Football and basketball are the two highest-profile high school sports in Wisconsin–If two WIAA proposals become reality, the postseason of each will look different. 

Here’s a look at the football proposal:

 http://www.wiaawi.org/index.php?id=411

And, basketball:

http://www.wiaawi.org/index.php?id=427

Having examined both, I have to say I’m in favor of one but against the other.  

I’m giving the thumbs-up to football, mainly because it’s a plan that makes a lot of common sense.   Basically, teams are organized into districts for the regular season and postseason…the system that’s been in use for a while in adjoining states such as Minnesota, Iowa, and Michigan.   Granted, some teams will have to travel more at the varsity level than they’re currently doing, but other programs will be taking much shorter trips than they’ve been doing in the non-conference portion of their schedules.  For example, in recent years, Menomonie’s had home-and-home series with Mukwonago, Oswego (IL), and Grand Rapids (MN).   Chippewa Falls is hosting Cedarburg this week–the Cardinals, in the past, have traveled to and hosted Edina (MN).

The proposed football system will also allow programs to be a lot more efficient in their scouting (which will save time, miles, and money), since they’ll know exactly for which teams to prepare.   It’ll also do away with teams having to play three games in the span of ten days.  This year, for example, the regular season concludes on Thursday, October 22–but Level 1 of the playoffs is set for the following Tuesday (October 27), with Level 2 games on Saturday, October 31.  

For those that bemoan the loss of traditional conferences (and the rivalries within those conferences),  consider that the push toward football conference realignment has been driven by the schools howling about disparities in enrollment–the current conference landscape, as it pertains to football, has been changing over the years.

On the topic of howling, nothing gets certain message board posters going more than the perceived advantage of certain private schools in boys basketball–dealing with this dilemma is one motivating force behind the other WIAA postseason proposal.  Is that reason enough to add another division?  I say not, especially when the total number of students that take advantage of open-enrollment opportunities at public schools exceeds the total number of students attending private schools (according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.)

There are plenty of other reasons the idea of adding another division doesn’t make a lot of sense.  With just over 500 high schools taking part in the WIAA baseketball tournament series, crowning five champions each season would only serve to dilute the entire product–especially when you eliminate four teams from the largest division.  

I’m fine with the idea of opening the state tournament to more teams–so why not revert to three divisions, but allow eight teams in each division to advance to state?

As we get closer to basketball season, the News 18 Sports department will have a lot more opportunities to talk with local coaches about the proposal.  We previewed fourteen different high school football teams prior to this season, and only one coach said he was opposed to the WIAA’s football proposal.

What kind of feedback will the WIAA receive directly from its member schools?    That process starts in a matter of weeks, when Area Meetings begin in September.  Two local meetings are scheduled: Tuesday, September 29 at Black River Falls, and at Rice Lake, Wednesday, September 30.

I’m not sure how much public opinion will factor into any WIAA decisions, but we’re curious what fans think.  Feel free to post your comments below.

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports

I wasn’t able to find a transcript of Brett Favre’s first news conference as a Viking until late Tuesday evening.  Apparently, nobody at Vikings.com has been relegated to capturing every word that comes out of Favre’s mouth–verbatim–much like the folks at Packers.com provide from news conferences in Green Bay.

That news conference was scheduled for 5:00 P.M., but Favre didn’t shuffle to the podium until around 5:40 P.M.   Maybe he and Brad Childress needed the extra time to hash out the details of how to make it sound like this all came togther the day before…and not months before.

Nevertheless, there was plenty of interesting material from Favre.  Most of it, however, needs some interpreting.   I’ve spent some time literally reading between the lines of the transcript, trying to figure out what he REALLY meant.

WHAT FAVRE SAID: 

 When Brad called yesterday I was kind of like, this is it, it’s now or never. Jokingly as we were talking, I said can I play Friday? It was early in the conversation and he responded, “You want to play? Let me talk to our owners.”

WHAT FAVRE MEANT:

 That talk with the owners happened months ago…this deal’s been in the can for a while but since I’m Brett Favre and they’re really desperate for a quarterback, I’m dictating terms…like, I’m not showing up at camp to live in a dorm in Mankato.

 

WHAT FAVRE SAID: 

 You can’t take away the 16 years I had in Green Bay, it was unbelievable and it was great. That will be forever cherished by me and the guys I played with. They’ve moved on and I’ve moved on so I think it’s great for football.

WHAT FAVRE MEANT:

 I hope we run up the score on the Packers…twice.

 

WHAT FAVRE SAID: 

 Another thing I forgot to mention was that when I said no earlier to Coach Childress and Coach Frazier, my 10-year old daughter who was neutral in this whole deal. So I asked her, “What do you want to do daddy to do?” She said, “Whatever you want to do daddy.” I said, “That’s a good answer but what do you want me to do?” She wouldn’t say until after the news broke and she started crying as we sat on our back porch. Anybody who has children, I can be chased by five defensive linemen and that doesn’t scare me but when my daughter cries it softens me up. She said, “I wanted you to go back and win one more Super Bowl.” I said, “Ugh. Why didn’t you tell me that before? She said I didn’t want to make that decision for you.” It’s amazing what you learn from your children. She said, “Can you go back?” I said, “Too late.” I found myself tearing up this morning as I brought her to school, and she said, ”Daddy, it’s going to be fine. You go up there and do what you got to do. We will be up there soon enough.”

WHAT FAVRE MEANT:

 I sure can tell a good story, can’t I?  Look at these reporters writing this stuff down!  10-year old daughter, that’s great stuff!

 

WHAT FAVRE SAID: (responding to a question about people being tired of his wavering)

 Don’t watch. Like my old roommate and center for a long time, Frank Winters in Green Bay, who’s from Hoboken, New Jersey, and has a funny way of putting things (said), “Dude, its America. You know, it happens all the time.”

WHAT FAVRE MEANT:

 Quoting Frankie Winters is almost as good as quoting my daughter!

 

WHAT FAVRE SAID: 

 It is what it is.

WHAT FAVRE MEANT:

 It is what it is.

 

WHAT FAVRE SAID:

 I think if you’re a true Packers fan, you understand.

WHAT FAVRE MEANT:

 I’m not taking my helmet off the entire game at Lambeau Field…those people sneak bottles into the game.

 

WHAT FAVRE SAID: 

 It has been a little bit of a whirlwind, pretty much went right into practice.

WHAT FAVRE MEANT:

 Practice?  I like to practice about as much as Allen Iverson.   I flew into town on the owner’s jet, then he made the coach pick me up at the airport…who runs this team?  Yeah, that’s right!  I do!

 

WHAT FAVRE SAID: (about whether this is all about revenge)

 I think both sides were wrong to a certain degree, but I have no ill feelings towards that.

WHAT FAVRE MEANT:

  Make sure the cameras are on me when I run across the field to shake Mike McCarthy’s hand after we run up the score on the Packers…twice.

Posted under Hometown Sports

Was it over when the Express was down 1-0 to the Bullfrogs in the 2007 Northwoods League South Divisional Series?  H*** no!  And it ain’t over now!  ‘Cause when the going gets tough…

’07 was a much tougher situation….Eau Claire got blown out at home in game one, which meant the team faced elimination…on the road.  We all remember what happened in Green Bay…the Express took two at Joannes Stadium to advance to the NWL Championship Series.

It’s a bit better this time around.  Like the ’07 Bullfrogs, the Express has to deal with a very hot NWL team in the La Crosse Loggers.  But Eau Claire gets to play at home tonight, and they’ve got one of their best pitchers on the mound.

Actually, he’s one of the few remaining pitchers on a staff that’s been depleted big-time by injuries and defections.   Bremer doesn’t have to throw another no-hitter, but the Express desperately needs 6-7 solid innings out of him.   Hopefully, after seeing a lot of the Loggers over the last few weeks, Eau Claire has some good scouting reports on these La Crosse hitters…several of which have shown they’re capable of hitting the long ball.

At the plate, the Express doesn’t need to swing for the fences.  Swinging for base hits will be just fine.   Most of this season, Eau Claire fans have been waiting for Kole Calhoun to heat up, much like he did in this past College World Series for Arizona State.   Most of the press box types have been thinking that it’s just a matter of time before Calhoun carries Eau Claire to a big win this season….uh, Kole, tonight would be a really good time.

More from the department of the painfully obvious:  the Express needs to get its speed guys, Nolan Fadness and Brooks Pinckard, on base.  The team needs to move runners over.   Cut down on strikeouts.  Put the ball in play.   Eliminate errors.   (Cue Dale Varsho soundbite: “Play good baseball.”)

The fans can help, too.   Turn out in droves.   Make some noise.   Take a cue from that one really loud fan on the third base side, and start heckling the opposition.   Stop being so doggone nice–it’s baseball!  Let your feelings be known! 

Summer is slipping away.    Keep it going a little longer by backing the team and getting them to play another day.

….the tough get going!   Who’s with me?  Let’s go!

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports

Last season, the Brewers canned manager Ned Yost in September, then proceeded to win seven of their final twelve games to make it into the playoffs.

With 2009′s chances slipping away (or as I believe, having slipped away long ago), Milwaukee makes some moves today that definitely shake up the roster.  Whether these changes have any effect on how the team plays from this point forward is debatable…much like the Yost firing last year.

Today’s pink slip goes to pitching coach Bill Castro, who’s presided over a group that’s got an ERA of 4.84, with the starters fashioning a mark of 5.16 (worst in the National League).   Gee, maybe if Dave Bush had been able to stay healthy that starting ERA would be so much better…like, 5.01.   Castro’s taking the fall for a rotation that was put together with scotch tape, a few rubber bands, smoke, mirrors, and a lot of false hope by GM Doug Melvin at the start of the season.

J.J. Hardy and his .229 batting average are on their way to AAA Nashville…Alcides Escobar, Brewers shortstop of the future, is now shortstop of the present, as he makes his way from the minors to the majors.   The Hardy demotion comes at a time when at least one Red Sox blog in the Boston Globe was campaiging that Sox GM Theo Epstein trade for Hardy to fill a major hole in the Boston infield–part of a series of New England-based rumors of a Hardy trade from the Brewers to the Red Sox…rumors all denied by Melvin.

Bill Hall and his .201 average are on their way out of Milwaukee one way or another.  He’s been designated for assignment, which means the Crew has 10 days to trade him or release him.  Hall could accept another demotion to the minor leagues, which he seemingly did with no complaints a few weeks back.  Jason Bourgeois, an outfielder at Nashville, joins the Brewers to take Hall’s roster spot.

Personally, I gave up on the Brewers weeks ago…so to me, these moves are typical of those made late in the season by a team out of the playoff race.   I’d maybe feel differently if Escobar and Bourgeois were hot pitching prospects…but there don’t seem to be many of those in Milwaukee’s minor league system.    Good luck to new pitching coach Chris Bosio…wonder if he has any innings left in his arm?

The ’09 Brewers needed career years at the plate from their position players to make up for the shortcomings of the starting pitching…but only Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun have produced consistently.   So, as others might say, ”it is what it is.”

Now…anyone seen my 2008 Brewers Wild Card t-shirt?  Oh, that’s right…I never bought one.

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports