Disappointment among Packer fans - MY DRAFT RANT

Ted Thompson has done little if anything to improve the Green Bay Packers this year. If anything they have gotten worse, losing the entire backfield with Green to Houston, and Henderson being released. The Packers could not land Marshawn Lynch, a player 99.9% of Mock drafts had the Packers taking. Instead he went #12 to Buffalo.

The Packers also could not get the Randy Moss deal done. To actually see what it took to get him was a simple 4th round pick. Basically Ted Thompson decide to take OT Allen Barbre from Missouri Southern State, instead of a potential HOF WR and playmaker Randy Moss. I have to say the Packers were one of the most disappointment teams in the entire NFL draft, next to the Redskins who had the #6 pick and then didn't pick until the 5th Rd.

Ted Thompson decide to use #16 on DT Justin Harrell from Tennessee. DT seems to be a position the Packers have great depth at and honestly not a barley need at #16, instead he picks this player who is coming off a torn bicep in 2006 and has a history of injuries throughout his collegiate career. With that pick Ted Thompson passed on:

Brady Quinn QB Notre Dame, Leon Hall CB Michigan, Reggie Nelson S Florida, Michael Griffin S Texas, Greg Olsen TE Miami, Aaron Ross CB Texas, Robert Meachem WR Tennessee, Dwayne Jarrett WR USC, Dwayne Bowe WR LSU, Allan Branch DT Michigan and the list goes on.....you get the point.

If Justin Harrell does not come in and be a difference maker for the Packers D-Line, I'm calling for Ted Thompson's firing!!!!! I refuse to standby and let him single handingly destroy this storied franchise who as already lost the magic of Lambeau and its home field advantage. Now the jury is out on this year's picks and on paper it's always too early to say.

The best picks we seemed to get were at the end of the draft. I like the kicker Mason Crosby from Colorado. He was projected to be in rounds 2-3. We got him in the 6th round, but HE'S A KICKER!!!! I like Korey Hall LB from Boise State. Word is he's a special teams monster and they will convert him to FB A NEEDED POSITION!!!! I do like OT Allen Barbre, our 4th RD pick but I LIKE RANDY MOSS BETTER!!!! Barbre actually was a "gunner" on the punt team, a position usually held by speedy DB's. But the best pick for the Packers actually might be its last in Clark Harris TE Rugters. Harris is a throwback TE who's a punishing blocker, a solid receiver, who's in the top 5 in school history, and he scored a 40 on the Wonderlic test, putting in in the top 3 of the entire draft class for scores. The jury is still out on this years draft, but from a fans perspective Ted Thompson needs to do something......FAST to start improving this team.

Packers picks

Most experts are giving the Packers anywhere from a C+ to a D-. Here are the picks:

1st Rd (pick #16) - Justin Harrell - DT Tennessee 6'-4" 1/2, 314 Lbs

2nd Rd (pick# 63) - Brandon Jackson - RB Nebraska 5'-10", 210 Lbs

3rd Rd (pick# 78) - James Jones - WR San Jose St. 6'-1", 210 Lbs

3rd Rd (pick# 89) - Aaron Rouse - SS Virgina Tech 6'-4", 225 Lbs

4th Rd (pick# 119) - Allen Barbre - OT Missouri Southern St. 6'-4" 297 Lbs

5th Rd (pick# 157) - David Clowney - WR Virgina Tech 6'-1" 185 Lbs

6th Rd (pick# 191) - Korey Hall - LB/FB Boise St. 6'-0" 236 Lbs

6th Rd (pick# 192) - Desmond Bishop - ILB Cal 6'-2" 237 Lbs

6th Rd (pick# 193) - Mason Crosby - K Colorado 6'-1" 212 Lbs

7th Rd (pick# 228) - DeShawn Wynn - RB/FB Florida 5'-11" 230 Lbs

7th Rd (pick#243) - Clark Harris - TE Rutgers 6'-5" 258 Lbs

For more in-depth analysis on the Packers picks click here:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=558566

Trades already affecting Packers #16 Pick

The Houston Texans and Denver Broncos have swapped 1st Rd picks this year. Houston traded the #10 pick to Denver for it's 1st Rd #21 and their 2nd Rd pick #56. What does this mean to the Packers, well Denver has stated that it will use the #10 pick to draft Ole Miss LB Patrick Willis. Willis was rumored to be going to the Buffalo Bills at #12, but now with Willis out of the picture the Bills might take the next guy on their board, Cal RB Marshawn Lynch.

Lynch is picked in 9 out of 10 mock drafts for several months now as going to the Packers. This simple trade that seemingly has little effect on the Packers, suddenly has created a domino effect and possibly changed plans for the Packers and their fans. The NFL Draft is 1 day away and I'm sure their will be lots more drama to come.

SLEEPER PICK - 7th RD(???) with FREAK-LIKE SKILLS

OK, so maybe the Packers will look at this guy, most likely not, but the story is too hard to pass on. An article by Lee Jenkins in the NY Times talks about an interesting prospect out of a little college is Mississippi named Walter Thomas.

This guy is 6-5' 374 lbs and runs a 4.9 40 yard dash, which is faster than some Tight Ends in the NFL, benches 475lbs and can squat 800lbs. He began his career at Oklahoma State as a true Freshman, but was soon kicked off the team for academic issues. He was out of football in 2005 and played at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Miss. in 2006 only appearing in 2 games. His stats in 2 games: 16 tackles, 9 tackles for a loss and 4 sacks.

Even with his limited football career teams are looking at this kid and thinking of taking a shot at him based on his freakish skills. “You absolutely cannot run at him,” said Les Miles, the Louisiana State University coach, who recruited Thomas to Oklahoma State. “You have to go in another direction.” But another thing to know about Thomas is he was arrested on a charge of conspiracy to commit robbery, according to the Tate County (Miss.) Circuit Clerk’s office, and never played college football again. So there is the character question. Some team will take a chance on him and he will be a project with his raw skills, but will the Packers take a look. We'll see on Saturday.

Oh yeah did I mention he also can do backflips on command........he's 6-5' 374lbs. AMAZING!!

Read more about Thomas from Lee Jenkin's article in the NY Times here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/sports/football/25nfl.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin

BREWER'S ACE injuried AGAIN

The Milwaukee Brewers' injury-plagued right-hander suffered a slight groin strain Wednesday afternoon at the end of his third inning and made an early exit in what degenerated into an easy 9-3 victory for the Chicago Cubs at waterlogged Wrigley Field.

Sheets, 28, was looking forward to a healthy season after missing the last five weeks of 2005 with a torn muscle behind his pitching shoulder, leading to ongoing shoulder issues throughout last season. He pitched a complete-game two-hitter on opening day against Los Angeles, then experienced command problems in his next two starts (17 hits, 13 runs in 11 innings) before rebounding with a solid outing (seven innings, two runs) against Houston.


Sheets allowed four hits by the Cubs over three innings but pitched out of trouble to keep the score 0-0 before his early exit.
"I wasn't necessarily dominating but we had thrown up a couple of zeros," said Sheets. "That's what we were out there to do.


"I actually felt pretty good out there. That's why it sucked that I had to come out."
Sheets wasn't sure exactly how he suffered the injury. He didn't remember feeling it on his last pitch of the inning and thought it might have happened when he turned to watch Derrek Lee's grounder to short for the final out.


"It just grabbed me for some reason," he said. "I don't recall doing anything. I'm sure the elements played a part in some of that.
"It wasn't that it was excruciating by any means. But there was really no sense in pushing through it and taking that chance this early, especially with the weather as it was."
Sheets briefly lobbied to stay in the game, but Yost, pitching coach Mike Maddux and trainer Roger Caplinger didn't want to hear it, not at this early stage of the season.



Read more here from TOM HAUDRICOURT'S article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=596481

The PACK interested in LJ

A new rumor has surfaced and with only 3 days till the draft, this one has been the best. The Packers are one of the teams mentioned that has interest in Kansas City Cheifs RB Larry Johnson. Johnson is in the final year of his contract and is due for a huge pay day. The Cheifs have said they are interested in shopping him around. The Packers desperately need help at RB and he could fill that hole.

But any team that trades for Johnson would have to satisfy the running back's asking price as well as the Chiefs', a difficult double play to pull off. One NFL general manager went as far as to say that Johnson was "untradeable -- who will pay that contract demand?"

Ultimately, maybe it will be the Chiefs, who continue to talk contract extension with Johnson in the hopes that the two sides can reach a peaceful resolution before training camp.
But to hedge their bets that they won't, the Chiefs are actively seeking to pick a running back on the first day of the draft. In the past week, they've hosted visits with California's Marshawn Lynch, Ohio State's Antonio Pittman, Florida State's Lorenzo Booker and Louisville's Kolby Smith. They've even told some of the players' agents that they plan to pick a running back high.
It is just one more sign that Johnson's future with the team is, for the time being, uncertain. Most NFL personnel people believe it is a long shot that the Chiefs will wind up trading Johnson within the next week, but it can no longer be overlooked.

Read more from Adam Schefter's article on NFL.com here:
http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/10147306

James leaning toward entering NBA draft

Marquette Golden Eagles sophomore guard Dominic James is likely to make himself eligible for the upcoming National Basketball Association draft, coach Tom Crean said on Monday night.

"The decision to declare will be very soon, and I would say from all accounts he's leaning in that direction," he said. "And I totally understand that and am very supportive of it. I feel we've done all the due diligence we need to do and now it's time to see where this process takes him."

The 5-foot-11 James is not expected to hire an agent, thus preserving his college eligibility should he not get the feedback he's looking for in the coming weeks. He said recently that he would remain in the draft only if he were to receive a guarantee he'd be selected in the first round.

James has until Sunday night to officially announce his intention to enter the draft and until June 18 to withdraw his name, should he choose to do so.

If James does indeed declare, the next order of business would be securing a spot in the NBA pre-draft camp, which runs from May 29-June 4 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Invitations are expected to be distributed from May 1-15.

There, he'd play a number of games in front of NBA officials who undoubtedly would be looking at not only his perimeter shooting but also his decision making at the point guard spot.

"That all comes down to the NBA people and what they feel," Crean said. "I would certainly try to do whatever I could do to help push for that. I would hope that the body of work he has had over two years would get him invited."

Following the pre-draft camp, underclassmen like James can then participate in workouts for individual NBA teams.

James led MU in scoring at 14.9 points per game and in assists with 4.9 this past season but struggled shooting the ball, hitting 38.4% of his shots overall, 27.2% of his three-pointers and 65.1% of his free throws.

He was also named first team all-Big East.
Courtesy of TODD ROSIAK of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Fielder caps rally with second homer of the game

Should anyone need an example of how to gut out a victory, the tape or DVD of the Milwaukee Brewers' game against the Chicago Cubs on Monday night would be a shining example.The Brewers overcame a 4-0 deficit, an injury to a key player and a bullpen running out of pitchers, yet prevailed.
Prince Fielder's second solo homer of the game, a one-out shot in the top of the 12th inning, lifted the Brewers to a 5-4 victory at Wrigley Field in a game that seemed certain to go the Cubs' way on at least a few occasions early on.
Carlos Villanueva pitched half of the bullpen's eight shutout innings, and Derrick Turnbow closed the victory with a strong bottom of the 12th, seemingly impervious to the pressure after losing the closer's job the second half of last season.

Read More here from today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=594956

Packers talking about moving up in draft

The Packers have been talking about moving up in this year's NFL draft. The teams they would be looking at would be Cardinals and Redskins. While the Cardinals have proclaimed they are looking to bolster their O-Line with UW's own Joe Thomas, the Redskins seem like the ideal team to work with. The Redskins only have 4 picks in this year's draft. After their pick at #6, the Redskins don't go again until #143 in the 5th round.

The Packers are seriously looking at moving up to grab Oklahoma RB, Adrian Pederson. The rumblings are that Marshawn Lynch is falling on the Pack's draft board. Green Bay could put a package together and get Pederson and still have picks left in the draft. The Packers have a pick in every round and 3 in the 7th.

Although Thompson loves his draft, it doesn't seem so far fetched. An article today in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by Tom Silverstein, talked about Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson's draft strategies. Ironically it notes "Wolf did trade up three times in the first round during his tenure: in 1993, giving up two second-round picks for the 29th pick, which he used to select safety George Teague; in '94, giving up a first and a third for Miami's pick at No. 16, which he used to select offensive guard Aaron Taylor; and in '98, giving up a first and a second for Miami's pick at No. 19, which he used to select defensive end Vonnie Holliday." The interesting story was how in 2000 Wolf tried desperately to move up and get Brian Urlacher. That fell through and the Pack landed Bubba Franks. Lets also not forget that Wolf gave up a 1st Round pick for the next year's draft to trade for a unkown backup........Mr. Brett "Fireball" Favre.

Hopefully TT has something up his sleeve to snag Pederson, the top RB in the draft, and a desperate need for Green Bay.

Read More about Wolf & TT from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=593829&format=print

Read More about other Packer Draft rumors here:

http://www.packerchatters.com/op-ed/view.php?id=2026

Yost gets his 300th victory

Brewers grab control in first inning
By TOM HAUDRICOURTmailto:HAUDRICOURTthaudricourt@journalsentinel.com

Seldom do games turn as dramatically in the first inning as the one Thursday afternoon between the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park.Thanks to some, shall we say, generous defensive work by the Brewers, starting pitcher Jeff Suppan found himself standing on the mound with the bases loaded and one out.
"My job there is to keep the damage to a minimum," Suppan said.

Mission accomplished. Jason Bay sent a shattered-bat liner to shortstop J.J. Hardy, who flipped to second baseman Rickie Weeks for a rally-killing double play.
As if that didn't take enough wind out of the Pirates' sails, the Brewers came back with four runs in the bottom of the inning and never trailed in claiming a 7-5 victory that kept them atop the NL Central standings with a 9-6 record.

Read more from Tom Haudricourt's article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=593704

SHAMLESS PLUG

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AT AM 1250 WI SPORTS RADIO!!!!!

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Michael Bush - Sleeper pick for the PACK

Injuries are costly. Nobody knows this better than Michael Bush, RB Louisville. Was once considered a 1st Round talent, now a late first day or possibly early second day pick. Bush broke his right leg halfway through the 2006 season. He had a titanium rod inserted in his leg to promote healing, which did not work and went in for a second surgery on March 20th. Needless to say he was unable to workout for scouts.

Some team will take a gamble on Bush which just may work out to be a great move. The latest mock draft courtesy of Packerchatters.com has a complete 7 round Mock draft with the Packers choosing Bush in the 4th round. I say go for it. Buffalo took a chance on Willis McGhaee after his horrific leg injury in the National Championship game.

But can Bush still be a punishing back in the NFL. He has great size at 6'2" 243lbs and is listed as running a 4.55 40. Bush could be a great goal line asset to some team if given time to rehab and recover. Will Ted Thompson roll the dice......we'll have to wait in see.

For more on the complete 7 round Mock draft for the Packers click here:

http://www.packerchatters.com/draft/pattys_report/view.php?id=2018

ICE BOWL replaying

On Friday, the NFL Network is to air a one-hour documentary about the 1967 Green Bay Packers, who beat Dallas in the Ice Bowl and Oakland in Super Bowl II.

Thomas to skip NFL Draft to fish.....

Despite a personal e-mail from commissioner Roger Goodell, Joe Thomas rejected the NFL's repeated written and verbal invitations to attend the draft-week festivities in New York. Thomas wants to maintain a years-old tradition in which he spends draft day fishing for coho salmon on Lake Michigan with his dad. The league repeatedly has reached out to Thomas -- who recently signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Under Armour and will be profiled in an upcoming Sports Illustrated issue -- but it has met the same type of resistance as a defensive end going against him. Thomas hasn't budged. Nor will he. Thomas doesn't believe a trip to New York will do anything to enhance his draft status; he could go as high as No. 2 to Detroit or as low as No. 5 to Arizona.

Courtesy of Foxsports.com:

http://www.benmaller.com/odd_notes_stuff#139541

HOLLYWOOD NFL MOCK DRAFT

So everyone knows there hundreds of Mock Drafts out there, but I came across one like no other. Foxsports.com put together a Mock Draft of Hollywood actors from football related movies and had all 32 NFL teams picking in the 2007 order.

For example, The Raiders at #1 chose Joe Kane, QB Eastern State (The Program); The Cardnials at #5 picked Rod Tidwell, WR ASU ("Show Me the Money!!!!!", Jerry Maguire); The Eagles at #26 picked kick return specialist Forrest Gump out of Alabama, followed by Bobby Boucher going #27 to the Saints also known as the hard hitting "Waterboy".

So who do the Packers end up taking, well at #16 the Pack fill their need at RB taking Darnell Jefferson, RB Eastern State. The Freshman sensation from the Program (Omar Epps).

To see the complete Mock Draft click here:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6607716

Robinson begins work release

Suspended Green Bay Packers wide receiver Koren Robinson began serving the 45-day work-release portion of his 90-day sentence Monday at the Brown County Jail, the Brown County Sheriff's department said in a news release
Tuesday.

During work-release, Robinson will be working with team physician Patrick McKenzie to rehabilitate his knee and also will do some work for Bellin Health Care.
According to the sheriff's department release, "Robinson went through the identical process as any other individual being incarcerated at the jail."
Robinson is classified as a minimum security risk and thus is eligible for the electronic monitoring program, the release said.
Read More from Tom Silverstein's article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=592719

UW safety decides not to play pro ball

Stellmacher going in different direction

Article by Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal

Each spring, a handful of draft-eligible players inform National Football League teams that their careers are over. Wisconsin's Joe Stellmacher is one of them this year.
"That is correct," Stellmacher said. "People have called me crazy and criticized me, but I'm not going to have any regrets. I just thought I had my time, had my fun and I was ready to move on in my life."
Stellmacher, the Badgers' strong safety in 2005 and '06, made honorable mention all-Big Ten Conference and finished second on the team in tackles each year. He had 200 tackles in a five-year career that began as a walk-on.

Read More here:

http://www.packerchatters.com/op-ed/view.php?id=2013

UW Eau Claire - Triple Jump

So I just recently found out I have a relative that is currently a Senior at UW-Eau Claire and is on the Mens Track & Field team as a Triple Jumper. Eric Eigenfeld, who went to High School in DeForest has improved in his 4 years at UWEC to become the teams top Triple Jumper. Next on his radar.......CARL LEWIS!!!!!

In 2004 he was 2nd and 3rd in Indoor and Outdoor on his team with jumps of 44'-1 1/2" for Indoor and 43'-10 1/2" for Outdoor. In 2005 he did some Long Jumping landing in the top 5 on the team at 19'-10 1/4" for Indoor. He also posted a career best 44'-6" in the Triple Jump in Outdoor competition. In 2006 he took over the top spot on the team in the Triple Jump in both Indoor and Outdoor with great jumps of 44'-3/4" and 43-11 1/4". (stats from UWEC athletics page)

Best of luck to Eric this year as UWEC's top Triple Jumper.

Eric's Bio:

http://www.uwec.edu/athletics/mtr/0607/roster/EigenfeldEric.htm

http://www.directathletics.com/athletes/track/794070.html

WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY.......FAVRE CERTAIN THAT MOSS WILL BE A PACKER

The rumors on Randy Moss are heating up once again. It seemed like almost daily the trade was going to happen, but has since gone cold. Well Favre made some comments recently that have the talk heating up again.

Courtesy of profootballtalk.com Favre is quoted as saying he is "100 percent certain" that Moss will be a Packer by the time the 2007 season starts.

It's almost certain that nothing will happen until draft day or soon there after. A sure sign that Moss is heading out of Oakland, would be if the Raiders choose Calvin Johnson, WR Georgia Tech with the #1 pick. Sources close to the Raiders are saying that Al Davis wants JaMarcus Russel, but Offensive Coordinator Greg Knapp is pushing for Johnson. Whoever the Raiders go with at #1 is a sure sign of what they intend to do with Moss.

Where did Aaron's 755th land?

Courtesy of Don Walker's Business of Sports weblog.

Next Tuesday, the Milwaukee Brewers will hold a press conference to discuss arrangements to unveil a commemorative marker that would symbolize the landing location of Hank Aaron's 755th home run.That, of course, was the last home run of Aaron's career. It happened on July 20, 1976.The Brewers say they will call upon the services of Alan J. Horowitz, associate academic program director of civil engineering and mechanics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

I'm pretty sure I know what Horowitz does for a living, but I hope it also means he's watched enough video of the home run and knows where the old County Stadium was built to make a reasoned judgment on the spot in question. I'm thinking the landing is somewhere around the playground equipment just behind Helfaer Field. But we'll know more on Tuesday when the Brewers and Horowitz will gather at THE SPOT. With the attention this season on Barry Bonds and his drive to pass Aaron, it's inevitable that baseball fans will relive Aaron's feat. Judging from this press conference, it appears the Brewers want to be part of the hoopla.A plaque marking the spot will be unveiled in June.

MOCK DRAFT TIME.........NBA style

So with the buzz of the NFL draft coming up in a few weeks, the 2007 NBA draft is being overlooked. While the Bucks are technically in the Durant/Oden race, they current sit #3 in ping pong standings, the real question is where will Alando Tucker end up. I breezed through a few NBA mock drafts and found Tucker's name toward the end of the first round. 3 different sites had him at #27 going to the Utah Jazz, but draftexpress.com has Tucker going around the same spot #28 to the San Antonio Spurs.

Check it out here:

http://www.draftexpress.com/mymock.php?page=official&year=2007

What a great fit Tucker could be for the Spurs. Most of the national media has pegged Tucker as being a decent player at the next level and possibly a great "role player", he is not projected to be the next Lebron James or Dwayne Wade.

Tucker's Bio:
http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=386

Interesting that all 4 sites I checked out have the Bucks picking at #3 split 50-50 on Brandon Wright, PF from UNC, another under shadowed Freshman sensation and Julian Wright, SF from Kansas. I'm sure there will be more to come on the NBA draft as it gets a little closer and the ping pong balls fall into place. Lets hope the Bucks can land a 1 or 2.

Packers looking at Willis at #16

According to Joe Arrigo at Packerchatters.com, the Packers are looking into the possibility of drafting Ole Miss LB, Patrick Willis. Willis has been gaining ground on draft boards across the NFL and could be gone by the time the Packers pick at #16. nfldraftcountdown.com ranks Willis at #9 overall prospect, and Marshawn Lynch, who's name is in just about every mock draft for the Packers is ranked at #27. Willis, the Butkus Award winner in '06, runs a 4.5 40 yard dash and recorded 137 tackles last year.

"They feel (Packers) he is fast enough to play the 'Sam' position. Also he would allow the Packers to mix a little 3/4 defense in from time to time. " But do the Packers really need another LB. That seems to be a stronger part of our Defense, but TT might go with the best available choice and Willis seems to be gaining ground.

Wherever he does go, he's going to be a monster, and a tackling machine. He will be considered an early favorite for Defensive rookie of the year in 2007.

19,031 show up to root, root, root for their adopted home team

Courtesy of Fox Sports

The game was a victory for the Brewers, who priced seats for all three games at $10 each and were pleasantly surprised at the response - an announced crowd of 19,031 who showed up to politely root, root, root for their adopted home team.

The Indians brought their mascot, Slider, and paid for superfan John Adams to bring his big drum - a fixture at Indians home games - to Milwaukee.
"I think it's great," Adams said. "They started a little too early. I know a lot of people from Cleveland (who) live in Chicago came racing up after work."

But Tuesday's game had a touch of Milwaukee, as the chorizo won the sausage mascot race that was held after the sixth inning, just like during Brewers games.

And fans seemed too busy doing the wave in the seventh inning to notice that Sabathia had struck out Garret Anderson to pitch out of a jam. Even Wedge admitted he was temporarily mesmerized by what amounted to a changeup wave by the fans, done at half its normal speed.

"I've never seen a slow wave before," Wedge said. "That locked me up a little bit."

Read more here:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6667816

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELLA

My baby girl turns 1 today!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!

UW QB job still up for grabs

Donovan, Evridge are in heated battle

By JEFF POTRYKUSjpotrykus@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 9, 2007

Courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Madison - Long before spring practice opened last month, Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst insisted his No. 1 goal for the spring was to develop the team's quarterbacks rather than identify and name the 2007 starter.

"Spring is a great time for teaching and throughout that there will be competition," Chryst explained.
Nevertheless, Chryst believes someone eventually must move forward from the pack of contenders and win the job outright. With eight practices in the books and the first of seven more set for 6:30 a.m. today, there is no established leader.
Tyler Donovan, Allan Evridge and Dustin Sherer have shared time with the No. 1 offense, though the race for the starting job realistically appears to be between Donovan and Evridge. The bottom line so far in the spring is that all three quarterbacks have suffered through mixed results.

Read More here:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=588607

Packers: Barnett signs long-term deal

Barnett finally gets his pay day. Jason Wilde, sportswriter of the year has the article today in the Wisonsin State Journal.

JASON WILDE
jwilde@madison.com

GREEN BAY -- The Green Bay Packers may have spent next-to-nothing in free agency this year, but there's no questioning general manager Ted Thompson's commitment to keeping the team's own, as evidenced by Tuesday morning's signing of middle linebacker Nick Barnett to a long-term contract extension.
Details of the deal weren't immediately available, but it is thought to average between $5 million and $6 million per year and include guaranteed money of more than $10 million.
Barnett was entering the final year of the five-year, $6 million rookie deal he signed as the Packers' 2003 first-round draft pick and was set to earn $1.95 million this season.

Read More here:

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=128685&ntpid=1

Small School Buzz - PACK

Joe Arrigo - PackerChatters Staff, talks about who the Packers are looking at in this years up coming draft. A name that has been thrown around is a new one in Tarvarous Bain from Hampton. Although the talk is about the Packers taking him later in the draft, they also are saying Ted Thompson would likely choose him earlier than projected. The raw CB is being compared to another small school pick up two years ago Nick Collins. At that time Collins was being compared to another small school successful Packer, Darren "Nobody's" Sharper. With the success the Pack has had in draft smaller school talent, we'll be listening closely come draft day.

Here's Bain's bio from Hampton's athletic dept. site:

http://www.hamptonpirates.com/roster.asp?playerid=18&sport=1

courtesy of Packerschatter.com

The Packers have been watching a lot of tape onTavarous Bain (CB out of Hampton) and think he can bea "special player". It wouldn't surprise me to see TedThompson draft Bain higher then most expect (ala NickCollins) on draft day.

Read more about other rumblings here:

http://www.packerchatters.com/op-ed/view.php?id=1965

Milwaukee Wave enter Elite status

While I'm not a big soccer fan, I have to hand it to the Milwaukee Wave, who clinched a playoff berth extending their streak to 14 straight years. They join an elite class tied with the Detroit Red Wings (14 straight playoffs berths) for most consecutive seasons with a playoff berth. Comparing these two teams might be like apples to......kiwi, but still quite a feat.

Congrads Wave!!!!!

Green Bay Packers will not pass up Ted Ginn Jr. in NFL Draft

Written by Joe Arrigo - PackerChatters Staff

Courtesy of Packerchatters.com
The Green Bay Packers fill two positions by drafting Ted Ginn JR. the wide receiver/kick returner in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft on April 28th.

Ginn JR. upgrades the return game right away and will be a solid #3 WR for the Packers.
Other options could be wide receivers Dwayne Jarrett, or Robert Meachem and running back Marshawn Lynch.

Read Arrigo's complete list of 2007 players the Packers could be interested in.

http://www.packerchatters.com/op-ed/view.php?id=1962

(And had to show the picture of Ginn against my cousin Keith's Miami(OH) school!!!)

WI Native, Kelly comes close at the Masters

Madison golfer earns his highest finish in a major

By GARY D'AMATOmailto:D
Posted: April 8, 2007

Augusta, Ga. - Jerry Kelly would be the first to admit that his record in the major championships was abysmal for a player of his stature.
The Masters

Jerry Kelly credits his work with a mental coach for helping him stay relaxed and focused while finishing tied for fifth place at the Masters.
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He had won nearly $14.7 million in his career, had finished among the top 40 money winners five times in 11 years on the PGA Tour and he had even won twice. But in the majors, he had exactly two top-25 finishes in 27 starts.
Finally, in the 71st Masters Tournament, he got to see what his name looked like on the leader board.
Kelly, 40, of Madison, Wis., shot a final-round 70 on Sunday and finished in a tie for fifth place with Justin Rose at 4-over-par 292, three strokes behind winner Zach Johnson.

Read more here

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=588250

Barnett still looking for that contract extension

Cullen Jenkins got it, Al Harris got it, Nick Barnett.............still waiting. Barnett is due for a new contract, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said in regards to the situation:

"Linebacker Nick Barnett has been a regular at the Packers' off-season conditioning program, choosing to take a different route than cornerback Mike McKenzie and receiver Javon Walker did when money became an issue with the Packers. He figures not preparing for the upcoming season will hurt him regardless if he has a new contract when the season begins."-- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

While I hope Ted Thompson steps up and pays the man, he's no dummy and it's holding his breath about it. Smart guy, I think Thompson lost his pin number for the cash or something.

Dirk and the BUCKS

Oh the Bucks. Just imagine what kind of team we'd have if we would have kept our German draft pick Dirk Nowitzki. That's right!!!!!! For everyone that did not know, one of the NBA's great talents and start PF on the Dallas Mavricks was draft by your Milwaukee Bucks. He was then traded for Robert "Tractor" Traylor. Oh yeah that was a great move!!!!

Here's a link showing a young Dirk.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://thedraftreview.com/history/drafted1998/images/dirk-nowitzki.jpg&imgrefurl=http://thedraftreview.com/history/drafted1998/Nowitzki-Dirk.htm&h=258&w=161&sz=12&hl=en&start=500&tbnid=s2WyHY1S_AdzLM:&tbnh=112&tbnw=70&prev=/images%3Fq%3DMilwaukee%2BBucks%26start%3D480%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

The Brewers throughout the years

Came across this little tid bit from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Brewers winning percentages and other great stats for the years with different logos. Of course I'm a big advocate for the Brewers going back to the 80's retro logo. Any logo they chose, ultimately, we just want them to win. GO BREWERS!!!!!!!

WI SPORTS RADIO

Just wanted to give a shamless plug to AM 1250, Wisconsin Sports Radio. Nothing but WI sports talk.............my personal favorite. Keep up the great work guys!!!!!

BREWERS vs CUBS/SOX history

Here's an interesting analysis on Illinois 2 teams and our Brewers. GREAT STUFF!!!!!!!!!

Cubs come to town

Our out-of-state rivals from just over the border come to town. Every year the Cubs bring there fans and try to take over Miller Park. The Brewers are expecting 40,000+ for this weekend's series. Lets hope our rising Brewers can tame the Cubs and their fans. It would be a great way to begin the year and keep the "Curse of the Goat" going.

Milwaukee will start RHP Dave Bush, who posted 12 wins last year with a 3.03 ERA vs Chicago LHP Rich Hill. The platooning will continue in the Outfield, which has been a hot topic this year. We'll see who steps up today. Saturday's game will be a great one with both team's aces going head-to-head. Sheets gets the nod for the Crew, who's coming off a 2 hit complete game on Opening day. Carlos Zambrano goes for the Cubs. He is looking to bounce back from his shaky start coming in 0-1 with 9.00 ERA. This should be a great game showcasing star pitching talent. GO BREWERS!!!!!!!! TAKE BACK MILLER PARK!!!!!!

UW Football: Smith springs into action

The story today in the Wisconsin State Journal by TOM MULHERN
tmulhern@madison.com features a snap shot at UW Football this spring.

When sophomore tailback Lance Smith looks in front of him, he sees starter P.J. Hill, the Freshman of the Year in the Big Ten Conference last season.
When Smith looks behind him, he sees a couple of highly regarded incoming recruits in John Clay, from Racine Park, and Zach Brown, from Royal Palm, Fla., who will join the team for fall camp.

Read more here

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=128093&ntpid=1

RETRO BREWERS FOR ALL HOME GAMES

I think that the Brewers should wear the "Retro" uniforms for all home games period!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TT & THE PACK

Can anyone explain Ted Thompson to me??? The guy wants to build through the draft and he's obviously showing us that's how he does it. But to rely on the Draft alone when you have Favre still wanting another shot at a SuperBowl........doesn't make sense to me.

TT has stated he's looking for 2 playmakers on Offense. I'm not sure if we can find those guys in the draft. As big of a fan of the Packers that I am, I'm certainly hoping he can. "In Ted We Trust". Still makes me nervous.

All that money to spend and not replacing Ahman Green raises a big Red Flag to me. When Favre leaves, whenever that may be, I just hope we're not in for the days of TJ Rubley or Anthony Dilwig.

BUCKS & the Lottery

Your Milwaukee Bucks are in the running once again for this year top draft pick. With the season coming to an end the Bucks find themselves again on the outside of the NBA Playoffs.

The hype going into this year's NBA draft includes two big name freshmans prospects. Although neither has offically declared yet, it's almost as sure as "Lefty" choking at the Masters. Say the Bucks do land one of the top spots who do they take Oden or Durant??? How does that effect Bogat??? There has been talk that Oden isn't considered a 5 but then again Bogat is shaky at best at the 5 as well. This could be an interesting decesion the Bucks would have to make say they land #1. We'll keep watching.......

Brewers start out HOT!!!!

The Brewers ended their opening day series in tough fought battle ending 5-4. Fans remained excited till the last out as JJ Hardy lead off the bottom of the 9th with a solo shot. The rally caps were on, but LA finished them off. Read more about it here from Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel.



Suppan solid in his debut but bats squander chances
By TOM HAUDRICOURTthaudricourt@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 4, 2007

Jeff Suppan did what he does best Wednesday night, doing what it takes to give his team a chance to win. In fact, the Milwaukee Brewers had several chances to win.
"Just one more hit," said leftfielder Geoff Jenkins. "That's what you always say when you lose by one."
It was difficult to dismiss those opportunities when Suppan's debut with the Brewers was spoiled by a 5-4 defeat at Miller Park that allowed the Los Angeles Dodgers to avoid a season-opening three-game sweep. Though the Brewers hit into some tough outs, they also failed to execute when the game was there for the taking.
"You're not going to be 100% getting those runs in," said manager Ned Yost. "But you sure want to be able to take advantage of them, especially in tight ballgames like today. They mean the difference between winning and losing."
Suppan kept the game close by escaping tight spots in the early going and limiting the damage in what could have been a disastrous third inning. He later got some help from his defense, such as third baseman Craig Counsell's rally-killing unassisted double play in the seventh.
When all was said and done, Suppan had limited the Dodgers to two runs in seven innings. He departed with his team behind, 2-1, but very much in the game.
"I thought as the game went on, my command got better," said Suppan, who raised expectations for both himself and the team by signing a four-year, $42 million free-agent deal over the winter.
"I was excited to get out there for the first time. Unfortunately, we lost but it was a hard-fought ballgame."
Los Angeles starter Jason Schmidt also made big pitches when necessary. His real test came in the fifth, when a sudden lapse in command resulted in three two-out walks, the first drawn by Suppan.
Schmidt escaped when Prince Fielder took a mighty swing at a 1-0 offering and popped out. A parade of relievers then presented the Brewers with opportunities to win the game.
And the Brewers might have done just that if not for a horrible relief appearance by Carlos Villanueva in the top of the eighth. A former starter getting a shot in the bullpen, Villanueva walked all three batters he faced before Yost came out with the hook.
Each walk came around to score as pinch-hitter Olmedo Saenz greeted reliever Elmer Dessens with a two-run double and Matt Kemp later tacked on a sacrifice fly. Rather than send Villanueva to Class AAA Nashville to make regular starts, the decision was made to keep him in the bullpen, which certainly didn't work the first time out.
Villanueva, who normally pitches with reliable command, refused to blame the pratfall on his bullpen assignment.
"I shied away from contact a little bit," he said. "I need to get ahead (in the count) and be more aggressive. (The role) is new, but it's a game of adjustments. I just hope I get another chance and show I can do it."
Even with that three-run gift to the Dodgers, the Brewers could have won the game. A one-out triple by Rickie Weeks was wasted in the seventh when Los Angeles brought in its infield and J.J. Hardy hit a smash right to shortstop Ramon Martinez, who easily nabbed Weeks at the plate.
Craig Counsell's two-run double in the eighth cut the Dodgers' lead to 5-3 and left runners on second and third with one down, but Takashi Saito got pinch-hitter Gabe Gross to pop out before Weeks lined deep to center. The Brewers were back in business when Hardy ripped a lead-off homer in the ninth and Fielder followed with a double.
But Bill Hall, who was picked off first base in the sixth to render meaningless Jenkins' two-out double, struck out instead of getting Fielder over. Johnny Estrada followed with a fly to center that would have delivered the tying run from third.
"If we get him over there, you know Johnny's going to get him in and tie the ball game," said Yost. "That was another missed opportunity."

WELCOME - to WI Sports Daily

Welcome to WI Sports Daily. This blog will be about WI sports: Packers, Brewers, Bucks, Badgers, and all sports that relate to WI. Feel free to stop in from time to time drop a post, read some articles, and enjoy!!!!