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Green Bay Makes Positive Moves in 2018 Draft

The Green Bay Packers addressed their biggest need in the 2018 NFL Draft by making their first two picks cornerbacks. Jaire Alexander and Joshua Jackson bring much-needed speed, athleticism, and playmaking ability into the secondary.

Those two alone should shore up a unit that bled yards in chunks last season. And even beyond them, the Packers made some very intriguing picks that should make them feel a whole lot better heading into training camp this summer.

They also added an athletic freak in Oren Burks at outside linebacker, an offensive tackle Cole Madison, a punter JK Scott, three wide receivers J’Mon Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown, as well as a defensive tackle, a long-snapper and another outside linebacker to end the draft.

Overall, the Packers hit every need on their roster and the 2018 season should be an interesting one. I expect big things this year from our defense which was absolutely pitiful for us last season. 

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Bucks Fall to Celtics in Pivotal Game 7

Yesterday marked a sad end to an overall disappointing Bucks season. Milwaukee was unable to fend off a hungry Celtics team that played much more intensely than they did in a do-or-die game 7.

Milwaukee’s top tier players showed up to play, but that in the end was not enough to get the Bucks a win. Khris Middleton had 32 to lead Milwaukee, which was denied its first playoff series victory since the 2000-01 season. Despite forcing a seventh game, the Bucks dropped to 0-18 in team history when trailing 0-2 in the playoffs. Eric Bledsoe scored 23 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Milwaukee.

The basis of Milwaukee’s problems throughout this game came down to them not making important shots, and not playing hard enough defense. The Celtics went on major point runs in the second half, and the Bucks could not match the intensity being thrown at them.

This was overall an extremely exciting series to watch. As a fan, I always love seeing teams fight to a game 7 matchup, but I would have loved to see the Bucks actually win a post season series. The Bucks haven’t won a playoff series since the ’02-’03 season when they made it all the way to the eastern conference finals.

Although the season may be over for the Bucks, there is a lot to look forward to. Milwaukee’s new arena will be completed by the start of next season and will surely usher in a new wining atmosphere into the city. 

 

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Milwaukee Brewers Review After 3 Weeks

A 3-3 week for Milwaukee included a series win (two of three) in St. Louis, and they have won every series there last season and this, getting four in a row. The game they lost to St. Louis was a tough pill to swallow, with the Crew blowing leads in the bottom of the ninth and tenth before losing in the eleventh. Their win Saturday against the Mets (5-1) gives Milwaukee a 6-2 road record on the young season, and 8-7 overall.

Taking a look at the Brewers’ hitting so far, it has definitely been lackluster. Second baseman Jonathan Villar has been the lone significant producer for the Crew. He is batting over .300 for the season and his three-run homer against the Mets on Saturday gives us Brewers fans promise for the rest of his season’s productivity.

Pitching for the Brewers has definitely been one of their weapons so far this season. Josh Hader is throwing the ball really, really well right now and stands head and shoulders above the rest. He gave up a home run, and he walked a guy, with three appearances and 4 2/3 innings pitched. He registered his first save of the year, and of his career. The wow moment is that he struck out twelve batters in the past week. That’s fourteen outs registered, twelve of them by strikeout. His WHIP was 0.43 and I’m beginning to think he might be pretty darn good.

As the Brewers’ series with the Mets begings, they will need to start producing more offense if they are to excel in their division. This will be a difficult task as the Mets have a very young and powerful pitching core.

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Bucks Drop Tough Playoff Game Against Celtics Despite Late Game Heroics

As much as Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo shouldered the burden to give the Bucks a chance to snag a pivotal game 1 victory, their best for the day just wasn’t good enough against a resilient and disciplined Celtics team Sunday afternoon.

The game was filled with stretches by both teams where one shot the ball well, while the other struggled offensively and played poor defense. Heading into the second half, the Bucks found themselves down by 9 and in the midst of a Celtics run. The Bucks dug themselves out of it and evened the score by the end of the third quarter. The Celtics; however, refused to let the Bucks take any sort of substantial lead against them.

Seemingly out of it multiple times, the Bucks refused to give in and turn their attention to game 2. Down 10 points with under 4 1/2 minutes to play, Milwaukee ramped up its defense and used an 8-0 run to make things interesting. Then, with 11.1 seconds left, Malcolm Brogdon launched a three-pointer that tied the game at 96.

The Celtics had a big answer at the other end, and guard Terry Rozier III absolutely buried a clutch three to put the Celtics up 99-96 with .05 seconds remaining in the game.

I watched this game live, and at this very moment in the game, I thought Milwaukee’s luck had run out. They played very well, but I didn’t see it possible for them to save the game yet again. I was proven wrong.

With .05 seconds remaining, the ball was inbounded to guard Khris Middleton, who chucked up a 35 foot prayer which miraculously went in as time expired. The shot was reviewed and it was indeed confirmed that the Middleton had gotten the ball off before the shot clock hit zeros.

Milwaukee’s magic fizzled out in the extra frame, though. The Bucks held a one-point advantage through two minutes but from that point on couldn’t close out possessions with rebounds or muster enough offense to keep up.

Still, the Bucks had their chances. Down two with under a minute left, Middleton picked off a pass to start the break. The ball found guard Malcolm Brogdon, who drove the lane only to have his shot blocked by Celtic’s wing player Jayson Tatum. Brogdon got his own rebound and kicked a pass to Bucks forward Tony Snell in the corner, who launched an off-balance three-pointer that missed the mark. With the shot clock off, the Bucks were forced to foul and Rozier made 5 of 6 free throws down the stretch to close it out.

This was a tough game to watch as a Bucks fan. They played extremely hard throughout, but ultimately the vast amount of turnovers caught up with them. If they want to steal game 2 in Boston, Milwaukee will need to buckle down and take care of the ball, instead of coughing it up nearly 20 times like they did this past game.

 

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Bucks Clinch Playoff Berth

As the regular season winds down, the Bucks will now turn their attention to which opponent they may face in the first round of the playoffs.

After locking up a post season berth, Milwaukee is currently sitting 6th in the eastern conference. They play the Philadelphia 76ers tonight and with a win they will lock up the 6th seed and likely face the 76ers 1st round in the playoffs. A loss could mean Milwaukee slides down to the 7th or 8th seeds and could potentially face either the Raptors or Celtics depending on where they land.

It has been a productive final stretch for Milwaukee, and the team looks to nurse some of their previously injured players back into the rotation. Among these players is guard Malcolm Brogdon, the reigning 6th man of the year. Brogdon has missed 30 games this season due to a quad injury he faced back in February. He is expected to play tonight against the 76ers.

Also coming back from a nagging injury is guard Matthew Dellevadova who has been dealing with a sprained ankle for over two months. Dellevadova has been a productive off the bench player and will likely be a crucial piece for the team to utilize in the post season.

Perhaps the most interesting story the Bucks will face going into the post season is when Giannis Antetokounmpo will return. The team captain has been dealing with a sore ankle for over a week now and will be missing his 2nd straight game tonight. If the Bucks want to make any sort of splash this post season, they will undoubtably need Giannis back.

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Milwaukee Brewers: Braun Providing Reminiscent Spark

The Brewers have jumped out of the gate this season riding a 3-1 record, and are looking more competitive than ever in recent seasons. This is partly due to the heroics of team captain, Ryan Braun. Last Saturday night against the Padres, Braun belted a three-run homer to put the Brew Crew up by two at the top of the ninth inning. Braun was also down 0-2, but the two strikes didn’t stop Braun from coming up with a big swing to give his team the lead.

This home run should be looked at as an exciting occurrence for Brewers fans, and it took me specifically back to a time when Braun and the Brewers were a part of competitive playoff teams.

Early in his career, Braun impressed baseball fans all over the country with crunch time home runs. For example, 2008 was a memorable year for Braun. Late in September, he helped to keep the Brewers’ playoff hopes alive. He blasted a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the tenth to beat the Pirates 5-1.

Only a few days later, he once again displayed late game heroics. In the bottom of the eighth, he broke the 1-1 tie, launching the ball over the fence for a 3-1 lead. The implications were much greater than a win or a loss, though. With the win over the Cubs, the Milwaukee Brewers clinched an NL Wild Card spot. This was their first postseason qualification since 1982.

Another example came in 2011 when he hit a walk-off solo blast against the Colorado Rockies in the eleventh inning, leading the Brew Crew to a 2-1 victory.

After Braun’s PED scandal back in 2012, the superstar went from a fan favorite throughout the league to a despised cheater in the eyes of most baseball fans. Since then Braun has struggled to rebound to the MVP caliber player he once was. As the years have passed; however, Braun has slowly dragged himself out of his slumping career and has in a way reinvented himself. As the Brewers progress through the 2018 season, I have high expectations that Ryan Braun will be a big factor to the Brewer’s success this season.

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Bucks Steal OT Win Against Lakers Despite Giannis’ Poor Shooting Night

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the best basketball players in the world. Yet he did not touch the ball in the final 35 seconds of regulation and several possessions in overtime during the Milwaukee Bucks’ 124-122 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night at Staples Center.

Although the Bucks have come up clutch in recent games, beating the Golden State Warriors the other night and now outlasting the Lakers, there is still much improvement the team needs to truly compliment Giannis’ star potential.

It didn’t help that the Bucks fired coach Jason Kidd mid season, which clearly disrupted some of the team’s chemistry heading into the later part of the season. Now under the leadership of interim coach Joe Prunty, the Bucks have struggled to improve anymore than they had under Kidd’s tenure. It is clear the organization needs to look elsewhere in a head coach heading into next season. Prunty is not utilizing Giannis how he should be, and this is affecting the young star’s potential and growth. Antetokounmpo is already one of the most dominant players in the NBA; however, he needs the right guidance to continue his rise to glory.

The Bucks are riding the 8th and last spot in the eastern conference for playoff contention, and need to continue playing hard to hold off the Piston’s from knocking them out of the post season. Hopefully the Bucks will find a way to better utilize Giannis in crunch time. The Bucks will need to fix these kinks if they desire to make a splash in this year’s post season. 

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Brewers Open 2018 Season With a Win

Winning a game after you give up a two-out hit in the bottom of the ninth is tough. Winning a game when the opposition has second and third with one down in the bottom of an extra inning is tough. Winning a game when you go eight innings with no runs and two hits is tough.

But the Milwaukee Brewers (1-0) managed that in their season opener against the San Diego Padres (0-1) at Petco Field in San Diego. They used great pitching, a couple of two-out rallies, solid defense, and more Ji-Man Choi magic to pull out a very tough win in twelve innings, 2-1.

Brewers’ starter Chase Anderson worked six great innings, picking up where he left off last season. He shut out the Padres over that stretch on one hit, three walks, and six strikeouts. His only blemish on the day was actually a positive for the Crew: he scored the Brewers’ only run in regulation on one of the worst slides in baseball history. Anderson barreled towards home plate, attempting a slide that resulted in him jamming his head into the turf.

The twelve inning game probably means that the Brewers will have to add a bullpen arm before tomorrow’s game. Brandon Woodruff and Oliver Drake are the only relievers that didn’t work today, and it’s too early in the season to expect that tomorrow’s Brewer starter Jhoulys Chacin will give the team more than six innings.

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Packers Shake Up Roster With Offseason Transactions

The new year has brought numerous big changes to the Green Bay Packers’ roster. With a shuffle of personnel in the front office, new leadership at the general manager position has led to the departure of several big name players, as well as the arrival of new pieces.

Perhaps the biggest and most shocking offseason transaction is the release of fan favorite and 3rd on the all time Packers receiving list, wide receiver Jordy Nelson. Nelson, who turns 33 in May, was let go due to the team’s desire to go younger at the wideout spot. While the move was very unexpected to fans of the team, as well as players on the roster, it was a business decision at the end of the day. Nelson, who was nearing the end of his four-year contract he signed in 2014, was owed over $10 million by the team. In order to free up cap space to retain other free agent players, the Packers ultimately decided to move on from the aging Nelson. Aside from an outpouring of emotion from Green Bay Packers fans, franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers was notably upset with the release of his favorite teammate. Rodgers expressed that he was “shocked” and “saddened” by the team’s sudden decision to release Nelson.

On the same day the Packers released Nelson, they signed standout tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham, a free agent after a two year tenure in Seattle, will look to form quick chemistry with Aaron Rodgers, especially after the departure of Jordy Nelson. Graham and the Packers agreed to a three-year, $30 million dollar contract. It is expected Graham will have a big impact on the team.

On the defensive side of the ball, Green Bay lost veteran safety and defensive captain Morgan Burnett. Burnett, whose numbers declined last season, became a free agent at the end of 2017. The Packers opted not to resign him, and he was ultimately offered a three-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Packers also traded away safety Demarious Randall to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for quarterback DeShone Kizer.

The 2018 season is shaping up to be an interesting one for the Green Bay Packers, as they look to rebound from their completely disappointing outing in 2017.

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Packers Free Agency 2018: Possible Departures and Signings

With free agency looming, it is very possible that the Green Bay Packers may look to shake things up throughout the roster.

For starters, the team’s offensive line may look a little different heading into next season. There is speculation that the team might cut ties with longtime tackle Bryan Bulaga who has faced multiple injuries throughout the past two years, making him not very dependable. He is signed through 2020 and owed just under 7 million a year. Expect the team to look for possible replacements for him if they cut Bulaga lose.

The Packers could look to bring back former offensive guard Josh Sitton as Bulaga’s replacement. Sitton played both guard and tackle for the Packers before, and they could look to use him at both slots going into 2018.

The Pack could also look to target offensive lineman Duane Brown of the Seattle Seahawks as a new weapon. Brown is expected to be a salary cap casualty going into next season and the Seahawks have little money to spare on an already money-maxed out defensive team.

Taking a look at the Packer’s receiving core could be a little different going into next season as well. The team is currently using Geranimo Allison in the WR4 spot, but could look to replace his mostly unproductiveness with Philadelphia Eagles receiver Torrey Smith. Smith has been a reliable player for last organizations and he would likely take a lower scale salary to sign with a playoff contender like Green Bay.

The Packers could also look into signing Baltimore Raven’s receiver Jeremy Maclin who is another likely casualty of the salary cap. With an aging Jordy Nelson and a unreliable young receiver in Trevor Davis, the Packers could look to new options to satisfy their production needs.