It's Official........Favre to retire!!!!

That's right, the end of the line. Favre decides to hang it up after 17 years in the league.

After flirting with retirement for the last few years, Favre will finally go out on the heels of one of the best seasons of his career.

He led the Packers to the NFC Championship Game after passing for a stunning 4,155 yards, looking very much at times like a younger version of himself. In addition he threw 28 TDs — including an overtime Hail Mary pass to beat Denver in front of a national audience — and had a 95.7 quarterback rating. He was also voted into the Pro Bowl following the 2007 season but declined to go.

Favre leaves the game as the all-time record holder in several categories including wins, passing yards, touchdowns and consecutive games started. A three-time MVP, The southern swashbuckler won fans over with his carefree style that epitomized the "gunslinger" moniker and made fans out of everyone from the guy next door to those already enshrined in Canton.

If in fact, Favre does not have a change of heart, his final pass of a Hall of Fame Career was an interception by the Giants' Corey Webster, setting up New York's overtime win in the NFC title game.

Fox's Jay Glazer broke the story.

Packers Free Agent News

The Packers have not signed any Free Agents yet, which comes as no surprise to fans. Ted Thompson does not like to get involved in the initial days of free agency. Teams usually over pay and throw crazy money around. Thompson waits patiently for the dust to settle, and begins his process of speaking with the second tier free agents still out there.

This year, the Pack have a few guys on their radar. TE's Ben Troupe, Bryan Fletcher and Ben Utecht. Several Linebackers such as Brandon Chillar (Rams), and Boss Bailey (Lions)are also gaining strong interest. Chillar is expected to receive a strong push from his visit with Arizona, and Bailey is expected to visit with the Broncos. They could both be off the market this week, without a visit to Green Bay.

Bailey would be a great addition to the Packers LB core. He ran the fastest 40 yard dash in 2003 at the Combine (4.58)for Linebackers, and he still can fly. The only knock on Bailey is his chronic knee problems that plagued him early in his career. He's been relatively healthy the past two years only missing 1 game in that span, however he's considered a two down back. That wouldn't been a problem for the Packers, who primarily use AJ Hawk and Nick Barnett.

Another story with ties to Green Bay is Randy Moss. The circus from last year involving Moss, might be stirring up again. Moss is unhappy with the Patriots contract offer and is actually looking elsewhere. He is still interested in Green Bay, primarily because of Brett Favre. But are the Packers interested in him??? That remains the question. The Packers have absolutely no need for a WR, especially one that would require significant playing time. This is someones "pipe dream", that WILL never happen.

Free Agency is on......Favre Still Undecided

Packer Nation knows the game by now. The annual question every offseason for the past 4 or 5 years is will he or won't he retire? Favre admitted at the Pro Bowl, where he was accepting an award rather than playing, that he would be deciding very soon. But now Free Agency is upon us, and Favre is still not speaking.

This year there was the hoax that he was retiring, and the stories about him being upset that Ted Thompson had not contacted him. We only hope he comes back, but furthermore, we only hope he decides soon.

Badgers Stomp Sparty 57-42

The #10 Badgers rolled last night to a 57-42 victory over the #15 ranked Michigan State Spartans. With two games to play, UW sits a half-game ahead of Purdue and Indiana. The Badgers play Penn St. and Northwestern, putting them in a good position to win or at least tie for the Big Ten Championship.

The Badgers were led by Senior Brian Butch, putting up 16 pts and was 4 of 6 from 3pt land. The Badgers only committed 1 turnover the entire game. That 1 turnover was by Joe Krabbenhoft as head came down with a rebound, put the ball on the floor, and had it stripped away. It truly is amazing for any team to have so few turnovers, and is quite an accomplishment.

The Badgers also held Michigan State star Drew Neitzel to 3 pts, going 1-10 and only hitting (1) 3-pointer. Michigan State, which entered the game shooting a Big Ten-best 48.7 percent from the field, finished at 34.5 percent en route to their second-lowest scoring output of the season.

Photo Credit: Steve Apps - State Journal

Favre Retirement Hoax

This webpage was shown as breaking news yesterday on Packers.com. An employee mistakenly released the story, which created a media up-roar. The Packers released a statement apologizing for the mistake. Most media outlets pre-write big stories to release them ASAP. I'm sure this story was written 5 years ago!!!! Click on the picture for a larger view.

Just to be clear, BRETT FAVRE HAS NOT RETIRED.......YET!!!

Packers Make a Move as Free Agency Begins - Corey Williams Traded

Free Agency began last night and the Packers already have made a move. They shipped recently Franchised DT, Corey Williams to the Cleveland Browns for a 2nd Round pick. The Browns' pick is 56th overall and the Packers have the 60th pick in the 2nd Round. Cleveland now does not have any first day picks, giving up their 1st and 3rd picks last year to Dallas to get QB Brady Quinn.

Including the 30th pick overall, the Packers have three draft picks in the first 60 and have the kind of ammunition that could vault them into the first half of the first round if they can find a trading partner. GM Ted Thompson has never traded up in a draft and could also choose to stay put and reap the benefits of what is considered a deep and talented draft.

The Packers now have Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly, last year's 1st Round pick Justin Harrell, Collin Cole, and Daniel Muir at DT. After the move, the Packers still have good depth at DT, but Jolly most likely won't be ready for training camp, still recovering from last season's shoulder injury that landed him on IR.

The Packers also made a few other moves, signing the team's two restricted free agents, Collin Cole and halfback Vernand Morency. Cole (second round) and Morency (third) have been tendered by the team as restricted free agents. Cole's high tender means that he's very valuable after the Packers agreed to ship Corey Williams to the Cleveland Browns. Another team would have to give up a second round draft choice to sign Cole which would seem unlikely.

Green Bay also signed tackle Joe Toledo, who was released by Miami on Feb. 12. Toledo missed all of last season with a foot injury and all of 2006 because of a knee injury.

"Joe's a guy that our scouts had scouted him in college (at Washington) and liked him quite a bit," Thompson said. "He's had a run of bad luck injury-wise in Miami, but we thought he was worth taking a look at."

It's That Time of the Year Again: Brewers Spring Training Begins

The snow keeps falling here in record numbers for most of Wisconsin, but our hometown team, the Milwaukee Brewers are heading to sunny Arizona for Spring Training.

There are some interesting story lines this year for the Brew Crew: What type of player will Eric Gagne be and can he fill the shoes of recently departed Franisco Cordaro? Who will play CF while Mike Cameron serves his suspension: Tony Gwynn Jr., Gabe Gross, or Gabe Kapler? Can Ben Sheets stay healthy and will this be his last year with the Brewers (Contract year)? How will Bill Hall & Ryan Braun handle their position changes?

Saturday was the first full-squad workout and Thursday Feb. 28th the Exhibition season begins. Many writers have picked the Brewers to win the division and others at least have them contending with rival the Chicago Cubs.

Their is a lot to be excited about for the Brewers. Last year Ryan Braun had a huge year and earned National League Rookie of the Year, not even playing a full season. Prince Fielder was an MVP candidate, and bashed 50+ HR's. We had 4 players on the NL squad All-Stars. The Brewers are a young and up-and-coming team with a bright future. Lets hope the Brewers can improve on a great 2007 season that fell just short of the postseason.

Packers "Tag" DT, Williams

The release of Bubba Franks earlier this week made some cap room for the Packers to slap the "Franchise Tag" on DT, Corey Williams. By tagging Williams the Packers will pay him $6.363 million for a one year tender, or the average of the top ten paid defensive tackles in the NFL.

Other teams can sign Williams but would have to give up two first-round picks if the Packers didn't match the offer. That price is far too steep for any team to sign Williams. Green Bay will try to sign Williams to a multi-year deal sometime in the next few months. If a deal is not reached, then Williams will hit the open amrket next year.

The Packers already have about $25 million in cap sap prior to the move. By releasing Franks and his $4+ million salary, it made the $6+ million due to Williams not as significant.

Look for the Packers to actually make some noise in Free Agency. There's been talk already of a few FA and the Packers interest. Those players are: Alge Crumpler (TE), Alan Faneca (OG), Brendon Ayanbadejo (LB), Ryan Lilja (OG), Ruben Brown (OG), T.J. Duckett (RB), and Trent Dilfer (QB) just to name a few.

Packers Release Bubba Franks, Green Bay on Alge Crumpler's radar

In a not-so-surpirsing move on Wednesday, the Green Bay Packers released 8 year vetern Bubba Franks. Franks production had slipped over the past few years and was due to make $3 million in base salary and $500,000 in a roster bonus.

Franks made the Pro Bowl 3 straight years from 2001-2003, but his play slipped each year, making him a blocking only TE for the past few years. With the release of Bubba, it leaves incumbent starter Donald Lee, Troy Humphrey who spent 2007 on IR with a broken leg, and Ryan Krause, who had sounded off on not returning to the Green & Gold at the end of the season.

The Packers now have a need going into the 2008 draft. The "Best Player Avialable" apporach that Ted Thompson prides himself in, now turns to an actual position in need, TE. This year's TE crop includes USC's Fred Davis, Notre Dame's John Carlson, and Missouri's Martin Rucker. Davis & Carlson are projected as late 1st to 2nd round picks, and Rucker a 3rd to 4th round prospect.

Last year the Packers passed on two talented TE's in the draft: Greg Olson (Chicago Bears 1st Rd) and Zach Miller (Oakland Raiders 2nd Rd). This year the Packers will have to add some depth to the position either through the draft or free agency.

No TE's this year really stand out in Free Agency. Guys like Eric Johnson (Saints), Ben Hartstock (Titans), Ben Utecht (Colts), and recently released Alge Crumpler (Falcons).

Crumpler is probably the most interesting FA this year. He's a 4 time Pro Bowler but was limited to 14 games with a knee injury. Among the teams on Crumpler's radar are Green Bay, Buffalo, Detroit, Seattle, Carolina, Tampa Bay and Tennessee.

"My Brett, Our Favre"

Badgers 2008 Recruiting Class

Eriks Briedis

Position: DT.

Vitals: 6-foot-5, 265 pounds.

Hometown: Miami (Country Day High School).

Scouting report: No 67 defensive tackle nationally by Rivals.com. Second-team all-state and first-team all-Miami Dade as a senior. Missed sophomore season with injury. Team captain as junior and senior. In eight games as a senior, had 89 tackles and five sacks.

Primary recruiter: Dave Doeren.

Bielema's take:"Eriks is a unique story, his dad is from Germany, his mom is from Venezuela, I believe he came here in sixth grade, has been at this small private school, K-12. Just tremendous upside, really big, rangy, can run well."

Jake Byrne

Position: TE.

Vitals: 6-5, 250.

Hometown: Rogers, Ark.

Scouting report: No. 10 ranked player in Arkansas and No. 44 tight end nationally by Scout.com. Named to Northwest Arkansas Super Team and first-team all-state. Already enrolled.

Primary recruiter: Bob Bostad.

Bielema's take: "His father is from Wisconsin. His grandfather still lives here. They came in during the fall and took in a Badger game and went to a Packer game the next day. He's got a natural affection for Wisconsin."

Kevin Claxton

Position: DB.

Vitals: 6-2, 195.

Hometown: Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. (Boyd Anderson).

Scouting report: No. 50 DB in Florida by Rivals.com. Honorable mention all-county as a senior, when he had 72 tackles and seven interceptions. Team captain as junior and senior.

Primary recruiter: Doeren.

Bielema's take: "I told him he had high expectations. I signed three players out of Boyd Anderson and all of them are in the NFL right now. Great potential, big, tall, rangy safety that competes very well, does a great job closing. Doesn't mind contact either."

Marcus Cromartie

Position: DB.

Vitals: 6-1, 175.

Hometown: Mansfield, Texas (Timberview).

Scouting report: No. 43 DB nationally by Rivals.com. Top 100 players in Texas. First-team all-district as a senior. Changed schools after Hurrican Katrina as a sophomore and didn't play. Two-year totals of 116 taqckles and five interceptions.

Primary recruiter: Kerry Cooks.

Bielema's take: "He's actually a displaced Hurricane Katrina player that went to school in Texas. We 're really excited about him at the corner position. Has set a school record in the 200 (:21.77) at a prominent high school in the Dallas area."

Jake Current

Position: OL.

Vitals: 6-4, 280.

Hometown: Troy, Ohio.

Scouting report: No. 39 overall and No. 4 offensive lineman in Ohio by Ohio High Magazine. No. 25 nationally by Scout.com as guard. Same high school as Shane Carter. Already enrolled.

Primary recruiter: Bob Palcic (now at UCLA).

Bielema's take: "We'll try him either at the center or guard position. A neat thing about Jake, he was actually named All-State Ohio at all levels, he plays at a smaller school, but was able to earn that (honor)."

Zach Davison

Position: DE.

Vitals: 6-4, 235.

Hometown: Waukee, Iowa.

Scouting report: No. 3 player in Iowa and No. 53 defensive end nationally by Scout.com. Elite all-state team. Team captain as a senior. Career totals: 130 tackles, 18.5 sacks and 11 TFLs.

Primary recruiter: Mike Hankwitz. (now at Northwestern).

Bielema's take: "Another camp player, didn't know a lot about him, came in and impressed us with what he did on both sides of the football. He plays both ways, actually had more honors and more recognitiion from the recruiting sites as a defensive player. We'll just get him into camp, get him into our summer program and see what does best."

Antonio Fenelus

Position: CB.

Vitals: 5-9, 175.

Hometown: Boca Raton, Fla.

Scouting report: Ranked among top 150 CBs nationally by Scout.com. First-team all-state as a senior. Career totals: seven interceptions, 159 tackles and 803 rushing yards.

Primary recruiter: Doeren.

Bielema's take: "Antonio does a great job of playing the football, plays both offense and defense. We're going to start him at the corner position; extremely fast, he's pretty strapped up, pretty well put together. Very talented football player who's got a motor and a lot of energy."

Chris Garner

Position: OL/DL.

Vitals: 6-5, 315.

Hometown: Augusta.

Scouting report: First-team all-conference defensive lineman and second-team all-conference offensive lineman as junior and senior.

Primary recruiter: Bostad.

Bielema's take: "A guy that jumped out in camp, just the way he came in, we had a lot of top recruits in from across the country and we liked the way he competed and got after people."

Leonard Hubbard

Position: LB.

Vitals: 6-1, 230.

Hometown: Springfield, Ill. (Sacred Heart Griffin).

Scouting report: No. 19 middle linebacker nationally and No. 19 player in Illinois by Scout.com. Second-team all-state. Career totals: 357 tackles, seven sacks, 756 rushing yards and 15 TDs. Four-time team captain.

Primary recruiter: Randall McCray.

Bielema's take: "Does a great job (with) vision and seeing things. A guy we'll use at the inside mike (middle). Those guys, there aren't a lot of them out there. Really feel he has the ability to be a good player for us, to come in and challenge and compete right away."

Shelton Johnson

Position: DB.

Vitals: 6-0, 175.

Hometown: Carrollton, Texas (Hebron).

Scouting report: Ranked among top 125 safeties nationally by Scout.com. All-area top-100 player and all-district as a senior. Team won class 4A division II state title as a sophomore.

Primary recruiter: Cooks.

Bielema's take: "Another DB, that will probably play corner or safety for us, get him in here, see what he can do."

Dex Jones

Position: FB.

Vitals: 6-1, 220.

Hometown: Lombard, Ill. (Montini).

Scouting report: No. 22 player in Illinois by Scout.com and No. 32 strongside linebacker nationally by Rivals.com. First-team all-conference and all-area as senior and junior. As a senior, 60 tackles, with six sacks. Also rushed for 889 yards on 77 carries. Team captain as junior and senior. Three-year letterwinner in football and track, and four-time letterwinner in basketball. First-team all-conference in basketball for three years.

Primary recruiter: McCray.

Bielema's take: "We brought him into camp and matched him up against some of the better linebackers and defensive ends. He did a great job the first week; we weren't sold, 100 percent ... he came back the second week and did a tremendous job. We're excited to see a fullback that has the ability to block but also the ability to run the football as well."

Brendan Kelly

Position: DE.

Vitals: 6-6, 230.

Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minn. (Holy Angels).

Scouting report: Fifth-best player in Minnesota by Rivals.com and No. 33 in the nation. Had 104 tackles and 15 sacks as a senior. Same high school as former UW quarterback John Stocco.

Primary recruiter: Bob Bostad.

Bielema's take: "We saw him early, just liked the way he ran. He's tall and skinny ... we just have to get him in the program here with coach (John) Dettmann and give him the chance to put on a few pounds. Problem is, if he turns sideways, you can't see him."

Peter Konz

Position: OL.

Vitals: 6-6, 300.

Hometown: Neenah.

Scouting report: No. 30 offensive lineman nationally and No. 3 in Wisconsin by Rivals.com. First-team all-state offensive and defensive lineman. Team captain as a senior. Played both ways and totaled 34 tackles and 10 QB sacks in career. Three-year letterwinner in football and two years in basketball and track.

Primary recruiter: Bostad.

Bielema's take: "Figured, at first, we'd start him on the offensive line, but he plays both ways. ... We really liked his athleticism, the way he handled himself. He's got really good, quick feet, uses his hands well, is able to get off blocks and make plays."

Anthony Mains

Position: DE.

Vitals: 6-6, 225.

Hometown: Naples, Fla. (Golden Gate).

Scouting report: No. 16 DE nationally and No. 84 player in Florida by Rivals.com. Naples Daily News Player of the Year as a senior. Class 3A player of the year. Career totals: 169 tackles, 42 TFLs and 19 sacks. As a senior, had 101 tackles, with 25 TFLs and 10 sacks.

Primary recruiter: Doeren.

Bielema's take: "Tremendous upside, really does a good job of getting off the football, using his hands. Really excited about getting him in the program."

Dan Moore

Position: DT

Vitals: 6-2, 280.

Hometown: O'Fallon, Ill. (Joliet Junior College).

Scouting report: Was redshirted in only year at Eastern Illinois. No. 94 JUCO player nationally by Rivals.com. Second-team all-conference, with 40 tackles, 11 TFLs and eight sacks, as a sophomore. Has two years of eligibility remaining.

Primary recruiter: McCray.

Bielema's take: "Does a great job of getting to the football on film and what we've seen from the early days of winter conditioning, he's got a good motor, is in fairly good shape and is definitely very, very thick individual."

Brad Nortman

Position: P.

Vitals: 6-3, 215.

Hometown: Brookfield (Central).

Scouting report: No. 4 kicker nationally by Rivals.com. First-team all-state as punter. Had 24 punts with 39-yard average, with 13 inside the 20-yard line. Also conference defensive co-perimeter player of the year as a linebacker.

Primary recruiter: Bostad.

Bielema's take: "Came onto the scene a year ago at a kicking camp out in Las Vegas, where he vaulted to the top of the charts as a punter. We feel he'll be able to come in and give us immediate competition at the punting position."

Curt Phillips

Position: QB.

Vitals: 6-3, 215.

Hometown: Kingsport, Tenn. (Sullivan South).

Scouting report: Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year, and No. 7 dual-threat quarterback nationally by Rivals.com. Ranked No. 109 player in the nation by PrepStar. Career totals: 5,418 passing yards, 3,788 rushing yards and 115 TDs (64 rushing, 51 passing). Senior year included 2,263 passing yards, 1,885 rushing yards and 57 TDs.

Primary recruiter: Paul Chryst.

Bielema's take: "Does a tremendous job throwing the football, as well as running the football. If you walk in and talk to the people in his high school, (they) talk a lot about his athletic ability and his strengths on the football field, but even more about the things he does off it."

Joe Schafer

Position: OL.

Vitals: 6-5, 285.

Hometown: St. Paul, Minn. (Cretin-Derham Hall).

Scouting report: No. 4 player in Minnesota and No. 37 offensive lineman nationally by Rivals.com. First-team all-state. Team captain as a senior. Same high school as Kim Royston. Three-year letterwinner in football and track, two years in basketball. National Honor Society member.

Primary recruiter: Bostad.

Bielema's take: "Joe could play all positions for us up front, a guy that comes from a good program, has been coached up very, very well and has had a lot of success. We're excited to get another player from Cretin."

Devin Smith

Position: DB.

Vitals: 5-11, 185.

Hometown: Coppell, Texas.

Scouting report: First-team all-state as a senior. Career totals: 17 interceptions, 155 tackles, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

Primary recruiter: Cooks.

Bielema's take: "I like the things he does from the aspect of competing and challenging for the football. He's got gifted athletic ability, but you'll see him come after the football. Some kids will sit back and wait for those things to happen."

Erik Smith

Position: RB.

Vitals: 5-11, 192.

Hometown: Chicago (Bolingbrook).

Scouting report: No. 17 player in Illinois and No. 72 running back nationally by Scout.com. First-team all-state. Career totals of 3,100 yards rushing, 470 yards receiving and 32 TDs. Team captain as a senior. Rushed for 1,400 yards and 13 TDs as a senior.

Primary recruiter: McCray.

Bielema's take: "Bollingbrook has been known for several years for top tailbacks. ... A lot of players out of Bolingbrook have stayed within the Big Ten. We're excited to get one up here."

Michael Taylor

Position: LB.

Vitals: 6-2, 205.

Hometown: Ashwaubenon.

Scouting report: No. 5 player in Wisconsin and No. 39 weakside linebacker nationally by Scout.com. First-team all-state. All-area player of the year as a junior. First-team all-conference punter and kicker as a junior. As a senior, had 103 tackles, including four TFLs, two sacks and four interceptions. Four-year letterwinner in football and wrestling, placing third in state as a sophomore. Honor roll all four years.

Primary recruiter: Bostad.

Bielema's take: "Probably one of our guys we're most excited to see. Don't know if we had a guy who impressed us more last year after having him in camp and seeing what he can do athletically. He's willing to hit people."

Tyler Westphal

Position: DE.

Vitals: 6-6, 240.

Hometown: Menasha.

Scouting report: No. 7 DE nationally and top-ranked player in Wisconsin by Rivals.com. First-team all-state, with 76 tackles and nine sacks as a senior. Career totals: 222 tackles and 28 sacks. Coached by his father, Brad.

Primary recruiter: Bostad.

Bielema's take: "He was one of the first commits, but we were even more excited in the month of December, where we were around some of the coaches that coached him at an all-star game nationally and were just raving about the motor and his ability."

T.J. Williams

Position: WR.

Vitals: 6-0, 180.

Hometown: Kenosha (Bradford).

Scouting report: Ranked as No. 7 player in Wisconsin and top 125 receivers in nation by Rivals.com. Second-team all-state as a senior. Career totals: 52 receptions, 821 receiving yards, 10 TDs. Alan Ameche Award nominee. Finished third in 400 meters at state track meet as a junior.

Primary recruiter: Bostad.

Bielema's take: "We had him in camp, he turned in probably the best camp time in my two years here as head coach, just flat, raw speed. ... He's just kind of faster than everybody else in Kenosha. No offense to Kenosha."

Kevin Zeitler

Position: OL.

Vitals: 6-4, 285.

Hometown: Milwaukee (Wisconsin Lutheran).

Scouting report: No. 3 player in Wisconsin and No. 39 offensive lineman nationally by Rivals.com. Played on state championship team as a senior. First-team all-state. Three-year letterwinner in football, two times in wrestling and once in track.

Primary recruiter: Bostad.

Bielema's take: "Here he'll play guard. He really became a hot prospect over the summer, every camp he went to, he basically got an offer. We really like his size, his strength, he's also a phenomenal wrestler."

WALK-ONS

Jordan Bergmann

Position: OL.

Vitals: 6-6, 280.

Hometown: Slinger (Kettle Moraine Lutheran).

Scouting report: First-team all-conference as a senior and two-year letterwinner.

Robert Burge

Position: OL/DL.

Vitals: 6-7, 305.

Hometown: Holmen.

Scouting report: First-team all-region and first-team all-conference as senior with 28 tackles, including nine tackles for losses.

Chris Cromwell

Position: OL.

Vitals: 6-3, 305.

Hometown: Milwaukee (St. John 's Northwestern Academy).

Scouting report: First-team all-conference and all-county as a senior. Started every game in four years. Smythe Scholar.

Bradie Ewing

Position: RB/FB.

Vitals: 6-1, 212.

Hometown: Richland Center.

Scouting report: No. 16 player in Wisconsin by Rivals.com and Wisconsin Preps. First-team all-state. Career totals: 509 carries for 3,911 yards and 41 TDs.

Rick Wagner

Position: TE.

Vitals: 6-7, 262.

Hometown: West Allis (Hale).

Scouting report: Ranked as No. 9 player in Wisconsin by Wisconsin Sports Network. Had 39 receptions for 900 yards and six touchdowns as a junior.

Story from Wisconsin State Journal by Tom Mulhern

UW QB Recruit Gives the Badgers Something to be Excited About

UW doesn't get the Blue-Chip QB prospect. They never land that big name QB recruit. But this year could be different.

The Badgers have 23 known commitments and the one fans and recruiting analysts seem most excited about is quarterback Curt Phillips, from Kingsport, Tenn., who is already enrolled at UW.

ESPN Scouts Inc. has Phillips, 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, as the second-highest ranked player in UW's class, behind defensive end Tyler Westphal of Menasha, who ranks No. 147 on its top 150 national list.

"I think (Phillips) is one of the true sleeper prospects in this class," said Tom Luginbill, National Recruiting Director for ESPN Scouts Inc. "Not only can he run it, he can throw it. He's got great size.

"I think this is the prospect, in this class, people are going to wonder, 'How did we miss on that guy?' ''

Phillips set a prep record in Tennessee with 4,008 yards of total offense as a senior. He completed 63.9 percent of his passes (161 of 252) for 2,115 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also ran 238 times for 1,868 yards and 39 TDs. He led Sullivan South to a 12-2 record, losing in the state semifinals.

That's the kind of quarterback the Badgers may not have been able to attract before opening up the offense in recent years under offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, who recruited Phillips.

"A lot of people have the perception Wisconsin's offense is just hand the ball off to the running back and let him run," said Jeremy Crabtree, the national recruiting editor for Rivals.com.

"It's not a school that's known for going out there and throwing the ball around. We 've seen them open it up a little bit more here and utilize the quarterback. That's why it allowed them to go out there and get a pretty good quarterback in this year's class. "

Another Tebow?
Phillips, who was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Tennessee, is ranked as the No. 7 dual-threat quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com. Crabtree agrees with other recruiting analysts who think Phillips might be better than his ranking.

"Curt Phillips is one of the most under-ranked and under-valued kids, by a lot of people, in the Southeast," Crabtree said. "When you watch him on film and you watch everything he brings to the table, you can see why Wisconsin jumped in on him early.

"This is a good get. It's going to fit more and more with what they 're wanting to do with their quarterbacks."

The player Phillips is most often compared to is Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, a comparison Sullivan South coach Stacy Carter does not back down from.

"He's not as big and strong as Tebow right now," Carter said. "Of course, he's young. But he benches over 300 (pounds) and he does some stuff like that.

"In some ways, he's got more sheer running talent than (Tebow) does. But he's a quarterback, before anything, don't get me wrong. He's a thrower, before everything. That's just kind of a bonus with him, running the football."

Carter is still mystified how Tennessee let Phillips get away. The Volunteers showed interest but were in the running for higher-rated quarterbacks and didn 't offer. The Badgers liked what they saw and Phillips committed last summer, when his only other offers were from Kentucky, Duke, East Carolina and Middle Tennessee State.

Article courtesy of Tom Mulhern from Wisconsin State Journal
Photo crdit Rivals.com

"The Pick" REVISED

Got a few pictures sent to me of Brett Favre's famous "Pick". Published one of them showing just about everyone but Driver open a few posts below. Here's a look at the picture a second beofre the other one was taken. It just goes to show you how fast this game is and how a millisecond can make a huge difference.



Here's about 1 second later. Driver was CLEARLY open, was just a bad pass and Webster had time to jump the route.

Marquette Falls again to Louisville

The last time these two teams faced off, Louisville handed the Golden Eagles a 40 point loss. This time around was no different. Marquette shot a terrible 32% from the field, leading to another loss 71-57. Marquette star, Dominic James did not start and came off the bench, suffering from the flu. James played 18 minutes scoring 8 points and was visibly gased.

"We gave them too many easy baskets from the start," Crean said. "We didn't make enough shots. Where we've got to grow up in a hurry is when you're not making shots, you still have to come down and be locked in to what you're doing defensively. Our talking tonight reached an all-time low. That can't be."

"When you take good shots, you keep Marquette out of transition," said Louisville coach Rick Pitino. "That was the focal point of the game."

The road doesn't get any easier as the Golden Eagles travel to Notre Dame on Saturday were the Irish have won 33 straight games at home.

Photo/MaryJo Walicki

Big W for UW

The Wisconsin Badger #13 hosted the Indiana Hoosiers #11 at the Kohl Center last night. Indiana brought two of the league's top-three scorers in freshman guard Eric Gordon and senior forward D.J. White. White scored a game-high 22 points and Gordon added 16, and it was the 13th-ranked Badgers who walked away with a 62-49 victory over the No. 11 Hoosiers in a game watched by an energized sellout crowd of 17,190 and broadcasted in primetime on ESPN.

"I thought our guys did a great job," Badger coach Bo Ryan said. "D.J. is going to get some buckets. They didn't shoot it well, we didn't shoot it well. But I really liked our defensive effort of trying to get them to take shots that they weren't quite as comfortable with.

"But I'll bet when I look at the tape that they had guys wide open a few times because we helped and then didn't recover properly and they just didn't knock the shots down. I've got to be real honest. I have a feeling when I do the evaluation I'd like to see us cover the shooters maybe a little better, but if the ball's not going in, people forget. But coaches don't forget."

"In critical situations, I thought Wisconsin was better than us," Hoosiers coach Kelvin Sampson said.

And there was no Badger better down the stretch than the 6-7 Krabbenhoft, who grabbed four offensive rebounds over the game's final five minutes — all of them resulting in second-chance points.

The first resulted in a Marcus Landry free throw with 4:44 to play that made it 51-43. Krabbenhoft tipped in a missed 3-pointer by sophomore guard Jason Bohannon with 3:52 to go that provided the Badgers with a 53-45 lead.

His rebound of a missed jumper by Trevon Hughes wound up resulting in a pair of free throws by Hughes with 2:43 to play that pushed the UW lead to 55-45.

And the last of his six offensive rebounds resulted in another pair of free throws by Hughes with 1:21 that made it 59-47.

"In life there are just some people that come and give a great effort every day. And that's Joe," Ryan said. "Sometimes the results maybe can look varied, but the energy will never vary. He just plays hard and plays smart and he's a big reason why we can (win) a game like this."

Krabbenhoft, however, made a point afterward to mention another big reason UW came away with a victory.

"Defensively is where we won the game tonight," Krabbenhoft said. "That's what we hang our hat on."

Moss says Packers Blew It

This article is courtesy of Tom Silverstein from the Packers Blog on JS Online.

Phoenix, Ariz. - I got a chance to ask New England wide receiver Randy Moss whether he was ever close to becoming a Green Bay Packer this off-season, and his answer was interesting.

Basically, Moss said, if the Packers had treated him better in negotiations he might have agreed to play with Brett Favre instead of Tom Brady. Moss and Favre know each other through their association with agent James (Bus) Cook and when Favre heard there was a chance the Packers might be able to swing a trade with Oakland, he called Moss.

"He tried (to reach me), but I was a little tied up and wasn't able to talk to him," Moss said. "Green Bay was in the picture, but the things told to me about maneuvering money around and making it a good fit - the Packers were really talking a lot about the wrong things, not the right things.

"When they started talking about the wrong things I hung the phone up and didn't want to talk to them anymore. I thought about it. It was something that could work out just for the fact Brett Favre was there, but I think as the conversation continued throughout the day and the next day, I really didn't want to go to Green Bay."

Moss' contract with the Raiders called for base salaries of $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in 2008, but he was willing to tear that deal up and accept a one-year $3 million contract with the Patriots. The Packers wanted a portion of Moss' salary to be tied to performance instead of being earned as a base salary. For vested veterans like Moss, the base salary is guaranteed if the player is on the roster after the first day of the regular season.

Moss said besides the money, the Packers put too many conditions on him coming to Green Bay.

"It was like they were telling me that they're going to take a chance on me, but if you do come here these are the things you have to work out, 'Be on your best behavior. Donald Driver is the top receiver here so don't come in there trying to step on his toes,' things like that. I didn't think that was right because my whole career things have been taken out of (context) at times, but at the end of the day all I wanted to do was win games. It's hard to win games.

"If we do the things we're supposed to do on Sunday, we'll go undefeated and it will be historical. I don't feel they (the Packers) really wanted me. Brett wanted me, but I don't thing the Packers' organization wanted me."

Moss caught 98 passes - the third-highest total of his career for 1,493 yards and an NFL-record 23 touchdowns this season. With him in the lineup, the Patriots went undefeated during the regular season, setting an NFL record for most points and most touchdowns in a season, and with a victory over the New York Giants Sunday can become the first team to go 19-0.

During the playoffs, Moss has not had much of an impact. He has just two catches for 32 yards.

Moss is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March, but he said today that he would like to finish his career with the Patriots. Given the way things worked out with Moss, the Patriots are probably willing to talk about a long-term contract, but they have been tight with money in the past and might decide they got what they wanted out of Moss.

The Pick.........

CLICK ON THE PHOTO FOR A BIGGER, DEPRESSING VIEW!!!!!

This time a view from behind the line of scrimmage.

Throw the left sideline, maybe Jennings gets a touchdown.

Catch Donald Lee crossing the middle… good shot at a first down.

Check down to Ryan Grant five yards past the line of scrimmage, who knows how far he goes.

The yellow circle is the football in flight and there is your dagger

Ikegwuonu Blows Out Knee - Will Not Play FB in 2008

Jack Ikegwuonu, the former University of Wisconsin cornerback, blew out his knee Tuesday in a training exercise and won't play football in 2008.

Ikegwuonu suffered tears of both his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments as well as damage to his kneecap, according to a source close to the situation, and will need reconstructive knee surgery.

He was working out at Perfect Competition, a training facility in Davie, Fla., when the incident occurred.

Ikegwuonu, who earlier in the month decided to leave UW a year early, was pulling a sled designed to improve his speed when the injury occurred. He exploded out of a start, planted his leg and the knee buckled.

The injury will all but eliminate Ikegwuonu's chances of being selected April 26-27 in the National Football League draft. It's possible a team might take him in a late round and bring along for 2009.

"He's screwed now," an executive in personnel for an NFL team said. "He wasn't going to be that high of a pick, anyway. Fourth round.

"I blame the agent for talking the kid into coming out. Stupid. Because he wasn't a first-day player."

Ikegwuonu signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus on Jan. 5 and declared for the draft before the Jan. 15 deadline. Players had until Jan. 19 to change their minds and regain their collegiate eligibility.

At Wisconsin, Ikegwuonu intercepted six passes in three seasons. He made the All-Big Ten team as a junior in 2007.

Ikegwuonu was regarded by some scouts as a solid prospect on the basis of size and speed but was downgraded because of his performance this season.

"You've got to play, too," the scout said.

Article from Bob McGinn

Brett Favre Still Taking Post-Game Shower

This from our friends at the Onion:

GREEN BAY, WI—The Packers confirmed Wednesday evening that quarterback Brett Favre had yet to emerge from the Lambeau Field locker-room shower he entered roughly an hour after throwing the game-sealing interception against the Giants in the NFC Championship game. "We aren't worried about him quite yet. He's been here before," head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters, politely declining their requests to speak to the three-time MVP. "We can hear him in there chewing himself out, shouting strings of curses, and occasionally breaking into a mournful version of 'Friends In Low Places,' so we know he's okay. He's just got some stuff to work out is all." Favre, who has yet to announce whether or not he will return for another season, has thus far limited his public statements to daily requests for the stadium's hot water to be turned back on.

The Last Word on Giants/Packers game

The phrase 4th & 26 stung to a lot of Packer fans even years after the Philly game. Where does this game fall??? The loss on Sunday stings. It was a crushing defeat for a team destine to go to the Super Bowl in what would have been a rematch from Super Bowl XXXI.

So what happened??? Well you could say Favre showed his age. You could say it was the cold, the play calling, the ineffective running game, the time of possession, the week of practice indoors, inability to convert on 3rd down (1-10). Anyone of those reasons could have been a contributing factor. The bottom line is the Packers didn't have it. The got out-played, out-coached, and shouldn't have even been in Overtime the way they played. The sure fact that the score was tied up 20-20 at the end of regulation, goes to show you the Packers WERE the better team. In the NFL anything can happen. It's a game of inches, momentum, and streaks. Destiny smacked the Packers right in the face, and so it was Giants vs. Patriots, Super Bowl XLII.

Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers on a great year. Nothing to hang your heads about. The Packers have the youngest team in the NFL, and are returning just about everyone minus probably Corey Williams on D. 2008-2009 season is one to be optimistic about. Weather Favre returns or not, Ted Thompson has built this team for the long haul. The Packers will be a force in the NFL for several years to come, and I'm proud to be a loyal GREEN BAY PACKER fan and member of G-Force!!!