The Packers needed two things to happen during the noon games Sunday to qualify for the NFC Playoffs: Green Bay had to beat the Seahawks, while the Giants lost to the Panthers.   Both of those things did happen, and they happened without any drama whatsoever at either Lambeau Field or Giants Stadium.

There’s some interesting symmetry there, since the Giants were the team that ended the 2007 Packers’ hopes of getting to a Super Bowl.  Now, less than two years after winning the NFL’s ultimate prize, New York is the team can look ahead to an offseason full of turmoil and second-guessing…while everything, at least for the moment, seems right in Green Bay.

There were plenty of times this season when the Packers seemed headed for a drama-filled offseason.  After Green Bay suffered an inexplicable loss at Tampa Bay, some in the Green Bay and Milwaukee media were speculating about coaching changes at 1265 Lombardi Avenue.  A certain member of the Eau Claire media contingent was so frustrated by Packers vs. Buccaneers on November 8, that at halftime, he posted this to his Twitter account:

Losing to a team that has Sabby Piscitelli & Stylez G. White as defensive starters means you ARE NOT playoff-worthy. Not even close… 

Yours truly did not give up hope, however, and to that very same Twitter account, posted this in the early morning hours of November 15, prior to the Packers game at Lambeau vs. the Cowboys:

Heading to Lambeau Field…will it be the start of a great turnaround or a Death Blow to the Packers playoff hopes? Stay tuned…

I don’t know of winning 6 out of the next 7 is a “great turnaround,” but it’s not bad, and it sure was no “Death Blow.”   It was more than good enough to get the Pack into the playoffs.   Say what you want about the caliber of the competition over that stretch, but in my mind, Green Bay beat the teams it should have beaten.

Consider my blog post from November 3, under an aptly-titled subcategory:

REMAIN CALM…ALL IS WELL
…In their final nine games, the Packers have three very winnable matchups (at TB, at DET, SEA), two tossups (SF, at AZ), and four contests where they’ll likely be the underdog (DAL, BAL, at CHI, at PIT).

Green Bay went 2-1 in the “very winnable” games, 1-0 (with one left to play) in the “tossup” games, and a respectable 3-1 in the “likely be the underdog” games.   Either Packers wind up 10-6 or 11-5 for the season, but the bottom line is this: they’re in the playoffs…and you can’t win a Super Bowl unless you qualify for the postseason.

Recent history is on the Packers’ side.  Two of the last four Super Bowl winners were wild card teams: Super Bowl XL with the Steelers, and Super Bowl XLII with the Giants.

Does that mean Green Bay is headed to Miami, site of Super Bowl XLIV?  

We shall see.  I don’t know…I keep flip-flopping on what to think of the 2009 Green Bay Packers.

That was how I wrapped up my November 3 blog entry, and despite the Pack going 6-2 since then, I have not changed my opinion.  I honestly think Green Bay is capable of beating any one of the NFC playoff teams, even if those games are on the road.   However, I also think the Packers could lose to any one of those other clubs.  

The point being, it’s the NFL.  For all the time and effort people spend making predictions, quite often, things happen that you don’t expect.   Such as: the Buccanneers winning for just the third time this season, 20-17, in overtime, at New Orleans, handing the Saints just their second loss of the year.  For the record, Sabby Piscitelli had six tackles, with Stylez G. White pitching in with two, helping the Tampa Bay defense hold the high-powered New Orleans offense to a mere two touchdowns.

We won’t know the exact playoff matchups until next week, so I’m not going to take a whole lot of time breaking down what may or may not happen in that regard.   

I will say that the Packers offense can cause some serious matchup problems for any of their potential NFC playoff opponents–provided that the offensive line continues to hold up, and provided that receivers can catch the ball.  I also like how the Green Bay defense has been playing in the second half of the season, but I’m a little concerned about any number of lapses in the games against the 49ers, Ravens, Bears, and Steelers.   I’m extremely concerned about the Packers special teams: even if Mason Crosby is coming out of his funk, Jeremy Kapinos is still in his…beyond that, like Mike McCarthy, I tend to obsess about gap control in the kickoff and punt teams.

Still, for fans, there’s reason to celebrate.  The Green Bay Packers season will extend past the regular season finale next Sunday…and for right now, that’s good enough.

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports

College football’s bowl season is almost upon us…let us all stand by the Festivus Pole and have an Airing of Grievances.   Or, like Frank Costanza has also done, we could scream “Serenity Now!”

I’ve expressed my feelings about the bowl system and how a playoff might generate more interest (check the December 2008 blog archives), but while I remain optimisitic that such a plan might be implemented in my lifetime, I’m also a realist: it’s not happening this year.

That’s why, in our household, my fiancee Susan and I have done our part to generate interest in the 34 college football games that’ll be played from December 19 through January 7…normally, we’d only care about 3-4 of these matchups, but now there’s something on the line.

This is not gambling, mind you, merely a friendly wager (I’ve stated my case about gambling before: find a good growth mutual fund and stick your money in that, instead of giving it to Rocco the bookie).  The loser cooks dinner for the winner.   If I lose, I’m making my specialty: stuffed pork chops.  If Susan loses, than we dine on her delicious Swedish meatballs.

While Susan is a football fan, she admits to making the majority of her picks based on the location of the college or university and whether it’s a place she’d like to visit.  With two sons in the U.S. military, she’s also partial to picking the service academies.

I, on the other hand, am a  television sportscaster (a good way for a guy to rationalize the many hours spent in front of a TV set or computer screen following sports).  Therefore, I will use my knowledge of players, teams, conferences, bowl history, psychology, coaching changes, and whether or not I like the uniforms and/or fight songs.

New Mexico Bowl, December 19: Fresno State vs. Wyoming
Both of us are going with Fresno State in this one.  Neither of us have actually been to Fresno, but I wouldn’t mind visiting, since a couple of television colleagues now live there.   However, I have been to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and it’s an underrated college town, in my opinion.  I’ve only seen each team once: the Bulldogs took Wisconsin down to the wire, while the Cowboys got worked at home by Texas.  Beyond that, I’m neutral on each team’s uniforms and I don’t know either school’s fight song.  Therefore, Fresno State is the pick.     

St. Petersburg Bowl, December 19: UCF vs. Rutgers
Again, there is harmony in the Bradovich-Babcock househould, as we are both picking Rutgers.  I’m a little surprised that Susan would go with New Brunswick, NJ as a vacation destination over Orlando, FL, but so be it.   Personally, I’d be more interested in this bowl if it were to be played in St. Petersburg, Russia.  If you’re a college football player, however, you may not be as interested in taking that trip. I recall the words of former basketball player Charles Shackleford, who, after being selected to play on a U.S.A. collegiate All-Star team set to tour the Soviet Union, was quoted as saying: “I ain’t going to no Russia.”

R & L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, December 20: Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee
We’re both taking Southern Miss in this game.  Susan believes Hattiesburg, MS, trumps Murfreesboro, TN, as a vacation destination.     Bob thinks USM is has a far better football program (for a directional school) than MTU.  How both teams handle the distraction factor of being in New Orleans for the better part of the week leading up to the game will be interesting.

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl, December 22: Oregon State vs. BYU
Dissension alert: I’m taking OSU, Susan picks BYU.  Again, I’m a little perplexed by the pick of Provo, UT as a vacation destination over Corvallis, OR, but so be it.   I like the classic look of BYU’s uniforms (thankfully, they ditched the “new” look a few years back) far more than whatever OSU is trying to accomplish (at least they’ve gone away from the “sports bra” orange trim), but the Beavers are the better team, hands down.

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, December 23: Utah vs. Cal
Bob picks the Utes, Susan selects the Golden Bears.   Having been to both Salt Lake City, UT,  and Berkeley, CA,  before, I’d go back to either.   I think Cal is the better team, but this is one of those bowl matchups where one team has something to prove after a sub-par season (Utah), and the other is lamenting a sub-par season (Cal) and won’t have its best player (Jahvid Best, still dealing with the effects of a concussion and back injuries suffered in a terrifying fall to the turf in a game against Oregon State).   My question about this bowl: does the swag bag that goes to each player contain either a credit union pen or a floral bouquet?

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, December 24: Nevada vs. SMU
I’m picking Nevada, Susan’s going with SMU…again, she’s thinking Dallas, TX over Reno, NV, and I can’t argue that.  What I can argue is that Nevada is the better team, especially after how the Wolfpack regrouped after starting the season with three demoralizing losses to Notre Dame, Colorado State, and Missouri–none of those three even made it to a bowl.  Meanwhile, SMU’s 7-5 record includes an overtime losses to woeful Washington State as well as Navy.   However, I must point out that this is a good matchup of logos.

Little Caesars Bowl, December 26: Marshall vs. Ohio
We’re both taking Marshall, but if we never get to Huntington, WV, or Athens, OH, in our future travels, I think we’ll survive.   The good news for these teams is that they’ll be playing in a great facility: Ford Field.   The bad news: Ford Field is located in downtown Detroit.   I wonder if the teams would be more motivated if the bowl sponsor decided the winner gets to eat pizza while the loser gets only breadsticks.

Meineke Car Car Bowl, December 26: Pitt vs. North Carolina
Bob: Pitt.   Susan: UNC (Chapel Hill, NC, in her mind, a much, much better vacation destination).  Plus, as a Chicago Bears fan, she does not think Dave Wannstedt could coach himself out of a paper bag.   While I concur on both topics, as a Duke fan, I cannot and will not ever back a Tar Heels team in any sport.  And another thing: what’s with those dark blue uniform pants?  Your fan base goes on ad nauseum about how God made the sky Carolina Blue, but then you bust out those pants?  Give me a break…ooh, we’re so intimidated by that dark color.  How about I bust out a t-shirt made popular by the Duke faithful: GO TO H***, CAROLINA!

Emerald Bowl, December 26:  Boston College vs. Southern California
Both of us are going with USC, but I think we’re not 100% down with this pick.   For one, Susan would rather see Boston than Los Angeles, and so would I.  Besides, the boredom factor has to be off the charts for USC players not from NoCal (the game is being played in San Francisco), and all the guys who’ve now changed their focus to getting ready for the NFL.

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, December 27: Kentucky vs. Clemson
We’re both backing the Tigers in this one…although I refuse to watch if Clemson comes out wearing that purple/orange color combo, a rare instance in which high-definition TV makes something look worse.

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl, December 28: Texas A & M vs. Georgia
I guess they settled on this name for this bowl, figuring that WhyWouldAnyoneCare Independence Bowl wouldn’t sell as many tickets.  What about our picks? Susan: A & M.   Bob: Georgia.   If we ever wind up selecting College Station, TX, over Athens, GA, as a vacation destination, there will be more disagreements…trust me.   As long as the Bulldogs are playing anyone other than Wisconsin, I’ll back Georgia, mainly because former News 18 meteorologist Megan Salois is a rabid (not literally, mind you) fan of her beloved Dawgs.   I’ll make one other prediction on this game: during A & M coach Mike Sherman’s postgame news conference, he’ll clear his throat at least once.

EagleBank Bowl, December 29: UCLA vs. Temple
Bob: UCLA, Susan: Temple.  My lovely fiancee originally picked Army (see above reasons) but alas, the Cadets lost to Navy, allowing the Bruins to travel cross-country for what is sure to be an educational trip to our nation’s capital.   I cannot pick Temple, in good conscience, having once seen an Owls team get obliterated by the Badgers at Camp Randall.  In fact, I was at the game with Susan’s son Jim, and we both agreed that on that day, Temple would not have beaten UW-Whitewater.   Besides, the UCLA uniforms are among the tops in college football, and “Sons of Westwood” is one of the best fight songs around, even though the band plays it after every Bruins first down (which meant I heard it a few times during the 1999 Rose Bowl).

Champs Sports Bowl, December 29: Miami vs. Wisconsin
Do you even have to ask who we’re picking in this one?  The preponderance of the color red in our respective casual wardrobes should be a hint….here’s another: we love the U-Dub, and we dislike The U.

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl, December 30: Bowling Green vs. Idaho
Bob: BGSU, Susan: Idaho.   Pity these poor teams, whose holiday destination is Boise, ID, to play on blue synthetic turf in a bowl named for a chain of truck stops…ohh, the humanity….

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, December 30: Arizona vs. Nebraska
Bob & Susan: Nebraska, even if we’d rather visit Tuscon, AZ than Lincoln, NE (apologies to my college roommate Scott Keene and his family).   The Cornhuskers have something to prove after letting the Big 12 Championship game slip away, so they may keep the Wildcats from scoring a single point or getting one first down.

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, December 31: Houston vs. Air Force
Bob: Houston, Susan: Air Force.  What’s intriguing about this matchup is that Air Force is almost exclusively a running team, while Houston will chuck it in the air non-stop.

Brut Sun Bowl, December 31: Oklahoma vs. Stanford
Susan’s taking the Sooners, Bob is backing the Cardinal.   I’ll go to Norman, OK, over Palo Alto, CA, but only during storm-chasing season.  Besides, with Toby Gerhart and Andrew Luck, Stanford has some future NFL talent worth watching.  However, that university’s highest-profile alum (a Mr. Eldrick Woods) will probably not be seen on the sidelines.

Texas Bowl, December 31: Navy vs. Missouri
We are both backing the Midshipmen.  I consider “Anchors Aweigh” a very underrated college fight song.

Insight Bowl, December 31: Minnesota vs. Iowa State
Bob: Gophers, Susan: Cyclones.  They could save a lot of travel money and play this game in Mason City, IA, or Albert Lea, MN, rather than in Tempe, AZ.   If Minnesota QB Adam Weber can discern the difference between the Gophers colors and those of ISU, then the Gophers should get a win.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl, December 31: Virginia Tech vs. Tenneesee
Bob: VT, Susan UT.    Random reasons to root against Tennessee: I don’t like their shade of orange, I’m not a Lane Kiffin fan (even if he’s getting name-dropped in a rap song), and as my college baseball coach, Bob Sullivan once said, as we were traveling from Jackson, through Chattanooga, all the way to Johnson City: “I didn’t realize Tennessee was such a long state!”  

Outback Bowl, January 1: Northwestern vs. Auburn
Bob’s being a Big Ten homer and going with the Wildcats, while Susan is taking the Tigers.  Northwestern looked good against the Badgers, so that’s good enough for me (with apologies to my college friend Pete Albrecht’s wife, Julie, an Auburn alum).  Speaking of Albrecht, he did his graduate work at Northwestern, so this is a dissension special in their household.

Capital One Bowl, January 1: Penn State vs. LSU
Both of us are being Big Ten homers and backing the Nittany Lions.  Seriously, how can you root against those classic uniforms and coach-for-life Joe Paterno?  You can’t.   Besides, there are few things in life I enjoy more than watching the teams (Indiana, LSU) of former UW grad school colleague David Kurpius (now a journalism prof at LSU) lose…decisively.

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, January 1: West Virginia vs. Florida State
Bob: West Virginia, Susan: FSU.   I don’t plan to watch this bowl, but if someone takes a snapshot (with a Konica Minolta camera), I may take a glance at that.

Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi, January 1: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Bob: Ducks, Susan: Buckeyes.   This matchup I will watch start to finish.   No shortage of story lines here: Big Ten vs. Pac Ten, Midwest vs. West Coast, old money vs. nouveau riche, Nike vs. Nike, classic uniforms vs. the 80 different possible Oregon combinations (http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=3755462), Terrelle Pryor vs. Jeremiah Masoli, the buttoned-down, vest-wearing Jim Tressel vs. the blunt-speaking, visor-wearing Chip Kelly.   Plus, is there any better visual in all of college bowl season than the sun setting over the San Gabriel Mountains?

Allstate Sugar Bowl, January 1: Florida vs. Cincinnati
Bob: Gators, Susan: Bearcats.  However, let the record show that we made these picks before Florida got worked by Alabama, and before Brian Kelly bolted for Notre Dame.   Will anyone score?  Will anyone care?  For you gamblers out there, here’s an over/under on number of eye black patches worn by Tim Tebow: 1 1/2.   Take the over.

International Bowl, January 2: South Florida vs. Northern Illinois
Both of us are picking the Bulls to beat the Huskies.  If, on a vacation, we find ourselves in DeKalb, IL, versus Tampa, FL, it’s a sure indication that we’ve had car trouble.

Papajohns.com Bowl, January 2: South Carolina vs. UConn
We were pretty ambivalent about this pick until our dogs, labrador retrievers Buddy & Otis, suggested that we keep it in the canine family and go with the UConn Huskies.

AT&T Cotton Bowl, January 2: Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss
OSU is the choice for both of us.   They’re playing this game at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, which means fans of the OSU Cowboys have a very easy commute, compared to the fine folks from Oxford, MS. 

AutoZone Liberty Bowl, January 2: Arkansas vs. East Carolina
Both of us are down with the Razorbacks.  Both of us are also wondering what in the world AutoZone has to do with Liberty.

Valero Alamo Bowl, January 2: MIchigan State vs. Texas Tech
We’re both picking against the Big Ten in this one.   If the Badgers were playing in this game, we wouldn’t pick against the Big Ten.  Besides, with Susan’s brother Ed (a UW alum) living in Austin, TX, we’d probably be traveling there.  But, they’re not, so we’re not.  Remember when the Badgers beat Colorado in the Alamo Bowl on a last-second kick by Prescott H.S. alum Mike Allen?  Those were good times…

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, January 4: Boise State vs. TCU
Bob: TCU, Susan: Boise State.   I’m scheduled to work that day, which means we will not be sitting on our couch, eating Tostitos and watching the game, which is too bad, because it should be one of the better bowl matchups.

FedEx Orange Bowl, January 5: Iowa vs. Georgia Tech
Neither of us really care for the Hawkeyes…and if we’re in Iowa City, IA, instead of Atlanta, GA, then we’ve been on a flight with two pilots who weren’t paying attention and overshot their airport destination.   But we’re both picking Iowa.   I don’t like to admit it, but the Hawkeyes color scheme, logo, and uniform design are approaching “classic” status in the realm of college football.

GMAC Bowl, January 6: Central Michigan vs. Troy
We both back the MAC in this one, so excuse me while I do a Google search for CMU’s fight song.  Okay, I’ve found it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_Hh4DLuSeQ  Not bad, but it’s no “On Wisconsin,” “Hail To The Victors,” or “Sons Of Westwood.”  My apologies to CMU alum David Bossick of the Chippewa Herald, as well as CMU freshman basketball player and Eau Claire North H.S. grad Tyler Brown.  Further apologies go to my aforementioned college friend and current Mobile, AL, resident Pete Albrecht, if he’s actually at Ladd-Peebles Stadium for this matchup…unless he takes his kids, in which case, then it’s okay.

Citi BCS National Championship Game, January 7: Texas vs. Alabama
Bob: Bama, Susan: UT.    Will Colt McCoy channel his Heisman disappointment into a stellar final performance in a Longhorns uniform vs. a suffocating Crimson Tide defense?   Will Heisman winner Mark Ingram defy history and actually have a big-time performance in the bowl game that follows after receiving the award?  Will Bama coach Nick Saban smile either before, during, or after the game?  Will UT coach Mack Brown spend a majority of his time talking before the game about how nice it is to actually play for a national title after getting “jobbed” last season?   Will the game live up to the hype?  Will the sun still look as good setting over the San Gabriel Mountains compared to how it looked six days earlier during the Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi?

These are all questions to be answered as we joyously await Bowl Season 2009-10.   In the meantime, we have actual holiday travel planning to do: Hatfield, WI, and Chisholm, MN.   At the risk of sounding incredibly sappy, when there’s family involved, those are great travel destinations for us.

With that, we both wish you all the best this holiday season.

-BOB BRADOVICH & SUSAN BABCOCK

Posted under Hometown Sports

No…I’m not saying it.   There is no shortage of hack play-by-play guys who’ll finish that phrase (“…but inside the (insert name of arena/gymnasium/rink), the action is heating up!”), so seek them out if you must.

What I have said, over time, is that if you tend to get cabin fever around this time of year, you may want to check out my prescription for what ails you.   Let’s not forget that at one point in my college career I was pre-med (then I took Organic Chemistry and quickly became post-med).  

Nevertheless, I’ve found that if you make a trip to a local high school gymnasium or hockey rink,  not only will you get a lot for your entertainment dollar, but you’ll walk out feeling more energized than when you walked in.

Here are some upcoming contests coming up this month that the casual fan may want to check out:

BOYS HS BASKETBALL

Thursday, December 10: McDonell at Fall Creek — The talented Macks could make this a trap game for the Crickets, with the first of two titanic tilts betwen FC and Regis looming on the horizon.

Thursday, December 10: Glenwood City at St. Croix Central — An early-season showdown between two teams that figure to contend for the title in the Dunn-St. Croix Conference.

Friday, December 11: Rice Lake at Eau Claire North — The Huskies have looked solid in winning a pair of non-conference games.   North opens Big Rivers Conference play against a Warriors program that always plays extremely hard for head coach Kevin Orr.   Now, Orr has some additional talent to work with after the transfer of Wally Ellenson to Rice Lake.   Will that be enough against the force that is 6-11 Evan Anderson, the athleticism and intensity of 6-2 Tyler Sonsalla, along with the new-up tempo offense and man-to-man defense of first-year head coach Aric Carpenter?

Saturday, December 12: Osseo-Fairchild at Blair-Taylor — Which hyphenated school comes out on top, when two traditionally strong programs meet in a non-conference game?  O-F is solid under first-year head coach Matt Korger (formerly of the OFHS girls BB program), while Randy Storlie leads the defending Division 4 sectional champ Wildcats.

Saturday, December 12: Rice Lake at Altoona — More time on the bus for the Warriors, as they return to the EC metro one night after making a trip to play North.   Still, this is what often happens come tournament time, and both of these programs are capable of making noise in the Division 2 bracket, especially considering Steve Tecker’s injury-related absence all season with defending sectional champ Northwestern.

Friday, December 18: North at Superior — The two-time defending Division 1 sectional champion Huskies head to Superior for a non-conference showdown with a talented, aggressive group of Spartans.  Superior won this regular season matchup last year at the Doghouse, a game in which Evan Anderson suffered an injury that kept him out of action for about one month.  Anderson returned, and helped North defeat the Spartans in a Division 1 sectional semifinal.

Friday, December 18: Osseo-Fairchild at Fall Creek — See above comments on the two programs…this is always a competitive local rivalry no matter what the sport.

Tuesday, December 22: Fall Creek at Regis — Get to this game.  Put off Christmas shopping for one evening, if you have to.   Just remember, this will be a packed house, so if you want to go, get there early for a the first regular season matchup of ’09-’10 between arguably the two top Division 3 teams in the state.

Tuesday, December 29, and Wednesday, December 30: Chippewa Falls hosts the BRC-WVC Challenge, where teams from the Big Rivers will match up with clubs from the Wisconsin Valley.  It’s always interesting to see what the talent level is on the “other” side of the sectional bracket.

GIRLS HS BASKETBALL

Friday, December 11: Osseo-Fairchild at Altoona — Last season, O-F’s Katey Wrobel simply took over the game as the Chieftains won a hard-fought game on the Railroaders’ home court.  Wrobel is one of several talented players from both teams who’ve moved on to play college hoops, but these are good programs–there’s always more talent in the pipeline.

Saturday, December 12: Rice Lake at Altoona — A tough bounce-back game for the Rails, one night after playing O-F, but this will give both teams a sampling of what may be ahead in the Division 2 playoffs.

Tuesday, December 15: Regis at Fall Creek — It won’t generate the hype of the boys game, but coaches Brady Hoolihan and Jason Martzke will have their teams well-prepared for this matchup between a Ramblers team with a goal of getting to state, and a Crickets team that got there last year.

BOYS HS HOCKEY

Saturday, December 12: Memorial at Rice Lake — Weather postponed this matchup from Tuesday, but that’ll only fuel the intensity between these two BRC rivals.  ECM won both regular season contests, but RL returned the favor in a sectional final to advance to state.  After a loss at Superior last Saturday, I can only imagine what the ECM practices have been like this week.   The Old Abes are awfully tough to beat when they’re angry/motivated, but the Warriors are too proud and too well-coached to roll over, especially on their home ice.

Tuesday, December 15: Menomonie at Memorial — Call the Indians the nouveau riche of the BRC if you’d like.   Menomonie’s young, talented players are all one-year older, but do they have enough to skate with one of the established power programs in the state?

Saturday, December 19: Hudson at North — The Raiders are either on a down year or are having a tough start to the season, following a 6-1 loss on home ice to ECM, and a one-goal loss to New Richmond.  Still, head coach Mike Stoskopf will have his Raiders ready to play Guy Brown’s scrappy group of Huskies.

GIRLS HS HOCKEY

Saturday, December 19: Central Wisconsin Storm at St. Croix Valley Fusion – The defending state champion Fusion, with most of its roster intact, hosts the Storm, the 2008 state champs.   SCV defeated CWS in a thrilling overtime game in the 2009 state semifinals.

 

This is just a partial list, mind you.   There are plenty of other good games out there over the next few weeks, and yes, I realize I haven’t pointed out any wrestling matches, swimming & diving meets, nor gymnastics competitions.    My point, however, is that the area is filled with talented young athletes and hard-working coaches.   Take the time to check out their efforts on display.

And, as always, we’ll have the highlights, reaction, and scores on News 18 Sports, and at www.wqow.com

You can also look foward to online chats about high school sports–we’ll make sure to update everyone on the exact times and dates.

Thanks in advance for viewing/participating, and happy holidays to all!

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports

So who was surprised that Wisconsin was able to beat Duke Wednesday night?  Not me…

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect out of the Badgers this season, although I figured some of the prognostications were not giving Ryan, his staff, and players enough credit.  After watching Wisconsin win two of three games at the EA Sports Maui Invitational, it became clear to me that once again, the Badgers would be more than competitive during the rest of the season.

Like a lot of people who have achieved consistent success in sports, Bo Ryan seems to do his best when plenty of people on the outside world are doubting him.

The doubters who say the Ryan’s swing offense is “boring.”

The doubters who say the soon-to-be 62-year old Ryan can’t recruit blue-chip players to Wisconsin.

The doubters who say Wisconsin won’t ever be a national power.

I don’t know how anyone else defines “boring,” but I would think a true basketball fan would find it very enjoyable to watch an offense that puts up 73 points, on 45.2% shooting from the floor (one indication that an offense is able to generate good shots), with an assist/turnover ratio of 17:5.

I don’t know anyone else’s definition of “blue-chip recruits,” but it sure looked to me that the best player on the floor Wednesday night was Wisconsin’s Trevon Hughes…beyond that, the Badgers got contributions from every single guy who took the floor, no matter what kind of chip they were considered coming out of high school.   Best of all, Wisconsin played team basketball on both sides of the court for a solid forty minutes.

I don’t know anyone else’s definition of “national power,” but in eight seasons under Ryan, Wisconsin has made it to the NCAA tournament eight times.  The Badgers have won five Big Ten titles, while Ryan has a winning percentage of more than 72%.  

You may or may not like the guy, but Ryan can flat-out coach.  If you think it’s tough to get recruits to Wisconsin, try convincing basketball players to come to UW-Platteville, with its academic standards and a male/female ratio of around 7:2.   All Ryan did there over 15 seasons was win just over 82% of the time while claiming three NCAA Division III national titles.

Bo Ryan has a system.  His system has worked at the college level–consistently, whether he was coaching at UW-Platteville, UW-Milwaukee, or UW-Madison.  Beyond that, he still has a passion for the game, and an unmatched work ethic.  His address may have changed, but his approach remains the same.

So, Wisconsin fans, stop worrying…sit back and enjoy the remainder of the Bo Ryan era.   I think the UW program is in good hands.

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports