Without a doubt, we got spoiled last year. It was blissful. Which makes this year even harder to take.
In 2011, Wisconsin’s sports teams almost universally had banner years. The Packers won the Super Bowl in February, then went on to win 14 of their 15 regular season games before year-end. Now that’s a great year.
The Brewers came within two games of the World Series, winning the NL Central for the first time, beating Arizona in the NLDS and losing to the eventual World Series champion Cardinals in the NLCS. Pretty good there too.
The Badger football team won the Big 10 title game and with it a trip to the Rose Bowl. Still good.
Both the Badger and Marquette basketball teams made the Sweet 16 and started the 2011-12 season like gangbusters, Wisconsin going 13-3 and the Golden Eagles 11-2 through December. Yep, good again.
And the Bucks had a decent start after the lockout, the playoffs looked like a real possibility. 2011 was sure fun.
Then came 2012. Talk about a bubble bursting. The Badgers blew the Rose Bowl; the Packers were shocked in their first playoff game. Marquette and Wisconsin basketball showed signs of turning things around, each making the Sweet 16, but each turned in clunkers in their final games. And the Brewers, well, they certainly aren’t showing signs of reversing the trend.
As of this writing, the Brewers are 33-40, in 4th place and 7.5 games behind the Reds after a demoralizing loss to the Reds last night. There are many contributing factors, including a new hitting coach and season-ending injuries to their first baseman, shortstop, 5th starter plus a number of other players.
Fundamentals are taking a beating; hitting and relief pitching are both equally horrific (the only bright spot is the starting pitching). As Yogi Berra once said, “Baseball is 90 percent physical and the other half is mental.” Neither half appears to be working at this point for the Crew. It’s a real team effort, that’s for sure. Sooner or later, when Rickie Weeks comes up in the 7th inning, the fans might start singing “Take HIM out of the ballgame..”
Seriously, what bugs me is the Brewers seem lifeless, rudderless. There is no leader in the clubhouse – no, okay I’m going to say it – no Prince Fielder getting on guys to step up and give it their all. I know we all thought we’d miss Prince at the plate, but apparently we miss him a lot more in the clubhouse. It’s gonna be a long summer.
Turning to football, the Packers appear to have done little to shore up the worst defense in the NFL. In fact last year I think they’d played their “nickel” defense all the time. At least that’s what it was worth.
I know, the Packers drafted some defensive players who someday will make a difference, but not right out of college. And I doubt that they can use the arm of Aaron Rodgers and the best receiving corps in the NFL to smoke and mirror their way to a 15-1 record this season. Plus they still don’t have a running back. Could be tough to just get back to the post season. At least we have the “Dancing With The Stars” trophy.
The Badgers don’t have a quarterback. True they have another ACC transfer coming over in Danny O’Brien, but Danny is no Russell Wilson. And none of the other quarterbacks in camp have played a down. Plus Monte Ball is demonstrating that his decision to come back for his senior season might be questionable.
Basketball isn’t much better. The picture for both the Badger and Marquette men’s teams for the upcoming season could be bleak. The Badgers lost their best player, Jordan Taylor, to graduation and are left with nobody who can shoot. And the one guy who could, Jarrod Uthoff, decided to transfer to a school with an offense. Marquette lost their two best players and also had a primary player transfer.
The Bucks are, well, still the Bucks. We have Scott Skiles back again, whose photo is in the dictionary under “glutton for punishment.” Hopefully we draft exactly the right player, and that Carlos Delfino recovers from his sports hernia surgery. And what is the difference between a regular hernia and a sports hernia anyway? I’m thinking a hernia is a hernia.
So where 2011 was a year to remember, 2012 is rapidly becoming a year to forget. I hope it gets better, but it may not. So be prepared.
Anybody ready for 2013?
