Brewer fans anxiously awaited the verdict on Ryan Braun's appeal of a positive drug test for over a month. They got the answer they were looking for.
Braun is no longer suspended for 50 games. He is no longer a violator of Major League Baseball's anti-doping policy. In my opinion, the Brewers just became the favorites to win the National League Central. But we'll get to that debate (as well as a season preview) at some point next month. Right now it's time to take a look at why Braun ended up becoming the first player to ever have a positive drug test at the MLB level overturned. The most scrutinized aspect involved in Braun's defense was that his sample of pee wasn't immediately turned in to baseball by the man who was handling it. In fact, it reportedly sat out on his kitchen counter...not even in a refrigerator...for almost TWO days. Now I'm not saying that miraculously an inordinate amount of testosterone can accumulate in a cup of urine over a two day period, but there are a few things wrong with this picture. For one, this goes against the testing process of the MLB. The sample was NOT brought directly from wherever Braun peed in a cup to a FedEx building, which would then proceed on to the testing center. And two, do you think this guy maybe had sabotage on his mind? He had multiple FedEx locations near his house where he could have gone to drop off Braun's sample, INCLUDING a center that was open 24 hours. Strange.
You know what else is strange? The testosterone level in the sample was said to be three times higher than any other test since testing had been instituted in 2003...and FIVE times the level needed to warrant a positive test. Considering Braun has been tested before numerous times, I find it hard to believe that somehow this time his testosterone level was so much higher. So why did this test say differently? Well...I think Braun's sample was tampered with. You can say what you want about me being a homer, having a closed mind on the issue because I'm from the state of Wisconsin, but I just think these are issues that outsiders are ignoring. Because I'm from Wisconsin and such a die-hard Brewers (and Braun) fan, I may be more likely to defend Braun, but I'm also more likely to look at every aspect of this issue. These are legitimate arguments! Naive bloggers and every other semi-sports fan with a keyboard and a monitor in front of them are going to make sure their opinion is heard, and most of them don't have their facts straight...and it's annoying. For instance, this dipshit who thinks the sample just sat in a refrigerator all weekend. And Mr. "I write for the Daily Illini" who apparently is good enough to write garbage opinion pieces like this that believes the only issue at hand is the most publicized one...the mishandling of Braun's sample.
By now, I hope you've seen Braun's press conference. If you haven't, here it is. To use a cliche, he knocked it out of the park. You can say that lawyers wrote this speech for Braun, but this was from the heart. Sure, he might have been told not to say certain things, but this was pure Ryan Braun, and anyone that can't see that probably doesn't have a soul. Baseball vehemently disagrees with the decision to overturn Braun's positive test? Well, Braun vehemently stated that he didn't put any illegal substance in his body, and Ryan Braun is not a man to shy away from the truth. This is what probably made this entire process so difficult from him...Braun wasn't allowed to hardly speak at all while the appeal's process took its course, as badly as he wanted to. Wait, let's take a step back. Remember when ESPN broke this story in the first place? I'm not going to blame ESPN, who's journalistic tactics I don't see eye-to-eye with, for somehow getting the information about Braun's positive test, but whoever they got that news from breached the confidentiality of the process. I believe Braun when he said he bet his life that this substance didn't enter his body, and that he would be the first to admit if such had happened. He won because the truth is on his side.
Something I forgot to mention earlier...once Braun was notified of the "positive" test, he offered to take any test, including DNA (which would have without a doubt shown if he was clean or not), and baseball said NO! Why? Forget that Braun is one of the most talented players the game has today, but why deny anyone that opportunity? If baseball is so angry about the decision to drop Braun's suspension, they have no one to blame but themselves. They allowed a part-time collector to handle the urine test of one of baseball's greatest, and then denied Braun's right to a second test. That makes little to zero sense to me.
I can go on and on about the reasons supporting Braun's case, and you can watch his press conference to hear them all, because Braun hits them all. It's a beautiful speech, that's all you can really say about it. At times, Braun raises his voice, but he catches himself and maintains his composure. For anyone to watch that speech, learn about the details surrounding this case, and continue to believe Braun is 100 percent guilty boggles my mind. The last issue I'll address is the timing of the positive test, which was Oct. 1 - just as the playoffs were getting underway. People can argue that Braun's body was wearing down, that he wanted an extra boost to try and help get the Brewers to the World Series, so he took synthetic testosterone. In my mind, this is something Braun didn't need to do, nor is it something I believe he would consider doing. He had an excellent run to end the regular season and looked as physically prepared as ever for the next task; the playoffs. I just don't see it. Besides, could something so awful really happen on MY birthday??
Yes, Braun's name was dragged through the mud. Yes, he may never be looked at the same as a baseball player or a person. But because of the way Braun handled things, because of the way the process played out and because I believe in Ryan Braun, he will always remain the same in my eyes - an incredible baseball player who plays the game the right way, handles himself the right way and someone I will continue to idolize for the rest of my life.
Is it April 6 yet?
Monday, February 27, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
With no more football, enter basketball
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.
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.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Keeping it short and sweet
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
2012...where Win-sconsin goes to die?
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.
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.
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