WiscoSportsTalk

Clifton Signing Good for Pack Attack

Chad Clifton got the money he wanted and has agreed to stay with the Packers for another three years, most likely guaranteeing that he will retire as a Packer.

That’s definitely good news for the Packers, who saw their NFC North foes beef up their defensive lines yesterday. With Julius Peppers going to Chicago and Kyle Vanden Bosch signing with Detroit, the Packers are going to need all the help they can get on an already shaky offensive line.

It’s obviously tough to know if Ted Thompson plans on signing a free agent whatsoever (early indications are no), but the re-signing of Clifton is a great way to start the free agent period.

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Bucks deal Meeks, Elson to 76ers

In a last minute trade deadline deal, the Milwaukee Bucks sent Jodie Meeks and Francisco Elson to the 76ers for Royal Ivey, Primoz Brezic, and a second round draft pick.

This is Ivey’s 2nd go round with the Bucks, and he told the Journal-Sentinel that he’s “happy to be back in Milwaukee.” That’s definitely a refreshing thing to hear, although neither Ivey or Brezic are expected to play many minutes for the Bucks (barring injury, of course).

I wasn’t expecting the Bucks to deal Meeks, and I believe they may have given up on him too early.  I assume that Scott Skiles didn’t like what he saw from Meeks on the defensive end, and rather than have him sit on the bench and not develop, they opted to deal him for expiring contracts.

Still, I think Meeks had a strong upside on offense and given the right amount of time, could have corrected any defensive miscues.

John Salmons has worked out well for the Bucks so far, posting double digit points and a clutch three-pointer in his debut Friday against Detroit.  Salmons followed up that performance  with 19 points in a win against Charlotte Saturday night at the Bradley Center.

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Badgers Looking to Close Out Big 10 Season on a High Note

Despite the heartbreaking loss to Illinois on Tuesday, the Wisconsin Badgers still have a great chance to take home the Big 10 regular season title and continue to reach their goal of winning the Big 10 tournament.

I was as devastated as any Badger fan when they succumbed to that rare home loss against a surprising Illini team, but I see little use in panicking.  Sometimes a wake-up call like that can actually be a good thing for a team that wasn’t expected to do anything special this season.

Since Jon Leuer went down with a fractured wrist, the Badgers are 5-2 and have displayed the kind of effort that seems to come naturally to Bo Ryan coached teams; continue to work hard and go about your business.  No team handles adversity quite like the Badgers. Since Kalin Lucas went down, Michigan State has struggled to regain its swagger.  Ohio State was a mess without Evan Turner.

Not the Badgers.  Bo Ryan has instilled the confidence in his players to carry on and pick up the slack when a fellow teammate gets hurt. It’s rare to find a coach who can build such confidence in his team, but Ryan has earned his living doing that exact thing for the Badgers since he was hired.

The Badgers will also have the benefit of a fairly easy schedule to close out the season. Tomorrow they square off against an Indiana team that is still deep in the process of rebuilding.  After that, UW won’t face a ranked opponent unless Illinois earns a spot in the top 25 before March 6th (UW’s final regular season game at Illinois).

It’s going to be a close race to crown the regular season champion, but if the Badgers can continue their consistent play and rebound from a rare hiccup at home, I think they’ll bring home the bacon.

Just imagine how strong this team will be going into March Madness if Jon Leuer comes back to full strength.  Don’t look now, but the Badgers have the fortitude and attitude to make a strong run at the Final Four this year.

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Packers Still Seeking Signature Win

It’s a great time to be a Packers fan.  Three straight wins, a newly ranked #1 defense, and a pretty good chance of earning a wild card home game are all things to relish at the moment.

However, what the Packers need is a signature win to prove they can make a run in the playoffs.  Most people are quick to argue that the win over Dallas could be considered the biggest W of the year, but the Boys’ have proven to be a flash in the pan with a few lackluster performances since then, so unfortunately the win doesn’t look or sound as impressive as it might seem.

The good news is that the Packers have, in my humble opinion, two remaining games that could truly build momentum going into the playoffs. I’m talking about Baltimore on Monday night, and December 20th at Pittsburgh.

Yes, Baltimore and Pittsburgh are holding on for their playoff lives at this point.  But you can’t ever discount a defending Super Bowl champion at any point in the season, and winning a game at Heinz Field would be something that not even Minnesota could do.  If Pittsburgh remains in the playoff hunt until that game, it’ll be a showdown for the ages.

As for Baltimore, they looked solid in their win against Pittsburgh on Monday. The defense showed signs of life, albeit against a Dennis Dixon-led Steelers team (note: I’m not slamming D.D. at all. Dude can throw, showed some flash running the ball, and looked confident in the pocket. In fact, that one start could earn him millions this offseason).

Plus,  you can’t forget about the budding chemistry between Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, and their veteran receiving core.  These guys are legit, and the strong veteran leadership will make sure they don’t quit at any point in any remaining games.

The rest of the schedule consists of a trip to Chicago (sandwiched between the Baltimore & Pittsburgh games), home against Seattle, and a finale at Arizona.  You could make an argument about Arizona being a big game, but it’s only worthy of the “signature” status if a victory that day assured us a playoff spot. And with the wild card race shaping up as it is, I could very well see that happening.

Mike McCarthy has most likely saved his job by passing the win total from last season, but questions about his coaching will linger if we can’t get a truly big win this year.

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