Some weekend sports tidbits that have absolutely nothing to do with the Packers:
The Badgers red jerseys seem to be missing some ink. That crisp cardinal color that jumped out is now faded … like someone hit the hot button and tossed a load in the wrong pile of wash. The white numbers are smaller too. Who tinkered with the shirts?
Bret Bielema was calm and under control along the sidelines during most of the Badgers 34-10 victory over Western Illinois on Saturday. He showed keen clock management skills, using timeouts before halftime when the Leathernecks had the football and tried to run out the clock. Despite having the lead, Bielema wanted the ball back and a shot to put more points on the scoreboard.
Former Badgers coach Barry Alvarez seemed out of place standing on the field during timeouts, shaking hands with major sponsors and award winners. Yeah, that’s part of his job now … but you half expected him to grab a headset.
These new clock rules in college football to help speed up the game are a joke. There was a simple fix here: adopt the clock rules of the NFL. Instead, the clock now rolls as soon as the official sets the ball down following a kickoff. In close games, teams better hustle onto the field and kick the special teams guys off toot sweet. Valuable time ticks away while nothing happens. Ridiculous. I have a solution. Don’t stop the clock to move the chains. They still do that, and I’m sure the chain gangs can hustle up and set that marker down without much extra effort being exhausted.The Bucks are supposed to unveil their new uniforms sometime in September, but if you want a sneak peak, EA Sports NBA Live 2007 has the video version of the Bucks sporting the new garb.
Meanwhile at the ballpark, Daron and Bill’s Buckethead Brigade failed to sellout last Tuesday night against the Dodgers. With more television emphasis on the game, and not the fun going on in the stands, the left-field bunch isn’t getting as much face time.
Speaking of faces, have you noticed on this Web site and others that carry the Brewers game promotion who the featured player has been of late? Tony Graffanino! Why in the world would you plaster a guy who has zero appeal and is a rental property at second base all over Web site and newspaper billboards? Give me the name of ONE person who sees that ad, and decides he’s heading to Miller Park, because he can’t miss the showdown between Roger Clemens and the Brewers latest patchwork pickup from Kansas City.
Racine Park is now 1-2, and the defending Division 1 State Champs better find a way to fix the problems fast. Hard to believe that any team with running back John Clay can’t just overpower and outscore an opponent, but the senior can’t do it all. Burlington nipped the Panthers last Friday, 14-13, because Park had 12 penalties totaling 100 yards … most of them, wiping out efforts by Clay. He can carry a team on his back, unless the team fails to execute.
Bob currently does play-by-play at Time Warner Cable Sports 32, calling Wisconsin Timber Rattlers games in Appleton as well as the area high school football and basketball scene. During an earlier association with FS Wisconsin, his list of teams and duties have included the Packers, Bucks, Brewers and the WIAA State Championships.
During his life before cable, Bob spent seven seasons as a reporter and producer of "Preps Plus: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel High School Sports Show."
And the joke is, Bob has a golf shirt from all four Milwaukee television stations. Sad, but true: Bob has had sports and news anchor/reporter/producer stints at WTMJ, WISN, WDJT and WITI.
His first duty out of college (UW-Oshkosh) was radio and TV work in Eau Claire. Bob spent nearly a decade at WEAU-TV as a sports director and reporter.
You may have heard Bob's pipes around town as well. He has done play-by-play for the Milwaukee Mustangs, Milwaukee Iron, and UW-Milwaukee men's and women's basketball. Bob was the public address announcer for five seasons for both the Marquette men and women's basketball squads. This season, you can catch the starting lineups of the UW-Milwaukee Panther men's games with Bob behind the mic.
A Brookfield Central graduate, Bob's love and passion for sports began at an early age, when paper football leagues, and Wiffle Ball All Star Games were all the rage in the neighborhood.
