The incredible Milwaukee Bucks season encountered a stiff road block last Saturday when their star center Andrew Bogut, who was having a breakout season, suffered a horrific arm injury against the Phoenix Suns which has ended his season.
The Bucks, who were being picked to have a great chance to upset either Boston or Atlanta in the first round, are now pretty much being left for dead as they approach their first playoff appearance since 2006. But let’s look at this from two angles: small picture and big picture.
First of all, small picture. The Bucks were picked by nearly everyone to finish last in the Eastern Conference. That’s right. Even worse than the New Jersey Nets! The Bucks quickly suffered their annual season loss of star Michael Redd which to many indicated that this team would live up to their ominous pre-season expectations. Instead, we have been treated to a plethora of surprises. Bogut had an incredible season. Many now consider him to be one of the top five centers in the league. Rookie Brandon Jennings appears to be an up and coming star and will finish in the top three for rookie of the year. The Bucks acquired John Salmons at the trade deadline. At first, this appeared to be a ho hum trade. Instead, Salmons has become the star of this team. European players Ersan Iryaslova and Carols Delfino have been very pleasant surprises. Veterans Jerry Stackhouse and Kurt Thomas have brought much needed leadership to this team. And Coach Scott Skiles has the Bucks playing defense for the first time since I don’t remember when. To be going to the playoffs as a 5 or 6-seed in the East is much more than any of us could have anticipated at the beginning of the season. Even if Bogut had not been lost for the year, this team would still be an underdog even to win one playoff series and would definitely have not advanced past the second round.
Now for the big picture. Even though the Bucks will most likely go out in round one, they are going to get some great playoff experience. When you consider how this team plays under Skiles, I think they are going to give the Hawks or Celtics some tough physical games. Whether they take the series to seven or get swept is really immaterial in my opinion. The next step this team takes will not happen this season. It will happen beginning this off season with who the organization decides to keep and draft. And then we will see what happens next winter when there are expectations for this team. Bogut will be expected to continue playing at a high level. Jennings, Iryaslova and Delfino will be expected to continue their growth process. John Salmons will need to continue to produce. And Skiles must figure out how to use Michael Redd if and when he returns and stays healthy in 2010-11. Much like the Atlanta Hawks of last year, the Bucks should expect to contend for a top four seed in the East a year after their breakout season. They should win a first round series next year and be competitive in a second round series.
What they can’t allow to happen is what occurred in Philadelphia this year. It looked like the 76ers were primed to be that breakout team this year. Instead, they slid completely in the other direction. Next year should be exciting and has the potential to be very fun. There hasn’t been this much expected of the Milwaukee Bucks in ten years. It’s a good feeling!
(Notice I have no baseball predictions or comments as has been tradition. My hatred of Major League Baseball has finally resulted in me not even following it anymore. Bud Selig, the players' union, the owners and everyone associated with the head office of MLB has ruined the game for me. Call me a hater if you want, but I like my sports to have competitve balance. I have no desire to follow a sport that has become so corrupt.)
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Slippery Home Stretch for Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks had been the hottest team in the NBA until these past few games. It will be interesting to see how this team handles the last week and a half of the regular season and how this affects their performance if and when they make the playoffs.
The acquisition of John Salmons along with the development of Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings have provided Bucks fans with the most exciting basketball we have seen in seven or eight years from the hometown team. They are playing defense, executing on offense, winning on the road and winning period. This team has risen from the depths of a 16-23 first half to on the verge of having a winning season and a playoff berth. As of just ten days ago, it looked like the Bucks were going to cruise into the Eastern conference playoffs as a 5-seed and have an interesting first round matchup with Atlanta or Boston.
Although they could still end up with this 5-seed, they are going to have to take it to yet another level to do that and then be prepared to take it up yet another step when the playoffs start. This past week has seen the Bucks drop two close road games against the best team in the East, Cleveland in which the Cavs shot 40 more free throws than the Bucks, and Charlotte in which the Bucks could not clamp down defensively at the end of regulation or overtime to pull out a win. Combine this with a loss to lowly Philadelphia and a demoralizing loss to Miami which has overtaken the Bucks for the 5-seed, and all of the sudden it appears that this Bucks team is not ready for a playoff run.
They have now dropped three straight games against fellow Eastern conference contenders and have watched Miami, Charlotte, Toronto and Chicago all surpass them in recent performance over the past ten days. Add to that, that the top four seeds, Cleveland, Boston, Atlanta and Orlando are all beginning to step it up as well, and it appears that the Bucks have quickly fallen from the league’s hottest team to the most suspect as we hit two weeks before the playoffs tip off.
And it isn’t going to get easier for the Bucks. Their last seven games include contests against Phoenix, Chicago, Atlanta and two against Boston. All four teams are in a similar position as the Bucks as they are fighting for playoff positioning or in the case of Chicago, trying to make it into the playoffs.
From a fan perspective, I am just excited that the Bucks are in a position to make the playoffs. But, even this isn’t a gimme anymore. If the Bucks lose to Phoenix and then can’t beat the Bulls Tuesday night, Milwaukee would then ride a 4-game losing streak and be only five games over .500. With five games to play, they could be staring at only a three game lead over the Bulls for that final playoff position. Stranger things have happened.
Of course, the other downer would be if the Bucks slip to seven or eight in the standings and have to open with Cleveland or Orlando. This would not bode well for a Bucks team especially if they are struggling. A sweep out of the playoffs would be eminent.
It’s tough to look at the glass half full when you are a Bucks fan. It’s rare that this team puts it together at all, not to mention at the right time. Hopefully Scott Skiles can get this team coached up again to be physical and execute like they did in February and most of March. They are going to need to if they are going to continue to give us anything to cheer about.
Visit my website at www.songerstudio.com
The acquisition of John Salmons along with the development of Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings have provided Bucks fans with the most exciting basketball we have seen in seven or eight years from the hometown team. They are playing defense, executing on offense, winning on the road and winning period. This team has risen from the depths of a 16-23 first half to on the verge of having a winning season and a playoff berth. As of just ten days ago, it looked like the Bucks were going to cruise into the Eastern conference playoffs as a 5-seed and have an interesting first round matchup with Atlanta or Boston.
Although they could still end up with this 5-seed, they are going to have to take it to yet another level to do that and then be prepared to take it up yet another step when the playoffs start. This past week has seen the Bucks drop two close road games against the best team in the East, Cleveland in which the Cavs shot 40 more free throws than the Bucks, and Charlotte in which the Bucks could not clamp down defensively at the end of regulation or overtime to pull out a win. Combine this with a loss to lowly Philadelphia and a demoralizing loss to Miami which has overtaken the Bucks for the 5-seed, and all of the sudden it appears that this Bucks team is not ready for a playoff run.
They have now dropped three straight games against fellow Eastern conference contenders and have watched Miami, Charlotte, Toronto and Chicago all surpass them in recent performance over the past ten days. Add to that, that the top four seeds, Cleveland, Boston, Atlanta and Orlando are all beginning to step it up as well, and it appears that the Bucks have quickly fallen from the league’s hottest team to the most suspect as we hit two weeks before the playoffs tip off.
And it isn’t going to get easier for the Bucks. Their last seven games include contests against Phoenix, Chicago, Atlanta and two against Boston. All four teams are in a similar position as the Bucks as they are fighting for playoff positioning or in the case of Chicago, trying to make it into the playoffs.
From a fan perspective, I am just excited that the Bucks are in a position to make the playoffs. But, even this isn’t a gimme anymore. If the Bucks lose to Phoenix and then can’t beat the Bulls Tuesday night, Milwaukee would then ride a 4-game losing streak and be only five games over .500. With five games to play, they could be staring at only a three game lead over the Bulls for that final playoff position. Stranger things have happened.
Of course, the other downer would be if the Bucks slip to seven or eight in the standings and have to open with Cleveland or Orlando. This would not bode well for a Bucks team especially if they are struggling. A sweep out of the playoffs would be eminent.
It’s tough to look at the glass half full when you are a Bucks fan. It’s rare that this team puts it together at all, not to mention at the right time. Hopefully Scott Skiles can get this team coached up again to be physical and execute like they did in February and most of March. They are going to need to if they are going to continue to give us anything to cheer about.
Visit my website at www.songerstudio.com
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Milwaukee Bucks Win 6th Straight
With March here, usually I am talking college basketball. And I will be soon. Our annual March Madness basketball tournament is right around the corner. But this week, this column has a special March guest, the Milwaukee Bucks.
The past three seasons have seen the Bucks well out of playoff contention when the calendar turned to March. Usually by this point, Michael Redd is out for the season, there are a bunch of young players leading the green machine out against teams with superior talent and their highlights usually don’t even make SportsCenter.
So what has changed this season? Well, come to think of it nothing. Redd is out for the year. There are a bunch of young guys that we don’t know much about playing big minutes and ESPN still thinks Bucks refers to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But somehow, this team is winning. Today the Bucks won their season-high sixth in a row to improve to 30-28 and pull a game and a half ahead of Miami and Charlotte who are currently tied for the 8th and final playoff spot in the East. They are only a game behind Chicago for 6th in the East. And even though the competition stiffens in March, 10 of their 15 games are at home. Not that they would mind playing on the road. The Bucks have won six in a row away from the Bradley Center.
Probably the biggest reasons this team is contending for its first playoff appearance since 2006 include: Andrew Bogut is finally emerging as a star in this league. Taken #1 overall in the 2005 draft, Bogut has struggled with injuries and a weak supporting cast as well as underachieving. This year, he has turned things around and is considered to be one of the top three centers in the Eastern Conference. Another reason is the acquisition of John Salmons from Chicago. He is not exactly a superstar in this league but is a consistent scorer who is picking up the slack lost when Redd went out for the year. Then you add in the level of play form the young guys starting with sensation Brandon Jennings. Jennings is still trying to figure out how he can present the biggest impact in the NBA but he has high potential and doesn’t play like a rookie.
Let’s not forget coach Scott Skiles. He has found a way to move parts around and keep this team in games nearly every night. And lately, the Bucks aren’t just winning, but they are showing flashes of offensive explosiveness and defensive brilliance.
Many would say this team would be better suited missing the playoffs again and playing the lottery again to get another piece in the puzzle. But a playoff appearance would be wonderful for this young group. And quite honestly, this team needs to go out and get an older impact player with their cap room instead of drafting another promising rookie. Maybe Dwayne Wade was watching this team from the bench the other day thinking that he would love to return to Milwaukee where he enjoyed college success and help take this young Bucks team to the next level.
That may be a pipe dream, but one can only hope that this is the beginning of something good.
For more from Eric Songer, visit www.songerstudio.com
The past three seasons have seen the Bucks well out of playoff contention when the calendar turned to March. Usually by this point, Michael Redd is out for the season, there are a bunch of young players leading the green machine out against teams with superior talent and their highlights usually don’t even make SportsCenter.
So what has changed this season? Well, come to think of it nothing. Redd is out for the year. There are a bunch of young guys that we don’t know much about playing big minutes and ESPN still thinks Bucks refers to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But somehow, this team is winning. Today the Bucks won their season-high sixth in a row to improve to 30-28 and pull a game and a half ahead of Miami and Charlotte who are currently tied for the 8th and final playoff spot in the East. They are only a game behind Chicago for 6th in the East. And even though the competition stiffens in March, 10 of their 15 games are at home. Not that they would mind playing on the road. The Bucks have won six in a row away from the Bradley Center.
Probably the biggest reasons this team is contending for its first playoff appearance since 2006 include: Andrew Bogut is finally emerging as a star in this league. Taken #1 overall in the 2005 draft, Bogut has struggled with injuries and a weak supporting cast as well as underachieving. This year, he has turned things around and is considered to be one of the top three centers in the Eastern Conference. Another reason is the acquisition of John Salmons from Chicago. He is not exactly a superstar in this league but is a consistent scorer who is picking up the slack lost when Redd went out for the year. Then you add in the level of play form the young guys starting with sensation Brandon Jennings. Jennings is still trying to figure out how he can present the biggest impact in the NBA but he has high potential and doesn’t play like a rookie.
Let’s not forget coach Scott Skiles. He has found a way to move parts around and keep this team in games nearly every night. And lately, the Bucks aren’t just winning, but they are showing flashes of offensive explosiveness and defensive brilliance.
Many would say this team would be better suited missing the playoffs again and playing the lottery again to get another piece in the puzzle. But a playoff appearance would be wonderful for this young group. And quite honestly, this team needs to go out and get an older impact player with their cap room instead of drafting another promising rookie. Maybe Dwayne Wade was watching this team from the bench the other day thinking that he would love to return to Milwaukee where he enjoyed college success and help take this young Bucks team to the next level.
That may be a pipe dream, but one can only hope that this is the beginning of something good.
For more from Eric Songer, visit www.songerstudio.com
Saturday, February 6, 2010
NFL Season In Review (from an NFC North slant of course)
This is always a sad time for me when it comes to my sports watching addiction. It’s the end of football season which is by far my favorite sport to watch. Luckily, my second favorite is college basketball which is entering it’s most exciting part of the season. (The most sad time is when college basketball ends and baseball starts.)
With that said, this NFL season was probably the most exciting and fun season for me as a fan since two years ago when the Packers made the NFC Championship Game. And before that it was probably the most exciting since the Packers’ two Super Bowl runs in that late 1990’s. And I say this even though the Packers lost twice to Brett Favre and Vikings and were bounced in a most horrible way out of the playoffs.
What made this season so fun was the drama that built throughout. It of course all started with Brett Favre signing with the Vikings. Throw in the signing of Jay Cutler by the Bears and a lot of us fans of the NFC North were convinced that this was going to be a great three-team race. Many “experts” were picking the Bears, Vikings and Packers to all have good seasons.
So we sat back and watched the preseason. Cutler, Favre and Rodgers all impressed us. When the real season started, the Packers pulled out a close one against the Bears. Brett Favre had that spectacular game winning throw against San Francisco. Then of course there were the two Packer losses to the Vikings which of course were not easy to take but the drama surrounding those two games were very entertaining. Meanwhile, Jay Cutler’s fast start was quickly fading as the interceptions began to mount.
It appeared that the Vikings were going to run away with the division after the Packers and Bears scuffled through the first half of the season. But the second half of the season had it’s own set of story lines. After Aaron Rodgers endured a terrible first eight games in the department of being sacked at a near record pace, he began getting more protection and started unloading the ball in a more timely fashion and racked up numbers that put him in the MVP race. The Packers also put together a winning streak that included great wins over Dallas and Baltimore and solidified a place in the playoffs. The defense was ranked number one in the league thanks to great play by Clay Matthews and a revival from the eventual defensive player of the year Charles Woodson.
Meanwhile, the Vikings stumbled in losses to Arizona and Carolina. And Brett Favre and Brad Childress had a major run in when it came to play calling and audibles at the line. The division could have been on the line had it not been for a game-ending touchdown by Pittsburgh over the Packers in December in one of the best 4th quarters I have ever watched. The Vikings then engaged in a very entertaining Monday night game against the Bears who had slid completely off the table during the middle of the season. The Bears won in overtime after a furious Viking comeback in the second half jeopardizing the Vikings shot at a first round bye.
When all was said and done, the Vikings won the division and earned a bye after throttling New York the final week of the season. And the Packers easily took the first wildcard slot after convincing wins over Seattle and Arizona.
The ending of the story did not disappoint from a drama standpoint although fans of both teams were left in complete disappointment in the final games. The Packers spotted Arizona leads of 17-0 and 31-10 before mounting a comeback to tie the game at 45 at the end of regulation. Aaron Rodgers who would eventually start the ProBowl for the NFC missed a wide open Greg Jennings on the first play of overtime that would have won the game. Two plays later he lost the ball and the Cardinals won the game 51-45. Heartbreak.
The Vikings matched that disappointment and then some after a convincing defeat of Dallas in the Divisional round, they overcame a turnover infested performance against New Orleans to put them in position to win the game. But a 12-players in a huddle mistake by Childress and then an interception by Brett Favre cost them that opportunity. And New Orleans went on to win an overtime. The irony of Favre not only repeating history by making a bone headed play in a playoff game is amazing. But throw in how his last throw as a Viking could have the same disastrous result as his last throw as a Packer could not have even been written in Hollywood.
So here we are at the end of the season awaiting the 2010 NFL season much like a movie that begs for a sequel. And fortunately, that is what we are going to get.
Eric Songer
With that said, this NFL season was probably the most exciting and fun season for me as a fan since two years ago when the Packers made the NFC Championship Game. And before that it was probably the most exciting since the Packers’ two Super Bowl runs in that late 1990’s. And I say this even though the Packers lost twice to Brett Favre and Vikings and were bounced in a most horrible way out of the playoffs.
What made this season so fun was the drama that built throughout. It of course all started with Brett Favre signing with the Vikings. Throw in the signing of Jay Cutler by the Bears and a lot of us fans of the NFC North were convinced that this was going to be a great three-team race. Many “experts” were picking the Bears, Vikings and Packers to all have good seasons.
So we sat back and watched the preseason. Cutler, Favre and Rodgers all impressed us. When the real season started, the Packers pulled out a close one against the Bears. Brett Favre had that spectacular game winning throw against San Francisco. Then of course there were the two Packer losses to the Vikings which of course were not easy to take but the drama surrounding those two games were very entertaining. Meanwhile, Jay Cutler’s fast start was quickly fading as the interceptions began to mount.
It appeared that the Vikings were going to run away with the division after the Packers and Bears scuffled through the first half of the season. But the second half of the season had it’s own set of story lines. After Aaron Rodgers endured a terrible first eight games in the department of being sacked at a near record pace, he began getting more protection and started unloading the ball in a more timely fashion and racked up numbers that put him in the MVP race. The Packers also put together a winning streak that included great wins over Dallas and Baltimore and solidified a place in the playoffs. The defense was ranked number one in the league thanks to great play by Clay Matthews and a revival from the eventual defensive player of the year Charles Woodson.
Meanwhile, the Vikings stumbled in losses to Arizona and Carolina. And Brett Favre and Brad Childress had a major run in when it came to play calling and audibles at the line. The division could have been on the line had it not been for a game-ending touchdown by Pittsburgh over the Packers in December in one of the best 4th quarters I have ever watched. The Vikings then engaged in a very entertaining Monday night game against the Bears who had slid completely off the table during the middle of the season. The Bears won in overtime after a furious Viking comeback in the second half jeopardizing the Vikings shot at a first round bye.
When all was said and done, the Vikings won the division and earned a bye after throttling New York the final week of the season. And the Packers easily took the first wildcard slot after convincing wins over Seattle and Arizona.
The ending of the story did not disappoint from a drama standpoint although fans of both teams were left in complete disappointment in the final games. The Packers spotted Arizona leads of 17-0 and 31-10 before mounting a comeback to tie the game at 45 at the end of regulation. Aaron Rodgers who would eventually start the ProBowl for the NFC missed a wide open Greg Jennings on the first play of overtime that would have won the game. Two plays later he lost the ball and the Cardinals won the game 51-45. Heartbreak.
The Vikings matched that disappointment and then some after a convincing defeat of Dallas in the Divisional round, they overcame a turnover infested performance against New Orleans to put them in position to win the game. But a 12-players in a huddle mistake by Childress and then an interception by Brett Favre cost them that opportunity. And New Orleans went on to win an overtime. The irony of Favre not only repeating history by making a bone headed play in a playoff game is amazing. But throw in how his last throw as a Viking could have the same disastrous result as his last throw as a Packer could not have even been written in Hollywood.
So here we are at the end of the season awaiting the 2010 NFL season much like a movie that begs for a sequel. And fortunately, that is what we are going to get.
Eric Songer
Friday, January 15, 2010
Packers Heartbreak, Badgers Annual "Surprise"
When the Green Bay Packers fell behind 17-0 last weekend in their wildcard playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals, I was obviously frustrated with my team’s performance but I was not about to call the game over. Even after the Packers could not hold the Cardinals after a couple first half scores and even the touchdown to being the third quarter which put Arizona up 31-10, I thought this team still had a shot.
And sure enough. An amazing second half ensued. The third and fourth quarter were filled with amazing plays and exciting moments such as Greg Jennings’ one-handed catch, an onside kick that the Packers recovered, countless moments where Aaron Rodgers scrambled out of the pocket and made big plays. Then as the game came down to the end, a touchdown by Havner that I was convinced had been scored too soon. And I would have been right had Neil Rackers not botched a short field goal that would have won the game in regulation.
When the Packers won the toss in overtime, I was sure we would win. I said to Heidi, “throw it deep to Jennings on the first play”, reminiscent of the Broncos-Packers overtime game two years ago. Sure enough, Rodgers let it fly, but just a tad to far out of Jennings’ reach. One play and one penalty later, the game was lost on one of Aaron Rodgers’ two bad plays of the game when he lost the ball and it was run back for the winning touchdown.
Although the game ended in heartbreaking fashion, it was the game of the year in my opinion and one of the ten best NFL games I have ever watched. And if nothing else, it gave me hope for the future. Aaron Rodgers is going to become one of the top quarterbacks of the next decade and if Ted Thompson is as good as he thinks he is, this team will be in the playoffs many years to come. There is some work to do on the offensive line and continued learning that needs to be done in the 3-4 defense if they decide to continue down that path. There are other minor details to work out like is Ryan Grant the back they want to stick with, finding a punter, and making some adjustments to the secondary when going against good passing attacks.
But I am confident this team will be a winner again next season. The schedule will be tougher but this team will be better. Ron Jaworski, ESPN analyst for Monday Night Football, made a comment at the beginning of the 2008 season that this was the beginning of a destiny. It’s off to a slowly-improving start, but so was the Packer run of the mid-1990s and many of the championship teams of this past decade. Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay all had many disappointments in the playoffs before winning their championships. I think it is just a matter of time for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
So with football season culminating, it’s time to shift attention to college basketball. And does anyone notice how the Wisconsin Badgers are picked to finish between fifth and eighth in the Big Ten every year. And all they do is finish in the top four every year. The Badgers are once again doing this. I saw them picked to finish as low as eighth place this year in the Big Ten. All they’ve done is beaten Maryland, Duke, Ohio State and Purdue when all those teams were ranked and a couple still are. They are sitting at 4-1 in the Big Ten and are arguably the second best team in the conference right now behind Michigan State.
Here we go as we get set for another exciting final half of the college basketball season!
Check out my website at www.songerstudio.com
And sure enough. An amazing second half ensued. The third and fourth quarter were filled with amazing plays and exciting moments such as Greg Jennings’ one-handed catch, an onside kick that the Packers recovered, countless moments where Aaron Rodgers scrambled out of the pocket and made big plays. Then as the game came down to the end, a touchdown by Havner that I was convinced had been scored too soon. And I would have been right had Neil Rackers not botched a short field goal that would have won the game in regulation.
When the Packers won the toss in overtime, I was sure we would win. I said to Heidi, “throw it deep to Jennings on the first play”, reminiscent of the Broncos-Packers overtime game two years ago. Sure enough, Rodgers let it fly, but just a tad to far out of Jennings’ reach. One play and one penalty later, the game was lost on one of Aaron Rodgers’ two bad plays of the game when he lost the ball and it was run back for the winning touchdown.
Although the game ended in heartbreaking fashion, it was the game of the year in my opinion and one of the ten best NFL games I have ever watched. And if nothing else, it gave me hope for the future. Aaron Rodgers is going to become one of the top quarterbacks of the next decade and if Ted Thompson is as good as he thinks he is, this team will be in the playoffs many years to come. There is some work to do on the offensive line and continued learning that needs to be done in the 3-4 defense if they decide to continue down that path. There are other minor details to work out like is Ryan Grant the back they want to stick with, finding a punter, and making some adjustments to the secondary when going against good passing attacks.
But I am confident this team will be a winner again next season. The schedule will be tougher but this team will be better. Ron Jaworski, ESPN analyst for Monday Night Football, made a comment at the beginning of the 2008 season that this was the beginning of a destiny. It’s off to a slowly-improving start, but so was the Packer run of the mid-1990s and many of the championship teams of this past decade. Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay all had many disappointments in the playoffs before winning their championships. I think it is just a matter of time for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
So with football season culminating, it’s time to shift attention to college basketball. And does anyone notice how the Wisconsin Badgers are picked to finish between fifth and eighth in the Big Ten every year. And all they do is finish in the top four every year. The Badgers are once again doing this. I saw them picked to finish as low as eighth place this year in the Big Ten. All they’ve done is beaten Maryland, Duke, Ohio State and Purdue when all those teams were ranked and a couple still are. They are sitting at 4-1 in the Big Ten and are arguably the second best team in the conference right now behind Michigan State.
Here we go as we get set for another exciting final half of the college basketball season!
Check out my website at www.songerstudio.com
Saturday, December 26, 2009
2009 in Review
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.
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.
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!
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