The Wisconsin Sports Rant

It’s late.  I am tired.  I can’t pull myself away from the TV because I keep hoping this horror I am seeing on ESPN is all terribly wrong.  But, I fear that in the morning, nothing will be different.  So now the Packers truly begin life after Favre, for better or worse (actually, just for worse).  You know from my previous post my feelings on the football side of this decision (it is just plain wrong), but now I can also reflect on my thoughts on the non-football side.  In short, the Packers made a franchise-damaging decision.  They managed to alienate their star who sells more jerseys and garners (or garnerED) more positive attention for the team than any other player.  Brett was reason alone for the Packers to receive 4-5 nationally televised games a season.  So business-wise, this was a mistake.

Next, this situation has injured the franchise’s relationship with its fans.  I cannot speak for all of them out there, but personally, it has really hurt the fan in me to watch this unfold as it has.  It has tempered my excitement for the upcoming season a great deal, which should never be the case when your team returns most of its players from a highly successful 14-4 season.  I should be looking forward to this 2008 season with great anticipation, but right now, I am just not interested.  I am numb to the whole thing.  It took a few weeks to digest Brett’s “retirement” in March, but once I did, I was ready to watch the Packers in 2008 with Aaron Rodgers.  I was (and really still am) optimistic that Rodgers can be an excellent NFL QB.  But right now I just don’t care.  It is also extremely frustrating to see a proud franchise treat the best player in their history this way.  Now don’t get me wrong, I think Brett handled this situation poorly as well, and really came off as kind of a baby at the end when he couldn’t put things behind him, but even that is subject to interpretation, and which side you believe is telling the truth.

In retrospect, I am baffled as to how this all happened.  This saga really started in March, but publicly, Favre made known his desire to play at the end of June.  That should have been plenty of time for Favre to reaclimate himself to the team.  How do the Packers simply shut him out and never really give him the opportunity to play for them again?  I simply don’t understand, and maybe never will.  What I will close with tonight is this:  Ted Thompson may build a Super Bowl champion, and Mike McCarthy may coach it, and I will definitely be happy if that happens.  But these two men will forever be the guys responsible for getting rid of Brett Favre.  They didn’t speak for the fans.  They likely didn’t speak for the board of directors, or the shareholders.  They spoke for their arrogant, selfish, egotistical selves.  When all is said and done, these guys got what they wanted.  The Packers are certainly THEIR team now, and not Favre’s or anyone else’s.  I can’t imagine this ever happening with Bob Harlan still the CEO, or Ron Wolf, Mike Holmgren, or even Mike Sherman still being associated with management of the franchise.  No, this debacle is squarely these two guys’ responsibility.

And despite what may or may not occur during their tenures, I will NEVER respect what they have done here today.

Are we all not forgetting perhaps the most pertinent piece of information in this outlandish Brett Favre mess?  Should Favre play, he is subject to the most feared curse that can befall a professional athlete.  No, the Sports Illustrated Cover Curse comes in second to this.  At the top of that list is the EA Sports Cover Curse.  You all should know it well.  A large number of those who appear on the cover of one of their annual sports games have gone on to incur serious injury or some other event that ended their seasons prematurely.  Such examples include Shaun Alexander, Michael Vick, and Gilbert Arenas.  Should Favre end up playing, the question may not only be for which team, but more importantly, for how long.

Yep…I admit it.  One definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome.  By that rational I truly am nuts.  Again I actually believed this Brewers team was different; that they would be a playoff team and play like one against the division leading Chicago Cubs this week.  Instead, this entire homestand has become an outright disaster.  I encourage you to re-read this post from last season:  I am continually fooled by this pathetic franchise.  I can’t believe this is the same team that won 8 in a row to grab a share of first place in the NL Central.  What a difference a week makes.  This group of players along with Neddy Yost should feel embarrassed, and realize that they are far less of a team than they thought they were last Friday morning.  I appreciate Melvin making the huge trade to get a bona fide Cy Young pitcher in to help push for the playoffs.  It is the first sign management has shown that they believe this team can win now.  But when this Brewers club falters as they have this week, they turn believers back into the skeptics.  To treat the nearly 300,000 fans that will have passed through the turnstiles this week to this kind of baseball borders on criminal.  I just don’t understand how a supposedly good team can fall apart so horribly in front of the fans that are buying their tickets in record numbers.  I know there are still 2 months left in the season, but a week like this simply terminates any belief I harbored that the Brewers would be in the playoffs.  I have been ranting about this for two years now.  I’ll believe it when I see it.  Until then, this franchise is and always has been, a LOSER.

I haven’t posted much, if anything, about Brett Favre since that day in March that he “retired”.  This has been purposeful because I had made peace with the idea of the Packers sans Favre, and, much like the organization’s line right now, felt like I had moved on as a Packers fan.  Still, things change, and now that the Packers (specifically Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy ) are faced with the unenviable task of pissing off no less than one of their QB’s and any number of fans, it’s time to think about what is absolutely the best thing for the team and organization.  My take on this has changed a great deal since the reports started surfacing that number 4 was not ready to hang up the helmet just yet.  Initially I took Favre at his text message…thinking it was all just a non-story that got blown way out of proportion because he mentioned to one guy somewhere that he kinda missed playing.  Seems that it was more than a rumor Brett (so I guess Thompson isn’t the only one saying one thing to the public but another behind closed doors).  My feeling then became that the Packers should just do what they were doing at the time…don’t trade him, don’t cut him, let him either come back and sit, or just retire gracefully.  This would prevent the unthinkable…seeing Brett starting on Monday Night Football on September 8th in a hideous purple uniform (or other similar scenario).  I was more on the “side” of the Packers.  As the situations continued to spiral towards a pit of ugliness not seen in Green Bay since…well…2005 I guess, I felt more and more like Favre was tarnishing both his legacy, and the Packers image by doing what he was doing.

But then, last night, I really had a change of mind.  The thing that keeps going through my head is what Ted Thompson has said repeatedly…that he must do what is in the best interest of the team.  When I really considered this, I came to the conclusion that there is only one choice that is best for the team…

Let Favre Play.  In Green Bay.  As the starting Quarterback.

Now this may sound like it is coming from some crazed Favre fanatic that can’t let go, or some stupid fan that is not considering anything past his own nostalgia for 1996.  While the latter point may be somewhat true (well all but the stupid part), I can honestly say that these are not factors in my opinion.  Let’s take a look at what we are talking about when we say “what is best for the Green Bay Packers”.

There are two points of view from which you must approach this problem.  The first is on the field.  How do you build the best team?  What pieces do you need to reach the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl?  The second is with regards to the integrity and legacy of your franchise, especially in regards to the fan base (which in this case are your shareholders and paying customers rolled into one).  I don’t want to dwell on the latter piece here because I would surmise that anyone reading this blog has a pretty good understanding of this portion.  Favre is a legend.  To see him play for another franchise would be painful, but if it were a division rival, it may even border on intolerable.  The thought that someone as revered as Brett Favre can make the statement that he doesn’t feel wanted by a franchise for which he was the face for the last 16 years is frustrating to say the least.  From the perspective of what I would guess would be a majority of the fans (I am sure there are plenty that would disagree), I would say that this is not true.  There is a difference between not wanting Favre back and having moved on since Favre had stated that his services would no longer be available.  In any case, if you asked any fan what their ideal scenario would be for this whole situation, it would almost certainly end with Favre retiring a Green Bay Packer (whether it be this year, next year, in five years, whenever) never having donned another team’s uniform.

It is the part about assembling the best team possible that really caused me to change my mind about this whole mess.  First of all, just for a moment, forget that this is Brett Favre, and forget all the non-football related stuff that surrounds this circus.  You are the general manager of a football team that was very nearly a Super Bowl participant the preceding season.  Were it not for an other-worldly performance by one other guy in the league, your quarterback would have been the MVP.  You have the guy still under contract, despite the fact that he had already announced his retirement.  On the other hand, you have a possible rising talent who very well could be an all-pro at some point in his career, but is totally unproven over any length of time, and even has shown signs of being injury-prone.  When you look at it from this perspective, I just don’t really see how you can make any other choice than but to go with the perennially proven talent.  MVP or unproven yet promising player?  Ok, now we can bring back into the picture who we are talking about here.  I have heard all the talk about shattering Aaron Rodgers’ confidence if you allow Favre to return as a starter, and frankly, I think that is absurd.  The man is a professional football player.  He should be of the toughest mental mold.  I realize how frustrating this may feel…to have a huge opportunity given to you, and then to have it instantly thrown into jeopardy.  Still, it’s not like he won’t have a chance at some point (if not in 2008, he is a free agent and can sign anywhere he likes).  The Packers have let a good number of better than average quarterbacks leave during Favre’s tenure, and may have some waiting in the wings again.  The point is, when you were a play away from being in the Super Bowl (yes, I know the irony is that it was a Favre play away), you must seize the opportunity that is present, because you are never guaranteed the ability to reach that point again.  You have an MVP caliber quarterback that wants to play.  You have a roster very much unchanged from the 14-4 season of a year ago.  To me, the decision is clear.  You take the proven talent and go for it.  Now.

I am not of the illusion that there are dozens of other arguments and positions to take on this saga.  I also understand that there are several factors at play here that may make some of my points less black and white, and more shades of gray.  Still, my biggest desire as a fan is to see the Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl, and I feel that Brett Favre gives them the best chance to accomplish that feat in 2008.

I know, I know…long time no post. Well, today seemed as good a day as any to make a comeback (right Brett?). After seeing that Corey Hart made the All-Star team today, I took a moment to sit back and realize what this says about baseball in Milwaukee. Through all the years of futility we have endured as Brewers fans, we are a tremendously forgiving and enthusiastic bunch.  We have the distinction of having used incredible grass-roots campaigning to get not one, but TWO players voted onto the NL team.  In the week before Ryan Braun made the team as a starter, and this partial week of Final Vote voting, Brewers fans turned out in massive numbers. This is a huge accomplishment for the organization, which did a great job of using creative methods to get people to vote, and the fans, who sat in front of computer screens at home, at work, on their mobile phone, and even at Summerfest to ensure their guys got in. When you think about “small market” Milwaukee, and how we are going to put over 3,000,000 butts in the seats this year, and how we can out-vote the fans of MUCH larger markets such as New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, you have to say we have some of the best fans in the league. While I didn’t post about it last week, the statement management made by acquiring CC Sebathia shows that this franchise now means business, and they are going to do what it takes to put a playoff team out on the field. It truly is a great time for Brewers fans, and hopefully we will all be rewarded with the first whiff of October baseball (outside of the first three days) since 1982.

Roll Out The Barrel!

It’s been a busy spring for the Ranter - his baby boy’s first birthday approaches, his beautiful little girl does something new and hilarious every day, and Skype 4.0 just came out.  So with the actual start of summer right around the corner, I, Mighty Gosling, thought I’d offer a few summer thoughts:

-  Three months into the season and we’ve seen three different Brewer teams - the team that went 0 for Boston including an embarassing appearance on national TV, that team’s mirror opposite by going 8-1 on a recent homestand, and then everything in between.  Never the less, the team is clearly a wild-card contender especially if the line-up stabilizes.  I love Hart up top and who in America isn’t falling in love with Russell Branyan all over again? 

- Salomon Torres, or SalTor as i affectionately refer to him, is earning Gagne’s $10 million salary.  I’d propose having them swap contracts but i found out SalTor actually makes $3.3 mil and Gagne doesn’t deserve that.

- As i’m writing this, Russell the Muscle just went yard against the Jays.  He’s probably the greatest Russell ever to play in the majors.  

- Sheets and Braun are obvious All-Stars.  But keep your eye on Jason Kendall to wind up in NY.  Why not?

-  I really tried to like Indiana Jones 4 but come on.   The Ark cameo was the best part.

-  The Bucks should go crazy this summer.  Keep Yi, Bogut, and Ramon Sessions.  Everyone else should be on the table. 

-  You’re still trying to figure out another major leaguer named Russell, aren’t you?

-  Javon Walker - $100k in ice?  Really?  And I thought I was accessorizing with my recently purchased pocket square.

- Kudos to Lindsay Schwartz, Watertown’s volleyball and track star, who took home the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s area female athlete of the year.  Go Goslings!

- I hate the Cubs.

After more than 3 years of losing series at Shea to the Mets, it was great to close out the Brewers short history there with a win. The final game saw some pitching that was pretty awful, but the defense and stellar hitting from the bottom of the order allowed the Brewers to continue their hot start to the season. It is somewhat alarming that so many of Milwaukee’s runs are coming off the long ball. During the three game losing streak that encompassed the end of the Reds series and the first game in New York, the Brewers got only 7 runs, 2 of which came on solo home runs. Relying on the HR in baseball is somewhat like relying on the 3 pointer in basketball. If you aren’t getting the ball to fly out of the park, you cannot survive without manufacturing runs. The Brewers showed a bit more of that ability on Sunday, getting several clutch 2 out hits as well. When you can make the most of your offensive opportunities, you can even withstand that aforementioned poor pitching as they did on Sunday. I found it ironic that the first 1-2-3 inning came in the 9th, with Gagne shutting the door for his 3rd save.

All in all, a good two weeks to begin 2008. If you recall, the 24-10 start to 2007 was somewhat derided as the Brewers played some of the softer teams in the league. This year, they have already won series against three of the upper level teams, and look to do so again against the surprising Cardinals this week.

It may have been a less than perfect way to win the opening game, but you gotta love beating your division rival on their turf, which is exactly what the Brewers did today. What started as a dual between staff Aces (Sheets versus Zambrano) ended with the polar opposite of pitching prowess, as both closers struggled mightily (Gagne and Wood). In the end, though, it was a guy that may only be on the active roster due to the suspension of the primary center fielder that brought home the bacon. Tony Gwynn, Jr. had big at bats in both the 9th and 10th innings that carried the Brewers to the 4-3 win.

Things I Liked:

• Ben Sheets pitched amazingly well, even with a significant amount of time between innings due to the rain delay. 6 1/3 innings, 2 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts, and perhaps the best thing: He didn’t get injured!
• Guillermo Mota - it was a short outing, but a good setup man will be very important this year
• That after a relatively poor showing by the offense all day, the meat of the order got it done big time in the 9th inning, and of course, scratched one out in the 10th

Things I Didn’t Like:

• Really, there was one thing I didn’t like, and it was Eric Gagne’s debut outing for the Brewers. Honestly, Eric, for $10 million you should at least be able to blow the save with more style than Derrick Turnbow.

All in all, defeating the Cubs at Wrigley, especially after giving them hope in the 9th inning, made this a beautiful Opening Day. Roll Out The Barrel!

Congrats to the Badgers on actually getting some hardware this year. They took home the conference and tournament championships. But when it really counted, this season ended almost exactly as last year did…losing in embarrassing fashion to a much lower seed because they couldn’t stop one guy. It is hard to talk badly about a team that went 31-5, but the disappointment is as intolerable and unpalatable as it was not making the Sweet Sixteen last season. I read through my previous posts about how great and balanced this team is, and how their defense would allow them to beat anyone. Not so much. It was sickening to listen to all the Cinderella garbage by the commentators. CBS and the NCAA can go have their fun with the sweetheart team that is more sexy than Wisconsin. There is not much else to say right now. Time to move on to the next sports season so we can watch some other team fail to win a championship.

Just as a side note: Marquette did not make it as far as Wisconsin, but their loss was infinitely more uplifting and acceptable.

I have a suggestion for a new Babcock Hall ice cream flavor: Double Champion-chip. This under-appreciated, under-respected, highly successful Wisconsin Badgers basketball team staged a tremendous comeback on Saturday to beat Michigan State, and then methodically dispatched Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament Championship game to prove without dispute that they are the Big Ten’s top team. I learned something both in and about Indianapolis this weekend. In Indianapolis, I learned that unlike the other NCAA tournament-bound teams from the conference, Wisconsin did not wilt under pressure. They played their game, and though Michigan State, led by Drew Neitzel, almost knocked the Badgers off, the outstandingly clutch play of Michael Flowers and Marcus Landry prevented that from happening. The Badgers did what they have done all year, which is find ways to win. Sunday’s championship game was interesting for the first 10 minutes, but Wisconsin was just the better team. They rebounded well, played good defense, and hit the three ball, putting and keeping distance between the Illini and themselves. What did I learn about Indianapolis? More on that later…

For just a moment, I would like to return to a less positive time for the Badgers. Going into the 2006 tournament, Wisconsin had been fading fast. They had lost Marcus Landry and Greg Stiemsma at the beginning of the semester, and everything had been going south since that point. Limping into the tournament, the Badgers were destroyed by Arizona. I thought that Michael Flowers would never be more than a decent role player, and certainly never thought much of his offense. I didn’t know whether we would even get Stiemsma back. I didn’t know whether Landry would amount to much either. I have to admit up front, I was dead wrong about these guys. Give credit to them for their tireless work, and to Bo Ryan for molding them into a formidable team. Flowers has become a defensive stopper, an offensive spark, and a true team leader. Stiemsma has become a huge contributor on both ends of the court as well, even a threat to hit the shot from 18 feet. Landry has some terrific moves in the post, and can come out of nowhere to block what would have been a sure layup. I’ve said it all year long, as have many other people: these guys have developed into a true team.

Wisconsin has lost to exactly three teams this year. All three are ranked in the top 20. Barring a ridiculous upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament next week, they will win 30 games for the second year in a row, and only the second time in school history. Anyone who doubts this team is an elite program is just plain wrong at this point. Flair, flash, glitz…these adjectives may not describe Wisconsin basketball; but I have a few words that mean more: winners, conference champions, conference tournament champions.

So what did I learn about Indianapolis on Sunday? I learned that in this city, where the NCAA and thus, its basketball tournament selection committee is based, there must be some truly premium quality crack on the streets. How else can one explain said committee’s decision to bestow only a 3 seed on a team that went 29-4, won its regular season and tournament conference championships, beat Texas in Austin (a team they made a number 2 seed), and whose only losses were to teams that finished in the top 16? I totally understand that when you get into the 2 and 3 seeds, there isn’t a lot of difference in the draws, but it shows a total lack of respect for this program. You can tell from the brackets that this committee holds little regard for the Big Ten as a whole, as Indiana dropped to an 8 seed, Purdue dropped all the way to a 6 seed, and Ohio State didn’t even get in. It’s ironic that Michigan State is the only team from the Big Ten that was put exactly where they belonged in terms of seed. I think that if Wisconsin plays their game, and doesn’t suffer an extended period of offensive drought, they should defintely be playing through to at least the second weekend. Still, I feel this seeding is simply unfair. Look at two of the teams that got a 2 seed ahead of the Badgers: One is the aforementioned Longhorns of Texas (again, a team Wisconsin beat on their home court), and the other is Georgetown, who didn’t win their conference tournament title, losing to an unranked (albeit hot) Pittsburgh team. Despite this one negative from today, it was an overwhelmingly positive weekend for the Wisconsin Badgers. I will savor the tournament championship, and look forward to next week as the Badgers begin their quest for the ultimate prize. Maybe the the folks over in the agriculture school should hold off on that new flavor. After all, Triple Champion-chip sounds a whole lot tastier.