Bleacher Report - Articles by Curt Hogg

Why Ryan Braun Is the Undisputed Second-Best Hitter in the NL

Curt Hogg — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:47:47 -0400

The routine: adjustment of the Nike batting gloves, tug of the No. 8 jersey, pointing of the bat towards the pitcher, the cocking of the slightly angled bat just above his head.

The eyes are filled with fire and determined intensity, reminding the pitcher not to make a mistake.

The swing is elegant yet so violent, leading to well-hit ball after well-hit ball. The stroke bedazzles onlookers and sprays balls all over the field.

The bat is 35 inches and has knocked 87 balls over the fence, posted a .307 batting average, and driven in 260 runs.

The face is recognizable throughout baseball, making him a fan favorite. He was asked to be "The Bachelor" on ABC's hit show.

The man is Ryan Braun. A 200-pound former first-rounder from Mission Hills, Calif.

The accolades collected are amazing: 2007 NL Rookie of the Year, 2008 (and soon-to-be 2009) All-Star starter, 2008 Silver Slugger, third in 2008 NL MVP voting, 2009 USA World Baseball Classic team member, 2008 Brewers Player of the Year, and fan favorite at Miller Park.

He is a mere 25 years of age, yet posting numbers similar to those of Hall-of-Famers. Through 339 games his home run total of 87 dingers is reminiscent to the numbers of guys with the names the Splendid Splinter and Phat Albert, just to name two.

To put his numbers into comparison, all-time home run king Barry Bonds did not reach 87 homers until his fifth Major League season (though Barry's numbers clearly were tainted).

If Braun continues to hit at this rate, he will reach 600 home runs in his 15th Big League season. Bonds only had 494 home runs after he completed his 15th season.

But Ryan Braun possesses many more assets to his game then pure power.

Braun gets on base. His career batting average is .307, a good mark for any hitter. He hits the ball where it is pitched, often poking the ball to right field, to reach base. His career on-base percentage is .364, but in 2009, he has reached base .416 of the time.

In 2008 he led the league in extra base hits with 83. Braun hits .521 when he pulls the ball and .378 when he hits it to right field, which has happened 188 times. He hits .610 to the outfield, .341 when he puts the ball in play, and .411 when he hits the ball fair.

Braun is comfortable in any count. He has 31 career home runs with two strikes on him. He has seven homers with an 0-2 count, and still gets on base more than 20 percent of the time in those situations. When pitchers fall behind, Braun crushes them, hitting .340 with 32 homers after a 1-0 count.

He hits .363 on the first pitch. Braun is also patient in waiting to get a good pitch. Ryan has never put a 3-0 pitch into play, instead either taking a free pass or waiting for a 3-1 count. Braun is very comfortable with two strikes, as 689 of his 1,346 career at-bats have come with two strikes.

Braun is clutch. Ryan Braun is not rattled by pressure. He consistently gets the big hit, coming through in the clutch time-after-time. When the team is within one run, he has 40 home runs, obviously pulling the game to a tie or a Milwaukee lead. Braun hits .350 in the ninth inning and his OPS is 1.027 in the inning.

During the final week of 2008 he hit a walk-off grand slam and a Wild Card-clinching game-winning home run against Chicago. He has continued this year with go-ahead home runs and base hits to go along with a walk-off hit on the Home Opener against the Cubs. This year alone, Braun has 12 go-ahead hits to boost his career total to 56.

He destroys rival pitching. Not only is he clutch against rival pitching, he destroys it.

Braun hits .325 with seven homers and 27 RBI against the Chicago Cubs, has 10 dingers against the Cincinnati Reds, is .385 with 10 homers and 26 RBI against the Cardinals, bats .331 with 11 homers and 33 ribbies against the Houston Astros, and hits .306 with seven home runs and 30 RBI against the Pirates (including the walk-off grannie).

Combined, he's hit .314 with 45 home runs, and 137 RBI against NL Central opponents.

Braun hits anywhere, anytime, and in any conditions. Ryan Braun has hit a home run in every current National Leauge ballpark except Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. (he has only started three games there) and Chase Field in Phoenix. Only three percentage points separate his night average from day average.

He hits .307 on grass and .293 on artificial turf. Braun especially heats up along with the weather, hitting a career .325 in June and .355 in July. Braunie has a combined 39 home runs in those two months.

He hits the best pitchers well. We'll just let the numbers speak for themselves: .462 with two home runs and seven RBI in 15 at-bats vs. Tim Lincecum. .455 with two homers, five ribbies, and one triple vs. Roy Oswalt. He's hit .538 with five batted in and two doubles against Johan Santana.

In 12 AB's against Cole Hamels, Braun is .333 with two home runs and three RBI. Against Kyle Lohse, he hits .417 with two doubles and three RBI in the same number of at-bats as against Hamels. Ryan is .500 with a double and a .583 OBP versus Edinson Volquez. He is .555 with an RBI off of Tim Hudson.

He is 3-9 with one double, one triple, and two RBI against Matt Cain. Braun has three home runs in 19 at-bats against Aaron Harang. He has a .462 average with two home runs against Ted Lilly and two long balls off of Josh Beckett in only three at-bats.

Braun can catch fire on any given day. Ryan Braun was hitting .222 with one home run and five RBI on April 19. He went 5-5 with two home runs and 4 RBI that day in Philadelphia to spark his hitting that hasn't died off since.

He has had absolutely incredible days at the plate on April 25 in Houston, May 6 in Cincinnati, June 7 at Atlanta, June 11 vs. Colorado, June 15 in Cleveland, June 20 at Detroit, and June 30 vs. the Mets. What did each of those performances have in common (besides the obvious facts that he was on fire for the entire game)?

The previous game, Braun had no more than one hit.

Only in his third Big League season, Ryan Braun has established himself as one of the premier hitters in Major League Baseball.

In the National League alone, he is the second-best hitter behind The Machine, Albert Pujols.

Ryan Braun will be a force on the Major League level for years to come, even more dominant than now.

Just as he has engulfed the city of Milwaukee, soon the rest of the nation will not be able to take their eyes off of Braun and he will rise to be an elite superstar.

It is what he deserves.

Brew Town Buzz: Milwaukee's Rocking With Brewer Mania

Curt Hogg — Sun, 31 May 2009 14:01:37 -0400

Diiiiing....Diiiiing....the bells were ringing profoundly, declaring prominence and striking intimidation into the opponents' core.

Blasting out of Miller Park's speaker system, the bells, ensued by a guitar solo, left no doubt of who was in to pitch.

The crowd rose and cheered as No. 51 came of the leftcenter bullpen and a mystifying rush fell across the stadium.

Trevor Time has come to Miller Park.

For nearly two decades, the Brewers were the joke of the American League, then, along with the Pirates, the joke of the National League Central for nearly a decade.

You would go to a game (if you even chose to go) and see mostly a group of no name kids and a few familiar faces lose. For the optimists out there, the sausages were good and the stadium served famous Milwaukee beer.

The Brewers and Milwaukee began to build a reputation, as what happened at County Stadium transcended into Milwaukee—lots of drinking, violence, losing, hard work, etc. Was it a heavenly calling or just common sense that the Crew's new retractable-roof stadium was named Miller Park after the Milwaukee-based Miller Brewing Company?

Take your opinion on that matter, but America and Milwaukee considered the naming a perfect fit for Brew Town. Milwaukee was becoming stereotyped as "the beer capital of the US with a losing baseball team," as I read in a newspaper as an elementary schooler.

As a hometown native and die-hard, I have "been a witness" by seeing the Brewers miraculously change from terrible to their current state of success (no, I don't need a t-shirt that reads 'WITNESS' with a Nike swoosh underneath). Attendance was pitiful and it must have been painstaking for the front office to play "Wisconsin Lottery Guess the Attendance" at Miller Park. On Saturdays in summer, the attendance could be found at a mere 20,000, with a few thousand of that total being added on to make the number appear decent, as if to tell the world that Milwaukee still loves its baseball.

While Milwaukee has always loved baseball but, besides five or so good seasons, has not been blessed by the baseball gods. Therefore, the people didn't go to the games, and some even considered it an embarrassment. Milwaukeeans supported the Brewers but willingly admitted that their team sucked by mid-June or May. By July, Brewers' talk had been side-washed and Packers Mania was popping up everywhere, like weeds in my backyard.

One of the best ways to personify how bad the Brewers were was how everything involving the Brewers got hit hard; attendance, pitching, even the Klement's Racing Sausages.

On a muggy Milwaukee night in 2003, I was on-hand as the Brew Crew battled the Pirates. Though the Brewers won the game in extra innings, the highlight in the game between the two cellar dwellers was when the Italian Sausage was "whacked" by Bucs player Randall Simon and fell down.

Despite the Brewers lackluster record that year, the worst thing that happened to the team was the sausage whacking. Sad.

Ever since 1983, Milwaukee had been living in 1982, the season that the Brewers reached the Fall Classic but fell to the Cardinals in seven games. (The only problem was that I wasn't around in '82.)

But then the saviors of Milwaukee appeared, bursting onto the Big League scene one-at-a-time to save a city hungry- check that: starving- for winning baseball.

"Big" Ben Sheets, Corey "Sunglasses at night", J.J "Heartthrob" Hardy, Rickie "Golden Spikes" Weeks, Prince "The King" Fielder, and 2008 NL Rookie of the Year Ryan "The Hebrew Hammer" Braun. And a team had seemingly been bad ever since inherited by Bud Selig in 1970 was winning. For any antagonists that don't believe that the Brewers were that bad, check out some of the numbers and facts.

Didn't have a winning season until 1978. Went 12 seasons with a losing record from 1993-2004.
Went 26 years without a Playoff appearance.
12 seasons with a winning record out of 40 campaigns in Milwaukee.
No World Series Titles, three Playoff births.
Six first or second-place finishes; Nineteen second-last or last-place finishes

It hasn't been a cake walk being a Brewer fan. Even now, I am constantly reminded that "the Brewers suck" by my peers at school. There was no September or October heartbreak because we weren't playing for anything during that time of year. Unlike some teams, the Crew managed to save their fans from heart-shattering, demoralizing times because nobody expected them to succeed. Instead, we were out playing spoiler.

How did I ever get a kick out of being the spoiler?

Now being a fan of the Brew Crew and sticking with it has payed off. We get Hell's Bells, but Hoffman's pitching in 2009 has come from above. We made the playoffs last season and get to see the famous Sausage Race.

Summers are exciting, especially when the Brewers are in town. And when they aren't, we can turn on the television and watch or tune into the radio and listen to Hall-of-Fame announcer Bob Uecker.

Brewers craze is sweeping Wisconsin. Sell outs are arriving in multitudes and we surpassed the sell-out totals from the late '90s and early 2000s within the first two short homestands. Hell's Bells are ringing throughout the city on Lake Michigan, from Bradford Beach to West Bend and Germantown and people are enjoying Miller Time and Trevor Time.

Brewer fans are being rewarded for their faith with great players and good baseball. Winning sure feels fun, though the team hasn't reached its pinnacle.

A new livelihood is bouncing around Miller Park and the younger generation is getting into the game. The older fans are renewing their inner youth and loving the Miller Park experience. And the players...well, they might as well be playing across the Home Plate Gate at little Helfaer Field, standing where the hallowed County Stadium once was.

On Friday night, the opener of a three game series against Cincinnati, the crowd must've eaten their Wheaties and was as energized as ever. All 42,000 people of the near-capacity crowd (many supporting Brewers player t-shirts, a popular item-buy yours today!) were on their feet during numerous spans during the game.

After a gem tossed by Braden Looper, Corey Hart's go-ahead dinger in the seventh, and Trevor Hoffman's stellar ninth inning to get the save, the crowd, including me, began a thunderous chants of "Tre-vor Hoff-man" and "Let's Go Brew-ers!" ensued by a series of claps. The chant has become sort of a ritual at Miller Park.

Milwaukee is especially in love with Hoffman. In the men's restroom after the game, the man next to me said, "I dedicate this one to Trevor Hoffman!" A series of laughs and "woo-hoo's" were heard.

Yes, sir, Milwaukee loves its baseball.

And for a city clad with a losing history, a winning baseball team and a city in love with those 25 men is a love affair that keeps going.

Diiiiiing......Diiiiiiing......Diiiiiiing.....that sound is becoming familiar in Milwaukee and can be heard throughout the city, roof closed or roof open.

And it may never end for BEWARE! THE BELLS ARE RINGING IN MILWAUKEE AND THIS CITY LOVES THE BREWERS!

Baseball Creates a Bonding Between Brothers Unlike Any Other Game

Curt Hogg — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:10:06 -0400

I'm going to be quite hones; typically, my little brother and I don't get along. We argue, we wrestle (which is pointless because I always end up as the victor), we steal each other's possessions, and most other common actions between brothers.

But when it comes to baseball, we get along like best friends.

My little brother Brian, 8, is six years younger than me. Ever since he was a little toddler, he watched my older brother and me play baseball in our backyard. He would come into the living room and watch the baseball game on television with us.

From an early age, he showed an interest in baseball.

As the years passed, my love of the game grew and grew. I kept score of my first game as a second grader in 2003. I followed the team closely for the first time in 2004 and bought my first player t-shirts with my own money in 2005 (Ben Sheets and Geoff Jenkins).

Not only did I gain interest in Major League Baseball, but in Little League Baseball, as well.

In my first year of organized ball, Brian went to my first game and didn't miss one for the rest of the season. He saw my first home run and congratulated me in the dugout after I took my helmet off and finished high-fiving my teammates.

He gained interest in baseball along with me, and I felt that it was my obligation to keep him in love with the glorious game.

We played catch about three or four times a week when he was just four and I would help him hit off of a tee.

He began to join my father and me in watching Brewers games. We made sure he grew up as a Brewers fan and we were successful in doing so.

It was a tale of two brothers. When not doing something involving baseball, we were typical brothers. When we did something involving baseball, a close bond was created.

Summer is full of baseball for us; we play catch, we hit wiffle balls in the backyard, we watch baseball, and he learned how to read a box score last summer.

As the older brother, I am trying to teach him the ways of the game. Along with my father, we taught Brian how to hit, field, and throw correctly. Watching him begin to master those skills is a wonderful sight to see.

I remember being at Brian's first Major League game that he would remember. It was a 2004 game against the Houston Astros. The Brewers lost with Ben Sheets on the bump, but Brian's expression when he first saw the stadium was priceless, especially for an older brother.

No other sport can bring a feeling like that. None.

Baseball creates a one-of-a-kind bond between fathers and sons, brothers and siblings, friends and friends.

At Brian's baseball practice last Saturday morning, during fielding practice, he was playing first base. The coach hit the ball sharply (for his league, at least) down the line. Brian ranged to his left, dropped to his knees, lunged at the ball, and picked it up before running to tag first base for the out.

But what he said next was the greatest thing an older brother could hear from his little baseball-playing brother.

In response to the coaches, including me, praising his play, he smiled and said, "Just like my big brother does it."

What a great feeling that only baseball can bring.

It's a Sad Day When You Admit That Your Team Stinks, but the Brewers Do

Curt Hogg — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:44:04 -0400

I hoped I would never have to come to this conclusion, especially after their playoff berth in 2008, but the Brewers stink.

At 3-8, Milwaukee is already in the divisional cellar and searching for the light to get out but are not finding it.

I usually never admit that my team stinks, and I haven't said it about the Brewers since they really did stink, back in the early 2000's. But now I am left with no choice but to say it and not get my 2009 hopes up.

Some may argue that there is hope left, but any that is left is minute.

The pitching has been awful, but in the few instances that it has been effective, the offense hasn't been clicking. Take, for example, Saturday in Flushing, New York, against the Mets.

Yovanni Gallardo went six scoreless innings before Carlos Villanueva gave up the lone run of the ballgame in the seventh. The offense failed to score, losing by the worst of scores, 1-0.

Good teams are able to have their offense, defense, and pitching going all on one day, for at least four or five days a week. The Brew crew have not been able to do so, with only one game in which they scored five or more runs and allowed less than five runs, one game!

Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder have not been big boppers at the plate in '09. Those two are the key components to the offensive attack. Their ineffectiveness have been a big reason that the offense has been below average.

And then there is the disaster that has been Jeff Suppan. To be frank, "Soup" has been off, not on. He was supposed to be the No. 1 starter in the rotation for awhile, but has self-destructed by walking batters left and right.

To be able to compete for the Playoffs, the crew needs to reverse into a 180 degree turnaround.

The bullpen must begin to keep leads and maintain tie games to keep the team alive, the offense needs to be better late in the game, and the starting pitching needs to be able to consistently keep the team in the game.

The Brewers have been unable to do so and have shown no sign of completely turning their season around.

I hate to say it, but the Milwaukee Brewers stink.

CC Sabathia Heads Back to Brew Town

Curt Hogg — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:56:53 -0400

This just in: Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia has left the Yankees to re-join the Milwaukee Brewers!

Well, it works out for at least one side. I'm fairly sure that we all know which side that is, the Brewers.

Sabathia led Milwaukee to its first playoff berth in 26 years in 2008 before signing with the Bronx Bombers. The big lefty's performance was astonishing to see, especially living in Milwaukee. It was nothing short of incredible.

Unfortunately for fans of the Brew Crew, CC signed with the Yankees in the offseason, but at least his legacy remained.

Yes, I said legacy. A two-and-a-half month legacy.

While walking to Miller Park, a picture of Sabathia is visible among the legends. That's how much the residents of Brew Town fell in love with him.

Sabathia started off the season on a bad note, losing to Baltimore, but rebounded strongly to pick up the "W." He started again on Thursday, the new Yankee Stadium Opener, going 5.2 innings and surrendering one run but throwing 122 pitches.

Meanwhile, 914 miles away in Milwaukee, the Brewers have had many problems with their pitching staff with the exception of Braden Looper.

Jeff Suppan has pitched just about as bad as he can, supporting an 0-2 record. Yovanni Gallardo surrendered six runs in one inning and lost on Monday. Manny Parra is 0-2.

The Brewers are in dire need of an ace, seeing how they lost two of them this past Hot Stove in Ben Sheets and Sabathia.

Sabathia felt sorry for them and was frustrated after the bullpen gave up nine runs in one inning on Thursday afternoon, so he headed directly west to Milwaukee.

Both teams have had problems with their pitching staffs and struggled in the early going.

There is no need to press the "panic button," but both teams need to pick up the slack, especially on the pitching side. Sabathia will help the Brewers while the Yankees try to recover from his departure.

By now, you've probably realized that Sabathia didn't sign back with Milwaukee and will stay in New York for years. The point is that the Brewers need to start throwing strikes and getting outs, or they will be watching from their couches in October.

Jeff Suppan needs to receive a wake-up call. "Soup" has been off, not on, so far this season and needs to pick up the slack in order for the Brewers to be successful.

We're not asking for him to pitch like CC did last year (though that would be nice), we just want him to start winning ball games.

Until that begins to happen, I, along with the rest of Brewer nation, will be staring at ESPN, waiting for the ticker to flash "BREAKING NEWS: CC SABATHIA SIGNS WITH THE BREWERS".

A Look at the MLB's Batting Stances: Chicago Cubs

Curt Hogg — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:31:49 -0400

This look at the batting stances of the Chicago Cubs in the second in the series of sixteen as I show off the National League's batting stances. The Cubs are a very good ballclub with distinct stances throughout their lineup. Enjoy this look into the stances of the Chicago Cubs, focusing on Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Mike Fontenot, and Reed Johnson. Grab a bat and join in on the fun...if you consider this stuff fun.

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A Look at the MLB's Batting Stances: Milwaukee Brewers

Curt Hogg — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:04:10 -0400

Major League Baseball has many different and unique batting stances. This series will take a look at each team's different batting stances. The Milwaukee Brewers open up the series with an interesting lineup of stances to look at. The lineup goes as follows: Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Mike Cameron, Bill Hall, Jason Kendall, and Craig Counsell. Grab a bat and get each player's batting stance down. Before you know it, you may have the whole league memorized.

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We All Bleed Red, But Mine Is Cardinal Red: Badger Fan for Life

Curt Hogg — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:39:34 -0400

Madison, Wisconsin, where the Grateful Red reside. Where the Badgers live and these Badgers don't hibernate.

I'm 13-years-old and born a Badger. I was born near Madison and soon moved Costa Rica, where my parents were missionaries.

I remember asking my grandfather to tape the 1999 Rose Bowl so I could watch the game, then only four-years-old. He gladly did and sent us the tape. He did the same for the 2000 Rose Bowl, which the Badgers won, defeating UCLA.

In the fall and winter of 2000, we took a trip to visit my family in Wisconsin and Texas. I remember watching all of the football games while in Wisconsin before heading south to Texas.

My grandfather had surprised our family with tickets to the Sun Bowl. At the time of the purchase, nobody knew that Bucky would be playing in the game. I was bursting at the seems when I found out that they would be facing the UCLA Bruins in the game.

It was a tight game and Wisconsin sealed the victory on an interception by cornerback Jamar Fletcher, which I predicted would happen.

The Badgers basketball team soon reached their first Final Four since 1941. They lost, but were the darlings of the tournament as an eight seed. My grandfather sent me a Wisconsin Final Four t-shirt.

I attended my first Badger football game at Camp Randall in 2006, four years since we moved back to Milwaukee. It was a great site to see and the band thrilled me. I then declared that I would be one of the tubas on the field in eight years.

I attended my first basketball game at the Kohl Center just a month ago against the Michigan Wolverines. The tradition at the game thrilled me, as did the play. The Badgers won and I was in awe of the way that they played.

Though in Milwaukee, I follow the Badgers faithfully. I make sure to watch each and every one of their games that are on television.

The Badgers are an easy team to love; they work hard, their fans are passionate, and they win.

Bucky may not win as many National Titles as other teams, but they have taken away more than their share. The women's hockey team took home their third title in four years a few weeks ago. The men's indoor track team won a few years ago.

Men's basketball has been very successful under Bo Ryan. They have reached the NCAA tournament each and every year under Bo. This year, they shocked Florida State in the first round with a 60-59 victory that was sealed by a Trevon Hughes lay-up with :02 remaining.

I have ridden the highs and the lows with the Badgers, from their Elite Eight appearance in 2005 to their crushing defeat to Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl in 2008. However, the Badgers remain my favorite team and always will.

Until I go to the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2014, I'll keep cheering from in front of my TV or listening to the games from my room, complete with a "Motion 'W'". But in 2014, it'll be even better.

I'll be cheering from the Grateful Red student section and doing the Jump Around as a student. Or, even better, playing in the band, blasting the tuba throughout the Kohl Center for the National Champions to be.

When we all get paper cuts, blood the color of red shows. Mine is red, too, but it's a different shade. It's cardinal red, the color of the Badgers. The Badgers that reside in Madison, Wisconsin. But these Badgers don't hibernate.

On Wisconsin!

Dear Brewer Fans, Give Eric Gagne a Second Chance

Curt Hogg — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:59:24 -0500

Dear Brewer Fans,

Continuing my season-long series of letters to Milwaukee Brewers fans (this being my second in the series), I modestly propose that we all give Eric Gagne a second chance.

I acknowledge that half of the people reading this are staring at their screen and calling me crazy, but my idea really isn't that crazy.

To summarize Gagne's 2008 season for Milwaukee—it stunk. He started out as closer, but quickly was demoted to middle reliever. He eventually worked his way up to set-up man.

The 33-year-old from Canada posted a 5.44 ERA and blew 7-of-17 save opportunities. He walked 22 in 46.1 innings and only fanned 38.

Not only were his stats bad, but he wasn't exactly the fan-favorite in Brew Town.

Gagne was "booed" numerous times by the home fans.

It seemed like the Brewers and Gagne were through until, to the surprise of many, general manager Doug Melvin signed him to a minor-league contract on Feb. 17.

With the contract being only for a minor-league spot, Gagne is not guaranteed a spot on the 25-man roster. But Gagne still signed, even though he probably could have gone somewhere else and gotten a guaranteed big-league contract.

He said that he chose Milwaukee because he felt he had something to prove to Brewer fans, which was true. Gagne, if given the opportunity, can become a consistent producer in the Milwaukee bullpen, as he was later in the season.

Gagne turned down an offer to play for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, saying he wanted to keep fighting for a spot on the roster.

He showed by turning down that offer that he was devoted to becoming one of the 25 members of the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day.

Eric Gagne used to the best closer in the game. Just because he had a few disappointing years, that doesn't mean he can break through. Just look at Brad Lidge, who was perfect in save opportunities in 2008, bouncing back from lackluster seasons.

So, Brewer fans—and Ken Macha—let's give Eric Gagne a second chance in a Brewers uniform.

Bucks Win Big in Denver, Must Keep It Up

Curt Hogg — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:57:24 -0500

The Milwaukee Bucks are coming off, arguably, one of their three biggest wins of the season.

They defeated the red-hot Denver Nuggets, 120-117, at home on Sunday. Charlie Villanueva scored nine of his season-high 36 points in the fourth quarter, including a floater with about 35 seconds left to give the Bucks a 116-113 lead.

Ramon Sessions added 27 points for Milwaukee, which played great defense over the final two minutes. The Bucks continuously forced Denver into wild shots.

The win improved the Bucks to 28-31 (12-12 against the tough Western Conference) and gave the them a one-and-a-half game lead over Chicago for the eighth seed in the East.

With nearly two full months left in the campaign, Milwaukee has already won two more games than all of last season.

The Bucks have lost Michael Redd for the season and center Andrew Bogut for about two months, but despite these painstaking injuries, Milwaukee has played wonderfully—by the Bucks' standards, at least.

Charlie Villanueva, Richard Jefferson, and Ramon Sessions have looked like All-Stars in the past couple of weeks.

To hold on to the eighth seed and make the Playoffs, the Bucks need to continue playing well without two of their key players.

Charlie Villanueva needs to continue his torrid shooting, which was on display Sunday when he hit a shot from center court at the end of the first quarter. He finished with a career-high seven three pointers for the game.

If Milwaukee can keep up their pace until Bogut returns and heat up upon his arrival, a Playoff berth will be theirs.

Looking at the remainder of their schedule, the Bucks should be able to go about .500, which should be enough to hold off the Knicks, Bulls, Nets, and other teams contending for the postseason.

Milwaukee is playing with passion, pride, and, finally, a city backing them up. Those are signs of a Playoff team.

Did the Milwaukee Bucks Approach the Trade Deadline Correctly?

Curt Hogg — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:36:39 -0500

In what seemed like a speck of time, the Milwaukee Bucks were plagued with injuries to key players. Michael Redd is out for the entire season with a torn MCL and ACL. Center Andrew Bogut is out at least eight weeks with a stress fracture in his back. Point guard Luke Ridnour missed a few games as well.

The interesting part about the injuries is at what point in the season they happened: toward the trade deadline. Toward the trade deadline, the teams making moves believe that they are playoff contenders.

Teams will be looking for players and looking to ship players away. This would be the ideal time to fill the void at a position because there are players out there who are on the trading block.

So, with the injuries the team has suffered, how did the Bucks handle the trade deadline? Let's take a look and review the moves they did and didn't make.

The Bucks made a deal and sent veteran point guard Tyron Lue to the Orlando Magic for guard Keith Bogans. Bogans will try to fill the shoes of the missing Michael Redd at shooting guard in the short-term interest for the team.

The Bucks also brought up guard Eddie Gill from the D-League and he will receive good minutes while Ridnour is out.

There was no need for GM John Hammond to go out and get another point guard, with Ramon Sessions lighting up the scoreboard and playing the best basketball of his career.

Despite the injuries, the team is still playing well, still grasping the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. This is mainly due to the previously mentioned Ramon Sessions and the play at the forward and center positions.

The Bucks remain solid at forward, with guys such as Charlie Villanueva, Richard Jefferson, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. They didn't need to go out and trade for a forward, as their main rotation at the three and four positions are steady. Malik Allen has provided a boost off the bench.

With a big body missing in Andrew Bogut, the backups in Dan Gadzuric and Francisco Elson need to provide a lift. The two Dutchmen have played well thus far, but can't match the numbers of the 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick. Milwaukee probably should have acquired someone for the rest of the season that could give the Bucks eight point-six rebound games regularly.

They missed out on the chance to pick up one of those players, but the Bucks did a fairly good job handling the trade deadline. Milwaukee replaced Michael Redd with a Keith Bogans and, even though he won't put up Redd's numbers, will provide the Bucks with a lift. And with Jefferson, Villanueva, and Sessions, Bogans looks to lead the his new team into the playoffs.

After all, isn't that what trade-deadline pickups are supposed to do?

Dear Brewer Fans, Can We Please Take Back Miller Park?

Curt Hogg — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:43:51 -0500

Dear Milwaukee Brewers Fans,

I'm sure you all know the feeling; you walk down the aisle to your regular seats and expect to see the familiar season ticket-holding young gentleman whom you have gotten to know well over the past few seasons.

You have exchanged information about each other and enjoyed friendly conversations during each game at which you see each other.

But when you take your seat, you notice something different. Instead of the familiar face of a Brewer fan, what you see is a person from directly south on I-94—a Chicago Cubs fan!

Selling tickets to Cubs fans has become a common pattern recently. Apparently, Brewer fans don't want to be a part of a possible Cubs victory and face the taunting or they don't want to see a gaggle of Cubs fans at their home ballpark in first person.

This is an absolutely terrible sight if you are one of the people who remains loyal to your team. For the Brewers to be successful in this heated rivalry against the Cubs, they need as much support as they can get.

And selling your tickets to Cubs fans won't help the cause.

My proposal to fans of the Milwaukee Brewers is to help take back Miller Park. The worst things that can happen to a Brewers fans are losing, a racing sausage getting drilled by an opposing player, and seeing 20,000 Cubs fans at Miller Park for a BREWERS GAME!

Brewers fans are some of the best fans in baseball, and we are too loyal to allow Cubs fans to buy our tickets.

Taking back Miller Park means no selling tickets to anyone but Brew Crew fans, buying your tickets before opposing fans, cheering louder than usual, even for the littlest of things, chanting louder than opposing fans, and proudly displaying Brewers gear.

In 2009, let's keep as many opposing fans out of our beautiful Miller Park. This will help in contributing to another successful season from our beloved Brewers.

So what do you say; let's take back Miller Park!

NBA All-Star Game: How To Add Excitement

Curt Hogg — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:47:22 -0500

Let's begin by getting this straight; the NBA All-Star weekend events are great. The dunk contest is the most entertaining event out of all of the All-Star events, and the rookie-sophomore challenge is fun to watch. The future of the NBA is showcased in this game.

But as much as I enjoy the precluding events, the big game itself is what I dislike the most.

The NBA All-Star game is the least exciting All-Star game out of the four major sports (football, baseball, basketball, and hockey,) and the game needs to match the electricity of the previous events of the week.

The primary thing wrong with the game is the players. Couldn't the correct players be picked for the game?

Players having great seasons, such as Kevin Durant, Al Jefferson, Carlos Boozer, and Deron Williams, get an All-Star bid taken away from them because the wrong players were picked.

Meanwhile, guys like Yao Ming (who always starts,) Shaquille O'Neal, and David West undeservedly make the roster. Additionally, Tim Duncan should not be starting over some of the reserves, and Allen Iverson getting voted in by fans as a starter was the biggest mistake this year.

Most of the time, high-scoring games are fun to watch. But in the All-Star game, there is simply too much offense. In fact, the last time a team scored under 110 points in the game was in 1976.

Even though a few regular season games have as much scoring as the All-Star game, the shots they put up are different. In the All-Star game, scoring and flashiness are two focal points. In a real game, teams look for the best shot and want to force their opponent to miss.

The game features a lack of defense as well, with some of the best defensive players in the game putting forth sub-standard effort. In the MLB All-Star game, for example, all of the players put out a full effort, with the games featuring great defense and pitching as well.

Additionally, the announcing of the starting lineups is ridiculous, with a mini-show being put on just to show everyone who the starters are.

Last year in New Orleans, a whole stage was set up, with jazz players blasting out long solos for a couple of minutes while the backups were being announced. And it only got worse when the starters were brought out.

Couldn't the starting lineups be shortened to two or three minutes? Showcasing the starters does not need to take up seven to ten minutes.

The excitement during the game simply is not very high. Constantly watching players run down court and fire up shots is not very exciting. The occasional incredible shot boosts up the excitement for a little while, until the TV switches to another commercial break.

In summary, the game itself is hyped up too much and can't match the expectations.

To get more people to watch it, the NBA could decide to do a shirts vs. skins game with David Stern on the skins, or..., you get my drift. Simply put, the NBA All-Star game is not exciting enough, and needs to make sure it selects the correct players in order to be called an true All-Star game.

Now about the shirts vs. skins...

Ten Most Disappointing Seasons From Brewers Players Since 2002

Curt Hogg — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 20:57:23 -0500

The Milwaukee Brewers have had a number of seasons as "cellar dwellers." From 2001-2006, their average record was 69.17 wins and 92.67 losses.

Those numbers are hard to comprehend, seeing how the Brew Crew has turned its play around. The Brewers are a team reminiscent of the Tampa Bay Rays; taking themselves out of the divisional cellar with young talent in a small market.

Even with their recent success, the Brewers have had more than their share of disappointing players. This article focuses on the most disappointing single-season performances by Brewers players.

10. Do you remember Junior Spivey, the second baseman during 2004 and 2005? You may not remember him due to his low game totals. In his two seasons, Spivey played in only 108 games, and in 2005, he appeared in only 49.

That year, Spivey hit only .236 with five homers and 17 RBI. He stole only 12 bases as a Brewer.

9. Royce Clayton was the everyday shortstop in 2003. You may remember him for his dreadlocks or for his lackluster play.The Brewers didn't have much backup at that position, and Clayton hit only .228 with 11 dingers and 39 RBI.

When a starting shortstop only hits .228 in 146 games, it has to be considered a dissapointing season. Clayton just didn't make the cut in Milwaukee and was a true disappointment.

8. Bill Hall had a career year in 2006 for the Brew Crew. He hit .270 with 35 home runs and 85 RBI as a utility man. But in 2007, he failed to meet expectations.

Just being signed to a four-year, $24 million contract, Hall struggled in his adjustment to a new position. He batted a disappointing .254 with only 14 home runs and 63 RBI while battling through injuries. He struck out 112 times and his fielding percentage was only .971.

7. The Brewers were hoping to build on to their 81-81 record in 2005. For 2006 to be successful, they needed Ben Sheets and the other starters to have good years. But Big Ben was bitten by the injury bug and only appeared in 17 games, all starts.

Sheets won only six games while losing seven. Once again, Sheets was nagged by injuries and that affected his play.

6. Luis Vizcaino was expected to be a rock in the Brewers bullpen in 2003. But he was anything but a rock. "Lose the Lead Luis" (as my mother called him) held a 6.34 ERA and was 0-6 in save opportunities. Those are six games they could have won. Vizcaino simply did not help out the Brewers that season.

5. Rickie Weeks has been called a "late bloomer" by former manager Ned Yost. Brewer fans bought this for a little while, but Rickie never bloomed. In 2007, frustration with the young second baseman mounted.

Weeks was supposed to be the All-Star leadoff hitter in the Brewers lineup. In 2007, he was the exact opposite of that, hitting only .235 in a mere 118 games. A wrist injury suffered late in the season by Weeks hurt the Brewers post-season chances. But hitting .235 as a leadoff man won't help, either.

4. You will definetely have to reach back in your memory for this disappointment. Do you recall a minor league star named Ben Hendrickson? You may not remember him, but he sure was a disappointment.

The right-hander was a star in the minor leagues and was supposed to be the next Ben Sheets in the Brewers rotation. But he never flourished in the bigs, appearing in 14 games, 12 starts, in two seasons. His record was a terrible 1-10 and his ERA was 7.41. In 2004, Hendrickson went 1-8 with a 6.22 ERA. No wonder he has never made another appearance in an MLB game.

3. Glendon Rusch in 2003 was the perfect description of a terrible and disappointing season. He won 10 games for a Brewers team that won only 56 all year in 2002 and was hoping to be one of the three top starters in 2003.

This didn't happen, as Glendon won only one game in 19 starts and 32 total games while losing 12. His .077 winning percentage in the lowest of all players with at least ten decisions in franchise history. OUCH!

2. Chris Capuano nearly won 20 games in 2005. He was quieter in 2006 but started off 2007 with a bang. He won his first five games and held a 3.21 ERA in April. Nobody expected what was to come of Capuano.

Capuano blew up completely, losing game after game until the streak reached 12 losses in a row. The team lost almost all of the games he pitched in. That streak peaked at 19 losses. Capuano did not win another game, finishing 5-12 with a 5.10 ERA.

1. "Now entering the game for the Brewers is Derrick Turnbow." This phrase was music to Brewers fans' ears during 2005. Turnbow was an All-Star and boasted a 1.74 ERA with 39 saves. But in 2006, this was torture to Brewers fans' ears and music to everyone else.

He struggled mightily in 2006, losing the closing role to Francisco Cordero later in the year. He went 4-9 with a 6.87 ERA and blew eight out of 32 save chances. His second half was absolutely terrible, going 0-5 with a 11.29 ERA. His innings were limited to 18.1.

There are the ten biggest single-season disappointments in recent Brewers history. Can the Brew Crew go two consecutive seasons without a player making the list? We'll have to watch closely to find out.

Planning Out Your Sports-Filled Saturday

Curt Hogg — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:43:34 -0500

Saturday, the first day of the weekend. Also defined as the seventh day of the week (sixth in America) by Webter's University Dictionary. But for sports fans, Saturday is defined as a day of relaxing on the couch, watching sports.

Sometimes on Saturdays, it's tough to decide what to watch. With so many options, what should you watch?

Well, luckily for you, your Saturday has already been planned out for you.

To begin your day, begin with a good Saturday morning breakfast. You'll need this energy for the rest of the day.

Mainly applying to the residents in the east, central, and mountain time zones, College Gameday begins at 11 am EST. ESPN analysts Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps, Hubert Davis, and Bob Knight are hosting the show from McCarthy Center in Spokane, Washington for the Gonzaga vs. Memphis game later that night.

They also will predict and analyze the day's biggest games and much more. If you don't get up early enough to catch this (which is perfectly fine because, after all, it is Saturday), you can watch the day's second College Gameday at 7 pm EST with the same crew at the same location.

At noon EST, on ESPN, following College Gameday, don't change the channel to watch cartoons. No. 20 Syracuse travels to the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia to face 16th ranked Villanova. Syracuse has lost three of its last four and hopes to get a big win on the road.

Look forward to a match up of a couple of great guards featuring Nova's Scottie Reynolds and 'Cuse's Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf. Both of these teams can put up big offensive numbers, but it could be a low-scoring affair, as well.

Midway through that game, around halftime, flip the channel to CBS at 1 pm EST for a match up of two teams each seeking a big win. Notre Dame, who is in the seventh out of eight consecutive games against ranked opponents, is desperately looking for a big win. This game at Pauley Pavilion against UCLA could be the perfect time. They have lost their previous six games, despite good play from All-American forward Luke Harangody.

The UCLA Bruins, at 18-4, don't want to allow Notre Dame to snap their losing streak, especially on Wooden Court in Los Angeles. A key to this game will be how effectively the Bruins are able to stop Irish guard Kyle McAlarney. We can assume that Harangody will put up big numbers, but he has been doing that during the losing streak, so they clearly need someone to step their play up in order to win this game.

At 3 pm EST, all must-watch games will probably be finished. Unless your team is playing in a non must-watch game, there are a few options; remain being lazy and watch Survivorman on Discovery Channel, do some housework for a while, or take advantage of the semi-nice weather and play some catch to warm your arm up for baseball season.

After done with whatever you do for that time, turn the TV back on at 6 pm EST and flip to the least hyped-up big game of the day. The Davidson Wildcats will play host to the Cougars of Charleston in a Southern Conference meeting.

We all have heard of Davison guard Stephen Curry, but Cougar sharpshooter Andrew Goudelock can light up the scoreboard. He shoots 46 percent on triples for the 16-6 Cougars, who are a threat to win the Southern Conference.

Now I could not write this and not mention Stephen Curry, who averages a nation-leading 28.9 points per game. He is the sole reason for the Wildcats success, as they would be nowhere near where they are now without him. He single-handedly changes the outcome of the game with his uncanny quick release and pure stroke.

This game could show a glimpse into the future for the Southern Conference to see if any team can knock off Davidson.

Once again, there is a choice of things to do until 9 pm EST for the tip off of Memphis at Gonzaga. If you missed College Gameday earlier this morning, I recommend you tune into the night edition of this show at 8 pm EST.

The marquee game of the day on ESPN features the previously mentioned teams, the Memphis Tigers and the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

The Tigers feature star freshman Tyreke Evans and forward Robert Dozier. Despite losing players such as Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Joey Dorsey, Memphis is (once again) undefeated in Conference USA.

Gonzaga is looking for another marquee win, adding to their wins at Tennessee and against St. Mary's. Zaga puts out a group of six players whose scoring totals are all near each other's. This gets rid of complete one player dependence, like a team such as Davidson has.

I hope you are ready for a big day of college hoops. Enjoy!

Reflecting on the Super Bowl: Correlating The Game With the Ads

Curt Hogg — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:25:04 -0500

Just like that, the 2008-09 National Football League season is over. But what better way to end a season is there than the game we witnessed on Sunday night? Truly, a game can't get much better, and add in the whole Super Bowl factor, and the final product is being left speechless.

Super Bowl XLIII has to be one of the top three or four of all time. Not many other Super Bowls feature a touchdown (and a safety) to take the lead by both teams with under three minutes left in the game. It also featured the longest play in Super Bowl history, a 100-yard interception return by Pittsburgh's James Harrison. Don't forget about the near-amazing comeback by Arizona and the safety. Super Bowl XLIII was a great all-around game.

The second-best part of the Super Bowl is, of course, the commercials. Who doesn't love and anticipate the ads? Companies save their money and humor for this game. For the rest of this article, the ads will be correlated with the game. In a way, they do have something in common.

The first commercial that will be correlated with the game is the ad for NBC's Monday lineup featuring Heroes, Chuck, and Medium. The characters from the shows were singing Feelin' the Horror. Just as NBC's intended audience, adults going back to work on Monday (and students going back to school), the Cardinals will fear the horror of enduring the offseason, knowing they were so close to the Lombardi Trophy. Maybe NBC's lineup will relieve them of the horror - for one day, at least.

Early in the first quarter, Doritos had a pretty funny commercial. An employee at a company has a snow globe that "sees into the future". He predicts free Doritos for the day and chucks the globe at the vending machine. The glass cracks and FREE DORITOS! At the end of the commercial, another employee predicts a promotion and throws the snow globe, but it hits a man instead. No promotion for him.

Just as the first employee "saw into the future", Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt "saw into the future" with his challenge in the first quarter, and the challenge almost saved the game. He challenged the ruling on the field of a touchdown and it was overturned. Pittsburgh was held to three points, instead of seven. If the Cardinals had stopped the Steelers on their last drive, that challenge would have saved the game.

In a Budweiser ad, a man is fetching with his dog. A Budweiser Clydesdale sees this and gets jealous. He runs into the woods nearby and comes out with a big branch. "Showoff", the owner mutters.

Relating this to the game didn't require much thought. Let's say Kurt Warner is the owner and Larry Fitzgerald is his dog. Towards the latter stages of the game, Warner kept throwing the ball to Fitzgerald, who "fetched" it and scored twice. Santonio Holmes, the Clydesdale, wanted to prove that he could beat anything they did. Holmes had two huge catches on the final drive, the last one for the game-winning touchdown. And Holmes, like the Clydesdale, came back to the dog and the owner, showing off what he found - the Vince Lombardi trophy.

The NFL Network ran an ad declaring that the season never ends on NFL Network, showing the stages of the entire season from the Scouting Combine to the Super Bowl. Sadly, we have finished the last stage. Up next, the Scouting Combine and the Draft.

Utah Jazz star Carlos Boozer was showing off his jewelry that he got for discount prices to kids. When they would ask him, "What's this?", he would reply with "40 percent off" or "30 percent off". When they asked him about his Olympic gold medal, he replied, "That is twenty years of dedication". For Steelers' players, the Super Bowl ring is a reward for lots of years of dedication.

For careerbuilder.com, one office had the head of a buck as a showpiece. The office on the other side of it had the backside of the buck. You could put up an argument that sometimes, one team got away with the front end of a call, and one was stuck with the back end.

Do you remember or have you heard of the old Coke commercial with "Mean" Joe Greene of the Steel Curtain and the kid offering him his Coke bottle? Coke decided to a play on that commercial, this time starring Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu. When he was about to accept a kid's Coke Zero, two representatives of the Coke brand snatched it and started walking away. Polamalu jumped on them, took the Coke Zero, and then ripped off one of the men's shirts and gave it to the kid (as Greene had done, but he gave the kid his jersey, instead).

Polamalu and the rest of the "Steel Curtain 2" was jumping on the opponent's offense all season because they had, not a Coke Zero bottle, but the football. They were the league's top-ranked defense and jolted the Steelers into the Super Bowl. The defense scored a game-deciding six points and forced a fumble to clinch the franchise's sixth Super Bowl title.

I have to give out Most Valuable Player and Ad awards for this big event. The most valuable ad award was close between the Doritos, Miller High Life one-second ad, and the Coke Zero take on the "Mean" Joe Greene Coke ad. The winner goes to the humorous Doritos ad about the free Doritos and the snow globe that "sees into the future".

James Harrison might have won my MVP of the game, but I can't give it to him after seeing what a dirty play he committed in the fourth quarter. So, I agree with the official Super Bowl XLIII MVP in receiver Santonio Holmes. Holmes had nine receptions for 131 yards on a touchdown.

Predicting The Field of 64 in February

Curt Hogg — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:21:12 -0500

March Madness is the most exciting event in college sports. College basketball fans can't wait for Selection Sunday.

Now in the meat of conference play, the race for the one of the 64 spots (65 including the play-in game) is heating up. Which teams will make it and which ones will be stuck in the NIT? Well, I'm here to clear that up for you. I have fielded the 64 teams I believe will be in the tournament.

Here are my picks, arranged by seeding.

1: Pittsburgh Panthers(Big East champions), North Carolina Tar Heels (ACC Champions), Oklahoma Sooners (Big 12 Champions), Wake Forest Demon Deacons (at-large)

2: Michigan State Spartans (Big Ten Champs), Connecticut Huskies (at-large), Duke Blue Devils (at-large), Louisville Cardinals (at-large)

3: Marquette Golden Eagles (at-large), Xavier Musketeers (Atlantic 10 Champions), Arizona State Sun Devils (Pac 10 Champions), Texas Longhorns (at-large)

4: Purdue Boilermakers (at-large), Memphis Tigers (Conference USA Champions), UCLA Bruins (at-large), Illinois Fighting Illini (at-large)

5: Butler Bulldogs (Horizon League Champions), Clemson Tigers (at-large), Syracuse Orange (at-large), Florida Gators (at-large)

6: Gonzaga Bulldogs (West Coast Champions), Minnesota Golden Gophers (at-large), Villanova Wildcats (at-large), Utah State Aggies (WAC Champions)

7: Davidson Wildcats (Southern Conference Champions), Dayton Flyers (at-large), St. Mary's Gaels (at-large), Kentucky Wildcats (at-large)

8: Kansas Jayhawks (at-large), Missouri Tigers (at-large), Louisiana State Tigers (at-large), UNLV Runnin' Rebels (Mountain West Champions)

9: Georgetown Hoyas (at-large), California Golden Bears (at-large), Washington Huskies (at-large), Baylor Bears (at-large)

10: West Virginia Mountaineers (at-large), Notre Dame Fighting Irish (at-large), Ohio State Buckeyes (at-large), South Carolina Gamecocks (at-large)

11: Tennessee Volunteers (SEC Champions), Virginia Military Institute Keydets (Big South Champions), Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley Champions), Virginia Tech Hokies (at-large)

12: Brigham Young Cougars (at-large), Charleston Golden Eagles (at-large), Illinois State Redbirds (at-large), Siena Riders (MAAC Champions), Florida State Seminoles (at-large)

13: Miami(OH) (MAC Champions), Portland State Vikings (Big Sky Champions), George Mason Patriots (CAA Champions), Boston College Eagles (at-large)

14: West Kentucky Hilltoppers (Sun Belt Champions), North Dakota State Bison (Summit League Champions), Vermont Catamounts (America East Champions),

15: Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders (Southland Champions), Robert Morris Colonials (Northeast Champions), Cornell Big Red (Ivy League Champions), East Tennessee State Buccaneers (Atlantic Sun Conference)

16: Cal State Northridge Torreros (Big West Champions), Lehigh Mountainhawks (Patriot League Champions), Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (MEAC Champions), Morehead State Eagles (Ohio Valley Champions)

Top Six Sports Moments For a Young Fan

Curt Hogg — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:21:13 -0500

I haven't been around for the longest amount of time, being only 13 years of age. But in those 13 years, my sports teams have had lots of highs and lows—very deep lows.

I have compiled my top six sports moments (I picked six because five was too much, the usual ten was too many, and seven, eight, and nine don't work out as well). I'm a Wisconsin sports teams fan, so all of these moments will come from one of those teams. Keep in mind that I don't remember such events as the Packers winning the Super Bowl.

Here are my top six moments:

6. In 2004-05, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers became the Cinderella of the NCAA men's tournament. Coached by Bruce Pearl, they reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in program history. In fact, they won their first ever NCAA tournament game with a win over Alabama, and later won their second ever over Boston College. They were led by Alan Hanson and Boo Davis.

5. In 2005, University of Wisconsin head football coach Barry Alvarez announced that he would retire following the upcoming season. The Badgers reached the Capital One Bowl to face the Auburn Tigers, led by running backs Cedric Benson and Cadillac Williams (do those names sound familiar?). They won, 24-10, fueled by 213 rushing yards from Brian Calhoun as Alvarez walked off the field as a winner.

4. The Green Bay Packers showed that youth can be effective in 2007. With a group of young players and an old Brett Favre, they went 13-3 in the regular season. In the NFC Divisional Round game, they struggled early on, trailing 14-0 against the Seattle Seahawks. But the Pack flourished in the snow, eventually winning 42-20. Ryan Grant rushed for 201 yards and Favre threw three touchdowns as Green Bay advanced to their first NFC Championship game that I remember.

3. Dwyane Wade showed himself to the nation in 2003-04 when Marquette made a Final Four run. This moment came when Marquette defeated No. 1 seed Kentucky to advance to the Final Four. Wade had a triple-double in that game and it was the first time I remember that I was really into college basketball.

2. I was standing up, trying to find any voice left in me to scream, waving my towel, and clapping along with the other 41,101 people as Ryan Braun waited for the delivery from Raul Chavez of the Pirates. BANG! GONE! He launched the pitch into the left field bleachers for a walk-off grand slam! This was the game that boosted the Brewers' morale and gave them the jolt that propelled them into the playoffs—and I can't believe I was there!

1. 26 years is a long time. That's how long Brewers fans waited for October baseball. With a playoff berth on the line, Ryan Braun launched a go-ahead two run blast to make the score 3-1. The acquisition, CC Sabathia, took the hill for the top of the ninth to give the Brew Crew their long-awaited playoff berth. With one out and Cubs' shortstop Ryan Theriot on first, he threw the pitch to Derrek Lee. "Here's a ground ball! Durham! To Hardy! To Fielder! Brewers Win! Brewers Win!" Announcer Brian Anderson called the play of my lifetime. I ran down the street, rejoicing for October baseball, at last!

Why You Should Believe in Marquette

Curt Hogg — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:55:32 -0500

Just look at the record.

That's all you need to do to see Marquette's success. I hope 7-0 in conference and 18-2 overall convinces you, but if not, I hope you're sold on Marquette by the end of this article.

So why is Marquette a contender? Let's take a look at some reasons.

To begin, they have the best trio of guards in the nation. All seniors, Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews, and Dominic James lead the Golden Eagles on the court. McNeal leads the team with 19.4 points per game and has been worthy of an all-Big East team placement. Matthews averages 19 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Dominic James, despite only averaging 11.6 points per contest, may be playing the best basketball of his career, dishing out 5.4 assists per game. He is the psychological and emotional leader for the Golden Eagles, and has played lock-down defense.

Junior forward Lazar Hayward balances out the team. He has the capability of running the pick-and-pop for three-pointers and can also post up in the paint. With the other three slashing guards, he completes the team as the necessary quality big man. But Hayward isn't simply a quality big man, he's one of the best in the conference, averaging 16.3 points and 8.7 boards per game.

Marquette is the highest scoring team in the Big East, boasting four players that average double digit in points per game. Three Golden Eagles score at least 16 a game. meaning that one of their stars can have an off-night, and the others will make up for his absence offensively.

Just because they score a lot doesn't mean their defense is shabby either. They limit opponents to 67 points per game. This may not be in the top five in the Big East, but it is impressive to see any team this far into conference season, average a 15-point margin of victory. Jerel McNeal is especially a scrappy player, leading the team in steals with 1.9 per game.

Head coach Buzz Williams is the perfect coach for these Marquette guards. A group of penetrators and slashers, the Golden Eagles guards have been given the perfect offense for their style, with fewer designed plays and more improvisation. Their penetration leads to the open threes and floaters their offense thrives on.

I now hope you have a better vantage point of this Marquette men's hoops team. If you haven't seen them, make sure you watch them this Saturday vs. Georgetown at 2 p.m. EST. Watch it! You don't want to miss the show Marquette puts on!

Who's for Real and Who's Not in NCAA Men's Basketball?

Curt Hogg — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:04:43 -0500

As we have now entered and are a few weeks into conference play, basketball teams are going to get upset and dwindle while some are going to shine. Conference play is how bubble teams get into the tournament and how they fail to reach it.

It begins to become clear to us about which teams are the real deal and which are just a fluke. Here are some of my "for real" teams.

The Pittsburgh Panthers, just coming off a loss to Louisville and falling out of their No. 1 rank, have shown they have what it takes. Their trio of Sam Young, DeJuan Blair, and Levance Fields is among the best in the nation.

Earlier this week, they beat eighth-ranked Syracuse for their marquee win of the season. Look forward to their Feb. 16 matchup at Connecticut and March 4 game versus Marquette.

North Carolina suffered tough defeats to Boston College and Wake Forest within eight days, but has rebounded strongly. On Jan. 21, they crushed the previously ninth-ranked Clemson Tigers. Tyler Hansbrough is playing great basketball, and Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington are contributing greatly as well.

Look out! Here they come!

The Duke Blue Devils, as always, are impressive. They have three wins over Top 12 opponents in Xavier, Purdue, and Georgetown. Led by Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson, Coach K's Blue Devils go into Wake Forest on Wednesday. This is a must-watch!

The Louisville Cardinals have an incredible resume for the NCAA tournament. In conference, they have beaten ranked Villanova, Notre Dame, Syracuse, and then- No.1 Pittsburgh. The Cards are red hot and may be the toughest team to beat in the Big East.

Another underrated Big East team is Marquette. The Golden Eagles don't have much size, but are led by their trio of elite guards—Wesley Matthews, Jerel McNeal, and Dominic James. They are currently 6-0 in conference and have two tough games this week at Notre Dame and versus Georgetown.

Other "for real" teams include Oklahoma, Wake Forest, Michigan State, Texas, Arizona State, and Illinois.

The flukes are led by the Clemson Tigers. Recently known for their hot starts and icy-cold finishes, they are on that path again. They have not been competitive in games against Duke and North Carolina. A Sweet 16 berth would be as far as they would get—and I'm predicting a second-round elimination.

Another fluke is UCLA. They have failed to beat a ranked team and have suffered losses to all the top teams they have played.

Other flukes include Georgetown, Minnesota, Villanova, Baylor, and Tennessee.

Now that you have read this article, go sit down on the couch and turn on some college hoops!

2009 Milwaukee Brewers Predictions

Curt Hogg — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:23:08 -0500

In 2008, the Milwaukee Brewers reached the playoffs for the first time in 26 years. So far during the Hot Stove, CC Sabathia has signed with the Yankees, the Brewers signed Mike Lamb, and just recently signed future-Hall-of-Fame closer Trevor Hoffman to a one year, $6 million contract.

The upcoming 2009 season could go terribly wrong, or it could be another incredible campaign to October baseball.

Here are my predictions—some bold, some not-so bold—for the upcoming season:

-The Brewers will improve to 94-68. The NL Central crown will finally belong to the Brewers!

-Yovanni Gallardo, the Brewers' No. 1 starter, will astonish Baseball Nation with a record of 18-8. "Yo-Yo" will make his first all-star appearance.

-Dave Bush wins on the final Saturday to clinch the NL Central Division crown and improves his record to 14-9.

-New closer Trevor Hoffman brings "Trevor Time" to Milwaukee with an All-Star performance, earning 2.09 era and a franchise-record 42 saves.

-Corey Hart will lead the team in batting average, boasting a .308 mark. He adds 26 homers, 31 stolen bases, and 81 RBI to another productive season in right field for the Brewers.

-Ryan Braun finishes fourth in the MVP voting with a .296 average, 39 dingers, and 115 RBI, and his second All-Star appearance. He hits three walk-off winners for the Brew Crew.

-With low production at third base, the Brewers bring up Mat Gamel from AAA to fill the void there. He doesn't fail to impress fans with a .265 batting average and 17 home runs.

-New manager Ken Macha wins NL Manager of the Year.

-Second baseman Rickie Weeks disappoints again. This year he hits .227 with 14 long balls and 15 stolen bases.

-J.J. Hardy "brings sally up" (as his at-bat intro says) with a league-best .987 fielding percentage among NL shortstops.

-The Brewers make another big trade-deadline move, this year trading big slugger Prince Fielder for a pitcher (that I cannot name at this time in January).

-The franchise attendance record is once again shattered with 3.3 million people coming out to Miller Park.

-In the playoffs, the Brewers reach the NLCS, but there they lose to the Mets in six games.

So, there you have it. Those are my predictions for the 2009 Brewers season.

Go Brewers!

The Results Are in: The 2008/2009 B/R Doak Walker Award Winnner Is...

Curt Hogg — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 05:58:53 -0500

Thanks for everyone who voted for the Bleacher Report Doak Walker Award winner. The results are in and the winner is...

T3- Knowshon Moreno, Georgia, and Donald Brown, Uconn, with 14.3 percent of the vote.

2. Javon Ringer, Michigan State, with 28.6 percent of the vote.

1. Shonn Greene, Iowa, with 42.9 percent of the vote! Congratulations to Shonn Greene, the B/R Doak Walker winner for the best running back in college football.

My 2008 NFL Playoff Picks

Curt Hogg — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 13:59:26 -0500

The 2008 NFL season has come to a close. We've seen lots of surprises and dissapointments. Records have been set, some bad and some good. The NFC West was the worst in the NFL. The Dolphins tied the largest turnaround in NFL history. We all know about the Lions, going 0-16. The Titans overtook the AFC South powerhouse Colts and the favorite Jaguars on their way to home-field advantage. The Ravens and the Falcons both had rookie coaches and quarterbacks but managed to make the playoffs. The Cowboys failed to make the playoffs with what could be called another "choke" by Tony Romo (but this time we didn't get Terrell Owens crying about "his quarterback"). The Eagles looked like their season was over after tieing the Bengals, quarterback controversy, and getting demolished by the Ravens. But they overcame adversity and won a Wild Card spot on the last week over Dallas. At the time of the publishing of this article, the AFC West hadn't been wrapped up. The San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos are currently squaring off for the playoff berth. The reigning champs New York Giants won the home-field advantage in the NFC. There's no need to explain the whole Favre-saga. The Jets failed to make the playoffs. Matt Cassell won himself a large contract with a superb season filling in for Tom Brady because of an injury. The Pats failed to make the playoffs, though. The season was a great one. The following are my playoff picks.

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The Results are in: The 2008 Bleacher Report Heisman Winner Is...

Curt Hogg — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 12:35:59 -0500

Thanks for everyone that voted in the B/R Heisman contest. The turnouts in the poll were great. Now the voting has ended and the winner has been decided. Without further ado, your Bleacher Report Heisman winner is...

T3- Colt McCoy and Graham Harrell with 13.5 percent of the total vote each.

2- Tim Tebow with 20 percent of the vote.

1- The B/R Heisman winner is Sam Bradford. Bradford received 53 percent of the vote.

Big Ten Men's Basketball Preview

Curt Hogg — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:25:27 -0500

This is a preview of the 2008-09 Big Ten men's basketball season with my predictions for the final standings. I have to type 300 characters for the introductory slide. I have no clue what to write, so I'm simply going to write things about the Big Ten. Purdue has Robbie Hummell and E'twaun Moore. Michigan State's head coach is Tom Izzo. Wisconsin has Marcus Landry and Trevon Hughes. Bohannon can shoot the lights out of the ball. Michigan has two upset wins. Jamal Cornley of Pennslyvania State is very talented. Evan Turner plays for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Tom Crean is the coach of Indiana. The Kohl Center is a tough place to play. The season should be a good one. Illinois plays in Urbana- Champaign. Iowa's nickname is the Hawkeyes. 1234567891011121314151617181920. Am I at 300 yet? Nope. The Big Ten is the second best conference in the nation. The Big Ten is the second best conference in the nation. The Big Ten is the second best conference in the nation. The Big Ten is the second best conference in the nation. The Big Ten is the second best conference in the nation. The Big Ten is the second best conference in the nation.

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The Bleacher Report Doak Walker Award Winner: Vote for the Top Running Back

Curt Hogg — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 05:38:00 -0500

This is the second of Bleacher Report's college football awards. The Doak Walker Award goes to the top running back in college football. I have chosen the four top candidates for the award. Read each of the player profiles and then vote for the B/R Doak Walker Award winner. Voting ends on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2009.

1. Shonn Greene, Iowa Hawkeyes

Statistics: 1,729 yards on 278 carries, 6.2 ypc, 17 rushing touchdowns.

2. Javon Ringer, Michigan State Spartans

Statistics: 1,590 yards on 370 carries, 4.3 ypc, 21 rushing touchdowns.

3. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia Bulldogs

Statistics: 1,338 yards on 227 carries, 5.9 ypc, 16 rushing touchdowns.

4. Donald Brown, Connecticut Huskies

Statistics: 1,822 yards on 338 carries, 5.4 ypc, 17 rushing touchdowns.

The Bleacher Report College Football Awards- Vote For The B/R Heisman Winner

Curt Hogg — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 06:01:54 -0500

This is the first interactive Bleacher Report college football awards poll. Any Bleacher Report member can vote. Below are descriptions of the four most deserving Heisman trophy finalists.

Read through each of the candidates' summaries. After picking who you think should win the Heisman, vote in the poll on the left of your screen. Due to the fact you can only vote once, if you so choose to have second and third place votes, leave a comment with whom you believe should take those spots. Votes will be counted on Saturday.

1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida Gators

Stats: 2,515 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, 176.74 passer rating, 64.9 completion pct., 2 interceptions, 564 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns.

Accomplishments:

Member of the SEC Champion Florida Gators. Started all 13 games. Will be playing in the National Championship. Gave a very emotional speech and lived up to his promise after a loss to Ole Miss.

2. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma Sooners

4,464 passing yards, 48 passing touchdowns, 131.7 passer rating, 68.3 completion pct, 6 interceptions.

Accomplishments:

Member of the Big 12 Champion Oklahoma Sooners. Started all 13 games. Won the real Heisman Trophy. Will be playing in the National Championship. Led the Sooners to a record six straight 60+ point games. Broke the all-time record for passing touchdowns in first two seasons.

3. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas Longhorns

3,445 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, 125.6 passer rating, 77.6 completion pct., 7 interceptions, 576 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns.

Accomplishments:

Led Texas to the Fiesta Bowl. Led the Longhorns in passing and rushing. Took second in the real Heisman voting. Led FCS in completion percentage.

4. Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech Red Raiders

4,747 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns, 163.03 passer rating, 71.5 completion pct., 7 interceptions.

Accomplishments:

Completed a pass to WR Michael Crabtree for the winning score with one second left to upset No. 1 Texas. Led Texas Tech to a Cotton Bowl berth. Led the FBS in passing yards.

On Wisconsin! Why The Badger Band Is the Best in the Land (Sorry, Ohio State)

Curt Hogg — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:46:14 -0500

It's one of the many reasons why college sports have a better atmosphere than that of professional sports. The band blasts out the home school's fight song, creating an un- replicable setting. You can't help but stand up with the student section and clap along with the beat.

But which band is the best? To be honest, anyone in their right mind would put the Wisconsin Badger Band in the top three. To me, the Badger Band is numbero uno.

For all you Ohio State fans out there, the OSU band is great and all, but not as good as the ensemble in Madison. Just because you can spell "Ohio" doesn't make yourselves the self-proclaimed "Best Damn Band in the Land." Where is the "State" to follow the "Ohio"?

After the game on Saturdays, anyone within three blocks of Camp Randall Stadium will still have On Wisconsin, Hot Time, If You Want to Be a Badger, and Roll Out the Barrell ringing through their ears. This cannot be remedied.

On numerous game days, prior to kickoff, the band begins their show with an on-field performance. This is usually the first of three performances.

At how many other college football sites will you see the tubas running around and rolling over? Or the entire band running around in what looks like chaos but to see a big W spelled out? What about the different sections of the band going to different areas of the stadium to play for the fans? Answer: None.

The fight song is On Wisconsin. It has to be one of the catchiest, uptempo, make-you-clap-when-you-hear-it, fight songs in America. Yes, maybe Rocky Top is a better song, but On Wisconsin sure is up there.

And how about good ol' Hot Time? It starts off slow but eventually gets the Grateful Red student section swaying back and forth. If you hear it once, you won't forget it.

At the end of every football game, win or lose, the Badger Band comes on for the best band-related tradition in college football: the Fifth Quarter. Now the band really gets moving. Tubas rolling, trumpets flaring, trombones swaying—it's a work of art. Almost the entire crowd stays to watch this.

There you have it. The Badger Band is the best in the land. All the little band geeks (including me) in Wisconsin want to be able to play in the Badger Band.

For more fight songs, go to www.fightmusic.com. Go Wisconsin Badgers and Go Bucky!

My Eight-Hour ESPN Marathon

Curt Hogg — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 04:22:56 -0500

At four o'clock on Friday afternoon, I finished watching 'The Rookie' with Dennis Quaid. I wanted to make my snow day memorable so I decided to have an all-night ESPN marathon. The rules were that I could only watch the five ESPN channels; ESPN, ESPN Classic, ESPNews, ESPNU, ESPN2. I could take two minutes off every hour. Unused minutes would be added to break time for the next hour. How did I do it? Read on and find out.

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Jets-Bills: The Wahner Avenue Trophy Stays With the Rightful Owner

Curt Hogg — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:12:27 -0500

It may look like a simple, ordinary, field-goal-post-shaped trophy on a block of wood, but to the two families on opposite sides of Wahner Avenue, it means a lot more.

The New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills have a great rivalry.

And that New York State rivalry carries over to Wisconsin, where two neighbors believe their respective team is the best. The supporters of the winning team gain possession of the trophy, just as in college football.

The Wahner Trophy has been at stake for six years, now. Each team's logo adorns a side and each year a check mark is placed by the winner's logo. After the game, if the family without the trophy's team wins, a representative sprints across the street and takes the trophy.

But that didn't happen on Sunday.

The Jets snuck away with a win in the Meadowlands, which allowed me to retain possession of the coveted trophy. I ran down to the end of the driveway to show off my prized possession.

It was a long summer... that is, until the Jets acquired Favre from the Packers.

Buffalo swept the Jets last year and looked like they might do it again, but Favre made the match-up much more interesting, which my side of the rivalry desperately needed.

Whenever I would go over to play catch with my neighbor's son, Alan, he gloated over him family’s possession of the trophy.

"So, Curt, are you going to finally get it (the trophy) this year?"

"Just wait," I always answered.

We waited, and now I have the trophy.

And I won it in nail-biting fashion.

The Jets opened up the game with a flawless drive that resulted in a Thomas Jones touchdown run.

That wasn't the highlight of the drive, though.

It was a Brett Favre run on third and one that kept a drive alive and left me literally jumping up and screaming.

The Bills had a little unexpected trickery of their own when punter Brian Moorman ran a fake punt for a first down. The drive resulted in a field goal.

At halftime, the Jets led 21-17.

Leon Washington capped the scoring with touchdown on his ninth gain of forty-or-more yards on the year.

In the third quarter, after a Jets field goal, Leodis McKelvin returned the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. However, a little yellow flag popped out onto the field for a hold at the Bills' 40-yard line.

I could hear the life sucked out of the neighbors' house when the penalty was announced.

The two teams continued to battle and it led to a tight situation late in the game.

If the Bills picked up a first down, the game was over (permitting a fumbled snap).

Then the controversy kicked in.

With just over two minutes left in the game, Bills' head coach Dick Jauron called for a pass.

Running back Marshawn Lynch had been killing the Jets. On second and five, it appeared as if he could easily pick up the first down.

But, quarterback J.P. Losman rolled out to the right on a bootleg with the Jets' Abraham Elam on his heels. The defensive back grabbed Losman and stripped the ball. Lineman Shaun Ellis picked the ball up and rumbled into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. With the extra point, the Jets led 31-27.

The Jets put the game away and I kissed my block of wood.

I know the Jets really didn't deserve to win. They were helped considerably by the four turnovers J.P. Losman committed in the fourth quarter. Thanks, J.P.

The Wahner Trophy remains in the rightful owners' hands—for now.

As for 2009, bring on the rivalry.