Reading Is Optional

Bye

2009-01-27T15:50:00.003-06:00

I'm calling it quits...at least for the next 4 months.

As I watch the blank spaces on my 2009 calendar quickly become not so blank, it becomes quite clear that I will have very little free time this semester. I have more responsibilities with my job and more extracurricular commitments than I did a year ago, and I know that if I were to attempt to sustain this blog, whatever quality it once had would sharply decrease.

Thanks to everyone who ever stopped by, especially those that stopped by more than a few times and the few that even provided some content.

Extended Vacation

2009-01-06T13:15:00.005-06:00

The last few weeks have really flown by, and I have not had much free time for blogging. Besides my winter reading list, I've been occupied mostly with this. We've got a gig this Friday and next Saturday, so if you're in the Milwaukee area, be sure to come check us out (it's free!).

I will probably only post sporadically until the 26th, when classes resume and I get back into a routine.

Finished!

2008-12-19T16:02:00.006-06:00

At 3:15 pm, History 636 gathered around the Old Abe Monument at Wilson Park to hand in our final papers and receive a quick lesson about the famous war eagle and the Wisconsin 8th Infantry. Thus came to an end my third semester.

Finals week turned out to be less hectic than I thought it would be, but it was still long and full of work.

Next semester promises to be my toughest yet, with thesis work, studying for the comps, and an increase in work assignments. Actually, because of all the research and studying that I'll need to accomplish in the Spring, next semester starts tomorrow.

As for this blog, I'll be taking the next few days off, and posting will probably be lighter in the coming weeks. I plan to do some brainstorming when it comes to the type of posting that I want to do in '09, and reevaluate my goals for the blog.

Happy holidays to everyone!

Ugh

2008-12-17T17:36:00.002-06:00

This is not good news.

I don't have time to say much, but the idea of another season with Mike Cameron in center field is a punch in the gut.

Films Of 2008 - A Review, Part I

2008-12-16T15:12:00.001-06:00

Looking back at the films I watched in 2008, it's easy to draw a conclusion that it was not a very good year. Just like 2007 was a really good year for music, it was also a great year for film. Two of my favorites from '07 were There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men. But I also enjoyed Zodiac, Michael Clayton, Juno, Knocked Up, Superbad, The Savages, and the documentaries The King of Kong and My Kid Could Paint That.

This post is Part I of my review of 2008, because there are a number of movies that have just recently been released or will be released that I want to see and haven't had the time yet to do so. Part II will probably come in a couple of months after I've had the chance to see some of the more "prestigious" films that are always released in a bunch at the end of every year.

So here are the grades of the nine films from 2008 that I've seen so far (also, POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT):

D- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Steven Spielberg)

This is easily the most disappointing movie of the year for me. I even went into it with very low expectations and the movie still was a huge letdown. It was so bad that I've decided that I will stubbornly refuse to acknowledge it ever existed, starting now.

D Baby Mama (Michael McCullers)

Tina Fey may be the star of 2008, but her first starring role in a movie was a complete dud. The one thing that can be said in Fey's defense is that neither her nor her screen partner, Amy Poehler, wrote the script for this supposed comedy. Fey and the rest of the cast sleepwalk through this comedy-by-numbers, and not even a cameo by Steve Martin as an eccentric millionaire was able to save it.

C Hancock (Peter Berg)

Here is a movie that seemingly could not fail. It had Will Smith in the lead, was released in the summer, and it had a really smart idea at its center. Smith plays a drunk, ill-behaved superhuman, whose superpowers routinely bring super-destruction and little thanks from the common man. Hancock's main problem is that it isn't able to effectively blend the comic and serious aspects of the plot together, and the result is a schizophrenic movie that leaves little impression.

C Pineapple Express (David Gordon Green)

When you strip this movie down to its essential state, it is just a stoner comedy with almost nothing new to say. I was hoping for something in the vein of Hot Fuzz or Shaun of the Dead, two movies that satirized while paying homage to their genres. There are some laughs here, but not enough to justify calling this movie anything but average.

C+ Step Brothers (Adam McKay)

Unlike Pineapple Express, this movie does not try to be anything more than a stupid comedy. And it is very stupid. The plot isn't very plausible and the movie is filled with absurdist moments that have come to define the work of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. Some of the bits are pretty funny though, and even though Ferrell's shtick may be running thin, he and co-star John C. Reilly make a good comedy duo and now how to deliver quote-ready lines.

B+ Iron Man (Jon Favreau)

Comic book movies have become arguably the most popular genre in the past 10 years, and as such, there exists a basic formula for how the first film in a planned series should introduce audiences to the main character(s). Iron Man treads a delicate line because in a lot of ways, it is quite formulaic. For that reason, a lot of credit should be given to director Jon Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr., for providing enough twists and humor to keep the audience fully engaged and entertained.

B+ The Visitor (Thomas McCarthy)

Before I watched The Visitor, I fully expected a critique of the policies and institutions that have developed in the post-9/11 world. That is definitely a major theme of the film, however the director explores these ideas in a subtle and complex manner, and only in the overall context of the human relationships that are explored. There are two main things that struck me afterwards: the great performance by Richard Jenkins in the lead, and the use of music by the filmmaker. The final scene is among the best I've seen all year.

A- Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller)

Another product of the Apatow machine, Forgetting Sarah Marshall follows in the tradition of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, which means it is full of vulgar (and funny) humor, while at the same time attempting to interject some serious message. The second part doesn't always work, but the film is filled with memorable comedic bits. Jason Segel does a good job in delivering some of the more original moments, including an unforgettable ending with puppets.

A The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)

It's been a while since a film has both garnered widespread critical acclaim and captured the imagination of a large segment of the public. Currently The Dark Knight trails only Titanic when it comes to the box-office (and the movie is being re-released in January). On IMDB.com, the film has been ranked the fourth best all-time (trailing The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, and The Godfather: Part II). Out of the 262 reviews collected on RottenTomatoes.com, only 16 are negative.

The Dark Knight is both a comic book movie and a crime-drama, but the story takes a back seat to the gritty and enthralling performances. When I first saw the movie I wrote that Heath Ledger's performance was comparable to Daniel Day Lewis' work in There Will Be Blood, because of the powerful energy that inhabits the character. Every scene with The Joker is mesmerizing and chilling.

The Dark Knight is the type of film that reminds you how magical and exciting going to the movies can be, and it truly captivates, entertains, and transcends the usual film-watching experience.

Brrr!

2008-12-15T18:29:00.003-06:00

-9, The temperature at 9:15 this morning when I got on campus.

-1, The temperature at 5:24 this evening when I left campus.

What a nice way to start finals week.

Hopefully positive numbers will return tomorrow.

A Christmas Story

2008-12-13T12:19:00.003-06:00

Here is some trivia about one of the best Christmas films of all time.

And here is the original trailer:

Brewers News

2008-12-12T19:17:00.003-06:00

CC is gone. But to soften the blow, the Brewers have decided to send along his pal MiKe Cameron (that capitalized K is not a typo).

The deal isn't finalized yet, but it looks like the Brewers would receive 24 year-old outfielder Melky Cabrera (Cameron will be 36 in a month). Here is a comparison of the players:

Cameron

2008: 120 Games, 444 AB, 108 Hits, .243 Avg., 54 BB, .331 OBP, 142 K, 69 R, 25 HR, 70 RBI, 17 SB
-1 charged error, but Cameron exhibited decreased skills in the OF

Cabrera
2008: 129 Games, 414 AB, 103 H, .249 Avg., 29 BB, .301 OBP, 58 K, 42 R, 8 HR, 37 RBI, 9 SB
-4 errors last year in the outfield
-In 2007 he hit .273, and in 2006 he hit .280

Are the Brewers getting a fair deal? Cabrera doesn't seem to bring much to the team, but he is young and doesn't strike out as much as Cameron.

Some More Music Lists

2008-12-12T13:12:00.004-06:00

'Tis the season for making lists. Last week I presented my favorite music from the last year. Here are a few lists from the professional music critics:

-The A.V. Club tallied up their votes and came up with the 30 best albums from the year.

-Here is a list of the top 40 albums from Spin.

-Paste ranked the year's 50 best albums.

One interesting note from these lists is that the #1 selection for the A.V. Club and Spin, is the #50 selection for Paste. I don't care much about the rankings from these sort of lists, but the nice thing is that they usually provide readers with some new music to check out.

Let's Go Bowling!

2008-12-09T10:22:00.004-06:00

What college football bowl games are you looking forward to the most? This article ranks all 34 games (no surprise what #1 is).

Besides the Badgers' bowl game (vs. Florida State, December 27, Champs Sports Bowl) and the National Championship, I'm really not looking forward to any of these games. None of the "marquee" matchups seem that exciting to me:

-Penn State vs. USC, USC already trounced one Big Ten opponent this year and I imagine they'll take care of Penn State.

-Ohio State vs. Texas, Texas has a legitimate case for being in the National Championship game and will most likely destroy Ohio State.

-Alabama vs. Utah, A week ago Alabama's bags were packed for the title game and now they are going up against Utah.

This year's matchups provide yet more support for the argument that the BCS should be replaced by a playoff system (get on this Obama!). Imagine the possible matchups with a playoff system - Alabama vs. USC, Texas vs. Florida, Oklahoma vs. Penn State, Utah vs. Boise State, etc.

How can we get the bigwigs who run college football to change their minds?

CC's Mind Not Made Up

2008-12-08T16:25:00.004-06:00

It's been almost two months since the last time CC Sabathia pitched for the Brewers, but according to this report, there remains a slim chance that Milwaukee will be able to sign the coveted free agent.

It's clearly not all about the money for CC - if that was the case, he would've signed the Yankee's $140 million offer. But it's also still early in the free agent season, and being the biggest prize this off-season, I'm sure CC and his people are going to take their time in making a decision.

What are the chances we see Sabathia back in a Milwaukee uniform next year? I'd say about 5%. I'm still convinced that he'll end up somewhere in California. It's nice to dream though.

Badgers Disappear In Second Half

2008-12-07T11:59:00.006-06:00

I don't have ESPNU so I didn't get to watch last night's UW-Marquette game, but here's what I could figure out from looking at the numbers:

-The Badgers got cold in the second half. After going 13-for-27 from the field in the first half, UW was 9-for-21 in the second half, including 3-for-12 from three-point land.

-It was not a "Bo Ryan" game, which means the Badgers lost the battle on fouls and turnovers. UW turned over the ball 16 times (Marquette had 12 turnovers), and committed 26 fouls to Marquette's 16. When the Badgers did get to the free throw line, they were 7-for-13.

-Marcus Landry did not show up. These are the type of games where you need your senior leaders to be big playmakers. Last year it was Brian Butch who would sometimes take over in big games, and two years ago it was Alando Tucker. Last night, Landry was just 2-for-5, in 28 minutes.

-Jason Bohannon is still not out of his early season funk. Bohannon was 2-for-7 from beyond the arc, and committed 4 turnovers.

-Badgers couldn't find a defensive answer to Jerel McNeal. McNeal scored most of his team-high 26 points in the second half. It's funny how much attention is given to Marquette's two "stars," Dominic James and Wesley Matthews (overrated), when in actuality the most valuable player on the roster is McNeal.

The Badgers have four more games (all home) until the Big Ten season opens on December 31 at Michigan. The next three games should be wins - Idaho State, UW-Green Bay, and Coppin State. Then No. 8 Texas comes to town, and the Longhorns will be looking for revenge for last year's loss in Austin. Texas just beat No. 12 UCLA, and their lone loss was by a single point against Notre Dame.

Connections To The Past

2008-12-06T10:53:00.003-06:00

This article, which came to my attention from one of my professors, discusses an emerging interpretation of the American Revolution, and how it is significant to the current economic crisis.

"The parallels between the current economy and the one Franklin saw highlight a debate among historians: how big a role did economics, as opposed to ideas, play in fomenting revolution?"

Music Of 2008 - A Review

2008-12-05T08:02:00.000-06:00

Overall, I would consider 2008 to be a disappointing year for music. One reason why I feel that way is probably because 2007 was such a strong year. '07 saw releases from some of my favorite artists - Wilco, Arcade Fire, The National, Radiohead, Modest Mouse, The Shins, Page McConnell, Neil Young, The New Pornographers, and Elliott Smith (posthumously). Meanwhile, I discovered some gems for the first time in '07 too - Tokyo Police Club, Okkervil River, Liam Finn, and Band of Horses. Heck, it was even a strong year for soundtracks - There Will Be Blood (Johnny Greenwood), Once, The Darjeeling Limited, and Juno.

So '08 was bound to disappoint. Here we are in the final month of '08 and there are only a few albums that I would consider to be on par with most of the releases mentioned above. But that doesn't mean that '08 was a total loss. Of the five albums I chose for my "Favorite of 2008," three are by bands that I had not heard of before January 1, 2008. 2008 also saw some strong sophomore releases, like by Tokyo Police Club and Wolf Parade, even if they didn't quite match the level of their debut albums. And if nothing struck you strongly this year, there's always hope for 2009 (I know for sure that Wilco and Midlake are planning releases).

Without further ado, I present my favorite music from 2008 - my five favorite albums, a number of honorable mentions, and some overrated stuff.

#5 The Dodos, Visiter

This is one of the three bands that I listened to for the first time in 2008. The Dodos are clearly an indie band, but their sound is not one-dimensional and they are confident in shifting gears and focus.

#4 Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut album garnered quick praise, and by March the album was being hailed as the best record of '08. Then by June the band's tunes were being played in baseball parks across America, and by the fall it was losing cred with the hipster-indie crowd. Vampire Weekend draws from many influences to create their unique sound, and even though this album is open to criticisms, achieving mainstream success shouldn't detract from the fact that this was one of the best releases of the year.

#3 Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes

It took me a few listens to warm up to Fleet Foxes, though that isn't rare for me when it comes to new bands. At first listen, I was reminded of Midlake, Simon & Garfunkel, My Morning Jacket's album Z, and the The Shins. But there are definitely other comparisons to be made. One review I saw mentioned a similarity to Pet Sounds, which is an album that is used far too often for comparisons. But there are definitely hints of that album, especially on track 7, "Heard Them Stirring."

#2 The Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonely

After their first release, Broken Boy Soldiers, The Raconteurs quickly established themselves as a solid rock n' roll outfit. With their newest album, they firmly place themselves as the go-to rock n' roll band around. The album is filled with quick kicks of adrenaline, but the band showcases other gears - "You Don't Understand Me" is a moderate tempo piano rock piece and "Carolina Drama" is a southern rock soap opera.

#1 Tapes n' Tapes, Walk It Off

Tapes n' Tapes doesn't just begin where they left off with their first release, The Loon. The core of what made that album so good is still intact, but the band makes some nice strides with Walk It Off. There is an added burst of energy this time around, and a fuller sound. The interplay between the musicians is tighter and more expressive, revealing a maturity and wisdom that gives the album a quality of timelessness. Every song sinks its hooks into you, and there isn't a weak track on the entire album.

Honorable Mention:

Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer, A solid sophomore effort, the final track "Kissing The Beehive" is the gem of the entire album.

Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell, Another solid follow-up to a debut album, but this one seemed to lack the edge and experimental nature of their first release.

Colour Revolt - Plunder, Beg, and Curse, Never mundane or boring, but is at times a forgettable record for me.

Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords, No new material here, but it's hard to get tired of the old stuff.

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges, There is a lot to like about this album, but also a few things to dislike (track 3, "Highly Suspicious," is unlistenable in my opinion).

Bob Dylan - Tell Tale Signs, Another release in the Bootleg series, Dylan shows that 2 discs of his "throw-aways" are better than most artists' A-material.

Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark, Southern rock that leaves an impression.

Stuff I Found Overrated:

Basically, any album that was full of down-tempo, sparse sounding, Lo-fi, minimalist, "atmosphere rock," or repetitive, droning, wallowing sounds - anything like that, I didn't embrace as much as some critics. This includes: Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago; Sun Kil Moon - April, Shearwater - Rook, and Deerhunter - Microcastle. There were some good tracks on those albums, but as entire works I couldn't get into them.

A Note To My Reader(s)

2008-12-04T22:53:00.003-06:00

I hope to pick up the pace when it comes to posting, but this is the end of the semester and it is always a busy time (this past week I had three papers due, a stack of papers to grade, a thesis proposal to finalize, and a constitutional crisis with the department honor society). Next week is the final week of classes, and then it will be finals time (which actually shouldn't be that stressful for me this semester).

Here are a few things to look forward to though:

-Tomorrow I will post my thoughts on the music from 2008, including my favorite albums.

-The Badgers take on Marquette Saturday night, and I'm sure I'll have a few thoughts on that game.

-A funny YouTube video.

Nice Road Win For UW

2008-12-02T10:43:00.000-06:00

If you missed last night's UW-Virginia Tech game, you missed a rather exciting road win for the Badgers. UW was in control for most of the night, but the Hokies made a frenzy comeback with under 2 minutes to play. With about 7 seconds left, a player for VA Tech hit a game-tying three-pointer, which set up Trevon Hughes for the game-winner.

It's a good road victory for this young Badger team. Until the last minute, the team showed great poise. When the Hokies started pressing on defense, the Badgers had troubles (just like against UConn). But going into a hostile environment, against an ACC team that isn't afraid of anyone, and coming out with a win is always a positive. I think this was a good learning experience for the young guys - Leuer, Taylor, Wilson, Nankivil, and Jarmusz all played at least 10 minutes.

Leuer was in particular impressive last night. In 21 minutes he was 6-for-11, including 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. He finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. The true freshman Rob Wilson made a slightly different impression. He shows flashes of brilliance on defense, but is too often out of control on offense (kind of like Kammron Taylor when he was a freshman). I think once he learns to settle down and let the game come to him, he will be a good player. But there will probably be some growing pains this year.

Landry, Hughes, Krabbenhoft, and Bohannon all had solid games, as you would expect from the core of the team. Overall, it was a good shooting night for the Badgers. They finished the game with a field goal percentage of 50, and were 12-for-18 on three-pointers (Landry was 4-for-4!).

After playing a number of games in a short period of time, UW can rest until Saturday's showdown at Marquette (8:30 pm, and on ESPNU (boo!)). Marquette just lost to Dayton last Saturday, and definitely revealed some weaknesses, so a victory on the road against the top-25 opponent isn't out of the question.

Some Wisconsin Football News

2008-12-01T17:17:00.003-06:00

1. Bizarre! - Alvarez Received Death Threats.

2. About Time! - Packers Give Frost The Boot.

Bowl Predictions For UW

2008-11-28T09:59:00.003-06:00

It's the first day after Thanksgiving, so I thought I would spoil the good mood and cheer by linking to a story that offers some bowl projections for college football. The bad news isn't that the Badger football team is projected to be heading to the Insight Bowl (Dec. 31 in Arizona) - the bad news is that according to this story, the game is televised by the NFL Network. What?! Why would the NFL Network (a channel most people in Wisconsin don't have) have the rights to televise a college football game?

OK, now you can get back to your leftovers while I go prepare for some old school sandlot football!

14 More Games To Look Forward To - NFL

2008-11-26T11:16:00.001-06:00

Last week I highlighted 14 December college basketball games that have the potential to be great matchups. Today I offer 14 NFL games in December that will most likely have an impact on the final standings and the positioning for the playoffs.

SUN, DECEMBER 7

Washington Redskins (7-4) at Baltimore Ravens (7-4), 12 pm

Dallas Cowboys (7-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3), 3:15 pm

MON, DECEMBER 8

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3) at Carolina Panthers (8-3), 7:30 pm

THU, DECEMBER 11

New Orleans Saints (6-5) at Chicago Bears (6-5), 7:15 pm

SUN, DECEMBER 14

Pittsburgh (8-3) at Baltimore (7-4), 12 pm

NY Giants (10-1) at Dallas (7-4), 7:15 pm

SAT, DECEMBER 20

Baltimore (7-4) at Dallas (7-4), 7:15 pm

SUN, DECEMBER 21

Pittsburgh (8-3) at Tennessee Titans (10-1), 12 pm

Carolina (8-3) at NY Giants (10-1), 12 pm

MON, DECEMBER 22

Green Bay Packers (5-6) at Chicago (6-5), 7:30 pm

SUN, DECEMBER 28

Miami Dolphins (6-5) at NY Jets (8-3), 12 pm

Tennessee (10-1) at Indianopolis Colts (7-4), 12 pm

NY Giants (10-1) at Minnesota Vikings (6-5), 12 pm

Denver Broncos (6-5) at San Diego Chargers (4-7), 3 pm

Badgers Will Face UConn, Monday Night

2008-11-23T23:14:00.003-06:00

UW defeated San Diego earlier tonight, 64-49, to advance to the Paradise Jam Tournament title game. The Badgers will be up against a tough opponent - No. 2 Connecticut. The game will tip-off at 7:30 pm central time, and will air on FSN in Wisconsin.

The Huskies beat Miami tonight, 76-63. UConn (4-0) has also beaten Western Carolina, Hartford, and La Salle, and the Huskies are averaging 86.3 points in their first four games. UConn's center, Hasheem Thabeet, is 7'3" and will certainly pose a tough matchup for the Badgers. In UConn's win over Miami, Thabeet scored 19 points, had 14 rebounds, and 7 blocks - hopefully he tired himself out!

Last year, the Huskies finished 21-6, with a 10-4 record in the Big East. They, ironically, lost to San Diego in the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament, 70-69. UConn's roster this year boasts 6 seniors and 5 juniors.

Sarah Palin: Redefining "Idiot" Every Day

2008-11-23T14:16:00.003-06:00

Have you seen the video of Sarah Palin giving a news conference with turkeys being slaughtered as the chosen backdrop?

I found this on The Onion's A.V. Club website:

"Arrested Development" - The Movie?

2008-11-21T15:21:00.005-06:00

Life in TV Land is not fair.

Horrible comedies like "Two and a Half Men" or pretty much anything on Fox, are allowed to survive despite being contrived, hacky, gross for gross' sake, stale, horrendously unfunny pieces of crap. Meanwhile, shows that display a genius level of writing and acting are frequently sent to the gallows, because not enough Nielsen families tune into good shows (those would be the rubes in your neighborhood who religiously watch every "Law & Order" and "CSI" incarnation).

"Arrested Development," which was lucky to survive 2 1/2 seasons with poor ratings, was cancelled by Fox in 2006. I still remember how the network unceremoniously dumped the final four episodes all on the same night - the night of the Opening Ceremony for the Winter Olympic Games.

Why am I bringing all this up now? Because ever since the final episode aired, there has been speculation that someday an "Arrested Development" movie would be produced. And in the past couple of weeks, there have been multiple reports that such a movie is closer to becoming a reality. Plus, there is now an IMDB page for the movie.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I would be the first person in line at the cinema to see such film, and would probably see it at least twice. On the other hand, even though the show ended prematurely, it did end with a somewhat proper and satisfying finale. Plus, there always lies the danger of a television show not translating to the big screen. One of the funnier shows of the past decade, "Strangers With Candy" (starring Amy Sedaris and Stephen Colbert), led to a quite unfunny film five years after it was cancelled. And though I have yet to see the "Reno 911" movie, I have discerned from others that it doesn't match the series' best moments.

It seems that whether or not "Arrested Development" makes it into theaters will hinge on the series' creator and mastermind, Mitchell Hurwitz. Hurwitz has just one writing credit to his name post-AD, and it appears to have been a show that was never picked up. Hopefully that is a sign that he has been busy at work completing a fantastic script for "Arrested Development: The Movie."

At any rate, all of this speculation gives me the opportunity to post some funny moments from one of the greatest TV shows:

14 Games To Look Forward To - College Basketball

2008-11-20T14:20:00.003-06:00

Below is a list of 14 potentially awesome college basketball games, all of which will be played in December. Looking at the list, Texas easily has the toughest schedule on paper - four games against Top 25 teams, including two on the road. Besides the Wisconsin games, the matchups I'm most looking forward to are Duke at Purdue, UNC at Michigan St., and UCLA at Texas.

What games are you looking forward to? Any games missing from the list?

(All times listed are central standard time)

TUE, DECEMBER 2

No. 10 Duke at No. 11 Purdue, 8:00 pm, ESPN

WED, DECEMBER 3

No. 1 North Carolina at No. 5 Michigan State, 8:15 pm, ESPN

THU, DECEMBER 4

No. 19 USC at No. 12 Oklahoma, 6:00 pm, ESPN2

No. 4 UCLA at No. 7 Texas, 8:00 pm, ESPN2

SAT, DECEMBER 6

No. 25 Wisconsin at No. 15 Marquette, 8:30 pm, ESPNU

TUE, DECEMBER 9

No. 7 Texas at No. 23 Villanova, 8:00 pm, ESPN

SAT, DECEMBER 13

No. 13 Memphis at No. 22 Georgetown, 1:00 pm, CBS

SUN, DECEMBER 14

No. 9 Gonzaga at Arizona, 5:00 pm

TUE, DECEMBER 16

No. 15 Marquette at No. 14 Tennessee, 8:30 pm, ESPN

SAT, DECEMBER 20

No. 5 Michigan State at No. 7 Texas, 1:00 pm, CBS

No. 2 UConn at No. 9 Gonzaga, 3:00 pm, CBS

No. 21 Davidson at No. 11 Purdue, 3:00 pm

TUE, DECEMBER 23

No. 7 Texas at No. 25 Wisconsin, 8:30 pm, ESPN2

No. 24 Kansas at Arizona, 9:30 pm

Reactions To Badgers' Season Opener - GUEST POST

2008-11-17T17:15:00.004-06:00

Scott S. on UW's 68-61 victory over Long Beach State yesterday:

Well, the weird thing about the Badgers is that they didn't play that bad. There is just one HUGE weakness: Height. They're just too damn small. I've been ranting about this for months and no one will listen. Here's my rant:

Greg Stiemsma should have red-shirted his freshman year. It was the stupidest move ever not to. He played in 10 games, not one meaningful minute, and scored about 6 meaningless points. I'm not saying Stiemsma is the end all, be all by any stretch of the imagination, but he brought a defensive presence and offensive rebounding ability that this team DEARLY lacks.

Ok, so back to the Long Beach State game. Nankivil is too small to play center, and not a good enough athlete to play anywhere else. Leuer is too weak to play center. Gullickson is too short. Their best lineup is the starting five, minus Nankivil and adding Taylor. They're small and quick.

Unfortunately, its kind of like Marquette. When Marcus Landry (who is the only player who played his ass off) is your center at 6'7", you're going to get KILLED on the glass. I love Krabby, but he can't jump, and thus at 6'6" is too small to play power forward.

Overall impressions of the team? Bohannon is going to be the 2nd best scoring option. Bo isn't happy with Hughes, and essentially gave Taylor just as many minutes. Taylor is a better defensive player than Hughes, and probably by the end of the season will be just as good offensively - really like Taylor. Nankivil was poor with the ball, committing too many turnovers.

The real problem is, when you have guys like Krabby, Jarmusz, Nankivil, Rob Wilson (who someday could be a Flowers-esque defensive stopper) on the floor, you don't really have a lot of scoring options. None of those four scare you, so teams focus on Landry and Bohannon. The absolute X-factor is Hughes, and he played poorly.

I know I've said it a lot, but I want to see what Jared Berggren can do. He's 6'10" and athletic. I don't see how he can be dramatically worse than 6'8" Nankivil. One of the staples of Bo's Platteville teams was that they went 10-deep and applied a hellish full court press throughout the game. Well, these Badgers are 9 deep, and guys like Hughes, Taylor, and Wilson excel at pressing the ball full court. I'm not proposing using it exclusively, but an occasional 3 or 4 minutes pressing action might generate some easy buckets. Defensively, minus the lack of a true center, we're fine. I just don't think we can score enough to compete for a Big Ten title.

Bears vs. Packers, 11.16.08 - Videos

2008-11-17T15:12:00.001-06:00

Bears vs. Packers, 11.16.08 - Pictures

2008-11-17T12:54:00.017-06:00

The view from section 102, row 1:

The Bears warming up before the game:

The Packers before kickoff:

That annoying FOX sound guy was in our way probably half of the game:

FOX Sports sideline reporter Pam Oliver drew cheers every time she walked by the sections. One fan yelled out "Hey Oprah!"

Rodgers drops back to pass.

Ryan Grant cuts to the outside.

The halftime show included an eagle.

It was a good day for the Packer offense. 37-3, GB wins and moves into a tie for first place.

Badger Basketball Season Starts Sunday

2008-11-15T19:02:00.000-06:00

The UW men's basketball team starts the 2008-09 season Sunday afternoon, with their first non-conference game at home against Long Beach St. (3 pm start time).

The Badgers enter the season ranked in both the AP (#25) and the Coaches (#21) polls. There are 2 other Big Ten teams in the top 25 - Michigan St. is #6 in the AP and Purdue is #11.

Last year UW only lost to three teams before the NCAA Tournament, and two of those were during the non-conference schedule. The Badgers lost to Duke and Marquette early in the season, and then lost twice to Purdue during the Big Ten schedule. But those losses didn't prevent UW from winning the Big Ten regular season title outright, which they followed up with a Big Ten Tournament title.

There are a few teams that will provide the Badgers with tough tests before the Big Ten season begins. From November 21 to 24 UW will participate in the Paradise Jam Tournament, where they could play Valparaiso, Miami, and Connecticut (ranked #2 in both preseason polls). On December 1 the Badgers will travel to Virginia Tech for the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge. UW then travels to Marquette (#16) on December 6. Last year the Golden Eagles beat the Badgers at the Kohl Center 81-76. On December 23 the Badgers will play host to #7 Texas. Last year UW went down to Austin and beat Texas 67-66 when Michael Flowers made a game-winning three-pointer with seconds left in the game.

Here are a few final notes before tomorrow's game:

-The UW got two national letters of intent signed this past Wednesday.

-Freshman Ryan Evans has decided to redshirt this year. That leaves 4 true freshmen still available to come off the bench for Bo Ryan.

-The Badgers have lost just 1 season opener during the Bo Ryan-era. That was his first opener, back in 2001, at UNLV.

Packers' Rushing Defense: Ugh

2008-11-10T17:18:00.004-06:00

After yesterday's demoralizing loss to the Vikings came this bit of bad news out of Green Bay: Nick Barnett is gone for the season.

As the article points out, this will most likely have an impact on the Packers' already poor rushing defense.

Here's a look at what challenges lie ahead for the now depleted GB run defense:

Nov. 16 - Chicago
The Bears are middle of the pack rushing the ball, averaging 110 yards per game. Rookie Matt Forte is averaging just under 80 yards a game, and has over 700 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns, with 0 fumbles.

Nov. 24 - at New Orleans
The Saints are statistically the 5th worst team running the ball - averaging about 90 yards a game. Star tailback Reggie Bush has missed time due to an injury, but he should be back for this game. Deuce McAllister is averaging less than 45 yards per game in the 7 games he has played in.

Nov. 30 - Carolina
The Panthers have one of the better running attacks in the NFL, and are averaging just under 120 yards per game. DeAngelo Williams has 4 touchdowns and is averaging about 73 yards per game, while rookie Jonathan Stewart has 5 touchdowns and averages over 40 yards per game.

Dec. 7 - Houston
The Texans are slightly worse than the Bears, and are averaging about 107 yards per game. Steve Slaton is the Texans' leading rusher, and he is averaging 60 yards a game and has 5 touchdowns.

Dec. 14 - at Jacksonville
The Jaguars average over 115 yards per game, and are led by Maurice Jones-Drew, who has 9 touchdowns in 9 games. He averages just 48 yards per game though.

Dec. 22 - at Chicago - See Above

Dec. 28 - Detroit
Much like everything else about the Lions, the rushing offense is woeful - 2nd worst in the NFL. The team averages just 75 yards per game, and their leading rusher (Kevin Smith) has compiled just 401 yards in 9 games.

Overall, Green Bay won't be catching any breaks the rest of the season. Out of all of the remaining opponents, only the Lions are equipped with an inept rushing offense. The good news is that the Pack won't have to face Adrian Peterson anymore in 2008.

Election Aftermath

2008-11-05T15:00:00.003-06:00

In securing the presidency Tuesday night, Barack Obama won several states which went to George W. Bush in 2004:

Indiana, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada

And as of today North Carolina and Missouri are still "too close to call," but North Carolina is leaning toward Obama and Missouri is leaning toward McCain.

For me, the biggest surprise was Indiana. Indiana had not gone to a Democrat since 1964, and in 2004 it gave Bush a 21 point lead. No doubt that the economy was a big issue for Hoosiers.

Also, the fact that Obama was able to capture Indiana, Virginia, and presumably, North Carolina, is very telling. I did not think that Obama would sweep all three states, mostly because they all were pro-Bush in 2004. And like Indiana, the last time Virginia went Democrat was in 1964 (for NC, they last went Democrat in 1976).

In the long run, the more devastating losses for the Republicans may be losing Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico - not to mention nearly losing Montana, and showing some vulnerability in North Dakota and Arizona. In 1992, Montana, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico were states that went to Clinton, and four years later Clinton picked up Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. In the elections of 2000 and 2004, the Democratic candidate picked up one of those western states only once (Gore won New Mexico in 2000). As traditional electoral power states continue to lose electoral votes (such as Pennsylvania), some of these western states will be gaining electoral votes (Nevada for example may gain 3 after the 2010 census).

I have yet to see any solid reports of the national voter turnout. The Washington Post is reporting the total number of votes for each candidate as follows:

Obama - 63,550,319
McCain - 56,178,736

In 2004 about 62 million Americans voted for Bush, which broke the previous record for any one candidate.

If you take those two totals from Obama and McCain, you get about 119.7 million votes between them - which is lower than the 121 million total votes for Bush and Kerry in 2004. So those record national turnout numbers may not actually happen, but it could be a little while until the numbers are finalized.

Don't Forget To Vote!

2008-11-04T10:02:00.003-06:00

I was number 232 at my local polling place earlier this morning, and it did not take long at all - about 10 minutes.

So go vote - and be weary of those electronic voting machines:

2008 Election Night + TV = Circus

2008-11-04T08:21:00.001-06:00

What to expect when you turn your television on tonight for election coverage? According to Tom LeGro at pbs.org, this year's coverage will include:

"Building-size banners, interviews with holograms, a virtual reality U.S. Capitol building, reporter “Launch Pads,” electronic clipboards, magic maps and magic walls"

LeGro goes on to outline what the major networks will be offering.

Here is a rundown of when the major networks begin coverage. And here is another.

The coverage I'm most looking forward to is Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's "Indecision '08," which starts at 9 pm (central time) on Comedy Central. But before that begins I'll probably flip around a lot, between ABC, NBC, PBS, and FOX.

Election Eve 2008

2008-11-03T19:11:00.004-06:00

Apparently I have two votes.

Yesterday I used the State of Wisconsin Voter Public Access website to verify that I was indeed registered in Eau Claire, and to confirm the location of my polling place. I entered my first name as "Tom," and the page that appeared listed my address from 4 years ago in Madison. Under the "Registration Information" section, it said that my status was still "active."

Then I entered my first name as "Thomas," which brought up a page showing the registration information that reflects my current address in Eau Claire. And it too shows my registration status as "active."

I can only assume that this is some sort of reward for being such a good citizen - two votes!

On a different note, I came across this cool graphic from JSOnline, which shows how the state (county-by-county) has voted in every presidential election since 1964.

Will Tuesday Be "A Seismic Election Day" ?

2008-11-02T20:57:00.002-06:00

George Will's column from today looks at several possibilities for Tuesday night.

Some of the things he highlights I mentioned last week in this post.

Badger Basketball Preview - Guest Post

2008-11-02T09:17:00.003-06:00

Scott S. watched UW's exhibition game last night, and provides a preview of the 2008-09 season:

My disclaimer to this preview/review is that the game was played against a Division II school, Augustana, though they were a D II tournament team last year. No Badger played more than 23 minutes in the 81-57 win.

STARTING FIVE

TREVON HUGHES - The key word with Hughes is consistency. He can look dominant at times with his combination of speed and shooting range, but at other times commits foolish turnovers and terrible shots. Hughes was relatively quiet, finishing with 7 points. The key, however, was that he only had 1 turnover. He efficiently got the team into their offense, and fed the post players, who had a large height advantage.

JASON BOHANNON - I've been waiting for J-Bo to develop a midrange game as well as the ability to put the ball on the floor. He made great strides last year in becoming more than just a 3 point specialist, and appears to have progressed even further this year. J-Bo played solid D, and contributed 12 points. I was impressed most with his 3 offensive rebounds, including an athletic tip in off a Landry miss. Very poised and controlled on the court, even with the constant substitutions.

MARCUS LANDRY - Landry was simply dominant over the outmanned Augustanians. He put the ball on the floor, hit the spot up jump, and dominated in the post, en route to 21 points in 21 minutes. Landry could turn into the 2008 version of Alando Tucker, an undersized power forward who isn't afraid to bang inside. A definite possibility for Big Ten player of the year, especially since the team has other scoring options to take the pressure away.

JOE KRABBENHOFT - With the Badgers up 15 late in the first half, Krabbenhoft chased a loose ball, jumped over the scorer's table, and landed on some guy in the 2nd row. Someone forgot to tell Joe that this was an exhibition. Krabby is a glue guy, whose All-Big 10 defense was on display yet again. Probably the most consistent player on the team. Solid decision maker who is still somewhat limited offensively, but knows his role and provides toughness.

KEATON NANKIVIL - The Great Question Mark. Nankivil started at center, even though he's only 6'8. He's strong for his height, somewhat like a Mike Wilkinson type player. His skill level, however, is not near that of Wilkinson's. Nankivil didn't score in 17 minutes, but did have 7 boards. Wasn't as dominant as you'd hope against a small front line. Could be challenged for minutes by a variety of players.

THE BENCH

JON LEUER - I'd read the last few weeks about Leuer's added strength over the summer. It appears accurate. Leuer was phenomenal, banging inside, popping outside for the J, and driving inside. He held up much better on the boards than last year, and showed improved footwork as well. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get the majority of the minutes at the 5, especially against teams that don't have a big center.

TIM JARMUSZ - Jarmusz is kind of like a younger Krabbenhoft, albeit smaller. A solid player fundamentally who will make the right decisions on the court, but not a game changer. In 14 non-descript minutes Jarmusz had 2 points and 4 boards. Ryan trusts him, which is the number one factor in the distribution of minutes.

THE FRESHMEN

JORDAN TAYLOR - Taylor was the most impressive of the freshmen, with 5 points and 5 assists in 21 minutes. I loved the lineup of Taylor, Hughes, and Bohannon on the court together. Taylor and Hughes could both get into the lane at will and either finish or dish. Taylor's game is similar to that of Hughes, a quick, strong player who would rather drive than shoot the 3. Played hard and smart, and seemed to understand the nuances of the offense. Bo seemed happy with him, so expect to see him on the court, possibly taking some of Jarmusz’s minutes.

ROB WILSON - The 6'5 swingman from Cleveland was as advertised. Wilson is a strong, athletic player whose specialty is defense. Wilson didn't seem as comfortable on the offensive end, but did attack the hoop when the plays broke down.

RYAN EVANS - Evans only played 10 minutes, but had 6 points. Very athletic at 6'6, but raw. Impressive hops who could be a surprising contributor to the team, though still wouldn't be shocked if he red-shirted.

JARED BERGGREN - I was excited to see the 6'10 Berggren play, and disappointed that he didn't appear in the first half. Only got 5 minutes and didn't do much. Still excited to see him play.

IAN MARKOFF - 7 footer played 4 minutes. Will probably red-shirt, provided the equally 7 foot JP Gavinski takes the role of "Tall 7 foot guy who has a uniform, but doesn't play."

Brewers Notes

2008-10-30T12:38:00.007-05:00

The biggest news today for Brewers fans is that the club is ready to announce their selection of Ken Macha as Milwaukee's next manager.

Here is Macha's record as a MLB manager, 4 seasons with Oakland:

2003: 96-66, 1st place AL West
2004: 91-71, 2nd place AL West
2005: 88-74, 2nd place, AL West
2006: 93-69, 1st place, AL West

In 2003, the A's lost to the Red Sox in the ALDS, 3 games to 2. In 2006, the A's beat the Twins, 3 games to 0 in the ALDS, and lost to the Tigers, 4 games to 0 in the ALCS.

In other news, Mike Maddux may be on his way out of town, and the Brewers announced ticket prices for 2009. Oh yeah, and Prince Fielder is on the market.

Finally, this site offers a list of free agents, and rumors for every team.

What Do McCain And Obama Supporters Have In Common?

2008-10-28T15:44:00.001-05:00

Election One Week Away

2008-10-28T10:38:00.000-05:00

According to 270toWin.com, the outcome is an Obama victory. Brad V. over at Letters in Bottles sent me a link to this site a while ago, and I've spent more than a few minutes there exploring the different tools and links.

One of the things you can do, is look at each state's presidential voting history, and what the polls in each state are saying for 2008:

Wisconsin, 10 electoral votes
-Has not gone Republican since 1984.
-In 2004, WI went to John Kerry by 4 points.
-Recent polls show Obama's lead in Wisconsin between 7 and 13 points.

Some of the so-called battleground states:

Ohio, 20 electoral votes
-George W. Bush won the state by 2 points in 2004.
-Ohio has sided with the eventual winner in the last 11 elections.
-The latest Reuters/Zogby poll shows a 5 point lead for Obama.

Florida, 27 electoral votes
-Has sided with the eventual winner in 9 out of the last 10 elections (1 exception was 1992).
-Went to Bush in 2004 by 5 points.
-The recent polls for Florida show a slight lead for Obama, but the numbers are well within the margin of error.

Pennsylvania, 21 electoral votes
-Has gone to a Democrat the last 4 elections, but Kerry won the state by just 2 points in 2004.
-At one time, the state held 38 electoral votes.
-Like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania is leaning heavily toward Obama.

Virginia, 13 electoral votes
-Bush won the state in 2004 by 8 votes.
-Has not gone to a Democrat since 1964.
-The Washington Post poll from yesterday shows an 8 point Obama lead.

North Carolina, 15 electoral votes
-Has not gone to a Democrat since 1976.
-NC went to Bush by 12 points in 2004.
-Two polls from last week gave McCain a slight edge, but yesterday's Reuters/Zogby poll gave Obama a 4 point lead.

Missouri, 11 electoral votes
-Bush won the state by 7 points in 2004.
-Has sided with the eventual winner in the last 12 elections.
-Three polls from the last few days give Obama a 1-2 point edge.

Colorado, 9 electoral votes
-In the last 10 presidential elections, Colorado has only gone Democratic once - in 1992.
-Gave Bush a 5 point win in 2004.
-About a 4-5 point lead for Obama in Colorado.

Nevada, 5 electoral votes
-Went to Bush by 3 points in 2004.
-Has sided with the eventual winner in the last 7 elections.
-Yesterday's Reuters/Zogby gives Obama a 4 point lead.

Indiana, 11 electoral votes
- Has not gone Democrat since 1964.
-Bush won the state by 21 points in 2004.
-Two polls from last week gave Obama a lead, but yesterday's Reuters/Zogby has a 6 point lead for McCain.

Looking Ahead - Packers' Remaining Schedule

2008-10-26T12:22:00.002-05:00

The worst Sunday afternoon of every autumn, is the Sunday the Packers have their bye week. Here's a look at Green Bay's remaining schedule and what I predict will happen:

Sunday, November 2 - at Tennessee, Noon

The Titans head into their game tomorrow night as the only remaining unbeaten team in the NFL (6-0), and hold a firm grip on first place in the AFC South. Tennessee doesn't boast much on offense, but they have one of the league's best defenses - they are allowing just 11 points per game on average. The closest the Titans have come to defeat was a 13-10 win at Baltimore October 5.

Prediction: Green Bay 20, Tennessee 21

Sunday, November 9 - at Minnesota, Noon

The Packers and Vikings hooked up for the season opener back on September 8 at Lambeau (I think there was supposed to be some sort of retirement ceremony at that game, but it was cancelled). Green Bay won the game 24-19, and the Aaron Rodgers era began on the right note. The Vikings have since then switched quarterbacks, and after starting off 1-3, Minnesota has won 2 out of their last 3 games. Only 1 loss has been by double-digits (at Tennessee).

Prediction: Green Bay 31, Minnesota 27

Sunday, November 16 - vs. Chicago, Noon (Yours truly will be in attendance!)

The Bears are currently tied atop the NFC North with the Packers (both are 4-3). Chicago's defense is not what it once was. In 5 of their 7 games, the Bears have allowed 20 or more points to their opponents (including allowing 41 points to the Vikings last week at Soldier Field!). The Bears' passing defense is the third worst in the league, which should be good news for Aaron Rodgers and the talented group of receivers around him. Surprisingly, Chicago's offense is averaging 28 points per game, good enough for third best in the league. Matt Forte is halfway to 1,000 yards (515 yards, 73.6 yards per game) and has 4 TDs.

Prediction: Chicago 24, Green Bay 28

Monday, November 24 - at New Orleans, 7:30 pm

The Saints are a different team at home (3-1) than they are on the road (0-3). The Packers' pass defense will be tested in this game, going up against Drew Brees and the #1 passing offense in the league (310 yards passing per game). Reggie Bush could be back for this game, which would give the Saints back their biggest weapon.

Prediction: Green Bay 21, New Orleans 28

Sunday, November 30 - vs. Carolina, Noon

The Panthers are 5-2 going into today's game against Arizona, but they have struggled on the road, including a 20-10 loss at Minnesota. The defense is giving up about 15 points per game, but the offense is averaging just 21 points per game. The Panthers, like the Packers, have struggled with penalties this season - Carolina has 54 going into today (GB leads the league with 58).

Prediction: Carolina 14, Green Bay 20

Sunday, December 7 - vs. Houston, Noon

Houston started the season 0-4, but has rattled off 2 wins heading into today's matchup against the Bengals. But, those wins were against the Dolphins (by 1 point and at the last second), and against the Lions (by 7 points). The Packers should have no problem disposing of the Texans at Lambeau in December.

Prediction: Houston 13, Green Bay 31

Sunday, December 14 - at Jacksonville, Noon

The Jaguars, after nearly making the Super Bowl last year, are still looking for a signature win this season. They beat the Colts on the road in week 3, but the Colts are not the same team we've seen the past few years. That being said, the Jaguars have had a tough schedule so far - losses include at Tennessee, vs. Buffalo, and vs. Pittsburgh. Out of all of the remaining games, this is the one that was the toughest for me to predict.

Prediction: Green Bay 24, Jacksonville 23

Monday, December 22 - at Chicago, 7:30 pm

I think the Packers have a better all-around team this year than the Bears, so I don't think it's impossible to sweep the season series in 2008. But if I have Green Bay winning on the road against Jacksonville, I don't think I can have them win back-to-back road games.

Prediction: Green Bay 24, Chicago 27

Sunday, December 28 - vs. Detroit, Noon

This game will be played assuming the Lions fans (those that remain) do not burn down Ford Field because their team is 0-15. Hopefully the Packers will have a playoff berth locked up and will be able to rest up for the postseason.

Prediction: Detroit 10, Green Bay 27

So from my predictions and calculations, the Pack should end the season 10-6, which should be good enough for 1st place in the NFC North (Minnesota has a pretty tough remaining schedule, though Chicago's doesn't look that daunting). This will of course set GB up for a run to the Super Bowl, where they will undoubtedly encounter Brett Favre and the New York Jets. See ya then!

Orson Welles

2008-10-26T10:28:00.003-05:00

This Thursday will mark the 70th anniversary of Orson Welles' famous War of the Worlds radio broadcast, and the Journal Sentinel's Duane Dudek looks back on Welles' life, including his early years growing up in Kenosha.

For a quick Welles biography, go here.

Here is the text from the original New York Times article, the day after the event.

History In The News

2008-10-23T22:49:00.003-05:00

Some recent articles that have crossed my path in the last week, focusing on U.S. and military history:

-This first one is from George F. Will at the Washington Post, and looks at the newly opened museum and visitor center at Gettysburg. Will highlights the important need for public history today:

Ours would be a better nation if boys and girls of all regions, and particularly the many high school and even college graduates who cannot place the Civil War in the correct half-century, could be moved, as large numbers of Americans used to be, by the names of Gettysburg battlefield sites, such as Devil's Den, the Peach Orchard, the Wheatfield, Culp's Hill and Little Round Top, instead of being like the visitor here who said it is amazing that so many great battles, such as Antietam and Chickamauga and Shiloh, occurred on Park Service land; and another visitor who doubted that the fighting here really was fierce because there are no bullet marks on the monuments.

-This next article is about the mystery that has surrounded the sinking of the Confederate submarine, the H.L. Hunley. We were actually just discussing the naval battles of the Civil War in one of the courses I'm taking this semester, so this article had a particular relevance for me.

-Finally, this article about America's final surviving WWI veteran was sent to me by Brad V. of Letters in Bottles. Frank Woodruff, who is 107, didn't see much action during WWI, but he did spend 39 months in a prison camp during WWII, after he was taken prisoner while conducting business in the Philippines.

Will Ferrell Returns To Saturday Night Live...Sort Of

2008-10-23T21:55:00.006-05:00

The funniest thing SNL has done in the last 6 years was a skit tonight which featured two former cast members and one cast member who has been around since the 1990s.

Then it was back to the lukewarm comedy that SNL has produced for most of this decade. The following is a skit from a different week, but they used the same character and jokes tonight:

What makes it even worse, is that the whole skit is a blatant rip-off:

McCain-Palin Campaign Does Its Best To Help Hurting Economy

2008-10-22T17:10:00.003-05:00

Or, yet another example of Sarah Palin being all style and no substance.

Real America

2008-10-21T10:16:00.002-05:00

The Daily Show pays another visit to Wasilla, Alaska to discover what "real America" looks like:

Weekend Sports Recap

2008-10-20T15:48:00.005-05:00

-The disappointing season for the UW football team continued Saturday, losing badly at Iowa, 38-16. I may have been too optimistic in an earlier post when I said that I believed the team still had a good shot at reaching a bowl game this year. Should the team make Scott Tolzien the new starting quarterback? I think the Badgers are heading to a quarterback by committee approach, where whoever is playing well will get to lead the offense. The only real bright spot this season has been running back John Clay, who ran 16 times Saturday for 89 yards. For the season, Clay has 394 yards rushing on only 65 carries, which is an average of 6 yards per carry. He may be the starting tailback now if PJ Hill is sidelined with yet another injury.

-The Green Bay Packers improved to 4-3 this year with an impressive 34-14 victory over the Colts at Lambeau. The two things I took away from the game: 1) what a performance from the defense, which shut down the Colts' passing attack and provided two touchdowns off of interception returns; and 2) how great was it to watch a discouraged, dejected, depressed, aggravated, flummoxed, and angry Peyton Manning? I can't remember seeing Manning look so defeated before, and it was a nice added touch to the victory. What a strong way for GB to head into the bye week (Speaking of strong, Ryan Grant looks 100% now, and that is great news for the Packers - 31 carries, 105 yards, 1 TD).

-The other big Packers-related news item from the weekend was the latest chapter in the Brett Favre soap opera. If the allegations are true, that Favre has provided other teams with information about the Packers, it will be a devastating blow to his legacy. Charles Woodson, who is one of GB's leaders now, had probably the best response:

"He contacted them?" cornerback Charles Woodson said with raised eyebrows. "I don't respect that. If they called him and he gives them information, that's one thing. But to seek a team out, because, you know, I guess you're trying to sabotage this team, you know I don't respect that. I know he's been the greatest player around here for a long time but there's no honor in that."

-It was a busy weekend for the Brewers too. Doug Melvin's contract was extended. Dale Sveum was interviewed and told "we'll get back to you." The Brewers got back to him and said adios. And now the search is on for an "experienced manager that has a reputation for winning." There is apparently a handful of candidates that have sought out Melvin for the position. If it were up to me, I would choose either Buck Showalter or Bob Brenly. Both have demonstrated a good knowledge of the game, and both have prior accomplishments in their careers.

-The World Series is now set and it's not pretty: Philadelphia vs. Tampa Bay. Here is why I'm cheering for the Phillies: 1) if they win, then Brewers fans can say at least our team got knocked out by the eventual World Series champions (this would ideally be directed at cubs fans), 2) Tampa Bay really annoys me - from those stupid mohawks to the lame song they play after wins to shots of Dick Vitale cheering obnoxiously from the stands to Grant Balfour's ridiculous mannerisms on the mound, and so on and so forth, 3) if the Phillies win, we won't have to listen to stupid Philadelphia sports fans cry about their city not winning a championship since 1980, and 4) The DEVIL Rays have only been around as a franchise for 10 years! - there are a number of teams that deserve to win a World Series title before some team that can't even sell out home playoff games.

-The UW men's basketball team got to work for the upcoming season. The Badgers, defending Big Ten regular season and tournament champions, play their first exhibition game November 1. The Final Four this season will be in Detroit - see the rest of you Badger fans there!

Quantum of Solace - Early Reviews

2008-10-18T13:10:00.005-05:00

The first couple of reviews are out for the latest James Bond feature, Quantum of Solace, which debuts November 14 in the U.S. So far, the reviews are good, and very good.

I skimmed the reviews, careful to not spoil any plot points for myself. The film picks up where Casino Royale left off, both in plot and style, and the new director appears to have improved upon what was established with Casino.

From James Christopher's review:

The director, Marc Forster, has absorbed the lucrative lessons discovered in Martin Campbell’s Casino Royale. He has also managed to pace his sequel much better. Royale felt slightly wheel-clamped by one too many longeurs. If anything, the crunching chase sequences in Quantum of Solace are even more magnificently dangerous. And the daredevil leaps and tumbles through glass roofs are just as sensational as the splintering high-speed pyrotechnics.

Read It: "Late Bloomers"

2008-10-16T16:52:00.005-05:00

I enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell's latest piece, an article about the connections between artists and age. Gladwell's main focus is on Ben Fountain, who quit practicing law in 1988 to become a writer and didn't publish his first celebrated piece until 2006.

Genius, in the popular conception, is inextricably tied up with precocity—doing something truly creative, we’re inclined to think, requires the freshness and exuberance and energy of youth...Yes, there was Orson Welles, peaking as a director at twenty-five. But then there was Alfred Hitchcock, who made “Dial M for Murder,” “Rear Window,” “To Catch a Thief,” “The Trouble with Harry,” “Vertigo,” “North by Northwest,” and “Psycho”—one of the greatest runs by a director in history—between his fifty-fourth and sixty-first birthdays. Mark Twain published “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” at forty-nine. Daniel Defoe wrote “Robinson Crusoe” at fifty-eight.

The article also gave me a reason to not feel so discouraged after people ask me about the progress of my thesis work.

Check It Out: Frontline's "The Choice" On PBS

2008-10-14T22:11:00.004-05:00

I just finished watching Frontline's 2-hour overview on the 2008 presidential campaign, which focuses on the lives and careers of both John McCain and Barack Obama. I recommend checking it out - I'm sure it will be rerun on PBS, just set your Tivos and DVRs, or you can watch it online here.

The program devotes a good amount of time to the early years in both candidates' lives, and it does a fine job of highlighting the victories as well as the missteps in both of their careers.

This review makes a good point about how the program (which ends with the announcements of the vice president candidates), is really a chronicle of a past campaign, as new issues have taken over in the last few weeks.

Here are a couple of clips from the documentary:

End Of Year Music Preview

2008-10-13T20:18:00.001-05:00

The subtitle of this post is “If Only I Had Money and Time.” Here are a few bands that are appearing in Milwaukee/Madison/Chicago in the next few months.

October

14 – Ben Kweller, The Bottom Lounge, Chicago

14 – The Mountain Goats, Pabst Theater, Milwaukee

16 – Yonder Mountain String Band, Pabst Theater

17 – Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Riviera Theatre, Chicago

17 – YMSB, Orpheum Theatre, Madison

18 – YMSB, Congress Theater, Chicago

31 – BB King, Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee

November

5 – The Whigs, Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee

6 – Bob Dylan, Riverside Theatre

9 – Horse Feathers, Schubas Tavern, Chicago

10 – Wolf Parade, Majestic Theatre, Madison

13 – Gov’t Mule, The Rave Eagles Club, Milwaukee

21 – Calexico, Metro/Smart Bar, Chicago

December

4 – Fat Maw Rooney, Majestic Theatre

7 – The Black Crowes, Eagles Ballroom

31 – Cake, Riverside Theatre

31 (& Jan. 2-3) – Joey DeFrancesco, Andy’s Jazz Club, Chicago

Mel Brooks Offends At UW-Madison

2008-10-13T17:10:00.004-05:00

Not Mel Brooks personally, rather a clip from the filmmaker's 1974 Blazing Saddles. A clip from the movie (which is about an African American sheriff in the old west) was shown by an instructor at a university seminar, and it apparently was not met by laughter. At least one student complained officially to the university, which had to issue an apology and a refund.

Not much detail is provided in the article, so it is hard to say in what context the clip was shown, and how the instructor integrated it in their lecture. I can certainly see how someone could find clips from the movie to be offensive (if presented in the wrong context). But it seems like this could just be another case of someone without a sense of humor (or a grasp of what satire is) just being dumb.

The article raises a couple of other questions: why didn't the person who was offended talk to the instructor about it? Presumably, these are adults - couldn't they act like adults? And what determines whether something is offensive? I'm an assistant for an instructor who has shown documentaries which contain material which could be considered offensive (language, violence), but it doesn't mean that the instructor is promoting such things.

Gene Wilder sums it up here:

UW Crushed At Home By PSU

2008-10-12T08:39:00.000-05:00

The Badger football team got knocked out last night at Camp Randall by the No. 6 Nittany Lions. The bad news is that last night's loss was the third straight for UW and the team is 0-3 in the Big Ten. The good news is that the schedule does get theoretically easier for the Badgers.

UW has 6 games remaining and 5 of those are against Big Ten opponents - Iowa, Illinois, Michigan St., Indiana, and Minnesota. The Badgers should be able to pull out at least 3 wins from that group (2 of those games are at Camp Randall, and playing at Indiana shouldn't be tough this year).

As long as the Badgers can find a way to regroup they should find themselves in a bowl game. But it almost certainly won't be played in 2009.

Meanwhile, in light of recent events, the university might want to consider changing the promotional video that is played during UW sporting events. It prominently features the UW marching band, including a cymbals-player with a crazed look near the end of the spot. Check it out:

Final Grades

2008-10-09T11:27:00.002-05:00

The Journal Sentinel hands out the final grades for the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers. Here are the team grades, and here are grades for individual players.

Will Tina Fey Decide The Election?

2008-10-08T13:46:00.003-05:00

According to this article, some people believe that Tina Fey's impersonation of Gov. Palin may have an impact on voters come November 4.

I find that a little hard to believe. If that were true, Will Ferrell would have prevented the presidency of George W. Bush.

Hockey Moms And Joe Six-Packs

2008-10-07T10:04:00.003-05:00

Ever wonder what the people of Wasilla, Alaska (Gov. Palin's home) are like?

Some Music - Tapes 'n Tapes

2008-10-06T22:34:00.004-05:00

Check out Tapes 'n Tapes if you have not already. I finally got their 2008 album Walk It Off about a month ago, and it's a pretty solid follow-up to The Loon. According to the band's wikipedia page, they even have a Wisconsin connection - they recorded their first album in the woods somewhere in WI.

Something To Look Forward To

2008-10-06T17:19:00.002-05:00

Looking To The Future

2008-10-05T23:17:00.003-05:00

It would be easy (and depressing) to dwell on Milwaukee's loss today in Game 4 of the NLDS, which bounced them from the postseason. It would be even easier to yell and scream about Jeff Suppan (or as I now refer to him, the constant source of disappointment). Instead I will look toward the future, with the help of Scott S., who sent me his thoughts on what Milwaukee should do this off-season.

Catcher

Scott: I think the Brewers should stick with Kendall for another year. Defensively he is sound, and is excellent at calling pitches. His arm was better than advertised. He was hot offensively at the beginning of the year but wore down. He needs to catch about 20 games less next year, so finding a solid backup is essential. For whatever reason, the Brewers didn't like or trust Rivera enough to use him, so perhaps either Rottino or a free agent pickup would be wise. Lou Palmisano is intriguing with the bat, but I don't think it will benefit him developmentally to sit on the bench 5 days a week.

tS: I agree with most of what Scott has to say. Kendall could not be depended upon to deliver a hit in the final 4 months of the season, but his defense and game-calling was a definite upgrade from Johnny Estrada (who eventually got cut by the Nationals this year!). One of the biggest mysteries of the season was why the Brewers refused to use Mike Rivera more (especially as a pinch-hitter). But it doesn't matter who the back-up is next year - Kendall needs to sit out a few more games.

Infield

Scott: This could be a complete shakeup. I'm torn on whether or not to trade Fielder for pitching. He is the most marketable commodity we possess, and the rotation needs to be completely rebuilt. I believe that the Rickie Weeks experiment has run its course. Alcides Escobar needs to play next year, as does Mat Gamel. A logical move would be to trade Fielder and put Gamel at first, since he is a disaster at 3B. The Brewers also need a leadoff hitter, so I would love to see them make a move for someone like Brian Roberts of Baltimore. In my opinion, I would have Gamel at first, Roberts at second, Escobar at SS and Hardy at 3B. Hall's contract makes him difficult to move, but his versatility makes him worth keeping when someone goes down with injury. I'd keep Weeks as the 6th infielder due to his speed for pinch running purposes, and in the hopes that maybe he can develop.

tS: It seems almost a foregone conclusion that Escobar will be a full-time player next year. That means Hardy will either have to move to 2B or 3B, or be traded. Hopefully he agrees to move to a new spot in the infield. I want Weeks off the team. He is on one of the biggest disappointments this year, and I wish Milwaukee would just cut all of the ties. It would be nice to keep Craig Counsell as the 6th infielder. He's not impressive offensively, but he does a solid job, and unlike most Brewer hitters, he knows how to work the count and take pitches. If the Brewers can get a good deal for Fielder, they should pull the trigger. As soon as he becomes a free agent he's out of here anyways, and the Brewers wouldn't want the next Mo Vaughn anyways.

Outfield

Scott: As evidenced by Sveum's desperation move of putting Cameron in the leadoff role and Hall hitting second, those two spots in the batting order are in desperate need of repair. I don't think Cameron is worth a 10 million dollar option, so he needs to go. Gwynn deserves a look, but no one in the organization seems convinced he can hit enough. My feeling is that he could potentially be a Jacoby Ellsbury type player who can work the count, get on base, and wreak havoc on the base paths. If a solid 1 or 2 hitter can't be found via free agency or trade, I'd give Gwynn a shot. Hart and Braun are fine. I'd like to see Kapler brought back as well. He isn't a terrible 2 hole hitter himself, so he would provide the Brewers with insurance should Gwynn falter.

tS: Thank goodness for Ryan Braun. I have no idea how Milwaukee got him to sign that deal earlier this year. Corey Hart had worst postseason of any Brewer hitter, and you hope that it won't carry into next year. Hart may be another player you dangle as trade bait, only because it doesn't seem like he's too interested in sticking around - I believe he already turned down one contract extension offer from Melvin. I'd also love to see Kapler back, who was good offensively and defensively and was a great option for pinch-hitting. Cameron needs to go. People talk about his glove saving runs, but I for one wasn't wowed by his defense, plus he's getting older. If the Brewers can't pick up someone in the off-season, a Gwynn/Kapler platoon could be interesting.

Starting Rotation

Scott: Assuming Sabathia and Sheets are gone, (because they are) the Brewers rotation looks something like this. Gallardo, Bush, Suppan, Parra, and McClung. Not great. Not even good. This is why I think they probably will trade Fielder. Compounding the problem is that there are no prospects that are going to be ready to contribute soon, so help will have to come from outside the organization. Pitching is at a premium, but I believe you could get at least a number 2 and 3 starter for Fielder. Gallardo has the mental makeup to be an ace, and Bush is a bulldog who deserves a spot. Bush, however, is at best a number 4 starter. Suppan is horrible, but they don't pay $11 million for long relievers. Parra is the true wild card. He's shown flashes of brilliance, but wore down this season after throwing more innings in a season than he ever had before. McClung would look good in the bullpen.

tS: Goodbye, CC Sabathia. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Ben Sheets. I look forward to watching Yovani Gallardo pitch for a full season. I think he can be an all-star in this league. Hopefully Parra will get better coming off his first full season. Maybe they can package Suppan with Fielder? Actually, Milwaukee could just cut Suppan and I would be happy. Any chance Chris Capuano comes back?

Bullpen

Scott: Ironically, the bullpen pitched extremely well during the playoffs. Sveum managed to piece this unit together and made it work. I was impressed with the way that Villanueva bounced back after being thrown out of the rotation. Torres is a set up man playing the role of closer. Shouse can get lefties out, so is worth bringing back. Obviously Gagne needs to go, and I wasn't impressed by Mota. (At least Turnbow's contract is up.) Luis Pena from AAA should join the fray next year, and Mitch Stetter deserves another look since he's left handed. The biggest off season move the Brewers made was the one they didn't, losing Coco Cordero. A suitable replacement has to be found. McClung. if he can develop more command, could potentially fit the mold.

tS: The biggest surprise of the NLDS was the performance of the bullpen (including Gagne!). The relievers only allowed 1 run in the 4 games combined. But Milwaukee needs a real closer. I think if you look back to how many games Gagne, Torres, and the rest of the relievers blew in the regular season, and count some of those as wins with a real, shut-down closer, the Brewers could have won the division. That being said, I doubt they'll find one on the free agent market this year. I agree that players named Gagne, Mota, and Turnbow, should never be allowed in the Miller Park home team clubhouse again.

NLDS - Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia, Game 3

2008-10-05T01:37:00.005-05:00

These pictures and the video at the end are courtesy of my brother, Bob S., who got to go to they Brewers-Phillies playoff game Saturday. Milwaukee won 4-1 to capture their first playoff victory since 1982!

These fans didn't have a ticket to the game, so they were setting up Direct TV and tailgating.

The view from section 129.

Dave Bush started for the Brewers, and went 5 1/3 innings, allowing just 1 earned run on 5 hits and 0 walks. He struck out 3 Phillies in the game.

The team celebrating the win after the final out.

And the crowd goes wild.

The ceremonial first pitch, thrown out by Bob Uecker.

Egg-Offs

2008-10-04T16:23:00.004-05:00

I've told several people about egg-offs and the reaction that is most common is a look of exasperation mixed with despair.

What are egg-offs? They are basically duels with eggs. The next question I usually get is "why?" Because we had the eggs...we had the eggs. Check out the video (you might want to pause it and let it load...it's kind of slow right now):

NLDS - Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia, Game 2

2008-10-02T20:41:00.004-05:00

For the second straight day, Milwaukee's playoff fortunes came down to a couple of mistakes and a couple of missed opportunities. The Brewers head home for Game 3 Saturday, and they will need to find a way to generate some offense in order to avoid a sweep.

-The Brewers couldn't have asked for a better way to start tonight's game. Braun doubled (just missed a home run) with one out to move Durham to third. Philadelphia intentionally walked Fielder, and then Hardy drew a walk to drive in a run. Brett Myers was visibly rattled. Then Corey Hart walked up to the plate. Swinging at the very first pitch, Hart weakly tapped a grounder back to Myers who started an inning-ending double play.

The Phillies start a lefty in Game 3 (Jamie Moyer), so it will be unlikely that Hart will be removed from the lineup. It's a shame that Gabe Kapler was unable to play in this series, because I really think he could have been a good alternative to the struggling Hart.

-CC Sabathia had a pretty good start too. In the bottom of the first CC struck out 2 batters to strand a runner at third base. But it was all downhill from there. In the next inning, Brett Myers had what may become the biggest at-bat by a pitcher in the 2008 postseason, drawing a walk and setting up Shane Victorino's grand slam. 5-1 Phillies after 2 innings. CC didn't look tired. He just left too many pitches up and over the middle of the plate, and the Phillies all worked long at-bats to drive his pitch count high.

-Another good job by Milwaukee's bullpen tonight. Tonight it was the combination of Mitch Stetter, Seth McClung, Eric Gagne, and Saloman Torres. The bullpen allowed 3 hits and 3 walks, but no runs in 4 1/3 innings. So far in the series, the bullpen has gone 8 1/3 innings, allowing 4 hits and 4 walks, and 0 runs, while collecting 8 strikeouts.

-Milwaukee's offense has just 7 hits in 2 games. 7! The offense has also walked just 5 times, which means the team has averaged 6 baserunners in the 2 games.

-It's Dave Bush for Milwaukee Saturday night, as the Brewers seek their first playoff win in 26 years. As a franchise, the 0-2 hole is nothing new. Back in 1981, the Brewers fell into a 0-2 hole to the Yankees in the ALDS. Milwaukee went on to win 2 games at Yankee Stadium to force a fifth game in New York. In 1982, the Brewers fell behind 0-2 to the Angels in the ALCS, before coming back to win 3 games and the series.

NLDS - Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia, Game 1

2008-10-01T16:53:00.004-05:00

Welcome to playoff baseball Brewers fans, where opportunities are few and mistakes are magnified. I've got a lot of notes from today's game, but I'll start first with the good things:

-Pitching wins championships, and Milwaukee's pitching was very good today. Yovani Gallardo gave up 3 runs, but those were due to a bobble by Bill Hall, an error by Rickie Weeks, and an error by Mike Cameron. Besides Gallardo, Mitch Stetter, Carlos Villanueva, Manny Parra, and Guillermo Mota all pitched well. Combined they allowed just 4 hits, 5 walks, and had 7 strikeouts. The relievers allowed just 2 of those baserunners.

-It was a rough day for the hitters, but they battled until the end, and the decision by Charlie Manuel to take Cole Hamels out of the game could come back to haunt him. The Brewers showed no fear against Lidge, scoring a run off of him while making him throw 35 pitches.

-Unfortunately the Brewer hitters were invisible for the first 8 innings. The best opportunity to score against Hamels came in the 6th, when Craig Counsell got a 1-out hit, followed by a walk by Cameron. But Bill Hall struck out and Ryan Braun popped out to end the threat. I think today's struggles were mostly due to the fantastic outing by Hamels, and the fact that Milwaukee is traditionally a bad hitting club against change-up pitchers. I don't think it had anything to do with playoff pressure. None of the hitters looked overwhelmed by the moment - just overwhelmed by change-ups.

-Corey Hart of all people got the first hit off of Hamels (with 2 outs and 2 strikes)...but then he struck out to end the game.

-The Brewers are not going to let Ryan Howard beat them. It worked today...the Brewers beat themselves.

-In addition to Hamel's great outing, the Phillies played solid defense and didn't give the Brewers any breaks.

-Only 3 NL teams have lost the first game in a NLDS and gone on to win the series. Milwaukee can come back, but they will need the offense to wake up. And tomorrow's start by CC just got even more important.

-Calling the game for TBS...Brian Anderson! Plus Joe Simpson and John Smoltz. Pretty solid crew. I was surprised TBS would assign Anderson to the Brewers' series, but I guess they needed someone who could correctly pronounce "Gallardo."

-Before the game, Cal Ripken Jr. said he'd be surprised if Minnesota beat Cole Hamels today. Well put, Cal.

-Isn't Frank Caliendo so funny? Wow, he can impersonate people! If only there was a way to get him and Carrot Top to work together.

Playoff Predictions

2008-10-01T08:40:00.003-05:00

I was planning on doing a longer post with lots of analysis, but I ran out of time and had too much school work to get done in order to enjoy today's playoff action. So here are my quick predictions, along with what I hope happens:

What I think will happen:

NLDS
cubs beat Dodgers, 3-2
Phillies beat Brewers, 3-1
NLCS
cubs beat Phillies, 4-2

ALDS
Rays beat White Sox, 3-2
Red Sox beat Angels, 3-2
ALCS
Red Sox beat Rays, 4-3

World Series
Red Sox beat cubs, 4-2

What I hope will happen:

NLDS
Brewers beat Phillies
Dodgers beat cubs
NLCS
Brewers beat Dodgers

ALDS
Rays beat White Sox
Red Sox beat Angels
ALCS
Rays beat Red Sox

World Series
Brewers beat Rays

Brewers/NLDS Notes

2008-09-30T18:12:00.003-05:00

-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

2008-09-29T17:54:00.005-05:00

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

2008-09-29T17:09:00.003-05:00

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

2008-09-28T21:36:00.003-05:00

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

2008-09-28T17:41:00.005-05:00

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!

2008-09-28T16:44:00.000-05:00

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

2008-09-28T09:18:00.002-05:00

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

2008-09-27T18:12:00.002-05:00

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

2008-09-26T22:14:00.003-05:00

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

2008-09-26T14:06:00.006-05:00

-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

2008-09-24T20:59:00.002-05:00

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

2008-09-22T18:46:00.003-05:00

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

2008-09-21T09:07:00.000-05:00

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

2008-09-20T23:03:00.007-05:00

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

2008-09-20T14:18:00.007-05:00

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?

2008-09-18T00:04:00.004-05:00

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

2008-09-15T15:36:00.004-05:00

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

2008-09-14T20:44:00.004-05:00

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

2008-09-10T21:06:00.004-05:00

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

2008-09-08T21:23:00.004-05:00

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

2008-09-08T19:33:00.004-05:00

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

2008-09-08T08:18:00.001-05:00

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

2008-09-07T20:16:00.000-05:00

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?

2008-09-07T19:20:00.003-05:00

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

2008-09-07T19:08:00.003-05:00

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

2008-09-06T17:17:00.003-05:00

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

2008-09-06T16:57:00.005-05:00

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

2008-09-05T10:49:00.003-05:00

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

2008-09-04T22:38:00.005-05:00

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.

Internet Exile

2008-08-31T22:58:00.002-05:00

I'll be without the Internet for the next couple of days, but I should return by Thursday, and I promise to return to a more regular schedule of posting.

Coming Soon To Lifetime

2008-08-30T16:51:00.002-05:00

How ironic that in the same week that John McCain announces a female running mate, this story comes out.

I'm sure a Lifetime made-for-television movie is already in the works.

Badger Game Day

2008-08-30T10:51:00.004-05:00

This morning, I woke up to the sounds of some yahoo on bongos, banging away like a 4-year-old, and mixing in some terribly conceived chants. For a minute, I thought I was dreaming that it was a Badger game day, and that I was back on State Street. In actuality, it was just some yahoo cheering on a bunch of runners in a local charity run. Did I mention that he was a YAHOO!

But I was right about one thing: it's BADGER GAME DAY! The 2008 football season starts today for UW, which always brings an exciting mixture of anticipation, hope, and of course, beer.

UW enters the season once again ranked in both preseason Top 25s - 13th in the AP poll, and 12th in the USA Today poll. There are many people out there that believe a Big Ten title is possible this season, but there are a few questions that will need to be answered this year:

-How will Allan Evridge perform? The fifth-year senior, who transferred from Kansas State, won the QB starting position. But from the accounts I've read, it was a fairly close battle. The Badgers don't need Evridge to be a super-star, they just need him to manage games and make the easy plays (how many times has that been said about UW QBs?). Here's hoping Evridge comes out today and gives the Camp Randall faithful a dose of confidence.

-Who will step up from the receiving corps? Travis Beckum is predicted to be an All-American and a future high-draft pick at the tight end position. But the rest of the Badger receivers are less heralded. I'm hoping sophomore David Gilreath will have a break-out season, as he has shown the ability to be explosive with the ball.

-How special will the special teams be? UW lost a senior kicker and a senior punter, and will be breaking in new kids at both positions. Ken DeBauche and Taylor Mehlhaff left some pretty big shoes to fill, and special teams are a crucial part of any college football team.

-Who becomes the man at running back? PJ Hill was not healthy the entire season last year and Lance Smith is off the team. There are two other RBs on the team that will see playing time: Zach Brown and John Clay. If Hill is once again plagued by injuries or is inconsistent, will Brown and Clay be able to carry the Badger offense?

-Who fills the holes in the Badger defense? UW's defense has not been as impressive the past couple of years, and some holes have developed. Cornerback is one spot where there remain question marks. Health will also be an issue for the defense overall, and the defensive line could get thin if injuries crop up.

Will all of these questions be addressed today against Akron? Of course not. But keep in mind that any element that is negative today against a lesser opponent, will only be magnified once the Big Ten season begins.

Finally...

2008-08-27T16:48:00.002-05:00

...someone in the national media points out why the cubbies (and especially their obnoxious fans) "aren't so lovable."

Charter Bows To BTN

2008-08-27T13:39:00.002-05:00

The mighty cable company has followed in the footsteps of Time Warner, and has agreed to carry the Big Ten Network.

Does this mean that the state's biggest cable companies will soon be offering the NFL Network?

Beer League Softball Glory

2008-08-27T00:37:00.003-05:00

My softball team, the Sanders Construction Leprechauns, made it to the championship game of the league tournament Monday. We had to win two games earlier in the night to play for the first place trophy. We ended up losing the championship game, but were still pretty happy about getting the 2nd place trophy. The night was filled with extra-base hits, double plays, cheap beer, and softball glory. Check back later for pictures.

Time Warner Blinks First

2008-08-26T13:38:00.003-05:00

Time Warner Cable has agreed to add the Big Ten Network to the expanded basic cable package they offer, which should make a lot of local Badger fans happy. Time Warner had previously stated that they wanted to offer the BTN only as a part of their expanded sports package.

Of course, thousands of Badger fans, including those in Madison and myself up in Eau Claire, will still not be able to watch the regular season opener against Akron this Saturday, because we have Charter cable.

The official Badger football schedule on uwbadgers.com, shows that the first two games of the season will be shown only on the BTN. The third game, at Fresno State, will be shown on ESPN2. All of the remaining games are TBA, but most of those will probably be shown on ESPN, ESPN2, or ABC.

What's Next For Milwaukee?

2008-08-25T14:23:00.004-05:00

The Brewers have just 11 more series in the regular season, 5 on the road and 6 at home. Today, Milwaukee stands at 76-55, the leader of the NL Wild Card by 3 1/2 games over divisional foe St. Louis. Philadelphia is third in the Wild Card standings, 1 game behind St. Louis. The Brewers are also 4 1/2 games behind Chicago for the NL Central crown.

Here's a look at the final 11 series of the regular season:

August 26-27
2 games, at St. Louis
The Cardinals are 73-59 overall, and have a 4-9 record against Milwaukee this year

August 29-31
3 games, at Pittsburgh
The Pirates are 57-73 overall, and have a 1-8 record against Mil. this year

September 1-3
3 games, vs. NY Mets
The Mets are 72-59 overall, 1st place in the NL East, and have won 7 of their last 10, and are 1-2 against Mil. this year

September 4-7
4 games, vs. San Diego
The Padres are 48-82, and are 1-2 against Mil. this season

September 8-10
3 games, vs. Cincinnati
The Reds are 57-74, and 6-6 against the Brewers in 2008

September 11-14
4 games, at Philadelphia
The Phillies are 71-59, chasing the Brewers in the Wild Card, and are 1-1 against Mil. this year

September 16-18
3 games, at Chicago cubs
The cubbies are 80-50, have the best record in baseball, and are 6-4 against Mil. this season

September 19-21
3 games, at Cincinnati
The Reds are 32-33 at home in 2008

September 23-25
3 games, vs. Pittsburgh
The Pirates are 23-42 on the road this year

September 26-28
3 games, vs. Chicago cubs
The cubs are 31-31 on the road in 2008, but swept a 4-game series at Miller Park at the end of July

It certainly will be an interesting next couple of weeks, as the Brewers face a few Wild Card foes, some divisional opponents that will be looking to play spoilers, and of course, the dreaded cubbies. With 31 games remaining, I think the Brewers will have to go at least 19-12 to secure a playoff spot.

Olympic Notes

2008-08-15T20:17:00.007-05:00

A few notes on the Olympics - what I've seen and plan on seeing:

-The USA baseball squad had injury added to insult in their 5-4 loss to Cuba. The game lasted 11 innings, but international baseball adopted a new rule in which a team begins the 11th with runners on first and second, and the hitting team can choose to start anywhere in their batting order. Meanwhile, Jayson Nix, younger brother of current Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Laynce Nix, had to have surgery on his eye after a foul ball struck him. Earlier in the game, Nix hit a game-tying solo home run. USA manager Davey Johnson decided that this game didn't have enough storylines, and afterwards made a few disparaging comments about the Cuban team. Maybe this is why you're no longer a MLB manager, Davey.

-The USA baseball team is now 1-2, with 4 games remaining. They need to be in the top four in the standings to move on to the medal round. Here are their remaining games:

Fri, 9:30 pm (central time) - Canada (1-2 record)
Mon, 6 am - China (1-1)
Tues, 6 am - Chinese Taipei (1-2)
Wed, 6 am - Japan (2-1)

-Brewers draft pick Brett Lawrie is playing for the Canadian squad. So far he is 0-for-5 with a RBI.

-The USA softball team has been enjoying more success. The squad is 4-0, has scored 29 total runs, and has allowed just 1 run. You can check them out tonight on CNBC at 11 pm, as they take on Chinese Taipei. USA then will face the Netherlands on Sunday (6:30 am), and China on Monday (11 pm).

-USA men's and women's basketball is a combined 7-0. The women are 4-0 and are leading Group B, while the men are currently tied with Spain for the best record in Group B. Coming off of a 92-69 beatdown of Greece, the men's team will play Spain tomorrow morning at 9:15 am. The game will be televised live on NBC.

-It has not been a good Olympics for the favorites in the tennis competition. A day after Roger Federer lost to James Blake in the quarterfinals, Blake lost to Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in a match that featured some controversy. Meanwhile, the Williams sisters, favorites to reach the gold medal match, were both ousted yesterday. Federer, Venus, and Serena still all have a shot at gold though, in the doubles competitions. It will be interesting to see what kind of an effect the Games will have on all of these players at the US Open (begins August 25). Rafael Nadal, set to become the world's new number one, is the favorite in the gold medal match against Gonzalez.

-It's a good thing gymnastics takes center stage as a sport only every 4 years. The subjectivity, suspicions, conspiracies, and whining about judges is far too frustrating.

-Michael Phelps goes for gold number 7 tonight. I hear he's some kind of swimmer or something.

Mr. T And Snickers

2008-08-11T15:21:00.004-05:00

I kept forgetting to post a link to this story. From the A.V. Club, comes a story about how a new ad campaign from Snickers, featuring Mr. T, has come under fire. The story includes the commercials, which have been posted on YouTube. Check them out...they're pretty funny.