Tag Archives: journal-sentinel

The Spring Homestretch

The Journal-Sentinel featured a post on the Brewers blog yesterday speculating on how the roster would shake out for opening day on April 7 in San Francisco.  As I page through some older posts, working on my little updating project that I mentioned yesterday, I’ve become more curious than usual about the accuracy of my various predictions.  I wonder how Haudricourt’s list stacks up against the one that I made back in October, right after the Crew was eliminated by Philly…

A quick overview:

  • Agreement on “locks” – 13
  • My “good bets” that TH says are locks – 6 ((One should note that in October, I had people like Prince and Billy Hall noted as only “good bets,” mostly because the possibility existed they could be traded…))
  • My “good bets” that still have a shot – 2 ((Lamb, Gwynn))
  • My “locks” that will not be on the team – 1 ((Who saw Solomon Torres’s retirement coming???))
  • My “good bets” that will not be on the team – 5 ((Mota, Capuano, Shouse, Escobar, Kapler))

I think I’ll revisit it again when they annouce the 25-man…

(Probably) The Last Word You'll Read About Brett On This Blog

I can’t take the credit for digging up the column from coldhardfootballfacts.com (that goes to the folks over at the Journal-Sentinel) but it is a helluva read for anyone in Wisconsin (or South Dakota) that might still be emotionally torn about the Favre situation.

They lay it all out in, well… cold, hard, fashion.  It seems to be an aptly named site.  16 years of Brett-filled glory, 1 Super Bowl title, and 2 total appearances in the big game.  They also bring up seasons like 1999, 2005, and 2006.  That hurts.

Anyway, I am far too immersed in the ongoing baseball season to even have football on my radar.  Good luck with the quarterback shat, Green Bay.  Catch you after the bye week.

Well… Schlemiel, Schlimazel.

Schlitz bottlePicked up an article from the Journal-Sentinel yesterday about how Schlitz is going back to the original formula, in bottles only.

A little excerpt from that article:

Despite the renewed focus on aging boomers, Schlitz might also find new fans among drinkers in their 20s, Schumacher said. He cited Pabst Blue Ribbon, another old-time brand that has enjoyed a revival in recent years from young drinkers drawn by its retro appeal – and lack of a big ad campaign.

“They might get some young hipsters” to drink Schlitz, Schumacher said, “just because of the irony of it.”

No, they “might” not– I GUARANTEE you that’s what will happen.

Wow. Just… Holy Crap. Wow.

These were the best words I could muster to comment on the fact that the Green Bay Packers will be hosting the NFC title game next Sunday. I can’t imagine there is one person in the state that thought our team would be in this position back when the season started.

I tried to find it on the webs, to no avail, but I could have sworn there was a poll on the Urinal-Sentinel early in the fall, when the Brewers were still playing, and the Packers and Bucks were just getting started in camp– it asked some version of the question, “which of these teams is going to win a title in their league first?” Now granted, hosting the conference championship does not a Super Bowl champion make, but back in September, the answer to that question seemed obvious– the Brewers were the best-looking of WI’s pro franchises.

Too many question marks existed for the Pack, too many miles on Brett’s arm, and too many others in the NFC looked better on paper. I didn’t think I would need to watch nearly as many Packer games this year as I did. I admit that I was a nay-sayer.

That is what makes this so surreal– when Green Bay hosted the conference title game after the 96 season, I think we all felt that we were riding some sort of wave of destiny– Brett had boldly proclaimed they would win the Super Bowl early in training camp, and we believed, and then they dominated– for the best part of 17 weeks, the Packers were the best team in the NFL. It just felt like there was no stopping them. The following year, even though they traveled to San Francisco, I think there was still a feeling of entitlement– like there was no way the Packers were NOT going to be in the Super Bowl again.

There’s been no feeling of the sort for me this year, and maybe that’s for the better. On one hand, I have no expectations, and just to be in this position is remarkable accomplishment. On the other, I feel like I should have enjoyed the ride even more. I think most Green Bay fans had given up on the idea of another Favre-led Super Bowl team, but with the opportunity now within grasp, you start to think “maybe destiny has come back around again.”

In any case, way to go, Packers. Two games between you and Ultimate Glory, and as unlikely or impossible as it seems, this year has proven this much to me: you just never know what’s going to happen.

Now THAT Sort of a Boycott Might Work…

There’s a story in the Journal-Sentinel this morning that I think has an interesting spin on the topic of America’s insatiable thirst for gasoline.

Some area station owners are refusing to buy more gas. The story talks about the razor-thin profit margins that many of these proprietors have to deal with, and apparently some have come to the conclusion that it’s just not worth it anymore.

Take a look.

On another topic:
Sorry the posts have been little more than links of late. I think I hit a turning point yesterday in terms of “settling in” to the new job, so I hope to have more time for pondering, reading, and writing in the near future…

The Continuing Downtown Renaissance

From a news brief on the Urinal-Sentinel:

The building also will have an Aloft Hotel. The new Aloft brand, owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., markets itself as a stylish hotel with a “hip, urban attitude.”

Oooh! Snap! What I love about it is that it’s “fresh” and “in-your-face,” kind of like Poochie.

Maybe they could get Poochie to do some hip and trendy advertising..!