Russell Wilson so far
At his weekly press conference, Wisconsin head football coach Bret Bielema reveals the team's most valuable players from the previous game for all the units. Senior transfer quarterback Russell Wilson...
View ArticleRucks and scrums: Wisconsin rugby squad looks to qualify for nationals
The UW-Madison rugby club plays its home matches on the western edge of the University Bay fields, prudently near UW Hospital. Its out-of-the-way location recalls an Oscar Wilde description of the...
View ArticleGimme a G! Sports teams step up to the plate with green initiatives
In sports, as in life, the desired path is always from the minor to major leagues. Yet, in a 21st-century twist, the new stadium housing the Madison Mallards baseball team has reversed that logic. When...
View ArticleEnjoy this moment of Wisconsin sports dominance
In case there remained any doubt about which team reigns over Wisconsin in October, the "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel"'s Bob Wolfley erased it on his SportsDay blog Monday. Over what many are calling the...
View ArticlePure joy: How the Brewers' playoff run turned a sportswriter into a fan
It was in the middle of John Axford's meltdown in the ninth inning last Friday when I realized why I had become a sportswriter. In the business, all you invest is your time and energy. No loyalties,...
View ArticleNLCS roundup: NYT climbs aboard the Brewers bandwagon just in time for a...
In two games at home against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Milwaukee Brewers have been outscored 18-12, which makes them lucky to be tied heading to St. Louis for games three, four and five on...
View ArticleCan new coach Bobbie Kelsey turn UW women's basketball around?
Running lines is an age-old college basketball practice tradition. The team lines up on the baseline. The shot clock is set for the time to beat. The whistle blows. And they're off. Players run to the...
View ArticleThe Brewers' pitching problem
A baseball cliché you're likely to hear a lot during the playoffs is "good pitching beats good hitting." That is, except when it doesn't. Philadelphia, the team with by far the best pitching...
View ArticleThe best and the brightest
Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was easily the most exciting player in college football last year and was rewarded with the Heisman Trophy. But his stop at three colleges in four years -- along with...
View ArticlePrime-time pigskin
Last Saturday's sweater weather made it ideal for college football, so my son and I hopped in the car and headed up to UW-Oshkosh to see the Titans take on UW-Whitewater, a clash between the top two...
View ArticleLet's talk about a perfect Green Bay Packers season
A few weeks ago, pundits were wondering if it was too early to mention Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson and the Heisman Trophy in the same sentence, thereby doing exactly that. As it turns out, it...
View ArticleThe cult of Joe Paterno
When you walk the charming streets of State College, Pa., and the Penn State campus, it's clear that Nittany Lions football isn't just a pastime there, it's what drives the community and university...
View ArticleKids sports and sexual abuse
A couple years ago, I was recruited to help coach my son's football team, which is sponsored by a Catholic church. Before the season started, my fellow coaches and I were required to complete a church...
View ArticleQuarterbacks Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers, by the numbers
ESPN has dubbed this the Year of the Quarterback, because apparently the most celebrated position in sports doesn't get enough time under the spotlight. When can we expect the Month of the Defensive...
View ArticleBucky's still in it
Wisconsin finished the 2008 college football season with a 7-6 record after being trounced by Florida State in something called the "Champs Sports Bowl." Since then, the Badgers' record is 31-7,...
View ArticleAnthony Lamarr updates 'We're Smelling Roses' for 2012, rhymes Abbrederis
Anthony Lamarr, along with Cascia Films, has released a 2012 version of his popular "We're Smelling Roses" hip-hop tribute just days after the Badgers beat Michigan State for the Big Ten title.
View ArticleThe Tebow effect
A couple weeks ago in this space, I discussed statistics for rating quarterbacks and how they justify the considerable hype heaped upon Aaron Rodgers. One might argue that the greatest appeal of pro...
View ArticleThe UW-Whitewater way: Warhawks return to Stagg Bowl riding 44-game winning...
We arrived in Whitewater for last Saturday's NCAA Division III semifinal football game between the Warhawks and St. Paul's University of St. Thomas in a car bearing Minnesota license plates, so it...
View ArticleGive football fanatics what they want
Football fanatics of all stripes agree: The NFL's RedZone channel -- available to cable and satellite subscribers -- is a runaway success. Footage hops from game to game on Sundays in an attempt to...
View ArticleThe Rose Bowl pits pro-style Wisconsin against Oregon's evil spread-option...
The Rose Bowl is one of the great venues in sports. Those who have been fortunate to attend the annual college bowl game played there will describe the magical moment when the setting sun bathes the...
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