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Milwaukee Bucks Arena Naming Rights Going to a Local Company with a National Presence

The Milwaukee Bucks are on the cusp of announcing the long-delayed naming rights deal for their new $524 million basketball arena, one of the team’s owners said.

“It’s very close – imminent is what I would say is probably the word,” Wes Edens said in an interview.

“It’s a company that’s local. It’s got a national presence,” Edens said, declining to discuss more details about the business that will be the Bucks’ most important partner for years to come.

“We have been exchanging contracts. There are really no open issues,” he said.

There is speculation that the arena will include its former sponsor, BMO Harris, in its new name. BMO Harris has been with the Bradley Center for years, and it is definitely a possibility the company is included in the Bucks new arena name.

Several key businesses either based here or with large local presences have joined the Bucks as “founding partners” – the most important partnership for the new arena announced to date. They include Johnson Controls, MillerCoors, Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin and BMO Harris Bank.

It will surely be an exciting announcement and an even more exciting time when the new area opens to the public for the Bucks home opener of 2018. 

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Addressing Aaron Rodger’s Contract

Now that Matt Ryan is the NFL’s first $30 million a year player, everything is in place for the Green Bay Packers to extend Aaron Rodgers’ contract.

What will that historic deal look like?

The short answer and best guess is that Rodgers’ impending contract extension will average between $31 million and $32 million in new money to Ryan’s $30 million, and include a full guarantee in the $110 million range, which would top Ryan’s $100 million guarantee.

Could Rodgers squeeze more out of the Packers? Maybe. He ranks with Tom Brady as the two best quarterbacks in the game.

But Rodgers also has to ask himself, how much more money is worth it? Players want to be paid what they can get, but legacies are burnished by Super Bowls above all else, and the higher his salary, the more it cuts into the Packers’ ability to put talent around him. That’s what Rodgers and his agent, David Dunn, have to weigh in their negotiations.

As a Packers fan, and a huge Aaron Rodgers fan, I highly doubt he’ll walk away from Green Bay. He has family here, friends, and is a huge presence throughout Green Bay. All that, including his teammates, is a hard situation to walk away from.

At the end of the day Rodgers needs the best possible roster surrounding him to ward off anyone saying he’ll leave. He is in the twilight of his career and deserves the best the Green Bay Packers organization can provide him with. 

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Packers Unlikely to Resign Remaining Free Agents

It’s been a busy offseason for the new-look Packer’s management staff as the front office has shaken up the roster. From free agent signing, to the draft, the roster has definitely been reshaped. This leaves the reality that some of the roster from the 2017 season will not return.

Among the remaining free agents that Green Bay has not extended offers to are long snapper Brett Goode, linebacker Ahmad Brooks, guard Jahri Evans, and defensive lineman Quinton Dial.

Goode, who has been with Green Bay since 2008, is probably the most notable player not returning. He signed a 1-year deal last year after being released by Green Bay. The Packers drafted another long snapper, Hunter Bradley, during the 2018 draft, which likely signaled the end of Goode’s tenure in Green Bay. 

 

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Brewers Shut Out by Pirates

As usual, Pittsburgh right-hander Chad Kuhl controlled the bats of the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.That domination was hardly necessary, however, thanks to an offense that opened with a home run and never let up.The result was the biggest stinker of the season for the Brewers, who did very little on either side of the ball in a 9-0 whipping at Miller Park that kept the 38,285 quiet from start to finish.

Milwaukee has struggled to hit the ball lately. Specifically Eric Sogard has contributed to the team’s lackadaisical hitting performance night in and night out.

Pitcher Chase Anderson didn’t help much on the defensive end giving up 5 runs in 4 innings pitched. I anticipate a few call ups as well as demotions coming soon within the Brewers organization. There is far too much inconsistency thus far and things need to be ironed out sooner than later.

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Will Jabari Remain a Buck?

When Jabari Parker was drafted as our first round pick in 2014, most Bucks fans thought of him as a big part of our future. A key alongside Giannis in the eventual rise of Milwaukee basketball as we once knew it. Now it seems questionable if Jabari is even relevant to the team going forward.

Part of the problem stems back to the two scary injuries Jabari has faced throughout his tenure with Milwaukee. He has suffered two town ACL’s, in both knees, and this has surely disrupted his progress and adjustment to the team’s current fixture. But even though he is recovered now and played for us in the Bucks series against the Celtics, he doesn’t look like the Jabari we all once knew prior to the injuries. He looks shaky, almost hesitant to jump and run because he is afraid of re injuring his knees.

Aside from how he is looking, Parker also clashed with Buck’s coaching staff over playing time throughout the series with the Celtics. If he is unhappy with his minutes, Parker may be looking for another team to sign him to a max deal, which I’m sure he is looking for.

When asked about Jabari’s current state with the team, Giannis made it perfectly clear that he and other players want him to stay. Giannis told reporters how important he is to their future and how valued Jabari is to the organization.

As next season approaches, I look forward to seeing how this story unfolds. 

 

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Review of Bucks Point Guard Eric Bledsoe

It’s definitely safe to say the Bucks improved when Eric Bledsoe joined the team, but does he give them enough to be a top playoff contender?

My opinion is yes–if he takes better care of the ball.

During the Bucks’ first round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, Bledsoe was on and off at best. He would have stretches where he scored, passed well, and defended, but often times, he would suddenly become quite sloppy with the ball. If he is to be a fixture in our offense, he needs to sometimes slow down his pace and look to get others involved instead of isolating and attempting a poor shot, or even losing the ball to the defense.

Although the Bucks’ one and only playoff series was not Bledsoe’s premier clinic, he still did a lot for us throughout the regular season. He because a key facilitator and clicked instantly with star Giannis Antetekounpo. Giannis and Bledsoe played a successful amount of pick and roll offense and this is definitely credit to Bledsoe for ensuring the Buck’s best player is steadily involved.

There was a lot of criticism over Bledsoe’s performance in the playoffs, but I don’t think that should overshadow how well he played most of the season. I look forward to seeing him in a Bucks uniform next season as the Bucks open in their new arena.

 

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Milwaukee Brewers: Who is Nick Roscetti?

Back in the 2016 MLB draft, the Brewers selected him. Now two years later, Roscetti is playing single A ball for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and is absolutely lighting up stat sheets.

The 24 year old has played predominately second base, but in the past has played at short and third as well. The Milwaukee Brewers might have another great infielder on their hands.

So far in 2018, Roscetti is second on the team in batting average and RBI’s. He also boasts the least amount of strikeouts for anyone who has played in over ten games. All that leads to an impressive 123 wRC+ to start the year. The one knock to his season is that he leads the team with five errors.

here is not a lot of hype coming from players drafted in the 26th round. There are a few names like Joe Biagini and Scott Schebler who have made it to the MLB, but not many others. It is also worth noting that Milwaukee Brewers prospect Mauricio Dubon was a 26th rounder back in 2013. The hype  builds with good play, but it might take awhile.

Roscetti is doing his best to bring his name into relevancy in 2018. That being said, he has yet to play more than 45 games in a season. He is off to a phenomenal start, and there is no reason he cannot keep it up, but he will be exposed to a longer schedule this year. His low strikeout totals are something to be excited about going forward, and he should be able to put up good numbers.

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5 Veteran Candidates Facing Offseason Cuts

It’s a busy time of year for the Green Bay Packers and their fans. We are a little past a week since the 2018 draft, and there is speculation that cuts will be made soon to shave off unneeded parts of the roster.

The first cut that could and is likely to happen is conerback, Demetri Goodson. The Packers are currently carrying nine cornerbacks on their roster as a result of drafting Jaire Alexander and Joshua Jackson. While that’s good for their depth at the top of their position, it means people who originally could’ve or have made the roster in the past are likely in trouble this time around. As is the case with Goodson.

Goodson was taken in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft and technically should’ve been a free agent by now. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in November of 2016 and missed over a year of football which means his contract “tolls” for another season. Thus, he’s eligible to play one more season for Green Bay under his rookie contract.

Unless he’s released which is the case in this scenario. Given the talent on the roster and the fact he hasn’t played since 2016, Goodson has an uphill battle to climb. A battle he ends up losing.

Michael Clark is next on the list of possible cuts. At 6-foot-6, Clark ran a 4.53 40-yard dash time which are the measurables that catch most peoples attention. Unfortunately, he is a long shot to make the roster with Davante Adams, Randal Cobb, Geronimo Allison and the three 2018 rookies ahead of him on the roster.

Next up is another wide receiver, Trevor Davis. After being selected out of the University of California in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, Davis’ stay with the Packers is going to be a short one. The speedster hasn’t proven to be reliable and has questionable hands at best. In two seasons with Green Bay, he’s only caught eight balls for 94 yards and one touchdown.

His job as the team’s primary punt and kick returner is also in jeopardy with the addition of Alexander. Fortunately, that might end his time fair-catching punts inside the 10-yard line.

Brett Hundley is also among possible cut candidates. If that’s the case, look for Hundley to get cut at the end of the preseason. Historically, Mike McCarthy only prefers to take two quarterbacks into the regular season. That allows him to carry an extra wide receiver or cornerback which is especially important this season.

Even though the Packers also released Joe Callahan, look for them to bring him (or another quarterback) back to the practice squad so they can keep another thrower under their wing.

Davon House rounds off the list of possible cuts. If healthy Kevin King figures to man an outside corner position full time with some combination of Tramon Williams and Joshua Jackson holding down the other spot. Jaire Alexander will likely slide into the slot with the odd man out of Williams and Jackson, creating a formidable four-man rotation.

Even after them, Quinten Rollins, the former second-round pick, could look to earn some reps along with Lenzy Pipkins, Herb Waters and Josh Hawkins. House is likely more talented than all four, but they contribute on special teams and could be seen as up-and-coming players. That’s not even mentioning the unique abilities of Joshua Jackson and Oren Burks. The two figure to spend at least part of their time covering backs and tight ends out of the slot and backfield.

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Milwaukee Brewers Announce Plans to Honor the Great Davey Nelson

The Milwaukee Brewers announced their plans on Sunday, May 6 to honor the memory of Davey Nelson who passed away last month.

Nelson was a member of the Brewers family since 2001 and a former Marjor League All Star infielder. He passed away on April 23 after battling a long illness at the age of 73.

The Brewers will be honoring Nelson in many ways — starting with Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Prior to the game, there will be a moment of silence to remember Nelson.

Additional activities will take place during the Brewers’ June 21 through 24 series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

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Milwaukee Actively Pursuing New Head Coach

As of now, Joe Prunty is still the coach of the Bucks, but his time at the helm is likely short-lived. After an early first round playoff exit, many, including myself, believe it is time to sign a coach who can take us to the next step. The Bucks haven’t won a playoff series in nearly 20 years, and now that we have such a promising young core of players, the time is now to find a coach that can get us to the next level.

Rumors are Bucks front office staff has scheduled an interview with San Antonio Spurs assistant coach, Becky Hammon. Hammon has worked with the Spurs for multiple seasons now and has surely learned a lot working under the great Gregg Popovich. If hired for the job, Hammon would become the first head coach in NBA history. She already set a record when she became the first woman to become an assistant coach back in 2014. I personally would welcome Hammon aboard with open arms. She has a lot of talent and knowledge of the game, which are aspects we need to elevate our team’s performance.

Also in the running for possible head coach replacements are former Atlanta Hawks coach, Mike Budenholzer, as well as former New Orleans Pelicans coach, Monty Williams.

Milwaukee had their chance at hiring David Fizdale, who unfortunately agreed to a 4-year deal with the New York Knicks a few days ago. I think he would have been the best fit for the Bucks, but the organization did not act fast enough to grab him before the competition did.