Welcome to Saturday Scorecard. May your Father's Day weekend be pleasant, and much drier than the soggy slog that preceded it.
On to the notes...
Rivers deep: Former Marquette University standout Doc Rivers is a victory away from guiding the Boston Celtics to the NBA Championship.
That's an amazing position considering much of New England wanted Rivers fired last season.
The addition of veterans Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen must have lifted Rivers' basketball IQ, because he is on the brink of out-coaching legendary Phil Jackson.
Although most Celtics fans (and NBA crooked-ref conspiracy theorists) would love to see the victory party rage on the home hardwood, a victory on Sunday - Father's Day - would have special meaning to Rivers.
Rivers' father, Grady, died of cancer in November. Rivers skipped the second game of the season - a Friday night in Toronto - to be with his family. He returned to Boston, coached two games, attended the funeral Saturday morning in Mayfield, Ill., and was back on the bench that evening in New Jersey.
Asked about his father at a press conference Friday, Rivers struggled to fight back tears.
"It's still very difficult for me to talk about because I haven't had a lot of time, really, to reflect on it. You know, it happened during the season unexpectedly. It's very, very difficult. But I do think about it. I think about it a lot."
Upon further review: Baseball commissioner Bud Selig's supporters call him deliberate. His detractors compare him to a glacier. Representatives from both camps were justifiably stunned with the news that Selig is considering instituting instant replay this season, possibly as soon as Aug. 1.
Reports indicate that only home run calls will be subject to review. At their meetings in November, the 30 general managers voted, 25-5, to allow replay on boundary calls.
Selig, who has been working to speed up play, initially planned to test replay during the Arizona Fall League but a slew of controversial plays in the first few months of the season prompted him to consider quicker action.
Things are going well for baseball right now, all things considered, and a blown home-run call in a key late-season or post-season game would be a huge embarrassment.
Shouldering burden: Brewers shortstop J.J. Hardy was sidelined Friday night and likely will miss the weekend series against Minnesota due to a strained left rotator cuff.
Hardy had surgery in 2004 to repair a torn left labrum, so the Brewers will err on the side of caution.
Homemade Soup: Brewers right-hander Jeff Suppan is 2-0 with a 1.50 earned run average in five starts this season at Miller Park.
In 29 career starts at Miller Park, Suppan is 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA.
No dum-dum: Congratulations to former Admirals center Peter DeBoer, who was named coach of the Florida Panthers. DeBoer, who had been with the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League, got the job on his 40th birthday.
"I am very excited about getting the opportunity to coach the Florida Panthers," DeBoer said in a statement. "I am looking forward to the challenge of guiding this franchise back to the playoffs and to putting a team on the ice that our fans in South Florida can be proud of."
The Panthers haven't won a playoff game since 1997 and haven't even played in the post-season since 2000.
DeBoer's nickname in the Admirals' locker room was "Dum-Dum."
Great taste, great cause: Former Brewers star Robin Yount unveiled "Robinade," his new lemonade brand, on Friday. Yount's endeavor, which will benefit the MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer), sounded a bit familiar but we didn't immediately know why...
Then, we remembered: Brewers radio announcer Bob Uecker, one of Yount's closest friends, unveiled "Bob Uecker's Squeeze Play Lemonade" about eight years ago. That beverage, which was produced by Black Bear Beverage in St. Francis.
Proceeds from Uecker's drink went to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin, one of Uecker's favorite charities. The label featured a picture of Uecker in a straw hat and carried the slogan "It's outta here."
Change of heart: Students and fans at Grafton High School were bummed to hear that Tom Diener has decided not to coach the boys basketball team next season. Diener, who said he had trouble selling his house on the South Side, said he doesn't want to coach next season.
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
