Brewers/NLDS Notes

-The Brewers announced their playoff roster today. No Ben Sheets, Gabe Kapler, or Russell Branyan. One surprise was the choice of Brad Nelson. Nelson made 8 plate appearances at the end of the regular season, getting 2 hits (both doubles) and drawing 1 walk. He played only 2 innings in the field (at 1B).

-Not too many people are predicting the Brewers beating the Phillies in this series. In fact, over at ESPN.com's series overview, not a single analyst predicts Milwaukee advancing.

-Tim Kurkjian looks at 5 questions surrounding the series.

-Want to know who will be umpiring the Brewers/Phillies series?

-Here are Dale Sveum's and Ryan Braun and Yovani Gallardo's press conferences.

-Philadelphia outfielder Pat Burrell had to leave his team's practice today because of back problems.

-The Phillies will need this guy's bat if they want to do some damage in October.

-The story of Cole Hamels.

-Philly fans are daring to dream.

Pitching Matchups Take Shape

Dale Sveum announced on FSN a few minutes ago that Yovani Gallardo would be getting the ball in Game 1 of the NLDS. CC Sabathia will get the start in Game 2, and there is no word yet on who will start Game 3 at Miller Park on Saturday. Jeff Suppan would be the likely candidate, because he is a veteran with postseason experience. However, the Brewers could start Dave Bush, Seth McClung, or Manny Parra in Game 3 and save Suppan for a possible Game 4.

As for the Phillies, their star lefty Cole Hamels will start Game 1, Brett Myers will start Game 2, and the veteran Jamie Moyer will start Game 3.

Here are the numbers for all of the starting pitchers:

Game 1

Milwaukee - Yovani Gallardo

2008 - 0-0, 4 GS, 24 IP, 22 Hits, 5 ER, 3 HR, 8 BB, 1.88 ERA, 1.25 WHIP
2007 - 9-5, 17 GS, 110 1/3 IP, 103 Hits, 45 ER, 8 HR, 37 BB, 3.67 ERA, 1.27 WHIP

Gallardo has faced the Phillies once, back on August 3, 2007. He went 6 2/3 innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 walk, and 1 ER, while striking out 7 batters. The Brewers won the game 2-1.

Philadelphia - Cole Hamels

2008 - 14-10, 33 GS, 227 1/3 IP, 193 Hits, 78 ER, 28 HR, 53 BB, 196 K, 3.09 ERA
Career vs. Milwaukee - 2-1, 5 GS, 34 2/3 IP, 28 Hits, 17 ER, 5 HR, 10 BB, 36 K, 4.41 ERA

Hamels made two starts against Milwaukee in 2008, going 1-1. In the combined starts, he went 13 1/3 innings, allowing 14 hits, 5 walks, 7 ER, and 2 HR, while striking out 15.

Game 2

Milwaukee - CC Sabathia

2008 (with Mil.) - 11-2, 17 GS, 130 2/3 IP, 106 Hits, 24 ER, 6 HR, 25 BB, 128 K, 1.65 ERA
Career vs. Philadelphia - 1-1, 2 GS, 12 2/3 IP, 13 Hits, 7 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 8 K, 4.97 ERA

CC will be making his fourth start on 3 days rest Thursday. He has made 4 career postseason starts (with Cleveland in 2001 and 2007). In those 4 games, he went 2-2, allowed 17 ER in 21 1/3 innings, gave up 27 hits and 18 walks, and recorded 19 strikeouts.

Philadelphia - Brett Myers

2008 - 10-13, 30 GS, 190 IP, 197 Hits, 96 ER, 29 HR, 65 BB, 163 K, 4.55 ERA

Myers made 1 start against the Brewers this year - a complete game, 2-hit, 1-run performance, where he recorded 4 strikeouts. Myers worked out of the bullpen for the Phillies last year in the NLDS, appearing in 2 games. He only pitched 1 1/3 innings, giving up 2 hits, striking out 3 batters, and allowing 0 runs.

Game 3

Milwaukee - TBD, Suppan, Bush, Parra, McClung?

It will be interesting to see who Sveum goes with in Game 3. Of the four pitchers listed above, only Suppan has postseason experience. But he had a fairly rough September and was ineffective against Philadelphia this year (2 GS, 10 2/3 IP, 7 ER, 13 Hits, 7 BB). Seth McClung is coming off a good outing last Friday. This year, he pitched 3 innings in 2 games against the Phillies as a reliever (0 Hits, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 ER). Back in 2006, McClung made his only start against Philadelphia, giving up 6 ER in 4 2/3 innings.

Dave Bush is also coming off a strong relief appearance. He pitched 3 innings Saturday, allowing just 1 baserunner, 0 runs, and striking out 1. He made a start at Philadelphia on September 14, allowing 3 ER in 6 innings (5 Hits, 2 BB, 4 K). Bush has good numbers in his career at Miller Park: 23-14, 3.75 ERA, 229 K in 319 IP.

Finally there is Manny Parra who last pitched on Saturday (2 IP, 1 Hit, 0 ER, 4 K). Parra started against Philadelphia on September 13, but it was not a good outing: 1 1/3 IP, 7 Hits, 3 BB, 5 ER, 3 K).

Philadelphia - Jamie Moyer

2008 - 16-7, 33 GS, 196 1/3 IP, 199 Hits, 81 ER, 20 HR, 62 BB, 123 K, 3.71 ERA

Jamie Moyer is almost 46 years old, but he is coming off of one of the best seasons of his career. Moyer faced the Brewers twice in 2008, going 1-0, and allowing 4 ER in 11 2/3 innings. He has 5 career playoff starts, including 1 start last year in the NLDS when he went 6 innings and allowed 1 run on 5 hits.

Uecker's Call

If I would have been thinking straight yesterday I would have turned on the radio to listen to Bob Uecker call the end of yesterday's history-making game.

Fortunately I found this site, which offers audio clips from yesterday's radio coverage. If you click on "9/28 Game Wrap and Highlights" under the Brewers Featured Podcasts section, you can listen to Ueck's call of Braun's go-ahead home run yesterday (it gave me chills listening to the call).

Game Times Set

Here are the start times (central) for Milwaukee's NLDS games:

Wednesday - 2 pm
Thursday - 5 pm
Saturday - 5 pm

As for the rest of MLB:

-If the White Sox win tomorrow, they will play a one-game playoff with the Twins Tuesday, at 6:30 pm.

-The Dodgers take on the cubs starting at 5:30 pm Wednesday. Then the 2 teams play at 8:30 pm Thursday, and Saturday at 9 pm.

-The defending World Series Champion Red Sox travel to Los Angeles to take on the Angels. That series also starts Wednesday with a 9 pm game. Then the 2 teams play Friday at 8:30 pm, and again on Sunday (TBD).

-The surprise Tampa Bay Rays will host either the White Sox or the Twins Thursday at 1:30 pm and Friday at 5 pm. Game 3 of that series will be Sunday (TBD).

In the coming days I will post my playoff predictions, along with my picks for end of the year awards.

Game 1 Start Time

No word yet on what time Game 1 of the NLDS featuring the Brewers and Phillies will start. TBS will be covering the entire series, and their schedule for Wednesday has three possible start times - 2 pm, 5:30 pm, or 9 pm. Because the game will be played in Philadelphia, I'm guessing that it will either be 2 or 5:30 pm.

My last class ends at 12:50 pm Wednesday, and there is no way I am missing the first Brewer playoff game since 1982!

Say Hello To October, Brewers Fans!

Brewers fans everywhere rejoice - we are heading to October baseball!

For an event 26 years in the making, it was amazing how many things had to happen on the last day of the regular season for the Milwaukee Brewers.

It took a career-defining pitching performance by CC Sabathia.

It took yet another dramatic home run by the franchise's new "Kid," Ryan Braun.

It took a professional at-bat by the cagey veteran, Craig Counsell, who worked a walk with the bases loaded to tie the game.

And hundreds of miles away, it took a go-ahead home run by a former Brewer, Wes Helms, a symbol of the franchise's futility for the past two and a half decades.

Three weeks ago, the wheels started to fall off. Two weeks ago, it was looking dire. One week ago, they were counted out. Today, the Milwaukee Brewers are the National League Wild Card Champions. And "wild" doesn't even begin to describe the past week.

In the years to come, fans will talk about CC's masterpieces, Braun's blasts, Prince's heroics, Gallardo's guts, Sveum's calm leadership, and several other moments that defined the final week of the 2008 regular season. But in the days to come, everyone will be focusing on the immediate future.

Brewers vs. Phillies. Playoffs. Enjoy it.

Paul Newman, 1925-2008

Paul Newman passed away yesterday. Newman was one of the most distinguished actors of his generation, and he leaves behind a number of memorable contributions to film. Here's a list of my favorite Newman films:

-Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Newman teams up with Robert Redford as two train-robbers on the run - "who are those guys?!"

-The Sting - Newman plays a veteran con artist who helps Redford play the big con.

-Cool Hand Luke - Saw this movie for the first time in a high school English class and got to write a paper comparing it to Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.

-Slap Shot - Absurd, politically incorrect, raunchy, and hilarious.

The other Newman films I've seen - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Exodus, The Hudsucker Proxy, and Road to Perdition - are all pretty good too.

Check out Newman's Wisconsin connection.

Yuck

First this.

Then this.

And to top it all off, this.

For Wisconsin sports fans, it was not a good day.

Tomorrow the Pack will travel to Tampa Bay, while CC tries to pitch the Brewers into the playoffs. The cubs will be starting Carlos Zambrano, but it does not sound like he will be pitching more than a few innings.

Brewers Take Wild Card Lead

The Brewers turned in another magical performance tonight, defeating the cubs 5-1 at Miller Park. The Mets lost to the Marlins earlier in the evening, which means that Milwaukee now stands atop the Wild Card with a 1 game lead and 2 games to play.

This was a night of redemption for Milwaukee:

-The Brewers beat the cubs at Miller Park for the first time in 2008.

-Starter Jeff Suppan turned in 5 quality innings, allowing just 1 run.

-Seth McClung (who was 5-6, 4.17 ERA entering tonight) delivered a stellar relief performance, allowing just 2 baserunners and striking out 6 cubs in 4 innings.

-Rickie Weeks came off the bench to hit a key 3-run home run in the bottom of the seventh.

-Corey Hart, who has been slumping lately, had 2 hits and scored a run and had a RBI.

-Finally, one of the most satisfying aspects of the win was seeing cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano play selfishly and hurt his team. In addition to going 0-4 at the plate, Soriano decided to not hustle in the filed, which cost his team in the end.

Ben Sheets goes tomorrow for the Brewers. Meanwhile, the Mets have decided to bring back Johan Santana on 3 days' rest and he will pitch tomorrow against the Marlins instead of Sunday. If Milwaukee can win again tomorrow, and if the Mets lose, the Brewers head to the postseason for the first time since 1982.

Brewers Notes

-After last night's dramatic walk-off winner against the Pirates, the Brewers remain in a tie for the Wild Card. Ryan Braun, who hit the game-winning grand slam, talked about his struggles lately, and the injuries that have plagued him.

-Meanwhile, in the celebration that took place at home plate after Braun's blast, JJ Hardy may have injured his hand.

-While Braun's homer was definitely the big highlight of the night, the start made by Yovani Gallardo can't be overlooked. Drew Olson compares Gallardo's comeback to Curt Schilling's "bloody sock" game. I don't think Gallardo's start was on the same level, but it was definitely significant.

In many ways, Gallardo's start last night can be seen as the emergence of Milwaukee's new ace. CC Sabathia will be gone next year. Ben Sheets will most likely be gone too - even if the Brewers could re-sign Sheets, I think it would be unwise to give a big contract to a starting pitcher who has proven himself to be injury-prone and unreliable. The Brewers are close to a playoff berth - which would be their first since 1982 - and Sheets has not been able to rise to the occasion, because of "soreness." Meanwhile, Yovani Gallardo takes the mound less than 5 months after tearing his ACL, and gives Milwaukee a chance to win a much-needed game. Pitching wins championships, and the future looks bright with Gallardo as Milwaukee's ace.

-If Ben Sheets can't pitch Saturday, it will be up to Dave Bush. By the way, this is what Sheets had to say Thursday after throwing a bullpen session:

“Nothing’s changed,” he said. “It went all right but it’s still wait-and-see. I’m fine at throwing 75%. I always have been. If they promise me they won’t swing at it, I’ll go out there and do that all day.”

Not exactly the words of an ace who is willing to do whatever it takes for the team to win.

-It will be interesting to see how much playing time the cub regulars get in this series. Chicago has already wrapped up homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. In their last two games against the Mets, several cubs were given days off. Here are the pitching matchups for the series:

Friday:

Milwaukee - Jeff Suppan (10-10, 5.06 ERA; 1-1, 9.00 ERA vs. Chicago this year)
Chicago - Ryan Dempster (17-6, 2.99 ERA; 4-0 vs. Milwaukee this year)

Saturday:

Milwaukee - TBA, Ben Sheets (13-8, 2.98 ERA, 1-1 vs. Chicago this year) or Dave Bush (9-10, 4.25 ERA, 0-2 vs. Chicago this year)
Chicago - Ted Lilly (16-9, 4.17 ERA, 0-1 vs. Milwaukee this year)

Sunday:

Milwaukee - CC Sabathia (16-10, 2.80 ERA, 0-1 vs. Chicago this year)
Chicago - Jason Marquis (11-9, 4.43 ERA, 0-2 vs. Milwaukee this year)

-Check out this ESPN feature on the Brewers as they enter the final weekend of the regular season.

UPDATE: Ben Sheets is now scheduled to start Saturday. Perhaps Gallardo's start last night has inspired Sheets.

Brewers Give The Ball To Gallardo

Rumor has turned into fact. Yovani Gallardo, who went down with a knee injury on May 1, is going to take the mound tomorrow night in the series finale against Pittsburgh.

For the longest time the Brewers insisted that if Gallardo were to come back this season, it would be from the bullpen. But with the Wild Card within grasp, and with a starting rotation that has been hammered lately, the Brewers have decided to take a gamble.

There's no doubt that Gallardo is a tough kid (he continued pitching after he got injured in that May 1 game), and he should be mentally focused. But there's no way to tell how well he will pitch, because he hasn't seen game action since May. Then there's the gamble that Milwaukee takes in sending a potential future star into a game only months after suffering a severe injury.

Tomorrow night will definitely have big ramifications for Milwaukee's future, short-term and long-term.

Milwaukee's Season Ending Quickly

Despite winning only 5 games this month and blowing a 5 1/2 game lead in the Wild Card, the Brewers enter the final week of the regular season with an outside chance at making the playoffs. They trail the Mets by 1 1/2 games, who start a 4-game series at home tonight against the cubbies. The Mets will then close their season by hosting the Marlins for 3 games.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee will play the Pirates and the cubs at home to end their season. The Brewers are coming off of a 2-8 road trip, but won yesterday 8-1 against the Reds. Prince Fielder is pretty much carrying the team on his back. After hitting .228 with 6 HRs and 20 RBIs in the entire month of August, Fielder is hitting .319 in September, with 5 HRs and 17 RBIs.

But the Brewers are going to need contributions from other players, especially the starting rotation, if they want to make the playoffs. The last time a starter picked up a win was back on September 6, when Ben Sheets beat the Padres 1-0. Sheets is probably lost for the rest of the season, CC Sabathia and Jeff Suppan have had to make starts on shortened rest, and Dave Bush, Manny Parra, and Seth McClung have been ineffective (to put it nicely).

It's an exciting time overall for baseball fans. Going into tonight, only 3 teams have clinched playoff berths, and there are exciting races yet to be determined in the AL and NL. The playoffs remain a possibility for the Milwaukee Brewers, but time is running out. An entire season comes down to the final week, and 6 games will determine the fate of the 2008 Brewers.

Packers vs. Cowboys - Preview

Big game tonight for GB fans, as the Packers play host to the hated Cowboys. I know that the Bears and the Vikings are seen as the big divisional rivals, but growing up there was no team I hated more as a Packer fan than the Cowboys. Whether it was Thanksgiving day, or a playoff game, Dallas always seemed to have our number (even when they started third-string quarterbacks). Needless to say, I'm pretty fired up for tonight's showdown. I think we have a good chance of pulling out a win, and I think it send a huge message to the rest of the league.

Here are a few keys to tonight's game:

-Charles Woodson: The Cowboys have a very good passing game (316 yards passing per game), so the Packers will need Woodson in the secondary (GB will already be without safety Atari Bigby; Aaron Rouse will be starting in his place). Woodson showed last week how he can be a game-changer on the field. And keep in mind that the Pack was without Woodson last year when they took on Dallas.

-Aaron Rodgers: Rodgers has looked great so far. But tonight will be his first real test as he goes up against a potential Super Bowl contender. The thing that has impressed me the most with Rodgers is his decision-making. He has yet to throw an interception in the regular season, and he has shown an ability to get out of the pocket and make plays (even by rushing the ball himself - 12 runs for 60 yards).

Rodgers has played against the Cowboys before. Last year, in relief of Favre, Rodgers threw 18-26 for 201 yards, 1 TD, and 0 INTs. As long as Rodgers doesn't get rattled and stays confident, he and GB should be in good shape.

-Rushing Offense: GB has been pretty average so far running the ball in 2008. They rank 11th with 131 yards per game, and have 2 TDs. Ryan Grant, who has been hampered by a hamstring injury, has racked up just 112 yards in 2 games. Last year, Grant ran for 94 yards and 2 TDs against Dallas. Brandon Jackson has looked pretty good in limited duty - he is averaging 5.2 yards per rush. It will be important to establish the run against the Cowboys early, to open things in the passing game. Plus, if the Pack has the lead, they will need to effectively run the ball to win the time of possession game and keep the Dallas offense off the field.

-Penalties: GB has to limit the stupid penalties. Against Minnesota, they had 12 blown whistles for 118 yards. Against Detroit, they did better - 8 calls for 62 yards. Last year, they had 9 penalties go against them for 142 yards (most of those were pass interference calls). The secondary will have to remain aggressive, but also be careful to not draw the ire of the officials.

My prediction: GB 27, Dallas 24

Yankee Stadium

The New York Yankees will take the field one last time Sunday night at Yankee Stadium. I visited Yankee Stadium once, bravely wearing my Boston Red Sox cap (to my dismay I didn't hear any slurs). It was a day game against Tampa Bay, July 22, 1999. We arrived at the stadium well ahead of game time, and shuffled through a long line in Monument Park. I still have the pictures I took that day with a Kodak disposable camera.

We sat in the right field bleachers and watched the Yankees pull out a 5-4 win over the Devil Rays. That day we saw Derek Jeter, Paul O'Neill, Bernie Williams, Joe Girardi (current Yankee skipper), Mariano Rivera, and Wade Boggs (pinch-hitting for the visitors). It was the 15,000th game in Yankee franchise history. The Yankees would go on to win the World Series that year. This year, they will miss the playoffs, and Tampa will be playing in October.

The thing I remember the most from the game was the heckling. Directly in front of us was a group of large, Italian-American men in their 30s and 40s, straight out of a Scorsese film or Sopranos episode. In between sips from their alcoholic beverages, they would unleash a constant stream of heckling, most of it directed at Yankee right fielder Paul O'Neill. The gentlemen just wanted O'Neill to turn around and wave, but he stubbornly refused. The fans became more determined, and tried to convince the Yankee that he would be traded back to the Reds. They chanted, "Cin-cin-nat-ti! Cin-cin-nat-ti!" At one point, I spontaneously joined the heckling, and yelled out "O-HIII-OO!" O'Neill finally broke down late in the game and turned around and gave the fans a wave.

End Of The Year Movie Preview

The summer movie season has quietly passed. There was one great film released (The Dark Knight), a few good enough movies (Iron Man was one), and then there was a pile of mostly forgettable movies (I can't believe I paid to see Hancock).

So far, the fall movie season has not made much of an impression. Recent releases include The Women, Lakeview Terrace, and My Best Friend's Girl - anyone who chooses to watch these three movies should have to submit to a drug test.

Unfortunately the months to come don't seem to have anything truly great to offer to moviegoers. Here is a look at a few films that have a chance of being watchable:

OCTOBER

Synecdoche, New York - October 24

Charlie Kaufman is the writer behind some of the most inventive films of the past decade (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Synecdoche is his first time as both writer and director. From what I've read about this film, it deals with the basic themes of life and death, but in a mind-bending way that is uniquely Kaufmanesque.



Other October Films:

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People - October 3
Rachel Getting Married - October 3
Body of Lies - October 10
Changeling - October 24



NOVEMBER

Quantum of Solace - November 14

Daniel Craig returns as James Bond and he is out for revenge. Replacing Martin Campbell as director is Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Stranger Than Fiction). Hopefully Forster doesn't change the formula too much, as Casino Royale pumped new blood into the Bond franchise.



Other November Films:

Role Models - November 7
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - November 7
The Soloist - November 21
The Road - November 26



DECEMBER

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - December 25

This is an adaptation of a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. From the trailer, it looks like the film will focus more on the dramatic aspects of the story and less on the comical elements. Curious Case is directed by David Fincher, who is coming off of one of the most under-appreciated films from 2007, Zodiac.



Other December Films:

Crossing Over - December 3
Frost/Nixon - December 5
The Day the Earth Stood Still - December 12
Defiance - December 12

Brewers Win, Lose Sheets, What Next?

The Brewers win for the first time in a week, but in the process they may have lost Ben Sheets for the remainder of the season. Of course.

Sheets was a little more reliable this year than he has been recently. He started the most amount of games since 2004, and for the first time in his career he won more than 12 games. His ERA and strikeout numbers were also the best since 2004.

In the JSOnline story, Sheets says that he is optimistic that he will be able to pitch again, and that this pain has been bothering him since late August. Back on September 6, he pitched a complete game shutout against San Diego, a 1-0 win for Milwaukee.

Since the All-Star break, Sheets is 3-5 with an ERA and WHIP higher than before the break when he went 10-3.

Can the Brewers clear yet another hurdle and make the playoffs? After tonight, they remain 1/2 game behind the Mets for the Wild Card.

Brewers To Yost: Your Services Are No Longer Wanted

Back in June, after a particularly pathetic loss, I was riding home from Miller Park and listening to the post-game radio show. The first caller, in a thick Wisconsin accent, loudly proclaimed "Ned Yost has got to go," and then hung up. Today that caller, and many other Brewer fans, got their wish.

The firing comes a day after Milwaukee was swept by Philadelphia, erasing their lead in the Wild Card. Ryan Braun had this to say afterwards. Did Braun's comments have an influence on the decision?

The timing of this decision is definitely questionable. If it were up to me, I would have fired Yost after the cubs came into Miller Park and swept the Brewers. John Kruk was on ESPN radio today, and he said that some Brewers players have told him that Yost would "tighten up" during big games and big series. That's pretty bad, especially because a team full of young players will look to their manager to lead during those situations.

Yost was clearly in over his head in pressure situations, and he consistently made poor decisions (especially when it came to managing his bullpen). The Brewers should have found a manager who was experienced and had shown an ability to win in pressure situations - just think what Jim Leyland did in Detroit and Jack McKeown in Florida. Now the question becomes, what kind of impact will the firing have on the team? And what can Dale Sveum do to right this quickly sinking ship? (I've never been much of a Sveum fan, but he does have coaching experience in the postseason - and Kruk on the radio today said that he is more relaxed and might have a calming influence on the team).

It's a frustrating time to be a Brewers fan. If Milwaukee wants to make the playoffs, they will have to win more games than Philadelphia the rest of the way, and also fend off Houston. Milwaukee has a 3-game road series against Chicago, then 3 games at Cincinnati, 3 games vs. Pittsburgh, and 3 games vs. Chicago. Pretty daunting schedule. Philadelphia goes to Atlanta and Florida, and then finishes at home against Atlanta and Washington.

Speaking of the Astros, they were no-hit by the cubbies last night - at Miller Park. It's ridiculous that that series is taking place in Milwaukee. Commissioner Selig and MLB really screwed up by turning a road series for Chicago into a home series. Not to mention the fact that Houston had to travel all the way to Chicago with less than 24 hours notice. So in addition to being mentally and emotionally fatigued by the weather tragedy in Houston, the team was physically tired. Anyone who thinks what happened at Miller Park last night was "remarkable" (Steve Phillips on SportsCenter called it amazing), is foolish.

Suppan Does It Again

Jeff Suppan, the 40 million dollar pitcher who was supposed to help make Milwaukee a contender, laid another egg tonight against Philadelphia. When the Brewers signed Suppan after the 2006 season, I was not afraid to voice my displeasure. Suppan had helped the Cardinals win the World Series that year, and the Brewers clearly thought that he could do the same in Milwaukee. Unfortunately, Milwaukee's brain trust failed to look at Suppan's career as a whole.

Here's what Suppan did tonight:

3 2/3 IP, 8 Hits, 4 Walks, 1 HR, 6 ER

Assuming the Brewers go on to lose tonight (really going out on a limb), Suppan will fall to 10-9 on the season, and his ERA increases to 4.85. Clutch!

Suppan did go 5-0 in August, but keep in mind that those 5 wins came against, in order, Atlanta, Cincinnati, San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh. Those teams' records are, in order, 67-83, 68-81, 57-93, and 63-86.

Meanwhile, if the Brewers would have put some more thought into their decision to play the make-up game tonight instead of Monday, they could have had CC Sabathia pitch Monday against the Phillies. Instead, Milwaukee decided it was more important to have CC open up the series against the cubs on Tuesday. Well, newsflash Brewers: you are not going to win the Division, and now it's looking more likely that you will lose the Wild Card. I think the final game against the Phillies is a tad more important at this point in the season. So if you have an opportunity to start CC in a must-win situation, it might be wise to do so. By the way, CC's road record this year is 6-4, with a 2.31 ERA. But I'm sure we'll look back on this series at the end of September and come to the same conclusion Ned Yost and the rest of the geniuses arrived at.

Fantasy Owners Face Huge Loss

Tom Brady's knee injury will without a doubt be costly to the New England Patriots in several ways. But did you see how costly it will be to those fantasy managers who drafted him? Which includes me! (I also lost a WR, Nate Burleson, for the rest of the season)

In the league I'm in, it was $10 per team, and there are 14 teams. I'm not too worried though, because I drafted Atlanta rookie quarterback Matt Ryan in the last round, and after Brady's injury I picked up Buffalo's Trent Edwards. If those two can be as good as their week ones, I should be in good shape

Packers 24, Vikings 19

The Aaron Rodgers era starts with a victory, as GB holds on to beat Minnesota tonight. As they did so many times last year, the Packer defense secures the win, as Atari Bigby intercepts a pass to end the final Viking threat.

Things were getting a little sloppy for GB toward the end of the game, as the team allowed a touchdown drive and hurt themselves with some silly penalties. GB finished the game with 12 penalties for 112 yards - definitely an area that needs to be improved.

In the 2nd half there were two other main highlights other than Bigby's interception. In the 3rd quarter, Will Blackmon returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown which gave the Pack a 17-6 lead. A lot of people were talking during the preseason about how Blackmon could be a difference maker returning kicks, and he proved that already in the first game.

The other main highlight was Ryan Grant's 57-yard run which set up a touchdown run by Aaron Rodgers, giving GB a 24-12 lead with about 6 minutes left in the game. Grant finished the game with 92 yards on just 12 rushes.

I was also impressed by the job done by the defensive line, which kept Tarvaris Jackson busy all night having to evade the GB defense. Jackson finished the game 16-32 with 178 yards, but many of those completions came on the run.

Finally, I have to comment on the Lambeau crowd vigorously booing Ryan Longwell every time he came out on the field. It seems like such a waste. You're booing Ryan Longwell. The dumb kicker. I think it would be more insulting to just be indifferent toward him, to stay absolutely quiet, as if to say "Ryan who?" Why waste your time and energy on such a lame player?

Overall, I thought it was a pretty decent win. GB didn't overwhelm the Vikings (in fact, Minnesota had more yards on offense than GB), but the Packers did enough to win, and with the game on the line at the end, the defense came through with a big play. Rodgers played well enough (18-22, 178 yards, 1 TD, 35 yards rushing, 1 rushing TD), but the Vikings didn't give him much of a test. The rest of the season's opponents surely will. And even though I'm a Packer fan and accept Aaron Rodgers as the team's quarterback, I would be lying if I said a regular season win with Rodgers feels the same as a win with old #4 behind center. It feels a little less special, a little more hollow. Perhaps this will change over time, as the season progresses. Then again, maybe it won't ever be the same again.

Packers vs. Vikings, First Half

Green Bay enters the locker room with a 10-3 lead. The ESPN commentators were debating whether or not GB should have taken a shot in the end zone, but I think it was a smart move to go for the field goal. It looks like this will be a tight game, and heading into halftime with a 2-score lead would have been big. The Pack just got unlucky with the blocked field goal attempt.

Other than that miscue to end the first half, I thought it was a pretty solid 2 quarters. GB started a little sluggish, committing several penalties, and showing an inability to establish the running game. Both of those areas improved in the 2nd quarter. GB heads into the half with 7 penalties committed for 69 yards - but I believe 5 of those came in the 1st quarter. Ryan Grant has 35 yards rushing, Brandon Jackson has 14, and Aaron Rodgers has 35.

Adrian Peterson has 75 yards on 9 carries, but most of that came in the 1st quarter. GB has done a good job on defense of forcing Tarvaris Jackson to make a play with his arm...and he has yet to respond. He's 2-7 for 16 yards...a QB rating of 39.6.

Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers has looked quite good. He goes into the half 12-16 for 139 yards and 1 TD (a 121.6 rating). He's engineered a few good drives, and his ability to get out of the pocket and run with the ball has been an effective weapon (something #4 hasn't been able to boast for a while now). Rodgers has already made a few Favre-esque plays - the long pass to Jennings (great catch by Jennings btw), and the touchdown throw to Hall (Rodgers was able to evade the pass rush long enough to throw a bullet off his back foot).

But now the thing every Packer fan wants to know about: how's that new punter? Oh, wait, you didn't know that GB has a new punter? This story kind of slipped by unnoticed, but the Pack released Jon Ryan who averaged 44.5 yards during his 2 years in GB. Derrick Frost is the new punter, and he's looked good - 2 punts, averaging 46 yards.

One final note: the UW-Eau Claire marching band was at Lambeau tonight, and performed at halftime.

US Open Men's Final

It was a busy weekend for sports fans. One of the stories that may have slipped by is that a British tennis player is in a Grand Slam Championship match. Andy Murray will take on the 4-time defending champion Roger Federer today at 4 pm (you can catch the match on CBS).

Murray looked very impressive yesterday, dismantling Rafael Nadal in a match that was carried over from the previous day due to rain. Murray executed pinpoint shots against Nadal, and made the No. 1 player in the world work hard for every point.

The championship match today could be quite historic. Should Murray win, he would become the first British male to win a Grand Slam event since Fred Perry. Britons have waited a long time for "the next Perry." Perry won all 4 Grand Slam events, including 3 Wimbledons and 3 US Opens, and he won 8 Grand Slam titles in all. But the last title came in 1936, when he won his third US Open. The last British female to win a Grand Slam title was Virginia Wade, who won Wimbledon in 1977.

Back To School

The first week of classes has come and gone. This is my second year now as a grad student at UW-Eau Claire, and the first week this year was vastly different from last year. No worries about finding the right classrooms, not many new introductions to be made, and it won't take me a month to unpack and organize everything in my apartment this year.

Something that really struck me during the week, was the number of students in my classes that had already completed at least 4 years of higher education. Several students during those "get to know you" introductions identified themselves as "2nd year seniors," and there was also a number of students who had already graduated with one BA, and were coming back for a second one. There even seems to be a greater number of grad students in the department this year (I think I was just one of a handful of first-year grad students last year).

I wonder how many of these fellow "life-long students" are coming back to school/putting off graduation due to the state of the job market, and how many are continuing their education for other reasons (intentionally or unintentionally).

The increase of student populations within the UW System is clearly a priority for the regents:

"The UW System, under its latest operating budget request, would expand by 7,000 students, including online students."

Is It Panic Time?

Are the wheels starting to fall off in Milwaukee?

No. But it is getting less likely that the Brewers will be making a run at the divisional crown. The hated cubbies maintain a 4 game lead. Chicago has lost 7 of their last 8 games, but Milwaukee has been unable to close the gap. The Brewers have now lost 5 of their last 7.

As for the Wild Card, things are getting a little more interesting. As I write this, the Brewers hold a 3 1/2 game lead on the Phillies (who are playing the Mets right now). The Cardinals are 5 games back, and the Astros, 6 games back, have made themselves relevant again.

Milwaukee hosts Cincinnati next (3 games), and then heads to Philadelphia for a very important 4-game road series. The Brewers need to win the series against the Reds, and at least split against the Phillies. A series win against Philadelphia would really send a message though.

Here's the week ahead for the Brewers' competitors:

-cubs: 3 games at St. Louis, 3 games at Houston

-Phillies: 3 games vs. Florida, 4 games vs. Milwaukee

-Cardinals: 3 games vs. Chicago, 3 games at Pittsburgh

-Astros: 4 games vs. Pittsburgh, 3 games vs. Chicago

Favre And Jets Win

If you head over to JSOnline right now, a picture of a smiling Brett Favre will greet you. Can you spot what's wrong with the picture? That's right, he's not wearing a Packers uniform.

Here's Favre's line from his debut today as the new quarterback of the J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!:

15-22, 194 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs

The most important stat of course is 1-0, which is New York's record after week 1.

And suddenly the Jets are a legitimate contender in the AFC East.

Favre Vs. The Packers, Round (Week) One

So what are you more excited about this weekend: the debut of the New York Jets' new quarterback, or the debut of the Green Bay Packers' new quarterback?

Or the debut of the Miami Dolphins' new quarterback? (Joey?)

Personally, I'm just as excited to watch Favre's debut with the Jets as I am to see the Packers begin the post-Favre era on Monday. Does that make me a weak Packers fan, or a strong Favre fan? Or just another Wisconsin football fan struggling to come to grips with reality?

It's funny to think that exactly a year ago, most Packer fans were not predicting a winning season (let alone a trip to the NFC Championship game - for the record, I predicted that last year's team would finish with a winning record and make the playoffs, but I digress).

Here are a few fearless predictions for the 2008 NFL season:

-Green Bay finishes 9-7 and grabs a Wild Card spot in the playoffs.

-New York Jets finish 8-8 and miss the playoffs.

-Miami Dolphins finish 5-11, and Joey suffers from low self-esteem.

-Brett Favre puts up better numbers than Aaron Rodgers. Ted Thompson suffers from insomnia.

-I finish in the top 3 of both of my fantasy leagues.

Badgers Overcome Poor Start

UW looked sluggish in the first quarter, but the Badgers were able to respond in the final 3 quarters and waltz to a 51-14 victory.

Marshall took advantage of a number of Badger miscues and took a 14-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter. UW committed several dumb penalties, was plagued by poor play in the secondary, and was unable to get any momentum on offense.

The tide started to turn with a 36-yard reception by Lance Kendricks a minute and a half into the second quarter, which put the Badgers into Marshall territory. The scoring drive was capped by a PJ Hill touchdown, giving the Badgers their first score of the day. The Badger defense improved too, collecting 3 interceptions later in the game and shutting down the Marshall offense for the rest of the game. And if my memory is correct, I don't think they committed a costly penalty after the first quarter.

The schedule only gets tougher now for the Badgers, as they travel to Fresno State next week for a prime-time game under the lights against a hungry opponent. UW then has a bye week before opening the Big Ten season at Michigan. Here's hoping the Badgers don't come out flat next week.

One final note about the Big Ten Network, which carried UW's game for the second straight week. I'm hoping the BTN will try a little harder in the future when it comes to the quality of their broadcast. The picture quality of the network was poor, and the announcers are pretty sub-par as well.

Milwaukee Winless In September

Check out Tom Haudricourt's laundry list of reasons why last night's Brewers loss "was an ugly one."

CC pitches tonight, so hopefully he can stop the losing streak. What makes this recent skid more frustrating is that the cubs have lost 5 in a row now, which means Milwaukee could have been closing the gap.

The Brewers maintain a 4-game lead over the Phillies, and their magic number to clinch the Wild Card is 19.

Roddick Bows Out

Andy Roddick lost his match tonight against Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the US Open. The match was not especially interesting, but what happened afterwards was. Djokovic was interviewed on the court after the match, and made some statements regarding Roddick and the New York crowd. As one would expect, the natives were not pleased, and expressed their displeasure with a chorus of loud boos.



Meanwhile, Roddick was the last American to be bounced from the men's singles tournament. He is also the last American male to win the Grand Slam event. Back in 2003 he defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero for his first (and to date, only) Grand Slam title. In 2006 he was a finalist, but lost to Roger Federer.

Since the retirements of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, US tennis fans have had little to cheer for when it comes to men's Grand Slam events:

-The last US champion at the Australian Open was Agassi in 2003.

-The last US champion at the French Open was Agassi in 1999.

-Roddick is the last American to make the Finals at Wimbledon (2004 & 2005), but Pete Sampras is the last American to win the tournament (2000).

Sticking with the theme of USA, the USA Network signed off after tonight's match for the last time at Flushing Meadows. The network has covered the event for the past 25 years, but next year ESPN and the little-known Tennis Channel will take over (in addition to CBS' continued coverage). USA has always done a fine job with their coverage, and it's a shame they won't be handling the event in the years to come. The network's focus was always on the tennis, and hopefully the new networks will offer as many hours of coverage as USA always did.