🏈☹️ SPORTS: FICKELL’S “AIR RAID” CRASHES & BURNS IN PULLMAN, AS COUGARS MAUL BADGERS 31-22! — New Look, Same Problems!

🏈☹️ SPORTS: FICKELL’S “AIR RAID” CRASHES & BURNS IN PULLMAN, AS COUGARS MAUL BADGERS 31-22! — New Look, Same Problems!

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Special To Courtside

September 10, 2023

Last year, the Washington State Cougars 17-14 upset of the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall in Madison was the beginning of the end for then-coach Paul Chryst. This year, with new head coach Luke Fickell (previously Cincinnati) and a revamped passing-oriented offense, Badger fans were confident of a different result. 

Alas, the over-ranked #19 Badgers’ visit to the unfriendly Cougar’s den in Pullman, Washington ended in another disaster, a 31-22 loss to the “Rump PAC-12 orphan.” (Viewers must have seen the extreme irony in ABC’s insistence on flashing the soon to-be-defunct conference’s bogus “Conference of Champions” logo during commercial breaks!)

The look might be new, but the glaring problems that plagued the Badgers last season, leading to the demise of both Chryst and his interim replacement Jim Leonhard, remained. Underperforming running game (97 yards), lousy line play, inconsistent quarterbacking, turnovers, failure to produce them, and dumb penalties were all on full display for the visitors at Martin Stadium.

New Badger QB Tanner Mordecai, a transfer from SMU, might have looked good on paper (25-40-278-1-0, 129.1 rating). But, what the stats don’t show is two key fumbles lost, one giving  WSU a gift touchdown. Also, they mask a bunch of overthrows on potential TD passes or at least big gainers in a game where every yard was precious. His offense settled for three consecutive field goals when touchdowns were needed.

Perhaps jet-lagged, the bewildered Badgers sleep-walked through the first half, trailing 24-9 at the break. Then, in the third quarter, the Badgers dominated, pulling within a missed two-point conversion of tying the game, 24-22. 

The Badger defense also rose to the occasion, pinning the Cougars’ offense and their elusive QB Cam Ward back near their goal line. What appeared to be a clear game-tying safety was wiped out on a bad call that somehow passed replay. But, with the Cougars punting from the back of their end-zone, Chimere Dike’s return apparently set Wisconsin up on the State 35 with a great chance to take a lead. But, a dumb personal foul away from the ball moved them back near midfield.

Several plays thereafter, the normally sure-handed Badger running back, Chez Mellusi (12-49) fumbled the ball back to the Cougars. Again, the call on the field and the video replay were questionable, as Mellusi’s elbow appeared to be down before the ball began to come loose. Nevertheless, it was a “one-handed carry” where two hands on the ball were clearly necessary.

Still, all was not lost for Fickell’s team. The defense forced a key 3rd and 6 in Cougar territory. But, they inexcusably allowed Ward to hit Lincoln Victor for a first down at the Badger 45. That reawakened Ward and the Cougar offense who marched down the field for a touchdown that put the game out of reach, 31-22. Several Mordecai overthrows sealed the deal for the Cougs.

Washington State portrayed this matchup is an “audition” for a place in one of the so-called “power conferences,” as the PAC-12 (“the Conference of Champions”) ingloriously dissolves at the end of this season. Good luck with that. They and their fellow “orphans” at Oregon State appear to be victims of negligible media markets, modest alumni bases, and undersized stadiums. 

Power conference decisions these days are driven by media markets and greed, not athletic competition. That’s why the ACC recently snapped up Pac-12 football fumblers Cal and Stanford (7 total FB victories last year) over Washington State and Oregon State (17 total FB victories last year). The Cougars and Beavers likely are headed to the American Athletic Conference or some other “mid-major” refuge. Ironically, the good news is that Fickell showed the potential of good football at any level during his Cincinnati tenure when he led the AAC Bearcats to an appearance in the FBS playoffs, something that neither Wisconsin nor Washington State has ever achieved. 

Badger fans’ hopes for an immediate turnaround under Fickell were dealt a stunning setback. It’s still a work in progress, with more consistent quarterback play, better play from both the O and D lines, and better production from the running backs a necessity. In particular, the “no-show” performance of highly touted junior running back Braylon Allen was highly disappointing. Coming off a  141 yard, two touchdown performance against an admittedly overmatched Buffalo Bulls defense, he managed only 20 yards on seven carries against the more competent Cougar defenders. 

The Badgers dominated the third quarter, giving a glimpse of what this team’s potential might be. Yet, as Fickell well knows, building championship teams takes dominance of games, not just quarters.

Fortuitously, the Badgers have only one currently-ranked opponent (Ohio State) on their remaining schedule. The Bloated-10 Conference, in its wisdom, has stuffed all three of its national contenders, Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State, into its artificially-created Eastern Division. This essentially guarantees that the euphemistically-named “Big Ten Championship Game” will not be a matchup of the two best teams in the conference. Therefore, the Badgers probably have as good a chance as anyone of “winning the West” and being sacrificed to one of these three in what is likely to be a highly lopsided  finale.

Next up for the Badgers, things could get easier with Georgia Southern (2-0) from the Sun Belt East visiting Camp Randall next Saturday. That will be Wisconsin’s last “warmup” before opening the Big-10 season against Purdue, last year’s West champs, at West Lafayette on Friday, September 22.

☹️ 🏀 HEPBURN GOES DOWN, BADGERS DREAM SEASON ENDS, AS CYCLONES FLATTEN BUCKY! — 54-49

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Courtside Sports Special

March  20, 2022

The Wisconsin Badgers went down to a determined Iowa State Cyclones team in Milwaukee Sunday night in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Tournament. Freshman point guard Chucky Hepburn left the game with a bad ankle injury injury in the first half. 

After that, the Badgers looked totally discombobulated! They played hard, but the disorganized offense was totally inept, bricking shot after shot to kill any comeback chances. The Badgers were truly horrible on threes (2-22), and Iowa State’s smothering defense thwarted any semblance of a consistent inside game. That proved a deadly, season-ending combination for Bucky.

The 49 points was the Badgers’ lowest total of the season. They also committed a season-high 17 turnovers.

Big-10 Player of the Year sophomore Johnny Davis, in what likely was his final game in a Badger uniform, finished with a team-high 17 points on 4-16 shooting and 0-7 on threes. Frankly, he looked like a guy who needs another year of college competition before heading for NBA “prime time.” The rather thin Badger bench was truly horrible, save for senior center Chris Vogt.

The Badgers finish 26-8, far exceeding preseason expectations. But, their end of season slump, losing 3 of their last 4, plus the departure of their second leading scorer, “super senior” Brad Davison and the likely departure of Davis leave next season’s prospects in doubt.

Meanwhile, the Cyclones continued their own dream season by upping their record to 22-12 and moving on to the “Sweet 16” for the first time since 2015. Last year, they won only two games! Many congrats to Iowa State and their coach T.J. Otzelberger, a Wisconsin native. And good luck in the Sweet 16!

Meanwhile thanks to Coach Greg Gard and the Badgers for an exciting season! Also, many thanks to Brad Davison for six great years and Johnny Davis for a season of unexpected thrills.

🏀⛹🏿BANK STAYED OPEN LATE FOR CHUCKY HEPBURN, AS BADGERS BEAT BOILERS 🚂 70-67 FOR SHARE OF B-10 TITLE!

Chucky Hepburn
Chucky Hepburn
Guard
Wisconsin Badgers
PHBOTO: Twitter

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Courtside Sports Exclusive

March 2, 2022

Preseason “experts” predicted that the Wisconsin Badgers, returning only one starter (G, Brad Davison), would finish well down in the Big-10 — 10th place, or even 12th out of 14 squads. Last night, Coach Greg Gard’s gang proved the doubters wrong with a stirring, hard-fought 70-67 win over the #8 Purdue Boilermakers (24-6, 13-6)  before a capacity home crowd at the Kohl Center!

Wisconsin led for most of the game. But, behind stars Jadon Ivey (22-5-5) and Zach Edey (17-9-0), the Boilers went on a 14-2 run to take a one-point lead with 7:42 left. The Badgers rallied and appeared to have things in hand when Brad Davison (7-4-0) was fouled with 16 seconds to go and the Badgers up 67-64. Davison, the B-10’s best free-throw shooter (88.2%), had hit 25 in a row, and was in position to make it a two-score game.

Brad Davison
Brad Davison
Guard
Wisconsin Badgers
PHOTO: Twitter

 

But, shockingly, he missed the front-end of a one-and-one. Edey rebounded and when Ivey hit a tough 3-point shot to tie it at 67 with 11 seconds to go, overtime looked to be in the offing. But, freshman guard Hepburn (17-0-2, 0 turnovers) wasn’t having it. When his 3-pointer hit the glass and banked in with 1.5 to go, the game effectively was over. A last second desperation pass by Purdue was intercepted by forward Tyler Wahl (19-2-2) to seal the deal, as the crowd stormed the court and Gard prepared to cut down the net.

Johnny Davis
Johnny Davis
Guard-Forward
Wisconsin Badgers
PHOTO: Wikipedia

In addition to Hepburn’s heroics, likely B-10 player of the year Johnny Davis (16-8-1) was key in the second half, although he couldn’t match his previous 37-point performance against the Boilers. 

Wahl continues to be one of the most under-rated players in the conference if not in the country. He led the Badgers with 19 points, adding two rebounds, two assists, five steals, and two blocked shots. Again, he was consistently able to “post-up” the taller Edey and Purdue and made clutch shots in the paint. He plays like he’s 6-11, not 6-7. He’s also a great defender and perfectly ready to hit the floor to get after loose balls.

Tyler Wahl
Tyler Wahl
Forward
Wisconsin Badgers
PHOTO: Facebook

Wisconsin has now won 15 games in a row that were decided by 6 points or fewer. With a victory over Nebraska (9-21, 3-16) in Lincoln on Sunday, the #10 Badgers (24-5,15-4) will be the outright conference champs for the first time since 2015. While that might not seem like a difficult task, the last place Huskers are not necessarily an “easy out.” They have won their last two, including a 78-70 victory over #23 Ohio State last night.

Greg Gard
Greg Gard
Coach
Wisconsin Badgers
PHOTO: Twitter

No matter how it comes out, Gard should be the B-10 Coach of the Year for the job he has done with a team that everyone predicted was “bound for nowhere!” 

 

🏀 FIGHT CLUB: JUWAN HOWARD GOES DOWN FOR FIVE AFTER HIT ON BADGER ASST. COACH! — Apparently, Adult Behavior Not A Job Requirement For U. Mich. Athletics!

Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard
Michigan Head Men’s BB Coach
PHOTO: https://www.marc-gregor.com/Main
Creative Commons License
“Coach Howard is getting some time off to work on his ‘courtside manner.’”

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Courtside Sports

Feb. 22, 2022

Michigan Head Basketball Coach Juwan Howard was suspended Monday for the balance of the regular season (five games) and fined $40,000 for delivering a bizarre “head slap” to Wisconsin Assistant Coach Joe Krabbenhoft following the conclusion of the Badgers dominating 77-63 victory over the Wolverines Sunday afternoon in Madison. The penalty was imposed by the Big-10 Conference. 

Wisconsin Coach Greg Gard was fined $10,000 by the Big-10 for an apparent “illegal touching” of Howard, while two Michigan players and Wisconsin reserve guard Jahcobi Neath were suspended for one game for throwing punches in the televised melee that followed Howard’s assault on Krabbenhoft.

Howard, a former star at Michigan and in the NBA, delivered a “rote apology” for his actions following the suspension. This was after lamely appearing to defend his conduct at the postgame press conference. 

Howard’s claim that he was outraged by a timeout call by Gard with 15 seconds left and that he felt “threatened” in the “handshake line” (which he initially tried to avoid) after being touched on the arm by the 52-year-old, full-head-shorter Gard, who has never “gone after” anyone, failed to pass the “straight face test,” although many members of the media and commentators appeared to accept it at face value. This is the second major “out of control” incident for Howard, who was ejected from a game last season after threatening then Maryland Head Coach Mark Turgeon.

Howard’s childish conduct gained instant national media coverage, overshadowing what should have been the real story: a near perfect second half coached by Gard and executed by his Badger squad. Led by breakout sophomore sensation guard Johnny Davis, who scored 11 straight at one point, the home team broke open a game that had been tied at the half. 

Davis finished with 25 points, 6 rebounds, an assist, and 3 blocked shots on defense. Perhaps, Howard’s frustration with being out-coached by Gard and his team seriously outplayed by Davis and his Badger mates was what really was behind the unusual and uncalled-for outburst.

Coach Gard’s Badgers have been one of the better stories in NCAA Men’s hoops. Unranked preseason and picked to finish in the “lower bracket” of the 14-team Big-10, Bucky is now 21-5, ranked 13th nationally, 12-4 conference, and tied with Illinois for second place, just one-half game behind Purdue for the league lead!  The Badgers beat the Boilermakers earlier on the road on a night featuring another dominating 37-point performance from Davis.

Davis has been the pleasantly unexpected difference. As a freshman “off the bench” last season, he averaged 7 points and 4 rebounds per game. His “high game” was 17 points. He was a solid, but hardly awe-inspiring, presence.

This season he averages more than 20 and leads the team in scoring, rebounds, and assists while playing tough defense. He is a serious contender for national player of the year. Davis gets lots of help from his friends: scrappy senior forward Brad Davison, highly skilled junior post forward Tyler Wahl, 7-foot inside-outside threat sophomore center Steven Crowl, and calm, cool, and collected freshman floor leader and point guard Chucky Hepburn. 

While many expect Davis to be off to the NBA after his breakout season, the Badger faithful are savoring every moment of his extraordinary play. He has developed a “step back, off balance, fade away” jump shot that is basically un-defendable, as the Wolverines learned on Sunday.

As for Howard, with the loss, his Wolverines find themselves in jeopardy of missing the “Big Dance,” with a lackluster 14-11 record (8-7, B10). Perhaps, that will give Howard a little more “time off” to work on his anger management and “role model” skills. They certainly need to improve, and fast, if he is to have a future in college coaching. Assistant Coach Phil Martelli, previously the long-time Head Coach at St. Joseph’s, will take the Wolverines’ helm during Howard’s suspension.

🏈SPORTS: EXPOSED! — Badgers End B-10 Season With Inept Effort @ MN!  — No Offense, Little D, Lead To Embarrassing Loss — Wisconsin Avoids Michigan Re-Match!

Sad Badger
Sad Badger
PHOTO: Facebook

🏈SPORTS: EXPOSED!— Badgers End B-10 Season With Inept Effort @ MN!  — No Offense, Little D, Lead To Embarrassing Loss, Avoids Facing Michigan In Big-10 Title Game!

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Courtside Exclusive

November 28, 2021

When the Wisconsin Badgers took the field in Minneapolis on Saturday, afternoon they knew they were one win over the then 7-4 Gophers away from a rematch with the Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten Title Game next Saturday. For the next 60 minutes, the Badgers looked every bit like a team that wanted to avoid that potential matchup. (Michigan beat the Badgers 38-21 at Camp Randall in October). In the process, the Badgers also lost “Paul Bunyun’s Axe” for the second time in the past four years while being subjected to the Gopher fans’ imitation of Wisconsin’s “patented jump around.” 

Wisconsin was soundly beaten on both sides of the ball by a modestly talented, yet better coached and clearly more motivated, Gopher team. The Badgers failed to score an offensive touchdown. Their sole trip to the end zone came in the first half on a lucky tipped “pick six” by Scott Nelson.

For the second straight week, Coach Jim Leonhard’s “shut down” Badger defense couldn’t get a “less than awesome” offense off the field, particularly yesterday when it counted. The Gophers controlled the tempo of the game from opening kickoff to final whistle.

Perhaps the “best” illustrations of Badger futility came early in the second half. Ahead 10-6 despite a lackluster first half, the Badgers received the second half kickoff with a chance to “make a statement.” They did! But, not the kind they wanted.

Deep in his own territory, Badger QB Graham Mertz lofted a weak pass to 6th year receiver Kendrick Pryor, who made only a half-hearted effort to catch it. Instead the Gopher defender took the ball away, setting up a short field. Three plays later, the Gophers trotted into the end zone to take a 13-10 lead as a bewildered Badger “D” passively looked on. 

On the following possession the Badgers drove methodically inside the Minnesota 10. With second and two from the Gopher five, three downs to make 2 yards, and a then a potential four downs to score, the Badgers appeared destined to retake the lead. Instead, they were forced to settle for a tying field goal that proved to be their last score.

The Golden Gophers then scored the final 10 points and held the Badgers at bay to notch the 23-13 victory. Badger freshman “sensation” running back Braelon Allen was a non-factor. The Badger “O Line’s” inability to open holes was matched by Allen’s failure to break tackles. The few attempts to hit Allen ‘in space” ended with him being stoned by Gopher defenders.

Badger senior tight end Jake Ferguson was another non-factor. Big Ten defensive coordinators have finally figured out how to defend him, particularly in the “red zone.” By contrast, Badger Coach Paul Chryst doesn’t seem to have developed an alternative.

Mertz is a good athlete, but at best an average “pocket passer.” Why not roll him out to create a run option when the receivers are covered? At least force the opposing D to make some difficult choices!

So, instead of a trip to the Big Ten Title Game in Indianapolis next week, the Badgers (8-4, 5-3) “earned” another trip to a “Podunk City Piddly Bowl” against a failed team from a different conference. The “B-Team” announcers sentenced to that (non) “classic,” will be required to shill about the wonders of the Badger defense, the prowess of Allen, and the brilliance of Head Coach Paul Chryst and Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonhard.

But, that won’t hide the truth about a mediocre team that once again underperformed preseason expectations.

🏀MARCH MADNESS:  Bucky Game, But Bears Got Game — Baylor Knocks Badgers Off Dance Floor! ☹️

Badger Caged
Caged Badger
PHOTO: Miss Shari
Creative Commons License

🏀MARCH MADNESS:  Bucky Game, But Bears Got Game — Baylor Knocks Badgers Off Dance Floor! ☹️

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Courtside Exclusive
March 21, 2021

The Wisconsin Badgers (18-13) made it respectable. But, the #1-seed Baylor Bears seized control early in the first half  of the South Second Round Game from West Lafayette, IN on their way to a convincing 76-63 victory. The Bears thus move on to the Sweet 16, while the Badgers’ season ends. 

The three-point shot, which was the Badgers “best friend” in their round one victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday night, abandoned the Badgers and went over to the Bears. Baylor drained 8 of 17 threes for 47.1%, while Wisconsin shot only 37% from behind the arc, missing 13 of 21 attempts. Turnovers, often a Badgers strength, were their achilles heel this afternoon, with the Badgers committing 13 to the Bears’ four. 

Baylor led 42-29 at the half. To their credit, the Badgers hung in and cut the lead to seven points several times in the second half. But, they couldn’t get any closer. After playing consistently against North Carolina, the Badgers reverted to their regular season form with several long “dry spells” that helped seal their fate. Overall, however, Baylor was just too good. 

The Badgers were led by seniors D’Mitrik Trice (12 pts.), Nate Reuters (11 pts.), and freshman guard Jonathan Davis (10 pts.). The victorious Bears were paced by junior guard Matthew Mayer, who came off the bench to score 17, eight above his season average.

Although the Badgers were not expected to make the “Sweet 16,” they joined a growing list of Big-10 failures in this year’s NCAA Men’s tournament. Just before the start of the Wisconsin-Baylor game, the #8 Loyola Ramblers (led in spirit by their #1 fan, the famous “Sister Jean”) dominated #1-seed Illinois 71-58, in another “nobody saw this coming” upset. Of the nine Big-10 teams invited to the dance, only Rutgers, Michigan, Iowa, and Maryland remain alive, all with second round games coming up.  

Congratulations to Coach Greg Gard and his team on another winning season and NCAA Tournament birth.

Not all news was bad for Wisconsin sports over the weekend. The Badger Women’s hockey team beat Northeastern on Saturday to win the “Frozen Four” and the NCAA Championship!

On Wisconsin!

Bucky Badger
Bucky Badger
UW Mascot

🏀MARCH MADNESS: BADGERS COME OUT SNARLING, DEVOUR TAR HEELS IN DANCE OPENER, 85-62!

 

Ferocious Bucky Badger
Bucky Came Out Hungry & Ferocious With A Tar Heel Meal On The Menu, Creative Commons Licenses

🏀MARCH MADNESS: BADGERS COME OUT SNARLING, DEVOUR TAR HEELS IN DANCE OPENER, 85-62!

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Courtside Exclusive
March 20,2021

After staggering into the NCAA Tournament, losers of five of their last six, the senior-laden Wisconsin Badgers (18-12) looked for at least one night like they belong in the Big Dance.

The 9-seed Badgers finally put together a full 40-minute game, eviscerating the 8-seed North Carolina Tar Heels (18-11) in every facet on their way to a very convincing 85-62 win in the first round of the of the NCAA South Regional before a COVID-protocol-limited crowd on Purdue’s home court in West Lafayette, Indiana. The were some Badger fans in the stands, and  they experienced a rare Badger blowout inflicted on a credible opponent.

Senior guards Brad Davison (29 points) and D’Mitrik Trice (21 points) led the #25 Badgers, who drilled 13 of 27 three-pointers. No other Badger was in double figures, although seniors Micah Potter and Aleem Ford chipped in nine apiece.

The Tar Heels’ front line was supposed to dominate. But, the Badgers controlled the boards 37-34, including 28 defensive rebounds to keep the Tar Heels reeling all night. For North Carolina’s Hall of Fame coach, the legendary Roy Williams, this was his initial first round failure after 29 consecutive W’s.

Of course, this year’s mediocre Tar Heel squad, from the middle of an underwhelming ACC pack, yet not without some young talent, bore little resemblance to Williams’s championship-caliber teams of yesterday year. Bucky came into the season with great promise, ranked in the top ten, primarily on the strength of the senior core coming off a Big-10 co-championship in the COVID-halted 2020 season. 

But, the Badgers struggled through the Big-10 season, finishing with a lackluster 10-10 record (17-12 overall), good for only a 6th place finish in conference. Mostly significantly, they were 0-8 against the conference’s premier teams: Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State, and Iowa. They clawed their way into the Big Dance largely by beating up on non-conference foes and Big-10 bottom feeders.

The Badgers led wire-to-wire on Friday night, coming out strong and energetic and keeping up the pressure, leading 40-24 at the half. Nevertheless, Badger fans couldn’t relax because, unlike past Wisconsin squads, this team throughout the season blew some sizable leads with long dry spells that let their opponents seize control.    

Last night was, however, totally different. Although the Tar Heels came out with a much improved offensive showing in the second half, particularly from their “bigs,” the Badgers basically matched or exceeded them basket for basket to maintain, and even expand their halftime lead. The Tar Heels never got closer than 12 points, and the Badgers settled at a comfortable 14-18 lead for most of the stanza.

Most pundits had given Coach Greg Gard’s Badgers a chance against Williams’s slightly favored, yet highly inconsistent, Carolina squad. But, few, if any, saw this complete and convincing blowout coming.

So, at least for one night, the Badgers looked like a team that belongs in March Madness, rather than an imposter whose invitation suggested a past reputation for consistent excellence rather than the current less-than-inspiring group who limped into the NCAAs, after losing to Iowa for the third straight time in the conference tournament.

It’s probably a good thing for the Big-10. Although generally considered the “premier conference” in America during this COVID-infected season, two of the conference’s highly seeded teams, Ohio State (#2) and Purdue (#5), suffered shocking upsets on the first day. Another perennial power, Michigan State, blew a big lead and lost to a lightly regarded UCLA squad in the tournament “play-in” game. 

The Badgers should savor this moment of redemption. Because, their dance is going to get much more challenging tomorrow afternoon when they face the #1 seed Baylor Bears (23-2) at 2:40 PM from West Lafayette. The game will be on CBS and the Bears are an early six point favorite.

Go Bucky!

Bucky Badger
Bucky Badger
UW Mascot

PACKERS: Rodgers Letting His Play Do The Talking — Helping Team Win & Raising Level Of Everyone’s Play, Including His Own!

Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
Photo by: original: Mike Morbeck
derivative: Diddykong1130
Public realm
Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/sports/football/aaron-rodgers-green-bay-packers.html

From The NY Times:

By Mike Tanier

  • Sept. 30, 2020

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a reputation as someone who always wishes to speak to the manager.

To the public he is the beer snob who turns up his nose at all 500 brewpub taps, the faultfinding co-worker whose arrival prompts everyone to politely excuse themselves from the break room with their lunches half-eaten. No pass route is ever run precisely enough for Rodgers, no game plan creative enough for his talents, and dissatisfaction radiates from him with the passive-aggressive fury of a million failed marriages.

Nevertheless, Rodgers’s 2020 season is off to an excellent start. The Packers are 3-0 after a 37-30 victory in Sunday night’s duel with Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. Rodgers is tied for third in the N.F.L. with nine touchdown passes, ranks sixth with 887 passing yards and third with a 121.1 efficiency rating.

His success should be unsurprising for an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and former Super Bowl champion, except that 2020 was supposed to be the year that the perpetually disgruntled 36-year-old Rodgers earned his comeuppance at the hand of a rookie heir apparent, Jordan Love.

. . . .

In the wake of so much melodrama, this Packers season was expected to be part “All About Eve” and part “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” with a dash of “Sunset Boulevard.” But Rodgers has proved that he is still ready for his close-up.

He is also playing nicely with others: With his favorite receiver, Davante Adams, hobbled, Rodgers has been connecting with his secondary targets instead of heaving the ball out of bounds and lamenting his lack of weapons in postgame interviews. Rodgers is even operating comfortably within LaFleur’s system, distributing short tosses while waiting for ideal opportunities to unleash his (still magnificent) deep ball.

Perhaps Rodgers has become a model employee out of sheer spite, though if Rodgers were truly motivated by spite he might have conquered the world by now. Perhaps it took a rookie’s arrival to persuade both sides — Rodgers and the coaching staff — to work things out for the sake of a Super Bowl instead of plunging the team into free agency and a rebuilding era. Or, just maybe, Rodgers’s churlish reputation is somewhat overblown, as were observations about his deteriorating skills.

Whatever the cause of Rodgers’s resurgence, it has caught N.F.L. talk-show dramatists without a narrative arc for him. He is not yet a venerable warrior like Brees or Tom Brady. He’s certainly not a young hero like Mahomes or Lamar Jackson. He never fell far enough for comeback player of the year redemption and he won too many accolades to join Russell Wilson on a quest for validation. And he refuses to play the role of arrogant heel as cast. He is just a future Hall of Famer on the inside track toward a return to the Super Bowl.

Ho hum.

**********************

So far, so good.

Russell Wilson of the Seahawks, who transferred to the Wisconsin Badgers and “lit up” the Big-10 in his final season, is another grossly underrated player. Many pundits claimed Wilson was “too short” to play in the NFL. All he does is pass, run, score, win, and lead, under a variety of conditions! Seems like that should be enough to put him at or near the top of the “upper echelon” of NFL QBs.

PWS

10-01-20

SPORTS: BADGER HOOPSTERS FINISH IMPROBABLE RUN TO SHARE OF BIG-10 TITLE! Badgers 60 — Hoosiers 56

Brad Davison
Wisconsin guard Brad Davison backs into Indiana guard Rob Phinisee during the first half of the Badgers’ 60-56 win over the Hoosiers on Saturday at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind.
AJ MAST, ASSOCIATED PRESS

SPORTS: BADGER HOOPSTERS FINISH IMPROBABLE RUN TO SHARE OF BIG-10 TITLE! Badgers 60 — Hoosiers 56

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

Courtside Exclusive

March 7, 2020.  Left for dead at mid-season, the # 24 Wisconsin Badgers (21-10, 14-6) came back from a 9-point second half deficit to beat the Indiana Hoosiers (19-12, 9-11) in Bloomington, IN on Saturday afternoon. It was Bucky’s eighth straight victory in the tough Big-10. But, it wasn’t easy.

Badger “bigs” Nate Reuvers (17 pts, 7 reb) and Micah Potter (14 & 11) paced the way. Brad Davison (11 & 1) made a key three to give the Badgers the lead for good and calmly sunk two charity tosses to seal the deal. Senior Devonte Green led the Hoosiers with 16, all in the first half.

At one point this season, the Badgers were 13-10, 6-6 and viewed as out of March Madness, particularly after leading scorer Kobe King left the team. But, coach Greg Gard weathered the criticism and held the team together. Better play from Potter, a transfer from Ohio State who only gained eligibility at mid season, junior guard D’Mtrik Trice, and sharp-shooting fifth-year senior Brevin Pritzel enhanced the effectiveness of Reuvers, Davison, and junior Arleem Ford. The Badgers also began knocking down threes that had been clunking off the rim earlier in the season.

The Badgers could win the Big-10 regular season outright if both Michigan State and Maryland lose tomorrow. In any event, they will get a “double bye” into the quarterfinals of the Big-10 Tournament on Friday @ 2:25 EDT. They will play the winner of Thursday’s Rutgers-Michigan matchup.

The Badgers are a lock for the NCAA Tournament, although their seed — probably a 5 or 6, perhaps as high as 4 — will probably depend on how they perform in the Big-10 Tourney. In any event, they are likely to be a “tough out” in the Big Dance. 

Bucky Badger
Bucky Badger
UW Mascot

COURTSIDE SPORTS: Badger Women’s Volleyball Team Dominates #1 Baylor To Advance To National Championship Match!

Dana Rettke
Dana Rettke
U.W. Volleyball
Molly Haggerty
Molly Haggerty
U.W. Volleyball

 

After losing the first game 27-25 to #1 Baylor, the #4 seed Wisconsin Badgers Women’s Volleyballers dominated the Lady Bears in three straight games 25-21, 25-17, 25-19 Thursday night in Pittsburgh to advance to the NCAA National Championship for the third time in history. The Badgers have never won the big one. They will play the winner of #2 seed Stanford and #3 seed Minnesota on Saturday.

 

The Badgers were led by overpowering performances from 6’8” Junior Dana Rettke and Redshirt Junior Molly Haggerty. Rettke, who led the Badgers with 17 kills, attributes much of her on-court success to her parallel career as a dancer. Haggerty, the third of three sisters to star in NCAA volleyball, added 14 kills.

 

Go Bucky!

Bucky Badger
Bucky Badger
UW Mascot

 

PWS

12-19-19

 

FOOTBALL WEEKEND IN WISCONSIN — LAMBEAU LEAP — Rainy Afternoon Doesn’t Dampen Enthusiasm As Pack Downs Broncs 27-16!

PACKERS
Approaching Lambeau Field, Oneida Gate, in the rain
Packers
Packers’ Pre-
Game Warm-up

Packers
Wonderful Packer Student Cheerleaders from UW Green Bay & St. Norbert College
Packers
Packers Take the Field, To Cheers of Enthusiastic & Highly Entertaining Fans in Front of Us!
Packers
TD Packers!
AR to Marquez Valdez-Scantling, 40 yards!
Packers -- Family Group-
Me, Wick, Nathaniel, Jospeh enjoying Packer win
Packers
Another Packer TD, right in front of us
Packers
“Lambeau Leap”

Packers
The scoreboard tells the story

A good time was had by all at the Annual Schmidt Family Visit to Lambeau on Sunday.

And, as an extra bonus, on Saturday the Badgers ran all over the Michigan Wolverines (literally and figuratively) 35-14 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. Badger superstar Jonathan Taylor ran for 205 and 2 TDS, despite playing only about half the game!

Oh yeah, and in equestrian competition on Saturday, Cassie Schmidt on “Rooster” takes a second!

Cassie
Cassie Schmidt & Rooster take second in jumping, West Bend, WI, Sept. 21, 2019

PWS

09-23-19

SPORTS: BADGERS END DISAPPOINTING REGULAR SEASON WITH “FTA” AGAINST NOT-SO-GOLDEN GOPHERS! — Program Appears To Be Stuck In Reverse!

FTA = Failure To Appear

Putting an ugly exclamation point on a most disappointing season that started with a (in hindsight totally bogus) #4 national ranking, the Wisconsin Badgers “no showed” at Camp Randall Stadium on a gray and gloomy Saturday against the highly motivated, yet mediocre at best, Minnesota Golden Gophers. The game was not nearly as close as the blowout 37-15 final score would indicate.

The Badgers stunk in all aspects of the game — offense, defense, special teams, kicking, and coaching. The game essentially was over by the end of the listless first quarter. 

The Badgers last lost to Minnesota when George W. Bush was in his first term! And, for what it’s worth, they also lost the “Paul Bunyon’s Ax Trophy.”

Coming off several weeks on the sidelines with a concussion, Badger QB Alex Hornibrook was truly horrible — interceptions, fumbles, missed receivers, lack of leadership, bad decisions, etc.  The offensive line played like a group of oversized flag footballers, failing to open holes against a not very talented Gopher defense whose best player departed early as the result of a “targeting” call. 

Star Badger running back Jonathan Taylor exceeded the 100 yard mark while having no discernible impact whatsoever on the outcome of the game, thus proving that flashy rushing  stats in the 2018 version of the “Medium-Small Ten” can be deceiving. Meanwhile, the inept Badger defense made the very pedestrian Gopher offense look like the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Indeed, in so-called “crunch time” in the fourth quarter, the Badgers allowed a nine plus minute drive — the longest in the Big Ten this season! 

The Gophers improved to 6-6, thus becoming “bowl eligible” a fairly meaningless, almost dubious, honor in this time of irrelevant, over-hyped post season games. The NCAA should let the top eight teams compete for the national championship and keep everyone else at home with the eggnog during the holiday season,

Last season, Coach Paul Chryst took the Badgers to new heights with a 13-1 record and a major bowl victory. But, this season the under achieving Badgers more closely resembled “Little Ten Bottom Feeders” Indiana, Illinois, and Rutgers than they did a “Top 25” outfit. After the game, Chryst expressed gratification that his 7-5 group would have a chance to “redeem” themselves in a totally meaningless “Grade C” bowl game. Based on their season finale, fans would be well advised to take in a holiday movie instead.

PWS

11-24-18

🏈🍊🍻BADGERS CAP THEIR BEST FB SEASON IN HISTORY WITH 34-24 ORANGE BOWL WIN OVER MIAMI — QB Alex Hornibrook, 4 TD, 0 INT, Named MVP!

Bucky Badger closed out the most successful football season in more than a century of competition with a convincing 34-24 victory over the Miami Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Orange Bowl. The #6 ranked Badgers finished with a best ever 13-1 record, while the #10 ‘Canes finished 10-3, dropping their final three games after winning the first 10.

Third-year Coach Paul Chryst’s Badgers survived a sluggish start which saw them trail 14-3, before reeling off  21 straight points to finish out the first half and outscoring Miami 31-10 after the initial deficit.

Surprisingly, the difference in the game was the Badgers’ passing game, led by Orange Bowl MVP QB Alex Hornibrook (23-34, 258 YDS, 4 TD, 0 INT). Freshman receiver Danny Davis had 5 catches for 56 yards and 3 TDs, while A.J. Taylor caught 8 for 105 yards and a TD.

Sensational freshman running back Jonathan Taylor rallied from an early fumble to rush for 130 yards and thereby surpass former Badger star Ron Dayne and NFL great Adrian Peterson for the best freshman running performance in major college football history. Meanwhile, the Badger defense recovered from a shaky start to intercept Hurricane QB Malik Rosier three times.

Thus, the Badgers bounced back nicely from their only defeat of the season, a six point loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game which cost them a chance to play for the National Championship. With lots of offensive firepower returning next year, and an always stout defense, the Bucky’s football future looks bright!

PWS

12-30-17

 

 

BADGERS: Nigel Hayes’s Mother Shows How Basketball Is More Than a Game!

http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/3/27/15072242/nigel-hayes-wisconsin-basketball-talaya-davis-thank-you

The senior star’s mother writes:

******************************

Thanks to my Lawrence University Sig Ep “brother” and fellow U.W. Law grad/lifetime Badger fan John “Bear” Sagan, Esq., for sending this item in. Helps put things in perspective after kind of a tough ending to the season.

ON WISCONSIN!

PWS

03/28/17

MARCH MADNESS: Heartbreak!! Gators’ Chiozza’s Buzzer Beating 3-Pointer Ends Badger Run 84-83 In OT!🏀😢

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NY. Just as the Badgers’ season was about to end, senior guard Zach Showalter (14 pts.) hit an impossible 3-point shot, releasing behind the arc as he flew over it to send the Sweet Sixteen game into an unlikely overtime.

In overtime, the Badgers, without senior Vito Brown (10 pts.) who had fouled out, with star senior guard Bronson Koenig (13 pts.) hobbled with a leg injury, and with Ethan Happ  (21 pts.) nursing four fouls, dominated.  Following two free throws by senior forward Nigel Hayes (22 pts.) with 4 seconds remaining, the Badgers held a 83-81 lead and appeared headed to the Elite Eight.

But, the Gators’ junior guard Chris Chiozza returned Showalter’s favor, and then some, by hitting the almost identical shot as the buzzer sounded.  This time, however, the three pointer ended the game and set off a jubilant celebration for the Gators, as they, not the Badgers, moved on to the Elite Eight.

The stunned Badgers could do nothing but watch in dismay and disbelief.  They had squandered their chances.

With under a minute to go in OT, junior Kahlil Iverson (3 pts.) had a chance at a breakaway slam dunk that in all likelihood would have sealed the game. But, somehow, he allowed himself to be “stuffed” by less athletic Gator Canyon Barry (son of NBA great rick Barry).

And, this time, the Badgers’s crummy free throw shooting (20-30, 67%) cost them the game. Two more free throws down the stretch would have put them in the Elite Eight. Wisconsin also turned the ball over 16 times and committed an amazing 26 fouls to help seal their own fate.

Sophomore KeVaughn Allen led the Gators with a career-high 35 points.  While Chiozza had only 8 points, he scored the final five to secure the victory for the Gators.  Florida (27-9) moves on to play the upstart South Carolina Gamecocks (25-10) in Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup, with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

Meanwhile, the Badgers close their 2016-17 campaign at 27-10. But, for seniors Hayes, Koenig, Brown , and Showalter, who had gone to the Final Four twice in their illustrious careers, there will be no tomorrow, at least at Wisconsin.

PWS

03/25/17