Tornows Keep Baseball A Family Business

 There's a baseball family that bears some mention here, the Tornow family. The father of the crew, Ted, is a guy I've known since his high school days.

Ted was a three-sport high school athlete (remember those?) at Menasha. We got to be friends, played some rec softball together (Teddy, do you recall the home plate collision I was in? But I digress...) He's  starting his 39th year in organized baseball, entering his 24th season with the Clinton LumberKings as GM. Previous baseball stops include Green Bay, Memphis (Tennessee), Huntsville (Alabama), Jackson (Mississippi, where he crossed paths with Bo Jackson, then on his way to the major leagues) and Butte (Montana).

Ted's sons have followed him into baseball careers, in different ways. Brett, the oldest -- and like his dad, a UW-Oshkosh grad -- is heading into another season as Group Sales Manager with the Birmingham Barons, a AA squad in the Chicago White Sox organization.

The younger son, Luke, is doing a summer intern program as part of the grounds crew for the Milwaukee Brewers. He should be starting his training now, as am sure workers at that level get drafted into being part of The Sausage Race during home games!

Speaking of Milwaukee, got my Opening Day tickets this week, ready to cheer the Brewers on to another strong run.

Judging by the news coming out of Florida, where MLB owners and the players union are trying to hammer out a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, they just might be able to meet the Monday deadline and keep the regular season on track.

After all the reduced crowds due to Covid issues the last two years, I really think the last thing either side wants is a delayed/shortened season.

We're a week removed from the Juwan Howard melt-down. That was a pretty expensive head-slap by a former Fab Five member -- 40 grand and a five-game suspension.

Don't know what was said and, frankly, don't need to. Both Howard and Wisconsin Coach Greg Gard share blame: Howard for letting things get out of hand, Gard for not having better sense to let the moment pass and deal with it later.

Gard has a young, YOUNG team sitting atop the Big Ten Standings when, in the pre-season, the Badgers were picked to finish 10th. Howard, meanwhile, has a middle of the pack Michigan team. Frustrating, I'm sure, as they were picked to win the league by some.

Wrapping Up Loose Ends

 Now that the dust has settled on the NFL season, perhaps we can take a moment to appreciate the post-season.

Of the 13 games, the final seven (including Super Bowl LVI) were just a pleasure. Two settled by overtime, six by three-points and another by six (overtime). 

Can't recall a post-season that had that much balance. No wonder over 100 million tuned into the Super Bowl game on regular television, while another 12 million streamed the game.

It's not been a stretch. Baseball's spring training should have begun a week ago with pitchers and catchers reporting to Arizona and Florida. But the Boys of Summer are squabbling with management over a myriad of issues. The owners and the MLBPA can't seem to reach an understanding.

Of course, it takes more than a 15-minute sit-down (like the sides had on Thursday) to hash out differences. Players aren't all that thrilled with the length of spring training, anyway. But come on, fellas!

At this rate, Opening Day for the Milwaukee Brewers, scheduled for March 31st, is in danger.

So Canada takes the gold in women's hockey, USA the silver. Some things just don't change. This is a GREAT rivalry, fueled by great competition (and a lot of former University of Wisconsin Badgers on both sides).

Badger basketball fans had best be prepared for the departure of sophomore Johnny Davis, a potential College Player Of The Year. Averaging a double-double, the guard could well take his talents to the NBA after this season.

Much depends on how well he fares once tournament play comes about, though. If he has a stellar post-season, expect Davis to take the money and run. Personally, I think another year of college could help his body become more NBA-ready.

Sizing Up Super Bowl LVI And Other Thoughts

 Would rather have had a dog in the fight in this Super Bowl (curse you, Green Bay special teams & under-productive offense!), but it should still be an entertaining game,

The Los Angeles Rams went out on a limb, threw a lot of money at the issue and are four-point favorites to keep the Lombardi Trophy with the NFC. The Cincinnati Bengals?

Well, I've always had a soft spot for the kitties from Cincy. When they came into the league (well, into the AFL first), I could listen to games at night via an AM radio station (remember those?) out of Cincinnati. Same for the Big Red Machine, those juggernaut Reds' baseball teams.

Rams have the advantage in the trenches, as I just don't see Cincy's O-Line being able to give quarterback Joe Burrow enough time. Not unless they scheme in a lot of screens, quick-hitters, draws and mis-direction. LA's qb, Matt Stafford, spend all of his career in the NFL's version of quarterback hell (Detroit) and has shown that he does have talent. Especially when throwing to a high-caliber group of receivers.

Still, Stafford does enough Stafford-like things to keep things interesting. Hell, the Rams would have gone home had the 49er defensive back held onto the punt-like interception.

In an entertaining game, Rams 34, Bengals 24.

Came across a couple of interesting life stories from the library that I'd recommend. An autobiography called Trejo by Danny Trejo with Donal Logue. Trejo was a career criminal/prisoner with addiction issues before turning his life around and ending up an actor. Fascinating read.

The other is a biography about a guy most Milwaukee Bucks fans are familiar with; Giannis: The Improbable Rise Of An NBA MVP by Mirin Fader. She takes a good, in-depth look at this two-time MVP's early life and struggles. How he has turned himself into one of the best players in the world is amazing.

Speaking of the Super Bowl, only two members of the Lombardi championship teams are still with us -- guard Jerry Kramer and linebacker Dave Robinson. Luckily, our heroes live on in our memories.

Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker, turned 88 in late January.  Sounds like he is coming back for yet another partial season of announcing Milwaukee Brewer baseball, and we're the better for it. When Uek retires, it will leave a big, big hole in the broadcast booth.

Here's hoping the owners and players can work out their differences soon.

Was pleased to see Dana Rettke of the national champion Wisconsin Badgers' women's volleyball team featured in the Faces In The Crowd feature in the February issue of Sports Illustrated. Granted a fifth season of college eligibility, Rettke became the first (and I'm sure, the only) five-time All-American.

Washington Commanders. Really? That's what months and months of study came up with (and no truth to the rumor that team owner Daniel Snyder wanted to go with "Injuns")

Still, I can just hear the crowds chanting "Let's Go, Commies!"

How To Make The Aaron Rodgers Situation Work

 Seems like every talking head has an opinion on the Will-Aaron-Rodgers-Stay/Leave euestion.

Am happy to throw my hat into the ever-growing ring.

Rodgers isn't going anywhere, folks. Even with Green Bay nearly $45 million OVER the salary cap, and with a boatload of players to make decisions on, Aaron's going to stay put.

This will take a lot of fancy tap-dancing with the books. And I mean a lot. When players like Davante' Adams, De'Vondre Campbell, Rasul Douglas, Robert Tonyan and Kenny Clark, to name a few, need to be paid...well, there's just so many dollars to go around.

Follow me here. Aaron stays because he knows this organization has the best chance of winning. While the grass is always greener on the other side of the football field, any team that is winning now is already set at quarterback.

So here's what needs to be be done. The management team in Green Bay (head coach Matt LaFleur, general manager Brian Gutekunst and president Mark Murphy) need to sit down with Rodgers. Soothe his ego, commit to him for, say, four years and push the money into the future. Hell, trade backup Jordan Love if need be BUT tell Rodgers up front that there will be a quarterback drafted in the near future.

You want to be more involved, Aaron? Sit in the room and help make the tough decisions that are needed for the health and future of the franchise. Give up some money, or push it into the future, to keep the band together.

Let guys like Kevin King and Za'Darius Smith walk, among others. Slap the franchise tag on Adams. He won't be happy with it, but remind him that his success comes from the connection with No. 12 (and, really, where else will he find a competitive team that will have that? Anybody remember Greg Jennings after he left Brett Favre's throws and bolted to Minnesota? Didn't think so.)