hitters are concerned. Perhaps it's too drastic of a move for Roenicke to make in his first year of managing, but this might be it for awhile for fans in Milwaukee. He needs to do whatever it takes to get as much out of this squad as possible. Just think about it...Morgan, Hart, Braun, Fielder, Weeks to start off a ball game? With Lucroy as the anchor to keep things respectable at the bottom of the order? I'm salivating. One last thing...I didn't think Gamel would be brought up this year (at least not until September) and I still wish he hadn't. Gamel needed as much time as possible in the minors to get used to first base for next season and it didn't happen. This was due in part to Roenicke wanting an extra bat for interleague play and the awful play of McGehee. There's no way he's back on the roster with his .115 average after the All-Star break.

Finally, the bullpen. I believe that this is one of the more difficult aspects of a big league club to manage. It's shown this year in Roenicke's first year as skipper as it took him about 85 games to realize that Loe simply couldn't handle the 8th inning role. I've harped on this enough, but ever since LaTroy Hawkins assumed this role, have the Brewers lost a lead? No, sir. Other than that, the Ax Factor John Axford has been very reliable as the Brewers' closer and many guys have come and went. As of now, the Brewers only have six relievers on their roster...the six mainstays that should remain at the major league level as the season continues. Here are the grades:

John Axford: A- ... Hasn't been quite as good as '10, but hasn't let many get away.
LaTroy Hawkins: A ... With a 1.08 ERA, he has earned the setup role behind Ax.
Kameron Loe: C ... Incredibly effective against righties, but has seven loses.
Marco Estrada: C+ ... Has faced some difficult tasks as the long-inning man.
Zach Braddock: C ... He is clearly still dealing with some issues after DL stints.
Takashi Saito: INC ... Has been solid since returning from injury; could be key.

Overall: B- ... When the Brewers have the lead late and the bullpen is called upon, it hasn't exactly been lights out. In fact, Estrada and Loe have combined for 30% of the Brewers' losses and the bullpen overall has lost about half of the games for the Crew, which is rather staggering. Braddock has battled with a sleeping disorder, which is especially disappointing to me because I'm a huge Braddock guy and I thought he would play a very important role for the Brewers this season. However, if the Brewers want to do things this year, they will need Braddock to figure it out. Hopefully, with Hawkins and Axford taking the last two innings of games in which the Brewers hold the lead, Milwaukee can shorten the ball game.

That's that for the players. How about first-year manager Ron Roenicke? Obviously, Roenicke has made his mistakes along the way, but I would be hard pressed to find anyone that totally dislikes the man...at least not at the level of Ned Yost or Ken Macha. I think this has a lot to do with Roenicke's aggressive style of managing. He likes to put runners in motion and has put on a few squeeze plays that have been very effective. Of course, sometimes this style doesn't work and players will turn aggressive base running into flat out stupid baserunning, but you can see the progression of Roenicke. He keeps things loose and it shows in the attitudes of the players. Over the course of the last home stand while not having the luxury of Ryan Braun in the lineup, Roenicke made some crucial decisions that probably helped the Brewers win an extra game or two. I really look forward to seeing how Roenicke manages down the stretch as this club (hopefully) remains in the thick of the playoff race.

Okay. So it turns out that the Prince Fielder contract situation isn't the only elephant in the room. The Brewers' defense appeared to start off strong, but now they find themselves 22nd in the MLB in fielding percentage. Just three more spots and they'll fulfill my prophecy and finish in the bottom five of the league. Like I talked about in my last post, the Brewers are basically willing to bite the bullet and try and win games behind their stellar starting five and the big boppers in their lineup. So far, so good. Milwaukee is in first, but they face a daunting road trip after the break where they have to travel to Colorado, Arizona and San Francisco. It isn't quite make-or-break, but it's pretty damn close. Considering how much the Brewers have faltered away from home and the level of competition they will be facing on this west coast swing, we have to set our expectations at a reasonable level. If Milwaukee can manage to stay within a game or two of the division leader after the trip, I'll be more than happy. But it would be nice if by some sort of miracle, the Brewers found out the secret to winning on the road during their three days off.

For those keeping track of my pre-season predictions at home, that's five correct, three wrong, and four pending (Roenicke manager of year (at this point, ATL and PIT beat him out), Marcum wins 15 games, Rogers makes a spot start or two (looking doubtful), and the Brewers will win the division and go 91-71 (need to go 42-28 rest of the way)) as of now. Remember to root on the National League tomorrow in the ASG because, you know, this time it counts or whatever.

Party Like it's 1982?

2011-07-08T15:26:00.003-05:00

Don't look now, but the Brewers are in first place...again. After a brutal stretch in which the Brewers went 1-7 and dropped all the way down to third place, Yovani Gallardo made a decision that some of you may find stupid, but that I find ingenious. After losing the first two games in a three game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks (and losing back-to-back games for the first time at home all year), Yo decided it was time to mix things up. He was given the option of choosing what uniform the Brewers would wear on Wednesday for his start and Gallardo went an interesting route. Normally designated for just Friday home games, Yo went with the retro uniforms in order to try and change things up. Whether it was the uniforms (it was) or just coincidence, Gallardo pitched brilliantly and Casey McGehee had a clutch pinch-hit three-run homer in the seventh to giving Yo a W along with the Brewers.

Next it was Chris Narveson's choice as far as which uni the Crew would be sporting and naturally he also went with the throwback ball and glove logo. Even though things got a little dicey towards the end of the ball game, the Brewers were able to ride another three-run home run from Home Run Derby participant Rickie Weeks and a strong start from the Narve-dog to a win over the Cincinnati Reds. And wouldn't you know it...the Milwaukee Brewers are 47-42 and tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for first place yet again in the NL Central. I don't care if you believe in jinxes or are superstitious. The stuff makes a difference no matter which way you cut it. The Brewers needed a swift kick in the ass and a breath of fresh air. The swift kick came after Tuesday's loss to the Dbacks when manager Ron Roenicke held just the second closed doors meeting of the season. The breath of fresh air was mixing things up...wearing the retro unis more than once in a week and on totally random days...the same unis that a certain team wore back in the early 80s.

The comparisons between the two teams - the 1982 American League Champion Brewers and the 2011 Brewers - are downright scary. Both relied on the home run. Both had an upper tier pitching staff. Both put lots of runs on the board. Both were terrible with the gloves. You could say that the 2008 team that reached the postseason for the first time in 26 years had basically the same characteristics, but in my mind, this team's defense is a little worse than '08 but has better pitching. In an interesting article from Bill Simmons' new website "Grantland.com," these same comparisons were brought to the forefront. It talked about how the Brewers have an extremely below average defense with the exception of a few players based on the new Sabermetrics statistics. However, the strength of the Brewers' lineup coupled with the key off-season moves that brought in some quality arms has helped overcome this problem. The author then brought up Zack Greinke. Greinke has been a sore subject around Brewers Nation because of his disappointing ERA, which exceeds 5.50. But the fact of the matter is that Greinke plays to contact, even with his high K/9 ratio along with his K/BB ratio, which is among league leaders. What's unfortunate for Greinke is that he has virtually no help behind him with the exception of Nyjer Morgan or Carlos Gomez. To help make up for these circumstances, the Brewers have given Zack Attack enormous run support, which explains his current 7-3 record. With Greinke starting tonight, look for plays that above average defenders would make that the Brewers are unable to execute. Hopefully Greinke is able to receive his usual run support while still having a solid outing.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is that the Brewers have enough to overcome their shoddy defense...they just need to figure out how to make up for it by using good defensive positioning, having pitchers pitch batters a certain way based on this positioning and putting up a s--- ton of runs on the board...which has been difficult without Ryan Braun the last five games (2-3). Along with this realization, the Brewers have made a rather noticeable change when it comes to their late game situation. Instead of trotting out the utterly useless Kameron Loe ever eighth inning and watching him look completely incapable of retiring lefties, LaTroy Hawkins was handed this role. In his two games as the setup man, Hawk has allowed an earned run but has two holds...which is really all that matters. Don't get me wrong. I have the utmost faith in Loe when it comes to getting righties out, but he's just not someone that can be counted on to get through an inning or two late when the game is on the line. As you all probably know by now, I have been on the LaTroy Hawkins bandwagon for quite awhile...at least when it comes to him compared to Loe. Currently, the Brewers only have six pitchers in the bullpen because they haven't made a roster move since interleague play (Saito, Braddock, Low, Estrada, Hawk, Ax). What I anticipate happening is Gamel heading back down to triple A fairly soon so that he can continue getting work at first base. I think he was being held over McGehee's head the past couple weeks because of the struggles the Brewers' third baseman has been having. Gamel even received the starting nod at third base a few times during his time with the big league club, but I think McGehee's huge, enormous, gargantuan, spectacular home run on Wednesday was enough to keep him with Milwaukee and for Gamel to head back to Nashville. All for the better. I never wanted to see Gamel up with the Brewers this year anyway, but it made sense to bring him up to DH and to light a fire under Casey McGehee's behind.

So let's hope we see those retro unis on our beloved Milwaukee Brewers Friday night. Knowing Zack Greinke, he probably couldn't care less about what uniform he wears. Aside from Brewer talk, I don't have much for you guys. NBA Lockout. NFL Lockout (not for long hopefully). No college sports ongoing. Yeah. Doesn't leave me with much. Oh well. Let's see the Brewers stay hot into the All-Star break and Ryan Braun get healthy. the Brewers can only stay afloat for so long without the Hebrew Hammer out there.

A Star-Studded Crew

2011-07-04T00:32:00.004-05:00

As I drove home from a relaxing weekend up north earlier today, I tuned into everyone’s favorite play-by-play man Bob Uecker to catch the majority of the Brewers game versus the Twins. Coming off such a thrilling victory from the night before courtesy of a four-run ninth sparked by a Tony Plush two-run double on his 31st birthday, the Crew arguably got its most important victory of the year. The Twins had built up a 7-0 lead through four innings on Saturday and the Brewers appeared poised to lose yet ANOTHER road series, but the comeback of all comebacks occurred thanks to Nyjer, the bullpen and the correct strings being pulled by Ron Roenicke. With the win, the Brewers pulled back into a tie for first place with the Cards and had old Uncle Mo back on their side…or so we thought.

Flash forward to my two-plus hour drive home. After a monster five-run fourth inning, Milwaukee was well on its way to another victory, sole possession of first place and returning home with a little swag. But there was a problem. Zack Greinke was on the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers. The man who the Brewers received in return for four of the best prospects in the Brewers’ system has been anything but dazzling. Today was yet another example. Greinke, who has had little success against the Minnesota Twins throughout his career, decided a five run lead wasn’t going to cut it and allowed the Twinkies to cut the Brewers lead to 6-5 before he left with a two-run lead after six innings. This is one thing…a big thing, mind you…but at least Zack “Heart” Attack had the lead when he left the ballgame. The other Zach…my boy Zach with an “h” Braddock let a few guys on to my dismay but probably should’ve been given the chance to get out of the inning even with the righty (and all-star) Michael Cuddyer strolling up to the plate. Even if he wasn’t given the chance (which he wasn’t), let’s ponder the situation for a moment. There’s a guy sitting in the ‘pen who can get out lefties and righties equally effective and has an ERA of…get this…f---ing 0.43 in 23 games. His name is LaTroy Hawkins. I’m starting to get the feeling that I’m one of the few people who knows this. Am I missing something? Is an ERA of 4.73 better than 0.43? Is the ability to ONLY get out righties better than having the ability to get out BOTH righties and lefties? According to Mr. Roenicke, it most certainly is! And you know what? That’s all that matters. Two hits, a walk, a costly error and four runs later, the Brewers are walking out of Minnesota with a disgusting taste in their mouths after what should have been a memorable holiday weekend.

My relaxing weekend up north had all of a sudden turned into a distressing car ride that forced me to reach deep inside myself to avoid taking the Chevy Cavalier off of a bridge. This game had several underlying stories that I would like to attack. The one that stood out to me the most was the Mat Gamel start at third base. Think RR might be sending a certain someone a message? I’ll give you a hint. He struck out to end Sunday’s game and snapped his bat over his thigh in frustration. I was flat out shocked by the decision to start Gamel at the 5...and to put McGehee in a spot at the end of the game that could easily result in failure with how low his confidence is right now. Throughout the season, the Brewers’ organization has been pretty strict with keeping Gamel at first because they want him to get accustomed to the position by the time King walks out of Milwaukee. McGehee has been struggling…badly…but I don’t think it was necessary to stick Gamel at third base. DH makes sense. I understand wanting to give Rickie some time off from second, but this was REALLY making a statement. I feel terrible for McGehee. He is someone who worked extremely hard to get where he is today and one of those guys that you want to root for. Having said that, I think the best thing for McGehee right now is a two week stint down in Nashville to get things figured out. Casey has options left and the Brewers could bring up another reliever to help give the bullpen some depth (the Brewers carried an extra position player with them last week). The next decision regards Gamel. Does he stick with the Brewers and play more third while McGehee finds his stroke? Does he also head back down to AAA since the Brewers no longer need a DH? So many questions and so many answers I don’t have. What I would like to see is for us to send down McGehee, keep Gamel up, start him every day at third and replace him in the seventh or eighth inning on defense. Let’s face it…the guy can hit. He’s struggled so far with the big league club, but with more consistent playing time comes more production with a guy like Gamel. We’ll see what Roenicke decides to do.

Another situation that made Brewers’ fans a little uneasy this weekend was the injury to Ryan Braun. It was reported that Brauny, who holds a current 22-game hitting streak, strained his left calf Saturday night and that’s why he was replaced late in the ballgame. Thankfully, he said he was feeling okay today but didn’t play, which was a wise choice. Even if Braun has to miss another game or two in order to feel right, it’s much better to be safe rather than sorry. Besides, we want to see Braun out there starting for the NL All-Star team come July 12th. Speaking of the All-Star game…

The Brewers have three starters in the All-Star Game for the first time in franchise history (if that’s not a possible foreshadowing to what this season has in store, I don’t know what is). Weeks gets the starting nod at 2nd base over Brandon Phillips while fellow teammates Prince Fielder and Braun also start alongside him. Of course, what comes with the unveiling of the all-star rosters is the controversy and snubbing of players more deserving than some who make the Midsummer Classic. And that’s what I’m here for. Believe it or not, as far as the National League is concerned, I thought the fans did a better job than the managers and players as far as selecting players. The American League…not so much. For those who don’t know, the fans select the position player starters, the players elect the bench players and the starting manager (the World Series’ coaches) pick the pitchers. Also, since there is a rule that pitchers who pitch next Sunday cannot pitch in the ASG, there will be a few other deserving guys invited to Phoenix (like Ax). Without further ado, here is MY AL and NL All-Star squads compared to what they really are (keep in mind that every MLB team has to have a representative in the ASG).

AMERICAN LEAGUE

STARTERS:
C – Alex Aliva (DET)
1B – Adrian Gonzalez (BOS)
2B – Robinson Cano (NYY)
SS – Derek Jeter (NYY) CABRERA
3B – Alex Rodriguez (NYY)
OF – Jose Bautista (TOR)
OF – Curtis Granderson (NYY)
OF – Josh Hamilton (TEX) ELLSBURY
DH – David Ortiz (BOS)

RESERVES:
C – Russell Martin (NYY) PAUL KONERKO (CHW)
C – Matt Weiters (BAL)*
1B – Miguel Cabrera (DET)
2B – Howie Kendrick (LAA)
3B – Adrian Beltre (TEX)
SS – Asdrubal Cabrera (CLE) JHONNY PERALTA (DET)
OF – Michael Cuddyer* (MIN)
OF – Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS) ADAM JONES (BAL)
OF – Matt Joyce (TB)
OF – Carlos Quentin* (CHW)
DH – Michael Young (TEX)

PITCHERS:
SP - Josh Beckett (BOS)
RP - Aaron Crow* (KC)
SP - Gio Gonzalez* (OAK)
SP - Felix Hernandez (SEA) C.C. SABATHIA (NYY)
RP - Brandon League (SEA)
RP - Chris Perez (CLE)
SP - David Price (TB) MICHAEL PINEDA (SEA)
RP – Mariano Rivera (NYY)
SP – James Shields (TB)
RP – Jose Valverde (DET)
SP – Justin Verlander (DET)
SP – Jered Weaver (LAA)
SP – C.J. Wilson (TEX)

* = Only representative from team
FIVE all-star snubs in the American League
TOUGH TO LEAVE OFF = Victor Martinez (DET), Adam Lind (TOR), Ben Zobrist (TB)
WHAT’S THE DEAL with the two backup catchers? Throw in another 1st baseman instead.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

STARTERS:
C – Brian McCann (ATL)
1B – Prince Fielder (MIL)
2B – Rickie Weeks (MIL)
SS – Jose Reyes (NYY)
3B – Placido Polanco ARAMIS RAMIREZ (CHC)
OF – Ryan Braun (MIL)
OF – Matt Kemp (LAD)
OF – Lance Berkman (STL)

RESERVES:
C – Yadier Molina (STL)
1B – Gaby Sanchez* (FLA)
1B – Joey Votto (CIN)
2B – Brandon Phillips (CIN)
3B – Chipper Jones (ATL) POLANCO
SS – Troy Tulowitzki* (COL)
SS – Starlin Castro* (CHC)
OF – Carlos Beltran (NYM) ANDRE EITHER (LAD)
OF – Jay Bruce (CIN)
OF – Matt Holliday (STL) ANDREW McCUTCHEN (PIT)
OF – Hunter Pence* (HOU)
OF – Justin Upton* (ARZ)

PITCHERS:
RP – Heath Bell (SD)
SP – Matt Cain (SF)
RP – Tyler Clippard* (WSH)
SP – Roy Halladay (PHI)
SP – Cole Hamels (PHI)
SP – Cliff Lee (PHI)
RP – Joel Hanrahan* (PIT)
SP – Jair Jurrgens (ATL)
SP – Clayton Kershaw (LAD)
SP – Tim Lincecum (SF)
RP – Jonny Venters (ATL) HUSTON STREET (COL)
SP – Ryan Vogelsong (SF) TOMMY HANSON (ATL)
RP – Brian Wilson (SF)

FIVE all-star snubs in the National League
TOUGH TO LEAVE OFF = Jonathan Lucroy (MIL), Ryan Howard (PHI), Carlos Gonzalez (COL)
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH all of the Giants’ pitchers? Share the wealth, would ya?

So that’s that. If you have any comments on my selections/changes or the original selections, feel free to mention them in the comment section below and we can get a nice little discussion going. Either way, I’m right so you’ll just have to deal with it. I would like to go back to the Brewers for a moment. I think I’ve harped enough on the poor performances of Zack Greinke, Kameron Loe and Casey McGehee, the terrible play on the road, and the stubborn ways of coach Roenicke (although he does mix things up in other ways), but now that we’ve reached July it’s kind of just something us Brewer fans have to deal with the rest of the way. You can look at Greinke’s injury as an alibi for his struggles, but perhaps this is all we’re going to get out of him. Maybe now that he has essentially hit rock bottom, he will break out of it and take the inexistent pressure off of himself. Brewer fans never expected all that much from Greinke if they were realistic in the first place. He’s only had one really good year (the year he won the Cy Young). We thought that he would at least bring some quality starts to the table and he’s failed to do that on a consistent basis. We can only hope that Greinke finds what he found a few years ago with the Kansas City Royals…otherwise, he is what he is. McGehee? You know what I think should happen with Casey. Roenicke? He needs to keep learning as he continues on through his first year of being a manager. Loe? He can go take a hike. Or just face righties…and that’s it. Even though a victory on Sunday would’ve given the Brewers sole possession of first in the Central, they managed to get through this wretched road trip and maintain a division lead. Now that the Crew is back home, it’s time to pump some confidence back in Milwaukee.

Happy 4th!

A Literal Shot in the Arm

2011-06-28T18:01:00.005-05:00

Can anyone remember the last time they were excited about a Wisconsin Badgers quarterback? Badger football has made a living out of building up a legitimate running attack that runs behind a ginormous offensive line. This then allows the quarterback to benefit from defenses packing the box and running the play action, throwing primarily from the pocket and darting passes no more than 15 to 20 yards down the field. Rarely does Wisconsin design a play that allows for the QB to roll out of the pocket or try and create a play for themselves. Boy, are Badger fans in for a surprise this fall. On Monday, it was confirmed that former N.C. State quarterback and minor league baseball player Russell Wilson would be leaving the Colorado Rockies' Single A affiliate to play football for Wisconsin next season.

Wilson, who graduated in three years at N.C. State, was selected in the fourth round of the MLB draft last season, but was struggling early in his baseball career. Since he graduated college so quickly and only played three years of football, Wilson has a year left of eligibility. Thanks to the current state of the Badgers' football program, a stud offensive coordinator in Paul Chryst and uncertainty at the quarterback position, Wilson decided to take his talents to Madison. Instead of announcing this during a one hour special on ESPN, Wilson humbly decided to make his first appearance as a Badger on College Football Live. And Badger fans, you're not going to believe this, but Wilson can do more than just throw the football...he can run with it, too. This is one of the main reasons that Badger fans can get excited for football this season. Even with the departure of several key guys like Lance Kendricks, J.J. Watt and John Clay, the Badgers return eight starters on defense, two 1,000ish yard rushers in Montee Ball and James White and now will be adding one of the best QBs in ACC history. I don't have to run through all of the numbers to convince you that Russell Wilson makes this Badgers team noticeably better and a lot more unpredictable on the offensive side of the ball. Along with his ability to create plays with his feet, Wilson was a very effective passer with the Wolfpack. He's unconventional when it comes to the Wisconsin norm to say the very least...that's what so many people will like about him when they tune in each Saturday to watch him go to work. In my mind, with the recent happenings in Columbus (Tressel resigning, several players suspended, Pryor leaving town) and the addition of the versatile Wilson, the Badgers are contenders in whatever stupid name was given to their division. There are still many challenges on the schedule that Bucky must confront, but once it's confirmed that Russell Wilson has won the quarterback "battle", expectation should be higher than what many thought they would be in 2011. And thank goodness...the end to last season still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

With my NBA draft talk in the past, the NFL in a 100+ day lockout and the only active Wisconsin professional team being the Brewers, there isn't all that much to talk about besides the future. What Brewer fans hope for in the future is a playoff birth and maybe more, but should the Brewers run into teams like the Phillies, Red Sox or Yankees late in the postseason, some things are going to have to change with this team. There are guys on this team that get it and some that still seem to struggle with the pressure that comes along with being a first place ball club. Thankfully, the players I'm talking about (Braun, Fielder, Weeks, Marcum, Wolf) have been able to pick up the slack that other players cannot (McGehee, Betancourt, Greinke). The latter mentioned can't sit back and expect to not contribute while still watching this team succeed. At the moment, the Crew is good...but not great. Sure, the American Leauge is a totally different animal, Milwaukee is basically the smallest market in baseball and they have landed the two best teams in the AL...on the road. But the Brewers have the pieces to be a great team this season and maybe this season only should Fielder visit Mr. Free Agency this winter. It isn't the year for Casey McGehee to be completely useless behind Prince or for Zack Greinke to have a 5.00 ERA. There is little margin for error for a team like the Brewers, even with the talent they have assembled this season.

The previous paragraph was prompted by the first game of the Yankees series Tuesday night. Greinke lasted two innings. McGehee failed to hit when in a position to contribute and brainfarted on defense. The Brewers looked starstruck as Kyle so rightly stated. This isn't acceptable. Professional athletes can't act like they've never been in New York and then go on to play like they just stepped on a professionally kept baseball field for the first time. Hopefully it's just something that the Brewers needed to get out of their system, but wait...wouldn't that have already happened in Boston, another city rich with baseball tradition and a stadium revered around the league? Apparently not. Now I'm not going to throw away all hope and overreact about the Brewers struggling against one of the best divisions ever assembled. I just don't want Brewer fans thinking that because we can beat up on teams like the Twins and Pirates, we should start acting like this is the best team to strut across Milwaukee. The Brewers have a long way to go yet, but they have the right core in place to keep this team's head on straight. Let's just be thankful that interleague play isn't year-round and that the Brewers have received some nice breaks so far this season. Pujols' time on the DL has helped the Crew at least stay in contention for the division lead and once he gets back, it would be nice for the Brewers to hold a somewhat comfortable lead over the Cards. The Bucs have been surprisingly good for their standards, but in the end they don't have the horses or the experience to contend in the end...kind of like the Brewers in '06. Everyone says the Cincinnati Reds will be there in the end and I don't argue against this, but they haven't shown that they are division-winning quality like they were last season when they came out of nowhere to make the playoffs. Milwaukee has been lucky but good for the most part. Right NOW could not be a more important time to show how good they really are.

Reviewing the Draft, Praising the Crew

2011-06-25T21:10:00.003-05:00

With an NBA lockout closing in, I'll be happy to ignore pro basketball for as long as humanly possible, but first we have to take a look at how the Bucks fared with their two draft choices Thursday night. After a rather notable trade that left the Bucks better off in many ways, they were still left with just one true shooting guard on the roster in Stephen Jackson. However, my instincts served me well for once and Milwaukee chose a combo forward - Tobias Harris out of Tennessee. Sure, there may have been better players left on the board...and in my opinion, there were a few...but the Bucks liked what they saw in Harris during the pre-draft workouts in Milwaukee and news on the street was that unless a Morris twin or someone else plummeted Aaron Rodgers-style to 19, the former Volunteer would become a Buck. Harris is considered to be more of a hybrid between small forward and power forward, which is what I deemed Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Ersan Ilyasova to be in my last post. In the second round, the Bucks chose (power?) forward Jon Leuer out of close-by Wisconsin-Madison much to the delight of Badger fans (and myself). Therefore, the Bucks now have four point guards, one true shooting guard, eight forwards and one true center. Hmmm...we seem to have the same problem prior to last season; too many forwards on the team. Not only that, but the Bucks will have to ditch a point guard or two, perhaps in favor of another shooting guard.

It also currently leaves Milwaukee with 14 players on their roster. That problem will solve itself over time, but for now let's evaluate the draft picks of Milwaukee. Obviously, we can't get too far in depth with the judging process for these two selections because we haven't even seen them put on a Bucks' uniform, but we can go off how we expect them to fit in with Milwaukee as well as their performance in college. What excites me about Harris is that he is extremely young and therefore has plenty of room for improvement. Perhaps if he had stayed in school for a few more years, Harris would've been selected higher in the future, but he decided to come out after his freshman season. More than likely, Harris will play the three but has the ability to play the four should the Bucks decide to go small from time to time. He should be able to handle this well because of how versatile of a player he is and he has room to get bigger even though he is already 226 pounds...he was around 210 at season's end. By playing with many score-first minded players at Tennessee, he showed that he is willing to let the game come to him, but when he does he can surprise people with his quickness. Harris averaged 15 and 7 as a freshman and although he struggled with his jump shot, he has good form which leads me to believe that he could develop a decent outside game as well. All in all, I can't complain with the selection of Tobias Harris and I'm excited to see how he fits in with the Bucks next season.

Someone who might not get to see how he fits in with the Bucks next season is Jon Leuer, who unlike Harris stayed all four years in school. Leuer improved his game each year at Wisconsin, and by getting to watch him up close many times can tell that he still has a ways to go if he wants to become a mainstay in the NBA. One thing that will play to Leuer's advantage is that at 6'11", he has a guard skill set because of how much he grew during his time in high school. Leuer can work outside and inside because of this skill set and his size, making him versatile like Harris. With the Bucks' struggles to score and shoot efficiently last season, picking versatile players like Harris and Leuer probably isn't a bad idea. The problem with Leuer is that even though he bulked up quite a bit during college, he still has to get a lot bigger to face the size he will be expected to face at the next level. He's also not someone who's going to fool you, so Leuer will have to add more to his game...which he'll get a chance to do when he starts the season in the NBA Developmental League. Probably. Trust me. I want to see Leuer suit up for the Bucks just as badly as any other Badger/Buck fan, but I think he has a lot farther to go than Harris. My hope is that he gets there sooner rather than later. So of course I like this pick...a guy I got to see play college ball for my favorite college team gets to play for my favorite pro team.

Draft Grade: B+ .. whatever that means
2011-2012: Harris - Backup forward, Leuer - D League, eventual call-up
Moves needed: Trade/release Keyon Dooling AND/OR Shaun Livingston, acquire 2-guard

We now move from the hard court to the diamond where the Milwaukee Brewers seem to have used their day-off on Thursday to get their s--- together. The Brewers have taken the first two games of their series against the Twins, which is especially satisfying because the Twins enjoy completely owning the Brew Crew year after year in interleague play. By winning the series, the Brewers are now 4-4 in interleague play, although another difficult stretch is upcoming as they have to travel to New York and Minnesota next week to close out play against the American League. Because I'm attending the ballgame at Miller Park tomorrow, I'm tempted to bring along a broom; I'll have to refrain...that would guarantee victory for the Twinkies. I'll save busting out the broom for when my place needs a good cleaning...which is always.

Thanks to a St. Louis Cardinals' two-game losing streak, the Crew has stretched their division lead to two games and three games over the Cincinnati Reds and...wait for it...the Pittsburgh Pirates. This helps support the belief that good pitching helps you hang around for awhile and even though the Pirates have been fun to laugh at over the years, it's nice to see that fan base become hopeful again. And that's the difference between my feelings towards Cubs fans and everyone else's fans. Despite the feel-good story of the Pirates recently, I'd still prefer that the Brewers win the division. They can feel free to stick around for awhile...hell, they can even take the Wild Card if they want...but that's it. Now back to the Brewers. Even though the Twins had been on such a roll before they came to Milwaukee, they have several key players on the disabled list, including Justin Morneau, Jason Kubel, Denard Span and now Delmon Young after an ugly play out in left field on Yuni B's inside the park homer. I think it was only a matter of time before the Twins started to play at the level they should with their current lineup. Luckily, it happened right before this series and the Brewers have capitalized, winning a thriller last night and taking game two tonight by the largest margin of victory the Crew has had all season.

It's been difficult to figure out this team, especially the bullpen, which appears to have figured things out again. I think the day off helped that unit the most from the looks of it. In the two games against the Twins, the Brewers' 'pen hasn't given up a run. Dare I say it, but Kameron Loe has been solid in his last couple outings and of course, the Ax Man continues to make his case for a spot on the NL All-Star team. A good outing from Chris Narveson tomorrow would make it a good last couple starts for the starting five with the exception of Shaun Marcum, who is clearly battling out there with his hip injury. Because of his personal bid at becoming an all-star, it would be great to see Marcum return to form...if this means the Brewers have to take a hit and have Marcum miss a start, so be it. With the off day Thursday and another day-off upcoming, the extra rest should help either way. Otherwise, everything is back to normal and the Brewers have given themselves some breathing room before heading out east to the (new) Cathedral of Baseball. I'll try my best to bring home a W on Sunday.

Captain Jack Now a Buck

2011-06-23T16:49:00.004-05:00

See? I told you today would be important. Sources say that the Bucks are taking part in a 3-team trade that will bring former Charlotte Bobcats shooting guard Stephen Jackson to Milwaukee. All of the details can be found at this link courtesy of Chad Ford of ESPN. Like I speculated yesterday, the Bucks will be moving down in the draft as a result of this trade and will also be receiving point guard Shaun Livingston from the 'Cats and point guard Beno Udrih from the Sacramento Kings. The players being shipped out of Milwaukee are John Salmons and Corey Maggette, and let me be the first to say good riddance to Mr. Maggette, arguably the main reason Milwaukee was unable to reach the postseason this past year.

A few notes on this trade. The Bucks will now pick 19th in the first round rather than 10th, which isn't the worst thing in the world considering the major drop off in talent after the first five picks or so (according to experts at least). Milwaukee will probably be looking at the following players that could be available at this point in the draft:

6'9" PF Markieff Morris - the other Morris twin, strong around the rim, decent shot
7'0" PF Donatas Motiejunas - lefty, foreign, great offensive potential
6'7" PF Kenneth Faried - tons of energy, great defender and rebounder
6'8" SF/PF Tobias Harris - quick for his size, good around the basket
6'9" SF/PF Chris Singleton - athletic, strong defender, can finish well

The reason I only listed forwards at this position is because the Bucks are now loaded at the guard position. By trading away a shooting guard and a small forward, the Bucks received two point guards and a shooting guard. This leads me to believe that Keyon Dooling could be on his way out of Milwaukee with only one year remaining on his deal, or perhaps Livingston or Udrih will be dealt as they have the same contract situation as Dooling. Either way, the Bucks will not be carrying four point guards on their roster once the start of the season rolls around, so look for at least one of these three players to be moved...maybe even tonight. As far as the prospects available at 19, I have a sense that the Bucks will take Tobias Harris out of Tennessee. Harris has had pre-draft workouts at Milwaukee and although he is a bit undersized for his position, he seems to be someone the Bucks are interested in. Just one man's opinion. However, there have also been reports that the Deer would like to take Markieff with their first round pick. The only problem is that he likely won't be available at this point, so maybe look for Milwaukee to trade up a few spots if they really want the other Morris twin. Obviously, a lot can happen so I'm not really going to get caught up in all the possibilities.

As for what Milwaukee now has? For one, there is a log jam at the point guard position (I seem to have jinxed that), but a formidable back up for Brandon Jennings in Udrih, a guy who can give you quality minutes off the bench and put up some points as well (averaged over 13 a game last season). My feeling is that Livingston will just become someone who gets buried on the bench or has his contract bought out while Dooling will get dealt away either tonight or at some point in the near future. The potential Jennings/Udrih combo gets me a little more excited than I initially thought. Now we turn to the main player in the deal...Captain Jack, better known as Stephen Jackson. Jax is infamously known as one of the guys involved in the Menance at the Palace (Jackson is the one with the yellow headband), but that was much earlier in his career and something Bucks fans shouldn't be concerned about. He will be someone that gives the Bucks a little more stability at the 2-guard. His career numbers are much better than those of Fish and he has done a nice job of getting back in shape. Jackson also was one of the big reasons behind the Bobcats reaching the postseason a few years ago after being traded from the Warriors.

All in all, I like the deal for a few reasons:

1) Maggette - the career loser - is gone
2) The Bucks are better at shooting guard
3) The Bucks are better at point guard
4) The forward positions aren't as much of a jumbled mess as before
5) Moving down in the draft decreases the chances of picking a bust at #19

At this very moment, here is where the Bucks' roster stands:

PG - Brandon Jennings - Beno Udrih - Keyon Dooling* - Shaun Livingston*
SG - Stephen Jackson
SF - Carlos Delfino
SF/PF - Luc Richard Mbah a Moute - Ersan Ilyasova
PF - Jon Brockman
PF/C - Larry Sanders - Drew Gooden
C - Andrew Bogut

Hmmm...maybe we should be looking at selecting a shooting guard in the first round...okay, here are a few that should be available around the 19th pick:

6'5" SG Marshon Brooks - scoring, scoring and more scoring
6'5" PG/ SG Iman Shumpert - very athletic, quick, lenghty
6'3" PG/SG Reggie Jackson - 7 FOOT WINGSPAN, athletic, creator
6'8" SG/SF Tyler Honeycutt - good defender, athletic

Brooks would be a great selection here if he's available. Not sure if the Bucks are looking to select a guard, but we'll see. Alright...I've lost track of time and talked a little more about the NBA than I'd prefer in the last two days. I'll be back later with a review of the Bucks' selections in the draft. It's time to eat dinner.

Thursday, June 23 = Important

2011-06-22T20:50:00.004-05:00

June 23 is not only one of the longest days of the year here in Wisconsin. It's also one of the most important days in the summer for a couple of Wisconsin's professional sports franchises. Seriously. In the whole realm of things, it's not a do-or-die time by any means, but it's a day where the Milwaukee Brewers finally have time to gather themselves and the Milwaukee Bucks get a chance to acquire a player or two that could help their franchise for many years to come.

We'll begin with what most of us really care about...the Brew Crew. In case you haven't noticed, the Brewers have lost seven of their last ten games after going on a rampage crazy enough to get them into first place in the Central. My hopes of a winning home stand are all but out the window. Fortunately, the Brewers remain the only team to have not lost back-to-back games at home in the MLB. Oh, and the man who never at one time during his entire career used steroids, Mr. Albert Pujols, has a fractured forearm and will miss a considerable amount of time for the St. Louis Cardinals, the team battling with the Crew for the top spot in the Central. This has helped the Brewers keep a marginal lead in the division, but it has also allowed teams like the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates...okay let's be real...the Cincinnati Reds to get back in the divisional race. The recent struggles for Milwaukee can be attributed to a few things, including a rough stretch for the starting five, the inability to put a lot of runs on the board and a string of 20 straight days without a day off. So why is Thursday such a big day for the Brewers? They get a day off. Players get to take their mind off of baseball and relax or try and figure out why they have been slumping. Basically, I'm talking to everyone except Ryan "Leading NL Vote Getter" Braun, Rickie "Best 2nd baseman in the league" Weeks and Prince "MVP" Fielder as far as the offense is concerned. I'm getting a little tired of having little to no faith in the rest of the lineup and I can't quite figure out why there is such a drop off in production in regards to the three eventual 2011 All-Stars mentioned before.

Whatever the deal is, things have to change. What if Braun or King go down unexpectedly with an injury? The offensive production becomes minimal. We saw a glimpse of such a possibility when Braun was out with an illness Monday against the Rays. The Brewers were completely shut down against a guy who hadn't thrown a pitch in a month and a half. That probably also had to do with the Brewers not having much of a scouting report on the opposing pitcher, which seems to be another common theme for Milwaukee. What I'm trying to say is...the Brewers need more than three guys to regularly contribute in order to be legitimate contenders come seasons' end. Whether it be Corey Hart, Casey McGehee or Jonathon Lucroy, I don't care. It was expected to be McGehee after his success as a Brewer the last two years, but he simply hasn't been able to find his groove. Hart had a break-out three home run game...and then what? Lucroy also had a nice stretch, but he's now back in the number eight slot for the most part and can't be expected to contribute as much as he did earlier in the season. And of course there's always Nyjer. Plush is more of a table setter and his role is also vital to this team. Even though I hope it's not the case, Morgan will probably come back down to Earth sooner or later...he has been a nice breath of fresh air for Brewer fans out in center.

Then there's the pitching. It's been difficult to figure out just exactly who can be trusted out in the bullpen. The starting rotation can't be expected to carry this team through the entire season (the last week or two has shown this to be the case). Therefore, the pen has to find it's identity and step up. We know closer John "all-star stache" Axford, another eventual 2011 all-star, is solid along with Latroy Hawkins, the should-be setup man, but recently there has been a dramatic decrease in performance. Ax and Hawk are the only pitchers in the pen with ERAs under 3.00. Either guys like Kameron Loe and Marco Estrada have to get their heads out of their behinds or the Brewers need to look elsewhere for some relief. Literally. My hope is that Zach Braddock can figure out how to sleep soon so there is a little more stability for the Brewers in late-game situations. The man who was called up to the big leagues for Braddock happens to have a 21.60 ERA. You know what isn't good? A 21.60 ERA. Thanks, Danny Herrera. It has to be taken into account that the Brewers haven't had a day off for quite sometime, and this affects the bullpen just as much as the position players. That's why Thursday is so important. Let's hope we see a refreshed, re-energized baseball team ready to take on a red hot ball club in the Minnesota Twins. They are in a stretch of a ridiculous interleague schedule that even Ron Roenicke can't deny is unfair. Still, there's no need to worry. The Brewers will enter play Friday with at least a share of the division lead (41-35, STL 0.5 GB, CIN 2 GB, PIT 3 GB). The first series win for Milwaukee since the Cards would be a good place to start the turnaround.

Now that we understand the importance of June 23 for the Brewers and feel reassured, let's turn our attention to tomorrow's NBA Draft. I shared a link in my last post that had a blurb about the Bucks' possible selection in the upcoming draft, but I don't think I gave them the attention they deserved. This team is coming off of a disappointing season to say the least and injuries along with a drop off in performance from several key players led to this demise. There have been a few rumors brought to my attention recently; some seem more realistic than others. The idea of trading away Andrew Bogut for a top three pick is possibly the most ridiculous rumor of them all. Bogut is without a doubt the most valuable member of the Milwaukee Bucks and one of the top centers in the NBA. The only reason I can see the Bucks CONSIDERING such a trade is because of Bogut's history of injury and the current status of his right elbow. It's unlikely that the thunder from down under will be 100% should the 2011-2012 season be starting on time (potential lockout...those are fun, right NFL?), but an 85-90% Bogut is enough to make a huge difference on this team. Bogut will be staying put and that's that. There has also been considerable talk that the Bucks will trade their number ten pick for a couple of mid-to-late first rounders and I wouldn't be opposed to such a decision, especially if former Colorado shooting guard Alec Burks is off the board. It also makes a whole lot more sense then shipping away Bogut. By doing this, the Bucks could still pick up a guy like Klay Thompson, a shooting guard from Washington State, who could step in immediately as a role player off the bench with the Bucks lacking at the guard position. Should they choose to go big, there are players like Jordan Hamilton from Texas or Bismack Biyombo from the Congo. Later on in the first round, a guy like Kenneth Faried would also fit the bill at power forward. Let's not forget about Wisconsin's own Jon Leuer, someone who has worked out in Milwaukee pre-draft as a possible second round option for Milwaukee...I'm getting excited just thinking about the possibility.

But this is ONLY if the Bucks decide to fulfill this rumor and trade down in the draft. Because of how weak the 2011 draft class is, I think it's a distinct possibility. I would go as far as saying that I wouldn't mind seeing Milwaukee trade their number one for a 2012 number one because of how loaded next year's class is expected to be. Doing so would set up the Bucks nicely. Should the Deer manage to stay healthy this year compared to how much time regulars missed last season and at least contend for the post-season, they would be in great shape with a few first rounders and a solid nucleus in place. Someone stop me...I'm getting ahead of myself. Besides, I'm pretty sure other NBA head honchos aren't stupid enough to trade away a '12 first round pick knowing what I know. Let's say the Bucks stay put and make a selection at the 10th pick. For this to happen, a few players must still be (and likely will be) on the board in my mind. These players are:

6'6" SG Alec Burks - slasher/defender
6'7" SG/SF Klay Thompson - shooter
6'9" PF Tristan Thompson - rebounder/athletic
6'8" SF/PF Marcus Morris - grinder/low-post scorer

I know that none of these names really pop out other than perhaps Morris', but they are guys that could certainly give the Bucks a shot in the arm. All four of these former student athletes play positions at which Milwaukee needs some assistance. There may still be more popular players such as Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette available at the number ten pick, but they are both considered to be point guards, an area that the Bucks don't need to create a traffic jam (just ask Minnesota). Of course, there are other players like San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard that could drop down to number ten. You can dig deeper on your own by checking out this mock draft. So those are all of the realistic options for Milwaukee in round one should they choose to make a selection at the ten spot. Who may be of interest in the second round? Here are a few players expected to be selected in the vicinity of the Bucks' 40th overall pick.

6'11" PF Jon Leuer - scorer with guard skill set
6'3" PG/SG Nolan Smith - leader, scorer, defender
6'7" SF Jimmy Butler - defender, plays big
6'10 SF Chandler Parsons - big man with guard skill set

There are plenty more I could list, but I thought it would be best to note some names that are more familiar. I personally believe there are going to be some gems coming out of this second round when I see names like the one's listed above along with players like JuJuan Johnson, E'twaun Moore, Shelvin Mack, David Lighty and Darius Morris expected to go in the second round. Maybe it's just because I'm so used to watching them go off against my favorite college basketball teams, but there is no reason that these guys can't step into the NBA and make a difference for their future teams.

Whichever direction the Deer decide to go...stay put at #10 and #40...trade down in the draft...select the big name guy or the hometown favorite...there should still be optimism going into next season (lockout pending). There's really no way that the Bucks will run into as many injuries as they did last year, which will help the team gel and live up to their potential. John Hammond wasn't named Executive of the Year two years ago for nothing; he knows how to build a team and as long as Milwaukee gets the right breaks, they SHOULD BE a team to be reckoned with. It all starts Thursday. Check out the draft since there's no Brewer baseball to watch. Be thankful there's no Brewer baseball to watch. We could all use a break.

The Return of the Road Woes

2011-06-19T18:41:00.004-05:00

At the close of the Chicago Cubs/Milwaukee Brewers' series, I was tempted to hack away at my keyboard in disgust after watching my favorite baseball team get out-dueled by their most hated rival. Instead, I decided to wait and see how the Brewers would respond to such a lackluster performance (on the field and from the manager) because of how often they have done just that...responded. To be real, taking one out of three from the best team in baseball in their home park can't be viewed as a failure. In fact, it's a good way to avoid getting your parachute tangled up while falling toward the ground. It's not the Red Sox series I'm concerned about, the beginning of the most brutal interleague schedule ever created by mankind...it's not Gallardo getting one of his few stinker performances out of the way against the best hitting team in baseball...it's not watching our ace, Shaun Marcum, have to leave the game with a hip injury and possibly miss his next start...it's not even Roenicke's insistence to continue using Kameron "Loe No" in the 8th inning time after time...it's the freaking Cubs' series that bothers me, and the potential return of the road woes for the Milwaukee Brewers.

An alarming stat was brought to my attention a few days ago by my roommate Kenne. The Brewers haven't won a season series against the Chicago Cubs since 2005. Can you believe that? Even with the recent struggles on the North Side, the Cubs have still managed to own Milwaukee, and what makes it even more frustrating is that it's always the same guys that beat us. Aramis Ramirez had the game winning RBI off of Loe in game one while Ryan Dempster continued his domination of the Brewers...Ramirez then promptly hit a game tying home run off of Marco Estrada, who, by the way has also not been of much help lately but was still thrown into a (sort-of) pressure situation in game two...and then in game four, after the Brewers outscored the Cubs to take game three, Greinke left far too many pitches over the plate while Rickie Weeks was gunned out twice at second by Fuku and the Brewers dropped three out of four to the Cubbies. Each starting pitcher had games they would rather forget during the road trip save for Randy Wolf, who had two stellar performances and a victory to show for his efforts. The struggles for the starting five on this trip was concerning considering they have been the key to this team's success over the course of the season. Just when we thought Greinke had finally turned the corner, he failed to step up in a game the Brewers really could've used. Gallardo did the same against the Red Sox earlier today.

The starting pitching wasn't the only aspect of the Brewers that saw a decline in performance while on the road this past week. Manager Ron Roenicke's coaching style cost the Brewers a chance at victories in both game one and game two of the series against the Cubs. Calling a suicide squeeze for Randy Wolf with Betancourt on third and one out in the fifth inning was pushing his luck a little too far for my liking. And to top it all off, Wolf crushed one to right for a double right after Betancourt was caught in a rundown when Wolf whiffed on the squeeze bunt. Later on in the same game, Loe trotted out for the eighth and that was that. In game two, RR decided it was best to insert his second worst reliever statistically into the eight inning slot instead of his worst and the result was even more catastrophic...a blown lead and eventual loss in the tenth following another questionable decision from Roenicke: not having Dillard intentionally walk Starlin Castro to set up a double play with a runner on third and one out. It's decisions like this that makes my head hurt, especially against THE FREAKING CUBS. Ugh. So frustrating. I like Roenicke. I really do. His crafty use of the shift. His aggressive style of managing. But playing the percentages like with the infield shift should be applied to other facets of the game...like walking a runner to set up a chance at a double play or a force out at home...or calling for a squeeze with your pitcher in a 0-0 game in the fifth instead of having some faith in his hitting ability. RR is learning the material as he goes, but don't fail an exam against the Cubs for God's sake.

That's about all the complaining I have for you and this is why: despite going 2-5 on the last road trip in which the Brewers visited the two oldest stadiums in baseball and proceeded to play like they were the oldest team in baseball, Milwaukee is still in a tie for first place with the St. Louis Cardinals thanks to the Cards also faltering over the last week. Every division in baseball is tight at the top with the exception of the NL East (Phillies = scary), so we Brewer fans have to accept the fact that this is going down to the wire and it won't be easy on the ole' ticker. But the biggest reason that I can remain optimistic is because the Brewers get to return home now, where they are 25-9!!!!! Decent. The two teams that will pay visit to Mil-town this week are the Tampa Bay Rays (39-33, 3 game winning streak) and the cross-state rival Minnesota Twins (31-39, 7 game winning streak). Because these teams play in the American League, I can't say I'm an expert on either the Rays and the Twins, but I am aware that the Twins have been on an absolute tear as of late. They looked so awful earlier in the year, but Minnesota isn't a team that can be kept down for long. The Twins always play the Brewers tough so it should be a good challenge for the Crew. You'll see me start to complain again if the Brewers fail to have a winning home stand before having to travel to New York and Minnesota, so for all our sakes....Go Brewers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It's time to take a step in a different direction and evaluate a few other sport-related activities around Wisconsin. Last Thursday, the Packers finally received their Super Bowl rings for winning Super Bowl 45 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The rings, which are fully described in this article, are ridiculously amazing. But why get the rings now during the lockout instead of afterward? Coach Mike McCarthy gave a good explanation, saying that the team doesn't want to reflect on the past and get distracted by the Super Bowl victory while preparing for next season. Good call, Mike. The rings were handed out during a private ceremony, just as McCarthy would like it. This is the last time I'm talking about football until this damn lockout gets lifted.

Well, pro football at least. Over the last few weeks, there has been some speculation that former North Carolina State quarterback and current minor league baseball player Russell Wilson could come play for the Wisconsin Badgers. Wilson, who has another year of eligibility remaining, currently plays in the Colorado Rockies farm system and has strongly considered leaving baseball so he can pursue football. He has narrowed his options down to Wisconsin and Auburn. Wilson would be eligible to play this season since he wouldn't be transferring from a different school, but first Wilson has to make a decision between which sport he wants to play. According to the recent rumblings about Wilson, he his still very torn between playing baseball, where he hasn't exactly torn it up, and football, where a strong senior season could give him a legitimate chance to play in the NFL. Reports have said that Wilson is favoring Wisconsin, which I believe can be attributed to the genius ways of offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, a guy who could find himself at the helm of a college football program in the very near future. Hopefully Russell makes the right choice and becomes a Badger.

And last and also least, our beloved Milwaukee Bucks. In case you didn't notice, I rarely talk about the Bucks because, well, they aren't very good. Their franchise has been run extremely poorly ever since Ray Allen was traded away for a sack of s--- and all the death of Robert "Tractor" Traylor did a month or so ago was remind me of how Milwaukee thought it would be a good idea to trade Dirk "future hall-of-famer" Nowitzki and a 1st round pick for Tractor. Unreal. Of course, his death is very tragic but the horrible memories came flooding back. Arguably, the Bucks have the curse of the Dirk pinned on them for many years to come. But the Bucks are the NBA franchise I root for because they play 25 minutes away from where I grew up and I'm a homer. Because it's my job to write about sports in the Midwest for The Sports Jury, I decided to do a piece on the Bucks for the website. It includes a look at what went wrong last season, what the Bucks need to do to return to the playoffs and some of the prospects that Milwaukee should be targeting in the NBA draft coming up next Thursday. As far as other articles I've written for the site, feel free to take a look at my archive and see if anything interests you. Yes, the picture for my profile on the site is me with a mo-hawk and my 6th grade basketball jersey on.

Don't hate.

Go Brewers.

Highs and Loes

2011-06-14T01:16:00.003-05:00

I needed to do a shortened follow-up post after my last one now that we've seen "setup man" Kameron Loe choke for the second time in under a week and the Brewers fail to put up a run against their biggest rival. There are a few other things I'll get to, but first: Mr. Loe.

Have we seen enough, Coach Roenicke? There has to be a better way to go about getting the game to the Ax Factor in the 9th with the lead…or at least tied. Why in God's name is Loe in there when it's not even a hold situation? This is normally a time reserved for someone like LaTroy Hawkins (should-be setup man) or even Zach Braddock. Speaking of Hawkins and Braddock, how about these guys share the 8th inning based on who is at the plate? Call me crazy, but I believe that lefty-lefty and righty-righty match-ups favor the pitcher in each situation respectively nine times out of ten. In fact, keep Loe in there for the righties...why not. His sinker is almost unhittable when it's working, which has been occasional this season, but in no way should Loe pitch to a left-handed hitter. Loe has as good of a chance of getting a lefty out as Lebron James has of coming through in clutch situations. With how deep the Brewers' starting pitchers have been getting into games this season, Roenicke should have plenty of well-rested relievers to use for either the seventh or the eighth, and yet we continue to see him march out Loe's corpse and his 5+ ERA. Here's the ultimatum...either let Loe face only righties in the seventh or eighth and allow Braddock to take the lefties or just remove Loe from the setup role altogether and throw Hawkins in there. Clearly, there are other bullpen guys able and willing to take on a task that Loe simply cannot complete. Don't believe me?

LaTroy Hawkins: 16 G, 0.59 ERA
Tim Dillard: 7 G, 1.86 ERA
Sergio Mitre: 19 G, 2.00 ERA
Zach Braddock: 16 G, 2.31 ERA
KAMERON LOE: 36 GAMES, 5.23 ERA

I'd now like to back up to my previous post. I mentioned that I would like to see Mike Rivera to come up from AAA and fill the backup catcher role behind Jonathan Lucroy instead of current backup Wil Nieves. However, whatever Nieves has been doing behind the plate with Wolf, it's been working. Wolf lowered his ERA to 3.20, which is second-best among the Brewers' starting five...that’s saying something. Nieves is Wolf's designated-catcher for lack of a better term, but he is the only Brewers' hitter without an RBI and is hitting .140 in 50 AB. For those keeping track at home, Nieves leads the league in number of plate appearances without an RBI. Ouch. Here's why I can except having Nieves on the roster. He only takes up one spot in the batting order, and he calls a great game behind the plate for Wolfy, who refuses to throw to the youngster, Lucroy (which still bothers me). Still, I would much rather have a happy Wolf throwing to Nieves while having success instead of a frustrated Wolf throwing to Lucroy with the chance of maybe getting another run or two from the offense, but risking a bad outing from Wolf. For now, it's worth it to keep Nieves on the roster. Think of centerfielder Carlos Gomez; his role has basically transformed into pinch-running/defensive specialist...a guy who comes in late to relieve an outfielder or a slow runner on the base paths because of his blinding speed. Josh Wilson and Craig Counsell do this on the infield - Nieves, to a degree, does this behind the plate. I should have thought of this before throwing Nieves into the fire last weekend.

One final note...it seems as though that as of late, the Brewers have done a good job of getting up against clubs with winning records, such as the Cardinals, Marlins and Giants (I know...not the Reds). It can be argued that they have caught a break because these teams haven't had the likes of Buster Posey, Hanley Ramirez and Matt Holliday, but I'm hoping that this doesn't put a damper on the recent success of the Crew. Coming up, the Brewers face a treacherous interleague schedule, having to travel to Boston and New York, host the Tampa Bay Rays and play a home-and-away against the now surging Twins. This is arguably the most difficult interleague schedule out of any team in the MLB and will truly test the Brewers, but I believe their ability to hold their own against the NL's best will carry over to this tough stretch of games. Nevertheless, Roenicke should take a long, deep look at his bullpen and figure out how to utilize some his relievers correctly. RR should be familiar with using a designated hitter since he came from an American League squad in the L.A. Angels, so that shouldn't be a huge issue...it's just a matter of lighting a fire under whoever is suiting up on the left side of the infield.

As long as Milwaukee can avoid a total collapse and keep the ship afloat, they should emerge from interleague play near the top of the NL Central. June 17th to July 3th will show this team's true colors...that I can guarantee.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch

2011-06-11T19:00:00.004-05:00

There may be a lot going on these days around sports, like the NBA Finals (go Mavs), NHL Finals (go Canucks), the NFL lockout (yawn), the College World Series (eh) and the baseball season starting to get in full swing, but for us here in Wisconsin, there isn't too much to cover. Basically, it's the Brewers and more Brewers, leaving me with little to choose from when it comes to Wisconsin sports - the focus of this blog. I don't mind. I love the Brewers and baseball has always been my favorite sport, but some of you may be interested in other topics, although I feel as though I've done a good job of mixing up what I talk about when it comes to the Brew Crew. If you would like to hear me babble about something else, feel free to leave a comment after you're done reading this post. I'll also do my best to brainstorm. For now, baseball is what's happening for people around Wisconsin and thankfully the Brewers are winning, making them fun to write about. Tonight, I'd like to go a different route and look at different places the Brewers should begin to look if they want to bolster their squad for the stretch run as players in the farm system begin to make their case for a call-up and as the trade deadline nears.

The Brewers are in a nice place right now at this point of the season. The days of panic are behind us and the Crew is only a half game out of first place coming into play on Sunday. This doesn't mean it's time to relax; it's time for the Brewers to look for the areas that need improvement. With the Brewers doing so well lately, nothing should be extremely tampered with...only slightly. However, now that the baseball season is nearly two and a half months old, it's time to stop waiting on certain players to hit their stride. It might sound harsh, but you can't wait this long for professional baseball players to remember how to hit a ball or find the strike zone. Having said that, it's time to pinpoint the players that can expect to see less playing time and see where the Brewers should look, whether it be in their system or across the league, for help.

*DISCLAMER* I hope that the four players on this unfortunate list all begin to figure it out more than anyone, but for the sake of argument and to be fair to other Brewer fans who have the same concerns as me, here it goes.

REPLACE: Yuniesky Betancourt

Coming into the season, I knew that Betancourt would be a downgrade from Alcides Escobar in the field, but I thought he would at least hold his own at the plate. Yuni B is 0/2...8 errors, just 3 HRs and a .230/.256/.340 just doesn't cut it for me, although Escobar has arguably been worse if you can believe it. He is the origin for my former fantasy baseball team name "I'm Betan Our Defense Sucks," which wasn't holding true for awhile, but thanks in part to Yuni B, the team defense of the Brewers has dropped into 15th in the Majors (9th in the NL).

REPLACE WITH: Josh Wilson & Craig Counsell

There isn't anything in the minor leagues, so the Brewers need to look elsewhere on their roster. In my mind, there shouldn't be any more of a demotion than to a platoon for Betancourt since there really isn't anything better available, and it appears that a platoon is already in the works. Counsell has started the last two games at shortstop and Wilson is hitting over .300 with 2 HRs ALREADY after being claimed off waivers from Arizona in almost strictly a pinch-hitting role. Also, they are much more reliable in the field compared to Yuni. Betancourt is likely a free agent after the season is over (team option for $6 million), so the Brewers shouldn't bother to look around the league during the season.

REPLACE: Casey McGehee

I'm hesitant to say this because of how crucial McGehee has been to the Brewers offense over the past two-plus seasons, but it just hasn't been working for the Brewers' third baseman. McGehee is sporting a sub-.230 average with just 4 HRs and has 11 ERRORS! Youch. Can you imagine what kind of season Prince would be having if he had any kind of protection? Ok. I can maybe understand if Casey remains playing almost everyday at third, but it's a no-brainer to throw Corey Hart in the five hole so that pitchers feel at least a little compelled to throw to Fielder. McGehee certainly doesn't have King's back so far.

REPLACE WITH: Wilson, Counsell, Taylor Green (AAA)

Like I mentioned before, Wilson and Counsell should be no more than platoon guys and can help give McGehee some more time off, but this Green guy is intriguing. A 25th round pick in the 2005 draft, Green has hit .299 with 8 HR and 32 RBI between AA Huntsville and AAA Nashville. He has slowly progressed through the minors, but the guy is only 24 and in my mind the next in line should the Brewers not look out of their system for another third baseman after McGehee's time ends in Milwaukee (McGehee is arbitration eligible after '11). This is especially true with Mat Gamel being groomed as the first baseman in-waiting after Prince leaves town, even though there has been some grumbling from fans about Gamel coming up to play third...I hope not. DO NOT touch Gamel. Please.

REPLACE: Kameron Loe

Now I'm not saying replace Loe completely; just in the setup role. Other guys have proved that they are much more deserving than Loe for the job, most notably LaTroy Hawkins and Marco Estrada. Loe's numbers up to this point are a 5.28 ERA and a 2-5 record in 34 appearances (most on the club...why?). Sound like setup numbers to you? To even further my case, Loe has proven that he is basically just a righty specialist because of his tailing sinker. Lefty hitters have had their way with Loe, so I think it's safe to say that he should be demoted to a specialist role like Stetter with lefties. Oh yeah, and he's a free agent after the year is up. C'mon, it's your contract year!

REPLACE WITH: LaTroy Hawkins

It's hard to argue with this selection. Estrada has been good as well and can pitch to both righties and lefties, but he also has his share of blown leads and poor performances. Braddock, in my mind, deserves to be the seventh inning guy even as he is coming off of injury, but that role has been undefined all season. Hawkins has a minuscule .059 ERA. I can see how Roenicke may be cautious in using Hawkins since he's coming off injury, but he's proven to have his velocity back and be able to get the job done all season, unlike Loe. You can only give guys in the bullpen so many chances to keep their spot. Even Trevor Hoffman got the boot and now look what the Brewers have at closer.

REPLACE: Wil Nieves

This may be minor compared to the first three guys on this list, but Nieves sees the field once every five starting pitchers and that's only because Randy Wolf doesn't like the way Jonathan Lucroy calls a game. Nieves is hitting a dismal .146 in 19 games, but to his defense it's difficult to get in a rhythm when playing so infrequently (just 16 games all year). Still, there has to be a guy put in his place that is used to this situation who can at least hit at a respectable average, especially if Lucroy goes down with an injury.

REPLACE WITH: Mike Rivera

I've always like Rivera and was kind of excited when I saw that he was back with the team a few weeks ago after spending last season in the Yankees' system. Rivera was always a guy that I thought deserved more playing time and he doesn't deserve the fate the Brewers are giving him. He would certainly be my option to back up Lucroy in the big leagues and undoubtedly the guy I'd call up to be the main guy if Lucroy for some reason wasn't the guy at catcher anymore.

OTHER UP-AND-COMERS:

AAA - 1B - Mat Gamel*
AAA - OF - Caleb Gindl
AAA - P - Mark Rogers*
AAA - P Amaury Rivas
AAA - 2B - Eric Farris
AA - P - Wily Peralta
AA - P - Cody Scarpetta
A - SS - Scooter Gennett*
A - P - Kyle Heckathorn
A - P - Jimmy Nelson
A - P - Tyler Thornburg*

* = guys I'm legitimately jacked up for

During the course of this entry, the Brewers once again defeated the St. Louis Cardinals by the score of 5-3. Zack Greinke improved to 6-1 and the Ax Factor shut down the birds in the 9th to record his 17th save. Milwaukee is now 37-28, which is good enough for the 4th best record in the big leagues. Amazing to see how quickly this team has turned it around since getting off to such a slow start, but when guys like Prince and Brauny are hitting like they are with solid starting pitching and a shut-down closer, this should be happening. The Brewers are one victory away from claiming first place in the Central Division. Feels good to type that out on the screen...let's just hope it becomes the norm.

50

2011-06-07T04:34:00.004-05:00

My 50th post...I'm on the verge of tears. I know...I'm just as shocked as you guys. 50 blog entries and 3,575 views. If my math is correct, that's 71.5 views per post. Not bad, but I was looking for a number that was closer to Dirk Nowitzki's free throw percentage in the playoffs, which is somewhere between a billion-gazillion and infinity. Watch for Dirk to miss one in game 4. Anyway, I was trying to think about how I could associate the number 50 to this blog post. After I gave up on that idea, I decided that I could talk about why this Milwaukee Brewers team is different from what Brewer fans have grown accustomed to seeing, say, over the past five years or so.

I've been a Brewer fan my entire life, but I think it's safe to say that we saw a "new generation" of fans that flocked to the Crew once players like Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder and especially J.J. Hardy and Ryan Braun (ladies...) worked their ways to the major league level and new ownership took over the franchise. 2007 would be my estimation as to when baseball was officially back in Milwaukee. It was a time where the disappearance of the Selig's ownership and a bundle of young talent injected new hope into both die-hard fans and newbies who fell in love with one-year wonder and heartthrob J.J. You-Make-Me-Hard-y. Poignant, but (almost) whatever it takes to bring more fans in, I'm in full support. The point I'm trying to make is that there was a lot of excitement surrounding the Brewers for the first time in 20+ years, but there was something missing. C.C. Sabathia brought us along for a ride no one could've predicted, but even then there was just a "cool, we made it to the playoffs and that's good enough" feeling. I got swept up in this vibe along with the Brewers and everyone else, and the result was a first round playoff exit. The disappointment level that loomed over the state of Wisconsin wasn't even as strong as the moments after a week 6 Packers' loss.

You can't really blame the 2008 Brewers for not fully grasping the opportunity that presented itself by the throat. Sure, some players had playoff experience and even World Series experience, but the majority didn't. It was also nearly a total repeat of what happened in 2007 save for a complete late season collapse. Jump out to division lead, blow division lead, miss playoffs. Thankfully, C.C. was a one-man wrecking crew and avoided the miss playoffs part in '08. 2009 and 2010, the Brewers were led by a man with an American League-style mind set who had no idea what stood two feet in front of his face. C.C. signed on with the Yanks to everyone's surprise. One-time free agent signing extraordinaire Jeff Suppan fizzled and burst. Several players came, overstayed their welcome and left. In fact, when I went back and looked at the 2009 roster, there were only nine current Brewers on the team for the majority of the season, two of which are currently on the disabled list (Fielder, Braun, Hart, McGehee, Weeks, Gallardo, Narveson, Parra*, Stetter*). Hard to believe. One thing that Milwaukee's front office knew they had to do was keep their main core of young talent together for as long as humanly possible while filling in the pieces around them correctly. It's obviously been easier said than done.

Fast forward to October of 2010. Prior to the beginning of the '10 season, there wasn't much optimism surrounding the Brewers and if it was, it was false. Macha would receive the customary grace period and be given another chance to lead Milwaukee back to the post season, but the man was a sitting duck and everyone knew it. Some positives to take away from the season? New talent was discovered (John Axford, Kameron Loe, Marco Estrada), some of it finally arrived (Jonathan Lucroy, Zach Braddock, Mark Rogers), some of it figured out its place (Manny Parra, Chris Narveson) and some of it would eventually be shipped away (Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Jeremy Jeffress, Brett Lawrie). Towards the end of the season, I was accepting the 2010 team's fate and beginning to turn the page to 2011. A solid bullpen was beginning to formulate and new guys were stepping up unlike in previous years, perhaps giving the Brewers something to build from. But what good is a building when you know the core is about to collapse? Prince would almost undoubtedly be walking after '11 and perhaps even more would soon be lost in the years shortly following. Something had to be done NOW. What the Brewers had for '11 was promising, but not satisfying. Doug Melvin strung together a series of moves, some of them almost out of sheer desperation, and to be perfectly honest, a few of them shocked the hell out of me. To be clear, the first one did not.

October 3rd - Manager Ken Macha is fired
November 4th - New manager Ron Roenicke is hired
December 6th - Star prospect Brett Lawrie is dealt to Toronto for Shaun Marcum
December 19th - Zack Greinke is acquired for a boatload of players, including Escobar and Cain
February 16th - Rickie Weeks is locked down long-term
March 27th - Prospect Cutter Dykstra is dealt for Nyjer Morgan
April 21st - Ryan Braun is locked down long-long-long term

Loads of young talent lost, but some centerpiece-players secured and immediate hope provided. Except it's not just one guy this time; it's several guys. A few of which many didn't know about that would give the Brewers a shot in the arm...and one who would be held to standards close to if not the same as Mr. Sabathia. Instead of a pre-2010 feeling, there was a pre-2007 feeling, only better. The nucleus had matured and gained experience. There was a legitimate 1,2,3 in the starting rotation. The Brewers' strength from a year ago, the bullpen, had its important pitchers returning while a few new ones were thrown into the mix. But then...

Greinke hurt
Lucroy hurt
Hart hurt
Parra hurt
Hawkins hurt

Brewers: 13-17 on May 4th

Sure, some players were out and a new man was in charge, but 13-17? And then two days later, 13-19?? What was going on? The Brewers' front office had done almost everything in its power to put a contender on the field knowing full well that this would be the year they would be "all-in", and they were sitting in 5th place. Ahhh...this is where being an experienced fan pays off. I’ll admit that I had my late-April rant after attending my first Brewer game of the year and returning home disappointed (my only loss at Miller Park this year), but April 24th Dave still had this to say:

“We are FINE. All you people jumping off the bandwagon are still free to hop right back on if you so please because this team is going places. You can take my word for it.”

As in life, in sports it’s best to always keep things in perspective.

Greinke returns on May 4th

Zack attack loses in his much-anticipated return from his fluke injury and stint on the DL. He hasn’t lost since. For as much as the Brewers lacked discipline in the first month of the season…for as much as coach Roenicke struggled to understand what he had at his disposal while being given the difficult task of inserting unproven players in positions they had no business being in…for as much as Brewer fans wanted to jump off a cliff because their favorite team was six games below .500 and heading down the path that would return them right back to the late 90s…Zack Greinke had returned. Others followed suit. Roenicke learned what he had and started to mix and match. There was finally some stability. Winning all of a sudden became expected.

Brewers: 29-24 on May 27th
8-17 on the road

So Milwaukee had made a drastic rise and was five games above .500. Everything was clicking, but June 1st Dave had a bone to pick with the Brewers:

“The fact of the matter is that good teams are able to win a respectable amount on the road and then build up a solid record by winning two out of three at home time and again. The Cardinals…have had just as much success at home as on the road. This leads me to believe that the Cardinals will be able to hold their lead on Milwaukee because they will naturally begin to win more at home...UNLESS the Brewers begin to win more on the road.”

Milwaukee was in the midst of a seven game road trip in which they were 1-1. They would finish this road trip 5-2 against two teams who are very capable of making it to the playoffs. The Brewers had answered my call yet again.

Brewers: 34-26 on June 7th
Three game series against the Cardinals (1.5 Games Up) June 10-12

Allow me to apologize for not immediately answering my proposed question. Why is this Brewers team different? Wait…I already answered it. To put it into layman’s terms, this team overcomes adversity. They overcome roadblocks. They have leadership. They have meat in the middle of the sandwich. They have a starting rotation. They have a bullpen. They have an aggressive-minded manager. They have focus. They have experience. They have players who can snap you over the head with a newspaper. They have a confident demeanor, not just a swagger.

They give fans a unique feeling they aren’t really used to having. I can vouch for that. Allow for June 8th Dave to make another brief statement that I hope to ring true:

“I’m not naïve. This team isn’t in first place yet, it’s June 8th and they have yet to prove that they can beat the stiffest of competition, especially within the division, which is another vital key to success. What’s happening right now can change…injury, bad breaks…whatever…but over the next three-plus months, I expect to see a team that continues to overcome whatever is put in their way because of what ‘They have.’”

Not all that, but a bag of chips

2011-06-01T17:17:00.003-05:00

Here's a fun fact for you. The Milwaukee Brewers come into play Wednesday 14th out of 16 National League teams in pitching when it comes to ERA (4.27). To be honest, I was extremely surprised to hear this at first because of how much the Brewers' pitching has seemed to improve this season compared to 2010 (4.58 ERA, also 14th in NL). But when I put things into perspective, it makes sense that the Brewers are where they are because we have seen an increase in pitching performances all over baseball. It's strange to see pitchers have this much success so early in the season because it normally takes some time for pitchers to shake the rust off their arms. This brings up a few questions. 1. Does this mean that pitchers will continue to dominate hitters this season? 2. Why are pitchers beginning to regain control in the pitcher/hitter duel?

1. I don't think so. Just like the way pitchers make adjustments based on who's at the plate, hitters are able to pick up on a pitcher's tendencies. However, I do believe that pitchers will still hold an advantage simply because of my answer to the second question.

2. This is a two part answer. First of all, the steroid era has essentially come and went. Players 'roiding up and smashing the ball out of the park helped bring a lot more fans to the park, but now the combination of a bad economy and better pitching/lack of the long ball has dropped attendance a bit. Basically, the people who have stopped coming to the park aren't true baseball fans, so I guess it's for the better. The other major factor? The cut fastball. This pitch is just dirty. Pitchers all over the league are starting to pick up on this notion. In fact, pitchers have reinvented themselves and salvaged their careers because of the cutter. It's very difficult to pick up the break because of how slight it is, but it's enough to throw off hitters, causing them to break their bats when it comes in on them, hit a dribbler off the end of their bat when it's going away or completely whiff on it altogether. It's different from a slider because the break on a slider begins much earlier, although it does have more of a bend. Even so, a hitter can adjust much easier to the slider than the cutter because of the spin on the baseball. Back in the day, I dabbled with the cut fastball but could never quite figure it out. Would mastering this pitch have helped extend my baseball career? The 69 mile-per-hour gopherball that I tossed at Miller Park last Saturday answers that question.

Enough with the boring lessons of baseball that no one cares about. Let's assess the Brewers as we near the end of the first-third of the season. 30-25? Sure, that's not bad, especially while being towards the bottom of the NL in pitching. Thankfully, the Brewers have made that up by scoring the 3rd most runs in the league and having...wait for it...THE THIRD BEST FIELDING PERCENTAGE IN THE LEAGUE!!!!! WHOA!!! I believe I said the Brewers would be one of the five worst fielding teams in the Majors. What I failed to mention was that I was drugged prior to making that prediction. Jokes on me I guess. They say that as long as you're doing well in two of the three major categories (Hitting, Pitching, Fielding), you're going to be in the running towards the end of the year. And as far as the Brewers' pitching is concerned, it's only going to get better. My main reason behind this statement is Zack Greinke. He hasn't been all that Brewer fans had hoped for before the season when many were resting playoff hopes on Greinke's back, but a 4-1 record can't be frowned upon too badly (the 5.29 ERA on the other hand...). Shaun Marcum HAS been all that AND a bag of chips. As I'm currently typing this and flipping back and forth between Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals and Game 3 of the Brewers/Reds series, Marcum has been cruising along. He doesn't blow you away with his stuff, but he is the definition of a pitcher; hitting his spots and throwing the pitch that the situation calls for. Tonight in particular, Marcum is using is change-up very effectively, especially against Jay Bruce (who has been on fire as of late). Greinke is beginning to come around and his last appearance proved it...he was without his best stuff, but the Zack Attack was still able to go six innings and only allow two runs because he stuck with his slider, the only pitch that was working for him. Oh and by the way, Greinke has 45 K's to go against just six walks. Greinke is well on his way.

There have been a few causes for concern for Milwaukee that could come back to bite them when the playoff race starts to heat up. For one, the Brewers don't have a lefty in the bullpen because of injuries (Zach Braddock, Manny Parra) and poor performance/injury (Mitch Stetter).

Quick update: Jay Bruce just hit a two-run homer. I'm an idiot.

The Brewers can't expect to be true contenders if they don't have that situational southpaw to call out from the pen to face a dangerous left-handed hitter. Unfortunately, Manny Parra continues to have setbacks and was recently placed on the 60-day DL because of elbow problems. Whether or not Parra will be back at all this season is difficult to say, but Braddock is very close to returning to the bigs and will provide a boost to a bullpen that has had it's ups and downs. Stetter hasn't been the same guy he was two years ago when he was on my good side, but I think that he will continue to be given opportunities to succeed with the big league club because of the lack of competent lefties in the Brewers' farm system/the injury to Parra. Another concern for the Crew is the trouble on the road. Currently, the Brewers are 9-18 on the road compared to a 21-7 record at home. Wow, talk about a split. I understand being more comfortable at home and having the support of your fans, but can it really make that much of a difference? Apparently so. Whether it's just all mental or the strength of opponent, the Brewers need to overcome this problem. The fact of the matter is that good teams are able to win a respectable amount on the road and then build up a solid record by winning two out of three at home time and again. The Cardinals, who currently lead the Brewers by 2.5 games, have had just as much success at home as on the road. This leads me to believe that the Cardinals will be able to hold their lead on Milwaukee because they will naturally begin to win more at home...UNLESS the Brewers begin to win more on the road.

Like I said before, the Brewers stand at 30-25 while sitting 2.5 games behind the front-running Cards and sitting 2.5 games ahead of the third place Reds, whom the Brewers have had their troubles against (2-6). They are 1-2 against St. Louis, so many battles against the Cardinals will ensue to help settle matters in the NL Central. To finish up my rundown of the Brewers, I'm going to do some rankings based on the bullpen, starting pitching, fielding and hitting. Enjoy.

BULLPEN:

1. John Axford (His stats may not be incredible, but he's doing his job)
2. Marco Estrada (Doing a solid job in the middle-relief role & gives you innings)
3. Kameron Loe (An absolute work-horse who helps keep a lead into the 9th for Ax)
4. LaTroy Hawkins (A minuscule ERA but a lack of high-pressure situations)
5. Sergio Mitre (Also a low ERA, but see Hawkins)
*Zach Braddock will be in this top five when he returns from injury

STARTING 5:

1. Shaun Marcum (A 6-2 record with a sub-3 ERA...he pitches for us?)
2. Yovani Gallardo (Recently bumped his ERA under 4 & has seven victories)
3. Randy Wolf (ERA below 3.50, but far too inconsistent for my liking)
4. Chris Narveson (For being the #5, have to be pleased with the Narv-dog's numbers)
5. Zack Greinke (Managing to get W's thanks to offense & starting to come around)

FIELDING:

1. Carlos Gomez (His combination of speed and...speed in center makes him #1)

Quick update: Kameron Loe now dropped to 4th in bullpen rankings after giving up a 2-run homer to Joey Votto and getting the loss, allowing the Brewers to lose ANOTHER series on the road. Wonderful. Brewers are now 30-26, 3 GB of Cardinals.

2. Corey Hart (Pretty solid arm and covers a lot of ground in the outfield)
3. Craig Counsell (By far the best fielding infielder on the team)
4. Ryan Braun (One of two full time players (Gomez) without an error)
5. Prince Fielder (Vastly improved picking the ball and surprisingly agile)

HITTING:

1. Ryan Braun (Duh)
2. Prince Fielder (Off to the best start to a season he's ever had, taking his walks)
3. Rickie Weeks (Have to wonder when this guy moves into a run-producing spot)
4. Jonathon Lucroy (Has put up very solid numbers in a short period of time)
5. Nyjer Morgan (That's right...I said it)

Number of road series' won by Brewers: 1 (Pirates)
Does that count? No.

Showing some Hart and Braun, hitting their Marc-um

2011-05-24T00:32:00.008-05:00

Just stopping by to say hello. I feel very compelled to do so because of the recent play of the Milwaukee Brewers. The SECOND PLACE Milwaukee Brewers. This team has been flat out tearing it up ever since looking like a total dud towards the beginning of May. The reason might baffle you...starting pitching. As a former pitcher myself, I have always been a believer in a strong pitching staff correlating to late post-season runs. Then again, I'm one of the few who enjoys a good old-fashioned pitching duel that ends in a 1-0 final. Sure, the Brewers have been fun to watch during the later part of the past decade because of their ability to wow fans by hitting the long ball, but can you name the stellar starting pitchers that pitched for the Crew during this time? C.C. Sabathia! For more than half a season? Umm...Ben Sheets? Maybe Gallardo? Well don't look now, but the Brewers have three starters with an ERA under 4.00. These three pitchers, of course, are Shaun Marcum, Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson. Ahhhh, what?!

That's right. The unsung ace, Mr. Jeckle and Hide and the best number five guy in the league are helping to keep this team afloat while giving Yovani Gallardo and Zack Greinke (the expected 1-2 punch) time to figure it out. Now that Gallardo has finally gotten there (6-2, 4.35 ERA - was 2-2 with a 6.10 ERA at one point) and Greinke is transitioning out of spring training mode, things should remain looking positive for the starting five. Gallardo and Marcum a combined 12-3 in late May? Hello. I don't want to say I was right about them in my pre-season predictions, but I seem to have had a good beat. As for my other predictions....eh, you be the judge. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is you can either rely on guys knocking out 200 home runs a year and finishing .500 or ride a strong staff of pitchers all the way to October. Take your pick.

What's that? You say you want both? Well, I suppose you can. The Brewers appear to have finally assembled a team that has strong pitching while still keeping their big-boppers in the lineup. Braun and Fielder are putting up monster numbers early in the year and this is especially promising from Fielder's perspective considering is usual slow starts. Jonathan Lucroy has been a pleasant surprise behind the plate ever since he came off of the DL, Rickie Weeks continues to get on base in front of Braun and Fielder (6th in NL in runs scored) and has very impressive numbers in the lead-off spot. And don't look now, but here comes Corey Hart. Tonight against the Nats, Hart put on his sunglasses and not only knocked three balls over the wall; he destroyed them. I mean, holy moley. These were no-doubters. Coming into the season, I feared that there would be a lot of question marks for the Crew once we got through the first five hitters in the lineup, but it appears that Lucroy is going to give the bottom feeders some credibility while Gomez and Betancourt attempt to make up for their lack of hitting with their dazzling defense. Wait...come again? Yuni B has looked like crap in the field, too? Oh well. We can't all be winners.

Sort-of quarter season update:

CENTRAL DIVISION
St. Louis Cardinals: 29-20
MILWAUKEE BREWERS: 25-23 (3.5 GB)
Cincinnati Reds: 25-23

WILD CARD
Florida Marlins: 26-19
Atlanta Braves: 26-23
MILWAUKEE BREWERS: 25-23 (2.5 GB)

I'll take it.

Gearing up for Greinke

2011-05-19T16:50:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow I embark for my hometown where I'll stay for about four days. I'll be making my bi-yearly visit to the dentist and watching my 15-year-old brother participate in a JV track meet at Sussex Hamilton's new track, but once I arrive home on Friday at roughly 2 p.m., my focus will turn to my third visit to Miller Park. This isn't just any game, however; it's a Greinke game. If you look at his 2-1 record, you would probably say that sounds about right, but Greinke's abysmal 6.60 ERA and .262 opponent batting average isn't exactly what fans were looking for. Rust isn't an excuse anymore and I've picked up on a few things that Greinke might adjust for his third home start of the season where he happens to be 2-0.

First of all, command. In the early innings, it's easy for Greinke to get away with missing his spots because of how good his stuff is, but I've noticed that he usually has the best command of his pitches, especially his fastball, the first time through the order. Greinke's fifth inning against the Pirates on Sunday looked like this: 5 runs, all earned, 6 hits, 1 HR, 1 walk, 47 pitches. His final line? 5 Runs, all earned, 6 hits, 1 HR, 1 walk, 5 strike outs, 96 pitches. What the hell happened? Well, like I mentioned, command was a major issue. There was also the 12 pitch at-bat to lead off the inning by Neil Walker that really seemed to rattle Greinke, even though he retired the next two hitters he faced. Perhaps he relaxed too much and then started putting the ball on a tee for the Pirate hitters. Or perhaps...

...Greinke was tipping his pitches. Sure, he has one of the nastiest repertoires in the league, but if the batter knows what's coming next, it's just a matter of hitting it where it's pitched. I, personally could not tell if Greinke was tipping his pitches. I have a keen eye for the sport of baseball, but not that keen. There's a reason I don't play baseball anymore...even if I knew a fastball was coming next, there is no way in hell I'd be able to catch up with it. The only reason I bring this up Greinke tipping the opposing hitter is because manager Ron Roenicke mentioned the possibility after the game because of how hard he was getting hit in the fifth compared to the first four innings. If this was indeed the case, hopefully Greinke and the Brewers have gone back to look at the tape and figure out what he needs to change to avoid such a thing in the future.

Other than that, the usual excuse is to go back to how Greinke is still in "Spring Training" mode because of the time he missed in the pre-season. This is baloney. Greinke has made several starts in the minors and in the majors now and has already shown signs of brilliance, so it's just a matter of executing his pitches. Corey Hart suffered a similar slump while just coming off his injury but is now coming around and hitting around the average he batted last season. The only thing the Brewers are waiting on now is the power surge. Whether or not Hart will return to the two spot in the lineup is still uncertain, but it's all about where a batter is comfortable hitting in the order. Jonathan Lucroy, who leads the Brewers in batting average, remains in the eight spot despite his success almost immediately coming off his broken pinky finger. Lucroy seemed to have early success as well last season and then tailed off, so we can only hope that Jonny has figured out how to combat dealing with a longer season than he is used to playing. Hart's early struggles were largely due in part to the type of hitter he is: a guess hitter who hits for power. He's even come out and admitted it; he goes out there basically guessing which pitch is coming next because of how hard it is to catch up to major league pitching. Well...can you blame the guy? Anyway, it was pretty evident that fixing Hart's eye problem last season was a key to his success, so let's hope the whole "guess where the next pitch is" thing works out for the caveman.

Despite Greinke's woes and the team still trying to crawl out of its hitting slump, I believe things are moving in the right direction for the Crew. It's a wonder the Brewers are only one game below .500, and hopefully a strong outing from the Narve-dog will pull them to 22-22 in time for my visit to Miller Park to watch The Zack Attack. Should be a doozy.

School's out for summer - now I can school you

2011-05-15T20:20:00.007-05:00

The title says it all. After an extremely busy yet productive semester, I was forced away from the blogging scene, but I gained valuable experience by writing for the Advance-Titan at UW Oshkosh and taking a reporting class that basically drove me into the ground all semester long. Both sucked a lot of my time up, but I was able to become comfortable with the whole reporting aspect that goes along with the writing and this is a pretty big step for me in my path to becoming a sportswriter. All in all, I would say the most difficult task to conquer is learning to write like a journalist. While I took Reporting and Public Relations courses, I also took a traditional writing class in Advanced Composition, so I was forced to flip-flop between two very contrasting styles. Hopefully, it will be one of the last times I have to deal with such confusion because my brain had to work major overtime and it feels damn good to finally be done. So what's next? Finding a job. Crap.

Enough about my uneventful life. Let's get caught up on what's happened on the Wisconsin sports front since I've been gone. For those who follow the American Hockey League closely (in other words, like three people), the Milwaukee Admirals were knocked out in the semifinals in seven games by the Houston Aeros. Oh, what I would give to see an NHL franchise move into Milwaukee...or maybe even Green Bay. I mean, c'mon. Florida Panthers anybody? Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan, albeit not much of one, of the Admirals but the NHL during playoff time can't be beat. The NBA is the same way. However, even though we have the Bucks, I still favor the NHL regular season over the NBA's, which is why I prefer the NHL as a whole over the NBA. Imagine if I had a team from in-state to support. For one, the Blackhawks would go from my favorite team to my most hated team and two, the NHL would be a much bigger priority in my sports-watching life. A young adult can dream.

We also had the NFL draft, which is usually something I pay a pretty decent amount of attention. This year, I missed out on all of Saturday's action because I participated in a bags tournament. How did I do, you ask? Took home 2nd place and 100 smack-a-roos. No big deal. Suffice it to say, I missed what was going on with the later rounds. As Packer fans know, this is where GM Ted Thompson likes to do his damage so I missed quite a bit, but after reviewing the picks I have to say I like what the Packers did. Taking an offensive lineman (Derek Sherrod - Mississippi State) with the first round pick is exactly what Green Bay needed to do, especially with so many good D-linemen off the board. The second round selection of WR Randall Cobb from Kentucky was interesting, but when taking a deeper look it's possibly the best selection the World Champs made. Cobb is a possession receiver (5'11") who will replace James Jones. He has big-play ability and could be a possible fill-in at the return position next season. It was also nice to see a running back picked in the 3rd round (Alex Green - Hawaii), especially one who put up monstrous stats in his final year of school. People are saying he could be a guy that catches a lot of balls out of the backfield, but he did come from a shotgun offense so there could be that adjustment period for Green as far as getting used to a pro offense. Did I mention that he also attended Butte Community College? That sounds familiar...hmmm. Moving on, the fourth round pick of CB Davon House from New Mexico State was a steal at that stage of the draft, so he could perhaps work his way into some nickel/dime packages and be the guy in waiting for Woodson. The Packers also took a tight end from Arkansas in D.J. Williams, arguably the best TE in the draft and someone who had a rough childhood that could be a great guy to have in the locker room. Snatching up a few defensive linemen in the late rounds as well as an O-lineman, a linebacker and another tight end (strange) left me feeling extremely good about the 2011 draft class of the Green Bay Packers...I hope you feel the same after my brief and optimistic analysis. Here's to actually having a 2011-2012 NFL Season!

Last but not least, the Milwaukee Brewers. I'll tell you one thing: thank God for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The most recent series was relatively easy on the heart and placed the Brewers back in my good graces following one of the most pathetic stretches of baseball I've seen in forever. Seriously. That was awful. However, a 5-1 home stand has injected some optimism into Brewer fans and being in third place while just four games out of first in the central is reassuring to say the least. The split between the success at home and horrendous play on the road is concerning, no doubt, but to get the bats going and score enough runs to support some rather dismal pitching was good to see. Braun has been a maniac, Fielder has had one of his best starts to a season as a Brewer and Weeks and Lucroy have been very solid as of late. But let’s get back to the pitching. Not only has the bullpen been failing to get the job done, but the pitchers in the Brewers' starting staff have taken turns being awful. Greinke trying to find his groove is understandable, but I still expected better from him coming off of his injury. Wolf managed to trick all of us yet again by starting out strong and then going into his usual funk. Now, we have Gallardo clicking on all cylinders after choosing to go with the Marco Estrada special (high socks/Estrada’s pants), Marcum pitching like an ace save for his last start (which was still a W) and Narveson, who is pitching just like a five starter should be (if not better). All in all, I think things will continue to come together for the starting five. The bullpen is a different story.

Obviously, injuries have riddled just about every aspect of this squad, but the bullpen seems to be the unit that hasn't been able to handle it. It's sad when the pitcher you have the most faith in is LaTroy Hawkins. Yikes. To be fair, here is a list of the bullpen pitchers out with injury: Manny Parra, Takashi Saito, Zach Braddock, Brandon Kintzler. Without a doubt the two best lefties at Ron Roenicke's disposal aren't at his disposal and a few other pitchers who play a smaller role aren't there as well. Still, other guys are expected to either step in or hold their own and neither of those has been happening. Axford has been, dare I say, Turnbow-esk. The supposed setup man Kameron Loe (who apparently pitches every single game now) has been sketchy. Mitch Stetter, the only lefty available out of the pen, is about as unreliable as LeBron James during crunch time, but there has to be a left-hander in the bullpen. What I can’t understand is why guys like Marco Estrada and Sergio Mitre don’t get some crucial, late-game opportunities instead of Loe or even Axford once in awhile. I know it might sound a little drastic, but Ron can't keep sending out the same guys in the same situations night-in and night-out if they cause the entire Brewer fan base to hold their breaths. I believe that things will come together once we see Parra and Braddock return (couldn't care less about Saito and Kintzler...sorry) but Roenicke can't wait much longer to make some changes. Every game matters even though the season is 162 games long and you can only give guys so many chances until it's time to try something new. The bullpen rotation is nearing that time limit.

I know that might have been a lot to digest, but hopefully the read went down smooth. I'll be blogging much more frequently over the summer and into the next school year and I can only hope you're looking forward to it just as much as I am. There's one more thing I'd like to mention: the comment section. I don't just want to be the guy who rambles on and doesn't generate any conversation or make you think. I check this thing pretty regularly, so feel free to comment on anything that gets you going. I'll always be replying and it makes things more fun as well. I'm trying to get my name out there a little as I near the end of my college career so I'll try and bring in some more traffic to get things going. Bottom line is that interaction is fun and I'll do my best to make it happen here in the future.

Happy summer!

Some rambling about the Crew in Blue

2011-04-24T00:51:00.001-05:00

First things first: I have been extremely busy writing for my reporting class as well as the school paper, not to mention I have completely neglected the website I write for and nothing other than baseball has been going on in Wisconsin sports (other than the Admirals) since my last post. Now that the excuses are out of the way, let me give you an assessment after the first 20 games of the Milwaukee Brewers’ season. I’ll some it up in four words: much to be desired. There are plenty of things to be grateful for, and I promise I’ll tie my negative feelings up with a positively-spun bow, but if you’re watching the same Brewers that I’ve been watching, what you’ve seen simply isn’t acceptable. I was at the game against the Astros tonight and will be pinpointing certain events that took place this evening to help support my cause.

Let me start off with the triple pickle. No, that’s not some sort of new drunken revelation a farmer made last week. First (Lucroy) and third (Yuni B) with no one out down 6-5 in the 8th. I’ll get to the batter in a little bit. The batter to be named later hits a chopper to third. Betancourt takes off on contact, despite being given the order that it was not a run-on-contact play. He gets in a pickle. Lucroy, just like he should, moves up to second base, but then heeds the idiotic wave of the arm from Yuni B and takes off for third just as Betancourt gets tagged out. Lucroy gets in a pickle. He-who-will-not-be-named takes off for second, only to see Jonnie get tagged out instantly, and then darts back for first. He narrowly avoids also getting picked off thanks to a poor throw. If you’re still following at home, what you just read was a double play strictly from horrific base running. Here’s the moral of the story other than myself regretting to not score this game…manager Ron Roenicke has made it known from day one that he wants aggressive base running. There’s a distinct difference between aggressive base running and head-shoved-up-your-a-- base running. The only player that plays on a regular basis who seems to understand this is…you guessed it…Ryan Braun. As my friend Dan pointed out (with me at the game), there really aren’t that many situations that you have to be prepared for on the bases. There are four bases. It isn’t that hard to figure out what you should do. Sure, you’re going to have to take some chances once in awhile, but you need to understand when to take said chances. It’s getting beyond frustrating to watch this team make out after out after out on the base paths. Idiotic choices coupled with awful personnel decisions have probably cost this team 2-3 games this year and last time I checked, that can come back to haunt you in the end. The world champion Green Bay Packers are an exception to this rule.

My next point begins with the man who was sent to the plate with runners at first and third and nobody out. Mr. 3-28 himself, Erik Almonte. Now listen. Almonte has put up one p--- poor at bat after another, but he shouldn’t be at this level. And he shouldn’t be given opportunities in pressure-filled situations like he was tonight, especially in a pinch-hitter role. What he did (chopper to third) at the plate could’ve been much worse, like a double play ball or a strikeout, but what the runners on the bases amplified his lousy AB. This begs the question…don’t the Brewers have anyone else they can turn to on the bench? Quite frankly, they don’t. Plush is on the DL. Rickie has a banged up hand. Damn near our entire farm system was traded away in the offseason. But isn’t there anybody out on the market, or even in our depleted minor league system? There has to be, which is why I believe that my prediction of the Brewers picking up a key bench player sometime this season will come true. Let’s all pray that it comes sooner rather than later.

Now up at the plate…Sean Green. Not literally (although it couldn’t get much worse than the bench), but once again it’s not all Green’s fault for what occurred tonight. Injuries are a big reason for the lack of depth in the Brewers’ bullpen and to be honest, I wasn’t sure of much when looking past the Ax-factor, Braddock and Loe. Tonight certainly magnified that uncertainly because despite Marcum managing the damage control on his off-night, the bullpen came in and crapped the bed. Axford was solid in a non-pressure situation, but Kintzler struggled and of course Green was exactly what his last name signifies. The point I’m getting at here is that Roenicke is still trying to figure out who he should be using in which situation and just how far he should push certain guys on particular nights. Why this still hasn’t been figured out is beyond me. He even said after the game that he considered using Ax for the 10th but knew he wouldn’t have been able to go on Sunday if he pitched another inning. HELLO! YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME! NOT THE GAME THAT YOU ARE PLAYING TOMORROW WHILE TRYING TO WIN THE GAME TONIGHT! Wow. It’s like saying ‘well, I wanted to keep Michael Jordan in there but I knew he wouldn’t have as much in the tank for game 2’. Bad analogy, I know, but once we see Saito, Hawkins and Parra get back in there and start finding their grooves (Saito and Hawkins is wishful thinking…), the bullpen should once again become a non-issue just like toward the end of last year. Roenicke’s decision making on the other hand…

…I totally understand that it’s his first year at the helm…ever…but lately myself and several fellow Brewer fans have been able to call certain situations a helluva lot better than the major league manager himself. Am I missing something? Is managing a team really that difficult or is there just too much going on at one time to realize that you should walk around a guy with a 3-1 count and two men on with an open base and 2 down with a pinch-hitter on deck? Don’t even risk it. Just have the catcher stick his glove out to the side and take your chances with the next guy. Hell, you can even make a pitching change after Green walks the bases loaded. Ugh. I’m not saying that I could succeed with this team if I was the manager, but…I’m saying I could succeed with this team if I was the manager. It’s common sense. If you’re a baseball guy (or gal), you understand. Figure it out, Ron.

Alright. That was therapy for me and I’m sorry if it wasn’t so much for you, but now it’s time to turn this frown upside down. The Brewers are 10-10, 0.5 GB of the division-leading Reds/Cardinals. For as terrible as this season began (0-4) plus the games that the Crew have left on the table plus the players that Milwaukee is waiting to get back from injury (Grienke, Parra, Hart, Morgan, Saito) plus Roenicke learning how to manage a team, you have to feel pretty damn good about where this team is going to be when it’s all said and done. Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder have been on an absolute tear to put it lightly, the Brewers statistically have one of the best defenses (I was wrong on that one) and one of the best starting pitching staffs in the league and we are still right there at the top. We are FINE. All you people jumping off the bandwagon are still free to hop right back on if you so please because this team is going places. You can take my word for it…

…whatever that is worth.

It's about that time again

2011-03-28T20:41:00.005-05:00

Can you feel it, folks? Just taking a walk outside and feeling that chilly, mid 20s weather can't help but make you feel like baseball season is right around the corner. Okay, so maybe we'll have to keep the roof closed on Miller Park for a few more weeks, but it's almost time for the boys of summer to take the diamond for the next six (seven?) months. As I feel every year, I have my hopes that the season will last well into October for my beloved Milwaukee Brewers, but this year I actually have a few reasons to back up my optimism. And that's what I'll be getting to in just a bit. For those of you who have been caught up with the Packers and basketball during the MLB off-season (which includes me), allow me to introduce you to some of the new acquisitions to the roster as well as some key reductions.

Who's New?

SP - Zack Greinke
Never mind the fact that Greinke fractured a rib playing basketball (ugh)...this guy will be good. Prove it, you say? Well, Greinke won the Cy-Young two years ago with the Kansas City Royals when he was finally able to put all of his focus into his day job after battling with psychological issues. Last year was a down year for Greinke, who received almost zero run support, but a move to the National League is an automatic boost to pitchers and their success. If Greinke can control his depression, he should be a force to be reckoned with after his stint on the disabled list is up.

SP - Shaun Marcum
Not much is known of Marcum, a guy who came over from a very underrated Toronto pitching staff. His numbers are almost remarkable when considering the division he came from (13-8, 3.64 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 3.84 K/BB ratio). Holy hell. That's impressive. Again, consider the move from the AL to the NL, especially because of the wretched AL East, and Marcum is set up to have a solid year by being the unsung guy behind Greinke and Yovani Gallardo. Oh yeah, and both Greinke and Marcum are signed through 2012! Only concern...a former Tommy John Surgery recipient.

Manager Ron Roenicke
The first Brewers hire I can remember being in support of since...umm...shoot...let me think. NEVER! Roenicke came from the Los Angeles Angels under manager Mike Scioscia, who is an MLB manager-breeding machine. See: Bud Black, Joe Maddon. Roenicke has made it clear that he wants to run...thank God...and he's got the personnel to do just that. The players have expressed their liking for Roenicke, who brings a lot of energy into the clubhouse, which is something you never saw with Macha. I like this guy, and that already gives him a one-up on any other manager I can remember during my lifetime.

SS - Yuniesky Betancourt
Below-average defense. Below-average hitter, but not for his position. Could provide some pop at the bottom of the order. Not really much else to be said about Betancourt other than he was necessary for the Greinke deal to go through because of what we had to give up. In other news, I named my fantasy baseball team after him, but let's just say it's not for good reasons.

CF - Nyjer Morgan
This guy gets me excited. He was solid in his first couple seasons in the bigs, but struggled last year. This was mainly due to some temper issues as well as just being in an overall bad situation in Washington. Still, he provides the Brewers with more speed, which is never a bad thing, and will certainly help with the dire center field situation that before the trade appeared would be Carlos Gomez. I would like to see this guy hit lead-off, but I don't know if Weeks will be relieved of that duty any time soon.

Other new guys that could play a role: RP Takashi Saito, 1B/OF Mark Kotsay, P Sergio Mitre

Who's gone?

CF - Lorenzo Cain
This loss was the one that hurt the most, but it was a piece that the Brewers were going to have to part ways with if they wanted to obtain Greinke. He's a guy you would've liked to watch progress and get better with the Brewers, but it won't happen, and now we have to deal with watching Carlos Gomez swing for the fence every time he steps to the plate.

SS - Alcides Escobar
As Kyle texted me today, Escobar has unleashed five dingers in Spring Training to go with a .350+ average. A little frustrating to see, but it is exhibition play. Losing Escobar hurts the Brewers' defense, but probably not their offense. Can probably say the exact opposite of Cain. Tough loss, but I'm not terribly sad to see him go. He had his chance to make his mark in Milwaukee and couldn't do it.

Manager Ken Macha

P - Jeremy Jeffress
This was another tough one to swallow, although one more slip up for Jeffress and he's out of the league. Jeffress could absolutely BRING IT, and looked solid for the Crew late last year out of the pen when we were bringing up guys to see what they had. The silver lining is that if we hadn't called up Jeffress and watched him perform well, we may not have had the final piece that Kansas City was looking for in the Greinke deal.

RP - Carlos Villanueva
Call me ill-informed, but I still have no idea who the Brewers got in return for Villa when we shipped him off to Toronto. Nevertheless, what we got from Villanueva was a fast start and then deteriorating performance as the season went on year after year. Not too sad to watch him go. Sorry, Kyle.

C - Brett Lawrie (minor leaguer)
Yeah. The Brewers really emptied out the youth movement this off-season. Lawrie was shipped to Toronto for Marcum, so it's not a total loss. Still, this guy probably has a bright future and it's sad to see him go. Again, a necessary loss should the Brewers want to compete right away.

RP - Todd Coffey
IT'S COFFFFEEEEEEY TIMMMMMMEEE!!!!! Not anymore :( Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.

Other losses: P Jake Odirizzi (ML), OF Cutter Dykstra (ML), OF Chris Dickerson

So you're all caught up, right? Not quite, as the Brewers still have to make a few roster moves before Opening Day (Thursday!). But for the most part, we know who the key players are going to be for what we all hope to be a playoff push. Some story lines to keep an eye on will be how Prince Fielder performs in a contract year, how the new pitching additions will work out, if the Brewers will be able to overcome shotty defense and if John Axford can at least match his 2010 performance in the closer role. Now sit back while I make an ass out of myself and make 12 bold predictions about the 2011 Milwaukee Brewers...

1. Shaun Marcum will win 15 games.
2. Prince Fielder will either collapse under the pressure of a contract year or have a career year because of the motivation of a contract year...then walk after '11.
3. Nyjer Morgan will eventually become the main guy in center field after starting the year in a platoon with Carlos Gomez and the Crew once again realizing Go-Go sucks.
4. John Axford won't top his 2010 season in the closer role but do enough to stay in it. In addition, set-up man Zach Braddock will be an absolute beast.
5. The Brewers will rank in the bottom five in the MLB in defense.
6. Zack Greinke will not perform as well as expected, but Yovani Gallardo will succeed thanks to a lack of pressure.
7. The Brewers will acquire a key bench player mid-season.
8. Manager Ron Roenicke will win NL Manager of the Year.
9. Mark Rogers will be called up at some point during the season and make some key spot starts...maybe even earn the fifth spot at some point.
10. Sergio Mitre will make one start and then find his way to the bullpen, where he had some success last year with the Yanks.
11. Mat Gamel will not be touched in the minor leagues (barring injuries at the major league level), but will replace Prince Fielder in 2012 at first base.
12. Milwaukee Brewers 2011 record: 91-71, 1st place in NL Central

That's as far as I'll go. Come see me for a playoff prediction after they make it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Some news and notes from around Wisconsin...the Bucks lost back-to-back heart breakers to the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Bobcats and it might be time to give up on the Deer's playoff chances (or was I the only one who still had any hope?)...the Badgers and Warriors both reached the sweet 16 and then had disastrous efforts, getting knocked out of the dance as a result...I failed to follow some of my March Madness Manifesto rules, leaving me with an 11th place finish in my pool...that's all I can think of for now. Be prepared for Brewers, Brewers and more Brewers as we crawl towards summer. I love baseball. Did I mention it's my favorite sport? Yay baseball!!!

So you want a perfect bracket?

2011-03-09T13:39:00.002-06:00

Well, you've come to the right place, my friends. You're talking to the guy who won a $50 pool his freshman year of high school (and has yet to win it again since). But I would ignore this fact, because I have put together a list that ensures perfection. We always hear about how nobody's perfect and I'm hear to tell you that that's a load of crap. After witnessing Kansas go down to Northern Iowa last season, completely devastating my bracket, myself and a few others (mainly Kyle and I) decided to go to town on what wasn't gelling with our NCAA tournament predictions. After reviewing these regulations again recently, I couldn't find much else that I would change. So basically, it comes down to this: do I want to show you this list? Hmmm....ah, what the hell.

But first, let me share my thoughts on a few pressing Wisconsin sports' subjects.

Zack Greinke. Thanks for deciding that playing pick-up basketball is more important than helping out a franchise that hasn't had a lick of success and is making possibly their last playoff push for quite sometime. Appreciate it. Get well soon...UW-Milwaukee. They made a valiant effort to make it to the big show, but not many people expected them to defeat Butler, even on their home court, to earn an automatic bid. Therefore, their loss isn't too disappointing, but it would've been cool to see...Marquette. Big win yesterday. They should be locked into the tourney now with their victory over Providence. Beating West Virginia tonight would be the icing on the cake, and I think it's very do-able...Wisconsin. You gave up 14-15 shooting from three. You got killed. Not really much you can do about that. Let's hope for a finals appearance in the Big Ten tournament, and then let's hope that the opponent isn't Ohio State. Dear Lord they're good...okay, back to business.

The March Madness Manifesto (in no particular order):

1) Stick with your gut. Don't second guess.
I'm sure you've heard your college/high school professor say that it's not a good idea to change your answer unless you're really, really sure. Same goes for picking your winners. Trust yourself, even if you usually don't.

2) Don't ride the hot team. Don't pick the cold team.
There's always one or two teams that are red-hot heading into the tournament. Naturally, you pick them. And naturally, they go out in the sweet 16. Just be careful and look at the entire body of work of a team. On the other end of the spectrum, if you're cold, you're cold. By this time of the year, team's should have figured it out. If they haven't, it's not a good sign. Avoid them.

3) Always pick at least one 12 over 5 seed upset.
Check this out. A 12 seed has defeated a 5 seed at least once in 21 of the past 23 years. Crazy. Another little known fact is that 5-12 upsets occur more often than 6-11 upsets. In other words, look at all of the 5 seed vs 12 seed match-ups, make notes of who the weakest 5 is and who the strongest 12 is and go from there.

4) Have the team you root for go a round shorter than you think they will.
Let's face it. We watch our favorite teams (Wisconsin, Marquette and UWM in many of our cases) all year long and see what they are capable of. Normally, we think they're capable of way too much. Fill out your bracket, see how far you have your favorite teams going, and push them back a round.

5) Don't look into strength of schedule too much.
Case in point: the Big East. Ever since the conference expanded in 2005, a National Champion hasn't emerged from the Big East. They beat each other up too much during the course of the regular season. I'm not saying a team can't come out of this conference and win it all...I'm just saying that the conference a team plays in shouldn't be overblown when it comes to making your selections.

6) Don't look into location of game too much.
I'm stressing the 'too much' part on this one. If you are really having difficulty choosing between two teams and one of them is playing in their backyard, then sure, go ahead and pick that team. But don't completely base your pick off of who is closer to home. It doesn't make that much of a difference.

7) How well a player is projected to do in the NBA won't necessarily translate into success for the player's team (This depends on the supporting cast). A Good Team > 1 or 2 very talented players.
Pretty self-explanatory, I'd say. See: Any John Calipari-coached team.

8) In close match-ups, pay close attention to team free throw percentage.
See: Any John Calipari-coached team.

9) The coach can play a role in the team's success, but in the end the team is more important.
I know. This seems pretty evident. Obviously, coaches like Tom Izzo and Coach K are going to get the most out of their players, but it's up to the players to execute the game plan.

10) Always pick a 7/10 seed to beat a 2 seed in the 2nd round.
This has happened 9 of the past 10 years. So do it. Same strategy as the 5-12 rule applies here.

11) Listen to Jay Bilas.
The man is a college basketball encyclopedia. Cornell in the sweet 16? Ha. Oh wait...

12) Teams play better when they have a chance to play close to home later on in the tournament.
The past two years, Michigan State (Detroit) and Butler (Indianapolis) have willed themselves through the tournament to play extremely close to home in the Final Four. However, once they get there, see rule #6.

13) Ride the team with the clutch player for awhile.
There are always those certain guys who just get the job done when the going gets tough and the pressure mounts. Find out who these players play for, and then give this team an automatic pass through the first round or two because there's no way they're going home early.

A few more tidbits...Coach K and Coach Izzo are very good on the second game. In other words, if they reach the Sweet 16 and win, they are more than likely going to win in the Elite 8. It's just how it is...Avoid picking Vandy and Clemson. History says so...Avoid picking team's you haven't heard of late in the tournament. Butler kind of defies that idea but usually, you're going to see the big name schools dancing until midnight...Experience > Youth. See: Any John Calipari coached team.

Happy bracket filling out! You're welcome in advance for winning your office pool.

Time to make-it or break-it

2011-03-03T10:16:00.003-06:00

There is really only one thing that's certain heading into the month of March on the Wisconsin college basketball front: the Wisconsin Badgers are going to the Big Dance. Marquette and UWM? They might be sitting pretty right now, but the selection committee won't be making their decisions until March 13th...10 days from now. In between now and one of the most exciting Sundays of the year (at least for me), the Warriors and the Panthers need to win some ball games.

My 1st draft of March Madness predictions. What's that, you ask? No, I don't have a life.

Yes...plural...games. Perhaps this wouldn't have been the case for Marquette had they not allowed a Cincinnati Bearcats team to walk into the BC and control the game from the get-go. The Bearcats have an amazing record for a Big East team, don't get me wrong, but they aren't going to be a team that lasts very long in the tourney. Therefore, an 18-12 (9-8) Marquette squad needs to take care of business at Seton Hall on Saturday (for the love of God...please do), which would give them ten victories in the most demanding conference in the nation. Most would say this is enough, but just to be sure, it would be nice to see the Warriors nab a Big East tournament game so they could reach the 20 win plateau and lock themselves in.

The Milwaukee Panthers flat out NEED to win games. Two, to be exact. Should they win two games, they will have won the Horizon League tournament and earned an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. If you recall my previous blog post, I noted how UWM would have to defeat the conference leader at the time, Cleveland State, on the road and then travel to Youngstown State and eek out a win (my hopes were not high). Who would've thought that last place YSU would poise more of a threat to a conference title and home court advantage in the conference tourney than Norris Cole (stud) and the CSU Vikings? Not I. Low and behold, had a Youngstown State player not missed a point blank put-back-lay-up as time expired in regulation, UWM would not have had the opportunity to pull away in OT to earn that coveted one seed. After watching that video, you have to feel awesome for coach Rob Jeter. Once an assistant under Bo Ryan, Jeter took over in '05 after Pearl scurried over to Tennessee for a chance to coach at a bigger Division I school. With the players Pearl recruited, Jeter was able to lead the Panthers to the round of 32 before falling to the eventual champions, the Florida Gators. Since then, it's been an uphill battle, but notice that each year, UWM's win total has increased. Well...up until this season (at least thus far), but I'm sure Panther fans will take a conference title and a #1 seed over a 20 win season and bowing out in the conference tourney semifinals. It just goes to show that if you give a guy a chance to institute HIS OWN system and recruit HIS OWN players, special things can happen.

Certainly, I could have never seen this coming, but an improbable late season run put the Panthers in their first realistic position to reach March Madness since immediately after the Bruce Pearl era. More than likely, UWM will lace 'em up against Cleveland State yet again on Saturday for a chance to reach the tournament final against, more than likely, the defending runner-up in the NCAA tournament, Butler. Ant Hill, Tone Boyle, Tony Meier, Ja'Rob McCallum...these are names that Wisconsin sports fans should get acclimated with because they will be the reason Milwaukee reaches the tourney...but first they have to get there. Get your popcorn ready.

In other news...Wisconsin heads to Indiana tonight to face the Who-siers and then travel to Columbus where the Buckeyes will more than likely exact their revenge on Bucky. Let's hope not. Or at least, let's hope for a good game and a sweep of Ohio State. They're kind of our bitch...The Bucks continue to fall off the face of the Earth. However, I think I defended them nicely after this douche-rod put up this article on The Sports Jury (scroll down to the comments, I'm the bottom one)...March Madness Manifesto and Brewers' season preview coming soon!

One more note of interest: I received my first assignment for the school newspaper, the Advance-Titan. I'll be covering Men's tennis! Woot! In all honesty, I'm excited to actually get something published as it should definitely help me in the foreseeable future. Thanks for all the support, because this blog was a big reason that I got noticed for the position.

Keep reading y'all!

Trudging towards March

2011-02-22T16:43:00.002-06:00

With the elation from the Super Bowl slowly wearing off day by day, Wisconsin sports fans are now desperately searching for something to keep their minds off of winter snow storms, freezing temperatures, midterm exams and crappy jobs. Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy watching the Badgers and Warriors duke it out in my second favorite sport, college basketball (second only behind baseball), but it's not quite enough to distract me from the droves of homework that the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh leaves at my doorstep. . . Now that you've caught your breath from that hysterical laughter, let me try and make you burst out once more. Do you realize which Division I college basketball program in Wisconsin has the best chance of winning their respective conference? Still no clue? Will the UWM Panthers please stand up! I'm not kidding you. Marquette sits in 11th place in the Big East, five games out of first place. The 12th ranked Wisconsin Badgers remain two games out of first and five games back of the Ohio State Buckeyes. But Milwaukee is only one back of Cleveland State with two games to go on the schedule...one of their games happens to be at Cleveland State -- Thursday, to be exact.

Before you get too excited, let me say this: UWM already hosted the Vikings earlier in the conference season and got toasted by 23 points at The Cell. Now let me get you too excited: the Panthers have won seven straight Horizon League games (they lost to non-conference opponent Buffalo in a BracketBuster game last Saturday). Not only this, but they swept the season series against Butler -- yes, the same Butler that was about two inches away from being National Champions last March. Well, okay, it's not nearly the same Butler team, but it's still rather unexpected news. If the chips fall correctly, the Horizon League tournament runs through Milwaukee. Those would be some magical chips.

That was for you, Chris. You're welcome.

When getting back to teams that can actually contend for the spot in the Big Dance, we have the Wisconsin Badgers locked in and the Marquette Warriors scrambling for an at-large bid out of the Big East. I basically went over my feelings towards these two squads in my last post, but a few things have changed since February 14th. This is just how sports are...my mind is always churning out a different opinion. Kyle brought up a good point about having two go-to guys in Jon Leuer and Jordan Taylor rather than the typical lone scorer that the Badgers have had in past years. This is all well and good, but how about a third? I know this sounds greedy, but I think it's necessary. Look at teams like Ohio State and Purdue. They each have three (at the very least) guys they can turn to in tough situations. Therefore, I'm sticking with my Badgers-aren't-built-for-the-tourney attitude, but not completely ruling out an elite 8 appearance...that's the limit for this team, though.

Marquette? Yikes. That loss to St. John's in the BC was a killer. I fully expected the Warriors to pull that one out against a now ranked Red Storm team led by extremely underrated coach, Steve Lavin. Since they didn't, they are going to need to win a game or two in the Big East tournament to squeak into the field of 68. I think they can wind up 19-12 going into it, which would look pretty nice. What would look even better is a 20th win by irking one out in the conference tourney. Now look at the sitch...how can you shut out a team with a 20-13 record and ten wins in the Big East? You can't. Hence, I still like Marquette to earn a spot in the Madness...and make a little noise as well. Don't get up in a tizzy if they lose to Connecticut on Thursday because they have three very winnable games left on their slate.

I like how I just talked myself back into my original opinions.

Here's my snippet on the NBA. Melo is a Knick and the Bucks have some fearing to do.

I'd like to mention, in case you didn't already notice by the self-promoting links, that I earned an unpaid writing gig for a website called The Sports Jury. It's a pretty cool idea for a site as roughly 100 writers can basically chip in articles about whatever they want and then others can check in and read them. For instance, my article about the Bucks was somehow the feature article on the site all weekend, so that garnered me a bunch of reads. Eventually, I might be able to earn myself some pay out of it, so that's definitely something I'll be keeping up with.

Don't worry...I'm not going to abandon the blog thing. In fact, I'll be releasing new posts rather soon about my keys to filling out a perfect March Madness bracket so that you can all win a lot of money in your pools as well as a Brewers' season preview. For now, just try and survive the rest of February and then allow the NCAA tourney to ride you right into baseball season...and summer.

A familiar scene

2011-02-14T10:37:00.005-06:00

To be perfectly honest, Super Bowl 45 will be something that I can look back on for a few years when faced with getting over the disappointment of the Packers' fellow Wisconsin sports teams. Fortunately, we have another team/school that's been surging to the forefront: the Wisconsin Badgers. Being just one week removed from one of the most impressive performances by a team of my rooting interest in my lifetime, the Badgers helped us relive some of the same emotions we felt two Sunday's ago (and on October 16th). For the second time during the school year, and only the second team in collegiate sports history, the Badgers knocked off the same school when they were ranked #1 in both football and basketball by defeating the Ohio State Suckeyes 71-67. The only other team to defeat a team both in football and basketball when they were tops in the country was Florida. As much as I wanted to attend yet ANOTHER game in which O-S-Who was ranked #1, it would have been both a financial burden and a prime example of pushing my luck a little too far. Had I been in the Kohl Center Saturday afternoon, there's no doubt in my mind that JT wouldn't have gone completely OFF and rallied from 15 down to top an extremely talented college basketball team.

Unfortunately, the other main rooting interests of myself and many others in Wisconsin in regards to basketball have failed to meet expectations: the Marquette Warriors and the Milwaukee Bucks. Especially the Bucks. During a stretch in which I expected Milwaukee to go on a mini-run before the All-Star break and perhaps sneak back into playoff position, they have faltered while showing literally no signs of a turnaround. Sorry, but you don't deserve to make the post-season when you lose to Indiana and Detroit in the Bradley Center. Combine this with the fact that the NBA is my least favorite professional sport out of the four major sports in America and you've heard just about all you're going to hear out of me about the NBA. I will say this, though...last year, the Bucks were able to sneak up on people because nobody expected anything of them. Going into the 2010-2011 season, we were considered to be contenders for the Central Division crown...oops. With great power comes great responsibility. Apparently the Bucks never had that power in the first place. I'm not counting them out yet (10th place in East, 4.5 games out of 8th), but I'm not going to put all of my eggs in that basket. Give me a call when the playoffs role around (not literally, please).

Continuing with the theme of depression, the Marquette Warriors. Yesterday was another example of a team that competes for about 30 minutes every game and then for some reason hits a proverbial brick wall. I'm pretty sure there isn't a team in the country that looks forward to playing Marquette, but they probably take solace in the fact that they know they'll control the final ten minutes. They should still be a 19-20 win team based on their remaining Big East schedule, but some of the games that we've seen MU let slip away (there are too many to list) definitely leave a bad taste in our mouths. The one positive that we can take out of Marquette's performance this year is how they always at least remain within striking distance in every single game. Remind you of a certain team that just completed their season? I don't see an NCAA Division I champion when I look at the Warriors, but they are a team that has slightly underachieved even though many experts didn't expect them to compete night in and night out like they have. I still believe Marquette will make some noise in March, whether it's a couple of early round upsets or giving a more renowned opponent a run for their money.

Enough about underachieving...let's look at a team that overachieves almost every single season: the Wisconsin Badgers. Picking up where we left off, the Badgers went down 47-32 after Jared Sullinger (who I thought played like a softy all afternoon) put home a layup. Immediately after Ohio State went on this monster run to start off the half, two things popped into my mind. I see why this team is ranked #1. There is still a lot of time on the clock. Once the Badgers went down 15, I began to put most of my faith in the announcer jinx when the lead announcer (his name escapes me at the moment) mentioned that Wisconsin wasn't built to come from behind. First of all, that's what she said. Second, I agreed. My mind immediately skipped backwards to the horrific beating Wisconsin took at the hands of an Ivy League school last March. I think Jordan Taylor's mind also regressed back to this game, and his second wind kicked in in a way I hadn't seen since the Penn State game about a year ago (and not just because I was there). A 15-0 run later and we had ourselves a tie ball game. It remained tight for basically the remainder of the game, but Taylor continued his hot shooting, freshman Josh Gasser played a key role and Mike Bruesewitz hit the game clinching trey ball with the shot clock winding down to help Bucky knock off a number one team for the first time in nearly 50 years. I think it's fair to say that Ohio State is our bitch.

Unfortunately, even though we all knew it was coming, the Wisconsin student section stormed the court after the victory. At first, I got caught up in the moment but then quickly became very disappointed in kids who I thought were a little sharper than myself. If you go back to my post on the regulations of being a fan, the Badgers' victory doesn't quite meet the criteria of court storming. Even if it did, it's the freaking Kohl Center. That place is a death trap for opponents. Obviously, defeating Duke last year was a big deal because we were unranked and the Dukies were in the top five, but this was a different situation and it should have merited a different reaction. One other note...if someone actually did spit in Sullinger's face after the game, he deserved it. Quit flopping. You're 6'9" 280. Man up.

Wisconsin is now ranked #10 in both polls, but another big game is looming as the Badgers must travel to West Lafayette to take on the 11th ranked Boilers. Purdue is a tough place to play and I recall Wisconsin having a tough loss there last season. I wouldn't be surprised to see the same this year. The Boilermakers lucked out this year by avoiding a trip to Madison, so hopefully Wisconsin wouldn't be punished for losing this game. I believe we'll keep it close and a big shot here or a costly turnover there should be the difference in the ball game. When looking at the big picture like we did with Marquette, the answer is simple: the Badgers aren't built for a deep run in March. We've seen it time in and time out...a sharp shooting team or a run-and-gun style always seems to have an advantage over Wisconsin's slow paced swing offense. The Badgers always seem to have trouble game planning for teams that they aren't as familiar with, and my concern applies to this season's team as well. However, Wisconsin has shown the ability to speed things up every once in awhile and get open looks early in the possession...at least when they want to. Incredible free throw efficiency could also help us forget about the failures of the past. I see Wisconsin as a 3-5 seed when it's all said and done depending on how some games-that-could-go-either-way games go down the stretch.

I'll leave you with a little something special to help get you excited for March. Consider it my Valentine's Day gift to each and every one of you (F*** this holiday).

<3

Don't forget to Pack Lombardi

2011-02-08T23:25:00.006-06:00

(Deep breath)...wow.

14 years in the making.

When you live and die with sports like me, the lows feel like going through a divorce and the highs feel like you hit the lottery, neither of which I have had the pleasure of experiencing. I live for those highs knowing that I'll suffer through at least ten moments that will leave me heartbroken before I reach the pinnacle. On Sunday, February 6th, 2011, I will never forget where I was when I watched a football team that I've rooted for my entire life win Super Bowl XLV. I will never forget grabbing random people that I didn't even know and screaming out in joy in a room stacked full of people in a Madison college house. I will never forget the anxiety...the jubilation...the tears of joy that filled my eyes...every possible emotion the human mind can imagine. Many of you have now trekked through this passage. I may have been seven years old when the Packers were victorious in the first Super Bowl of my lifetime. But this one was clear to me. This was MY Super Bowl.

Saturday afternoon, I embarked on a 101 minute drive to Madison, Wisconsin where I would be watching the Green Bay Packers play a simple game of football on its greatest stage with close friends and total strangers. Saturday night was the Packer fiesta, but Sunday morning offered up chills that I get before something extremely nerve-racking is about to happen...like giving a big speech or carrying a conversation with a really hot chick that approaches me, something I must deal with almost every single day of my life. It's a blessing and a curse. To help take my mind off the inevitable, I watched Gus Johnson begrudgingly announce a blowout in the Kohl Center as Wisconsin romped the Spartans by 26 (by the way, expect more about college basketball in future posts. I haven't given the sport its due). Now it was 2 P.M. and I had nothing left to distract me. As the food was prepared by my gracious hosts and people began to file into 1514 Jefferson, the time was near. Before I knew it, Christina Aguilera was forgetting lines to the National Anthem and all that was left to do...was play ball.

I know it's rather cliche to look back and say "We should have put a camera in the back of the room" because of the crazy reactions people have towards a certain event, but seriously. There should've been a damn camera in the back of the room. It was ridiculous. People were clapping after every first down or any tackle in the backfield, hooping and hollering after a big gainer and jumping for joy while high five-ing everyone in sight when the football crossed the plain of the goal-line. Oh yeah...they were also slamming their hats into the ground after allowing a score, staring a hole through the ceiling after failing to convert a 3rd down and screaming at the television whenever Sam Shields ran into Tramon Williams during a punt (Shields had a rough one, there's no denying that). It was like we were there. I cried. I laughed. I swore. I yelled. I had an aneurysm. Yep...think that just about covers it: have I helped drag you back to Sunday night yet? Good. Let's get to game for Christ's sake.

Clearly, experience did not prove to be much of a difference as the Packers marched into the new Texas Stadium and defeated a Pittsburgh squad that included many two-time Super Bowl champions 31-25. In fact, you could argue that the Packers played with a lot more poise than the Steelers when considering a plus 3 margin in turnovers and an uncanny ability to come through in the clutch, which the team from Steel City failed to do multiple times. In what seemed to become per usual for the Pack, Green Bay jumped to an early lead fairly quickly with an impressive drive that ended with a dime over the shoulder of Bryant McFadden and into the waiting hands of Jordy "the hick from the sticks" Nelson. Green Bay never looked back, but this certainly doesn't mean things didn't get bumpy along the road to victory...here's why:

Road Bump #1 -- Donald Driver's leg injury: Even though this wouldn't end up being the biggest concern for Packer fans, watching Driver's leg bend in directions that would make Ray Nitschke cringe was the first of several injuries for Green Bay. This meant one of two things: Jordy Nelson would have to step up and be the #2 receiver (he beautifully did so...for the most part) and Brett Swain would now be inserted into 4-receiver sets (oh boy). A few drops by Jordy and a "drop" by Swain definitely helped make things a little more interesting.

Donald Driver's first down celebration riled up just about everyone.

Road Bump #2 -- Charles Woodson's broken collarbone: Roethlisberger stepped back and heaved one down the left sideline just out of the reach of Woodson as he laid out for the football. It didn't look all that bad, but Chuck's night was over and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize why the entire state of Wisconsin cursed out of mental agony when sideline reporter Pam Oliver announced the dreadful news. The two leaders. Gone in an instant. The Packer youth movement would have to win it for them, not with them.

Road Bump #3 -- James Jones' hands: I don't think I can explain the state of pain and anguish James Jones put the state of Wisconsin in, but I'll try. It's 21-10. The Packers receive the ball first in the second half. Pittsburgh snag the momentum just before the first half. Woodson is hurt. Driver is hurt. Shields is limited. We need to keep our defense off the field. Rodgers fires a dime to Jones who has nothing but daylight ahead of him...dropped. Uh oh. We've got a ballgame.

Thanks to these five plays (as well as a few others), the Packers would be able to overcome these detrimental shortcomings...

The top 5 game-changing plays for Green Bay in Super Bowl 45:

5. Late 4th quarter, :49 -- Tramon Williams plays absolutely perfect coverage and breaks up Big Ben's pass to Mike Wallace on 4th and 5. THERE IS YOUR DAGGER! Obviously a huge play, but we wouldn't have been in this position if not for the four plays in front of it.

4. 3rd and 10, Mid 4th quarter, own 25 -- Aaron Rodgers zips a pass down the middle to Greg Jennings for 31 yards to keep the Packers' final scoring drive alive. If this pass falls incomplete, the Packers have to once again punt the ball deep and don't have the chance to run more time off the clock, let alone put up at least a field goal to force the Steelers to score a touchdown. Big time throw. Big time catch.

3. Late 1st quarter, 3:34 -- After a crucial block in the back penalty against the Steelers special teams unit, Pittsburgh was pushed back to their own 7 yard line. On the first play of the drive, Howard Green hit Roethlisberger's right arm and forced an errant throw to the left side of the field. Nick Collins broke for the ball the moment Big Ben pump faked to that same side...TAINT.

2. 3rd and 7, Early 4th quarter, PIT 40 -- Should the Packers not convert here, we'll more than likely punt and pin the Steelers deep, but it still means Pittsburgh is only within 4. Rodgers zings the ball to Nelson on the right side (the same side that two blitzing DBs are storming through) for a 38 yard gain inside the Steelers 2. Oh...and by the way, this was the play right after Jordy let a first down pass slip through his hands. Talk about trust. Flip flop #4 and #2 if you'd like, but the fact that A-Rod went right back to Jordy speaks volumes about this team.

1. Early 4th quarter, 15:00, GB 33 -- The Steelers are once again in position to put together a game-leading drive as they hand off to Mendenhall on 2nd and 2. As he heads toward the outside (which we failed to stop numerous times), BOOOOM! Clay sticks his helmet to Rashard's right elbow, jarring the football loose. Desmond Bishop does a tremendous job of scooping up the football and is tackled at the GB 45. You CANNOT argue that this was the biggest play of Super Bowl XLV. No way, no how. Clay Matthews...the man, the myth, the legend. A huge reason why my life is still intact.

The 5 Unsung heroes of Super Bowl 45:

Punter -- Tim Masthay: I know he put up a shank-dank punt towards the end of the third quarter to hurt his average (40.5), but if their hadn't been an ineligible man down field (still don't get this call), Masthay's 57 yard boot would have counted, thus making his average a stellar 44.7. When the Packers' offense began struggling to move the football, Masthay was called upon to flip the field and he did just that, keeping the pressure on the Steelers and off the Packers' D. He very well may have ended the curse of the Green Bay punter and earned himself a second year on the Green Bay roster.

Cornerback -- Jarrett Bush: I can't believe I'm including this man...two plays before his impressive pick, I tore into Bush just like I have for the past six years because of his piss-poor performances as a Green Bay Packer. But because of Bush's solid special teams play in the past few years, he earned captain status. Sunday, he had an emergency fill-in at the nickel corner after Sam Shields and Charles Woodson went down with injuries and performed...admirably average. His interception was pure instinct (and ballsy), but he also gave up a rather easy touchdown to Hines Ward late in the first half. Still, Jarrett Bush surprised all of us Sunday evening and for that, I salute him. Step out of the dog house.

Cornerback -- Tramon Williams: Notice how I don't say 'punt returner'. Yikes. Let's try and forget about his muffed punt and idiotic unsportsmanlike penalty. Tramon was an absolute shut-down DB against the Steelers and this cannot be overlooked. Williams was forced into the #1 cornerback role but still remained on Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh's deep threat. Sure, Wallace still got his, but Williams played like a man who deserves quite a pay-raise as well as someone who will eventually emerge as the Packers' #1 corner.

Running back -- James Starks: I know he only carried the ball 11 times, but I've been waiting for a Packer running back who runs with as much purpose as Starks. Behind what was a rather porous offensive line, Starks chucked and ducked for some big gains in crucial situations which also helped keep the play action pass a viable option. Starks will likely back up Ryan Grant at the start of the 2011 season, but with Grant, Starks and Brandon Jackson as a 3rd down back next year (I have my doubts he'll be back, but this is my wish), all of a sudden the Packers will have a formidable running attack.

Linebacker -- Frank Zombo: I'll be the first to admit that I was wrong about Zombo in my last post, but can you blame me? It was Zombo's first action since week 14 against the Lions, so it was hard to gauge exactly how he would perform. Considering these circumstances, as well as Zombo's sack of Big Ben and a solid performance overall, Zombo deserves a lot of credit for stepping in for the injured Erik Walden and avoiding any sort of letdown at the linebacker position opposite of the Claymaker.

"Sung" Heroes: Aaron Rodgers (MVP. 'Nough said) ... Jordy Nelson (9 for 140) ... Greg Jennings (2 TDs, no drops) ... Clay Matthews (strip of Mendenhall) ... Nick Collins (TAINT)

There you have it. Man. What a ride. If you're worried about what I can possibly write about for the next seven months, stop fretting. I'll include a season review for the Pack in the blog sometime in the near future, but we still have college basketball to look forward to, a hopeful late-season push by the Bucks and a promising Brewer team that is soon to embark on their 2011 season.

But how about them Packers?

Super Bowl XLV. Champions.

THAT...is what it's all about.

A Super important game

2011-02-04T14:02:00.004-06:00

Getting nervous?

We're two days away from the most hyped up event in professional sports, and my favorite team happens to be involved. When I wake up Sunday from my alcohol-induced coma (kidding!), I can't even begin to explain to you how nervous I'll be. It's almost frightening. And if you're a die-hard sports fan like me, you'll feel the same way. I don't care how confident you feel about the Pack's chances...there will be thousands of tiny butterflies fluttering around in your stomach, and they won't leave until 5:29 PM Sunday evening. I have the same feeling that I've had the past five weeks: anything could happen. Good sign? For as much hell as we've been put through in the past years because of the rocky road that is Wisconsin sports, things haven't been all that bad lately. But please...for the love of God...let Sunday, February 6th be ingrained into Packer fans' minds for all the right reasons. Okay. Let's break this mother f***er down.

The Packers are going to lose because of the team photo controversy. It's just way too much of a distraction to overcome. Ben Roethlisberger being spotted at a bar Tuesday night will play a slight factor in how the Steelers prepare for this game, but man...Jermichael Finley and Nick Barnett really did it this time. Damn you, twitter. Steelers in a blowout.

Seriously. What a joke. I LOVE the media! (Ironic, I know)

Moving on. There are so many ways that I want to pick this match-up apart that I honestly don't know where to begin. I probably should have considered this before I started typing, but I don't like planning. I'm figuring that most of you have seen enough breakdowns of this game on ESPN...quarterbacks, running game etc...so I'll try and dig deep and get my fingernails really dirty while trying to find some unique aspects within this game that I think will play a key role.

I'll start with big plays. Both of these teams put food on the table with the help of big plays. Only one of them really gets food poisoning as a result of big plays. The Pittsburgh Steelers have waaaay too good of a defense for the amount of long balls they watch fly over their head, but nevertheless, it happens. Rather frequently. My only hope is that Mike McCarthy realizes this because with the scrambling ability of Aaron Rodgers, he will be able to keep plays alive. This allows for his deep threats, which can really be any of the four receivers, to maneuver around a little and possibly sneak behind the Steelers' secondary. Even if they don't, Rodgers and his receivers are almost always on the same page and guys always seem to find a way to get open. It's crazy to think about how studs like Troy Polamalu (apparently better than Clay Matthews), Ryan Clark and Ike Tayyyylor can allow this to happen, but they do. The Packers may allow a lot of annoying 1st downs on 3rd and 11, but they manage to keep everything in front of them and, to be cliche, bend but don't break. Don't get me wrong...Ben Roethlisberger is also known for his hard-to-believe scrambling antics because of his size, but I think Green Bay does a pretty solid job of containing scampering QBs. This is an area where I think the Packers can exploit the Steelers otherwise stingy D, and a big play or two could very well be the difference in this game.

(Some notable advantages for the Packers that have been drilled home by the media that I agree with: NT B.J. Raji vs. back-up C Doug Legursky, GB secondary over PIT secondary, GB receivers over PIT receivers)

I've mentioned the key for the Packers, but what is the area that Green Bay really has to clamp down on when it comes to facing Pittsburgh? Well, I kind of touched on it before, but if the Steelers start to find success running the football (which I think could be difficult with the loss of Pouncey), the Packers will have to be careful. By careful, I mean don't go away from the game plan to try and put more emphasis on stopping the run because that could end up hurting our chances even further. Let's think about it...why has Green Bay had success on defense this season? It's because they have always had the right personnel to plug into certain positions who know what their role is (THANK YOU, TED THOMPSON). We have to trust those guys just like we have all season long. They're the reason we've been in every game this season. If Rashard Mendenhall, who is a very solid back, starts to get on a role, Dom Capers has to have faith in his front line to adjust and start making plays. If we start stacking the box, our secondary might be in trouble. The deep ball can be stopped, but the one area where the Green Bay secondary has struggled at times is simply defending the opposing receivers. I think that if the Packers main rushers (Front three, Matthews and whoever plays at the other OLB spot (Zombo is back. Walden is battling injury.)) are able to contain Mendenhall, who in my mind isn't any better than LeSean McCoy or Michael Turner, they will have a great chance to win. Capers does a great job mixing in blitzes with a variety of different players, so this could also play a factor in slowing down the Steelers' running game.

By the way, I understand all the talk about Maurkice Pouncey and DE Aaron Smith being out, but there has hardly been any mention of Erik Walden's ankle injury, even during the Bears game two weeks ago when Robert Francois was forced into action. I personally believe that Walden is vital to the Packers' success. Frank Zombo is somebody that I feel kind of "eh" about when it comes to his ability on the football field, but it appears as though Walden will be limited heading into the Super Bowl. This means we'll basically be relying heavily on someone starting at outside linebacker for the first time since week 14 unless something changes in the next two days...uh oh.

(Some notable advantages for the Steelers that have been drilled home by the media that I agree with: PIT running game over GB running game, PIT front seven over GB front seven)

Speaking of the ground game...even though I agree that the Steelers have a more formidable running attack, James Starks has been HUGE for Green Bay. If the Packers can somehow formulate a decent running game against the Steelers on Sunday (which I kind of doubt), damn. Look out. We all know how much Coach McCarthy likes to set up that play action pass, which is why I'm not going to talk about it.

(Where the game could be decided/neither team has a real advantage: Quarterback play, Special teams)

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Did I just say that the Packers aren't at a disadvantage when talking about special teams? I promise I'm not intoxicated or on drugs. I could break down these units, but I don't want to put you to sleep (that is, if you haven't already passed out on your keyboard).

A couple hours later, and my nerves are still rising. It's starting to sink in, but it feels so surreal. When thinking about all the injuries...all the adjustments...five weeks of playoff football...overcoming heartbreaking losses. We can only hope that the Packers avoid a late game letdown for one more game. One. More. Game. In the words of the great Bart Scott: CAN'T WAIT!

GOOOO PACK GOOOOOO!