It’s official. I have given up on the Milwaukee Bucks for the remainder of the 2011 season. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, positive to take away from this wretched season. So I’m throwing in the towel.

There was an insane amount of optimism leading up to this season. Posting a 50 win season, advancing to the second round of the playoffs, and actually looking like a legit contender in a small market. All of it, every single last bit, is gone.

When did this officially happen? I’d like to say two Saturdays ago, when the Bucks lost at home to the lowly Detroit Pistons. But I stuck it out for another week, hoping that the Bucks would prove me wrong and play some good basketball. Then I watched this Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, a game in which the Bucks kept it close until the fourth quater, upon which they shot 4 for 20 or some God-awful percentage.

There are simply no more excuses for this type of effort. I would argue that the Bucks are an objectively better team than the Pistons and the Pacers, both Central Division foes. Yet the Bucks managed to lose convincingly to each of them on consecutive weekends. These weren’t close, “grind-em’-out” losses either. These were “man isn’t awesome that we get to play the Bucks?” losses.

You can’t blame injuries anymore. Brandon Jennings is back, and so is Carlos Delfino. Andrew Bogut is kind of healthy, but occasionally misses games because of migraines or back issues. John Salmons has been ineffective all season, so his recent injury is no excuse. And then there’s Drew Gooden, who’s had plantar fasciitis for months and is unsure of whether or not he’ll return this season. Also, Drew Gooden is Dan Gadzuric 2.0 with a similar contract, so if that doesn’t give you nightmares, I don’t know what does.

You also can’t blame the influx of new “talent” that John Hammond signed in the offseason. Corey Maggette was supposed to finally buy into a system that works, like the Bucks coaching staff thought they had. He gets the the free throw line way more than anyone on the team (255 attempts this season. Second is Salmons with 151). But it hasn’t translated into wins, or even better team basketball.

And then there’s Scott Skiles, the should-have-been NBA Coach of the Year last season who took the Atlanta Hawks to seven games in the playoffs and looked to have the team playing it’s best basketball since the George Karl days. His questionable lineups in crunch time lead me to believe that maybe he just forgets about some of the players he has on his bench (how many times have you screamed at the TV this season while Keyon Dooling is running the point over Jennings in the final minutes of a game?)

At this point last season, the Bucks won more than 20 games to clinch a playoff spot and actually lend some credibility to professional basketball in Milwaukee. With the All-Star break upon us this week, there’s no reason to have that sort of optimism again. Instead, we’ll be watching the NBA playoffs and wondering how a team like the 76ers or the Pacers beat us out for the rights to get slaughtered by Miami or Boston.

Sadly, it’s another lost season for the Bucks. If I can offer any shining light, it’s that we have solid, young talent in Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings. But being saddled with bad contracts (I’m looking at you, Drew Gooden) doesn’t help us, so I’m still guessing that the Bucks are a few years removed from making legit noise in the playoffs.

I could end this article with a crappy play-on word (‘The Buck(s) stops here’, or ‘go Buck yourself’), but I won’t. Because unlike the Bucks, I’m better than that. For now, let’s watch the Super Bowl on repeat and look forward to baseball season, because NBA basketball around here is just “Buck”-ing stupid.

Oops.

Welcome back to another thrilling edition of ‘Overhyped Super Bowl XLV Storylines: Part 2.” In this installment, we examine Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and his Pennsylvania upbringing…

2. Mike McCarthy is a Pittsburgh native

Hard to believe, but some people who play on or work with the Green Bay Packers weren’t born in Wisconsin. I know, very surprising. Mike McCarthy is one of those people, and because he happens to be the head coach, a good amount of press coverage has alluded to the fact that McCarthy is a Pittsburgh native.

Ohmygosh! Do you think he secretly wants the Steelers to beat the Packers?!

How quaint. Also, how utterly boring.

I saw a local newscaster report live from McCarthy’s hometown, Greenfield, PA. The guy sought out McCarthy’s boyhood home, interviewed a local tavern that hangs pictures of McCarthy on it’s walls, and talked to a few clueless locals who pretended like they cared.

If this is what TV sports journalism has become or is becoming, I’m in the wrong profession. Sure, the story has a “unique” angle, in that its about as unique as the story that it’s really cold for some reason in Arlington. The story pretty much begins and ends there.

So yes, Mike McCarthy was born near Pittsburgh and most likely grew up a Steeler fan, but there’s nothing more to the story than that. This story is almost as played out as the “Troy Polamalu and Clay Matthews went to USC together” story that was especially popular after this weeks NFL Defensive Player of the Year debate.

Stay tuned this week for part 3 of “Overhyped SB XLV Storylines”

By the time the clock runs to 0:00 on February 6th in Dallas, every heavy to moderate football fan in America will know at least a few random facts about the Steelers or Packers that they didn’t know in the first place.

Fans will also hear about 6,000 recycled storylines throughout that week, whether they see them on ESPN or FOX or the internet. Yes, as great and majestic as the Super Bowl is, there are thousands of crappy, boring storylines that will be played ad nauseum throughout the week leading up to the big game.

With that, I give you part 1 of my ‘Overhyped Super Bowl XLV Storyline” series…

1. Aaron Rodgers replaces Packers legend Brett Favre

Oh man Packer fans, if you thought you had it rough back in 2008 during Favre’s messy divorce from Titletown, you ain’t seen nothing yet. This is the storyline of the Packers run to the Super Bowl. Not how great the defense has played, not how Mike McCarthy coached a severely injured team to the Super Bowl, but Aaron Rodgers replacing freakin’ Brett Favre.

You just cannot escape it. I can see Pam Oliver’s gripping feature story on how much #4 and #12 didn’t really become best buds during their time together. Lots of dramatic music playing in the background, some still shots of Favre looking like a mess while Rodgers waits patiently on the sideline. And seriously, how many times will they show this picture? 100 times? 200 times? You simply cannot quantify how many times that picture will be shown.

What I dislike most about journalists (or journalism for that matter), particularly sports journalists, is that they never seem to drop an issue. They assume that there must be someone out there who hasn’t heard the gripping tale of Aaron Rodgers patience in waiting for the Old Gunslinger to retire.

News flash: everyone and their brother has heard the story. And there is nothing, absolutely nothing, new to report on it. Every conceivable angle has been taken, every “authority” on the subject interviewed, and every ancient ex-Packer dug up for a quote or two.

Alas, fans will still hear the story. There will be the obvious Steve Young comparisons (replaces legend, goes on to Super Bowl glory, carves out niche within the organization, possibly opens football-themed steakhouse adjacent to stadium).

And really, what more do people want Aaron Rodgers to say regarding the situation? Do you expect him to say, “You know what, Terry Bradshaw (or Pam Oliver), I actually really hate Brett. I hope there’s a thousand massage therapists lined up to sue him.”

Actually, that would be really sweet. But it’s not going to happen. So please, sports media professionals, drop the storyline and give us something else.

Stay tuned for part 2 of ‘Overhyped Super Bowl XLV Storylines’ in the days leading up to February 6th.

Howdy everyone.  Glad to be back after making an extremely long trek out to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl.  Not the best outcome, obviously, but I’ll never forget the experience.  Thanks to everyone who helped make it an incredible time.

Now, onto my picks…

Green Bay at Atlanta (Saturday, 7pm central, FOX)

Let’s be honest, it’s very hard for me to pick against the Packers.  The same goes for this week, where I expect the Packers to avenge their loss earlier this season to Atlanta with a close win on Saturday.

When these teams met on Nov.28th, it became painfully obvious that whoever had the ball last was going to win the game.  It also became obvious after the game that the Falcons had a certain advantage when it came to challenging calls on the field (I’m looking at you, Tony Gonzalez).

The Falcons are undeniably great at the Georgia Dome, where they have a boisterous crowd and a forgiving playing surface.  But this time around, the Packers have a legit run game, not the 2 yards per carry run game that Atlanta saw earlier this season.  If James Starks can carry the load like he did last week against Philly, the Packers should be able to play-action their way to the NFC Championship.

Aaron Rodgers vs. Matt Ryan will be a quarterback matchup that fans are going to hear about for the next decade, so we better get used to it.  Rodgers almost single handedly won the game for the Packers earlier this season, but I don’t see him needing to carry the load as much this time around.

Come game time, Atlanta will have had 14 days off, whereas the Packers will have only had 6.  Some might see that as an advantage for the Falcons, but I like the Packers ride their momentum from last week to a victory.

Final Score: Packers 35, Falcons 21

QB Stat Line: Rodgers: 250 yards passing, 2 TD’s, 1 INT// Ryan: 310 yards passing, 3 TD’s, 1 INT

RB Stat Line: Starks: 80 yards rushing, 1 TD// Turner: 75 yards rushing, 0 TD’s

Seattle at Chicago (Sunday, 12pm central, FOX)

Seattle is undeniably a great playoff story.  Their triumphant victory last week over New Orleans, coupled with an incredible game-ending run by Marshawn Lynch, made for incredible television.  Years from now historians and NFL Films will remember it as one of the all-time great Wild Card weekend showdowns, and Saints fans will still be grumbling about how a 7-9 team was awarded a home game.

But that’s where the improbable run will end.  Chicago’s defense is too good to allow as many points as the Saints did, and if Seattle gets down by too many on the road, they’ll simply say “at least we beat New Orleans” and head back out west.

Yes, the Seahawks did manage to beat Chicago this past October at Soldier Field, when the Bears offensive line allowed Jay Cutler to be sacked six times during the game.  Since then, the Bears o-line has vastly improved, and with a solid run game lead by Matt Forte, the Bears should be able to control the time of possession and thus, the game.

However, I don’t expect a blowout. Keep in mind that the Seahawks are still riding a very emotional high from last weekend, and they could definitely use that to their advantage if the Bears (specifically Jay Cutler) get flustered early in the game.  The way the Seahawks win this game is the same way the Bears have managed to win games the past couple seasons: force turnovers, have a few bounces go your way, and capitalize with a touchdown here and there.

Being a Packer fan, it’s difficult for me to pick the Bears in a game I so desperately would love to see them lose.  So let’s say I think Chicago will win, but I’m really pulling for Seattle.

Final Score: Bears 24, Seahawks 14

QB Stat Line: Cutler: 224 yards passing, 2 TD’s, 1 INT//Hasselbeck: 200 yards passing, 1 TD, 1 INT

RB Stat Line: Forte: 100 yards rushing, 1 TD//Lynch: 90 yards rushing, 1 TD

Stay tuned for my AFC Divisional Playoff predictions coming tomorrow!

Matt Flynn stepped in for a concussed Aaron Rodgers and threw three touchdowns, evaded Patriot defenders, and showed poise and confidence in his first start.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough, as the Packers lose a close one to the Patriots 31-27.

First off, huge props to Flynn for showing poise and making smart decisions when they mattered most. Kudos to Brandon Jackson and John Kuhn for running hard and opening up the passing game.

The Packers defense, which has been labeled “bend but don’t break” all season, finally broke on many plays tonight.  They gave up a 39 yard TD run to Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis in the first quarter, and were plagued  by bad tackling on many plays.

Special teams also laid an egg tonight, achieving next to nothing in the return game and giving up an embarrassing 71 yard kickoff return to Dan Connolly to set up another Pats TD.

Overall, it’s hard to hang your head too

much after this loss. Considering how New England went into Soldier Field last week and ripped apart a highly-touted Bears defense, this game could have been much uglier.  I’m sure we’ll discuss this further during the WST podcast tomorrow night, but clock management towards the end of the game was, in my opinion, horrendous.  I’m curious to see how Mike McCarthy defends that call.

Despite the fact that Matt Flynn was starting his first career game, there’s no reason to waste your final timeout with only a minute left in the 4th. Further, there seemed to be ZERO sense of urgency getting to the line in the final seconds of the game; How can nobody on the offense start jumping and hollering to get a play rolling.

Lastly, in a game when the defense absolutely needed to create turnovers, Charles Woodson drops an easy INT that could have been returned for 6.  If you want to beat a team like New England when shorthanded, plays like that can make a huge difference.

All hope is not lost, however. With Tampa Bay and the New York Giants both losing, the Packers hopes of making the playoffs remain alive.  And with New York coming off a heartbreaking loss to Philadelphia today, they could be vulnerable coming into Lambeau next Sunday.

Good effort Pack. But as is the story of our season, not quite good enough.

Tonight I have the pleasure of attending the Bucks v. Heat matchup at the Bradley Center.  Being a diehard Bucks fan, nothing irritates me more than seeing pockets of visiting team “fans” throughout the arena.  I put “fans” in quotations because I would venture to guess that the vast majority of those people aren’t natives of the visiting team’s city. Rather, I like to think of them as ESPN cult followers who are incapable of forming their own analysis or opinions, merely going along with what Stephen A. Smith or Stuart Scott tells them is “ON FIRE!”

Last season I asked two  people sitting near me at a Bucks v. Celtics game if they were from Boston (they were decked out in Celt’s gear).  They replied, “of course not” as if I was dumb enough to actually think they were from Boston or the greater Massachusetts area.  “So why are you such big Celtics fans?” I replied.  “We just like the way they play” was their pathetic answer, completely ignoring the fact that Boston played on cruise control all of last season up until the playoffs.

Which brings me to tonight’s game.  Besides the obvious love for Dwyane Wade, there will be a lot of “Heat fans” in house tonight.  The kids who were rocking Cleveland Lebron jerseys last season have forced their parents to buy them a brand new Heat jersey.  But I’m not so much picking on the kids; after all, I really liked Randy Moss on the Vikings in 1998, when I was in 7th grade.  Kids don’t understand loyalty to home teams, and the ones that do are much farther ahead of the curve than their peers.

WiscoSportsTalk columnist Adam “Big A” Maritato wrote an article last season questioning why there weren’t more Bucks fans packing the BC while the team was playing well.  I think it’s Milwaukee basketball apathy, and the only way to cure it is to string together convincing victories over much-ballyhooed teams like the Heat (and no, beating Orlando on Saturday with all their best players sidelined with a stomach virus doesn’t count).

Right now the Heat have won four in a row and appear to be coming together as a team.  But they are still vulnerable in the low post, where Zydrunas Ilgauskas is their best option.  If the Bucks can expose them in one area, it’d be down low where the Bucks can run their offense through Andrew Bogut.

Basically, the Heat are very beatable, and a win over them would actually show Milwaukee that this Bucks team wasn’t overachieving last year and that they can beat legit, big market opponents.  Sure, there will always be “fans” for other teams when a big market opponent comes to town.  I’m sure a column similar to this is written every time the Lakers go on the road.  So is life being a small market NBA franchise.

One last point: the Heat recently started a new campaign to get fans in their seats  when the game actually starts.  What a crazy idea!  Get to your seat before tip-off?!  Are you from Mars?!

Do you think that would ever happen in Milwaukee?  Absolutely not.  We might not be able to pack in fans like other cities, but at least we show up on time.  Clearly Miami only has a few hundred real fans who have the audacity to show up to home games on time, but I’d be honored to send some of the “fans” I see tonight down to South Beach to experience what truly apathetic fans the Heat have.

Instead of letting Tramon Williams venture into free agency, the Packers made a wise choice and signed him to a four-year extension that reportedly includes more than $11 million in guaranteed money.  This extension bumps Williams into the top echelon of highly paid cornerbacks.

This is Williams’ first full year as a starter, and he’s proven to be one our the defenses top playmakers, intercepting four passes and “defending” a total of 14 passes in 11 games.  Not too bad for a guy who was undrafted coming out of Louisiana Tech four seasons ago.

With a potential lockout looming next season, the Packers knew they had to get Williams locked up or risk losing him.  He’s proven to be a shutdown corner all season, and his ability to read the quarterback and make a jump on pass routes has been nothing short of impressive.

Before the season started, there were question marks all over the Packers secondary:  the injury to Al Harris, starting two rookies in Morgan Burnett and Sam Shields, and an aging Charles Woodson were all causes for concern.  But Williams stepped up when given the opportunity and is about to reap the fruits of his labor.

All the Packers need to do now is lock up Clay Matthews and we’ll be pretty much set on defense for the next few seasons.  My only concern is that Williams might regress now that he’s gotten a big contract, but there’s really no reason to think that, seeing as he’s worked his tail off to get where he is today.  Overall, I’d rate this as a very smart move by the Packers.

Last week, the WiscoSportsTalk crew came to a general consensus that we were “chilling” on the Bucks, rather than panicking.  After all, we’re less than a quarter of the way through the season, right?

Thankfully, it’s never too late to press the panic button.

The 2010 Bucks season started off with lofty expectations and consistent success.  Instead, the season has been met with inconsistency and overall lack of offensive prowess.  Despite trading for Corey Maggette, signing Drew Gooden, and re-signing John Salmons, the Bucks haven’t been able to score when necessary.

Mark it 8, dude. As in, we’ll be lucky to get the 8th playoff seed at this point.

Even mostly solid defense by the Bucks hasn’t been enough to keep them in games.  Take Mondays 101-88 loss at Utah; the Bucks stayed in the game until the 4th quarter, making (and taking) good shots while playing solid D.

Ultimately, Utah’s offense and steady defense took over and the Bucks weren’t able to match baskets.  Those big-margin victories earlier this month against Atlanta and New York seem like distant memories when compared to more recent efforts.

Injuries haven’t helped either.  Andrew Bogut has been sidelined with his typical back problems, and now migraine headaches seem to be a recurring issue.  Carlos Delfino has been out since early November with a neck strain.  Drew Gooden is the latest victim with a nagging foot injury.

As of today, the Bucks sit at 6-11 in what is looking to be the weakest division in the NBA.  At 9-6, Chicago holds the best record in what is certainly a winnable Central division.  But with Indiana playing surprisingly well and the Bucks unable to pull off victories against Detroit and Cleveland as of late, the Bucks have no time to waste in playing the solid team basketball that was displayed last season.

This week doesn’t get much easier for them.  Sadly, I can probably already chalk up tonight’s game at Denver as a loss; the Bucks traditionally struggle on the road out west, and our depleted roster won’t be able to maintain through 48 minutes in high altitude.

Saturday brings Orlando, which has crushed the Bucks over the past few seasons.  If we don’t have Bogut back by then, Dwight Howard will destroy us.  Then comes Monday’s showdown with Miami.  While the Heat aren’t exactly the dominant force (yet) some thought they would be, they’re offensive explosiveness will give the Bucks troubles.

If we lose all three games, which I think is very possible, we’d sit at 6-14, a record that Clippers fans would deem respectable.  But this was supposed to be the year that the Bucks got back to relevancy, the year that we advanced past the first round of the playoffs, and the year that our franchise cornerstones, Bogut and Brandon Jennings, got some all-star consideration.

A telling and troubling sign of the Bucks current woes lies inside the Bradley Center.  To date, the Bucks haven’t had a sellout.  Not even the home opener sold out, which is generally the one game you can count on to pack the house.  Herb Kohl isn’t getting any younger, and the NBA is breathing down the organization’s necks to either improve the “BC” or build a new arena.

None of this will happen without a winning team.  As local sports go, Milwaukee fans are very apathetic towards pro basketball.  You either love them or hate them, or don’t give a damn about them.  This was the season to re-energize fans, and send a message to the rest of the league that the Bucks should be taken seriously.

Sadly, it looks like we’ll either back our way into the playoffs or prepare for the draft lottery. So find that panic button, press it firmly,  and watch the hopes and dreams of the team and its fans crumble.

Profootballtalk.com is reporting that Packers TE/Swiss-Army knife Spencer Havner was arrested for a DUI early last Saturday in California following a motorcycle accident. Havner sustained a fractured scapula and lacerations to the back of his head and arm. He was not wearing a helmet.

According to TheUnion.com, Havner was driving a Kawasaki motorcycle around a cul-de-sac at 2:45 am. It was there that he lost control and suffered the injuries.

Definitely not the ideal way for Havner to start his offseason training. He scored four memorable touchdown’s for the Packers last year, and I figure that he could at least play an enhanced role on offense this season. These injuries and DUI charges definitely put that scenario in jeopardy.

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.