Since his selection by the team #10 overall in Thursday night’s draft, there’s been a lot of “Hatorade” spilled on Brandon Jennings by Bucks’ fans.  Yes, on the surface he appears nothing more than a 19-year old punk who’s has an ego already comparable to Terrell Owens with not much proof to back it up. Yes, he only averaged 5.5 points and 2.2 assists last year playing in Italy for Lottomatica Roma. Yes, he has no frame to flaunt about at a mere 6′1, 170 pounds. And yes, he acted like a bit of a goof in New York making his entrance on stage in the middle of the 14th selection. But at this point, the Bucks’ organization needs to be resuscitated; needs a jolt of swagger. After all, it’s been awhile. They haven’t seen a character close to Jennings’ since the “Big Dog” Glenn Robinson’s arrival in 1994, when he held out into the beginning of training camp looking for the richest rookie contract in NBA history. And despite the fact Jennings does exude a flash of arrogance, he’s arguably one of the only kids from a relatively weak overall class with superstar potential. Jennings has already made his mark as a trailblazer choosing to play professionally overseas straight out of high-school, an unprecedented feat. And through the interview processes leading up to the draft, Jennings “hot shot” attitude has seemed to drastically cool off. Not only has he voiced his grown maturity level and sense of independence, but he’s learned to place an emphasis on team basketball while playing with grown men.  In comparison to his peers, his experience has no doubt given him a leg up on the NBA learning curve, and perhaps most importantly, sparked by all of his doubters, he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder.

For those still up in arms, consider this: GM John Hammond just decided to deal Richard Jefferson to the Spurs, which contrary to his comments, was effectively a salary dump. The Bucks are now left with no bonafide superstar, with the oft-injured Michael Redd as their only proven commodity. No matter which way you slice it, the team is still stuck in as deep of a rut as they were after Ray Allen was traded. So does the fact they’re rolling the dice on this classic boom or bust really affect their playoff status for 2010? Probably not. No matter who the team could’ve selected, they’re likely bound for another lottery appearance next year. At the very least, the new breed of athleticism added to the roster in Jennings, second-round pick Jodie Meeks and high-flying Amir Johnson will put butts in the seats. There’s sure to be no shortage of excitement in the BC. And at this point in the rebuilding process, that’s all management and fans should reasonably expect.

Tuning in to my local sports radio station last week, as I regularly do on weekdays at 3:15 P.M. I was blind to the fact the Padres and White Sox had struck an agreement that would send Jake Peavy to the Windy City’s South Side. However, rumor had it Peavy was more than likely going to nix the deal. Simultaneously, a deal between the Brewers and Padres had been unofficially announced, and speculation was that it involved the ace. And because Peavy has stated he’s wanted to stay in the NL it only got hopes up even higher, only to crush them after it was reported to be a mere swapping of Tony Gwynn Jr. and Jody Gerut. In recent days, the whispers have led many to question: how crazy would the Brewers’s front-office be if they decided to go after Jake Peavy (AKA, to do this all over again)?

A lot of fans have criticized Doug Melvin the past few years for expending the team’s farm system: first, grabbing reliever Scott Linebrink from the Padres for three players in 2007, and then C.C. Sabathia from the Indians for four players, including their top prospect Matt LaPorta, last year. Criticism against the trades argued both Linebrink and Sabathia were “rentals,” and both essentially were being acquired in July. However, in retrospect, how much did the team actually lose? Yes, the 2007 deal didn’t bring the team’s playoff aspirations to fruition, however, as a Level-A free-agent, the team was able to pick up two high draft picks in exchange for Linebrink’s big contract signing with the White Sox: LHP Evan Fredrickson and 2B Cutter Dykstra. And Sabathia not only carried the Brewers back to the playoffs after a 26-year absence, but the team will again receive a sandwich pick between and the first and second rounds as well as the Yankee’s second round pick for his signing of an 8-year, $180 deal with the Bronx Bombers. If you ask me, the reward outweighed the risk.

How does the Peavy speculation tie into all this? Well, for one thing, while C.C. was due to be a free-agent in ‘09, the 27 year-old Peavy will be under contract through 2012 with a club option for 2013 before he can become a free-agent in 2014. The Brewers, who hope to be in contention for a division title this year, may wind up being in a similar position as last year. Pitching will be at a premium yet again, and while the team’s bullpen has been stellar thus far, will it hold up? Scooping up Peavy now would not only fortify the club’s rotation, but perhaps more importantly prevent the Cubs from being in the running for his services come the All-Star Break. Having former-teammate Trevor Hoffman close games for him again might be a good omen for the Milwaukee’s chances to land him, too.

Offering a package of say J.J. Hardy, Bill Hall and a couple minor-leaguers might be enough to get a deal done, of course, that’s as long as those prospects exclude up-and-coming shortstop Alcides Escobar and third baseman Mat Gamel. If Mr. Melvin could work his magic again, Escobar’s track would probably be escalated to being September call-up, and if Gamel can get his defense figured out, he might be right behind him. While it would be a risky move, one thing is clear: the Milwaukee Brewers have turned a very important corner. Once a team destined to be sellers year-in and year-out, has now become legitimate buyers with the big boys. With all that said, why not make a run at him?

Whispers around the Wisconsin basketball scene are that star-recruit Vander Blue is seriously considering de-commiting to UW-Madison and the promises he made to Bo Ryan more than a year ago. And if the rumors I’m hearing come to fruition, the 6-3 junior guard from Madison Memorial could be headed to the other D-1 school in the state. According to my source who’s been in contact with John Casper, a former Marquette alumni and beat writer, if Blue does officially decide to de-commit, he’ll in all likelihood join the Golden Eagles. Blue had verbally committed to play for the Badgers way back in April of last year, however, he apparently has been rethinking his non-binding decision as of late. 

UW officials say they know nothing about Blue’s second-guessing, and to their credit Blue has yet to come out public on the situation, however, it could be a PR-ploy. Let me just say that if the rumors are true, Vander will have made the right decision. Not only does Marquette fit his style of play better, but he would also join former-teammate Jeronne Maymon at Marquette for the 2010-2011 season. I have a feeling that if Blue decided to stick with his original commitment and play under Ryan in the swing offense, he’s numbers would severely dip as opposed to playing in the aggressive-style Buzz Williams employs. I was fortunate to see this guy play this past year down in Madison during the Division 1 State Tournament and couldn’t see any obvious flaws in his game. Not only did Vander prove himself on the offensive end, knocking down jumpers from beyond the arc and throwing down some spectacular dunks, but he was a monster defensively, anticipating passes which lead to those easy transitions points. He was without question the most dominant player over the course of the weekend, despite the fact Maymon (committed to Marquette) and Racine Horlick senior-forward Jamil Wilson (committed to Oregon) were expected to be. Now obviously, this is a developing story, so I’ll keep you posted with any new stuff I hear.

UPDATE (May 20): Blue has officially decommitted, according to JSOnline. Here’s the link: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/badgers.html. Blue hasn’t ruled out Wisconsin yet, but I think it’s safe to assume he will be looking heavily elsewhere. Systems like Buzz Williams’ at Marquette, Rick Pitino’s at Louisville and Bruce Pearl’s at Tennessee are speculative destinations.

With the 2009 NFL Draft a week old, and the initial media-hype and critiquing wrapping up, I figured today was the best day to take a look back on how the Packers did. Coming into the draft, every draft hub around speculated the Packers could have gone in a number of different directions. However, as we all know, especially the final days leading up to Draft Day, players’ stock rise and fall like gas prices. Fortunately for the Packers, two players in particular, Tyson Jackson and Darrius Heyward-Bey, were those late-risers. And because of their controversial selections at 3rd and 7th overall by the Chiefs and Raiders, respectively, Ted Thompson reaped the benefits, having his choice between two prime players at their respected positions: Michael Crabtree and B.J. Raji. Interestingly, it was leaked Friday night by the Journal Sentinel’s Bob McGinn that Crabtree was the highest rated player on Green Bay’s board, and should he fall he may have been too good to pass up. And just as rumor had it, the stars aligned perfectly for Thompson, giving him his choice. Take the flashy receiver, who has the potential to be a future superstar at a position of strength? Or take one of the only true nose guards in the class to anchor your new defense for years to come? And as it turned out, management opted for the beef. Putting sexiness on the back-burner for a second, this was the right pick. Yes, I understand the receiving core isn’t necessarily built for the future at present with Donald Driver aging and Jennings not yet locked up. However, not only would Crabtree have demanded more money as a premier position player, but he was someone the Packers just did not have the luxury of taking. 

Raji will come in and have a chance to be the Packers’ next plug in the middle, Ala Gilbert Brown. What a lot of people tend to forget was it was the defense, not the offensive, that held this team back last year. Namely, the rush defense, and when you have two backs on divisional rivals (Peterson and Forte) running circles around you, it needs to stop. For all those still hating the pick, here’s a stat for you: in their two games against the Packers, Forte accounted for 205 of the Bears’ 518 total yards (40%), while Peterson racked up 339 of the Vikings’ 716 (47%). Raji will not only demand double-teams at 335 pounds, but he’ll allow fellow linebackers Aaron Kampman, Nick Barnett, A.J. Hawk and newcomer Clay Matthews to fly around and make plays. Thompson then did something completely out of character, trading up to get the alluded to USC linebacker, Clay Matthews, the second from the trio of stud linebackers to here his name called early-on. Thompson was apparently so enamored with Matthews that he might have made him the pick should Raji not have slipped. So just like that, after only what had been a few hours, the Packers found themselves not selecting until the 4th round on Sunday, barring another trade-up. Yes, I realize that in giving up three picks (one second and two thirds) for Matthews and a 5th, Thompson got ripped off, but if Matthews pans out, no one is going to remember the trade that was unquestionably a head-scratcher. 

Sunday, the Packers proceeded to add six new players to the roster, including two highly-touted tackles T.J. Lang and Jamon Meredith, a bruising fullback in Quinn Johnson, a defensive end in Jairus Wynn, a corner/safety hybrid in Brandon Underwood and finally another linebacker in Brad Jones. The phones didn’t stop ringing either, as 11 more undrafted signees were brought on, most notably, Northwestern running back Tyrell Sutton and a former teammate of Greg Jennings at Western Michigan, receiver Jamarko Simmons. And sitting here a week later, after the dust’s settled and the meticulous scrutinizing is over, all that’s left to do is lace-up the cleats, strap-on the pads and play.

I’m sorry Brewer fans, let me apologize in advance. While it pains me to start the baseball season off on a sour note, I hope we can all agree this season has the makings to be another emotional roller-coaster. Another love-hate relationship.

Unfortunately for Wisconsinites, Game 1 included more downs than ups. Coming off a supposed “fantastic spring,” Jeff Suppan, who was controversially tabbed as the Opening Day starter, seemingly outlasted reigning NL CY Winner Tim Lincecum before imploding, surrendering 6 runs in 4 innings. The Brewer hitters had the erratic Giant-ace on the ropes early, forcing his exit after a mere 3 innings and 78 pitches. With a 5-3 lead, however, Suppan and the rest of the pitching staff struggled to record some much-needed scoreless innings. Seth Clung went 2 innings allowing one run. Dave Bush followed, allowing one in two frames. And newcomer Jorge Julio capped it off, giving up another in his lone inning of work. It should also be noted that both Bush and Julio allowed first-pitch bombs to Bengie Molina and Randy Winn, respectively. Analyzing the 10-6 defeat, obviously poor pitching, but also strikeouts in key situations were the two eye-popping flaws of the team right out of the gate. Corey Hart, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Bill Hall and Jason Kendall accounted for 10 of the team’s 11 strikeouts and 18 of the 26 men left on base. The high strikeout totals are particularly disturbing too, because coming into camp cutting down on Ks was one of the offensive focal points. And while the offense will be given a more lenient leash (because they did enough to win), the pitching staff ought to be ashamed. Giving up 10 runs to a below-average offense is inexcusable. 

As I eluded to earlier, this season is likely to be much like last year. One problem. Take away the team’s dual aces in Ben Sheets and CC Sabathia, who nearly single-handedly carried the team into October, and you can see why there will be issues this year. The additions of Braden Looper and Trevor Hoffman certainly don’t hurt, but they aren’t game-changers. A rotation of Suppan, Yovani Gallardo, Manny Parra, Looper and Bush shouldn’t strike fear into opposing clubs, which obviously is a glaring concern. Gallardo makes them a respectable group- without him- they are a nothing more than an average group of hurlers. Gallardo was expected to be the team’s “next big thing” last season, and lived up to those expectations (posting a 1.88 ERA through 4 starts) before suffering a torn ACL in that fateful game at Wrigley we’ll always remember. Yo will begin his ’09 quest to cement himself as the team’s ace tonight against Randy Johnson.

So with the pitching staff, specifically the rotation, full of question marks and unknowns (minus Gallardo), there’s no doubt the team’s offense will have to pick up the slack and become “Harvey’s Wallbangers” v2. Corey Hart didn’t try to hide that fact either. He told SI in their most recent ”Baseball Preview Issue” the offense will need to be on top of its game each and every night for the team to compete in the division:

“That’s our plan,” he said. “Score alot of runs. Score as many runs as we can.” 

Well Corey, we’d all love to be millionaires like you too, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon (you’re going to need some help). Let’s just say it now and get it out of the way: there had better be alot more consistency on both sides of the dugout, starting tonight, or it could be a long season. Could that statement be premature? Maybe. I hope so. Could it be prophecy? Absolutely.

After the Packers inked 3-4 patron Dom Capers as their next defensive coordinator, it was only a matter of time before Green and Gold fans could expect to hear rumors circulating about Julius Peppers landing in Green Bay. Why? Because according to what Peppers’ agent Carl Carey told NFL.com, his client not only wants out of Carolina next year, but he may want out of the 4-3 scheme entirely.

“He certainly feels that he can excel and thrive in a 3-4 defense,” Carey said. “He is also open to just another system in general that will allow him to maximize his athletic abilities.”

And if that news wasn’t enough fodder for Wisconsin Sports radio hosts, Mike McCarthy sweetened the scenario even more by bringing long-time Carolina defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac in as his new defensive line coach…seems like a match made in heaven, right? Well, not so fast, there are several questions that remain unanswered:

1) It’s anyones guess what kind of rapport Peppers had with Trgovac until Peppers comes out publicly.  Clearly Peppers wasn’t happy with how he was being used in Carolina, and if their relationship has indeed been soured, Trgovac’s presence in Green Bay could be a turn-off.

2) Ted Thompson doesn’t get the name “tight-wad Ted” for nothing.  It’s obvious that he’s not willing to tie up a boatload of money in one player.  And if Peppers were to enter the free-agent fray, he’ll demand BIG bucks. This will more than likely be his last time for a payday, so chances are he’ll hold out for a ridiculous contract Thompson won’t be willing to dish out.

3) Carolina holds all the cards.  They’ll have the option to slap a $17 million franchise tag on Peppers, obviously something he’s praying won’t happen.  Taking into account that possibility, the only way the Pack could pry him away would be via-trade, which for the draft-pick lover Thompson would be an equally steep price to pay.

4) Even if Ted Thompson were to open his wallet (as unlikely as that is) and sign Peppers, there are mixed opinions as to what Peppers’ ideal position in a 3-4 would be.  At 6-7, weighing 283 pounds, Peppers would redefine the outside linebacking position, a spot he’d likely occupy in the Packers’ system.  Yes, his pass-rushing skills are unquestioned, but how would he fair in coverage?

5) While Peppers would no doubt be an upgrade in whatever capacity, many argue there will be other options available come February and March that would fit the Packers’ system better.  Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, the prototypical 3-4 linebacker, leads the pack of those with less question marks.  Not only is he proven in the system, but he probably won’t garner as much cash should he elude Baltimore’s franchise tag.  Another plus? Suggs is 26, Peppers is 29.

Bottom line: If Ted’s hard-pressed enough this year to open his wallet, and (hypothetically speaking) both Peppers and Suggs hit the open market, the decision should be relatively easy: throw every last egg into Suggs’ basket, not Peppers’.

After all the playoffs games were done last night I sat down and watched 60 minutes. Scott Pelley, one of the show’s senior reporters sat down with Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach to assess the secret behind the Red Raider’s success. And the reality is, Leach didn’t even have a succinct explanation.  And frankly, neither do sports writers. Also interviewed during the segment was sports writer Michael Lewis, author of Moneyball, a book on how small schools are able to become the cream of the crop (as in Tech’s case this season, holding the #2 overall ranking at one point). Even Lewis couldn’t provide a reasonable explanation other than glorifying Leach’s ability to get the absolute best out of his players. The perfect case in point comes when looking at Leach’s quarterbacks-most recently Graham Harrell-who’ve led the NCAA in passing six of the past nine years, and this year wide-receiver Michael Crabtree, whose skills lend himself to being a top ten pick this coming April should he decide to leave early for the NFL Draft.  The spread offense Leach runs certainly is complicated, but only rooted on one basic principle: spread the ball around to ensure defenses don’t key on one guy.  So what makes this story truly amazing? Well, for one, Leach hasn’t even been fully committed to football despite his team’s winning ways. 60 minutes mentioned his leaving the coaching ranks at one time to earn a law degree from Pepperdine. The even more amazing aspect? Leach is doing all this with a constrained budget and limited recruiting power. With Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M the local powers that be, Leach has been forced to bring in whatever’s left and become particularly innovative. CBS specifically mentioned a fan who became the team’s kicker after knocking a 30-yard field goal through at a halftime show for free rent.  Pretty nuts.  And despite all the forces they’ve had against working them, one recruiting ploy Leach just wasn’t going to let go to waste for the Red-Raider football program was being placed in the national spotlight.  Just imagine what this guy could accomplish with some major recruits.

In retrospect, looking back on the Packers 2008 season is certainly disappointing; dropping seven more games from a year ago is a drastic step backwards. And while the casual Packer fan will more than likely direct the brunt of the blame at Aaron Rodgers, statistics show that the quarterback position was not the cause of the team’s ills. Here’s a look at Favre and Rodgers final regular season stats:

                COM PCT%   PASS YDS   TDs   INTs   QB RAT.    
Rodgers-      63.6          4,038        28      13        93.8        

Favre-          65.7          3,472        22      22        81.0 

Rodgers became just the second quarterback in NFL history to surpass the 4,000 yard passing plateau in his first season as a starter, joining Kurt Warner. Additionally, Rodgers ranked fourth in the league in passing yards and TDs and sixth in QB rating. And to help sway you a little more, Favre’s 22 picks lead the league (Jay Cutler was second to last with 18). Need I go on? From those numbers, it’s obvious to see that the highly-publicized transition went better than expected.  In just his first season as a full-time starter, Rodgers has cemented himself as a top 10 (if not top 5) quarterback. His mobility also proved valuable- contrary to what Favre was able to display in his final years in Titletown. The 207 total rushing yards he accrewed placed him 7th among NFL QBs. He also had four TDs on the ground. In comparison, Favre had a mere 43 yards with 1 TD on the ground.

While I won’t go on a rant on why the Pack ended up with a sub-par record, I will give you a couple news and views revolving around the team before the off-season begins.

News: 2010 free-agent-to-be Greg Jennings isn’t happy getting paid bupkis anymore.

Views: Can you blame the guy? Statistically, he was one of the best receivers in the league this season despite his snubbing from the Pro-Bowl. Note to Ted Thompson: get this guy locked up! He’s going to be a stud for years to come. 

News: Defensive coordinator Bob Sanders is all but gone…or at least he should be. A decision on Sanders’ future could be made as early as this week.
 
Views: Top candidates to replace him: former-49er head man Mike Nolan, interim Rams and former Saints head coach Jim Haslett, Jaguar defensive coordinator Gregg Williams (who’ll likely be let go) and possibly Winston Moss, the Packers linebackers coach. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess who of those will be hired-if any. Anything to get Sanders O-U-T.

News: The Packers will hold the ninth overall pick in the upcoming April draft, and will receive the Jets’ third-rounder as compensation for the Brett Favre trade.

Views: Compensation could have been a second-rounder had the Jets not had their monumental collapse and made the playoffs and a first if they would’ve made the Superbowl. As far as the 9th pick is concerned, a trade down is always possible. Needs are at corner (with Harris and Woodson aging) as well as offensive and defensive line. Just to give you a quick idea, here were the players drafted in the nine spot the past five years:

2008- Bengals: *Keith Rivers, LB, USC. Rookie Stats:37 tks, 1 INT, 1 FF.
2007- Dolphins: Ted Ginn Jr, WR, Ohio State. Rookie Stats:  420 rec. yds, 3 total TDs.
2006- Lions: Ernie Sims, LB, Florida Stats. Rookie Stats: 124 tks, 0.5 sacks.
2005- Redskins: Carlos Rogers, CB, Auburn. Rookie Stats: 46 tks, 2 INTs (12 games).
2004- Jaguars: Reggie Williams, WR, Washington. Rookie Stats: 268 rec. yds, 1 TD.

* Suffered season-ending broken jaw during Week 7 game against the Steelers.

Doug Melvin finally got his man. Six years after former-Athletics’ manager Ken Macha spurned the Brewers’ offer to become the manager of the club, Macha relinquished his ties with the team Thursday, for what will reportedly be a two-year deal through 2010. The hiring came just weeks after 16-game incumbent Dale Sveum was ousted by the organization in favor of a man with longer-tenured winning experience. Among those who fit Melvin’s criteria: former Mets’ skipper Willie Randolph, ex-D-Backs’ manager Bob Brenly and Macha.  All three were interviewed and seemingly in contention for the job until this past week, when rumor had it Macha would be the choice. Aside from the interest he drew from management six seasons ago, Macha’s proven track record in the AL proved to be the kicker. The man with 35 years of major-league experience (both playing, coaching and broadcasting) complied a 368-260 record as head man of the A’s from 2003-2006, winning the AL West twice. 

The staunch-demeanored Macha said in his press-conference Thursday that he and Melvin have begun to discuss potential coaches who can fill out the staff, with Sveum’s name on the top of the list. Melvin said Sveum has expressed in returning with the club in some capacity, most likely as the bench or third-base coach. Other vacancies left to fill are the hitting and possibly pitching coaches, with Mike Maddux’s contract due up tomorrow. Maddux will likely show interest in the Rangers’ pitching coach position in large part due to the close proximity to Texas El-Paso (his alma-mater), Houston (his last stop in the majors), and AA-Round Rock (where he spent three years on now-Ranger bench coach Jackie Moore’s staff).

With the managerial position now filled, Melvin’s primary focus will shift to the Hot Stove, which begins with the annual GM Meetings next week in California. On the immediate docket for Melvin will be how much to offer CC Sabathia (who is primed for a $100 million + contract this winter) and whether to extend a $10 million team-option to center-fielder Mike Cameron. 

Other potentially burning questions yet to be answered:

1) What to do with J.J. Hardy, who has “blocked” top-prospect Alcides Escobar’s job?
2) Will Prince Fielder be a Brewer next year, and if not, where could he land?
3) How to shore up an almost certain, “Eric Gagneless” bullpen next year?

Anger. Joy. Sloppiness. Heroics. All interchangeable words that emcompassed last night into early Sunday morning for Wisconsin sports fans. Lucky for us, in the prime-time California twinbill for the Brewers and Packers, the game that actually meant something was a success. While the Packers stumbled around in Candlestick Park, the Brewers held off the resilient Dodgers, backed by 53,000 fans, in dramatic fashion 380 miles southeast at old Chavez Ravine. Here are some positive and negative observations from both teams’ performances:

Positives:
1) Defensive clinic. What else can you say? Mike Cameron has shown that he is deserving of his fourth Gold-Glove every night. He was so convincing to Matt Kemp after his first two great catches that Kemp froze at first on a booming shot by Andre Ethier in the tenth, and was only able to advance to second; a game changing play. The catch by Gabe Kapler is without a doubt the greatest catch I’ve ever seen on live television. Simply amazing-another game changing boost for the Crew.

2) Braunny’s back. In his return from intercostal muscle spasms, Ryan hit a pinch-hit bloop single in the eighth and had the good sense to keep on chugging to second with a hustle double. He later struck-out on a 97 MPH heater in his second at-bat against fireballer Jonathan Broxton in the tenth. Overall a great sign to see Braun back healthy.

3) Snappin’ out of it. If you thought you were going to have a heart-attack in the later innings of the game, just think what J.J. Hardy must be feeling. He snapped out of a 2-23 drought at the plate dating back to August 10th with a 3-5 effort including a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth, followed by another go-ahead base hit to score Ray Durham in the tenth to seal the win. Unfortunately, they were sandwiched by an ugly error in the Brewers’ rough ninth, which he completely misplayed. J.J. came through though. Whew!

4) Gagne sharp; Riske not so risky. In his return to Dodgers Stadium, Eric Gagne had a efficient 12-pitch 1-2-3 inning with some help from his outfielders. Gagne reached a season-high in velocity, lighting up the gun at 95 MPH. Good to see. David Riske, who entered the tenth in relief of Salomon Torres, also had good command, striking out Manny Ramirez to end the wild 5-4 contest.

Negative:
1) Managing. A couple more horrible decisions by Ned Yost tonight. First of all relying on Ray Durham to hit Braun over to third base. Ned, lay a bunt down please. Braun saved Yost from that embarrassment with his speed. But as always, bad managing eventually hurt the Brewers in the ninth inning. Clutching his precious match-up cards, Ned elected to start the inning with Brian Shouse against the lefty Ethier. Of course, Shouse walks him, and the weight of the world is put on the real closer Torres with no outs and a man on first. It was a miracle he only gave up one run.

This was by far the best win of the season for the Brewers. A huge momentum shift into tomorrow’s game with a chance for a 4-2 West Coast road trip heading back home (how big would that be?). If I had to pick a defining game for this season this would be it. Hopefully they can string together some wins and slowly reel in the Cubs.

Positive:
1) Return game revitalized? It has been 12 years since the Packers had the likes of Desmond Howard returning kicks, but could the next great one at last be here? Jordy Nelson was the only statistical bright spot for the Packers against the 49ers, returning two kicks for 57 and 58 yards, respectively. He has all but solidified his spot as a returner for Mike Stock, the team’s special teams coordinator, and Mike McCarthy.

Negative:
1) Incohesive offense. The offense didn’t click all night long. Completely out of sync. The team gained an abysmal 182 total yards to the 49ers’ 355, an astounding differential to the team who ranked dead last in the NFL in total yards per game last season. The offensive-line looked particularly vulnerable, allowing six sacks.

Look for Mike McCarthy to whip his team into serious shape at practice Monday after the pathetic 34-6 showing against his old team. The Packers are now 0-2 this preseason.

And how can I forget about American Michael Phelps, who is now the greatest Olympian of all-time obtaining his eighth gold medal in the Beijing games, surpassing fellow U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz’s mark of seven golds in the 1972 Munich games. Congratulations to Mr. Phelps.