Newsline 9 Sports Blog

Packer Class Lands Teacher in New York Times

I received an email the other day from a viewer.  Her name is Lori Mueller and she teaches a unique class at Bowler Elementary School.  It's based on the Packers.  Part of the curriculum takes her and her students to Lambeau Field where she ended up giving a quote used in a New York Times article.

Here's some background on the course.  The students have a "training camp"where they develop football skills like kicking, punting, throwing and running the 40 yard dash.  They keep their own stats.  They study current and former Packers then write a first person speech as that person.  They give that speech in front of a version of that player in a was museum.  They write journals, reviews and summaries on memorable Packer games.  They've become well-versed in Lombardi's Packer sweep and the Ice Bowl.  They can earn "Packer Dollars" through attendance, participation and behavior.  These are cashed at the Packer Pro Shop during a trip to Lambeau Field.

Lori says this part is the most popular part of the class.  The students get a chance to earn six tickets to a preseason Packer game.  These have been donated by a generous bus captain the past four years.  So the top three students in the class each earn two tickets to a game.  The remaining students can earn tickets to Family Night.

So this is what led this group to the Lambeau Field Atrium where they had lunch.  A New York Times reporter asked Lori a few questions for the article about Brett Favre.

Bryon Graff

Sports Director

Packers "Reality Show" Rolls Into Our Area

I've never been a big reality tv show fan but thought about those shows as the Packers rolled into Stevens Point for their annual tailgate tour.  The bus is the main mode of transportation for Packers chairman emeritus Bob Harlan, president Mark Murphy (who missed the Stevens Point country club stop for a prior commitment), Brandon Jackson, Will Blackmon, Jason Spitz, James Jones and a few other Packer employees. 

I mc'ed the event at the country club.  As soon as the players poured off the bus (it actually literally poured during a portion of this) you could tell they were having a good tour.  Brandon Jackson grabbed a maraca and joined in with the band Green Tea.  Good music there.  They gave kids high-fives, came up with crazy poses and looked like they were genuinely having a good time.  On the stage they poked fun at one another.  Bob Harlan even got in on the act, saying "James Jones is the president and only member of the James Jones fan club."  Jackson talked about fans coming out when it's minus-zero degrees.  Jason Spitz climbed on stage and asked, "How can it be minus zero degrees?"  The question and answer session ranged from fans wondering what the players' favorite sports were growing up to what Bob Harlan thought lied ahead for Lambeau Field's future.  It took about six or seven questions before the Brett Favre topic was raised.

Aaron Popkey has been keeping a blog on the Packers website.  Here's a link.  Packers Tailgate Tour 

LaPorta Sees Trade as Opportunity

Matt LaPorta will always be linked with CC Sabathia.  LaPorta was considered the Brewers' top prospect and a key part of the deal that sent Sabathia, the reigning American League Cy Young winner, to Milwaukee.  LaPorta said all the right things during this whole process the last few weeks.  When a trade like this happens you know you have a better shot of moving into the big league roster because the team you're going to obviously needs him. 

So we'll see LaPorta suited up in his Indians uniform sometime in the near future and wonder how he would've done as a Brewer.  But CC in a Brewers jersey has looked pretty good so far.  So hopefully it works out well for both sides. 

Here's a link to an article in the Ashland Times-Gazette on LaPorta joining his new team, the Akron Aeros.

Bryon Graff

WAOW Sports Director

Wisconsin Teams Grab Headlines

Would you believe how Wisconsin has taken over the center of the sports world?  That's what a trade for a reigning Cy Young award winner will do for you.  The Brewers' trade for CC Sabathia takes "top story" status on the ESPN and USA Today web pages.  But wait a second.  SI.com pulls out the hypothetical situations of Brett Favre playing somewhere.  Oh yeah, ESPN has been hammering this story home since late last week.  This afternoon the Bucks introduce Richard Hamilton.  Point is, when did our professional teams grab so much attention in mid-July?

The Sabathia is a huge one.  The Brewers get to match a big (literally) strikeout pitcher with Ben Sheets to make a push for their first playoff appearance since 1982.  Only the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals have been on the outside of the postseason longer.  Brewers fans are gobbling up tickets for tomorrow night's Sabathia debut.  If you look at from the Indians' perspective, many of those fans think the Tribe pulled one over on the Brew Crew. I guess that's a sign of a good trade... when both sides feel they won.  We all know there's no givens in the sporting world.  So the Brewers are not automatically given a playoff berth with this trade.  But it is fun to watch Wisconsin become the focus of the sporting world.  Especially because these type of trades used to be only for the Red Sox and Yankees of the world. 

Hall of Famer's Wausau Visit a True Treat

Sometimes you don't know if you want to meet your heroes.  Othertimes you're glad you did.  You see them in a certain way and don't know if your view would change if you ever get the chance to say hi face to face.

As a kid growing up in Milwaukee I loved the Packers and the Bucks but the Brewers were my favorite.  In particular Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Jim Gantner were the trio I lived and died with.  I've been around long enough to know that I'm not the only one who claims this.  As a little leaguer I copied the way Gantner played the infield and I used Yount's batting stance as my blueprint.  By the way my tinted glasses in high school were also similar to Gantner's. 

I bring all this up because Yount visited Athletic Park in Wausau this evening.  Gantner's been around Wausau for a couple seasons now and I've interviewed him before he even took the Woodchucks' managerial job.  I've also met Molitor a few times.  One involves a story I'll have to get into at another date that involves his at-bat against Molitor's future hall of fame classmate Dennis Eckersley.  Now we get to Yount.  The first baseball glove I ever bought ($15 at JC Penney) as an eight-year-old was a Yount Rawlings model.  I used that glove until the padding completely wore out and the fingers finally separated when I was probably a sophomore.  I've never had the chance to meet Yount but the opportunity was finally here.  As I stated before, you never know if you want to meet your heroes.  He stepped out of the Woodchucks' clubhouse and met with me and Russ Owens and was as down-to-earth and friendly as you could hope for.   

I remember people saying how Yount ran as hard to first on a single as he did on a groundout.  Former Brewers manager Tom Trebelhorn talked about the "perfect inning" involved Yount sacrificing himself for the team.  How many times did he look at pitches before Molitor swiped second?  How many times did he "go with the pitch" and belt one to right?  He was an MVP shortstop then endured shoulder injuries and became an MVP centerfielder.  Only Stan Musial and Hank Greenberg before him earned MVPs at two different positions.  Alex Rodriguez followed.  Gantner said it best, "Robin was consistent.  Day in and day out he was the same, whether he went 4-for-4 or oh-for-4.  Yount was the same guy."  That sums up the trio of Yount, Molitor and Gantner.  It's a true gift for baseball fans around here to have a guy like Gantner managing the Chucks.  And even better that he welcomed his friend and former hall-of-fame teammate to Wausau for the first time. 

Bryon Graff

WAOW-TV Sports Director

All Eyes on Rodgers this Week

The Packers hit the field for Organized Team Activities (OTA's) this week and it's quite obvious the attention Aaron Rodgers draws.  I went to Green bay this afternoon and the crowd of reporters around him was unreal.  I'm talking people standing three and four deep.  He handled it very well, although he said he'd rather not answer all our questions.  But it's something #12 definitely needs to get used to.  Many did also notice how he's sporting his hair a little longer these days... it's actually past his shoulders.  Rodgers didn't comment on a definite date of a cut, but said his mom is pushing him towards it :)  This might be one of the biggest football stories of the year.  Can the first round draft pick from three years ago fill the shoes left by the legendary Brett Favre?  No doubt it will be fun and interesting to watch Rodgers as he steps in to his new role.  It's definitely a role he's excited about.  Even eith the crowd of reporters he was all smiles, I think happy to finally be "the man" in Green Bay.  As he said it's a chance he's been waiting for for a long time....it will now be fun to see how he handles it. 

Fenway Park One of Sports' Greatest Venues

It's pretty cool to see the Brewers play at Fenway Park (even if, at the moment I write this, trailing 5-3 in the 2nd game of a doubleheader) in Boston.  It's one of the best venues in all of sports and a place I got to visit back in 2004.  As a bit of background, I've seen ballgames in a little more than half of all major league baseball parks.  I didn't necessarily set out to do this but my job was taken far enough west that it was easy to visit Kansas City and Denver.  Chicago, St Louis and Minneapolis are pretty easy to get to.  In 2003, somehow my pregnant wife agreed to go on a trip with our 14 month old son, me and my sister to Cleveland (Father's Day and the day after playing Gus Macker in Wausau), Pittsburgh, Cincinnati (Sammy Sosa's first game back after the corked bat suspension) and Detroit.  We even made a stop at Triple A Toledo (one of the finest AAA parks around).Our son was learning to walk and people would say, "Is this his first game?"  And I'd say "yah" without further adding "in this city" out loud.  While growing up, my sister, Carrie, and I agreed that whenever Paul Molitor was inducted into the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown, NY we would be there.  So in 2004 our two boys stayed with grandma and grandpa and my wife, sister, brother-in-law and I visited Toledo (again, love the place), Baltimore, Philadelphia, both stadiums in New York and Boston before heading to the hall of fame ceremony on a Sunday.  The toughest ticket to get out of all of these was by far Fenway Park in Boston.  But it was worth it.  The place is full of history.  I mean this park opened at the exact time the Titanic sunk in the North Atlantic.  It was festive party with people having fun in the streets outside the stadium.  We sat way up in centerfield.  To our right was the Green Monster.  We were above it.  You could see the Citgo sign and the John Hancock signature on the videoboard above us.  You could tell how the place was pieced together.  Our seats sort of faced rightfield and you had to turn your body to the right to see the infield.  You were practically on top of the person next to you.  It's the smallest ballpark around and they fill every nook and cranny.  Now this stadium, more than anywhere else I've been, you could tell the fans were into it.  Every single pitch brought some sort of reaction.  These fans are intense.  At the time there was talk of trading Nomar Garciaparra.  This was the year they would eventually win their first World Series since Babe Ruth played there.  By the way, that was after the Titanic sunk. 

One play stands out and I bring this up because it's replayed on ESPN from time to time.  Earlier this week you may have seen Red Sox leftfielder Manny Ramirez make a catch in Baltimore, high-five a fan, turn and throw as the Sox double up a runner at first.  So ESPN pulls out the greatest "Manny being Manny" plays and they show a play the announcer calls one of the craziest ever.  David Newhan of the Oioles hits a ball to center that sails over Johnny Damon's head.  From our viewpoint we had to literally stand to look down at Damon running to the wall.  Because of the layered seating, Damon disappears from sight and suddenly the ball flies out.  Now Manny has come over from leftfield and this is obviously a throw intended for the shortstop.  But Manny dives to his left and cuts it off!  From about 30 feet away.  Then he throws to short, who turns and fires home.  By that time Newhan has turned it into an inside-the-park home run.  What a crazy play.  So when it's replayed on ESPN I bug my friends by telling them I was there.  As if the trip wasn't already worth it. 

Wausau East No-Hitter Stopped by... Me???

This is my public apology to Amy Thompson.  She was pitching an outstanding ballgame for Wausau East and I blew it for her.  Not that she lost but that she could've reached the place pitcher stives for. She had a no-hitter on the line and I committed the cardinal sin of the game.  I opened my mouth, I talked about it.  I put it out there and layed the ultimate jinx.  Next time Amy sees me she'll want to sic one of those wasps flying around the Lumberjacks' home dugout on me.  But it's not totally my fault.  Jana, Russ and I were setting the gameplan for what we would cover this afternoon.  The tricky part for the 6pm anchor is getting to a game, staying long enough for some good highlights, getting back to the station, editing the highlights, getting your scripts together and slipping behind the desk to anchor your show.  So I show up at Wausau East with the home team batting in the bottom half of the second.  My view of the game starts with a 0-0 score.  The visiting Marshfield Tigers go 3 up, 3 down in the 3rd.  They get two aboard with walks in the 4th but are stranded at second and third.  5th inning... 1-2-3.  Same goes for the 6th.  It's a tight game.  East scored a single run in the 3rd and hold a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the 6th.  So I ask East coach Mark Hildebrandt if Amy has allowed a hit.  I don't think he understood what I was asking.  "What do you mean?" he asks.  I said I don't think she's given up a hit since I got here and that was in the bottom half of the 2nd.  Understandably, Mark's mind was elsewhere.  He was engrossed in a 1-0 game and wanted some insurance runs.  The time is winding past 5:30pm and I'm thinking I have to get back to the tv station.  But this is worth sticking around for if it's true.  Mark turns and says, "She didn't give up a hit in the first two innings."  So I'm thinking maybe we'll see something special here.  East is holding that slim lead, then suddenly they pop off a hit here and hit there, one run is in, here come two more.  It's 2-0, then 4-0, then 5-0 and 7-0.  Thanks to seven runs on six hits in that inning alone, they move ahead 8-0 with the bases loaded.  And who comes to the plate? It's Amy Thompson, the pitcher.  I wonder if she has any idea she has a no-hitter going.  Better yet, she can put the finishing touches on it, not with one of her strong windmill pitches, but with her bat.  There's 2 outs and a base hit could score two fellow 'Jacks and that would end it on the ten run rule.  Instead she makes the last out.  Now I'm thinking I hope I didn't screw this thing up for her.  Remember I opened my mouth and spoke of "that of which we do not speak" and that's the last thing you do.  Sure enough, first batter, lined shot over the leftfielder's head.  No-hitter gone and I'm waiting for Coach Hildebrandt to escort me from the premises.  Marshfield works a rally and pushes two across.  East wins 8-2.  I have my highlights and I need to rush back.  First, an announcement over the loudspeakers.  The final line.  Marshfield ends up with one hit.  I would bet Thompson never knew she had the no-no intact going into the 7th.  I saw the celebration at the end.  I'd also venture to say that win felt just as good either way.  So my apologies for the jinx.  I'll keep it to myself next time.

Derby City Meets Titletown

Now as you may or may not know, I'm a diehard Kentucky fan.  With that comes a dislike of Louisville sports naturally, as any true blue Kentucky fan will tell you.  But I can truly say I'm incredibly excited about to Louisvillians heading to play with the Packers this upcoming season.  I'm a native of Louisville, and it makes me proud when Brian Brohm, a guy who was born and bred in the Derby City as well, makes the NFL squad that I have the pleasure of covering.  I don't know as much about Breno Giacomini but he's a Louisvillian nonetheless as he did play college football for the Cards for four seasons.  Back to Brohm now though.  I've watched this kid play since high school.  Brohm suited up for Trinity High in Louisville from 2000 through 2004, and the other half of the story is of course that I attended Trinity's biggest inner city rival, St. Xavier.  Now this rivalry is considered by many to be tops in the country in high school football.  I believe these two still hold the record for attendance at a high school game.  But anyway, seeing those games between X and Trinity were some of my best high school memories...or worst considering Brohm torched St. X every time the two teams took the field, on his way to winning three straight state titles with the Shamrocks.  But the moral of all of this, just shows you what a small world it is when a guy that went to your high school's biggest rival somehow shows up with a team  that you cover four years later.  Itt really does make me proud of my hometown, and this may be one Louisville Cardinal I can actually cheer for.  So Brian, glad to have you as a Packer and I look forward to seeing you hit the field.  And hey, don't let anyone tell you you can't beat out Aaron Rodgers.

Brewers Count on Cameron in Several Ways

Mike Cameron finally made his Brewers debut last night and was it a coincidence they rap out a season high 17 hits?  Maybe it was but it was great to see.  Much like everyone else I was a little sceptical at first that the Brewers would sign a guy who would have to sit out the first 25 games before getting into the lineup.  But the more I heard about him the more I thought he could help the ballclub.  The suspension was for taking a supplement not on Major League Baseball's approved list.  It was not a connection to steroids.  When Brewers play-by-play announcer Brian Anderson was in Wausau earlier this year he said Cameron was a great clubhouse guy.  The Brewers already have a few of those in Gabe Kapler and Craig Counsell but Cameron is expected to start every day, bring gold glove caliber defense to centerfield and get on base.  To Cameron's credit he declined interviews during his suspension because he wanted the focus to stay on the players battling in his absence.  Now he's primed to help the Crew.  It's just one game but so far, so good.