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.)

How About Those Playoff Games!!

Last weekend's NFL games certainly couldn't have been any more entertaining than they turned out to be.

All four games going down to the wire, three determined by field goals as time expired, the fourth with overtime.

And let's get into that OT game, shall we? Buffalo calls heads, it's tails and never sees the ball again as Kansas City and their uber-great quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, go down to score a touchdown and win the game.

Doesn't seem fair that Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who had nearly as many playoff touchdowns (nine) as pass incompletions (12), misses out on a chance to tie the game. But that's the current rule: if a team scores a TD on the first possession, game over.

And if you want your guy to have a chance, Buffalo, get a defensive stop.

Granted, it's on the defense to make a play. But maybe this needs to be tweaked. I suggest taking a page from college football, but instead of starting at the 25-yard-line, let's take each team back to their own 20. That puts the offense 80 yards from a TD (and maybe 40 from field goal territory).

Despite Green Bay's inability to muster more than 10 points in the Packers' 13-10 playoff loss to San Francisco, I still count a 13-4 season a success.

Did the Not-So-Special Teams suck last weekend? To be sure. Lack of consistent play all season is on the position coach, and he had better be packing his bags as we speak. Blocked field goal? Blocked punt? Inexcusable.

This loss was not on the defense, but on special teams, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Head Coach Matt Lafleur.

Speaking of the Packers, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, leaves the team to become head coach of the Denver Broncos. We'll see if this has an impact on the where-will-Aaron-play merry-go-round.

And what will the team do with 1) a lack of salary cap room and 2) beaucoup free agents to sign? Some of those, like Kevin "Injury List" King should be allowed to walk away. But the team needs to find a way to keep guys like Rasul Douglas and De'Vondre Campbell on the defensive side, as well as making nice with Davante Adams and Rodgers, among others.

Glad I'm not trying to put together that fiscal puzzle!

Washington's going to announce  it's team name next week. Swampers might be a good suggestion, along with Poorly Run Franchise.

'Bout time that "Redskins" was put to rest, for sure.

Bring On The 49ers!

The Road To Super Bowl LVI (56 for those who aren't up on their Roman numerals) runs through historic Lambeau Field, thanks to the home field advantage that the Green Bay Packers grabbed with their 13-4 record.

We welcome the San Francisco 49ers to "toasty" Lambeau Field on Saturday night. Temperatures should be down in the teens, wind chills near zero...and it will only get colder as the game goes on.

Green Bay's roster is healthy for the first time in weeks, while San Francisco comes in dinged up at key positions. I like the Packers' chances A LOT as I don't think Jimmy Garoppolo has it in him to pull off an upset.

My keys to the game:

• Limit Deebo Samuel's impact on the 49er offense
• Keep Rodgers clean against that tough pass rush
• Don't let Special Teams be a factor

The key player to the game not named Aaron Rodgers? That would be AJ Dillon. Healthy doses of the 250-pound running back will help punish San Francisco defenders.

Speaking of Green Bay, saw where Tampa Bay Coach Bruce Arians thinks his quarterback, Tom Brady, deserves the MVP trophy due to his statistics. All TommyBoy did was attempt 719 passes (second all-time to Matt Stafford's 727 in 2012, which resulted in 4,967 yards) and complete 485 (breaking the 2016 mark of 471 set by Drew Brees).

Granted, Brady did well leading Tampa Bay to a 13-4 record. But I don't think (as noted in an earlier cheeseheadrants) that those numbers alone should be the criteria. Aaron Rodgers of the Packers attempted 188 less passes, had 119 less completions but eight LESS interceptions.

And where would the Packers be without Aaron? No doubt sitting home.

So give him his fourth MVP trophy and let's move on!

Can't let the college football season pass without saluting the Wisconsin Badger defense. Coach Jim Leonard (the head coaching in waiting, perhaps?) led a group that was just lights-out against the run, breaking a 50-year-old record .

This 2021 group allowed just 64.8 yards per game on the ground, breaking the mark set by a 1951 squad (in nine games) that gave up 66.8. The program's record for teams that played double-digit games had been 88.2 yards per game, set in 2009 -- like this year, a 13-game season.

Show of hands needed. Who saw Greg Gard's Wisconsin Badger basketball team getting off to a 15-2 start? None of us, right? For a very young squad, this team just keeps getting better.

Random Thoughts To Welcome 2022

There's been a lot of debate about which NFL player deserves the MVP for this season. Is it Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers? Tom Brady of Tampa Bay? Outside favorite Jonathan Taylor, the talented running back of the Indianapolis Colts?

Brady gets love for having the numbers (for for being Tom Brady), but let's compare him with Rogers:

• Brady's team is 11-4. He's thrown for 4580 yards , 422 of  632 passes (66.8%) with 37 TDs,  11 INTs and a passer rating of 100.2.
• Rodgers is 12-2 (while the team is an NFL-best 12-3). He's thrown for 3689 yards, completing 323 of 475 (68%) with 33 TDs and only 4 INTs, a passer rating of 110.8.

For Brady, that's 157 more attempts, 99 more completions, 891 more yards but only 4 more TDs and 7 more INTs.

To be fair, former Wisconsin Badger running back Taylor has had a monster year for Indianapolis. Going into this week, he's rushed 297 times for 1,626 yards (5.5 average) and 17 touchdowns. He's added another 336 on pass receptions for 1,967 yards from scrimmage and 19 scores.

Should Rodgers stay hot in the final two games, he's certainly deserving of the MVP. As is Taylor.

Wouldn't mind seeing co-MVPs this year, which would be a win-win for Wisconsin fans!

We lost Betty White this week (and John Madden, Boston Celtic great Sam Jones and Dan Reeves as well; seems like celebrities always go in bunches). Betty, weeks away from turning 100, had a strong Midwest connection. Not only was she from Oak Park, IL but her late husband, Allen Ludden, had a Wisconsin connection I wasn't aware of -- born in Mineral Point and buried there after his death from stomach cancer at the age of 63.

A show of hands needed here: How many stayed up to the bitter end and watched the Wisconsin Badgers knock off Arizona State, 20-13, in the Las Vegas Bowl this past week? 

What an epic way to end the game, controlling the ball for nearly 10 minutes to "run out the clock." And I thought it was classy of Coach Paul Chryst to not stick in one more meaningless score when the club was inside the five with just over two minutes to play.

A lot of college coaches would have gone for the score. Glad we have a better mindset at Wisconsin.

Speaking of Chryst, after taking the Badgers to a 9-4 record this year (this after the team started 1-3), he is now 6-1 in bowl game appearances and has a Badger record of 65-23 (73.86%). Still, he and the Badgers are going to need better quarterbacking if they are to challenge for a national championship.

In it's run of 20 straight bowl games, Wisconsin is 11-9.

So, it's a pair of SEC teams (Alabama, Georgia) playing for another national championship in college football. Again.

Yawn. ('nough said)

Welcome To Parity

I've been thinking back to the early 1970s, just after the National Football League and the American Football League merged.

At the time, then Commissioner Pete Rozelle touted the mantra of "On Any Given Sunday..."

Meaning, of course, that any team could get a win against any opponent.

It may have taken decades, and Covid, but those days have arrived. Going into today's games on this Boxing Day 2021, there were 21 of the 32 NFL teams with a record of .500 or better. That's 65.6% of the league -- and two other teams were right on the cusp at 6-8 and 7-8!

After setting the team record for touchdown passes thrown, passing HOFer Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers sure sounded pretty humble as he looked at his place in the history of this 102-year-old franchise.

What's truly amazing with this record is, when you take a deeper dive into the numbers, you see that Favre had 286 interceptions (lord, didn't he break our hearts trying to make big plays, especially in the playoffs?)

Rodgers only has 93 picks in his time with Green Bay.

And based on the success with the team, and the affection Packer fans are showing him despite the ugly times this past summer, it would NOT surprise me if Rodgers and the front office make up and he stays in the Green & Gold for another few seasons. This could mean they trade Jordan Love and end that experiment to keep him happy, of course. And it would mean coming up with a lotta bucks to ink All-Everything wide receiver Davante Adams.

But, hey, stranger things have happened!

If Green Bay can hold onto home field advantage and the Road To The Super Bowl runs through Lambeau Field, I like the team's chances.

Yes, things need to be tightened up on defense. And the Not-So-Special Teams need to be, while not spectacular, at least mistake-free.

Is there any doubt that Coach Matt Lafleur should be the NFL's Coach Of The Year? No other coach in his first three years has won at least 10 games a season AND three division crowns. There's been ups and downs, but the work that has been done to repair and replace the offensive line, a group that has been operating without a starter for weeks should be rewarded.

Same for GM Brian Gutekunst, who has found some pretty good players from the waiver wire and trades (where would the team be without defensive back Rasul Douglas?) 

Thinking that  the Wisconsin Badgers will fare pretty well out in Las Vegas this week against Arizona State. The school will play in it's 20th straight bowl game.

Enjoy that, Badger fans. There's not a whole lot of schools that have enjoyed this kind of success, year in and year out.

What About That "Not-So-Special" Team?

 Those of us who follow the Green & Gold were not doubt aghast by the pitiful performance Monday night at Lambeau Field

Who the hell is coaching the Special Teams, anyway? The Keystone Cops?? Thought the Packers could drop no farther into the depths of mediocrity after watching the Not-So-Special Teams week after week.

Thought wrong.

Head Coach Matt Lafleur and his staff had better get things sorted out and soon with the group. This area is clearly the Achilles Heel of the Pack and could doom them in a Super Bowl Run.

Looking for thoughts on last minute Christmas gifts for the sports minded? Here's a couple of suggestions.

* The Baseball 100 by Joe Posnanski. It's a great read for a baseball fan! Filled with information, stories and facts, this 800-plus page effort deals with greats you've heard of and players you only wish you had seem in person.

* The Greatest Story in Sports: Green Bay Packer 1919-2019 by Cliff Christl. A massive four-volume set feature history, stories and photos of the Green and Gold. I've know Cliff since the early 1970s when our paths crossed covering high school sports in the Fox Valley. Another UW-O grad, he's been the go-to historian voice for the Packers for several years, following in the footsteps of longtime public relations man, Lee Remmel.

Saw that Covid continues to rear it's ugly head in both the NFL and the NBA. No surprise there. Think this is with us for a long, long time.

This Little Piggy, Wisconsin Version

All around Green Bay Packer Nation, there's no bigger game right now than This Little Piggy...since the little piggy in question is on the left foot of Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

We've all been anxious as Rodgers plays through the injury. We've all wondered whether he'll have surgery or not. And how will it affect his performance.

As Rodgers & his toe goes, so go the Packers. At least that's how it seems as Green Bay heads into the final five games of the regular season, taking a 9-3 record with it. Thankfully, three of those are at home and the finale is against the woeful Detroit Lions.

So Packer fans, join me in saying This Little Piggy Went Wee Wee Wee...all the way to the Super Bowl.

It's about time! Baseball has finally corrected an injustice and is putting Buck O'Neil in the Hall Of Fame. This great from the Negro Leagues, never given a chance to play in Major League Baseball because of the color barrier, should have been named a HOFer when he was still alive and could savor the moment.

Having read a lot about the Negro Leagues, and O'Neil, I continue to admire the men who played then. Some pretty amazing athletes. And you gotta hand it to O'Neil. He could have been bitter about the fact that he never got the opportunity, but never was. As a manager and scout, he helped guys like Ernie Banks and Willie Mays take the giant step he was never allowed to take.

In the later stages of his life, O'Neil was pretty much a constant presence at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, ready to talk baseball and tell stories to anyone and everyone.  And if you're a true baseball fan, you have to make this trip and visit it.

So, prior to the end of baseball's current CBA, there were a LOT of free agent signings and movement. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder, Avi Garcia, for example, inked a deal with the Miami Marlins.

Good for Avi, I say. Hope it works out for him and he enjoys the quiet and solitude in Marlins Park.

Quiet and solitude, you ask. Well, the Marlins don't draw flies when it comes to attendance. Since 2018, they have averaged 10,000 or less -- this past season, just 7,934 per game. The Brewers, on the other hand, averaged over 22,000 fans. And keep in mind that, for much of the season, they were limited to numbers due to Covid. For example, only about 11,000 of us got to attend opening day for a game that usually sells out to over 42,000!

In 15 of the last 16 seasons, Miami has ranked dead last in the National League in attendance. So Garcia will have a lot of quiet time to think during games.

Minnesota Gold Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan is coming back for his SIXTH college season, Perhaps he should change his name to Tenure??

This past weekend, week 13 for the NFL, Green Bay had it's bye week. Pretty late, for sure, and I pictured millions of Packer fans shuffling around Wisconsin, feeling out of place and out of sorts without their Green & Gold heroes in action.