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The Woelfel World of Sports
September 2008
Tuesday September 30, 2008
Posted by: gwoelfel at 3:09PM CST on September 30, 2008
BY GERY WOELFEL ST. FRANCIS -- The Milwaukee Bucks were arguably the worst defensive team in the NBA last season. Don't expect that to be the case again this season. Not if Scott Skiles can help it. Skiles, the Bucks new head coach, is determined to rectify the Bucks' defensive woes and he showed that during the team's first practice of the season Tuesday morning at the Cousins Center. "We started practice with our defensive foundation and then worked on our rebounding,'' Skiles said. "Overall, it was a very good first practice.'' Skiles fully realizes that if the Bucks are going to make any noise this season and rebound from their abysmal 26-win season they'll have to significantly improve their defense. last season, the Bucks yielded 103.91 points a game -- seventh worst in the league. They allowed the opposition to shoot 48 percent from the field -- the worst David Stern's 30-team kingdom. Recently, I discussed the Bucks' defense with two NBA assistant coaches and asked them to rank the defensive capabilities of the Bucks' five projected starters: point guard Luke Ridnour, shooting guard Michael Redd, small forward Richard Jefferson, power forward Charlie Villanueva and center Andrew Bogut. On a 1-to-10 scale, with the latter number being the best, only Bogut got a grade higher than 5. He got a 6 and 7 from the two coaches. Does that mean the Bucks simply don't have the right personnel to be a solid defensive team? Skiles says no. "I don't buy that at all; that's a copout,'' Skiles said. "I've seen teams with poor individual defenders fit well into a team defensive scheme. "To be honest with you, I didn't see any bad defenders out there ( in practice) today. There's no reason why we can't be a good defensive team. "Our goal is to be one of the best defensive teams in the league.'' Bogut, for one, welcomes Skiles' emphasis on defense. He knows there is a distinct correlation between playing good defense and winning. Detroit (90.0 points), Boston (90.2) and San Antonio (90.5) were the top three defensive teams in the NBA last season. Boston and Detroit had the two best records in the Eastern Conference and San Antonio had the second-best record in the western Conference. Boston won the NBA title. "It's no secret defense wins games, and it's no secret we were a bad defensive team last season,'' Bogut said. "I made a couple of mistakes in practice and he (Skiles) talked to me about them right away. "And that's great. It's good to know what you did wrong, so you don't make the mistake again. "We all have to get better on defense.''
Thursday September 25, 2008
Posted by: gwoelfel at 3:06PM CST on September 25, 2008
BY GERY WOELFEL Contrary to wide-spread opinion, it isn’t a lock that CC Sabathia will be wearing a uniform other than the Milwaukee Brewers’ next season. At least, that’s the opinion of Scott Parker and he should know. After all, Parker is one of Sabathia’s agents. While reports and rumors are running rampant that Sabathia’s days with the Brewers are numbered, Parker isn’t buying into it. What’s more, he totally dismissed the scuttlebutt Sabathia has already made up his mind to bolt Milwaukee after the season. ‘That’s totally untrue,’’ Parker told me in a lengthy telephone interview Wednesday. Parker added Sabathia virtually loves everything about being a Brewer. “He enjoys it there,’’ Parker said. “He likes Milwaukee. He thinks the Brewers have a great clubhouse. He really enjoys playing for them. “So, of course, he’s interested`in re-signing with the Brewers.’’ Of course, that talk is all well and good. But the bottom line is whether the Brewers can show Sabathia the money. And plenty of it. There have been reports Sabathia rejected a four-year, $72 million contract extension from the Cleveland Indians before being dealt to the Brewers. Not so. The inside word is the Indians offered substantially less but were contemplating making such an offer after the season. In all likelihood, Sabathia will want more money and more years than that offer. And, in all likelihood, Sabathia will covet – and you can go to the bank he will get – a deal that almost mirrors that of Mets’ pitcher Johan Santana. He signed a six-year, $137.5 million deal – or about $23M per year. Yet, Santana’s contract is somewhat deceiving. Part of his deal includes about $13M for the last season of his last contract. The remaining five years are worth $124M – or almost $25M per season. That gargantuan contract, many believe, will make the Brewers a non-factor in the Sabathia Sweepstakes. Personally, I disagree. The Brewers have financial wherewithal and flexibility to get it done. They can start by not re-signing both Ben Sheets ($12 million), Eric Gagne ($10 million) and Chris Capuano ($3.75M). That’s almost $26M right there. There isn’t any question Sabathia would be worth it, too. He’s unequivocally a franchise pitcher. Since coming to the Brewers, he has posted a 10-2 record with a glittering 1.78 ERA. He has an off-the-charts 5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. And, at 28, he’s in the prime of his career. If the Brewers want to remain a playoff-caliber team, and challenge for the World Series, it’s absolutely imperative for them to keep Sabathia in the fold. Based on my conversation with Parker, Sabathia isn’t at all opposed to staying in the Brewers’ fold, either. “If they’re interested in re-signing him, he’d be interested in returning there,’’ Parker said. “And that’s the truth.’’
Friday September 19, 2008
Posted by: gwoelfel at 11:10AM CST on September 19, 2008
BY GERY WOELFEL
Maybe the Dallas Cowboys will be too fatigued, emotionally and physically, from their scintillating victory over the Philadelphia Eagles Monday night. Maybe the Cowboys will sorely miss their hard-hitting safety Roy Williams, who is sidelined with a fractured forearm. Maybe Terrell Owens will pull an Owens and do something bizarre -- like missing the team's flight to Green Bay. One of the above will probably have to occur for Green Bay to have any chance of beating the ridicuously-talented Dallas Cowboys Sunday night at Lambeau Field. The Cowboys have more weapons than Barack Obama has campaign money. They have a dangerous running game and their aerial attack is especially explosive. If things go accordingly, Cowboys QB Tony Romo, the pride and joy of Burlington, is going to have a happy, happy homecoming. Not only does he have arguably the best wide receiver on the planet in Owens -- good luck, Al Harris -- but he has arguably the best tight end in the universe in Jason Witten. Of course, dealing with Owens and Witten is a handful for any team. But the Packers will have an even more daunting challenge. Consider: + Starting strong safety Atari Bigby has a broken toe in his right foot and isn't likely to play. He'll be replaced by an inexperienced Aaron Rouse. + Veteran cornerback Charles Woodson has a fractured toe. While that malady didn't bother him at all against the Paper Lions last Sunday, expecting another herculean effort from him may be a stretch. + Free safety Nick Collins is an aggressive tackler and tenacious hitter, but he is horrible in man-to-man coverage and anything but a playmaker. In four plus seasons, Collins has a measly five interceptions. + Outside linebacker A.J. Hawk is also a reliable tackler but his lack of mobility in space is quite conspicuous, particularly while covering a fleet-footed back or tight end. Romo was spectacular in the Cowboys' 37-27 triumph over the Packers last season, connecting on 19-for-30 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns. He should have had a fifth TD pass, but a wide-open Owens -- who torched Harris -- bobbled the ball in the end zone. Is there any reason to believe Romo and the 'Boys won't have an equally good, or better, game Sunday night? I think not.
Wednesday September 17, 2008
Posted by: gwoelfel at 1:04AM CST on September 17, 2008
BY GERY WOELFEL Now that Ned Yost is toast, one wonders how long it will be before Dale Sveum is shown the door as well. My guess it'll be shortly after the Brewers wind up their season -- 11 games from now. That's not a slam on Sveum. He's regarded as a good guy and a good baseball man. Yet, until now, Sveum didn't have any major league managerial experience. By next season, you can safely assume the Brewers brass -- owner Mark Attanasio and Brewers GM Doug Melvin -- will have hired an established manager, one with an impressive resume. But finding the right manager may be the least of the Brewers' concerns. They have several other glaring problems -- like cleaning up their discombobulated bullpen. When Melvin decided to fork out crazy money for Eric Gagne -- he could have earned up to $10 million this season -- I expressed serious reservations about the move. It's now amply apparent that signing Gagne wasn't a mistake; it was a total disaster. Gagne has been putrid 6.41 ERA and, if not for his bloated contract, wouldn't even be on the roster right now. The Brewers are also an abysmal defensive team. First baseman Prince Fielder, second baseman Rickie Weeks and third baseman Bill Hall are among the worst fielders at their respective positions in the game. Even Mike Cameron, a multiple Gold Glove recipient, has been surprisingly erratic at times this season. Yet, while deplorable defense and rocky relief pitching have contributed to the Brewers' late-season free fall, so have Messrs. Ryan Braun, Corey Hart and Ben Sheets. Those aforementioned gentlemen were All-Stars this season, yet they've been anything but stars down the stretch when it's mattered the most. During Yost's last 10 games as manager, when the Brewers won only three of them, here's what that trio did or, more accurately, didn't do: + Braun: One home run, one RBI and a ghastly .135 batting average. + Hart: No home runs, no RBI and a scant .132 batting average. + Sheets: In two of his last three starts, he didn't even pitch beyond the sixth inning. As Attanasio and Melvin discovered Tuesday night in the Brewers' 5-4 loss to the Cubs, a new manager isn't going to be a cure-all to their team's many ailments. Sunday September 7, 2008
Posted by: gwoelfel at 12:18AM CST on September 7, 2008
BY GERY WOELFEL Nobody expected them to win their division, much less the NFC Championship game. Anyone who even remotely suggested they would win the Super Bowl instantly became a candidate for the insane asylum. A year ago, you would have been hard pressed to find anyone who was picking the New York Giants to the Super Bowl? After all, the Giants had a much-maligned coach in Tom Coughlin, a young quarterback who underachieved more than overachieved and a defense that had more holes in it that a slab of Swiss cheese. But the Giants fooled the pigskin experts who were convinced they were merely pretenders instead of contenders. In the aftermath of the Giants’ startling success, could another team beat the crazy odds and win this year’s Super Bowl? Could Jacksonville or New Orleans or Minnesota be this year’s version of last season’s Giants? Perhaps they could, although the smart money is on New England and Dallas. After all, the Patriots, who almost ran the table last season before being upset by the Giants in the Big One, still have Tom Brady and Randy Moss, not to mention a brilliant coach named Belichick. And the already talent-rich Cowboys — they had an ungodly 11 Pro Bowlers last season — have become even more talented with several key offseason acquisitions like Zach Thomas and Pacman Jones. So, what’s in store for the ‘08 season? Well, here’s how I, along with some of my JT sports staff colleagues, see things shaking out: GERY WOELFEL’S PICKS PACKERS RECORD: 9-7 (Where have you gone Brett Favre, PackerNation will be turning its lonely eyes to you). BEARS RECORD: 10-6 (The Bears’ offense is offensive, but the defense is going to be dynamic once they get done playing Peyton Manning and the Colts tonight). AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: New England over Jacksonville. NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Dallas over New Orleans. SUPER BOWL: Dallas over New England. MUSINGs: "There are so many good, intriguing storylines for this season, but none better than what transpires in the Meadowlands with Brett Lorenzo Favre. "Knowing how much pride Favre has, you just know he’s going to be hell-bent on proving his critics i.e. Teddy "Bear’’ Thompson and Mike McCarthy wrong. And I think he will. "While Favre doesn’t have the greatest supporting cast to get the Jets to the Super Bowl, it wouldn’t shock me one bit if he got them past the opening round of the playoffs.’’ ALAN NUNN’S PICKS PACKERS’ RECORD: 11-5 BEARS’ RECORD: 8-8 NFC final: Giants def. Cowboys AFC final: Patriots def. Broncos Super Bowl: Giants def. Patriots MUSINGS: "Why not a Super Bowl rematch? The Cowboys have gone 11 seasons without playoff victory and the only thing Tony Romo has proven he can hold on to is Jessica Simpson. "New England is the class of the AFC as long as Belichick and Brady are chowin’ down chowder in Foxboro. Giants WR Sinorice Moss will be the David Tyree of Super Bowl XLIII. Denver and New Orleans will be NFL’s most improved teams.’’ PETER JACKEL’S PICKS PACKERS RECORD: 10-6 BEARS RECORD: 7-9 NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Dallas over Green Bay NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: New England over San Diego SUPER BOWL: New England over Dallas COMMENT: "The Packers are probably going to have to take a step back before moving forward but could still make a run if Aaron Rodgers plays well. This could be Tony Romo’s year in Dallas, but I can’t help but think that the Patriots will be the team to beat as long as Bill Belichick is calling the shots and Tom Brady is taking the snaps.’’ ROBB LUEHR'S PICKS PACKERS’ RECORD: 10-6 BEARS’ RECORD: 5-11 NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Dallas def. New York Giants AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: San Diego def. New England SUPER BOWL: Dallas def. San Diego MUSINGS: "Aaron Rodgers will struggle at times, but will come through when he needs to; he will also remain healthy this season ... How in the heck does Matt Millen keep his job as Lions GM? ... Da Bears still suck ... And so do the Vikings. ... Tony Romo will have a breakout season ... LaDainian Tomlinson will throw at least three touchdown passes on the option, and will run wild the rest of the time ... Watch out for the Jaguars in the AFC ... I don’t wish Brett Favre ill, but he will see his consecutive games started streak end within the first half of the season ... The Cardinals will still be the Cardinals.’’ GREG GIESEN’S PICKS: PACKERS RECORD: 9-7 BEARS RECORD: 6-10 NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Dallas over Minnesota AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: San Diego over New England SUPER BOWL: Cowboys over San Diego. MUSINGS: "Brett Favre will get hurt this season and the Jets will be 8-8.’’ JOHN MCNALLY’S PICKS: PACKERS RECORD: 10-6 BEARS RECORD: 3-13 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: New England over Jacksonville NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Philadelphia over Dallas SUPER BOWL: New England defeats Philadelphia MUSINGS: "Why did the Patriots go undefeated in the regular season last year? "Because they were bloodthirsty after the SpyGate incident. "Doesn’t it seem logical that New England would be just as ruthless after the New York Giants shocked the Patriots and the world at the Super Bowl? I’m buying. Bonus note: The Detroit Lions will make the playoffs, as an 8-8 Wild Card team.
Thursday September 4, 2008
Posted by: gwoelfel at 6:50PM CST on September 4, 2008
BY GERY WOELFEL Aaron Rodgers couldn’t have asked for a better situation to make his NFL starting debut. Not only will Brett Favre’s successor as the Green Bay Packers’ quarterback showcase his talents before a nationally-televised audience, he gets to do it against the Minnesota Vikings. Mind you, the Vikings aren’t a bad team. Actually, they’ve become a pretty decent one, thanks to some quality offseason acquisitions. What’s more, the Vikings have perhaps the best defensive line in the Roger Goodell’s kingdom. But as good as the Vikings’ defensive line is, their secondary is just as bad. Last season, the Vikings had the distinction of being the worst pass coverage team in Goodell’s kingdom. The Vikings allowed an average of 264 yards a game through the air. The Vikings’ brass attempted to upgrade that putrid secondary by signing Madieu Williams, a free safety who had started for the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s a nice player. But you can’t say that about the rest of Vikings’ secondary: cornerbacks Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin are average, at best. They combined for a whopping one interception last season. Ditto for strong safety Darren Sharper, who turns 33 on Nov. 3 and is remotely the player he once was with the Packers several years ago. Considering how suspect the Vikings’ secondary is, Rodgers could have a dazzling debut. Tuesday September 2, 2008
Posted by: gwoelfel at 4:55PM CST on September 2, 2008
BY GERY WOELFEL When Jason Kendall signed with the Milwaukee Brewers over the winter as a free agent, there was hardly a buzz. After all, Kendall was perceived as a player who was on the downside of his career. Some baseball observers contended he was flat-out washed up. Based on the feeble numbers he posted last season with the Cubs and Athletics -- He batted a paltry .242 and, worse, threw out only 10.5 percent of runners -- it was understandable why people felt that way. The handful of teams that courted Kendall during free agency envisioned him as a part-time starter, or perhaps a mentor to one of their young catchers. The Brewers, of course, ended up signing him and, to say the least, he's been a godsend for them. Entering Tuesday night's game, the 34-year-old Kendall was batting a solid .255 and throwing out runners like he was the second coming of Johnny Bench. Kendall had gunned down 30 of 76 runners, an impressive .395 That, by itself, has made Kendall a valuable addition to the Brewers. But he's also provided the Brewers something else, something they haven't had in eons: a reliable, every day catcher who knows how to handle pitchers. Tuesday night was Kendall's 124th start behind the plate. He earlier broke the Brewers' record for starts by a catcher, which was 121 by Darrell Porter. Porter had held that record since 1975 -- or for the last 33 years. While Kendall's achievement may be impressive to a lot of people around here, it's probably not a big deal to Kendall. He has started at least 130 games the last six seasons. He once started 157 games for the Pirates in 2001. There are several reasons why the Brewers are knocking on the playoff door -- and Kendall is undoubtedly one of the biggest.
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