Call it a hiatus

Until the Brewers season starts or sooner....Thanks for reading.


Please check out i94 Sports where they'll keep you informed while we're gone!

Pack to the Future Part II. Ahman Green Resigned

First Mark Tauscher, now Ahman Green. Teddy Thompson's plan to save the Packers' '09 season apparently is to go Back to the Future to fix the holes in the offense. Green signed a one-year deal to return to the Pack, where he needs just 46 yards to become Titletowns' all-time leading rusher.

The deal gives the Packers some needed flexibility at running back and Green is expected to split carries with incumbent Ryan Grant.

Here's hoping Ahman regains the form of his first run in Green Bay and can avoid the distractions and injuries that made his Texans tenure a huge failure.

Brewers sign new Pitching Coach, starting pitching still crappy.

The Brewers have selected new pitching coach Rick Peterson (formally of the underachieving New York Mets staff) to help coach the underachieving Milwaukee Brewers pitching staff.

Peterson has ties to both Ken Macha and Willie Randolph and hopefully a PHD in psychology so he can deal with the head cases on this team, like Manny "I'm gonna freakout every time I give up a Homer" Parra.

The upside is he can't be any worse than Bill Castro. I mean there was a reason he was stuck as Bullpen Coach for 10 plus freakin' years. The downside is I believe he was fired from the Mets for being unable to fix the problems he will try to fix here.

How do you feel about the decision? Who would you like to see coaching the Brewers pitching staff. Post your feelings in the comment section.

Sherman Lewis makes a comeback!

A couple of weeks ago Sherman Lewis was retired, and as of today he will be taking over the play-calling for Jim Zorn. That must be awkward. Great idea, really must be building team chemistry in DC. Maybe owner Dan Snyder's plan is to now tempt Brett Favre back to the Redskins with his former offensive coordinator. Yeah, that's a joke, but with Snyder believable.

Can anyone get an offense in DC to work? This is the writing on the wall for Jim Zorn as the Redskins coach. Quite frankly, the Redskins have been terrible for the last few years, and Jason Campbell is not the future. Not to mention Clinton Portis seems to be on the decline. Dan Snyder needs to start brainstorming for his first successful idea as the Redskins owner. After this season, let the firestorm begin.

Packers Report - Week 6

Coming off the bye week, the Packers headed home for a showdown with the Detroit Lions. It was clearly a must win for Green Bay, and many were anxious to see which Packers team would show up.

Facing an injured and inferior Lions squad, it came as little surprise that the Packers prevailed. Putting up their first shutout since 07, Green Bay had a rather easy time defeating the Lions 26-0.

It was their 18 consecutive win at Lambeau against the Honolulu blue. And although the victory was achieved, the game itself left plenty of questions unanswered about Green Bay's ability going forward.

Here are the Grades for Week 6:

Quarterback: B - Aaron Rodgers had a solid performance, ending the game 29 of 37 for 358 yards and 2 touchdowns. Although feeling the pressure all day, Rodgers only threw one pick early in the fourth quarter. He finished the day with a 113.7 passer rating.

Running Back: C - Grant once again struggled throughout most of the game. It was only in the fourth quarter that he was pick up yards consistently on the ground. He did make 3 catches out of the backfield, but had one costly drop. He finished the day with 90 yards on 24 carries and no touchdowns with a 3.8 yard average.

Wide Receivers: B+ - The wide outs stepped it up this week. Both Jennings and Driver made spectacular one-handed catches, keeping drives alive. We didn't see the dropped passes of previous weeks either, which shows some much needed improvement. James Jones showed his face, catching the first of two Rodgers TD's, his with a 47 yard play to the end zone. and hat's off to Donald Driver, who broke the Packers all-time receptions record previously held by Sterling Sharpe.

Offensive Line: D+ - Coming off the bye week, and having 2 weeks to prepare, you would think the line would have made improvements. But none were seen. The line gave up 5 sacks to the Lions, who only had one stater active on the D-line. They were unable to make holes for Grant, and were over powered for most of the game. Chad Clifton, who made his return from injury this week, had 4 false start penalties, 2 of which were illegal formation, and 2 that were back to back on consecutive plays. There were also gap assignments missed, causing untouched linebackers to chase Rodgers around in the backfield. A poor performance once again from the big uglies.

Defense: A- - the defense definitely the highlight of the Packers performance. Although starting quarterback Matthew Stafford and wideout Calvin Johnson were out, the defensive play was very impressive. Allowing no points to any professional team is quite an accomplishment, even if it was the Lions. Aaron Kampman was finally allowed to spent most of his time blitzing, and it paid off with a sack and multiple disruptive plays. Clay Matthews, who got his first start, was all over the field, with 5 tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 tackles for loss. The secondary had three interceptions, including one in the endzone from the now healthy Atari Bigby. The Packers D held the Lions to just 149 total yards and only 19:12 minutes of possession, and a stellar 0-10 on third down. A great day for the seemingly re-charged Packers defense.

Final Grade: B-


Notable Stats: Penalties once again killed the Packers, including on the opening kickoff return by Jordy Nelson. With 13 penalties for 130 yards, it was clear that the issues of discipline are far from resolved. It was ugly for most of the game. The Packers were also unable to score touchdowns in the red zone, going 1-5 against a poor Lions defense.

Next Week: The Packers should have one this game 45-0 plain and simple. They were seemingly unable to dominate the way they should have. This poses a problem going forward. We can thank our lucky stars that they have one more week to figure it out. With the Cleveland Browns next in line, we can only hope that Green Bay can assert itself overwhelmingly on the Lake Erie shores. Because if we get another showing like this one, I have little hope for a W against Minnesota at Lambeau in two weeks.

Yost interviews for Astros

Former Brewers manager Ned Yost has interviewed for the vacant managerial position with the NL Central Houston Astros. The post previously held by Brewers great Cecil Cooper.

"It's a process where I get to know them and they get to know me," Yost said. "I think it's important that they know what I think about their organization and my thoughts and philosophies on managing a baseball club. It was a lot of fun to be able to sit and talk about it."

Yost stresses his credentials (MLB.com)

Yost does offer experience with turning around a club, and has a winning mentality (see Bobby Cox). Unfortunately, Yost never saw playoff baseball in Milwaukee last year due to him "losing" the club. He deserves another chance as a manager and prove to some critics that he has what it takes to manage a winning ball club. Just not at the Brewers expense.

Mat Gamel's future?

Jesse Motiff from Bleacher Report raises the question on what is the future of Mat Gamel?

Gamel could stay at third base and platoon with Casey McGehee or given the chance to win the job outright. He could also see a position change to either first base or the outfield. The Brewers could also trade him, either alone or in a package, to acquire a starting pitcher that the team desperately needs.

Is Mat Gamel's Future with the Milwaukee Brewers? (Bleacher Report)

As of right now without any moves I see Casey McGehee starting at third base next season. This makes me think that Gamel will be on the move for starting pitching this offseason. Gamel is a player I'd like the Brewers to keep, but not to sacrifice starting pitching if he will not getting routine at-bats next season.

Really Jon Heyman? Really?

Jon Heyman (@SI_JonHeyman for you twitter folk), baseball writer for Sports Illustrated released his ballot for the MVP voting. What isn't a surprise is he has Albert Pujols winning the NL MVP. I'm pretty sure we all know that Albert will have a runaway win. He also has Joe Mauer winning the AL MVP, once again, no surprise.

What is a surprise, is the name he left off of his list:

1. Albert Pujols 2. Troy Tulowitzki 3. Ryan Howard 4. Andre Ethier 5. Hanley Ramirez 6. Matt Kemp 7. Chris Carpenter 8. Adam Wainwright 9. Chase Utley 10. Matt Holliday

That's right, one Prince Fielder seems to be omitted!

I understand that writer's put a lot of emphasis on teams who make the playoffs, and they should! This is why Albert Pujols deserves to be a runaway winner with numbers just slightly better than Fielder's because his team made it. However, you can't ignore a player that has had a statistical monster of a season. Plus if playoffs is what Heyman was going for, why is Hanley Ramirez hanging out at #5 on his list?

In the end it is all for not, because no one will ever remember the 2nd or 3rd place MVP ballot winners, because they aren't actually MVP winners, but a little respect for Fielder's season would be nice. Jon Heyman, you lost almost all respect from me.

R.I.P. Marvin Fishman

Real estate developer Marvin Fishman, a figure who was instrumental in bringing the Bucks to Milwaukee in 1968, died Friday night. He was 84. Within three years of the Bucks being here in Milwaukee, they were winning the NBA title. So let's hope they can do it again, this time in honor of Marvin.

Packers sign Tauscher. Offensive line still crappy.

In a bit of non-shocking news, Jsonline.com is reporting that the Packers have signed veteran offensive lineman and former Packer Mark Tauscher to a contract. Tauscher will have the bye week and then two more bye weeks as the Packers will play the Lions and the Browns. Marky-Mark will have to get in shape soon though as the Packers face the monster D-Line of Minnie-land in just under a month.

Tauscher is clearly an upgrade over the single-ply strength of the Allen Barbre and Daryn Colledge combo, but he aint exactly Charmin. Tauscher is recovering off season ACL surgery and probably won't be ready to start right away.

This seems like a classic desperation move but what do you think?

Will the Pack trade Kampman?

Aaron Kampman might be the odd man out in the Packers new 3-4 scheme. He looked mostly lost all night against the Vikings and is struggling with the switch to linebacker. Greg Bedard of JS is reporting that the Packers may try to trade Kampman before Oct. 20 trade deadline.

3-4 defense sacking Kampman's impact (MJS)

Really Ted? You want to trade away your top defensive star, because you forced him to switch to linebacker? Ouch Ted, you're looking better every day.

Romo needs to step up

Everyone is bashing Cowboys QB Tony Romo. At first, we all thought it was the curse of Jessica Simpson, but we're finding out that was just smoke and mirrors. Romo has been inconsistent at best this season whether its fumbling, throwing INTs, or forgetting what down it is, Romo is a mess. I'm not quite sure this is what Jerry Jones envisioned when he opened Jerry World. The best replays that have been on the gigantic video board has been other team's touchdown dances.

Against the Giants Tony Romo threw three interceptions that led to Giant scoring drives. Last week, he was a hand off machine and still managed to cough up a fumble to help the Broncos come back from being down 10-0. The Cowboys continue to lose because their "star" quarterback is a turnover machine.

Wade Phillips insists that Romo is okay, and that he is a hard worker. The Cowboys head to Kansas City this weekend to play the winless Chiefs. Any quarterback should have success against this team, right? Romo must make a statement game this week, or the media bashing will continue.

"No one in that (Cowboys) facility, coaches' office, locker room knows what Tony is going through," Aikman told the DMN. "I do. It's a roller coaster. You feel like you are absolutely alone. No one else gets it.

Troy Aikman feels for Romo as sometimes it tough being the Dallas Cowboys starting QB. (Troy Aikman: Tony Romo feels the weight of Dallas on his back)

Tauscher works out with Green Bay

According to ESPNMilwaukee.com, former Packers right tackle Mark Tauscher worked out with the Pack today. Tauscher went down last season with a ACL tear, his second tear in his left knee, and has remained unsigned ever since. This is good news for Packer fans, who have had to watch their O-line get ran over all season. Let's hope this works out.

See the Link here:
http://www.espnmilwaukee.com/includes/blog/index.php?action=blog&blog_id=20&post_id=1190

Hoffman re-signs with the Brewers

At least for the 2010 season, Hells Bells will be ringing at Miller Park. As reported by Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, all time saves leader Trevor Hoffman has agreed to a 1 year, 8 million dollar contract with an option for 2011, which could equal 8.5 million. Hoffman, who finished the season with a 1.83 ERA, saved 37 of 41 games for the crew. He will be turning 42 Oct. 13.

See the full article here: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091005&content_id=7335018&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Packers Report - Week 4

I really don't want to even write this.

But as a diligent sports blogger, it is my duty to recap and review what was, for me, a devastating and embarrassing loss. I'm going to keep it short this week, due to the fact that I'm uber hungover and i don't want my adrenaline to flare up again. So here we go with the grades for our now 2-2 Green Bay Packers, who were beaten last night by Favre and the Vikings, 30-23.

Quarterback: B- -There is not much more Rodgers could have done. With minimal protection all game, the mistakes were to be expected. Sacked 8 times, Rodgers was on the run all night long. He did have one horrible INT and a fumble caused by one of Jarred Allen's 4.5 sacks. But the only fair criticism I can levy at Aaron is that he seemed to once again hold on to the ball too long in the pocket. He finished the day 26-37 for 384 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Running backs: B - Grant showed some explosiveness throughout the game. He also made a few screen plays for big yards. His success, I contend, is hampered weekly by our offensive line. He also cannot be blamed for the offense abandoning the running game. Grant finished the day with 11 carries for 51 yards.

Wide Receivers: C - Drops were once again the theme. Donald Lee dropped a touchdown, which was the turning point in the game for Green Bay. Jennings was also again kept quiet, and Driver was mostly held in check all night. The one positive was Jermichael Finley, who finally had his breakout game, with 6 grabs for 128 yards and a long TD.

Offensive Line: F - 8 sacks. Enough said.

Defense: D+ - Despite doing a great job of containing Adrian Peterson for most of the game, The defense was overall poor. Favre had his way with our secondary on countless third downs, and really exposed Al Harris. The pass rush was also invisible, with only one knockdown on Favre and no sacks. Clay Matthews did make the one great play on defense, ripping the ball away from Peterson and returning it for a TD. It was very apparent throughout the match up how the new defensive scheme has taken Aaron Kampman out of his game. As long as he is staying at outside linebacker, he will continue to be an afterthought for opposing teams.

Final Grade: D+

Notable Stats: Green Bay was nailed for 7 penalties for 57 yards. The Vikings? 2 for ten. That seems about right, nothing shady about that... The Packers were also 0 for 2 in the red zone.

Next Week: We saw the return of the screen/dump off pass game last night, and it is my feeling that with our offensive line, we may have to make that the heart of our offense. The bye week comes with Green Bay at 2-2, and the Lions on the horizon. I will not make any predictions, but I have no confidence that the Packers can easily win any game this year. And I fear for the health of Aaron Rodgers.

Enjoy the week off Packer fans, lord knows we need it.

Dirty in the D

Don't cry Tony.

I, like any fan of real and respectable sports teams, loathes an organization like that ran by Jerry Jones. However I will suspend my disgust for the Dallas Cowboys and direct it towards something equally as disgusting: Sex in public bathrooms. Public bathrooms at a stadium no less. According to the story, this video was taken during the Cowboys/Giants game at the new Cowboys stadium. I will leave all other comments aside and hear from you.

Here is the link: http://deadspin.com/5370499/couple-christens-dallas-cowboys-stadiums-new-bathroom-stalls


Thank you Deadspin.com, for all the fine work you do.

Braun reaches milestone

Ryan Braun became just the fourth player in Brewers history to have 200 hits in a season last night. Braun joins the ranks of Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Cecil Cooper as the only players to accomplish this feet in Milwaukee. And Braun did it in dramatic fashion, belting a 2 run home run to left center, helping the crew establish the lead. The Brewers would go on to win 5-4.

From all of us here at Sheffieldshouse.com, and indeed all over Brewers nation, we raise our glasses to thee. Congrats!!!



See the full article and video here: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091003&content_id=7303576&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Joe Mauer steals Tiger's signs

Who are the real contenders?

Four teams remain unbeaten in the NFL going into Week 4. The Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts, and the Baltimore Ravens all hold the record of 3-0. The Broncos have to be the surprise team of the season with a new QB, new head coach, and of course a league leading defense? Yes, they have only allowed 16 points on their way to 3-0. Even with facing the terrible offensives of Oakland and the Browns, but still giving up only 16 points to three NFL teams is quite the feat. However, that defense will be tested against Tony Romo and the Cowboys this weekend. In the biggest game of the season, Brett Favre will welcome his former team to the Metrodome, which should be a barn burner with these two offenses on the field. This will be a tough match up between both teams and the division lead hangs in the balance. Baltimore also has a big game against the Patriots, but with a Ray Lewis defense against a struggling Tom Brady and Co. the Ravens look like the better team. And finally, the Colts take on the Seahawks, and Seattle just doesn't match up well against the Colts offense (if anyone does) giving Peyton Manning plenty of time to find the Pierre Garcon's of the world and raise the Colts record to 4-0.

Out of the four undefeated teams, the Colts and Ravens seem to the real contenders. Minnesota needs to win this week, as they were able to hold off the 49ers last week to prove they can play back-to-back big games. Unfortunately, with Orton and the Broncos their schedule just gets tougher as they move forward, and they are the pretender of this group.

Need I say more?

My only question is, why aren't they selling these all over Wisconsin?

Packers Report - Week 3

A win is a win is a win. As far as I'm concerned, the Packers did what they were supposed to do.

After a disappointing loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at home last week (the Bengals did just beat the Steelers Sunday, so we shouldn't feel to bad, i guess they are kinda good), the Packers needed to rebound in St. Louis Sunday.

They did just that.

At first glance, a final score of 36-17 looks damn good. But for those of us who watched, this was game was far from a blowout. For most of the afternoon, Green Bay was fighting tooth and nail to maintain a 6 to 9 point lead. St. Louis got a breath of fresh air in their offense from Kyle Boller, the former Ravens QB) who replaced the injured Marc Bulger in the second quarter. It seemed as though every time the Pack got in the end zone, the Rams responded. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that they were finally able to seal the deal.

Let's take a look at the grades for week 3:

QB: A- - Once again Aaron Rodgers played a solid game. With two passing TD's and a rushing
TD, Rodgers had the Rams defense outplayed for most of the game. We also saw Rodgers open up the passing game a bit, throwing some deep balls to both Driver and Jennings. He finished the game with 269 yards and no interceptions for the third straight week.

RB: B- - It is hard to move the ball with no running lanes. Ryan Grant finished up with 99 yards on 26 carries for a 3.8 average. as they game progressed the lanes began to open up a bit. Grant was all in all solid considering the circumstances. We will need more out of him in the weeks ahead. Also fullback John Kuhn had two TD's.

WR: B - Jennings only had two catches, but made them count for 103 yards. Driver was the star this week, with 4 for 95 yards and a TD. Driver also caught a 40 a yard bomb from Rodgers with one arm while being held. The tight ends were sub-par and will need to step it up. Also the Pack only had 1 dropped pass this week which is an encouraging sign.

OL: C - The line showed some improvement, only giving up two sacks. They were pushed around quite a bit though, and showed little run blocking till the fourth quarter (thanks to McCarthy committing to the run once the Pack had a bigger lead). They will have their hands full with the Vikings Monday night.

DEF: C+ - Although limiting the fairly anemic Rams offense to 17 points, the defense was anything but stellar. even while putting a linebacker at strong safety and loading 8 in the box, they could not stop Steven Jackson for most of the game. He totalled over 100 yards. The D-line was beat for most the game as well. Woodson once again shined with another INT. And finally we saw a bit of Desmond Bishop, whose impact was immediate.

FINAL GRADE: B-

Notable Stats: Mason Crosby hit 3 field goals for the Pack, including a 48 yarder. Green Bay did muster 3 turnovers, two in the red zone. However the offense could not turn them into touchdowns.

Next Week: Green Bay sits at 2-1 for the season. With the showdown against Favre and the Vikings in a week, we can only hope that the Packers can clean up some of these errors. They are going to have to play out of their minds to beat Peterson and Favre. The talent is there, but we NEED the lines on both sides to step it up.

It all starts with the line.

the line.

line.

Was your favorite player a disappointment?

The end of the long grueling baseball season is upon us. Do you wish your team did better? Of course us Brewer fans would love to be in the postseason in again, but reality is the team did not live up to our or their expectations.

But, what about the players? There is plenty of blame to go around, other than Prince Fielder who has had a career year.

Nick Cafardo lists his top nine MLB players that had disappointing seasons.

Badgers Recap vs. Michigan State

Badger fans are smiling after defeating Michigan State 38-30, giving them a 4-0 record for the season. The Badgers were firing on all cylinders to a packed Camp Randall, and the fans received quite a surprise. The Wisconsin Badgers might actually have a legit starting quarterback in Scott Tolzien. The defense for the Badgers also had a great game with four forced turnovers.

QB - A
Folks, Scott Tolzien may be the real deal. He was 19 for 31 with four TD and looked outstanding.

RB - B+
Racine native John Clay rushed for 142 yards and 1 TD. Clay carried the majority of the workload, with Zach Brown carrying the ball for a measly 18 yards on 11 carries.

WR - A
What more do you want from your starting TE? Garrett Graham caught three Tolzien touchdowns, while making the Michigan State defense look silly a few times. Nick Toon also caught a TD pass.

Offensive Line - B
The Badgers offensive line did what they needed to do for four quarters, and in the 2nd half it paid off. The O-line provided Tolzien with enough time to keep the Badgers in front with two pivotal passing touchdowns.

Defense - B
The Badgers created four turnovers and created three of the turnovers into points. However, they also gave up 30 points during the game.


The Badgers travel to Minnesota next to week to play the Golden Gophers for the Paul Bunyan axe. Last year, the Badgers defeated Minnesota 35-32. With a victory next week, the Badgers could improve their Big 10 record to 2-0.

NFC North Update

Bear's Ogunleye tells booing fans to go home. (via Bears Gab)

Bear's front four having a lot to do with their win over Pittsburgh. (via Blog Down, Chicago Bears)

NFL continues to harass Pat and Kevin Williams over the "Starcaps" incident. (via Daily Norseman)

Are the Vikings firing at all cylinders? (via Vikes Geek)

10,000 fans are may miss out on Lions first win, force possible blackout. (via Pride of Detroit)

Pros and Cons of Lions QB Matthew Stafford (via The Wayne Fontes Experience)

Suppan

Jeff Suppan sucks. Im so tired of that overpaid knob.

Nick Barnett "unretires" from Twitter

After the Packers loss on Sunday, Nick Barnett tweeted in displeasure on how the coaches handled his role on defense. I'm sure the tweet got him in trouble with the upper management of the Packers. Dave Meyers from the La Crosse Tribune has more info on Barnett tweeting a message to Packer fans.

Penalties add up for Packers

With offensive coordinator Joe Philbin preaching accountability to the players on Monday, how will the players react? Aaron Rodgers agreed, and so did a few other players. So where does it start?

One major weakness for the Pack is that as a team they have too many penalties. In the last two games, the Packers have been flagged 17 times. You do the math if the team cannot lower the amount of penalties in the next 14 games.

At this point, Nick Barnett should not be in the starting lineup. Brandon Chillar should be. Chillar looked great in the preseason, but has not duplicated that success as of yet in the regular season. Still, Nick Barnett still isn't healthy and needs to realize that he will be more valuable when he is healthy later in the season.

Clifton out at least two games

Starting left tackle Chad 'one false start a game' Clifton is out at least two games. This will unfortunately include the Vikings game on Monday Night Football. I can only imagine that Jared Allen is salivating over which Packers O-lineman he gets to T-off on.

This is not a good sign.

Packers sign Giordano, cut Rouse loose

Say hello to the newest Green Bay Packer!

Considering the fact that Bigby is out and Collins is quetionable for week 3, the Packers have picked up another safety. Matt Giordano, who played for the Colts the last 4 seasons, will replace Aaron Rouse as the back-up to Bigby or Collins. Giordano was a 4ourth round pick in 2005 out of the university of California.

It is a bit strange that they would cut Rouse to make room on the roster. I mean, why not cut one of the THREE fullbacks? Just a thought...

Herschel Walker wants to cage fight?

Herschel Walker apparently doesn't like staying retired. Walker has signed on to a multifight contract with Strikeforce. This cannot be the greatest career move for Walker. For Strikeforce, this is an interesting move signing a former All-Pro running back at the age of 47. Did they watch Jose Canseco's bout in Japan?

And seriously, what does Walker wish to accomplish? He was recently named a candidate for the inclusion into the Hall of Fame. Isn't that enough?

Via "Football Legend Herschel Walker Signs with STRIKEFORCE MMA" (Strikeforce.com)

Rex Ryan vs. Mike Singletary Round 1

So not only did Rex Ryan beat the Patriots like he said his team would earlier in the week, but now the 49ers have filed tampering charges against the Jets. Rex Ryan would love to get a play maker at WR, and Michael Crabtree is still unsigned. Now, the 49ers 2-0 on the season have the stronger bargaining chip when dealing with Crabtree since maybe they don't really need him. However, the Jets maybe trying to acquire Crabtree spices up the scenario. And Rex Ryan didn't exactly back down from the claims:

"My understanding is they filed charges with the league. I'm saying my response is it's not true. I mean, it's not accurate. It's not true, but, hey, we'll let the league figure this out."

When asked Mike Singletary said he will "let the league figure this out."

Interesting stuff from first year head coach Rex Ryan. We'll see what develops from here. It'd be interesting if Singletary decides to counter Ryan on his remarks and what the NFL will rule.

Packers Report-Week 2

"Any team can beat any other team on any given Sunday."

This axiom is probably the most well known for us sports fans. And yet, we love to apply this truism only when our team loses, as a kind of appeal to the gods, a way to escape putting the blame on our team.

Not the case for Packers fans this week. After an amazing preseason and a week 1 victory over the Chicago Bears, the fans expected the Pack to roll this week. So for the Green Bay Packers fans, the blame game has officially begun. Local radio shows after the game were rampant with irate fans saying things like: "We overlooked the Bengals!" and "Ted Thompson ruined the offensive line!"etc etc etc. I am not going to approach this with any emotive, but rather a simple analysis of the game itself. My view is that by looking over the game in small pieces, we can attempt to figure out just what the hell happened.

The game against Cincinnati on Sunday exposed some glaring faults in the Packers. The following are the grades for week 2.

Quarterback: B - Aaron Rodgers finished the game 21-39 with 261 yards passing and 1 TD. Rodgers did the best job he could, taking into account that he was sacked 6 times, and the receiving core dropped 4 passes.

Running Back: C+ - Grant had just 3 touches in the second half, which showed McCarthy's lack of faith in the blocking his line could muster. However, with the game tied at 21 all at half, and Grant averaging 3.6 yards per carry in the first, we should have saw much more of Grant in the second half.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: C+ - Despite a great game from Driver (6 catches, 99 yards, 1 TD), who exposed safety Chris Crocker all game, the receivers were poor. 4 dropped passes total, and one that killed a drive. Jennings was quiet all game, with no catches and 1 drop.

Offensive Line: D - The worst for GB was the line. Even before Clifton was carted off the field with a ankle sprain, the line was simply atrocious. Giving up 6 sacks total, including 5 to DE Antwan Odom, it is clear that the line is simply not good enough. With the loss of Clifton, College will be at LT. God help us all.

Defense: D - If your name isn't Charles Woodson (2 ints), then keep reading. The GB defense was poor all day. Allowing 141 yards rushing to Cedric Benson, and 3 TD's to Carson Palmer, Green Bay had no answers for the Bengals. Allowing Cincinnati to go 9/14 on third down, the Bengals had no problem keeping drives alive. Nick Collins was also hurt in the game and didn't return. And to top it off, Chad Ochocinco got to do his Lambeau Leap. Truly a disgusting sight.

Overall: D+

Notable stats: The penalties in this game were ridiculous. Cinncinnati had 13 for 100 yards lost. While Green Bay had 11 for 76 yards. I know it was a Ed Hockuley crew, but jeez.

Next Week: Green Bay has to get it's act together and fast. With St. Louis coming up next, Green Bay has a chance to do just that. And they must, because the schedule only gets harder from then on, and if they want to stay in the playoff hunt, these are games they must win.

Who will win the Cy Young?

We've got less than a month left and a few candidates from both leagues are still in the hunt. The AL seems a lot easier to judge as Zack Greinke, Felix Hernandez, and CC Sabathia have all made good impressions. For the NL, the field is a tougher and more wide open with several pitchers remaining. Former winner, Tim Lincecum is the front runner, but by how much? Lincecum's teammate, Matt Cain has been outstanding, as well as two Cardinals Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter.

AL Candidates
Greinke 14-8, 2.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP
Hernandez 15-5, 2.52 ERA, 1.15 WHIP
Sabathia 17-7, 3.42 ERA, 1.13 WHIP
NL Candidates
Lincecum 14-5, 2.30 ERA, 1.04 WHIP
Cain 13-6, 2.71 ERA, 1.17 WHIP
Wainwright 18-8, 2.59 ERA, 1.21 WHIP
Carpenter 16-4, 2.45 ERA, 1 WHIP

Both tough races, who do you think will win?

Bigby goes down

We are only one week into the '09 campaign, and the injury bug has already made it's way to Green Bay. And no, Bigby doesn't have H1N1 swine flu. Bigby was hurt in the Bears/Packers brawl on Sunday night, and his injury is being dubbed a "significant knee strain" by coach McCarthy.

Bigby is out for at least four weeks.

What does this mean? Well for starters it means that we will yet again see Aaron Rouse starting at strong safety. Rouse will once again be given the chance to prove himself to the Green Bay faithful on Sunday against the Bengals. He will be tested too, with the ever-so-confident Chad Ochocinco and Laverneous Coles running around in the backfield.

My fervent hope is that Rouse can step it up. Bigby wasn't exactly the best cover safety anyways, but never the less is a big part of the Packers defense. Of all the people we could "afford" to lose, Bigby is the most expendable starter.

If, however, Rouse falls on his face, don't be suprised to hear "Why did we cut Anthony Smith?" in the press on Monday morning.

See the whole story here: http://gnb.scout.com/2/899731.html

Ochocinco plans to Lambeau Leap

Your favorite side show act wide receiver, Chad Ochocinco plans on jumping into the stands at Lambeau Field. That is, if he scores a touchdown. Ochocinco was a dud last week, and he may not be able to do much more against Harris and Woodson. I'm sure Chad will keep us updated throughout the week as he has tweeted more this season than he has caught the rock. Will the Packer fans love him or hate him?

I'm going with the hate part, and Ochocinco will probably get a nice cold beer shower.

**Editor's note: Check out the girl grabbing for more!**

Bears lose Urlacher

Reported this morning by Yahoo! sports, Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian 'big, nasty, bad mutha-!ucker" Urlacher is out for the season. Urlacher, who showed he was back to his original form after two injury-ridden seasons, was poised for a big year. The injury came on a tackle of Ryna Grant late in the 1st quarter.

This injury comes as devastating news for the Bears. With a revamped defense and new QB at the helm, expectations for the Bears were high this year in many football circles and the Chicago media. The lose of Urlacher, who in many ways is the heart and leader of the defense, will surely change the dynamic of the whole team. And in a division with Adrian Peterson and Ryan Grant, the hole in the Chicago backfield will be exploited to the max.

See the full article here: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Aq0_35IZj9XHkksvIMHogGU5nYcB?slug=ap-bears-urlacher&prov=ap&type=lgns

Packers vs Bears Recap

Packers 21 Bears 15

The Jay Cutler era in Chicago got off to a messy start as the newly anointed Bears QB threw four picks and the Packers prevailed 21-15 at Lambeau Field. Aaron Rodgers had an unimpressive night statistically, and the Packers' offensive game never really established rythm. Rodgers threw for just 184 yards, but he led the team on a spectacular late comeback drive in the fourth quarter. The drive was capped off by a 50 yard bomb to Greg Jennings for the winning score. The Packers new 3-4 defense bent, but it didn't break and forced Chicago into four momentum killing turnovers.

DP's MVP: You can't argue with A-Rodg, who finally led the Packers to a fourth quarter comeback over the uber rival Bears.

DP's LVP: Jay Cutler, who will surely be roasted by the Chicago news media tomorrow, receives this dubious honor, after throwing four Interception.

Runner-Up LVP : Green Bay Offensive Line (all) . They allow Rodgers to get clobbered on four vicious sacks and don't help Ryan Grant establish any momentum running the ball.

Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers Preview

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will meet for the 178th time tonight on Sunday Night Football. The Bears lead the overall series lead 91-80-6. Lovie Smith has enjoyed a 7-3 record against the hated rivals since his 2004 hiring. The Packers embarrassed the Bears last season in a 37-3 drubbing, but beat the Pack 20-17 in OT in the 2nd match-up.

Should we expect this to be a shoot out? Probably, with Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler at their respective helms guiding the offenses. It should be an exciting offensive showcase. However, that not what Don Capers Packers want with their new look 3-4 defensive scheme that was installed this past off-season.

QB COMPARISON
RODGERS VS. CUTLER
ADVANTAGE: DRAW

RB COMPARISON
GRANT VS. FORTE
ADVANTAGE: BEARS

WR/TE COMPARISON
ADVANTAGE: PACKERS

OFFENSIVE LINE COMPARISON
ADVANTAGE: PACKERS

DEFENSE COMPARISON
ADVANTAGE: DRAW

SPECIAL TEAMS COMPARISON
ADVANTAGE: BEARS

Big game tonight for both teams. The NFC North is wide open between the Packers, Bears, and Vikings. Packers win by 3, after Ryan Grant has himself a productive day with over 100 rushing yards and 2 TDs.

10 Bold NFL Predictions

1. Aaron Rodgers will win the NFL MVP.
2. NY Giants will win the Super Bowl.
3. The Chicago Bears win the NFC North.
4. Terrell Owens makes Trent Edwards look like an All-Pro QB in the first 10 weeks, and then the weather gets nasty.
5. Mark Sanchez will win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
6. Brady Quinn will make the Pro Bowl (as long as former Michigan WR Edwards can catch the ball this year).
7. The Oakland Raiders will win 3 games, only 1 less win than the Broncos.
8. Cadillac Williams will win the Comeback player of the Year Award.
9. San Diego defeats Pittsburgh at home to play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
10. Brett Favre will retire at the end of the year, after the Vikings fail to make the playoffs.
11. The Cleveland Browns will fail to win 3 games, and ownership will send Mangini packing.
    

Marquette Anounces Schedule for 09-10 Campaign

The Golden Eagles schedule has been released for the 09-10 season.

11/07/09	MSOE	Milwaukee, Wis.	1:00 p.m. CT
11/13/09	vs. Centenary College	Milwaukee, Wis.	7:30 p.m. CT
11/17/09	vs. Maryland Eastern Shore	Milwaukee, Wis.	7:00 p.m. CT
11/21/09	vs. Grambling St.	Milwaukee, Wis.	7:30 p.m. CT
11/24/09	vs. South Dakota	Milwaukee, Wis.	7:00 p.m. CT
Old Spice Classic
11/26/09	vs. Xavier	Orlando, Fla.	1:00 p.m. CT
11/27/09	Creighton/Michigan	Orlando, Fla.	TBA
11/29/09	TBA	Orlando, Fla.	TBA
12/05/09	vs. North Carolina State	Milwaukee, Wis.	2:00 p.m. CT
12/08/09	vs. Milwaukee	Milwaukee, Wis.	7:00 p.m. CT
12/12/09	at Wisconsin	Madison, Wis.	4:00 p.m. CT
12/19/09	vs. North Florida	Milwaukee, Wis.	1:00 p.m. CT
12/27/09	vs. Presbyterian	Milwaukee, Wis.	1:00 p.m. CT
12/29/09	at West Virginia *	Morgantown, W.V.	TBA
01/02/10	vs. Villanova *	Milwaukee, Wis.	2:30 p.m. CT
01/06/10	vs. Georgetown *	Milwaukee, Wis.	TBA
01/09/10	at Villanova *	Villanova, Pa.	TBA
01/17/10	vs. Providence *	Milwaukee, Wis.	TBA
01/20/10	at DePaul *	Chicago, Ill.	TBA
01/23/10	at Syracuse *	Syracuse, N.Y.	TBA
01/26/10	vs. Rutgers *	Milwaukee, Wis.	TBA
01/30/10	at Connecticut *	Hartford, Conn.	TBA
02/03/10	vs. DePaul *	Milwaukee, Wis.	6:00 p.m. CT
02/06/10	at Providence *	Providence, R.I.	TBA
02/13/10	vs. USF *	Milwaukee, Wis.	TBA
02/18/10	vs. Pittsburgh *	Milwaukee, Wis.	8:00 p.m. CT
02/21/10	at Cincinnati *	Cincinnati, Ohio	TBA
02/24/10	at St. John's *	Queens, N.Y.	TBA
02/28/10	at Seton Hall *	Newark, N.J.	TBA
03/02/10	vs. Louisville *	Milwaukee, Wis.	TBA
03/06/10	vs. Notre Dame *	Milwaukee, Wis.	TBA

Brewers vs. Cardinals Preview

Chris Carpenter, a Cy Young favorite, one-hit the Brewers on Monday afternoon. With Ryan Braun, out of the lineup the Crew lost 3-0. Tonight, we'll have a former Cy Young winner on the mound facing Manny Parra. It'll be great to see that Braun enjoyed his day off on Labor Day, but also returning to the Crew today is Corey Hart who has been on the DL since August 2. Hart will add to the crowded outfield bringing seven total OFs to the club. We'll see if Macha plays him immediately (see J.J. Hardy), or will he rot on the bench? I tend to believe that Macha should play Hart as much as he can handle raising his trade value in the off season. The Brewers haven't mustered many runs during the current home stand (1-4 record), and with Smoltz toeing the mound, don't look for it to get any easier in tonight's game.

Giants bowled over by Prince

If it isn't the St. Louis Cardinals irritated with the Crew untucking their uniforms, its the SF Giants angry about the bowling ball celebration in yesterday's walk off HR win for Fielder and the Crew.

"Did you see that celebration?" bench coach Ron Wotus asked. "You would like to think professionals would have a lot more respect for the game and their opponents. That was choreographed."

You can read more at the San Francisco Chronicle "Fielder celebration irks some players".

That was quite odd to see, and maybe more odd how Bob Uecker called the celebration. The fact is, he didn't even say much. I had no idea what had happened, and then I saw the celebration on TV. I think the Crew needs to stop coming up with celebrations and win some games. Big moment yesterday, but with no hope for the pennant the celebration does look a bit outlandish.

AFC North - jayballistic

AFC North
1 Pittsburgh
2 Baltimore
3 Cincinnati
4 Cleveland


Pittsburgh is essentially a playoff dynasty, and this year should be no different. I think Willie Parker is on the downside of his career but Big Ben still has plenty of tools at his disposal. The Steelers' vaunted D is still tough, Coach Tomlin is an asset, and the offense is anchored by a veteran wide receiver corps: I still feel good about an 11-5 Pittsburgh. I love Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, but I'm not sold on Flacco and Rice quite yet in Baltimore. The Wild Card is a possibility if those key Ravens do prove they are for real this year. In Cincy, I believe Ochocinco will be back, at least statistically, but I foresee another turbulent season for the injury-prone Palmer. T.J will be missed and I don't see any breakout performances from the skill positions. Lewis is on the hot seat and I think this is not going to end well for him. And Cleveland. Oh, brother. I want so badly for the Mistake By The Lake to have a Championship in ANY sport, but these bumbling tools cannot buy a decent football squad. They have Mangini, who has the Belichick-patented superiority complex without any of the validity that The Hoodie possesses, they have a completely fabricated QB controversy, a totally over-the-hill running back, a diva wideout who couldn't catch the Swine Flu in Mexico City, and don't forget they still have Donte Stallworth... ahem. But hey, they got rid of Kellen Winslow, Jr. so it's all good, right? Enjoy 4 - 12, Cleveland, and give Brady Quinn a chance... to play for someone else.

Chris Berman is Ruining My Life Again

Well he's at it again. By dodging NFL Live and all of the other programs he is associated with, I have managed to stay away from the most annoying man in sports. Until now, that is. I just flipped on the first *real* day of college football to see him as a spokesman for Nutrisystem. Nononononononono! This was going to be a magical, exciting day. Now I am faced with the reality that I will be seeing Berman in these commercials 7,000 times over the next 5 months, literally. And yes, the commercial is as bad as it sounds. He pulls out the "Back Back Back Back Back GONE" in reference to the 40 pounds he lost on Nutrisystem. Dude, you're still overweight; by a bunch. He also went on to say that being an announcer for 39 years has made him larger than life. Your ego is showing again Chris (shocking I know). And none of those meals look good at all. They look like a plastic disaster. Also, how did Nutrisystem chemically engineer their food to make things like pizza and chocolate GOOD for you? "Look less obese on the outside while destroying your insides" should be their actual slogan. However, even this major setback will not deter me from one of the best sports days of the year. GO IRISH!

Minnesota Signs Sessions

Yet another Wisconsin athlete may be moving to the land of 10,000 lakes. Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that the Timberwolves have signed Milwaukee Bucks point guard Ramon Sessions to a 4-year, $16 million offer sheet.

The Bucks do have the opportunity to match the deal but given their current financial state, you can pretty much assume that Ramon is a goner in Milwaukee. Matching the T-Wolves offer would put the Bucks into luxury tax territory yet again and as long as John Hammond is managing this team you won't see them go there again.

Minnesota gets a young, talented point guard and they get to save some face after the Ricky Rubio draft fiasco. Meanwhile, Milwaukee will undoubtedly be going with Brandon Jennings at point guard.

Aaron Rodgers makes Sports Illustrated Cover

Aaron Rodgers, franchise quarterback of the Green Bay Packers has landed the coveted cover of Sports Illustrated, and hopefully not any jinxes that come along with it. The annual NFL preview issue features a roundtable discussion with five of the NFL's top quarterbacks about the difficulties of playing the position.

The article can be read at SI's web site: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1159769/index.htm

Congrats on landing the cover Aaron, now go dominate the old man in Minnesota on October 5.

Predictions - Erik the Red Edition

As the NFL season looms near, I have composed my 'professional opinion' into an easy to read list. Below are my predictions for the NFL this season.

AFC

North: Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, Browns

South: Titans, Colts, Texans, Jaguars

East: Patriots, Jets, Bills, Dolphins

West: Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders, Broncos

NFC

North: Packers, Vikings, Bears, Lions

South: Saints, Panthers, Falcons, Buccaneers

East: Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Redskins

West: Seahawks, Cardinals, 49ers, Rams

Playoffs

AFC

6 Ravens v. 3 Titans
5 Colts v. 4 Chargers

4 Chargers v. 1 Patriots
6 ravens v. 2 steelers

2 Steelers v. 1 Patriots

NFC

6 Seahawks v. 3 Packers
5 Vikings v. 4 Cowboys

5 Vikings v. 1 Saints
3 Packers v. 2 Panthers

3 Packers v. 1 Saints

Super Bowl

Saints def.Patriots

What could happen?

Extra Innings

J.J. Hardy may be back ladies, but Miller Park Drunk gives some tips to Alcides Escobar.

Get your softball fill at the NAGAAA World Series held in Milwaukee this year, courtesy of Viva Cerveceros.

Madison has adopted the pink flamingo as their official bird. (Quevedo at the Buffet)

Cracked Sidewalks has posted the latest Marquette basketball M Club Hall of Fame induction videos.

Major League Jerk spots a plane above Dodger Stadium.

Dirty Brett Favre

Series Preview: Brewers vs. Cardinals

Despite the obvious fact that the Crew's season is pretty much over, it is worth noting that in 2007 the New York Mets blew the division lead and their playoff hopes in the last week of the season. So keeping in mind the fact that anything can happen, the Crew is entering a pivotal three game series with the red birds in the town of Budweiser. Yuck!!! Here is how the series is shaping up:

Tues: 7:05pm

Looper v. Pineiro

Wed: 7:15pm

Bush v. Carpenter

Thu: 1:15pm

Parra v. Smoltz

I'm sure that the Cardinals are having a collective sigh of relief knowing that they will avoid the dreaded Jeff Suppan. All things considered, I don't see why the Brewers can't win two of three. But then again, i'm a fan. Honestly, this could be ugly.

ENJOY IF YOU CAN!!!

J.J. Hardy is BACK!

He'll be back tonight in the Brewers dugout after a short stint in AAA with the Nashville Sounds. In 65 at-bars, JJ hit .246 with a.279 OBP, and hit 3 homers, with 10 RBI. We'll see how the Brewers brass handles the SS position with Alcides Escobar and now J.J. Hardy back with the club.

And if you're wondering where JJ got his hitting tips from....