The words ring true in the old Gene Pitney song:
"It isn’t very pretty what a town without pity can do."
Well, never let it be said that I am without pity. As I watch the steady decline of sports in Wisconsin, I find myself feeling pity for a bunch of people and teams. Pity is something I feel when something bad happens and I feel sorry for the person it happened to. Here’s the list of some of those I pity. Next week, I’ll list those who don’t get any of my pity at all.
Mark Attanasio: It’s tough to pity a guy who is young, good looking, hangs around with Hollywood types and has millions of dollars. You’ve heard the question - how much is enough? Well, I pity him because he doesn’t have enough money to turn the Milwaukee curse around. He talks about hiking the payroll by $40 million. In order to end this curse, he’s going to have to hike it by $200 million. The curse is bad luck, injuries, some bad decisions, players tanking it, you name it. Even this year, with a good and exciting roster, the Brewers can’t play .500 baseball. If that’s not a curse, I don’t know what is.
Brett Favre: Watch him on the field, still strong-armed, still nimble. And he spends most of his time directing players to be in the right positions. Are these guys stupid or just dumb? After two months, how in the world can they not know where to be before the snap? Did the dog eat their Wunderlich results before Ted Thompson could see them? For Favre, this will truly be the season of his discontent.
Michelle Wie: How in the world can I pity a very attractive 16-year-old girl worth millions of dollars with a golf swing most of us would kill to have? Easy. She’s turning into a freak show with this thing about playing on the PGA tour. In her last tournament she finished dead last and wasn’t even close to making the cut. A 16-year-old boy would have a tough time on the tour. Scott Verplank, a Ryder Cup member and a veteran of the tour put it best. "Tell her to go play the ladies tour and win a bunch of tournaments and maybe, just maybe, come back here and play a men’s event when she’s 21 or 22 years old," Verplank said. "She’s got no business out here." It’s apparent that the moneygrubbers are intent on making a bundle off her quickly and not doing what’s best for Michelle. It’s a pity.
The Admirals: Milwaukee’s hockey team, complete with new logo that looks like a person who’s been dead for 50 years, is very close to opening its season. Can’t you just feel the excitement? For 30-some years the Admirals have been kicking at the door, trying to make a dent in the panorama of Milwaukee sports. Hasn’t happened yet and for the life of me, I can’t understand why normally smart people like the new ownership group, thinks it can do something that Jane Pettit, with her unmatched deep pockets, couldn’t do. There are three reasons the Admirals won’t be a success in this city. No. 1, it’s hockey. No. 2, it’s minor league. No. 3, it’s hockey.
Herb Kohl: Another rich guy who I feel sorry for. Isn’t it amazing how the poor can pity the rich? But, here’s a guy who has spent millions and millions of dollars and has not really come close to an NBA title. He’s made some questionable decisions and has followed some questionable advice. But he’s been loyal and honest and he deserves to get some joy out of his investment of time, money and devotion. Unfortunately, he’s still a long way away.
Geoff Jenkins: The Brewers outfielder that nobody loves. He’s a guy who gives 100 percent every time he takes the field. He keeps his mouth shut no matter what slings and arrows are hurled his way. He’s a guy who has hit about .280 over his career. He hits home runs and he’s good in the field. But, he’s become a whipping boy for the critics and is being used as a prime example of why Ned Yost should be fired. And he says his favorite movie is "Dumb and Dumber."
Packers fans: And I number myself among them so this is also a case of self-pity. No matter what the evidence, we believe. We believe we are a couple of plays and a couple of players away. Our love is like Cyrano’s -- unrequited. We are a sad, sad group of people. We’ll argue with anyone who disses our team. We think Ahmad Carroll still has a chance to be a great cornerback. Our favorite movie is also "Dumb and Dumber."
These are the folks for whom I feel sorry. Next week, the people who get no pity at all.
"It isn’t very pretty what a town without pity can do."
Well, never let it be said that I am without pity. As I watch the steady decline of sports in Wisconsin, I find myself feeling pity for a bunch of people and teams. Pity is something I feel when something bad happens and I feel sorry for the person it happened to. Here’s the list of some of those I pity. Next week, I’ll list those who don’t get any of my pity at all.
Mark Attanasio: It’s tough to pity a guy who is young, good looking, hangs around with Hollywood types and has millions of dollars. You’ve heard the question - how much is enough? Well, I pity him because he doesn’t have enough money to turn the Milwaukee curse around. He talks about hiking the payroll by $40 million. In order to end this curse, he’s going to have to hike it by $200 million. The curse is bad luck, injuries, some bad decisions, players tanking it, you name it. Even this year, with a good and exciting roster, the Brewers can’t play .500 baseball. If that’s not a curse, I don’t know what is.
Brett Favre: Watch him on the field, still strong-armed, still nimble. And he spends most of his time directing players to be in the right positions. Are these guys stupid or just dumb? After two months, how in the world can they not know where to be before the snap? Did the dog eat their Wunderlich results before Ted Thompson could see them? For Favre, this will truly be the season of his discontent.
Michelle Wie: How in the world can I pity a very attractive 16-year-old girl worth millions of dollars with a golf swing most of us would kill to have? Easy. She’s turning into a freak show with this thing about playing on the PGA tour. In her last tournament she finished dead last and wasn’t even close to making the cut. A 16-year-old boy would have a tough time on the tour. Scott Verplank, a Ryder Cup member and a veteran of the tour put it best. "Tell her to go play the ladies tour and win a bunch of tournaments and maybe, just maybe, come back here and play a men’s event when she’s 21 or 22 years old," Verplank said. "She’s got no business out here." It’s apparent that the moneygrubbers are intent on making a bundle off her quickly and not doing what’s best for Michelle. It’s a pity.
The Admirals: Milwaukee’s hockey team, complete with new logo that looks like a person who’s been dead for 50 years, is very close to opening its season. Can’t you just feel the excitement? For 30-some years the Admirals have been kicking at the door, trying to make a dent in the panorama of Milwaukee sports. Hasn’t happened yet and for the life of me, I can’t understand why normally smart people like the new ownership group, thinks it can do something that Jane Pettit, with her unmatched deep pockets, couldn’t do. There are three reasons the Admirals won’t be a success in this city. No. 1, it’s hockey. No. 2, it’s minor league. No. 3, it’s hockey.
Herb Kohl: Another rich guy who I feel sorry for. Isn’t it amazing how the poor can pity the rich? But, here’s a guy who has spent millions and millions of dollars and has not really come close to an NBA title. He’s made some questionable decisions and has followed some questionable advice. But he’s been loyal and honest and he deserves to get some joy out of his investment of time, money and devotion. Unfortunately, he’s still a long way away.
Geoff Jenkins: The Brewers outfielder that nobody loves. He’s a guy who gives 100 percent every time he takes the field. He keeps his mouth shut no matter what slings and arrows are hurled his way. He’s a guy who has hit about .280 over his career. He hits home runs and he’s good in the field. But, he’s become a whipping boy for the critics and is being used as a prime example of why Ned Yost should be fired. And he says his favorite movie is "Dumb and Dumber."
Packers fans: And I number myself among them so this is also a case of self-pity. No matter what the evidence, we believe. We believe we are a couple of plays and a couple of players away. Our love is like Cyrano’s -- unrequited. We are a sad, sad group of people. We’ll argue with anyone who disses our team. We think Ahmad Carroll still has a chance to be a great cornerback. Our favorite movie is also "Dumb and Dumber."
These are the folks for whom I feel sorry. Next week, the people who get no pity at all.
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.
