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Black River Falls Golf Advances To State

By Adam Roberts – 6/9/2021

As the temperatures warm up, I long to get out on the links and play my first full round of golf for the year. It’s also around this time that I get excited for the WIAA state golf tournament. While I have been a part of one state football championship, I much more closely relate to the feeling of getting ready to compete at and then playing on University Ridge.

And while the tournament is being held at Trappers Turn in the Dells instead this year, one area team will get a chance to experience those butterflies that only a state championship can bring.

Black River Falls finished second place in their Division Two sectional yesterday with a 328 team score, behind only Lakeland Union with a 323. Junior Mike Antonelli was the second best golfer on the day with a one-over 73.

In Division One, Tomah’s Hunter Neumann will represent the Coulee Region as an individual after shooting a 77 on Monday at Blackhawk Country Club.

NCAA President and Others Testify Before Senate on NIL Rights for Athletes

By Adam Roberts – 6/9/2021

On his way out the door, soon-to-be-retired Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez has noted the college athletics landscape is on pace to look noticeably different over the next few years. The biggest reason may be the push for NIL, or name, image, and likeness rights for the modern student athlete. Today, the United States Senate heard from the NCAA President and the nation’s top athletic leaders on compensation for student athletes.

Legislation has been proposed to allow athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness. A long-time proponent of student athletes remaining uncompensated, NCAA President Mark Emmert added that a federal solution needs to ensure that NIL payments are not a pay-for-play scenario. Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mark Few also said the future of college sports is in jeopardy because each state has different rules on NIL rights.

ESPN Analyst Rod Gilmore called this is a civil rights issue, adding that it’s disturbing that the 14-billion-dollar industry is made off the backs of Black players. Senator Cory Booker, a former Stanford Football player, called college athletics a for-profit industry that takes advantage of athletes by robbing them of earnings in their peak years.

The NIL legislation bill was introduced last February by Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, with it expected to be in place by August 1st with or without assistance from Washington.

Nets Instructed To Stop Using Free Throw Clock During Giannis Shots

By Adam Roberts – 6/9/2021

The question has been asked before: when does gamesmanship cross over into taunting?

Well, the N-B-A thinks the Brooklyn Nets found, and crossed, that line in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Bucks.

According to the New York Post, the Nets had opted to put a running clock on the overhead scoreboard when Giannis would prepare to shoot his free-throws in Game One’s 115-107 Bucks loss. In the NBA rule book there is a rule that dictates a player has ten seconds to shoot their free throw before being assessed a violate, and the notoriously-deliberate Antetokounmpo has been assessed several this season. The Greek Freak made just 68.5 percent of his league-leading 581 free throws this season.

As for what, if anything, the league could do in response? Probably not a lot.

The Bucks and Nets play Game Three tomorrow in Milwaukee. Coverage begins after The Sports Lead on ESPN La Crosse 105.5! You can also catch the game on the stream here or on TuneIn.

MLB Criticizes Lawsuit Over All-Star Game

By Adam Roberts – 6/8/2021

A group representing businesses in Georgia affected by the relocation of the MLB All Star game is taking legal action seeking compensation, and baseball isn’t thrilled with it.

Major League Baseball is criticizing a lawsuit filed over the relocation of Atlanta’s All-Star game. The summer classic was moved earlier this spring from Truist Park to Denver after the state’s new voting measures were signed into law. The league called a lawsuit filed by the Job Creators Network “political theatrics.” The lawsuit seeks 100-million-dollars to help Georgia small businesses who suffered potential losses in the move.

Meanwhile this evening the Brewers are looking for their fifth consecutive win tonight against the Reds in Cincinnati. Adrian Houser will take the mound for Milwaukee and will face Sonny Gray. The Brewers are a half-game ahead of the Cubs for first place in the NL Central standings while the Reds are four-games behind.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers Not At Mandatory Minicamp; Team Signs ILB Campbell

By Adam Roberts – 6/8/2021

We became privy to this news yesterday courtesy of ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Rob Demovsky, but today in Green Bay as players arrive for the start of mandatory minicamp, Aaron Rodgers will not be among them.

While he will stay away from team activities which begin today and run through Thursday, the team will have to decide whether or not to levy a fine against him. As we wrote yesterday Rodgers can be fined up to 93,085 dollars by the team for failing to show up, but they could also choose to excuse him and waive the fines. As some have pointed out on Twitter, there may be a case for the team wanting Rodgers away from the facility in order to give Jordan Love the opportunity to work with the Packers’ top receivers.

Speaking of those receivers, after missing voluntary OTAs, all the starters are in Green Bay today, and after practice both Davante Adams and Devin Funchess will speak to the media. Also speaking will be left tackle David Bakhtiari, who was seen at OTAs looking pretty healthy after his ACL injury last year.

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In other news, Rob Demovsky reports today that the Packers are acquiring former Arizona inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell to help fill the spot left by the release of Christian Kirksey this offseason. Campbell has started for both the Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons in his career, and has 462 career tackles in five seasons including a career-high 129 in 2019.

Brewers INF Keston Hiura Optioned To AAA Nashville

By Adam Roberts – 6/7/2021

Once again, a lack of production at the plate has resulted in Brewers’ infielder Keston Hiura being sent down to the minors.

How long this demotion will last is uncertain, but starting today Hiura will be working in Triple-A Nashville trying to work through the yips that have plagued him this season. Hiura was held out of Saturday’s win over Arizona and was out of the lineup for three of the past four Brewer contests. Hiura has his .069 with a double and two walks since being called back up from Nashville on May 24th. He also has 16 strikeouts during that period of time. In his start yesterday, he recorded one hit but had three of his 16 strikeouts since the return.

While Hiura is down in Nashville, Daniel Vogelbach will likely serve as the Brewers primary first baseman.

Milwaukee is off today and will be at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati tomorrow to open a series against the Reds.

Packers Minicamp Begins Tomorrow

By Adam Roberts – 6/7/2021

The Aaron Rodgers saga may take an interesting turn tomorrow. One that has been anticipated by media types, fans, and likely the front office as well.

Mandatory team minicamp begins tomorrow, moved up about a week last month and set to run through Thursday. As the name would imply, attendance in Green Bay is compulsory, with fines able to be levied against players who don’t show up. While wide receiver Devin Funchess said on Twitter he would be there, and other big-name wideouts who stayed away from OTAs are also expected there, it’s anyone’s guess to whether or not Rodgers will be present.

Should Aaron miss out, the team has the option to fine him just a tick over 93,000 dollars. However, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter and others have noted, just because the team CAN fine Rodgers for a no-show doesn’t mean they WILL fine him. Green Bay could instead choose to issue him an extended absence that would excuse him from the fines. What kind of message that would send to the locker room, however, is uncertain.

All of this comes after Packers team president Mark Murphy said last week in his monthly column the debate over Rodgers’ future has divided the fan base. The team remains adamant they can resolve things with Aaron and have him as their quarterback in 2021 and beyond.

Bucks-Nets Game Two Tonight Without James Harden

By Adam Roberts – 6/7/2021

Down 1-0 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Nets, the Bucks are gearing up for Game Two tonight in Brooklyn, and doing so knowing that one of the biggest cogs of the Nets’ big three has been ruled out for tonight.

James Harden won’t play tonight night due to what’s being called “right hamstring tightness” by the team. Today on Keyshawn, JWill, and Zubin the possibility of Harden’s limited availability for the rest of the series was also not ruled out. The guard played less than a minute of Game One after grabbing his leg on the first play of the game. Brooklyn won Game One, regardless, 115-107. This despite a 34-point performance from Giannis and a host of coaching changes Mike Budenholzer had to run through with Harden out.

The challenge for the Bucks tonight will likely be two-fold. First, the team needs to make wide-open shots; of the team’s 30 3-point attempts, a number of them were should-makes. Another 6-30 evening won’t cut it.

Second, Jrue Holiday needs to neutralize Kyrie Irving to force Kevin Durant to be a do-it-all tonight. Holiday will likely be matched up with Irving whenever he’s on the floor. Irving played 45 minutes on Saturday and scored 25 on 11-26 field goal shooting with 3 3’s.

ESPN La Crosse 105.5 is the area’s home for the NBA postseason, and you can catch tonight’s game starting right after The Sports Lead at 6.

MLB To Give Away Tickets To Get Vaccinated At Ballparks

By Adam Roberts – 6/4/2021

The push for COVID vaccines continues as President Biden remains adamant the US can reach 70% of Americans with at least one shot by the Fourth of July. To get to that point, a number of organizations have offered incentives to individuals electing to receive the vaccines. Keeping with that theme, Major League Baseball is giving away tickets to games to encourage Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The league has announced its MLB Vaccinate at the Plate program. All 30 clubs, Brewers included, will host at least one event this month where unvaccinated fans get a free ticket if they get their shot at the event. Each club can set its own procedures for how to make the program work. Many of the ballparks have already been used as vaccination sites, with more than a million Americans getting their shots at ballparks.

The Bucks hosted a similar kind of event with mobile vaccination sites at Fiserv Forum, albeit without the free ticket incentive.

Brewers Hit Four HRs; Defeat Arizona 7-4

By Adam Roberts – 6/4/2021

Talk to any athlete, and ask them about how particular they are about their gear. Chances are most would be reluctant midway through the season to use a completely new piece of equipment as integral to the game as a baseball bat is to a ballplayer.

But Brewers’ outfielder Christian Yelich decided to give it a try last night against Arizona, switching out his black bat for a blonde and taking a third inning pitch for a ride into right field. The three-run homer was the difference ultimately in a 7-4 Milwaukee win that also featured home runs by Jackie Bradley Jr. Avisail Garcia, and birthday boy Luis Urias.

On the mound, Brent Suter got the win in relief for Brett Anderson, who gave up three runs in 4 1/3 innings. Josh Hader posted his 13th save in 13 attempts this year.

Second baseman Kolten Wong did leave the game in the fourth inning with oblique discomfort. The left oblique is the same spot that sent Wong to the IL back in April.

The series continues tonight, with Freddy Peralta starting against Matt Peacock.