Rose Bowl Prediction

This year the Wisconsin Badgers will be facing the Stanford Cardinals in the Rose Bowl game.  Both of these teams are very similar in that they both like to pound the ball downhill, while running behind their big and physical offensive linemen.  The Badgers and Cardinals are overall pretty equal, but the one thing that will be the difference in this game is Hall of Fame coach Barry Alvarez.  

Barry Alvarez, who is stepping in to coach the Badgers after the departure of Bret Bielema, is a perfect 3-0 in Rose Bowl games in his career.  He knows what it takes to win big games, unlike Bret Bielema who was 0-2 in Rose Bowl games, and 2-4 overall.  Also, Barry Alvarez will be able to handle the pressure late in games in making better play calls than Bielema, who made awful calls in late game situations, which cost the Badgers from winning the Rose Bowl the last two years.  With all the Badger players and fans behind Alvarez, there is no one better to coach the Badgers to a victory in the Rose Bowl.  

The return of Barry Alvarez to the sidelines will motivate the Wisconsin Badgers players to a 28-24 win over the Stanford Cardinals.

The Milwaukee Brewers Should Sign Rafael Soriano

Milwaukee's bullpen struggled in 2012 with an awful ERA of 4.66, ranking last in the MLB.  The Brewers' bullpen was the main reason why they didn't make it into the playoffs, and if the Brewers were able to have a stable closer the Brewers' bullpen would have been greatly improved.

This offseason the Brewers made it known that it was a priority to improve their bullpen.  The Brewers still need a reliable relief pitcher after signing Tom Gorzelanny, and Rafael Soriano is a perfect fit.  Last season Soriano stepped in as closer for the Yankees, after Rivera's injury, and he exceeded  expectations.  In 69 appearances, Soriano recorded 42 saves with a 2.26 ERA.    

Soriano would step in to the closer position while, John Axford would become the Brewers set-up man.  This move would strengthen the back end of the bullpen, while giving them a reliable closer, who has experience at pitching in the toughest environments, for the years to come.

The Brewers need to sign Soriano, who is 32 years old and has many quality years in front of him, to a three year deal no matter what the cost is because if the Brewers don't have a successful closer, they will not be able to compete at a high level.

 

The Packers Need to Kick Mason Crosby Out of Green Bay

The kick is up, and it is...no good!  This has become a common phrase that Packer fans have heard all season because Mason Crosby has struggled to be consistent when kicking field goals.  Crosby currently has a streak of an unacceptable eight straight games with a missed field goal.  He has only made 17 field goals in 29 attempts, with both his field goal percentage (59%) and total misses (12) last among NFL kickers.  Crosby has become so bad that you can't even trust him to make a 40-yard field goal, which means that they need to immediately find a replacement for him.

Currently there are multiple kickers on the free agent market that would be a good fit with the Packers, but the kicker who is the best kicker available and for the Packers is Neil Rackers.  Neil Rackers is the best option because even though his leg strength has decreased over the years, he is a very safe kicker who is a career 80% field goal kicker in 330 attempts.  Last year, Rackers made 32 of 38 attempts including a 54-yarder, and in the past four years he has made close to 89% of his field goals.  He also has made 80% of his field goals in the postseason, which isn't outstanding but is better than Crosby's 76%.  If the Packers want to win the Super Bowl this season they need to have a kicker who can make field goals on a consistent basis, and Neil Rackers would be able to do that for the Packers.

The UW-Milwaukee Panthers Need a New Baseball Stadium

The UW-Milwaukee's men baseball team is the only Division I baseball program in Wisconsin, and it currently plays at Henry Aaron Field, which is a poor excuse for a high school field.  Building a new baseball stadium needs to be the number one priority for the athletic department, and something that would really help the program with recruiting, and getting more fans to come and support the team.  UWM's best option would be playing at Miller Park, but that is probably not going to happen due to money and because in the past the Brewers have been against allowing them to play their entire schedule their.  The Panthers most realistic option would be to build a new stadium near campus that would seat around two-thousand people, and would look like a smaller minor league stadium.  If the Panthers are able to build this stadium in the upcoming years it would help with recruiting and getting more fans to come out and support the Panthers.

Drop the Puck!

After a great and exciting Stanley Cup, I was really looking forward to this upcoming NHL season.  I was looking forward to all of the great rivalries and being able to enjoy watching the NHL as a casual fan.  But with the lock-out due to the greedy owners, specifically the owner of the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins, who have slowed the process of getting a deal done, have hurt the NHL.  After an exciting postseason and many fans looking forward to this upcoming season, the NHL owners have really hurt the NHL.  I hope the owners can come to an agreement with the players, so we can at watch some hockey this year.....the most exciting and competitive sport of the 4 majors.

Why the Milwaukee Brewers Should Sign J.P. Howell

This off-season the Milwaukee Brewers need to focus on improving their bullpen which was a major weakness last season.  The Brewers bullpen was so bad last season that they had a total of 29 blown saves in 73 opportunities, which was the main reason why the team failed to secure a playoff berth for a second consecutive season.  The Milwaukee Brewers also failed to have a quality left handed relief pitcher in their bullpen, and finding one this off-season needs to be a major focus for them.

J.P. Howell would be a perfect solution for the Brewers, and he is a left-handed pitcher who can get both left-handed and right-handed batters out.  J.P. Howell, while pitching mostly as a middle relief pitcher and left-handed specialist, also has had success in his career as a closer.  Even though Howell struggled in 2011, missing the entire 2010 season because of shoulder surgery, with a 6.16 ERA in 30 2/3 innings, he came back this past season and was pretty successful for the Rays.  In 2012, he went 1-0 with a 3.04 ERA, 42 strikeouts, 22 walks, three holds in 50 1/3 innings.  He also only made $1.35 million last year with the Rays, which would fit nicely into the Brewers budget.  The Brewers certainly need a left-handed relief pitcher in their bullpen and J.P. Howell would fit that role.

Why the Milwaukee Brewers Should Sign LaTroy Hawkins

Last winter the Milwaukee Brewers let LaTroy Hawkins leave, as he signed a one year deal with the Los Angeles Angels.  The Brewers made an awful decision by letting him go after he was a key pitcher to the Brewers' bullpen success in 2011, when he had a 3-1 record with a 2.42 ERA and 20 holds in 52 appearance.  

LaTroy Hawkins, who will turn 40 years old in December, had a record of 2-3 last season with a 3.64 ERA, one save and six holds in 42 innings.  Even though his numbers weren't as good as 2011, the Brewers should strongly consider signing Hawkins.  With multiple holes in their bullpen, LaTroy Hawkins would be a good fit because he is a veteran pitcher who has had good success in the National League and as a Brewer.