Nankivil, Leuer react to test against OU big menBy Jordan Schelling
The Badger Herald
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Football recap, OWI story 11/9
Wisconsin escapes Bloomington with winBy Jordan Schelling
The Badger Herald
By Matt Marx and Jordan Schelling
The Badger Herald
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Milwaukee can't repeat last year's offseason mistakes
In case you missed it amid all the hype surrounding last night’s football game, the Milwaukee Brewers made a couple of big, if not surprising moves Monday.
Immediately following a disappointing 80-82 season that everyone saw coming, the Brew Crew agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract with closer Trevor Hoffman. General Manager Doug Melvin also announced they would keep manager Ken Macha for 2010.
Does that not just make you want to run out in the streets and celebrate?!?
I mean, what better way to start the most important offseason of Melvin’s career in Milwaukee than to re-sign an aging closer and confirm he will keep the league’s most boring manager. If that doesn't make fans want to buy season tickets, I don't know what will.
In all honesty, Hoffman had a phenomenal year in 2009 (especially considering he’ll be 42 next week) with a 1.55 ERA and 37 saves, but banking $8 million on the chance he will be able to duplicate that in 2010 is quite a risk.
As for Macha, he makes me want to go to sleep every time I read his quotes in the paper. For example, on the announcement of his return in 2010, he was dull at best:
“I'm fine with what happened," Macha said. "I told Doug to do whatever he thinks is best."
Really? You told Doug to do what he thinks is best? Well, I sure am glad you told your boss to do his job. That is managing at its best right there.
Just once, I would love to see some emotion out of the 59-year-old, white-haired skipper. I'm not saying he should go all Bobby Knight circa 1985 and start throwing chairs onto the field, but not a single ejection in the entire season? It's like he doesn't even care.
Of course, Macha seems to fit in well with the Brewers’ front office personnel. Melvin is not exactly one for bold moves, so to re-sign a guy that is about as exciting as watching paint dry is hardly a surprise.
What the Brewers need is to clean house this offseason. Well, in the pitching staff at least.
Aside from Yovani Gallardo, Hoffman and Todd Coffey, there is no one on the staff that is not expendable. In fact, most of the Brewers who toed the rubber this season deserve to be sent back to the minors or sent packing in a hurry.
Manny Parra has continually failed to meet expectations and the time to cut him loose is now. Jeff Suppan is about as overpaid as a pitcher can be and Dave Bush just is not consistent.
It was obvious entering the season that without CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets, the Brewers’ pitching staff would be mediocre at best. They overperformed for the first three months before finally falling back to Earth.
Milwaukee finished last or in the bottom three in nearly every pitching category, despite having one of the league’s top closers and a strong ace in Gallardo. With that kind of performance, it is time to bid farewell to guys like Parra, Suppan and Bush.
The last thing the Brewers need this offseason is a repeat of last year’s disappointing moves. Aside from the Hoffman signing (which they’ve already duplicated!) and the arrival of Macha (another repeat, success!) they did nothing worthwhile.
Sure, Braden Looper was a serviceable starter every fifth day, but he was not exactly the type of big-name-front-end-of-the-rotation guy Milwaukee needed.
Just look at the Yankees: They signed all the pitchers the Brewers did not pursue (A.J. Burnett) or could not afford (Sabathia) and they went on to win the AL East. Obviously, the Brewers do not have the kind of bankroll to make those moves, but settling for Looper was an uninspiring decision.
As a Milwaukee fan, I felt let down by Melvin’s inability to go out and get someone to lead the Brewers pitching staff, or at the very least, provide a strong No. 2 behind Gallardo.
So, with my NFL team falling apart faster by the day (the 0-4 Tennessee Titans) and the fact that I have no interest in the NBA or the NHL regular seasons, my only hope in professional sports right now is, ironically enough, the Milwaukee Brewers.
Let’s just hope they can do something more exciting in the next three months than duplicating the previous offseason, especially since they have effectively already done that.
Football grades, Column 10/6
by Jordan Schelling
The Badger Herald
A Schelling for your Thoughts
The Badger Herald
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Football grades, Column 9/29
Grades: Tolzien receives perfectby Jordan Schelling
The Badger Herald
A Schelling for your Thoughts
The Badger Herald
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Football sidebar, Column 9/20
Ball security issues mar blowout victory over Terriers for Bret Bielema, BadgersThe Badger Herald
A Schelling for your Thoughts
The Badger Herald
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Football grades, Column 9/15
Grades: Badger scores average against Fresnoby Jordan Schelling
The Badger Herald
A Schelling For Your Thoughts
The Badger Herald
Monday, September 14, 2009
Football recap, W Soccer recap, 9/14
Badgers escape with double overtime victoryby Jordan Schelling
The Badger Herald
by Jordan Schelling
The Badger Herald
Friday, September 11, 2009
Football preview, Titans story, 9/11
UW looks for repeat vs. Fresnoby Jordan Schelling
The Badger Herald
by Jordan Schelling
Bleacher Report
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Football sidebar, 9/8 Column
Friday, September 4, 2009
Women's Soccer 9/4
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Fall 2009 Reg Issue
The Badger Herald
A Schelling For Your Thoughts
The Badger Herald
by Jordan Schelling
The Badger Herald
by Jordan Schelling
The Badger Herald
Monday, August 17, 2009
Y.E. Yang is the most popular man in South Korea
Be honest, before this weekend had you ever heard of Y.E. Yang? I had, but only once. Back on March 7, 2009 when Yang won the Honda Classic tournament by one shot over John Rollins in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. It was a meaningless win, unless you ask Yang — it was his first.
The next day I had all but forgotten Yang's name, and it stayed that way until Saturday. When Yang finished at 6-under and earned a spot in the final group, I recalled that March victory while many were left asking, "Y.E. Who?"
Nonetheless, Yang remained an outsider until he reached the 72nd hole Sunday. All afternoon spectators and CBS announcers were left wondering when he would lose it, or when Tiger Woods would be the Tiger of old and blow by the little-known Yang.
That never happened, however, as we all know now. Yang became the first Asian-born player to win a major tournament and the first player to knock off Woods after Eldrick owned a 54-hole lead in a major.
Fourteen times before Woods had led after 54 holes and each one of those 14 times he took home the trophy. In fact, Woods has never trailed after 54 holes in any of his 14 major victories. So, it seemed a foregone conclusion he would take home the Wanamaker Trophy Sunday.
Unfortunately for Woods, his playing partner had other ideas.
Unlike those before him who had averaged four more shots per round when playing with Woods in the final pairing of the final round of a major, Yang stood tall Sunday. He outshot Woods time and again, finishing with a 2-under par 70 to Woods' 75.
Add a crazy eight for Padraig Harrington on the eighth hole Sunday and it adds up to an impressive 3-shot victory for the South Korea native.
Yang's win is significant for two reasons: he has proven Asian-born golfers can and will be a threat in any major tournament and he broke Woods' streak of major wins as the frontrunner.
Either one would make for a huge story, but both in one win? Incredible story.
Yang did not just win a major either, he stood toe-to-toe with Woods and outplayed him in the final round of the PGA Championship. On the 72nd hole, when Woods, who sat one shot back, appeared to be in better position on his second shot, Yang hit the shot of his life.
The 37-year-old was unfazed by Woods' position across the fairway. Instead, he stepped up and crushed a hybrid 3-iron over a tree and bunker and within 12 feet of the cup, a shot reminiscent of one of Woods' best shots of his career when he finished 2nd at Hazeltine in the 2002 PGA Championship.
Woods, on the other hand, crumbled in the final round of a major for the first time.
Instead of taking control of the tournament and fending off any challengers, he played an overly conservative game, which led to his 3-over par 75, when even par would have at least earned him a playoff against Yang.
Instead of taking his sixth win of the year and avoiding a major-less season, Woods will have to wait until next year's Masters to earn his 15th major championship and continue his march toward Jack Nicklaus' 18th.
And what makes Yang's finish all the more impressive is his not-so-impressive start through 23 holes. After the fifth hole Friday, Yang sat at 5-over par, nine shots behind Woods at 4-under.
Over the last 49 holes, however, the two went in completely different directions. Woods would finish 1-under over that stretch while Yang was an incredible 13-under par en route to a 3-shot victory.
All this from a man who took up the game at the age of 19.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Mallards Recap 8/9
Anderson eliminates Madison from postseason with complete game:
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Prince Fielder does not like to get hit with baseballs
After watching the video of Prince Fielder letting expletives fly in his attempt to confront Guillermo Mota following last night's game, one question keeps running through my head. Has he lost his damn mind?
After Fielder was hit by a pitch in the ninth by Mota, he just stood at home plate and stared at him as he walked off the field. During the one time he had to show Mota just how upset he was about the pitch, he did nothing.
As has been repeated many times today in discussing Fielder's actions, there's an unwritten rule in baseball about what to do in just such a situation.
The "rule" dictates that Fielder should have gone to the mound and had it out with Mota right then and there, or be a man and walk to first base. What he should never have done is tried to force his way into the Dodgers' clubhouse 15 minutes after the fact.
Luckily for Fielder, his teammates and Dodgers' security were there to keep him from Mota, who was no where to be found, or this incident could have escalated into a much larger fine and longer suspension than he will likely already receive.
Obviously, there are more reasons to Fielder's actions than just the plunking itself. Mota was — in case you forgot — a member of the Brewers last season, the game was far out of reach and the pitch was clearly not intended to be thrown anywhere near the plate.
And let's not forget how bad the Brewers have been lately and how much they look like they could be in last place by the end of the month.
Even with all those things in mind, Fielder's postgame actions were absolutely absurd. You would think someone whose father was a three-time All-Star and World Series champion would understand the do's and don'ts of Major League Baseball.
Unfortunately for him, he doesn't, so now, we can all sit and wait to see how long Fielder will be suspended and how much he will have to pay. Instead of helping the Brewers find their way back into the NL Central Division race, Fielder will earn himself a spot on the bench for a few days in the near future.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Mallards feature 7/21
Right-hander Cody Winiarski chosen for South Division team in Northwoods League, to be played in Ontario, Canada:
by Jordan Schelling
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Surprise, Surprise: Sosa used PEDs
At this point, it's worth asking: is there anyone left in Major League Baseball who you would really be shocked to find out they used steroids?For me, there's one: Ken Griffey Jr. And I wouldn't so much be shocked as I would be saddened.
Yet, here we are again with breaking news that another "Hall of Fame caliber" player from the steroids era in baseball tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. This time, it's none other than the Chicago Cubs' beloved Sammy Sosa.
And while this one isn't exactly a surprise (look at the guy, he's like Popeye now compared to his early years), this one is nearly as devastating as the Alex Rodriguez revelation.
Sure, one could say Sosa, McGwire & Co. hurt themselves already before Congress, but based on the "innocent until proven guilty" idea, they had not yet been proven to have done anything wrong. Now, the entire 1998 home run chase that revived baseball following the 1994 players' strike seems like nothing more than a MLB-endorsed publicity stunt.
Both Mark McGwire and Sosa were clearing juicing, but everyone in America acted like the citizens of Springfield in the classic Simpsons episode when McGwire asks, "Do you want to know the terrifying truth or do you want to see me hit some dingers?"
Nobody wanted to know if they were cheating, they'd rather enjoy an historic chase for the single season home run record of 62, which has since been obliterated by McGwire (70), Sosa (66) and Barry Bonds (73).
All I want to know is, when are these idiots going to stop letting the press throw them under the bus with evidence they know is out there? When will others like McGwire come clean on their own. We all know or think we know who did it, so just tell us and it will go away faster.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Good news: Manny fading from All-Star voting
Most of the news in the sporting world today will be revolving around Los Angeles, and this piece is no different. Major League Baseball released an update today of the All-Star voting and there's some big news from a certain someone on a certain L.A. club. Manny Ramirez, who continues to serve his ban until next month, has dropped to sixth in voting for NL outfielders.
I still think it's incredible that he is even that close, but hey, it's a start.
What's even more important is the leader in the outfield for the NL. Who might that be? Raul Ibanez, who is on his way to his first career appearance in the game after getting off to a torrid start for the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies.
Also dropping off from their initial high spots are Milwaukee outfielders Mike Cameron and Corey Hart, who now rank seventh and ninth, respectively.
Behind the dish, the Brewers' Jason Kendall has dropped to third while St. Louis' Yadier Molina leads the way with just over 1 million votes. Between the two is Braves' catcher Brian McCann.
Another Phillies star, Jimmy Rollins, has taken over at shortstop with 1.2 million votes. The Marlins' Hanley Ramirez has maintained his second place spot, but trails by less than 90,000 votes. Milwaukee's J.J. Hardy — who led the first update — has dropped to third place with just under 900,000 votes.
At third base, the Mets' David Wright has a commanding lead over Washington's Ryan Zimmerman, earning 1.25 million votes to Zimmerman's 920,000.
At second base, it's the defending champs again as Chase Utley continues to dominate his competition. Utley leads all NL vote getters with 2.27 million votes, while the Dodgers' Orlando Hudson is a distant second with just over 900,000.
Finally, the race for first isn't very close either as Albert Pujols is just behind Utley for the overall lead with 2.15 million votes. His closest competitor is another member of the Phillies as Ryan Howard has 1.14 million. In third is the Brewers' Prince Fielder, who is perhaps having the best season of any player not leading his position in voting for the NL right now.
So that makes for two Cardinals, three Phillies, two Mets and one Brewer in the starting lineup.
The only problem with that? Though those four teams comprise 80% of the top five teams in the NL, on the top of that list is the Los Angeles Dodgers.
My 100th Post
One hundred. I've finally reached the century mark on blog posts. And while many of them are simply links to other stories I've written for The Badger Herald, I think my 100th post is an exciting moment in this blog. It's only fitting that my special moment would coincide with another in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 99-86 last night to wrap up their 15th title in franchise history.
Kobe Bryant was named Finals MVP in earning his fourth career championship and first without Shaquille O'Neal. Finally, Kobe has earned that elusive fourth title which justifies his ability to win without Shaq.
Phil Jackson, well he's now being talked about as the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) in coaching. He now owns 10 championships, a new NBA record for coaches, passing Boston Celtic great Red Auerbach for the most in NBA history.
Sure, many fans probably didn't want to see the Lakers win the championship. And yes, it would have been more interesting if they had faced King James and the Cavaliers. But in the end, the result is one of the biggest moments in NBA history.
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