PODCAST: Paid in Full
Brewers Spring Update & Bradley Jr. Signing Official (0:00)
Shady Big 10 Presidents (21:29)
March Madness (35:29)
NFL & Packers Free Agents (45:17)
Brewers make signing of Jackie Bradley Jr. official
The Milwaukee Brewers believe they have room for more than one Gold Glove center fielder in their outfield.
Milwaukee finalized the $24 million, two-year contract with Jackie Bradley Jr., whose deal allows him to opt out after this season to become a free agent again.
Bradley, who turns 31 on April 19, joins an outfield that already includes 2019 Gold Glove center fielder Lorenzo Cain, 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich and Avisaíl García, giving the Brewers four experienced starters for three outfield spots. Bradley won an AL Gold Glove with Boston in 2018 and was a finalist for the award in 2014, 2016 and 2019.
“I think we’ve just got a lot of great players here,” Bradley said Monday from the Brewers’ spring training camp in Phoenix. “I’m excited to be in the mix. The opportunity’s going to present itself. I don’t have to worry about making the lineup. I’m here to help the team win, and that’s my main focus.”
The Brewers’ need for outfield depth has become more apparent the last few days.
Cain is dealing with a quadriceps issue that has slowed his progress this spring training, potentially complicating his status for the start of the season. Cain had opted out of the 2020 season after playing just five games.
“I’ll do everything possible to get ready,” Cain said. “I plan on being on the field opening day.”
Cain, who turns 35 on April 13, called Bradley an “unbelievable defensive player who can swing the bat” and a welcome addition to the team. Cain didn’t express any concern that the addition of Bradley could affect his own job security.
“It’s not a challenge to me,” Cain said. “I feel like I’ve shown what I can do, day in and day out, year in and year out, what I can do as far as center field. If what I’ve done in the past is not enough, then what can I say?”
Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns said there should be plenty of at bats for all four outfielders, even if everyone stays healthy.
“If we look at three outfield positions, conservatively there are 2,100 plate appearances,” Stearns said. “That’s a lot of playing time. That’s a lot of plate appearances. We want as good of players as possible to consume all of those. So now to hopefully be able to have four really, really good players consuming those 2,100 plate appearances, that puts us in a really good spot.”
Stearns noted that Cain had some wisdom teeth removed before the start of camp that had shut him down for a week to 10 days. Cain said he later hurt his quadriceps while running the bases.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Cain wasn’t on the field last week and added that “he’s going to be slowed by this and we’re at a point where the schedule starts to get a little tight, but I think we still have time to be ready for the season.”
“Look, this is part of what can be expected when you have a player who relies a great deal his lower body, who wasn’t in a competitive environment for a long time, so we knew we needed the spring and the entirety of the spring to get him going,” Stearns said. “Unfortunately we’ve lost a chunk of that at this point. We’ll see how the next couple of weeks go.”
Cain remains optimistic about his chances of being ready for the April 1 opener.
“As far as getting on the field and seeing live pitching, that’s the only setback I see,” Cain said. “I think I’ll get caught up to speed real quick. I’m doing everything possible to get back on this field as soon as possible. I think I’ll be ready to go.”
If Cain is ready for the start of the season, the Brewers could face some interesting decisions as they try to divide playing time among these four experienced outfielders.
“It’s not something I have to worry about,” Bradley said. “I’ll leave that up to Craig and the people who are running the show. I’m going to be focused on helping the team any way I possibly can, and wherever I’m playing, let’s go.”
Milwaukee opened a roster spot by placing utilityman Tim Lopes on the 60-day injured list. Counsell said Lopes injured an oblique while swinging a bat in an exhibition game last week.
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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
The Swing: March 8, 2021
On this episode of The Swing, Zach and Jesse breakdown the ridiculous final minute of the Iowa game, discuss Greg Gard calling out the officiating, talk Bo Borowski and Brad Davison, and look ahead to the Big Ten Tournament.
PODCAST: Too Little, Too Late
Badgers-Hawkeyes Refereeing (0:00)
Badgers Poor Play (11:52)
UFC 259 Drama (24:50)
Sports Director Zach Heilprin (37:47)
Updated Mt. Notice (51:58)
EBO - Beau Thoreson
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Ebo has a strong passion for the cheesehead culture. Packers, Badgers, Brewers, Bucks, good fish fry, and an Old Fashioned.
He is the morning show host for his show "Over The Line" and the program director for the Zone.
With over 10 years of radio experience, opening up his mic and being able to entertain his listeners every day never gets old for him.
I started in radio by helping out with 94.1 WJJO. Never saying "no" to anything that was asked, I soon found myself getting my first on-air experience from Midnight to 6AM on the weekends. From there I began to find my voice and soon was filling in on Johnny & Greg's morning show and other various weekday shifts. After a couple of years on JJO, it was then that 96.7FM/1670AM The Zone was created and I became the producer for the 6AM - 8AM weekday morning show while also hosting my own show on Sundays called "Ebo's World." Sports talk radio was new for me, but I found my niche! After a few months of solely doing a morning show, we created a sports gambling show called "The Action Zone" and a fantasy football show called "The Fantasy Zone" that aired for two hours, one day a week. After two years of having a blast on those three shows, it was decided I would co-host the morning show called "Over the Line" from 6AM - 10AM, weekdays. Finally, after 5 years with Mid-West Family Broadcasting, I had the opportunity to become Program Director of the Zone and have not looked back. My radio career has grown with Mid-West Family Broadcasting and I am glad I can do what I love every day! Being from Dodgeville, Wisconsin, I have always loved Madison and moved to this great city when I was 19 years old. I could write a novel on my love of Madison! From the great people that make this city strong to its own unique culture, Madison could not be a better place to live. What I love most is supporting my local businesses and seeing the community grow. From local restaurants (I'll give you a list of must-eats) to my favorite breweries, to the Mom and Pop stores, I always can find a new favorite spot in Madtown. My hobbies include sports (watching/playing/talking about), music, playing guitar, and drinking the next best local beer. My family is small but growing. I recently married my beautiful wife, Jen. We also have two cats, Sinny and Gizmo. I am from the small town of Dodgeville, Wisconsin and I still love to get back there and visit my parents and Governor Dodge. My favorite thing to do every year is the American Family Children’s Hospital Radiothon. Being there and helping a cause near and dear to my heart really puts life in perspective. My favorite cookie, besides chocolate chip, has got to be white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. My favorite sports team is an easy one... The Green Bay Packers! 13 NFL Championships and remember, the G stands for Greatness. And my favorite superhero, hmmmmmmm my spidey sense is tingling ... Spider-Man! I'm a big believer in the power of positivity. Always be putting out good in this world.
EBO ON TWITTER
;
“Remember kids, Big Brother is always watching and don’t forget to eat Usinger’s brats!”
Deep thoughts from Table 69.
Nice. @WiscoGrant
easily the pinnacle of cinematic history
Giannis Antetokounmpo named All-Star Game MVP
Giannis Antetokounmpo added to his already long list of accomplishments Sunday at the NBA All-Star Game.
The Milwaukee Buck superstar scored a game-high 35 points on 16-for-16 shooting, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. For his efforts he won the Kobe Bryant MVP award, the first time in his five All-Star appearances he's won it.
https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1368778185127718913
Antetokounmpo did all of that work in just 19 minutes, as he led Team LeBron to a 170-150 win over Team Durant. It's the first time Antetokounmpo was on the winning side of an All-Star Game.
Damien Lillard had 32 points off the bench, while Steph Curry had 28 for Team LeBron. The two guards combined to make 16 3-pointers, while Chris Paul dished out 16 assists.
Bradley Beal had 26 points for Team Durant, which also got 24 points from Kyrie Irving.
They played without Durant, who was nursing an injury, and Joel Embiid, who along with Team LeBron's Ben Simmons, were held out of the game due to contact tracing after a barber the two Philadelphia stars used tested positive for COVID-19.
Greg Gard calls out officiating, defends Brad Davison after late flagrant foul costs Wisconsin in loss to Iowa
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard had seen and heard enough. So, after his 25th-ranked Badgers lost to No. 5 Iowa 77-73 on Sunday, Gard teed off on the officiating, opposing teams and the Big Ten office.
Gard’s initial displeasure stemmed from a sequence in the final 30 seconds of the game. With the Hawkeyes leading by three, Brad Davison drew a foul. But after the play, the Iowa bench asked for a review, the second time it had done so in a situation involving Davison. That review resulted in Davison being called for a hook-and-hold flagrant foul.
The normally reserved Gard could be heard on the telecast taking official Bo Borowski to task, saying, “Every time, Bo. Every f**king time. It’s embarrassing.” That was seconds after Borowski made a controversial call on D'Mitrik Trice with the game tied that sent him to the bench with five fouls and gave Iowa three free throws.
https://twitter.com/GeorgeBalekji/status/1368645309841240064?s=20
Gard’s temperament was more reserved during his post-game press conference, but his message was not. He made clear that he believes officials have allowed teams to weaponize the ability to call for reviews, especially when it comes to Davison.
“The area I really want to address is the mockery that has now been made of the hook-and-hold,” said Gard, whose team fell to 0-7 this year in Big Ten games Borowski officiated. “It appears to have become a Brad Davison rule. Where it’s become quite frankly a joke. Anytime there is a foul or a question, opponents are yelling to the official to go to the monitor. I saw the play. If college basketball is headed in this direction, we’re in big trouble.”
https://youtu.be/VdEQrqKSTfU?t=534
The hook-and-hold rule was put in place for the 2018-19 season largely to limit dangerous plays in the post. Despite being a guard, Davison has been called for more than his share in the last three seasons, including in the first game against Iowa. But this play happened as Davison was cutting to the basket and neither player appeared to be in danger.
“Really it sickens me that we have games decided like this and this is where it’s at,” Gard said. “That rule was not put in place for that. That was for safety of players. That was for post play. Those types of things happen on every single possession of the game, specifically in the post. I think it’s turned into a joke.”
Gard took it a step further and suggested officials, opponents and the Big Ten office are not treating Davison fairly.
“I feel bad for Brad Davison. He is a great kid. He plays his ass off,” Gard said. “But he continues to get screwed by this and how the officials and the league and opponents have continued just to call that out and put a spotlight on that and deaden the ball. It has become sickening really. It’s making a mockery of college basketball, specifically in the positions we’ve been in.”
https://youtu.be/cmMd3pUSA4g
The normally quiet Jonathan Davis was also not impressed with the call.
“The officiating crew screwed us on that call with Brad,” Davis said. “Every game I feel like it’s something going on with Brad.”
Davison has earned a reputation as a hard-charging player that gives everything he’s got in every game. Along with that he has drawn the label of being a dirty player from opposing fanbases and some UW fans, with many feeling validated when he was suspended by the Big Ten for one game last year following an incident against Iowa.
But it is not just fans that have given life to that narrative. Certain media outlets have as well, including ESPN during a game earlier this season when they showed a fake Wikipedia page that said Davison “averaged 2.3 dirty plays per game” and his position was “school threat.”
“I’m just trying to protect a player,” Gard said of his reasoning for speaking out so forcefully. “They’ve put a spotlight on him, and I’ve asked the league to stop it and they’ve allowed it to get out of hand. The character of the kid now with what ESPN did with their Wikipedia thing. ESPN can issue all the apologies they want. The kid is a great kid. He has done a phenomenal job for our program. He has been a great representative of this university, and I’m just tired of him constantly getting put in that light. It’s got to stop.”
When Gard was asked about the possibility of the Big Ten taking action against him for his comments, he said the league office knows his number and how to get ahold of him.
“(The media) continues to take shots at the kid. That is where enough if enough,” Gard said. “I’m tired of it. I’m going to call it out when it happens and I’m calling it out today.”
No. 5 Iowa hands No. 25 Wisconsin its third straight loss
No. 25 Wisconsin lost for the fifth time in its last six games, this time a 77-73 setback at No. 5 Iowa on Sunday in the regular-season finale for both teams.
After another ugly first half shooting the ball, the Badgers erased a 12-point Hawkeyes lead in the second, eventually taking their biggest lead at 69-65 with 2:26 left. Iowa answered and the game was tied at 71 with 34 seconds left when guard Jordan Bohannon drew a questionable fifth foul on D’Mitrik Trice on a 3-pointer and knocked down all three free throws.
https://twitter.com/GeorgeBalekji/status/1368645309841240064
On the ensuing possession, Brad Davison drew a shooting foul only to then also be called for a hook-and-hold flagrant foul. After the teams exchanged free throws to make it 74-71, the Badgers managed to tie Bohannon up and get a jump ball. Aleem Ford got a good look at a 3-pointer but couldn’t knock it down. It looked like Wisconsin might get another shot when Ford appeared to tip the ball off of Bohannon before it went out of bounds, but the officials determined it would stay with the Hawkeyes. CJ Fredrick made 1 of 2 from the free throw line to seal the game for Iowa.
https://twitter.com/GeorgeBalekji/status/1368659025492123651
Micah Potter led the way for the Badgers, scoring 23 points (4-for-6 3P), while Davison had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Jonathan Davis added 11 points, three assists and four steals.
Wisconsin shot 46.7% from the field, its second-best mark since early January. It included going 9-for-24 from beyond the arc, including 7-for-13 in the second half.
Iowa was paced by Luka Garza’s 21 points and 16 rebounds. Bohannon had 16 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Joe Wieskamp had 12 points early before suffering an ankle injury. He left the game and did not return.
The Badgers finished the season 16-11 overall and 10-10 in Big Ten play. It was their eighth straight loss to a ranked team and they were 0-8 against teams with a winning record in conference play.
UW will be the No. 6 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will play Thursday against the winner of the Penn State and Nebraska game.
Wisconsin men's hockey claims its first Big Ten regular season title
The fifth-ranked Wisconsin hockey team is the Big Ten regular-season champion for the first time.
The Badgers got two goals from star Cole Caufield, his 24th and 25th on the season, in a 2-1 win over Michigan State on Saturday afternoon. The win gave UW its fourth regular season conference title and its first since 2000 when the Badgers were still in the WCHA.
https://twitter.com/BigTenNetwork/status/1368322446248579074
After a scoreless first period, Michigan State jumped ahead with a Charlie Combs goal at the 13:09 mark of the second period. It looked like it would stay 1-0 but Caufield sniped a one-timer with 17 seconds left to tie the game. The sophomore then added his second 7:49 into the final period, which proved to be the winning goal.
https://twitter.com/BadgerMHockey/status/1368305486420865027
Dylan Holloway, Linus Weissbach and Ty Pelton-Byce each had an assist as Wisconsin won for a 13th time in its last 16 games.
Cameron Rowe more than held up his end by stopping 40 of the 41 shots he faced. The Badgers improved to 9-1-1 in games Rowe starts this season.
With the win, the Wisconsin will be the top seed at the Big Ten Tournament meaning the Badgers will get a first-round bye.
Brewers hit four home runs in 12-3 win over Colorado
Milwaukee’s offense exploded Friday afternoon in a 12-3 win over Colorado in Cactus League action.
Derek Fisher crushed a three-run homer in the fourth inning to tie the game 3-3, before Orlando Arcia added a two-run double and Zach Green hit his own three-run homer in the fifth inning to blow the game open. The Brewers got two more home runs in the ninth from Payton Henry and Nicholas Kahle.
Daniel Vogelbach went 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored, while Arcia was 2-for-3 on the day. 2020 first-round pick Garrett Mitchell picked up another hit and also drew a walk.
Corbin Burnes looked great again in getting the start for Milwaukee. He struck out five over two innings and hasn’t allowed a hit in his first two outings of the spring.
The lone runs for the Rockies came off of Jordan Zimmermann. The Wisconsin native gave up a three-run homer to Trevor Story in the third inning.
Six relievers, including Brad Boxberger, Phil Bickford and J.P. Feyereisen, closed things out for Milwaukee, allowing just one hit in the final five innings.
The Brewers improved to 4-2 in spring training and will face the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.
