Vikings fans are breathing normally again now that Brett Favre is back.  Packers fans are greeting this with a collective yawn.  The real intrigue starts when the regular season begins (Sept. 7th for the Vikings in New Orleans).  So who’s the favorite in the NFC North?  Ironically, I don’t think Favre’s off season waffling should’ve been the Vikings biggest concern.  Their defensive secondary is a bit banged up, specifically their cornerbacks.  Cedric Griffin not expected to be ready for the opener after his serious knee injury.  Antoine Winfield was banged up at the end of the year last year and was reduced to a part time role.  How much does he have left?  E.J. Henderson’s comeback from that brutal broken leg has been astonishing.  But will he be the same player?  Sidney Rice has a hip problem and those migraines are back for Percy Harvin.  Oh, and then there’s Adrian Peterson’s fumbling issue.  How much is that in his head still? 

Across the border the Packers have Aaron Rodgers who’s quickly grown into one of the best quarterbacks in the league (I hesitate to call him “elite” like many of the national experts do because I think to be elite you need to win a playoff game or two first).  But the Packers are basically the same team they were when they gave up 51 points to Arizona in the playoffs.  GM Ted Thompson did nothing to address his lack of pass rush.  Clay Matthews is hurt and no one else has shown signs that they can be a threat to get to the quarterback.  Al Harris is coming back from a serious knee injury, although early reports are he could be ready for the opener.  The Packers are better on the offensive line at this point compared to last year and their punting situation should be better too.  But I’m not excited about their defense even though they finished with the top-ranked unit in the league last year (can’t believe I believe that, but it’s true).

This will be an ultra-tight race.  Consider this, the Vikings were one Brett Favre miracle (vs. San Fran) and one missed last second FG (by Baltimore) from finishing behind the Packers in the NFC North.  Everything seemed to bounce Minnesota’s way.  So the team to beat…..I have to go with the defending champs, the Vikings.  All things being equal, they have the better pass rush and that is so crucial in today’s pass-happy NFL.  Tell me your thoughts…

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Mike McCarthy says this is the best team they’ve assembled in Green Bay since he’s been head coach.  Several national experts say the Packers have the means to get to the Super Bowl this year.  But then again, in today’s NFL world,  about a dozen teams can say the same thing.  So here are some questions I’m pondering with training camp here and the regular season 6 months away:

1.  Do the Packers have enough depth on the defensive line to absorb the loss of DE Johnny Jolly?   Right now, I think “yes.”   The Packers are huge up front with BJ Raji in the middle, Ryan Pickett and Cullen Jenkins on the ends.   They’re size was one reason why the Packers were one of the best teams defending the run last year.  Second round draft pick Mike Neal will provide depth and just maybe Justin Harrell will offer something other than taking up a spot on injured reserve.  However, I don’t this the Packers can absorb a rash of injuries with this unit.

2.  Can the Packers still have a special season if Aaron Rodgers gets hurt?  In a word, “no.”  Rodgers is an elite talent right now.  It’s a major step down to Matt Flynn.  Flynn might be able to navigate the Packers to a couple of wins if Rodgers were to go down for a few weeks.  But if Rodgers suffers a season-ending injury, the season is over.

3.  Will the Packers find some added pass rush to help OLB Clay Matthews?  They better.  Since they didn’t make a major move in the off season to add a veteran at the other outside linebacker spot that tells me they’re willing to take their chances with second year player Brad Jones.   Jones showed flashes last year, but he’ll need to have a big year to help out the pass rush.  I also look for Cullen Jenkins to make more of an impact on passing downs.  If they don’t improve in this area you’ll see elite quarterbacks shred them a part like they did last year.

4.  Will we see the debacle on the offensive this year like we saw at the beginning of last year?  I don’t think so.  There’s much more depth at the o-line this year coming into camp.  Mark Tauscher is in camp this year, healthier and now 20 months removed from his serious knee injury.  Also, first rounder Bryan Bulaga and 5th rounder Marshall Newhouse offer better depth.  Plus, Jason Spitz is back from his back injuries that caused him to miss almost all of last season.  Not a lot of star power with this unit, but much better off than a year ago.

What are some of your questions/concerns heading into camp?

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The WIAA’s decision last week to go to 5 divisions for it’s girls and boys state basketball tournaments is certainly drawing some controversy.  I’ve ready many blogs on this topic.  It seems fans are overwhelmingly against this.  Coaches seem equally split between “we don’t need this” or “I’m fine with it either way” or “this helps us out.”  I guess it depends on how the new divisions affect them individually.  With that said I’ve taken a closer look at how this affects Coulee Region teams.  I’ve broken them down into two categories, “better off” and “worse off” with the idea of how it affects their chances of making it to state.

BOYS TEAMS BETTER OFF:

All 3 city teams–Central and Logan no longer have to go through a Madison area school to get to state.  That’s been the kiss of death for them for about two decades.  Central’s sectional matches them up with teams from the Eau Claire, Wausau, Appleton and Oshkosh areas.  A really good Central ballclub will match up better with teams from those areas.  Logan drops down to division 2.  So not only do they not have to worry about Madison area schools but they are in a sectional that features 4 MVC rivals and a bunch of teams to the north and east that are similar in enrollment.  A really good Logan team could find an easier path to state with this group.  Aquinas stays in division 3 where they will be a favorite to make it to state out of their sectional most years.  None of the teams in their sectional is a perennial power or has the history the Blugolds have.

Holmen, Tomah—Same reasons as Central and Logan.  Both of these schools move from division 1 to division 2.  No more trips to Madison area for playoffs and for early round exits.  Holmen is back in division 2 which is where they were when they last made it to state in 2004.

G-E-T– OK, I know, they’re in the same sectional as Aquinas.  But G-E-T moves from division 2 to division 3.  Coach Wagner has some good teams on the horizon and they might have a team talented enough in the coming years to get past a team like Aquinas.  If they do, like I mentioned earlier, the rest of the schools in this sectional don’t scare you.

Blair-Taylor, Westby–Blair-Taylor made a memorable run to state last year in division 3.  But let’s face it, facing Racine St. Catherine’s in the semifinals was the “poster child”  game for the rural vs. urban controversy.  Even so, B-T gave them a good game.  So imagine how much better they will fare next season and down the road knowing there are all public schools and towns of similar size in their sectional.  Not only that, there will be no Aquinas, Racine St. Catherine’s or Whitefish Bay Dominican waiting for them in the pre-tournament or at the state tournament.  The private schools in division 4 are not perennial powers.  After going 0-6 at state, I think B-T head coach Randy Storlie will finally bring home a gold or silver ball soon.  Many of the same arguments can be used for Westby.  It seems Bob Constalie always has competitive teams and his ballclubs will fare favorably in this sectional as well.

Any local team in division 5–Looking at the division 5 sectional from our area, there are no powerhouse programs.  So if one of our area teams has a really good team, chances are better they can make a run at state.  Of course, Randolph moved to divison 5 as well (in another sectional).  So winning a state title will still be a daunting taske for anybody in division 5 from our area.

BOYS TEAMS WORSE OFF:

Onalaska–The past two seasons you could pretty much count on the Hilltoppers facing Northwestern in the Sectional final.  Well, Northwestern moves down to division 3 but Onalaska stayed in division 2 where they will face much better competition to get to state in their sectional.  In fact, Antigo made it to state last year in division one (althought they lose their best player).  Onalaska still has the talent to make it through this area’s sectional.  It will just be tougher.

Black River Falls– The Tigers went from a manageable division 2 sectional to a tougher division 3 sectionals that features Aquinas and an up and coming G-E-T.

GIRLS TEAMS BETTER OFF:

All 3 city teams–Basically, for the same reasons mentioned as the boys above.  Central girls don’t have to play Madison area teams although the schools in the Eau Claire and Oshkosh area are tough as well.  I think last year’s Logan team, even without Michelle Mueller, would’ve had a better chance of making it to state in the sectional they’re in now in division 2.  With their young talent I think their road to state became easier.  As for Aquinas,  no Cuba City waiting for them at Sectionals.  This is definetly better for the Blugold girls.

Holmen, Tomah—Same reasons as boys above.  Holmen girls did not fare well in division one.  They made it to state in division 2 in 2005.

Onalaska Luther, Westby– They move down to division 4.  They were in the same sectional as Aquinas (and Cuba City for that matter).  This new division 4 sectional gives Luther and Westby better shots at making it to state.

Independence–Now in division 5, they’re not in the same sectional as Barnevled any more, which typically has strong programs.

GIRLS TEAMS WORSE OFF:

There are no area girls teams that are significantly worse off in my opinion.  I think a team like West Salem, which moved down to division 3, did not gain much, if anything at all.

———–

I’ve been calling games at the boys and girls state tournament for the past 15 years.  Even though the five division format is being met with a lot of skepticism state-wide, I still think those are the best two weeks of the year.  I can’t wait to see how it works out, for better or worse.   What are your thoughts?

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Don’t expect the 2010 Packers draft class to have the same impact the 2009 class had.  Not even close.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  It speaks to the Packers talent on the roster now. 1st rounder Bryan Bulaga will be a back-up, unless there’s injuries.  So will 2nd rounder Mike Neal.  The only draft pick that might see significant playing time is 3rd rounder Morgan Burnett, a safety from Georgia Tech.  He could push Atari Bigby for a starting job.  I find giving a draft a grade right after it’s done is silly.  We really won’t know of the 2010 class will bare fruit for a few years.  With that said, I’ll offer my likes and dislikes:

LIKE–I like the fact Bryan Bulaga doesn’t have to be thrown into the fire right away.  The Packers say they’ll try him at left tackle first, where he can learn from Chad Clifton.  This is ideal because Mike McCarthy typically gives Clifton a lot of rest during training camp and during the week leading up to games to protect his aging knees.  So Bulaga will get more reps than the typical rookie back-up.  Keep in mind, Bulaga is only 21 years old.  So serving a year or two of apprenticeship under Clifton is ideal.  This was a draft that was supposedly deep on cornerbacks.  Yet, the Packers didn’t choose one.  That tells me the Packers are comfortable with the injured players that are coming back.  We’ll see if Al Harris will be able to contribute from the start.  But Will Blackmon and Pat Lee should be ready to go.  So I like that they didn’t feel like they had to reach for a CB.

DISLIKE-  I would’ve preferred a pass rusher with that first round pick.  Bulaga was a good, safe pick.  But I thought Jerry Hughes, who went to the Colts at the end of the first round, would be ideal.  The Packers need another pass rusher opposite Clay Matthews.  Right now, they basically have the same pass rush personnel they had at the end of last season and that wasn’t good enough.  Not only that, but a good pass rush can make mediocre cornerbacks better.  Visions of Brett Favre sitting in the pocket for 7-8 seconds like he did last year are still fresh in my head.  What did they do to improve that?  I also dislike the fact they didn’t draft  a punter in the late rounds.  The punting has been laughable in Green Bay since Ted Thompson inexcusably cut Jon Ryan a couple of seasons ago.  Why not take a shot at a punter in the late rounds?

What are your thoughts?

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Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy has made a point of starting seasons fast.  Truth is, he’s only done it once in his 4 years as head coach.  This years schedule, like last years, offers another chance to start fast.  The Packers open at Philadelphia, a winnable game now that the Eagles don’t have Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb is still a bit of an unknown.  Then it’s home to Buffalo, at Chicago and home to Detroit.   A 4-0, 3-1 start is reasonable.    A 6-0, 5-1 start is possible too.  To get there though the Packers can’t have the offensive line issues they had at the beginning of last season.  McCarthy must have his O-line settled and in a groove from the start.  That mess cost the Packers a fast start last year.  Another reason a fast start is crucial is the back end of the schedule is tough.  After the bye week in November the Packers will play 4 out of 5 on the road, including stops at Minnesota and New England.  The Packers have proven to be an excellent road team under McCarthy.  But it sure would be nice to have some wiggle room.  Last year the Packers went 7-1 in the second half of the season and got away with a bad start.  They defied conventional wisdom and would be wise not to tempt fate this year.

If you’re like me you’re probably going up and down the schedule and trying to come up with a final record for the Pack.  Keep in mind in today’s NFL the talent is so even.  There really aren’t any great upsets anymore.  It’s not so much about “who” you play but more about “when” you play them.  Injuries play such a huge role.  With that said,  I’m giving the Packers a repeat of 11-5, maybe 12-4 if they avoid major injuries.

By the way, did you see how the NFL took care of the Brett Favre Vikings?  4 of their last 5 games will be played indoors.

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Many of us on the WIAA Basketball Tournament TV broadcast crew lost a dear friend this week.  Longtime statistician Don Kerr passed away while on vacation in Florida.  If you watched our broadcasts you didn’t see him but he sat immediately to my right, literally my right-hand man.  He kept track of just about everything on his yellow notepad.  Nobody understood his system but when some interesting or pertinent information was needed he delivered in a timely fashion.  He gave our broadcasts a big-time feel and made all us announcers sound smarter.  It was information like….”this team has more turnovers than shot attempts”  or “this is their first lead since it was 4-2″ or “this is their biggest lead of the game”.  That’s just a small sample of the info he provided to enhance the broadcast.  He was brilliant.

I started calling boys and girls games at state in 1996.  Don was there for my first game, a Logan girls vs. Pulaski quarterfinal.  I was the announcer for his last game, this year’s division one girls championship between Pius and DePere.  I remember doing a girls game between South Shore and Elkhart Lake that featured future UW Badgers star Jolene Anderson.  It was a high-scoring game that set numerous individual and team scoring records.  By the end of the game, records were dropping so fast it seemed Don was handing me a piece of information about a new record after every basket.  Afterwords, we couldn’t stop talking about how much fun that game was.  Don did  the stats for the TV crew for more than 30 years, only missing one year.  The State Basketball Tournament won’t be the same without him.

Don was also a great storyteller.  It seemed he new everybody.  He actually began his coaching career at Cashton HS where he led the Eagles to a conference title in the early ’60’s.  He only spent 5 years there but had one of the most successful stretches of any boys basketball coach there.

Don was also a friend and confident.  Each year when we’d get together we’d update each other on our families.  We talk about our kids (and his grandkids) and how great our wives are.  We talked about how he lost a child to leukemia at age 4.  I will miss my friend Don Kerr.  He was 74.

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It’s ladies night….The WIAA post-season begins for Wisconsin’s girls basketball teams this week.  Here are some thoughts on our local teams:

Div. 1:  The only team I see with a chance to make it to state is Logan and that road became much bumpier with the loss of senior Michelle Mueller to a knee injury.  Before she was injured I thought Logan was a lock to receive the #1 seed in their sectional.  But they received a #2 instead with Middleton a #1.  The Rangers still have the talent to get to state.  Losing their emotional leader and best all-around player will make it more difficult.  Kudos, to Central’s and Coach Ambrose for securing a winning season.  A once proud program that was among the state’s elite for most of the ’90’s has fallen on hard times since the late ’90’s.  Perhaps their 12-10 record is a sign that better days are ahead.

Div. 2:  West Salem went undefeated in the Coulee Conference this season yet only received a #3 seed.  When has that ever happened?  Obviously, many think the Coulee Conference was down this year.  Still, Mike Malott’s teams have made a history of making it Sectionals, so he’ll have them ready.  Sparta is the #2 seed in our local Regional after taking second in the MVC.  Coach Greg Dull is another coach who’s taken teams into the sectionals as well.  Going to be tough for either team to advance further though.

Div. 3:  Westby is a team on the rise and Aquinas did better than I expected this season after losing some talented girls from last year.  Aquinas has made it a habit of making it to Sectionals and I wouldn’t be surprised if they get their again.   Arcadia is the #1 seed in our area’s Regional.  No matter who survives locally top-ranked Cuba City awaits on the other side of the bracket.  If any local team makes it to state from this Sectional it would be major upset.

Div. 4:  How about the Seneca girls?  They went 22-0.  Where did they come from?  They handled the pressure of being undefeated with poise towards the end of the season.  But the post-season is a different bird.  This Sectional is loaded with talented small schools.  Independence, Cashton, Royall and Weston are all teams with a shot to get to state as well.  This is a sectional worth keeping an eye on.  I’ll go with Seneca to make it to state for the first time since 1983.

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Let the Magic of March begin (that’s right the “Magic of March”, not “March Madness”…that’s for the NCAA Tournament). The WIAA released it’s brackets for the boys Sunday.  Here’s a breakdown, along with some  thoughts and predictions:

Div. 1:  No local team was worthy enough to earn a home game in the first round.  Most of the power in this Sectional is in Madison.  Central is a 9th seed, Holmen a 10th and Logan 12th.  Doesn’t look good when you’re in the same sectional as state powers Madison East and Madison Memorial.  With that said, I give Central the best chance to win their first round game.  They take on Baraboo.  But the winner takes on top-seed Madison East.  Coach Todd Fergot has used a lot of players this season in the games I saw in person.  So they have good depth but will have to play a perfect game to spring an upset in the 2nd round and move on.

Div. 2:  Onalaska may provide the best opportunity to advance to state from our area.  A potential match-up with underrated G-E-T awaits in the Regional Final.  If they win there, they should make it to the Sectional Final for a re-match with Northwestern, a team they barely lost to in the Sectional Final last year.  Northwestern has been without their top player all season because of injury.  This time I think the Hilltoppers will get them.

Div. 3:  This regional is loaded in our area.  There are two teams that made it to state last year (Blair-Taylor and Aquinas).  But they’re not even the top seeds.  Those went to Coulee rivals Arcadia and Westby, who’ve been fighting it out for the conference title all season.  Whitehall, behind one of the state’s top scorers Ryan Sygulla won the Dairyland Conference.  See what I mean, loaded.  Circle Saturday, March 6th on your calender for a potential Arcadia vs. B-T match-up or Arcadia vs. Whitehall.  On that same day look for a Westby vs. Aquinas showdown.   Then on Friday, March 12th the winners of those two games will meet at Central HS in the Sectional semifinal.  Then, if you survive that, undefeated Cuba City will likely await on the other side of that bracket with the winner going to state.  So, while there are some state-worthy teams in DIv. 3 in our area clearing that last hurdle will be the toughest.

Div. 4:

Our area’s div. 4 regional and sectional lacks some star power.  No ranked teams at all from the area.  With that said, the door is open for a good team to get hot and make it to state.  North Crawford is a candidate.  The Ridge and Valley champs were ranked for much of the season early on.  Otherwise, it’s up for grabs.

Let the games begin Tuesday, March 2nd.  Can’t wait to see how it breaks down.  Perhaps a local team will raise a gold ball on March 20th.  See you court side at the Kohl Center.

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Another Sports Connection Banquet is in in the books.  Sunday night we crowned winners in seven different categories in an all-star gala at the La Crosse Center Ballroom. We also inducted three new members into the Greater La Crosse Sports Connection Hall of Fame.  As the MC I had a front row seat to the excitement and the emotion.  Here are some random thoughts I came away with:

–Caledonia supports it’s programs as much as any town in our area.  What a great contingent they brought.  They must have a monopoly on great coaches.  Girls basketball coach Scott Sorenson won Coach of the Year.  It’s the second year in a row a Caledonia coach has won the award (football coach Carl Fruechte last year).

–I was reminded that even though we’re considered “small market”  we can produce some big time talent. We had a future UW Badger (Michelle Mueller), two future Gophers (Bobby Juan and Isaac Fruechte) and a current Iowa Hawkeye (Karl Klug) up for awards.

–I think I’ve figured out why Michelle Mueller is so good…confidence.  Every time I’ve seen her compete she always seems to have a smile…a confident smile.   I’m sure she’ll approach her rehab from her knee injury with the same confidence and have a terrific career as a UW softball player.

–Dick Bennett is about as humble a person as I’ve ever met.  Everybody I spoke with afterwords talked about how they enjoyed his message. His main message is that successful people aren’t afraid to fail, they’re not afraid to take risk.  Afterword, we talked briefly and he apologized for not being at his best.  I thought he was very compelling and his message was well delivered.

–Terry Erickson gave a very eloquent speech about his friend, Derrick Kroll, who was inducted into the Wall of Fame posthumously.  Erickson talked about “privilege.”  It was a privilege to have Derrick in his life.  What a tremendous compliment to someones life.  It raised a question for me…which people in your life are you “privileged” to know?

Let me know your thoughts.

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I not a big fan of “best ever” lists.  Especially when I hear it debated endlessly talk radio.  Questions like who’s the best quarterback of all-time?  Who’s better  Kobe, LeBron or Jordan?  Too many variables to consider and there is no wrong answer.  With that said, when I heard the news about Logan’s Michelle Mueller season ending knee injury, I couldn’t help but wonder…was she the best female prep athlete this area has ever seen? I’ve been covering local sports in the La Crosse area since 1990 and I thought long and hard about this.  Look at Michelle’s resume’.   She was a varsity starter in three sports (volleyball, basketball, and softball) since her freshman year.   Not only that, she earned all-state recognition in all three sports.  As many of you know, Mueller will head to U of Wisconsin next fall on a softball scholarship.  The only other person I can remember that’s close to her is Kelley Paulus.  The former Central star was an all-stater in basketball and played collegiately at Wisconsin.  I also remember Paulus as an excellent volleyball and softball player.  Another person that came mind is Holmen’s Kristi Johnson.  Johnson was an outstanding basketball player, who played collegiately at Marquette and was also a multi-sport star….although I’m not sure to the extent Mueller was.   West Salem’s Courtney Oldenburg made it to the state meets in all three sports she competed (cross country, gymnastics, track) in all four years of her prep career.

There have been other athletes who have excelled at one sport and received Div. 1 scholarships.  But I think Michelle could’ve played division one in all three of her sports.  With that said, I feel comfortable saying Michelle Mueller is the best female athlete the Coulee Region has ever seen.  What do you think?  Is there anybody else I’m missing (may be from before my time)?  Who else would you put in her category?

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