Two Cents From the Nose Bleeds

Packers Announce New Offensive Coordinator

2012-02-03T14:27:00.001-06:00

On Thursday the Green Bay Packers officially promoted quarterback coach Tom Clements to offensive coordinator, a position previously held Joe Philbon, who is now head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Packer head coach Mike McCarthy said of the promotion, “Tom has been an integral part of our success and our staff, making it an obvious decision to promote him to offensive coordinator. He has earned this opportunity and we look forward to continued offensive success in 2012.”

Clements' most obvious success is his work with Aaron Rodgers, who over the past two seasons has emerged as the league's premier passer.

While Clements was passed over after interviewing for the head coaching positions at Penn State University and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he is happy to remain in Green Bay.

“I’m not disappointed. Being a head coach would be great. I did interview with Penn State and Tampa, but all along I’ve said this would be a tough place to leave. It’s a great football town, the fans are great, we’re a young team and have a chance to be good for a long stretch of time. It would’ve had to have been the right situation to go. I wasn’t looking to leave just to go, because this is a great place to be,” Clements said.

Fielder Signs Massive Contract with Detroit

2012-01-25T11:33:00.000-06:00

After seven seasons at first base for the Milwaukee Brewers, free agent Prince Fielder has moved on, signing a 9 year, $214 mil contract with the Detroit Tigers.

As a Brewer, Fielder was a three time all star (2007, 2009, 2001), the 2011 All Star Game MVP, a two time Silver Slugger award winner, the 2007 NL Hank Aaron Award winner, the 2009 Home Run Derby winner, and holds the Milwaukee single-season record for home runs (50 in 2007).

Because Fielder was a Type A free agent, Milwaukee will receive Detroit's first round draft pick in the 2012 draft (27th overall) and a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds of the draft. The Brewers already own the 28th pick in the draft as a result of their season record in 2011.

Fielder has a history in Detroit, as his father, Cecil Fielder, played with the franchise from 1990-1996. Prince often joined his father at batting practice, and was hitting home runs at Tiger Stadium by the time he was 12.

Detroit has already announced that current first baseman Miguel Cabrera will attempt the switch to 3rd base, a position he played during his time in the minor leagues, to allow Fielder to assume the first baseman duties.

Pro Bowl Rosters Announced

2011-12-27T19:44:00.002-06:00

The rosters have been announced for the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl, and once again the Packers will be well-represented on the NFC team. Seven Packers were named to this year's team, four as starters.

Aaron Rodgers was named the NFC starting quarterback in his second appearance in the Pro Bowl, and fullback John Kuhn will start in his first Pro Bowl. Charles Woodson won a starting spot for his 8th Pro Bowl appearance, and Clay Matthews will start in his 3rd straight year as a Pro Bowler.

Wide receiver Greg Jennings, center Scott Wells, and defensive tackle B.J. Raji were all selected as Pro Bowl reserves.

Seven Packers were also selected as Pro Bowl alternates, including kicker Mason Crosby, wide receiver Jordy Nelson, kick returner Randall Cobb, tight end Jermichael Finley, guard Josh Sitton, linebacker Desmond Bishop, and cornerback Tramon Williams.

The Pro Bowl will take place on Sunday, January 29, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii

New SportsCenter Commercial Features Bucky Badger

2011-09-30T10:18:00.000-05:00

ESPN will air a new SportsCenter commercial that features Bucky Badger this Saturday during College GameDay.

Huge Weekend for Wisconsin Sports

2011-09-26T12:23:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was huge for Wisconsin sports. The Brewers, Badgers and Packers all had big wins on their way to an undefeated weekend.

Brewers

Friday night the Brewers began a three game series against the Florida Marlins. Going into the game the Brewers had a magic number of two to clinch the National League Central division, meaning they needed to win two games, or the second-place St. Louis Cardinals needed to lose two games, or some combination of the two.

The Brewers got on the board early on a solo home run by Prince Fielder in the second inning. The Marlins tied the game in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Bryan Peterson.

In the eighth inning Corey Hart doubled and Nyjer Morgan walked, bringing Ryan Braun to bat with two men on base. Braun worked Marlins pitcher Clay Hensley into a 3-1 count and sent the following pitch 431 feet into center field, putting the Brewers up 4-1.

"I think for me honestly, I live for that moment. You play the game to have the opportunity to play meaningful games down the stretch in September," Braun said after the game. "I truly expected to come through in that situation."

John Axford claimed his 44th save in the ninth inning to give the Brewers the victory.

With the Brewers' magic number reduced to just one, the Crew now looked to the Cubs/Cardinals matchup that was, at the time, in the eighth inning. 20 minutes later, the Cubs beat the Cardinals 5-1, ironically giving the Brewers their first NL Central division title since 1982.

The Brewers went on to beat the Marlins again on Saturday (6-4) and Sunday (9-5) to improve to 94-65 on the season. The Brewers' victory on Sunday gave the crew 55 wins at home in the 2011 season, a team record. The Brewers will also attempt to pick up their 95th win of the season on Monday night, which would tie the team record for most wins in a season.

Badgers

On Saturday the 7th ranked Wisconsin Badgers (4-0) faced off against the South Dakota Coyotes (2-2) at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.

After struggling in the first quarter, the Badgers exploded to end the first half and went on to steamroll the Coyotes 59-10.

Russell Wilson continued his dominance for the Badgers, completing 19 of 25 passes for 345 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Wilson found wide receiver Nick Toon seven times for a career-high 155 reception yards and two touchdowns. Jared Abbrederis also caught five passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Montee Ball amassed 15 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns, and James White carried the ball 9 times for 95 yards and a score. As a team the Badgers collected 267 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

The Badgers finished out the non-conference schedule with their fourth straight win. They have outscored their non-conference opponents 194-34.

Wisconsin opens their Big Ten schedule next Saturday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. ESPN College Gameday will come to Madison for the night game as the #7 and #8 teams face off.

Packers

The Packers traveled to Soldier Field on Sunday for a rematch of the 2010 NFC Championship Game against the Chicago Bears.

Green Bay opened the scoring in the first quarter when Aaron Rodgers found tight end Jermichael Finley for a six yard touchdown pass. Rodgers found Finley again in the second quarter on a seven yard score to put the Packers up 14-0.

The Bears scored on a pass from Jay Cutler to Dane Sanzenbacher to make the score 14-7. Both teams added field goals near the end of the second quarter to make the score 17-10 at the half.

The Packers added another field goal in the third quarter, before going up 27-10 in the fourth on a third Rodgers/Finley connection, this time from from ten yards out.

The Bears scored again late in the fourth on a 32 yard pass to Kellen Davis to make the score 27-17. After a late-game punt return touchdown was called back on a penalty, the Bears were unable to mount a comeback and the Packers walked away with the victory.

Aaron Rodgers completed 28 of 38 attempts for 297 yards and 3 touchdowns, all to Jermichael Finley. Greg Jennings led all receivers with 9 receptions for 119 yards.

The packer defense held Chicago running back Matt Forte to just two yards on nine carries, and Morgan Burnett intercepted Jay Cutler twice.

The Packers return home next Sunday against the Denver Broncos (1-2).

2011 NFL Kickoff: Key Position Matchups for the Packers and Saints

2011-09-06T17:30:00.000-05:00

On September 8, the 2011 NFL season will open with a matchup of the past two Super Bowl Champions, the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers will attempt to become the 12th straight defending Super Bowl Champion to win their season opener when the Saints come to Lambeau Field Thursday night.

Both teams are preseason favorites to return to the playoffs, and each hopes to open the 2011 season with a huge win over a premier team.

Several positional matchups will be huge factors in the outcome of the game.

Check out the rest of the article here on the Bleacher Report.

Badgers Open Season In Style

2011-09-02T09:47:00.000-05:00

The Wisconsin Badgers opened the 2011 NCAA season with a 51-17 routing of the UNLV Rebels on Thursday night.

The Badgers overpowered the Rebels in all facets of the game, accumulating 499 yards from scrimmage while limiting UNLV to less than 300 yards of offense.

Transfer quarterback Russell Wilson made the most of his Badger debut, completing 10 of 13 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns, and rushing for 62 yards and a touchdown.

The running back tandem of Montee Ball and James White was stellar as well, as Ball rushed for 63 yards and three touchdowns and White ran for 64 yards and a score. Ball also caught 2 passes, one for a touchdown.

The Badgers play Oregon State next Saturday.

2011 NFL Draft: 5 Wisconsin Badgers find NFL Homes

2011-05-10T08:56:00.000-05:00

After a Rose Bowl season in 2011, five Wisconsin Badgers were selected in the NFL Draft—the most Badgers taken in a draft since 2006, when five were also taken.

Read the rest of the article here on the Bleacher Report.

Zack Greinke Shines in First Start at Miller Park

2011-05-10T07:53:00.000-05:00

In his first home start for the Milwaukee Brewers this season, Zack Greinke pitched six innings, struck out nine, and gave up just two earned runs on the way to a 4-3 Brewers victory over the San Diego Padres.

Read the rest of the article here on the Bleacher Report.

Zack Greinke's Milwaukee Brewer Debut Scheduled

2011-05-02T13:40:00.000-05:00

Zack Greinke will make his first start for the Brewers on Wednesday. Check out the Bleacher report article here.

Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun Win NL Player of the Week Awards in April

2011-04-26T13:07:00.000-05:00

Although the Brewers have struggled somewhat as a team so far this season, Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun have been off to a red-hot April.

Check out the rest of the article here on the Bleacher Report

Corey Hart Set to Return to the Milwaukee Brewers

2011-04-25T12:05:00.000-05:00

According to sources for the Milwaukee Brewers, Corey Hart will return to the team for his first start on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on how well he feels after his Monday night start for Triple-A Nashville.

Read the rest of the article here on the Bleacher Report.

NFL Draft: Ranking the Last 10 Green Bay Packers Drafts

2011-04-08T16:07:00.000-05:00

I recently wrote an article for The Bleacher Report ranking the past ten draft classes for the Packers. Check it out here.

Braun Homers, Brewers Win Series

2011-04-07T16:59:00.000-05:00

The Brewers beat the Braves for the 3rd straight time to win the home series and improve their season record to 3-4.

Ryan Braun got the scoring started with a 2-run homer in the first inning. After the Braves tied the game, Nyjer Morgan ran over Brave catcher Brian McCann, jarring the bar loose and scoring the go-ahead run. The Brewers added a run in the 8th on a Prince Fielder RBI.

Shaun Marcum pitched well, giving up 2 runs in 6 innings of working. He also recorded 4 strikeouts and walked just 2 batters. The Brewer relievers held on to the lead, and John Axford tallied his 2nd save of the season.

The Brewers welcome in the rival Cubs for a 3 game series starting tomorrow. Randy Wolf will face off against Carlos Zambrano.

Yo to the Rescue

2011-04-06T11:51:00.000-05:00

The Milwaukee Brewers finally scraped out their first win of the 2011 MLB season last night in a 1-0 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Yovani Gallardo was undoubtedly the hero of the game, pitching a complete game shutout, giving up just 2 hits and scoring the sole run for the Brewers.

Gallardo became the first Brewer pitcher in history to throw a complete game shutout and score the only run of the game, and is the first player in the MLB to accomplish the feat since Pete Harnisch of the Houston Astros did it in 1991.

The Brewers face the Braves again tonight at 7. Marco Estrada takes the mound for the Brewers facing Mike Minor. Both are making their first starts of the season.

Sweet Sixteen Preview: Wisconsin vs. Butler

2011-03-23T20:01:00.000-05:00

Wisconsin heads to New Orleans Thursday night to make their 5th Sweet Sixteen appearance in the last 11 seasons, facing the 8th seeded Butler Bulldogs.

The 4th seeded Badgers are coming off two big wins to start the tournament. Last Thursday the Badgers were a favorite to be upset by the Belmont Bruins. Belmont stuck around for a short time, but the Badgers were too much and pulled away, eventually winning 72-48.

The story was much different last Saturday against Kansas State. The 5th seeded Wildcats came in with one of the best scorers in the league, point guard Jacob Pullen. Wisconsin struggled to guard him the entire game, but thanks to little production from the rest of the Wildcats and a few defensive stops at the end of the game, Wisconsin scraped out a 70-65 game and held Pullen to "only" 38 points.

Butler, who made it to the finals last year against eventual tournament-winner Duke, started out this year's tournament by beating 9th seed Old Dominion on a buzzer-beating layup and narrowly upsetting the #1 seed Pitt Panthers.

The Sweet Sixteen will be a matchup of two similar teams. Both Wisconsin and Butler like to play a slow game, take care of the ball, and shoot tons of 3's.

Some key matchups to watch:

Shelvin Mack vs. Jordan Taylor

Both Mack and Taylor have the ability to produce on the offensive end. We saw Taylor explode for 39 against Indiana, and Mack put 30 up against #1 Pitt. Taylor has the edge as a distributor, and has double Mack's assist-to-turnover ratio on the season.

Matt Howard vs. Jon Leuer

The inside game will be vital for both teams. Leuer was able to score at will against Belmont in the second half, and put up 18 against Kansas State. Howard was the hero against Old Dominion, getting a rebound to score a buzzer-beating layup, and was able to score 16 against Pitt. Leuer will have to exploit his height advantage when he is matched up against Howard.

Keaton Nankivil vs. Butler's help defense

Butler's center, Andrew Smith, is not nearly as mobile as Nankivil. The Badgers will look to pop Nankivil outside the arc for an easy three. If Nankivil is able to hit a few shots it will open up the court and put Butler in a tough defensive situation.

Butler's bench vs. Wisconsin's bench

The Badgers' backups came up big in the win over Kansas State. Mike Bruesewitz scored 11 points, including a key three near the end of the game, and picked up 6 rebounds. Ryan Evans provided a much-needed spark midway through the second half. Butler regularly plays 4 backups. Should any of the big hitters get into foul trouble, both teams' benches will need to step up.

Bo Ryan vs. Brad Stevens

Ryan has never missed the NCAA Tournament while coaching Wisconsin, and has seen moderate tournament success in his tenure. Butler coach Brad Stevens might look like a teenager, but has made the NCAA Tournament in all four years at Butler, making it to the final round last year.

Roster Moves: Packers Cut A.J. Hawk, Hope to Re-Sign

2011-03-03T09:29:00.001-06:00

The Green Bay Packers cut linebacker A.J. Hawk yesterday, with hopes to re-sign him at a reduced salary. Hawk was scheduled to make over $10 million in the upcoming season.

According to Hawk's agent, Mike McCartney, the two sides are "putting the finishing touches" on a deal to bring Hawk back to the Super Bowl champs just one day after his release.

UPDATE: A.J. Hawk and the Packers have agreed upon a 5-year contract, the details of the contract have yet to be released.

Green Bay Packers 2010 in Review: A Look to the Off-Season (Part 4 of 4)

2011-03-01T17:11:00.000-06:00

The 2011 off-season has been troubling to date. With the NFL's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expiring on Thursday, the potential for a 2011 lockout looms bigger than ever. It does not appear that the conflict between the NFL team owners and the Player's Union will be resolved and a new CBA will be put into place before the current agreement expires.

If no agreement is reached, the players will be locked out - players won't be able to work out at team facilities, teams can't conduct organized team activities, such as mini-camps, and the free agency period will not begin.

The lockout potential affects all teams as the 2011 season (hopefully) approaches.

The Green Bay Packers

In 2010 the Packers were one of the youngest teams in the NFL. They also experienced a heavy dose of injuries throughout the season. That makes 2011 exciting for Green Bay.

The Packers will experience a talent influx as injured players return to the team. 2010 starters like Jermichael Finley, Nick Barnett and Morgan Burnett will be thrown back into the mix as the team looks to return to the Super Bowl.

One of the problems the Packers will face in the off-season is making room for the injured players to return to the roster. This is most notable at the middle linebacker position.

Nick Barnett and Brandon Chillar, both inside linebackers, had season-ending injuries last year. A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop stepped up to handle most of the middle-linebacking duties. Bishop was rewarded for his play with a 4-year contract extension.

Deciding whether to keep A.J Hawk or Nick Barnett is a different story. Hawk's contract calls for a base salary of $10 million next year. Barnett has suffered season-ending injuries two out of the past three years. It appears that there is not room for both of these players on the Packer roster, one issue Green Bay will have to deal with.

As much as I love Nick Barnett, I feel the Packers need to attempt to re-negotiate a contract that will keep A.J. Hawk in a Packer jersey for years to come. Hawk struggled with the 3-4 defense early in its inception, but has developed into a vital part of Dom Capers' scheme. He led the Packers in tackles in 2010.

Another issue the Packers will need to address is their free agents. The Packers have several players with expiring contracts. Most notable is Cullen Jenkins. It is highly likely Jenkins will not be re-signed by the Packers and will be playing football elsewhere next fall. I would expect Mike Neal to move into the starting defensive end role.

Several other players, including John Kuhn, Atari Bigby, Jason Spitz, Mason Crosby, James Jones, Charlie Peprah and Brandon Jackson are also facing free agency. Expect the Packers to re-sign many of these players to contract extensions.

The Packers have several areas to address in the 2011 NFL Draft. First, another offensive lineman is a necessity. Bryan Bulaga took over for Mark Tauscher last season, but the aging Chad Clifton will soon need to be replaced. T.J. Lang has seen playing time at tackle, but he has been streaky at best.

The Packers also need to address their defensive line. The 3-4 defense Dom Capers runs rotates defensive lineman in and out constantly. If the Pack lose Jenkins to free agency, more depth will be necessary on the defensive line.

Expect the Packers to draft a defensive back, a corner most likely, as well. Charles Woodson is aging, and Jarrett Bush is of more use as a special teamer than a dime-back. Several other positions could be impacted depending on what free agents the Packers are able to re-sign.

After a Championship 2010 season, the Packers rewarded Mike McCarthy with a 3-year contract extension that pays him around $5 million per year, putting him among the top ten highest paid coaches in the NFL. Green Bay's general manager Ted Thompson also received a contract extension (note: of the 53 Green Bay players active for the Super Bowl, 49 were acquired by Thompson, 26 through the draft).

The threat of a lockout has tarnished the end of the 2010 NFL season. If the 2011 season starts as planned, the Green Bay Packers will certainly be a favorite to make a playoff run once again.

Packers 2010:
Part 1: The Regular Season
Part 2: The Playoffs
Part 3: The Super Bowl

Green Bay Packers 2010 in Review: The Super Bowl (Part 3 of 4)

2011-02-21T12:57:00.001-06:00

After three road wins, including victories against the top seeded Atlanta Falcons and the rival Chicago Bears, the Packers headed to Dallas to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh entered the playoffs after home victories over the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets.

The Steelers were looking to add to their NFL record six Super Bowl wins, and going for their third Super Bowl win in the past six years. The Packers, meanwhile, looked for ring number four in their first Super Bowl appearance since 1997, a loss to Denver.

The Packers opened the scoring on their second drive. Starting from their own 20, Aaron Rodgers drove the Packers the length of the field and found Jordy Nelson on a 29 yard touchdown pass. The Packers took a 7-0 lead.

A penalty on the ensuing kickoff backed the Steelers inside their own 10 yard line. On the following play, Packer defensive tackle Howard Green drove an offensive lineman into Roethlisberger, forcing a bad pass. Nick Collins picked off the underthrown ball, and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown, putting the Packers up 14-0 in the first quarter.

The Steelers added a field goal to make the score 14-3. A few drives later, Roethlisberger was again intercepted, this time by Jarrett Bush.

Four plays later, Rodgers found Greg Jennings for a 21 yard touchdown strike to give the Packers a 21-3 lead with 2:24 left in the first half.

Roethlisberger led the Steelers on an efficient two-minute drill and found Hines Ward for a touchdown with seconds left in the half, making the score 21-10. This drive was significant as it saw both Sam Shields and Charles Woodson leave the game with injuries.

Over halftime, Woodson was given an x-ray which clearly showed a snapped collarbone. Unable to continue playing and overcome with emotions, Woodson was barely able to impress upon his teammates what this game meant to him.

Luckily for the Packers, the extended halftime break (30 minutes instead of 10) gave them enough time to reconfigure their defensive gameplan to make up for the injuries.

In the second half, the Steelers were able to score quickly, thanks largely to running back Rashard Mendenhall. The Steelers closed the gap to 21-17.

The third quarter ended with the score still 21-17. On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Steelers attempted to run at Clay Matthews. Matthews and Ryan Pickett collided with Mendenhaal, and Matthews was able to put a hit squarley on the football, jarring it loose. Desmond Bishop recovered the fumble, and the Packers had great field position near midfield.

The Packers went to work and quickly scored on a second Rodgers to Jennings connection, this time from eight yards out. The Packers extended their lead to 28-17.

Pittsburgh responded on the ensuing drive with a 25 yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace. The Steelers went for two and succeeded, bringing the game to within three points at 28-25.

The Packers drove right back down the field, but their drive stalled inside the ten yard line. On third down, Rodgers missed Nelson by inches and the Pack settled for a field goal to go up 31-25 with 2:07 left in the game.

Hoping to pull off a second two-minute drill touchdown, Roethlisberger and the Steelers started their final drive from their own 17. After giving up some yards, the Packers forced a turnover on downs, with Tramon Williams breaking up a fourth down pass intended for Mike Wallace.

Two kneel-downs later, the Packers were Super Bowl champs.

Aaron Rodgers was named Super Bowl MVP after his stellar performance. Rodgers finished 24 of 39 for 304 yards and three touchdowns, good enough for a passer rating of 111.5. Despite many dropped passes from Packer receivers, Rodgers was able to avoid mistakes and complete passes to eight different receivers.

Jordy Nelson had a career day, catching nine passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. Jennings added four catches for 64 yards and two scores, while James Jones caught five balls for 50 yards.

The packers ran sparingly, but James Starks managed 52 yards on 11 carries.

After a season filled with injuries, the Packers were able to overcome losses of integral players in the biggest stage of all to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to its rightful home.

"We've been a team that's overcome adversity all year," said Greg Jennings. "Our head captain goes down, emotional in the locker room. Our No. 1 receiver goes down, more emotions are going, flying in the locker room. But we find a way to bottle it up and exert it all out here on the field."

Packers 2010:
Part 1: The Regular Season
Part 2: The Playoffs
Part 4: A Look to the Off-Season

Green Bay Packers 2010 in Review: The Playoffs (Part 2 of 4)

2011-02-16T17:44:00.004-06:00

The Green Bay Packers entered the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in football. After playing two straight games of win-or-go-home football, the upcoming game against Philadelphia seemed more like a third playoff game. Having just dominated the Giants and squeezed past Chicago in a close game, both at home in Lambeau Field, the Packers hit the road for the playoffs.

Wild Card Round: Green Bay at Philadelphia

The Packers had already survived in Philly once this season, thanks in large part to a great defensive performance against Kevin Kolb. This time around, however, Michael Vick would quarterback the Eagles for the entirety of the game.

The Packers opened the scoring late in the first quarter with a 7 yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to backup tight end Tom Crabtree. Rodgers threw a second touchdown pass, this time to James Jones, in the second quarter to put the Pack up 14-0.

David Akers, who missed a field goal for the Eagles in the first quarter, connected on a 29 yard field goal late in the 2nd quarter, making the halftime score 14-3 in favor of Green Bay.

The Eagles forced an Aaron Rodgers fumble in the third quarter, and Michael Vick was able to find Jason Avant on a 24 yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-10 Philadelphia.

On the ensuing drive the Packers drove down the field and worked their way to the red zone. Rodgers found Brandon Jackson on a well executed screen pass. Jackson followed his blockers on his way to a 16 yard score. The Packers now led 21-10 with just over a quarter left to play.

Late in the third quarter with the Eagles driving, the Packer defense stiffened and forced a stop. David Akers missed his second field goal of the day and the Packer lead remained 11 points.

The Eagles were finally able to put a touchdown on the board late in the fourth quarter on a 1 yard run from Vick. The Eagles went for two, and appeared to get the conversion on a pass to tight end Brent Celek.

However, Celek stepped out of bounds and returned to the field of play before he caught the ball. By rule, when a player re-establishes possession in bounds he cannot be the first player to touch the ball. A 5-yard penalty was assessed, and the Eagles failed to convert a second try, making the score 21-16.

The Philadelphia defense was able to force Green Bay to punt on the ensuing drive. The Eagles got the ball back with 1:45 remaining in the game.

Vick completed passes to DeSean Jackson and Riley Cooper before taking a shot at the end zone. Vick didn't throw a great pass, and Tramon Williams came away with an interception in the endzone with 33 seconds remaining on the clock, sealing the victory.

"I feel like I got greedy and took a shot at the end zone," Vick said about his last pass. "I didn't throw the ball I wanted and got picked. It's not the way I wanted to go out, but I went down swinging. I have to learn from it."

The Packer defense was key in the victory over the Eagles. Green Bay held Vick to just 32 rushing yards and sacked him 3 times.

"We fought hard today," said Aaron Rodgers. "Big interception by Tramon who's had a great season for us. The defense played great. They've been carrying us a lot this season. We had three touchdowns tonight, it was enough to win."

The Packer offense, led by another great performance from Rodgers, also saw great production from the running game for the first time in ages. James Starks carried the ball 23 times for 123 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry.

The packers moved on to face the Atlanta Falcons, the #1 seed in the NFC.

Divisional Round: Green Bay at Atlanta

The Packers entered Atlanta for the second time in the season. The first outing had been unsuccessful, as the Packers had lost by 3 in the final seconds of the game. The Pack were determined to achieve a different outcome this time around.

The Falcons drew first blood, using a heavy dose of running back Michael Turner to drive down the field, with Turner eventually scoring on a 12 yard run.

The Packers responded, driving down the field and scoring from 6 yards out on a touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson. On the ensuing kickoff, Eric Weems returned the ball 102 yards for an Atlanta touchdown, making the score 14-7.

The Packers fought back, tying the score at 14-all on a 1 yard touchdown run by John Kuhn.

On the ensuing drive, Atlanta drove into Green Bay's red zone. Charles Woodson sacked Matt Ryan for a 7-yard loss. On the following play Ryan lobbed a fade to Michael Jenkins. Jenkins slipped, and Tramon Williams came away with an interception.

Green Bay drove 80 yards and scored on a 20 yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to James Jones. Atlanta received the ball with under a minute left in the half, down 21-14.

With 10 seconds left in the half Atlanta had driven the ball into range for a long field goal. Falcon's head coach Mike Smith instead called for an out pass to Roddy White, trying to gain a few more yards to shorten the field goal attempt. Tramon Williams read the play perfectly, picked off Ryan's pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown as time expired.

"I recognized the formation," Williams said. "I knew they were trying to get into position for a field goal."

"Not a very good decision on my part," Ryan said. "I just needed to throw the ball away."

The Packers went into halftime up 28-14.

On the first drive of the second half Green Bay all but sealed the victory with an 80 yard drive capped off by a 7 yard touchdown run from Aaron Rodgers, making the score 35-14. One possession later Rodgers found John Kuhn for a 7 yard touchdown pass, putting the Pack up 42-14.

In the 4th quarter Matt Ryan found Roddy White for a touchdown, but it was too little too late. Mason Crosby tacked on two field goals for Green Bay, and the Packers coasted to a 48-21 victory over the top seeded Falcons.

Aaron Rodgers had a career day, completing 31 of 36 passes for 336 yards and a passer rating of 136.8.

"This probably was my best performance -- the stage we were on, the importance of this game," Rodgers said. "It was one of those nights, I felt like I was in the zone."

Greg Jennings caught 8 passes for 101 yards, and Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver, and James Jones amassed over 70 reception yards each. The Packer offense was so efficient that Tim Masthay didn't punt once.

On defense the Packers put on a show. The high-powered Falcon offense managed only 194 total yards. Clay Matthews sacked Matt Ryan twice; the Packers got to him 5 times. The Packers also forced 4 turnovers.

The big win over the Falcons set up an epic showdown against the Chicago Bears for the right to play in the Super Bowl.

NFC Conference Championship Game: Green Bay at Chicago

The classic NFC North rivalry between the Packers and Bears was set to take place for the third time this season. However, this time around it was for a Super Bowl bid.

The Packers came out firing and drove the length of the field on the opening drive. Aaron Rodgers scored on a 1 yard bootleg run to put the Packers up 7. Early in the second quarter James Starks found the endzone on a 4 yard touchdown run to give the Packers a 14-0 lead.

Both defenses came up with interceptions but neither offense was able to score again before halftime.

On the Packers first drive of the second half, Rodgers was intercepted by Brian Urlacher in the red zone. Rodgers made a touchdown-saving tackle that proved to be one of the most important plays in the game.

"I don't get paid to tackle, but that was probably one of my better plays of the game," Rodgers said.

On the following drive, Todd Collins replaced Jay Cutler as the Bears quarterback, a move that has led to much scrutiny of Cutler. Collins was unable to turn the turnover into points, and the Bears punted.

Two drives later Collins was replaced by Caleb Hanie. Hanie Led the Bears to their first score of the game.

Several drives later the Bears were pinned deep in their own territory. Hanie made a poor throw on a checkdown to Chester Taylor and B.J. Raji intercepted the pass and rumbled 18 yards for a touchdown.

Hanie would lead the Bears to another touchdown, bringing the Bears to within 7 points. Chicago got the ball back with 2:53 left in the game. The packer defense went into an 8-man coverage, forcing the young Hanie to throw into heavy coverage. On 4th and 5 from the Green Bay 29, Hanie was picked off by Sam Shields after attempting to throw into double coverage.

An Aaron Rodgers kneel down sealed the victory, and the Packers were headed to the Super Bowl.

Sam Shields became the first rookie and the fifth player ever to record a sack and two interceptions in a playoff game.

Punter Tim Masthay, after going unused in the Atlanta game, was the unsung hero of the Packer - Bear game. On 8 punts Masthay averaged 41.8 yards. He placed the ball inside the 20 five times, and the Packer cover team held Devin Hester to just 16 punt return yards.

The Packers overcame an injury riddled season, two win-or-go-home games to end the regular season and three road games in the playoffs to earn their way to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1997.

Packers 2010:
Part 1: The Regular Season
Part 3: The Super Bowl
Part 4: A Look to the Off-Season

Green Bay Packers 2010 in Review: The Regular Season (Part 1 of 4)

2011-02-09T15:04:00.003-06:00

Championship seasons rarely follow easy roads. The Green Bay Packers' 2010 Super Bowl season was no exception. This season was filled with injuries, penalties and heartbreaking losses. Despite this, the Packers came together as a team and fought adversity to make it to the playoffs, and eventually the Super Bowl. Substitutes stepped up, team leaders took control and coaches called brilliant games as the Packers fought their way to Dallas, Texas for Super Bowl XLV.

Week 1: Green Bay at Philadelphia

The Packers opened the 2010 NFL season on the road at Philadelphia. The Eagles were coming into the game without Donovan McNabb for the first time in 10 years. Instead, Kevin Kolb led Philadelphia, if only for the first half.

After the Eagles jumped out to a 3-0 lead, the Packers responded with 13 straight points to end the first half: a 49 yard Mason Crosby field goal, a six yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Donald Driver, and 56 yard field goal to end the half from Crosby, which was the longest field goal in Packer history.

The Eagles struggled on offense throughout the first half, thanks largely to the pass-rush presence of Clay Matthews. Matthews was able to sack Kolb twice, with one sack resulting in a game-ending concussion for Kolb.

Michael Vick opened the second half for the Eagles. On the second play of the third quarter, Eagles' wide receiver Eldra Buckley fumbled and Charles Woodson made the recovery. After a short drive John Kuhn scored from three yards out.

The Packers added another touchdown, a 32 yard pass to Greg Jennings. Vick led the Eagles to 17 points in the second half, making the score 27-20 with five minutes left in the game.

The Packer defense was able to hold the Eagles on fourth down in the closing moments of the game to escape with a win.

Ryan Grant, the Packers' starting running back, left the game with an ankle injury. He would later be placed on injured reserve, ending his season.

Week 2: Buffalo at Green Bay

After a close game at Philadelphia, Green Bay rolled over the Buffalo Bills easily in the Packers' home opener at Lambeau Field.

Aaron Rodgers threw for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns on his way to a passer rating of 116.3.

Clay Matthews had his second straight three sack performance, and helped the Packer defense hold the Bills to just 7 points and 186 yards of total offense.

Said Rodgers of Matthews' performance, "Just glad he's on our team."

Week 3: Green Bay at Chicago

The Packers saw their first loss of the season come by the hands of the Chicago Bears in a Monday Night Football game at Soldier Field.

The Packers set a team record by having 18 penalties for 152 yards. They turned the ball over twice, and gave up a Devin Hester punt return touchdown.

Even though the Packers played poorly throughout the game, the Bears barely managed a 3 point victory on a last second Robbie Gould field goal.

Week 4: Detroit at Green Bay

The 2-1 Packers returned home hoping to rebound from the loss to the Bears. The Detroit Lions entered the game 0-3, and hungry for their first victory.

The Pack jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a 29 yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Driver. The Lions tied the game with a Calvin Johnson touchdown reception.

Green Bay would add two more touchdowns, receptions by Jermichael Finley and Jennings, and Calvin Johnson rounded out the first half with his second touchdown of the day for the Lions.

Early in the second half, reigning defensive player-of-the-year Charles Woodson once again made his presence felt. Woodson picked off Shaun Hill, returned the ball 48 yards, and dove into the endzone for an emphatic touchdown, making the score 28-14.

The Packers then played bend-but-don't-break defense for the rest of the half, allowing 4 field goals but no touchdowns.

Despite struggling most of the second half, the Packer offense was able to get it together and mount one final drive to run out the clock. Fullback John Kuhn, recently promoted to part-time running back in the wake of Grant's injury, was able to bull his way for several first downs as the Packers ran out the clock to seal the victory, 28-26.

Rookie safety Morgan Burnett became the Packers' second opening day starter to be placed on injured reserve after the Detroit game.

Week 5: Green Bay at Washington

Green Bay headed to our nation's Capital to take on the Washington Redskins. After poor offensive performances against the Bears and the Lions, the Packers were looking for a spark in their offense.

They wouldn't find it in Washington.

As in the Chicago game, the Packers turned the ball over and committed numerous penalties, yet still managed to play into overtime.

In overtime, however, Aaron Rodgers was intercepted on a play in which he was driven into the ground and concussed. Washington was able to kick a field goal to win the game.

Nick Barnett became the third opening day starter to be placed on injured reserve after the Washington game.

Week 6: Miami at Green Bay

Aaron Rodgers was able to recover from his concussion in week 5 to make the start against the Dolphins. After going down 7-3 early, Rodgers found Jennings for an 86 yard catch-and-run touchdown connection.

Miami would strike back, and leave the Packers down 20-13 with 5 minutes remaining in the game.

Rodgers led the Packers on a 12 play, 69 yard drive capped off by a quarterback sneak touchdown with 13 seconds remaining in the game.

Once again, however, the Packers fell by a field goal in overtime.

Jermichael Finley became the fourth opening day starter to be placed on injured reserve after the Miami game.

Week 7: Minnesota at Green Bay

Brett Favre and the 2-3 Minnesota Vikings entered Lambeau Field looking to take a victory and bragging rights from the Packers.

The Packers struck first on a 1 yard Brandon Jackson touchdown run. Percy Harvin equalized the game for the Vikings with a 17 yard touchdown run.

A 9 yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Jermichael Finley's replacement, Andrew Quarless, put the Packers up 7. Once again, the Vikings answered, this time with an Adrian Peterson touchdown run. The Vikings added a field goal to go up 17-14 at halftime.

The Packers opened the scoring in the second half with a 14 yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings. On the ensuing possession, Brett Favre was intercepted by Desmond Bishop (replacing Nick Barnett in the lineup) who returned the ball 32 yards for a touchdown, putting the Packers up 28-17.

Late in the third quarter Favre found Randy Moss on a four yard touchdown reception. Both defenses would stiffen and prevent any scoring in the fourth quarter, with the game ending on a Brett Favre incomplete pass on 4th down as the clock expired.

The win helped pull the Packers out of their downward spiral, and winning over Brett Favre and the rival Vikings gave the Packers an emotional boost.

"Our biggest rival and the close score, the way it ended, it was definitely a special night for us," said Aaron Rodgers.

Week 8: Green Bay at New York Jets

The 4-3 Packers headed to New York to face the 5-1 Jets, one of the hottest teams in football.

The game would end with neither team scoring a touchdown, as neither offense ever put a complete drive together. The big difference maker would prove to be turnovers.

The Packers forced the Jets into three turnovers, and hung onto the ball themselves. Mason Crosby's three field goals were all the scoring that took place in the Packers' 9-0 victory.

The win did not come without price, however, as several impact players on defense were left out for the season with injuries: linebackers Brady Poppinga and Brad Jones, and defensive end Michael Neal.

Week 9: Dallas at Green Bay

Green Bay returned to Lambeau to face the struggling Dallas Cowboys.

The Packers got off to a huge start, scoring 28 unanswered points in the second quarter: Brandon Jackson scored on a nine yard reception and a two yard run, Greg Jennings caught an eight yard touchdown and Nick Collins returned a fumble 26 yards for a score.

Dallas was able to score a touchdown in the final seconds of the half, making the game 28-7.

Green Bay added 17 more points in the second half, a touchdown pass to James Jones, a Crosby field goal and a Clay Matthews 63 yard interception return.

The 45-7 victory was the second worst loss in Dallas history, and the Cowboy's 1-7 start was their worst start since 1989.

The Packers lost starting offensive tackle Mark Tauscher to injured reserve in the victory over the Cowboys.

Week 11: Green Bay at Minnesota

The Packers had a bye week to prepare for the Vikings after the rout of the Cowboys. The Packers headed to Minnesota for the 100th meeting between the rivals.

A Ryan Longwell field goal in the first quarter would be the only points scored by Minnesota.

The Pack scored 17 in the second quarter on a Crosby field goal and touchdown receptions by both James Jones and Greg Jennings. Rodgers found Jennings for two more scores in the second half and the Packers rolled past the Vikings, 31-3.

Rodgers finished the game completing 22 of 31 passes for 301 yards and 4 touchdowns, with a passer rating of 141.3. It was Rodgers' first career 4 touchdown game. Jennings caught seven passes for 152 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Week 12: Green Bay at Atlanta

The Packers were now faced with the toughest game of their season to that point. The 8-2 Atlanta Falcon had been nearly perfect at home for the past two seasons.

Both teams traded field goals, then touchdowns to make the score 10-10 at halftime.

The Falcons went up 17-10 on a Michael Turner touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Late in the game, the Packers answered, tying the game at 17-17 on a Rodgers to Jordy Nelson touchdown pass with one minute remaining.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Packers committed a pivotal 15 yard facemask penalty. The penalty put the Falcons in Green Bay territory, and they were able to get into field goal range and win the game as time expired.

Week 13: San Francisco at Green Bay

Green Bay returned home to face the struggling 49ers. The Packers, sporting their 1929 throwback jerseys, were obviously disappointed in the previous week's loss, and made San Francisco pay for it.

Rodgers was stellar, completing 21 of 30 passes for 298 yards and 3 touchdowns, accumulating a passer rating of 135.1. Donald Driver made the 49er defense look silly on a 61 yard touchdown reception.

Most importantly, Packer fans got their first look at rookie running back James Starks, who saw his first major time after coming off the physically unable to perform list several weeks earlier. Starks carried the ball 18 times for 73 yards, and gave Packer nation a glimpse of the spark he would provide in the playoffs.

Week 14: Detroit at Green Bay

Green Bay followed up the win over the 49ers with a poor performance against Detroit. Aaron Rodgers went down with his second concussion of the season and backup Matt Flynn was unable to pull out a victory for the Packers.

Detroit's sole touchdown proved to be enough to beat the Packers 7-3.

Week 15: Green Bay at New England

With Aaron Rodgers still out with a concussion, the Packers were set to face the Patriots with second-string quarterback Matt Flynn controlling the offense.

Flynn performed well for the Pack, and threw two touchdown passes in the first half to help the Packers to a 17-14 lead going into halftime.

In the second half, Flynn's inexperience showed through as he threw a poor interception that was returned for a touchdown. Flynn bounced back, however, and led the Packers on a scoring drive capped off by a Jon Kuhn 6 yard touchdown reception.

In the fourth quarter the Patriots took the lead and were able to hold off the Packers for the 31-27 win.

Week 16: New York Giants at Green Bay

Now 8-6, the Packers were in a desperate situation. In order to make the playoffs, the Packers needed to win out the season. They would have to beat both the 9-5 Giants and the 10-4 Bears if they wanted a shot at the playoffs.

The Packers didn't disappoint in the win-or-go-home situation. Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdown passes in the first half (Jones and Nelson) and John Kuhn ran in a third. The Packers led 21-14 at halftime.

The second half was all Packers. Rodgers threw two more touchdown passes (Donald Lee and Kuhn) and Kuhn ran in another. The Giants managed a field goal, and the Packers kept their playoff hopes alive, winning 45-17.

Aaron Rodgers threw for 404 yards and 4 touchdowns, John Kuhn boosted his cult-like following by scoring three touchdowns. The Packer defense forced six turnovers, including four interceptions thrown by Eli Manning.

Week 17: Chicago at Green Bay

The Packers' playoff hopes rested in one final game: a rematch of the sloppy, penalty-filled Monday night matchup with the rival Chicago Bears. The Bears, at 11-4, had already won the NFC North division and clinched a playoff birth, first round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Packers simply needed to win to make the playoffs.

The game was classic Green Bay vs. Chicago. Both defenses played lights out and neither team was willing to give an inch. Rodgers was finally able to string together a drive early in the fourth quarter. He found Donald Lee on a 1 yard touchdown pass to put the Packers ahead 10-3.

With the game winding down, Nick Collins intercepted Jay Cutler to end the game and send the Packers into the playoffs.

Regular Season Notes:

The Packers made the postseason despite sending 16 players to injured reserve throughout the season, including six opening day starters.

All six of the Packers' losses were by four points or less, with two of those losses coming in overtime.

The Packers finished 4th in the league in total offense, and 3rd in the league in passing offense. They also finished 3rd in total defense and 3rd in rush defense.

The Packers had six players selected to the Pro Bowl: Chad Clifton, Greg Jennings, Clay Matthews, Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, and Nick Collins.

Packers 2010:
Part 2: The Playoffs
Part 3: The Super Bowl
Part 4: A Look to the Off-Season

The Songs of the Pack

2011-02-04T08:37:00.005-06:00

With the recent release of Lil' Wayne's "Green and Yellow" Packer tribute, we decided to take a look at some of the popular Packer songs. From the touchdown song "Bang on the Drum" to the rush of the half song "Stop the Rock," Lambeau Field keeps the crowd rocking all game long. Songs like Wayne's "Green and Yellow" and "Feeling So Fly Like a Cheesehead" have followed a recent trend of covering popular songs as tributes to sports teams.

Check out some of the popular Green Bay Packer songs, and vote for your favorite! If we left your favorite Packer song out, write us a comment and we'll be sure to put it online.

"Green and Yellow" - Lil' Wayne

"Bang the Drum All Day" - Todd Rundgren - Packer Touchdown Song

"I Love My Green Bay Packers"

"Stop the Rock" - Apollo 440 (Packer stadium "rush of the half" song)

"G-Force" - Green Bay Packers: Official Music of the Green Bay Packers

"Feelin' So Fly Like a Cheesehead"

"The Hey Song"

"Zombie Nation" - Kernkraft 400

"All We Do Is Win" - Ray Nitti - (of course...a new song comes out right after I post this...)

Most Entertaining Wrestling Clip Ever?

2011-02-03T17:12:00.001-06:00

While the golden age of WWF wrestling is over, after watching this clip I think it may be back. Now honestly have you ever seen more entertaining acting then these sweaty wrestlers. I will take hypnotized wresters' acting talents over Nic Cage any day. Before watching this clip I laughed at people who love professional wrestling, claiming it's like believing in Santa Claus in college.

Now I understand the beauty and joy that comes from this art! Ever generation gets to see a masterpiece: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, and "The Most Illegal Move in History of Wrestling"!

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

My Two Cents on the Favre/Sterger Scandal

2010-12-12T11:40:00.000-06:00

As anyone with a computer or TV has heard by now, Brett Favre has been accused of harassing and sending inappropriate pictures to reporter Jenn Sterger during the season Favre played for the Jets. Sterger was a sideline reporter for the Jets at the time.

Now, two years after Favre left the Jets, stories have been surfacing saying that Favre (who is married, by the way) not only called Sterger and left voicemails asking to see her, but had also sent pictures of his genitalia via cellphone. Deadspin broke the story with this article, containing a video with both the voicemails and the pictures.

This is a tricky situation for the NFL.

On one hand, the NFL has an image to uphold. Recent cases of misconduct have been handled very strictly by the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell. Ben Roethlisberger was suspended several games after sexual assault charges, Plaxico Burress is in jail after conviction on illegal possession of weapons, and Michael Vick is attempting to rebuild his career after serving jail time for running a dogfighting ring. Goodell has proven to be a disciplinary commissioner, and has not been lenient in cases of misconduct.

On the other hand, Brett Favre is a much bigger name than any of these players. He has been the posterchild of the NFL for the past 20 years. He currently holds an NFL record for the most consecutive starts by a quarterback, (291) a stat that has bested drug addictions, family crises and numerous injuries. The NFL will be extremely cautious with its decision about Favre, as he has much more national exposure than the majority of NFL players.

This causes a problem.

Sterger is worried, with good reason, that Favre will finish out the 2010 season and retire before he is ever brought to justice for his actions. Favre has already said he will be retiring at the end of the season. While we've heard that before, his performance on the field this season is showing heavy signs of his age, and it appears he may really be done for good at the end of the season. Therefore, the possibility exists for Favre to retire without punishment for his actions.

The NFL has a tough decision to make. Punishing Favre will essentially vilify one of the NFL's most popular figures. Letting him walk away clean will show that the NFL is either not taking the situation seriously or afraid to take action against a high-profile figure.

I think the NFL needs to make a decision before the end of the season. Sterger's lawyer has stated that the NFL finished its investigation, yet the NFL has stated they are not ready to make a decision.

If no decision is made before the end of the season, Favre will walk away from the NFL. His punishment will not affect his career.

The NFL needs to take a stand, and continue to deal with misconduct in the same fashion as the Roethlisberger, Burress and Vick cases.

Yes, I am a Packer fan. Yes, I was deeply upset that Brett Favre went to play for the Vikings. But don't think this I am writing this to crucify Favre for leaving the Pack. Favre went to Minnesota because that was the best chance for him to win a Super Bowl - how can you blame the guy for that?

Brett Favre and football are synonyms in my mind. I grew up watching and worshiping Favre. I am amazed that Favre still has the desire to compete at the elite level after 20 seasons of bone-crunching hits. The man is simply amazing at what he does.

However, misconduct is misconduct. As a professional human, Favre must take responsibility for his actions.

Picture of the Week

2010-12-09T22:52:00.000-06:00

Let's see how many funny comments we can post about this picture!

Mr. Packer in Action

2010-12-06T11:12:00.002-06:00

2010 Big Ten Awards: Nine Wisconsin Badgers Earn All-Conference Honors

2010-12-01T09:12:00.003-06:00

The 2010 Big Ten All-Conference Teams and individual award winners were recently announced, and once again, the lists were highly populated with Wisconsin Badgers

Check out the full article here.

Roses are red...

2010-11-29T20:47:00.001-06:00

The Wisconsin Badgers all but sealed up a Rose Bowl bid with a victory against the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday afternoon.

The Badgers (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten) defeated the Wildcats (7-5, 3-5 Big Ten) 70-23 to finish out the season. With the victory, Wisconsin joins Ohio State and Michigan State as co-Big Ten Champions, the first title for Wisconsin since 1999.

Montee Ball had another huge game for the Badgers, carrying the ball 20 times for 178 yards (8.9 yards per carry) and 4 touchdowns. He joins Ron Dayne as the only two Badgers in school history to record 4 rushing touchdowns in back-to-back games. James White was stellar as well, carrying the ball 20 times for 134 yards and a score.

Scott Tolzein came out hot in the first half, completing 14 of 18 passing attempts for 180 yards and 4 touchdowns. He added a pass for 40 yards in the second half to bring his game total to 230 yards. His performance was good enough to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors. On the season, Tolzein completed 74.3 percent of his passes, smashing the Big Ten and team record of 67.8 percent set by Darrell Bevell in 1993. (Bevell won a Rose Bowl that season...)

Nick Toon had 5 receptions for 62 yards and 2 touchdowns. Lance Kendricks added 4 catches for 80 yards and a score, and David Gilreath caught 4 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown.

The Badger defense absolutely humiliated the Wildcat offense, forcing 7 turnovers in the game. Mike Taylor, Jay Valai, Anthony Fenelus, and Aaron Henry all recorded interceptions, Henry returned his pic 50 yards for a touchdown. Valai also forced a fumble.

JJ Watt was a force once again. Watt had 7 solo tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, a sack, 2 forced fumbles, a blocked extra point, and had 3 quarterback hurries that led to interceptions. (For those of you counting, that makes 5 turnovers directly related to Watt). Watt was rewarded for his performance with the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award.

With the victory (and losses by Boise State and LSU) the Badgers moved to number 5 in the BCS Standings. Barring anything crazy, the Badgers should be headed to the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, and would likely face TCU.

The Badgers finished the season on a hot streak, scoring 201 points and amassing 1715 yards over the past three games.

The Badgers also recorded their three highest scoring games in the modern era (since 1946) this season. (70 against Austin Peay, 83 against Indiana, and 70 against Northwestern)

They will need to keep that fire burning in the month off before a BCS bowl game.

This Is Why I Love Rick Reilly

2010-11-15T11:38:00.000-06:00

Washington Post columnist John Feinstein accused Washington Redskin's head coach Mike Shanahan of being racist for benching Donovan McNabb for Rex Grossman after the Redskins lost to the Detroit Lions.

Listen to Feinstein's accusations here, starting around the 2 minute mark of the video.

Rick Reilly wrote an excellent column in response. Check it out here.

Al Harris Released, Claimed by Dolphins

2010-11-10T14:27:00.005-06:00

The Green Bay Packers released 12-year veteran cornerback Al Harris on Monday. After passing through waivers unclaimed, Harris was signed to a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday.

Harris, 35, came into the 2010 season after going through knee surgery. He was placed on the physically unable to play list (PUP) at the start of the season, but was never activated after the PUP expired at week six.

Here's my favorite Al Harris moment...

Packers Embarrass Struggling Cowboys

2010-11-08T15:03:00.002-06:00

The Green Bay Packers (6-3) demolished the Dallas Cowboys (1-7) on Sunday night. The 45-7 final score marks the second worst road loss in Cowboy history, and Dallas' 1-7 start is their worst 8 game start since 1989. The poor start prompted the firing of head Coach Wade Phillips on Monday afternoon. Defensive coordinator Jason Garrett is taking control of the team from this point on.

The Packers and Cowboys went scoreless in the first quarter before Aaron Rodgers and the Pack exploded for 28 points in the second quarter. The Cowboys scored their only touchdown of the game with 16 seconds left in the first half.

The depleted Packer defense stepped up once again to dominate the Cowboy offense. The Cowboy offense was held to just 205 total yards. The Packers forced four turnovers, including two that resulted directly in touchdowns. Dallas quarterback Jon Kitna started in place of the injured Tony Romo, and was held to 183 yards passing. Kitna threw two interceptions and had a quarterback rating of just 63.6.

Clay Matthews added several stats to his Defensive Player of the Year resume. Matthews had a sack, two tackles for losses, 2 deflected passes, and an interception returned 62 yards for a touchdown. Matthews joked after the game that his Lambeau Leap wasn't acceptable...

"I think I might actually hang back and work on my Lambeau Leap skills," he said.

Charles Woodson added five solo tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble, and Sam Shields recorded his first NFL interception.

Just before halftime Nick Collins recovered a fumble after a Packer kickoff and returned it for a touchdown. Even though the runner was likely down by contact, Dallas could not challenge the play because they wasted all their timeouts earlier in the half.

The Packers played just as well on offense. Aaron Rodgers was stellar, and threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns on 27 of 34 attempts for a quarterback rating of 131.5. Rodgers also ran the ball 5 times for 41 yards. John Kuhn added 13 carries for 50 yards, and Brandon Jackson carried the ball 13 times for 42 yards and a touchdown. Jackson caught an eight yard touchdown pass as well.

Greg Jennings and James Jones had big games with Donald Driver out with a quad injury. Jennings caught seven passes for 80 yards and a touchdown, and Jones caught eight passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. Seven different Packers caught at least one pass.

The Packers didn't take the struggling Cowboys lightly, and were able to humiliate them by controlling the ball, forcing turnovers, and limiting penalties.

"This is a big win for us, regardless of the record and regardless of who came in here tonight," said Charles Woodson. "It's a positive for us to go into the bye week like that. It will be good for us to reflect on this game and know what we're capable of as a whole team. If we play the whole game, all three phases of the game, we can have dominant performances like this."

The Packer win keeps them on top of the division going into a much needed bye week. The Packers will have an extra week to get healthy before heading to Minnesota for the second matchup with the Vikings.

Badgers Top Boilermakers, Move Up In BCS Standings

2010-11-08T13:47:00.000-06:00

The Wisconsin Badgers (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten) beat the Purdue Boilermakers (4-5, 2-3 Big Ten) on Saturday.

Purdue came out hot and was all over the Badgers for most of the first half. After trailing the Boilermakers 10-6 at halftime, the Badgers held Purdue to just a field goal and scored four touchdowns in the second half on their way to a commanding 34-13 victory.

"Give credit to Purdue, they came in all jacked up," Bielema said. "At halftime, we regrouped, I changed my jacket. I think we just wanted to take a different approach to the second half and relax. I told the guys that we didn't need any superhuman effort, we just need to go out there and execute the fundamentals of what we do."

The Badgers calmed down in the second half and stuck to their gameplan to come away victorious.

Once again, defense and the running game led the Badgers to victory. The Badgers forced four turnovers, including three interceptions. Cornerback Antonio Fenelus had a career high nine tackles, recovered a fumble, and returned an interception for a touchdown. Fenelus was named a Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Week after his efforts Saturday (award shared with Penn State linebacker Michael Mauti).

Linebackers Mike Taylor and Culmer St. Jean added interceptions, and Taylor, JJ Watt, and Pat Muldoon each picked up a sack.

The Badger offense saw most of its production come from running back Montee Ball. With James White out with an injury and John Clay not quite 100%, Ball saw the majority of the carries on offense. Ball had 21 carries for 127 yards and found the endzone twice.

"I knew I was going to play this game, get more carries than I did before in a game situation," Ball said. "I knew the team was going to look at me and expect me to carry the load. I didn't want to let them down at all."

Clay gained 42 yards on 12 carries. He needs just 71 yards to reach 1,000 yards on the season, and has three more games to accomplish this feat for the second straight year.

With the victory the Badgers moved from #9 to #7 in the BCS standings. The Big Ten currently has four teams (#9 Ohio State, #11 Michigan State, and #13 Iowa the other three) in the top 13 teams in the nation.

Next weekend the Badgers face Indiana (4-5, 0-5 Big Ten) at home.

Funny New ESPN Ad

2010-11-01T15:08:00.001-05:00

You gotta love Bango and Young Buck in this witty ESPN ad!

Wisconsin Sports Update

2010-11-01T14:11:00.000-05:00

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks opened the 2010-2011 season by winning just one of their first three games. Saturday night's win was significant, though, as point guard Brandon Jennings had his first NBA triple-double in the win over the Charlotte Bobcats.

Jennings scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

"This is my best game since I've been in the NBA, just the fact that I had a nose for the ball and I was being unselfish and I was everywhere," said Jennings. "I was being a floor general tonight."

The Bucks play Portland on Tuesday night and travel to Boston to face the Celtics on Wednesday.

Wisconsin Badgers

Despite not having a game this weekend, the Badgers jumped up a spot in the BCS standings. Now at #9, the Badgers are the highest Big Ten team in the standings. Michigan State, previously #5, was decimated by Iowa and dropped to #14. Iowa sits at #16, with Ohio State at #11.

The Badgers play at Purdue this weekend.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers relied on strong defensive play to take down the New York Jets on Sunday. The Jets came into the game after their bye week, riding a five game winning streak, and tied for the best record in the NFL. The Packers, who are struggling through several key injuries this season, felt this game was a statement about the team's drive and desire.

"We wanted to come in here and prove to everybody what we're all about,"said Clay Matthews. "We've had a few close losses that we thought we should have won. We let our play do our talking."

Turnovers and penalties were the name of the game. The Packers had their first turnover-free game of the season, and had just three penalties for 15 yards. Both Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams ripped interceptions away from Jet receivers. Williams also recovered a fumble.

Special teams were huge in the Packer win. Mason Crosby hit three of four field goal attempts for the only points of the game. Punter Tim Masthay pinned the Jets inside the 20 yardline five times out of eight punts. On a windy day the field position battle was huge.

The Packers, now 5-3, have sole possession of first place in the NFC North. The Dallas Cowboys (without Tony Romo) come to Lambeau on Sunday night.

Packer Roster Moves

2010-10-27T13:33:00.000-05:00

The Green Bay Packers signed three linebackers on Wednesday.

Matt Wilhelm was signed out of free agency. He is an inside linebacker who has played in 82 games over an eight game career, most recently for San Diego. Wilhelm takes the place of Maurice Simkins, who was released by the Packers.

Diyral Briggs was claimed off wagers from the Denver Broncos. He is an outside linebacker who has played in just six games in his career. He takes a roster spot from Brady Poppinga, who was placed on the injured reserve list after the Miami game.

Erik Walden was also signed off the free agency list after being released by Miami earlier this season. Walden has played in 28 career games.

Big Weekend for Wisconsin Sports

2010-10-25T14:42:00.002-05:00

Both the Wisconsin Badgers and the Green Bay Packers held on in close games to beat rival opponents this weekend. The 13th ranked Badgers came out of Iowa with a win over the 15th ranked Hawkeyes on Saturday, and Sunday night the Packers beat the Vikings in what was likely Brett Favre's last trip to Lambeau Field.

#13 Wisconsin - 31, #15 Iowa - 30

The Badgers overcame injuries to three huge offensive weapons - Lance Kendricks, James White, and Nick Toon - and still managed to beat Iowa 31-30. This was the first time since 2004 that the Badgers won consecutive games against ranked opponents. Wisconsin ended a two-game losing streak against Iowa as they regained the Heartland Trophy, and evened up the all-time series at 42-42-2.

The loss of James White put John Clay solely in charge of the rushing game. He ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns against one of the best run defenses in the conference. Montee Ball added three carries for 18 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. Ball was also a huge factor in the passing game, catching five passes for 41 yards. Ball proved he still is a valuable asset to this offense, even though his playing time has dropped since James White's emergence.

Scott Tolzein was extremely efficient once again this week, despite throwing an interception. Tolzein finished 20 of 26 for 205 yards and threw a touchdown pass to fullback Bradie Ewing.

The real story this game was coaching. It was obvious Brett Bielema wanted to come away from his alma mater with a win. Bielema's playcalling was phenomenal, and his gutsy calls paid off. Bielema called a fake punt in the middle of the fourth quarter. Punter Brad Nortman ran for 17 yards, and kept the drive alive. The Badgers went on to complete a 15 play, 80 yard drive, with an eight yard touchdown run from Ball, and took a one point lead with a minute left in the game.

Poor clock management by Iowa and a huge sack from JJ Watt kept Iowa out of field goal range. Watt also blocked an extra point attempt early in the game, a play that at the time seemed irrelevant, but turned out to be extremely important.

Bielema was extremely pleased with the way his team has played the past 2 weeks:

“Two pretty good weeks,” Bielema said. “I tell you what, it makes this (bye) week even that much more special.”

The Badgers' record improves to 7-1, 3-1 in the Big Ten, while Iowa drops to 5-2, also 3-1 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin moved to #10 in the BCS standings. The Badgers sit next weekend out, but return to action in 2 weeks at Purdue.

Green Bay - 28, Minnesota - 24

The Green Bay Packers righted the sinking ship on Sunday night by beating the Vikings, ending a 2 game losing streak and putting themselves back on top of the NFC North. The Packers, now 4-2, are tied for first with the Bears, who hold the tiebreaker with their head-to-head victory.

Both the Packers and Vikings came out firing. The first half was filled with offense, as the teams entered halftime with the Vikings leading 17-14. The Pack struck first in the second half with a touchdown pass to Greg Jennings. Then the defense took over.

The Packers were able to pressure Brett Favre into 2 terrible interceptions, both caused by linebacker blitzes. A.J. Hawk picked Favre for a 21 yard return, and Desmond Bishop returned a Favre interception 32 yards for a touchdown. Nick Collins picked off Favre on the ensuing drive on an excellent defensive play.

Favre managed to bring the Vikings downfield and score a touchdown on the following drive, making the game 28-24. The Packers' defense stiffened on the final drive, not allowing Favre another 4th quarter comeback.

Rodgers was a little off for much of the game, missing receivers and throwing 2 bad interceptions. However, he was 21 of 34 for 295 yards with touchdown passes to Jennings and Andrew Quarless. The rushing game combined to gain 84 yards, with Brandon Jackson rushing for 58 yards and a touchdown.

The Packer defense only managed to sack Brett Favre once, but was able to pressure him in the second half, forcing bad throws.

Vikings' coach Brad Childress criticized Favre's ball control after the game:

"You can't throw it to them, you've got to play within the confines of our system," Childress said of Favre. "Sometimes it's OK to punt the football. You can't give seven points going the other way, not in a game like this."

Aaron Rodgers acknowledged the significance of this victory:

"Our biggest rival and the close score, the way it ended, it was definitely a special night for us," Rodgers said.

The Packers go on the road next weekend to face the New York Jets.

NCAA Basketball: Preseason Coaches Poll Released

2010-10-22T12:16:00.000-05:00

The first coaches poll was released today for the 2010-2011 NCAA Basketball season.

Five Big Ten teams made the poll, including Michigan St. Ohio St., Purdue, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Here's how the coaches ranked the teams in the preseason:

Duke
Michigan St.
Kansas St.
Pitt
Ohio St.
Villanova
Kansas
Purdue
North Carolina
Kentucky
Florida
Gonzaga
Syracuse
Baylor
Missouri
Illinois
Washington
Butler
Memphis
Tennessee
Georgetown
Temple
Virginia Tech
Wisconsin
Texas

Badgers Take Out #1

2010-10-18T13:20:00.000-05:00

For the first time since 1981 the Wisconsin Badgers emerged victorious from a matchup with the nation's top ranked team. The Badgers knocked Ohio State out of the top spot with a decisive 31-18 victory on Saturday night.

The Badgers entered the game as the #18 team in the country, the underdog at home against the Buckeyes. The combination of a consistent running game and tough defense helped the Badgers prove the oddsmakers wrong and come away with a win.

This game was the most exciting sports event I've ever attended. The atmosphere was unbelievable at Camp Randall. The stadium was filled to capacity before kickoff, which hasn't happened for quite some time.

David Gilreath's opening kickoff return for a touchdown set the tone for a night full of headaches for Ohio State. The Badgers quickly added two more touchdowns, both on rushes by John Clay, to take a 21-0 lead.

Ohio State then scored 18 unanswered points, making it a three point game. The Badgers responded with a 10 play, 73 yard drive capped by a James White 12 yard touchdown run.

The Badgers managed to control the Buckeye offense for the rest of the game, and Blake Sorenson intercepted a Terelle Pryor pass late in the 4th quarter to seal the victory.

Following the victory, the crowd stormed the field despite the PA announcer's best attempts to convince us otherwise. Camp Randall became a sea red and white, as fans congratulated and celebrated with the players.

John Clay became the first player in 30 games to rush for 100 yards against the Buckeyes. He totaled 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. James White added another 75 yards and a touchdown.

Scott Tolzein threw for 152 yards and connected on 81% of his pass attempts. Nick Toon led The Badger receivers with 6 receptions for 72 yards.

David Gilreath was named the Big Ten Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after his performance against Ohio State. Gilreath's 97 yard touchdown return made him the Big Ten's all-time leader in kickoff return yards. Gilreath finished the day with 163 total return yards, bringing his career total to 2,677 yards, passing the 2.575 yards set by Michigan State's Derrick Mason after the 1996 season.

The Badger defense held Terrelle Pryor to just 156 passing yards and 56 rushing yards. JJ Watt sacked Pryor twice, and Pat Muldoon added a sack as well. The Badger secondary didn't allow a passing touchdown.

The Badgers moved up to #10 in the new polls. Ohio State dropped to #11. The new rankings have Michigan State at #8 and Iowa at #13, making next week's game at Iowa a pivotal matchup for Wisconsin.

Oops!

2010-10-11T17:58:00.000-05:00

Watch your hands when you have a female ref!

Two Favorite College Football Plays of the Weekend

2010-10-11T12:32:00.001-05:00

So this weekend in the NFL was not worth writing about because the Packers are so frustrating right now. However there were two plays in college football that epitomize the reason I love it. The first one shows Andrew Luck a future NFL one round draft pick, light up USC's Shareece Wright after a fumble recovery. The second one, I love because sometimes college coaches try to get to cute and young college players make the most of the stupid decision. Surprise onside kicks are great in EA Sports NCAA 2005 but not also in the actual game, unless its the Super Bowl of course.

Vote for your favorite!

Badgers Breeze Through Homecoming Border Battle, Prepare for Matchup with #1

2010-10-11T11:45:00.001-05:00

The Wisconsin Badgers beat the Minnesota Golden Gophers in UW's homecoming football game on Saturday, keeping Paul Bunyan's Axe in Madison for the seventh straight year.

Wisconsin (5-1, 1-1 Big Ten) rushed its way to a 41-23 victory over Minnesota (1-5, 0-2 Big Ten). The Badgers rushed for 250 yards and five touchdowns, with the majority of the production coming from John Clay and James White, who both broke 100 yards in the game. Scott Tolzein added 223 passing yards and threw a touchdown pass to Jared Abbredaris.

The Badgers bounced back from a disappointing loss to Michigan State last weekend.

"After a loss and a bad taste in your mouth, you can't look back, you've got to move forward, and I thought our guys did that," Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said. "I can't say enough about our ground game. John Clay and James White and the big guys up front blocking up for them are really special."

This was the second time this season both Clay and White rushed for at least 100 yards in the same game. In the past three games White has amassed 361 rushing yards and has found the endzone eight times. White's emergence as a force in the running game comes at a vital point in the season as the Badgers prepare to square off with the newly labeled #1 Ohio State Buckeyes.

After #1 Alabama was upset by #19 South Carolina the Buckeyes jumped to the top spot in the polls. This will be the first time the Badgers faced a #1 team since 2007, when they traveled to Ohio State and lost, 38-17. Wisconsin seeks a different outcome this weekend.

Monday Night Matchup

2010-09-27T13:44:00.000-05:00

The Green Bay Packers head to Soldier Field tonight looking to gain sole possession NFC North lead. The 180th matchup (the league's oldest rivalry) between these two teams marks the first time since 1962 when both teams had a record of 2-0 or better.

The Bears are coming off a big win in Dallas in which quarterback Jay Cutler was able to throw for 277 yards and three touchdowns. Cutler connected on passes to six different players, with running backs playing a key role in the passing game. The running game, however, was only able to amass 32 yards.

The Packers travel to Chicago after blowing out the Buffalo Bills 34-7 at Lambeau Field, a game I was lucky enough to attend. After struggling in the red zone in the first half, Aaron Rodgers had a stellar second half, throwing for two touchdowns and running another in. He finished the day with 255 passing yards.

The Pack saw a significant decrease in run production (not that it mattered against the Bills) after the loss of running back Ryan Grant to a season-ending ankle injury. Brandon Jackson and fullback John Kuhn saw split time as the featured back, and with the aid of Rodgers and newly acquired running back Dimitri Nance, the Packer ground game was able to combine for 91 yards, with both Rodgers and Jackson rushing for touchdowns.

Despite the offensive firepower in the second half, the real excitement from the Buffalo game came from the defense, and more specifically, Clay Matthews. For the second straight week the Claymaker collected three sacks, bringing his season total to a league-leading six. He is the first player in franchise history to have back-to-back games with three sacks, and was named last week's NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He was unstoppable off the edge, and caused Trent Edwards to consistently hurry his throws.

Things to watch for tonight:

Julius Peppers: With Packer's left tackle Chad Clifton showing signs of injury and age, rookie Bryan Bulaga may see playing time in tonight's game. He played the majority of the game last week against the Bills, but Julius Peppers is a different breed of beast. Look for Chicago to line Peppers up against Bulaga to gain a mismatch.

Clay Matthews: Kevin Kolb. Trent Edwards. Neither quarterback has played a snap since playing the Packers, largely thanks to Matthews. The Packers will use him in many different ways tonight.

Jermichael Finley: Tony Romo was able to find his tight end, Jason Witten, five times last Sunday against the Bears. Finley is a more athletic tight end than Witten, and poses huge problems for linebackers and defensive backs. Finley had his first 100 yard game last weekend, I expect to see his first (and second) touchdowns of the season tonight.

Matt Forte: Despite a poor performance last week, Forte is a premier back in the NFL. Last weekend the Bills were able to find successes against the Packers on the ground, expect the Bears to attempt the same.

Jay Cutler/Aaron Rodgers matchup: Cutler and Rodgers are both having good seasons so far this year. While Cutler may have one more touchdown pass and one less interception than Rodgers, the Packers were able to intercept Cutler five times last season. Both quarterbacks hold mutual respect for each other, as stated in an interview with ESPN:

"It is nice to watch him have the success he has had the first two games, I think. You have got to point to, definitely, some growth in him and understanding that system coach [Mike] Martz is trying to run. It's obviously working very well for him in the first couple weeks. I'm happy for him." — Packers QB Aaron Rodgers on Cutler

"Good player, really good player. Playing at a high calibre. Did it last year. Looks like he's back on track this year. A lot of weapons over there. Tight ends, receivers, running backs. They spread it out a lot. They do some similar stuff we do — create matchups [and] he's able to find them. He moves around well. He's definitely one of the top quarterbacks in the league." —Bears QB Jay Cutler on Rodgers

NFL Eve: On the Brink of the 2010 Season

2010-09-08T15:27:00.000-05:00

It's that time again...when web gems and bicycle kicks are replaced with one-handed catches and punt-return touchdowns. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" turns into "Bang the Drum All Day" and foam fingers are switched out for cheese heads. Yes it's football season, the best four and a half months of the year.

The 2010 NFL season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory. Off-season trades, high-profile benchings, quarterback suspensions, aged veterans returning (again), new stadiums, new coaches, new throwback uniforms, rule changes, international stages, and the potential for a 2011 lockout all combine to make this season one for the ages.

The 2010 season kicks off tomorrow night when the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints take on the Minnesota Vikings, a rematch of the 2009 NFC Championship Game. Brett Favre returns to the Vikings for what is likely to be his last opening day start to take on Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees and the high powered Saints offense.

The Green Bay Packers open their 2010 campaign in Philly on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers and the explosive Packer offense will look to outscore the Kevin Kolb quarterbacked Eagles. The Dom Capers-coached defense has a full year of the 3-4 scheme under their belts and looks to improve upon the disappointing performance in last season's playoff loss. They will have to contain the likes of DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek in order to pull out a win.

ESPN and Sports Illustrated recently released week 1 power rankings, here is the top ten:

Several rule changes are in affect this season. A new overtime system is in place. The "Hines Ward Rule" has been altered to protect all defenseless players. The umpire will now line up in the offensive backfield opposite the quarterback's throwing arm (except in the final two minutes of each half) in order to reduce the number of times that the official has been run over in the past. Replay can now be used to determine if a ball was interfered with. Plays will also be whistled dead when the ball-carrier's helmet comes off during the play.

The 2010 season is uncapped, as NFL owners voted to opt out of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in 2008. If no new CBA is arranged, a work stoppage will exist for the 2011 season. The threat of a lockout makes this season one to watch even more closely; it may be the last pro football we watch until 2012.

Big Ten Alignment Announced

2010-09-02T15:55:00.000-05:00

The Big 10 Conference has announced the conference alignment that will be in affect starting next season. The 2 divisions have not yet been named.

Division 1:

Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin

Division 2:

Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Michigan State, Iowa, Minnesota

Each school will play the other five schools in their division, as well as three teams from the other division, with one cross-division match up guaranteed annually. These are the guaranteed cross-division matchups:

Wisconsin - Minnesota
Ohio State - Michigan
Penn State - Nebraska
Purdue - Iowa
Illinois - Northwestern
Indiana - Michigan State

The Badgers open the 2010 season this weekend at UNLV.

Favre Intends to Play, If Healthy

2010-08-04T15:34:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday morning Brett Favre told ESPN's Ed Werder that he intends to play in the upcoming season if his ankle recovers from surgery. He denied reports that he sent text messages to his teammates involving his intended retirement.

the saga continues...

Third Time's a Charm?

2010-08-03T16:10:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday morning Brett Favre reportedly informed the Vikings' organization that he will retire. Brad Childress, head coach of the Vikings, has stated he has not heard from Favre directly about the situation. League sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Shefter that Favre sent the text message "This is it" to several teammates.

If Favre truly is retiring (he has already retired twice, once in March of 2008 and another time in July of 2009) he will leave as the NFL all-time leader in touchdown passes, passing yards, pass completions, pass attempts, consecutive starts, victories as a starting quarterback, and interceptions. He remains the only player to be named league MVP three consecutive times. (Favre is also the only known grandpa playing in the NFL today)

While I personally would love to see Favre return (so Clay Matthews can say hi to his facemask) it is undeniable that Favre's retirement lays a path for the Packers to walk away with the NFC North title.

Last season the Vikings torched Green Bay through the air. Now, with Tarvaris Jackson, Sage Rosenfels, or Joe Webb (who?) at the helm, the probability the Packers will surrender to the passing game is low. This leaves the weight on the shoulders of Adrian Peterson, who rushed for a total of 152 yards against the Packers last season, not exactly a high total for one of the league's best running backs.

While revenge would be sweet for the Pack, I'll gladly take a playoff run in exchange.

Hart Rewarded for Hot Season

2010-08-02T15:22:00.000-05:00

The Milwaukee Brewers and Corey Hart reached an agreement Monday on a three-year, $26.5 million contract extension. This comes after pre-season contract arbitration and numerous mid-season trade talks.

Hart was anything but hot coming into the 2010 season. The 2009 campaign and spring training of 2010 were not high points in Hart's career. He was left out of the opening day starting line-up and failed to make the All-Star Ballot.

Despite this, Hart has lit up the field throughout the first half of the season. He made the All-Star Team by way of the players' ballot, and ended up starting for the National League due to an injury to Jason Heyward.

After trade talks surrounded Hart, he publicly announced his preference to stay a Brewer.

"In years past, I think I've pressed too much to worry about what would happen next year," he said. "I told them all along I wanted to be here [in Milwaukee], because my family likes it there and it's a comfort level. Not having to worry about that now, I can take a deep breath and go out there and relax."

As of Monday, Hart is hitting .288, with 23 homers and 72 RBI's.

"The Brewers are very excited to have Corey signed for the next three years," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said in a statement issued by the club. "He is one of our drafted and developed players and with his two-time All-Star performances, Corey deserves this contract that will provide his family security. We appreciate his wanting to remain a Brewer and a part of the Milwaukee community."

Packers Lock Down Bulaga, Bring Full Team to Training Camp

2010-07-31T07:59:00.000-05:00

The Green Bay Packers signed rookie offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga to a five-year deal on Friday morning. The deal is worth $14.75 million over those five years, with $8.76 million in guaranteed money.

With training camp kicking off this morning, the Packers have all of their players, including all seven draft picks, under contract. (Last year B.J. Raji didn't sign until 2 weeks of camp were over.

“It’s important for young players to be in camp on time," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said during his pre-training camp news conference on Friday. “The practice time, the meeting time, those are days you just can’t get back. You see it time and time again when players miss because of contract negotiations, they fall behind.”

Rodgers = Hungry

2010-07-15T20:26:00.000-05:00

Aaron Rodgers is in the middle of a month-long workout regiment in San Diego, where he is training with Super Bowl champ Drew Brees.

USA Today put out an article about Rodgers, it is very insightful and a good read - you can check it out here.

Big Ten Preseason Player Rankings

2010-07-07T10:42:00.020-05:00

ESPN recently released rankings of the top 25 Big Ten players, based on past performances by the player and their potential for the upcoming season. Several Badgers made the cut.

#4 - RB John Clay

Clay finished at #9 in ESPN's 2009 postseason player rankings. The Big Ten Offensive Player of the year finished 1st in the Big Ten and 12th nationally with 1,517 rush yards (116.7 yards per game). He scored 18 touchdowns and rushed for at least 100 yards in 9 games.

Clay averaged 5.43 yards per carry last season, good enough for 3rd all-time in Badger history. He also sits 10th all time in school history for rushing yards (2,401) and 6th in career touchdowns (27). Clay was the Champ's Sports Bowl MVP last season.

#11 - LT Gabe Carimi

Carimi was first-team all Big Ten last season.He was part of the 2009 Wisconsin offensive line that led the Big Ten in scoring (31.8 points per game), rushing (203.8 yards per game), and total offense (416.9 yards per game).

Already being called Bryan Bulaga's replacement as the "premier left tackle in the Big Ten", Carimi has been named to the Rotary Lombardi Award preseason watch list, as well as been selected as a preseason All-American by several outlets. ESPN college football specialist Mel Kiper Jr. predicted Carimi to be the 2nd tackle selected in the 2011 draft.

#15 - G/C John Moffitt

The senior offensive lineman will be starting for the 4th consecutive season.

Moffitt also made the Rotary Lombardi Award preseason watch list for the 2nd year in a row. Mel Kiper Jr. has predicted Moffitt to be the 5th guard drafted in 2011.

#16 - LB Chris Borland

Borland did a little bit of everything for the Badgers last season. As a freshman, Borland Tied for 1st in the Big Ten with three fumble recoveries, and tied for 2nd with five forced fumbles. He was 3rd among Badgers in sacks, with 5, and tackles for loss, with 10.5. He blocked a punt, returned 6 kickoffs, had an interception, and kicked 3 extra points.

In 2009 Borland won Big Ten Player of the Week honors for both defensive and special teams play. He was also chosen as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

#19 - QB Scott Tolzein

Tolzein won the starting job for the Badgers last season and proceeded to lead the Big Ten in pass efficiency with a QB rating of 143. He also finished 2nd in the Big Ten by completing 64.3% of his passes. In 6 games he threw for at least 240 yards.

Tolzein was never flashy in 2009, but he played consistently for the majority of the season. He executed when he needed to, and was a nice complement to the strong running game for Wisconsin.

#25 - DE J.J. Watt

Watt had a breakout sophomore season. He finished 2nd for the Badgers in fumble recoveries, with 2, and pass breakups, with 5. He also finished 6th in the Big Ten with 15.5 tackles for loss.

J.J. will need to pick up the pace this season, as O'Brien Schofield's graduation leaves him as the featured pass rusher on the team.

Honorable Mention: WR Nick Toon

Toon caught 54 balls for 805 yards last season and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. Midway through the 2009 season he began to develop a connection with Tolzein, look for that relationship to continue in 2010.

BrentFavre.com

2010-07-06T15:14:00.000-05:00

I recently had an article published on brentfavre.com. (Thanks for the hook-up Brendo!). It's a pretty cool blog put on by SconnieNation. You can check out the article here.

I'm Ready for Some Football...

2010-07-02T16:25:00.000-05:00

It's now July...which means it's almost August...which means it's almost time for (American) football!

In celebration, here are a couple of my all-time favorite Packer plays.

Enjoy!

The Photogenic Aaron Rodgers

2010-06-30T18:47:00.001-05:00

I recently ran across this picture and thought it was hilarious. Apparently Aaron Rodgers had a running joke where he always made sure he appeared in the background of the pictures of the team captains. This tradition was started by former Favre backups Doug Pederson and Craig Nall. Rodgers took the joke one more level, adding odd facial expressions and using props.

You can see the picture here as well, you can zoom in to see it better.

Wimbledon Update

2010-06-23T18:49:00.000-05:00

So today was a pretty eventful Wednesday with the USA winning in dramatic fashion and at Wimbledon the longest match in tennis history was suspended due to darkness.

First off the World Cup, so today I was at work and unable to watch the World Cup game. However, I went to ask my boss a question in his office and the game was on. It was at the 90 minute mark and I asked him does this mean we are done. He responded that unless there was a miracle, yes the underachieving US was done. Crazy the minute I watched of the World Cup might have been the most exciting of the entire tournament. Cool goal, go USA prove to the world you can do well in sports you barely even care about.

History was at Wimbledon today with the longest match ever between USA born John Isner and Frenchie Nicolas Mahut. But the real history made was the guy in the crowd who had one of the most obvious picking of the nose and eating it. Watch for yourself folks this guy has no shame!

GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!

2010-06-23T13:02:00.001-05:00

Sick of World Cup

2010-06-19T12:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry but I am not a huge World Cup, I know complain how I have no appreciation for the best WORLD sporting event. But frankly if I don't like watching soccer why would I like it when it means a lot! All I am saying I watched this YouTube video and it made me remember why America doesn't care about soccer! While a bad penalty can screw up a REAL football game, a silly offsides calls in a "football" game can wreck a country's chance in the World Cup.

Watch this video and explain to me why the World Cup is more fun to watch then the NFL!

Bad Luck Chuck?

2010-06-15T09:26:00.008-05:00

It happens to everyone. No matter how hard you try, you grow old. Things ache that never used to. Gray hairs are no longer attributed to stress. And, as Toby Keith best said it, ya ain't as good as you once was. No one should be realizing this more today than Chuck Liddell. Previous to the conclusion of UFC 115, doubts had been raised about the UFC hall of famer's health and ability in the octagon. People said he was getting old. Up-and-coming younger fighters were going to be too much for him to handle. They questioned the toll fighting had taken on his body and mind. And after getting leveled by a right hook from Rich Franklin Saturday night, I would have to say that the critics were right.

But Chuck is a fighter. Always has been, always will be. I'm sure he didn't care he hadn't fought in over a year. I'm sure he didn't care he had lost two fights in a row, both by KO. He was driven. Driven to prove people wrong. And for the most part, driven to kick the crap out of his arch rival, Tito Ortiz. Chuck appeared on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter as one of the coaches, alongside Ortiz. Tensions were always high between the two, until they reached a boiling point when Tito withdrew from their end of the season PPV fight. Chuck was furious. He had been training to fight Tito and now, just when he was about to start his comeback run against the man he hated most, the rug gets pulled from underneath him. But he wouldn't make excuses, that's not the style of a true fighter. So he accepted Dana White's decision. Insert Rich Franklin, and a couple months later, Chuck comes to staring up at the ceiling of the General Motors Place in Vancouver, B.C..

Chuck came out in the first round guns blazing. He looked impressive, considering his age and ring-rust. He even broke Franklin's arm on a heavy duty leg kick. I scored the first round to The Iceman. But he got anxious, and exposed himself with only 7 seconds left. That was all Franklin needed. It took one punch and Chuck was on his back. Unlucky indeed. He looked terrible after he came to. Worn out, exhausted and a little like a man who knew it was over.

So this raises the question. When should fighters no longer be allowed to fight? Do guys like Dana White have a say in the matter? When are the signs of too much fighting enough to call it quits? After watching the Ultimate Fighter season, I could tell that Chuck wasn't as quick thinking as he used to be. He took a lot longer to answer questions asked of him. He seemd slow, almost dim-witted at times. Could that be the result of getting punched one too many times? It's hard to say but this type of scenario happens to everyone. An elderly father is confronted by his son about his driving. It's no longer safe, the son says. But is it really that easy to admit to yourself that you no longer can do something? I certainly don't think so. There is too much pride involved. But while it is not easy, it takes a real man to know when to fold the hand you're dealt. Chuck could have walked away from the UFC a hall of famer, and a legend in his own right without having to deal with the criticism that he is too old. But he didn't. And he is entitled to that. I believe that fighters have every right to declare that they themselves are still able to fight. But I also believe that promoters, like Dana White, can deny them the fights, for their own good. If Chuck wants to go fight at another promotion like Belator, that is his prerogative. But something should be said when everyone is saying it's time for a fighter to call it quits.

So is it bad luck that makes it seem a fighter isn't what he used to be, or is it simply due to old age? Maybe a little bit of both, but it is clear that the Iceman isn't as impervious as he once was.

Suppan Released by Brewers

2010-06-07T15:27:00.003-05:00

Veteran pitcher Jeff Suppan was released by the Milwaukee Brewers today in the most costly cut in Brewer history. Suppan, in the final year of his contract, still had more than $10 million left on his contract.

Suppan, in 2 starts and 13 relief appearances, had an 0-2 record and an ERA of 7.84.

His spot on the roster is being filled by right-hander Chris Smith, who will be promoted from Triple-A Nashville. Smith played 35 games for the Brewers last year, and has been dominant so far this year in Nashville, compiling a 2-1 record with 16 saves and an ERA of 1.71.

This is the statement released by Suppan earlier today:

"I want to thank Mark Attanasio and Doug Melvin for all they have done for my family and me, especially how they handled this situation. I've played with a number of organizations, and the Brewers are one of the classiest.

"When I signed in 2007, I was committed to winning, and to this day I still am. Nobody is more disappointed than I am with how things have turned out. I enjoyed my time here in Milwaukee as both a player and a member of the community. As such, I will continue my involvement with Brewers Charities for the remainder of the 2010 season. My commitment to this cause and the people it serves is unwavering.

"I wish the Brewers organization, its fans and especially my teammates all the best."

Duke Lacrosse Redemption

2010-06-03T21:27:00.004-05:00

It took three years, but the Duke lacrosse team has finally overcome the 2006 scandal that brought a promising season crashing to the ground. On Monday the Duke Blue Devils became the 2010 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Champions, the first championship in school history.

In 2006 the now-discredited rape case eventually caused Duke to end their season after only eight games. After investigations cleared all members of these charges, the NCAA awarded 33 Duke players an extra year of eligibility. Those 33 built the foundation of the "post-incident" Duke lacrosse team.

A few of those players took the field Monday, and were able to end their careers with a National Championship.

"It was hard," said Ned Crotty, who is now a fifth-year senior. "We knew no one liked us and we definitely leaned on each other. We realized the only thing that mattered was us. We knew everyone else hated us, so we knew we only had each other. That's why this team is so tight-knit."

The Blue Devils, whose high-powered offense came into the National Championship averaging 17.5 goals per game, were up against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, whose goalie just happened to be the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, 6-foot-4, 254 pound Scott Rodgers.

The match-up would lead to the lowest scoring game in tournament history, as regulation ended with a 5-5 tie.

It took just 5 seconds in overtime for sophomore long-pole C.J. Costabile to win the opening face-off, sprint down the field, and score the game winning goal.

“It's sick,” Costabile said about scoring the game-winning goal. “The best feeling about it is we set this goal from the beginning of the year. Guys who have been here before me, [those guys] who have been here three times before and finally seeing them walk-off that field with a big smile on their faces are the best moment about that.”

The seniors who remained on the team after the 2006 scandal walked away from the stadium hoping this victory would change the stigma the Duke lacrosse team had been branded with.

"I hope this takes over the story of Duke lacrosse," Crotty said. "Hopefully we can put everything else to rest, so when people think of Duke lacrosse, they think 2010 national champions."

Roy Halladay, Ubaldo Jimenez, and the Brewers

2010-06-01T14:40:00.008-05:00

,On Saturday, Roy Halladay threw the 20th perfect game in Major League history, and the second this season (Oakland's Dallas Braden was the first). Halladay was absolutely nasty, making the right pitches at the perfect time and striking out 11 Marlins. This is just another great accomplishment for Halladay, who already has a Cy Young award and 7 All Star Appearances. With a 1.99 ERA, you'd think he'd be the frontrunner for this year's NL Cy Young, but a certain Colorado pitcher is blowing away the competition...

Rockies righty Ubaldo Jimenez has been absolutely lights out this season. He is the first pitcher to 10 wins and only two months have passed in the season. His ERA is filthy; 0.78 in 80 innings pitched. That means that he has only given up 7 runs all season. He even beat 2-time reigning Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum yesterday. It is probably inevitable that his numbers will go up a little bit, but right now a Jimenez start essentially means a Rockies win. If he keeps up this pace, he is undoubtedly headed for an All-Star Game start, Cy Young award, and even in the running for NL MVP. We could be in for a historic season watching him.

Finally the Brewers. How disappointing this season has been. Already 9 games under .500, no one is fearing the beer right now. A couple thoughts:

John Axford looks like a keeper in the Milwaukee bullpen. He throws super hard and has the potential, with fellow prospect Zach Braddock, to be in the back end of the Brewers pen for years to come. Plus he's trying to grow a handlebar mustache.
I'm excited to see what Chris Capuano has to offer, as he is getting the start Thursday in Florida. I hope he does well, as he's come so far, but I don't think he could be as bad as Chris Narveson and Manny Parra have been.
Corey Hart is on fire. Trade him while he still has value!
How bad is the Brewers pitching? Besides having the third worst ERA in the majors (5.36), it is so bad that Brewers hitters lead the league in many of the major statistical categories and they still can't keep up. Ryan Braun is third in the NL with a .318 batting average, Casey McGehee is first in the NL with 41 RBIs and Corey Hart leads with 13 home runs. Alcides Escobar even leads the league with 5 triples. The old addage is that pitching wins championships and that is soooo true!
Yes, everyone is saying this, but Jeff Suppan is horrible. Plain and simple. If the Brewers have better options than him, he shouldn't be on the team. I'm obviously not the person to determine that, but at this point money should not be a factor in deciding whether he stays or not.
Bill Hall, still making roughly $8 million from the Brewers this season, threw a 1-2-3 inning for the Red Sox on Friday night.

UFC 114- Rampage seems not so Bad Ass Baracus

2010-05-30T22:26:00.006-05:00

As Mike Goldman put it so eloquently seconds before Suga Rashad Evans walked out of the tunnel... " And now, it's time for the most highly anticipated match in UFC history."

Well, that's quite the statement Goldy, even if you were going for a hyperbole.

Nonetheless, one of the better hyped grudge matches of the UFC took place in Las Vegas last night when Quinton Jackson squared off against Rashad Evans. The two former TUF coaches had been verbally abusing each other for over a year including Rashad referring to Jackson as an "Uncle Tom". Turns out Rashad could have said anything he wanted as he walked away with the unanimous decision. The fight started off rather quickly as Evans cracked Jackson early in the first round and sent him reeling. Evans then trapped Jackson against the cage and we didn't see much change in scenery after that. Evans dominated Jackson in the clinch and scored a couple of very solid takedowns. Jackson has a very high takedown defense percentage and Evans really made him work to stuff the TD attempts he didn't land. As Jackson was getting a pep talk before the third round, you could hear his corner telling him he was down 2 rounds and needed the KO. Jackson came out swinging and landed some huge shots that sent Rashad to the canvas. Jackson should have smelt blood and the killer instinct should have taken over...we should have seen this "Rampage" character take over as Jackson has proclaimed so often before. Instead, Jackson just sort of laid on Rashad. Simply put, he ran out of gas. Fight ends. Evans wins.

In my opinion, I don't really think Evans won the fight as much as Jackson lost the fight. Jackson had the opportunity to finish this fight but lacked the killer instinct in order to seal the deal. As a result of his performance, I question Jackson's dedication to the sport and wonder if maybe he is ready to enter the Hollywood realm as he has often stated is his plan. Maybe things would have gone differently for Rampage had he kept the BA Baracus mohawk for the fight. I know I would have enjoyed the shameless advertising.

So what's next for these two fighters? Evans has earned himself a title shot with Shogun Hua later this year and Rampage...well he has some soul searching to do.

Capuano defies the odds

2010-05-29T12:09:00.005-05:00

Chris Capuano, a former 18 game winner and All-Star for the Brewers is making his return after being away from the game for 30 months. He underwent his second Tommy John surgery in 2007, with most believing his career was over. Yet Cappy never gave up and finally got a chance to prove himself this year down in the minors. Between Single-A Brevard County and Triple-A Nashville, he went 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA in 7 starts. The Brewers were forced to make a decision today on whether to bring him up to the majors or allow him to be a free agent and sign with another team. Obviously intrigued by his minor league stats and most likely not wanting to see 3 years of commitment to him while injured get flushed away, they agreed to call him up.

With a few of the Brewers starting pitchers in flux (aka Chris Narveson, Dave Bush, and Manny Parra), it should be interesting to see if he gets an opportunity to start or if he will exclusively pitch out of the bullpen. I'd personally like to see him start over Narveson, but Macha really seems to like Narveson. The Brewers have yet to make a corresponding move, but it's likely that Marco Estrada, who has actually pitched very well since being called up, will get sent down. Personally, I'd like to see the Brewers make a statement and get rid of Claudio Vargas or even Jeff Suppan, but Brewers management doesn't really seem to work that way. I'll be at today's game, so I'm very excited to see #39 back on the field, even if he doesn't get into a game. If he does get a chance to pitch, I expect a huge standing ovation from the Milwaukee faithful.

Brewers Prospect's Warmup Music

2010-05-24T19:18:00.005-05:00

Cutter Dysktra, an infielder from the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers shows that anyone can get pumped up by Miley...

Favre Expected to Return in 2010

2010-05-23T08:37:00.000-05:00

It appears Brett Favre will return to quarterback the Vikings again this season.

Favre underwent ankle surgery on Friday, a surgery he was informed he must have in order to play football again.

His injury did not need to be treated otherwise, so it stands to reason that Favre intends to suit up for his 20th season

James-Calipari Package?

2010-05-17T14:47:00.000-05:00

The Chicago Tribune recently reported that basketball-broker "Worldwide" William Wesley is attempting to sell teams on the player-coach combination of free agent LeBron James and Kentucky Wildcats' head coach John Calipari.

Calipari religiously attended all Cleveland's playoff games, and his similar attendance of the Bulls' playoff games has caused much speculation over the possibility of both stars landing in Chicago.

Although Calipari has adamantly denied that he will be leaving Kentucky for the NBA, rumors have it that Calipari has talked to Chicago.

The Nets and Clippers have also been in talks involving a possible James-Calipari deal.

Delonte West Cougar Hunter!

2010-05-16T16:04:00.003-05:00

Could it be that Lebron's recent struggles could be credited to something else? Well the rumor going around the league right now is that Delonte West, one of Lebron's teammate is "having relations" with Lebron's Mama.

If the reason for the "giving up act" Lebron pulled the last two games, I think it could be one of the best sports story of the year. I don't care about Tiger Woods' relationships with cocktail waitresses across the country. Unless it is found out Woods' mistress was Phil Mickelson's wife or even better Phil's mother, not as great of story.

If one of the greatest players of all time gave up during a series because of a teammate getting with his mom, this could be my favorite sports story of all time. If one of the best players ever leaves his hometown for New York because his mother's "cougarness", I may drop out of school and just cover this story.

Big ups to Delonte West to letting Lebron know who really runs Cleveland. It seems as if this Akron native is no longer "the King of Cleveland" and now he must go Newsies on the NBA because I guess it seems Lebron is about to be "The King of New York".

If the story ends up being true I think its the main reason why I love sports blogging because there is very little chance before the "blogging era" ESPN would have ever ran this story.

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

"WE ARE LEBRON"

2010-05-16T15:10:00.001-05:00

Please save our downtown! I think Cleveland doesn't want to be the next Detroit! The way Lebron played at the end of the last series it seems as though he wants out!

EMBED-We Are Lebron Video - Watch more free videos

Freudian Slip?

2010-05-10T15:33:00.002-05:00

Reporter slips up saying something everyone was thinking.

Happy Mother's Day Nosebleed Mom's

2010-05-09T23:15:00.002-05:00

This is all I think about when I think about sports and Mother's Day! Bill Hall's walkoff!

Will Ferrell Pitching Against the Nashville Sounds

2010-05-08T12:34:00.003-05:00

Will Ferrell pitched as Rojo Johnson against the Brewers affiliate the Nashville Sounds. Enjoy the video!

Greg Jennings on Criminal Minds

2010-05-08T12:29:00.002-05:00

Here is Greg Jennings cameo on the show "Criminal Minds".

An Honor to Uecker

2010-05-07T15:49:00.003-05:00

Bruce Drennan must feel bad the Bob Uecker is out for a few months with his heart problems so he is trying to honor his performance in the movie, Major League. Drennan who is ironically also the Cleveland Indians announcer, gives a rant on bad the Indians stink! This guy is crazy enjoy!

Eric Byrnes Gets Paid 11 Million to play softball

2010-05-07T15:45:00.001-05:00

Eric Byrnes has decided after getting waived by the Seattle Mariners to play for a different team. He hasn't decided to play for the Angels or the Cubs, but for a softball team in Menlo Park, California. His team is sponsored by a burger and beer pub. Byrnes thinks it is going to be a great time playing with his buddies one day a week.

Is this just me or is the best decision ever? Why travel all around the country playing for a dysfunctional Mariners when you can play softball and drink beers before and after the game.

I wonder if Jeff Suppan gets cut whether he will also play softball with his buddies. My other question is, do you think softball teams would pick up his ERA?

Dork's Video Game Skills Pays Off

2010-05-07T15:28:00.003-05:00

This guy was the first to throw a perfect game on MLB 2K10, so he won a million dollars. This guy's interview is painfully awkward, it is no surprise he happened to win this contest.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Packers Talk to Pac-Man

2010-05-04T15:35:00.000-05:00

It recently became public that Green Bay talked to Adam "Pac-Man" Jones last week about coming in to tryout for the Pack.

Jones, who has recently played for the Titans and the Cowboys, is currently a free agent. He has talked to the Bengals, the 49ers, and the Lions (as well as the Packers) but has yet to have been offered a tryout from any NFL team.

The 5'10" 186 pound cornerback/return man/rapper/TNA wrestler has had numerous off-the-field problems in the past years and has been suspended by the NFL.

Despite these problems, Jones could be a big help to the Packers' lackluster return game and could provide added depth to an aging secondary if the Green Bay organization attempts to take a chance on him.

Greg Jennings' TV Debut

2010-05-04T15:21:00.000-05:00

Green Bay Packer wide receiver Greg Jennings will be appearing on the CBS drama Criminal Minds on Wednesday night (5/5).

Jennings is appearing in a cameo role as a lab technician, and has a few speaking lines.

The entire crew dressed in Packer apparel for the filming of the episode.

"It was fun, it was fun," Jennings said. "I was going in letting them know this is not what I do. I'm on the football field. That's me, that's my domain. But the cast members were great, giving me feedback. They opened their arms and helped me as much as possible and tried to make me look as good as possible."

Fear The Deer, For Real!

2010-05-03T22:44:00.002-05:00

Playoff Loss Ends Exciting Season

2010-05-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

Earlier today the Milwaukee Bucks came up short in Atlanta as the Hawks took the series four games to three, the only series from the first round of the playoffs to need seven games to finish.

Poor shooting and lack of rebounding were the main pitfalls for the Bucks today.

Milwaukee shot just 33 percent from the field and made only four three-pointers, a series low. The Bucks were also out-rebounded 55-34.

It was painfully obvious throughout this series that the loss of Andrew Bogut to an injury was an obstacle the Bucks wouldn't be able to avoid for long.

In the three games the Bucks won they shot the ball with deadly accuracy from outside the paint. But when those shots didn't fall, Milwaukee struggled to keep up with the bigger and more athletic Hawks.

Despite the loss early in the playoffs, this season should be viewed as a success by Bucks fans. For the first time in many seasons Bucks' games were actually exciting. The addition of Brandon Jennings and the mid-season acquisition of John Salmons and Jerry Stackhouse helped propel Milwaukee to their best record in years.

The successes the Bucks achieved this season can be used as building blocks for the future. With the return of Bogut the Bucks will have one of the best centers in the league and an emerging star in Jennings at point guard. The Bucks bench was the second best among all NBA teams in points scored, this depth will also help Milwaukee to continued successes in the season to come.

Jennings Places 3rd in ROTY Balloting

2010-04-30T12:22:00.002-05:00

On Thursday the NBA Rookie of the Year Award was given to Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings, who had an amazing rookie season, becoming just the 4th rookie in history to average 20 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists (Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James being the other 3 players).

Brandon Jennings finished 3rd in the voting, with 2nd going to Stephen Curry of Golden State.

While Jennings may have come up short for the award, he is the only of the 3 top finishers to make it to the playoffs, a victory in its own right.

Since the injury to Andrew Bogut, Jennings has stepped up and carried the Bucks into the postseason. Tonight the Bucks look to extend their postseason run by finishing off the series against Atlanta with a win at home.

FEAR THE DEER!!!

LeBron Wins Back-To-Back MVP Awards

2010-04-30T10:42:00.000-05:00

While not official, it has been reported that LeBron James will be the recipient of the NBA MVP award for the second straight year.

This season James has averaged 29.7 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.3 rebounds. The Cavaliers won 61 games this year and are currently a top seed in the postseason.

Favre Requires Surgery to Play in 2010

2010-04-30T10:38:00.001-05:00

Recently Brett Favre has learned that he must undergo ankle surgery if he wants to continue playing in the NFL.

The ankle injury he suffered three months ago in the NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints has continued to swell and cause pain.

"To play again, I would need the surgery, as I suspected. This decision would be easy if not for my teammates and the fans and the entire Vikings staff. One year truly felt like 10 -- much like Green Bay for many years. That's what I was missing in my heart I suppose, a sense of belonging.''

Brewers Die Hard Fan...

2010-04-28T16:34:00.002-05:00

This is dedication!

Bango's Insane Playoff Dunk

2010-04-28T13:46:00.003-05:00

Guys Night Out

2010-04-28T13:40:00.004-05:00

Athletic Training Staff Video

2010-04-28T13:35:00.000-05:00

Next time you see athletic trainers on the field of college sports games you must remember they are so much more than that.

This video is so bad it reminds me of the first video that got me into Youtube, the Appalachian State promo video.

HOT HOT HOT APPALACHIAN IS HOT HOT HOT!!

FEAR THE DEER!!

2010-04-26T18:17:00.001-05:00

Really Ovechkin? Really?

2010-04-23T17:06:00.003-05:00

The first round of the playoffs has produced a ton of incredible highlights, some crazy upsets, and overall great hockey. I'll post more on that when the first round is done. As for this next highlight (or maybe lowlight) I really don't even know what to say...

NFL Draft Day 1: Packers Take Bulaga

2010-04-23T15:00:00.002-05:00

With the 23rd pick of the 2010 NFL Draft the Packers selected Bryan Bulaga, an offensive tackle out of Iowa. This pick was a steal, as Bulaga was slated to be a top-ten draft pick.

"We were a little surprised that Bryan was still available, and we felt like it was a very good value pick for us," Packer General Manager Ted Thompson said. "He's the real deal, I think."

Bulaga stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 314 pounds. Stated simply: he's a beast.

Bulaga earned first team Big Ten honors last year as a junior, and was also selected as the Big Ten offensive lineman of the year.

This pick will hopefully help solidify the Packer offensive line that was shaky at many times last season. With offensive tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher both entering their 11th seasons in the NFL, the added depth Bulaga brings could be vital.

The Packers now have two young offensive tackles (J.T. Lang, last year's 4th round selection, being the other) who will likely take over Tauscher and Clifton's tackle positions at some point in the future.

"What I want to accomplish is be a successful starter on an offensive line for an organization," Bulaga said. "I want to be able to play good football for a very long time and be beneficial to an organization, to have an organization want to want me there for a long time."

Rounds 2 and 3

Tonight rounds 2 and 3 of the draft will take place. The Packers will most likely be looking to draft a linebacker or defensive back. I also wouldn't be surprised to see the Pack take a running back in the 3rd round.

Here are some picks to watch for tonight:

Taylor Mays - S, USC

Sergio Kindle - DE/OLB, Texas

Navorro Bowman - LB, Penn State

Sean Lee - LB, Penn State

Daryl Washington - LB, TCU

Jerome Murphy - CB, South Florida

Toby Gerhart - RB, Stanford

Brewers Find Their Groove

2010-04-22T15:41:00.001-05:00

The Brewers beat the Pirates 20 to 0 (yes 20) Thursday to complete the sweep against Pittsburgh. The win tied the Brewer record for largest margin of victory, and is a Brewer record for the largest shutout victory in team history. The Brewers also set a club record by leading by 8 runs in four straight games, going back to the final game of the Nationals series.

This three game series against the Pirates was an offensive explosion for the Brewers. In the series Milwaukee outscored Pittsburgh 36-1. The Crew amassed 46 hits, which included 25 extra-base hits (8 home runs).

Several Brewers saw huge production during this series. Ryan Braun went 7-11, hitting 2 home runs and collecting 8 RBI's. Prince Fielder ended a 15 at-bat streak without a hit and finally hit his first home run of the season. Alcides Escobar had arguably the best series of his young career, going 6-14 which included back-to-back triples.

Pitching was also big for the Brewers, as all three starters threw shutouts, the lone run coming from relief pitching. The Brewers starters (Dave Bush, Yovani Gallardo, and Randy Wolf) threw a combined 18 shutout innings. Currently the Brewers have gone 19 innings without surrendering a run.

This series sweep allowed the Brewers to go back above .500, improving their record to 8-7.

The momentum gained in Pittsburgh is vital as the Brewers return home for a series against the rival Cubs.

2010 NFL Schedules Released

2010-04-21T17:58:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday the finalized NFL schedule was released for the 2010 season. Previously the match-ups had been set, but dates had not been finalized.

The Packers have the 22nd hardest schedule in the league this season, and will play 4 prime-time games.

The one Monday night game the Packers will play this season is week 3 at Chicago. This marks the 180th time these rivals will meet. This game also marks the 18th straight season in which the Packers will play a Monday night game, the longest streak in the NFC.

The Packers also play 3 Sunday night prime-time games.

The season opener will take place Sunday, September 12 at the Philadelphia Eagles, with the homeopener at Lambeau the following week against the Bills. Green Bay closes out the season at home against Chicago.

NHL Playoffs

2010-04-13T14:49:00.013-05:00

With the regular season over its time for the top eight teams from the East and West conferences to advance to the post season and battle for prized the Stanly Cup. After Sundays games playoff spots have finally been determined. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the format of NHL playoffs the top eight seeds from each conference go on to battle for the cup each year. They play a seven game series and the first team to four wins moves on. Here’s the way I see the first round playing out…

San Jose (1) vs. Colorado (8)

While San Jose has been known for their first round follies in the past, this is a stronger team than previous years. The difference can be mostly chalked up to solid off season pick up and former Badger Danny Heatley who has stepped up as the powerful goal scorer the Sharks desperately needed. While the Avalanche are young and strong, I don’t see them adding to San Jose’s first round playoff woes.

San Jose in 5 games

Phoenix (4) vs. Detroit (5)

This is the first round playoff matchup I’m most anticipating. These are two very strong and underrated teams that could both go deep into the playoffs if one didn’t have to fall in the first round. The Wings and Coyotes were two of the hottest teams coming off of the Olympic break and this promises to be great series. I’m giving a slight edge to the Red Wings who bested Chicago in their last regular season game on Sunday by playing at a playoff level. The Wings are hungry; don’t be fooled by their fifth seed.

Detroit in 7 games

Vancouver (3) vs. Los Angeles (6)

Vancouver has played strong all season led by the Sedin brothers who have had spectacular seasons. Backstopped by capable tender Roberto Luongo, the Canucks are a real full package. They’re a strong and gritty team that will be hard to beat, but that’s not to say it can’t be done. I’d give Vancouver the advantage in this series, but the Kings could make a splash in the playoffs if their goaltender Jonathan Quick plays lights out.

Vancouver in 6 games

Chicago (2) vs. Nashville (7)

Chicago fell one point short of the top seed in the West after being thwarted in an overtime thriller against the Red Wings in the last game of the season. Still, the hawks have gotten at least a point in their last seven games. They look very strong as Pat Kane and Jonathan Toews have posted career highs in plus minus and assists and Kane has a career high points total. Nashville has, however, made the season series interesting winning 2 of 6 contests. I may be biased, but this is my team and I can’t help but think this is our year.

Chicago in 5 games

Washington (1) vs. Montreal (8)

To be completely honest, I don’t know if anyone can stop the Caps, but if anyone can, it certainly won’t be Montreal. Washington won the East by almost 20 point and Norris Trophy candidate Mike Green has been on fire all season, not to mention the always-astounding play of Alexander Ovechkin, ever heard of him? The Caps should be upset if they have to play any more than four games this series. Sorry Habs, better luck next year.

Washington in 4 games

Pittsburgh (4) vs. Ottawa (5)

The Penguins enter the playoffs with the same seeding as last year when they won the cup. Will lucky number four work their magic again this year? Ottawa is determined that they do not and an upset is not out of the question with Penguin Goaltender Marc-Ande Fleury in a bit of a slide lately. Still, the dynamic duo of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will be hard to silence. The teams have split season series at 2-2, but realistically, I can’t see the mighty Pens going down as early as the first round, but expect a competitive series.

Pittsburgh in 6 games

Buffalo (3) vs. Boston (6)

This matchup is all about the men between the pipes. How much longer can the Sabers ride the best goalie in the world Ryan Miller? Miller has proven he can take a team deep into a tournament by standing on his head, but the NHL playoffs are much different than the Olympics. Meanwhile, Boston has won 4 of 6 tilts between the two teams in the regular season. Miller isn’t the only spectacular tender in the series either. Tuuka Rask was 4-1-0 vs. the Sabres this season with a measley 1.43 goals allowed average. This will shape up to be a very interesting series that will showcase some excellent goaltending.

Boston in 6 games

New Jersey (2) vs. Philadelphia (7)

The flyers are coming off of a huge shootout win vs. the Rangers in the last game of the season to clinch the final playoff spot, but it may as well have been a playoff game, the atmosphere in the building was incredible and the flyers played their hearts out. If the flyers can keep up that style of play they may have a chance vs. the Devils, but they’ll need to pull out all the stops. New Jersey has been a solid team all year playing in front of elite tender Martin Brodeur and I’ve got a feeling they’ll continue their winning ways against a team with a lot of heart, but not necessarily enough skill.

New Jersey in 6 games

Next Candice Parker?

2010-04-12T14:57:00.003-05:00

All women will soon be able to dunk.

Tiger Woods is Not Pleased

2010-04-12T14:55:00.001-05:00

Mike Modano

2010-04-12T01:18:00.004-05:00

Mike Modano is arguably the greatest US born hockey player of all time and he may have wrapped up his NHL career this season with 30 points in 59 games for the Dallas Stars. While Modano has not confirmed his retirement the following video makes it hard to believe we'll see a number 9 Stars jersey next year anywhere but on the roof. Modano was all class on and off the ice and is one hell of a player. If you don't come back, we'll miss you Mo.

Brewers Lock Down Gallardo

2010-04-08T19:26:00.000-05:00

Yovani Gallardo will be wearing a Brewer jersey for at least the next three seasons.

This morning he signed a five year contract extension that runs through 2014, with a no-trade clause over the first three season.

The new contract guarantees Gallardo $30.1 million, which could grow to $42.5 million depending on an interesting contract clause concerning the 2015 season.

This clause is based on a points system, where in Gallardo can earn points on his way to being a free agent for the 2015 season. For this to happen, Gallardo must earn 6 points. Points can be earned by winning the Cy Young Award (5 points), finishing second in the balloting (3 points), and finishing third in the balloting (1 point).

The no-trade clause of the contract exists until 2013, when Gallardo has the option to submit a 10-team list to the Brewers if he desires a trade.

Signing Gallardo is huge for the Crew. He is very young (24) and is coming off a huge 2009 season after sitting out most of 2008 with a torn ACL.

In 2009 Gallardo went 13-12 with a 3.73 ERA. During the season he also became the fourth Brewer in history to throw 200 strikeouts.

Gallardo was excited about the new contract, saying:

"It's a great feeling knowing I'm going to be here for the next five years. Growing up, me and my parents never dreamed of this amount. It hasn't really settled in yet. I try not to show too much emotion, but it's great."

"It sets up my son more than anything. It sets him up for college or whatever he wants to do. That's the No. 1 thing."

By signing Gallardo the Brewers have extended contracts for two young stars through at least 2014. (Last year the Crew signed Ryan Braun through 2015).

Braun was pleased as well with the new contract, saying:

"I'm excited. First and foremost, I'm excited for Yovani. He deserves it, and I know that the financial security is a great thing. That's something I can relate to. I'm excited to be with him for at least the next five years.

MY Two Cents from the Nosebleeds at Miller Park

2010-04-07T11:15:00.007-05:00

I was lucky enough to go to my first Brewers game of the year last night at Miller Park. From the 15th row of terrace reserved here's some observations I have from the game:

Rickie Weeks looked really good. Hit a nice HR to the opposite field, drew a couple walks and played good defense. If he stays healthy, I expect a big season.
Which Carlos Gomez will we see this season? The one that went 4 for 5 during the first game of the year or the one that went 0 for 4 last night? He's known as more of a free-swinger. Hopefully he can put together a full season of consistent hitting in the 2nd spot.

Gregg Zaun did not look good. It's still early but he was the definition of a rally killer. I'd still rather have him over Kendall though.

Randy Wolf was solid, not spectacular. Nonetheless, he kept us in the game and we gave him a nice standing ovation at the end. He acknowledged it after the game, saying he appreciated it but he felt he was better than that. I like that attitude.
LaTroy Hawkins was throwing the heat. He looked realllllly good.
Yes, I was rooting against the Brewers scoring another run in the bottom of the 8th so I could hear Hell's Bells for the first time ever at Miller Park. It was absolutely amazing.