Marquette Basketball Season Preview

Each of the past two seasons, under Head Coach Buzz Williams, the Marquette Golden Eagles have exceeded experts and coaches predictions of where they would finish in the ultra-competitive Big East Conference. In 2008, Marquette was picked to finish sixth and finished the season in fifth place. In 2009, the coaches poll had Marquette finishing twelfth and they responded by finishing fifth. This season, the coaches have picked Marquette to finish eighth and judging by the past two seasons, I would think Buzz will find a way to exceed expectations once again. The fiery, third year head coach has an energy about him that gets the most out of his players. Coach Williams will have to work his magic again as this years Marquette squad is full of young, inexperienced talent. A few key contributors return but much of the success of the season will rely on how quickly the new guys adjust to the higher level of play.

Coach Williams will have veteran senior forward Jimmy Butler to help lead the team and be the coach on the floor.  Marquette also returns last season's second leader scorer in Darius Johnson Odom. Butler was voted as a preseason second team All-Big East and Johnson Odom was selected to the preseason Honorable Mention All-Big East team. Senior guard Dwight Buycks also returns and will possibly be used by Coach Williams as a point guard until one of the younger point guards is ready to step into that role which would allow Dwight to return to his natural two guard position.

The incoming freshman class is full of Buzz Williams type players. Leading the class is four star prospect and Madison, WI native Vander Blue. The Madison Memorial product is an ultra athletic two guard who can shoot as well as get to the basket of the dribble. Blue gained valuable experience this summer as he helped lead the under 18 US national team to a gold medal in the U18 FIBA Americas. Joining Blue in the 2010 class is the incredible athletic point guard Reggie Smith. The Chicago native is only six feet tall but plays above the rim and may end up being the best on ball defender Marquette has. His ball hawking abilities are raved about by Coach Williams and he brings an energy that is hard to match. Jamail Jones is another impact freshman that is a slasher and scorer from the wing. A raw yet talented forward will most certainly make an impact with his shooting and scoring abilities. If he is able to pick up his defensive abilities, he will most certainly see more minutes.

Darius Johnson Odom was the JUCO player of the year before he transferred to Marquette and that was an obvious success, so Coach Williams followed that pattern and brought in last season's JUCO player of the year in Jae Crowder. The do-it-all forward is often compared to Lazar Hayward for his style of play. Crowder is a strong athlete with inside and outside abilities with a knack for rebounding and scoring. He has a smooth jump shot yet is willing and able to play with his back to the basket and will be an automatic contributor for a Marquette team that lost it's leading scorer and team leader in Lazar Hayward.

As always, the upcoming college basketball season has many questions that will be answered throughout the season, but it's hard not to be excited with the talent that Coach Williams has assembled with this years squad. The roster is made up of Buzz Williams type players who are athletic and able to play multiple positions. Marquette will be undersized again, but will be quick and scrappy and will play high pressure defense that will hopefully allow the team to get out and run and showcase that athleticism. They will also be able to shoot the three from 4 positions on the floor. Only time will tell what this year's team is capable of and I am sure the ride will be fun to watch.

Can the Packers Overcome Ryan Grant's Season Ending Injury?

Before the season, the Green Bay Packers were a hot pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. After the week one road victory at Philadelphia, the Packers remain at the top of many predictions to go deep in the playoffs. If the Packers are going to fulfill the lofty expectations set for them, they are going to have to do it without their starting running back Ryan Grant who was placed on season ending IR this week. Grant's season barely got started when an awkward tackle in the second quarter made every Packers fan hold their breath. Seeing Grant limp off the field with a severely sprained ankle that required season ending surgery, made me immediately start to question whether or not the Packers have enough firepower at the running back position to fill Grant's void. The Packers have only two running backs on their roster and decided to keep three fullbacks including John Kuhn as an emergency backup running back. Well it is now a full blown emergency.

With Grant out, the Packers have to find a way to replace a running back with the fourth most yards in the entire NFL in the past two years. Brandon Jackson becomes the starter with no starting experience and fullback John Kuhn as the only backup available. The Packers signed Dimitri Nance off the Atlanta Falcons practice squad who is an undrafted rookie out of Arizona State University. Nance is an emergency backup with no NFL carries to his name.

General Manager Ted Thompson likes to work from within and develop players but in this case, I think it is necessary to go elsewhere and find help. The Packers still have one of, if not the most potent passing attacks in the NFL, but unless they can develop a decent running game, it makes the offense that much more predictable. The Packers will no longer be able to rely on play action pass if they cannot find a suitable replacement for Grant. Hopefully Brandon Jackson can fill Grant's void and if you read any of the comments made by head coach Mike McCarthy it sounds like the Packers are content with Jackson as the starter. If not, some of the expectations for this team need to be lowered because although the NFL is a pass dominated league, it is extremely difficult to win without the presence of a respected running game.

Wisconsin Badgers Key Players Presentation

Click on the link below to watch my presentation on some of the key players for the Wisconsin Badgers football team this year. 

http://mbbc.na4.acrobat.com/p81407498/

Aaron Rodgers' Journey

Below is a little taste of Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers journey to being considered one of the best QB's in the NFL. I did it through a pretty cool tool called Prezi. Go ahead and check it out!

Aaron Rodgers' Journey on Prezi

Mike Ramczyk Interview

I had the opportunity to interview Mike Ramczyk who is the sports editor at my local newspaper, the Lake Geneva Regional News. I got to ask him questions about sports and covering sports on a local basis as well as state wide. Mike's answers were very informative and quite interesting in regards to sports journalism and sports media.

Q: Why and how did you choose sports writing as a career?

A: I chose it as a career because I have loved sports my whole life. I also enjoyed reading the stats and scores in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I used to write down the games and stat leaders for pro football every Sunday, and I would predict the winners and keep my record. As a junior at UW-Whitewater, I chose Journalism as my major because I had already worked in it and I loved it.

Q: Did you play any sports growing up and if so, what?

A: Yes, I played just about every sport, including soccer when I was 8, high school baseball, football, basketball and track, and I’ve golfed plenty of times. I love winning in sports and being competitive.

Q: What is your biggest challenge in sports writing?

A: My biggest challenge in sports writing is making a story interesting enough for someone not related to the topic to read it. I know parents want to read about their kids, but it’s hard to interest the person who doesn’t like sports.

Q: Do you ever experience writer's block and if so, how do you overcome it?

A: Not so much, but there are times when I don’t know how to express what I want to say. I will simply jot down some notes or move on to another story then come back to the one I had trouble with.

Q: What is your favorite sport and favorite sport to write about?

A: My favorite sport to play is baseball. My favorite sport to watch is football, and my favorite sport to write about is football. People absolutely love football, and there is so much action and emotion that goes into coaches and players on and off the field.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who was looking into entering the field of sports media or journalism?

A: Only do it if you love sports and love writing. It’s not the most lucrative field, but it is very fulfilling. Also, it’s hard to get into, so you have to start small and work your way up. I would say start at your college newspaper then show those clips to your local paper. Eventually, a break will come your way. I covered small-town stuff for two years before the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel offered me an entry-level job. Now I’m a sports editor. It took me five years to become a sports editor for a full-time job.

Q: What is your routine for writing a story or covering a game or team?

A: For covering a football game for example, I actually roam the sideline taking pictures of the action. With any noteworthy play, I jot down what happened in my notebook. Then, after the game, I interview coaches and players with a digital recorder. Finally, I use my notes, what I physically saw and my comments to formulate a story. I’d start with the lead, which is who won and why they won. Then, I write about what else happened in descending order of importance.

Q:What is your most fond memory involving your job and/or sports writing in general?

A: So far, it is a tie between meeting and interviewing Ryan Braun of the Brewers and covering a Wisconsin Badgers football game. Braun was an awesome guy, and I felt professional. And the Badger game was sooooo exciting. There were 80,000 screaming fans all around me, and I was down on the field taking pictures. Also, the media room had about 50 writers, photographers and TV people. It was very exhilarating!

Green Bay Packers vs. Baltimore Ravens- December 7, 2009

Last December, my roommate and I went to the Packers vs. Ravens game on Monday Night Football. The game was played in December so needless to say it was extremely cold. Lambeau Field is the most historic and well known stadiums in sports and I could see why. The feeling I got while walking into the stadium and watching the game was incredible and I would recommend it to every sports fan to make a trip up to Green Bay at least once. This slideshow is just a little taste of what we experienced in what was a night I will never forget. 

Why the Brewers Should Trade Prince Fielder

There is no doubting that Prince Fielder is one of the best power hitters in Major League Baseball. The question is, whether the Brewers think he is worth breaking the bank on as Fielder has one more year of arbitration before he becomes a free agent. In my opinion, the answer to that question is an emphatic NO!

Fielder is represented by agent Scott Boras, who is notorious for driving up the price tag on his clients, which narrows the market for elite players like Fielder, to teams with high payrolls. The Brewers are not of those teams and should not spend most of their future on a first baseman with weight concerns. I will admit that Fielder is as durable as they come, evidenced by him not missing a start in over two years; but there is concerns that Fielder may have issues with his weight as he gets older. That is not a risk the Brewers should be willing to take. Fielder's agent Boras already turned down an offer from Brewer's management that would have paid Fielder $150 million over eight years. Boras said he thinks his client is worth in the $200 million range, which would pay him more than Yankee Mark Texeira or Phillies Ryan Howard. $200 million is a serious amount of money and if the Brewers were to give Prince Fielder that much money, they would be mortgaging their future on one player, and for a small market team like the Brewers, the safe bet is to trade fielder for prospects and build from within.

The Brewers desperately need young pitching and Fielder is their best bet to acquire young arms and hopefully can develop them into major league pitchers. As evidenced by the past few seasons, home runs will not get a team to the playoffs. Instead, pitching is the key and right now the Brewers have few options in that department and Fielder is a key chip in acquiring pitchers. The Brewers might not get comparable value for Fielder, but they have to take the chance because if not, it could be a long time before Milwaukee has a playoff worthy pitching staff.

Aaron Rodgers for MVP

Aaron Rodgers, quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, is one of the best quarterbacks in all of professional football. The fifth year Cal product has high expectations this year and for good reason. He is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons. He thew for 30 touchdowns last season with only 7 interceptions and 4,434 yards. Rodgers is regarded as one of the most athletic quarterbacks as he ran for over 300 yards which led all quarterbacks and ran in 3 touchdowns. He is known around the league as throwing one of the most perfect spirals and has great arm strength, excelling at throwing the deep ball. He is patient in the pocket with great vision. He has an ability to fit the ball into tight places and also has great touch. Rodgers has all the skills necessary to be the best quarterback in the NFL. His work ethic is tireless and is a great locker room and team guy.

Rodgers had a remarkable year last season, but incredibly, he could have an even bigger year this year. He is surrounded by an abundance of weapons on the offensive side of the ball with a deep and talented receiving core, led by Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, a solid run game with Ryan Grant, and an emerging star in tight end Jermichael Finley. The only question surrounding this Packers offense is the offensive line. Last year the Packers gave up 50 sacks, which led the NFL. This year the Packers drafted OT Bryan Bulaga from Iowa with their first round pick, hoping to help sure up the offensive line. If there is one thing Rodgers is criticized on, it is holding on to the ball too long. He was better at getting rid of the ball faster at the end of last year and the result was an unstoppable offense. In the Packers first round of the playoffs against the Arizona Cardinals, Rodgers threw for 423 yards and 4 touchdowns and led the Packers back from an early deficit to force overtime. If that game was any indication of what the Packers offense could do this year, Rodgers will surely be in the running for MVP honors.

He got off to a good start Saturday in the Packers first preseason game against the Cleveland Browns. Rodgers led only three offensive series and led them on two touchdown drives, throwing for over 150 yards and a 25 yard touchdown to wide receiver Greg Jennings. The most impressive thing about his performace was his almost perfect completion percentage by completing twelve of thirteen passes. Rodgers could rack up staggering statistics this year and if that's the case, it will be hard to argue against him winning the league's Most Valuable Player award.

Milwaukee Bucks Off-Season Moves

Corey Maggette

After a surprisingly successful season last year, that ended in taking the Atlanta Hawks to game seven in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Bucks had an eventful off-season. The Bucks started their off-season by signing free agent Corey Maggette who averaged over 20 points last season for the Golden State Warriors. The signing of Maggette brings a much needed wing scoring punch to a team that struggled to score at times last year. A major reason that General Manager Tom Hammond wanted to bring Maggette to Milwaukee was his ability to get to the free throw line. Maggette has consistently been on of the best in the NBA at getting to the line and converting his free throws shooting over 83%. Maggette also shoots a high percentage from the field with a 51.6% average. Maggette gives last year's Eastern Conference Rookie of the Year Brandon Jennings a solid wing scoring threat and someone to run the floor with the lightning quick guard.

The Bucks next move was to draft length and size in the NBA Draft. They accomplished this goal with first round pick Larry Sanders from Virginia Commonwealth University. The fifteenth overall pick is 6'11" with long arms and great shot blocking ability who should provide a dynamic one two punch down low with center Andrew Bogut. The power forward is considered a project who is very raw, but with tremendous upside. The Bucks had three second round picks and used their first one on New Mexico small forward Darington Hobson. Next was power forward/center Tiny Gallon. The Bucks got size and more defensive presense with this pick as Gallon is a force to be reckoned with down low. The Bucks traded their third and final second round pick to the New York Knicks for cash considerations but the Bucks feel they got the size, talent, and defensive presence they coveted heading into the draft.

Drew Gooden

The Bucks were far from over in shaping their roster and ended up trading a future second round pick for New Jersey Nets second year shooting guard Chris Douglas Roberts. Roberts will provide a much needed bench scoring option. At this point in the off-season, many thought the Bucks were close to being done with off-season transactions but instead they made a big splash by signing veteran power forward Drew Gooden and re-signing shooting guard John Salmons. Gooden was rewarded with a five year, thirty two million dollar contract and will finally give the Bucks the power forward they've been lacking since Vin Baker. He and Larry Sanders should provide the Bucks with plenty of options and depth at the front court positions. Salmons was rewarded with a five year, thirty nine million dollar contract. Salmons helped lead the Bucks to the playoffs after being traded from the Chicago Bulls halfway through last year. The Bucks rounded out their roster and off-season moves by signing veteran backup point guard Keyon Dooling. The former New Jersey Net will provide a veteran backup point guard to spell second year starter Brandon Jennings.

The Milwaukee Bucks were extremely active this off-season and if you are a Bucks fan, it's hard not to be excited for next year considering how successful they were with less talent last year. The key will be whether or not Coach Scott Skiles can mold his team into a cohesive unit with chemistry as strong as last year. It's impossible to not be optimistic for next year consider how the Bucks finished last year and after seeing all the off-season moves. It's a nice change from the past few years of low expectations and even lower accomplishments.

What Went Wrong With The Brewers?

As of August 11th, the Milwaukee Brewers are 11 1/2 games out of first place in the National League Central Division and the season can't end fast enough. At the beginning of the year, Brewer's fans had high hopes that the Brew Crew could repeat it's 2008 season and make it to the playoffs again. What went so terribly wrong that the Brewers were never really in contention?

Only weeks into the season it was evident that the Brewers had a few flaws that would make reaching the playoffs extremely difficult. Anyone who watched the Brewers this season realized that their pitching staff was nowhere near the quality needed to have a successful season. Besides ace Yovani Gallardo, the Brewers rotation is made up of average, at best, starters. The off-season signing Randy Wolf was supposed to help solidify the top of the rotation, but his 4.81 ERA is not what the Brewers were hoping for out of the veteran lefty. Free agent signing Doug Davis got knocked around all year until he landed on the disabled list with inflammation of the lining of his heart. Young pitchers Manny Parra and Chris Narveson have been inconsistent all year and a rotation made up of four or five inconsistent pitchers makes for a long season. When the starters did pitch well, it seemed that the bullpen struggled finishing it out; evidenced by all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman blowing multiple saves to start the year until he was replaced by rookie John Axford. The entire bullpen, which was supposed to be a strong unit this year, has been a let down. Overall, the entire Brewers staff has been one of the worst in the majors which has resulted in a below .500 record.

In contrast, the Brewers offense has continued to be one of the best in baseball, hitting the third most home runs and scoring the fifth most runs. Prince Fielder has had a below average year and even though Ryan Braun was a starter in the All-Star game for a third straight year, his numbers are slightly down compared to the last few years. Corey Hart, on the other hand, has been one of the Brewers best hitters all year, hitting .290 and being near the top in home runs and RBI's in the majors. His breakout year has landed him a three year contract extension.

The Brewers have been a huge let down this year, but the positive is that they are still one of the youngest teams in baseball and have signed many of the core young players like Braun, Hart, and Gallardo to long term contracts. It looks as though Prince Fielder will be traded in the off-season for much needed pitching and hopefully the Brewers can get optimal value in return for one of the best power hitters in baseball. Although this year is almost over (thank goodness), the Brewers still have a bright future. It all comes down to pitching and that will determine if the Brewers will be able to return to the playoffs or continue to frustrate fans who have watched far too many runs cross the plate this year.

Green Bay Packers Season Preview

In just over five weeks the Packers will start their 2010-11 season with high expectations and for good reason. After finishing last season winning seven out of their last eight, and returning all key contributors from last season's 11-5 record, the Packers are regarded as one of the favorites from the NFC to reach the Super Bowl in Dallas. One of the biggest reasons for the high expectations is the play of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The 6th year Cal product had his best season last year and has established himself as one of the elite quarterbacks in the game. He is surrounded by a talented receiving core lead by Greg Jennings and veteran Donald Driver. James Jones and Jordy Nelson round out one of the deepest receiving core's in the NFC. A player to watch this year is third year tight end Jermichael Finley. The Texas product had a breakout year last year and seems poised for an even bigger year with more experience and continuity with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Running back Ryan Grant is as solid as they come and should provide a productive running game to support the Packer's potent air attack.

The defense has some questions coming in with the absence of starting nose tackle Johnny Jolly who will miss the year for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Last year's first round pick B.J. Raji will be counted on to plug up the middle in the second year of defensive coordinator Dom Caper's 3-4 defense. The emergence of rookie linebacker Clay Matthews last year was a huge lift and he will need to have another stellar season if the Packer's wish to return to the playoffs. Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson will anchor a secondary that has some holes right now with veteran Al Harris recovering from a season ending knee injury. Cornerback Tramon Williams will have to play a bigger role this year and rookie safety Morgan Burnett may have to learn on the fly if Atari Bigby can't regain his form after having ankle surgery this off-season.

The Packers have all the right pieces in place to make a run at the Super Bowl this year and I believe they have a legitimate chance if all the pieces fall into place. If head coach Mike McCarthy can create the right chemistry, young players step up and perform, and the team stays relatively injury free, then the Lombardi Trophy could be headed back to Title Town come February.