The Colts Imperfect Season

This weekend the Colts were on the edge of perfection, a half away from going 15-0 to a Jets teams who was outmatched by the Colts. The Colts were up by 5 in the 3rd quarter and Coach Jim Caldwell decided to pull their starters most notably MVP Peyton Manning. The Colts gave up their 5 point lead and said, goodbye to their perfect season. Caldwell expressed that having a perfect season was not in the Colts' goals this year. After seeing the faces of the Colts after they lost though, it seemed as if the locker room wanted it. To have a place in history above ever team in history would mean something to the Colts and I think Caldwell ignored that. I think the perfect season talk will probably be a sore subject for a few weeks, but the real question I have, "Does resting players before the playoffs really help teams in the long run?"

In recent years it seems as if the growing trend is that teams from the Wild Card Weekend seem to be reaching the Super Bowl more and more. Why is this? Three out of the last four Super Bowl champions have played on Wild Card Weekend. Last year, the Cardinals who were considered one of the worst playoff teams ever to make it, ended up almost winning the Super Bowl over another Wild Card Weekend team, the Steelers. This trend would seem to not make any sense because not only do the teams with superior records get to play at home, they also get this much needed rest.

I believe that this much needed rest is what is hurting these 1 and 2 seeds in the playoffs. With resting nearly two weeks with the playoff format and sometimes 3-4 when resting early, teams get out of sync. Football is a game of timing and when you have not played a competitive game in a month it is tough to get that back right away. I think teams that fight until the last week of the season to make the playoffs and play the first week have an advantage because they are in sync. Now in order to curb this teams like the Colts should play until the last week of the season. It makes no sense to rest a quarterback who has started 191 consecutive games because he may get hurt. Players always have the chance to get hurt but the way to increase it the most is to play like you have a lot to lose. The goal every Sunday is to win football games and at the end of the day win the Super Bowl.

A 14-1 team seems bummed and is down and is questioning what could of been, when they should be getting prepared for one of their biggest playoffs in their lives. Caldwell by resting his players and letting the Colts lose has created a distraction they may not of had otherwise. The problem is that even if the Colts win the Super Bowl, players will still be questioning whether it could of meant perfect. I think in order to help his team win the Super Bowl and have the chance to make history Caldwell should of kept Peyton Manning and the players in.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

Logo

I am looking to make a logo and really was wondering if anyone wants to come up with a better logo than these two...

Who Would Win in Horse?

Childish Games or a True Rivalry?

Wisconsin Shocks Duke, The ACC, The World, Bobby Knight

Well in case you missed the game of the year thus far in college basketball, thank God you got Two Cents from the Nose Bleeds because I didn't miss it. Although it did conflict with my favorite show on television "Glee", I watched this game from opening tip off to the storming of the court. What Wisconsin was able to due on Wednesday at the Kohl Center was incredible, playing a nearly flawless game.
The game started off to a fast start, Wisconsin were on pace for 100+ points after 10 minutes of the game. Wisconsin was playing their offense, they ran the swing beautifully, were patient and were knocking down shots. Trevon Hughes, Jon Leuer, and Keaton Nakivil were studs early and carried throughout the game. As well as hitting open shots, Nakivil was getting offensive rebounds and playing tough inside with the Duke big men, something people think he lacked in his game. Duke seemed very one dimensial first half on offense. Kyle Singler, the ugliest player in College Basketball since Joakim Noah was torching the Badgers in the first half. Throwing up desperation heaves that seemed to find nothing but the bottom of the net. While Badgers lacked on helping on Singler they did a good job shutting down some prolific scorers like Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer. They limited Duke's offensive rebounds and had a very impressive first half. The biggest coaching decision for Duke was switching to the zone which seemed to slow the Badgers' offense down. For the Badgers I think putting Jordan Taylor on Singler was a good move that seemed to shut him down for the last 5 minutes of the half.
In the second half Duke started their charge but the Badgers held tough. Badgers continued to hit big shots when necessary and somewhat slowed down Singler. Hughes looked like an NBA player hitting shot after shot and creating for the offense. The MVP of the second half for Badgers may have been Taylor, though. It seemed for the majority of the second half Bo wanted the ball in Taylor's hands. Taylor's penetration set up buckets for the big men and open shots on the wing. Taylor's interception late was one of the best defensive plays of the second half, unfortunately it was quickly stolen from behind. After Hughes hit a 3 pointer to go up by 11 with 5:01 remaining in the game seemed as he may have put the game away. Do not start storming yet though, here comes Duke. Andre Dawkins hit 4 3's to put Duke right back in the game. But like the whole night, Badgers came up big, made free throws and iced the game when redshirt freshman Ryan Evans shut down Kyle Singler. The fans stormed the court and Madison went crazy. It was the first time Duke lost a game in the Big Ten/ACC challenge. It was also the first time Big Ten won the challenge, much of the credit to this Wisconsin upset.
It was a perfect game by the Badgers, the stars stepped up big the role players did their job. This game makes them believe they can play with anyone and that they have as good a shot as any team to win the Big 10. Watch out for those scrappy Badgers because come March I would not want to play these guys!

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS

Staying in Presnap Position

Bobby Bowden Retires

Bobby Bowden retired today from Florida State, whether it was his decision or not. Bowden retires as second winningest coach of all time. The last five years Florida State's program has been slipping and it seems as though it was time to go a different direction. Many saw Bowden's loyalty to coordinators as a big problem with the inability to fire coaches who were not producing. Either way he was an incredible coach and deserves a lot of respect for years of wonderful coaching at Florida State.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods' mysterious investigation ends with a $164 fine for reckless driving. The Florida Highway Patrol said that there will be no other charges in the case. Tiger Woods did not have to talk to authorities and he did not. Tiger decided he will not travel this weekend to his tournament. It seems as though he will not do any events for the remainder of the year, which means it will be months before you will see him competing in another event. It remains to be seen whether the issue with the possibility of his wife chasing him with a golf club will be put to rest or not. The fishy story does not seem to be over even though Florida Highway Patrol has put it to rest.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

Jennings: Part 2

Now Jennings started off this season blistering hot. It looked at though he was ready to enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, after only a few weeks of the NBA season. While Jennings has slowed down a bit, I still believe Jennings is going to be a super star. He continues to compete even when he is struggling. His points has been down but he also did not have Bogut for a week. After watching the game last night even though he struggled from the field getting Bogut back will open the floor again he will be able to play like himself again. Jennings will not be incredible every night but after watching this video through his hard work, I see him being a perennial all star.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS

BCS worked this year?

Dennis Dodd of CBSSportsline.com had an interesting article how this is the one of the first years BCS lucked out. With there being two Big Conference Power Houses that will be undefeated at the end of the year and most other BCS bowl team undefeated mid majors, College Football caught a break.
I have a different plan to try to fix College Football rankings and maybe not have to get rid of BCS all together.
"We beat Cal when they were ranked 4!" College Football is heavily based on its ranking human ranking system. Although BCS is a computer ranking it is largely based on people's judgments using the AP and Coaches Poll. The problem with these rankings is that wins team's get early in the year may not be as strong as they seem. Once teams get ranked higher for beating these overrated teams they receive high rankings and will never drop unless they lose themselves. For instance, when Oregon beat #4 Cal 42-3, Oregon seemed as if they may be one of the best teams in the country and they jumped up the rankings. Now it looks as though maybe that win is not as strong as it once looked with Cal struggling at the end of the year. I believe many 1 and 2 loss teams are rooted at the top by supposed "big wins" that really are not that impressive. What I propose is that AP and Coaches Poll do not come out with rankings until at least Week 4 of games. This would make every win early have the right respect after seeing how the teams fair against other teams. With this new ranking teams would not be locked at the top or bottom for wins that may be as good for a "bad win" or be punished as much for a "bad loss". While it is impossible for preseason sites and SI to come up with their own rankings, the polls that decide BCS games should not come out until later in the season. This will be a lot like how the NCAA tournament field is not decided until after the season.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

Bogut's Back

Bucks had a nice win 99-97 over the Chicago Bulls last night, despite another poor night by Brandon Jennings. The team looked like it was back it itself though with Andrew Bogut on the floor. If Redd becomes himself and realizes he isn't 2005 Redd and Bogut stays healthy and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute the Bucks best defender and one of the most underrated defender's in the league returns I like where the Bucks are going. While Jennings may not put up 30 every game he is still a great Point Guard who runs our offense brilliantly. Carlos Delfino and Ersan Ilyasova are my MVP's for the Bucks this season because I think they are two players that make the team go. I think we have the potential to fight for a 5-6 seed in the playoffs. Excited to see where the Bucks go from here with a tough week ahead of them.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS

The Next Gordon Bombay?

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Hockey Goal Fail

Tiger Woods

Does anyone else find it ironic that the weapon that made Tiger Woods so famous was the one used against him by his wife when she tried to hurt him?

Huge Home Court Advantage

ESPN reported on a study done on college basketball refereeing. This study found that refs make more calls for the home team. They also make different calls based on the score of the game and whether or not the game is on television. This study could lead to improvement in college basketball refereeing and could be a big break through.

Kampman and Harris Out

The Green Bay Packer just got about the worst news they could have gotten. Aaron Kampman and Al Harris are both having season ending surgeries after their injuries sustained on Sunday against the 49ers. The Packers D is going to need other players to step up if they want to continue their surge to the playoffs. Brad Jones seems more than capable to fill the position for Kampman. Hopefully Tramon Williams who has shown flashed of greatness sustain it the remainder of the season.

Devin Hester's NEW MOON

Congrats Marquette High School Football

Congrats MUHS football on their first WIAA state championship. It is about time legendary Dick Basham gets his a WIAA state championship! Another dominating defensive game by the Hilltoppers and especially Cameron Botticelli!

Congrats Michael Trotter

A former teammate and good friend, Michael Trotter has been selected to receive Jim Leonhard Award for being the best defensive back in the state. It could not have been given to a better player or guy. He is the last guy to leave to weight room and is last to pat himself on the back. Basham said of Trotter, "In my 38 years at Marquette, I haven't had anyone better at that position."

Good luck at Wisconsin next year Michael, I know you will have a great year!

Dunk of the Year Thus Far

Brandon Jennings

Because of my lack of posting I have been unable to blog about my new favorite athlete. Brandon Jennings, picked 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks, some believed was a risky pick after "failing in Europe" has proved those scouts wrong. Jennings has dominated just about every game he has played in, taking the difficult shots and making any play the Bucks have asked. He has gone toe-to-toe with Carmelo and Rose, and showed the stars that he is no joke. He is now on people's MVP watch list after putting up 55 on Saturday, 45 of the points coming in the 2nd half. Basketball Prospectus says Jennings had one of the most efficient quarter in the history of basketball. Jennings who is averaging 25.5 points a game, 5.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds a game has really made his name known early in this NBA season.
Jennings entering the league, has done two things for me as a "fan". First, I have been meaning to get into NBA, for a few years and Jennings may be the player that puts me over the hump to start watching regularly. I have started reading Bill Simmons' "The Book of Basketball" and have been watching more and more basketball. I believe that this may be a new "Golden Age of Basketball". I do not mind the lack of parity in basketball because I think it has created enough good teams where there is always good basketball on. Any given night I would watch certain teams and players, they include Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Lakers, Chris Paul, Magic, Suns, Spurs, Carmelo Anthony, Celtics, and now Brandon Jennings. The nice part of this is every night you seem to get these people playing each other which makes basketball intriguing again. I think when we look back this may be considered the "2nd Golden Age of Basketball".
The second thing Jennings did was make me believe in the Bucks team. I believe when Redd comes back they will be a stronger team however, I think Bucks need another "Young Buck" to be a quality team. With Jennings and a player like Kevin Durant, OJ Mayo, or someone of that caliber and age they could really have a special backcourt that could bring them to the next level. If they do sign or trade for another big time player they could be the Bucks of the Ray Allen days.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

Sports Weekend From Heaven: Part 3

So my last stop in my football weekend was Lambeau Field to watch the Packers take on the Dallas Cowboys. After watching the Packers lose to the winless Buccaneers, I think many fans believed the season was about to fall apart and be much like the season before. But after watching this Dallas game where the Packers dominated a strong NFC team on all aspects on the game, I think fans are confused how good the Packers are. Are they last year's team who couldn't seem to get the magic together, or are they on the brink of being a Super Bowl team. I think the answer is they are somewhere in between, a talented team that lacks consistency.
To start with their defense, on Sunday they had a dominating performance. Many says it takes about 8 games to get a new scheme down which would mean the defense is just starting to get into their groove. Hopefully this means good things are on the horizon for the Packers' defense. This new defense has made two of our players play out of position, AJ Hawk and Aaron Kampman have been unable to really fit in the new scheme. This scheme however, has made stars out of Brandon Chillar, Clay Matthews, and John Jolly. The 3-4 seems to fit our depth at linebacker and lets our athletes make more plays. Clay Matthews is looking like he will be a consistent pro bowler with his athleticism and knack for the ball. John Jolly is fitting perfectly as the all important nose in the 3-4. Brandon Chillar is using the freed up space to make plays for the defense.
The real star of the defense as seen as Sunday is Charles Woodson. Woodson's 9 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 1 sack and game clinching interception was one of the most impressive defensive games by a player I can remember. This defense allows many players to show off their multiple skills and putting Woodson on the line lets him roam free and make plays. The Packers defensive leader, Nick Barnett looked comfortable on Sunday and got his "swagger" back. But the real problem this year has not been the Packers defense.
When talking about the Packers offense the two issues always are Aaron Rodgers and the offensive line. Whose fault is it for all the sacks? Well I think both Rodgers and the line have responsibility for all the sacks. Rodgers has caused many sacks because his lack of getting rid of the ball. But on the positive, while I would love if he threw some balls away he has limited bad throws and rarely throws interceptions. When given proper time he is very accurate and can make every pass there is. With experience I believe Rodgers will make quicker decisions and this will cut down on the team sacks. The line however, has been lost most of the year and I blame this mostly on lack on continuity with the linemen. The team has yet to have the same 5 linemen start every game. The plays where Rodgers gets sacked without being touched by a linemen many times can be credited to bad communication and understanding of other players. They seem confused and if we get the same 5 with TJ Lang playing well in there, I think the sack problem can stop and the playmakers can have the ball. I think this could be a good second half and I think you are going to see a good Packers team that will take on some of the toughest teams with confidence.

What a weekend...

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS....... (FOR TOM)

Sports Weekend From Heaven: Part 2

My next stop was Kettle Moraine, for the Marquette Arrowhead state-semi final game. The last time Marquette played Arrowhead was my last high school football game, which ended in a double overtime 44-41 Arrowhead win and an instant classic. This $4 ticket would prove to be the best money spent of the weekend. This game was a classic "Basham Beatdown" with the Hilltoppers dominating from the opening kickoff. The main point I take from the game is that Marquette has one of the most talented defenses I can ever remember. Anchored by the "twins" Marcus and Michael Trotter, this defense punishes ever offense it plays. With legitimately 3 Division 1 defensive recruits (Michael Trotter- Wisconsin, Marcus Trotter-Big Ten, Cameron Botticelli) and 2 other possible lower end D1, D2 players (Nick Gral and Joe Cannon), this star studded defense hits harder than any defense in recent memory. The other take away from the game is the toughest of running back John Lococo. With the other featured back Brock Laface out for the game, Lococo took the reins and ran all over Arrowhead. Lococo ran for 240 yards on Arrowhead doing it through bull dozing the defense. From the crowd you could hear the phrase, "Feed the Horse!" fill the air before every Lococo run. After watching this game I am pretty confident that this is one of the best overall teams in the state of Wisconsin in years. Rivals 100 ranks them 67th in the country with an arrow up, meaning their stock is rising. If you have a chance to watch the Hilltoppers this week it will be worth your price of admission.

Sports Weekend From Heaven: Part 1

This weekend was one of the best sports weekends I have had in years. I attended 3 football games: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Michigan Wolverines, Marquette Hilltoppers vs. Arrowhead Warhawks, and Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys. It all started at 7:30 in the morning in Madison, waking up to the smell of brats, sauerkraut, and Miller Lite. Varsity was playing on the iPod stereo and I was jacked for the last home game of the year. After finishing my last brat, I witnessed a Badgers team that once again proved to critics they were legit. The whole year people have been looking for reasons to fire Bielema or to hate on this supposed "average" team, this game though proved that they have some true fire power. The first take away you get after watching the game, is that Nick Toon is an NFL receiver. He made two touchdown grabs that made him look like an elite receiver. His second acrobatic catch in the end zone will be a play that will be shown when he is drafted. The Badgers have lost respectively two games both to top 15 teams, Iowa and Ohio State. If they win out they should see a good bowl and would make me proud to be a Badger Football fan!

MLB Pitchers To NFL QB's

One of the best articles I can remember reading in recent memory. Dr. Crackback compared every starting NFL QB to a MLB pitcher . This will really interest anybody that is a big baseball and football fan, like myself. Some Wisconsin comparisons, Manny Parra and Trent Edwards, Ben Sheets and Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers and Adam Wainwright, and Brett Favre and Pedro Martinez....

Dirtiest Player Ever

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Trevor Hoffman's Back

The Brewers just signed Trevor Hoffman for a 1 year extension. I think it was a good move by Brewers, solid arm in the bullpen and feel comfortable having him at the end of the game.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

Joe Mauer: The Ultimate Player

Burning Favre's Gear and Helping Charity, Count Me In

Best Prediciton in The History of Baseball

Mike Bowers, a Seattle local radio personality made one of the most amazing prediction in the history. He predicted Matt Tuiasosopo to get his first career home run. But he also prediction what inning he was going to hit it in, what the count was going to be, that it was going to be a fastball, and what row of the bleachers it was hit to. This makes Babe Ruth look like an amateur. If you don't believe me check the link...

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

New Sport Dealing with Steriods

Baseball's legitimacy is on the rocks with the number of players who have used steroids. With more and more players being named the current generation is starving for clean players that star in the league. It seems as if in the NFL people do not care as much. Shawn Merriman tested for steroids two years ago and it seems as if everybody has forgotten. Do I think the Hall of Fame will even care he took steroids? No. It is interesting how probably more NFL players use than baseball players but it is such a bigger deal in MLB.

Now we see positive testing in a new sport, basketball. Rashard Lewis of the Orlando Magic tested positive for steroids . This makes me wonder, will people treat positive steroid treatment like the NFL or MLB. Will using steroids black list Lewis or will people forget after his 10 game suspension? What happens if Lebron James or Dwight Howard test positive for steroids, will they be wrecked like Barry Bonds and Manny Ramirez?

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

CONGRATS ON NEW RECORD: LOOPER!

Two Cents want to give a shout out to Brewers pitcher Braden Looper, while many complained about the starting pitching, this year one set a record. Braden Looper set a Brewers records and leads the league in a pitching stat category. Well, you are all waiting to know what category, aren't you. Looper has set a Brewers record giving up 37 Home Runs this season, which leads the majors. I think this is exactly what Doug Melvin had in mind when he signed him last spring, a record setting pitcher.

Congrats Looper!

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

Curt Schilling: Next Massachusetts Senator?

Curt Schilling has been known to speak his opinion in the clubhouse. At times he was seen as witty and intelligent. Other times people thought he talked too much and was a distraction. He has openly been against steroid users asking for a tougher penalty. He is well known in Boston for pitching in the ALCS with a bloody sock to help the Red Sox break the curse. I wonder how he feels how legit that World Series is now, with two of the players using steroids.
So, Curt Schilling is putting Hyperlink to his name in the hat for the Massachusetts now vacant Senate seat. He will be a Republican canidate, which may put him at a disadvantage. I am curious to see how he does because we have seen in our society that many times famous people get elected without previous political experience (Reagan, Jesse the Body, Franken, Schwarzengger, etc). Hopefully the bloody sock performance can help him get over the top.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS....

Best Tradition in College Football

New Packer Logo Idea

JSONLINE ran a story about a Milwaukee Marketing Group who has a new idea for the Packer Logo. At first, I thought no way the Packers logo is classic and should never be changed. But thinking about logo's I wonder if it it were to be more profitable for a team to change its logo. Why do teams in general change their logo? Does changing a logo even if it is not as cool as the first actually help? For instance, the Milwaukee Brewers have changed their logo about 4 or 5 times the last twenty years and it seems people like to wear a variety of their hats. I wonder how getting a new logo can boost profits in the short run. Something to think about..

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

WISCO PRIDE BABY!

This is one of the coolest pictures I have ever seen having to do with my University. While I may not be proud of team this team boy I am proud of our alumni around this country check this out. Check out the article Hyperlink to behind it here.

She just wants to give her two cents from the front row

I Wish Tebow Could Pump Me Up...

RBI "King"

Congratulations to Prince Fielder for surpassing Cecil Cooper as the Brewers single season RBI record. He also is now tied with Albert Pujols for the leading RBI's in the MLB. I think this season Fielder is having could be one of the best by a Brewers hitter's in years. I hope the Brewers can retain this scary hitter and hopefully he will help another playoff push in the years to come. I vote that the Brewers do not trade Prince and try to keep him as long as they can. Prince and Braun is the best tandem to build a team around in the Majors and the Brewers need to do all they can to keep both.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

USC GOES DOWN!

When I watched Washington play LSU, they did not look like the team that went winless the year before. I thought they outplayed LSU the entire game and quarterback Jake Locker looked like an NFL pocket passer. Watching USC last week, they were good but not great against the Buckeyes. It seemed as if today was just Washington's day and they deserved it. Steve Sarkisian, a former USC coach has brought the swagger north and it seems as if this team is for real.

The other team I am very impressed with out of the gates is the Miami Hurricanes. The Hurricanes look like the golden age of Miami football,"Ken Dorsey days". Jacory Harris looks like a young Vince Young (college Young) and is leading his team to gave winning games against two ranked opponents. So they two easy games to recover from their tough schedule right? WRONG, they play Virginia Tech and Oklahoma the next two weeks. If the Miami Hurricanes are able to win out with USC losing and Big 12 not looking as strong they may have a spot in the National Championship. Would that be a shocker or what?

Side note: I am embarrassed by who my Badgers scheduled today. Wofford looked like a glorified high school team. Come on Brett lets schedule somebody that will make us better, this cup cake just hurt your teams chances against Michigan State.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

Best Interview Ever

Best Stadiums in the NFL

ESPN recently did an analysis on all the NFL Stadiums. No surprise Lambeau Field was on the top tier. or the "5 Wows" section. They also deeply looked into the new Cowboys Stadium. what may be the 8th modern wonder of the world. This stadium looks like you would make it in a video game. The stadium that Jones hopes is his legacy could by itself bail out the next industry to fail in this country, with its cost being close to $1.4 billion dollars. I can not say I have been tons of NFL stadiums but I will say there in nothing like a Packer Game in Lambeau Field. The renovation kept the mystique of the fabled stadium and raised it to the standards necessary with current NFL Stadiums. I will give Jones credit though he did his research and created a masterpiece of the stadium visually, now lets see if the Cowboys can win some games. I would like it to make it out there maybe for a future Olympics or a Packer-Cowboy match-up!

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS...

Throw it Back!

Let Ocho Cinco Face Phelps

Artie Lang on the Classic Bob Ueker!

Ochocinco's Next Stunt

According to Sports Illustrated, Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson's next stunt is to do the Lambeau Leap. If I was front row I would have a few extra beers ready to pour in his face and hopefully he smell of Miller by the forth quarter. Apparently Greg Jennings did not think Chad was very funny in his next attempt at the spotlight.

I am sorry Ochocinco, but I do not think you will be lucky enough to get the chance to be in the endzone. With the way the Packers' defense looked last week I think he will just be trying to plan future TD dances and not have to worry about the Lambeau Leap. Maybe do a waffle house flip flop joke for Favre when you score a TD against the Vikings in week 14.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS

How do you blow a Hall of Fame Speech? Ask Michael

Jersey Sales- People Even Wear Purple

Brett Favre seems as though he has taken over the NFL Jersey sales from April 2009 until now. He has only been a Viking for about a month and already is killing the all other jersey sales according to Reebok.

Even though people in Wisconsin seem to hate him they bought more Favre jerseys than Rodgers. Hopefully, Packer Nation will have more #12 jerseys than #4 this year!

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

The Bears Still Suck

In a recent Michigan Avenue Magazine interview , Jay Cutler showed his lack of masculinity and had I read it before Sunday I would not have doubted he would throw four interceptions. I think it is obvious that the only person Cutler trust in his passing game is Earl Bennett, a former teammate on Vanderbilt. In order to be more successful I think the Bears need to put a stronger emphasis on the run. They also should work on a stronger play-action after teams start to stack the box against Forte. If I was Cutler I would want to target Greg Olsen (7th Floor Crew member) 8-12 times a game. Olsen creates big mismatches for any defense. Once you have team focusing on Olsen and Forte than you can slip Hester behind the safeties for some touchdowns. The Bears right now suck but if they get their offense together could be a tough division opponent.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

The Longsnapper of the Year

One of the biggest plays of the game last night was when the Bears' longsnapper, Patrick Mannelly snapped a direct snap on a fake punt. It seemed as if Lovie Smith did not call that and that Mannelly did it on his own. After doing a little bit of research I found out he has his own self proclaming website that is extremely funny to browse through. So enjoy to the people that love saying, "the Bears still suck", post this as a link afterwards.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

Packers Response

I have not been this excited for a Packer season since 1998 after winning the Super Bowl. The Packers this preseason looked better than I ever saw them. As the game started it seemed as if they were outplaying the Bears but the scoreboard did not show it. After a few great scrambles and throws by Aaron Rodgers, the Packers just were not clicking. The Bears defense was not letting Aaron Rodgers have anytime and it seems as if the Packers need to replace Allen Barbe. Barbe did not even slow down the Bears' Adewale Ogunleye. So I think unless we find someone in house, we may need to trade a player like James Jones for a new right tackle.

The big discussion about Rodgers this offseason was whether he could win in the 4th quarter. While he may not have looked very sharp, he answered the critics with an incredible last drive. I still believe if he gets time to throw Aaron Rodgers will be this year's MVP. I love the Packer offense with an exception of the play of the right tackle. I think this offense is good enough to carry an okay defense to a division title and more. The Packers however, do not have an okay defense, they have a great defense.

I know it is just one game and not a lot can be deduced just from playing a Bears offense that has receivers may not start for USC. But this defense is completely different from the Packers' D of the last few years. It is a ball hawking squad that makes big plays in big times. Last year they could not seem to stop anybody; this year the Packers' defense look like they are on a mission. Cutler had a poor game but I credit this to the Packers' blitz schemes and superior pass coverage. Another thing that was overlooked about the Bears offense was the inability to get one of the best running backs in the league to get anything going. When teams ran against the Packers last year many times it seemed as if we were playing with 9 guys, this year it looks like we got 15. Also, John Jolly's interception was one of the most athletic plays I have ever seen by a guy over 300 lbs. I think Brandon Chillar's sack was the best by a guy under 300! Players seem confident already in the new scheme and make me confident this could be a great season.

I am so excited for the Packers and think 12-4 or 13-3 is my projected record.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

I Want To Be Like Mike

Bill Simmons view on Brett Favre

Spot on Simmons!

"13. Brett Favre changed his mind about playing so many times that when ESPN filmed a "This is 'SportsCenter'" commercial about people in the newsroom passing along the "definitive" word on his latest decision, it had to film two versions -- one in which he came back and one in which he didn't come back -- in case he changed his mind again, and of course, the day the commercial was filmed, news broke that Favre was coming back. Favre signed with the Vikings, a heated NFC North rival of the Packers, trashing his relationship with the state of Wisconsin in the process. I can't think of a single parallel in sports history. We've seen players willingly tarnish their careers to hold on for a couple of extra paychecks, but never at the expense of demigod status in a specific region. Weird. All of it."

Another prediction


"Prediction X: The six best teams this season will be New England, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Green Bay, the Giants ... and New Orleans. (That's right, New Orleans. You heard me.) The other six playoff teams will be Indianapolis, Seattle, Chicago, Baltimore, Denver and Washington. In the Super Bowl, Green Bay will defeat Pittsburgh to cap off the first Eff You season devoted to a specific player. That player would be you, Brett Favre."

Batting Stance guy vs Prince

New SI Cover

Dorkiest Image of the Year?

I think it is safe to say this was the dorkiest image in sports this year!

Do NBA Rules hurt the NCAA?

Some believe that David Stern's rule imposed a few years ago that requires players to wait until at least a year after high school basketball would help the league; I however could not disagree more. This rule makes high school players who are many times unable to get proper grades to qualify for college have two choices- take the year off or cheat the system. This rule has shown how corrupt college sports can become in order to get the players they need. We have seen with players such as Derrick Rose and OJ Mayo- forged SAT scores and payment to players to get these lottery picks. If David Stern has created to help educate these students it is a worthless attempt. You will not be able to get a better job after life in the NBA because you took 3 fake classes for one semester at Memphis. These stars do not show up for class and usually become "Pre Madonna's" that hurt the team chemistry. I think David Stern either has to require players to play more than one year in college or completely get rid of the system!


BUT THAT'S JUST MY CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

Song written for Prince Fielder

"Hell ya I would like to hit him"

Are the Vikings that Much Better?

Everybody in the world is ready to crown the Minnesota Vikings as the Super Bowl Champions with the acquisition of Brett Favre. My question is, just how much better are the Vikings with Favre. First I am going to go into the skill level he brings to the team. Last year Favre was able to throw 22 TDs and 22 INTs with the Jets with two solid receivers in Coles and Cotchery. Last year the Vikings' QBs threw 22 TD's and 17 INTS with far less superior receivers. Also Favre's record at the crunch time of last season he was 1-4, when it looked like the Jets were about to clinch their playoff spot. Favre also has seemed to really struggle once the weather gets cold now. Last year, he struggled in December with the Jets and the year before the two cold games of the year (Giants and Bears) he was not efficient. I do think Favre is a step up from who they have but it may not be as big as people believe.
Favre's acquisition also add a lot of problems to the chemistry of the Vikings. Jared Allen said a number of times if he isn't with us now, we don't want him. Brad Childress said that the Vikings are not getting Favre and a few weeks later you hear him calling Favre and still wanting him to go back. It seems at the end of last season the Jets resented Favre and trashed him after the season. I think that he really effected the Packers with his drama last year and I think it could take a toll on the Vikings this year. Wanting your own lockerroom, not showing up to training camp, and all the other high maintenance things Favre is requesting makes me believe the Vikings will not be much better with the future Hall of Famer!

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

He's Backkkkkkkkkk....

Guess what? Brett Favre changed his mind, again! I am currently watching the press conference (side note can Brad Childress shave, he looks like a HOBO!) and I am actually surprised with Brett Favre. I guess we learn today his word means nothing. After just two weeks ago he said he would not be back. I am really disappointed with Favre, it seems as if he believes his is WAY bigger than the game. Favre needs to grow up and be an adult, the reason he choose this late is because he is lazy and did not want to be in camp and do any workouts. I would respect him if he went to camp and off season training and then decided he couldn't. I just feel that this legend has almost lost all of his respect and now when people hear Brett Favre they usual chuckle. I will continue to post about Favre with a Favre-lover and give counter points. I really can't wait for the Vikings-Packers game, how much will Favre be booed.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

The Other Brewer Slugger

Kory Kozak of ESPN wrote a nice article about Ryan Braun today. He cites the confidence that is sometimes misunderstood by others in the major leagues. I think in order to be special you need to be confident on the boarder of cocky. Tiger Woods goes onto the golf course knowing he is going to win the tournament (except today) and Ryan Braun goes into the batters box knowing he will get a hit. I enjoyed reading this and thought I would pass it on.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

Prince wasn't always a vegetarian...

What if the Brewers would have landed CC Sabathia...

With all the talk that Doug Melvin should of signed more pitching in the off season Brew Crew Ball gives an insightful look into whether we would have signed CC Sabathia. Everybody loves to jump on the band wagon Melvin is an idiot for not signing enough pitching but what this article argues is that even signing the best pitcher on the market for under market value, we would not be close to 1st place. What sometimes gets lost in these stats though is the effect that Sabathia has on a club. I remember last year once Sabathia became a Brewer the culture changed and he pumped the team up to a different level. I think many other pitchers stepped up their game with Sabathia on the staff and the hitters loved him as a teammate. I think Doug Melvin did just a fine job in the off season with the surprise free agent signing of the year in Trevor Hoffman. We are a small market team with a low salary cap we don't go after superstars but build up our farm system.


BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

Philadelphia Eagles' Fake Out

The Eagles surprised the world when they were able to land Michael Vick today. The Eagles seem to have so many weapons it seems as if now they have received another player that make them very hard to cover. With the emergence of DeShaun Jackson, the solid Reggie Brown, the speedy rookie Jeremy Macklin, a workhorse in Brian Westbrook; it seems as if the only problem is how are they going to use all of these weapons. All I know is that the Philadelphia Eagle could completely change the way the NFL game is played. With Vick, Macklin, and Jackson there has never been a team with this many athletic speedsters at the talented positions. Everytime one of these players gets the ball the opposing coach is shaking in his boots.

I think that the Eagles is a good place for Vick and I think Vick helps the Eagles. It seems like they always have the talent to go to the Super Bowl but need that X factor and I think Vick may be it. I think they can run the wildcat with a number of different players (Vick, Macklin, or Jackson) and could start trying it out with other players while Vick is suspended. By the time Vick gets in football shape and back up to speed I think the Eagles are the team to beat in the NFC.

I think the juice is worth the squeeze and this move may make the Eagles this year's Super Bowl Champs!

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

Brewers Art

Special shout out to my eldest brother, Kyle Sweeney who was pondering all of the Brewers decisions today at work. Instead of venting on a blog few people read, he decided to show off his artistic talent with office push pins. I can't imagine how much better it would have looked it he was happy with the Brewers today. I will say he also spent the day sending me texts about how mad he was at the Brewers. The one other possibility we talked about was this move making JJ Hardy not available for free agency for another year. If he plays more than 21 games in minor leagues he will have to wait another season before he hits free agency. This could have been quietly a very crafty move by Brewers GM.


BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

Hardy Down to Minors

I strongly disagree with Doug Melvin's decision to move JJ Hardy down to the minors. I guess he wanted to "shake things up" but he went about it the wrong way. If he truly believes that Escobar is the future at SS fine, but this is not the best way to improve your team. JJ Hardy now has barely any trade value because he was sent to minors for poor preformance. Now we have to pay Escobar earlier and to be honest, I don't think he will be that big of an improvement from Hardy.
If we really wanted to "shake things up" we could have brought up Escobar and have him play SS often and move Hardy around seeing if he is a good 3B or 2B. I think this also hurts Hardy's confidence which has already been dwindling since the beganning of the year. It seems as if Hardy is pressing and maybe Melvin believes this will help him like it did to Rickie Weeks last season. But I think this just puts more pressure on Hardy who coming into the year was already getting questioned about switching positions to make room for Escobar. Doug Melvin I think you really screwed up and overracted. I believe Escobar will be an excellent Brewer one day, but I don't think this move helps the Brewers at all!

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

Prince Fielder's "Attempt" at fight

There is an unwritten rule in baseball that if somebody plunks your star player it is up to your pitcher to hit there best player. Sometimes however I think players and managers get carried away with it and many problems result because of this. On Tuesday's game, the Dodgers were blowing out the Brewers in what seemed to be a game that had gotten away. Manny Ramirez was hit by a ball that barely missed the inside corner. Manny was having a good game but it seemed there was no intent to hit the Dodgers' slugger. With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Dodgers' pitcher and ex-Brewer Guillermo Mota intentionally hit Prince Fielder. Fielder was fed up for good reason, in the top of the ninth inning in a blow out game it just seemed not to be worth it. He considered Mota a friend and was fed up with being hit for the ninth time of the year.

Fielder instead of charging the mound took first base with an evil stare to Mota. Mota was tossed and it seemed as if Torre was ready for that already having a pitcher warm up when Mota was pitching with two outs in the ninth. After the game Russell Martin the catcher made it clear the pitch was on purpose. When the game eventually ended, Fielder came out of the dugout to confront Mota about hitting him. Mota ignored him and went to the lockerroom, so Fielder went to find him. This is where present day media throws the story out of proportion, Fielder didn't throw any punches or tackle anybody but he was this "thug" in the other team's locker room. I am sure Fielder wishes he did not go to Dodgers locker room but I don't think he deserves any punishment.


BUT THATS JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

Bill Simmons Come To Madison

I am trying to get Bill Simmons to come to Madison for a Badgers football game and to Lambeau for a Packers game. Try to spread the word, I am going to give a reason everyday why he should come and hopefully with enough emails and support he will make the trip!

Brett Favre Can't Make a Decision

Time for Brewers to Stand Pat

Right before the All Star Game, the Brewers had just lost their division lead but it looked as if they were a move away from getting it back. The Astros were playing well but they were the Astros, and the Brewers were not worried about them making a 2nd half push for the division. The Cubs were missing routine flyballs and looked as if they could be in a reality show with all the drama in their club house. Ramirez was hurt and the team were not hitting like the Cubs of 2008. The Cardinals were a strong club with a nice acquistion of Mark DeRosa but with a nice trade upgrade and pitchers coming back from DL, the Brewers looked to be buyers.

A lot has changed since then and now it looks like this is not the Brewers year. The pitching has gone from bad to worse having a hard time finding quality starts from pitchers and our bullpen is struggling because they are being overworked. The hitting has been dismal led by the offensive woes by team leader Ryan Braun. Braun is starting to have a decent week, but before this week has been putrid. Braun has been hitting as bad for a month stretch, as I have seen in the career of the young slugger. Fielder has been an MVP, but other than that not much production from the lineup.

Besides the obvious glaring troubles with the Brewers pitching what I am most dissappointed about is our 5-8 hitters. For instance, Corey Hart since getting voted last season to the All Star has been playing awful baseball. Everytime I see Hart in the box he looks like he is guessing with his big looping swing. Hardy has had fans see a future with Escobar very appealing. Hardy is a streaky hitter and has been his whole career, usually having two streaks in the season where he is on fire. The problem this year, is he has not had a streak like that. These two players are bats that the Brewers rely on to help score runs. Bill Hall I stopped getting frustrated about because he is a lost cause. I wonder the last time Kendall ate his Wheaties because all I have seen this year is groundouts to infielders. He hasn't even sniffed a home run all year which I don't have a problem with if you can hit over .240. Cameron started off great but again he looks lost at plate swinging at bad pitches. These Brewers to me have been more frustrating then pitching staff. They are producing so few runs and make it hard to watch because Hardy and Hart are Brewers who you thought could be our future. Batting Averages of these hitters (Hardy- .235, Hart- .259, Kendall- .239, Cameron- .249, Hall- .202) are just too low and it frustrating not having base runners.

So what do we do now?

After losing the first two to the Washington Nationals, it is clear we should not be buyers for big names. No use in doing a "Sabathia-esque" trade for Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay when the Brewers are about 3 all star caliber players away from playoffs. I wouldn't even like to see a smaller trade for a mid level starter like Doug Davis for a half year for a prospect we could use in the future. I think the two options are the Brewers do not trade anybody and ride their roster to the end of the year, hopefully we have a great August and September and maybe sneak into playoffs. Or we sell some players that we think we could get good value for. I think many players could be traded but I have don't touch list in order: (Braun, Fielder, Yovanni, Escobar, Gamel). If the trade makes our team better the next three or four years I say pull the trigger Doug. I wouldn't say we are buyers though contrast to what Haurdicourt reported in his blog today (http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/51931102.html).

Time for the Brewers to stand pat!

BUT THATS JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

Justice in sports?

I just finished watching for the first time one of the greatest films of all time, 12 Angry Men. This movie highlights themes of how quickly our society is to judge people and throw them under the bus. It shows how personal prejudices many times scar our ability to truly understand the truth. It shows how people believe what they want from their prior dispositions. It shows how many times people accuse people of doing things to get fame or popularity. People find it very important to scrutinize others and make themselves feel better.
In the sports world I find many injustices that are often thrown on the athletes and are often ignored. My next few topics may start to be a little more controversial with some disagreeing with my strong opinions, but I ask you like in a jury room to leave your prejudices about professional athletes at the door.
People may think professional athlete are spoiled, thugs, criminal, high-maintenance, cheaters, and drug users but I ask you for one second to put you self in their shoes.
There are a few important issues that I would like to cover the next week and they include: rape charges on professional athletes, the 'cleaning up' of the NFL with heavy suspensions, the whitening of the Pacers in the post-Artest culture, the steroid era, and many other justice issues. I feel that many times the benefit of the doubt is that the athletes are in the wrong. Maybe they do not deserve to be seen innocent but as a democracy lover I believe they are innocent until proven guilty.