Packers May Have Escaped Long-Term Injuries

By Karl Sessions – 11/15/2021

Packer fans can, perhaps, breathe a little sigh of relief.

After a 3rd Quarter game-ending knee injury in the Packers 17-0 win over Seattle, it looks like RB Aaron Jones extended time on the sideline will be minimal.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting a “mild” MCL sprain for Jones, which will see him sidelined 1-2 weeks.

In other injury news, OLD Rashan Gary suffered what looked like a scary hyperextension of the elbow which ended his game Sunday. Gary will have an MRI on Monday, though early indications were positive, with no break or ligament damage detected.

The Packers head to Minnesota for a Noon game on Sunday against the NFC North rival Vikings.

Wisconsin RB Mellusi’s Season Over

By Karl Sessions – 11/11/2021

Badger football head coach Paul Chryst announced Thursday morning that the team has suffered yet another setback at running back, as junior Chez Mellusi will miss the rest of the season.

Melussi was injured in the 3rd quarter of the Badgers’ blowout win over Rutgers last week.

While Chryst did not specify the type of injury in his Thursday media availability, he did characterize the type of injury suffered as one that would not see Melussi ready for spring practice, much less the remainder of the current season.

The loss of Melussi follows the dismissal of freshmen Jalen Berger and a season ending injury to junior Isaac Guerendo.

Breakout freshman Braelon Allen will move to the top of the Badgers’ depth chart, followed by sophomore Julius Davis and junior Brady Schipper.

#18 Wisconsin will host Northwestern on Saturday, with coverage on ESPN La Crosse 105.5 beginning at 9am.

Packers, Rodgers Fined For Breaking League COVID Protocol

By Karl Sessions – 11/10/2021

An NFL source said Tuesday that fines have been levied on the Packers and QB Aaron Rodgers for violating the COVID-19 protocols, agreed upon by the League and NFLPA.

The Packers have reportedly been fined $300,000, while Rodgers, along with WR Allen Lazard were fined $14,650.

You can find detailed information on the violated protocols and the fines in a story by ESPN Staff Writer Rob Demovsky here.

If cleared, the earliest Rodgers is eligible to return is Saturday, one day before the Packers host the Seattle Seahawks. As earlier reported by ESPN La Crosse, Seattle QB Russell Wilson is set to return to the lineup after missing 4 weeks for a finger injury that required surgery.

Badger Hoops Predicted to Finish at 10 in Big Ten

By Karl Sessions – 11/9/2021

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Men’s Basketball team have the odds stacked against them, if you ask Big Ten media members.

They have picked the Badgers to finish 10th out of the 14 teams in the conference.

If it were to come to pass, it would be the lowest finish for the Badgers since the 1997-98 season when they finished 10th. (This comes with the caveat that the Big Ten had only 11 teams until adding Nebraska in 2011, then expanding to the current 14 in 2015.)

Perhaps, one of the main catalysts for the lack of confidence is the fact that the Badgers lost 5 seniors who accounted for just under 47 points per game.

The young Badger team will begin their season tonight when they host the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers at the Kohl Center. Coverage on ESPN La Crosse 105.5 will begin right after the Sports Lead at 6pm.

It’s All About Timing for the Pack

By Karl Sessions – 11/8/2021

Monday morning, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson tweeted, “It’s Time”.

That “time” is his return to the Seattle starting lineup — ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Wilson has been officially cleared to play this Sunday, after suffering a finger injury in October, requiring surgery.

The surgeon performing Wilson’s operation, Dr. Steve Shin, says he is “absolutely amazed at his progress, so much so that (he) can confidently clear him for full return to play without reservation.”

Dr. Shin may be “absolutely amazed”, but perhaps not as much as the Packers, who are up next on the Seahawks schedule — all while the Pack is in the middle of a mess with their QB situation.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was absent for their game against the Chiefs after testing positive for COVID-19 last week. The positive test set off a chain reaction of information and protocol questions, that ended with the revelation that Rodgers had not been vaccinated against the virus, The controversy arising from this is not that Rodgers wasn’t vaccinated — it’s that many feel he implied he had after being asked at a press conference last summer.

The rules for returning to activity for unvaccinated players testing positive would put Rodgers back on the field November 13th — one day before the matchup with Wilson and the Seahawks. Should Rodgers remain unavailable, Packers backup Jordan Love would make his second career start in as many weeks. With Russell Wilson back under center for the Seahawks, the combination could prove worrisome for Green Bay.

The Packers will return to Lambeau Field in Green Bay to host the Seahawks this Sunday, with a 3:25pm CST kickoff.

Report: A-Rod “Furious” Over Leaked Vax Status

By Karl Sessions – 11/5/2021

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio is reporting per league source that Green Bay Packer Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is “furious” over the NFL leaking his COVID-19 vaccination status to the public.

The League announced Thursday that Rodgers and the team are being investigated to find whether COVID protocols have been followed in the wake of Rodgers’ status leak.

In the statement revealing the investigation, the League indicated that COVID protocols not being followed could result in “discipline being assessed against individual clubs.”

See Mike Florio’s report here and stay tuned to ESPN La Crosse 105.5 for more on this developing story.

One Final Farewell

By Adam Roberts – 11/4/2021

Anyone who knows me well knows I fumble my words sometimes when trying to say something ultra meaningful, so I’ll keep my thoughts very quick and concise.

Today is my final day at ESPN La Crosse 105.5. After nearly five years at the position, I’ll be heading out to the next chapter of my story.

There’s so many people to thank for making my time here an incredible experience. I have to start with the late William Hoffman, our former station manager. He saw in me a 23 year old looking for their first full-time chance in this crazy world called radio broadcasting. Back in 2017 I had to choose between this position and a television production job in Fresno, California. Needless to say, I think my skills were put to better use staying in an area I’ve come to love very much. And none of it would have been possible if Willy didn’t take a chance on me that day.

I also have to thank Ben, our station’s program director, and John Poppadopoulos. They both have been treasure troves of advice and knowledge on how this industry functions on and off mic. They both are highly talented individuals that our company is very blessed to have had for so long, and I know they’ll both make sure the next person to hold this position is even more prepared to give you the best area sports radio coverage possible.

I also want to thank all the incredible reporters, anchors, writers, announcers, and highlight gatherers that help cover local sports in the La Crosse area. People like Rick Wilson, Scott Emerich, Todd Sommerfeldt, Karley Marotta, Nate Beier, Ken Kosirowski, and Gregg Wavrunek were people I looked up to as I was working my way to this point as people willing to go wherever and whenever there is local sports to cover.

I want to send a HUGE thanks to all the coaches, athletes, athletic directors, parents, and administrators I’ve worked with, interviewed, or emailed over last five years. The work that goes into making sports happen, especially during the pandemic, can’t be understated. I’ve seen with my own eyes how much planning and executing happens to make every area contest go off with as few hitches as possible. You all are absolutely amazing and should be commended for all your hard work.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who has listened to ESPN La Crosse 105.5 or ESPN 102.1 since I started in 2017. We do our very best to provide you with quality local and state sports coverage, and I hope that you feel I’m leaving the station in a better place than it was when I arrived. I feel incredibly thankful anytime someone comes up to me while I’m in La Crosse and says “Hey, you’re the guy who does the local sports updates on ESPN!” I’ll always appreciate the beauty that comes with working in a small market and hope I can bring that same feel to the next stop on my journey.

I’ve been incredibly honored to work at ESPN La Crosse 105.5, and I know the next person who fills this position will do amazing work.

So for one final time, with this espnlacrosse.com article…

I’m Adam Roberts.

Bucks Defeat Pistons 117-89

By Adam Roberts – 11/3/2021

Despite defending his NBA Finals championship and dealing with several key teammates out for a plethora of reasons at the moment, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo still showed off his sense of humor following the team’s 117-89 win over Detroit last night.

“Thank God we won a game, I was worried we were going to start tanking for the No. 1 pick.”

Giannis had 28 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds in the win, showing that even moving him to a defacto 5 can’t keep him from being the biggest overall impact guy on the floor. He did say he can’t wait for Brook Lopez to return to action: “I learned today that I hate playing (center), I have never appreciated Brook as much as I do tonight.”

It was the Bucks’ first game without Khris Middleton as he deals with COVID-19, but thankfully his scoring numbers were made up for by Pat Connaughton having a great night from three; he hit four of his five long range shots and finished with 16 points overall. That output was matched by Jordan Nwora, already making a case for Sixth Man of the Year.

Milwaukee returns to Fiserv Forum this Friday when they welcome the upstart New York Knicks.

Badgers 21st In Initial College Football Playoff Rankings

By Adam Roberts – 11/3/2021

While they are by no means going to be in the College Football Playoff, the first round of CFP rankings does feature Bucky.

Wisconsin earned the 21st spot on the list yesterday, thanks in large part to their upset win over previously #9 Iowa on Saturday.

Wisconsin is one of six Big Ten teams in the CFP Top 25, led by #3 Michigan State. Ohio State is in the five spot, one outside of the playoff field. Those two teams will meet in Columbus on November 20th.

The Badgers’ remaining schedule starts with a road trip to Rutgers this week, followed by games against Northwestern and Nebraska at home and a road trip to #20 Minnesota to finish the season.

BREAKING: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers Tests Positive For COVID-19; OUT Vs Kansas City

By Adam Roberts – 11/3/2021

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has tested positive for COVID-19, and it’s being reported he will not be eligible to play versus Kansas City this weekend.

There was some confusion in the early reporting of the story on whether or not Rodgers was vaccinated, which would make a big deal in the possibility of playing Sunday or not. In his own words, Rodgers said he was “immunized” when asked about it before the season. That, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, is not the equivalent of vaccinated in the eyes of the league.

Kurt Benkert was added to the COVID-19/reserve list earlier this week, meaning Jordan Love will get the start as of right now against the Chiefs and is the only available quarterback on the roster.

We’ll continue to follow this breaking news story and provide any updates as they become available.

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