Final 4

West UCLA Gave the Bucks Lew Alcindor
South Ohio St Gave the Bucks Michael Redd
Midwest Florida Miami Gave the Bucks Tito Hortford who gave Florida Al Hortford
East Georgetown ? Bucks drafted Art White in 1972 but he never made the team.

Clark, Hendrickson out - Dessens, St. Pierre in; $2.1M missing

Overall, I am satisfied with the moves mainly since it gives the current guys a little more confidence in their role (I hope). But honestly, doesn't this sounds like an ice hockey headline? My only concern at the moment is third base.

Opening Day: 5.5 days and counting

The Weakest Link

While the 2006-07 Milwaukee Bucks season has been pretty unbearable to watch, I thought I would state my case for why the biggest staple of the organization over the last decade has let us down and should be removed. You all are thinking I am going to talk about good old Senator Herb Kohl, the owner of the team, but instead I am talking about the spouse of the national anthem specialist for the Bucks big games, Tim Wilson.

Tim Wilson, the Milwaukee Bucks strength and conditioning coach, has done a terrible job of preparing the team’s players for being physically able to play throughout this NBA season. According to the Milwaukee Bucks website, the injury report shows that ten (10) players have had to sit out at least one game this season and in total these ten (10) players have missed 162 games. That means each player who has been on the injured list is missing on average 16 games, which as of March 23, 2007 has missed 25% of the games played.

If you look closely at the numbers, you see that the biggest contributor to the injury report is Bobby Simmons who has missed every game this season. Even without Simmons games missed, each player on the injury report has missed approximately 11 games, or 16% of the games played this season. In the end, what value does Tim Wilson think he provides as the strength and conditioning coach. He obviously can not either motivate the players to complete a solid strength training program or his conditioning program is not addressing the immediate concerns of these basketball players in the style of the NBA game.

How can any NBA coach, especially the ones the Bucks have hired in the past five years, put an effective game plan into affect to attempt to win games or at least finish above .500. Therefore, I nominate Tim Clavette to become the Milwaukee Bucks new strength and conditioning coach. So Tim, what do you say?

How can this be

A slap on the wrist is a hard foul against Conley Jr. but a mugging is not a foul on the other end of the court. Can someone please tell me that this comment is not the funniest thing you have ever heard.
my brother told me that on Rome, Jim stated that Kevin Durrant was thinking about going pro, and would like to talk about it with someone, Rome advised that it would be in Kevin's best interest to speak with his Grandfather Greg Oden.

I giggled at this. It is so true.

The 16

Not sweet, the Badgers aren't in it. Sorry not being funny, either. Mostly bitter.

7 UNLV - Was very unimpressed with their play, no size, no way they get to final four.
6 Vanderbilt - My brackets last hope, go Vandy! That's how bad my picks were.
5 Butler - Can't be a Cinderella when it seems like you were just in the sweet 16
5 Tennessee - Some people would say most likely to score 100, I say most likely to give that up
5 USC - Best player is in high school, OJ Mayo, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RKoXNToOnk what a punk
4 Southern Illinois - you're not good, when you have to always say what conference you're in.
3 Oregon - I had no interest in UW playing these guys anyway.
3 Texas A&M - am I supposed to know who Acie Law I, II, and III are/were?
3 Pittsburgh - So far they've had the easiest road, ends at UCLA.
2 Memphis - 24 wins in a row, wake me if they get to 26.
2 UCLA - Quit making Bill Walton proud.
2 Georgetown - Basketball is a lot easier when you are taller.
1 Ohio St - Did you here about their freshmen center, Greg Oden?
1 No Carolina - When Hansborough broke his nose he didn't bleed Tar Heel blue.
1 Kansas - I never understood the Rock Chalk chant, or Woo, Pig Sooey for that matter.
1 Florida - Noah, Hortford, Brewer, Green, Humphrey, I can't name 5 starters from any other team, therefore they are my pick. By the final four I plan on knowing more lineups and therefore reserve the right to change it.

Refocus our efforts

First off, thanks for changing the background Tim. And since I'm on that topic, I would at least like to post one item from my planned comment on the "How Sweet" post that never was, which I guess is still relevant: Kam Taylor is to UW Badgers as John Starks was to NY Knicks.

Anyway, now that we are done with that subject, I guess we need to decide what to focus on next. Egan has already kick started us with Packer posts (gripes) and the draft is coming up (nothing in free agency to speak off). We have all dabbled in Brewer posts (the Milwaukee Brewers, that is). Milwaukee does have a pro basketball team that pretty much started this group; yeah, I won't waste my time with them until next season and until they hire a quality coach (my pick is still Sir Sid). We could try topics like Roe 10 or I can't believe Rotz, but those are more quick hitters that in depth. The Office should be starting new episodes as well.

Anyway, those are my thoughts, and since we are down to just three anyway, I say lets just post what’s ever on our mind, and if it’s stupid, then Tim will point that out for us.

Peace.

Mostly Unoriginal Tournament thoughts

17: Florida A&M already out. Is FAMU related to FUBU in anyway?
16: Niagara only team in the tournament to play and beat Rider in back-to-back games.
16: Central Connecticut St my favorite Blue Devils in the bracket
16: Jackson St. watch out for leading scorer Trey Johnson from behind the arc
16: Eastern Kentucky is almost smack in the middle of the state.
15: Weber St has not played a game East of Colorado this year
15: Belmont alumni include country music stars: Trisha Yearwood, Brad Paisely, Josh Turner
15: North Texas Mean Green are Happy to be here.
15: Texas A&M Corpus Cristi is on it's own island. Unfortunately Wisconsin is it's own isthmus.
14: Penn these guys probably think they are the smartest team in the tournament
14: Miami (OH) we already have enough about them on this blog.
14: Wright St more like Wrong St
14: Oral Roberts pretty sure this is the only university named after a crazy televangelist
13: Davidson students take take-home self-proctored, closed book finals. On the honor system.
13: Holy Cross, picked to win it in Jesus's bracket.
13: Albany worst 13 seed in the history of the tournament, I can prove it.
13: New Mexico St Las Cruces, NM hosts the world's largest enchilada festival
12: Old Dominion will we one day be watching New Dominion?
12: Illinois too many teams get credit for most-improved, how about worst-turnaround?
12: Long Beach St Dr. Dre and TuPac backcourt
12: Arkansas team that most likely violated NCAA violations to get in the tournament .
11: George W. shortening the name to show how much I like their chances.
11: Stanford look out they've won 4 of their last 11 games and they were on the bubble anyway.
11: Virginia Commonwealth fancy name for Virginia St
11: Winthrop you don't go undefeated in the Big South by accident
10: Crieghton can't stop the funk, leading scorer Nate Funk, that is.
10: Gonzaga are they the zags or bulldogs?
10: Texas Tech thanks for playing, Bobby knight
10: Georgia Tech I haven't heard much buzz about this team.
9: Michigan St better football team than the football team.
9: Purdue a 9 seed for real?
9: Xavier there's something mysterious about the X
9: Villanova with a cool name like Nova, should be able to come up with better than Wildcats.
8: Arizona Uh with a cool name like Zona, should be able to come up with better than Wildcats.
8: Kentucky Uh, uh, Wildcats works just fine.
8: Marquette can't they come up with a better nickname, uh nevermind.
8: BYU man, there's a lot of religious schools out there.
7: UNLV what's the spread?
7: Indiana coolest warm-up pants in sports.
7: Boston College season's really turned around since a thrilling loss to Duquesne
7: Nevada Hungry like a wolf
6: Notre Dame maybe Touchdown Jesus has been signaling a 3 all this time.
6: Vanderbilt Commodores 64!
6: Louisville Conference USA pride of the Big East.
6: Duke they'll be picking high in the ACC draft.
5: Virigina Tech Fight song is the Hokie Pokey
5: Butler only Clue answer in the tournament
5: USC matched up with Arkansas to rival them for NCAA violations.
5: Tennessee now can win the big games without and with Peyton.
4: S. Illinois Saluki a dog that is accepted by Arabs, other dogs are unclean
4: Maryland will score the first points of the tournament, but nowhere near the last.
4: Texas They seem to get a disproportionate number of stars in this athletic program
4: Virginia started by Tom Jefferson when he was VP, how come Cheney's not opening schools?
3: Oregon more uniforms than games.
3: Pittsburgh is every high school in pittsburgh's colors yellow and black?
3: Washington St Dick Bennett would be proud, RIP
3: Texas A&M officially A&M mean nothing, even though they used to be Ag. and Mech.
2: UCLA pronounced "You-see-el-ay" not "you-kla" as some suggest
2: Wisconsin Many forget Bo Ryan is just one branch of the Steve Yoder coaching tree.
2: Georgetown John Thompson and Patrick Ewing the sequel
2: Memphis play in a Pyramid, maybe it's Elvis's tomb or something.
1: Kansas has only won it's conference 50 times, weak.
1: Ohio St Buckeyes are poisonous how do they travel with them, that should be a threat?
1: No. Carolina low on tradition and talent, but high on scrappiness. Hence, tar heels.
1: Florida Alligators proper name.

Taking Frugal to a Whole New Level

Since the free agent markets opened in the NFL for the 2007 season a few weeks ago I have sat back and initially figured that Ted Thompson had some sort of a plan to ensure the offense and defense would get better through both the draft and free agency. While I think the defense will probably be OK, I have great concerns for the offense after the Packers let Ahman Green go to the Houston Texans and David Martin go the Miami Dolphins (actually based on the contract Ahman Green signed, this was the right decision). I assumed that good old Teddy Thompson would look at signing one of the remaining free agent running backs to help solidify the backfield in what yet again will appear to be Brett Favre's last season as the Green Bay Packers starting quarterback. However, every day I saw one running back after another get signed by other teams as the Packers have approximately $21.7 million under the salary cap and no real intention of even bringing any bigger name free agents into town to potentially join the team. I understand that utilizing the draft to build you team is important in the NFL, but I am also pretty sure that since 1992 free agency has also been a key component. Ted needs to consider finding some free agents at the reasonable price (by reasonable price I mean by NFL standards, not TT standards) to help build the team in 2007 and the future. Otherwise, I think we are going to see the Packers and Brett Favre struggle on offense like we did in 2005.

What is your favorite William Henderson memory?

Here's mine.

No specific game/rush/catch, just hurdling someone in the flat.


In 2nd place is him catching a short kickoff and running straight forward for 10 yards and falling.

2007 Big Ten Payback Tournament

The pairings were recently announced for the 2007 Big Ten Tournament and for the Wisconsin Badgers to win this year’s tournament; they will most likely have to play all three teams that defeated them on the road during the Big Ten regular season. In order to win the Big Ten Tournament, I believe Wisconsin (2-seed) will have to beat Michigan State (7-seed) on March 9th, Indiana (3-seed) on March 10th and Ohio State (1-seed) on March 11th. Winning the tournament would really solidify the potential for Wisconsin to be a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but a lot could happen between now and then. Regardless of how the Badgers do in these two tournaments, it was awesome to see them play that well during the regular season and win a record 27 games. Go BADGERS!