It hasn’t been the most exciting year in the opinion of this Wisconsin sports fan, but I do have some favorite moments. Here is my personal Top 10:
10. Despite the Packers losing the game, the 4th quarter of the Pittsburgh-Green Bay game in December was one of the most exciting quarters of NFL football of the season. Hopefully we’ll ee more offense like this out of the Packers in January.
9. Marquette defeats the fashionable pick Utah State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March. The Golden Eagles go on to lose a heartbreaker to Xavier on a bass line violation in the second round. It’s the second year in a row that Marquette exits in heartbreaking fashion.
8. I give up watching Major League Baseball. The inequity of salary and the inability for players, owners, union, the commissioner and fans to see these differences frustrate me so much that I decide it’s best for me just not to follow the game anymore. Happy trails MLB.
7. The PGA Championship takes place a couple miles from our house right here in Chaska, Minnesota in August.
6. The Wisconsin Badgers jump out to an early lead over Duke in December and go on to frustrate the highly ranked Blue Devils en route to a victory. The win also gives the Big Ten a win in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.
5. We get to see Marquette play in the Old Spice Classic at Disney World in November. The Golden Eagles defeat Michigan in the preseason tournament semifinal game.
4. The Green Bay Packers show their new 3-4 defense and rally with a huge touchdown pass by Aaron Rodgers in the closing minutes and defeat the Chicago Bears in the NFL Sunday night opener in September. It is Rodgers’ first comeback victory against a team other than the Lions.
3. The Wisconsin Badgers fall behind big to Florida State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in March. Not known for being a come from behind team or for scoring a lot of points, the Badgers go on a huge second half run to come back and win.
2. In November, Milwaukee Bucks’ rookie Brandon Jennings goes for 55 points against the Golden State Warriors in only his seventh NBA game. It’s the most points scored by a Bucks rookie ever and third most by a rookie in NBA history. It’s also the fewest number of games it has ever taken a player to score 50-plus in a game.
1. Aaron Rodgers becomes a consistent force for the Green Bay Packers leading the team to a winning season and himself into the middle of the MVP race along with Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and the man he replaced, Brett Favre. Charles Woodson also has an incredible year and is up for defensive player of the year.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Badgers Beat Duke
Here it is in the middle of football season, and I am talking college basketball thanks to the Wisconsin Badgers. They once again are stealing some headlines from my beloved Packers. And it comes in typical fashion.
The preseason Big Ten basketball predictions once again had Michigan State at the top of the list thanks to Tom Izzo and his incredible job of recruiting top players. Second on the list was Purdue thanks to their young team from a couple years ago now coming together. Then Ohio State again due to great recruiting. Where was Wisconsin on the list? Seventh. Behind these three schools and then overrated Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois.
This is an annual tradition. The so-called experts look at the Badgers and see that Bo Ryan has not gone out and found the top athletes. They say that the Badgers have lost their star players (who four years ago were also not considered very good) and that this Badger team will not be as good as last year. And then year after year, Bo goes out and finishes in the top three in the Big Ten.
Well, it looks like it will probably happen again this year. We got a hint of this when the Badgers smoked Top 25 ranked Maryland in the Maui tournament a couple weeks ago. And then this Wednesday was the big one. Wisconsin went out and ran with fifth ranked Duke in the first half and then enticed them into a typical Badger slow-down game in the second half en route to an upset of the Blue Devils. Not only was it a huge win for the Badgers, but it was the first time Duke ever lost in the Big Ten-ACC challenge. And it was the first time the Big Ten ever combined to win the challenge.
I doubt Wisconsin will ever get the credit they deserve especially under Bo Ryan’s non entertaining system, but it’s wins like this that just go to prove that this program is one of the best in the Big Ten and one of the top twenty programs in the country this decade.
On Wisconsin!
The preseason Big Ten basketball predictions once again had Michigan State at the top of the list thanks to Tom Izzo and his incredible job of recruiting top players. Second on the list was Purdue thanks to their young team from a couple years ago now coming together. Then Ohio State again due to great recruiting. Where was Wisconsin on the list? Seventh. Behind these three schools and then overrated Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois.
This is an annual tradition. The so-called experts look at the Badgers and see that Bo Ryan has not gone out and found the top athletes. They say that the Badgers have lost their star players (who four years ago were also not considered very good) and that this Badger team will not be as good as last year. And then year after year, Bo goes out and finishes in the top three in the Big Ten.
Well, it looks like it will probably happen again this year. We got a hint of this when the Badgers smoked Top 25 ranked Maryland in the Maui tournament a couple weeks ago. And then this Wednesday was the big one. Wisconsin went out and ran with fifth ranked Duke in the first half and then enticed them into a typical Badger slow-down game in the second half en route to an upset of the Blue Devils. Not only was it a huge win for the Badgers, but it was the first time Duke ever lost in the Big Ten-ACC challenge. And it was the first time the Big Ten ever combined to win the challenge.
I doubt Wisconsin will ever get the credit they deserve especially under Bo Ryan’s non entertaining system, but it’s wins like this that just go to prove that this program is one of the best in the Big Ten and one of the top twenty programs in the country this decade.
On Wisconsin!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Packers Win But Lose Star Players
The Green Bay Packers are having a nightmarish year. Not only have they lost both games against Brett Favre and the Vikings but now the key injuries are adding up. Already having serious injury issues at running back and offensive line, now the defense is in trouble. Al Harris and Aaron Kampman went down today and are probably both out for the season.
And yet, this team is still 6-4 and in the mix for the playoffs. The problem is that this team have developed no chemistry or signs of putting together a string of good games together. And with the combination of injuries and highly questionable coaching decisions, it's hard to imagine that changing.
With that said, it's the NFL. Anything can happen. The teams that are hot right now are a couple injuries away from coming back to the Pack. The stretch run has begun. And the Packers continue it this Thursday against the lowly Lions. The problem for the Packers is there is no team they can't lose to. And that includes the Lions, especially on Thanksgiving day.
And yet, this team is still 6-4 and in the mix for the playoffs. The problem is that this team have developed no chemistry or signs of putting together a string of good games together. And with the combination of injuries and highly questionable coaching decisions, it's hard to imagine that changing.
With that said, it's the NFL. Anything can happen. The teams that are hot right now are a couple injuries away from coming back to the Pack. The stretch run has begun. And the Packers continue it this Thursday against the lowly Lions. The problem for the Packers is there is no team they can't lose to. And that includes the Lions, especially on Thanksgiving day.
Bucks Continue Winning
Not sure if the Bucks are for real yet, but this has been a great start to the season. To think that Milwaukee might have a superstar player in this league in Brandon Jennings and lately they have been winning with their other two marquee players, Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut is amazing. The way they changed their philosophy and won with a 3-guard approach against Memphis was genius. Not many coaches would go out on a limb and go away from their low post game and try to win in a different fashion in the second game of a back to back with only a couple hours to prepare.
This road trip should be interesting. The Bucks are playing two teams that have been very good in the past, San Antonio and New Orleans, that are currently struggling. And then they go to Oklahoma City to play a Thunder team that may be the best team they play on this trip. If they can follow up a 5-1 homestand with even a 2-2 road trip with their current injuries, I would be very impressed.
Go Packers today!
This road trip should be interesting. The Bucks are playing two teams that have been very good in the past, San Antonio and New Orleans, that are currently struggling. And then they go to Oklahoma City to play a Thunder team that may be the best team they play on this trip. If they can follow up a 5-1 homestand with even a 2-2 road trip with their current injuries, I would be very impressed.
Go Packers today!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Brandon Jennings Goes For 55
It’s not very often that basketball takes my mind off of football before December, but it happened this weekend when Milwaukee Bucks’ rookie phenom Brandon Jennings went for 55 points in a 129-125 victory over Golden State this past Saturday.
It was the third most points scored by a rookie ever in an NBA game. It was the second most points scored by a Milwaukee Bucks player of any age in a game in franchise history. It was the most points scored by a rookie in 42 years. BJ scored 29 of those points in the third quarter as the Bucks rolled to their fourth victory in a row, their longest winning streak in over two years.
So those are the stats. Now for the reaction. I am absolutely amazed at this kid. And I am so excited that we might finally have a superstar in Milwaukee for the first time since Ray Allen (sorry Michael Redd). Watching the highlights of this game was incredible. The thing that impresses me most about Brandon Jennings is how he has a feel for the game. He seems to play well beyond his years.
Of course, there are skeptics already. Reading a blog after the game, I read about fans complaining that he shoots too much. The response to that was would you rather have Charlie Bell jacking up those shots? No thanks. This is a Bucks team that has been terrible for four years. They need someone who shoots too much especially if that player is actually going to make those shots.
The one thing I don’t agree with though is that we don’t need Michael Redd. I think Redd can play a huge role for this team. That is the role of the shooter who spots up and waits for passes from Jennings or Bogut and then drains threes. Of course he is still the type of player who can penetrate and dish the ball as well, but these are not his strengths. The past four years, we have relied on Redd way too much. Now he can settle into a role as one of three major options and concentrate on playing to his strengths.
I might be getting a little ahead of myself seven games into this young season, but I am excited about this team for the first time in a few years. Even if they don’t get to the playoffs this year, the first seven games are a good sign for the bright future ahead.
It was the third most points scored by a rookie ever in an NBA game. It was the second most points scored by a Milwaukee Bucks player of any age in a game in franchise history. It was the most points scored by a rookie in 42 years. BJ scored 29 of those points in the third quarter as the Bucks rolled to their fourth victory in a row, their longest winning streak in over two years.
So those are the stats. Now for the reaction. I am absolutely amazed at this kid. And I am so excited that we might finally have a superstar in Milwaukee for the first time since Ray Allen (sorry Michael Redd). Watching the highlights of this game was incredible. The thing that impresses me most about Brandon Jennings is how he has a feel for the game. He seems to play well beyond his years.
Of course, there are skeptics already. Reading a blog after the game, I read about fans complaining that he shoots too much. The response to that was would you rather have Charlie Bell jacking up those shots? No thanks. This is a Bucks team that has been terrible for four years. They need someone who shoots too much especially if that player is actually going to make those shots.
The one thing I don’t agree with though is that we don’t need Michael Redd. I think Redd can play a huge role for this team. That is the role of the shooter who spots up and waits for passes from Jennings or Bogut and then drains threes. Of course he is still the type of player who can penetrate and dish the ball as well, but these are not his strengths. The past four years, we have relied on Redd way too much. Now he can settle into a role as one of three major options and concentrate on playing to his strengths.
I might be getting a little ahead of myself seven games into this young season, but I am excited about this team for the first time in a few years. Even if they don’t get to the playoffs this year, the first seven games are a good sign for the bright future ahead.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Done with Baseball
For the past 15 years I have had the ultimate love-hate relationship with Major League Baseball. I love the game of baseball and there is nothing like going to a game, especially now that I have a son that soon will probably love the experience. I would love to cheer for the hometown team just like I do with the Packers and Badgers.
But here is the problem. Since the strike of 1994, baseball has done nothing to legitimately fix the disparity between the free spending teams and the financially-strapped franchises. For awhile I was like many of my baseball cheering friends where I would simply enjoy going to the ballpark. It didn’t matter that the Brewers and Twins lost nearly every game I went to in the 1990s. Then I had the ignorant stage where I thought that with smart draft picks and the right manager, my small market teams could compete on a yearly basis with the big boys.
Then I adopted the philosophy that I now have realized is extremely ignorant when the Florida Marlins won two World Series. I thought that this was the rationale for thinking that there wasn’t an issue and any team could win the championship.
But then I started coming around to reality. There is no chance for a small market team to compete on a yearly basis. The Marlins had two good years over the past 15 and caught lightning in a bottle. They benefited from baseball’s lone saving grace, the playoffs where anything can happen (unlike the regular season where the best team is almost guaranteed to win over the course of an obnoxiously long 162-game regular season). Others that disagree with me will bring up the Minnesota Twins’ division championships this decade. The Twins are in the AL Central which has one large market team, the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox have been one of the largest underachieving big city teams of the past 15 years which has allowed the Tigers, Indians and Twins to win the division. Put the Twins in the AL East and they would experience the same thing Toronto, Baltimore and Tampa Bay have experienced year after year this decade: playing third fiddle to New York and Boston.
But speaking of Tampa Bay, what about the Rays’ division championship a year ago and Bud Selig’s comment that they are not a one-year wonder? Well Bud, like nearly everything you’ve done as commissioner, you are wrong. The Rays have had one good year in their history and probably won’t have a second for quite awhile, especially in that division.
So now, my feelings on Major League Baseball have gone from disgruntled fan to not a fan. I have given MLB chance after chance and get continually frustrated. And now look at which cities are in the playoffs this year: Philadelphia, New York, Boston, two L.A. teams. I’m done. I am absolutely done with Major League Baseball. I am done watching games. I am done caring who wins. I might take my son to a game here and there and let him decide if he likes it, but I am done.
I do not do this hoping to start a movement, and I know that Major League Baseball doesn’t care about losing fans like me. There are plenty of fans who don’t care about the payroll disparities and don’t analyze how the Yankees and Red Sox make the playoffs nearly every year and many other teams have to have nearly everything go right (and yes that includes being in the “right” division Twins fans) to just have a chance once every few years. I’m just saying that I’m done. MLB has lost me.
Good riddance.
But here is the problem. Since the strike of 1994, baseball has done nothing to legitimately fix the disparity between the free spending teams and the financially-strapped franchises. For awhile I was like many of my baseball cheering friends where I would simply enjoy going to the ballpark. It didn’t matter that the Brewers and Twins lost nearly every game I went to in the 1990s. Then I had the ignorant stage where I thought that with smart draft picks and the right manager, my small market teams could compete on a yearly basis with the big boys.
Then I adopted the philosophy that I now have realized is extremely ignorant when the Florida Marlins won two World Series. I thought that this was the rationale for thinking that there wasn’t an issue and any team could win the championship.
But then I started coming around to reality. There is no chance for a small market team to compete on a yearly basis. The Marlins had two good years over the past 15 and caught lightning in a bottle. They benefited from baseball’s lone saving grace, the playoffs where anything can happen (unlike the regular season where the best team is almost guaranteed to win over the course of an obnoxiously long 162-game regular season). Others that disagree with me will bring up the Minnesota Twins’ division championships this decade. The Twins are in the AL Central which has one large market team, the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox have been one of the largest underachieving big city teams of the past 15 years which has allowed the Tigers, Indians and Twins to win the division. Put the Twins in the AL East and they would experience the same thing Toronto, Baltimore and Tampa Bay have experienced year after year this decade: playing third fiddle to New York and Boston.
But speaking of Tampa Bay, what about the Rays’ division championship a year ago and Bud Selig’s comment that they are not a one-year wonder? Well Bud, like nearly everything you’ve done as commissioner, you are wrong. The Rays have had one good year in their history and probably won’t have a second for quite awhile, especially in that division.
So now, my feelings on Major League Baseball have gone from disgruntled fan to not a fan. I have given MLB chance after chance and get continually frustrated. And now look at which cities are in the playoffs this year: Philadelphia, New York, Boston, two L.A. teams. I’m done. I am absolutely done with Major League Baseball. I am done watching games. I am done caring who wins. I might take my son to a game here and there and let him decide if he likes it, but I am done.
I do not do this hoping to start a movement, and I know that Major League Baseball doesn’t care about losing fans like me. There are plenty of fans who don’t care about the payroll disparities and don’t analyze how the Yankees and Red Sox make the playoffs nearly every year and many other teams have to have nearly everything go right (and yes that includes being in the “right” division Twins fans) to just have a chance once every few years. I’m just saying that I’m done. MLB has lost me.
Good riddance.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
NFL Picks
I can’t believe it’s time to do my annual NFL football picks. It seems to have snuck up on me this year, and I feel like I haven’t done the same diligent research I usually do, but I think I’m ready.
Unlike baseball, I don’t base my predictions on team payrolls. By the way, my baseball picks which are based completely on how much teams spend are looking really good. Baseball is so easy to pick. I don’t even know why they bother playing the regular season sometimes.
Football on the other hand is a crap shoot. Take the NFC South for example. I think the team that has finished in last place has come back to win the division five or six times in the past seven years. Or look what the injury to Tom Brady did to the Patriots a year ago. They went from 16-0 to out of the playoffs (although they were 11-5). Even payrolls, injuries and the short season create high excitement no matter what team you cheer for (again, unlike baseball).
So I’ve learned that when you make predictions, you have to go out on a limb sometimes and make a couple outrageous picks. Here we go:
AFC East:
Patriots-A healthy Tom Brady will lead this team to another double-digit win season.
Dolphins-They won’t win 11 games again. In fact they might struggle to go .500.
Jets-Sanchez is going to struggle.
Bills-Never good to fire your offensive coordinator a week before the season starts.
AFC North:
Steelers-Great defense will be enough to help this team win another division crown.
Ravens-Good enough to finish over .500 again but will be in a fight for final playoff spot.
Bengals-Will be better than a year ago and will challenge for a playoff spot.
Browns-Back in rebuilding mode but have a weak schedule and could surprise some teams.
AFC South:
Titans-I wanted to pick Jaguars as a surprise first place team here but Titans are too consistent.
Colts-Manning won’t let this team drop off far but I have a hard time picking them for Super Bowl.
Jaguars-Great running game. Will that be enough to get this team into the playoffs?
Texans-Lack the defense to be a factor.
AFC West:
Chargers-The most obvious pick to win a division. This team is really good and the rest stink.
Raiders-This tells you how bad the division is when the most dysfunctional team in NFL is second.
Broncos-Defense will be better. How can it be worse? Offense is worse though.
Chiefs-Could be the worst team in the NFL. Watch out Lions.
NFC East:
Eagles-Too much fire power to not win this division. Too well-coached also.
Giants-Defense might lead this team to a division championship. Will be a good race with Eagles.
Redskins-Will be in the running for a wildcard.
Cowboys-Maybe this is wishful thinking but I think this team really struggles this year.
NFC North:
Vikings-Great defense and an offense that all of the sudden has weapons other than AP.
Packers-Aaron Rodgers could be NFL MVP and will take this team to the playoffs.
Bears-Good team that will fall victim to being in a tough division. Cutler is overrated.
Lions-Will be better than last year :) Might win 3 or 4.
NFC South:
Saints-The defense is not good but this offense is too good to miss the playoffs again.
Falcons-Wanted to pick them first but they have a history of not having two straight good years.
Panthers-Like the Bears they will fall victim to being in a tough division.
Buccaneers-It’s going to be a very long year for this young team.
NFC West:
Seahawks-This team is going to rebound and win 8 or 9 games which will be enough in division.
Rams-If defense holds up, this team could easily win division.
Cardinals-They have the Super Bowl loser hex on them and they looked horrible this preseason.
49ers-This team just can’t make that next step.
AFC Wildcard Round:
Steelers over Jaguars
Titans over Colts
NFC Wildcard Round:
Giants over Saints
Packers over Seahawks
AFC Divisional Round:
Chargers over Steelers
Patriots over Titans
NFC Divisional Round:
Vikings over Giants
Eagles over Packers
AFC Championship:
Patriots over Chargers
NFC Championship:
Eagles over Vikings
Super Bowl:
Patriots over Eagles
Being so near and dear to the NFC North, I really want to see a Packers-Vikings NFC Championship game. But given our division’s past, I have a hard time seeing it. The darn NFC East always seems to prevail.
For more Songer Sports and more visit www.songerstudio.com
Unlike baseball, I don’t base my predictions on team payrolls. By the way, my baseball picks which are based completely on how much teams spend are looking really good. Baseball is so easy to pick. I don’t even know why they bother playing the regular season sometimes.
Football on the other hand is a crap shoot. Take the NFC South for example. I think the team that has finished in last place has come back to win the division five or six times in the past seven years. Or look what the injury to Tom Brady did to the Patriots a year ago. They went from 16-0 to out of the playoffs (although they were 11-5). Even payrolls, injuries and the short season create high excitement no matter what team you cheer for (again, unlike baseball).
So I’ve learned that when you make predictions, you have to go out on a limb sometimes and make a couple outrageous picks. Here we go:
AFC East:
Patriots-A healthy Tom Brady will lead this team to another double-digit win season.
Dolphins-They won’t win 11 games again. In fact they might struggle to go .500.
Jets-Sanchez is going to struggle.
Bills-Never good to fire your offensive coordinator a week before the season starts.
AFC North:
Steelers-Great defense will be enough to help this team win another division crown.
Ravens-Good enough to finish over .500 again but will be in a fight for final playoff spot.
Bengals-Will be better than a year ago and will challenge for a playoff spot.
Browns-Back in rebuilding mode but have a weak schedule and could surprise some teams.
AFC South:
Titans-I wanted to pick Jaguars as a surprise first place team here but Titans are too consistent.
Colts-Manning won’t let this team drop off far but I have a hard time picking them for Super Bowl.
Jaguars-Great running game. Will that be enough to get this team into the playoffs?
Texans-Lack the defense to be a factor.
AFC West:
Chargers-The most obvious pick to win a division. This team is really good and the rest stink.
Raiders-This tells you how bad the division is when the most dysfunctional team in NFL is second.
Broncos-Defense will be better. How can it be worse? Offense is worse though.
Chiefs-Could be the worst team in the NFL. Watch out Lions.
NFC East:
Eagles-Too much fire power to not win this division. Too well-coached also.
Giants-Defense might lead this team to a division championship. Will be a good race with Eagles.
Redskins-Will be in the running for a wildcard.
Cowboys-Maybe this is wishful thinking but I think this team really struggles this year.
NFC North:
Vikings-Great defense and an offense that all of the sudden has weapons other than AP.
Packers-Aaron Rodgers could be NFL MVP and will take this team to the playoffs.
Bears-Good team that will fall victim to being in a tough division. Cutler is overrated.
Lions-Will be better than last year :) Might win 3 or 4.
NFC South:
Saints-The defense is not good but this offense is too good to miss the playoffs again.
Falcons-Wanted to pick them first but they have a history of not having two straight good years.
Panthers-Like the Bears they will fall victim to being in a tough division.
Buccaneers-It’s going to be a very long year for this young team.
NFC West:
Seahawks-This team is going to rebound and win 8 or 9 games which will be enough in division.
Rams-If defense holds up, this team could easily win division.
Cardinals-They have the Super Bowl loser hex on them and they looked horrible this preseason.
49ers-This team just can’t make that next step.
AFC Wildcard Round:
Steelers over Jaguars
Titans over Colts
NFC Wildcard Round:
Giants over Saints
Packers over Seahawks
AFC Divisional Round:
Chargers over Steelers
Patriots over Titans
NFC Divisional Round:
Vikings over Giants
Eagles over Packers
AFC Championship:
Patriots over Chargers
NFC Championship:
Eagles over Vikings
Super Bowl:
Patriots over Eagles
Being so near and dear to the NFC North, I really want to see a Packers-Vikings NFC Championship game. But given our division’s past, I have a hard time seeing it. The darn NFC East always seems to prevail.
For more Songer Sports and more visit www.songerstudio.com
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Another Strong Packer Showing
Is there such thing as peaking in the preseason? Yes. The last time the Packers went undefeated in the preseason was in 1999. They went on to post their most disappointing season of the first 14 years of the Brett Favre era. That was the Ray Rhodes 8-8 year.
So there is no reason to get too excited about the Packer start this year. However, let me take you back to two years ago. The Packers were coming off an 8-8 season with Mike McCarthy. Nobody was talking about Green Bay as a threat in the NFC. I remember a particular preseason game that year in which they destroyed Seattle. Their starting units looked tremendous as they compiled an impressive 3-1 preseason. That year, Brett Favre found the fountain of youth, Greg Jennings and Ryan Grant emerged as stars and the Packers would go 12-4 and advance to the NFC Championship Game.
I remember thinking as they were dominating their preseason opponents that this team was going to be a force. They needed that kind of preseason to build confidence. After a 6-10 season a year ago, I think the same could be said for this preseason. Once again, nobody is talking about the Packers. But look what their starters have done this year.
The first offensive unit has scored eight touchdowns and two field goals in twelve possessions. Aaron Rodgers has thrown for six of those touchdowns and close to 500 yards in virtually five quarters of play. The starting defense has allowed only one touchdown in twelve possessions and has created six turnovers.
I know it’s preseason, but come on... this team looks very good.
Here are the concerns.
Aaron Rodgers struggled in putting together game winning or tying drives last year. It’s kind of hard to practice that in preseason when you are out of the game after a quarter or two.
The defense is taking the ball away at an incredible rate but struggled against the pass against Arizona especially. It’s great to see this team attacking the ball, but they need to tackle better.
Mason Crosby has missed four field goals including a 29-yarder this past week. Part of that is because the starting two holders are hurt and one of those holds was truly terrible. But we need more consistency here.
Our special teams is very suspect in general. Not a good punter. And we have a bunch of young guys competing for spots on this team who will be starting on special teams. They need to build some cohesiveness quickly.
From the website: www.songerstudio.com
So there is no reason to get too excited about the Packer start this year. However, let me take you back to two years ago. The Packers were coming off an 8-8 season with Mike McCarthy. Nobody was talking about Green Bay as a threat in the NFC. I remember a particular preseason game that year in which they destroyed Seattle. Their starting units looked tremendous as they compiled an impressive 3-1 preseason. That year, Brett Favre found the fountain of youth, Greg Jennings and Ryan Grant emerged as stars and the Packers would go 12-4 and advance to the NFC Championship Game.
I remember thinking as they were dominating their preseason opponents that this team was going to be a force. They needed that kind of preseason to build confidence. After a 6-10 season a year ago, I think the same could be said for this preseason. Once again, nobody is talking about the Packers. But look what their starters have done this year.
The first offensive unit has scored eight touchdowns and two field goals in twelve possessions. Aaron Rodgers has thrown for six of those touchdowns and close to 500 yards in virtually five quarters of play. The starting defense has allowed only one touchdown in twelve possessions and has created six turnovers.
I know it’s preseason, but come on... this team looks very good.
Here are the concerns.
Aaron Rodgers struggled in putting together game winning or tying drives last year. It’s kind of hard to practice that in preseason when you are out of the game after a quarter or two.
The defense is taking the ball away at an incredible rate but struggled against the pass against Arizona especially. It’s great to see this team attacking the ball, but they need to tackle better.
Mason Crosby has missed four field goals including a 29-yarder this past week. Part of that is because the starting two holders are hurt and one of those holds was truly terrible. But we need more consistency here.
Our special teams is very suspect in general. Not a good punter. And we have a bunch of young guys competing for spots on this team who will be starting on special teams. They need to build some cohesiveness quickly.
From the website: www.songerstudio.com
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Quick Start For Packers
Preseason football means different things to different teams. But if you are an NFC North team this year, strong consistent showings from your first string units are very important this year. Last year, the Vikings, Bears and Packers were all very inconsistent on offense and defense the entire year. I think all three head coaches want to see their starters put together some solid play in the first half of preseason games this year and build some confidence going into the season.
There is no doubt that Packers are doing this. So far, the offense and defense have both looked unstoppable in the first two games of the 2009 exhibition season. The Packer starting offense has put up 35 points in six possessions against Buffalo and Cleveland. Aaron Rodgers has completed 75 percent of his passes and is showing his year of experience as compared to his lack of experience a year ago at this time. Ryan Grant looks sharp. Driver and Jennings look like they will continue to be a Top 5 1-2 punch in the NFL. And look out for Jeremichael Finley at the tight end position. This guy was a disaster last year but has come to camp as a different person this year. He is running routes precisely and doesn’t drop anything thrown to his vicinity.
Defensively, the 3-4 defense is making an impact. With the potential of nine different guys rushing the quarterback on any play and all sorts of different looks, the Packers are confusing its competition. This combined with a new knack for stripping the ball is causing turnovers at an alarming rate for the other team on the field. The starting unit is yet to give up a point and has only allowed a handful of first downs in its first two games.
It doesn’t surprise me. I think this was the plan all along for the Packers organization when they let Brett Favre go. They knew that there was going to be a down year when Brett left. But they were hoping with the young talent coming up that once Aaron Rodgers had a year under his belt, that this team would become good quickly. And now it’s happening.
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There is no doubt that Packers are doing this. So far, the offense and defense have both looked unstoppable in the first two games of the 2009 exhibition season. The Packer starting offense has put up 35 points in six possessions against Buffalo and Cleveland. Aaron Rodgers has completed 75 percent of his passes and is showing his year of experience as compared to his lack of experience a year ago at this time. Ryan Grant looks sharp. Driver and Jennings look like they will continue to be a Top 5 1-2 punch in the NFL. And look out for Jeremichael Finley at the tight end position. This guy was a disaster last year but has come to camp as a different person this year. He is running routes precisely and doesn’t drop anything thrown to his vicinity.
Defensively, the 3-4 defense is making an impact. With the potential of nine different guys rushing the quarterback on any play and all sorts of different looks, the Packers are confusing its competition. This combined with a new knack for stripping the ball is causing turnovers at an alarming rate for the other team on the field. The starting unit is yet to give up a point and has only allowed a handful of first downs in its first two games.
It doesn’t surprise me. I think this was the plan all along for the Packers organization when they let Brett Favre go. They knew that there was going to be a down year when Brett left. But they were hoping with the young talent coming up that once Aaron Rodgers had a year under his belt, that this team would become good quickly. And now it’s happening.
www.songerstudio.com
Friday, August 14, 2009
Brewers Shake Up Wednesday
Shake Up Wednesday
On Wednesday night the Milwaukee Brewers lost their second consecutive game to the lowly San Diego Padres. This seemed to be the last straw for Brewer General Manger Doug Melvin who announced that they were firing pitching coach Bill Castro, sending JJ Hardy to Triple A and assigning Bill Hall for assignment, another words, releasing him.
I’m not sure if the move came out of frustration over how the team has played or frustration over how the ownership and management of this team has failed to take the next step from an average team to a World Series contender.
To address the latter first, it never seems to amaze me that I am the only one who seems to get this about Major League Baseball when it is so painfully obvious. YOU HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO BE A CONTENDER YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT PEOPLE! Just because the Florida Marlins captured lightning in a bottle a couple of years and the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers made the playoffs a year ago, does not mean that every team can do that. And it ESPECIALLY doesn’t mean that teams can do it for an extended period of time. The Marlins stunk both years after their World Series championships and really haven’t done much above average in any of their other 15 seasons. The Rays and Brewers, although not terrible, will not be in contention come September this year.
Meanwhile, the teams that spend money like the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels and Braves are in contention for a championship every year. A bad year for them is finishing around .500 and missing the playoffs by a few games. That is a good year for the Brewers, Rays and Marlins amongst many other small market teams.
Brewer management, YOU HAVE TO SPEND DOUBLE WHAT YOU ARE SPENDING NOW IF YOU WANT TO CONTEND FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS! They don’t get it. They think they can be the team that bucks the system.
As for the moves, none of these moves will affect performance the remainder month and a half of the season, but I have a small take on each one. The firing of Castro is ridiculous. There is no pitching coach on this planet that could have succeeded with the hand dealt this year. He was obviously the fall guy. And I don’t see things improving just because Chris Bosio comes on board. Hardy going to the minors is probably good as long as he is not down there long. Let him try to work out of this year-long slump and then bring him back up in September to give him another shot at turning it around at this level before the end of the year. Releasing Hall should have happened last Winter. It was obvious at that time that this guy no longer had Major League stuff. It’s unfortunate. Bill Hall is a great guy and gave it a ton of effort. But it just didn’t work out.
Check out www.songerstudio.com weekly for more editorials on sports and much much more!
On Wednesday night the Milwaukee Brewers lost their second consecutive game to the lowly San Diego Padres. This seemed to be the last straw for Brewer General Manger Doug Melvin who announced that they were firing pitching coach Bill Castro, sending JJ Hardy to Triple A and assigning Bill Hall for assignment, another words, releasing him.
I’m not sure if the move came out of frustration over how the team has played or frustration over how the ownership and management of this team has failed to take the next step from an average team to a World Series contender.
To address the latter first, it never seems to amaze me that I am the only one who seems to get this about Major League Baseball when it is so painfully obvious. YOU HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO BE A CONTENDER YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT PEOPLE! Just because the Florida Marlins captured lightning in a bottle a couple of years and the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers made the playoffs a year ago, does not mean that every team can do that. And it ESPECIALLY doesn’t mean that teams can do it for an extended period of time. The Marlins stunk both years after their World Series championships and really haven’t done much above average in any of their other 15 seasons. The Rays and Brewers, although not terrible, will not be in contention come September this year.
Meanwhile, the teams that spend money like the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels and Braves are in contention for a championship every year. A bad year for them is finishing around .500 and missing the playoffs by a few games. That is a good year for the Brewers, Rays and Marlins amongst many other small market teams.
Brewer management, YOU HAVE TO SPEND DOUBLE WHAT YOU ARE SPENDING NOW IF YOU WANT TO CONTEND FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS! They don’t get it. They think they can be the team that bucks the system.
As for the moves, none of these moves will affect performance the remainder month and a half of the season, but I have a small take on each one. The firing of Castro is ridiculous. There is no pitching coach on this planet that could have succeeded with the hand dealt this year. He was obviously the fall guy. And I don’t see things improving just because Chris Bosio comes on board. Hardy going to the minors is probably good as long as he is not down there long. Let him try to work out of this year-long slump and then bring him back up in September to give him another shot at turning it around at this level before the end of the year. Releasing Hall should have happened last Winter. It was obvious at that time that this guy no longer had Major League stuff. It’s unfortunate. Bill Hall is a great guy and gave it a ton of effort. But it just didn’t work out.
Check out www.songerstudio.com weekly for more editorials on sports and much much more!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
We'll Miss You Brett (revisited)
One of the many problems with Brett Favre continually retiring and coming back is that we never know when he is actually never going to play again so it’s hard to have that moment where we look back on his career and reminisce. I did it a year ago though when he was traded to New York so I thought in honor of his latest retirement that I would reprint my list of favorite Packers moments during the Brett Favre era:
#10 December 1994. The Packers host their first playoff game since 1982 and defeat the Detroit Lions to advance to the NFC Divisional Round. The Packer defense holds Barry Sanders to –1 yard rushing. The Packer win was their fourth home victory in a row over Detroit. Thirteen years later, that streak now stands at 16 straight home wins over the kitties.
#9 January 2008. The Packers spot the Seattle Seahawks 14 points after two Ryan Grant fumbles in the snow at Lambeau Field in the NFC Divisional Round. But as the snow starts to pound down, so does the Packer offense. They dominate the rest of the game with Ryan Grant running for 200 yards and Brett Favre making one of his most famous passes by tossing an underhand pass on 3rd down to tight end Donald Lee which goes for a first down and leads to a touchdown.
#8 January 2004. A playoff game with all sorts of story lines. Former Packer coach Mike Holmgren and former backup quarterback Mike Hasselbeck now members of the Seattle Seahawks return to Lambeau Field for a showdown with former Seahawk Ahman Green and the Packers in an NFC Wildcard Game. The game goes to overtime, and the Seahawks win the toss. Hasselback proclaims, “We’ll take the ball and we’re going to score.” Shortly into their first possession, Hasselbeck slings the ball outside and Packer cornerback Al Harris makes the interception and runs down the sideline for the game-winning touchdown. It was the last Packer playoff victory.
#7 December 2003. OK, this is not a Packer moment, but it was the game that led to the #8 memory. The Packers entered the final weekend of the season needing a win and a Viking loss to win the division and make the playoffs. As Green Bay was putting the finishing touches on a demolition of the Denver Broncos, the Vikings appeared to have their game against the hapless Arizona Cardinals in hand. But a crazy series of events got the Cards back to within a few points and the ball with the clock winding down. On fourth down and an eternity, Nathan Poole came down with a miraculous touchdown catch that ended the Vikings season and put the Packers in the playoffs. The play-by-play call of Paul Allen’s will live in infamy: “No! No! No!”
#6 December 2003. Yet another moment from that 2003 season. A day after Brett Favre’s father passed away, Brett had one of the best games of his career and the Packers blasted the Oakland Raiders. Even the Raider nation was pulling for Brett and had tears in their eyes. It seemed like a season of destiny for Green Bay. They picked up momentum with each week until the disastrous 4th and 26 against Philadelphia in the NFC divisional playoffs.
#5 December 1993. For the first time in eleven years, the Green Bay Packers play in a playoff game. It is an NFC wildcard game at Detroit. It is a well-played game that finds Detroit leading late, but Brett Favre throws a bomb to Sterling Sharpe who halls it in to give the Packers a victory...the first for Brett Favre.
#4 January 1996. For the third year in a row the Packers advance to the NFC Divisional round of the playoffs, but for the first time it is not against the Dallas Cowboys. The Packers travel to San Francisco for this one. On the first play from scrimmage for the 49ers, Craig Newsome intercepts Steve Young’s pass and runs it back for a touchdown. The Packers never look back as they advance to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1967. What makes the game more fun for me is that I get to watch it at Disney World with my dad and then get to spend the night at the Magic Kingdom wearing my Packer garb and celebrating.
#3 October 1996. The Packers are establishing themselves as the best team in the NFL entering a Monday night game with the San Francisco 49ers. Early in the game though, star receiver Robert Brooks is knocked out of the game. With Antonio Freeman also out, backup receiver Don Beebe steps in and catches over 200 yards of passes. The game goes into overtime and Chris Jacke ends up winning it on a field goal. I don’t get to watch the game because I have a knock-down-drag-out Jazz One rehearsal at UW-Eau Claire, but starting in the 4th quarter, our director, Mr. Baca, allows our guitarist who is sitting out on the two tunes we were rehearsing at that time to keep an update on the board of who has the ball, what down it is, how many yards to go and what yard line they’re at until the end of the game.
#2 November 2001. Widely considered one of the best catches in NFL history, Antonio Freeman dives for a pass from Brett Favre in overtime of a classic Packer-Viking clash. The ball appears to fall incomplete but actually bounces of Freeman’s body a couple times as he is falling to the ground. Freeman somehow is able to keep track of where the ball is while staying in bounds and end up with the ball in his hands. Viking cornerback Chris Dishman thinking the play is over stops and gets ready to leave the field since it was third down. But he must have been awestruck when he saw Freeman leap to his feet and start running to the end zone. Freeman scored giving the Packers a huge win. The win is made even more improbable given the fact that the Vikings had a chip shot field goal to win the game in regulation but botched the snap on a 3rd down. The holder instead of falling on the ball to give the kicker another shot on 4th down tried to convert a pass and time ran out. It’s important to note that if the Packers had lost that game, it would have put them in a huge hole in the standings and would have most likely resulted in a third straight season with no playoff appearance. Instead the Packers made the playoffs and beat the 49ers in an NFC wildcard game for their first playoff win since the 1998 NFC Championship game over the 49ers.
#1 January 1997. Of course the Packer Super Bowl win was the greatest moment of the Favre era. The images of Favre running off the field after his first Super Bowl touchdown pass to Andre Rison, Favre running into the end zone for another score, Desmond Howard’s kickoff return for a touchdown and Reggie White’s three sacks will live on forever for this Packer fan. And the celebration on Water Street in Eau Claire was amazing
#10 December 1994. The Packers host their first playoff game since 1982 and defeat the Detroit Lions to advance to the NFC Divisional Round. The Packer defense holds Barry Sanders to –1 yard rushing. The Packer win was their fourth home victory in a row over Detroit. Thirteen years later, that streak now stands at 16 straight home wins over the kitties.
#9 January 2008. The Packers spot the Seattle Seahawks 14 points after two Ryan Grant fumbles in the snow at Lambeau Field in the NFC Divisional Round. But as the snow starts to pound down, so does the Packer offense. They dominate the rest of the game with Ryan Grant running for 200 yards and Brett Favre making one of his most famous passes by tossing an underhand pass on 3rd down to tight end Donald Lee which goes for a first down and leads to a touchdown.
#8 January 2004. A playoff game with all sorts of story lines. Former Packer coach Mike Holmgren and former backup quarterback Mike Hasselbeck now members of the Seattle Seahawks return to Lambeau Field for a showdown with former Seahawk Ahman Green and the Packers in an NFC Wildcard Game. The game goes to overtime, and the Seahawks win the toss. Hasselback proclaims, “We’ll take the ball and we’re going to score.” Shortly into their first possession, Hasselbeck slings the ball outside and Packer cornerback Al Harris makes the interception and runs down the sideline for the game-winning touchdown. It was the last Packer playoff victory.
#7 December 2003. OK, this is not a Packer moment, but it was the game that led to the #8 memory. The Packers entered the final weekend of the season needing a win and a Viking loss to win the division and make the playoffs. As Green Bay was putting the finishing touches on a demolition of the Denver Broncos, the Vikings appeared to have their game against the hapless Arizona Cardinals in hand. But a crazy series of events got the Cards back to within a few points and the ball with the clock winding down. On fourth down and an eternity, Nathan Poole came down with a miraculous touchdown catch that ended the Vikings season and put the Packers in the playoffs. The play-by-play call of Paul Allen’s will live in infamy: “No! No! No!”
#6 December 2003. Yet another moment from that 2003 season. A day after Brett Favre’s father passed away, Brett had one of the best games of his career and the Packers blasted the Oakland Raiders. Even the Raider nation was pulling for Brett and had tears in their eyes. It seemed like a season of destiny for Green Bay. They picked up momentum with each week until the disastrous 4th and 26 against Philadelphia in the NFC divisional playoffs.
#5 December 1993. For the first time in eleven years, the Green Bay Packers play in a playoff game. It is an NFC wildcard game at Detroit. It is a well-played game that finds Detroit leading late, but Brett Favre throws a bomb to Sterling Sharpe who halls it in to give the Packers a victory...the first for Brett Favre.
#4 January 1996. For the third year in a row the Packers advance to the NFC Divisional round of the playoffs, but for the first time it is not against the Dallas Cowboys. The Packers travel to San Francisco for this one. On the first play from scrimmage for the 49ers, Craig Newsome intercepts Steve Young’s pass and runs it back for a touchdown. The Packers never look back as they advance to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1967. What makes the game more fun for me is that I get to watch it at Disney World with my dad and then get to spend the night at the Magic Kingdom wearing my Packer garb and celebrating.
#3 October 1996. The Packers are establishing themselves as the best team in the NFL entering a Monday night game with the San Francisco 49ers. Early in the game though, star receiver Robert Brooks is knocked out of the game. With Antonio Freeman also out, backup receiver Don Beebe steps in and catches over 200 yards of passes. The game goes into overtime and Chris Jacke ends up winning it on a field goal. I don’t get to watch the game because I have a knock-down-drag-out Jazz One rehearsal at UW-Eau Claire, but starting in the 4th quarter, our director, Mr. Baca, allows our guitarist who is sitting out on the two tunes we were rehearsing at that time to keep an update on the board of who has the ball, what down it is, how many yards to go and what yard line they’re at until the end of the game.
#2 November 2001. Widely considered one of the best catches in NFL history, Antonio Freeman dives for a pass from Brett Favre in overtime of a classic Packer-Viking clash. The ball appears to fall incomplete but actually bounces of Freeman’s body a couple times as he is falling to the ground. Freeman somehow is able to keep track of where the ball is while staying in bounds and end up with the ball in his hands. Viking cornerback Chris Dishman thinking the play is over stops and gets ready to leave the field since it was third down. But he must have been awestruck when he saw Freeman leap to his feet and start running to the end zone. Freeman scored giving the Packers a huge win. The win is made even more improbable given the fact that the Vikings had a chip shot field goal to win the game in regulation but botched the snap on a 3rd down. The holder instead of falling on the ball to give the kicker another shot on 4th down tried to convert a pass and time ran out. It’s important to note that if the Packers had lost that game, it would have put them in a huge hole in the standings and would have most likely resulted in a third straight season with no playoff appearance. Instead the Packers made the playoffs and beat the 49ers in an NFC wildcard game for their first playoff win since the 1998 NFC Championship game over the 49ers.
#1 January 1997. Of course the Packer Super Bowl win was the greatest moment of the Favre era. The images of Favre running off the field after his first Super Bowl touchdown pass to Andre Rison, Favre running into the end zone for another score, Desmond Howard’s kickoff return for a touchdown and Reggie White’s three sacks will live on forever for this Packer fan. And the celebration on Water Street in Eau Claire was amazing
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sports Nation
Love ESPN's new show Sports Nation. Very interactive and technology based not to mention Colin Cowherd's radio show is my favorite on ESPN Radio. I'm glad to get more of him.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Dollars Equal Wins
Why do we even bother with baseball? Did you read my predictions back in April. Not to say “I told you so”, but I told you so! The top two positions in each of the six divisions is almost exactly the way I said it would be. Predicting Major League Baseball regular season standings is as easy as predicting the Brewer pitching is going to hit the wall in June and July.
For those of you who don’t know (and you probably do because baseball fans get really annoyed with me), I base my standings predictions in April on how much team payrolls are. The higher the payroll, the higher in the standings you finish. And wouldn’t you know it. The standings are pretty much in order of how much teams spend.
And yet there are still fans who say team payroll has nothing to do with it. Are you serious? Do you honestly think that?
If so, I guess there is nothing else I can do but review the standings with you:
AL East-1st place Yankees, 2nd place Red Sox. Highest payroll Yankees, 2nd highest payroll Red Sox
AL Central-1st place Tigers, 2nd place White Sox. Highest payroll Tigers, 2nd highest payroll White Sox
AL West-1st place Angels, 2nd place Rangers, Highest payroll Angels, 2nd highest payroll Rangers.
Are you seeing a theme here?
NL East-1st place Phillies, 2nd place Braves. Highest payroll Mets, 2nd highest payroll Braves. 3rd highest payroll Phillies. The Mets have had serious injury issues this year. Enough said.
NL Central-1st place Cardinals, 2nd place Cubs. Highest payroll Cubs. 2nd highest payroll Cardinals.
NL West-1st place Dodgers, 2nd place Giants. Highest payroll Dodgers. 2nd highest payroll Giants.
Money buys you victories. Plain and simple. Are there other components? Of course there are. You need smart people running your organization. That is why the Twins do so well year after year and why the A’s used to do well. But the window of opportunity is small. They need everything to go right like the Rays last year. They are not going to be perennial World Series contenders. In fact, how many championships have those three teams won this decade? Zero. There you go.
And yes, you need to draft smart. The Yankee fans always say that they drafted Jeter and Pasada. And if other teams drafted this well, they would be just as good. I guarantee you that if Jeter and Pasada had been drafted by the Brewers and Pirates, they would still be in New York. There is no way those organizations could have kept those guys financially when they first became free agents.
Finally, yes I know. The MLB playoffs is the great equalizer. I have always found it fascinating that this sport has a 162-game season where the cream inevitably rises to the top. But then you enter a best of 5 playoff series where if you have three bad days or encounter two hot pitchers, you’re done. This is why Florida has won two championships. They took advantage of their small window of opportunity the year they spent money and had good players and then they got hot at the right time. And this is why conversely why the Yankees have not won a championship in a decade. They make the playoffs every year but they have found themselves matching up against a red hot team that finds a way to win three or four games in a playoff series against them.
My vote is to contract all but the Yankees, Mets, Angels, Dodgers, Cubs, White Sox and Red Sox. Let those four cities have baseball and they can enjoy it in their own little worlds. Meanwhile the rest of the country can enjoy a true sports league like the NFL. Yankee and Red Sox fans can then walk around with that big trophy and the rest of us will say, “Who cares. When is the NFL draft?”
For those of you who don’t know (and you probably do because baseball fans get really annoyed with me), I base my standings predictions in April on how much team payrolls are. The higher the payroll, the higher in the standings you finish. And wouldn’t you know it. The standings are pretty much in order of how much teams spend.
And yet there are still fans who say team payroll has nothing to do with it. Are you serious? Do you honestly think that?
If so, I guess there is nothing else I can do but review the standings with you:
AL East-1st place Yankees, 2nd place Red Sox. Highest payroll Yankees, 2nd highest payroll Red Sox
AL Central-1st place Tigers, 2nd place White Sox. Highest payroll Tigers, 2nd highest payroll White Sox
AL West-1st place Angels, 2nd place Rangers, Highest payroll Angels, 2nd highest payroll Rangers.
Are you seeing a theme here?
NL East-1st place Phillies, 2nd place Braves. Highest payroll Mets, 2nd highest payroll Braves. 3rd highest payroll Phillies. The Mets have had serious injury issues this year. Enough said.
NL Central-1st place Cardinals, 2nd place Cubs. Highest payroll Cubs. 2nd highest payroll Cardinals.
NL West-1st place Dodgers, 2nd place Giants. Highest payroll Dodgers. 2nd highest payroll Giants.
Money buys you victories. Plain and simple. Are there other components? Of course there are. You need smart people running your organization. That is why the Twins do so well year after year and why the A’s used to do well. But the window of opportunity is small. They need everything to go right like the Rays last year. They are not going to be perennial World Series contenders. In fact, how many championships have those three teams won this decade? Zero. There you go.
And yes, you need to draft smart. The Yankee fans always say that they drafted Jeter and Pasada. And if other teams drafted this well, they would be just as good. I guarantee you that if Jeter and Pasada had been drafted by the Brewers and Pirates, they would still be in New York. There is no way those organizations could have kept those guys financially when they first became free agents.
Finally, yes I know. The MLB playoffs is the great equalizer. I have always found it fascinating that this sport has a 162-game season where the cream inevitably rises to the top. But then you enter a best of 5 playoff series where if you have three bad days or encounter two hot pitchers, you’re done. This is why Florida has won two championships. They took advantage of their small window of opportunity the year they spent money and had good players and then they got hot at the right time. And this is why conversely why the Yankees have not won a championship in a decade. They make the playoffs every year but they have found themselves matching up against a red hot team that finds a way to win three or four games in a playoff series against them.
My vote is to contract all but the Yankees, Mets, Angels, Dodgers, Cubs, White Sox and Red Sox. Let those four cities have baseball and they can enjoy it in their own little worlds. Meanwhile the rest of the country can enjoy a true sports league like the NFL. Yankee and Red Sox fans can then walk around with that big trophy and the rest of us will say, “Who cares. When is the NFL draft?”
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Vick vs. Stallworth
Michael Vick just finished serving two years in prison for running a dog fighting ring. In my opinion, he should have served this time for this outrageous crime. Justice was served. Dante Stallworth just finished serving a mont in prison for taking a human life. Are you kidding me? Since when is the life of many dogs worth more than a human life. Don't get me wrong. Both are heinous. But come on. How can Stallworth serve only one month?!?
One answer I get is because he killed this person while driving drunk. So another words because he was committing one crime (drinking in driving), he gets a lesser sentence for committing another crime (murder). That has never made too much sense to me. Yes, I do understand that he didn't intend on taking a life, but I don't have much compassion for someone who decides to get behind the wheel after drinking. The sentence should be MUCH more than one month. And quite honestly it should be longer than the two years Vick just served.
One answer I get is because he killed this person while driving drunk. So another words because he was committing one crime (drinking in driving), he gets a lesser sentence for committing another crime (murder). That has never made too much sense to me. Yes, I do understand that he didn't intend on taking a life, but I don't have much compassion for someone who decides to get behind the wheel after drinking. The sentence should be MUCH more than one month. And quite honestly it should be longer than the two years Vick just served.
Friday, July 3, 2009
New Manager, Same Lousy Concept
I am absolutely baffled by the Milwaukee Brewers. Last year they made a drastic move by firing manager Ned Yost with a few games left in the season. The move seemed to be simply to shake up the team, but later on we found out that ownership had some concerns about coaching decisions which I completely agreed with. I felt that Yost just let his hitters swing for the fences and never tried to manufacture runs. I felt that he did not work on defense enough with young players. I felt that he tried to ride pitchers for too long and didn’t analyze matchups carefully enough.
Now here we are with a new manager and well into the next season. And absolutely nothing has changed. This team still swings for the fences. They are near the top of the league in strikeouts and fly ball outs. They never bunt. They never steal bases. They never hit and run. This results in long offensive droughts where this team really struggles to score and win games.
Now I understand that power is a strength of this team and that you don’t want to run your way out of big innings because you end up hitting solo home runs because your guy got thrown out trying to steal second, but just hold up a second here. How many home runs do Craig Council and Jason Kendall hit. If you have a guy on first when these guys come up, why not try to move that runner up? And bat one of your faster guys like Corey Hart one spot before them in the lineup to set up that situation more often.
Defense continues to be an issue. And we seem to be content with our current pitching situation which in my opinion has already peaked. If we are going to rely on Suppan, Bush and Looper to be our 2-3-4 guys in a pennant race, we might as well do our usual Brewer salute to the better teams in our division and wish them well as we fall back into our usual position with the Pirates.
Now here we are with a new manager and well into the next season. And absolutely nothing has changed. This team still swings for the fences. They are near the top of the league in strikeouts and fly ball outs. They never bunt. They never steal bases. They never hit and run. This results in long offensive droughts where this team really struggles to score and win games.
Now I understand that power is a strength of this team and that you don’t want to run your way out of big innings because you end up hitting solo home runs because your guy got thrown out trying to steal second, but just hold up a second here. How many home runs do Craig Council and Jason Kendall hit. If you have a guy on first when these guys come up, why not try to move that runner up? And bat one of your faster guys like Corey Hart one spot before them in the lineup to set up that situation more often.
Defense continues to be an issue. And we seem to be content with our current pitching situation which in my opinion has already peaked. If we are going to rely on Suppan, Bush and Looper to be our 2-3-4 guys in a pennant race, we might as well do our usual Brewer salute to the better teams in our division and wish them well as we fall back into our usual position with the Pirates.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
NBA Fix Evidence
Many people are on my case trying to tell me that the NBA is not fixed. I am constantly trying to lay out the facts that if you look at who plays in the NBA Finals every year during David Stern’s run as commissioner, you will notice that there is at least one big market team in the Finals almost every year. And given how many teams are the NBA, it just does not make sense that we would never in those 30 years see a Milwaukee-Utah Finals or a Memphis-Toronto Finals.
I honestly don’t know all the ways Stern has fixed the NBA. He is very sly. We do know of the ping pong ball fixes in the lottery and the official who was fixing games. But Stern is good at not getting caught. He does not do obvious things like baseball which simply allows the big markets to spend millions of more dollars on its players. He tries to create the image that everything is fair.
But here we go with another Finals with a big market. If you don’t believe me, check this out. Here is a list of every Finals since the Lakers-Celtics 1980s dominance. In parentheses is what that team ranks on a scale of 1-30 as far as biggest NBA TV market.
2009: Los Angeles (3) vs. Orlando (20)
2008: Los Angeles (3) vs. Boston (10)
*2007: San Antonio (23) vs. Cleveland (16)
2006: Dallas (8) vs. Miami (11)
*2005: San Antonio (23) vs. Detroit (12)
2004: Los Angeles (3) vs. Detroit (12)
2003: San Antonio (23) vs. New Jersey (2)
2002: Los Angeles (3) vs. New Jersey (2)
2001: Los Angeles (3) vs. Philadelphia (7)
2000: Los Angeles (3) vs. Indiana (21)
1999: San Antonio (23) vs. New York (1)
1998: Utah (25) vs. Chicago (5)
1997: Utah (25) vs. Chicago (5)
1996: Seattle (NA) vs. Chicago (5)
*1995: Houston (13) vs. Orlando (20)
1994: Houston (13) vs. New York (1)
1993: Phoenix (14) vs. Chicago (5)
1992: Portland (22) vs. Chicago (5)
1991: Los Angeles (3) vs. Chicago (5)
*1990: Portland (22) vs. Detroit (12)
1989: Los Angeles (3) vs. Detroit (12)
1988: Los Angeles (3) vs. Detroit (12)
1987: Los Angeles (3) vs. Boston (10)
1986: Houston (13) vs. Boston (10)
1985: Los Angeles (3) vs. Boston (10)
1984: Los Angeles (3) vs. Boston (10)
1983: Los Angeles (3) vs. Philadelphia (7)
1982: Los Angeles (3) vs. Philadelphia (7)
1981: Houston (13) vs. Boston (10)
1980: Los Angeles (3) vs. Philadelphia (7)
Notice that the years with a star are the only four years that at least one Top 10 team was not featured. And only once (2007) were two teams from the bottom half of the NBA matched up against each other. Also notice that only on team (San Antonio) ranked lower than #13 has won a title. That means 16 of the 17 smallest markets in the NBA have not won a title during David Stern’s tenure. That screams out unfair competitive balance almost as bad as baseball.
I would suggest contracting the entire bottom half of the NBA and just keeping New York, New Jersey, the two L.A. teams, Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia, Dallas, Golden State, Boston, Miami, Detroit, Houston and Phoenix. If those are the only teams that are going to have a chance, let’s get rid of the rest.
I honestly don’t know all the ways Stern has fixed the NBA. He is very sly. We do know of the ping pong ball fixes in the lottery and the official who was fixing games. But Stern is good at not getting caught. He does not do obvious things like baseball which simply allows the big markets to spend millions of more dollars on its players. He tries to create the image that everything is fair.
But here we go with another Finals with a big market. If you don’t believe me, check this out. Here is a list of every Finals since the Lakers-Celtics 1980s dominance. In parentheses is what that team ranks on a scale of 1-30 as far as biggest NBA TV market.
2009: Los Angeles (3) vs. Orlando (20)
2008: Los Angeles (3) vs. Boston (10)
*2007: San Antonio (23) vs. Cleveland (16)
2006: Dallas (8) vs. Miami (11)
*2005: San Antonio (23) vs. Detroit (12)
2004: Los Angeles (3) vs. Detroit (12)
2003: San Antonio (23) vs. New Jersey (2)
2002: Los Angeles (3) vs. New Jersey (2)
2001: Los Angeles (3) vs. Philadelphia (7)
2000: Los Angeles (3) vs. Indiana (21)
1999: San Antonio (23) vs. New York (1)
1998: Utah (25) vs. Chicago (5)
1997: Utah (25) vs. Chicago (5)
1996: Seattle (NA) vs. Chicago (5)
*1995: Houston (13) vs. Orlando (20)
1994: Houston (13) vs. New York (1)
1993: Phoenix (14) vs. Chicago (5)
1992: Portland (22) vs. Chicago (5)
1991: Los Angeles (3) vs. Chicago (5)
*1990: Portland (22) vs. Detroit (12)
1989: Los Angeles (3) vs. Detroit (12)
1988: Los Angeles (3) vs. Detroit (12)
1987: Los Angeles (3) vs. Boston (10)
1986: Houston (13) vs. Boston (10)
1985: Los Angeles (3) vs. Boston (10)
1984: Los Angeles (3) vs. Boston (10)
1983: Los Angeles (3) vs. Philadelphia (7)
1982: Los Angeles (3) vs. Philadelphia (7)
1981: Houston (13) vs. Boston (10)
1980: Los Angeles (3) vs. Philadelphia (7)
Notice that the years with a star are the only four years that at least one Top 10 team was not featured. And only once (2007) were two teams from the bottom half of the NBA matched up against each other. Also notice that only on team (San Antonio) ranked lower than #13 has won a title. That means 16 of the 17 smallest markets in the NBA have not won a title during David Stern’s tenure. That screams out unfair competitive balance almost as bad as baseball.
I would suggest contracting the entire bottom half of the NBA and just keeping New York, New Jersey, the two L.A. teams, Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia, Dallas, Golden State, Boston, Miami, Detroit, Houston and Phoenix. If those are the only teams that are going to have a chance, let’s get rid of the rest.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
NBA Playoff Update
I am torn as a very skeptical sports fan over the NBA playoffs this year. I have been so into some of the playoff series this year. The Bulls-Celtics series in the first round is still in my opinion the best NBA playoff series I have ever seen. With it going seven games and featuring five games that went down to the last shot, including four overtime games and two multi-overtime games. It was filled with big time performances and unbelievable moments.
And now here we are in the conference final round, and we have the Magic and Cavs tied at one and the Nuggets and Lakers tied at one. All four games have been tremendous. LeBron’s shot to win it last night was awesome. I hope both of these series go seven and continue to be filled with close hard fought games.
But then there is the other side of me that is convinced that David Stern is finding sneaky underhanded ways to fix these games to benefit the NBA’s financial success. As I have mentioned many times before on this website, blog and anywhere else I can be heard, Stern finds a way to guarantee a big market team in the Finals almost every year. In the 1980s, Boston or L.A. was in the Finals every year except when Detroit and Portland met. In the 1990s, it was either Chicago or Houston every year except when New York faced San Antonio. And then of course you had New York. This decade has seen more variety but still large markets. L.A. has had five appearances. New Jersey which is really an extension of New York has been there a couple times. The closest things we have had to a non-big market Finals was Miami-Dallas and those aren’t exactly small cities.
Stern has had some instances blow up in his face like the scandal of referees fixing games or the suspect way ping pong balls are drawn at the draft lottery. But I’m positive Stern has found other ways that the public hasn’t caught onto yet to fix games. Even big name players like Ray Allen have accused Stern of making sure the large market teams get in to the mix.
I’m convinced that you will never see a Milwaukee-Sacramento or Charlotte-Utah Finals during Stern’s tenure. He would never allow it. He is a very smart, deceptive and extremely evil commissioner that I hope goes away soon.
So here I am torn because I’m watching the games anyway. But when I think about it more, it’s the same as being drawn into watching “Law And Order”, another TV addiction I have. Obviously, that is not real life either. The NBA is just staging its own pre-written drama much like professional wrestling. They just won’t admit it.
And now here we are in the conference final round, and we have the Magic and Cavs tied at one and the Nuggets and Lakers tied at one. All four games have been tremendous. LeBron’s shot to win it last night was awesome. I hope both of these series go seven and continue to be filled with close hard fought games.
But then there is the other side of me that is convinced that David Stern is finding sneaky underhanded ways to fix these games to benefit the NBA’s financial success. As I have mentioned many times before on this website, blog and anywhere else I can be heard, Stern finds a way to guarantee a big market team in the Finals almost every year. In the 1980s, Boston or L.A. was in the Finals every year except when Detroit and Portland met. In the 1990s, it was either Chicago or Houston every year except when New York faced San Antonio. And then of course you had New York. This decade has seen more variety but still large markets. L.A. has had five appearances. New Jersey which is really an extension of New York has been there a couple times. The closest things we have had to a non-big market Finals was Miami-Dallas and those aren’t exactly small cities.
Stern has had some instances blow up in his face like the scandal of referees fixing games or the suspect way ping pong balls are drawn at the draft lottery. But I’m positive Stern has found other ways that the public hasn’t caught onto yet to fix games. Even big name players like Ray Allen have accused Stern of making sure the large market teams get in to the mix.
I’m convinced that you will never see a Milwaukee-Sacramento or Charlotte-Utah Finals during Stern’s tenure. He would never allow it. He is a very smart, deceptive and extremely evil commissioner that I hope goes away soon.
So here I am torn because I’m watching the games anyway. But when I think about it more, it’s the same as being drawn into watching “Law And Order”, another TV addiction I have. Obviously, that is not real life either. The NBA is just staging its own pre-written drama much like professional wrestling. They just won’t admit it.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
What's Going On With The Brewers?
Four weeks ago when the Brewers had dropped to 3-8 I wrote a blog entry on the pathetic Brewers and how this team was destined for a terrible season.
And although there is a long way to go, I will admit this much: I didn’t think they would have a stretch like they have had over the past four weeks at any point in the season. The Brewers have gone 19-6 since that 3-8 start and find themselves in first place in the surprisingly competitive NL Central.
Here is what has impressed me during this run. First, they have won a number of different ways. They have won the way we all thought they would win games this year: by pounding the ball and putting up a lot of runs in spite of bad pitching outings. However, they have also won pitching battles including two 1-0 victories, one in which pitcher Yovanni Guiardo provided his own run support by hitting a home run for the lone score in the game. They have won by jumping out in front and not letting the other team come back and they have also won several games by coming from behind. They have won on the road and at home and against good teams and bad teams.
The second impressive things is the starting pitching. Manny Parra after a terrible start as equalized and kept the Brewers in the games he has pitched. Jeff Suppan has looked terrible against the Cubs and on Opening Day. But in his other five or six starts he has looked very sharp. Brandon Looper has had a couple shaky moments but has been very consistent. And Dave Bush and Yovanni Gallardo have been spectacular. I honestly don’t expect this to continue from all five of these guys but hopefully like my last blog entry, I can be proven wrong.
Most impressive has been the bullpen. How about DeFelice evolving into a heck of a setup guy with an ERA hovering around 1.00. And then the coolest thing is being a fan and knowing that if you have the lead after eight innings, you will win the game. That is the feeling I get when Trevor Hoffman comes into the game. It has been lights out. What a pleasant reversal from last year’s feelings as a fan going into the ninth inning!
And lastly, I’m impressed with the consistency and the winning attitude. It’s almost like this team has learned how to win. That isn’t something we have experienced in Milwaukee over the past 40 years. For the exception of Ryan Braun’s torrid stretch during this winning span and JJ Hardy’s ice cold start, there has not been a lot of inconsistency. A player might go a couple games without a hit or a few without a home run but then they break out of it. It’s been nice to know what you can expect.
Now we’ll see if this continues!
And although there is a long way to go, I will admit this much: I didn’t think they would have a stretch like they have had over the past four weeks at any point in the season. The Brewers have gone 19-6 since that 3-8 start and find themselves in first place in the surprisingly competitive NL Central.
Here is what has impressed me during this run. First, they have won a number of different ways. They have won the way we all thought they would win games this year: by pounding the ball and putting up a lot of runs in spite of bad pitching outings. However, they have also won pitching battles including two 1-0 victories, one in which pitcher Yovanni Guiardo provided his own run support by hitting a home run for the lone score in the game. They have won by jumping out in front and not letting the other team come back and they have also won several games by coming from behind. They have won on the road and at home and against good teams and bad teams.
The second impressive things is the starting pitching. Manny Parra after a terrible start as equalized and kept the Brewers in the games he has pitched. Jeff Suppan has looked terrible against the Cubs and on Opening Day. But in his other five or six starts he has looked very sharp. Brandon Looper has had a couple shaky moments but has been very consistent. And Dave Bush and Yovanni Gallardo have been spectacular. I honestly don’t expect this to continue from all five of these guys but hopefully like my last blog entry, I can be proven wrong.
Most impressive has been the bullpen. How about DeFelice evolving into a heck of a setup guy with an ERA hovering around 1.00. And then the coolest thing is being a fan and knowing that if you have the lead after eight innings, you will win the game. That is the feeling I get when Trevor Hoffman comes into the game. It has been lights out. What a pleasant reversal from last year’s feelings as a fan going into the ninth inning!
And lastly, I’m impressed with the consistency and the winning attitude. It’s almost like this team has learned how to win. That isn’t something we have experienced in Milwaukee over the past 40 years. For the exception of Ryan Braun’s torrid stretch during this winning span and JJ Hardy’s ice cold start, there has not been a lot of inconsistency. A player might go a couple games without a hit or a few without a home run but then they break out of it. It’s been nice to know what you can expect.
Now we’ll see if this continues!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Yet Another Unfair Thing About the NBA
The NBA is notorious for making sure the big markets succeed. Over the last 30 years, there is at least one big market team in the Finals. This is so interesting given how many small market teams there are in the NBA. Here is the latest thing that really frustrates me.
When Shaq left the Lakers, Kobe and the boys found themselves mediocre at best in a stacked Western Conference. There was even a year that L.A missed the playoffs. Two things have happened in the past couple years though that I find utterly unfair.
First, there was the trade that sent Pau Gasol from Memphis to the Lakers. This had to have been the NBA making sure this trade happened. What did Memphis get? Kwame Brown who has been a huge disappointment. A 1st round pick last year from the Lakers which is virtually a second round pick since they picked second to last in the first round. A 1st round pick in 2010. But they had to give up a 2nd round pick. Those two picks again will virtually be the same. And they got Gasol's brother. What a joke!
Second, Derek Fisher was allowed to be released from the Utah Jazz so that he could sign with the Lakers since his kid has a medical condition that requires them to be by a hospital in L.A. Please don't get me wrong. I hope everything goes okay but this is the NBA. It is not fair that the Lakers get an outstanding player just because there is a good hospital in town.
David Stern is laughing again though as most fans don't even notice this stuff. He is also pumped that once again Milwaukee, Minnesota, Sacramento, Memphis and other small markets will not come anywhere close to the NBA Finals again this year.
When Shaq left the Lakers, Kobe and the boys found themselves mediocre at best in a stacked Western Conference. There was even a year that L.A missed the playoffs. Two things have happened in the past couple years though that I find utterly unfair.
First, there was the trade that sent Pau Gasol from Memphis to the Lakers. This had to have been the NBA making sure this trade happened. What did Memphis get? Kwame Brown who has been a huge disappointment. A 1st round pick last year from the Lakers which is virtually a second round pick since they picked second to last in the first round. A 1st round pick in 2010. But they had to give up a 2nd round pick. Those two picks again will virtually be the same. And they got Gasol's brother. What a joke!
Second, Derek Fisher was allowed to be released from the Utah Jazz so that he could sign with the Lakers since his kid has a medical condition that requires them to be by a hospital in L.A. Please don't get me wrong. I hope everything goes okay but this is the NBA. It is not fair that the Lakers get an outstanding player just because there is a good hospital in town.
David Stern is laughing again though as most fans don't even notice this stuff. He is also pumped that once again Milwaukee, Minnesota, Sacramento, Memphis and other small markets will not come anywhere close to the NBA Finals again this year.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Bulls-Celtics: Best Ever
When it comes to basketball, it’s no secret that I have become a huge college basketball fan over the last 10-15 years. And my interest in the NBA has quickly diminished due to many reasons: an extremely long regular season, a ridiculously long dragged-out playoff season, the players are somewhat annoying, there is much more one-on-one playing than in college and quite frankly, the Bucks and Timberwolves have flat out stunk the past few seasons.
However, I usually turn on the playoffs to see if anything catches my eye. Well, the Bulls-Celtics has caught my eye as well as most of the sports universe. These two teams enter Game 7 on Saturday even 3-3. Not only are they even in wins, but in five of the six games, the result as hinged on the final possession of the game. In four of those games, they’ve gone into overtime. Two have gone multiple overtimes and Game 6 was one for the ages...a triple overtime game that a little of everything.
It literally has had everything. I have been so intrigued by how these two teams plan strategy against each other, how they don’t allow the other team to get too much momentum and how hard both teams play. It almost reminds me of watching the college game.
I have heard a number of people say this is the best first round or non-Finals playoff series they have ever seen. I will go one step further and say it is the best NBA playoff series I have ever seen. Usually, I am not one to get caught up in the current emotion and make those kind of statements, but I can think of only a couple other series that drew me in:
-The Knicks/Heat series in 1990-something that included that brawl where VanGundy was holding on to Alonzo Mourning’s leg. That series was intense.
-The Sonics-Nuggets series in 1994 when the first seeded Sonics went up 2-0 only to have Denver come back and win three in a row and become the first 8-seed ever to win an NBA playoff series.
-And just cuz I’m a Bucks fan, the 1999 Pacers-Bucks series which went the full five games and featured the Bucks absolutely destroying Indiana in their two wins but not having enough to beat the veteran Pacers in the other three hard fought games.
I guess I am annoyed by those who say this series isn’t as good as the first Bird-Magic matchup in 1984 or the Rockets-Knicks series of 1994 with the OJ car chase or the Bulls-Jazz Finals of 1998 when Jordan hit that famous last shot. Those series might have had cool story lines or a couple famous plays (or car chase), but they came nowhere close to the drama of this series.
This is the best NBA playoff series ever.
However, I usually turn on the playoffs to see if anything catches my eye. Well, the Bulls-Celtics has caught my eye as well as most of the sports universe. These two teams enter Game 7 on Saturday even 3-3. Not only are they even in wins, but in five of the six games, the result as hinged on the final possession of the game. In four of those games, they’ve gone into overtime. Two have gone multiple overtimes and Game 6 was one for the ages...a triple overtime game that a little of everything.
It literally has had everything. I have been so intrigued by how these two teams plan strategy against each other, how they don’t allow the other team to get too much momentum and how hard both teams play. It almost reminds me of watching the college game.
I have heard a number of people say this is the best first round or non-Finals playoff series they have ever seen. I will go one step further and say it is the best NBA playoff series I have ever seen. Usually, I am not one to get caught up in the current emotion and make those kind of statements, but I can think of only a couple other series that drew me in:
-The Knicks/Heat series in 1990-something that included that brawl where VanGundy was holding on to Alonzo Mourning’s leg. That series was intense.
-The Sonics-Nuggets series in 1994 when the first seeded Sonics went up 2-0 only to have Denver come back and win three in a row and become the first 8-seed ever to win an NBA playoff series.
-And just cuz I’m a Bucks fan, the 1999 Pacers-Bucks series which went the full five games and featured the Bucks absolutely destroying Indiana in their two wins but not having enough to beat the veteran Pacers in the other three hard fought games.
I guess I am annoyed by those who say this series isn’t as good as the first Bird-Magic matchup in 1984 or the Rockets-Knicks series of 1994 with the OJ car chase or the Bulls-Jazz Finals of 1998 when Jordan hit that famous last shot. Those series might have had cool story lines or a couple famous plays (or car chase), but they came nowhere close to the drama of this series.
This is the best NBA playoff series ever.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
BJ Raji
The Packer defense just got better today with the draft of BJ Raji. Today Green Bay acquired the biggest scariest nose tackle to play by the bay since Gilbert Brown. I think Steve Young said it best on ESPN when he said that when the Packers were destroying San Francisco game after game in the 1990s, it was Gilbert Brown who was the beginning of all the trouble. And as Packer fans, we are very familiar with how good the Viking defense has been because of their big guys up front. So this is a great pick. The Packers now have a potential all pro to lead a solid defensive line that needed that big stud up front and now has it.
The only reservation most of us Packer fans have is that we could have had Michael Crabtree. I would have been excited with that pick as well but I think the pathetic run defense last year forced the Packers' hand here. Crabtree and Jennings would have been a very impressive 1-2 punch at receiver. But Donald Driver is still a very nice number two guy. And I've always thought that unless you have a Randy Moss or Jerry Rice type receiver who is just dominant, most receivers and running backs in the NFL have most of their success because they are on a great team with a great quarterback and offensive line. And I don't think Crabtree is obviously one of those guys. Who knows? He could turn out to be. But that is the fun of the draft. Give all the grades you want but we really won't know at least for 2-3 years.
I am excited to watch this Packer franchise build this defense especially the front seven. Raji and Kampman are in place.
The only reservation most of us Packer fans have is that we could have had Michael Crabtree. I would have been excited with that pick as well but I think the pathetic run defense last year forced the Packers' hand here. Crabtree and Jennings would have been a very impressive 1-2 punch at receiver. But Donald Driver is still a very nice number two guy. And I've always thought that unless you have a Randy Moss or Jerry Rice type receiver who is just dominant, most receivers and running backs in the NFL have most of their success because they are on a great team with a great quarterback and offensive line. And I don't think Crabtree is obviously one of those guys. Who knows? He could turn out to be. But that is the fun of the draft. Give all the grades you want but we really won't know at least for 2-3 years.
I am excited to watch this Packer franchise build this defense especially the front seven. Raji and Kampman are in place.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Brewers
Okay Brewer fans, you still think this team is going to do anything this year? It's over everyone. Have you seen this pitching staff? Yovanni Guiardo is a good young pitcher. But he would be a #3 guy on a contender. There is no way this team contends. And didn't we find out last year that this offense which is supposed to be so good is no more than a power hitting team that can't get the big hit and couldn't manufacture a run if their lives depended on it.
Last year was a fluke. Ben Sheets and CC Sabathia carried this team. Without them, this team doesn't even have a winning season. And this year they will be lucky to win 70 games. Get used to it Milwaukee. Get used to many more years as a floor mat for the good teams. Get used to every good player to come up in your system ending up with the Yankees, Red Sox or any other championship franchise that can spend money.
This franchise will never win a championship in my lifetime.
The only thing more guaranteed is the Cubs never winning one either.
Last year was a fluke. Ben Sheets and CC Sabathia carried this team. Without them, this team doesn't even have a winning season. And this year they will be lucky to win 70 games. Get used to it Milwaukee. Get used to many more years as a floor mat for the good teams. Get used to every good player to come up in your system ending up with the Yankees, Red Sox or any other championship franchise that can spend money.
This franchise will never win a championship in my lifetime.
The only thing more guaranteed is the Cubs never winning one either.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Football Schedule
I am so glad that the NFL football schedule comes out in April. With March Madness and the Masters over I need constant little reminders like this that football is coming and even though the baseball season and NBA & NHL postseasons seem to drag on FOREVER, football will eventually arrive.
So I'm looking at the Packer schedule and I'm very excited about it. The highlights:
Opening on a national Sunday night game at Lambeau against Chicago.
Playing on Thanksgiving at Detroit.
Playing at Tampa the first weekend in November. I am seeing a trip to Florida happening that weekend!
Playing at Arizona the first weekend in January. I am definitely seeing a trip to Phoenix happening that weekend!
A Monday nighter at Lambeau in December! The first ever in December. Against Baltimore.
The Packers travel outside the Midwest only twice: Arizona and Tampa. Could mean a lot of Packer fans at a lot of games. Should be no problem with being road weary.
I'm not one to project wins in April (although I do like to have fun with it and say we are going 15-1) since the NFL is very unpredictable, but I like this schedule. I think there are some fun and interesting games including playing both Super Bowl teams the last four weeks of the season. Nothing is guaranteed except we will beat Detroit at home. The Pack has done that every year since 1991. Quite a streak.
So I'm looking at the Packer schedule and I'm very excited about it. The highlights:
Opening on a national Sunday night game at Lambeau against Chicago.
Playing on Thanksgiving at Detroit.
Playing at Tampa the first weekend in November. I am seeing a trip to Florida happening that weekend!
Playing at Arizona the first weekend in January. I am definitely seeing a trip to Phoenix happening that weekend!
A Monday nighter at Lambeau in December! The first ever in December. Against Baltimore.
The Packers travel outside the Midwest only twice: Arizona and Tampa. Could mean a lot of Packer fans at a lot of games. Should be no problem with being road weary.
I'm not one to project wins in April (although I do like to have fun with it and say we are going 15-1) since the NFL is very unpredictable, but I like this schedule. I think there are some fun and interesting games including playing both Super Bowl teams the last four weeks of the season. Nothing is guaranteed except we will beat Detroit at home. The Pack has done that every year since 1991. Quite a streak.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Brewers
I have to admit I was giving up on the Brewers Friday afternoon. But I never should have for one major reasons: they were playing the Cubs. And the Cubs are one francshie that can relate to the Brewers futility over the past many decades. I am for at least one day very happy for Rickie Weeks. This guy gets unfairly slammed by Brewer fans for his lack of living up to potential. Granted he is a belwo average 2nd baseman but he is not terrible. And it's moments like this one where he gets a game-tying double in the bottom of the ninth and then goes to third on a wild pitch that many players would not have advance on and then scores the winning run on a hard hit fielders choice grounder. That's a great moment for Weeks. And maybe it's a sign of great things to come.
Weeks is one of many Brewers that must majorly step up their game this year if they are going to contend. With starting pitching taking a huge step back this year and the bullpen yet to prove themselves, these guy are going to have show a lot of improvement at the plate and in the field.
With that said, nice win Friday night. A character-buliding win. Maybe they can get two out of three this weekend.
Weeks is one of many Brewers that must majorly step up their game this year if they are going to contend. With starting pitching taking a huge step back this year and the bullpen yet to prove themselves, these guy are going to have show a lot of improvement at the plate and in the field.
With that said, nice win Friday night. A character-buliding win. Maybe they can get two out of three this weekend.
Getting Philosophical with the Masters
You know the summer is coming when you turn on the TV and you see a major golf tournament on, more specifically the Masters. I have grown to love the Masters for so many reasons. And this year has been no different. After three days, we have seen some great golf. A guy by the name of Chad Campbell is making a strong run. Angel Cabrera has been Mr. Consistent. Wisconsin’s very own Steve Stricker has become one of the top players on tour over the past couple years and is very much in the mix going into the final day. And for those who are only happy if Tiger is on top of the leader board, he still has an outside chance at -4, seven off the pace.
But I have been most impressed with co-leader Kenny Perry who at 49 years old is playing great golf. I enjoyed a couple comments he made Friday evening when he said that he still has the fire inside and wants to kick everyone’s butts. Although the comments were not elegantly spoken, they are inspirational. Sometimes I watch golf and think about how terrible of a golfer I am, and how I would have as many strokes on one of those par fives as they have on five holes combined. So that is not the part that is inspirational.
What is cool is that Kenny Perry is at the top of his profession this weekend. He is who everyone is looking up at as the best right now. As a teacher that is what I strive for. I want to give my students the best because that is what they deserve. And no matter what age I am, I hope I can always be relevant, a great communicator, and on top of my “game” with these kids. If there was a Masters of Teaching tournament, I would be just like Kenny. I would want to be the best. And it’s not because I’m competitive. It’s because I want the kids to have the best and I take away great joy from watching kids succeed and enjoy their education.
But I have been most impressed with co-leader Kenny Perry who at 49 years old is playing great golf. I enjoyed a couple comments he made Friday evening when he said that he still has the fire inside and wants to kick everyone’s butts. Although the comments were not elegantly spoken, they are inspirational. Sometimes I watch golf and think about how terrible of a golfer I am, and how I would have as many strokes on one of those par fives as they have on five holes combined. So that is not the part that is inspirational.
What is cool is that Kenny Perry is at the top of his profession this weekend. He is who everyone is looking up at as the best right now. As a teacher that is what I strive for. I want to give my students the best because that is what they deserve. And no matter what age I am, I hope I can always be relevant, a great communicator, and on top of my “game” with these kids. If there was a Masters of Teaching tournament, I would be just like Kenny. I would want to be the best. And it’s not because I’m competitive. It’s because I want the kids to have the best and I take away great joy from watching kids succeed and enjoy their education.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
March Madness Memories
This was definitely not the most memorable NCAA Tournament in years past, but it had it share of moments that I will remember for years to come. My favorite day of the tournament was by far the first Friday. Both Marquette and Wisconsin were on tap to play their first round games that day. Marquette was in a back and forth game with Utah State that came down to the wire at the same time that Tennessee and Oklahoma State were going to down to the end. Marquette finally got a little breathing room the final 30 seconds and hit free throws to ice the game while Oklahoma State won on a last second shot in the first really exciting game of the tournament.
But it was Friday night that was even more exciting. It appeared that the Badgers were on their way to a first round exit when trailing by 12 points to high flying Florida State. The CBS halftime crew said that they gave the Badgers no shot to come back. And let's face it. Who would. How were the Badgers going to speed the game up and overcome that sort of deficit. Everyone knows in a Badger game, a 12-point lead is like a 24-point lead. But behold non-believers (including me quite frankly). The Badgers went on one of their pattented 13-0 runs which took like 7 minutes and took the lead. Then when facing a late-game deficit like they have all year and most of the time folded, Bohanen hit a huge three to send it into overtime. At the same time, Ohio State and Siena were heading into double overtime. CBS was switching back and forth as both games came down to the wire. Wisconsin again came back late in overtime to get a huge basket from Trevon Hughes and completed the improbable win over Florida State. Right around that time Siena topped Ohio State.
The weekend was disappointing. Not a lot of good games and the favorites won 15 of 16 in disappointing NCAA-fashioin.
But the following weekend was full of more exciting contests. Missouri taking it to Memphis was shocking as was Villanova destroying Duke. In fact, Villanova became my favorite team to watch that second weekend. The Pitt-Villanova game, sloppy ending and all, was my favorite game of the tournament.
The Michigan State run was fun to watch. Wins over Louisville and Connecticut were very surprising in my eyes but I hope made people realize along with Purdue's run and Michigan's and Wisconsin's first round victories that the Big Ten was for real this year. And as much as I didn't want to see it, the North Carolina run through the tournament was very impressive. For those who said there wasn't a dominant team in the NCAA this year, I think you're wrong. North Carolina won its last three games against the hottest teams in the tournament: Oklahoma, Villanova and Michigan State in awesome sytle.
But it was Friday night that was even more exciting. It appeared that the Badgers were on their way to a first round exit when trailing by 12 points to high flying Florida State. The CBS halftime crew said that they gave the Badgers no shot to come back. And let's face it. Who would. How were the Badgers going to speed the game up and overcome that sort of deficit. Everyone knows in a Badger game, a 12-point lead is like a 24-point lead. But behold non-believers (including me quite frankly). The Badgers went on one of their pattented 13-0 runs which took like 7 minutes and took the lead. Then when facing a late-game deficit like they have all year and most of the time folded, Bohanen hit a huge three to send it into overtime. At the same time, Ohio State and Siena were heading into double overtime. CBS was switching back and forth as both games came down to the wire. Wisconsin again came back late in overtime to get a huge basket from Trevon Hughes and completed the improbable win over Florida State. Right around that time Siena topped Ohio State.
The weekend was disappointing. Not a lot of good games and the favorites won 15 of 16 in disappointing NCAA-fashioin.
But the following weekend was full of more exciting contests. Missouri taking it to Memphis was shocking as was Villanova destroying Duke. In fact, Villanova became my favorite team to watch that second weekend. The Pitt-Villanova game, sloppy ending and all, was my favorite game of the tournament.
The Michigan State run was fun to watch. Wins over Louisville and Connecticut were very surprising in my eyes but I hope made people realize along with Purdue's run and Michigan's and Wisconsin's first round victories that the Big Ten was for real this year. And as much as I didn't want to see it, the North Carolina run through the tournament was very impressive. For those who said there wasn't a dominant team in the NCAA this year, I think you're wrong. North Carolina won its last three games against the hottest teams in the tournament: Oklahoma, Villanova and Michigan State in awesome sytle.
Baseball Predictions and Songer Bracket Challenge Results
It’s time once again for my Major League Baseball Season Preview. And once again I will pick based solely on team payroll. Major League Baseball’s competitive balance is a complete joke. If any other business spent such a lopsided amount in one department and gave pennies to an equally important department, it would go under in a matter of days...especially in this economy. Yet in baseball, the Yankees, Red Sox, etc. continue to spend spend spend. And the have-nots watch as they are outspent by 5-10 times.
Spare me the argument baseball fans. Oh, but look at the Twins. They manage to win. Yeah, how many playoff series have they won in the past 16 years? One? Nice try. Oh, but can’t we just go to the game with our kids and enjoy the atmosphere? Sure as long as you don’t really care how you’re team is doing, enjoy the time with your kids. How can I argue with that. I’ll probably do the same thing with Caleb.
So here we go with what is going to happen:
AL East:
Yankees
Red Sox
Blue Jays
Orioles
Rays
AL Central:
Tigers
White Sox
Indians
Twins
Royals
AL West:
Angels
Mariners
Rangers
Athletics
NL East:
Mets
Braves
Phillies
Nationals
Marlins
NL Central:
Cubs
Cardinals
Astros
Brewers
Reds
Pirates
NL West:
Dodgers
Giants
Padres
Rcokies
Diamondbacks
And congratulations to Tim Urness for winning the Songer Bracket Challenge. With North Carolina’s strong championship run, Tim edges out 2-time champion Matt Franko for dinner with the Songers. Hopefully Tim, it won’t take as long for you to get your dinner as it did for Tyson or as it still has been for Matt! Thanks everyone for playing!
Final results:
Place-Name Points, No. of teams in Final 4, (predicted winner)
1. Tim Urness 76, 1, (North Carolina)
2. Matt Franko 74, 1, (Louisville)
3. Heidi Songer 68, 0, (Pittsburgh)
3. Tyson Fox 68, 1, (Pittsburgh)
3. Eric Songer 68, 1, (Louisville)
6. Matt Mealey 65, 1, (Pittsburgh)
Spare me the argument baseball fans. Oh, but look at the Twins. They manage to win. Yeah, how many playoff series have they won in the past 16 years? One? Nice try. Oh, but can’t we just go to the game with our kids and enjoy the atmosphere? Sure as long as you don’t really care how you’re team is doing, enjoy the time with your kids. How can I argue with that. I’ll probably do the same thing with Caleb.
So here we go with what is going to happen:
AL East:
Yankees
Red Sox
Blue Jays
Orioles
Rays
AL Central:
Tigers
White Sox
Indians
Twins
Royals
AL West:
Angels
Mariners
Rangers
Athletics
NL East:
Mets
Braves
Phillies
Nationals
Marlins
NL Central:
Cubs
Cardinals
Astros
Brewers
Reds
Pirates
NL West:
Dodgers
Giants
Padres
Rcokies
Diamondbacks
And congratulations to Tim Urness for winning the Songer Bracket Challenge. With North Carolina’s strong championship run, Tim edges out 2-time champion Matt Franko for dinner with the Songers. Hopefully Tim, it won’t take as long for you to get your dinner as it did for Tyson or as it still has been for Matt! Thanks everyone for playing!
Final results:
Place-Name Points, No. of teams in Final 4, (predicted winner)
1. Tim Urness 76, 1, (North Carolina)
2. Matt Franko 74, 1, (Louisville)
3. Heidi Songer 68, 0, (Pittsburgh)
3. Tyson Fox 68, 1, (Pittsburgh)
3. Eric Songer 68, 1, (Louisville)
6. Matt Mealey 65, 1, (Pittsburgh)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Final Four
It was strange watching the Sweet Sixteen this weekend and not having Wisconsin or Marquette in the mix. It is nice to already look ahead to next year though. The Badgers are only losing Landry and Krabenhoft. The bad news is those guys were the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. But, the Badger rotation generally involved nine to ten players every game and there are a lot of returners that should have a huge impact next year like Jason Bohanen, Trevon Hughes and John Leuer. The question with Bo Ryan’s teams are never “will they be good”, it’s “how good will they be”. Maybe next year’s Badger crew can be closer to the 30-win teams of 2007 and 2008 instead of the 20-win team of this past year.
Marquette will have a tougher time replacing their talent as McNeil, Matthews and James all graduate. But there is a lot of young talent on this teams that is going to be smarter and stronger next year. It’s going to be fun. The only bad part is that we have to wait through a 3-month NBA postseason, another boring baseball season hearing about the Yankees, Red Sox, Yankees, Red Sox, Yankees....oh, just wake me up when football season starts please!
Matt Franko is going for his third consecutive Songer Bracket Challenge win (actually Heidi reminded me that she actually won last year but since I buy her dinner all the time we would give it to our second place entry) and he is in good shape after the second weekend. Matt has 74 points and is in first place. Unfortunately for Matt like many of us though, he can’t pick up any more points the rest of the weekend. In fact, our two contestants tied for last are the only ones you can get more points. Matt Mealey can move into second place with a Connecticut win over Michigan State next Saturday but that is as high as he can go. Only Tim Urness has a chance of catching Matt. Tim needs North Carolina to win the championship to win the pool. If anyone other than North Carolina wins, Matt Franko will pick up the 3-peat and will likely be a no brainer for election into the Songer Bracket Challenge Hall Of Fame.
Here is the update:
Place-Name Points, No. of teams left in Final 4, more points possible (predicted winner)
1. Matt Franko 74, 1, no more points possible (Louisville)
2. Heidi Songer 68, 0, no more points possible (Pittsburgh)
2. Tyson Fox 68, 1, no more points possible (Pittsburgh)
2. Eric Songer 68, 1, no more points possible (Louisville)
5. Tim Urness 65, 1, 11 more points possible (North Carolina)
5. Matt Mealey 65, 1, 5 more points possible (Pittsburgh)
Marquette will have a tougher time replacing their talent as McNeil, Matthews and James all graduate. But there is a lot of young talent on this teams that is going to be smarter and stronger next year. It’s going to be fun. The only bad part is that we have to wait through a 3-month NBA postseason, another boring baseball season hearing about the Yankees, Red Sox, Yankees, Red Sox, Yankees....oh, just wake me up when football season starts please!
Matt Franko is going for his third consecutive Songer Bracket Challenge win (actually Heidi reminded me that she actually won last year but since I buy her dinner all the time we would give it to our second place entry) and he is in good shape after the second weekend. Matt has 74 points and is in first place. Unfortunately for Matt like many of us though, he can’t pick up any more points the rest of the weekend. In fact, our two contestants tied for last are the only ones you can get more points. Matt Mealey can move into second place with a Connecticut win over Michigan State next Saturday but that is as high as he can go. Only Tim Urness has a chance of catching Matt. Tim needs North Carolina to win the championship to win the pool. If anyone other than North Carolina wins, Matt Franko will pick up the 3-peat and will likely be a no brainer for election into the Songer Bracket Challenge Hall Of Fame.
Here is the update:
Place-Name Points, No. of teams left in Final 4, more points possible (predicted winner)
1. Matt Franko 74, 1, no more points possible (Louisville)
2. Heidi Songer 68, 0, no more points possible (Pittsburgh)
2. Tyson Fox 68, 1, no more points possible (Pittsburgh)
2. Eric Songer 68, 1, no more points possible (Louisville)
5. Tim Urness 65, 1, 11 more points possible (North Carolina)
5. Matt Mealey 65, 1, 5 more points possible (Pittsburgh)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Songer Sports
Welcome to the new Songer Sports blog. I am finally reorganizing my old blog which was a collection of random thoughts in many areas of life that I never updated. This blog will feature mainly Wisconsin sports but will occasionally focus on other sports topics. Feel free to chime in.
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