In this episode Andrew, Mike, and Brandon go over some Marquette
Golden Eagle and Wisconsin Badger basketball, they discuss Andrew
Bogut’s injury and options of replacing him, they recap the Milwaukee
Brewers “On Deck” Fan Fest they attended with some news and notes, and
finish up with Prince Fielder signing with the Detroit Tigers and how it
effects baseball.
Link to episode: http://thesportsstuff.com/?p=3819
Hosted By: Andrew, Mike, Nick and Brandon
Listen to our podcast, "Wisconsin Sports Blog Roundtable", available on iTunes and TheSportsStuff.com! Subscribe for free today!
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers,
Badgers, Bucks and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and
post game discussion.
@WISportsBlog
@WSB_Andrew
@WSB_Nick
@WSB_Brandon
@WSB_Mike
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Recap of Brewers On Deck Fan Fest
Brewers On Deck set an attendance record on Sunday, even with the big names of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder missing from the headlines. Over 12,000 people showed up to the festivities at the Frontier Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee as the likes of Robin Yount, Rollie Fingers, Bob Uecker, Jerry Augustine, among others were in attendance for the Fan Fest. I got to meet Bob Uecker, Mark Attanasio, Brewers Manager Ron Roenicke, current Brewers Alex Gonzalez, Mat Gamel, and Martin Maldenado, minor leaguers Eric Farris, Jed Bradley, Taylor Yungmann, Scotter Gennett, Khris Davis, Kentrail Davis, Hunter Morris, and Brock Kjeldgaard. Uecker signed my baseball, Mark A. signed my playoff hat, Roenicke and the rest signed a different baseball. I want to commend how respectful all of the players were, especially the Timber Rattlers. Eric Farris was also a class act, who really was having a good time with the children in the kids area and interacting with the parents. A few funny moments, Nyjer Morgan was doing interviews with kids on FSWisconsin and he came up to the table next to ours and started eating their cheese fries and talking with the table. Chris Narveson said during a Q&A that the pitching staff is going to hit 10 home runs this year to make up for Prince Fielder being gone. Doug Melvin asked a boy if he got Prince Fielder's autograph today and the boy replied, "No." Melvin said, "Yeah, neither did the Brewers." Finally, Bob Uecker was moderating a question-and-answer session for fans with team owner Mark Attanasio, GM Doug Melvin, assistant Gord Ash and new front office member Craig Counsell. When the microphone was being passed among the crowd, a young boy raised his hand to ask a question.
"What's your name?" asked Uecker.
"Tyler," said the young boy.
"Poor kid," said Uecker, taking a shot at Brewers vice president Tyler Barnes, standing just off-stage. But the young boy didn't know it was a joke and started crying, burying his head into his mom's shoulder.
Mortified, Uecker had the mom bring the boy to the stage. He was wearing a Counsell jersey, so Craig Counsell signed it, then Aramis Ramirez and Alex Gonzalez signed it as well. Looking at Attanasio, Uecker then said, "Mark, give the kid a 20 (dollar bill)."
(Story courtesy of Tom Haudricourt @Haudricourt)
Other News and Notes from On Deck:
Zack Greinke spoke very highly of Mark Attanasio and the Brewers staff today during Q&A. Sounds like he wants to stay in Milwaukee and openly said he will listen for an extention. Nyjer Morgan was the hit of the show, by far. He was posing "beastmode" for pictures with the kids that came through his line. You could really tell Morgan was enjoying himself by taking the time to interact with every person that came through his line. Nyjer Morgan said today was the best fan experience he's had in his career. Focusing on the season, still room for lots of improvement. Shaun Marcum said he is working on his delivery when pitching. Obviously, his postseason play effected him. Shaun Marcum also is said to be advancing well in the arbitration process. Deal should be soon. Corey Hart was asked about playing some first base this year and he said he'll do whatever they want him to do but isn't to thrilled of the position. Finally, Rickie Weeks said his foot still isn't at 100% but getting back on the field will help him rehab it to health. He will need to produce big in the absence of Fielder and maybe Braun.
Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.
-Andrew Vrchota (@WSB_Andrew)
Listen to our podcast, "Wisconsin Sports Blog Roundtable", available on iTunes and TheSportsStuff.com! Subscribe for free today!
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @WSB_Andrew @WSB_Nick @WSB_Brandon @WSB_Mike
"What's your name?" asked Uecker.
"Tyler," said the young boy.
"Poor kid," said Uecker, taking a shot at Brewers vice president Tyler Barnes, standing just off-stage. But the young boy didn't know it was a joke and started crying, burying his head into his mom's shoulder.
Mortified, Uecker had the mom bring the boy to the stage. He was wearing a Counsell jersey, so Craig Counsell signed it, then Aramis Ramirez and Alex Gonzalez signed it as well. Looking at Attanasio, Uecker then said, "Mark, give the kid a 20 (dollar bill)."
(Story courtesy of Tom Haudricourt @Haudricourt)
Other News and Notes from On Deck:
Zack Greinke spoke very highly of Mark Attanasio and the Brewers staff today during Q&A. Sounds like he wants to stay in Milwaukee and openly said he will listen for an extention. Nyjer Morgan was the hit of the show, by far. He was posing "beastmode" for pictures with the kids that came through his line. You could really tell Morgan was enjoying himself by taking the time to interact with every person that came through his line. Nyjer Morgan said today was the best fan experience he's had in his career. Focusing on the season, still room for lots of improvement. Shaun Marcum said he is working on his delivery when pitching. Obviously, his postseason play effected him. Shaun Marcum also is said to be advancing well in the arbitration process. Deal should be soon. Corey Hart was asked about playing some first base this year and he said he'll do whatever they want him to do but isn't to thrilled of the position. Finally, Rickie Weeks said his foot still isn't at 100% but getting back on the field will help him rehab it to health. He will need to produce big in the absence of Fielder and maybe Braun.
Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.
-Andrew Vrchota (@WSB_Andrew)
Listen to our podcast, "Wisconsin Sports Blog Roundtable", available on iTunes and TheSportsStuff.com! Subscribe for free today!
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @WSB_Andrew @WSB_Nick @WSB_Brandon @WSB_Mike
Friday, January 27, 2012
The Legacy of Prince Fielder in Milwaukee
No ones presence was felt quite like Prince Fielder's at Miller Park. When "Moments In Love" (by Artist of Noise) hit the speakers, you were in for something special. Fans in the right field bleachers sat with an exhilarated amount of attention. Children and their fathers would wait for that crack of the bat by Prince, hoping a moon shot would come their way. That was just one thing that excited fans about Prince.
Prince will always be well respected in the Brewers organization not only for the way he performed at the plate, but how he performed away from the game. Sure, Prince had his moments where he showed anger and frustrations. He had a few blow-ups in the dugout (pushing Manny Parra, tossing a gatorade jug) as well as going after the Dodger's locker room. But, that just showed his love for the game of baseball. He is a competitor. In six full seasons (972 games) with Milwaukee, he only missed 13 games.
So, what is there to remember about Prince? I think the question in where do you start? Lets look at what the other guys have to say.
"(Prince), is one of my favorite players to watch play in a Milwaukee Brewer uniform, and thanks to him I now have great memories to last a lifetime. I have a few memories of Prince that stand out the most, his first career homerun against the Minnesota Twins, when he hit the walk-off two run homerun against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a very tight race with the New York Mets for the 2008 Wild Card. One of my last, greatest memories of Prince Fielder would be him winning the 2009 Home Run Derby in St. Louis, being the only Brewer to ever win a Home Run Derby." - Nick Pritzlaff (@WSB_Nick)
"My favorite memory of Prince Fielder is in 2005 when he hit his first career home run. It was a 3 run shot in the 6th inning that gave the Brewers a 7-5 lead. Rickie Weeks also had his first career home run that game too. The Brewers held onto that lead and won 7-6. After seeing that game, I knew that Fielder had a bright future ahead of him." - Mike Schuster (@WSB_Mike)
"The walk off home-run in the 14 inning game against the Colorado Rockies last season is one of my favorite memories. The energy he provided in the games previous and especially in the games following were tremendous." - Brandon Krueger (@WSB_Brandon)
I myself have a few fond memories of Prince as a Brewer. Who could forget his controversial celebration (above) after his walk off home run against the San Fransisco Giants in 2010. Or, his two career inside the park home runs against the Minnesota Twins and the Toronto Blue Jays. Or recently, jacking a 3 run home run in the All-Star game to help the National League win the game and was awarded the game's Most Valuable Player. My favorite memory of the 2011 season with Fielder was on June 12th. The Brewers were down 3-2 in the 6th inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. Just before Fielder walked up the plate, Ryan Braun singled to left which scored Mark Kotsay. With Braun on 1st, Fielder lauched a 2 run home run 440 feet (below) to give the Brewers the lead and the eventual victory. With that win, the Brewers were in sole possession of 1st place over the Cardinals.
I think that describes Prince the best. He was there for the Brewers when we needed him most. Always made an impact, always showed up in the clutch. He never once gave up on his team. He will always be remembered for the giant grin he always had on his face. The Brewers lose a great leader, a best friend, and a brother to some. Rickie Weeks, for one, is losing a family member. Weeks and Fielder grew up together as kids in Orlando, were they now live today. Weeks, also, is the godfather of Fielder's son, Jaden. Former Brewer, Casey McGehee, also had a strong relationship with Prince. Casey's son, Mack, who has cerebral palsy, is Prince Fielder's best friend. During pre-game warm ups, Prince would always encourage Mack to come out onto the field and interact with the other Brewers. Prince was a big role for the McGehee family.
Which brings me to my last question. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has seen this, but I'm puzzled as to why there is so much hate by the "fans" towards Prince. What Prince Fielder did for the Milwaukee Brewers in the six and a half years is something legendary. He turned our team from a joke to wild card winners and eventual NL Central champions. The fans need to understand that the bank account for the Brewers isn't of what the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs etc. have. Its the big negative of being in a small market. To go out and call him a traitor and only playing for the money is absolutely ludicrous. Prince goes to a team, the Detroit Tigers, that is a contending team who won the AL Central last season. He is filling a role of Victor Martinez, whom the Tigers lost already for the 2012 season to an ACL injury. Finally, Prince Fielder's father, Cecil, played for the Tigers from 1990-1996. At age 11, Prince was launching balls out of Tigers Stadium during batting practice. And for fans to call him derogatory terms, ones that relate to his weight, they again must not know how many games Fielder missed, or should I say didn't miss for the Brewers.
In the end, Prince's name will always be brought up with the likes of Robin Yount, Paul Moliter, Rollie Fingers, Geoff Jenkins, and Ryan Braun when the names of legendary Brewer players are brought up. The Brewers community will have to get over him not playing for us anymore and move on. For now, Mat Gamel is our starting first baseman, who has been exceptionally well in the minors. I pray he can carry that talent over to the Bigs and be a major part of our team. And who knows, maybe the next Prince Fielder will be in our midst in 2012? And who says we haven't seen the last of Prince in Milwaukee? That's the beauty of baseball. Everything is unexpected, and anything can happen.
Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.
-Andrew Vrchota (@WSB_Andrew)
Listen to our podcast, "Wisconsin Sports Blog Roundtable", available on iTunes and TheSportsStuff.com! Subscribe for free today!
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @WSB_Andrew @WSB_Nick @WSB_Brandon @WSB_Mike
Prince will always be well respected in the Brewers organization not only for the way he performed at the plate, but how he performed away from the game. Sure, Prince had his moments where he showed anger and frustrations. He had a few blow-ups in the dugout (pushing Manny Parra, tossing a gatorade jug) as well as going after the Dodger's locker room. But, that just showed his love for the game of baseball. He is a competitor. In six full seasons (972 games) with Milwaukee, he only missed 13 games.
So, what is there to remember about Prince? I think the question in where do you start? Lets look at what the other guys have to say.
"(Prince), is one of my favorite players to watch play in a Milwaukee Brewer uniform, and thanks to him I now have great memories to last a lifetime. I have a few memories of Prince that stand out the most, his first career homerun against the Minnesota Twins, when he hit the walk-off two run homerun against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a very tight race with the New York Mets for the 2008 Wild Card. One of my last, greatest memories of Prince Fielder would be him winning the 2009 Home Run Derby in St. Louis, being the only Brewer to ever win a Home Run Derby." - Nick Pritzlaff (@WSB_Nick)
"My favorite memory of Prince Fielder is in 2005 when he hit his first career home run. It was a 3 run shot in the 6th inning that gave the Brewers a 7-5 lead. Rickie Weeks also had his first career home run that game too. The Brewers held onto that lead and won 7-6. After seeing that game, I knew that Fielder had a bright future ahead of him." - Mike Schuster (@WSB_Mike)
"The walk off home-run in the 14 inning game against the Colorado Rockies last season is one of my favorite memories. The energy he provided in the games previous and especially in the games following were tremendous." - Brandon Krueger (@WSB_Brandon)
I myself have a few fond memories of Prince as a Brewer. Who could forget his controversial celebration (above) after his walk off home run against the San Fransisco Giants in 2010. Or, his two career inside the park home runs against the Minnesota Twins and the Toronto Blue Jays. Or recently, jacking a 3 run home run in the All-Star game to help the National League win the game and was awarded the game's Most Valuable Player. My favorite memory of the 2011 season with Fielder was on June 12th. The Brewers were down 3-2 in the 6th inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. Just before Fielder walked up the plate, Ryan Braun singled to left which scored Mark Kotsay. With Braun on 1st, Fielder lauched a 2 run home run 440 feet (below) to give the Brewers the lead and the eventual victory. With that win, the Brewers were in sole possession of 1st place over the Cardinals.
I think that describes Prince the best. He was there for the Brewers when we needed him most. Always made an impact, always showed up in the clutch. He never once gave up on his team. He will always be remembered for the giant grin he always had on his face. The Brewers lose a great leader, a best friend, and a brother to some. Rickie Weeks, for one, is losing a family member. Weeks and Fielder grew up together as kids in Orlando, were they now live today. Weeks, also, is the godfather of Fielder's son, Jaden. Former Brewer, Casey McGehee, also had a strong relationship with Prince. Casey's son, Mack, who has cerebral palsy, is Prince Fielder's best friend. During pre-game warm ups, Prince would always encourage Mack to come out onto the field and interact with the other Brewers. Prince was a big role for the McGehee family.
Which brings me to my last question. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has seen this, but I'm puzzled as to why there is so much hate by the "fans" towards Prince. What Prince Fielder did for the Milwaukee Brewers in the six and a half years is something legendary. He turned our team from a joke to wild card winners and eventual NL Central champions. The fans need to understand that the bank account for the Brewers isn't of what the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs etc. have. Its the big negative of being in a small market. To go out and call him a traitor and only playing for the money is absolutely ludicrous. Prince goes to a team, the Detroit Tigers, that is a contending team who won the AL Central last season. He is filling a role of Victor Martinez, whom the Tigers lost already for the 2012 season to an ACL injury. Finally, Prince Fielder's father, Cecil, played for the Tigers from 1990-1996. At age 11, Prince was launching balls out of Tigers Stadium during batting practice. And for fans to call him derogatory terms, ones that relate to his weight, they again must not know how many games Fielder missed, or should I say didn't miss for the Brewers.
In the end, Prince's name will always be brought up with the likes of Robin Yount, Paul Moliter, Rollie Fingers, Geoff Jenkins, and Ryan Braun when the names of legendary Brewer players are brought up. The Brewers community will have to get over him not playing for us anymore and move on. For now, Mat Gamel is our starting first baseman, who has been exceptionally well in the minors. I pray he can carry that talent over to the Bigs and be a major part of our team. And who knows, maybe the next Prince Fielder will be in our midst in 2012? And who says we haven't seen the last of Prince in Milwaukee? That's the beauty of baseball. Everything is unexpected, and anything can happen.
Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.
-Andrew Vrchota (@WSB_Andrew)
Listen to our podcast, "Wisconsin Sports Blog Roundtable", available on iTunes and TheSportsStuff.com! Subscribe for free today!
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @WSB_Andrew @WSB_Nick @WSB_Brandon @WSB_Mike
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Wisconsin Sports Blog Radio Episode 2
In this episode, Nick, Mike, Brandon, and Andrew discuss the
Milwaukee Bucks and how they have looked thus far, what the Packers need
to focus on to improve for next season, the latest on Prince Fielder
rumors and where he might be headed and how soon, and to finish, Ryan
Braun’s MVP ceremony is recapped along with a debate on Buster Olney’s
blog about Braun.
Link: http://www.thesportsstuff.com/?p=3802
Hosted By: Andrew, Mike, Nick and Brandon
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion.
@WISportsBlog
@WSB_Andrew
@WSB_Nick
@WSB_Brandon
@WSB_Mike
Link: http://www.thesportsstuff.com/?p=3802
Hosted By: Andrew, Mike, Nick and Brandon
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion.
@WISportsBlog
@WSB_Andrew
@WSB_Nick
@WSB_Brandon
@WSB_Mike
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Is Aaron Rodgers Overrated?
Now, before you all Google Map search my house and load your pistols and sharpen your knives to come and end me, please understand this. I think Aaron Rodgers is one of the elite quarterbacks in the National Football League. I think he has risen the ranks at a faster pace then anyone ever expected, and also has accomplished more then anyone seemed possible. I am only being a devil's advocate in this situation, to put you in the shoes of non-Packer fans and how they see Aaron Rodgers. Let's start this all in April of 2005.
"With the 1st pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, the San Fransisco 49ers select...." Paul Tagliabue's next words out of his mouth were supposed to be Aaron Rodgers out of California, who was considered the #1 pick on many of analyst's mock drafts. Instead, San Fransisco selected Alex Smith out of Utah to shock the football world. Rodger's draft stock immediately dropped, as no middle teams needed a quarterback. Linebackers, cornerbacks, and running backs went heavy in the first round, which made people wonder, when will Rodgers go, and to who? That team, as we know, was the Green Bay Packers.
Meanwhile, the Packers were coming off a disappointing playoff run, much like the one we witnessed this year as well. The Packers lost to the Vikings at Lambeau Field in the infamous "Randy Moss moons the fans" game. Brett Favre had a very poor performance, throwing for only 216 yards and 1 touchdown, with 4 interceptions. It became known painfully that Brett Favre's time on the frozen tundra were coming to an end. But, who could ever replace the likes of the legend of Brett Favre? This brings me to the point of the title. Is Aaron Rodgers overrated?
Us, as Packer fans, have been spoiled for over a decade and a half with having a contending team. In our minds, the day Brett Favre wasn't our quarterback was the day Green Bay was doomed. No more NFC North Titles, no more playoff births, no more Super Bowls. Favre is what we became used to. It was our comfort zone. No one could ever do what Brett Favre had done for Green Bay, right? No one would even come close to breaking his records anytime soon, right? Well, to say we were wrong would be an understatement.
I think there is some truth to why Packer's fans hold Aaron Rodgers at such a high regard. He was brought to our team by a gamble of not only by San Fransisco, but by us as well. Aaron Rodgers was considered in the locker room as a joke and some coaches said he would never make it in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers, by leaps and bounds, has exceeded those expectations and silenced the non-believers. So in our eyes, in the midst of adversity, Aaron Rodgers became our quarterback when Green Bay parted ways with Brett Favre and kept the Packers as a contending team. Packers fans view him as a savior, regular football fans view him as just another quarterback. What Aaron Rodgers means to Green Bay is what Drew Brees means to New Orleans. He's more then a quarterback, he's a hero. As long as Rodgers stays consistent with his play in years to come, the talks of Aaron being overrated with slowly dwindle away.
Again, I want to reiterate, I do not personally think Aaron Rodgers is overrated, so please don't "Buster Olney" me (see his blog on Ryan Braun on ESPN). This is neutral post. I'm just shining some light on everyone to realize how good us as Packers fans have it. Some teams don't have the luxury of having consistently productive quarterbacks (ex. Chicago Bears). So, enjoy the times that we still have as a dominate football teams. And who knows, maybe 10 years from now, I'll have a similar blog talking about our great quarterback that replaced the legend, Aaron Rodgers.
Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.
-Andrew Vrchota (@WSB_Andrew)
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @WSB_Andrew @WSB_Nick @WSB_Brandon @WSB_Mike
"With the 1st pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, the San Fransisco 49ers select...." Paul Tagliabue's next words out of his mouth were supposed to be Aaron Rodgers out of California, who was considered the #1 pick on many of analyst's mock drafts. Instead, San Fransisco selected Alex Smith out of Utah to shock the football world. Rodger's draft stock immediately dropped, as no middle teams needed a quarterback. Linebackers, cornerbacks, and running backs went heavy in the first round, which made people wonder, when will Rodgers go, and to who? That team, as we know, was the Green Bay Packers.
Meanwhile, the Packers were coming off a disappointing playoff run, much like the one we witnessed this year as well. The Packers lost to the Vikings at Lambeau Field in the infamous "Randy Moss moons the fans" game. Brett Favre had a very poor performance, throwing for only 216 yards and 1 touchdown, with 4 interceptions. It became known painfully that Brett Favre's time on the frozen tundra were coming to an end. But, who could ever replace the likes of the legend of Brett Favre? This brings me to the point of the title. Is Aaron Rodgers overrated?
Us, as Packer fans, have been spoiled for over a decade and a half with having a contending team. In our minds, the day Brett Favre wasn't our quarterback was the day Green Bay was doomed. No more NFC North Titles, no more playoff births, no more Super Bowls. Favre is what we became used to. It was our comfort zone. No one could ever do what Brett Favre had done for Green Bay, right? No one would even come close to breaking his records anytime soon, right? Well, to say we were wrong would be an understatement.
I think there is some truth to why Packer's fans hold Aaron Rodgers at such a high regard. He was brought to our team by a gamble of not only by San Fransisco, but by us as well. Aaron Rodgers was considered in the locker room as a joke and some coaches said he would never make it in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers, by leaps and bounds, has exceeded those expectations and silenced the non-believers. So in our eyes, in the midst of adversity, Aaron Rodgers became our quarterback when Green Bay parted ways with Brett Favre and kept the Packers as a contending team. Packers fans view him as a savior, regular football fans view him as just another quarterback. What Aaron Rodgers means to Green Bay is what Drew Brees means to New Orleans. He's more then a quarterback, he's a hero. As long as Rodgers stays consistent with his play in years to come, the talks of Aaron being overrated with slowly dwindle away.
Again, I want to reiterate, I do not personally think Aaron Rodgers is overrated, so please don't "Buster Olney" me (see his blog on Ryan Braun on ESPN). This is neutral post. I'm just shining some light on everyone to realize how good us as Packers fans have it. Some teams don't have the luxury of having consistently productive quarterbacks (ex. Chicago Bears). So, enjoy the times that we still have as a dominate football teams. And who knows, maybe 10 years from now, I'll have a similar blog talking about our great quarterback that replaced the legend, Aaron Rodgers.
Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.
-Andrew Vrchota (@WSB_Andrew)
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @WSB_Andrew @WSB_Nick @WSB_Brandon @WSB_Mike
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Packers Lose A Heartbreaker
Needless to say, the season ended quite abruptly. The Packers were coming off a bye week. Everyone was well rested, healthy, and ready to play at home against the New York Giants. Everyone, too, was playing with a heavy heart after Coach Joe Philbin's son passed away last week after drowning and later found in the Fox River. The stage was set. Lambeau Field. The Frozen Tundra in January. The once invincible Packers (13-0 at Lambeau until 2002) had begun to lose its dominance at home went into this game 2-3 at Lambeau in playoff games since 2002.
It is now 2-4 since 2002. So where do we start at what went wrong? Lets first look at the good that came out of this game. First off, our defense showed up at some critical time, even though the score says otherwise. We had a huge stop on the goal line and held the Giants to 3 field goals that on drives where they were hot enough to have easily scored 3 touchdown. When they rushed Eli Manning, we made him scramble to which he made some bad throws, including an interception. The loss of Nick Collins was evident all year long, but especially in cases today where we needed big 3rd down stops to get the ball back.
Donald Driver, our #3 wide receiver, hands down had the best game of all the Packers wide receivers and arguably of the entire team. Donald Driver only had 3 catches for 45 yards and a touchdown, but all of his catches came at times where the Packers offense was all but deflated, and no bigger then his touchdown catch in the 4th quarter. Driver, who turns 37 next month, proved that he still has what it takes to be a leader and a top wide receiver on the Packers. He shined when top receivers Jennings, Nelson, and Finley had off games. I would say Driver is a Packer next year.
Finally, our coaching was very good this game. McCarthy mixed it up really well all game (all year, really), but because of the team we had for an offense, there wasn't much he had to but sit back and watch the magic happen. We did run a lot on first down, like always. But, at times we did catch New York off guard with passes on 1st down. There's not much more you can ask for from McCarthy after going 10-6 last year in the regular season in 2010/2011 to 15-1 in 2011/2012 regular season. Definitely shouldn't get the finger pointed at him. He keeps his job.
Rodgers did all he could in this game to keep Green Bay in it. Frustration rolled in quick, and it showed. On one particular play it shined. Jennings had his man beat and would have had an easy touchdown, but because the offensive line collapsed, Rodgers was hit and lost the football, losing his first fumble of the season. Turnovers as a whole where the main cause of what brought the Packers down. Grant, Rodgers, Kuhn, and Jennings (although, later overruled) all lost fumbles this game. Rodgers also had an interception, tallying up a total of 4 turnovers. Surprisingly, the Packers only gave up 10 points on turnovers (13 if you count the turnover on downs. The ugliest part of this game was obviously the dropped passes. The dropped passes were the same thing that plagued us in our first loss to the Chiefs in Week 15. A lot of people point the finger right away at Jermichael Finley for his drops. Some criticism is deserved, but not full blame. Like I said before, everyone had at least one key drop. Finley, Nelson, Jennings, Grant, Starks, and Crabtree all contributed to that statistic.
After the game, Coach Mike McCarthy said this: "We did not play very well today. I think I'm stating the obvious. Research tells you 3 most critical areas: Taking care of football/taking it away, 3rd down, red-zone efficiency. It's about making plays. It's about big play opportunities in big game. Hail Mary was big momentum play, but we were not deflated. I thought Rodgers played like he normally does. Made some plays with his feet. I thought Aaron made a lot of plays. Any time you make a decision that has a higher risk than normal, you go back and look at it (onside kick, going for it on 4th). Doesn't feel good. It's very disappointing. It's a locker room that expected a lot more, rightfully so. Disappointed as a football team, disappointed for our fans. We had a heck of a run in the regular season. It was great that Joe Philbin was back to work. Called me yesterday morning about coming back. Had chance to talk to team." (Courtesy of @Packers Twitter Feed)
Aaron Rodgers said this: "We just turned ball over too many times to win. Give them credit on D. Had a lot of chances to execute. That's why season's over. This team, organization, fan base expects championships. We had a championship-caliber regular season. We didn't play well today. We got beat by a team better tonight. That's the reality of this league. It's tough. Didn't think it was going to end tonight. It's going to be a new team next year. Disappointing knowing that this is last time this group will be together. Meant a lot (that coach Philbin was there). Spoke to us Saturday morning. Everybody was surprised to see him there." (Courtesy of @Packers Twitter Feed)
So where does Green Bay go from here? I think that all remains to be seen. It's a situation where you wait for the dust to settle, so to say. Who do we look for in the draft? What do we do with Finley and Flynn? Does Rodgers' MVP campaign lose steam? Will Nick Collins return or is his career done? All these question will be answered in due time. For now, reflect on the outstanding season Green Bay just had. Yes, it should still be continuing next week. But, it's already in the past. Focus on next year on how much better we will be with a proper time frame of an off season with no lock out, full training camps, and longer time for the team to bond and form into a powerhouse unit.
Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.
-Andrew Vrchota (@WSB_Andrew)
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @WSB_Andrew @WSB_Nick @WSB_Brandon @WSB_Mike
It is now 2-4 since 2002. So where do we start at what went wrong? Lets first look at the good that came out of this game. First off, our defense showed up at some critical time, even though the score says otherwise. We had a huge stop on the goal line and held the Giants to 3 field goals that on drives where they were hot enough to have easily scored 3 touchdown. When they rushed Eli Manning, we made him scramble to which he made some bad throws, including an interception. The loss of Nick Collins was evident all year long, but especially in cases today where we needed big 3rd down stops to get the ball back.
Donald Driver, our #3 wide receiver, hands down had the best game of all the Packers wide receivers and arguably of the entire team. Donald Driver only had 3 catches for 45 yards and a touchdown, but all of his catches came at times where the Packers offense was all but deflated, and no bigger then his touchdown catch in the 4th quarter. Driver, who turns 37 next month, proved that he still has what it takes to be a leader and a top wide receiver on the Packers. He shined when top receivers Jennings, Nelson, and Finley had off games. I would say Driver is a Packer next year.
Finally, our coaching was very good this game. McCarthy mixed it up really well all game (all year, really), but because of the team we had for an offense, there wasn't much he had to but sit back and watch the magic happen. We did run a lot on first down, like always. But, at times we did catch New York off guard with passes on 1st down. There's not much more you can ask for from McCarthy after going 10-6 last year in the regular season in 2010/2011 to 15-1 in 2011/2012 regular season. Definitely shouldn't get the finger pointed at him. He keeps his job.
Rodgers did all he could in this game to keep Green Bay in it. Frustration rolled in quick, and it showed. On one particular play it shined. Jennings had his man beat and would have had an easy touchdown, but because the offensive line collapsed, Rodgers was hit and lost the football, losing his first fumble of the season. Turnovers as a whole where the main cause of what brought the Packers down. Grant, Rodgers, Kuhn, and Jennings (although, later overruled) all lost fumbles this game. Rodgers also had an interception, tallying up a total of 4 turnovers. Surprisingly, the Packers only gave up 10 points on turnovers (13 if you count the turnover on downs. The ugliest part of this game was obviously the dropped passes. The dropped passes were the same thing that plagued us in our first loss to the Chiefs in Week 15. A lot of people point the finger right away at Jermichael Finley for his drops. Some criticism is deserved, but not full blame. Like I said before, everyone had at least one key drop. Finley, Nelson, Jennings, Grant, Starks, and Crabtree all contributed to that statistic.
After the game, Coach Mike McCarthy said this: "We did not play very well today. I think I'm stating the obvious. Research tells you 3 most critical areas: Taking care of football/taking it away, 3rd down, red-zone efficiency. It's about making plays. It's about big play opportunities in big game. Hail Mary was big momentum play, but we were not deflated. I thought Rodgers played like he normally does. Made some plays with his feet. I thought Aaron made a lot of plays. Any time you make a decision that has a higher risk than normal, you go back and look at it (onside kick, going for it on 4th). Doesn't feel good. It's very disappointing. It's a locker room that expected a lot more, rightfully so. Disappointed as a football team, disappointed for our fans. We had a heck of a run in the regular season. It was great that Joe Philbin was back to work. Called me yesterday morning about coming back. Had chance to talk to team." (Courtesy of @Packers Twitter Feed)
Aaron Rodgers said this: "We just turned ball over too many times to win. Give them credit on D. Had a lot of chances to execute. That's why season's over. This team, organization, fan base expects championships. We had a championship-caliber regular season. We didn't play well today. We got beat by a team better tonight. That's the reality of this league. It's tough. Didn't think it was going to end tonight. It's going to be a new team next year. Disappointing knowing that this is last time this group will be together. Meant a lot (that coach Philbin was there). Spoke to us Saturday morning. Everybody was surprised to see him there." (Courtesy of @Packers Twitter Feed)
So where does Green Bay go from here? I think that all remains to be seen. It's a situation where you wait for the dust to settle, so to say. Who do we look for in the draft? What do we do with Finley and Flynn? Does Rodgers' MVP campaign lose steam? Will Nick Collins return or is his career done? All these question will be answered in due time. For now, reflect on the outstanding season Green Bay just had. Yes, it should still be continuing next week. But, it's already in the past. Focus on next year on how much better we will be with a proper time frame of an off season with no lock out, full training camps, and longer time for the team to bond and form into a powerhouse unit.
Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.
-Andrew Vrchota (@WSB_Andrew)
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @WSB_Andrew @WSB_Nick @WSB_Brandon @WSB_Mike
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Prince Fielder a Brewer in 2012?
Yes, you read that right. First hinted on Twitter by Brewer Nation (@BrewerNation) and then discovered later by MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors), there are conflicting reports that the Brewers approached Scott Boras about the possibility of signing Prince for one more year and let the new ownership of the Dodgers next Winter sign him to a monster deal. The monster deal he was looking for this year is slowly dwindling away as Spring Training begins in late February.
Days ago, Buster Olney (Buster_ESPN) of ESPN suggested that Frank McCourt, in his final move with the Dodgers, sign Fielder to give the possible new owners something to bid on. The reports are all conflicting. Some say Brewers went to Boras, some say Boras went to Brewers. Boras was said to be "not interested." But in the end its what Fielder wants, and that is all that matters. It's all up in the air right now until more information comes out in the next few days.
As I mentioned on the Twitter feed earlier, the Nationals have been in and out of the Fielder talks this whole week, depending on what side of the bed they wake up on. And I'm sure its frustrating to the Fielder crew. Until I know more, I'll hold my thoughts on what I hope happens and what should happen. All I'll say is that #28 swinging for us one more year for the Brewers, especially on the wake of Braun's appeal trial, would help us tremendously.
Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.
-Andrew Vrchota (@WSB_Andrew)
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @WSB_Andrew @WSB_Nick @WSB_Brandon @WSB_Mike
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Wisconsin Sports Blog Radio Episode 1
In its inaugural episode, Andrew, Mike, Nick and Brandon bounce around
the realm of Wisconsin sports to discuss this weeks news and topics.
Where will Prince Fielder play in 2012? Is Aaron Rodgers hands down this
year’s NFL MVP? Is Montee Ball returning to Wisconsin for his senior
year a good idea? And, will Ryan Braun be exonerated of his suspension?
Find out that, and more, in this weeks episode. Follow us on Twitter for
up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, and more. Live in game
commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion.
http://thesportsstuff.com/?p=3771
Hosted By: Andrew, Mike, Nick and Brandon
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion.
@WISportsBlog
@WSB_Andrew
@WSB_Nick
@WSB_Brandon
@WSB_Mike
http://thesportsstuff.com/?p=3771
Hosted By: Andrew, Mike, Nick and Brandon
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion.
@WISportsBlog
@WSB_Andrew
@WSB_Nick
@WSB_Brandon
@WSB_Mike
Sunday, January 1, 2012
New Year, New Things Coming
First, I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season this year. In 2011, our blog had a quick rise in popularity, thanks mostly to our Twitter account. We gained so much attention, that we were invited onto a Kansas City Chiefs podcast "The Chiefs Zone" featured on TheSportsStuff.com. That went so well, that we now have an opportunity to have our own podcast on TheSportsStuff.com. Nick, Mike, and myself will do a roundtable style show where we will talk about the 4 main sports teams every week (Packers, Badgers, Brewers, Bucks) as well as squeezing in topics relating to the Admirals and Golden Eagles as well. We plan on recording our first show very soon, we just have to get on the same page with the gentleman that runs the website. Also, TheSportsStuff.com has a free message board where you will have an opportunity to interact with us is topics and discussion for our shows (more about fan interaction below). Once we have our first show uploaded, the show itself will be able for you to subscribe to for free on the iTunes Music Store. More info will be on our Twitter feed in the next few days.
Also, we've made the decision to involve you, the readers, a lot more in our topics and discussion on our blog and Twitter feed. Once the podcast is underway, we will be doing giveaways on our show to reward you guys. They will be things related to the Packers, Brewers, Badgers, and Bucks. Keychains, books, posters, hats, shirts etc are some ideas we've come up with already. Again, more to come on this as well.
That's all I really have for you guys right now. A few more blogs will be up in the next few days/weeks. It's been quiet this week in Wisconsin sports, plus the holidays, I haven't really been on top of all the news etc. In the coming weeks we will have the decision on Braun's appeal, the possible signing of Norichika Aoki to the Brewers, Packers in the playoffs, Badgers Rose Bowl recap, and our first look and thoughts on the 2011-2012 Milwaukee Bucks.
Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.
-Andrew Vrchota (@WSB_Andrew)
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @WSB_Andrew @WSB_Nick @WSB_Brandon @WSB_Mike
Also, we've made the decision to involve you, the readers, a lot more in our topics and discussion on our blog and Twitter feed. Once the podcast is underway, we will be doing giveaways on our show to reward you guys. They will be things related to the Packers, Brewers, Badgers, and Bucks. Keychains, books, posters, hats, shirts etc are some ideas we've come up with already. Again, more to come on this as well.
That's all I really have for you guys right now. A few more blogs will be up in the next few days/weeks. It's been quiet this week in Wisconsin sports, plus the holidays, I haven't really been on top of all the news etc. In the coming weeks we will have the decision on Braun's appeal, the possible signing of Norichika Aoki to the Brewers, Packers in the playoffs, Badgers Rose Bowl recap, and our first look and thoughts on the 2011-2012 Milwaukee Bucks.
Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.
-Andrew Vrchota (@WSB_Andrew)
Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @WSB_Andrew @WSB_Nick @WSB_Brandon @WSB_Mike
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)