Fixing The WIAA Basketball Tournaments

 How can we fix both the boys and girls basketball tournaments? Well, I'm glad you asked -- even if you didn't.

Watched some of the very entertaining tournaments. Was especially taken by that 4OT game between Neenah (in a state-high 30th trip to the tourney) and Hartland Arrowhead. A shame either team had to lose.  Arrowhead posted a 99-95 win, combing with Neenah to set a state tournament scoring record with 194 points. The previous record? Set back in 1967 in the Class A quarterfinals when Milwaukee Lincoln topped La Crosse Central 109-71. Lincoln (25-1) would beat Wausau (23-2) for the championship 61-56.

But back to fixing the state tournaments. Growing up in rural Wisconsin, attending a small high school (only one class of enrollment back then, soon to expand to three and, ultimately, to the five now) -- well, it was an us against them mentality in high school sports.

Now for rural schools it's an us against THEM situation. Or rather, public schools jockeying for position against private schools that can recruit the best area talent and stack the deck. In the boys tournament, eight of the 20 competing teams were private schools, with six of those in the smaller divisions (D-5, D-4 and D-3). And with the exception of Mineral Point winning in D-4, every other champion crowned represented a private school.

The numbers weren't quite as bad in the girls tourney, where only five of the 20 teams was a private school, and only one (Madison Edgewood, beating Appleton Xavier) claimed a title.

Just how fair is that for the small, rural schools of Wisconsin to go against schools that can recruit? Take a team from the neck of the woods where I grew up, Almond-Bancroft, making its first ever trip to the state tournament. This might well be the best collection of area athletes they will ever assemble, while Madison Abundant Life will be able to recruit from Madison and Dane County.

My solution? While the divisions are based on enrollment, I would bump the private schools up one division when it comes to playoffs. Leveling the playing field, so to speak, for small rural schools and giving them a better chance to at least make it to Madison (and Green Bay, for the girls tourney).

While we're at it, let's expand the D-1 back to eight teams from four and make it more interesting the the Big Guys. Winning three games in three days is tough to do. Hell, playing a 4-Overtime game on Friday night, then turning around and playing Saturday night, had to be very challenging for Arrowhead. It showed in their loss to Milwaukee Marquette.

Speaking of making it interesting, the WIAA did just that for eventual D-2 champion Wisconsin Lutheran, didn't it? Shipping some schools over to the Madison Sectional, the WIAA split up conference foes Wisconsin Lutheran and Pewaukee. Both met in the title game, with Lutheran winning, but certainly giving them a little bit better path to Madison.

Former LSU coach Dale Brown, who succeeded Press Maravich in 1972 and led the Tigers for 25 years, once reportedly charted every shot Maravich took in college and found that had there been a 3-point line, Maravich would have averaged 57 points per game.

So another publisher has bought Sports Illustrated and intends to continue with the print magazine. Happy to hear it, but how much the subscription for six issues or so will be remains to be seen.

Farewell To "Wisconsin Royalty"

 The news that Cherry Starr, 89, passed away following a long battle with cancer last week saddened me. I consider her and her late husband, Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr, to be the closest thing we had to royalty here in Wisconsin.

Bart, who died in 2019, may have enhanced his reputation with five NFL championships in seven seasons for those great Vince Lombardi teams, but Cherry was just as instrumental as she "quarterbacked" giving back to the Wisconsin community in a big way.

In the 1960s, the Starrs help found the Rawhide Boys Ranch to help at-risk and troubled youth. It still thrives today. We've donated cars to Rawhide over the years, and I know others who have as well.

The Starrs were beloved in Wisconsin for many reasons, and loved the Green Bay Packers. For years, Bart would phone (on his own) the players the team had drafted, to welcome them to "the family". I've heard that Cherry was doing the same after Bart's passing. They were proud members of the Green & Gold.

Many times, NFL teams will honor fallen members of the organization with their initials on a helmet or jersey throughout the season. If anyone deserves that honor, it's Cherry Starr. There are currently 147 members of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, and I can't think of non-player more deserving of that honor than Cherry Starr.

RIP Cherry. You and Bart were one of a kind, and real ambassadors for the Green & Gold and the state of Wisconsin.

Caitlin Clark is doing the right thing, passing up on a fifth season at Iowa to turn pro. Beyond padding her stats and possibly chasing a national championship, what else does the leading scorer in NCAA women's basketball history have to accomplish? Glad to see that, as a purist, her scoring record will be established in four years of college ball.

Learned this week that here NIL (Name-Image-Likeness) money has been negotiated for her by an agent and is not coming from the Iowa collective. Most colleges has a collective that is paying NIL to it's athletes, and those contracts terminate when the player leaves the school.

For Clark, that's a different story. Her NIL money will follow her to the WNBA, where her rookie contract is limited to $70,000 a season. She'll make a LOT more than that in endorsements alone, and will make that money up on her next contract. She's a Larry Bird-esque talent and a great draw for the WNBA.

She also passed Pistol Pete Maravich as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball history, though the marvelous scorer from LSU will remain the men's leader. Maravich did his damage in just 83 games, while thus far Clark has played in 130.

It's a darn shame that the top three teams in Wisconsin girls basketball for Division 1, Verona, Hartland Arrowhead and Oregon, all were funneled into the same WIAA sectional.

For Oregon, a team that won 27 games in a row, the marvelous season ended with a loss to Arrowhead. That's still an historic season here, despite not finishing with a trip to Green Bay for the girls' state tournament.

Just seems like maybe the WIAA powers that be could have figured out a better system.

Although, if a recent piece in the Wisconsin State Journal is accurate, they did so on the boys' side, moving several teams over to the Madison Sectional, freeing up a path for Wisconsin Lutheran -- what gives with that, WIAA?

Caitlin Clark: College Basketball's New Scoring Queen

Hats off to the amazing Caitlin Clark of Iowa, nailing a "logo three" to become the new top scorer in college women's basketball history this past week.

The West Des Moines start scored Iowa's first eight points in the game to pass Kelsey Plum'sNCAA-recognized total of 3,527 points.

Clark is just 80 points shy of the career mark of Lynette Woodward (3,646) set in 1981, which pre-dates the NCAA women's era.

On top of that, she's 98 points away from "Pistol" Pete Maravich's men's college basketball record of 3,667 points, a record Maravich will retain.

Let's put that whole Maravich thing in a little more perspective.

• Clark has played four years (and has the option for a fifth COVID season, but we'll circle back around to that) while Maravich (like Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) played in an era that prevented freshmen from varsity competition. On the freshmen team, which had larger-crowds than the varsity (like Alcindor at UCLA), Maravich averaged 43.6 points.
• Once on the varsity, Maravich averaged 43.8, 44.2 and 44.5 points per season.
• Unlike Clark, Maravich didn't benefit from a three-point line.

Not taking anything away from Clark, mind you. This lady is a real talent with range, ability and crowd appeal.

But let's talk about that extra season. You can bet the WNBA is just drooling, waiting to get Clark on their courts -- increasing television viewship and game attendance. She's a drawing card, for sure. The question is, for her, a financial one. Can she make MORE money from college NIL (Name-Image-Likeness) or from the WNBA? If I was in charge of the pro league, I'd be working on a financial package that would include incentives from attendance and the like. Anything to get her to turn pro.

And if she comes back for a fifth college season, the NCAA needs to put an asterisk by her scoring mark. Odds are pretty good no other player will ever get that five-year bump. And, frankly, her totals won't need it.

Sloppy Super Bowl Still Satisfying

 If you were hoping for a pristine, high-scoring game in the 58th version of the Super Bowl, you were sadly disappointed.

Seven fumbles, three lost (including a punt off a San Francisco return team member's foot that Kansas City turned into a touchdown), plus an interception and untimely penalties led to a low-scoring affair.

However, if you like a Super Bowl with drama, then Kansas City's 25-22 overtime win against those San Francisco 49ers had to be satisfying. You just can't bet against quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who won the game with his feet, his arm and his heart. Mahomes is 9-2 in postseason games when trailing by seven points. NEVER bet against Patrick!

Not a good look for KC tight end Travis Kelce, though. His outburst on the sideline, bumping Head Coach Andy Reid and bitchin' about not being in the game at a crucial time? Disappointing. I understand the frustration from alpha males and all, but really, Travis? Is this the image you want to project to all those Swifties who tuned in to see their hero watch you play football?

In case YOU weren't keeping score, I was. Those CBS cameras found Taylor Swift a baker's dozen during the game telecast. Yes, that much. Was thinking that, with the cool $1 million paid for the stadium suite (allegedly), came a TV contract as well.

The priceless look on Taylor's face, though, while Kelce was belting out his version of "Viva Las Vegas"? That look said "Don't. Ever.  EVER. Sing. Around. Me. Again. I. Mean. It."

Speaking of Kelce, in 13 playoff games he's caught about 130 passes for over 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns. Definitely has been the security blanket for Mahomes.

And if the Kansas City Chiefs can now be considered a dynasty, having won three of the last five Super Bowls (and played in four of them), I have less of an issue with them as opposed to the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick led New England Patriots. Brady was just annoying, while Mahomes seems like a good dude you could root for. And comparing Andy Reid with grumpy ol' Belichick? No contest. I'll hang with Andy, once a Green Bay Packer coach, every time.

Seems that over 123 MILLION people watched Super Bowl LVIII. Wonder how many "Swifties" tuned in.

Happy to see Jimmy Leonard is headed to an NFL coaching staff, as he takes over defensive backs in Denver. Leonard spent a season as a player towards the end of his career with Denver. Think this is a good stepping stone to a Defensive Coordinator spot down the road.

A GREAT Weekend Ahead -- Baseball Comes Back

Pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training this coming week, making Super Bowl LVIII (58 for those not inclined to memorize Roman Numerals) weekend just that much sweeter. And speaking of that Super Bowl, am picking the Kansas City Chiefs to win this one -- and hoping that my pool numbers pay off!

But back to baseball. I Consider players gathering for Spring Training to be more a harbinger of spring than seeing that first robin. Means Opening Day is on the near horizon.

Some Milwaukee Brewer fans, meanwhile, need to silence their "THE SKY IS FALLING!!!" cries in light of the recent trade that sent pitcher Corbin Burns to the Baltimore Orioles for a pair of MLB-ready prospects and a draft pick.

Let's consider this trade. Here's Burns, the ace of the Brewer staff and a Cy Young winner, in the last year of his contract. At the end of the season, some big market team is going to back up a Brinks truck to Corbin's house and unload a LOT of money. That's money a small market team like Milwaukee just can't compete with. And if you think they can, I have swamp property or a bridge in New York City to sell you.

Milwaukee's options? It's sorta like the stock market with three factors. 1) Trade Burns now, while market value is high. 2) Wait until closer to the trade deadline to see if the team is in contention, but this means potential trade partners, knowing the clock is ticking, will low-ball on the offer. 3) Keep Burns through the season, then get NOTHING but a compensatory draft pick when he leaves.

Teams like Milwaukee need young pieces to compete, so getting a pair of 25-year-olds they can control for six years: left-handed pitcher DL Hall and Joey Ortiz, who can play multiple infield positions. A trade like this makes the most sense.

Don't think the Brewers are done making moves, either. They signed a starting pitcher earlier this week and word has it have agreed with 32-year-old catcher Gary Sanchez. Could be a good backup for William Contreras, who had a solid first season with the club. Brewers had signed Eric Haase to compete as well, and there's a top-rated prospect in Jeferson Quero on deck. 

Got an email from Doctor Bob, a good friend and golfing companion in Eagle River. To sum up, the good Doctor went off on the hiring of Jeff Hafley as defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. "Who the hell is this guy?! Are the Packers going on the cheap to save money? I don't get it..."

Suggested to the good Doc that he chill out. To me, the hiring is just like drafting a player or signing a free agent -- it needs time to determine if it is good or not. Hafley comes to Green Bay with solid credentials and experience of working with some pretty good D-Coordinators in his time (Tarek Salah comes to mind, though he's struggled as head coach of the New York Jets).

Packer Nation is right to wonder about the hiring, though. Had thought they might go with more experience, but in the end was happy the Packers didn't recycle somebody else's castoff. Thought they did that when Joe Barry was hired, a guy with poor-to-mediocre results on his coaching resume.

As noted, let's give it some time.

Green Bay Was Good -- Just Not Good Enough

DAMNIT! That was a winnable game against San Francisco. And while the Green Bay Packers played pretty well, the 49ers played better when it counted. Let's face it, that's a far more talented 

Still, the seven seed Packers gave top-seeded San Francisco all it could handle, and maybe a little bit more.

It came down to several moments, and I will not place the blame on the shoulders of a young kicker, Anders Carlson despite his problems this season. Instead, I think it came down to these points.

• Settling for field goals in the Red Zone early. Gotta get touchdowns against a powerful offense like the one in San Francisco.
• A bad (and I do mean bad) spot on the fourth-and-one deep in SF territory. Perhaps do the QB sneak on third-and-one as well?
• Dropped interception, and potential pick six, from Darnell Savage early may have changed the tone.
• Inability to contain tightend George Kittle.
• A Favre-esque final throw by Jordan Love on his final play. The interception was ill-advised and probably the only poor decision we saw from Love in the last five or six weeks.

The future looks bright for Green Bay, though. General Manager Brian Gutekunst has built a solid, young foundation, with 14 players in last 2 drafts contributing to GB success. A piece here and there will continue that success.

Was reported this week that it's parent company has laid off put most of the editors and editorial staff for Sports Illustrated in limbo. Seems the company that paid to maintain the iconic company's print and digital told the employees the license had been revoked. Sad to think that a 70-year-old publication may not survive. Long the standard of sports journalism, SI had gone from a weekly to a bi-weekly to a monthly in recent years, as COVID and reading habits changed.

Still, something started in 1954 (like me) needs to keep going. Been reading this magazine since the mid 1960s and have always looked forward to each issue. And of course, this puts an end to the dreaded Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx!

Apologies Needed In Green Bay

 That was some butt-kicking the Green Bay Packers -- the YOUNGEST team in the playoffs at under 25 years of age and the youngest since the 1974 Buffalo Bills --  practiced this week in Dallas.

All the Packers did was pile up 48 points, most points in a playoff game the Cowboys had ever given up. And humiliate the Cowboys in Jerry's World, to boot.

Just a matter of time before the axe falls on former Packer coach, and soon-to-be former Cowboys coach, Mike McCarthy. Jera isn't going to tolerate yet another frustrating season. He should get rid of his general manager as well...oh, wait, Jera wears that hat too.

Maybe it's time for some around PackerNation to offer up an apology or three.

TO JORDAN LOVE. Can we agree that, despite the sorta weird timing of the draft that brought Love to Green Bay, that this young (only 25) quarterback is everything that the team hoped for. And more! His surgical precision in cutting up Dallas, achieving a 157+ quarterback rating in beating the Cowboys 48-32 -- and it wasn't that close, folks -- was admirable.

Plus the way that kiddie corps of wide receivers and tight ends has grown before our very eyes and jelled with Love gives a lot of good vibes for the future. Case in point: Allen Lazard, who signed with the New York Jets as a free agent, made $12 million this season. The guys in the Packer wide receiver room made just over $7 million. That's bargain spending.

By the way, Love passed for 4,159 yards in the regular season. In Packer lore, that's good for 12th place. The previous QB has seven of the top 12 and leads with 4,643 yards in a season. Lynn Dickey was second at 4,458 -- with the dubious distinction of throwing 32 touchdowns and 29 interceptions that season. Brett Farve topped 4,000 twice and Magic Man Don Majkowski did it as well. 

TO MATT LAFLEUR. Even after the Packers beat the Chicago Bears in the season finale to clinch the playoff berth, I was hearing callers on local talk radio calling for LaFleur's head.

Now that he has a quarterback who runs the offense the way the coach sees it, and has grown into it, let's just put that crazy talk to bed.

I'm not sure the San Francisco 49ers, the top-seed in the NFC, are all that thrilled that a hot team is coming in to face them on Saturday evening. Momentum may side with the team that is playing it's best football at the right time of year.

TO BRIAN GUTEKUNST. The General Manager took a lot of heat when he traded up to take Love, despite having a future Hall of Famer at QB. And he took heat for other deals made, including sending that HOFer to the New York Jets and giving the keys to the team to Love.

Looks like a pretty sound move now. And factor in the last two drafts that Green Bay has had. One helluva lot of talent that has contributed mightily to this playoff run, from the young wide outs and tight ends to the defensive backs. Sure, there are still pieces needed. But this is a team on the rise and Gutey has built it.

TO JOE BARRY. Yes, I've railed about the Defensive Coordinator, like every other Packer fan. Still not convinced, but my oh my his defensive schemes the last few weeks have been gems. Especially against Dallas, forcing turnovers and throwing off Dak Prescott and the top offense in the National Football League. This was a team that had won 10 games at home this season, averaging 37 points. This was the unit that trailed Green Bay 27-7 at half (and should have been shut out) and 41-16 at the start of the fourth.

Garbage time led to a pair of meaningless Dallas TDs and a lot of padding of the ol' stat line.

Do I think that Barry has saved his job? We'll see.

TO THE PACKER DEFENSE. They had their ups, they had their downs all season long. But down the stretch, this group got relatively healthy and came to play smart, aggressive, passionate football. Coaches coach. Players play. And this bunch, regardless of who was out on the field, played damn tough.

A BELATED Happy New Year and all the best of healthy & happiness in 2024!

The Rich Just Keep Getting Richer...And Richer...And Richer

 I just signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a long-term multi-million dollar deal that ties me to Chavez Ravine for years and years.

Why not? Seems like everyone else has...Shohei Otani signed for $700 million over 10 years. Now the Dodgers add a 25-year-old Japanese pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for $325 million over 12 years.

Very few teams can make moves like this. The Dodgers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox are among them. Maybe the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies as well.

For the rest of baseball, investing north of $200 in salary each season just isn't practical. Or affordable.

Major League Baseball is headed to a Major League Problem, and had better figure out a way to navigate those waters before striking the iceberg. The small market teams are just as important on the field as those big bucks squads.

Am all for athletes making as much as they can during their rather brief playing careers, But it's high time MLB took a page from the playbook of the NFL and NBA and established a salary cap. The current system, with teams paying a "luxury tax" for spending north of a certain total, just isn't working. How can it? The Mets finished fourth in their division with the HIGHEST team salary in all of baseball -- over $353 million. The New Yorkers now owe $101 million in luxury tax.

 Eight of the 30 teams had payrolls north of $203 million. And where were our Milwaukee Brewers? Listed at 20th overall, just under $119 million. The woeful, and soon to be in Las Vegas, Oakland A's were dead last at not quite $56 million -- probably what three or four Dodgers make combined.

Pete Rozelle had a vision for the NFL when he was commissioner in the 1960s and 1970s. He helped guide the league to balance with salary caps and revenue sharing. And brought in TV deals that made clubs solvent.

Rozelle would be thrilled with the 2023 NFL. As I write this, there are 19 of the 32 teams with a .500 or better record, plus another four (including the Packers) just a couple games off. That means 71.88% of the league is competitive.

Rozelle was fond of stating "on any given Sunday..." to indicate that each and every team had a shot at winning. After last week's Carolina win, the team's second in 16 games, I just might believe him.

A Happy Christmas & Merry New Year to All! And all the best to everyone in 2024!

Flushed Down The Bowl -- College Football Style

 The college football bowl season is WAY over-crowded. Too many piss-poor, sub-.500 teams competing. That's for sure.

Add to that the growing number of players who either sit out because they are A) turning pro or B) entering the transfer portal.

It's damn frustrating. Especially when you're part of the Capitol One Bowl Mania pick 'em contest. But I digress.

I certainly understand college players skipping the game to concentrate on turning pro or switching campuses. Why risk injury? But it sure takes the luster off of the bowl games.

That's why the Wisconsin Badgers won't be facing LSU's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Jayden Daniels, on New Year's Day. And why there will be at least 6 Wisconsin starters missing from the lineup.

No surprise that the Milwaukee took away some of the outfield logjam this week by sending Tyrone Taylor, and pitcher Adrian Houser (both in their early 30s), to the New York Mets for a young pitching prospect, Coleman Crow, who is coming off Tommy John surgery.

The Milwaukee outfield is pretty crowded with Christian Yelich (who, I think, will see more and more DH time), Garrett Mitchell (coming off injury), Sal Frelich and Joey Wiemer. Toss in Jackson Chourio, whom the team signed to an 8-year contract worth $82 million. This for a 19-year-old guy who has only played SIX games at the Triple A level of baseball. Risky, but in the long term might be a blessing. He's a talent that comes along once in a while. Might as well invest and watch him grow.

Next up on the Brewer checklist -- what to do with pitcher Corbin Burns. Keep him until his contract runs out at the end of the 2024 season, trade him now during the "Hot Stove" part of baseball's offseason or hang onto him, see how competitive the team is and then trade him at the deadline. It would, after all, be better to part with Burnsie and get something for him rather than have him walk and the club get bupkis.

No matter what the decision, I doubt we will see Burns in Brewer blue after the 2024 season ends.

Saw that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently fell and broke a hip. Loved that guy while he was a Milwaukee Buck, respected him as a Laker and didn't begrudge him wanting to leave the Midwest for the West Coast. That skyhook of his was unstoppable. And it seems that Giannis has taken over as the franchise leader in points and rebounds (passing Kareem) and in assists. If they stay healthy, I think the Bucks are headed for another championship.

Green Bay Packer defensive coordinator Joe Barry continues to be under fire due to the squad's failures this season. Perhaps we need to look behind Barry and head coach Matt Lafleuer, and lay the blame more at the feet of team president & chief operating officer Mark Murphy. It was Murphy, after all, who restructured things at 1265 Lombardi Avenue to include his office more in the football operations.

Perhaps it is Murphy, not Lafleur, calling the shots on keeping Barry around.

Still, with all the internal sniping that has come out this week (De'Vondre Campbell's cryptic text message, then refusal to explain), the continued absence of Jaire Alexander, one of the highest paid cornerbacks in the league, etc,, all seem to point to a cancer festering in the offices and lockerroom. Granted, I don't have insight here other than looking in and formulating a theory. But if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, well it must be a duck.

Farewell To A Mentor, Friend

One of my contacts in the Fox Valley, Stevie Wonder, emailed this week with sad news for me. The passing of Dave Grey in Oshkosh at the age of 78.

Dave was the sports editor at the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern who hired a high school sophomore in the summer of 1969 to be a sports stringer, covering Wautoma High School sports and sending the stories in by teletype.

Dave was my mentor, my friend and absolutely the best sports editor I worked with -- and I worked with five while at the ODN. He went from the sports desk to City Editor, Business Editor and other positions in his long career with the Northwestern, joining the paper out of college at was then Wisconsin State University-Oshkosh.

As a mentor, he took the time to go over stories I would write for the experience, providing notes and edits. I would, from time to time, get up at 5 a.m. to make the 45-minute drive to get to the ODN sports desk by 6:30 on a Saturday morning to work and learn from him, Stew Reickman and Bob Knaak. He offered me a chance to stay as a stringer when I went to college in Oshkosh. Many Friday nights during the high school football and basketball seasons, we would work late getting a start on the Saturday paper, then hustle over to the dive bar across the street to have a beer or two before closing time.

Great newspaper man, great friend. I'm sure he'll be missed by many. RIP Dave.

As a stockholder in the Green Bay Packers, I know my voice carries no more power than many others when it comes to the team.

But I'm sure a vast majority in PackerNation will agree with me. Joe Barry has got to go!

His defensive schemes and play calling are just awful. Green Bay is 6-8 after getting torched by Tampa Bay's Baker Mayfield, 34-20. This on the heels of a late-game collapse against the New York Giants on Monday. Hell, go over the schedule and it's easy to think the Pack could be (should be) 11-3 or at least 9-5.

Have to let Barry finish out the season, though. Doesn't look like there's anybody on the staff that could step in.

Hope the team has Jimmy Leonard on speed-dial in Green Bay!

Kevin Rhode, who was a three-sport star at Neenah High School, is cheering for Virginia these days. His son, Andrew, is a sophomore  6-foot 6-inch starting guard for Tony Bennett's basketball team, averaging 6 points a game. The younger Rhode played his high school ball at Brookfield and was a starter for St. Thomas-Minnesota last season.