Bucks Continue Growth

The Milwaukee Bucks OT loss to the Hawks will sting for a while. The opportunity to extend the road, and overall, winning streak to 7 games would have been a great thing for the Bucks in itself. However, beating the Atlanta Hawks, streak or not, would have been a great example of how far the Bucks have come. However, this victory was elusive, and the Hawks were able to pull it out. Despite this, the game proved how much the Bucks have grown, and that they are not afraid of the better teams in their conference.

The Hawks, 36-21 entering the game today, are the 4th seed in the east, and bring a talented and athletic team that plays hard every night. The playing hard-aspect could certainly be said about the Bucks, but so-called "experts" have certainly questioned their talent level. They were considered to be the worst team in the Eastern Conference at the start of the season, but their level of play has propelled them into the playoff race. It speaks volumes of Scott Skiles' coaching ability, but the talent John Hammond has brought in can not be questioned.

In the off-season, the Bucks let young talents Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villaneuva walk for nothing, and traded Richard Jefferson away for expiring contracts. Hammond wanted to clear up space for the future, but also had the present in mind. He brought in Carlos Delfino, Kurt Thomas, and was able to convince Ersan Illyasova to return to Milwaukee. During the course of the season, he signed Jerry Stackhouse and recently acquired John Salmons. This group of talent has the team-first approach that has no egos, and everyone is buying in.

Brandon Jennings has had his ups and downs, but he accepts Skiles' decision making. Late in the game, it was Luke Ridnour, not Jennings, who was making crunch-time decisions. Earlier in the game, Skiles pulled Bogut for his lazy play as the Hawks jumped to an early lead. The message is clear, play hard and play defense, or someone else will take your place. Thanks to all the stockpiled talent, the Bucks have enough depth to maintain this philosophy in an effective manner.

They are in the top 5 in back-to-back nights of games, with a 10-7 record. At the beginning of the season, the Bucks started 6-19 on the road. They have battled back and have improved to 12-20 while defending their homecourt pretty well. Now, while other teams have become much fatigued due to the stars playing heavy minutes and lacking an overall lack of depth, the Bucks can throw fresh bodies around. This bodes well for the playoffs, as a possible matchup with the Hawks looms.

Ryan Braun in Dick's Commerical

Hummel Out For the Year

In shocking news for Big Ten basketball, Purdue's Robbie Hummel is out for the season with a torn ACL. This changes the complexion of the rest of the Big Ten season. With a big game against Michigan State, with a Purdue loss the Big Ten looks like it may be a 3 way tie. This probably ends Purdue's chances at a #1 seed for the Big Ten. Because Purdue will probably lose some games down the stretches and the committee always takes into account injuries. If you remember a few years ago, Cincinnati lost a #1 seed because they lost their star Kenyon Martin in the Conference USA championship game. With another season for Hummel ending in injury, scouts will start to call him a liability with his numerous injuries. This injury gives Wisconsin a much better chance at winning the Big Ten Tournament.

The Suter Legacy at the Olympics...

Here is what USA Today has to say about the Suter's and their strong history at the Olympics. Below is a video interview with Ryan Suter and his thoughts from USA Hockey Magazine.

Ryan Suter - Going for the Gold

LIVE BLOG: Wisconsin Badgers Basketball at Indiana

Join Two Cents in our live blog of the Badgers - Hoosiers matchup.

Here is what ESPN has to say about tonight's game:

Wisconsin had one of its most dominating defensive games of the season in a win against Indiana earlier this month. It was the kind of effort Hoosiers coach Tom Crean is looking for from his team.

The 17th-ranked Badgers go for their sixth straight win over struggling Indiana on Thursday as they try to improve to .500 on the road in Big Ten play.

Wisconsin (20-7, 10-5) has the top scoring defense in the conference, allowing 57.1 points per game. It was especially impressive in an 83-55 win at home against Indiana on Feb. 13.

The Badgers forced a season-high 21 turnovers, which turned into 29 points, and had 15 offensive rebounds which led to 18 second-chance points.

Wisconsin's effectiveness on the glass came despite missing leading rebounder Jon Leuer, who has played the last two games after missing the previous nine with a broken wrist.

Leuer has come off the bench since returning, and in a 70-63 win over Northwestern on Sunday, he finished with 11 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots in 22 minutes.

"That was experience that we got back on the floor in those situations, and that's why he was out there," coach Bo Ryan said. "Plus, even with that tape on his hand, his hands in the post are the best of our bigs."

With Leuer struggling to make shots due to his injury, Jason Bohannon continues to play well. Bohannon finished with 17 points Sunday and scored a career-high 30 against Indiana earlier this month. He's averaging 19.5 points and shooting 52.2 percent from 3-point range in February.

The Badgers have struggled on the road, going 3-5 overall, but they have won their last two visits to Bloomington and will be facing a Hoosiers team that has dropped eight in a row.

Indiana (9-17, 3-11) never led in an 81-58 loss to Minnesota on Saturday, shooting a season-worst 32.2 percent and trailing 44-25 at the half.

Devan Dumes had a season-high 20 points off the bench, while leading scorer Verdell Jones III shot 2 of 8 to finish with 10 points. Christian Watford, averaging 12.3 points, scored three while connecting on 1 of 12 field goals.

In the last eight losses, the Hoosiers have been outscored by close to 15 points per game. They are allowing an average of 76.8 points in the last six.

"I told them after the game ... I don't hope the program is coming back, I believe that it will and I believe in those guys," Crean said. "I also told them that if we don't get better defensively and they can't do a better job of guarding their man ... they are not going to be a part of this moving forward. I don't have any patience for lack of getting up into people defensively."

Indiana has lost 14 in a row to Top 25 teams since beating then-No. 14 Purdue 77-68 on Feb. 19, 2008.

Let us know what you think of the live blog. We would love to have your feedback!

Join us tomorrow...

Tomorrow night (Thursday) Two Cents will be conducting our first ever live blog during the Wisconsin vs. Indiana Basketball game. Join us at 8 p.m. (central time) as we provide insight and commentary during the game.

Epic Fail Reporting....

Former NFL MVP Looking for New Home

He currently ranks eigth on the all-time rushing list with 12,490 yards, 2nd in career rushing touchdowns with 138, and third in total touchdowns with 153.

In 2006 he earned NFL MVP honors after setting single season records of 31 touchdowns and 186 points.

In 2006 and 2007 he won the NFL rushing title.

And today he was let go by the Chargers.

Once considered one of the most dominant backs in the league, LaDainian Tomlinson is currently without a team.

After battling through injuries for the past few seasons, Tomlinson was let go as the Chargers decided to move on without him.

"I told him that in the 26 years that I've been in this business, it was probably the hardest thing I've had to do," team president Dean Spanos told The Associated Press. "I'm not close to a lot of the players, but there's a handful that I've been close with, and he's probably the closest. It was really difficult to tell him. But out of respect, I wanted to tell him earlier rather than later."
"It was a long time coming, but I knew it was coming," Tomlinson said, according to SI.com. "Now that it's official I can kind of look to the next step in my career and playing football for someone else."

The 30 year old definitely still has some game left, it not at the highest level of play. Running backs are always in high demand in the NFL, and I expect Tomlinson to be picked up quickly.

Several teams stand out who may want to pick up Tomlinson.

New England Patriots
The Patriots would easily be able to afford Tomlinson, and with their pass-happy offense would be able to use Tomlinson's receiving abilities. Rumors are floating that Lawrence Maroney is to be traded away from the Patriots, and that opening could be filled by Tomlinson.

New Orleans Saints
LT also has the perfect attributes to fit into the Saints' offense. With Reggie Bush supposedly on his way out and Pierre Thomas an unrestricted free agent, New Orleans looks like a solid opportunity for Tomlinson to not only contribute, but possibly even start.

Minnesota Vikings
Chester Taylor, the backup to Adrian Peterson, has proved he he can produce starting RB numbers, and wants to paid like a starter, something the Vikings aren't likely to do. If he goes elsewhere, Tomlinson would be an excellent compliment to Peterson.

Detroit Lions
If LT decides to go for money and playing time, Detroit is a realistic place for him. He probably wouldn't be Super Bowl bound, but he would almost certainly start and be paid well. Tomlinson could also be the spark Detroit needs to get fans back into the stands.

Wherever Tomlinson goes, he will bring his veteran leadership and hardworking style of play along with him. Tomlinson, when on his game, has proven to be an unstopable running back. He also fits the pass-heavy trend the NFL has aquired.

I would expect movement to happen soon, as this one-time superstar is still game-ready.

Medal Count Update

Germany has significantly closed the large gap the U.S. had in the medal count. Currently the U.S. sits in first with 25 medals, with Germany at second with 21. Norway, in third, has 14. The U.S. is tied with Germany for the most gold medals (7), second in silver medals (8 to Germany's 9), and first in bronze medals (10).

Some recent gold medal winners include Bode Miller in the men's Super G, Evan Lysachek in men's figure skating, and Shani Davis in the men's 1500 meter speed skating.

On tap:
Today medals will be given in several events, including men's Giant Slalom, women's Ski Cross, and the Men's 10,000 meter speed skating

Former Badgers Continuing to Rock Olympic Hockey

If you've been living under a rock for the past 48 hours, then you haven't heard that Team USA upset Team Canada last night in the group stage of the Olympic Hockey Tournament. Despite the fact that this game occurred early in the competition, this was a huge victory for the United States. Yes, Canada is still in the tournament, but Team USA gained an exponential amount of confidence going forward from this point. Although the Americans were clearly the younger and more inexperienced squad, they played the game of their lives last evening and socked the Canadians in the mouth. Oh, and did I mention that this game took place in Canada? Vancouver must have been a very quiet city yesterday evening.

Regardless of how both the American and Canadian hockey teams finish the Olympic tournament, one thing is for certain - UW alumni have continued to shine. 41 seconds into the game, Brian Rafalski (former Badger and all-star defenseman) netted the first goal of the conflict, giving Team USA the lead and an abundance of confidence. Ryan Suter, another former Badger hockey standout (pictured above & currently employed by the Nashville Predators) assisted Rafalski on the goal. Rafalski went on to score 9 minutes later to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead and momentum going into the 1st intermission.

Three minutes into the 2nd, another former UW hockey player (this time a Canadian), Dany Heatley tied the game 2-2. Later, 7 minutes into the third, Jamie Langenbrunner drove in the dagger and put the United States up 4-2. He was assisted by both Rafalski and Suter. Of the 8 goals scored by both sides in this game, a former University of Wisconsin Hockey player was involved in 4 of them. This is a huge testament to how strong of a hockey program we have here. Word up to all current and former Badger hockey players for making us proud.

Brewers ST Preview 2010: Prospects

I'll be completely honest, I've only seen a handful of the Brewers prospects play in person, so it isn't my place to be putting a ranking on them myself. That being said, I'm going to reference one of my favorite Brewers sites, Brewerfan.net, and their Power 50 when going through the Brewers top 20 prospects.

1. Alcides Escobar: The Brewers starting shortstop this year is a defensive whiz and will be with the Brewers for many years to come.

2. Mat Gamel: The 3rd baseman struggled in his call up last season, but he's rejuvinated and ready to prove his worth to make the team. He's already in Maryvale and working on his defense every day.

3. Brett Lawrie: I saw Lawrie play in Appleton with the Timber Rattlers and the first pitch he saw, he cranked over the left field wall. That left quite an impression on me. He'll be moving towards Milwaukee sooner than many think and he's only 20 year old.

4. Jonathan Lucroy: Many think he's the catcher of the future, as he's very polished defensively. He has a chance to win the backup catcher job this season.

5. Eric Arnett: The Brewers #1 draft pick (26th overall) last summer, Arnett logged a lot of innings at Indiana last summer. The Brewers limited him to throwing mostly fastballs after signing, but he also has a good curveball and slider.

6. Zach Braddock: This lefty has dominated hitters when healthy. Last season he was sent to the bullpen to ease him back from injury and he's a darkhorse to make the Brewers bullpen this year. It's still yet to be seen if he will be a starter or reliever in the future.

7. Angel Salome: Has been considered the top catching prospect for years, but may have been passed by Lucroy this past year. He needs to stay healthy and improve on his defense to catch back up with Lucroy. Though he is a bit unorthodox, his offense is very good.

8. Kentrail Davis: Davis is an outfielder drafted in the supplemental 1st round (39th overall) in 2009. He is only 21 years old and was drafted as a sophomore out of Tennessee. He brings a powerful lefty bat that will most likely start with the Timber Rattlers and hopefully move up quickly.

9. Taylor Green: Green was almost the player to be named later in the CC Sabathia deal (that honor went to Michael Brantley) and he struggled through injuries last season. The third baseman looks to rebound this season at either AA-Hunstville or AAA-Nashville.

10. Lorenzo Cain: After a strong Spring Training last year, many thought Cain would be ready to be the Brewers starting center fielder this season. He got hurt and never was the same and now finds himself stuck behind Carlos Gomez. With a good spring he will start the season at AAA and with a good season, could be called upon if Gomez struggles.

11. Logan Schafer: The Brewers Organizational Player of the Year in 2009, he is very close to be catching up to Cain as the best center field prospect in the system. He hit .316 with 6 home runs, 58 RBIs and 16 stolen bases at Single-A Brevard County. The 22 year old should start the season at Huntsville.

12. Amaury Rivas: The Brewers Organizational Pitcher of the year in 2009 will be part of a great rotation at AA. Rivas dominated at Brevard County last season, posting a 13-6 record, 2.98 ERA abd 123 strikeouts in 133 innings. With a good year, he could become one of the Brewers next elite prospects.

13. Jake Odorizzi: Odorizzi was a 1st round, supplemental draft pick (32nd overall) in 2008 out of high school. Only 19 years of age, he could project as a top of the rotation pitcher if he continues to progress. Coming out of high school, he was also considered a top hitter. This year, he should start in what should be a talented rotation for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

14. Wily Peralta: The 20 year old righty has a great arm, as evidenced by his 118 strikouts last year, but also needs to work on his control, walking about one batter every two innings. If he doesn't make it as a starter, he projects as a late-inning reliever.

15. Caleb Gindl: Deemed by many as too small at only 5' 9", Gindl continues to put up great numbers. At Brevard County, he hit .277 with 17 home runs and 71 RBIs. It should be interesting to see how he progresses as he moves up the organizational chain.

16. Kyle Heckathorn: Another 1st round supplemental pick from 2009, Heckathorn is a very hard thrower with the stature to hold up in the long run. He is 6'6", 235 pounds. Like Arnett, he was held back after a long college season, but should be ready to show his stuff right away out of spring training. Many project him to be a closer in the future. Expect him as a starter first at Wisconsin.

17. Mark Rogers: Rogers was the Brewers 1st round (5th overall) pick all the way back in 2004. After not even pitching in 2007 or 2008 because of injuries, he was finally able to stay healthy last season, Trying to progress him along slowly, the Brewers limited him to only 65 innings. The results were fantastic, as he posted a 1.67 ERA. Look for the Brewers to let him loose this year in AA. It should be interesting to see how he reacts to higher competition. He could really jump up the prospect charts if he puts together a good season.

18. Cody Scarpetta: Scarpetta is actually on the Brewers 40 man roster because of a contract technicality, so the Brewers should look to challenge him to move up the depth charts fast. But he is still a ways away. Last year at Wisconsin, he posted a 3.43 ERA. Look for him to push up to AA sometime this summer, but he'll most likely start out at Brevard.

19. Josh Butler: Butler was the player the Brewers got in return for Gabe Gross in 2008. He was horrible after being traded but really emerged last year in the Brewers system. He got a brief cup of coffee with the Crew after posting a 2.97 ERA across 4 minor league levels. He should start off the year at AAA Nashville but could be in the mix for the big team should anyone get hurt.

20. John Axford: Axford is a hard throwing reliever who also got a brief cup of coffee last September in Milwaukee. With a strong spring, he has a legitimate shot at making the bullpen.

Sleepers: Maverick Lasker is one guy I'm watching this summer, as he was very impressive in rookie ball as a 19 yr old. Also, if Jeremy Jeffress ever get off of marijuana, he could be a great pitcher, while Nick Bucci has already surprised many scouts. 2009 picks Del Howell, Scooter Gennett, and Brooks Hall are all worth taking a look at too.

Bob Ueker's Stalker

Brewers ST Preview 2010: Bench/Non Roster Invitees

Bench: The Brewers have an experienced bench with Craig Counsell, Jody Gerut, and quite possibly Jim Edmonds. Counsell will turn 40 this summer, but had a great year last year and was courted by many teams this offseason. But he stayed loyal to his hometown team and reupped with the Brewers for yet another season. Gerut was not so good in the first half last year after getting traded for Tony Gwynn Jr., but was pretty consistent in the 2nd half. Edmonds is a non-roster invitee hoping to revive his career as a 4th or 5th outfielder. Beyond them, there are a few spots open for competition. George Kottaras, Angel Salome, and Jonathan Lucroy will compete for the backup catching position and Mat Gamel, Hernan Iribarren, Adam Heether, and Joe Inglett will compete for a backup infield spot. If Edmonds wins a spot, only one of these infielders will make the team, but two may make it if Edmonds proves to be a distant memory. Prospect Lorenzo Cain is also on the 40 man roster and has an outside shot at a bench spot, but most agree he needs much more time in the minors.

Non-Roster Invitees: The most prominent pitchers on this list are Zach Braddock (pictured), a 22-yr old lefty prospect, Chris Smith and Tim Dillard, who both pitched with the Brewers last year, and Chris Capuano, who is coming back from numerous surgeries. Also invited to camp are two of last year's top draft picks, Eric Arnett and Kyle Heckathorn, but they don't really have any chance to make the team. Scot Schoeneweis, Kameron Loe, John Halama, and A.J. Murray are all trying to resurrect their careers with the Brewers. As for catchers, the Brewers always invite a large amount to camp, since there are always so many pitchers in camp. Of the three, Lucroy very could make the major league team and Matt Treanor is trying to make a comeback, but Martin Maldonado will just be in camp until a few rounds of cuts are complete. There are no infield NRI, so we finally, move to the outfield. Here we have Edmonds, Trent Oeltjen, Logan Schafer, and Adam Stern. Oeltjen, claimed off of waivers from the Diamondbacks, is considered a long-shot to make the team and Stern has fared well in the minors, but is already 30 years old. Schafer is one of the Brewers best CF prospects and while he most likely won't make the team, it should be interesting to see how he performs up against better competition.

Check back tomorrow for my final post, prospects!

If you missed any, don't worry, check out the past posts:

Outfield

2nd Base and Shortstop

1st and 3rd Base

Pitchers and Catchers

Coaches

Jamison Not the Answer

Everyone has been raving about the Cavaliers' acquisition of Antawn Jamison. My question is why? They gave up Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and he has stuck around with the Cavaliers franchise through the good and bad. He is a quality big man who can shoot, and he spelled Shaquille O'Neal while ensuring the Cavs lost little production when the second unit came in. His outside shooting ability was extremely underrated, and his 7'3 frame caused matchup nightmares for every team trying to contend with the Cavaliers. However, he was deemed expendable because it was believed the Cavaliers need a "stretch four" to open up the lane for King James and for Shaq.


At one point in the season, Big Z was not elected to play in a game in which he could have claimed the Cavalier's all-time games played record, and he was obviously upset. He brings a lot to the table, and I do not understand how Mike Brown was foolish and arrogant enough not to let the big man in the game to gain this record(he gained it the next game after Ilgauskas and close friend James proclaimed their frustration with Brown after not playing him). Like I stated earlier, this makes no sense to me. Ilgauskas can shoot just as well as Jamison, and he presents much more size than Jamison's 6'9 brings to the table.


It is looking as if Ilgauskas will sign with either the Atlanta Hawks or the Dallas Mavericks, which in my mind gives either team the missing piece they need. How you can give a quality big up and let him go to a contender in your own conference is beyond me. It is no coincidence that the Cavaliers are in their first 3-game losing streak of the season. Mark my words now; The Cavaliers will not win the NBA Finals without reacquiring Ilgauskas, which is seeming less and less likely everyday with many title-contending teams in pursuit of the soon-to-be free agent big man.

Wisconsin Holds Off Northwestern To Earn 20th Win

This article is published here on the Bleacher Report. Go check it out!!

Contraversial Picture Sends Snowboarder Home

TMZ released a photo of bronze medalist, Scotty Lago having girls do "suggestive poses" to him with his medal. Because of these photo becoming public, Lago and the USA decided he should go home to avoid any further controversy.

Here are the photos....

Brewers ST Preview 2010: Outfield

Left Field: Ryan Braun. Enough said.

Center Field: Carlos Gomez was acquired from the Twins for J.J. Hardy this offseason. He has struggled offensively with Minnesota but the Brewers hope a change of scenery, a chance to play every day, and maturity will help him develop into a solid ball player. He replaces Mike Cameron, who was deemed too expensive to resign, yet like Cameron, he plays spectacular defense. Jim Edmonds was signed as a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training to compete for a backup job. I hope Edmonds will make the team, as he would be a solid backup, not to mention a great mentor to Gomez. Lorenzo Cain or Logan Schafer could emerge here in a couple years.

Right Field: Corey Hart is coming off of a very disappointing season. He only hit .260 with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs and was out with an appendectomy for a month. He never seemed to hit his stride and many fans would like to see him replaced in right field. I’m torn on Hart. He is a very streaky player and when he’s on, he’s really good. Yet when he’s off, he’s downright horrible and has no plate discipline. This is a crucial year for him. If he doesn’t have a good year, the Brewers can’t justify paying him almost $5 million a year and will have to cut him. If he struggles, Jody Gerut will play more of role in right field.

Check back tomorrow for the Bench/Non-Roster Invitees

Check out my previous posts:

2nd Base and Shortstop

1st and 3rd Base

Pitchers and Catchers

Coaches

Jonas Brothers vs. John Kerry

Who is more unathletic former presidential candidate John Kerry or the Joe Jonas?

Take your pick...

Tiger Woods' Apology

Tiger Woods: "I Am So Sorry"

Here is the full transcript of Tiger Woods' apology, given this morning.

Brewers ST Preview 2010: 2nd Base and Shortstop

Second Base: The Brewers are counting on Rickie Weeks to bounce back from yet another injury this year. They took the chance of letting Felipe Lopez walk via free agency (he still doesn’t have a job), who was brilliant after coming over from Arizona in July. Weeks was on his way to a breakout season last year before getting hurt hitting .272 with 9 home runs and 24 RBIs in 37 games. Even though he may fit more as a 5^th or 6^th hole hitter, he will most likely be back in the leadoff spot this spring. He will undoubtedly get many chances to prove himself once again since the Brewers don’t have any legitimate replacement, but the Brewers brought back Craig Counsell to help out at all infield positions. In a year or two, top prospect Brett Lawrie could force himself into the mix at second base.

Shortstop: Perhaps the player I’m most excited is top prospect Alcides Escobar, the Brewers new 22 yr-old shortstop. Gone is J.J. Hardy (traded to the Twins), so Escobar is the default starter. Escobar brings gold glove caliber defense (yes, even better than Hardy’s D) and great baserunning ability and speed. He doesn’t have a lot of power at this point, yet he is still growing into his body and 10-15 homeruns in a few years is very realistic. The Brewers will probably have him hit 2^nd or in the bottom of the lineup (Macha is contemplating batting the pitcher eighth and Escobar ninth), but he projects as a leadoff hitter, perhaps even by next year. He is definitely the shortstop of the future and will be around for awhile. Get to know his name, everyone.

Tomorrow's topic: the outfield!

Previous Entries:

1st Base and 3rd Base

Pitchers and Catchers

Coaches

Missed Bucks Draft Picks

I know this is hindsight and it is obvious now who you should have picked. But I am seriously just considering people who were taken within 3 and maybe even at the time were more obvious picks. Here I go

C- Joakim Noah- 2007 Went 9th overall, we picked Yi Jianlian at 6, also another mystery who people weren't sure... Noah wasn't a stretch to think about
PF- Brook Lopez- 2008 Draft- went 10th Alexander went 8th, was considered too early to pick at the time
SF-Luc Mbah A Moute- 2008 liked the pick, great defender, shocking starter however the way it worked he was the only 3 on the squad from the last few drafts.
SG-Monta Ellis- Picked 4 after Ersan Illyasova, who has turned into a good pick but Ellis is a lot better.
PG- Chris Paul- 2005 Draft, we picked Bogut number 1, not saying Paul was the obvious pick but maybe a safer pick. Bogut is a nice center and don't mind but Chris Paul is a superstar. At the time though Marvin Williams was other option and glad the Bucks didn't pick him. Another thing though, we probably wouldn't have Paul long term, we do have Bogut long-term.

Bench- Brandon Jennings- 2009 Draft we got the steal of the draft, Jennings still has a lot to prove but is off to a great start
Bench- Ramon Sessions- 2007, good late pick for the Bucks
Bench- Leon Powe- 2006 picked David Noel a little bit earlier, Powe was a good pick maybe a stretch the Bucks would have picked him


This is very silly to do I agree... To just pick the best players from the draft we didn't pick but seriously these were all picks within a few of ours. I am not saying we would NBA All Star team if Larry Harris was better. But we are not picking Joe Alexander and Yi away from being closer to the top of the East. With a game like basketball every player you add to your team can have such a difference.

I just thought this would be fun to see. However, it also shows we have had some good picks. We drafted 3 players that were best available. Also it seems Hammonds has a good eye for players so maybe in 5 years we will see how good all our picks will be.

JACKPOT

I found my new favorite website on the internet. Gregg Zaun the new Brewers catcher has the most incredible website I have ever seen. Including a Zorro opener and constant music playing no catcher batting .260 has even spent this much time promoting themselves. I think I am going to be pumped about our new catcher and I think he may be a fan favorite. I am on the "Zaun Train" jump on our be run over by the ZAUNBIE!!!

WOAH GREG WOAH!

Barry Melrose's Secret

Duke Lacrosse Rape Accuser Arrested

It seems as though the accuser the most overhyped college scandal in recent years is in some trouble. She not only tried to stab her boyfriend but also set his clothes on fire. It seems as though this scandal who cost many people their jobs and ruined 4 Duke players reputations was all started by a mental unstable woman. I think it one of the saddest stories of college sports the last decade.

Tiger Woods' Statement Leaked (HOAX)

For all of you that is interested in the Tiger drama! This is a statement that was leaked (actually it was a hoax) but we thought we would post it anyway...

"Directly to the point there is no one to blame but me for the mess I have put my wife and family through. I accept total and complete responsibility. My wife and I have been trying to work things out but sadly things have not worked out. Again all the blame is upon me.We have decided to live apart with me having mutually agreed upon times when I can be with our children. I know that the world wants all the details of what transpired in our marriage but that is between my wife and I and will remain that way. I have to get on my life and that means playing golf again. I have contacted The Masters and have informed them that my plan is to resume The Masters and they have said that they would welcome me with open arms. For that I am most grateful for I deserve nothing. Finally I want to thank all my fans around the world for standing by me when I let you down horribly. I failed all of you about as badly as a person can. I apologize to everyone of you. I promise all of you that you will see a new Tiger Woods, a better Tiger Woods and I will not let you down. Now I'd like, by the grace of God and with His help, to get back to what I do best and that is playing golf. See you all at The Masters. God Bless you all. Tiger Woods."


WHAT I THINK HE WILL SAY...

Olympic Sized Failures

Gary D'Amato of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote an article about all of the failures that Vancouver has experienced during these games. The interesting part about this article is that it isn't because the lack of facilities but the organization of Vancouver and the Olympic committee for these games. This story may lead to a greater interest in other factors of hosting the games.

Although it is not their fault the fact that the Vancouver's climate is warm during February was one error that should have been avoided.

Despite all of these errors I have enjoyed the American success during these games.

WWMD?

What would Macha Do?

Well Macha recently said if the season started today this would be this:

1. Rickie Weeks, 2B

2. Casey McGehee, 3B

3. Ryan Braun, LF

4. Prince Fielder, 1B

5. Corey Hart, RF

6. Gregg Zaun, C

7. Carlos Gomez, CF

8. Pitcher

9. Alcides Escobar, SS

He wants to try the 2nd leadoff with either Escobar or Gomez...

Brewers Unveil Alternate Road Uniforms

Today, the Brewers unveiled new alternate uniforms to be worn at select road games this season. They will be navy blue and feature, in white script, "Milwaukee" instead of the customary "Brewers" that had been on all uniforms. The Brewers have not had the city name on their unis since 1999, when they switched from the interlocking MB logo to the current white script logo. The Brewers had been one of the only teams not to feature their city name on their away uniforms and fans have been hoping for this change for many years. Personally I really like the change. I am a big fan of having a variety of uniforms to choose from. Even more, I would love to see the Brewers feature the retro powder blue uniforms on the road to counter their home retro Friday uniforms. But I doubt that will ever happen.

Bucks-Sixers Trade

Bucks Receive: Primoz Brezec, Royal Ivey, and 2nd round pick

Sixers Receive: Jodie Meeks, Francisco Elson

More news on the Bucks-Bulls Trade: The Bulls will get Joe Alexander and Hakim Warrick instead of the previously agreed upon Kurt Thomas and Francisco Elson...The Bucks also receive two second round picks and have the option to switch first round picks in the upcoming draft if the Bulls have a better pick than the Bucks as long as it isnt in the top 10.

Brewers ST Preview 2010: 1st and 3rd Base

First Base: Prince Fielder is an MVP candidate after a great 2009. He hit .299 with 46 home runs and a club record 141 RBIs. Along with Ryan Braun, he is the heart and soul of the offense; when he’s doing well, the offense goes with him. Prince is under the Brewers control for two more seasons and will most likely make upwards of $20 million per year on the market. This could be an interesting year for him. If the Brewers struggle, his name will undoubtedly come up in trade rumors and the Brewers could be forced to trade him in order to get some return for him. This undoubtedly would not go over well, but being in a small market, the Brewers realize that they can’t compete with the likes of the Yankees or Redsox. As Prince plays every day, he doesn’t really have a backup, though I would imagine Mat Gamel’s name would come up if anything were to happen to him.

Third Base: Last year, Casey McGehee came out of nowhere to emerge as the every day third baseman and number 5 hitter. Had he had consistent playing time earlier in the season, he would’ve had a great chance to win NL Rookie of the Year. That being said, he still finished5th in the voting, hitting .301 with 16 home runs and 66 RBIs in only 116 games. At this time last year, most thought Gamel would have taken over 3^rd Base duties by this time, but McGehee’s emergence and Gamel’s inconsistent playing time (and holes in his swing) proved otherwise. Many speculate that Gamel’s defense will never make it at 3^rd base anyway, and see him moving to either 1^st if or when Fielder departs or a corner outfield position. The Brewers haven’t had a steady third baseman since the days of Jeff Cirillo, so let’s hope either McGehee or Gamel can stick long-term. In a few years, prospect Taylor Green could join this discussion.

Check back tomorrow for 2nd Base and Shortstop, including info on stud prospect Alcides Escobar.

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Pitchers and Catchers

Coaches

White, Vonn, and Davis grab gold

The U.S. vaulted into the medal count lead on Wednesday with the help of a new U.S. record: three gold medals in a single day of competition. Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn, and Shani Davis each won gold while competing in the men's halfpipe, women's downhill skiing, and men's 1000 meter speedskating, respectively.

Germany's medal count lead was short-lived, as the U.S. stormed the board, winning 6 medals on Wednesday, bringing the U.S. count up to 14 medals. Germany managed just 1 medal and currently sits at 10. France, at 3rd, has 7 medals. The U.S. has also amassed 5 gold medals, 2 more than any other country.

Shaun White

Shaun White dropped into the Olympic halfpipe just 22 days after winning the gold medal in the X-Games superpipe event. White's X-Games win was huge considering the fall he took while practicing, shown below.

The X-Games win gave White mementum heading into the Olympics. On his first run (in a best of 2 format) White produced the highest score while holding back on his final trick. In the second round no one was able to touch his score, and White had the gold medal in the bag.

His final run, however, was even more impressive than his first. Instead of backing off and taking home the medal with a simple victory run, White held nothing back and blew the crowd away with huge tricks and enormous air. His victory run was so spectacular it earned the highest score in Olympic competition. American Scotty Lago took the bronze medal, while White repeated his gold medal performance from the Torino games.

“I wanted a victory lap that would be remembered,” White said. “I achieved that. I just felt like I didn’t come to Vancouver not to pull out the big guns. It was the savvy thing to do. Saucy. Keep it weird.”



More Snowboarding >>


Lindsey Vonn

Lindsey Vonn became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold in downhill skiing. Vonn has been the World Cup downhill skiing champion the past two seasons, and has won of all but one of six races in the event this season. The Olympic gold continued that trend.“I dreamed about what this would feel like but it is much better in real life,” said Vonn. “I got what I came here for -- a gold medal.” U.S.A.'s Julia Mancuso took the silver medal in downhill skiing.


Shani Davis

Shani Davis took the gold in the men's 1000 meter speedskating, his second gold medal in as many years in the event. He is the first man to repeat gold medals in this event. Chad Hedrick took the bronze in the 1000.

New Boom Goes the Dynamite

Brewers ST Preview 2010: Pitchers and Catchers

Starting Pitching: Newly acquired lefties Randy Wolf and Doug Davis join young star Yovani Gallardo at the front of the rotation this spring. GM Doug Melvin promised two new starters this winter and came through. Wolf pitched very well for the Dodgers last year starting 34 games and posting a 3.23 ERA, while Davis returns to Milwaukee after also starting 34 games and having a 4.12 ERA last year. The final two spots are up for grabs between three: Manny Parra, Dave Bush, and Jeff Suppan (some say LHP Chris Narveson has a chance, but that’s very unlikely). Parra will most likely get a spot, as he has a world of talent and it would be foolish to give up on him so soon, like they did with Jorge de la Rosa. He will work with new pitching coach Rick Peterson to work on his control during ST. I believe the number 5 spot will come down to Suppan and Bush. Suppan is the highest-paid Brewer this year, but has largely regressed since he signed three years ago. Bush was hurt last year and it seemed to affect his performance. One thing working against Bush is that his contract is not completely guaranteed and the Brewers could save a decent portion of his $4.125 million contract. I’d prefer Bush. His upside is much higher than Suppan’s and when he’s on a role, he is just as good as any pitcher in the league (and I’ve personally witnessed him throw seven-plus innings of perfect baseball twice at Miller Park).

Relievers: Closer Trevor Hoffman leads this group, converting 37 out of 41 saves last year. Hell’s Bells is still going strong after 17 seasons.His primary setup guys will be Todd Coffey, known for his signature run from the bullpen, and newly acquired LaTroy Hawkins, signed away from the Astros. Mitch Stetter is the left-handed specialist once again, as he held lefties to a .178 batting average. Claudio Vargas and Carlos Villanueva are all but guaranteed a spot, especially because of their versatility. The last spot is up for grabs. It could go to the starting pitcher that does not make the rotation (Parra, Suppan, or Bush) or a host of candidates. These include: Chris Narveson, David Riske, who has been injured for the last two year, but may be ready for ST, Rule 5 Draft Pick Chuck Lofgren, Chris Smith, Chris Capuano, Kameron Loe, John Halama and prospects John Axford, Zach Braddock, and Josh Butler.

Catchers: Catcher is probably the most up in the air position that the Brewers have. Jason Kendall was finally let go and replaced with the cheaper but older Gregg Zaun. Mike Rivera is also now gone, so the Brewers don’t have an established back-up catcher. They claimed George Kottaras off of waivers from the Red Sox this winter and will give top prospects Jonathan Lucroy and Angel Salome a long look during Spring Training. Whoever wins the backup job will most likely see a fair amount of playing time, as Zaun only played 90 games with Toronto and Tampa Bay last season. He did hit .260 with 8 homeruns and 27 RBIs and plays solid defense, yet he is merely a stopgap until Lucroy and Salome are ready to play at the major league level. Salome is 23 and played at AAA last year and hit .286 with 6 hrs and 44 RBIs in 82 games. His threw out 30% of baserunners from behind the plate, but missed significant time with injury. Lucroy is also 23 and hit .267 at AA, though his 2nd half stats were much better than his average may indicate. He threw out 40% of would-be baserunners and is considered to be a very good at calling games.

Check back tomorrow for my preview on 1st and 3rd Base!

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Coaches

Bucks Close to Acquiring Salmons

Bucks are close to acquiring John Salmons sources say for the expiring contracts of Kurt Thomas and Francisco Elson

NBA Trade Deadline: What It Means For The Bucks

The NBA trade deadline is tomorrow, and the Bucks have strongly been pursuing a power forward. Currently, the Bucks start Luc Richard Mbah A Moute(a natural 3) at the 4 position, and that simply won't get it done against the league's better big men come playoff time. John Hammond is aware of this, and he is willing to be aggressive before the deadline. A trade now will help the team now, and in the future. He is willing to acquire players that have one year left after this year, and to teams looking to start over Milwaukee could be a perfect place to dump worthy players that have a year left on their contracts. Antawn Jamison has already been traded, and Amare Stoudemire was never an option, but the Indiana Pacers' Troy Murphy is a name that has been connected with the Bucks lately.

Most of the discussed deals have involved the expiring contract of Luke Ridnour, and a young talent such as Ersan Illyasova. I would hate to see a deal like this happen. Murphy is 29, and while better than Illyasova at rebounding and is a more consistent shooter, the two possess very similar qualities. Illyasova is only 22, and his early season play has showed that he is capable of being a big time scorer at times. Obviously the long NBA schedule has worn him down a bit, but there is too much potential to sacrifice for the win now attitude. This leads to a proposed Kurt Thomas and Ridnour combination in a trade for Murphy. The Pacers would be wise to make this deal, because both Thomas' and Ridnour's contracts come off the Bucks at the end of the season while Murphy has a 12 million cap hit next year despite the fact that the Pacers won't even be close to sniffing the playoffs next year. The Bucks can afford to make this trade because they aren't going to be players this offseason as far as free agents go due to Michael Redd and Dan Gadzuric combining to make around 25 million.

Quite frankly, the Bucks wouldn't be able to attract a big name free agent anyways, as Milwaukee has been avoided like the plague by big name stars throughout the years. This leads me to why the deadline is important for Milwaukee. The Bucks can be buyers in players that have talent but their respective teams are going nowhere. They do not want to keep the salary burden, so they trade away the years remaining on players contracts to rid themselves of the financial constraint.


The Mavericks just showed us an example of this by acquiring Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and Deshawn Stevenson for Josh Howard and spare parts. The Wizards were going nowhere and wanted to clear cap for the future. The Bucks can make a trade like this, and it will greatly help them. Picture next season if the Bucks have the expiring contracts of Michael Redd, Dan Gadzuric, and Troy Murphy. That is around 37 million worth of salary coming off the books. A maximum-deal player starts off at around 17-18 per year, which means the Bucks could in essence acquire two maximum-valued players for these contracts. Will this happen? No. But we will be able to acquire a star or two while getting some valuable role players. By this time next year, a big trade could change the fortune of the Bucks franchise by bringing in a legitimate star next to building blocks Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings.

Janikowski's Record-Breaking Deal

The Oakland Raiders and kicker Sebastian Janikowski reached a record deal, making Janikowski the highest paid kicker in the league.

The league average for kickers is around $1 million a year.



Janikowski's new contract is four times that amount, at 4 years, $16 million. He is guaranteed to see $9 million.

10 years ago Janikowski was selected by the Raiders in the first round of the 2000 draft (he was the first specialty player selected in the first round of the draft in 21 years). This risky move then has obviously paid off.

Entering his 11th season, Janikowski has proven to be one of the best kickers in the league. In his career he has scored 1,000 points by converting 78% of his field goals and missing only 3 of his 316 extra point attempts.

His 2009 season was arguably the best of his career. He made 26 of 29 field goals without missing under 45 yards, which included 6 field goals of 50+ yards. He kicked a 61 yard field goal in '09 that was not only a career long, but also the 4th longest kick in NFL history. Janikowski made all 17 PAT attempts on the season, and had 17 touchbacks on 58 kickoffs, the sixth best mark in the league.

Obviously Janikowski has proven his deservance of an enormous contract.

Green Bay Packers' linebacker Clay Matthews had this to say on Twitter today:
ClayMatthews52: I might start pullin double duty... 1st LB slash kicker!!

Germany passes the U.S. for the medal count lead

Tuesday marked the first day in Olympic competition in which the United States failed to earn a medal. Germany took advantage, and with the help of women's luge gold medalist Tatjana Huefner (shown above) jumped the U.S. in the medal count. Germany now sits in first with 9 medals, with the U.S. holding second with 8. France rounds out the top 3 with 7 medals.

Even though no Americans won any medals on Tuesday, successes were still evident for the U.S. The men's and women's hockey teams both were victorious, the men defeating Switzerland 3-1 and the women demolishing Russia 13-0. In the women's game, Jenny Potter set a new Olympic record by repeating her hat trick performance from the previous 12-1 victory over China, becoming the first women's hockey player to record a hat trick in back-to-back games.