Sports fans know all about the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Those emotions come with the territory. So do frustration and confusion. In that spirit, here is Volume XXVIMCXVIIXCI of "Stuff that Bugs Me."
1. So Tom Brady has married Gisele Bundchen. Mr. All-American. Mr. Clean Cut. Mr. "I Want My Daughter Top Meet A Guy Like This." Except that he started dating Ms. Bundchen when his old girlfriend, actress Bridget Moynahan, who's nothing to sneeze at, was three months pregnant with their child. The baby's name is John. Brady is Mr. Scuzzball. Welcome sports version of the Brad and Angelina show.
2. Back when I worked at a newspaper (anyone remember newspapers?), we used to joke about the "Milwaukee Complex." It's kind of an inferiority complex mixed with some jealousy. The complex manifested itself in the way we would stake a claim to notable people with even a passing connection to the city. The example we used was "Babe Ruth, who once flew over Milwaukee, hit 60 home runs last season." Apparently, we still have that complex. I love Gary D'Amato of the Journal Sentinel. But his story Saturday about figure skater Allissa Czisny was just like the old days. The headline said Cizisny has "utilized Pettit ice." The cutline of the photo says "Czisny, of Bowling Green, Ohio, has come to Milwaukee on many occasions to visit relatives." The story barely mentions her visits to Milwaukee, except to say that she's got relatives here and that she visits about once a year. There are baseball players who visit Milwaukee a lot more than Czisny. About the only thing "Milwaukee" about her is the weird spelling of her last name.
3. I can't believe how expensive it is to park around the Bradley Center. Last week, I went to an Admirals game and took my grandson to the Auto Show. Total parking was $30. My admission for the two of us to the Auto Show was $5. The parking was $15. Ever get the feeling that you're being ripped off? And speaking of parking and ripping, does anyone else want to take those new meters with the numbers on them and the central pay station downtown and rip them out by their roots and throw them in the junk pile reserved for old refrigerators?
4. I think covering spring training can be about the toughest thing in the world for a sportswriter. Everybody's happy. I'm sure Drew Olson could talk about this forever. But I wish some sportswriters would work a little harder. When I see a story from spring training with the headline, "Hitters Work to Avoid Deep Slumps" I've got to wonder: is this news? I think it would be news if the hitters were working to welcome deep slumps.
5. Friday is a big day. It's the one-year anniversary of Brett Favre's retirement speech. That would be the perfect day, THE PERFECT DAY, to announce the retirement of Favre's jersey. The Packers are bigger than any feud. This is one of the most hallowed franchises in sports history. It's time to act like it.
6. I'm really bummed by Dominic James' injury. I remember the past two off-seasons when there was this debate about him turning pro. I could make a good argument that James is only the third-best guard on the Golden Eagles' roster. But he's an articulate guy with a great game for a player his size. With him, the Golden Eagles stood a chance of doing some damage in the tournament. Without him, not so much. Marquette's a good team. But it's not really in league with the big boys.
7. Did anybody else love seeing Barack Obama at the Bulls-Wizards game the other night? He dressed casually and sat next to a little kid, Obama knew enough to throw a fist pump when Kurt Hinrich hit a three-pointer. Somehow, our past president -- who was a major league baseball owner -- didn't seem like much of a sports fan. This president does.
8. I shake my head in wonder at the mess that is the racetrack at State Fair Park. I don't know why I should be shocked -- government is involved. In this case, state government. What needs to happen is that the state should get out of the way. The Milwaukee Mile is a special place, despite the best efforts of politicians and political appointees to wreck it. We better do something now before they ruin it forever.
With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.
He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.
This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.
Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.
