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Wisconsin To Face Georgia Tech In ACC/Big Ten Challenge

By Adam Roberts – 6/28/2021

While all the Badger news today likely is circulating around Graham Mertz and his new logo, there is some other Badger news today.

The basketball team is scheduled to head to Atlanta on December 1st for the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge against Georgia Tech. Recall last season the 17-9, 11-6 Yellow Jackets won the ACC Tournament and were led by now-graduated conference Player Of The Year Moses Wright. This year, Tech will be led by Michael Devoe, a three-point shooter who made 40 percent of those shots in 20-21, and on defense by Jordan Usher.

Wisconsin took a depleted Louisville team to the cleaners in the challenge last season 85-45 against a Cardinals team ravaged by COVID at the time. Overall, the Badgers are 11-11 in the Challenge, but are 3-8 on the road.

Other notable Challenge games this season include Duke at Ohio State, Michigan State at home against Louisville, and Michigan at North Carolina.

Badgers QB Graham Mertz Unveils New Trademark

By Adam Roberts – 6/28/2021

Get ready to start seeing college athletes unveiling their own brand logos and take advantage of the new NIL rules in the NCAA that are set to begin later this week.

Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz gave us a taste of that today with the unveiling of his new logo. You can check out the unveiling tweet here.

Mertz will have plenty of opportunity to cash in on his name, image, and likeness as he enters into his redshirt sophomore season. Last year, Mertz completed 61.1% of his passes for 1,238 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions in a COVID-shortened 2020 season.

Bucks Defeat Hawks 113-102; Take 2-1 Series Lead

By Adam Roberts – 6/28/2021

The night started out quite poorly for the Milwaukee Bucks last night in Atlanta, giving many people trepidation that playoff Bucks basketball from the last few seasons was about to rear its ugly head.

Cue Playoff Khris Middleton.

Unlike postseasons of late, this run for Milwaukee has seen a handful of clutch rebound performances for the team. Look to Game Seven of the Nets series or Game Two of this current ECF series against the Hawks. Last night’s rebound was in-game, with Middleton scoring a playoff career high-tying 38 in a 113-102 Milwaukee win. Middleton went 6-11 on contested shots in the fourth quarter while scoring 20 of his 38, and hit six of his 12 three point attempts on the night.

On the other side of the ball, Atlanta’s Trae Young suffered a freak ankle sprain after stepping on an official’s foot, slowing down what was once again the primary source of Atlanta’s offensive output. He played in the fourth quarter but appeared to be in at least a little pain. *UPDATE* Young is officially listed as questionable for Game Four with a bone bruise in his right foot.

The Bucks take a 2-1 series lead into Game Four; coverage begins at 7pm tomorrow evening on ESPN La Crosse 105.5 and here on espnlacrosse.com!

Onalaska Baseball Falls to Sun Prairie 6-1

By Adam Roberts – 6/25/2021

The Cardinals of Sun Prairie were going to be a formidable opponent for Onalaska baseball today. And they showed why their pitching could very well guide them to a state title.

Onalaska garnered just three hits all game and plated just one base runner in a 6-1 Division One quarterfinal loss in Fond du Lac today. Jackson Hunley was dominant from start to finish in his complete game gem for the Cardinals.

With the loss, the co-MVC champ Hilltoppers finish their first season managed by Brock Gnadt at 16-10.

That leaves Blair-Taylor softball as the last bat and ball team alive in the Coulee Region for a title. They play in the D4 quarters next Tuesday up in Green Bay.

NFL Gives July 2nd Deadline to Opt Out of Season, Could Rodgers Choose This Option?

By Adam Roberts – 6/25/2021

With the 2021 NFL offseason rolling along and training camp about a month away, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that players will have the option to opt out of the 2021 season if they indicate their intention to do so by July 2nd, one week from today. And while I would take anything ProFootball’s Mike Florio has to say about Aaron Rodgers, the opt out option could present a fourth way the Rodgers’ scenario plays out.

Florio pointed to the amount of money Rodgers would save if he opted out: 18.2 million dollars to be specific. The catch is two-fold: he would need to make the decision by July 2nd as noted above, and at age 38 he would be willingly missing out on a year of play. If Rodgers does opt out, he could still keep his signing bonus and roster bonus money and dodge up to 2 million dollars in total fines.

Important to note as well: only players who are at higher risk for COVID complications will receive a stipend for opting out this year, as opposed to last year where anyone opting out would get no less than 150,000 dollars.

Will we see another round of back and forth over the next week as each side looks to gain an advantage? We shall see.

Bucks Fall To Atlanta 116-113 In Game One

By Adam Roberts – 6/24/2021

Those pesky Atlanta Hawks have found a talent for taking down higher seeded playoff teams in Game One of series this year. And the Bucks were the next in line last night.

Milwaukee dropped the first game of the East Conference Finals 116-113 to the Hawks in Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and 12 rebounds while Jrue Holiday added 33 points and 10 assists. Three point shooting was an abysmal 22.2% for Milwaukee last night, though Atlanta didn’t shoot much better with a 25% rate. Trae Young had an impressive 48 for Atlanta, but late was guilty of jacking up some Curry-range threes that clanged off the iron.

This is the Bucks’ first home loss of the playoffs this season.

Game two of the series will be tomorrow in Milwaukee. Coverage begins at 7pm on ESPN La Crosse 105.5 and here on espnlacrosse.com!

NFL Gives Approval For Throwback Helmets In 2022

By Adam Roberts – 6/24/2021

While I think many would say the blue and gold Packer throwbacks are pretty cool. BUT…the yellow helmets do not go well with the uniforms at all, and I think most people would agree there also.

Unfortunately, the Packers and the rest of the league have been pretty limited with what they can do in situations like this due to the NFL’s restrictive rules against alternate helmets. This rule was put in place eight ago for safety reasons, and while grumblings about it have cropped up from time to time, no real change seemed evident.

Until today, that is.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported earlier today that the NFL has approved alternate helmets for throwback uniforms starting in the 2022 season. According to ProFootballTalk, the second helmet could also be used with an alternate or Color Rush uniform, though they will most likely be utilized for popular throwbacks like those in Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, and New England.

One rule to keep in mind: league spokesman Brian McCarthy said today that teams must tell the NFL of their plans for an alternate color helmet for next season by July 31.

Harlem Globetrotters Ask NBA To Become League’s 31st Team

By Adam Roberts – 6/23/2021

Chalk this one under “Headlines I didn’t think I’d ever see”.

The Harlem Globetrotters — the legendary exhibition basketball team — are asking the NBA to let it become the league’s 31st franchise. In a letter to the league, the Globetrotters note there have been rumors that the league is considering expansion. Other cities under consideration for a new franchise are Seattle and Las Vegas.

I remember getting to see the Globetrotters when they came to Green Bay I think back in 2002. While this has a negative percentage of actually happening, if “Sweet Georgia Brown” played on loop during home Globetrotter blowout wins I would be thoroughly entertained. When they came to La Crosse a few years ago, I got to interview one of their athletes at the time, and I know especially for the young ones the Globetrotters act still holds up after all the years they’ve been around.

The Globetrotters were created almost a century ago, back in 1926. Former Globetrotter Nathaniel Sweetwater Clifton became the first Black player to sign a contract with the NBA in 1950.

Brewers 1B Daniel Vogelbach Heads To IL; Hiura Called Up Again

By Adam Roberts – 6/23/2021

While it made for entertaining television when the Arizona Diamondbacks had an “Error 404” moment on a single that scored the Brewers’ Daniel Vogelbach, the source was unfortunate news for Milwaukee.

Rounding third and headed for home, Vogelbach pulled up with a strained left hamstring. But thanks to some very questionable field work by Arizona, he was able to hobble home before exiting the game. Today the team is placing Vogelbach on the 10-day IL.

To fill the need, the team will once again be calling upon Keston Hiura. The infielder has had noted struggles this year and will once again get an opportunity to show his growth during stints at Triple-A Nashville.

Pitcher Brett Anderson was also placed on 10-day injured list with a knee injury. The left-hander suffered the injury in Monday’s game while batting in the second inning. Tyrone Taylor was reinstated from the injured list.

Milwaukee and Arizona wrap up their series this afternoon in Phoenix.

Audio Between Badger MBB HC Greg Gard And Seniors Leaked

By Adam Roberts – 6/23/2021

It seems like every time I leave the building for a day, something big happens in our little sports world. Yesterday I was up in Rice Lake for the high school baseball sectionals, and of course some big Badger story would break while I was away.

In a 37 minute audio clipped sent to the Wisconsin State Journal from an anonymous source, senior members of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team are heard expressing their discontent with head coach Greg Gard on February 19th, in the middle of the team’s disappointing 2020-21 campaign that ended in a sixth place finish in the Big Ten.

In the clip, players like Brad Davison, Aleem Ford, Nate Reuvers, Micah Potter, and D’Mitrick Trice can be heard saying there is a “disconnect” between them and their head coach. The conversation, which reportedly lasted two hours, also included mentions to the previous season, which included the car crash involving assistant Howard Moore which killed two of his family members, Kobe King departing the program, and the resignation of strength and conditioning coach Erik Helland.

Themes that came up repeatedly in the conversation included Wisconsin not feeling like a home for the players, Gard’s actions speaking louder than words, and an overall lack of confidence in the program.

Once word of the meeting became public, Gard expressed both his support of the players opening up to him and also his frustration that a private meeting was leaked. Outgoing athletic director Barry Alvarez also expressed support for Coach Gard looking ahead to next year. Gard’s contract was extended by a year after the season, and he is scheduled to make $2.65 million in the 2021-22 school year.