I not only reference lyrics to a Blink 182 song because they're a pretty kick ass band, but also because being a sports fan is one of the most emotional rides you can experience. There are so many highs and lows...unless of course you're a Cleveland or Seattle sports fan. Then your life just permanently sucks. The point I'm trying to make here is that a roller coaster isn't my favorite ride; I'm more of a water slide guy. Just kidding (that's not my point...I don't have one). Over the past week, us Wisconsin sports fans have experienced the definition of a roller coaster. Let's jump in the time machine and take a look at some of the more important events that have affected our collective state of mind.
Sunday, December 12th - Not only is Aaron Rodgers knocked out of a game against the Detroit Lions with a concussion, but the Pack goes onto lose the game and drop to 8-5. This basically ends Green Bay's chance at winning the division should it come down to a tie-breaker since their division record is now worse than the Bears'. [Roller coaster position: VERY LOW]
Monday, December 13th - The Milwaukee Bucks put an end to the Dallas Mavericks 12-game winning streak with an incredible come from behind victory on the road. The Deer appears to be turning things around as the team is starting to get healthy and has improved their record to 10-13. [Roller coaster position: LEVEL]
Friday, December 17th - Rodgers is listed as doubtful on the injury report for Sunday night's game at New England. As if going up against the best team in the NFL on the road wasn't enough, now it appears that it will be backup Matt Flynn leading the Packers into Foxborough. [Roller coaster position: LOW]
Saturday, December 18th - Late Saturday night, a rumor is confirmed that the Milwaukee Brewers have pieced together a shocker of a trade and landed former Cy Young award winner Zack Greinke from the Kansas City Royals without giving up any important players (for now). This immediately caused me to look forward to the upcoming season with great urgency and excitement as the Brewers became instant contenders with their high powered offense and now stellar rotation. [Roller coaster position: HIGH]
Sunday, December 19th - During the early slate of NFL games, the Packers needed a few things to occur in order to help their playoff chances, especially with the Patriots game looming large. Low and behold, the teams we needed to lose fell (Giants and Buccaneers) and even with a loss to New England, there was still hope! [Roller coaster position: VERY HIGH]
Sunday night, December 19th - The Packers seem to be in control of the game after jumping out to a 17-7 late in the first half, but then allow OFFENSIVE LINEMAN Dan Connelly to return the kickoff all the way inside the Packers' 10-yard line. The Patriots punch it in for six and leave Green Bay with only a three point halftime lead. As they say, the rest is history and the Packers fall to 0-6 in games which they have trailed in the 4th quarter, losing to New England by a score of 31-27. Because of all the close losses that Green Bay has suffered, even though the loss still left the Packers in decent position to make the playoffs... [Roller coaster position: LOW]
Quite the swing of emotion, hey? The Packers will do that to ya.
Monday, December 20th - Word spreads that the Bucks' star point guard, Brandon Jennings has to undergo surgery on a fracture in his left foot. Since the Bucks have lost their previous two games to drop to 10-15, this news does not come at the greatest time. Milwaukee has not held one practice this season with all of their players healthy...that is pretty unbelievable. Later that night, the Bucks get thumped by Portland and appear to need more time to adjust to life without Jennings. [Roller coaster position: VERY LOW]
Tuesday, December 21st - I reassess things for a moment. The Packers' two remaining games are at home and as long as they win both of them, they are in the playoffs. In other words, THEY STILL CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY. Somewhat relieving news, although the Giants and Bears are no pushover. Moving on to the Bucks...missing Jennings for an extended period of time could really put a damper on the Bucks' chances of making the post-season. However, if Milwaukee can manage to go around .500 while Young Buck is sitting out and have both Jennings and Delfino back for the stretch run, the weak Eastern Conference will allow them to hang around. Besides, the NBA is a joke during the regular season so who really cares about it until the playoffs anyway? Am I right? Anyway, after making myself feel better the aforementioned situations, I think about Zack Greinke again and get all giddy inside. Oh yeah, and the Badgers are playing in the Rose Bowl. That's pretty cool, too. [Roller coaster position: LEVEL]
So yes, I just went around the track once and I'm now waiting for the second go-around. Feelin' a little queezy but no barf bag needed quite yet. Keep in mind that this was only within the span of nine days...pretty crazy. Notice how putting things in perspective helped bring me back above water. I think a lot of fans have trouble assessing the situation and basically get to the point of drinking their sorrows away (not saying I haven't done this). In all seriousness though, I'm not a psychiatrist, but the state of Wisconsin sports is in a better situation than many locations. Howeva(!), it would be nice to see a championship brought home by one of the three major franchises or two major division I schools here in cheese land (in either basketball or football) within the next couple years. Let's party like it's 1996.
Be back before Sunday with picks and a fantasy football playoff update. PLAYOFFS?!
Go Pack, On Wisconsin and Fear the Deer!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
So you're saying there's a chance...
...that the Milwaukee Brewers could be contenders next season? About 2 weeks ago, if I said this to you, there's no doubt I would have not only been laughed at but probably spit on, too. Hold your horses, ladies and gentlemen because not only did the Brewers make a deal for Shaun Marcum (who I mentioned in my previous post), but in the blockbuster trade of the off-season, the Crew has acquired Kansas City ace Zach Greinke!!! I'm seriously on cloud 9 right now. I've already had lengthy discussions with some fellow die-hard Brewer fans over this one and we've come to the agreement that this was a great deal pulled off by General Manager Doug Melvin, and these words usually don't fit together very well in the same sentence. Also heading to Milwaukee will be shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt. You may ask why we are also getting a shortstop when we already have Alcides Escobar and this is why: the Brewers dealt not only Escobar, but also CF Lorenzo Cain and pitching prospects Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi. I'll have more on my reaction to this trade later...for now I'm going to update the picks from weeks 13 and 14 since I failed to write a blog entry last week as a result of finals. College isn't all fun and games, folks. To save time, I won't show who Kyle and I picked, but rather just show our records. Here she goes!
Week 13:
Dave: 7-9 * Kyle: 11-5
Week 14:
Dave: 11-5 * Kyle: 10-6
Gotta hand it to Kyle over the past two weeks. He has really proven that he's one of the best in the business when it comes to picking NFL games with the spread. In week 14, he could've actually gone 11-5 like I did, but changed one of his picks from the Cardinals to the Broncos. I joked with him that this was obviously the right decision because of how terrible Arizona is...the Cards won by 30...this league is impossible to figure out. Sorry for jinxing that one, buddy.
Overall records (through week 14):
Kyle: 115-93 (8-4-2)
Dave: 107-101 (4-8-2)
For those of you who think I suck at choosing these games, let me tell you something. You're right. But believe it or not, I'm actually in the 88th percentile on ESPN.com when it comes to picking games with the spread and in the 89th when picking them straight up, so if that increases the amount of respect you have for me (doubtful), I appreciate it. I'll have the week 15 lines in my next blog post later this week. Also, congratulations to Kyle for locking up the week by week competition. I'm not losing hope on the overall record contest, but I'll be perfectly honest in saying that my chances look rather bleak.
I really don't want to discuss this next topic, but it's hard to avoid: the Green Bay Packers. Isn't it depressing, people? All we have to do to become even with the Chicago Bears in the NFC North division race is to beat the Detroit effing Lions. THE LIONS! Nope. Can't even do that. Oh, and to top it all off, our star quarterback forgets that he should probably slide when he takes off running at guys trying to decapitate him and what do you know? Rodgers gets knocked out of the game, destroying any chance we had at not only defeating the LIONS, but also the Patriots. Rodgers is for some reason still making the trip to New England but back-up extraordinare Matt Flynn will be taking the field at Gilette Stadium against the most impressive NFL franchise of the last decade. The spread has increased four points on this game since it became official that A-Rod wasn't playing (-10.5 to -14.5 for the Pats). Strap in your seat belts because it's going to be a bumpy ride on the Sunday Night Football express way. However, not all is lost for our beloved Green and Gold. Everything that we needed to happen to day...happened! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went down in overtime to those same pesky Lions and the New York football Giants had one of the most epic collapses of all time by giving up 28 points in the final 7+ minutes to the Philadelphia Eagles. I'll tell ya what...seeing Mike Vick completely terrorize that defense brought tears to my eyes being his proud fantasy owner. Not only did Vick lead some incredible drives thanks to his mobility, but DeSean Jackson returned a punt AS TIME EXPIRED to break the 31-31 tie and defeat the Giants. Seriously the most incredible finish to a football game I have ever seen. Here is the reason we wanted this to happen...with the Packers more than likely losing to the Patriots tonight, Green Bay would be 8-6. I'm willing to accept this loss, though because the very next week, the Packers turn around and face the Giants at Lambeau Field. Since New York is 9-5, defeating the Giants would make both teams 9-6 and tied for the final playoff spot in the NFC heading into the final week. Yes, I'm basically giving up hope on the division, but at least I'm being realistic + still looking at the bright side...give me some credit.
Let's go from one hopeful situation to another and break down the Brewers' trade for our new ace, Zack Greinke. Last night, my good friend Steve sent me a text reading, "Greinke! Gave up quite a bit though..." The only part of this text that surprised me was the fact that the baseball team I had been supporting for almost 17 years had made yet another jaw dropping deal for a stud pitcher. I don't think anything in my lifetime will top the trade for C.C., but this one definitely made me go internet crazy and look up every last detail regarding the players involved since Steve's text wasn't very descriptive. When I first saw what we were giving up, it didn't outweigh the joy I felt regarding Greinke, so I instantly knew it was still a good deal. That's not going to stop me from expressing some disappointment. In my early days as a blogger, you'll recall that I was still willing to give Escobar some time, but wasn't exactly ecstatic about his play. His speed and defense will be missed, but what use is speed if you can't utilize it? The man we are getting in return (Betancourt) is simply a guy to fill in the gaping hole at short and isn't going to give much more than mediocre defense, a little pop at the bottom of the order and a terrible on-base percentage. Next...Lorenzo Cain. I was incredibly excited to see how Cain would progress over the next few years after his break out 2010 season. Unfortunately, you have to be realistic and realize that you aren't going to get something good without giving up something good. Cain will be missed, but as Brewer fans we can only pray that Carlos Gomez somehow figures out how to get on base and run like crazy, something Escobar may never figure out. Finally...Jeffress and Odorizzi. The casual, everyday fan may not know a thing about these young pitching studs, but both may have a very bright future. I was pretty high on Jeffress as he posted some pretty impressive numbers over the last month of the season after his call up, but he has two strikes against him regarding the MLB drug policy. As everyone knows...3 strikes and you're out. I don't know much about Jake Odorizzi, so let's just hope he remains an unproven prospect.
To break this trade down even more, the Brewers will be losing barely any offensive firepower and improving their starting rotation dramatically, but losing a lot on the defensive front. There is no denying that Cain and Escobar were beyond their years out on the field, but replacing Cain with Gomez will help fill that void. I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I'm a Yuniesky Betancourt expert, but I don't trust that he is as good up the middle as Escobar. As far as looking at it from Kansas City's perspective, it's kind of strange that they would deal Greinke...he is basically the center of the franchise and they already have a loaded farm system. Yeah, that's the Royals for you. But who cares about them...the Brewers now look pretty good 1 through 4 in the rotation with Greinke, Yovani Gallardo, Shaun Marcum and Randy Wolf (Chris Narveson will presumably be the number 5 starter...ick). I guess you need another lefty thrown into the rotation, but I feel like there has to be someone else the Brewers can use...maybe re-sign Capuano? Manny Parra belongs in the pen and he would be the only other viable option, so I guess if we don't bring back Cappy, it'll no doubt be Narverson. I can accept one weak spot I suppose. Losing Escobar and Cain will make the lineup slightly weaker, but the Crew is still strong 1 through 5 with Weeks, Hart, Braun, Fielder and McGehee. After that, it could get ugly. One man I want to see get an opportunity somewhere is Mat Gamel, aka the only prospect left in our farm system. Should the Brewers end up dealing Fielder, I think it would be the perfect time to insert Gamel in his place. A few things look to be certain...
-Doug Melvin is really going for it THIS year and trying to make a run at the post-season and beyond. It has been quite awhile since the Brewers have looked this good in December.
-The Brewers have accepted the fact that they won't get what they want for Prince Fielder and will probably keep him for the 2011 season, allowing him to file for free agency. Since it's a contract year for Prince, look for some gaudy numbers from number 28.
-Pitching appears to no longer be an issue, but the bottom of the order/poor defense could cost the Brewers a real shot at contending in 2011.
Exciting stuff guys. Let's be hopeful for the Brewers, Packers, Badgers and even Bucks at this point, but not lose sight of what's really important around this time of year. Sports are pretty awesome, but it helps to put things in perspective once in awhile when your favorite team isn't performing. Trust me...I'm used to it. Sorry for the mushy garbage...I'll be back later this week with my form of a Christmas present for you all.
On Wisconsin, Go Pack, and Fear the Deer!
Week 13:
Dave: 7-9 * Kyle: 11-5
Week 14:
Dave: 11-5 * Kyle: 10-6
Gotta hand it to Kyle over the past two weeks. He has really proven that he's one of the best in the business when it comes to picking NFL games with the spread. In week 14, he could've actually gone 11-5 like I did, but changed one of his picks from the Cardinals to the Broncos. I joked with him that this was obviously the right decision because of how terrible Arizona is...the Cards won by 30...this league is impossible to figure out. Sorry for jinxing that one, buddy.
Overall records (through week 14):
Kyle: 115-93 (8-4-2)
Dave: 107-101 (4-8-2)
For those of you who think I suck at choosing these games, let me tell you something. You're right. But believe it or not, I'm actually in the 88th percentile on ESPN.com when it comes to picking games with the spread and in the 89th when picking them straight up, so if that increases the amount of respect you have for me (doubtful), I appreciate it. I'll have the week 15 lines in my next blog post later this week. Also, congratulations to Kyle for locking up the week by week competition. I'm not losing hope on the overall record contest, but I'll be perfectly honest in saying that my chances look rather bleak.
I really don't want to discuss this next topic, but it's hard to avoid: the Green Bay Packers. Isn't it depressing, people? All we have to do to become even with the Chicago Bears in the NFC North division race is to beat the Detroit effing Lions. THE LIONS! Nope. Can't even do that. Oh, and to top it all off, our star quarterback forgets that he should probably slide when he takes off running at guys trying to decapitate him and what do you know? Rodgers gets knocked out of the game, destroying any chance we had at not only defeating the LIONS, but also the Patriots. Rodgers is for some reason still making the trip to New England but back-up extraordinare Matt Flynn will be taking the field at Gilette Stadium against the most impressive NFL franchise of the last decade. The spread has increased four points on this game since it became official that A-Rod wasn't playing (-10.5 to -14.5 for the Pats). Strap in your seat belts because it's going to be a bumpy ride on the Sunday Night Football express way. However, not all is lost for our beloved Green and Gold. Everything that we needed to happen to day...happened! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went down in overtime to those same pesky Lions and the New York football Giants had one of the most epic collapses of all time by giving up 28 points in the final 7+ minutes to the Philadelphia Eagles. I'll tell ya what...seeing Mike Vick completely terrorize that defense brought tears to my eyes being his proud fantasy owner. Not only did Vick lead some incredible drives thanks to his mobility, but DeSean Jackson returned a punt AS TIME EXPIRED to break the 31-31 tie and defeat the Giants. Seriously the most incredible finish to a football game I have ever seen. Here is the reason we wanted this to happen...with the Packers more than likely losing to the Patriots tonight, Green Bay would be 8-6. I'm willing to accept this loss, though because the very next week, the Packers turn around and face the Giants at Lambeau Field. Since New York is 9-5, defeating the Giants would make both teams 9-6 and tied for the final playoff spot in the NFC heading into the final week. Yes, I'm basically giving up hope on the division, but at least I'm being realistic + still looking at the bright side...give me some credit.
Let's go from one hopeful situation to another and break down the Brewers' trade for our new ace, Zack Greinke. Last night, my good friend Steve sent me a text reading, "Greinke! Gave up quite a bit though..." The only part of this text that surprised me was the fact that the baseball team I had been supporting for almost 17 years had made yet another jaw dropping deal for a stud pitcher. I don't think anything in my lifetime will top the trade for C.C., but this one definitely made me go internet crazy and look up every last detail regarding the players involved since Steve's text wasn't very descriptive. When I first saw what we were giving up, it didn't outweigh the joy I felt regarding Greinke, so I instantly knew it was still a good deal. That's not going to stop me from expressing some disappointment. In my early days as a blogger, you'll recall that I was still willing to give Escobar some time, but wasn't exactly ecstatic about his play. His speed and defense will be missed, but what use is speed if you can't utilize it? The man we are getting in return (Betancourt) is simply a guy to fill in the gaping hole at short and isn't going to give much more than mediocre defense, a little pop at the bottom of the order and a terrible on-base percentage. Next...Lorenzo Cain. I was incredibly excited to see how Cain would progress over the next few years after his break out 2010 season. Unfortunately, you have to be realistic and realize that you aren't going to get something good without giving up something good. Cain will be missed, but as Brewer fans we can only pray that Carlos Gomez somehow figures out how to get on base and run like crazy, something Escobar may never figure out. Finally...Jeffress and Odorizzi. The casual, everyday fan may not know a thing about these young pitching studs, but both may have a very bright future. I was pretty high on Jeffress as he posted some pretty impressive numbers over the last month of the season after his call up, but he has two strikes against him regarding the MLB drug policy. As everyone knows...3 strikes and you're out. I don't know much about Jake Odorizzi, so let's just hope he remains an unproven prospect.
To break this trade down even more, the Brewers will be losing barely any offensive firepower and improving their starting rotation dramatically, but losing a lot on the defensive front. There is no denying that Cain and Escobar were beyond their years out on the field, but replacing Cain with Gomez will help fill that void. I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I'm a Yuniesky Betancourt expert, but I don't trust that he is as good up the middle as Escobar. As far as looking at it from Kansas City's perspective, it's kind of strange that they would deal Greinke...he is basically the center of the franchise and they already have a loaded farm system. Yeah, that's the Royals for you. But who cares about them...the Brewers now look pretty good 1 through 4 in the rotation with Greinke, Yovani Gallardo, Shaun Marcum and Randy Wolf (Chris Narveson will presumably be the number 5 starter...ick). I guess you need another lefty thrown into the rotation, but I feel like there has to be someone else the Brewers can use...maybe re-sign Capuano? Manny Parra belongs in the pen and he would be the only other viable option, so I guess if we don't bring back Cappy, it'll no doubt be Narverson. I can accept one weak spot I suppose. Losing Escobar and Cain will make the lineup slightly weaker, but the Crew is still strong 1 through 5 with Weeks, Hart, Braun, Fielder and McGehee. After that, it could get ugly. One man I want to see get an opportunity somewhere is Mat Gamel, aka the only prospect left in our farm system. Should the Brewers end up dealing Fielder, I think it would be the perfect time to insert Gamel in his place. A few things look to be certain...
-Doug Melvin is really going for it THIS year and trying to make a run at the post-season and beyond. It has been quite awhile since the Brewers have looked this good in December.
-The Brewers have accepted the fact that they won't get what they want for Prince Fielder and will probably keep him for the 2011 season, allowing him to file for free agency. Since it's a contract year for Prince, look for some gaudy numbers from number 28.
-Pitching appears to no longer be an issue, but the bottom of the order/poor defense could cost the Brewers a real shot at contending in 2011.
Exciting stuff guys. Let's be hopeful for the Brewers, Packers, Badgers and even Bucks at this point, but not lose sight of what's really important around this time of year. Sports are pretty awesome, but it helps to put things in perspective once in awhile when your favorite team isn't performing. Trust me...I'm used to it. Sorry for the mushy garbage...I'll be back later this week with my form of a Christmas present for you all.
On Wisconsin, Go Pack, and Fear the Deer!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Packing HEAT
Alright you got me...I failed to write an additional blog post last week about the woes of the Packers' loss to Atlanta and the struggles that the Milwaukee Bucks are having finding any sort of chemistry. But I've got good news! I'm back. Besides that, I was in attendance last night in the Bradley Center for the clash between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks. When I purchased my ticket for this game way back when they went on sale in early September, I expected two things: Firstly, I planned on the Heat having a record somewhere in the neighborhood of 18-3 or 17-4 and the Bucks AT LEAST hovering around .500. Second, I expected the game to be sold out within days of the tickets being opened up to the public. You're going to be disappointed to hear that neither of these things were even close to occurring...I'll have more on this experience later as it wasn't completely unfulfilled. And if you're greedy and searching for even more reasons to feel warm and fuzzy inside, the Packers stomped the yard in Green Bay on Sunday, but did it wearing possibly the ugliest ensemble of clothing I've ever seen. Also more on this later. Last but not least, the Wisconsin Badgers were officially selected for the Rose Bowl! I think I've spent enough time drooling over them, but this accomplishment certainly shouldn't be overlooked and I'll preview their matchup with TCU when the showdown is drawing closer. Let's get the boredom out of the way and see how I did on picks two weeks ago while taking a look at who I picked in week 13 (ditto for Kyle).
(DAVE) (KYLE)
Houston @ PHILADELPHIA (-8.5)
NEW ORLEANS @ Cincinnati (+6.5)
CHICAGO @ Detroit (+3.5)
San Francisco @ GREEN BAY (-9.5)
JACKSONVILLE @ Tennessee (-3.5)
Denver @ KANSAS CITY (-8.5)
CLEVELAND @ MIAMI (-4.5)
BUFFALO @ Minnesota (-6.5)
WASHINGTON @ NY Giants (-7.5)
OAKLAND @ SAN DIEGO (-12.5)
ATLANTA @ TAMPA BAY (+3.5)
Carolina @ SEATTLE (-5.5)
ST LOUIS @ Arizona (+3.5)
Dallas @ INDIANAPOLIS (-5.5)
PITTSBURGH @ BALTIMORE (-3.5)
NY JETS @ NEW ENGLAND (-3.5)
Last week/Overall:
Kyle: 8-8/94-82 (7-3-2)
Dave: 10-6/89-87 (3-7-2)
WOOOO! BACK ABOVE .500!!!! Oh wait...I got beat this week, so I have no chance of winning the week-by-week contest. I guess there's always the overall record prize/pride. Let's get on with it then, shall we?
Let's begin with Sunday and the emotional roller coaster known as the Green Bay Packers. Fortunately for the collective hearts of Packer fans across the nation, Sunday was only frustrating up until midway through the second quarter because of the slow start our offense had. Eventually, Aaron Rodgers continued his dominance of late and the Packers stormed ahead in the second quarter and never looked back. I'll be the first to say that I didn't really like how our defense looked for a second week in a row, especially when it comes to our linebackers' ability to cover tight ends. This is something that Dom Capers will hopefully address in the coming weeks, but overall Green Bay's D has kept them in every game and that's all you can really ask for. Incredible will power was shown by Donald Driver on a particular play (I think everyone knows what I'm talking about) in which Driver caused both a 49ers defender and tight end Andrew Quarless to launch over him. It was not only an unbelievable play, but hilarious enough to cause me to start laughing hysterically. What got everything started was the dime from Rodgers to Jennings in the second quarter which resulted in the Packers' first score of the game. Thanks to San Fransisco jumping offsides for what seemed like the billionth time of the season, Green Bay had a free play and A-Rod made 'em pay. The Packers outscored the 49ers 24-3 in the second half, leading to a final score of! ... Packers 34, Niners 16.
All seemed well and good in Packer land, but the happenings around the rest of the league didn't exactly go as many had hoped. Pretty much every team ahead of Green Bay won their game. You may get the impression that there aren't that many teams ahead of the Packers...well I've got news for these people. There are six teams either 'ahead' (NFC West...what a joke) or tied with the Green and Gold and as of now, WE'RE OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS! It's hard to believe. I think you could ask just about anyone around who is knowledgeable about the game of football and they would agree that Green Bay is a top 8 team in the league. In fact, the ESPN NFL Power rankings show the Packers ranked one spot ahead of the Bears! While it's obvious that Chicago is the inferior team, they do lead the division so this kind of comes as a surprise to me. Let's forget about the entire playoff picture and focus more on the division race. The way I see it, both of these teams will find themselves in the post-season when it's all said and done. I've analyzed both teams' schedules, and my thinking is that the Bears will only manage to pull out one of their next three games (NEW ENGLAND, @ Minnesota, NY JETS). By the way, isn't it nice that they get both of those AFC East foes at home? God I hate the Bears. I will say that they are facing the Vikings at a rather difficult time compared to when they were at their most vulnerable like the Packers. As for the Packers' schedule, I would be disappointed with anything worse than 2-1 (@ Detroit, @ New England, NY GIANTS). This would mean a showdown for the division title and guaranteed home playoff game on January 2nd at Lambeau...get your popcorn ready.
Before I get to my trip to Milwaukee last night, I wanted to pass on some Milwaukee Brewers news. In my opinion, the Crew made a great move and dealt top prospect 2B/C Brett Lawrie for Toronto Blue Jays ace Shaun Marcum. Before any of you have a hissy-fit over the Brewers giving up one of their best young talents, consider this: we are set at both second base (Rickie Weeks) and catcher (Johnny LuCroy) for quite awhile in my opinion, so the Brewers probably felt like he was expendable. Also, WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF PITCHING!! This guy is an unheralded stud who is in his prime that will help us right away (stats here). And he's cheap...that's always good. Also, the Brewers traded Kyle's boy Carlos Villanueva over to the Blue Jays as well a few days back for a player to be named later (still waiting on that one). You can take a look and see how this affects what I believed our pitching staff would look like in 2011.
Okay. Now to the Bucks. Like I said before, it wasn't as hyped up as I believed it would be back before the season began, but my friends Will and Boom along with myself decided to make the trek anyway. It was exciting to get to watch Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Mr. Quitness himself take the court together. Unfortunately, Milwaukee is still missing some key players in Carlos Delfino and Drew Gooden, and this hampers this squad more than you would think. By the way, the way LeBron warms up for a game would get just about anyone cut from their respective basketball team. Queen James felt it necessary to throw himself an alley-oop at least three times before he went out to the corner and attempted to drain three pointers while running out of bounds. Not exactly what I would call working on your fundamentals, but if I was that good I would probably do something similar. During the introductions, James and Bosh were booed (LeBron more heavily) while Wade was welcomed warmly because of his epic run to the 2003 Final Four with Marquette. Not only is this well deserved, but I can't believe I strung together five words in a row that start with W in the last sentence. The game itself wasn't the most exciting because of the Bucks horrid shooting and the crowd couldn't really get into the game much. However, we somehow found ourselves down by just three midway through the fourth quarter. All hope was erased after a brutal stretch of basketball from Milwaukee over the last six or so minutes and the Heat won by 10. It wasn't a total failure of a night, though, as Boom managed to catch a t-shirt even though we were seated in the upper deck. Good for you, Boom. Overall, it was a memorable experience despite the loss and I think that as the Bucks start getting back some more of their key players, they'll turn the corner and become a playoff team yet again.
Go Pack, On Wisconsin, and Fear the Deer.
(DAVE) (KYLE)
Houston @ PHILADELPHIA (-8.5)
NEW ORLEANS @ Cincinnati (+6.5)
CHICAGO @ Detroit (+3.5)
San Francisco @ GREEN BAY (-9.5)
JACKSONVILLE @ Tennessee (-3.5)
Denver @ KANSAS CITY (-8.5)
CLEVELAND @ MIAMI (-4.5)
BUFFALO @ Minnesota (-6.5)
WASHINGTON @ NY Giants (-7.5)
OAKLAND @ SAN DIEGO (-12.5)
ATLANTA @ TAMPA BAY (+3.5)
Carolina @ SEATTLE (-5.5)
ST LOUIS @ Arizona (+3.5)
Dallas @ INDIANAPOLIS (-5.5)
PITTSBURGH @ BALTIMORE (-3.5)
NY JETS @ NEW ENGLAND (-3.5)
Last week/Overall:
Kyle: 8-8/94-82 (7-3-2)
Dave: 10-6/89-87 (3-7-2)
WOOOO! BACK ABOVE .500!!!! Oh wait...I got beat this week, so I have no chance of winning the week-by-week contest. I guess there's always the overall record prize/pride. Let's get on with it then, shall we?
Let's begin with Sunday and the emotional roller coaster known as the Green Bay Packers. Fortunately for the collective hearts of Packer fans across the nation, Sunday was only frustrating up until midway through the second quarter because of the slow start our offense had. Eventually, Aaron Rodgers continued his dominance of late and the Packers stormed ahead in the second quarter and never looked back. I'll be the first to say that I didn't really like how our defense looked for a second week in a row, especially when it comes to our linebackers' ability to cover tight ends. This is something that Dom Capers will hopefully address in the coming weeks, but overall Green Bay's D has kept them in every game and that's all you can really ask for. Incredible will power was shown by Donald Driver on a particular play (I think everyone knows what I'm talking about) in which Driver caused both a 49ers defender and tight end Andrew Quarless to launch over him. It was not only an unbelievable play, but hilarious enough to cause me to start laughing hysterically. What got everything started was the dime from Rodgers to Jennings in the second quarter which resulted in the Packers' first score of the game. Thanks to San Fransisco jumping offsides for what seemed like the billionth time of the season, Green Bay had a free play and A-Rod made 'em pay. The Packers outscored the 49ers 24-3 in the second half, leading to a final score of! ... Packers 34, Niners 16.
All seemed well and good in Packer land, but the happenings around the rest of the league didn't exactly go as many had hoped. Pretty much every team ahead of Green Bay won their game. You may get the impression that there aren't that many teams ahead of the Packers...well I've got news for these people. There are six teams either 'ahead' (NFC West...what a joke) or tied with the Green and Gold and as of now, WE'RE OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS! It's hard to believe. I think you could ask just about anyone around who is knowledgeable about the game of football and they would agree that Green Bay is a top 8 team in the league. In fact, the ESPN NFL Power rankings show the Packers ranked one spot ahead of the Bears! While it's obvious that Chicago is the inferior team, they do lead the division so this kind of comes as a surprise to me. Let's forget about the entire playoff picture and focus more on the division race. The way I see it, both of these teams will find themselves in the post-season when it's all said and done. I've analyzed both teams' schedules, and my thinking is that the Bears will only manage to pull out one of their next three games (NEW ENGLAND, @ Minnesota, NY JETS). By the way, isn't it nice that they get both of those AFC East foes at home? God I hate the Bears. I will say that they are facing the Vikings at a rather difficult time compared to when they were at their most vulnerable like the Packers. As for the Packers' schedule, I would be disappointed with anything worse than 2-1 (@ Detroit, @ New England, NY GIANTS). This would mean a showdown for the division title and guaranteed home playoff game on January 2nd at Lambeau...get your popcorn ready.
Before I get to my trip to Milwaukee last night, I wanted to pass on some Milwaukee Brewers news. In my opinion, the Crew made a great move and dealt top prospect 2B/C Brett Lawrie for Toronto Blue Jays ace Shaun Marcum. Before any of you have a hissy-fit over the Brewers giving up one of their best young talents, consider this: we are set at both second base (Rickie Weeks) and catcher (Johnny LuCroy) for quite awhile in my opinion, so the Brewers probably felt like he was expendable. Also, WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF PITCHING!! This guy is an unheralded stud who is in his prime that will help us right away (stats here). And he's cheap...that's always good. Also, the Brewers traded Kyle's boy Carlos Villanueva over to the Blue Jays as well a few days back for a player to be named later (still waiting on that one). You can take a look and see how this affects what I believed our pitching staff would look like in 2011.
Okay. Now to the Bucks. Like I said before, it wasn't as hyped up as I believed it would be back before the season began, but my friends Will and Boom along with myself decided to make the trek anyway. It was exciting to get to watch Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Mr. Quitness himself take the court together. Unfortunately, Milwaukee is still missing some key players in Carlos Delfino and Drew Gooden, and this hampers this squad more than you would think. By the way, the way LeBron warms up for a game would get just about anyone cut from their respective basketball team. Queen James felt it necessary to throw himself an alley-oop at least three times before he went out to the corner and attempted to drain three pointers while running out of bounds. Not exactly what I would call working on your fundamentals, but if I was that good I would probably do something similar. During the introductions, James and Bosh were booed (LeBron more heavily) while Wade was welcomed warmly because of his epic run to the 2003 Final Four with Marquette. Not only is this well deserved, but I can't believe I strung together five words in a row that start with W in the last sentence. The game itself wasn't the most exciting because of the Bucks horrid shooting and the crowd couldn't really get into the game much. However, we somehow found ourselves down by just three midway through the fourth quarter. All hope was erased after a brutal stretch of basketball from Milwaukee over the last six or so minutes and the Heat won by 10. It wasn't a total failure of a night, though, as Boom managed to catch a t-shirt even though we were seated in the upper deck. Good for you, Boom. Overall, it was a memorable experience despite the loss and I think that as the Bucks start getting back some more of their key players, they'll turn the corner and become a playoff team yet again.
Go Pack, On Wisconsin, and Fear the Deer.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Still smelling like a rose
How about it, ladies and gentlemen? The stars have aligned and the Wisconsin Badgers are more than likely on their way to Pasadena to play in the Rose Bowl. Even yours truly didn't envision this when I had my Badgers preview way back before the season began (wow, I've actually been doing this for awhile). However, I did predict that the Badgers would wind up playing in a BCS bowl game and was only one game away from projecting their record correctly, so give me a little credit. Either way, it has been pretty amazing to watch Wisconsin's offensive unit pulverize their opponent week in and week out...I'll have more on Big Ten champs later as well as some of the situations that had to and could still play out. Seeing as I'm watching the Packer game as I type this entry, I should probably give you my picks so you don't think I'm too much of a cheater (then again, have you seen my record? Clearly I'm not cheating).
Week 12: (DAVE) (KYLE)
NEW ENGLAND @ Detroit (+6.5)
NEW ORLEANS @ Dallas (+3.5)
Cincinnati @ NY JETS (-9.5)
GREEN BAY @ ATLANTA (-2.5)
PITTSBURGH @ BUFFALO (+6.5)
Carolina @ CLEVELAND (-10.5)
JACKSONVILLE @ NY Giants (-7.5)
MINNESOTA @ Washington (-2.5)
Tennessee @ HOUSTON (-6.5)
Kansas City @ SEATTLE (+1.5)
Miami @ OAKLAND (-3.5)
PHILADELPHIA @ CHICAGO (+3.5)
Tampa Bay @ BALTIMORE (-7.5)
ST LOUIS @ DENVER (-3.5)
SAN DIEGO @ Indianapolis (-3.5)
SAN FRANSISCO @ Arizona (+1.5)
If you're questioning my loyalty to the Green Bay Packers after those picks, I completely understand.
Last week/Overall:
Kyle: 10-6/86-74 (7-2-2)
Dave: 12-4/79-81 (2-7-2)
Sorry for that delay. I had to make the drive from Sussex back to Oshkosh. How about that Packer game?
Let's get back to the events that transpired in Mad Town just over a day ago as the Badgers defeated my roommates Will's beloved Northwestern Wildcats by the score of 70-23. This is not a misprint. To Will's and Northwestern's defense, no Dan Persa=no chance of victory. By the way, all 70 points that Wisconsin scored took place in the first three quarters. Looks like Bret Bielema eased his foot off the gas pedal...otherwise, this could've gotten even uglier for the Northwestern faithful. Most would say that a +7 in the turnover department for the season is a pretty solid differential. Try a +7 differential for the game. Un-freaking-believable. It was most notably a special moment for senior Aaron Henry (who I gave a nice pat on the shoulder walking by him on the field after the Ohio State game) when he took a pick back for a touchdown in the closing moments of the third quarter. Oh and by the way, the two headed monster of Montee Ball and James White ran for 130+ apiece and set the tone for the direction this contest was inevitably heading (so weird how John Clay isn't even mentioned right here). Of course, this game would not have had any significance if not for the events that transpired just prior to kickoff. In order for the Badgers to still have a chance to go to the Rose Bowl, they could not end up in a tie with only Michigan State (we went over all the scenarios last time). Anyway, with the Spartans and Buckeyes both coming away victorious before the Badgers' game, all that was left to do was trample the lowly Northwestern Wildcats...and trample they did. Just recently, the new BCS standings came out and all I needed to see was that big W ahead of that evil Ohio State logo. See it I did as Wisconsin came out #5 and Ohio State #6. Michigan State was ranked 8th but it sucks to suck because they're going to get screwed out a BCS bowl just like the Badgers in 2007. Here's why:
“No more than two teams from a conference may be selected, regardless of whether they are automatic qualifiers or at-large selections, unless two non-champions from the same conference are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the final BCS Standings.”
Bummmeeerrrrrrrrr.
Sorry for another delay there...had to watch Blood Diamond. Moving on.
With one week remaining in the regular season of college football, the Badgers have basically sealed a spot in the Rose Bowl. I say basically because computers sucks and this article elaborates on this fact. But hey, even if by some God forsaken reason Ohio State leap frogs us in the standings, we are still going to end up in a BCS bowl game with an at-large birth, but it would still be B(C)S. Assuming we end up in Rose Bowl, who would we play, you ask? This question brings on an answer that is out of my control, but speculation is always a fun game to play so why not...
Now here's the dealio: The usual scenario regarding the Rose Bowl includes the Big Ten Champion squaring off against the Pac 10 champion. Those of you who can put 2 and 2 together may see an issue with this. The probable Pac 10 champ happens to be ranked numero dos in the nation, which would place them in the National Championship game. So if the winner of the Pac 10 ends up in the title game, what exactly happens with the Rose Bowl? After doing some light reading to figure this question out, I was still a little confused, but this is what I got out of it...if a bowl (example: Rose Bowl) loses a host team to the National Title game, then it gets its choice of a non-automatic BCS qualifier (a team out of the power six conferences (Big 10, Big 12, SEC, Pac 10, ACC, Big East)). Since the Rose Bowl is the only BCS bowl game that annually pins the same two conferences against each other, it apparently receives first choice as to which team it wants as a replacement should this situation occur. My guess is that the Rose Bowl would want the highest ranked team that's available...as of now, this is #3 TCU, who happens to be undefeated (I apologize for boring you all to death). Now with all due respect to the Horned Frogs, I really really really want to see the Badgers square off against Stanford. Not to say that I wouldn't wanna see the Badgers phenomenal rushing attack facing off against a stingy TCU run defense (#1 in the nation, in fact), but a Stanford/Wisconsin matchup would just be...more fun to watch! Stanford is top 10 in scoring and has a future NFL stud in quarterback Andrew Luck. Whoops...hold on sec...you say TCU is tied with the Badgers for 4th in scoring in the nation with 43.3 points scored a game? Wow, that's uncanny...good grief, I might of just talked myself into wanting a TCU/Wisconsin matchup now. Alright, well either way I'll be happy then! Stay tuned. Both #1 Auburn and #2 Oregon still have to play next week. There could still be a major mix-up atop the college football world just like we saw this week with LSU and Boise State both going down in incredible fashion. Gee golly wiz this stuff is just so gosh darn exciting! Check out the Badger blog on jsonline tomorrow to get even more insight if you can possibly stand it.
Now that I got all hyped up about the Badgers future endeavors, it's time to bring me back down to Earth and discuss the Green Bay Packers horrific three point defeat to the Atlanta Falcons...you know what? Eff that. I don't really wanna ruin the mood of the blog so let's just enjoy the success the Badgers and save the Deer and the Pack for another time. Sound good? Before I leave I'll make a promise to myself and most importantly to my readers that I'll come back with another blog entry sometime this week regarding the state of the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Bucks (sorry...not Marquette and UW b-ball quite yet...it's non-conference and nobody cares enough about college basketball at this point). More than likely, this annoying Novembeard will be all gone and I'll finally be able to think straight. I'll leave you with some inspirational music from a solid movie that I just saw for the first time last night. It was pretty kick-ass. Dueces!
Fear the Deer, Go Pack and ON WISCONSIN BABY!!
Week 12: (DAVE) (KYLE)
NEW ENGLAND @ Detroit (+6.5)
NEW ORLEANS @ Dallas (+3.5)
Cincinnati @ NY JETS (-9.5)
GREEN BAY @ ATLANTA (-2.5)
PITTSBURGH @ BUFFALO (+6.5)
Carolina @ CLEVELAND (-10.5)
JACKSONVILLE @ NY Giants (-7.5)
MINNESOTA @ Washington (-2.5)
Tennessee @ HOUSTON (-6.5)
Kansas City @ SEATTLE (+1.5)
Miami @ OAKLAND (-3.5)
PHILADELPHIA @ CHICAGO (+3.5)
Tampa Bay @ BALTIMORE (-7.5)
ST LOUIS @ DENVER (-3.5)
SAN DIEGO @ Indianapolis (-3.5)
SAN FRANSISCO @ Arizona (+1.5)
If you're questioning my loyalty to the Green Bay Packers after those picks, I completely understand.
Last week/Overall:
Kyle: 10-6/86-74 (7-2-2)
Dave: 12-4/79-81 (2-7-2)
Sorry for that delay. I had to make the drive from Sussex back to Oshkosh. How about that Packer game?
Let's get back to the events that transpired in Mad Town just over a day ago as the Badgers defeated my roommates Will's beloved Northwestern Wildcats by the score of 70-23. This is not a misprint. To Will's and Northwestern's defense, no Dan Persa=no chance of victory. By the way, all 70 points that Wisconsin scored took place in the first three quarters. Looks like Bret Bielema eased his foot off the gas pedal...otherwise, this could've gotten even uglier for the Northwestern faithful. Most would say that a +7 in the turnover department for the season is a pretty solid differential. Try a +7 differential for the game. Un-freaking-believable. It was most notably a special moment for senior Aaron Henry (who I gave a nice pat on the shoulder walking by him on the field after the Ohio State game) when he took a pick back for a touchdown in the closing moments of the third quarter. Oh and by the way, the two headed monster of Montee Ball and James White ran for 130+ apiece and set the tone for the direction this contest was inevitably heading (so weird how John Clay isn't even mentioned right here). Of course, this game would not have had any significance if not for the events that transpired just prior to kickoff. In order for the Badgers to still have a chance to go to the Rose Bowl, they could not end up in a tie with only Michigan State (we went over all the scenarios last time). Anyway, with the Spartans and Buckeyes both coming away victorious before the Badgers' game, all that was left to do was trample the lowly Northwestern Wildcats...and trample they did. Just recently, the new BCS standings came out and all I needed to see was that big W ahead of that evil Ohio State logo. See it I did as Wisconsin came out #5 and Ohio State #6. Michigan State was ranked 8th but it sucks to suck because they're going to get screwed out a BCS bowl just like the Badgers in 2007. Here's why:
“No more than two teams from a conference may be selected, regardless of whether they are automatic qualifiers or at-large selections, unless two non-champions from the same conference are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the final BCS Standings.”
Bummmeeerrrrrrrrr.
Sorry for another delay there...had to watch Blood Diamond. Moving on.
With one week remaining in the regular season of college football, the Badgers have basically sealed a spot in the Rose Bowl. I say basically because computers sucks and this article elaborates on this fact. But hey, even if by some God forsaken reason Ohio State leap frogs us in the standings, we are still going to end up in a BCS bowl game with an at-large birth, but it would still be B(C)S. Assuming we end up in Rose Bowl, who would we play, you ask? This question brings on an answer that is out of my control, but speculation is always a fun game to play so why not...
Now here's the dealio: The usual scenario regarding the Rose Bowl includes the Big Ten Champion squaring off against the Pac 10 champion. Those of you who can put 2 and 2 together may see an issue with this. The probable Pac 10 champ happens to be ranked numero dos in the nation, which would place them in the National Championship game. So if the winner of the Pac 10 ends up in the title game, what exactly happens with the Rose Bowl? After doing some light reading to figure this question out, I was still a little confused, but this is what I got out of it...if a bowl (example: Rose Bowl) loses a host team to the National Title game, then it gets its choice of a non-automatic BCS qualifier (a team out of the power six conferences (Big 10, Big 12, SEC, Pac 10, ACC, Big East)). Since the Rose Bowl is the only BCS bowl game that annually pins the same two conferences against each other, it apparently receives first choice as to which team it wants as a replacement should this situation occur. My guess is that the Rose Bowl would want the highest ranked team that's available...as of now, this is #3 TCU, who happens to be undefeated (I apologize for boring you all to death). Now with all due respect to the Horned Frogs, I really really really want to see the Badgers square off against Stanford. Not to say that I wouldn't wanna see the Badgers phenomenal rushing attack facing off against a stingy TCU run defense (#1 in the nation, in fact), but a Stanford/Wisconsin matchup would just be...more fun to watch! Stanford is top 10 in scoring and has a future NFL stud in quarterback Andrew Luck. Whoops...hold on sec...you say TCU is tied with the Badgers for 4th in scoring in the nation with 43.3 points scored a game? Wow, that's uncanny...good grief, I might of just talked myself into wanting a TCU/Wisconsin matchup now. Alright, well either way I'll be happy then! Stay tuned. Both #1 Auburn and #2 Oregon still have to play next week. There could still be a major mix-up atop the college football world just like we saw this week with LSU and Boise State both going down in incredible fashion. Gee golly wiz this stuff is just so gosh darn exciting! Check out the Badger blog on jsonline tomorrow to get even more insight if you can possibly stand it.
Now that I got all hyped up about the Badgers future endeavors, it's time to bring me back down to Earth and discuss the Green Bay Packers horrific three point defeat to the Atlanta Falcons...you know what? Eff that. I don't really wanna ruin the mood of the blog so let's just enjoy the success the Badgers and save the Deer and the Pack for another time. Sound good? Before I leave I'll make a promise to myself and most importantly to my readers that I'll come back with another blog entry sometime this week regarding the state of the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Bucks (sorry...not Marquette and UW b-ball quite yet...it's non-conference and nobody cares enough about college basketball at this point). More than likely, this annoying Novembeard will be all gone and I'll finally be able to think straight. I'll leave you with some inspirational music from a solid movie that I just saw for the first time last night. It was pretty kick-ass. Dueces!
Fear the Deer, Go Pack and ON WISCONSIN BABY!!
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