More Super Bowl Thoughts

I thought I'd look back on some of awesome events and circumstances that make this team and this season so special. This group is full of great stories. Of course we all know the Rodgers/Favre story and the Clay Matthews walk-on story, so I'll take a look at a few other stories about the 2010/2011 Packers and Super Bowl XLV.



-Jarrett Bush-

I've read a lot of Super Bowl coverage, but I can't believe how little people have mentioned Jarrett Bush. This guy has been the whipping boy of the media and fans for years. He would get sh** on nearly every time he was on the screen. How he is still on this team, I do not know. The perennial special teamer I guess. He has been burned more times than I know and just looks awful pretty much every time he has been in there. Career Stats: 78 games played, 1 interception. 1 Superbowl, 1 interception. He came through when it counted (I'll ignore his getting burned just a few minutes later for the Hines Ward TD.) I'm happy for him, and I'll lay off him for at least next season.

Week 15 - The Packers were so close to not even making the playoffs. Everyone remembers the Giants 4th quarter collapse to Mike Vick and the Eagles in week 15 that allowed us to control our own destiny, but it was also the week 15 overtime victory by the Lions over the Buccaneers that also got us into the playoffs. This was just as improbable. The Lion, going in with 26 GAME ROAD LOSING STREAK, got the ball back at their own 32 down by three with no timeouts left, 1:39 left, and Drew Stanton as quarterback. Somehow he marched them down the field for the game tying and game winning field goal. Thus the Packers are in the playoffs and not the Bucs.
Thanks Drew Stanton.

Al Harris - This is one regret. I wish Al Harris could've been on this team. It would have been great to see him come in for the injured Charles Woodson and save the day. Anyway, still a great Packer and owner of one of the best ever Packers plays. I'm sure he was watching the game proudly.

Atari Bigby - Despite doing little to nothing this season, it was great to see Bigby leading the troops out of the tunnel.

Rodgers Celebration - A-Rodg had a nice Jim Valvano moment after the Steelers missed their 4th down play to end the game. Running around like a kid, looking for someone to hug. Each time ESPN showed it they cut away right before he finally met someone. I wonder who the first person he hugged was.

Desmond Bishop - This guy was our 4th middle linebacker at the start of the season. Injuries to Nick Barnett and Brandon Chillar make him a starter. He steps up during the season and makes HUGE plays in the playoffs. Kudos too to Frank Zombo for coming out of nowhere to dutifully replace the also injured Brad Jones and Brady Poppinga.



AJ Hawk - Another unsung member of our great linebacking core. He will never have the hair, the speed, the big play ability of Clay Matthews, and I'm sure Clay's girlfriend is much better looking than Brady Quinn's sister, but Hawk was solid all season long, not spectacular, maybe not up to the level of a top 5 pick, but he was a key contributor to the Super Bowl march, especially after all the LB injuries. It was nice to see him on NFL Countdown reflecting on everything.

Howard Green - Huge guy, huge play, forcing Big Ben into the INT. Love his story being castaway by the Jets, then helping beat them the next week. Also, who can forget how little his jersey was in his first game with the Packers?




Shaun Suisham - Cut by the Cowboys, Redskins, Browns, and Rams this guy was then attempting a 52-yard field goal in the Super Bowl. Anyone surprised with the outcome of that kick? Wow.

Johnny Jolly - Lastly,lots of people want to know what Brett Favre was doing during the Super Bowl, but I oh so desperately want to know what Johnny Jolly doing. Did he watch the game? Did he go to Dallas? Did he get arrested? He is from Houston and apparently not yet in jail, so I'm going to speculate it was some sort of liquid codeine binge eventually meeting up with Lil Wayne to celebrate the Packers victory. Lots of purple drank and Styrofoam cups. Yes!

Super Bowl Champs! Even the stories at the periphery are great. Thanks for the contributions guys.

Green Bay Packers 2011 Super Bowl Champions!!!

The Green Bay Packers are Super Bowl Champions! Yes, we did it. And unlike many teams, we is the proper identifier, not they. The Packers are our team. I'm sure you become even a closer member of the Packers the closer you get to Green Bay. Everyone in the week approaching the Super Bowl was loving Green Bay and the Packers and what they represent, from Rick Reilly to Rachel Maddow. The Packers are unique and WE are champions.

I think the word that best described my post game feeling was content. I wasn't elated or running through the streets, I was simply content. I was happy, but content was the best word. I think a lot of it was the way the game went. The biggest celebration plays were early. I just sat back Sunday night and felt like there were no problems in the world, that everything was just a bit easier. Content.
Also, I wanted to take everything in. I remember the 1997 Super Bowl very well, but remember very little about the season itself. This season I was in for the long haul. My feelings Sunday night and still today were about the culmination of the season, of the journey.

For me, the picture that best tells the story about the 2010/2011 was the celebration after the final kneel down. Aaron Rodgers (of course) hugging Brandon Jackson and Andrew Quarles. What? Yes. Those are the guys in the game. Not Ryan Grant. Not Jermichael Finley. Not Donald Driver. It just showed the devastating injuries the Packers had and that it did not matter to Aaron Rodgers. He worked with whatever was available to him.

Let's look at it again. 2nd youngest team in the NFL. 15 players on the IR. The most games missed due to injury. Woodson and Driver go down. Super Bowl champs!

About the game itself, wow, it was eerily similar to the Bears game and especially the Eagles game. Packers dominate, don't put it away at right before halftime, come out with the ball, 3 and out, other team gets a TD right back in the game, another huge Packers TD, other team scores again, goes for 2, later get the ball back, Packers hold on for the win. Man, holding on! Making you sweat, making it tense. Wow, still feeling it.
Super Bowl.

Super Bowl Preview

Wow, the Packers are in the Super Bowl! This isn't a surprise obviously, due to the two weeks of non-stop media coverage, but it still doesn't quite seem real. I'm not used to my teams winning.
But we're not done yet! Sunday is the big game.

I have to say I'm feeling pretty good. I feel everything that could have gone wrong went wrong against the Bears. Penalties reared their head again. Rodgers threw a Red Zone interception (Favre-esque) which never happens. And that other interception, that was beyond a fluke; it was just miraculous. And the whole 3rd string quarterback was pretty wild too.
I don't think I see those things happening again.

So, on to Sunday. What do I see? Well, I think the Packers are the better team. Let's take a look at why we will win or why we won't win.

Why The Packers will win:
- Better team - the Pack has amazing depth. I think 1-22 or 1-53, we are easily the better team. I know that does not translate to winning necessarily, but it plays a big role. Just look at how many different guys have stepped up in the playoffs.
- Aaron Rodgers and his receivers - Yeah, I don't really need to say much about this. Rodgers is sick and so are the receivers. He can pass, run, avoid the rush, make the deep throw, make the finesse throw, get big. We have 4 great receivers and big Brett Swain waiting to get his chance in those five wideout packages.
- Stopping the run - this one isn't for certain, but if they can stop the run, they got the game. The big guys inside do pretty well, and the should get at that less than full strength o-line of Pittsburgh.
- Pressure on Big Ben - You know, I don't really think Roethlisberger has had that great of a season, pretty average in fact. We will put pressure on him from the D-line, from the linebackers, and from Chuck Woodson. If we can keep him from escaping, he will throw picks.


Why the Packers will lose:
- Special Teams - this was a huge positive against the Bears, but I'm still not sold. Crosby cannot seem to kick it deep, and a "good" kickoff spot for the Packers is like the 35. Oh, and let's not forget that offensive lineman return against New England.
- Short Yardage Situations - I know all the fans, myself included, love Kuhn, but in my opinion, the Packers have been pretty poor in short yardage situations, especially near the goal line. The Steelers had that big stand against the Jets. Look for this to be key. Getting 3 instead of 7 or having to punt from the 40 or 50 is huge in the Super Bowl.
- Tight Ends - If one put together a list of the best tight ends over the last 5 years, I don't think Heath Miller would be on many people's lists, but the guy is good. The guy is consistent. He's played in big games. And the Packers are susceptible against the Tight End, especially down the middle which is the bread and butter of Miller. If Miller gets going, those safteys cheat toward him, and Wallace is gone.
And, of course, the tight ends for the Packers are not much. Hopefully they will not be a liability.
- Drops - There is nothing like a dropped pass to kill a drive. It frustrates the fans to no end and kills momentum. I don't have to tell you that despite the greatness of the Packers receivers this season, dropsies have been a problem.
- Fumbles - I'm not sure why I put this one in. Maybe because I feel good about Rodgers not throwing an INT, but I'm leery of fumbles. I guess its from years of watching Ahman Green and now Brandon Jackson and Ryan Grant. Hold on to the ball.
- Inability to close - If the Packers let the Steelers stay in the game, they will take advantage unlike the Eagles and Bears. Dominating the game doesn't matter if you don't dominate the score board too.

What won't matter:
Experience - a non issue. These guys have all played big games before. Once you get on the field you just do your thing.

One more thing:
Go Pack Go!

Champions! or maybe not

The World Cup and the potential for a strong USA run got me thinking about the likelihood that teams I support win a championship. I've chronicled in my Wisconsin Sports Woes entry about the torture that we often endure being a Wisconsin sports fan. In my life time, we've had a grand total of one true championship. I'm not counting division or conference or bowl wins here, I'm talking about a bonafide World or National Championship.
My thinking got me a bit sad, as the likelihood of an oncoming plethora of championships looks pretty bleak. Anyways, I've decided to take a closer look at my teams prospects of winning a championship.

1. Packers - The Packers are obviously number one, the far frontrunner of most likely to win a championship in my lifetime. They could win next year. They could win 3 times in the next five years. They have a great QB, an awesome receiving corps, and a strong young (for the most part) defense. But, even with greats like Favre and White, the Pack only won 1 Superbowl. The playoffs are tough, and the best team does not always end up champion.
Last Championship: 1997
Odds of winning a Championship in my lifetime: 97%

2. Bucks - I don't want you thinking I am on the Bucks bandwagon here. I don't think they have a team that can really compete with the best right now. It's just that basketball in many ways is a fickle game. Things change greatly from year to year. You only have 5 players on the court at a time. A few strong draft picks can totally change your fortunes. Look at the Spurs. They are a similar market to Bucks. They don't have tons of money, but a few draft picks, a strong coach, and a couple great foreigners have totally turned their franchise around.
What might be going against the Bucks, though, is that in the NBA, you truly have to be the best team. No "hot now" or "peaking at the right time" team will win 4-straight 7-game series.
Last Championship: 1971
Odds of Winning a Championship in my lifetime: 8%

3. Wisconsin Football - This one might surprise people. Winning a college football National Championship is hard, but I think the Badgers have all the right ingredients, and in the perfect storm, they could win it all. What are these ingredients you ask? A relatively strong program, killer home field advantage, play in a strong BCS conference, play an increasingly unique brand of football. Call me crazy, but I think they can do it. If the Badgers, as a Big 10 team go undefeated, there is no way the BCS can keep them out of the national championship game. They could do this if they build a strong team and play the right teams at Camp Randall. Get to the National Championship game, and they play a brand of football that the likes of Florida and Texas and teams like that are not used to playing. Just look at the Miami game last year. Again, maybe I am dreaming, but in the right circumstances, I like it.
Last Championship: Never
Odds of Winning a Championship in my lifetime: 3%

4. US Soccer - Team USA is what got my thinking about this list. Most agree the US is getting better at soccer, with the great draw and a potential for a break out tournament, you start dreaming. The problem is, the World Cup is only every 4 years. If it was every year, the US would be ahead of the Badgers and the Bucks, but the World Cup is tough. Spain, who were the favorites going in had to beat Chile, Paraguay, Portugal, Germany, and the Netherlands. Tough stuff. The USA will continue to improve, but will that be enough to be genuine contenders?
Last Championship: Never
Odds of Winning a Championship in my Lifetime: 2%

5. Wisconsin Basketball - The Badgers are a great program, but I don't think they are good enough to win it all. Bo Ryan is a great regular season coach, developing players, getting the most out of his team, but they are just not good enough in the post-season. Their flaws show clearly. With their style of play, they will always be good or very good, but never great. In college basketball, you need freak athletes. You need blue-chippers. Wisconsin just does not get them.
Last Championship: 1941
Odds of Winning a Championship in my lifetime: 1%

6. Everton - For Everton, I only consider the Premier League Title or Champions League title a true championship. The League Cup or FA Cup, though greatly desired, does not really count in these terms. Everton are a good team, but everything in football is currently going against them. There is more money, more foreign investment, more foreign players and Everton cannot compete. The can field a strong side, but the best players will leave to get more money and more opportunities. Since 1995, only 3 teams have won the Premier League. That is a pretty wild stat. To compete Everton need a new stadium and new investors, but even that, does not guarantee success.
Last Championship: 1987
Odds of Winning in my lifetime: Less that 1%

7. Brewers - Baseball. It's unfair. A few teams prey on the rest. Remember when we waited 26 years to make the playoffs and then lost in the first round? We were so thrilled just to make it there. Yes, then did nothing the next two years, and much of the success the playoff year was due to a free agent here half the year. Do you think the Rays won't begin shipping off players after this year? If you don't, you are incorrect. Plus Milwaukee is no Tampa. Maybe I've just been jaded by years of disappointment, but I don't think the Brewers stand a chance.
Last Championship: Never
Odds of winning in my lifetime: much less than 1%


Maybe I have unrealistic expectations, but even these 2 or 3 championships in my lifetime will be much more fulfilling than being a Lakers or Yankees fan.

Sports Thoughts

Not sure how to start this post.
Wow
Damn
Shit
What?

Of course I am talking about the Packers game yesterday. It was a pretty amazing game. We just ended up on the wrong side of it. We'll have to add this one to the Wisconsin Sports Despair post. It could've been perfect. It was a weird game. Did the Packers blitz once? What happened to the defense? Rodgers hasn't forced a pass like that all season, yet he does on the first play. Some great emotional highs at the end - Rackers missing the kick, winning the coin toss, but then it was all over. So much went wrong but we still had a chance to win. 1st Play of overtime, man. That was it. Should've won it.
Also, apparently Fitzgerald can just knock Woodson down as much as he wants and Cardinals can hit Rodgers helmet first in the head (second play of overtime) and grab his facemask (last play of overtime). But, like I said, we still had a chance, and that's all you can ask for.
A Sad night in Green Bay. But next year we will win the Super Bowl. I am confident in that. Young team, starting to hit stride. I can't even think of a need that must be addressed in the off season - I guess offensive line and special teams.
Only reason left to watch the playoffs? To see Favre lose.
I guess I will root for the Saints and Chargers.

Great Badgers Basketball game Saturday beating the undefeated Purdue. Wisconsin pretty much handled Purdue in the second half. Jordan Taylor was the man again. Jason Bohannon actually stepped up. He made 3 pointers and a few drives! We won even when Leuer was off his game. And Nankivil barely played for the second straight game. Ryan Evans must've been feeling confident after getting a shout-out from Big Dunc, as he contributed well all game.
This team is really a contender for the Big 10. They have a great inside and outside game. I thought that lack of frontcourt depth could really hurt them, but winning with Leuer having such a poor game was great to see. The key as I said, is Jordan Taylor's ability to play the point and let Hughes be the off guard.
This game not only icreased my hope for this season, but the future as well. The young kids played well, and can a Bo Ryan team really ever be bad?


I also realized a change in my sporting preferences, or moreso my dedication to teams. Badger basketball has really been moving up the list. Speaking of lists, here's the list, in order, or teams I an most interested in, or teams I most root for.

1. Everton - English football. I guess waking up early almost every Saturday or Sunday proves my dedication. Everton's winning or losing can actually effect my mood. They haven't won a trophy since I've been a fan, but something about my personality makes me like them even more because of that.
2. Badger Basketball - My love for Badger basketball has increased pretty steadily since I left campus. Something about Bo Ryan basketball is great too watch. I've found myself changing around my schedule so I can watch games. And I watch the entire game, no channel flipping. It is great!
3. Packers - I am a huge Packers fan, but games are long. I've found myself missing a few and often flip through channels during games to watch movies like 10 Things I Hate About You and The Sum of All Fears. My dedication is not where it used to be.
4. Brewers - I am definitely not a fair weather Brewer fan. If I do not see the game or listen to it, I definitely look for the score. I still root for the Brewers no matter how far out of the playoff chase they are. There are 162 games, so it's good to always know that the Brewers will be playing, but it's a bad thing because if you miss one game, it doesn't really matter
5. Badgers Football - I probably only saw about half the games this year. College football is too long. Games take over 3.5 hours. And we always play at 11:00am. I might be classified as a fair weather Badger football fan because I am excited about next year.
6. Southampton - Southampton is the city I studied in while in England. I saw many games and have a personal tie to the team. The have moved down two divisions since I left, so there is no conflict with Everton.
7. Bucks - I like the Bucks and root for them, but really don't care much. Sometimes I don't even know that they played. I would rather watch Man vs. Food than a close 4th quarter of a Bucks game.

Packers Thoughts

Well it's about the halfway point of the season and after the Packers defense really wet the bed against Favre and the Vikings, it's already time to evaluate our playoff changes.
I think the Packers will be a Wild Card team. Would I put money down in Vegas on that? No, not really. We got a tough schedule ahead of us.

Away: Tampa, Detroit (Thanksgiving), Chicago, Pittsburgh, Arizona
Home: Dallas, San Francisco, Baltimore, Seattle

Yep, not easy. Playing last years Superbowl teams the last two away games. Why can't we get Arizona here in January? I'm thinking we'll know our fate by then. The two games I have circled at the Cowboys and Bears. If we can win these two games we will make the playoffs. But, currently we have the potential of being and 8-8 team. Really. I'm getting less confident as I write this, ha.

Our defense needs to gets some sacks! Hawk needs to play like a top 5 draft pick. Our O-line needs to block, and Rodgers needs to get rid of the ball. Both are causes of our sack problem. Grant needs to be reliable. Finley and Nelson need to come back strong.
Woodson and Harris are sick. Rodgers is almost the man. The second half against the Vikes was the first time I really saw him clicking. Our receivers are the best unit in league. Penalties. Damn.
Ok, I really told you nothing in this post.
Dallas and Chicago, big games, bigger than Favre. I hope we get to play him in the playoffs!

Name that Packer

Haven't posted in a while, so I decided to do an easy one where I make you do the work.
Basically 20 question format. List questions in the comment section and I will respond with a yes or no answer. I am thinking of a Green Bay Packer past or present. Who is he?

Brett Favre Sporcle

Check out the great Sporcle quiz I made - Brett Favre Touchdown Passes
You need to name every player that caught a Favre TD pass for the Packers, because we all know his Jets and Vikings ones don't really count.
There are some obviously ones and some pretty, pretty obscure.
Have fun, let me know how you did.

Things I want to experience again for the first time

I had a friend in Montana who said multiple times that if he had a time machine he would go back in time and watch Back to the Future again without knowing what happens. That is a strong call-out. Then a while later I happened on this article from the AV Club of the Onion pretty much asking what would you like to be able to see or hear again for the first time. That is a pretty simple, but complicated question and really got me thinking. Here are things I wish I could experience again for the first time without any knowledge of them. I took the route of how could I make these things better, rather than what were my best experiences. Make sense?
Here we go.
Packers' Super Bowl run - It's not that I didn't appreciate this, it's just that I was only in 7th grade and probably would have enjoyed it more being a bit older.
The Wonder Years - I was just a bit to young for this. I watched it, but wasn't really mature enough to get everything or identify totally with Kevin.
Jaws - lots of these movies will be classic ones from my youth that I watched over and over again, still great every time I watch them, but I can't even imagine what the first time would've been like, not knowing how things were gonna play out
Ghostbusters - Ditto
Star Wars - again, watched it so many times, don't really know what the first time would be like
Planet of the Apes - "The movie or the planet?" Epic.
Badgers Rose Bowls and Final Four Run - this is more of the case of "I wish I was in college when..." I can't image how awesome it would be.
Fantastic Four (pretty much the entire John Byrne run) -
I can't imagine what it would be like reading these issues once a month as they came out. By the time I got to them they were already part of FF legend. Plus, getting them later it was harder to get the better issues, so I had to read them out of order. Specifically issues 242-244, 236, 285, and 267. I already knew the major shocks by the time I read them.
Seinfeld- I was just too young to get much of the sexual and relationship humor, but that made seeing reruns much more enjoyable. Kind of similar to the Simpsons, but as I said before, the best episodes were great when I first saw them, when I saw them in syndication, and when I saw them on the DVDs.
Cider House Rules and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - I would've liked to read these books without seeing the movie first, a couple of many more like that
Harry Potter - I read the first one in high school but then didn't pick them back up until summer of 07 after seeing the 4th movie.
And I had already seen the 2nd movie, so I skipped that book. And by the time I was really getting into the meat of the series, that last book was already out, Dumbledore was out of the closet, and a few other things were already known. But I am happy to say that I was never one of the people camping out overnight and dressing up as a wizard or something.

And here is a list of things I would like to experience again for the first time, but not change anything about it.
Lost - I have had the pleasure of watching LOST both on DVD and waiting week to week. Both are good, but I think the anticipation might make it better.
Survivor- Ok, I'm thinking back to season 1 and 2 and some other good ones in the middle. Again, watching week to week is great, knowing you were part of something special




The Office - I never got into the Office until Season 3 when it was at its best. I was still learning about the characters in their funniest, best moments. Plus I can see occasional old episodes which are new to me.
Jurassic Park - I was probably 10 when this came out, pretty much the perfect age. Loved it and still love it

Independence Day - Vastly underrated, saw it when I was 12 I think, perfect.
Breaking Away - Yes.


There is my list of thing I would like to experience again for the first time. Adding your own thoughts/things you want to experience again is greatly encouraged.

#39

There are many distinguished player numbers in sports - 4, 7, 20, 23, 32, 33, 80, 92 - known due to a single great player or a string of very good players. The new hot number ?
39
You heard it here first. It is by no means a historically significant player number, with the most famous to wear it being Roy Campanella and Larry Csonka, but it is a number on the rise.
Two of the NFL's hot young running backs - Willie Parker and Steven Jackson- wear it and it is beginning to be much more popular in the English Premier League.

Why do I know this you ask?
Well, I have a certain affinity to the number 39. It is an odd sports number and not often seen, but I chose it for my soccer number 5 years ago when we first formed our team. I wore it first to be unique, which it still is, and second because I like French Striker Nicola Anelka, then wearing 39 for Manchester City and probably the only player in the English Premier League to do so. He then took it to Turkey, then Bolton and now Chelsea. Soccer numbers are even more traditional than football. Strikers are usually number 9, the goalie number 1, the center midfielder number 10, and defenders low numbers. That is still close to the case today, but there are the occassional outliers, and teams play more and more they need more and more players, bigger teams mean more numbers in use.
Case in point, last week, where Tuesday saw #39 Belhadj for Portsmouth get a red card and Wednesday saw new signing for Man City Craig Bellemy score in his debut donning the 39 and also Andy Carroll for Newcastle scored in the 39 jersey.

I'm sure there are some baseball 39s I am forgetting and of course, there are no basketball 39s. Also Wisconsin running back J.P. Hill wears/wore it and some hockey players do as well.

So 39 is great. I was like at the beginning of the pyramid scheme, so I am proud and take notice of new 39s. Pretty soon everyone will be wearing it, but for now it is both unique and awesome.

Bonus: What former Packer wore 39 and holds a special place in my memory?

Sports Doldrums

Even the most hardcore sports fan would recognize a few down times for sports, where there is seemingly nothing to get excited about. One of these times is about to begin.

Post Superbowl - March Madness and Post NBA finals to NFL opening day.
I would argue to extend both of these, especially this year, because I really don't care about a Steelers/Cardinals Superbowl and the NBA playoffs just take an eternity. So for me it is A.) When the Packers are finished through the start of March Madness and B.) the end of Wimbledon to NFL Kickoff. I'll take a quick look at the pros and cons of these periods.

A.) There is an obvious let down when the Packers are finished, but I will usually watch the NFL playoffs regardless. February is the worst month. It is saved by college basketball conference play and European football (soccer). January and February are actually the busiest months in England. But unfortunately, Sportcenter is full of NBA and NHL?? highlights. NCAA b-ball is great, but who can really get excited about a Michigan State-Northwestern or Georgetown-Depaul matchup. It's too inconsitant to follow.
And I understand most Americans don't enjoy soccer, but it is great - See future post for more on this.
Feburary is tough, though, because you know what is coming next. March Madness and Baseball opening day. Probably the best time for sports.

B.) July, nothing but baseball and golf. Man, good thing the days are long and the weather is nice. If you are really hurting, the NFL preseaon starts in August, but that may even be more boring to watch on TV than baseball.
The good thing about the summer, though, is that your team could possibly play 29-30 games a month, so there is never really a day where there is nothing to watch. But in a 162 season, no single game really matters. And once every four years is the glory of the World Cup to save the summer.

So, taking everything into account- active sports, TV watching, live watching, fantasy sports, Shaq, your teams- let me know which period you think is worse as a sports fan. Or possibly, you love them all.

Lambeau Field Review

It was a busy week. Drove from Western Montana to Milwaukee, was home for the 1st time since September, I saw my girlfriend for the 1st time in 4 months (A LONG TIME), my brother was married, went to a Packer game, and drove back to Montana.
Going to my first ever Packer game at Lambeau Field was a great way to end my vacation.

Yep, 1st ever Packer game at Lambeau. I had previously been at one Packer game 15 years ago at Milwaukee County Stadium. That is a long time. So I was excited.

Big game too. 5-6, 1 game back, playing a good NFC team. At home, a game you need to win. Last day of November, a Southern team coming up. This is Packer Time.
The stadium was cool. All the additions fit in well and it still have an old school, small town field. The fans were great. Everyone was in Packer gear, lots of jerseys, or blaze orange. It was cold, but bearable. Our seats were great, which says a lot about the stadium. We were three rows up from the tunnel where the Packers come out. It is kind of in the corner of the end zone, but still a great seat.
The crowd was mixed. A few drunk young people, a few kids, a few old people, but for the most part everyone was into the game. My only other football experiences have been at Badger games, so that is much different. There drunkenness is accepted. It was loud, but not crazy, crazy loud. There were a few boos, mostly directed at the punter and refs, which I hear is pretty rare for Lambeau Field.
The game was exciting. Perfect scenario was being set up - slow start, comeback, close game, looking for the go ahead TD in the end zone I am sitting in, the snow is starting to fall in the 4th. Wow. But, we can't punch it in. We have no special teams, the complete a crazy pass. We lose. Wow.
I still can't believe we lost than game. We had the better team. We have a good team. Rodgers is very good. Our receiving corps is amazing. Charles Woodson is damn good. Aaron Kampman is money. Special teams is horrible. Hawk needs to do more. We need another DT and DE. We will not make the playoffs. That is too bad.

Despite the loss, it was a great time. I'm glad I was there. It could have been perfect, almost storybook-like, but we somehow lost. I will be back Lambeau.

Updates

A few quick updates.

#1) I'll be back on the bus starting tomorrow. Yes! Provides for more work, more fun, more blog potential.



#2.) Olympics- yes I guess the opening ceremonies have already happened. And sports, or at least soccer started a few days ago. I've seen a lot of bloggers out there hating on the Olympics, but I for one love them. Once every four years I will watch swimming and track and field. And if you stay up late at night, you'll catch the occasional field hockey, water polo, or team handball match. Oh, and don't forget about Lebron, Kobe, D-Wade, Dwight Howard and the rest.
3.) Brett Favre - So I believe the saga is completed. Brett Favre is a member of the NY Jets. Weird.
But I am ok with it. It'll be much like Montana on the Chiefs might do ok and even make the playoffs, but as Montana is always a 49er, Favre is always a Packer. I wish he would of stayed retired, but this might be the best solution after the way things have gone down the past month.


See ya'll on the road!

I no longer love Brett Favre

I rescind anything nice I said about Brett Favre. He is kind of being a jerk right now. If he plays for another team I will boo him. Boo-urns! If he never said he was leaving, I would have loved another year, but this is just stupid.
That is all.

Wisconsin Sports Despair

I can across a Sports Illustrated Article the other day about the disappointment of sports fans in Philadelphia. Apparently they have gone 100 seasons (professional sports only) without a championship. Check it out - Philly Futility
Their last championship was 1983. But that got me thinking about Milwaukee sports heartbreaks. The Brewers haven't made the playoffs since I've been alive. The last professional championship was 1971, but of course, we do not have 4 teams like Philly. I then expanded my sports heartbreaks the whole State of Wisconsin and started to get pretty depressed. I am one of those people who remembers the loses much more vividly than the wins. So I've put together my own list of Wisconsin Sports Heartbreaks. I'll concentrate mostly on the last dozen years, you know the things I actually remember. Enjoy.


21. Just Short- This is definitely a Milwaukee special here. George Webb is a popular area 24-hour diner. They have had an on-going promotion where they predict the Brewers will win 12 straight. Nobody knew what would happen until the Brewers won 13 straight in 1987 and everyone got free burgers! Wow. So in 2003, in the midst of another horrible season, the Brewers put together 10 straight wins. The city was abuzz anticipating free burgers. But, the streak was ended by the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Damn.
Heart broken. Stomach Empty.


20. Ray Allen Trade- Ray Allen, Milwaukee fan favorite gets traded for Gary Payton in 2003. This was the last ditch effort to take advantage of a good team. Gary Payton ended up playing about 20 games and led the Bucks to a first round playoff lose. The team has never recovered from the lose of Ray.


19. Robert "Tractor" Traylor- This one is mostly hindsight, but even at the time, you had to know Tractor Traylor wasn't going to be a great NBA player. I mean, he's fat. But who knew Dirk Nowitski was going to be so great? Just imagine the team with Dirk, Big Dawg, Sam Cassell, and Ray. Wow. Big Four.


18. 1981 Brewers - This is one I mostly heard about from my Mom. It has to do with the strike split season in 1981. Apparently the Brewers had by far the best record in the second half of the season and the better overall record, but had to play the Yankees in a playoff because the won the first half of the season. The Brewers lost of course and didn't make the playoffs until the next year. Sounds about right.

17. The Last Piece of the Puzzle- The year is 2001. The Bucks are coming off a heartbreaking conference Championship loss to the Sixers, but also a super promising year. Their solution to overcome the hump - Anthony Mason. I admit it, I was pretty stoked at the time, thought he would be the inside presence we needed. Boy, was I wrong. He came in fat, and stayed fat, slow, and lazy all season. He totally disrupted the flow of our game.
So how did Mason help out the Bucks? 2002, didn't even make the playoffs.


16. Packers home playoff loss- I've always hated the Vikings more than any team. They have been the Packers' biggest rival since I've been a fan, mostly due to the even match-ups between the two. But I guess I wasn't really into the Packer's this season. It was a tough loss, but I barely remember the game. Mostly I remember the Randy Moss Moon. Man. 15. Best Team Never to Make it to a Final? - Apparently, the Milwaukee Bucks were a force to be reckoned with in the 80's. They went to the playoffs every year of the 1980's winning 7 straight division titles, but never made it to the finals. They lost to Seattle in 7 games in '80, Philly in 7 games in '81, Philly in 6 in '82, Philly in 5 in the '83 conference finals, Boston in the '84 conference finals, Philly again in 85, Boston again in the '86 conference finals, and then Boston in 7 games in 87.
Man, always the brides maid, but I would definitely take Conference final Appearance for the Bucks in the next few years.

14. The Lambeau Mystique? - The Green Bay Packers had NEVER lost a home playoff game. 8-0 at home on the year. Brett Favre had never lost under 30 degrees. It was January and snowing against the dome-team Atlanta Falcons. Things were looking good. But looks were far from the truth. At nights end, the Packer's streaks were done. A 27-7 loss. Wow, there goes the Lambeau mystique. And Green Bay has never really captured it back.
But Atlanta's amazing quarterback is currently sitting in jail after running dog-fighting rings, so I guess I'll take the loss.


13. Brewers Management - Let's face it, the 1990's were a rough decade for the Brewers, and that may be an understatement. Much if it was due to horrible personal moves. Bud Selig baby. Wow, he was bad. I'm sure every team can look back on the bad moves they made, but for the Brewers, it just seems astonishing. Here's just a few of them.
Break out years after leaving the Brewers - John Jaha, Dante Bichette, B.J. Surhoff, Paul Moliter, Gary Sheffield, even Troy O'Leary.
Horrible pick-ups - Jeffery Hammonds, Chuckie Carr, Marquis Grissom, Glendon Rusch, Henry Blanco, Gerald Williams.
And I am sure many, many more.

12. Pacers Series Losses - 1999 and 2000. This was a fun time for the Bucks. There was really the sense of improvement and the feeling that something big would soon happen. I remember George Karl getting standing ovations. Unfortunately, both of these years we ran into the top seeded Indiana Pacers. Both series were good fights, especially the second one, with Indiana winning the deciding game 5 with a late 3 pointer from Travis Best. Man, Travis Best. But the play of the Bucks even made Reggie Miller cordial, saying "The better team lost the series."

11. Badgers Start 9-0. - This was a big one for me, but might not be remembered as well by most people. It was my junior of college, my first year living off campus. We lived right on Dayton Street. Lots of great pre-game parties (beer bongs, quarters, Beirut, a great pre-game CD). Look at our support below. (That's a nice looking B) Just an awesome time/place. Plus, the Badgers, who weren't supposed to be great that year, started out an incredible 9-0. They were ranked 4th in the country. There was talk about a national championship. We squeaked out a win at Arizona. Beat Ohio State convincingly at the Horse Shoe and Scott Starks amazing sack/fumble recovery TD over Kyle Orton and Purdue. But it all came viciously crashing down in the 10th game. At Michigan State we got crushed 49-14. A particular Michigan St, goal stance at the end of the first half sticks out in my brain. And a week later, we still had a chance to get to the Rose Bowl, but again were crushed, this time 30-7 against Iowa. The great season ended with an Outback Bowl loss to Georgia.
What could have been.

10. TO catch- I can still see TO's crying ass face after his last second TD catch from Steve Young in the Packer's 1998 wild-card loss to the 49ers. He wasn't well known back then, but I've hated him ever since. Many have joined the hate-wagon since. Jerry Rice's fumble helped bring back instant reply. Mike Holgren's last game. All and all a tough day.

9. Losses to the Cowboys - Green Bay Packer losses to the Dallas Cowboys were just a given part of my childhood. 3 times in the playoffs including one Conference Championship. Three regular season loses including the damn Jason Garrett Thanksgiving game. I hate the Cowboys still.

8. Brewers losing seasons- Another given in my childhood/high school years - the Brewers would suck. Yes, no doubt about it. Losing season 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004. Wow, that's a lot. I went to countless games at County Stadium and then Miller Park and listened to Bob Uecker pretty much every night. Many loses. Many, many loses. Trivia, what Brewer is pictured below?



7. '07 Collapse - That being said, I also remember that pretty much every year since 2002 was going to be "the year" for the Brewers. '06 was a bust, but '07 had to be it. I even made it to opening day. The excitement in Brew City was palpable, 24-10 best record in the league. But this is still fresh in the memory of you all I'm sure. Ben Sheets injury, horrible streak by Capuano, JJ Hardy drop in production, pretty much a bad 2nd half of the season. Taken over by the dreaded Chicago Cubs. So close, yet....


6. Badger Basketball -
I'm confident in saying the The Wisconsin Badger Basketball program is among the elite in the country. There is no doubt about it. Look at this decade. Awesome. But they are just not good enough to compete in March. This makes me very sad and angry. Just look at the last two years. Ever since my senior year 2006 I was talking up 2007 as the Year for the Badgers- Tucker, Taylor, Butch - pretty much telling everyone I know about them. I was feeling a Championship. We even got the #1 ranking. But a falter down the stretch we ended with a 2 seed and lost to UNLV in the second round. Such a disappointment. Then this past year was the opposite, no expectations. But a great season including a Big Ten outright championship and a Big Ten Tournament Championship, got hopes high again. I was feeling Final Four. It was looking good after dominating Beasley and Kansas St., but again we were brought up only to be let down hard, getting killed by Davidson. This one still hurts. Also, it made me realize that Bo Ryan and Wisconsin will never win a Championship or even go to the Final Four. We just don't have the athletes.
I still bleed Wisconsin Red, though!

5. Braves Leave Milwaukee - This should probably be number one, but it was so long ago. My parents still talk about it to this day. The Braves left Milwaukee in 1965 and the city did not have a professional sports team for a while. Yes, a big lose for the city. Hank Aaron breaks the record in an "A" hat instead of an "M". I can't image a team living. Sorry Seattle.


4. Big Dog Miss- 2001 conference finals, it's all knotted up 2 games apiece. Game 5 in Philadelphia is a back and forth affair. Eric Snow played with a fractured ankle. Bucks were down 1 Derrick Mckie misses two free throw. Glenn Robinson has a 12-foot jumper from the baseline with a second left. It's his shot.... looks good... Buck will control the series...rims out...damn.
Yes, this was the chance for the Bucks to go to the Championship. Will it happen again in my life time?

3. 2008 NFC Championship - This one still upsets me. At home against the Giants. We play pretty badly, still have a chance to win, blow it all. You know the story. I drank a lot that night, good thing I didn't have to work the next day.

2. 4th and 26- This one really makes me want to use the Lords name in vain. I'm serious. Look at that picture.
I can't talk about it. 4th and 26 has it's own wikipedia entry check that
Fuck.


1. Superbowl XXXII Loss - Man this one still hurts ten years later. Good thing I couldn't drink at the time. Haha. It's still a punch in the stomach. Man. I hate seeing Elway's horse-ass-face and his "incredible" first down run. It was so unbelievable at the time. Even when Holmgren let them score, even when it was fourth down, even after the pass to Chumura hit the ground, I still thought the Pack was going to win. Man. I still can't believe it.






There you go sports fans. It's great to be a Wisconsin sports fan, I'm not gonna lie. We talk about Super Bowl XXXI, 1982, 1977, Ron Dayne in the Rose Bowl, 1971, even 1957. I love it. It's a hard love to have, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. All these tragedies make the triumphs even sweeter. It's not just sports. It's life.