Wisconsin Cheesehead Sport Shorts

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH & CANDICE EBLING
Photos by Candice Ebling

I've add a new feature that will appear from time to time but in different formats.  Candy and I are going to talk about different sports subjects and provide some in depths commentary.

In this story we are going to talk about some key sports topics in Candy's home state of Wisconsin.

1) The Milwaukee Brewers early season success, is it a surprise?

Candy's response: 
The Milwaukee Brewers are leading their division and it's not a surprise at this the 1/3 point of the season, at least to me it's not.  The Milwaukee Brewers have been in a rebuilding phase for a couple of years now.  Being a small market team, but a market that is loyal and strong, keeps them at a disadvantage.  The Brewers have one of the best Bullpens to date, but lack real strong starting pitching and have been shut out 9 times already, when all of last year that number for the whole season was only 8.  If the Brewers are going to keep on top, they need their starting pitching to take it to the next level, while the bullpen stays strong, as well as the bats continuing to hit and score runs.  The hitters need a little more discipline as well as they lead in strikeouts and have the past two years.  They need to play smart ball, no mental mistakes.  But I could probably say this for every team out there.  Craig Counsel needs to keep his team healthy and keep managing them smartly.  Every team is different and needs to be managed a little differently.  I like Craig as he seems to get his guys to perform, and if they don't he has no problem sitting them or sending them down to the minors.  He had the guts and smarts to send Orlando Arcia down to the minors, even though he's been great defensively, his bat leaves something to be desired, at least right now.  This is a wait and see kind of team that is still pretty young.  Hopefully they can continue on their winning ways and stay on top.



Scott's response: 
The Milwaukee Brewers record is currently 35-20 and they have reached this plateau the fastest in their franchise history.  During spring training we saw 5 games and this was an exciting team to watch because of the close games and late run rallies to win ballgames.  Much of that has carried over into the regular season as they've validated hall of fame Yogi Berra's famous line "It's not over till it's over".

I've said all along that Counsel is one of the best young managers in baseball and figures to be for a long time.  Let's not forget that he was a role player and a key contributor for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Florida Marlins, helping them both win World Series Championships. I really believe that he is an intelligent young skipper who will become more well known as the Brewers continue to be on National Television, especially if they make it to the playoffs.

The Brewers were one game away from getting into the post season in 2017 and they took those experiences into this season and hopefully have learned as to what it takes to get them to the next level.  I was impressed with the moves they made during the off-season to bolster their outfield and in landing Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich.  Unfortunately for Keon Broxton he was the victim of a crowded outfield which found him a man out and down in the minors.  In July, we will post a story written about him regarding an interview we had with him this spring,  I wouldn't be surprised to see him playing for the Brewers at some point this season.

I am definitely looking forward to the Detroit Tigers finishing the regular season playing against these Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.  I hated when the Brewers switched leagues as I enjoyed watching this rivalry over the years.  Hears hoping that both teams will be playing into the post season.


2) Should the Green Bay Packers go after Dez Bryant after letting Jordy Nelson go?

Candy's response:
The Green Bay Packers let a long time veteran and favorite target of Aaron Rodgers go this off season.  They did this for a reason.  They were trying to get younger and to give them more salary space as some off season mega contracts were given out to other quarterbacks around the league and they know they needed to REDO Rodgers contract.  In my opinion, they should not go after Dez, that would be more of a slap to fan favorite Jordy.  Dez is looking for more money than most young guys.  If Aaron truly at 35 figures he will play into his 40s, there is no reason to believe that he wont have a lot of success with young players as long as they both are on the same page.  The problem that they have had in past years is when the top couple of receivers go down, the reserve receivers aren't on the same page and take too much time learning the routes.

Scott's response: 
I agree with Candy that Dez Bryant doesn't need to be wearing packer attire.  I do believe that if he was a Packer, he would do well with Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback.  Bryant needs to go to a team that has a star quaterback who has a strong personality that won't tolerate his outrageously strong personality if things don't go his way.

During the past three years, Bryant's production declined due to injury and ineffective play.  If Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thought he could be a good contributor, he wouldn't have cut him in the first place.  Jones doesn't give up on good players that fast.  He's a very loyal owner and will pay you if you're deserving.

I like the moves the Packers made acquiring young wide receivers in the draft and I'll be curious how many more they will add before training camp.

3) Can Milwaukee Support a NHL franchise?

Candy's response:
No.  The Milwaukee Admirals play in the American Hockey League and had a total attendance for 2017-18 of 241,073, an average of 6,027 fans per game, which was good for 8th place in attendance.  Now I will admit that they moved this year to The UW-Milwaukee Panther's Arena which is smaller than the Bradley Center where they played.  The Bradley Center is being torn down and a new home for the Milwaukee Bucks is almost done.  But the Admirals were never invited to play at the new Bucks home, despite being built to host ice events.  They are hoping to invite a frozen four and NHL exhibition game.  The Admirals sign a 10 year lease and are committing $2 million to upgrade their new home.  Being a small market and the price of NHL games, I believe the fans are just as happy cheering on the Admirals.  I know the Milwaukee Market backs their teams but......at what cost.  I don't think they would draw the crowds that they would need to sustain an NHL team.

Scott's response: 
Yes.  From what I've noticed about the Milwaukee Market like most Midwest cities, if you play hard and are competitive you will get good crowds.  Despite the fact that they are a small market there would be 3 natural rivalries with Minnesota, Chicago, and St Louis.  The NHL is a league which has grown immensely the past several years and has incredible star power.  With the amount of stars that this league has I would see no reason to believe that the Milwaukee Market couldn't draw 17,000 - 18,000 fans on a regular basis.  Furthermore, the Wisconsin Badgers hockey team has always been very elite.  And as I've seen in Detroit, when you have excellent college programs like Michigan, Michigan State, and Michigan Tech and the Detroit Red Wings NHL team, that's a great recipe for hockey growth in the state.  The Vegas Golden Knights are a small market team and if Milwaukee Expansion squad had committed ownership and a excellent front office there is no reason to think that a Milwaukee Expansion franchise couldn't be competitive from the outset.  I also believe that the crowds would be large when you have the Original Six Teams in town such as the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, and the Montreal Canadiens.

Lions Make It Interesting Nationally

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Whether the Detroit Lions win or lose when they're on National Television, they generally make things very exciting.

It remains to be seen if they'll get any National TV Appearances in 2016 beyond their annual Thanksgiving Game.

In last years playoffs on the road against the Dallas Cowboys, while the Lions were leading 20-17 in the fourth quarter, a pass interference call that gave Detroit a first down well into Dallas territory was picked up without explanation by referee Pete Morelli.

That turned into a huge benefit for the Cowboys, as the Lions shanked a punt on the next play and the Cowboys took advantage of their good field position to march down the field and score the go-ahead touchdown to take a 24-20 lead.

In week four of the 2015 season, Detroit was featured on Monday Night Football hitting the road to face the Seattle Seahawks.

On October 5, the Lions lost 13-10 as Kam Chancellor forced a fumble punching the ball out of Calvin Johnson's hands. The ball went into the end zone and K.J. Wright guided the ball over the back line for a touchback. The Lions 91-yard drive with the go ahead touchdown was not meant to be and Seattle took the ball at the 20-yard line.

The NFL admitted that Wright should have been called for an illegal bat for hitting the ball out of the end zone, NFL VP of Officiating Dean Blandino told the NFL Network. The penalty would have given the ball back to Detroit at the Seattle 1-yard line.

The Seahawks got an early season gift.

The Lions bad luck continued on Thursday, December 3, 2015 at Ford Field.

Once again, the officials played a big role in deciding the outcome of this contest.

With six seconds left to go in the fourth quarter, Devin Taylor committed a costly face mask penalty that gave Aaron Rodgers one last shot as his team trailed 23-21. Taylor barely touched Rodgers and it didn't appear to be a face mask from the numerous replays I saw.

Nonetheless, this set Green Bay with an un-timed down and Rodgers connected with Richard Rodgers for a 61-yard touchdown which gave the Packers a 27-23 win.

What a climactic ending to a good football game.

Now did the Lions lose solely on this play?

No.

Green Bay scored on their final two possessions erasing a 23-14 deficit.  The Packers outscored
Detroit 13-3 in the fourth quarter. Rogers ran for a 17-yard touchdown, in addition to the Hail Mary Pass otherwise known as "The Motor City Miracle."

At the 5:44 mark in the third quarter, Matthew Stafford was at the Detroit 12-yard line, lost a fumble and it was recovered by Packers Jake Ryan at the 12. Three plays later, Rodgers connected with Davante Adams for an 8-yard touchdown.

A Lions 20-0 halftime lead was reduced to 20-14 in the third quarter.

As my colleague George Eichorn and I stood in the photo room after the controversial face mask penalty occurred, I told him that I had a feeling the Detroit Lions were in trouble. I've covered lots of football games at the Pro, Collegiate and High School Levels and have seen a lot of crazy things transpire especially late in games.

For 60 minutes, Detroit didn't trail in this contest. But when a future Hall of Fame QB gets a chance to beat you, that's a sign of trouble.

Eichorn gave me a strange look as I walked across the room with bad vibes. Then Rodgers went to work to hit Richard Rodgers thus ending Detroit's hope of sweeping the Packers in a season series since 1991.

By dropping to 4-8, Detroit's slim playoff hopes took a hit while Green Bay (8-4) is in first place in the NFC North/Norris Division.

There is no question that Coach Jim Caldwell wasn't looking forward to this post-game press conference. He would get second guessed until he was blue in the face.

Lions VP of Communications Bill Keenist and Media Relations Director Matt Barnhardt did their best to minimize the damage as they have all-year in a tough season which had high hopes.

In the short time I've known Caldwell, he seems like a real nice guy. The Lions were 1-7 but haven't quit on him.

But Caldwell isn't stupid and knows he's coaching in an organization which hasn't won an NFL Championship since December 29, 1957. There are four teams that have never appeared in a Super Bowl and Detroit is one of them and has only one playoff win in that time period, ironically against the Dallas Cowboys at the Pontiac Silverdome.

On this night, I was battling a cold and decided to take a low-keyed approach.

I had only one question, but another media member asked it.

ESPN Analyst Ron Jaworski wondered about the same thing on Wednesday, December 10, 2015 appearing on Pardon The Interruption.

Why wasn't Calvin Johnson in the end zone to guard against the Hail Mary?

"Because in that situation, we have a couple different things we can do," Caldwell said. "That was one where you're kind of looking for more of that pass back and forth kind of thing because of the range. He ran around there so long, moved up, gave himself a chance to get into the end zone. We had plenty of guys back there, we had plenty of guys. We just didn't make the play, they did."

Caldwell was asked the question, what was it like to go from a certain victory to a tough loss?

"There's no certain victory," he said. "Until that clock ticks zero, there's no such thing as a certain victory. I never feel that way. When it's over with, it's over, that's why I never smile during the course of games for the most part until it's over, and that's a perfect example."

Stafford would put up solid numbers by going 23-35, 220 yards and two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He rushed for 22 yards and was sacked three times.

Johnson had three receptions for 44 yards, one touchdown (17-yards) and was targeted eight times.

Johnson now has 15 career touchdown receptions against the Packers, which are the most by any player against Green Bay. He surpassed the previous high of 14 set by WR Randy Moss. He has played the Packers 16 times in his career, and has caught 90 passes for 1,409 yards (88.1 yds/g) with 15 touchdowns.

Stafford was asked about the catch Richard Rodgers made.

"It was a great play, you know, a tough way to lose one," he said. "The team played really tough, played really hard. Our defense played really good most of the game, so it's the NFL. Plays happen like that. It's not an easy pill to swallow."

Stafford was asked if he watched the final play?

"No I tried not to. I kind of peaked and saw the Jumbotron, and it looked like he was in pretty good position to make a catch, so I saw it at the very end."

During the course of the week, I've noticed Caldwell and his defensive coordinator Teryl Austin have shunned questions about Calvin Johnson/Hail Mary Pass. I don't blame them at this point as they prepare for the St. Louis Rams on Sunday in Missouri.

But it didn't take long for another face mask penalty to come into question in Arizona's 23-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings Thursday Night in Arizona.

There was no face mask penalty called as Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater was grabbed.

NFL Network Announcers Jim Nantz and Phil Simms indicated that this was more deliberate than what happened to Aaron Rodgers. This non-call could cost Minnesota a division title.

As I breakdown some of the junk posted on social media I gag when I hear for the Lions to ever get rid of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson; that would be completely absurd!!!

Stafford, 27, is the franchises all-time leader with 24,878 yards with 153 touchdowns and 97 interceptions.

Who would the Lions get to replace him? If you draft a young signal caller, there is still a major learning curve.

Unfortunately, Detroit has had three offensive coordinators in almost three years in Scott Linehan, Joe Lombardi and Jim Bob Cooter. There needs to be some stability in this area or this is a recipe for disaster.

Anybody thinking of firing Jim Caldwell right now needs to have a brain transplant.

He deserves to finish out the season and it appears that Martha Ford Firestone is smart enough to understand that. She realizes that it's best for the new general manager to decide if he continues.

It's not like Caldwell took a "Dumb Pill" after leading the Lions to an 11-5 mark last year and into the playoffs.

President Tom Lewand mishandled the salary cap with Ndamukung Suh while GM Martin Mayhew let Nick Fairley leave for nothing. Now Fairley is contributing for the St. Louis Rams.

This doesn't fall on the coaches shoulders. You coach the players you're dealt.

I admired her bold move by terminating Lewand and Mayhew on November 5. Shortly thereafter, Caldwell dismissed three coaches to shake things up.

I will be curious to see how the rest of the season plays out, but Mrs. Ford has earned my respect because her style is much different than her late husband William Clay Ford.

At 90-years old, she doesn't have a passive bone in her body.

If the Lions have to make major upgrades during the off-season, they have to draft a top-flight running back out of college. The 2016 Draft has lots of good prospects in this class.

They need to balance the offense because the running game has been a major problem all year.

It wouldn't hurt to have a couple impact defensive players.

But what a bizarre week in Detroit.

On Wednesday, the Pistons lost to the Memphis Grizzlies as Matt Barnes knocked down a half court shot with 1.1 seconds to play as Detroit lost 93-92, 30 miles north on I-75 at the Palace of Auburn Hills. A victory over Memphis would have been Detroit's sixth straight at the friendly confines. That streak ended at five.

Fortunately for the Pistons, they play 82 games where the Lions play 16.

Regardless, Pistons Coach Stan Van Gundy and Lions Coach Jim Caldwell probably have the late Yankees Hall of Fame Catcher Yogi Berra on their minds.

Berra's famous one-liner is "It's not over until it's over." This has to be engraved in both coaches' heads.

There is lots of intrigue for both teams. We'll just see which teams rebounds the best after these crushing and heart-breaking defeats.

I'll also be curious to see what happens the next time the Lions appear on National Television.

You can rest assure that while the Lions were losers against Dallas, Seattle and Green Bay, each network that they were on, had to do well with the ratings with all three games decided late in the fourth quarter.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com and is a member of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

One Stupid Sportswriter

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Once upon a time, the legendary Lou Gehrig once said to his beloved fans when he was diagnosed with ALS Disease that claimed his life, and would ultimately be named after him, "I am The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth."

Well, Lou, in honor of all the good you stand for, I have to say that "Today, I am the Dumbest Man on the Face of the Earth."

The Detroit Tigers 10-8 victory over the Cleveland Indians in 10 innings at Comerica Park ensured that I deserve a lot criticism.

I watched 9.5 innings with Cleveland leading 8-5. Indians Manager Manny Acta used five infielders and walked Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder to set up an inning ending double play in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded.

Cleveland responded with three runs in the top of the 10th inning as I decided to leave Hooters in Boca Raton, FL.,  believing that the Tigers squandered an opportunity to improve to 58-50 and the Indians eight-game losing streak would come to an end.

Miguel Cabrera hit his 27th homer of the year, a two-run walk-off blast and showed what an idiot I am! Cleveland's losing streak is now at nine-games.

I have been known to rip a Major North American City as a bunch of Morons in the past for booing our National Anthem. But on this day, I spent $21 including the tip with two waitresses to watch this see-saw battle.

I committed a Major Yogi Berra No No.

I got away with it back in 1982 when I proclaimed Gus Pantelides as the winner of the Tom Selleck Look-A-Like Contest at the Clearwater Mall.

How can I be that stupid that I would leave a baseball game early?

Did I forget that what makes Baseball such a great Chess Game is that there is No Clock. Games could last for hours or into the next day and as the great Berra proclaimed "It's Not Over Until It's Over."


The Tigers scored five runs in the 10th. Leaving Hooters early meant that I had two less Diet Cokes at 25 ounces a glass, and at that time, I was up to eight. The waitresses were quite efficient keeping up with my self-destructive pace.

Bad for the blood pressure, the kidneys leading to another sleepless night.

Oh well, sorry dad, plus to all those people that care about me, when I get engrossed into an activity, I really get into it. But at least I didn't bite my nails. They look good.

Just like we observed in the Olympics when the USA Men's Basketball Team defeated Lithuania 99-94, this Tigers game is the equivalent  to what we saw Saturday in London, England. It was a teaching moment.

But how many times am I going to be dumb enough to make the same mistake?

Baseball is the one sport that makes dummies out of all of us.

Even the great Michael Jordan failed to make it to the big leagues with the Chicago White Sox. His athleticism alone wouldn't outsmart pitchers. Hitting fastballs, curves and breaking pitches aren't the same as slam dunks. He didn't get past AA and got smart to retire quickly just in time to win three more NBA titles.

The Texas Rangers came one pitch away from defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series twice last year.

Baseball is a sport that if you hit for a .250 batting average that you're actually doing pretty well. If you hit .300 you're a superstar. These guys get paid millions to fail the majority of the time.

My good friend Steve Hartz tried to get me to ease up on myself by saying, "The Tigers coming back from 8-5, with 2 outs and 2 strikes and scoring 5 runs after all that--and no, not a grand slam--very surreal how the Tigers scored 5 runs against a pitcher that always kills them. I'm still in disbelief. Lori--you really are magical. Scott, the odds had to be very long. Have you ever in your life seen this type of finish? Now, it's time for 4 games with the Yankees. Oy!"

Thanks for the support Steve. The Tigers do have their hands full with the Yankees and you can bet that I will watch the games until the final pitch this time.

But that still doesn't make me feel good that I made the same mistake and violated the Berra and Pantelides rules, "It's Not Over Until It's Over." 

No Way! When you're stupid, you're stupid!

It's that simple.


Will I ever learn from this? Yes!

Then I will find away to make the same mistake again especially in the "Great American Past Time."

Oh well, at least the only consolation to this mess is that I'm not afraid to own up to a mistake and that My Ego is nonexistent. I always believe that I can improve myself.

My thanks goes to the Tigers and Indians for showing My Stupid Side today.

Hopefully, in the next two months, I'll show a Smart Side when I work towards a goal and pass the Homeowners/ Auto Insurance 2044 Test, then I'll let off the gas after today's Dumb Decision.

One thing that will still be the same in both cases, there will be plenty of Diet Cokes firing up this Bullheaded Motor Mouth to get something Right and remove the Dunce Cap that I'm currently wearing.

I look forward to wearing a Visor should I ever get Smart Again!

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

Sunshine State Hoops Classic

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

He was a 12-time All-Star, won a pair of NBA Championships, one Finals MVP in a Hall of Fame career with the Detroit Pistons.

Isiah Thomas No.11 is retired at the Palace of Auburn Hills. He also owns an NCAA Championship with the Indiana Hoosiers and legendary Coach Bobby Knight.

But I wonder whether the guy, who has played on the biggest "Hoops Stages," could have felt more helpless as he did on Saturday Night, in Boca Raton, Florida at the FAU Arena.

Thomas was a victim of the old Yogi Berra adage that "It's not over until it's over" as his Florida International University (FIU) Golden Panthers lost to the FAU Owls 73-72. During this game, FIU led early by a 12-1 margin. The Golden Panthers led the entire contest except when it mattered the most. The end.

The outcome of the game was decided by pair of missed free throws by Phil Gary and FAU took the ball down the court on the fast break and won it with a layup by Brett Royster with 4.2 seconds left.

Basketball seems to be a simple game. You shoot the ball and put it in the basket. You rebound and play defense to create opportunities for the offense. A free throw is an uncontested shot that requires total concentration. Yet, over the years, the best players in both the college and pro levels miss free throws in key situations.

When the game was over, Thomas walked off the court slowly and dejected. During his post-game Press Conference, he told the media that his team has struggled at the free throw line and has trouble closing out games. His Golden Panthers are now 9-14 while FAU improved to 18-7.

Owls Coach Mike Jarvis earned his 400th career win in thrilling fashion as the sellout crowd of 2,961 stormed onto the court to celebrate.

I don't care how big the gym is whether it's 20,000 or 2,961, noise is noise!

As for Thomas, dressed in his suit, I'll bet on this night, he wished he had worn his No.11 jersey and shorts to make those last second free throws. A win in the Sun Belt Conference against an area rival would have been just as satisfying as an NBA game.

But the man has seen everything.

As I looked at his roster, Thomas hasn't forgotten his Pro Basketball Roots. Five of the 15 players are from Pistons Territory. He "Smiled" and said there will be more to come. There is a lot of basketball talent in Michigan.

It has to be an easy sell for a potential recruit that he's playing for his idol in a warm weather climate. These kids will have no problem investing into flip flops and sneakers while eliminating boots.

But whether anybody cares nationally about the FAU VS FIU Rivalry in any sport, these schools have high caliber coaches on the hard court with Thomas and Jarvis.

In Football, FAU won the Motor City Bowl a few years ago while FIU just won the Little Caesars Bowl in Detroit this past December.

I can only hope that today's Super Bowl between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers provides as much excitement as Saturday Nights "Sunshine State Classic."

After the game, I told FAU Assistant Sports Information Director Justin Johnson to put me on the Credential List for the rematch in Miami on Saturday, February 19th. I have a feeling this will be another slug fest.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at http://www.scottsports33.com/.