Bleacher Report - Articles by Bart Winkler

Holliday to Packers? We'd Love to Have You Back, Vonnie

Bart Winkler — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:06:00 -0500

The two things I love the most are homecomings and careers coming full circle, so I could be in for quite the treat in the upcoming days. Former Packers defensive end Vonnie Holliday is going to be cut by the Miami Dolphins, and there is already plenty of speculation of him returning to Green Bay.

Holliday was acquired by the Packers in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft and stayed in Green Bay for five seasons. In his rookie season, he was second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting behind current Packer Charles Woodson.

He went on to play with the Chiefs and, most recently, the Miami Dolphins. He's played under Dom Capers and in the 3-4, both of which are signs that could point to his return to Titletown (the real one, not Valdosta, Georgia).

There's no official word of interest from the Packers, but I wouldn't mind a reuniting of Holliday and Green Bay. The Packers are still actively looking for defensive linemen, having made contact with Igor Olshansky (San Diego), Marques Douglas (Baltimore), and Mike Wright (New England). The search for new bodies along the line is an aggressive one, especially since the Pack was unable to resign Colin Cole or land Chris Canty last weekend.

Elsewhere, fullback John Kuhn is visiting with the Cardinals today.

Marquette Slips Five Spots

Bart Winkler — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:51:00 -0500

It was not a good week for Marquette basketball. After winning their game against Georgetown last weekend to kick off "The Stretch," Marquette had to take on two of the top teams in all of the land in UConn and Louisville.

Despite playing hard in both contests, the Golden Eagles ultimately lost both games, as well as the services of Dominic James.

It was a very disappointing week for a team that was really starting to turn heads on a national level.

Because of the rough patch, there are now five more teams that are better than Marquette than there were a week ago, at least that's what the rankings tell me.

Marquette fell five spots in both of the polls, falling to No. 13 in the Associated Press Poll, and No. 15 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.

Marquette could have fallen a bit more, but it helps when the teams you lost to are now ranked No. 1 (UConn) and No. 6 (Louisville.)

As for the Badgers, well, they are obviously still unranked, so this is where the post ends.

Colin Cole Joins Chris Canty on List of: "People Who Aren't Packers"

Bart Winkler — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:16:00 -0500

Sunday was not a very good day for the Packers, especially concerning the future of our defensive line. The first bit of news was that Colin Cole will no longer be a Packer, as he is making the move to Seattle.

Cole signed a deal for five years, and can make up to $21 million, $6 million of which is guaranteed money. It looks like the Packers didn't offer nearly that many years or that much money, and ultimately I'm not surprised to see him go. Not happy about it, but not surprised.

The Packers were hoping to fill that void by signing former Cowboy defensive lineman Chris Canty. At times, it looked like the Packers had a pretty good shot at signing him, and that Thompson was pretty serious in his desire for the young man.

But it wasn't to be, as Canty signed a six-year, $42 million deal with the Giants (I'm saying it right now, New York is going to pull a Boston and have multiple world champions this year, unfortunately).

Canty was thinking about meeting with the Packers, but the Giants made the offer first, and Canty took what was already on the table. He didn't even want to listen to what the Packers had to say, as the Packers didn't want to offer anything without meeting with him first.

Not too much of a request on Thompson's part, but Canty took what was in front of him instead of what was in the box.

So far it looks to be another uneventful offseason for the Packers, which I'm sure has the Thompson haters fired up right now. I still love you, Ted.

Hodgepodge Brewers Post: Game Recaps and Player News

Bart Winkler — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 18:38:00 -0500

Our Ongoing Discussion Involving Morry Gash

No new Brewers pictures over the weekend from the Associated Press, at least not any that I could find. This makes me assume that our beloved photographer Morry Gash took the weekend off and is enjoying life down in Arizona. Good for him.

This week, it may have seemed like I've been critical of Morry, but that could not be further from the truth. Bear and I have the utmost respect for what that guy can do behind the lens and are thankful for his commitment to photographing Wisconsin sports, including the picture of Ken Macha you see above.

Saturday: Brewers 5, Angels 3

Ryan Braun plays seven innings and gets two hits with one RBI. Prince Fielder and J.J. Hardy each have two hits as well. With Braden Looper scratched, the hill is occupied by relievers, including a start from Eduardo Morlan. Here are the rest of the things that happened. Braun gets our Player of the Game.

Sunday: Giants 5, Brewers 2

Dave Bush pitches two innings and allows no hits; he'll earn the first Player of the Game award for the pitching staff this season. Carlos Villanueva, Mitch Stetter, and Omar Aguilar all put up zeros to start the game as well, until the back end of the bullpen collapses. Hardy goes 1-for-3 with two RBI. Etc....

Braun Leaves

After the Saturday game, it was bye-bye for Ryan Braun. The left fielder is just one of four outfielders on the roster for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, so expect him to have a busy spring. First game for the US is this Saturday against Canada. I've added a capsule for the World Baseball Classic on the sidebar.

Looper Scratched

Looper's Brewers debut was put on hold Saturday when he injured his back during pregame warmups. Appears to be a very minor injury, but you never know. My guess? A crafty move by a veteran who doesn't really feel like working too hard while in Arizona.

Gwynn at DH

So Tony Gwynn's back in the lineup, but I could care less. Like Bear, I've grown increasingly frustrated with a guy who doesn't even have enough power to hit a home run on a softball field. Gwynn is proving that the world "potential" means nothing more than, "hey, his dad was good." Let's trade him to the Padres already and move on from this failed experiment.

Grandpa and Grandma

The Brewers are taking on the Australian National team on Thursday and the Cubs on Saturday. If you go to either one of these games, say hi to my grandparents for me! Love you guys!

Badgers-Wolverines: Michigan Gets Swept

Bart Winkler — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:45:00 -0500

The Badgers continued down their path of redemption with another win over the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday.

This time it came in 60-55 form, in a game where the Badgers constantly took a big lead, let Michigan back into the game, only to then take a big lead again.

The win puts the Badgers in a fourth-place tie in the Big Ten, neck and neck with Penn State (meanwhile, Northwestern is third-to-last, which is a little higher than where they belong).

Trevon Hughes led the way for the Badger with 19 points, followed by Marcus Landry with 13, and Jon Leuer with 10.

Also in the box score, I noticed that Keaton Nankivil only saw three minutes of action. I know that as the writer of this blog, I'm supposed to be the one giving you information, but could anyone tell me why this was?

I couldn't watch the game on account of the whole serving brunch thing I've been reluctantly doing.

Next up for Bucky, a Wednesday night matchup against the Golden Gophers in Minnesota.

Game time is 7:30, and will be shown on the Big Ten Network.

No Dominic James, No Victory for Marquette

Bart Winkler — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:22:00 -0500

With Dominic James out with an injury, Louisville riding a three-game win streak against Marquette, and Louisville being the No. 6 team in the nation, I wouldn't have blamed you if you weren't optimistic about MU's chances against the Cardinals on Sunday.

Marquette fought Louisville as best they could without James, but ultimately felt his absence as they shot just 34 percent from the field in a 62-58 loss.

Maurice Acker played fairly well with James back in Milwaukee, chipping in with three points, three rebounds, and three assists. He did run the point effectively though, especially at times when he capitalized on his quickness (at least that's what the article on ESPN.com said before I rephrased it, didn't see the game).

Gweeds tells me he actually did play pretty good, including a couple of big threes (although Acker only had three points, so maybe my friend didn't see the game either). Wesley Matthews led the team with 19 points, while Lazar Hayward added 16.

I was accused of being off the Marquette bandwagon after I said they were in trouble with James out for the season. I'm still on board, but realistically think the season all but over. Marquette is still a good enough team to play good teams hard, but I think you're going to see a lot of 62-58 type losses along the rest of the way.

As far as their chances in the NCAA tourney, this team has second round exit written all over it.

Milwaukee Basketball: Bucks Rout Wizards

Bart Winkler — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:11:00 -0500

Well, let's keep it short and sweet this morning as I am a bit hungover not only from a little too much beverage, but from the inexplicable idea to get Taco John's at 3:00 am.

Milwaukee got a much needed win last night, defeating the Washington Wizards 109-93. A good game all around for the Deer as they led the entire game.

CV led all scores with 25 and generally couldn't miss a shot, he ended up 9-13. Richard Jefferson pitched in 22 while Session added a 12 and 10 double-double of the points and assists variety and Danny Gadzuric got his on double-double of the points and rebounds kind with 10 and 11.

Charlie Bell also continued to be a scoring asset off the bench knocking down a few treys leading to 12 points.

Amazingly the Bucks out rebounded a team. Let's give TBC player of the game to CV, top scorer and efficient, also hit four three-pointers.

We won yesterday. If we win today, that's two in a row. If we win tomorrow, it's called a winning streak; it has happened before.

The 29-33 Bucks continue to hold a one game lead over Chicago and New Jersey for the 8th seed while pulling to within a game and a half of the 7th seeded Detroit Pistons. Next up for Milwaukee is New Jersey at home on Tuesday, tip off at 7 pm.

(AP Photo By Darren Hauck, who took some really cool photos at the game, Take a look.)

Bucks-Hornets: Didn't N.O. Trade Tyson Chandler?

Bart Winkler — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:22:00 -0500

Now, obviously, I know the specifics of the trade (and then not trade) of Chandler, but if he wasn't a Hornet, this game could have had a much different outcome. Let's rewind a bit.

The Bucks played the "Bucs" last night; it was a game you would have been able to see on ESPN, if they'd let you. The big network missed out on the New Orleans Hornets donning some old-school Bucs unis and the Bucks in their reds. And besides that, they didn't get to broadcast a great finish.

I would say great game, but the truth is, Milwaukee was manhandled until late in the fourth quarter. Down 15 to 20 most of the game, the Bucks made a furious comeback with Bogans, Bell, Allen, Jones and Gadzuric.

You read that right. They made a comeback from down 89-72 to up 94-93 in 3:22, a stretch in which they made six consecutive three-pointers.

Then, with just 10 seconds to go, Charlie Bell hit a three to put Milwaukee up by one.

Tyson Chandler would end the Bucks' euphoria, however, as he secured the victory for the Hornets with a tip-in on a shot missed by David West. Heartbreaker. Only, I didn't see any of it until later last night on the TV.

Instead, I got a play-by-play account of the game from Winks, who was getting a play-by-play from our buddy Gweeds, who was watching the game on satellite at a bar in Oshkosh. Thanks ESPN.

Thanks, OKC, for backing out on the Chandler deal because of a "failed physical" we all know was a change of heart due to money.

And while I'm in the mood for thanking people sarcastically, a big THANKS to David Stern for hating on Milwaukee. Nothing new, I just feel it's necessary to let off steam about the 2001 Sixers-Bucks Playoff series at least once a month until I die.

On Friday night, the Bucks were led by Richard Jefferson, who scored 22. But the TBC player of the game has to be bench spark Charlie Bell, who dropped 21 points on five three-pointers.

Meanwhile, Chris Paul added 20 assists, so that was awesome. If you take a gander at the conveniently-placed link of the box score, make sure to look at the +/- stat, it's pretty astonishing.

Yo, bartender, Jobu needs a refill.

Milwaukee will try to get on the right track tonight. They have the Washington Wizards at home and are set to tip off at 7:30 p.m.

If it is any consolation, Milwaukee still miraculously holds a half-game lead for the eighth seed over New Jersey, and a game lead over Chicago.

Manny Parra Looks Good in Brewers Victory

Bart Winkler — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:11:00 -0500

I should tell you, even though this is a picture of Chris Duffy making a catch against the Oakland A's in Spring Training, it's actually from a couple of days ago.'

Once again, Morry Gash and I are unable to get on the same page, and I was unable to find a picture from Friday's game. Usually his pictures are posted with the game recaps on Yahoo!, but as you can see, Yahoo! isn't trying very hard right now.

Of course, I could just give up my obsession of making sure every post has a picture, but that would be too easy. Instead, I have chosen to delay talking about the Brewers' 8-5 win over the A's until my brief rant was over. Their first win of the 2009 season, by the way.

Even though 13 total runs were scored in this one, the game was scoreless until the 6th frame. This was thanks to Manny Parra and Mark DeFelice, both who pitched two scoreless innings to start the game. Bear's guy R.J. Swindle picked up the win, but only after blowing the save.

Offensively, the Brewers were able to see Angel Salome (whether you can pronounce his name correctly this the first test to determine how serious of a Brewers fan you are) hit his first home-run of the season.

Other offensive highlights included two hits from Counsell and Thorman, as well the Brewers five stolen bases in the game.

Box. TBC Player of the Game: Thought about Parra, but let's give it to Scott Thorman, because he probably won't be winning too many of these this year. Next up for the Crew is a game against the Angels on Saturday afternoon.

While we're talking Brewers, the season isn't more than three days old and we already have our first feature story about the 1982 team again. The latest story is how you can watch Cecil Cooper's heroics in the '82 ALCS on MLB.com or something.

Great. Can we get over this '82 team yet? I mean, we did make the playoffs again, let's talk about that a little bit. I just think it's so sad how much we have celebrated a team that lost the World Series, but that's been the rough history of Brewers baseball, I guess.

Let's Boycott ESPN for a Few Days

Bart Winkler — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:13:00 -0500

We all know that there is no escaping the necessary evil that is ESPN. If it wasn't for Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Baseball, the upcoming World Baseball Classic and their rights to the MLS (yes, I watch it), I'd have no problem boycotting the network altogether.

Basically, I only watch them for the games they broadcast, but not the way they broadcast them or for their original programming. I can't even remember the last time I watched an entire episode of SportsCenter.

The reason I want to boycott them for awhile isn't because they employ both Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless, nor is it because SportsCenter has become basically Access Hollywood with highlights.

It's because the Milwaukee Bucks had one nationally televised game this season, and that was supposed to be tonight, Friday the 27th of February.

But The Powers That Be at the Leader decided that their game against the Hornets was no longer national television worthy, and it has been bumped for a game between the Pistons and the Magic.

Seriously? Look, I know the Bucks are a bit depleted right now, but you're telling me ESPN can't sell the story of a team playing without their two biggest stars, yet finding ways to win and compete for the playoffs?

You're telling me that ESPN doesn't want to subject the country to this game, but they had no problem airing a couple of blowouts to the Thunder earlier in the season?

You know, when the schedule first comes out every year, the first thing I look at is for any national televised games. It's bad enough to only have one of these games, but much much worse to have it taken away from us. The Bucks have earned a little national exposure, if you ask me.

I understand why ESPN would rather show the Magic than the Bucks, but you're really telling me it's going to kill them to air ONE Bucks game this season, one that airs on an early Friday evening when nobody is probably watching TV at that time anyway?

If you would like to watch the Bucks, they play at 7 pm in New Orleans tonight. On FSN Wisconsin. Actually, no. As b2 reminds us: no. thats the thing. because the game was on espn, they ARENT on fsn wisconsin. they arent on tv at all today. i hate espn.

Yeah, um, this is so lame. I know a lot of you don't care about the Bucks, whatever. I like to watch every game. I don't mind if a game here or there isn't on TV because FSN can't afford to cover all 82 of them, I get that.

But to not have a game on TV because ESPN just changed their mind about who is priviledged enough to be shown on their prestigious network? I know I try to make this a family blog and all, but fuck that.

Let the boycott begin.

Reporting Live From Brewers Spring Training

Bart Winkler — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:47:00 -0500

Not more than five minutes after I posted Thursday's Brewers recap, my prayers were answered.

Loyal Bucky Channel reader Chad Lyons was in Mesa for Milwaukee's matchup against the Cubs, and sent a few pictures. Pictures which you may see quite often during Spring Training if Morry Gash continues to disappoint, as I'll use them as stock footage.

The above photo is a Ryan Braun at-bat; below is a Mike Cameron home-run mid-flight, as well as Yovani Gallardo warming up.

Thanks again, Chad, for the pictures, and for this message you sent us:

"Just got back from the Brewers/Cubs game in Mesa and thought I'd send along some pictures. The Brewers didn't look too sharp today. Gallardo and McClung both got touched up and the reserves looked especially rusty (Escobar in particular). I got Cam and Braunie's autographs though, so it was definitely a good trip. Be jealous, very, very jealous."

UConn Effectively Ends Marquette's Season

Bart Winkler — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:23:00 -0500

How come whenever one of our teams lose one of their big stars to injury, we always end up losing the game as well? Which forces me to write titles like "Marquette Loses More Than Just The Game."

Either way, that's exactly what happened on Wednesday night as Connecticut came into the Bradley Center, got Jim Calhoun his 800th win, and left Marquette forced to play through the rest of the year without Dominic James.

A broken bone in his left foot will end the James' career at Marquette, an injury which occurred just four minutes to play in their 93-82 loss to UConn. It's obviously a worst-case scenario situation for the Geagles, who have depended heavily on their three senior guards to get where they are at this point in the season.

I still think Marquette can win the Big East regular season with some help, and still expect them to make a run in the Big East Tournament. But as far as national title hopes? Gone. Best case scenario for Marquette without James is a trip to the Elite Eight, but even that seems unlikely now.

Unless Maurice Acker pulls a miracle and picks up James' slack and then more, Marquette's season isn't looking as hopeful as it was a few days ago.

The injury to Dominic forced Wesley Matthews and Jerel McNeal to play a full 40 minutes, a trend that probably shouldn't continue. Again, I still think this team is capable of making a run, but you can't take the injury to James lightly.

In the end, it was a tough loss to take, injury notwithstanding. The Daily Drink credits UConn for their second chance points in the second half, and the play of A.J. Price. The Brew Town Beat has 25 random facts about the game, written in list form.

As for me, I would have had this recap up a lot sooner, but Thursdays are usually busy for me. And by that I mean there are like five different Lost recaps I have to read during the day before I can even think about The Bucky Channel. Thanks though, for your patience!

Next up for MU is a contest at No. 6 Louisville on Sunday morning, followed by a matchup against (soon no longer to be) No. 1 Pittsburgh.

A Little Too Much Dallas

Bart Winkler — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:00:00 -0500

Not quite the game that the epic battle between the Milwaukee Beers and Dallas Felons was, as shown in picture. But at least I could look at this picture and smile, cause it certainly wasn't happening during the game against the Dallas Mavericks. The Bucks dropped the third game between the two teams 116-96. This season, it appears that when the Bucks and Mavericks play each other, you are going to get a blowout one way or the other.

Charlie Villanueva did his part tonight, at least on the scoring end in the first quarter. After a 19 point first quarter he finished with 25 points. Richard Jefferson had a rough shooting night going 6-17 and adding 16 points. Also the bench showed up some as Charlie Bell had 19. I suppose CV gets TBC player of the game, even though he was pretty worthless after the first quarter. Dallas definitely racked up the "psych-outs" tonight, that's for sure.

Steve Perry.....Steeeevee Perry.... Should have been gonnnnnnne.

The problem tonight, people, was the rebounding. The Bucks were out rebounded 25-51. Yikes. It was a disappointing loss, but the Bucks still hold a game lead over the 8th seed over NJ and CHI, which is good I guess.

Milwaukee faces a tough test Friday at 7pm at New Orleans Hornets. I'm sure the Bucks pull this one out, about as sure as I am that Shaq got rich playing in college.

Brewers Are Back Baby!

Bart Winkler — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:20:00 -0500

I can't take credit for any of this. Winks sent it to my email to post since he is at an Appleseed Cast concert in Madison. Not a big fan on this side of the computer, but to each his own. Anyway on to the crew.

Given the way the 2008 season ended, I'm not really sure how to take what just occurred in the Brewers 2009 season opener. And by that I mean the fact that Corey Hart not only got the first hit of the new campaign, but also hit a home run. It's good to have you back, Corey. Could have used you in the playoffs though.

Hart's offense wasn't enough to win the game for Milwaukee, but it wasn't really a losing effort, either. The Brewers started Spring Training off a with tie against the Oakland A's, finishing with 3-3 on the scoreboard after ten innings.

But if you actually care about wins and losses in Spring Training, you're an idiot. Lets take a look at what we should care about:

The Brewers had good performances not only from Hart, but also Counsell (3 for 3), Kendall (3 for 3), and 1B hopeful Scott Thorman (2 for 2). Ryan Braun went hitless in one of the few appearances he'll have before he represents Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

Jeff Suppan went two innings on the hill, and gave up a run, while Jorge Julio got rocked. Elsewhere, Casey MaGehee got the start at third, someone I left off my preseason roster but could very well easily make the Final 25.

Basically, it's just good to have the Brewers back, no matter how insignificant the games may be. The Bucky Channel will have recaps of every game along the way as we did last season, including Spring Training.

Usually, they will be posted sometime after the game, but if it's a weekend, then you can pretty much except them late Monday, due to how much we like weekends.

Bear interjecting here: Go figure, a polarizing figure amongst Brewer fans (although I don't know why, he has never shown to be any good really in the minor or majors) Tony Gwynn Jr. will miss about a month due to a shoulder injury.

Thus, giving even more TGJ fanboys reason to claim hes never seen enough playing to show how good he is. Can you tell I am not really a fan?

I think you could also expect most recaps to be shorter than bucks ones, writing over 162 of them will wear thin on us and you.

First Box Score of the Season!

Player of the (Exhibition) Game: Corey Hart

(AP Photo by "look who's in Arizona" Morry Gash)

Projected 25-Man Milwaukee Brewers Roster

Bart Winkler — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:17:00 -0500

We're going with gut feelings as I try to predict what the Brewers roster might look like in 2009. Basically, I think Macha and Melvin are going to go with their veterans for Opening Day and then bring up guys like Gamel and Escobar as the season progresses.

Here's a look:

Starting Pitchers: Yovani Gallardo, Manny Parra, Dave Bush, Braden Looper, Jeff Suppan

Barring an injury, this is the starting five the Crew is going with on day one. Don't listen to what Macha is saying right now, Gallardo will start Opening Day. Suppan will probably anchor the rotation, unless he really has an impressive camp, or Macha decides to use him as the "ace" for some reason like he is in camp.

Relief Pitchers: Trevor Hoffman, Carlos Villanueva, David Riske, Seth McClung, Mitch Stetter, Todd Coffey, Jorge Julio

The first four are set in stone, and I think Stetter easily wins the role Shouse occupied last season. Todd Coffey meant too much to the Brewers last season for them not to give him a shot, while Julio fills out the 12-man pitching staff Macha has said he's going with.

Edward Morlan will not make the roster and will be sent back to Tampa Bay, big deal.

Tim Dillard gets some work in AAA, while Eric Gagne will go to Nashville as well.

Gagne will be the first one called up when the Brewers need to replace a bullpen arm, and will be a key contributor to the Brewers this season.

Catchers: Jason Kendall, Mike Rivera

Mikey is going to get a lot more playing time this season, which is fine with me. He's the better hitter of the two. Salome will be up eventually, but will get a little work in Nashville.

First Basemen: Prince Fielder, Brad Nelson

I see them keeping Brad Nelson on board to spell Prince and be the fifth outfielder. Nelson is probably my least confident selection on this roster I've made.

Second Basemen: Rickie Weeks, Hernan Iribarren

Iribarren gets the call if Hall needs to start on the 15-Day DL, which he does in my scenario. Otherwise it's back to Nashville, a town he's growing very familiar with.

Shortstop: J.J. Hardy

Third Basemen: Craig Counsell, Mike Lamb

This is what we got until Hall returns. After that, if Hall struggles, Gamel will be our starting third basemen by the break.

Outfielders: Ryan Braun, Mike Cameron, Corey Hart, Tony Gwynn Jr.

Last shot for Gwynn. Duffy and Trotter will see some time eventually, depending on how soon Gwynn gets dealt to San Diego, his destiny.

What do you think? This is a pretty conservative roster, in my opinion. Feel free to leave your roster predictions in the comments. Please!

Don't Get Too Excited, Milwaukee

Bart Winkler — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:22:00 -0500

Like any guy attending a university, I found myself watching a lot of television instead of working harder towards getting my degree (a degree which has proved to be pointless, I might add). Throughout all this television watching, I saw a lot of commercials for the popular Sonic Drive-In restaurants.

But since these were nowhere to be found in Wisconsin, me and my college roommates were often left to wonder just how good these burgers really were.

The above picture was taken about one year after I finally did graduate, when me (fattie on the left) and another buddy visited our friend in Lawrence, Kansas. We decided that this would not only be a great time to finally eat at a Sonic, but also a great time to take a picture and send it to another former roommate of ours who was unable to make the trip, and thus miss out on Sonic.

My happiness in the picture would be short lived, however, as I quickly realized that this food just wasn't as good as we had initially thought. Now granted, I didn't try the breakfast food or any of the famous desserts, but if you're looking for a good burger and fries meal, drive past Sonic every time.

Sadly, however, few of you in the Milwaukee area will take my advice. Now that the restaurant has opened a store on Miller Park Way in Milwaukee, many of you are going to be flocking to get a taste over the next couple of days. And if you miss out, don't worry - Sonic plans to open at least 20 stores in the Milwaukee area, and another 10 throughout the state.

But I won't blame you if you don't take my recommendation that their food just isn't very good. I know what it's like when a new restaurant opens in your hometown. Here in the blue-collar town that is Fond du Lac, we were recently welcoming to the opening of a Taco John's.

That puts the grand total of Taco John's in this town up to one, which caused a lot of excitement for us (even though we ran a Taco John's out of town about ten years ago, but apparently it's good now).

When the store opened last Wednesday, the drive-thru was backed up all the way down to the busiest intersection in town, which is a good two to three blocks away from the new restaurant. Now, it's not really a comparison, because Taco John's is way better than Sonic, but it always fascinates me how a city—no matter the size—just seems to shut down whenever a new fast food restaurant opens.

So get your Sonic if you must, Milwaukee, I won't blame you for doing so. But don't go in with high expectations, because they will be as much of a letdown as my college degree has turned out to be.

(It's safe to assume this would have been "Winks Thinks: Sonic Edition", had I not taken the week off. Seriously though, Sonic sucks.)

Milwaukee Brewers' Brett Lawrie Switches to Second

Bart Winkler — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:37:00 -0500

One of the Brewers' best young catching prospects has now become one of the teams best young prospects at second base. Milwaukee's first-round draft choice of 2008, Brett Lawrie, has requested the position switch after playing through an instructional league last fall.

Lawrie doesn't seem to be joking around about his intentions to get to the big leagues as fast as possible.

He has noted that there is a lot more preparation into making the big leagues as a catcher, and despite how much he loves the position, the 19-year-old Canadian sees a quicker jump to the "bigs" as an infielder.

With a few real good second basemen in the Brewers system, plus the struggles of Rickie Weeks, Lawrie sees this to be the easier competition than the likes of catchers Angel Salome and Jonathan Lucroy.

I don't really think the competition has anything to do with it though. Personally, I think this is the case of a young kid wanting to have as long of a career as possible, who sees more benefit in playing the infield than roughing up his knees behind home plate.

You shouldn't really make position switches based on the players in front of you in the organization—in my opinion—especially when you are as green as Lawrie is.

Realistically, his shot of reaching the "bigs" as a catcher could be just the same as a second basemen. You never know how the personnel at either position will shape out, or who might move positions (I still see either Hardy or Escobar at second after we finally give up on Weeks).

I say you just play your hardest at your position, and eventually you will either make the majors with the team who's organization you belong to, or you will get traded and start for another team.

I'm not saying this is a bad move. The kid is a talented ballplayer and I think he'll excel at whichever position he plays. I just think he'd rather play second base than play catcher, even though he entered the draft as a catcher because he figured he'd get drafted higher at the position.

I don't know how the Brewers' front office feels about the move, but I'd be kind of pissed if I thought I was getting a player at one position, only to find out I'm getting him at another. If the Brewers wanted a second basemen, they would have drafted one.

Reading this over, I feel I'm coming off anti-Lawrie a bit, even though that isn't my intention. I just feel he may have pulled a fast one on the Brewers. We'll see in a couple years though, I guess.

Lawrie will leave minor-league camp in a couple of days to go play for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. Meanwhile, the big league club he aspires to one day be a part of, starts their exhibition season on Wednesday, when they take on the Oakland A's.

Two-Man Show Leads Bucks Over Nuggets

Bart Winkler — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:14:00 -0500

Who would have thought that the two guys most crucial to a Bucks run at the playoffs this season wouldn't be Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut, but rather Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions?

I mean, you knew they were valuable to the team, but those two guys are the only reason Milwaukee is even staying afloat at this point.

Also, am I surprised that the two Bucks that played in the Olympics are out with long injuries? No, not at all.

With those two out however, the Bucks needed new players to pick them up. Enter Charlie V, who with his season-high 36 points in the Bucks 120-117 win over Denver on Sunday, continues to make that straight up trade for T.J Ford look like Larry Harris's last stroke of genius.

The Bucks entire offense is running through him at this point.

He's the guy they look to for the big three-point shot, he's the guy grabbing the boards and throwing the rock back in on a monster dunk.

Charlie Villanueva, who would have thought?

Also enter Ramon Sessions, who had 27 points and eight assists in the Bucks victory on Sunday.

Sessions is barely leaving the floor at this point, and that is a good thing. He had 43 minutes against Denver, even though Luke Ridnour still played 21.

The strategy of playing both Sessions and Ridnour at the same time seemed like the discovery of the atom when Scott Skiles first implemented it.

Now it's become a standard and effective 1-2 punch at the guard positions.

If you are still doubting the level of contribution Sessions and V bring to this team, go and re-watch the Nuggets game again.

I am getting to the point where I am going to be depressed if the Bucks can't keep both of these guys next season.

As great as the standard 17 points from Richard Jefferson are a night, I really thought he would have had more of an impact this season.

He's still effective, but I'd much rather see the Bucks dump him to keep Charlie Villanueva, something I never thought I'd say in the history of my life.

It was an impressive win against a Nuggets team that is 37-19 on the season, and one of the top contenders in the West.

With the victory, the Bucks improve to 28-31, which is fascinating to me because it doesn't feel like they are three games under .500.

Maybe that's because they still hold a 1 1/2 game lead for the glorious Eastern Conference eighth seed.

I'm not getting Bear's Box Score references lately.

Player of the Game: Chuckie Vills.

Rankings: Marquette Moves Up, Loss Costs Badgers

Bart Winkler — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:46:00 -0500

All season long I've been saying that no matter how good Marquette might appear to be, we won't no anything until the final five games of the season.

It's a five-pack of games I have non-cleverly dubbed "The Stretch". Five games against five quality opponents that will let us know where Marquette ranks in the Big East.

At one time, all of these opponents were ranked in the Top 25, an even though that is no longer the case, it's still one of the tougher stretches of games in college hoops this season. Marquette started the stretch off right, with a 78-72 win over Georgetown. Wesley Matthews had 23 points while Jerel McNeal had 22 points, leading MU to a season sweep over the Hoyas.

But it's only going to get tougher from there. There next three games are as follows (using AP rankings, cause they are better): vs. No. 2 UConn, at No. 1 Pittsburgh, at No. 6 Louisville. I'm expecting a 1-2 record in those next three, but I'd be more than happy with a 2-1 mark, and just ecstatic if they won them all.

After that, it's a match-up against unranked Syracuse, although they are No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll. March Madness is definitely coming early for the Golden Eagles.

Marquette won't be any slouch when they face these teams, however. Their 23-4 record has them ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press Poll, and No. 10 in the ESPN version. Also, their 12-2 record in the Big East has them just 1/2 game out of first. Not bad for a team with a first year coach.

As for the Badgers, they no longer enjoy the thrill of being listed in the "Others Receiving Votes" column. Even though at one point the Badgers were cruising against Michigan State on Sunday, their horrendous second half collapse snapped Bucky's five game losing streak, and kept them out of the Top 25.

This loss says everything you need to know about the Badgers this season. They are probably the most mediocre team in the history of the world. They can't really beat anyone good, they still lose to crappy teams, and when they are beating a quality opponent they get nervous and choke. They'll still make the NCAA Tournament, for sure, but I'm not picking them to advance past the first round.

Well At Least We Got to See One of the Greatest: Bucks Dominated by LeBron

Bart Winkler — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:55:00 -0500

Short Bucks post today. Mainly because there is no reason to break the surface on a game where the Bucks were simply LeBroned. King James put up 55. He went 8-11 in threes. The insane thing is he ACTUALLY needed to score 55 to get the win.

The Bucks were leading most of the first half and after blowing the lead in the second, still made it a close game, but in the end it was just too much LeBron, the Cavs won 111-103.

Ridnour came back, off the bench, and definitely cut into Sessions minutes and performance. CV gets the TBC player of the game for his 26 piotns, 13 boards and six assists. Sessions scored 12 in only 22 minutes while Jefferson scored 17. Strong bench play from Bell and Bogans netted the bucks 15 and 10 respectively.

That's a lotta Dimp.

Chicago won, so now Milwaukee has a 1/2 game lead over the Bulls and a two game lead over the Nets for the eighth seed. The Bucks (27-31) get Denver at home tomorrow at 4 pm.

Of Course Wisconsin Will Make the Tourney

Bart Winkler — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:28:00 -0500

A few weeks back many Badgers fans, us included, started getting a little nervous about whether or not the Badgers were going to make the NCAA tournament this season. It would be another embarrassing season in a year that hasn't gone very well for the University of Wisconsin athletic department (at least in the sports people actually care about). You couldn't really blame anyone for overreacting, as the Badgers were in the midst of a six-game losing streak.

The date was February 5th. The Badgers had not won a game since they dismantled Northwestern nearly one month prior. Wisconsin was just coming off their sixth straight loss, when Northwestern was able to exact their revenge. Noticing the symmetry in their schedule, the Badgers realized that if they went on a long losing streak after a win to Northwestern, why not go on a long winning streak after a loss?

A winning streak is exactly what Wisconsin has been able to do, knocking off Illinois, Penn State, Iowa, Ohio State, and finally Indiana on Thursday night. Now, had the Badgers been unable to beat the Tom Crean and the Hoosiers, who came into the game 1-11 in the Big Ten, then maybe things wouldn't be looking so good for Bucky. But they cruised to an easy 68-51 victory over Indiana, lead by 21 points from Trevon Hughes.

On a side note, I realized why the Badgers have started winning games all of a sudden: I haven't been watching them. Every time they play lately I'm either working or Lost is on, so I don't get to catch the action. Last night I was going to watch the game, but got sucked into the slot machines at a bar. I only mention this because I am quite possibly the biggest curse of all time, so this little winning streak of the Badgers is not surprising to me at all. Once I get close to them again, they will crumble. It's a terrible life to lead, and I apologize for all the agony I've caused fans throughout the years because I've rooted for their team.

But that's an issue for another day. The Badgers have four games left in the Big Ten, and if they are going to extend their winning streak they are going to have to do it against Michigan State, currently the No. five team in the country with a 20-5 clip. The game will be broadcast this Sunday, 2 pm, on ESPN. I'll be at the Wave game, so once again I won't be able to watch this one. So at least the Badgers have that going for them.

After that, it's games against Michigan, Minnesota, and Indiana. They aren't going to lose the Indiana game, so the worst they can finish is 17-13 with a .500 conference record. They'll get in with that, no problem. I see them, now recharged for a playoff run, going 3-1 the rest of the way. That should give them a good 7 or 8 seed in the tournament. Currently, most predictions have them as a 9 or 10.

And I'd rather see them predicted as a 10 seed in the NCAA tournament than see them predicted to host a home game in the NIT.

Ridnour Could Be Ready Against Cavs, Other Bucks Ramblings

Bart Winkler — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:22:00 -0500

Yeah, that video pretty much sums up the Bucks season at this point. Bango may have been injured in the process, but at least the ball went through the hoop! Once again, another Buck gets injured, yet the team shoulders on. But fortunately, Luke Ridnour may be one of those injured Bucks that could soon return to the floor.

According to JS Online's Bucks Blog, Ridnour participated in contract drills on Thursday and hopes to be ready to go against the Cavs on Friday night. This would be great news for the Bucks, as long as he doesn't return to the starting lineup. Look, we all love Luke Ridnour and his shop class looks, but this Bucks team needs to keep Ramon Sessions as the starter. I just think Sessions has so much more to offer than Ridnour, and the Bucks are better suited letting him get this quality experience at 22, rather than giving time back to Luke.

Of course, this train of thought is useless if the Bucks can't keep Sessions next year. But their chances of doing that decreased significantly with Milwaukee unable to trade Richard Jefferson at the deadline on Thursday. One quick glance at the Bucks salary cap situation will show you that if Jefferson stays on the books, there's not a lot of wiggle room to sign guys like Sessions and even Charlie Villanueva.

As I argued in this week's Winks Thinks, I want the Bucks to succeed. But making the playoffs as a low seed that is likely to lose in the first round is pretty much the same thing as missing the playoffs a few games under .500. I don't think the Bucks should be thinking short-term here, they need to think long-term. Trading Jefferson, or his contract anyway, would have been a better move in the long run. Now, we know Hammond did offer Jefferson in a couple of trade scenarios, but I wish he would have been able to get the job done. Who knows when the next chance to move that contract might be.

But alas, no trade was made. Actually, barely any trades were made in the NBA at the deadline - another year of all buildup, no action. So this is the team we're going this rest of the way with. It's time to put whatever thoughts about whatever possible would-be trades aside, and ride this thing out with the Bucks.

I guess making the playoffs as a low level seed wouldn't be that bad.

Bucks Drop Important Game As Trade Deadline Looms

Bart Winkler — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:36:00 -0500

This one is a little bit hard to swallow. The Chicago Bulls are one team that are chasing the Bucks for that eighth seed. Milwaukee (27-30) couldn't keep the charging Bulls at bay dropped to Chicago 113-104. This leaves the Bucks one and a half games up on Chicago and two games up on the New Jersey Nets as they looked to lose as well, being down 20 late in the 4th quarter.

Although Milwaukee does lead the Chicago by three wins in the win column.

It was a back and forth game, one that Milwaukee seemed lucky just to be in. Poor shooting was the Bucks theme tonight. Last night Milwaukee had five turnovers, tonight 21. Yet the Bucks looked to be in the game even into the 4th quarter. The momentum changed oddly enough after Kirk Hinrich looked to be fouled, and was not called.

He became fired up as did the Bulls coach who got T'ed up but at the same time, looked calm and cool only asking "how was that not a foul?" a few times. At any rate after the free throw, a very fired up Hinrich stole the ball from Sessions and then went on to hit a 3 pointer on the next possession. The Bucks couldn't recover from that as the teams went on and swapped buckets for free throws.

It's a shame to lose to a team fighting for the same spot as you, while at home, and while they have a few key role players unavailable due to a Gooden and Nocioni, for Brad Miller and John Salmons.

The Bucks got a big effort out of RJ who scored 32 points, six boards and 11-12 from the line. Give him his second consecutive TBC player of the game. CV had a solid game with 17 and 12 but you put together he and Sessions' shooting night and you get 10-27.

That's a lot of missed shots. Tough to make those points up. Session and Bell also had 12 and 10 respectively. It's really uncertain if this game outcome has any ramifications on whether or not the Bucks make a deal before tomorrows deadline

As far as Bucks trade possibilities, ESPN has a running post going that seems to sum up the chances well. Basically it says the Bucks could send Jefferson to the Cavs for Wally Szczerbiak's expiring contract or to the Trail Blazers for LaFrentz's expiring contracts and pieces.

ESPN's Chris Broussard cites a "person close to the Vince Carter situation" as saying he expects Jefferson to be sent to Portland. Well, ok then "person." It seems though as if LaFrentz and Outlaw for Jefferson and Ridnour deal was nixed by Portland. Broussard even lists San Antonio as a possible destination for Jefferson, the pieces in that deal were not listed.

I can't make that pitch Coach.

Milwaukee gets a tough match up Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers 7:30 pm at home.

Melvin Keeps Milwaukee Brewers Arbitration Streak In Tact

Bart Winkler — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:40:00 -0500

In the time that he has been the General Manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, Doug Melvin has been able to avoid heading to arbitration in every single possible scenario. With the Brewers and outfielder Corey Hart agreeing to a one-year, $3.25 million contract on Tuesday, that streak was kept alive.

Hart and the Brewers were $1.1 million apart when they first submitted their figures for a contract this season. Hart was asking for $3.8 million, while the Brewers had submitted a figure of $2.7 million.

Ultimately, the two sides decided on a deal right smack in the middle, and Hart was able to make it to camp instead of sitting through arbitration hearings. The contract has includes certain incentive bonuses, including $50,000 if Hart makes the All-Star game again.

I'm glad that they were able to come to terms so that Hart could get on the field right away. I'm also glad that Hart is interested in a multi-year contract which would keep him in Milwaukee for a long, long time—but only if he learns from his mistakes of being the worst September player in the history of baseball.

I couldn't have been more high on Corey last season, even purchasing an All-Star game jersey shirt of his at one point last summer. But Hart nearly single-handily cost the Crew a spot in the playoffs, as his plate discipline grew weaker, and his appetite for swinging at strike three low and away grew stronger.

So yeah, don't do that again.

Bucks Tighten One Race, While Extending Another

Bart Winkler — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:06:00 -0500

Well I guess the question of whether the All-Star break would help or hurt the Bucks was answered. Milwaukee looked energized and ready to play tough defense tonight as they outlasted a surging fourth quarter Pistons team to win 92-86 at Detroit.

I got to admit right now this team is focused. Getting Ridnour back in a bit should be nice but Ridnour has either has to start alongside Sessions or come off the bench. There is just no reason to disrupt what this team does best and that is drive to the lane.

Redd's injury has allowed Jefferson and Session to be more comfortable with taking their man to the lane and getting the foul. Thus in turn making the defense sink and allowing open perimeter shooting. It's really no secret as to why Milwaukee's shooting percentages have gone way up. It's more open shots created by Ramon, RJ, and even CV going to the basket.

Redd is great, but he just doesn't do it enough. In the grand scheme the Bucks will be that much better if Bogut makes it back this season. His ability to run the floor and dominate the inside game against most NBA centers is a dimension this team just doesn't have. His defense is also good enough where his presence shouldn't disrupt the flow but enhance it. Elson has been playing great, he has done all the little things especially on the defensive end (four blocks and two steals tonight).

Richard Jefferson was the star tonight for the Bucks, he was knocking down big shots at key moments and getting to the line all game long. He ended with an extremely efficient 29 points on 4-5 from three land and 9-11 at the free throw line. He also added five board and five assists. He edged out Ramon Sessions who ended up with 17 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. CV added 10 and Malik Allen had a big 14 off the Bucks pine. Most impressively, I believe, is that Milwaukee committed only five turnovers all game.

Fantastic win against an East Conference contender on the road. The (27-29) Bucks have now pulled within two games of the seventh seed and extended their eighth seed lead to 1.5 games. The Bucks go back-to-back with a game at home tomorrow night against the Chicago Bulls.

Yeah.... That's the ticket.

(AP Photo By Duane Burleson)

The Bucky Channel Conversation: Mark Murphy (Kinda)

Bart Winkler — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:52:00 -0500

On Feb. 16, 2008, I had the distinct honor of meeting and interviewing now-President Barack Obama.

One year later to the day, I had what could be deemed an equally unique privilege when I met and interviewed Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy.

Well, by met, I mean took a picture with, and by interviewed, I mean I listened to him talk at a Rotary function. Either way.

Let me just use this space by talking about how comfortable I am with the Packers future after hearing this guy talk. Sure, it's his job to paint an attractive light on the franchise he runs, but I bought into everything he said.

Murphy is a guy who doesn't like failure. With his experience as a trial lawyer, his time working for the NFL Players Association, his time as an athletic director at Colgate and Northwestern, to his current position with the Packers, he is one of the most successful former NFL players of all time.

With a pedigree like that, it's easy to believe anything this guy says.

He doesn't really sugarcoat things. He acknowledges the fact that a 6-10 season in Green Bay is unacceptable.

He made plenty of jokes about the Brett Favre situation, which are a lot easier to laugh at one year after the fact, no matter what side you're on.

He revealed that if you approach him while wearing a shirt that says "The Three Stooges," with his, coach Mike McCarthy's, and general manager Ted Thompson's heads on it, he'll still sign it if you ask him.

He's also a terrific public speaker, and a humorous one at that.

Coming into his presentation, I wondered how much Murphy would talk about the Favre situation, especially because he just fake-retired again. Murphy was very candid on the matter, admitting it was a "very difficult situation."

But the biggest point that he made is that all the talking heads of ESPN out there don't understand. Regardless of your position, this isn't really a situation you can judge after one year. Murphy said that "our quarterback situation is secure for the next decade," and that's really what we have to remember here.

Also, I know there were members at that Rotary luncheon that still can't believe Favre is gone—kudos to them for not attacking Murphy on this occasion.

Murphy also talked about the future of the team's defense, which has gone through many changes this offseason. He seems confident that the hiring of Dom Capers and the switch to the 3-4 alignment will make the Packers more aggressive, but you could see him curb expectations a bit when he said this year would be a transition.

They still don't know which linebacking position A.J. Hawk will play. They still don't know who will anchor the defensive line. Murphy says the prototypical end in the 3-4 is a guy that is in the 6'4'', 300-pound range, although I'm sure he'd welcome a certain free agent of the 6'7'', 283-pound variety.

He also spent a lot of time talking about the upcoming collective bargaining agreement and possible labor dispute. I usually skip over those articles when they are posted on PFT, so it's no surprise I kind of zoned out during this portion of Murphy's speech.

During his question-and-answer session, he talked about how having four preseason games in today's NFL is basically pointless, and he personally would like to see a schedule with two preseason games and eighteen regular-season contests.

He noted though, that if the league did this, the regular season would still start after Labor Day, which would mean the regular season would go into mid-January. Murphy wasn't the only one thinking how cold a night game at Lambeau Field could get in the middle of January.

In fact, that thought must have been a real pressing issue to one member of the audience, who asked if the rumors about the Packers installing a dome over Lambeau were true.

First of all, what rumors? Second of all, hell no. Murphy reiterated that Lambeau is and always will be the Frozen Tundra, which would be more awesome if Chris Berman didn't come up with the name.

The Mark Murphy speech may not have had the same security measures as the Obama event I attended one year prior, but I gotta say, as a Packer fan, it's hard for me to choose which event I enjoyed more.

Just kidding. Dude, I interviewed the President of the United States. Come on.

Milwaukee Brewers: Sign Former Cy Young Winner

Bart Winkler — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:11:00 -0500

Which is basically just another way of saying that the Brewers have re-signed reliever Eric Gagne.

Things are going to be a little different though this time around, as it's being reported he's only initially being signed to a minor-league contract, likely with incentives.

That's quite a step down from the one-year, $10 million contract a desperate Doug Melvin gave him last year.

If the guy from Lie to Me was able to see the look on my face when I first saw this announcement, there's no question I would be one of his go-to examples for when he showed people the expression of shock.

And I know I'm not the only one who felt this way.

But once you get past the initial surprise, you'll see that Dougie has once again made another good, low-cost, low-risk signing that could pay big dividends at some point this season.

Personally, I am excited about this move.

I'm always up for a good "why the hell not?" signing. However, with a 5.44 ERA and seven blown saves last season, I'm sure a lot of Brewers fans would have rather seen him go the way of Derrick Turnbow.

Looking around the Brewers blogosphere, there are already several mixed opinions.

Right Field Bleachers says Gagne now has the chance to earn the money he made last year. Quevedo at the Buffet didn't even realize Gagne was still alive.

Bernie's Crew says talk about surprises. And Brew Town Beat says with Hoffman and Gagne, the Brewers have a chance to have the most bad ass bullpen in history.

So it looks like Doug Melvin clearly lied when he said a few weeks ago that the Brewers were done in free agency.

It seems he's taking the same approach to his bullpen as I am to my life right now.

While I have four part-time jobs hoping that something works, he's signing multiple bullpen options hoping one of these guys pans out. Clearly, I'm very pro this strategy.

Perhaps Chad Cordero is next?

The Sweet Sounds of Cory Provus

Bart Winkler — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:01:00 -0500

This is the face of the man you'll be hearing on your radio dials throughout the summer, as Cory Provus has been announced as the new partner to compliment Bob Uecker. Provus replaces Jim Powell, who has accepted a job calling games for the Atlanta Braves.

It will be hard to listen to the radio without expecting to hear Powell's voice, but I'm wishing Provus the best of luck, and hope that his insight will mesh well with that of Mr. Belvedere. It probably will though, or else he wouldn't have been hired.

Provus comes to Milwaukee just a few miles south on I-94, as he was recently in a similar broadcast role for WGN and the Chicago Cubs.

As you imagine, this news really bothers some of the lame Brewer fans out there (yes, we're not proud of everyone). The guys over at Chuckie Hacks do a good job of calling out the idiotic fans.

Even though I would prefer watching every game on television over the course of the summer, it's not a complete baseball season without a few nights tuning into the radio. The Bucky Channel would like to wish all the best to Cory Provus, and he can work with Uecker a little better than this guy.

Hey, Wisconsin Got Two Votes! Badgers Creeping Back Into Polls

Bart Winkler — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:45:00 -0500

With NBA All-Star weekend in full swing, I have to admit that the Badgers and Marquette games on Saturday kind of got pushed to the backburner. Even though both were victorious the other night, I decided I would rather watch the skills competition and slam dunk contest as opposed to either team's games. Call me what you will, but the dunk contest is awesome. I have no regrets.

What I missed, though, was two teams on the rebound in their quest for postseason success. The Badgers rattled off their fourth straight win on Saturday when they beat Ohio State 55-50 at the Kohl Center. The Badgers' turnaround has been in large part because of their defense, averaging just 49 points allowed per game during their current winning streak.

That might not be enough to get you recognition in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll, but it does get you two votes in the AP version! Congrats, Wisconsin!

Marquette broke their two-game losing streak on Valentine's night with a 73-59 win over St. John's. Their week keeps them at the No. 10 spot in the Associated Press poll, while they move up one spot in the ESPN/USA Today poll, now tied at No. 11.

An interesting week for state hoops, but one that ended on a high note. Unless you're UW-Green Bay, who celebrated their recognition from the Associated Press by dropping games to Youngstown State and Cleveland State this week. Oh well.

First Look at Chicago's Olympic Bid

Bart Winkler — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:40:00 -0500

Those of us in Wisconsin have taken a keen interest in where the 2016 Olympics will be held, if only because of the fact a couple of bike races will be held outside of Madison.

You really can't blame us though, as this would be the biggest international get for the state since ESPN's Great Outdoor Games a few years back.

So we're rooting for Chicago to get the Games, and they have made the final four of host city applicants. Also in the running are Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo.

Chicago has taken the next step in their bid process, which is the releasing of their official proposal. It's some interesting stuff to look at, especially the section about their proposed venues. The city would use many of their existing structures such as the United Center and Soldier Field, but would also build a new Olympic Stadium and Aquatic Center. To me, the most interesting part of this proposal is where the preliminary soccer matches would be played—Los Angeles, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New York. Officially, Madison would host the mountain biking and road cycling events.

For some reason, I have a pretty good feeling Chicago can pull this off and bring the Olympics back to the United States. If so, I'm moving to Chicago as soon as that announcement is made.