Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
this is wisconsin sports on the go with trage your
place for all things wisconsinsports.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Now your host.
How we doing everybody andwelcome into wisconsin sports on
the go with Trage.
I'm your host, trage.
It is Wednesday, april 16th, afantastic Wednesday here in the
great state of Wisconsin.
(00:32):
The weather is getting betterright, getting a little warmer
out there, and it is gettingcloser to spring right.
It's fantastic.
It's just fantastic.
That's all we got to say.
It's fantastic.
I wanted to say tonight herehappy belated birthday.
I said happy birthday to her,but happy belated birthday to my
wife.
I met beautiful wife.
She just had her birthday thereover the weekend and then also
my sister having her birthdaytoday here.
(00:53):
So happy birthday to them both.
Great.
I celebrated with my wife onSaturday, saturday there.
I'm trying to remember my daysback.
It's weeks are a blur sometimes, right, you have a newborn kid.
Weeks become a blur and then mysister will celebrate at some
point, right.
So happy birthday to them boththere.
But we got lots to get intotonight.
(01:13):
I mean, holy cannolis.
We got scary Alvarez coming ontonight here.
If you guys don't know whatscary Alvarez is, you're going
to talk about Badgers with him,badger football in particular
tonight with him.
That's going to be coming uphere just after the start of the
show here.
So we're going to be talkingabout Scary.
We got Ummer coming on tonighttalking about the Packers.
We got Kyle coming on to talkabout the Bucs.
We have all kinds of excitingstuff here coming up tonight.
(01:37):
A good weekend for myself there.
We had our first 12U baseball,our tournament games, whatever
you want to call them two gamesup in Athens there, and it was a
pretty good time.
It was a pretty good time there.
I got to say, though, whatdrives me nuts?
And okay, we're just going tostart it out hot and heavy today
.
We're going to start it hot andheavy, right.
We always have the segment ofwhat's grinding my gears.
(01:58):
We're going to start it out hotand heavy today.
You want to know what grinds mygears the most is when parents
coach their kids during the gamedrives me nuts.
You send your kid and you wantto be coached by so-and-so right
, so you send them off, and thenyou watch during the game and
(02:18):
these kids are standing thereand they're playing the game and
let's just say they swing andmiss whatever, and they, they
watch them constantly turnaround and they're listening to
their parents yell at them fromthe stands and tell them why'd
you do that?
Why did you swing at that?
Why didn't you swing at that?
Why is this?
Why is that?
Why are you sucking whatever?
It drives me nuts.
(02:39):
It does.
You want to talk to your kidwhen he goes home?
Great, talk to your kid when hegoes home, but during the game,
let him play.
It drives me absolutely bonkers.
It does, because I always, Ialways say it to you guys the
game of baseball is so muchmental and you know how hard it
(03:02):
is.
I, I had to.
I told my boys the other dayright, because we have a big
issue with flushing, forgettingmoving on, right, you make an
error, whatever you walk a kid,whatever it is, you swing at a
bad pitch, flushing, forgettingmoving on.
It's a pitch by pitch league,right, that's how it goes.
That's baseball.
It's pitch by pitch.
It changes everything couldchange in a matter of one pitch.
And we sit here and we watch in.
(03:25):
Parents they harp on their kidafter one pitch and it's like
now that kid has to flush it,forget it.
Listen to their parent yellflush it again, forget it, step
back in the box and try to hit.
You want to talk about mentallyexhausting.
You want to talk about makingthe game worse.
That's it.
Right, there Drives me nuts.
And you might think I'm crazyfor saying it.
(03:46):
You might say, well, trange,come on, come on, I don't trust
the coach, so I'm going to coachmy kid, coach your kid when he
goes home.
These coaches get paid,whatever.
Maybe they're volunteers toshow up and help your kid.
Let them do their job.
For that little while, let themdo their job.
(04:08):
If you don't agree with them,fine, fine.
But at the end of the day, thisyouth baseball, these kids,
they got to get out there andjust play sometimes and you just
tear them a new one all thetime.
What are you growing?
Are you really making thembetter?
(04:29):
I don't know.
I don't know.
Maybe you think you are, but itdrives me nuts.
It absolutely drives me nuts.
If you're a parent out there whodoes that and you want to say,
well, trades, you drive me nuts.
I'm sorry, but that's myopinion on it.
I I could not foresee myselfsitting in there and just
yelling from the crowd and,after every single pitch and
(04:52):
every single at bat, no, cheeryour kid on, tell them they're
doing a great job.
Now when they go home or you'rein the car on the way home, you
can tell them everything theydid wrong.
That's the way to do it.
My mom used to do it to me allthe time.
My dad same thing.
They would let me play the game.
They'd cheer me on during thegame.
After the game they'd tell mewhat I did wrong.
(05:13):
That's when you need to hear it.
Maybe it's something you cancorrect during the game.
Right?
I always remember my mom back inhigh school.
She always tell me, you know,sitting over there on that,
she'd sit on the bleacher andshe'd always tell me, like I'd
run over by the three-point lineor whatever.
She's like hey, do this, dothis, whatever.
Like she talked to me duringthe game.
I get that, that's fine, butproductive things, not tearing
(05:35):
them a new one.
Well, I just swing at that, Idon't know, because I felt like
it.
You already feel like crap andyet you're gonna make it feel
worse, right?
So that's kind of where I'm atwith that.
That's what's grinding my gearscoming into the day.
So another thing is grinding mygears.
You want to talk about grindingmy gears and that's kind of
what scary and I are going totalk about here coming up here
in just a little bit.
But this whole thing with nicothere down at tennessee I don't
(05:58):
even know how to say his lastname, so I'm not even gonna try,
I don't want to butcher itthere nico, uh, I l m of leva,
whatever you want to say attheir quarterback down there at
tennessee, he, uh, he'stransferring, he's transferring
outside to skip practice,transferring out whatever.
He wanted four mil.
Tennessee didn't want to payhim four mil.
They wanted to pay raise upfrom 2.4 to four mil, right, and
tennessee said basically no,dude, and now he leaves.
(06:21):
And I saw a report.
There was a 4 conference guy,one of the commissioners
basically, and said he's notworth anything, he's going to
have a hard time finding a newhome.
So I just see this and I sawthe article and the article
basically stated that beforelast season's playoffs, nico
(06:42):
told Tennessee that he wantedmore money before participating
in the playoffs or he basicallyhold out, and many other players
did this same thing.
My initial reaction was are you, are you kidding me right now?
Seriously, we're going to holdout of the playoffs.
Where's your pride?
Is there any pride left in inthe game in college?
(07:05):
Is there any pride left in inthe game in college.
Is there any pride, like?
I can tell you one thingthere's probably like wisconsin
carter gilmore, that dude walkon didn't care, just wanted to
play for the badgers.
That guy had pride 100.
But then I hear stories likethis with Nico, who probably
(07:25):
just ruined his career becauseI'm looking at it.
They say, you know, hebasically saying that it's going
to be interesting test of howsmart and disciplined colleges
are looking at him, because whathe said is he has zero market.
So what's his big idea?
What's his plan?
Right, because now he might'vescrewed over his career.
(07:46):
I don't know.
I don't know.
This is the problem that iscollege sports.
Now, this is the problem thatis college sports and something
that we didn't want, want.
(08:06):
We advocated for.
We wanted players to get money.
I am, I am all for guys gettingpaid because I don't believe
that espn should make money offof guys, name, image, likeness.
I agree with that.
But this is getting out ofcontrol and now you have reports
and stories of guys trying tobasically blackmail universities
(08:29):
.
I'm not going to play unless yougive me more money.
I'm not going to play in thecollege football playoff list.
You paid me for 13 games.
That's 12 plus the championshipgame for the conference, if I
get there.
You didn't pay me for a playoff, so now you owe me extra.
Are you kidding me?
Are you kidding me right now?
Have some dignity, have somepride.
(08:54):
Go and play for the teammate,go play for your guys.
Right?
You're telling me you're goingto sit out.
That absolutely drives me nutsis that when guys sit out of
bowl games or whatever and theystand on the sideline, they
watch, right?
I can't remember who was lastyear setting that record.
There was a cam ward when hewas going for that record and he
sat there and he watched miamiblow the lead and he watched
this disastrous happen and hejust stood there and watched
(09:17):
because he took himself out ofthe game.
He just wanted the record.
I would hate that.
As a teammate, I would ask guys, if they didn't want to be
there or they didn't want toplay, not to show up.
I want the guys who want to behere to play.
I want those guys here.
I don't want you here.
You were my teammate.
Now you don't care.
You're protecting yourself foryour future.
Sure, sure, that's fine.
(09:40):
I don't know.
Drives me nuts.
Drives me absolutely nuts.
So, nico we that big storyhappened over the weekend there.
We'll see what happens.
We'll see what happens there ifhe finds in our college,
whatever is going to happenthere.
But that is just the tip of theiceberg of what is wrong with
college sports and that's awhole nother thing we can get
(10:01):
into and a whole nother day,because it takes even more time.
We're going to get into it alittle bit more here, just after
the break.
Here we're going to have aquick break.
We're going to come back.
Scary is going to be hopping onhere, scary Alvarez.
We're going to talk Badgers.
Badgers have transfer portalnews.
Not good news, maybe not goodnews, I don't know.
We'll be right back here onWisconsin Sports on the go with
(10:26):
Trades.
Welcome back into WisconsinSports on the go with Trades.
I'm your host, trades.
We're coming back.
It's April 16th, it's afantastic April 16th, and that
is because we have one of ourgreat sponsors here at the show
Foreman's Hardware.
They offer everything from homeessentials to farm supplies,
house to farm, grills to drills.
Foreman Hardware has got youcovered.
House to farm grills to drills,foreman hardware has got you
covered.
Visit today in loyal kobe ormedford, wisconsin there.
(10:47):
Tell them trade sent, you, getfive percent off.
Nothing better, nothing betterthis time of year.
Get all your spring essentials.
Tell them trade sent, you getfive percent off.
I can't think of a better dealright now anywhere out there
than at foreman's hardware therein loyal kobe and medford,
wisconsin there.
So hey, I mentioned before wewent to the break we were
talking about the mess that iscollege football right now.
I wanted to get a guy that Isee as an expert on Wisconsin
(11:08):
sports.
He tells me he's not, but Ithink he's an expert on it.
I got the scary Alvarez heretonight here on the show Scary,
how are we doing tonight?
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Well, I can't answer for you, but I'm doing pretty
well as usual.
Got a goblet of sherry wine tomy side and ready to get cooking
.
And, by the way, I want to sayForeman's Hardware, just an
elite hardware store.
Whenever I'm in centralWisconsin, north central
Wisconsin, and I have a hardwareneed, they're cooking buddy.
That's all I'm going to say.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
There we go.
That is what we needed rightthere.
That is what we needed FromScary himself.
Get yourself in to Foreman'sHardware there.
So we have lots to get into.
Because we were talking aboutit a little bit, we were
messaging back and forth there.
But the Wisconsin Badgers rightnow.
Can you make sense of the mess?
That is what is going on in thetransfer portal or what is
going on?
The transfer is coming in.
(11:57):
Now they're leaving.
What is going on in Wisconsin?
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Yeah, and you know it's a good question and I want
to properly orient everyone forwhat's happening.
The transfer portal opens upagain tomorrow officially.
I'm sure some people knew thatalready, and so the fact that
there are a bunch of peopleannouncing right now, both in
Madison and across the countryat 100 other schools, that's not
(12:24):
a surprise.
That's kind of timing-wise.
This is when it was going tostart happening.
Now we can get into I'm notsure how much you want me to get
into here on this, but we canget into the who's, what's and
where's and why's of the peoplewho are now in the portal.
And we're sitting right now atCozeal although I'm not sure
it's official yet, we all knowCozeal's gone.
Mark although I'm not sure it'sofficial yet, we all know
(12:45):
Cozio's gone.
Mark Hamper, who it is officialwith, and then Quincy Burroughs
, the receiver, who came overfrom Cincinnati a few years ago,
has now gone and there aregoing to be more guys because
obviously the depth charts andthings like that have shaken out
over the spring practices andguys kind of know where they
stand right now relative towhere they might have a month
ago, and it's just.
That's a fact.
(13:06):
We're going to see other guysleave and of course I don't
think I'm spoiling anything herewe're going to have some
additional guys come in too, soit's going to be a fun, fun.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Next six weeks or so.
That's the thing is.
You got to look at it from bothsides.
Right, you're going to haveguys leaving, but you're going
to have guys coming in and LukeFickle, I mean, he doesn't
really seem concerned.
He said you know, according toDylan Graff this is the quote
that he got there he said thisisn't for everybody, right, this
is a grown man's league andthis is a grown man's game, and
if guys don't understand that,then this isn't the right thing
(13:35):
for them.
It is what it is.
I mean, that's the luke fecklesat.
He's like, if I'm gonna sithere and complain and I'm gonna
worry about it, I'm not gonnaget this program heading in the
right direction.
So I mean, we're talking aboutthe losses of these guys.
Is there a bigger impact thanthe tight end room?
(13:56):
Losing a tight end like thatinto back into the transfer
portal there, because now you'reback at square one with, I
guess, ashcraft, right?
Speaker 1 (14:05):
You know, I've had a kind of an evolution of how I
thought about this, the more Ilearn about Cozeal, the way he
went about his business inpractice, or maybe perhaps
didn't go about his business inpractice- and I'm not here to
bash kids.
That's not I said off camera,that's not my thing, but I do
want to give some flavor andtexture to the things that are
happening.
I would have thought this wasan absolute disaster a month ago
(14:29):
if I would have said, hey, in amonth from now, this elite
maybe not elite, but very, verystrong portal guy you got out of
Ball State, entered the portalthat quickly.
What I understand is that and Ithink you kind of played it in
nicely with Fickle's quote theyrun tough practices, they get up
(14:50):
early.
This is not a country club, andso there are going to be in
every recruiting cycle and everytransfer portal cycle, a couple
of people, sometimes more thana couple, and that doesn't mean
everyone who transfers has thismindset.
But there are going to be a fewof these guys who it's hard to
say if they're different thanthey thought it was going to be.
(15:11):
I believe Cozio might be one ofthose guys.
I think he's kind of a finesseguy.
He's very talented.
This isn't about his ability.
I think he would have been areal nice pass catcher, a real
good red zone guy.
But did he want to be blocking?
Did he want to be getting intothe trenches and and and you
know, mixing up.
I'm not so sure, based on whatI've heard that that was his
thing.
Uh, and so I I feel like hecame in, he got a glimpse of
(15:37):
what luke fickle football,wisconsin football is, and I
think we're getting back to thehard nose.
Uh, you know, jeff grimessystem is going to be
reminiscent, I think, of some ofthe things we've seen in the
past before the ill-fated Longoera, and he decided it wasn't
for him and he took off.
I don't think that's a loss.
I think you always want someoneto work out, but I am not
(15:59):
lamenting Mark Hampertransferring one iota.
Mark Hamper transferring oneiota and the fact that Tucker
Ashcraft is having a really nicecamp and seems to be putting it
together certainly better thanhe did last year.
I think we're going to be okay.
I think that's a positionthat's going to utilize the
tight ends better and I thinkAshcraft is going to do just
fine.
You know that's one thing.
(16:19):
Hamper is another guy and nowwe're kind of.
You know, he kind of did alittle bit of a shot across the
bow in his all thanks to God,all that stuff he did in his
statement, but he did a littlebit of a I wasn't understood, or
something like that.
And I just get the same vibesfrom Hamper.
And so when I see people, bothWisconsin fans and Gopher fans
or Hawkeye fans laughing andsaying, oh, what is Fickles
(16:40):
sucks, these guys are leaving.
Fans or Hawkeye fans laughingand saying, oh, what is Fickle,
fickle sucks, these guys areleaving.
I'm telling you I don't reallyfor these two dudes.
I don't put this on Fickle atall.
I really don't.
I mean, unless you want to saylike he should have known them
better before they transferred,I feel like these are guys who
are not good culture fits and ifyou believe the insiders, so to
(17:02):
speak, speak, hamper was not astarter, he wasn't going to be
starting this year.
I mean, who knows?
There are a lot of differentsystems and he would.
He probably would have gottenthe field.
Is he gonna put him up?
But that's not a name.
You're hearing a lot early onand and of course he's been
sitting out for a while.
But I guess and I'm gonna havepeople saying, scary, that's
just coat man, that's scary coat.
I get that all the time.
(17:23):
It's not cope.
I don't need to cope withanything.
I call it like I see it.
I think we're going to be okaywithout Hamper and Cozier.
I think we're going to be justfine.
I think the locker room isprobably a better place without
those guys.
It's going to be all right.
Quincy Burroughs is the thirdone.
Everything I in 2023.
So I don't have a reason otherthan the guy just can't get on
(17:43):
the field.
You know, in games I washopeful and, as I mentioned
earlier this the fact that theportal just opened up and of
course, this is where a lot ofguys jump off this is a good
indication of maybe where thedepth chart was looking, as
practice spring practice startsto kind of head towards the end
(18:04):
of the sessions and my guess ishe wasn't in the too deep and
he's a talented kid who's fast,has ball skills, the boundary
guy that we really wanted butjust didn't quite develop,
apparently in in three Springs,and he'll find another place and
it'll be okay.
So none of this is out of theordinary.
If you look at other schools,hal had four running backs going
(18:26):
to the portal on the same day.
This is not.
I'm not saying we're aspiring tobe Justin Wilcox and the Golden
Bears, but what I'm saying iseveryone looks at their program.
We have fewer transfers rightnow than most quality programs
in the country.
Because that's just how crazythe portal is.
Anyway, I'm going to step aside.
But that's just how crazy theportal is, anyway, craig, I'm
going to step aside.
But that's where I am right now, kind of as a preliminary
matter on some of these big newsitems today.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
You hit the nail on the head.
You did.
That's exactly what I wanted tohear.
These guys weren't up on thedepth chart.
They were, like you said withCole Zeal, a little bit soft in
your opinion, which that couldvery well be.
He got used to the Jeff Grimessystem.
He said I'm not a part of this,I wanted to be a part of an air
raid.
I'm not a part of this groundand pound, I want to play in the
(19:09):
trenches kind of football.
I love that answer because thatexplains everything and it comes
back to the point, the thingthat I talked about in the first
section of the show, the firstsegment of the show, and it's my
problem with the transferportal.
Guys don't know how to fail.
They don't know how to failanymore.
That's where we're at with thetransfer portal.
Guys get knocked down on thedepth chart right To the second
(19:31):
string, whatever it is.
And you know what?
For a guy like Quincy Burroughs, I don't know if he was ever
going to see the field ofMadison.
Okay, that's fine.
Like it sucks.
It absolutely sucks, becauseyou're not teaching these guys
anything anymore.
I get it's a professionalleague now.
(19:51):
Guys are being paid NIL,everything like that.
I get all that and that hooplaand everything like that and the
transfer portal is meant for it, right, I get it, but I hate it
.
I absolutely hate it because,like Tom Izzo said, like all
these great coaches that havebeen in the past, what, what are
they?
What are we really coachinganymore?
We're just letting guys jumparound.
(20:11):
I just saw aj stores going toold miss now that's his school,
eighth school.
In eight years he went to fourhigh schools and four colleges.
That's ridiculous.
There has to be.
There has to be something thatprevents these guys from just
being able to.
Oh yeah, I'm going to join upwith the Badgers here.
Oh, at the end of spring I'mleaving, see ya?
(20:32):
Oh well, what's Luke Ficklesupposed to do now?
He's like I was just planningon this guy to be my starting
tight end.
Now it's like crap.
Okay, now I got to go back intothe portal and hope that I find
another guy.
I wasn't worried about it, butnow I have to worry about it
again.
It's ridiculous.
Like I don't know.
In your opinion and I talkedabout this a little bit in the
first segment of the show, butin your opinion, do contracts
(20:54):
need to be brought into this?
Because we are professional?
Now we're making money, right,we're making money.
Ask Nico.
Right, he wants four mil fromTennessee.
Like we're making money.
Now Do contracts have to beinvolved?
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Well, I mean, yeah, they do need to be more formal,
because there are contracts.
Cozio has a contract either withthe collective, the school or
both, just like the gentlemanwho departed from Miami.
It needs to be more formal.
There needs to be more guidance.
So I want to back up a littlebit because I feel I need to
(21:27):
properly define my generalfeeling on NIL and things like
that.
I am generally very pro player.
They have been absolutelyunequivocally taken advantage of
for a hundred years by bigmoney conferences and teams and
sponsors.
I love the fact that playersare getting a share of the.
(21:48):
I think that's great.
But you need to have somesemblance of order to it or
you're going to have this WildWest show where, for example,
xavier Lucas, there's literally,like the NCAA says you don't
even have to enter the portal,you can just go to Miami.
That became a new rule that day.
The NCAA just said, oh okay.
(22:10):
Meanwhile, the NCAA is spendingtens of thousands of dollars on
high-priced New York and Chicagolawyers to fight 904 Korean for
getting an extra year ofeligibility, when the guy missed
a full season almost and thenwas injured another season.
What are we doing here?
It's the willingness.
So there needs to be frankly,and we don't need to get into
(22:31):
politics here.
But a great thing Congresscould do right now is take some
of that energy and stop thepartisan bickering.
Get together, have a kumbayaand get a workable logical
landscape for college sports andNIL.
What a great accomplishment.
I mean.
It's such a huge thing forAmerica's soul and happiness is
(22:54):
having these college sports.
You go across the country onSaturday afternoons throughout
the fall and it's magical.
It's things you can't create.
It's almost like a fairytaleland and it makes people happy
and it's not giving the properamount of attention.
So that's kind of where I'mhigh level.
Now, getting back down to theBadgers and the things you're
(23:17):
saying, as far as contracts, Ithink Fickle has done everything
he can possibly do short ofthere being legislation and
rules in place.
You can hear the frustration inhis voice.
He's like we can't and it goeswith whether they're going to
cut the roster size andscholarship numbers, which of
course, is out there now.
He's like I have these guysthat brought in a scholarship.
I'm going to have to look inthe eye in a couple months and
(23:38):
say you're off scholarship now.
This is the worst time to be afootball coach in the history of
football.
So I have some sympathy andsome grace for Luke Fickle.
I think there are criticismsthat can be levied against him,
not the least of which hischoice in offensive coordinator,
which he would immediately tellyou was a horrible regret
picking Longo.
But I do have some sympathy forhim and the stuff he has to
(24:00):
deal with People saying Leonardand Chris, they would have been
fine.
Paul Chris would have taken ajump off a cliff having to deal
with anything to do with thisstuff.
He hated where the directionwas going.
That's why Wisconsin'srecruiting class was 67 heading
into halfway through his lastseason.
It was going the wrongdirection.
It's why we had a formerWisconsin center as a running
(24:21):
backs coach that was going tohell in a handbasket.
Leonard might have been fine,but Leonard was still learning
the ropes.
It would have been, I think, adisaster In terms of this thing
if it was just coaching.
Leonard would have been fine.
I love Leonard.
He gets his guys in there andcoaches, but dealing with the
NIL and all this BS stuff, itwould have been a disaster.
Pickle's the right guy for that.
He's got the mindset, he's gotthe CEO mindset, but he hasn't
(24:44):
been good enough on the coachingend and I think that's what
he's trying to remedy right now.
I love the Grimes hire.
I love the new harder edged,hard nose get back to the basics
attitude that we're having.
That should make Wisconsin fansreally happy.
So yeah, I mean I'm kind ofanswering six different ways.
Yes, you need a system, acoherent system in place for NIL
that makes sense, that makesthe playing field as even as it
(25:11):
can be.
When you have the CEO of Dykespending for one school and Dan
Katz giving some money forBarstool for another school,
these playing fields are notlevel, but let's make them as
level as we can be.
Mlb at least has some rules.
Even though the Yankees andBrewers are different
stratospheres, there's somerules where you can find success
at the lower, lower levels ofpayroll.
I'm going all over the place,man, but that's that's generally
(25:32):
where I am and and and you knowit's not, it's not.
I think I came in kind of hotagainst Hamper and Cozio.
It's not nothing against theseguys.
I want these guys to besuccessful and put some money in
their pockets.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
It's great.
They just want the right guysfor this program.
That's my vibe and and andhopefully they end up somewhere
where they're happy.
I, I, I love that take.
I love that take.
On there, I agree with you.
I thought nil was necessary.
I think the problem was theyopened up the floodgates and
they didn't just let the watertrickle first, they just said
screw it and just open it up andlet players have basically
control over the whole system.
There was no limits.
There was.
Why is the transfer portal openup?
Well, the season's still goingon.
(26:10):
That's my biggest question withthe basketball, because we're
having March Madness and thetransfer portal is open.
So guys are coaching theirplayers, trying to recruit
players, asking their players ifthey're going to stay.
It's ridiculous.
I just think, like you said,there's a contract but there's
not a contract.
There isn't something bindingthem.
There's supposed to besomething binding them right to
like the Xavier Lucas situationthat we know and we all love
(26:34):
that situation, right and still,who knows what the heck even
ended up happening there.
But I mean there has to besomething that says, hey, this
guy, this is how I feel theyneed, something that says this
guy is locked in for at leastthis year.
Right, when he sends that, hesigns that NIL deal, he's locked
(26:55):
in for the university for thisyear.
I understand it's supposed to beschool comes first, but that's
gone.
We know that like it is it is,now it's athletics come first.
We know that now, with theseguys, money comes first.
Nico we just saw that atTennessee doesn't care, right,
he doesn't care.
They were going to sit out ofthe playoffs.
There was multiple guys whowanted more money going into the
playoffs, otherwise they weregoing to sit out.
(27:16):
That's ridiculous.
There's no pride in schoolsanymore.
There's nothing.
So I agree with you.
I love what Luke Fickle's doing.
Get me the guys that want to behere, not the guys who are here
for money.
Get me the guys that want to bein Madison, who want to play
football, who want to play tough, hard-nosed football.
That's the guys I want.
(27:36):
I love that, because that'swhat I love about Greg Gardner.
He wants the guys who want toplay in Madison, not the AJ
Storrs.
I don't want none of that.
He said AJ, I loved you for ayear but, dude, see you later.
I'm not matching, I'm not doingany of this crap.
You want to be here.
You want to be here.
If you don't, you don't, I'llhelp you.
If you want help, that's it Outthe door.
(27:58):
That's what I love about GregGard.
You don't want to be here.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
See you later, like yeah, we're not gonna try too
hard for you that's well said,that's all well said.
And like, look, luke fickleprobably spends a half an hour
before he goes to bed everysingle night regretting that he
didn't do this two years ago,because I think it's who he is
and I don't know.
Look, a lot of us were superexcited about long ago I'm not
(28:24):
gonna pretend that there wasn'tlike it was tantalizing.
It's like you have a reallyreliable car that's worked a
long time, a minivan that'sgreat, or a Cherokee, and you
have this Maserati and it's like, hey, wisconsin is going to do
all this cool stuff.
So I understand the appeal ofit.
But Luke, in his heart ofhearts, and probably well beyond
his heart of hearts, wouldwould freely tell you that was a
(28:45):
terrible mistake and if youwould have gone with a grimes
type initially, I thinkwisconsin, there would have been
bumps and bruises there.
That's just the way it is withnew programs.
Because it's a very, I tell youI I did jack nelson podcast,
had jack nelson on our uh tacklethat just just left.
Wish we had a bachelor year, um, but he just goes.
(29:05):
It was just such a differentsystem, just different,
different, different.
But he, he said good thingsabout both of them and he said
what you just said aboutwisconsin.
Right now the vibe is we wantguys who want to be here, tough
guys.
Not the guys want the fancyfendi bag or something, not the
guys who it's not to say kidscan't get rich playing for
(29:26):
wisconsin, because some of themcan, but like they want the
tough, mean potatoes.
Guys who are going to go inthere and want to bleed badger
red and yeah, you need some fourstars in there.
Certainly you're never going tohave the same roster ohio state
does.
It's the reality of it.
Till the money equal out.
It's not going to equal out intime soon.
Uh, but he has a vision for theprogram now.
I think that that he kind ofhad maybe in the back of his
(29:47):
mind.
I think it's coming to fruitionnow with grimes in there and uh
, yeah, I'm, I'm uh.
Look you track.
You've seen the schedule.
You know, you know what's infront of this team this year.
It is depending on the, youknow the, the aggregator that
you look at, the source you lookat it is almost a consensus top
10 NCAA schedule.
(30:09):
The one I loved was the onethat was Wisconsin and nine SEC
teams.
Wisconsin was fourth in termsof the difficulty of schedule.
You don't like seeing Wisconsinand Alabama having the same
schedule and I know BarryAlvarez is looking at that
Alabama game down Tuscaloosagoing, you know, in 2019 or 2018
, whatever that was.
That seemed like such a greatidea.
And we're playing in the BigTen West and we would have
(30:29):
Purdue and Northwestern andMinnesota and Nebraska.
He wasn't thinking in 2025we're going to have, you know, a
road game against Michigan,ohio State, a road game against
Oregon, a road game against agood Indiana team, a really good
Mac team in Miami coming in aroad game.
It's going to be a terrible.
So this is going to be adaunting schedule that might
(30:50):
make things seem worse than theyactually are, but I feel very
confident that Fickle is goingto put a product on the field
this year that is going to feelcompetitive.
I'm not sure what that wintotal is going to look like, but
it's going to be.
It's.
Possibly you could have a fourwin team in 2025 that looks and
feels and performs significantlybetter than the five win team
(31:12):
last year and the seven win teamfrom 2023 is that fair?
Speaker 2 (31:17):
yes, that is exactly what I have said.
I have said if luke this is mybiggest problem with luke fickle
, and this is when I watch thesegames, when I watch them get
blown out, it looks terrible,like it doesn't look like
football, it doesn't look likeWisconsin football, it looks
absolutely ugly.
I don't even want to watch thegame.
It doesn't have the room.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
It didn't have the room last year against Minnesota
, nebraska Didn't have the room,iowa didn't have the room.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
I agree, I agree 100% , and that's where I look at
this season.
I say I asked people, I saidhow do you measure the success
of the Badgers this season?
Because you can't go wins andlosses like that, that is.
That's hard to do, wins andlosses.
I said it's about the productand what it looks like when it
goes out If you play competitivegames.
But the thing with it is yougot to get your one signature
(32:01):
win.
That is what Luke Fickle hasmissed every single year.
Is that signature win?
Where are you at when it comesto the Big Ten?
Because the Big Ten's tiersright.
You got Oregon, ohio State, youknow those teams are up at the
top.
Where does Wisconsin fit in?
That's what I think we need tofind out.
Like, are they there with Iowayet?
Because after last season, Ican't say we're there After
(32:22):
Minnesota, say we're there afterMinnesota, I we're, we're ahead
of Minnesota, I hope.
Right, I don't like PJ flack,but I mean where do the Badgers
fit in?
That's what I want to find out.
Are we on the tier with thoseteams that were supposed to like
we beat the teams we'resupposed to be?
Where are we in a tier now?
Are we right above them?
Are we with Iowa?
(32:42):
Are we with Minnesota?
Where did the Badgers fit in?
That's what I want to find outthis year.
It's like can Luke Fickle beatthe teams he's supposed to beat
and beat the teams that areright there with him?
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Yeah, that's.
I mean, I think that's a goodbaseline and the reality is it's
tricky in the sense of, likethe head-to-head stuff is there,
but the stuff with you know whoends up with the best record,
minnesota is preposterously easy.
They do have some tough games.
I think they'll play Ohio State, I think they'll start this,
but it's easy.
Nebraska's schedule is easy.
Iowa's schedule is easy.
I don't mean easy like ours isgoing to be easier in 26 because
(33:11):
it is easier.
It's easy like the kind of oneswe had in 2019, 2018.
I mean, I'm sorry.
I mean I love those teams, Ilove those guys.
I'm a big Paul Chris fan, buthe had such easy schedules
compared to now.
And Fickle makes reference.
He goes this isn't the Big Tenyou're used to, this is the new
Big Ten, and she's like we can'twhine about it.
(33:32):
It's the reality.
But Wisconsin, this is their 24and 25 where they're bad,
they're tough ones, and then itgoes back to being a little bit
better next year.
Fickle needs to.
Getting back to your question,it's the eye test, you know it
when you see it.
Yep, 100%, and so two levels.
You said we need a signaturewin.
I think that's true.
(33:52):
But more important than asignature win is you've got to
win at least two or three withIowa, illinois and Minnesota.
You've got to win two of thosegames at least, and if you win
all three, I don't want to sayit's house money, but if you win
those three games I thinkthings are going to be okay.
Yeah, with the rest of yourseason.
That's going to be strongly, astrong indication, because those
(34:15):
three schools you can make anargument at the end of last
season this includes minnesota,which we are a superior program
in quotes than minnesota.
They were a better team than usand if you watch those teams
play at the end of last seasonthe Camp Randall you had no
question which was the better.
Like that wasn't an upset.
Minnesota was better than us atthat moment.
Minnesota, there's that heart.
Pj was coaching well, it was acomplete debacle.
(34:38):
So that you know I don't want togive Fickle too free a pass.
I think he's a talented coachwho's had a bad run of it, but
that still happened under hiswatch.
I know there was no offensivecoordinator in that game and
there's all, but that's, that'sthe bet.
He's laying it man.
So and you know he's not thekind of guy to to run from stuff
.
He's owned that behind thescenes, in front of the scenes.
He owns it and he's trying toget better and he he has a
(35:02):
people always say chicken ridewith fickle at at cincinnati.
Was it his assistants or was ithim?
Because you look at what hisassistants are doing, you got
the best offensive coordinatorin possibly college football up
at notre dame right now was hisoffensive coordinator.
But then like fickle, likefound and groomed that guy.
That's a fickle guy.
So it's not.
You can't say you look fickle,nothing to do with that, it's a.
(35:24):
So we need to have that samelevel of success with these
assistants he has right now inMadison.
We need to you know Devin.
To you know, get that, keepthat running back room cranking.
We need Blazek to you know,keep moving along in a very
about losing our left tackle forthe year.
But what a people were sayingare you feeling bummed about the
(35:44):
portal?
No, I don't feel bummed at allabout the portal at all.
I felt horrified losing KevinHaywood.
That was a much moresignificant piece of news for
the Wisconsin Badgers than allthree of these guys combined,
and it's not even close yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
No, I would agree.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
I mean it's hard to replace offensive linemen,
that's for sure.
But the Badgers are going totry.
They got guys in the room.
We're going to see how it worksout.
Right, untest it.
You know.
I looked at Barrett Nelson'sstuff at Vanderbilt.
He's got a couple of SECacademic, all first teams.
That's his calling card rightnow.
So I don't know, man.
I mean you know that's not notto shake it, you know not to
(36:36):
make fun of good academics.
And Vanderbilt's, of course, awonderful school.
But it's remains to be seen andif you listen to the camp
reports, there's a pretty bigdrop off between the first team
and second team on thatoffensive line this spring.
So we shall see, my friend.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
I can't wait to find out there.
But scary, hey, I got to run.
We are woefully late for abreak, holy crap.
We are way late for a breakhere.
But scary, make sure leteverybody know where to find you
out there, because you've gotgreat stuff across social media.
Let them know where to find you.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
Yeah, you know.
Look, I got a podcast.
Oh, look, it's right there inmy face.
It's called the Scary AlbrowsPodcast.
It's a fun one.
It's on the YouTubes.
You got to tune in there.
Also, I upload the longer oneswith guests to Spotify for those
of y'all who like to listen inyour car.
And you know, I'm on TwitterX,whatever the hell y'all call it
(37:23):
nowadays the kids are calling it, but it's that thing where
people complain a bitch abouteverything.
But yeah, man, it's a reallyappreciate you having me on and
I'm, I'm, you know, happy tojump on and share my opinions.
But I, despite the sad day withthe portal stuff and the stuff
with Haywood, I like the vibesin that room right now for this
football team.
I'll leave it at that.
The vibes in that room rightnow for this football team.
I'll leave it at that.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
I love to hear it.
I love to hear it there.
We're going to have to have youback here pretty soon, scary.
We're going to have to talkmore Badgers here because we got
Badger football.
The transfer portal is justopening up, right, so we got to
talk Badger football transferportal.
We got Badger basketball allkinds of stuff we can talk about
there.
So welcome back into wisconsinsports.
(38:14):
On the go with trade.
I'm your host, trade.
I hope you guys really enjoyedthat.
Last segment.
There was scary.
That was awesome having them onthere.
Make sure you guys are checkingthem across social media there.
We'll definitely have them backhere to talk badgers at some
point in the near future there,because that was awesome.
That was us right.
A little bit longer therebefore the commercial break
there.
So that was awesome, though wegot a lot covered in a short
(38:34):
amount of time there.
But hey, we got to flip to thecommercial break there.
So that was awesome, though.
We got a lot covered in a shortamount of time there, but hey,
we got to flip to anothercommercial break here just
because you know you got to meetthe quota right, so we got to
hit another commercial breakhere.
We're going to come back.
Kyle's going to join me.
We're going to talk bucks,because bucks Pacers coming up
here in a this next weekend weit's right around the corner.
We got playoff basketball andthe NBA.
We want to get to that.
(38:55):
We're going to talk NBA.
We're going to talk Bucs.
We're going to talk about itall.
Kyle's going to be joining us.
We'll be right back here onWisconsin Sports on the Go with
Trach.
After this quick message fromour sponsors, welcome back into
Wisconsin Sports on the Go withTrach.
I'm your host, trach.
We're coming back.
It is april 16th, a fantasticapril 16th, and this next
(39:17):
segment of the show is sponsoredby a great sponsor of ours
marshfield motor speedway, thehalf mile paved track just three
miles west of marshfield oncounty road h.
Find upcoming events and racesat marshfieldspeedwaycom that is
, marshfieldspeedwaycom there.
So I got kyle with me tonighthere from chomping at the Bit
podcast over there.
Kyle, how are we doing on thisWednesday?
Speaker 4 (39:40):
I'm good.
You know it's playoffbasketball time.
I love this time of the yearand I'm excited to talk about it
once again with you.
So yeah can't complain at all.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
I'm stoked, we're just stoked.
Playoff basketball is rightaround the corner here in the
NBA, so we cannot wait.
We cannot wait here, but beforewe get there, before we get
there, like you guys, Imentioned earlier in the show
there, aaron, he's had prior, ornot prior, but other
obligations, right.
So he's had to step away fromthe show here for the
(40:16):
foreseeable future.
But hey, we still got to do theMellow Yellow Minute, so Kyle
will be a part of the MellowYellow Minute tonight here.
I've heard this stupid thing,Kyle, it drives me nuts.
It drives me nuts.
Scientists have brought backthe dire wolf.
It's like a three-foot-tall dogthat I mean.
It's bigger than a wolf.
Let's go with that.
It's bigger than the biggestwolf.
I don't know why we need Ifanybody has watched the Game of
(40:37):
Thrones, which I made it throughlike two episodes, I make it to
, I try to watch it, I really do.
I sit down and I'm like I'mgoing to watch Game of Thrones
and I did get through twoepisodes and that's as far as I
can make it.
But anyways, the dire wolf isin game of thrones.
So they bring back this direwolf and I don't know why.
It seems like this is not going.
(40:59):
What is the benefit that's?
I always want to figure outwhat the benefit is.
What's the benefit of bringingback a three foot tall wolf like
I?
We need more predators in thewild.
I, I have no idea what.
What is the best that I know?
We bring it back.
So I'm going to ask Kyle heretonight Kyle, what animal, what
animals let's go top three wouldTrage bring back if he could?
Speaker 4 (41:26):
Look, I'm going to throw out one.
Yeah, I'm going to throw outthis.
Guess I'm going to go theTasmanian tiger.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
That's a bold.
That is a bold take.
That would be awesome.
Yeah, without this, guess I'mgoing to go with the Tasmanian
Tiger.
That's a bold.
That is a bold take.
That would be awesome.
I would take.
I'm going to go.
Yeah, I'd bring the TasmanianTiger back.
I'd bring him back.
I like that one.
I'd bring him back there.
We'll say number three, thatwould be my top, that would be
the third.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
I'd go with.
Third, I feel like another oneis one that most people kind of
think of, because the name iskind of fun to say it's got to
be the Dodo.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Oh, that's number one .
Oh, my God, I was talking to mygrandma, I was talking to my
cousin about this.
I'm like why do you bring backa dire wolf?
Bring back something funny likethe Dodo bird.
Yeah, it has no point.
No point to the Dodo bird.
It just waddles around, it justmakes a lot of noise.
It made me laugh in the movieup.
(42:20):
What else do you want, likethat, a dodo bird, that's what
we need.
I, I'm all for the dodo bird.
Number one, number one on thelist.
You want to bring somethingback?
Bring back the dodo bird next.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
Guess I could go a couple of ways with this, but I
think for like sheer shock value, the woolly mammoth, because
you imagine one of those walkingaround how people would freak
out, so I'd go with that I'dtake the woolly mammoth.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
I would.
I've heard scientists told methat it would benefit global
warming.
I don't know what that means.
It would like they stomp icedown.
I don't know.
People tell me they stomp icedown.
I don't know.
People tell me things and I'mlike why don't we just send
people up there with jackhammersthen I have no idea.
I feel like it'd be the same,it'd be a tradeoff.
Why do we need a wall mammothwhen we have jackhammers?
I don't know.
All I know is I've watchedJurassic Park.
(43:08):
There has to be bring back,because there's a reason why
they make movies like that, sowe don't make dinosaurs, that's.
That's the darn truth.
Because, guess what, it didn'tgo well.
They made a movie about it andas much as they put a cage
around a t-rex, it always endedup finding its way out.
That's all I know.
So we need to avoid that at allcosts.
So there you go, mel yellowminute there from with kyle,
(43:31):
with kyle tonight here.
That was fantastic, there, kyle.
So I want to get over to theBucs.
Let's talk a little Bucs.
Let's talk a little NBA.
We're going to carry this on.
I mean, we're nearing the topof the show here, but we might
carry this over into the secondhour of the show there.
Make sure you guys know, like Ialways tell you guys, goodness
gracious, we're on for two hoursnow, maybe drive around the
block one more time, I don'tknow Just stay in your car.
(43:52):
That's what you got to do.
You got to check out the secondout of the show here.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
So Kyle.
Speaker 2 (44:03):
I saw this question and I had to ask it.
Bootholzer got fired down inPhoenix.
Doc's kind of like Buck fansdon't really want Doc anymore.
They're kind of like let's getrid of Doc.
I don't know how Giannis feelswe actually Buck fans don't
really want Doc anymore.
They're kind of like let's getrid of Doc.
I don't know how Giannis feelsthe only reason why Doc's still
there is because Giannis stillwants him.
But if you're the Bucks, do youflirt with the idea of we
(44:27):
haven't really been the samesince Budenholzer left?
Do you flirt with the idea ofmaybe a reunion with Budenholzer
?
Letting Doc walk out the door,go on his way.
You've had your day.
It hasn't been well.
I mean, what part of this Bucstenureship for Doc Rivers has
been good?
I don't know.
Somebody tell me that.
So I mean, what do you think?
(44:48):
Do you flirt with the idea ofBudenholzer coming back?
I don't know.
I feel like it's a love-haterelationship at this point.
Speaker 3 (44:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Can you right, I think the players still, I think
you still like the players,like we saw Giannis and him kind
of chatting it up on thesideline.
Giannis made sure to go say hiand everything like that.
But in your opinion, do youbring Boone Holzer back or do
you just kind of let that onewalk?
Speaker 4 (45:10):
away.
I think the Bucs let that onewalk away, because when I look
at Budenhoser, I look at Doc, Ifeel like they're kind of
similar in the fact that whenpeople look at Doc's coaching
record, your first thought isman, that Celtics championship
he led them to in 08 was a longtime ago and it's like he's
(45:33):
dragged every bit of juice outof that.
I think with Budenhoser, whenyou look at it, it's like you
know, in Atlanta he had a 60-winteam but then they quickly went
off the cliff after.
That led to him being relieved.
Then he's with the Bucs andthey up and win a title with him
(45:54):
.
But it seemed like it was kindof going downhill from there.
So it's either Boone Holzerneeds a certain type of team or
whatever.
I don't think you go back toBoone Holzer because I think
you're almost getting more ofthe same that you have with Doc.
I think the Bucs kind of haveto like swing for the fences,
like you have some big names outthere, mike Malone's out there,
(46:15):
I mean I don't know.
I mean I guess the questionwould be Mike Malone and Giannis
, would they mesh?
Well, I think for Giannis hejust wants somebody who's going
to get this team back to winning.
That's Giannis' drive.
Amongst all this, he won one,he wants another one.
So I would pass on budenhoserand maybe try for, like a mike
(46:38):
malone or, you know, taylorjenkins, like somebody who would
bring something different.
I think budenhoser is justextending out what you had with
doc and what you had withbudenhoser before I like mike
malone I.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
I think he demands a hard-working group and I think
that's what kind of led to hisdemise, which which he, they
just the players didn't feel.
They're like oh, you're beingtoo tough, right, and that's
where I think a lot of thesecoaches kind of run into a wall
nowadays.
Yeah, it seems like a guy likeyou said, he just wants to win
and he wants to work hard to getthere and I think that move, I
(47:12):
just can you handle.
Another Adrian Griffin, move,right.
They get Adrian Griffin.
He does well, but they don'tlike him.
So then they move on from him.
They bring in a guy like Dochalfway through, right, you have
a winning record, you move onfrom him.
You haven't had that same kindof record since then.
So what was the problem?
I think the Bucs need to comeback to what's the problem,
what's the real problem?
(47:33):
Don't keep looking at coachesand saying that head coaches are
our problem.
Let's find the root of theproblem.
Maybe, just maybe, I don't know, maybe I'm just talking crazy,
maybe I'm talking crazy for asecond here, kyle, but I think
there's a deeper, rooted problem.
Then let's just keep kickingthe head coaches out the door,
because if adrian griffin had avery good record and then when
he left it went sideways, what'sthe problem?
(47:55):
I don't know.
It might be a common theme ofyou.
Let one guy make all thedecisions for this basketball
team and maybe he might have thebest interest in mind, but at
the same time, sometimes what hewants is not the best.
Just a thought.
Just a thought.
I don't know if it's a greatthought, I don't know if you
(48:22):
want to take off yannis in theprocess, but just a thought in
my opinion there.
So, kyle, we saw thataltercation between malik
beasley and yannis over theweekend and I guess I just want
to get your take on it from theoutside perspective.
You know, looking at it, wasyannis out of line?
Was beasley out of line?
Was anybody really out of line?
Because we saw it after, youknow, after the game there,
beasley took to Twitter and thenthe next day they were buddy,
buddy, fine again.
(48:42):
Was it just an overreaction orare guys kind of they reach a
peak with Giannis's goofiness?
And because we've seen it withJalen Brown too, right, I mean,
you saw with your Celtics therewith Brown, he didn't really
take really kindly to Giannis.
He's a goof, right.
Is that a problem?
Is that becoming a problemaround the league in your eyes?
Speaker 4 (49:03):
No, I don't think so.
I feel like people kind of knowhow to deal with Giannis and
what aspect of him you kind oftake seriously as opposed to
what you don't.
I think that you know, he andbeasley I feel like that was
this, that was like a no, it wasa non-factor, I don't.
I feel like it was probably abit of an overreaction, but it's
(49:28):
kind of seems like it'ssomething that yannis does where
he likes to be a troll at times.
So he has this part of himwhere he will try to kind of get
under people's skin and itusually just annoys them because
we saw it.
I mean, you brought jalen brown.
He also had with, uh, alhorford, you know.
(49:49):
So I think it's just part ofwho he is.
I feel like it doesn't become aproblem if he tries to be
somebody that he isn't.
And I think around the leaguehe's probably well-respected for
his work ethic and his ability,the uniqueness of his skill set
.
But I do think little thingslike this are, you know, because
(50:11):
of regular occurrence, that issomething that can kind of hurt
your stance around the league.
And, look, it may get to thepoint where some players may be
like, yeah, I wouldn't play inMilwaukee because of Giannis's I
don't know if you want to callit childish or whatever part of
them so I think that's whatmakes it interesting to see the
(50:33):
next coming years.
If we start seeing free agentsnot wanting to go there, in the
back of your mind you might haveto wonder does Giannis put
people off?
So I think he and Beasley is anon-factor right now, but now it
is something you might have tothink about going forward.
Speaker 2 (50:54):
I think it's just kind of crazy because it's just
fun, right.
It'd be different if he wastrash talking.
He's not really trash Like,he's not doing it.
These guys have got to knowhe's not doing it to trash talk
you.
He's just doing it to have goodfun, because why not have fun
playing the game you love?
That's the way he wants to playit and I, just like you said
and guys take exception, guysget a little, you know,
(51:14):
irritated by it.
They're maybe not having a goodday.
It comes all back and you justhope that it doesn't drive guys
away because they're like theleader of that team is kind of a
child and it's like, ah well,you know it's a good time though
.
So hopefully, hopefully, theythink business and not childish.
I don't know At the end of theday there, but I don't know at
(51:39):
the end of the day there.
But I completely agree with youthat it was an overreaction, I
would say on both sides of it.
There.
Speaker 1 (51:40):
Giannis didn't really care, like he kind of just
moved on from Beasley, freakedout on Twitter and then the next
day was like oh you know, we'regood, right, gave a hug
everything, dame and him, we'reall good so I mean we're glad to
see it, glad to see it there.
Speaker 2 (51:48):
Um, so I was looking at and just before we got to get
to the break here pretty soonand then we'll talk a little bit
more on the back side of thatbreak there but looking at the
bucks and this hot streak thatthey've been on right going into
the playoffs here, they hadwhat an eight game win streak
heading into the playoffs end ofthe season.
Two straight wins against thepistons.
There they had a huge, a hugewin against the timberwolves.
(52:09):
I don't think there's enoughpeople talking about that game
against the timberwolves wherethey had a 24 point run there.
They 39 to 8 in the last 10minutes was the margin there.
I mean that's nuts, somethingyou don't hear about in the nba
too often.
39 to 8, that run that they puton at one point.
It was what a 23 to 0 run orsomething like that that they
(52:30):
put together.
That's crazy.
That's crazy.
That's great defense, that'sgreat on the box all the way
around.
You did it without damn.
I mean I'm looking at this lastlittle run they put together
that eight game win streakwithout damn.
That's the big thing.
That's the key ticker that Iwant to put into this.
How much stock, in your opinion, do you put into that eight
game win streak?
Because for me I'm looking atI'm like it speaks volumes me
(52:53):
because you're going into theplayoffs hot, but you prove to
me that you can win without game.
You can beat some competitiveteams right, the timber wolves,
the pistons, twice right, youbeat some competitive teams.
The second game against thepistons didn't really matter
because nobody was reallyplaying, but the game before
that, yes, you're still playingfor seating, everything like
that.
So I mean you beat some goodteams along the way, you beat
(53:14):
some teams that were, and, butyou also, in those games, saw
some of these guards take a step, right porter take a step,
rollins take a step.
So, in your opinion, how big,or how you know, impactful, are
these last eight games for thebucks heading into the playoffs
around that eight game winstreak?
Speaker 4 (53:32):
yeah, look, you definitely want to go in with
some momentum on your side, getsome good play on tape before
you get into the second seasonand I think with this team,
especially because we know Damewon't be available at least
early on in the playoffs.
It gives Doc and the evaluatorson the team a chance to see,
(53:54):
you know, who could fill thoseday minutes in a playoff
situation going forward.
Because regular season is onething.
The playoffs are a completelydifferent animal.
Where you're dealing with, youknow, hostile environments.
When you're on the road, you'reat home, raucous crowds that
are expecting you to play acertain way.
That can be overwhelming tocertain players.
(54:17):
So you know you, you might gainsome confidence in in some of
these guys with their playduring this stretch that you
know.
You put them on the court inthe postseason.
Maybe they play a little bitbetter, their intensity is a
little bit higher, theirawareness is a little bit.
You know more.
There is a little bit moreaware as to the situation on the
(54:39):
court.
So, yeah, going into theplayoffs on a hot streak is
nothing to necessarily look past, because good play and momentum
can carry you through a firstround series against an opponent
where you might be evenlymatched and you're looking for
just that little bit of an edgethat could lead you into a
(54:59):
series win.
So, yeah, there's definitelynothing bad about going into the
playoffs on a hot streak.
Speaker 2 (55:05):
Love that, and you hit a key point in there talking
about some of the guardsgetting some very good minutes
there over that eight-gamestretch.
So I want to talk more aboutthat when we come back here.
We got kyle.
He's gonna be back here at thetop side of the hour.
Here we're gonna talk morebucks.
We're gonna talk nba playoffs.
Can't wait to talk about it.
We'll be back here after thisquick commercial break.
(55:26):
Welcome back into wisconsinsports on the go with trade.
I'm your host, trade.
We're coming back.
It's hour two of wisconsinSports on the go with Trage.
We got Kyle here tonight.
We're already talking Bucs.
We were talking Bucs rightbefore there.
So if you missed any of the show, make sure you go back.
Listen.
Itunes, spotify, wherever youget your podcasts, youtube,
wherever you get your podcasts.
You can find the show there.
(55:47):
You've just got to searchWisconsin Sports on the go with
Trage.
You can find us there.
Like, subscribe, follow.
We love you.
If you do it there, that'd beawesome there.
You can also find us acrosssocial media.
You can find us anywhere fromFacebook, twitter, tiktok,
youtube, twitch.
You can find us on Twitter,twitch and TikTok.
Just search Wisco Sports on thego.
You can find us on Facebook andYouTube.
Just search Wisco Sports on thego with trades.
That's Wisco Sports on the gowith trades.
(56:08):
You want to text us?
Let us know what you'rethinking?
Hit us up there 715-990-4914.
That is 715-990-4914 there.
So we went to the break.
We were talking about thateight-game win streak.
The Bucs were on heading intothe playoffs there and Kyle
brought up a great point there,talking about the guards, right,
(56:30):
and you know Porter has been Idon't know what happened, right,
and you know porter has been.
I I don't know what happened,but he meshed and what he has
been able to bring to this bucksteam.
I I didn't expect it to behonest with you, but he has been
fantastic as of late here forthe bucks, and I mean rollins
has been good too, don't getwrong.
Ryan rollins has been good too,but porter has been fantastic.
(56:52):
And I love what you stated therewhen you said getting these
guys valuable minutes headinginto the playoff series, not
just.
You know, scrap time behinddame, whatever it is.
No, no, dame was out.
So now we know, hey, this isthe roster we got, like this is
what we got.
Bobby came back and they knewthat this is what we got and I I
love that and I love that pointthat you brought up there, so I
(57:14):
can't wait to see it there,there, and that's the big thing.
Right, no Dame, to start theplayoffs.
Do we believe that these otherguards can fill that role
somehow, some way?
Do you think it's going to be acollective effort that they
have to go with to fill thatrole, or is it going to be?
Do you see one guy that cankind of stand out?
For the rest, what are youseeing right now, kyle, from
(57:36):
this bucks roster, where theseguards are going to have to fill
a pretty big void?
Speaker 4 (57:42):
yeah, well, look, the .
The keys to them is going to bedon't think you have to be dame
willard, like whether it'srollins or Porter Jr.
It's like be the best versionof yourself, but understand that
when it's the playoffs, eachpossession takes on a different
life.
You know the runs andeverything like that are things
(58:05):
you have to manage.
So if you're going to throwPorter or Rollins out there, the
confidence has to be not onlywithin Doc but the player that
they deserve.
Those minutes and confidencealone can take you far.
So what they have to do is lookthey, they got a play off of
Giannis.
Giannis becomes a bigger focalpoint.
(58:26):
So if Giannis kicks it out toyou, confidently take your shot,
no hesitation, because that allthat does is then put a seed of
doubt in Giannis or whoever theplayer is in that if I dribble,
drive and I kick it out to you,if you're not going to be ready
now, we have to reset and itjust puts more of a burden on
(58:48):
everybody.
So if those guys can go outthere and play free and easy,
they'll probably be better off.
It's if they feel like theyneed to be dame willard, that's
where the the issues may start.
So, yeah, you got to do it bycommittee.
You know one guy's got it going, you leave them out there
extended minutes of not puttingthe other guy.
Just kind of manage it that wayand piece your way through
(59:11):
these games right now until damecan't come back.
Speaker 2 (59:15):
I love that.
Don't be more than what you areright.
Do what you got you here right.
Kevin Porter has been fantastic, filling in the role and just
utilizing him alongside Giannis,not trying to be too much, just
trying to be himself, using himoff of ball screens, whatever
it is, cutting to the basket,he's been fantastic.
Rollins has been fantastic,passing the basketball along
with that.
So I mean, yes, I completelyagree with you.
(59:40):
It's like don't be what you'renot.
Don't try to be Dame, don't tryto fill that void, don't try to
play hero ball, just be theplayer that got you to this
point.
So I completely agree there.
Uh, jericho Sims also.
Doc did say that Jericho Simswill be ready for the playoffs.
So that's huge right, gettingathletic big back for the
playoffs behind Brooke Lopezthere you already have Bobby
right, but you want to getJericho Sims back in LDC?
Love to see that.
I'm looking at this Bucs teamand I'm going to ask you, kyle,
(01:00:02):
what role player or playersright in your eyes have to come
up big for the Bucs in theplayoffs If they want to not
just get past the Pacers, butmaybe even have a chance to.
You know, once they get pastthe Pacers get into a playoff
series and play well rightthey're looking at right now
where would they go?
They got the Pacers and thenprobably the Cavs right, so it's
(01:00:22):
going to be a tough series.
What role player if not morerole players need to step up big
time for the Bucs to not justbeat the Pacers but to try and
put on a playoff run.
Speaker 4 (01:00:34):
I mean, look, the safe answer would be you need
all of them because you don'thave Dame and, to a further
extent, this is a run where youdon't have Chris Middleton to
rely on as well.
So the spotlight will be onKuzma.
That's the guy you went out andgot for Middleton for a reason.
That's the guy who was supposedto bring in like an infusion of
(01:00:58):
youth.
So you know he struggledagainst against indiana during
the regular season, averaginglike nine points.
He can't be a nine point pergame guy in the seven game set.
He has to turn his game up to alevel that kind of justifies
the trade, because if heno-shows this, fans will just
(01:01:21):
look at it and say we could havekept Middleton.
If this is what we're going toget from Kuzma and for Kuzma, he
can't put pressure on himself.
That's going to be the key,because Kuzma's been kind of
outside of the playoff picturefor a few years, being in
Washington or whatever.
He can't try to put too much onhimself as well.
Now his expectations and hisresponsibility that is raised at
(01:01:45):
a point because without Dame,he's now your number two option
and he's gonna have to play likethat, like's going to have to
be able to take advantage ofmismatches that present
themselves against a Pacers teamthat defensively can kind of go
through some ebbs and flowswith it.
(01:02:06):
And if he can do that then yeah, that gives the Bucs a better
shot at it.
So I'm going to say Kuzma hasto be that role player to step
up because of the trade andeverything he's.
The kuzma has to be that roleplayer to step up because he's
because of the trade andeverything he's, the guy's gonna
be looked at to fill thatvacancy from lillard the most
okay, I love that, I love that.
Speaker 2 (01:02:24):
There, I, I would go along the same route if kuzma,
if kuzma doesn't take that stepforward to be that guy yeah, I
mean, you're relying on whatbrooke lopez, bobby portis at
that point there maybe a guy I,I, you could almost say you need
a guy like porter or rollins,one of those two to take a step
forward, maybe one night, andthen the other guy takes that
(01:02:46):
for the next night.
Like you need a.
You know guys to show up, yeah,but kuzma's got to be a
mainstay.
You gotta have stars that youknow what they're going to give
you.
If maybe not 40, right, butthey're going to give you 20,
you gotta have guys like that inthat rotation.
And I completely agree, I thinkkuzma is definitely going to be
(01:03:06):
one of those guys for the bucksthere.
So if the bucks fail, let'sokay.
I don't know if I want to get tothe fail part first there, what
, but I guess this is where alot of Bucs fans are worried
about.
So I want to maybe put theirminds at ease, right, maybe
you'll put their minds at ease,maybe you'll freak them out even
more going into this playoffseries.
But if the Bucs fail to advancein the playoffs?
(01:03:28):
Are you worried about Giannis?
Because I've seen a lot of ofpeople talking like we saw what
was it?
Marcus?
I think it was marcus morriswho is on espn now, whatever he
does, and he was talking aboutyannis to the heat.
Now I'm like shut it.
Now he's not going to the heat.
But I mean, are you worriedabout yannis?
If you're a bucks fan, if thebucks fail once again to move on
to the playoffs, get deep intothe playoffs.
(01:03:48):
Are you worried about yannisand his future with the
milwaukee bucks?
Do you think he's going to tryand ask out?
Speaker 4 (01:03:55):
I think you have to Only because, since they won the
title, like every offseasonthat they haven't won a title,
those rumors have been there,whether it's reading between the
lines of stuff that Giannissays on a podcast or in an
interview, or the fear of asmaller market with a big name
(01:04:18):
in that.
What if we don't win four orfive years in a row?
And in Giannis' mind he thinkshe's done all he can in
Milwaukee.
How does Milwaukee combat that?
So if they come up short andyou know if it's a first-round
exit, then yeah, you might haveto hit the panic button because
(01:04:40):
you just don't know what Giannisis thinking.
Because, as we said earlier,giannis wants to win, so Giannis
doesn't want to.
You don't want Giannis to wakeup one morning and say I'm in
Milwaukee, we won one a coupleof years ago, but I don't think
we could win another one, so whywould I stay around?
Speaker 2 (01:04:58):
so, yeah, I think you you do have to worry about it,
okay okay, well, did not put thebucks uh fans minds at ease,
but that's okay here.
So we got the bucks and thepacers right.
Coming up here on saturdayit'll be the kickoff to the NBA
playoffs.
Coming up on Saturday there,the 19th game won at 12 o'clock
(01:05:20):
there.
Pacers coming in 50 and 32,bucs 48 and 34.
Not much to really talk aboutrecord-wise, because records get
tossed out the window when wehit the playoffs.
So right now, looking at thehead-to-head right, the Bucs
they won the first matchup ofthere.
They, yeah, they won the firstmatch of the year, won the
second matchup, lost the thirdmatchup, won the fourth matchup
for the year there.
So they've been, they fared, uh, fairly well, I guess you could
(01:05:43):
say, against the pacers thisseason, but the pace they're
still coming in with the betteroverall record on the season,
kyle, I mean, we're looking atthis matchup here.
What are some your thoughts?
What are some of your thoughts?
Heading into this matchup forthe Bucs, what do they got to do
against this Pacers team to getthe win, to pull it out?
Game one's important, rightGame one's important, especially
(01:06:04):
because it's on the road.
Stealing one on the road andsetting the tone early in the
playoffs.
That would be massive.
What's some keys you got forthe Bucs here heading into this
playoff series?
Speaker 4 (01:06:14):
So I think for the Bucs, when you look at these two
teams, the Pacers want to playfast because you know, you look
at their talent, they haveHalliburton, who I think
Halliburton is his mosteffective when you're running a
gun in you can get his assistsand everything like that.
You know the trail three.
He can get his assists andeverything like that.
You know the trail three.
(01:06:37):
So if I'm docking, I'm lookingat this, I need my bigs to stay
attached to Turner and Toppin.
Both those guys shoot over 35%from three.
I think between the two of themthey average like 10 threes a
game and I think they shoot like40% between the two of them.
So when you're getting intopick and roll action with hal
(01:06:58):
burton, it's normally going tobe toppin or turner, and that's
where portis lopez, even sims.
These guys have to be awarethat if they are late in their
rotation or the communication isnot there, toppin and turner
are capable three-point shooters.
So so that's my first one.
The second team we kind oftouched on without Dame who
(01:07:20):
steps their game up, and I thinkwe went over the cast of
characters.
Kuzma has to, porter Jr needsto.
I mean Portis, you know, cameback not that long ago.
You're not going to ask him todo more.
Brooke Lopez has to be more ofa presence as well, and it
doesn't need to be the same guy.
Like each game can be different, like you can look at it and be
(01:07:41):
like game one was the kuzmagame, game two was the porter
game.
You just need somebody to stepup and not look at it as yannis
has to go for like 50 every gamebecause that's asking a lot.
So you need somebody to step upthere.
Then Doc because of thelandscape of the coaching scene
(01:08:03):
in the NBA, doc has to feelpressure and then with that will
he kind of go down swinging onold habits, because the book on
Doc is he's not really one foradjustments.
He has his game plan and he'sjust going to stick to it.
I think in a series like this,especially if you are able to
(01:08:25):
steal a game on the road againstthe Pacers, I would want to see
what does Doc do in thatsituation, because once again,
no, dame, rotations can't be setLike a Torian Prince.
I hammer on him a lot, but ifhe doesn't have it, doc needs to
have a quick hook and getsomebody else in there.
(01:08:47):
You can't run Prince out 30minutes a game to score two,
four, six points.
I think in a series like thisyou're kind of being
counterproductive.
So I want to see if Doc's goingto be slow to adjustments or
will he be on it knowing thathe's kind of coaching for his
life with the Bucs right now?
(01:09:07):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (01:09:09):
I like that.
That's some of the best keys hecould have came up with there.
Who's going to step up?
Well, it's got to be theplayers, plus Doc Doc.
Some of the best keys he couldhave came up with there.
Who's going to step up?
And well, it's got to be theplayers, plus doc.
Doc has got to be better if thebucks want to move on in this
one kyle.
Gut feeling, gut feeling.
I know we're going to talk nextweek about the bucks because
the playoff series will still begoing on, but gut feeling.
Game one what do you got buckspacers?
What do you got in that one?
They're coming up 12 o'clock.
Speaker 4 (01:09:29):
They're on espn so I think for the home teams, game
one is the road team's best shot.
So if the Bucs are going tosteal one in Indy, game one is
their opportunity.
And with it being a bit of anearly start, you don't know, the
Pacers may be overly hyped.
They could come out playing alittle bit undisciplined,
(01:09:53):
because that is one thing I wantto watch with the Pacers when
they play their fast pace.
That doesn't mean they can bewild and crazy with the ball,
because the last thing you wantis Giannis running free in
transition, because there's veryfew who can stop that man once
he gets going downhill.
So if the Pacers want to playfast, they have to be smart with
the ball.
No turnovers to give the Bucseasy buckets.
(01:10:16):
So if the Bucs can make the gameclose in game one, I think they
would have a chance to steal itbecause looking on the court,
Giannis is the best player NBA.
You usually go with the bestplayer on the court.
So that's what I'm looking for.
In game one the Pacers willhave their moment where they get
their run and the crowd's intoit.
(01:10:37):
But can the Bucs kind ofcounter that and stay within
reach late in the game?
I think that would give themtheir best chance to win a game,
one, especially as the roadteam.
Speaker 2 (01:10:50):
Okay, okay, I like that.
I like that.
I'm going to take Bucs.
I got Bucs game one.
They got to, they just have to.
I just got that feeling.
I just got that feeling thatBucs will take game one down
there.
So, hey, we got to get.
We are woefully late for abreak, but I don't want to get
out of here.
Before I ask you this onequestion here what game are you
most looking forward to?
I guess in the first round,that one matchup where you're
(01:11:11):
like I can't wait for thismatchup to get going there.
I don't know if it's going tobe your celtics and the magic
down there, because I don't knowif that's going to be the, the
highlight one.
But which matchup west east,which one are you looking at and
you're like I can't wait forthat playoff series to get
started?
Speaker 4 (01:11:26):
I mean, I think there are some good series, but I I'm
interested in pistons nicks.
I've been thoroughly surprisedby this Pistons team.
I want to see what does thisyoung group do in a playoff
setting.
I want to see what CadeCunningham does.
I think for a lot of peoplethis will be their first time
seeing Cade Cunningham on astage like this and he has an
(01:11:49):
opportunity to kind of letpeople know the talent that he
has.
And you're dealing with a Knicksteam that has a lot of pressure
on themselves as well, Becausethe same thing we talked about
with the Bucs If the Pistons cango into New York and steal a
game, the amount of pressurethat's going to be on that
Knicks team, that's going to besomething to watch, Because the
(01:12:10):
Pistons they don't have anyexpectations, so they can go out
there play their game.
If they get swept, so what?
That's probably what somepeople expect.
But if they make this a six,seven-game series, they may be
able to pull this one off.
Because, like I said, theKnicks have so much pressure
being in New York all the yearsthat Knicks fans have been
(01:12:32):
waiting for something.
And this group where you makethat cat deal you got Jalen
Brunson, you go get MikkelBridges Like you did all this to
win now, and if you go out inthe first round, like that is a
big thing to deal with.
So that's the series I'mwatching.
Speaker 2 (01:12:49):
I like that New York would implode.
It would just implode and itwould be awesome.
It'd be like when the Yankeeslost in the world series.
That's just.
That's just.
It'd just be icing on the cakeat this point here.
So, kyle, thank you, as always,for coming and joining us
tonight.
Here the people.
They want to find you out there.
Chomping at the Bit is the bestplace to do it.
Across Twitter, everywhere onsocial media, just search
Chomping at the Bit, you willfind Kyle out there.
(01:13:11):
But hey, until next week.
Thank you, kyle, for coming onhere.
We'll catch you guys.
We're going to be right backhere.
We got Brewer Talk.
We got Amar Ummer.
Sorry, goodness, gracious.
Um, we'll be back on thebackside of this ad break here.
Welcome back into Wisconsin.
(01:13:34):
Sports on the go with Trage.
I'm your host, trage.
We're coming back here on thisWednesday.
And, hey, this next segment ofthe show is sponsored by Sport
and Spine Clinic of Greenwood,wisconsin.
Their expert traditionalphysical therapy and structural
integration programming Call forflexible scheduling and
evaluations.
Just call Chad down there atsport and spine clinic in
(01:13:54):
Greenwood, wisconsin.
He'll get you right.
He'll get you back to doingwhatever you're doing, feeling
better than ever.
That is sport and spine clinicin Greenwood, there so.
Speaker 3 (01:14:00):
Hey.
Speaker 2 (01:14:01):
I told you before we went to the break, we just had
Kyle on, we were talking bucks,we were talking NBA.
We had all kinds of madnesshappening over there.
We got Ummer coming on here.
Now I got it.
I nailed it.
Speaker 3 (01:14:10):
Yeah, you nailed it, that was perfect I was ready for
it this time.
Speaker 2 (01:14:13):
there I got Ummer.
Here tonight we're going to betalking Packers because we got
to get ready.
The draft is coming up nextweek.
We got to be talking about thePackers here tonight.
Speaker 3 (01:14:23):
Um, I am great Just enjoying myself right now, a
little vacation in Charleston,south Carolina, so just taking
in the sights and sounds of thefamily and just really, you know
, taking a seat back and justenjoying myself.
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:14:35):
Good, I'm doing great .
I'm doing great.
The weather here.
How's the weather in Charleston?
Is it better than what we'vegot up here?
Speaker 3 (01:14:41):
It's beautiful.
It's between 70s and 80s, A 70sand 80s, little wind, but for
the most part it's great weatherwe get like 30 degrees in the
morning and like 60 in theafternoon.
Speaker 2 (01:14:51):
So it's that time of year where you like heat to AC.
I love the time of year whenyou have to get into your
vehicle and you have the heat onin the morning and then when
you get back into the afternoonyou have to turn the AC on and
drive home.
That's my time of year.
That is my time of year rightthere, all right.
Speaker 3 (01:15:07):
Yeah, it's like in between winter and like spring.
Speaker 2 (01:15:10):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (01:15:10):
That's exactly what you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (01:15:11):
Yes, Yep, Yep, the morning got frost.
The afternoon it's like oh,it's hot again.
All right, here we go, here wego.
So we got lots to get intotoday.
We got lots to get into.
We were talking about last week, talked Jair situation.
We had all kinds of stuff wegot into today.
So, according to Tom SilversteinI saw this Packers are still
actually they're looking totrade Jair Alexander.
(01:15:32):
They're looking to trade orrelease, but preferably trade.
Right, they don't want to justrelease Jair, they want to get
something back from.
But the problem is coming downto salary and the unwillingness
of Jair to adjust that contractahead.
That's what's really hinderingall these deals right now.
Most likely a trade's gonnahappen, but it's probably gonna
be after the draft.
(01:15:53):
So we're looking more after thedraft right now, after
everybody's kind of well, whatdo we need now?
Okay, we still need JairAlexander.
Now we go get him.
So that's kind of where we'reat with the Jair situation.
But I wanted to ask you so thePackers, we look at what the
Bears have done this offseason.
They've made some big ads.
Right Offensive line was thebig need for them.
They're up their gut becauseCaleb Williams was constantly
(01:16:14):
under distress last season.
This season.
They go and they grab a bunchof offensive line.
Help the Lions.
They've added depth.
They've added depth on thedefense.
They've loaded up and justgetting healthy if you are the
Detroit Lions is already a boostright.
You're getting eight nudges inback.
You're getting a lot of boostfrom there.
And then the Vikings.
That defense has just goteverybody at this point on that
defense for the Vikings.
So I mean, in your opinion,these rosters we look at those
(01:16:38):
rosters.
They've definitely improvedright.
Some solid moves.
They've definitely improvedthis last off season here.
Do you believe that, talentwise, the packers are keeping
pace like?
Are they there with these teamsright now?
Are they keeping pace talentwise at all with the likes of
the bears, the lions of vikings,or do you believe the packers
need to do more?
Speaker 3 (01:16:58):
I think that it's really easy for people to like
look at like the big spendingthat's been done by the vikings
and the bears, and a little bitby also lions too, to be like,
oh wait, the pack, the Packers,aren't doing enough.
And seeing last year where weended on a losing streak and we
lost to the Bears we got sweptby the Lions and the Vikings it
(01:17:19):
can be really easy to say thatwe're not on the same talent
level.
I just want people to go backand look at those games we
didn't lose, like when we lostagainst detroit, we had a lot of
injuries on offense line athome and then we played them in
detroit.
You know what we?
We lost by three points.
You know minnesota?
Yeah, both games we started outslow but we were able to come
back in the end and make it agame and almost win each game
(01:17:40):
and they were less than atouchdown loss for both those
games.
Bears they needed everything togo in their favor when it comes
to injuries and just a puntreturn for a touchdown all kinds
of crazy stuff for them to comeback and squeak out a win.
So, in my mind, for us to be insuch a disjointed state.
As a team, I feel like,talent-wise, we are right there
(01:18:03):
with them.
I feel like Vikings are smart.
They're taking advantage oftheir rookie quarterback that
they have right now.
They had an opportunity tobring in Aaron Rodgers and do
like a one-year run, but theysaid forget that, we're going to
take advantage of this rookiecontract.
You know we all know that whenyou have a good quarterback and
they hit that second contract,you look at an area between 15
to almost 23% of your salary capgone right there, based on the
(01:18:25):
quarterback market.
Right, taking advantage of it.
There, they powered up theiroffensive line.
They went and brought in jordanmason from the niners and, on
top of that, too, their defensebeing ran by flores.
I really don't care who theyhave back there.
Flores is probably one of thebest defensive minds that we
have in the nfl right now.
Um, he's the reason why thatthe patriots won the super bowl
against the rams in 20,.
(01:18:46):
Oh man, when was that?
That was like 2020, I think itwas like 2021.
It was a while ago.
It feels like it's been like adecade, even though it's not
been that long, and I feel likewhen you look at the way
everybody in our division.
They haven't gotten worse,they've gotten better.
And again, the Bears are theBears.
We always say the Bears stillsuck, that's our thing.
Hashtag Bears the bears.
(01:19:12):
We always say the bears stillsuck, that's our thing.
Hashtag bears still suck, youknow.
Shout out to matt ramage.
Uh, but one of those things,like, no matter, they did do the
right moves.
You know I'm not a, I'm notsold on ben johnson yet.
Uh, and but the way they kindof beefed up that offensive line
, the way they're giving calebevery opportunity to be able to
have the protection he needs tobe able to play behind a good
offensive line, have the time tomake right decisions, it could
work out.
Me personally, I believe in thefloor.
(01:19:33):
I do believe in joy and love.
I believe in our team.
Uh, I want goody to really kindof.
He's really locked in his lastcouple drafts.
I want him to continue that.
Um, and I feel like this draft,with the talent that we have
coming out, it's gonna be reallyinteresting to see, like, which
way we go.
Like, I know, like Goody'sthing is trying to get more
picks.
Who knows if he decides totrade up or trade down and
(01:19:55):
acquire more picks or use picksto get a guy that he really
likes.
But I really can't wait to seehow this team like shapes up.
And the Jairi thing that youjust mentioned I thought that
was really interesting that TomSilverstein actually reported
that.
That's something that Domofskyhas been reporting for a while
and I want to give some.
I want to give people to backoff Domofsky.
People are trying to say thatthese beat writers especially,
(01:20:16):
you know, rob are like coming athim for a personal vendetta,
and it's just not true.
I really feel like they're justreporting the news and
reporting exactly what's givento them will do, does the exact
same thing.
They do add their own likepersonal thoughts on things, but
for the most part they dobasically give them what's being
given to them and I feel it'sunfair to be like oh, they have
like a vendetta against somebodyat the day.
(01:20:37):
Gyra's not happy, the packersaren't happy.
We keep them.
I would love that.
If you get some kind ofcompensation from that would be
great.
Looks like that's where.
That's where we're goingtowards.
He just needs to figure out howhe wants.
He's earned that contract.
I don't blame him for notwanting to budge on that, but if
he really wants to leave, thenhe's gonna have to make some
concessions to make that happenyeah, no, I agree.
Speaker 2 (01:20:56):
And I think a problem with, like you mentioned, their
beat writers, I think a problemis some give bad names to
others, right, you get one guywho goes against just to say
aaron rogers.
Right, he's always gotsomething against aaron rogers.
Well, that puts everybody elsethen you know rob and tom or
whoever under this microscope,that you just don't like this
guy.
Well, no, technically probablynot right.
(01:21:17):
You probably don't like thisguy, but you're not saying it
because I don't like him.
I'm saying it because it's thenews.
So, like you said, I mean it isnews right, because I did rob.
I, I did see.
Tom silverstein was the one whoreported it I saw so rob's like
I just want everybody to knowthis is what he said too, so
like we're all saying the samething right now, and I mean it's
(01:21:38):
common knowledge, I guess islike we knew this was a
possibility.
We knew this is something theywanted to do.
It was just a matter of whenand it was there.
This is what we want.
If we can do it, we want to getit done.
So that's kind of what we gotreported there.
I I like what you said there.
You have a lot of teams in thenorth right now with a lot to
prove, right ben johnson, calebwilliams they have a lot to
prove.
(01:21:58):
Ben johnson did great with thelions.
What is he going to do with thebears?
Caleb williams had a goodseason.
What does he do now?
That's what we got to see.
What does golf do?
What does this lion's offensedo without ben johnson?
Speaker 3 (01:22:11):
what do they do?
Speaker 2 (01:22:12):
without the defense, without you know, uh, aaron
glenn, there on the defense,what?
do you do without him?
It's a question mark afterquestion mark.
Jj mccarthy what's the questionmark with minnesota?
How is that gonna look?
It's you can put all the rightguys in the right spot, but,
okay, does it work right?
And that's what we're going tofind out.
The Packers have been stayinglike they're the most uniform
(01:22:32):
team, yet they didn't lose a lot.
Jeff Halfley still coming back.
You got Matt LaFleur, yet inthe room.
He's still the play caller.
Even though some wish he wasn'tthe play caller, he's still the
play caller.
You still got those guys there.
So you're keeping that teamknit together.
Now it's a question of do theyprogress?
Because I thought to me that'swhere the Packers lacked.
Last season was from year toyear.
(01:22:53):
They did not progress.
I thought guys actually gotworse.
Jaden Reed I thought he took astep back.
Dontavion Wicks thought he tooka step back.
You can't really.
Romeo Dobbs got hurt twice,concussion twice.
Speaker 3 (01:23:03):
You can't really knock him on that.
Speaker 2 (01:23:05):
Watson got banged up.
You can't really knock him onthat.
Watson got banged up.
Can't really blame him on that.
You didn't have Musgrave formost of the season.
He was out there, but he comesback.
He's a huge threat.
They underutilize him.
They underutilize what theyhave with Tucker Kraft, I mean
you look at what the Chiefs dowith Travis Kelsey and I said
look what the Packers could dowith Tucker Kraft.
(01:23:26):
This guy is an all-around talent.
He could be one of the besttight ends in football.
You got to utilize him in theright way and I think, matt
LaFleur.
If I had one thing against thisBlake Alling, it's that he
doesn't utilize the play-actiongame enough.
He says that he does.
I don't believe it.
I watch it and I'm like dude,you don't.
You don't utilize play-actionenough.
Your analytic people might sayyou do bull crap, I call bull
(01:23:46):
crap.
You have one of the best.
Josh Jacobs is a great runningback, you have one a great tight
end and Tucker craft.
You have wide receivers thatcan move around in motion like
crazy, and yet you don't utilizeplay action.
It drives me nuts.
Jordan love is mobile.
When he, if he's not mobile, I,he's half a quarterback.
So then you need to, you needto address that right now if he
(01:24:07):
can't become mobile again.
But Jordan Love, as we know, ismobile.
You got to get him out in space.
You got to use play action.
That's where I'm at with MattLaFleur and his play calling, if
anybody wants to know.
But I mean looking at thisPackers team.
Now, this is like earlyspeculation, right, everybody
does their way too earlyspeculation.
We're going to do one beforethe draft.
Where do you have the packersin the north right now, one
(01:24:29):
through four?
Where do you have them fittingin with those teams?
Because I know, you know, we gowide spectrum, eagles,
everything like that.
I don't want to go widespectrum right now.
Let's go nfc north.
Where does this team fit inwith the lions, vikings and
bears in your opinion?
Speaker 3 (01:24:42):
so I'm a perpetual hater of every team in my
division.
I just am I.
I just can't help it.
And something that you said, too, about Detroit Lions, where,
like they literally have a wholenew staff there, they do bring
back some talent.
They have some guys that needto get healthy and you know they
did win the division last year.
You know, kudos to them.
Dan Campbell is a rah-rah guythat we all love, but it's going
(01:25:04):
to be now going to be, you know, be put up or shut up, because
he does have a lot of veteranleadership that's left on the
coaching staff and these guysthat he's brought in that are
going to be the new DC as wellas the new OC.
These guys have never done thatbefore.
It's their first time, and soI'm going to be interested to
see how, if they can still keepthat up, because that could be
(01:25:24):
an issue I still think thepackers have a chance to win the
division.
I feel like, when it comes totalent, when it comes to the
floor and what you just saidabout play action, I couldn't
agree more.
Floor's biggest thing was like,oh, we run play action on a
shotgun and it's when, basicallya fake handoff and they throw
the ball.
I'm like, yeah, that's notreally a true play action play
it's not like under center,you're not.
(01:25:45):
You know.
You know an eye formation orsingle back.
You're doing eye shotgun.
It's the stuff that Rogers usedto do back in the day too.
Right, I do feel like.
From a ranking standpoint, Ifeel like the Packers are
probably tied between Detroitright now because Minnesota,
with everything being said, jjMcCarthy being back there I
understand Aaron Jones, I don'tunderstand their offense is very
(01:26:07):
potent.
They still got Justin Jefferson, but JJ McCarthy is a huge
question mark.
Who's coming off a pretty notdevastating knee injury, but a
knee injury with the way theywent about deciding to repair
the meniscus instead of justtrimming it.
That's a very long rehabprocess and because of that,
you're looking at a guy who'syoung, who hasn't had any staffs
(01:26:27):
in the nfl, minus maybe somepractice.
So, yeah, you're gonna be.
We depend on that running gameand that defense to take over.
Uh, when it comes to chicago,you know what I?
I'm never gonna give chicagotheir kudos.
They could.
You know the year they wentthrough the super bowl.
I still think they suck.
It's just the way I am.
I can't help it, uh, and so Istill think that, even though
they did beat us last year intheir Super Bowl last week of
(01:26:49):
the season.
That was their Super Bowl win.
Truth matters that they stillgot a long ways to go.
Because to me, when you have arookie head coach who has a
quarterback who has a lot oftalent but again has freelanced
a lot in the last I want to sayprobably the last four years of
his football career his time wasat Oklahoma, his time was in
USC and then now, when him beingNFL, caleb Williams is not
(01:27:11):
really played within structureand for Ben Johnson to put them
into that structure, it will beinteresting to see if he can do
that because he's a greatoffensive line.
But being a OC and a head coachtwo separate things.
And the last thing is I do needthe floor.
He has Sean Mannion now as aquarterback coach.
He had some changes but for themost part, like you said, the
OC, the DC, those guys arereturning.
(01:27:32):
I do need the floor to do whatyou just said.
When it comes to Kraft, kraftcould be our George Kittle.
I 100% agree with that, lucas.
When it comes to Musgrave, hisability to not really block very
well is something that needs tobe worked on.
He needs to not really blockvery well, it's something that
needs to be worked on, like heneeds to make that like.
It's like, kind of like when wefirst had Aaron Jones as a
(01:27:53):
rookie and he was terrible Imean absolutely terrible at pass
blocking and then all he didwas just work on and work on and
work on, he became one of thebetter pass blockers in our
backfield.
Musgrave needs to do thatbecause you can't have a guy out
there as big.
He's a side speed freak, but ifhe's out there you know more
than likely they're not going tobe running the ball because he
can't block to save his life.
It's just unfortunate truth andwe need more production from
(01:28:17):
our second round pick becauseright now craft is out playing
him.
He should be our starter, heshould be our george kittle.
Um and I could agree more likethere has to be a step forward,
not two steps back.
When it comes to the progressionon offense.
You know this is a third yearfor Jaden Reed, third year for
Wicks.
Normally that's when receiversreally hit the ground running
(01:28:37):
and they kind of have thatexplosion as a receiver.
You know Romeo Dobson's gethealthy, watson needs to get
healthy and then honestly, likeif we infuse some talent into
that room with a rookie.
Honestly, if we infuse sometalent into that room with a
rookie, like, hopefully, mbukaor maybe even Jaden Higgins, I
would be ecstatic about that.
But there's a lot of stuff thatI think Green Bay was a culprit
(01:28:57):
of their own demise in a sense,where they were their worst
enemy.
I feel like a lot of thesegames that we lost, it wasn't
because the other team wasbetter than us outright.
It was more so that we justdidn't play our best game and
the players said all year theyhad yet to put a complete game
together on offense, on defense,on special teams, right.
So, yeah, I'm really lookingforward to seeing how the floor
(01:29:19):
can take all the adversity andall the mistakes of last year
and make it into something thathe can learn from and really
take this team to the next level.
Because, you're honestly, it'sbeen what now?
Almost 15 years now since we'vebeen to the Super Bowl.
I know, like we're in Titletown,we're spoiled, you know.
But Green Bay, there's a reasonwhy that statue is named after
our head coach, right, and thefloor, and Goody especially.
(01:29:46):
You know I'm not saying like,oh, it's, you know, hot seat,
I'm not saying anything likethat I just definitely feel like
we need to see something wherethere's more, like there's
progression in the rightdirection, because our run game
is solid Josh Jacobs absolutelyamazing, but you cannot run him
into the ground.
I understand like he's builtthat way, but that is not a
recipe for success.
And Jordan Love he needs toalso take that next step.
(01:30:06):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (01:30:07):
Yep, no, 100% agree.
And you hit a couple greatpoints in there.
The shotgun that drives me nuts.
Speaker 1 (01:30:11):
Yes, why are we running from the shotgun?
Speaker 2 (01:30:14):
Run under center Because Jordan Love the things
that you can do when you turnyour back to a defense are
unreal, and Jordan Love has theability to look guys off and to
be able to sell the fake whentake that away from in shotgun.
That's a problem.
You don't give josh jacobs timeto run downhill, that's a
problem.
I find all those thingsproblems.
So I I completely agree withthe shotgun.
(01:30:34):
Take there drives me absolutelynuts and, like you said there,
like we talked about, guys havegot to take a step forward.
They have got to take a stepforward.
The problem, like you mentioned, their pre-snap penalties
killed this team.
Speaker 3 (01:30:45):
There's a lot of mental mental mistakes.
So if we want to, blame MattLaFleur if we want to come back
to the drawing board.
Speaker 2 (01:30:50):
Mental mistakes need to be cleaned up, because that
lost the Packers a lot offootball games.
And you hit the nail on thehead when you said it's put up
or shut up time Because we canonly and I know fans aren't
going to want to hear this one,but Bill Michaels loves to say
it all the time too you can onlyuse the excuse of you're young
for so long.
You may be young in age, butyou're not young in experience.
(01:31:10):
And this Packers team has beento the playoffs twice.
They've been there, done that.
They have got to be able to getpast the first round.
They've got to be able to moveon here.
They've got to be able to moveon and play, like you said, a
complete game, because lastseason there may have the
Cardinal game maybe, where youcould have said that was a
complete game, but still.
I mean people want to go back tothe Seattle game and say that
was complete.
That was not complete.
(01:31:31):
There was more of that onewhere they could have done this
but they failed to do that Latein the game.
There they let Seattle comeback in that game.
It's just there's those littlethings that this Packers team
struggled with last season andhey, I mean we want to get into
it all.
We got more to get into nextweek here.
Amar Umber, sorry, I had it, Ihad it.
I had it.
I had it there.
(01:31:52):
I had it there.
Umber will be back next week.
We have got a special episodecoming next week.
We're going to talk a lot ofPackers.
We got draft preview.
We're going to talk a lot ofPackers.
On top of that, I coming here.
So thank you again for stoppingby tonight there, ummer, and we
will catch you back here nextweek on the show I cannot wait,
man.
Speaker 3 (01:32:10):
Thank you for having me again.
Speaker 2 (01:32:11):
I can't wait of course, of course.
Hey, we'll be back here.
We're going to talk brewers onthe back side of this break here
, so make sure you guys aresticking around.
We'll be right back here onwisconsin sports on the go with
trage.
Welcome back into wisconsinsports on the go with trage.
I'm your, your host, trage.
We're coming back.
It's April 16th, it's afantastic April 16th.
The spring is here and you'vegot to get yourself down to
(01:32:33):
Foreman's Hardware.
There they offer you everythingfrom home essentials to farm
supplies, house to farm, grillsto drills.
Foreman's Hardware has got youcovered.
Visit today in Loyal Colby orMedford, wisconsin.
There that is Loyal Colby orMetford.
Tell them Trade sent, you, get5% off.
All your spring needs.
You get pavers up there.
In Colby you can get grills.
In Loyal you can get anythingyou need in Metford.
(01:32:53):
Whatever you need, you can stopat any three locations.
If they don't have it at onestore, they'll get it to you at
another.
Find them there at FormanceHardware.
There, tell them Trade sent,you, get 5%.
The half mile paved track justthree miles west of marshfield.
There on county road h, findupcoming events and races at
marshfieldspeedwaycom that ismarshfieldspeedwaycom there, and
(01:33:14):
also sport and spine clinic ofgreenwood wisconsin.
Their expert traditionalphysical therapy and structural
integration programming call forflexible scheduling and
evaluations within 24 to 48hours.
They're just called ch Chad atSporting Spine Clinic in
Greenwood, wisconsin.
So, hey, we just had a greattalk with Ummer there talking
Packers.
What a great talk.
(01:33:35):
What a great talk it was there.
We got more Packer talk to getinto next week here on the show
Probably a lot.
Right, we're going to betalking draft.
We got lots to get into withthe Packers, so I can't wait for
that Coming up next week there.
But, hey, we got to get to theBrewers here, because the
Brewers it's been I don't knowhow, what's the best way to put
it right, they've blown somegames.
That's both the best way to putit.
(01:33:58):
They've blown some games and alot of people are not exactly
happy.
Right, you got that lead.
You're beating Corbin Burns up.
You got that lead over him onthis last Saturday.
You end up losing that gamelate, right, and a lot of people
look back and they're like youall pions, you all pions.
Right, he stunk, he stunk again.
(01:34:18):
You all pions continues tostruggle.
Then you lose that game toGallon there on Sunday.
Had a 2-0 lead there for thelongest time and the
Diamondbacks were able to battleback and they will take the
lead and then in the eighthinning be able to kind of push
that lead to five to two andtake the win there.
And then we look over at thegame against the Tigers and that
(01:34:40):
was just disastrous.
And you look at what Pat Murphyhad to say and he said you know
, you look at a team where youbelieve you're supposed to be,
you know pretty darn good.
And it's hard to say that whenyou've been blown out four times
right, you lose 9-1 to theTigers there.
You lost 11-1 to the Royalsearly on.
You lost the Yankees 12-3 and20-9, so it's hard to say that
(01:35:01):
you are a well-rounded, goodteam when you keep getting blown
out.
What, where are you at right now?
Right, and I think the bullpenis a big concern for me.
I didn't think it was going tobe a big concern going into the
year I, I, we just confidentlysay to ourselves the birds are
going to put together a goodbullpen.
That just seems how it is.
They find guys right.
Last year was Brian Hudson andJared Canning who were those for
(01:35:29):
the Brewers got nobody's.
This season they've been prettygood for the Milwaukee Brewers.
But now you look at what's beenfaltering right.
Well, alvin Rodriguez hasdefinitely struggled for him and
he's finally they move on fromhim.
Logan Henderson number I believenumber 12 prospect for the
Brewers there is brought up nowthe right-handed pitcher, so
we'll see what they do with him.
If he's going to be a bullpenrole or kind of what, what's
going to work there?
But uh, if he's going to be abullpen role or kind of what
what's going to work there.
But uh, you all pints, I don'tknow, five and two thirds and 19
(01:35:54):
earned run.
He's got what.
He's given up a 12 earned runson the season so far in eight
games, eight pit games, pitchfive and two thirds innings and
he's given up 12 earned runs, 11, 11 hits, 12 earned runs, 11,
11 hits, 12 earned runs, onehome run given up.
It's just at what point isenough, enough, and you just
(01:36:14):
kind of got to move off of a guy, and I think that's where the
milwaukee brewers are at at thispoint.
That's where I'm at.
I'm like I get it.
You want to keep a guy around,but you have guys in the minors
now.
Are they ready?
I don't know craig yelo.
Is he ready?
I don't know.
Is a guy like mizorowski readyto go into the bullpen?
That's a question.
Are they trying to ramp them upfor a starter role?
(01:36:36):
That could be too.
You have guys where they'regoing to come back and they're
going to be able to fit bullpenroles right, and I don't think
yohal pines is.
I don't think it sucks as muchif he's not supposed to be a
high leverage guy, but he'ssupposed to be a high leverage
guy.
He's supposed to be a late inthe game guy for you right now.
(01:36:57):
You kind of look at it.
Trevor mcgill.
He's got that knee problemright now.
Hopefully that's all going toget figured out there.
You have mcgill.
Nick mears has been fantasticsince coming back.
So you have mirrors Mears.
You have McGill.
You have guys like Uribe hasbeen fantastic.
Jared Koenig, brian Hudson.
You got those guys.
But they expect UL Pines to bea guy and it just hasn't been
(01:37:21):
there.
It's been like this for acouple years now.
When he first came in toMilwaukee he was fantastic.
Right, we know that he'sfantastic with the Brewers.
That was back in 2023.
He had 69 games pitched and hehad 2.55 ERA.
He was fantastic 7-5 record.
(01:37:41):
He had 77 strikeouts and inthat season he only gave up 20
runs in total.
Last season, in 68 gamespitched, he had a 3 ERA and only
gave up 20 runs in total.
Last season, in 68 gamespitched, he had a 3 ERA and he
gave up 20 runs in total.
You want to look at the 2025totals for Yoel Pimps Because in
(01:38:04):
8 games he's given up 12 runs.
He's almost to the point.
He was at completing 2 straightseasons with the Brewers in
2023 and 2024.
Not good, not good at all, and II love the Brewers confidence
that they can fix guys, but thisis one that maybe a designate
him for assignment whatever andmaybe he just sticks with the
(01:38:27):
team and then maybe you can fixhim down in AAA.
But right now he's no help toyou in the bullpen and I'd
rather see the Brewers bring upsomebody else or try something
else in that spot.
So we'll see what he does.
We'll see what the Brewers dothere with Joel Pines, but I am
definitely at a crossroads withhim at this very moment.
(01:38:55):
Outside of that, I I did haveone more question on pitching
and that was with pat murphy,because in that game I kept
going back to the.
He pulled patrick out of thegame and I believe he pulled him
out in the fourth inning.
It was the fourth inning orjust at the beginning of the
fifth inning there that hedecided to pull patrick out,
just at the beginning of thefifth inning there that he
decided to pull Patrick out.
And I look back at the move andI'm like, okay, I don't hate
the move because you thoughtthat you were in a spot.
(01:39:16):
You had guys who you thoughtwere ready to go Four and a
third inning, five hits, twowalks, three strikeouts.
And Brian Hudson then came infor two-thirds of an inning, got
out of it and got you know, gothim advancing out of that game.
77 pitches for Patrick and he'sdone this a couple times with
(01:39:36):
guys.
He's pulled him early out ofgames and he goes straight to
the bullpen.
Well, when you pull Patrick,you use Hudson, you use your
rebate, you use scanning andthen you bring Nick Mears in.
You already limited yourbullpen.
You had a full bullpen, butbecause you pulled Patrick out
so soon, you had to use thatfull bullpen right.
And at that very moment in thatgame, the Brewers, when he
(01:39:59):
pulled him, had a 2-0 lead.
2-0 lead.
That was in that fourth inningthere that they had that 2-0
lead.
And you look at the situationthat he was in and Naylor had
(01:40:19):
just doubled, gurley L flied out.
And then we see Suarez.
He ended up walking in thatinning.
And then we see Thomas, allright here, right here, hampson
struck out, looking so Patrick,I was in, I was in the wrong
inning.
I'm sorry there, patrick, inthat bottom of the fifth struck
out Hampson.
And then Hudson came in so hegot the strikeout.
77 pitches had a strikeout.
(01:40:40):
Nobody's on base, in my opinion.
Ride with Patrick.
He's pitching well.
He got you.
It was not.
Should I say it was hisgreatest performance of the year
.
No, I thought it was a gutsyperformance.
He was pitching well.
Let him battle, let him getthrough that fifth.
When I saw him come out of thegame and he's ticked off, that's
(01:41:02):
what you want to see, right?
But I also, at the same time,I'm like put him back in, don.
But I also, at the same time,I'm like put him back in, don't
pull him, let him go out there,let him try to do it.
I just hated it.
I did not like that move.
So do I agree with?
Do I think Pat Murphy is kindof pulling starters too soon.
Sometimes I do, sometimes I do,and is it his decision at the
(01:41:23):
end of the day?
And sometimes it works,sometimes it doesn't.
Yes, but in that situation Ithought he pulled him too early
and I think there's been acouple other situations this
year.
Well, I think pat murphy's kindof outmanaged himself ride with
the hot hand, go with the gutfeeling.
Patrick was pitching a goodgame, let it ride.
I don't know.
That's kind of where I was atwith that.
So I had that question,somebody asked me that question
(01:41:45):
on murphy and if I thought hewas pulling some of his arms
early just because he had armsavailable, and I think, yes, I
think he is somewhat pullingarms, pulling guys early, just
because he believes, yeah, I gotarms available.
Great, well, sometimes yourstart is rolling, you just gotta
let him roll, man, you justgotta let him go, let him get it
.
So, yeah, I that's where I'm atright now.
Uh, with that uh situation withwhat I was asked there, I was
(01:42:07):
asked that by a couple peopleout there, so I just wanted to
answer that Terang and Churiocontinue their hot streak.
They've had a great start tothe season for the Brewers.
Churio is Churio.
Right at this point, churio isjust fantastic.
He's a phenom.
At this point I mean, goodnessgracious, he is just fantastic.
But Bryce Terang I think I saidit last week and I think I'll
(01:42:31):
say it again here the way BryceTerang's hitting is different
than what we saw last season.
The way Bryce Terang's hittingright now, he is just he's
seeing the baseball, he's seeingit, he's seeing the pitch, he's
taking the pitch where it is.
He's not trying to do too much,he's just hitting it where it
is.
Outside pitch boom.
(01:42:51):
Other way Inside pitch boom,pull.
Last season we have not seenhim hit a home run like he did
at Coors Field.
That home run he hit was a shotGetting around on that quick
heater.
We wouldn't have seen that.
We saw it.
Bryce Teruring, I believe, is adifferent hitter this year.
I don't know if it's RyanBrown's batting gloves.
He's wearing Ryan Brown'sbatting gloves from 2011.
I don't know what it is, but heis definitely a different kind
(01:43:17):
of mode right now and he'sleading the Brewers right now
3.29 average.
He's got 24 hits, he's got 10RBIs, 3 home runs.
He's been fantastic, fantastic.
Trujillo has been great too 275average there.
He's been great.
Sal Frelick continues to hitthe ball well 306 average for
Sal.
I mean he's been well.
Reese Hoskins has been heatingup a little bit for the Brewers,
which is great to see it, as hehit his first home run the
(01:43:40):
other night against the Tigersthere, hit that first home run,
which was great to see.
Christian Yelich still in theschneid a little bit there.
William contraris has beenhitting the ball better.
Joey ortiz has been getting alittle bit better.
Mitchell, hopefully, heating upthere.
So guys are starting to hit theball better and you love to see
it.
You love to see it.
Now it's about can this thing,is it sustainable?
(01:44:01):
Can these guys keep carrying itand will some of these guys
come along?
Right, will some of these guyscome along?
Because I think a big problemguys or people have right now
with the brewers is the thirdbase production.
Because I'm looking at thestats right now and the two guys
playing third base for themilwaukee brewers are toe-in-toe
with their batting averages.
We see oliver dunn bat 171 andwe see capro batting 100 and
(01:44:25):
he's only he's got three hits onthe One of them that home run
in Yankee Stadium, the firstat-bat of his MLB with the
Brewers there, first at-bat ofthe season there, home run, and
since then it's just beennothing.
So I guess it's kind of, atthis point, what are we going to
get from Vinny and Dunn?
And I think that's where a lotof people are having problems
(01:44:46):
with.
And I think that's where a lotof people are having problems
with.
And I would not hate if thebrewers were shopping right now
for a third baseman.
I think they definitely need tobe shopping for a third baseman
at this very moment.
So that's where I'm at.
I completely agree.
Everybody out there freakingout about it right now.
I'm not freaking out about it.
I'm not going to freak outabout it, but I'm going to tell
you right now I'm in agreeancewith you.
The breers need to find betterproduction at third base,
(01:45:06):
whether it's in-house, somewhereelse than these two, whether
these two figure it out, one ofthese two figures it out, one of
them, maybe both, figure it out, or if they go down to the
minors and find a guy, or ifthey go out in free agency, or
if they have to make a trade,whatever it is, I don't care.
You got to give them an arm andfind production at third base.
(01:45:30):
Right now you have nothing, youhave a hole.
You move joy ortiz over and nowyou have a hole.
How are you gonna fill thathole?
That's the question.
That's the question that patmurphy and this brewers team has
got to figure it out.
Man arnold especially right inman arnold, not as much pat
murphy, matt arnold and marcodonazio have got to figure out.
Where can we find help at thirdbase for pat Murphy and the
Brewers, because right now it'sugly, it's not great, and they
need to fill, fill that holehere moving forward.
(01:45:52):
So the Brewers they got a prettypretty good stretch, I guess
you could say, of games comingup here, uh, against some decent
, decent enough teams, right,that's what we'll say decent
enough teams.
You have that wrap-up serieswith Tigers there.
That was a tough little stretch.
And then you have the Athletics.
Not a pushover team in theAthletics, right, but not a
(01:46:13):
great team in the Athletics.
So we'll see what happens there.
When they take the Athletics onhere, that'll be Friday,
Saturday and Sunday, so theyhave an off day tomorrow and
then they'll have the Athleticsover the weekend and then next
week, before we come back hereand talk about them a little bit
more.
They're going to have theGiants, so they're going to have
a four-game series with theGiants.
So we'll talk a little WillieAdamas next week here on the
show.
So with that I mean, hey, wegot one more ad break, we're
(01:46:35):
going to come back, we're goingto wrap up the show for the day.
It was a great show.
We're going to wrap it up herewhen we come back.
Welcome back into wisconsin.
Sports on the go with trage.
I'm your host, trage.
This great program today wassponsored by some fantastic
sponsors here of the show and Iwant to mention them off here
(01:46:56):
real quick here at the end as wewrap it up.
Sport and spine clinic ofgreenwood expert traditional
physical therapy and structuralintegration programming.
Call for flexible schedulingand evaluations within 24 to 48
hours.
Just call Sport Spine Clinicthere in Greenwood Foreman's
Hardware.
They offer everything from homeessentials to farm supplies,
house to farm, grills to drills.
Foreman's Hardware has got youcovered.
(01:47:18):
Visit today in Loyal Colby orMedford, wisconsin.
There Marshfield Motor Speedwayis the half-mile paved track
there, three miles west ofMarshfield on county road age.
Find upcoming events and racesat marshfieldspeedwaycom there
and, if you want, when you go toforeman's there, just becausei
forgot there.
If you, when you go downforeman's there, mention to them
that trade sent you, you getfive percent off.
(01:47:38):
That's all you need.
Five percent off there atforeman's hardware if you tell
them that trade sent you.
So hey, before we wrap it uphere, find us across social
media.
Make sure you like, follow,subscribe anywhere.
You find us there across socialmedia Facebook, twitter, tiktok
, youtube and Twitch.
Find us on Twitter, twitch andTikTok.
Just search Wisco Sports on thego.
That is Wisco Sports on the goon Twitter, twitch and TikTok.
(01:47:58):
You can find us at Facebook andYouTube.
Just search Wisco Sports on thego with Trades.
You can also shoot us a text715-990-4914.
That is 715-990-4914.
If you know anybody who islooking for a sponsor, right, if
you want to sponsor the showhere, you want to get your name
out here, definitely let us knowabout it.
We would love to help you.
We'd love to take you on as asponsor in this new year and get
(01:48:21):
your name out there, get yourbusiness out there and get more
recognition.
If you can, and also if youmissed any portion of the show
today, make sure you find usthere iTunes, spotify, youtube,
wherever you get podcasts, youcan find us out there.
Just search Wisconsin Sports onthe Go with Trades.
That is Wisconsin Sports on theGo with Trades.
You can find us across all thepodcast platforms there.
(01:48:42):
So it was a great show today.
Make sure you listen back.
We had Badger Talk there withScary Alvarez.
We had Ummer on there.
We were talking Packer talkthere.
We had Kyle on for Bucs talk.
We're going to have the Bucscoming up this weekend here.
A big series starting with thePacers there.
A big series in the fact ofKyle, like he said earlier, we
don't know about Giannis.
What is he going to think ifthe Bucs drop another
(01:49:03):
first-round playoff series?
What's the honest gonna think?
Here we got the brewers comingup over the weekend.
They're gonna be taking on theoakland a's.
We're gonna see chad patricktaking on uh, the oakland a's in
the first game there, thenperalta, alexander and then
hopefully, just hopefully, we'regonna get some good news here.
Moving forward brewers pitchingstaff we see woodruff making
great progress there down intriple a n with Tobias Myers.
(01:49:26):
Hopefully get those two back atsome point here.
As we get closer and closer tothe month of May there, goodness
gracious, we're almost in themonth of May here Next week we
got draft talk, so make sure youguys are tuning in.
Next week there Umber's goingto be back.
We're going to talk a lot ofPackers next week, a lot of
Packers, a lot of Brewersbetween those two because,
goodness gracious, we got themlb draft coming up.
We're gonna have a lot ofbrewer talk to get to.
(01:49:48):
So I can't wait to get to thatkind of talk there.
So with that, for that's aboutall we got, that's about all we
got for nay, it was a greatnight there.
Thank you all for tuning in.
I hope you guys enjoy the restof your night and the rest of
your week, but until we talk toyou guys again next week,
wednesday, see ya.
this is wisconsin sports on the go with trage your
place for all things wisconsinsports.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Now your host.
How we doing everybody andwelcome into wisconsin sports on
the go with Trage.
I'm your host, trage.
It is Wednesday, april 16th, afantastic Wednesday here in the
great state of Wisconsin.
(00:32):
The weather is getting betterright, getting a little warmer
out there, and it is gettingcloser to spring right.
It's fantastic.
It's just fantastic.
That's all we got to say.
It's fantastic.
I wanted to say tonight herehappy belated birthday.
I said happy birthday to her,but happy belated birthday to my
wife.
I met beautiful wife.
She just had her birthday thereover the weekend and then also
my sister having her birthdaytoday here.
(00:53):
So happy birthday to them both.
Great.
I celebrated with my wife onSaturday, saturday there.
I'm trying to remember my daysback.
It's weeks are a blur sometimes, right, you have a newborn kid.
Weeks become a blur and then mysister will celebrate at some
point, right.
So happy birthday to them boththere.
But we got lots to get intotonight.
(01:13):
I mean, holy cannolis.
We got scary Alvarez coming ontonight here.
If you guys don't know whatscary Alvarez is, you're going
to talk about Badgers with him,badger football in particular
tonight with him.
That's going to be coming uphere just after the start of the
show here.
So we're going to be talkingabout Scary.
We got Ummer coming on tonighttalking about the Packers.
We got Kyle coming on to talkabout the Bucs.
We have all kinds of excitingstuff here coming up tonight.
(01:37):
A good weekend for myself there.
We had our first 12U baseball,our tournament games, whatever
you want to call them two gamesup in Athens there, and it was a
pretty good time.
It was a pretty good time there.
I got to say, though, whatdrives me nuts?
And okay, we're just going tostart it out hot and heavy today
.
We're going to start it hot andheavy, right.
We always have the segment ofwhat's grinding my gears.
(01:58):
We're going to start it out hotand heavy today.
You want to know what grinds mygears the most is when parents
coach their kids during the gamedrives me nuts.
You send your kid and you wantto be coached by so-and-so right
, so you send them off, and thenyou watch during the game and
(02:18):
these kids are standing thereand they're playing the game and
let's just say they swing andmiss whatever, and they, they
watch them constantly turnaround and they're listening to
their parents yell at them fromthe stands and tell them why'd
you do that?
Why did you swing at that?
Why didn't you swing at that?
Why is this?
Why is that?
Why are you sucking whatever?
It drives me nuts.
(02:39):
It does.
You want to talk to your kidwhen he goes home?
Great, talk to your kid when hegoes home, but during the game,
let him play.
It drives me absolutely bonkers.
It does, because I always, Ialways say it to you guys the
game of baseball is so muchmental and you know how hard it
(03:02):
is.
I, I had to.
I told my boys the other dayright, because we have a big
issue with flushing, forgettingmoving on, right, you make an
error, whatever you walk a kid,whatever it is, you swing at a
bad pitch, flushing, forgettingmoving on.
It's a pitch by pitch league,right, that's how it goes.
That's baseball.
It's pitch by pitch.
It changes everything couldchange in a matter of one pitch.
And we sit here and we watch in.
(03:25):
Parents they harp on their kidafter one pitch and it's like
now that kid has to flush it,forget it.
Listen to their parent yellflush it again, forget it, step
back in the box and try to hit.
You want to talk about mentallyexhausting.
You want to talk about makingthe game worse.
That's it.
Right, there Drives me nuts.
And you might think I'm crazyfor saying it.
(03:46):
You might say, well, trange,come on, come on, I don't trust
the coach, so I'm going to coachmy kid, coach your kid when he
goes home.
These coaches get paid,whatever.
Maybe they're volunteers toshow up and help your kid.
Let them do their job.
For that little while, let themdo their job.
(04:08):
If you don't agree with them,fine, fine.
But at the end of the day, thisyouth baseball, these kids,
they got to get out there andjust play sometimes and you just
tear them a new one all thetime.
What are you growing?
Are you really making thembetter?
(04:29):
I don't know.
I don't know.
Maybe you think you are, but itdrives me nuts.
It absolutely drives me nuts.
If you're a parent out there whodoes that and you want to say,
well, trades, you drive me nuts.
I'm sorry, but that's myopinion on it.
I I could not foresee myselfsitting in there and just
yelling from the crowd and,after every single pitch and
(04:52):
every single at bat, no, cheeryour kid on, tell them they're
doing a great job.
Now when they go home or you'rein the car on the way home, you
can tell them everything theydid wrong.
That's the way to do it.
My mom used to do it to me allthe time.
My dad same thing.
They would let me play the game.
They'd cheer me on during thegame.
After the game they'd tell mewhat I did wrong.
(05:13):
That's when you need to hear it.
Maybe it's something you cancorrect during the game.
Right?
I always remember my mom back inhigh school.
She always tell me, you know,sitting over there on that,
she'd sit on the bleacher andshe'd always tell me, like I'd
run over by the three-point lineor whatever.
She's like hey, do this, dothis, whatever.
Like she talked to me duringthe game.
I get that, that's fine, butproductive things, not tearing
(05:35):
them a new one.
Well, I just swing at that, Idon't know, because I felt like
it.
You already feel like crap andyet you're gonna make it feel
worse, right?
So that's kind of where I'm atwith that.
That's what's grinding my gearscoming into the day.
So another thing is grinding mygears.
You want to talk about grindingmy gears and that's kind of
what scary and I are going totalk about here coming up here
in just a little bit.
But this whole thing with nicothere down at tennessee I don't
(05:58):
even know how to say his lastname, so I'm not even gonna try,
I don't want to butcher itthere nico, uh, I l m of leva,
whatever you want to say attheir quarterback down there at
tennessee, he, uh, he'stransferring, he's transferring
outside to skip practice,transferring out whatever.
He wanted four mil.
Tennessee didn't want to payhim four mil.
They wanted to pay raise upfrom 2.4 to four mil, right, and
tennessee said basically no,dude, and now he leaves.
(06:21):
And I saw a report.
There was a 4 conference guy,one of the commissioners
basically, and said he's notworth anything, he's going to
have a hard time finding a newhome.
So I just see this and I sawthe article and the article
basically stated that beforelast season's playoffs, nico
(06:42):
told Tennessee that he wantedmore money before participating
in the playoffs or he basicallyhold out, and many other players
did this same thing.
My initial reaction was are you, are you kidding me right now?
Seriously, we're going to holdout of the playoffs.
Where's your pride?
Is there any pride left in inthe game in college?
(07:05):
Is there any pride left in inthe game in college.
Is there any pride, like?
I can tell you one thingthere's probably like wisconsin
carter gilmore, that dude walkon didn't care, just wanted to
play for the badgers.
That guy had pride 100.
But then I hear stories likethis with Nico, who probably
(07:25):
just ruined his career becauseI'm looking at it.
They say, you know, hebasically saying that it's going
to be interesting test of howsmart and disciplined colleges
are looking at him, because whathe said is he has zero market.
So what's his big idea?
What's his plan?
Right, because now he might'vescrewed over his career.
(07:46):
I don't know.
I don't know.
This is the problem that iscollege sports.
Now, this is the problem thatis college sports and something
that we didn't want, want.
(08:06):
We advocated for.
We wanted players to get money.
I am, I am all for guys gettingpaid because I don't believe
that espn should make money offof guys, name, image, likeness.
I agree with that.
But this is getting out ofcontrol and now you have reports
and stories of guys trying tobasically blackmail universities
(08:29):
.
I'm not going to play unless yougive me more money.
I'm not going to play in thecollege football playoff list.
You paid me for 13 games.
That's 12 plus the championshipgame for the conference, if I
get there.
You didn't pay me for a playoff, so now you owe me extra.
Are you kidding me?
Are you kidding me right now?
Have some dignity, have somepride.
(08:54):
Go and play for the teammate,go play for your guys.
Right?
You're telling me you're goingto sit out.
That absolutely drives me nutsis that when guys sit out of
bowl games or whatever and theystand on the sideline, they
watch, right?
I can't remember who was lastyear setting that record.
There was a cam ward when hewas going for that record and he
sat there and he watched miamiblow the lead and he watched
this disastrous happen and hejust stood there and watched
(09:17):
because he took himself out ofthe game.
He just wanted the record.
I would hate that.
As a teammate, I would ask guys, if they didn't want to be
there or they didn't want toplay, not to show up.
I want the guys who want to behere to play.
I want those guys here.
I don't want you here.
You were my teammate.
Now you don't care.
You're protecting yourself foryour future.
Sure, sure, that's fine.
(09:40):
I don't know.
Drives me nuts.
Drives me absolutely nuts.
So, nico we that big storyhappened over the weekend there.
We'll see what happens.
We'll see what happens there ifhe finds in our college,
whatever is going to happenthere.
But that is just the tip of theiceberg of what is wrong with
college sports and that's awhole nother thing we can get
(10:01):
into and a whole nother day,because it takes even more time.
We're going to get into it alittle bit more here, just after
the break.
Here we're going to have aquick break.
We're going to come back.
Scary is going to be hopping onhere, scary Alvarez.
We're going to talk Badgers.
Badgers have transfer portalnews.
Not good news, maybe not goodnews, I don't know.
We'll be right back here onWisconsin Sports on the go with
(10:26):
Trades.
Welcome back into WisconsinSports on the go with Trades.
I'm your host, trades.
We're coming back.
It's April 16th, it's afantastic April 16th, and that
is because we have one of ourgreat sponsors here at the show
Foreman's Hardware.
They offer everything from homeessentials to farm supplies,
house to farm, grills to drills.
Foreman Hardware has got youcovered.
House to farm grills to drills,foreman hardware has got you
covered.
Visit today in loyal kobe ormedford, wisconsin there.
(10:47):
Tell them trade sent, you, getfive percent off.
Nothing better, nothing betterthis time of year.
Get all your spring essentials.
Tell them trade sent, you getfive percent off.
I can't think of a better dealright now anywhere out there
than at foreman's hardware therein loyal kobe and medford,
wisconsin there.
So hey, I mentioned before wewent to the break we were
talking about the mess that iscollege football right now.
I wanted to get a guy that Isee as an expert on Wisconsin
(11:08):
sports.
He tells me he's not, but Ithink he's an expert on it.
I got the scary Alvarez heretonight here on the show Scary,
how are we doing tonight?
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Well, I can't answer for you, but I'm doing pretty
well as usual.
Got a goblet of sherry wine tomy side and ready to get cooking
.
And, by the way, I want to sayForeman's Hardware, just an
elite hardware store.
Whenever I'm in centralWisconsin, north central
Wisconsin, and I have a hardwareneed, they're cooking buddy.
That's all I'm going to say.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
There we go.
That is what we needed rightthere.
That is what we needed FromScary himself.
Get yourself in to Foreman'sHardware there.
So we have lots to get into.
Because we were talking aboutit a little bit, we were
messaging back and forth there.
But the Wisconsin Badgers rightnow.
Can you make sense of the mess?
That is what is going on in thetransfer portal or what is
going on?
The transfer is coming in.
(11:57):
Now they're leaving.
What is going on in Wisconsin?
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Yeah, and you know it's a good question and I want
to properly orient everyone forwhat's happening.
The transfer portal opens upagain tomorrow officially.
I'm sure some people knew thatalready, and so the fact that
there are a bunch of peopleannouncing right now, both in
Madison and across the countryat 100 other schools, that's not
(12:24):
a surprise.
That's kind of timing-wise.
This is when it was going tostart happening.
Now we can get into I'm notsure how much you want me to get
into here on this, but we canget into the who's, what's and
where's and why's of the peoplewho are now in the portal.
And we're sitting right now atCozeal although I'm not sure
it's official yet, we all knowCozeal's gone.
Mark although I'm not sure it'sofficial yet, we all know
(12:45):
Cozio's gone.
Mark Hamper, who it is officialwith, and then Quincy Burroughs
, the receiver, who came overfrom Cincinnati a few years ago,
has now gone and there aregoing to be more guys because
obviously the depth charts andthings like that have shaken out
over the spring practices andguys kind of know where they
stand right now relative towhere they might have a month
ago, and it's just.
That's a fact.
(13:06):
We're going to see other guysleave and of course I don't
think I'm spoiling anything herewe're going to have some
additional guys come in too, soit's going to be a fun, fun.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Next six weeks or so.
That's the thing is.
You got to look at it from bothsides.
Right, you're going to haveguys leaving, but you're going
to have guys coming in and LukeFickle, I mean, he doesn't
really seem concerned.
He said you know, according toDylan Graff this is the quote
that he got there he said thisisn't for everybody, right, this
is a grown man's league andthis is a grown man's game, and
if guys don't understand that,then this isn't the right thing
(13:35):
for them.
It is what it is.
I mean, that's the luke fecklesat.
He's like, if I'm gonna sithere and complain and I'm gonna
worry about it, I'm not gonnaget this program heading in the
right direction.
So I mean, we're talking aboutthe losses of these guys.
Is there a bigger impact thanthe tight end room?
(13:56):
Losing a tight end like thatinto back into the transfer
portal there, because now you'reback at square one with, I
guess, ashcraft, right?
Speaker 1 (14:05):
You know, I've had a kind of an evolution of how I
thought about this, the more Ilearn about Cozeal, the way he
went about his business inpractice, or maybe perhaps
didn't go about his business inpractice- and I'm not here to
bash kids.
That's not I said off camera,that's not my thing, but I do
want to give some flavor andtexture to the things that are
happening.
I would have thought this wasan absolute disaster a month ago
(14:29):
if I would have said, hey, in amonth from now, this elite
maybe not elite, but very, verystrong portal guy you got out of
Ball State, entered the portalthat quickly.
What I understand is that and Ithink you kind of played it in
nicely with Fickle's quote theyrun tough practices, they get up
(14:50):
early.
This is not a country club, andso there are going to be in
every recruiting cycle and everytransfer portal cycle, a couple
of people, sometimes more thana couple, and that doesn't mean
everyone who transfers has thismindset.
But there are going to be a fewof these guys who it's hard to
say if they're different thanthey thought it was going to be.
(15:11):
I believe Cozio might be one ofthose guys.
I think he's kind of a finesseguy.
He's very talented.
This isn't about his ability.
I think he would have been areal nice pass catcher, a real
good red zone guy.
But did he want to be blocking?
Did he want to be getting intothe trenches and and and you
know, mixing up.
I'm not so sure, based on whatI've heard that that was his
thing.
Uh, and so I I feel like hecame in, he got a glimpse of
(15:37):
what luke fickle football,wisconsin football is, and I
think we're getting back to thehard nose.
Uh, you know, jeff grimessystem is going to be
reminiscent, I think, of some ofthe things we've seen in the
past before the ill-fated Longoera, and he decided it wasn't
for him and he took off.
I don't think that's a loss.
I think you always want someoneto work out, but I am not
(15:59):
lamenting Mark Hampertransferring one iota.
Mark Hamper transferring oneiota and the fact that Tucker
Ashcraft is having a really nicecamp and seems to be putting it
together certainly better thanhe did last year.
I think we're going to be okay.
I think that's a positionthat's going to utilize the
tight ends better and I thinkAshcraft is going to do just
fine.
You know that's one thing.
(16:19):
Hamper is another guy and nowwe're kind of.
You know, he kind of did alittle bit of a shot across the
bow in his all thanks to God,all that stuff he did in his
statement, but he did a littlebit of a I wasn't understood, or
something like that.
And I just get the same vibesfrom Hamper.
And so when I see people, bothWisconsin fans and Gopher fans
or Hawkeye fans laughing andsaying, oh, what is Fickles
(16:40):
sucks, these guys are leaving.
Fans or Hawkeye fans laughingand saying, oh, what is Fickle,
fickle sucks, these guys areleaving.
I'm telling you I don't reallyfor these two dudes.
I don't put this on Fickle atall.
I really don't.
I mean, unless you want to saylike he should have known them
better before they transferred,I feel like these are guys who
are not good culture fits and ifyou believe the insiders, so to
(17:02):
speak, speak, hamper was not astarter, he wasn't going to be
starting this year.
I mean, who knows?
There are a lot of differentsystems and he would.
He probably would have gottenthe field.
Is he gonna put him up?
But that's not a name.
You're hearing a lot early onand and of course he's been
sitting out for a while.
But I guess and I'm gonna havepeople saying, scary, that's
just coat man, that's scary coat.
I get that all the time.
(17:23):
It's not cope.
I don't need to cope withanything.
I call it like I see it.
I think we're going to be okaywithout Hamper and Cozier.
I think we're going to be justfine.
I think the locker room isprobably a better place without
those guys.
It's going to be all right.
Quincy Burroughs is the thirdone.
Everything I in 2023.
So I don't have a reason otherthan the guy just can't get on
(17:43):
the field.
You know, in games I washopeful and, as I mentioned
earlier this the fact that theportal just opened up and of
course, this is where a lot ofguys jump off this is a good
indication of maybe where thedepth chart was looking, as
practice spring practice startsto kind of head towards the end
(18:04):
of the sessions and my guess ishe wasn't in the too deep and
he's a talented kid who's fast,has ball skills, the boundary
guy that we really wanted butjust didn't quite develop,
apparently in in three Springs,and he'll find another place and
it'll be okay.
So none of this is out of theordinary.
If you look at other schools,hal had four running backs going
(18:26):
to the portal on the same day.
This is not.
I'm not saying we're aspiring tobe Justin Wilcox and the Golden
Bears, but what I'm saying iseveryone looks at their program.
We have fewer transfers rightnow than most quality programs
in the country.
Because that's just how crazythe portal is.
Anyway, I'm going to step aside.
But that's just how crazy theportal is, anyway, craig, I'm
going to step aside.
But that's where I am right now, kind of as a preliminary
matter on some of these big newsitems today.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
You hit the nail on the head.
You did.
That's exactly what I wanted tohear.
These guys weren't up on thedepth chart.
They were, like you said withCole Zeal, a little bit soft in
your opinion, which that couldvery well be.
He got used to the Jeff Grimessystem.
He said I'm not a part of this,I wanted to be a part of an air
raid.
I'm not a part of this groundand pound, I want to play in the
(19:09):
trenches kind of football.
I love that answer because thatexplains everything and it comes
back to the point, the thingthat I talked about in the first
section of the show, the firstsegment of the show, and it's my
problem with the transferportal.
Guys don't know how to fail.
They don't know how to failanymore.
That's where we're at with thetransfer portal.
Guys get knocked down on thedepth chart right To the second
(19:31):
string, whatever it is.
And you know what?
For a guy like Quincy Burroughs, I don't know if he was ever
going to see the field ofMadison.
Okay, that's fine.
Like it sucks.
It absolutely sucks, becauseyou're not teaching these guys
anything anymore.
I get it's a professionalleague now.
(19:51):
Guys are being paid NIL,everything like that.
I get all that and that hooplaand everything like that and the
transfer portal is meant for it, right, I get it, but I hate it
.
I absolutely hate it because,like Tom Izzo said, like all
these great coaches that havebeen in the past, what, what are
they?
What are we really coachinganymore?
We're just letting guys jumparound.
(20:11):
I just saw aj stores going toold miss now that's his school,
eighth school.
In eight years he went to fourhigh schools and four colleges.
That's ridiculous.
There has to be.
There has to be something thatprevents these guys from just
being able to.
Oh yeah, I'm going to join upwith the Badgers here.
Oh, at the end of spring I'mleaving, see ya?
(20:32):
Oh well, what's Luke Ficklesupposed to do now?
He's like I was just planningon this guy to be my starting
tight end.
Now it's like crap.
Okay, now I got to go back intothe portal and hope that I find
another guy.
I wasn't worried about it, butnow I have to worry about it
again.
It's ridiculous.
Like I don't know.
In your opinion and I talkedabout this a little bit in the
first segment of the show, butin your opinion, do contracts
(20:54):
need to be brought into this?
Because we are professional?
Now we're making money, right,we're making money.
Ask Nico.
Right, he wants four mil fromTennessee.
Like we're making money.
Now Do contracts have to beinvolved?
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Well, I mean, yeah, they do need to be more formal,
because there are contracts.
Cozio has a contract either withthe collective, the school or
both, just like the gentlemanwho departed from Miami.
It needs to be more formal.
There needs to be more guidance.
So I want to back up a littlebit because I feel I need to
(21:27):
properly define my generalfeeling on NIL and things like
that.
I am generally very pro player.
They have been absolutelyunequivocally taken advantage of
for a hundred years by bigmoney conferences and teams and
sponsors.
I love the fact that playersare getting a share of the.
(21:48):
I think that's great.
But you need to have somesemblance of order to it or
you're going to have this WildWest show where, for example,
xavier Lucas, there's literally,like the NCAA says you don't
even have to enter the portal,you can just go to Miami.
That became a new rule that day.
The NCAA just said, oh okay.
(22:10):
Meanwhile, the NCAA is spendingtens of thousands of dollars on
high-priced New York and Chicagolawyers to fight 904 Korean for
getting an extra year ofeligibility, when the guy missed
a full season almost and thenwas injured another season.
What are we doing here?
It's the willingness.
So there needs to be frankly,and we don't need to get into
(22:31):
politics here.
But a great thing Congresscould do right now is take some
of that energy and stop thepartisan bickering.
Get together, have a kumbayaand get a workable logical
landscape for college sports andNIL.
What a great accomplishment.
I mean.
It's such a huge thing forAmerica's soul and happiness is
(22:54):
having these college sports.
You go across the country onSaturday afternoons throughout
the fall and it's magical.
It's things you can't create.
It's almost like a fairytaleland and it makes people happy
and it's not giving the properamount of attention.
So that's kind of where I'mhigh level.
Now, getting back down to theBadgers and the things you're
(23:17):
saying, as far as contracts, Ithink Fickle has done everything
he can possibly do short ofthere being legislation and
rules in place.
You can hear the frustration inhis voice.
He's like we can't and it goeswith whether they're going to
cut the roster size andscholarship numbers, which of
course, is out there now.
He's like I have these guysthat brought in a scholarship.
I'm going to have to look inthe eye in a couple months and
(23:38):
say you're off scholarship now.
This is the worst time to be afootball coach in the history of
football.
So I have some sympathy andsome grace for Luke Fickle.
I think there are criticismsthat can be levied against him,
not the least of which hischoice in offensive coordinator,
which he would immediately tellyou was a horrible regret
picking Longo.
But I do have some sympathy forhim and the stuff he has to
(24:00):
deal with People saying Leonardand Chris, they would have been
fine.
Paul Chris would have taken ajump off a cliff having to deal
with anything to do with thisstuff.
He hated where the directionwas going.
That's why Wisconsin'srecruiting class was 67 heading
into halfway through his lastseason.
It was going the wrongdirection.
It's why we had a formerWisconsin center as a running
(24:21):
backs coach that was going tohell in a handbasket.
Leonard might have been fine,but Leonard was still learning
the ropes.
It would have been, I think, adisaster In terms of this thing
if it was just coaching.
Leonard would have been fine.
I love Leonard.
He gets his guys in there andcoaches, but dealing with the
NIL and all this BS stuff, itwould have been a disaster.
Pickle's the right guy for that.
He's got the mindset, he's gotthe CEO mindset, but he hasn't
(24:44):
been good enough on the coachingend and I think that's what
he's trying to remedy right now.
I love the Grimes hire.
I love the new harder edged,hard nose get back to the basics
attitude that we're having.
That should make Wisconsin fansreally happy.
So yeah, I mean I'm kind ofanswering six different ways.
Yes, you need a system, acoherent system in place for NIL
that makes sense, that makesthe playing field as even as it
(25:11):
can be.
When you have the CEO of Dykespending for one school and Dan
Katz giving some money forBarstool for another school,
these playing fields are notlevel, but let's make them as
level as we can be.
Mlb at least has some rules.
Even though the Yankees andBrewers are different
stratospheres, there's somerules where you can find success
at the lower, lower levels ofpayroll.
I'm going all over the place,man, but that's that's generally
(25:32):
where I am and and and you knowit's not, it's not.
I think I came in kind of hotagainst Hamper and Cozio.
It's not nothing against theseguys.
I want these guys to besuccessful and put some money in
their pockets.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
It's great.
They just want the right guysfor this program.
That's my vibe and and andhopefully they end up somewhere
where they're happy.
I, I, I love that take.
I love that take.
On there, I agree with you.
I thought nil was necessary.
I think the problem was theyopened up the floodgates and
they didn't just let the watertrickle first, they just said
screw it and just open it up andlet players have basically
control over the whole system.
There was no limits.
There was.
Why is the transfer portal openup?
Well, the season's still goingon.
(26:10):
That's my biggest question withthe basketball, because we're
having March Madness and thetransfer portal is open.
So guys are coaching theirplayers, trying to recruit
players, asking their players ifthey're going to stay.
It's ridiculous.
I just think, like you said,there's a contract but there's
not a contract.
There isn't something bindingthem.
There's supposed to besomething binding them right to
like the Xavier Lucas situationthat we know and we all love
(26:34):
that situation, right and still,who knows what the heck even
ended up happening there.
But I mean there has to besomething that says, hey, this
guy, this is how I feel theyneed, something that says this
guy is locked in for at leastthis year.
Right, when he sends that, hesigns that NIL deal, he's locked
(26:55):
in for the university for thisyear.
I understand it's supposed to beschool comes first, but that's
gone.
We know that like it is it is,now it's athletics come first.
We know that now, with theseguys, money comes first.
Nico we just saw that atTennessee doesn't care, right,
he doesn't care.
They were going to sit out ofthe playoffs.
There was multiple guys whowanted more money going into the
playoffs, otherwise they weregoing to sit out.
(27:16):
That's ridiculous.
There's no pride in schoolsanymore.
There's nothing.
So I agree with you.
I love what Luke Fickle's doing.
Get me the guys that want to behere, not the guys who are here
for money.
Get me the guys that want to bein Madison, who want to play
football, who want to play tough, hard-nosed football.
That's the guys I want.
(27:36):
I love that, because that'swhat I love about Greg Gardner.
He wants the guys who want toplay in Madison, not the AJ
Storrs.
I don't want none of that.
He said AJ, I loved you for ayear but, dude, see you later.
I'm not matching, I'm not doingany of this crap.
You want to be here.
You want to be here.
If you don't, you don't, I'llhelp you.
If you want help, that's it Outthe door.
(27:58):
That's what I love about GregGard.
You don't want to be here.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
See you later, like yeah, we're not gonna try too
hard for you that's well said,that's all well said.
And like, look, luke fickleprobably spends a half an hour
before he goes to bed everysingle night regretting that he
didn't do this two years ago,because I think it's who he is
and I don't know.
Look, a lot of us were superexcited about long ago I'm not
(28:24):
gonna pretend that there wasn'tlike it was tantalizing.
It's like you have a reallyreliable car that's worked a
long time, a minivan that'sgreat, or a Cherokee, and you
have this Maserati and it's like, hey, wisconsin is going to do
all this cool stuff.
So I understand the appeal ofit.
But Luke, in his heart ofhearts, and probably well beyond
his heart of hearts, wouldwould freely tell you that was a
(28:45):
terrible mistake and if youwould have gone with a grimes
type initially, I thinkwisconsin, there would have been
bumps and bruises there.
That's just the way it is withnew programs.
Because it's a very, I tell youI I did jack nelson podcast,
had jack nelson on our uh tacklethat just just left.
Wish we had a bachelor year, um, but he just goes.
(29:05):
It was just such a differentsystem, just different,
different, different.
But he, he said good thingsabout both of them and he said
what you just said aboutwisconsin.
Right now the vibe is we wantguys who want to be here, tough
guys.
Not the guys want the fancyfendi bag or something, not the
guys who it's not to say kidscan't get rich playing for
(29:26):
wisconsin, because some of themcan, but like they want the
tough, mean potatoes.
Guys who are going to go inthere and want to bleed badger
red and yeah, you need some fourstars in there.
Certainly you're never going tohave the same roster ohio state
does.
It's the reality of it.
Till the money equal out.
It's not going to equal out intime soon.
Uh, but he has a vision for theprogram now.
I think that that he kind ofhad maybe in the back of his
(29:47):
mind.
I think it's coming to fruitionnow with grimes in there and uh
, yeah, I'm, I'm uh.
Look you track.
You've seen the schedule.
You know, you know what's infront of this team this year.
It is depending on the, youknow the, the aggregator that
you look at, the source you lookat it is almost a consensus top
10 NCAA schedule.
(30:09):
The one I loved was the onethat was Wisconsin and nine SEC
teams.
Wisconsin was fourth in termsof the difficulty of schedule.
You don't like seeing Wisconsinand Alabama having the same
schedule and I know BarryAlvarez is looking at that
Alabama game down Tuscaloosagoing, you know, in 2019 or 2018
, whatever that was.
That seemed like such a greatidea.
And we're playing in the BigTen West and we would have
(30:29):
Purdue and Northwestern andMinnesota and Nebraska.
He wasn't thinking in 2025we're going to have, you know, a
road game against Michigan,ohio State, a road game against
Oregon, a road game against agood Indiana team, a really good
Mac team in Miami coming in aroad game.
It's going to be a terrible.
So this is going to be adaunting schedule that might
(30:50):
make things seem worse than theyactually are, but I feel very
confident that Fickle is goingto put a product on the field
this year that is going to feelcompetitive.
I'm not sure what that wintotal is going to look like, but
it's going to be.
It's.
Possibly you could have a fourwin team in 2025 that looks and
feels and performs significantlybetter than the five win team
(31:12):
last year and the seven win teamfrom 2023 is that fair?
Speaker 2 (31:17):
yes, that is exactly what I have said.
I have said if luke this is mybiggest problem with luke fickle
, and this is when I watch thesegames, when I watch them get
blown out, it looks terrible,like it doesn't look like
football, it doesn't look likeWisconsin football, it looks
absolutely ugly.
I don't even want to watch thegame.
It doesn't have the room.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
It didn't have the room last year against Minnesota
, nebraska Didn't have the room,iowa didn't have the room.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
I agree, I agree 100% , and that's where I look at
this season.
I say I asked people, I saidhow do you measure the success
of the Badgers this season?
Because you can't go wins andlosses like that, that is.
That's hard to do, wins andlosses.
I said it's about the productand what it looks like when it
goes out If you play competitivegames.
But the thing with it is yougot to get your one signature
(32:01):
win.
That is what Luke Fickle hasmissed every single year.
Is that signature win?
Where are you at when it comesto the Big Ten?
Because the Big Ten's tiersright.
You got Oregon, ohio State, youknow those teams are up at the
top.
Where does Wisconsin fit in?
That's what I think we need tofind out.
Like, are they there with Iowayet?
Because after last season, Ican't say we're there After
(32:22):
Minnesota, say we're there afterMinnesota, I we're, we're ahead
of Minnesota, I hope.
Right, I don't like PJ flack,but I mean where do the Badgers
fit in?
That's what I want to find out.
Are we on the tier with thoseteams that were supposed to like
we beat the teams we'resupposed to be?
Where are we in a tier now?
Are we right above them?
Are we with Iowa?
(32:42):
Are we with Minnesota?
Where did the Badgers fit in?
That's what I want to find outthis year.
It's like can Luke Fickle beatthe teams he's supposed to beat
and beat the teams that areright there with him?
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Yeah, that's.
I mean, I think that's a goodbaseline and the reality is it's
tricky in the sense of, likethe head-to-head stuff is there,
but the stuff with you know whoends up with the best record,
minnesota is preposterously easy.
They do have some tough games.
I think they'll play Ohio State, I think they'll start this,
but it's easy.
Nebraska's schedule is easy.
Iowa's schedule is easy.
I don't mean easy like ours isgoing to be easier in 26 because
(33:11):
it is easier.
It's easy like the kind of oneswe had in 2019, 2018.
I mean, I'm sorry.
I mean I love those teams, Ilove those guys.
I'm a big Paul Chris fan, buthe had such easy schedules
compared to now.
And Fickle makes reference.
He goes this isn't the Big Tenyou're used to, this is the new
Big Ten, and she's like we can'twhine about it.
(33:32):
It's the reality.
But Wisconsin, this is their 24and 25 where they're bad,
they're tough ones, and then itgoes back to being a little bit
better next year.
Fickle needs to.
Getting back to your question,it's the eye test, you know it
when you see it.
Yep, 100%, and so two levels.
You said we need a signaturewin.
I think that's true.
(33:52):
But more important than asignature win is you've got to
win at least two or three withIowa, illinois and Minnesota.
You've got to win two of thosegames at least, and if you win
all three, I don't want to sayit's house money, but if you win
those three games I thinkthings are going to be okay.
Yeah, with the rest of yourseason.
That's going to be strongly, astrong indication, because those
(34:15):
three schools you can make anargument at the end of last
season this includes minnesota,which we are a superior program
in quotes than minnesota.
They were a better team than usand if you watch those teams
play at the end of last seasonthe Camp Randall you had no
question which was the better.
Like that wasn't an upset.
Minnesota was better than us atthat moment.
Minnesota, there's that heart.
Pj was coaching well, it was acomplete debacle.
(34:38):
So that you know I don't want togive Fickle too free a pass.
I think he's a talented coachwho's had a bad run of it, but
that still happened under hiswatch.
I know there was no offensivecoordinator in that game and
there's all, but that's, that'sthe bet.
He's laying it man.
So and you know he's not thekind of guy to to run from stuff
.
He's owned that behind thescenes, in front of the scenes.
He owns it and he's trying toget better and he he has a
(35:02):
people always say chicken ridewith fickle at at cincinnati.
Was it his assistants or was ithim?
Because you look at what hisassistants are doing, you got
the best offensive coordinatorin possibly college football up
at notre dame right now was hisoffensive coordinator.
But then like fickle, likefound and groomed that guy.
That's a fickle guy.
So it's not.
You can't say you look fickle,nothing to do with that, it's a.
(35:24):
So we need to have that samelevel of success with these
assistants he has right now inMadison.
We need to you know Devin.
To you know, get that, keepthat running back room cranking.
We need Blazek to you know,keep moving along in a very
about losing our left tackle forthe year.
But what a people were sayingare you feeling bummed about the
(35:44):
portal?
No, I don't feel bummed at allabout the portal at all.
I felt horrified losing KevinHaywood.
That was a much moresignificant piece of news for
the Wisconsin Badgers than allthree of these guys combined,
and it's not even close yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
No, I would agree.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
I mean it's hard to replace offensive linemen,
that's for sure.
But the Badgers are going totry.
They got guys in the room.
We're going to see how it worksout.
Right, untest it.
You know.
I looked at Barrett Nelson'sstuff at Vanderbilt.
He's got a couple of SECacademic, all first teams.
That's his calling card rightnow.
So I don't know, man.
I mean you know that's not notto shake it, you know not to
(36:36):
make fun of good academics.
And Vanderbilt's, of course, awonderful school.
But it's remains to be seen andif you listen to the camp
reports, there's a pretty bigdrop off between the first team
and second team on thatoffensive line this spring.
So we shall see, my friend.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
I can't wait to find out there.
But scary, hey, I got to run.
We are woefully late for abreak, holy crap.
We are way late for a breakhere.
But scary, make sure leteverybody know where to find you
out there, because you've gotgreat stuff across social media.
Let them know where to find you.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
Yeah, you know.
Look, I got a podcast.
Oh, look, it's right there inmy face.
It's called the Scary AlbrowsPodcast.
It's a fun one.
It's on the YouTubes.
You got to tune in there.
Also, I upload the longer oneswith guests to Spotify for those
of y'all who like to listen inyour car.
And you know, I'm on TwitterX,whatever the hell y'all call it
(37:23):
nowadays the kids are calling it, but it's that thing where
people complain a bitch abouteverything.
But yeah, man, it's a reallyappreciate you having me on and
I'm, I'm, you know, happy tojump on and share my opinions.
But I, despite the sad day withthe portal stuff and the stuff
with Haywood, I like the vibesin that room right now for this
football team.
I'll leave it at that.
The vibes in that room rightnow for this football team.
I'll leave it at that.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
I love to hear it.
I love to hear it there.
We're going to have to have youback here pretty soon, scary.
We're going to have to talkmore Badgers here because we got
Badger football.
The transfer portal is justopening up, right, so we got to
talk Badger football transferportal.
We got Badger basketball allkinds of stuff we can talk about
there.
So welcome back into wisconsinsports.
(38:14):
On the go with trade.
I'm your host, trade.
I hope you guys really enjoyedthat.
Last segment.
There was scary.
That was awesome having them onthere.
Make sure you guys are checkingthem across social media there.
We'll definitely have them backhere to talk badgers at some
point in the near future there,because that was awesome.
That was us right.
A little bit longer therebefore the commercial break
there.
So that was awesome, though wegot a lot covered in a short
(38:34):
amount of time there.
But hey, we got to flip to thecommercial break there.
So that was awesome, though.
We got a lot covered in a shortamount of time there, but hey,
we got to flip to anothercommercial break here just
because you know you got to meetthe quota right, so we got to
hit another commercial breakhere.
We're going to come back.
Kyle's going to join me.
We're going to talk bucks,because bucks Pacers coming up
here in a this next weekend weit's right around the corner.
We got playoff basketball andthe NBA.
We want to get to that.
(38:55):
We're going to talk NBA.
We're going to talk Bucs.
We're going to talk about itall.
Kyle's going to be joining us.
We'll be right back here onWisconsin Sports on the Go with
Trach.
After this quick message fromour sponsors, welcome back into
Wisconsin Sports on the Go withTrach.
I'm your host, trach.
We're coming back.
It is april 16th, a fantasticapril 16th, and this next
(39:17):
segment of the show is sponsoredby a great sponsor of ours
marshfield motor speedway, thehalf mile paved track just three
miles west of marshfield oncounty road h.
Find upcoming events and racesat marshfieldspeedwaycom that is
, marshfieldspeedwaycom there.
So I got kyle with me tonighthere from chomping at the Bit
podcast over there.
Kyle, how are we doing on thisWednesday?
Speaker 4 (39:40):
I'm good.
You know it's playoffbasketball time.
I love this time of the yearand I'm excited to talk about it
once again with you.
So yeah can't complain at all.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
I'm stoked, we're just stoked.
Playoff basketball is rightaround the corner here in the
NBA, so we cannot wait.
We cannot wait here, but beforewe get there, before we get
there, like you guys, Imentioned earlier in the show
there, aaron, he's had prior, ornot prior, but other
obligations, right.
So he's had to step away fromthe show here for the
(40:16):
foreseeable future.
But hey, we still got to do theMellow Yellow Minute, so Kyle
will be a part of the MellowYellow Minute tonight here.
I've heard this stupid thing,Kyle, it drives me nuts.
It drives me nuts.
Scientists have brought backthe dire wolf.
It's like a three-foot-tall dogthat I mean.
It's bigger than a wolf.
Let's go with that.
It's bigger than the biggestwolf.
I don't know why we need Ifanybody has watched the Game of
(40:37):
Thrones, which I made it throughlike two episodes, I make it to
, I try to watch it, I really do.
I sit down and I'm like I'mgoing to watch Game of Thrones
and I did get through twoepisodes and that's as far as I
can make it.
But anyways, the dire wolf isin game of thrones.
So they bring back this direwolf and I don't know why.
It seems like this is not going.
(40:59):
What is the benefit that's?
I always want to figure outwhat the benefit is.
What's the benefit of bringingback a three foot tall wolf like
I?
We need more predators in thewild.
I, I have no idea what.
What is the best that I know?
We bring it back.
So I'm going to ask Kyle heretonight Kyle, what animal, what
animals let's go top three wouldTrage bring back if he could?
Speaker 4 (41:26):
Look, I'm going to throw out one.
Yeah, I'm going to throw outthis.
Guess I'm going to go theTasmanian tiger.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
That's a bold.
That is a bold take.
That would be awesome.
Yeah, without this, guess I'mgoing to go with the Tasmanian
Tiger.
That's a bold.
That is a bold take.
That would be awesome.
I would take.
I'm going to go.
Yeah, I'd bring the TasmanianTiger back.
I'd bring him back.
I like that one.
I'd bring him back there.
We'll say number three, thatwould be my top, that would be
the third.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
I'd go with.
Third, I feel like another oneis one that most people kind of
think of, because the name iskind of fun to say it's got to
be the Dodo.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Oh, that's number one .
Oh, my God, I was talking to mygrandma, I was talking to my
cousin about this.
I'm like why do you bring backa dire wolf?
Bring back something funny likethe Dodo bird.
Yeah, it has no point.
No point to the Dodo bird.
It just waddles around, it justmakes a lot of noise.
It made me laugh in the movieup.
(42:20):
What else do you want, likethat, a dodo bird, that's what
we need.
I, I'm all for the dodo bird.
Number one, number one on thelist.
You want to bring somethingback?
Bring back the dodo bird next.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
Guess I could go a couple of ways with this, but I
think for like sheer shock value, the woolly mammoth, because
you imagine one of those walkingaround how people would freak
out, so I'd go with that I'dtake the woolly mammoth.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
I would.
I've heard scientists told methat it would benefit global
warming.
I don't know what that means.
It would like they stomp icedown.
I don't know.
People tell me they stomp icedown.
I don't know.
People tell me things and I'mlike why don't we just send
people up there with jackhammersthen I have no idea.
I feel like it'd be the same,it'd be a tradeoff.
Why do we need a wall mammothwhen we have jackhammers?
I don't know.
All I know is I've watchedJurassic Park.
(43:08):
There has to be bring back,because there's a reason why
they make movies like that, sowe don't make dinosaurs, that's.
That's the darn truth.
Because, guess what, it didn'tgo well.
They made a movie about it andas much as they put a cage
around a t-rex, it always endedup finding its way out.
That's all I know.
So we need to avoid that at allcosts.
So there you go, mel yellowminute there from with kyle,
(43:31):
with kyle tonight here.
That was fantastic, there, kyle.
So I want to get over to theBucs.
Let's talk a little Bucs.
Let's talk a little NBA.
We're going to carry this on.
I mean, we're nearing the topof the show here, but we might
carry this over into the secondhour of the show there.
Make sure you guys know, like Ialways tell you guys, goodness
gracious, we're on for two hoursnow, maybe drive around the
block one more time, I don'tknow Just stay in your car.
(43:52):
That's what you got to do.
You got to check out the secondout of the show here.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
So Kyle.
Speaker 2 (44:03):
I saw this question and I had to ask it.
Bootholzer got fired down inPhoenix.
Doc's kind of like Buck fansdon't really want Doc anymore.
They're kind of like let's getrid of Doc.
I don't know how Giannis feelswe actually Buck fans don't
really want Doc anymore.
They're kind of like let's getrid of Doc.
I don't know how Giannis feelsthe only reason why Doc's still
there is because Giannis stillwants him.
But if you're the Bucks, do youflirt with the idea of we
(44:27):
haven't really been the samesince Budenholzer left?
Do you flirt with the idea ofmaybe a reunion with Budenholzer
?
Letting Doc walk out the door,go on his way.
You've had your day.
It hasn't been well.
I mean, what part of this Bucstenureship for Doc Rivers has
been good?
I don't know.
Somebody tell me that.
So I mean, what do you think?
(44:48):
Do you flirt with the idea ofBudenholzer coming back?
I don't know.
I feel like it's a love-haterelationship at this point.
Speaker 3 (44:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Can you right, I think the players still, I think
you still like the players,like we saw Giannis and him kind
of chatting it up on thesideline.
Giannis made sure to go say hiand everything like that.
But in your opinion, do youbring Boone Holzer back or do
you just kind of let that onewalk?
Speaker 4 (45:10):
away.
I think the Bucs let that onewalk away, because when I look
at Budenhoser, I look at Doc, Ifeel like they're kind of
similar in the fact that whenpeople look at Doc's coaching
record, your first thought isman, that Celtics championship
he led them to in 08 was a longtime ago and it's like he's
(45:33):
dragged every bit of juice outof that.
I think with Budenhoser, whenyou look at it, it's like you
know, in Atlanta he had a 60-winteam but then they quickly went
off the cliff after.
That led to him being relieved.
Then he's with the Bucs andthey up and win a title with him
(45:54):
.
But it seemed like it was kindof going downhill from there.
So it's either Boone Holzerneeds a certain type of team or
whatever.
I don't think you go back toBoone Holzer because I think
you're almost getting more ofthe same that you have with Doc.
I think the Bucs kind of haveto like swing for the fences,
like you have some big names outthere, mike Malone's out there,
(46:15):
I mean I don't know.
I mean I guess the questionwould be Mike Malone and Giannis
, would they mesh?
Well, I think for Giannis hejust wants somebody who's going
to get this team back to winning.
That's Giannis' drive.
Amongst all this, he won one,he wants another one.
So I would pass on budenhoserand maybe try for, like a mike
(46:38):
malone or, you know, taylorjenkins, like somebody who would
bring something different.
I think budenhoser is justextending out what you had with
doc and what you had withbudenhoser before I like mike
malone I.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
I think he demands a hard-working group and I think
that's what kind of led to hisdemise, which which he, they
just the players didn't feel.
They're like oh, you're beingtoo tough, right, and that's
where I think a lot of thesecoaches kind of run into a wall
nowadays.
Yeah, it seems like a guy likeyou said, he just wants to win
and he wants to work hard to getthere and I think that move, I
(47:12):
just can you handle.
Another Adrian Griffin, move,right.
They get Adrian Griffin.
He does well, but they don'tlike him.
So then they move on from him.
They bring in a guy like Dochalfway through, right, you have
a winning record, you move onfrom him.
You haven't had that same kindof record since then.
So what was the problem?
I think the Bucs need to comeback to what's the problem,
what's the real problem?
(47:33):
Don't keep looking at coachesand saying that head coaches are
our problem.
Let's find the root of theproblem.
Maybe, just maybe, I don't know, maybe I'm just talking crazy,
maybe I'm talking crazy for asecond here, kyle, but I think
there's a deeper, rooted problem.
Then let's just keep kickingthe head coaches out the door,
because if adrian griffin had avery good record and then when
he left it went sideways, what'sthe problem?
(47:55):
I don't know.
It might be a common theme ofyou.
Let one guy make all thedecisions for this basketball
team and maybe he might have thebest interest in mind, but at
the same time, sometimes what hewants is not the best.
Just a thought.
Just a thought.
I don't know if it's a greatthought, I don't know if you
(48:22):
want to take off yannis in theprocess, but just a thought in
my opinion there.
So, kyle, we saw thataltercation between malik
beasley and yannis over theweekend and I guess I just want
to get your take on it from theoutside perspective.
You know, looking at it, wasyannis out of line?
Was beasley out of line?
Was anybody really out of line?
Because we saw it after, youknow, after the game there,
beasley took to Twitter and thenthe next day they were buddy,
buddy, fine again.
(48:42):
Was it just an overreaction orare guys kind of they reach a
peak with Giannis's goofiness?
And because we've seen it withJalen Brown too, right, I mean,
you saw with your Celtics therewith Brown, he didn't really
take really kindly to Giannis.
He's a goof, right.
Is that a problem?
Is that becoming a problemaround the league in your eyes?
Speaker 4 (49:03):
No, I don't think so.
I feel like people kind of knowhow to deal with Giannis and
what aspect of him you kind oftake seriously as opposed to
what you don't.
I think that you know, he andbeasley I feel like that was
this, that was like a no, it wasa non-factor, I don't.
I feel like it was probably abit of an overreaction, but it's
(49:28):
kind of seems like it'ssomething that yannis does where
he likes to be a troll at times.
So he has this part of himwhere he will try to kind of get
under people's skin and itusually just annoys them because
we saw it.
I mean, you brought jalen brown.
He also had with, uh, alhorford, you know.
(49:49):
So I think it's just part ofwho he is.
I feel like it doesn't become aproblem if he tries to be
somebody that he isn't.
And I think around the leaguehe's probably well-respected for
his work ethic and his ability,the uniqueness of his skill set
.
But I do think little thingslike this are, you know, because
(50:11):
of regular occurrence, that issomething that can kind of hurt
your stance around the league.
And, look, it may get to thepoint where some players may be
like, yeah, I wouldn't play inMilwaukee because of Giannis's I
don't know if you want to callit childish or whatever part of
them so I think that's whatmakes it interesting to see the
(50:33):
next coming years.
If we start seeing free agentsnot wanting to go there, in the
back of your mind you might haveto wonder does Giannis put
people off?
So I think he and Beasley is anon-factor right now, but now it
is something you might have tothink about going forward.
Speaker 2 (50:54):
I think it's just kind of crazy because it's just
fun, right.
It'd be different if he wastrash talking.
He's not really trash Like,he's not doing it.
These guys have got to knowhe's not doing it to trash talk
you.
He's just doing it to have goodfun, because why not have fun
playing the game you love?
That's the way he wants to playit and I, just like you said
and guys take exception, guysget a little, you know,
(51:14):
irritated by it.
They're maybe not having a goodday.
It comes all back and you justhope that it doesn't drive guys
away because they're like theleader of that team is kind of a
child and it's like, ah well,you know it's a good time though
.
So hopefully, hopefully, theythink business and not childish.
I don't know At the end of theday there, but I don't know at
(51:39):
the end of the day there.
But I completely agree with youthat it was an overreaction, I
would say on both sides of it.
There.
Speaker 1 (51:40):
Giannis didn't really care, like he kind of just
moved on from Beasley, freakedout on Twitter and then the next
day was like oh you know, we'regood, right, gave a hug
everything, dame and him, we'reall good so I mean we're glad to
see it, glad to see it there.
Speaker 2 (51:48):
Um, so I was looking at and just before we got to get
to the break here pretty soonand then we'll talk a little bit
more on the back side of thatbreak there but looking at the
bucks and this hot streak thatthey've been on right going into
the playoffs here, they hadwhat an eight game win streak
heading into the playoffs end ofthe season.
Two straight wins against thepistons.
There they had a huge, a hugewin against the timberwolves.
(52:09):
I don't think there's enoughpeople talking about that game
against the timberwolves wherethey had a 24 point run there.
They 39 to 8 in the last 10minutes was the margin there.
I mean that's nuts, somethingyou don't hear about in the nba
too often.
39 to 8, that run that they puton at one point.
It was what a 23 to 0 run orsomething like that that they
(52:30):
put together.
That's crazy.
That's crazy.
That's great defense, that'sgreat on the box all the way
around.
You did it without damn.
I mean I'm looking at this lastlittle run they put together
that eight game win streakwithout damn.
That's the big thing.
That's the key ticker that Iwant to put into this.
How much stock, in your opinion, do you put into that eight
game win streak?
Because for me I'm looking atI'm like it speaks volumes me
(52:53):
because you're going into theplayoffs hot, but you prove to
me that you can win without game.
You can beat some competitiveteams right, the timber wolves,
the pistons, twice right, youbeat some competitive teams.
The second game against thepistons didn't really matter
because nobody was reallyplaying, but the game before
that, yes, you're still playingfor seating, everything like
that.
So I mean you beat some goodteams along the way, you beat
(53:14):
some teams that were, and, butyou also, in those games, saw
some of these guards take a step, right porter take a step,
rollins take a step.
So, in your opinion, how big,or how you know, impactful, are
these last eight games for thebucks heading into the playoffs
around that eight game winstreak?
Speaker 4 (53:32):
yeah, look, you definitely want to go in with
some momentum on your side, getsome good play on tape before
you get into the second seasonand I think with this team,
especially because we know Damewon't be available at least
early on in the playoffs.
It gives Doc and the evaluatorson the team a chance to see,
(53:54):
you know, who could fill thoseday minutes in a playoff
situation going forward.
Because regular season is onething.
The playoffs are a completelydifferent animal.
Where you're dealing with, youknow, hostile environments.
When you're on the road, you'reat home, raucous crowds that
are expecting you to play acertain way.
That can be overwhelming tocertain players.
(54:17):
So you know you, you might gainsome confidence in in some of
these guys with their playduring this stretch that you
know.
You put them on the court inthe postseason.
Maybe they play a little bitbetter, their intensity is a
little bit higher, theirawareness is a little bit.
You know more.
There is a little bit moreaware as to the situation on the
(54:39):
court.
So, yeah, going into theplayoffs on a hot streak is
nothing to necessarily look past, because good play and momentum
can carry you through a firstround series against an opponent
where you might be evenlymatched and you're looking for
just that little bit of an edgethat could lead you into a
(54:59):
series win.
So, yeah, there's definitelynothing bad about going into the
playoffs on a hot streak.
Speaker 2 (55:05):
Love that, and you hit a key point in there talking
about some of the guardsgetting some very good minutes
there over that eight-gamestretch.
So I want to talk more aboutthat when we come back here.
We got kyle.
He's gonna be back here at thetop side of the hour.
Here we're gonna talk morebucks.
We're gonna talk nba playoffs.
Can't wait to talk about it.
We'll be back here after thisquick commercial break.
(55:26):
Welcome back into wisconsinsports on the go with trade.
I'm your host, trade.
We're coming back.
It's hour two of wisconsinSports on the go with Trage.
We got Kyle here tonight.
We're already talking Bucs.
We were talking Bucs rightbefore there.
So if you missed any of the show, make sure you go back.
Listen.
Itunes, spotify, wherever youget your podcasts, youtube,
wherever you get your podcasts.
You can find the show there.
(55:47):
You've just got to searchWisconsin Sports on the go with
Trage.
You can find us there.
Like, subscribe, follow.
We love you.
If you do it there, that'd beawesome there.
You can also find us acrosssocial media.
You can find us anywhere fromFacebook, twitter, tiktok,
youtube, twitch.
You can find us on Twitter,twitch and TikTok.
Just search Wisco Sports on thego.
You can find us on Facebook andYouTube.
Just search Wisco Sports on thego with trades.
That's Wisco Sports on the gowith trades.
(56:08):
You want to text us?
Let us know what you'rethinking?
Hit us up there 715-990-4914.
That is 715-990-4914 there.
So we went to the break.
We were talking about thateight-game win streak.
The Bucs were on heading intothe playoffs there and Kyle
brought up a great point there,talking about the guards, right,
(56:30):
and you know Porter has been Idon't know what happened, right,
and you know porter has been.
I I don't know what happened,but he meshed and what he has
been able to bring to this bucksteam.
I I didn't expect it to behonest with you, but he has been
fantastic as of late here forthe bucks, and I mean rollins
has been good too, don't getwrong.
Ryan rollins has been good too,but porter has been fantastic.
(56:52):
And I love what you stated therewhen you said getting these
guys valuable minutes headinginto the playoff series, not
just.
You know, scrap time behinddame, whatever it is.
No, no, dame was out.
So now we know, hey, this isthe roster we got, like this is
what we got.
Bobby came back and they knewthat this is what we got and I I
love that and I love that pointthat you brought up there, so I
(57:14):
can't wait to see it there,there, and that's the big thing.
Right, no Dame, to start theplayoffs.
Do we believe that these otherguards can fill that role
somehow, some way?
Do you think it's going to be acollective effort that they
have to go with to fill thatrole, or is it going to be?
Do you see one guy that cankind of stand out?
For the rest, what are youseeing right now, kyle, from
(57:36):
this bucks roster, where theseguards are going to have to fill
a pretty big void?
Speaker 4 (57:42):
yeah, well, look, the .
The keys to them is going to bedon't think you have to be dame
willard, like whether it'srollins or Porter Jr.
It's like be the best versionof yourself, but understand that
when it's the playoffs, eachpossession takes on a different
life.
You know the runs andeverything like that are things
(58:05):
you have to manage.
So if you're going to throwPorter or Rollins out there, the
confidence has to be not onlywithin Doc but the player that
they deserve.
Those minutes and confidencealone can take you far.
So what they have to do is lookthey, they got a play off of
Giannis.
Giannis becomes a bigger focalpoint.
(58:26):
So if Giannis kicks it out toyou, confidently take your shot,
no hesitation, because that allthat does is then put a seed of
doubt in Giannis or whoever theplayer is in that if I dribble,
drive and I kick it out to you,if you're not going to be ready
now, we have to reset and itjust puts more of a burden on
(58:48):
everybody.
So if those guys can go outthere and play free and easy,
they'll probably be better off.
It's if they feel like theyneed to be dame willard, that's
where the the issues may start.
So, yeah, you got to do it bycommittee.
You know one guy's got it going, you leave them out there
extended minutes of not puttingthe other guy.
Just kind of manage it that wayand piece your way through
(59:11):
these games right now until damecan't come back.
Speaker 2 (59:15):
I love that.
Don't be more than what you areright.
Do what you got you here right.
Kevin Porter has been fantastic, filling in the role and just
utilizing him alongside Giannis,not trying to be too much, just
trying to be himself, using himoff of ball screens, whatever
it is, cutting to the basket,he's been fantastic.
Rollins has been fantastic,passing the basketball along
with that.
So I mean, yes, I completelyagree with you.
(59:40):
It's like don't be what you'renot.
Don't try to be Dame, don't tryto fill that void, don't try to
play hero ball, just be theplayer that got you to this
point.
So I completely agree there.
Uh, jericho Sims also.
Doc did say that Jericho Simswill be ready for the playoffs.
So that's huge right, gettingathletic big back for the
playoffs behind Brooke Lopezthere you already have Bobby
right, but you want to getJericho Sims back in LDC?
Love to see that.
I'm looking at this Bucs teamand I'm going to ask you, kyle,
(01:00:02):
what role player or playersright in your eyes have to come
up big for the Bucs in theplayoffs If they want to not
just get past the Pacers, butmaybe even have a chance to.
You know, once they get pastthe Pacers get into a playoff
series and play well rightthey're looking at right now
where would they go?
They got the Pacers and thenprobably the Cavs right, so it's
(01:00:22):
going to be a tough series.
What role player if not morerole players need to step up big
time for the Bucs to not justbeat the Pacers but to try and
put on a playoff run.
Speaker 4 (01:00:34):
I mean, look, the safe answer would be you need
all of them because you don'thave Dame and, to a further
extent, this is a run where youdon't have Chris Middleton to
rely on as well.
So the spotlight will be onKuzma.
That's the guy you went out andgot for Middleton for a reason.
That's the guy who was supposedto bring in like an infusion of
(01:00:58):
youth.
So you know he struggledagainst against indiana during
the regular season, averaginglike nine points.
He can't be a nine point pergame guy in the seven game set.
He has to turn his game up to alevel that kind of justifies
the trade, because if heno-shows this, fans will just
(01:01:21):
look at it and say we could havekept Middleton.
If this is what we're going toget from Kuzma and for Kuzma, he
can't put pressure on himself.
That's going to be the key,because Kuzma's been kind of
outside of the playoff picturefor a few years, being in
Washington or whatever.
He can't try to put too much onhimself as well.
Now his expectations and hisresponsibility that is raised at
(01:01:45):
a point because without Dame,he's now your number two option
and he's gonna have to play likethat, like's going to have to
be able to take advantage ofmismatches that present
themselves against a Pacers teamthat defensively can kind of go
through some ebbs and flowswith it.
(01:02:06):
And if he can do that then yeah, that gives the Bucs a better
shot at it.
So I'm going to say Kuzma hasto be that role player to step
up because of the trade andeverything he's.
The kuzma has to be that roleplayer to step up because he's
because of the trade andeverything he's, the guy's gonna
be looked at to fill thatvacancy from lillard the most
okay, I love that, I love that.
Speaker 2 (01:02:24):
There, I, I would go along the same route if kuzma,
if kuzma doesn't take that stepforward to be that guy yeah, I
mean, you're relying on whatbrooke lopez, bobby portis at
that point there maybe a guy I,I, you could almost say you need
a guy like porter or rollins,one of those two to take a step
forward, maybe one night, andthen the other guy takes that
(01:02:46):
for the next night.
Like you need a.
You know guys to show up, yeah,but kuzma's got to be a
mainstay.
You gotta have stars that youknow what they're going to give
you.
If maybe not 40, right, butthey're going to give you 20,
you gotta have guys like that inthat rotation.
And I completely agree, I thinkkuzma is definitely going to be
(01:03:06):
one of those guys for the bucksthere.
So if the bucks fail, let'sokay.
I don't know if I want to get tothe fail part first there, what
, but I guess this is where alot of Bucs fans are worried
about.
So I want to maybe put theirminds at ease, right, maybe
you'll put their minds at ease,maybe you'll freak them out even
more going into this playoffseries.
But if the Bucs fail to advancein the playoffs?
(01:03:28):
Are you worried about Giannis?
Because I've seen a lot of ofpeople talking like we saw what
was it?
Marcus?
I think it was marcus morriswho is on espn now, whatever he
does, and he was talking aboutyannis to the heat.
Now I'm like shut it.
Now he's not going to the heat.
But I mean, are you worriedabout yannis?
If you're a bucks fan, if thebucks fail once again to move on
to the playoffs, get deep intothe playoffs.
(01:03:48):
Are you worried about yannisand his future with the
milwaukee bucks?
Do you think he's going to tryand ask out?
Speaker 4 (01:03:55):
I think you have to Only because, since they won the
title, like every offseasonthat they haven't won a title,
those rumors have been there,whether it's reading between the
lines of stuff that Giannissays on a podcast or in an
interview, or the fear of asmaller market with a big name
(01:04:18):
in that.
What if we don't win four orfive years in a row?
And in Giannis' mind he thinkshe's done all he can in
Milwaukee.
How does Milwaukee combat that?
So if they come up short andyou know if it's a first-round
exit, then yeah, you might haveto hit the panic button because
(01:04:40):
you just don't know what Giannisis thinking.
Because, as we said earlier,giannis wants to win, so Giannis
doesn't want to.
You don't want Giannis to wakeup one morning and say I'm in
Milwaukee, we won one a coupleof years ago, but I don't think
we could win another one, so whywould I stay around?
Speaker 2 (01:04:58):
so, yeah, I think you you do have to worry about it,
okay okay, well, did not put thebucks uh fans minds at ease,
but that's okay here.
So we got the bucks and thepacers right.
Coming up here on saturdayit'll be the kickoff to the NBA
playoffs.
Coming up on Saturday there,the 19th game won at 12 o'clock
(01:05:20):
there.
Pacers coming in 50 and 32,bucs 48 and 34.
Not much to really talk aboutrecord-wise, because records get
tossed out the window when wehit the playoffs.
So right now, looking at thehead-to-head right, the Bucs
they won the first matchup ofthere.
They, yeah, they won the firstmatch of the year, won the
second matchup, lost the thirdmatchup, won the fourth matchup
for the year there.
So they've been, they fared, uh, fairly well, I guess you could
(01:05:43):
say, against the pacers thisseason, but the pace they're
still coming in with the betteroverall record on the season,
kyle, I mean, we're looking atthis matchup here.
What are some your thoughts?
What are some of your thoughts?
Heading into this matchup forthe Bucs, what do they got to do
against this Pacers team to getthe win, to pull it out?
Game one's important, rightGame one's important, especially
(01:06:04):
because it's on the road.
Stealing one on the road andsetting the tone early in the
playoffs.
That would be massive.
What's some keys you got forthe Bucs here heading into this
playoff series?
Speaker 4 (01:06:14):
So I think for the Bucs, when you look at these two
teams, the Pacers want to playfast because you know, you look
at their talent, they haveHalliburton, who I think
Halliburton is his mosteffective when you're running a
gun in you can get his assistsand everything like that.
You know the trail three.
He can get his assists andeverything like that.
You know the trail three.
(01:06:37):
So if I'm docking, I'm lookingat this, I need my bigs to stay
attached to Turner and Toppin.
Both those guys shoot over 35%from three.
I think between the two of themthey average like 10 threes a
game and I think they shoot like40% between the two of them.
So when you're getting intopick and roll action with hal
(01:06:58):
burton, it's normally going tobe toppin or turner, and that's
where portis lopez, even sims.
These guys have to be awarethat if they are late in their
rotation or the communication isnot there, toppin and turner
are capable three-point shooters.
So so that's my first one.
The second team we kind oftouched on without Dame who
(01:07:20):
steps their game up, and I thinkwe went over the cast of
characters.
Kuzma has to, porter Jr needsto.
I mean Portis, you know, cameback not that long ago.
You're not going to ask him todo more.
Brooke Lopez has to be more ofa presence as well, and it
doesn't need to be the same guy.
Like each game can be different, like you can look at it and be
(01:07:41):
like game one was the kuzmagame, game two was the porter
game.
You just need somebody to stepup and not look at it as yannis
has to go for like 50 every gamebecause that's asking a lot.
So you need somebody to step upthere.
Then Doc because of thelandscape of the coaching scene
(01:08:03):
in the NBA, doc has to feelpressure and then with that will
he kind of go down swinging onold habits, because the book on
Doc is he's not really one foradjustments.
He has his game plan and he'sjust going to stick to it.
I think in a series like this,especially if you are able to
(01:08:25):
steal a game on the road againstthe Pacers, I would want to see
what does Doc do in thatsituation, because once again,
no, dame, rotations can't be setLike a Torian Prince.
I hammer on him a lot, but ifhe doesn't have it, doc needs to
have a quick hook and getsomebody else in there.
(01:08:47):
You can't run Prince out 30minutes a game to score two,
four, six points.
I think in a series like thisyou're kind of being
counterproductive.
So I want to see if Doc's goingto be slow to adjustments or
will he be on it knowing thathe's kind of coaching for his
life with the Bucs right now?
(01:09:07):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (01:09:09):
I like that.
That's some of the best keys hecould have came up with there.
Who's going to step up?
Well, it's got to be theplayers, plus Doc Doc.
Some of the best keys he couldhave came up with there.
Who's going to step up?
And well, it's got to be theplayers, plus doc.
Doc has got to be better if thebucks want to move on in this
one kyle.
Gut feeling, gut feeling.
I know we're going to talk nextweek about the bucks because
the playoff series will still begoing on, but gut feeling.
Game one what do you got buckspacers?
What do you got in that one?
They're coming up 12 o'clock.
Speaker 4 (01:09:29):
They're on espn so I think for the home teams, game
one is the road team's best shot.
So if the Bucs are going tosteal one in Indy, game one is
their opportunity.
And with it being a bit of anearly start, you don't know, the
Pacers may be overly hyped.
They could come out playing alittle bit undisciplined,
(01:09:53):
because that is one thing I wantto watch with the Pacers when
they play their fast pace.
That doesn't mean they can bewild and crazy with the ball,
because the last thing you wantis Giannis running free in
transition, because there's veryfew who can stop that man once
he gets going downhill.
So if the Pacers want to playfast, they have to be smart with
the ball.
No turnovers to give the Bucseasy buckets.
(01:10:16):
So if the Bucs can make the gameclose in game one, I think they
would have a chance to steal itbecause looking on the court,
Giannis is the best player NBA.
You usually go with the bestplayer on the court.
So that's what I'm looking for.
In game one the Pacers willhave their moment where they get
their run and the crowd's intoit.
(01:10:37):
But can the Bucs kind ofcounter that and stay within
reach late in the game?
I think that would give themtheir best chance to win a game,
one, especially as the roadteam.
Speaker 2 (01:10:50):
Okay, okay, I like that.
I like that.
I'm going to take Bucs.
I got Bucs game one.
They got to, they just have to.
I just got that feeling.
I just got that feeling thatBucs will take game one down
there.
So, hey, we got to get.
We are woefully late for abreak, but I don't want to get
out of here.
Before I ask you this onequestion here what game are you
most looking forward to?
I guess in the first round,that one matchup where you're
(01:11:11):
like I can't wait for thismatchup to get going there.
I don't know if it's going tobe your celtics and the magic
down there, because I don't knowif that's going to be the, the
highlight one.
But which matchup west east,which one are you looking at and
you're like I can't wait forthat playoff series to get
started?
Speaker 4 (01:11:26):
I mean, I think there are some good series, but I I'm
interested in pistons nicks.
I've been thoroughly surprisedby this Pistons team.
I want to see what does thisyoung group do in a playoff
setting.
I want to see what CadeCunningham does.
I think for a lot of peoplethis will be their first time
seeing Cade Cunningham on astage like this and he has an
(01:11:49):
opportunity to kind of letpeople know the talent that he
has.
And you're dealing with a Knicksteam that has a lot of pressure
on themselves as well, Becausethe same thing we talked about
with the Bucs If the Pistons cango into New York and steal a
game, the amount of pressurethat's going to be on that
Knicks team, that's going to besomething to watch, Because the
(01:12:10):
Pistons they don't have anyexpectations, so they can go out
there play their game.
If they get swept, so what?
That's probably what somepeople expect.
But if they make this a six,seven-game series, they may be
able to pull this one off.
Because, like I said, theKnicks have so much pressure
being in New York all the yearsthat Knicks fans have been
(01:12:32):
waiting for something.
And this group where you makethat cat deal you got Jalen
Brunson, you go get MikkelBridges Like you did all this to
win now, and if you go out inthe first round, like that is a
big thing to deal with.
So that's the series I'mwatching.
Speaker 2 (01:12:49):
I like that New York would implode.
It would just implode and itwould be awesome.
It'd be like when the Yankeeslost in the world series.
That's just.
That's just.
It'd just be icing on the cakeat this point here.
So, kyle, thank you, as always,for coming and joining us
tonight.
Here the people.
They want to find you out there.
Chomping at the Bit is the bestplace to do it.
Across Twitter, everywhere onsocial media, just search
Chomping at the Bit, you willfind Kyle out there.
(01:13:11):
But hey, until next week.
Thank you, kyle, for coming onhere.
We'll catch you guys.
We're going to be right backhere.
We got Brewer Talk.
We got Amar Ummer.
Sorry, goodness, gracious.
Um, we'll be back on thebackside of this ad break here.
Welcome back into Wisconsin.
(01:13:34):
Sports on the go with Trage.
I'm your host, trage.
We're coming back here on thisWednesday.
And, hey, this next segment ofthe show is sponsored by Sport
and Spine Clinic of Greenwood,wisconsin.
Their expert traditionalphysical therapy and structural
integration programming Call forflexible scheduling and
evaluations.
Just call Chad down there atsport and spine clinic in
(01:13:54):
Greenwood, wisconsin.
He'll get you right.
He'll get you back to doingwhatever you're doing, feeling
better than ever.
That is sport and spine clinicin Greenwood, there so.
Speaker 3 (01:14:00):
Hey.
Speaker 2 (01:14:01):
I told you before we went to the break, we just had
Kyle on, we were talking bucks,we were talking NBA.
We had all kinds of madnesshappening over there.
We got Ummer coming on here.
Now I got it.
I nailed it.
Speaker 3 (01:14:10):
Yeah, you nailed it, that was perfect I was ready for
it this time.
Speaker 2 (01:14:13):
there I got Ummer.
Here tonight we're going to betalking Packers because we got
to get ready.
The draft is coming up nextweek.
We got to be talking about thePackers here tonight.
Speaker 3 (01:14:23):
Um, I am great Just enjoying myself right now, a
little vacation in Charleston,south Carolina, so just taking
in the sights and sounds of thefamily and just really, you know
, taking a seat back and justenjoying myself.
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:14:35):
Good, I'm doing great .
I'm doing great.
The weather here.
How's the weather in Charleston?
Is it better than what we'vegot up here?
Speaker 3 (01:14:41):
It's beautiful.
It's between 70s and 80s, A 70sand 80s, little wind, but for
the most part it's great weatherwe get like 30 degrees in the
morning and like 60 in theafternoon.
Speaker 2 (01:14:51):
So it's that time of year where you like heat to AC.
I love the time of year whenyou have to get into your
vehicle and you have the heat onin the morning and then when
you get back into the afternoonyou have to turn the AC on and
drive home.
That's my time of year.
That is my time of year rightthere, all right.
Speaker 3 (01:15:07):
Yeah, it's like in between winter and like spring.
Speaker 2 (01:15:10):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (01:15:10):
That's exactly what you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (01:15:11):
Yes, Yep, Yep, the morning got frost.
The afternoon it's like oh,it's hot again.
All right, here we go, here wego.
So we got lots to get intotoday.
We got lots to get into.
We were talking about last week, talked Jair situation.
We had all kinds of stuff wegot into today.
So, according to Tom SilversteinI saw this Packers are still
actually they're looking totrade Jair Alexander.
(01:15:32):
They're looking to trade orrelease, but preferably trade.
Right, they don't want to justrelease Jair, they want to get
something back from.
But the problem is coming downto salary and the unwillingness
of Jair to adjust that contractahead.
That's what's really hinderingall these deals right now.
Most likely a trade's gonnahappen, but it's probably gonna
be after the draft.
(01:15:53):
So we're looking more after thedraft right now, after
everybody's kind of well, whatdo we need now?
Okay, we still need JairAlexander.
Now we go get him.
So that's kind of where we'reat with the Jair situation.
But I wanted to ask you so thePackers, we look at what the
Bears have done this offseason.
They've made some big ads.
Right Offensive line was thebig need for them.
They're up their gut becauseCaleb Williams was constantly
(01:16:14):
under distress last season.
This season.
They go and they grab a bunchof offensive line.
Help the Lions.
They've added depth.
They've added depth on thedefense.
They've loaded up and justgetting healthy if you are the
Detroit Lions is already a boostright.
You're getting eight nudges inback.
You're getting a lot of boostfrom there.
And then the Vikings.
That defense has just goteverybody at this point on that
defense for the Vikings.
So I mean, in your opinion,these rosters we look at those
(01:16:38):
rosters.
They've definitely improvedright.
Some solid moves.
They've definitely improvedthis last off season here.
Do you believe that, talentwise, the packers are keeping
pace like?
Are they there with these teamsright now?
Are they keeping pace talentwise at all with the likes of
the bears, the lions of vikings,or do you believe the packers
need to do more?
Speaker 3 (01:16:58):
I think that it's really easy for people to like
look at like the big spendingthat's been done by the vikings
and the bears, and a little bitby also lions too, to be like,
oh wait, the pack, the Packers,aren't doing enough.
And seeing last year where weended on a losing streak and we
lost to the Bears we got sweptby the Lions and the Vikings it
(01:17:19):
can be really easy to say thatwe're not on the same talent
level.
I just want people to go backand look at those games we
didn't lose, like when we lostagainst detroit, we had a lot of
injuries on offense line athome and then we played them in
detroit.
You know what we?
We lost by three points.
You know minnesota?
Yeah, both games we started outslow but we were able to come
back in the end and make it agame and almost win each game
(01:17:40):
and they were less than atouchdown loss for both those
games.
Bears they needed everything togo in their favor when it comes
to injuries and just a puntreturn for a touchdown all kinds
of crazy stuff for them to comeback and squeak out a win.
So, in my mind, for us to be insuch a disjointed state.
As a team, I feel like,talent-wise, we are right there
(01:18:03):
with them.
I feel like Vikings are smart.
They're taking advantage oftheir rookie quarterback that
they have right now.
They had an opportunity tobring in Aaron Rodgers and do
like a one-year run, but theysaid forget that, we're going to
take advantage of this rookiecontract.
You know we all know that whenyou have a good quarterback and
they hit that second contract,you look at an area between 15
to almost 23% of your salary capgone right there, based on the
(01:18:25):
quarterback market.
Right, taking advantage of it.
There, they powered up theiroffensive line.
They went and brought in jordanmason from the niners and, on
top of that, too, their defensebeing ran by flores.
I really don't care who theyhave back there.
Flores is probably one of thebest defensive minds that we
have in the nfl right now.
Um, he's the reason why thatthe patriots won the super bowl
against the rams in 20,.
(01:18:46):
Oh man, when was that?
That was like 2020, I think itwas like 2021.
It was a while ago.
It feels like it's been like adecade, even though it's not
been that long, and I feel likewhen you look at the way
everybody in our division.
They haven't gotten worse,they've gotten better.
And again, the Bears are theBears.
We always say the Bears stillsuck, that's our thing.
Hashtag Bears the bears.
(01:19:12):
We always say the bears stillsuck, that's our thing.
Hashtag bears still suck, youknow.
Shout out to matt ramage.
Uh, but one of those things,like, no matter, they did do the
right moves.
You know I'm not a, I'm notsold on ben johnson yet.
Uh, and but the way they kindof beefed up that offensive line
, the way they're giving calebevery opportunity to be able to
have the protection he needs tobe able to play behind a good
offensive line, have the time tomake right decisions, it could
work out.
Me personally, I believe in thefloor.
(01:19:33):
I do believe in joy and love.
I believe in our team.
Uh, I want goody to really kindof.
He's really locked in his lastcouple drafts.
I want him to continue that.
Um, and I feel like this draft,with the talent that we have
coming out, it's gonna be reallyinteresting to see, like, which
way we go.
Like, I know, like Goody'sthing is trying to get more
picks.
Who knows if he decides totrade up or trade down and
(01:19:55):
acquire more picks or use picksto get a guy that he really
likes.
But I really can't wait to seehow this team like shapes up.
And the Jairi thing that youjust mentioned I thought that
was really interesting that TomSilverstein actually reported
that.
That's something that Domofskyhas been reporting for a while
and I want to give some.
I want to give people to backoff Domofsky.
People are trying to say thatthese beat writers especially,
(01:20:16):
you know, rob are like coming athim for a personal vendetta,
and it's just not true.
I really feel like they're justreporting the news and
reporting exactly what's givento them will do, does the exact
same thing.
They do add their own likepersonal thoughts on things, but
for the most part they dobasically give them what's being
given to them and I feel it'sunfair to be like oh, they have
like a vendetta against somebodyat the day.
(01:20:37):
Gyra's not happy, the packersaren't happy.
We keep them.
I would love that.
If you get some kind ofcompensation from that would be
great.
Looks like that's where.
That's where we're goingtowards.
He just needs to figure out howhe wants.
He's earned that contract.
I don't blame him for notwanting to budge on that, but if
he really wants to leave, thenhe's gonna have to make some
concessions to make that happenyeah, no, I agree.
Speaker 2 (01:20:56):
And I think a problem with, like you mentioned, their
beat writers, I think a problemis some give bad names to
others, right, you get one guywho goes against just to say
aaron rogers.
Right, he's always gotsomething against aaron rogers.
Well, that puts everybody elsethen you know rob and tom or
whoever under this microscope,that you just don't like this
guy.
Well, no, technically probablynot right.
(01:21:17):
You probably don't like thisguy, but you're not saying it
because I don't like him.
I'm saying it because it's thenews.
So, like you said, I mean it isnews right, because I did rob.
I, I did see.
Tom silverstein was the one whoreported it I saw so rob's like
I just want everybody to knowthis is what he said too, so
like we're all saying the samething right now, and I mean it's
(01:21:38):
common knowledge, I guess islike we knew this was a
possibility.
We knew this is something theywanted to do.
It was just a matter of whenand it was there.
This is what we want.
If we can do it, we want to getit done.
So that's kind of what we gotreported there.
I I like what you said there.
You have a lot of teams in thenorth right now with a lot to
prove, right ben johnson, calebwilliams they have a lot to
prove.
(01:21:58):
Ben johnson did great with thelions.
What is he going to do with thebears?
Caleb williams had a goodseason.
What does he do now?
That's what we got to see.
What does golf do?
What does this lion's offensedo without ben johnson?
Speaker 3 (01:22:11):
what do they do?
Speaker 2 (01:22:12):
without the defense, without you know, uh, aaron
glenn, there on the defense,what?
do you do without him?
It's a question mark afterquestion mark.
Jj mccarthy what's the questionmark with minnesota?
How is that gonna look?
It's you can put all the rightguys in the right spot, but,
okay, does it work right?
And that's what we're going tofind out.
The Packers have been stayinglike they're the most uniform
(01:22:32):
team, yet they didn't lose a lot.
Jeff Halfley still coming back.
You got Matt LaFleur, yet inthe room.
He's still the play caller.
Even though some wish he wasn'tthe play caller, he's still the
play caller.
You still got those guys there.
So you're keeping that teamknit together.
Now it's a question of do theyprogress?
Because I thought to me that'swhere the Packers lacked.
Last season was from year toyear.
(01:22:53):
They did not progress.
I thought guys actually gotworse.
Jaden Reed I thought he took astep back.
Dontavion Wicks thought he tooka step back.
You can't really.
Romeo Dobbs got hurt twice,concussion twice.
Speaker 3 (01:23:03):
You can't really knock him on that.
Speaker 2 (01:23:05):
Watson got banged up.
You can't really knock him onthat.
Watson got banged up.
Can't really blame him on that.
You didn't have Musgrave formost of the season.
He was out there, but he comesback.
He's a huge threat.
They underutilize him.
They underutilize what theyhave with Tucker Kraft, I mean
you look at what the Chiefs dowith Travis Kelsey and I said
look what the Packers could dowith Tucker Kraft.
(01:23:26):
This guy is an all-around talent.
He could be one of the besttight ends in football.
You got to utilize him in theright way and I think, matt
LaFleur.
If I had one thing against thisBlake Alling, it's that he
doesn't utilize the play-actiongame enough.
He says that he does.
I don't believe it.
I watch it and I'm like dude,you don't.
You don't utilize play-actionenough.
Your analytic people might sayyou do bull crap, I call bull
(01:23:46):
crap.
You have one of the best.
Josh Jacobs is a great runningback, you have one a great tight
end and Tucker craft.
You have wide receivers thatcan move around in motion like
crazy, and yet you don't utilizeplay action.
It drives me nuts.
Jordan love is mobile.
When he, if he's not mobile, I,he's half a quarterback.
So then you need to, you needto address that right now if he
(01:24:07):
can't become mobile again.
But Jordan Love, as we know, ismobile.
You got to get him out in space.
You got to use play action.
That's where I'm at with MattLaFleur and his play calling, if
anybody wants to know.
But I mean looking at thisPackers team.
Now, this is like earlyspeculation, right, everybody
does their way too earlyspeculation.
We're going to do one beforethe draft.
Where do you have the packersin the north right now, one
(01:24:29):
through four?
Where do you have them fittingin with those teams?
Because I know, you know, we gowide spectrum, eagles,
everything like that.
I don't want to go widespectrum right now.
Let's go nfc north.
Where does this team fit inwith the lions, vikings and
bears in your opinion?
Speaker 3 (01:24:42):
so I'm a perpetual hater of every team in my
division.
I just am I.
I just can't help it.
And something that you said, too, about Detroit Lions, where,
like they literally have a wholenew staff there, they do bring
back some talent.
They have some guys that needto get healthy and you know they
did win the division last year.
You know, kudos to them.
Dan Campbell is a rah-rah guythat we all love, but it's going
(01:25:04):
to be now going to be, you know, be put up or shut up, because
he does have a lot of veteranleadership that's left on the
coaching staff and these guysthat he's brought in that are
going to be the new DC as wellas the new OC.
These guys have never done thatbefore.
It's their first time, and soI'm going to be interested to
see how, if they can still keepthat up, because that could be
(01:25:24):
an issue I still think thepackers have a chance to win the
division.
I feel like, when it comes totalent, when it comes to the
floor and what you just saidabout play action, I couldn't
agree more.
Floor's biggest thing was like,oh, we run play action on a
shotgun and it's when, basicallya fake handoff and they throw
the ball.
I'm like, yeah, that's notreally a true play action play
it's not like under center,you're not.
(01:25:45):
You know.
You know an eye formation orsingle back.
You're doing eye shotgun.
It's the stuff that Rogers usedto do back in the day too.
Right, I do feel like.
From a ranking standpoint, Ifeel like the Packers are
probably tied between Detroitright now because Minnesota,
with everything being said, jjMcCarthy being back there I
understand Aaron Jones, I don'tunderstand their offense is very
(01:26:07):
potent.
They still got Justin Jefferson, but JJ McCarthy is a huge
question mark.
Who's coming off a pretty notdevastating knee injury, but a
knee injury with the way theywent about deciding to repair
the meniscus instead of justtrimming it.
That's a very long rehabprocess and because of that,
you're looking at a guy who'syoung, who hasn't had any staffs
(01:26:27):
in the nfl, minus maybe somepractice.
So, yeah, you're gonna be.
We depend on that running gameand that defense to take over.
Uh, when it comes to chicago,you know what I?
I'm never gonna give chicagotheir kudos.
They could.
You know the year they wentthrough the super bowl.
I still think they suck.
It's just the way I am.
I can't help it, uh, and so Istill think that, even though
they did beat us last year intheir Super Bowl last week of
(01:26:49):
the season.
That was their Super Bowl win.
Truth matters that they stillgot a long ways to go.
Because to me, when you have arookie head coach who has a
quarterback who has a lot oftalent but again has freelanced
a lot in the last I want to sayprobably the last four years of
his football career his time wasat Oklahoma, his time was in
USC and then now, when him beingNFL, caleb Williams is not
(01:27:11):
really played within structureand for Ben Johnson to put them
into that structure, it will beinteresting to see if he can do
that because he's a greatoffensive line.
But being a OC and a head coachtwo separate things.
And the last thing is I do needthe floor.
He has Sean Mannion now as aquarterback coach.
He had some changes but for themost part, like you said, the
OC, the DC, those guys arereturning.
(01:27:32):
I do need the floor to do whatyou just said.
When it comes to Kraft, kraftcould be our George Kittle.
I 100% agree with that, lucas.
When it comes to Musgrave, hisability to not really block very
well is something that needs tobe worked on.
He needs to not really blockvery well, it's something that
needs to be worked on, like heneeds to make that like.
It's like, kind of like when wefirst had Aaron Jones as a
(01:27:53):
rookie and he was terrible Imean absolutely terrible at pass
blocking and then all he didwas just work on and work on and
work on, he became one of thebetter pass blockers in our
backfield.
Musgrave needs to do thatbecause you can't have a guy out
there as big.
He's a side speed freak, but ifhe's out there you know more
than likely they're not going tobe running the ball because he
can't block to save his life.
It's just unfortunate truth andwe need more production from
(01:28:17):
our second round pick becauseright now craft is out playing
him.
He should be our starter, heshould be our george kittle.
Um and I could agree more likethere has to be a step forward,
not two steps back.
When it comes to the progressionon offense.
You know this is a third yearfor Jaden Reed, third year for
Wicks.
Normally that's when receiversreally hit the ground running
(01:28:37):
and they kind of have thatexplosion as a receiver.
You know Romeo Dobson's gethealthy, watson needs to get
healthy and then honestly, likeif we infuse some talent into
that room with a rookie.
Honestly, if we infuse sometalent into that room with a
rookie, like, hopefully, mbukaor maybe even Jaden Higgins, I
would be ecstatic about that.
But there's a lot of stuff thatI think Green Bay was a culprit
(01:28:57):
of their own demise in a sense,where they were their worst
enemy.
I feel like a lot of thesegames that we lost, it wasn't
because the other team wasbetter than us outright.
It was more so that we justdidn't play our best game and
the players said all year theyhad yet to put a complete game
together on offense, on defense,on special teams, right.
So, yeah, I'm really lookingforward to seeing how the floor
(01:29:19):
can take all the adversity andall the mistakes of last year
and make it into something thathe can learn from and really
take this team to the next level.
Because, you're honestly, it'sbeen what now?
Almost 15 years now since we'vebeen to the Super Bowl.
I know, like we're in Titletown,we're spoiled, you know.
But Green Bay, there's a reasonwhy that statue is named after
our head coach, right, and thefloor, and Goody especially.
(01:29:46):
You know I'm not saying like,oh, it's, you know, hot seat,
I'm not saying anything likethat I just definitely feel like
we need to see something wherethere's more, like there's
progression in the rightdirection, because our run game
is solid Josh Jacobs absolutelyamazing, but you cannot run him
into the ground.
I understand like he's builtthat way, but that is not a
recipe for success.
And Jordan Love he needs toalso take that next step.
(01:30:06):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (01:30:07):
Yep, no, 100% agree.
And you hit a couple greatpoints in there.
The shotgun that drives me nuts.
Speaker 1 (01:30:11):
Yes, why are we running from the shotgun?
Speaker 2 (01:30:14):
Run under center Because Jordan Love the things
that you can do when you turnyour back to a defense are
unreal, and Jordan Love has theability to look guys off and to
be able to sell the fake whentake that away from in shotgun.
That's a problem.
You don't give josh jacobs timeto run downhill, that's a
problem.
I find all those thingsproblems.
So I I completely agree withthe shotgun.
(01:30:34):
Take there drives me absolutelynuts and, like you said there,
like we talked about, guys havegot to take a step forward.
They have got to take a stepforward.
The problem, like you mentioned, their pre-snap penalties
killed this team.
Speaker 3 (01:30:45):
There's a lot of mental mental mistakes.
So if we want to, blame MattLaFleur if we want to come back
to the drawing board.
Speaker 2 (01:30:50):
Mental mistakes need to be cleaned up, because that
lost the Packers a lot offootball games.
And you hit the nail on thehead when you said it's put up
or shut up time Because we canonly and I know fans aren't
going to want to hear this one,but Bill Michaels loves to say
it all the time too you can onlyuse the excuse of you're young
for so long.
You may be young in age, butyou're not young in experience.
(01:31:10):
And this Packers team has beento the playoffs twice.
They've been there, done that.
They have got to be able to getpast the first round.
They've got to be able to moveon here.
They've got to be able to moveon and play, like you said, a
complete game, because lastseason there may have the
Cardinal game maybe, where youcould have said that was a
complete game, but still.
I mean people want to go back tothe Seattle game and say that
was complete.
That was not complete.
(01:31:31):
There was more of that onewhere they could have done this
but they failed to do that Latein the game.
There they let Seattle comeback in that game.
It's just there's those littlethings that this Packers team
struggled with last season andhey, I mean we want to get into
it all.
We got more to get into nextweek here.
Amar Umber, sorry, I had it, Ihad it.
I had it.
I had it there.
(01:31:52):
I had it there.
Umber will be back next week.
We have got a special episodecoming next week.
We're going to talk a lot ofPackers.
We got draft preview.
We're going to talk a lot ofPackers.
On top of that, I coming here.
So thank you again for stoppingby tonight there, ummer, and we
will catch you back here nextweek on the show I cannot wait,
man.
Speaker 3 (01:32:10):
Thank you for having me again.
Speaker 2 (01:32:11):
I can't wait of course, of course.
Hey, we'll be back here.
We're going to talk brewers onthe back side of this break here
, so make sure you guys aresticking around.
We'll be right back here onwisconsin sports on the go with
trage.
Welcome back into wisconsinsports on the go with trage.
I'm your, your host, trage.
We're coming back.
It's April 16th, it's afantastic April 16th.
The spring is here and you'vegot to get yourself down to
(01:32:33):
Foreman's Hardware.
There they offer you everythingfrom home essentials to farm
supplies, house to farm, grillsto drills.
Foreman's Hardware has got youcovered.
Visit today in Loyal Colby orMedford, wisconsin.
There that is Loyal Colby orMetford.
Tell them Trade sent, you, get5% off.
All your spring needs.
You get pavers up there.
In Colby you can get grills.
In Loyal you can get anythingyou need in Metford.
(01:32:53):
Whatever you need, you can stopat any three locations.
If they don't have it at onestore, they'll get it to you at
another.
Find them there at FormanceHardware.
There, tell them Trade sent,you, get 5%.
The half mile paved track justthree miles west of marshfield.
There on county road h, findupcoming events and races at
marshfieldspeedwaycom that ismarshfieldspeedwaycom there, and
(01:33:14):
also sport and spine clinic ofgreenwood wisconsin.
Their expert traditionalphysical therapy and structural
integration programming call forflexible scheduling and
evaluations within 24 to 48hours.
They're just called ch Chad atSporting Spine Clinic in
Greenwood, wisconsin.
So, hey, we just had a greattalk with Ummer there talking
Packers.
What a great talk.
(01:33:35):
What a great talk it was there.
We got more Packer talk to getinto next week here on the show
Probably a lot.
Right, we're going to betalking draft.
We got lots to get into withthe Packers, so I can't wait for
that Coming up next week there.
But, hey, we got to get to theBrewers here, because the
Brewers it's been I don't knowhow, what's the best way to put
it right, they've blown somegames.
That's both the best way to putit.
(01:33:58):
They've blown some games and alot of people are not exactly
happy.
Right, you got that lead.
You're beating Corbin Burns up.
You got that lead over him onthis last Saturday.
You end up losing that gamelate, right, and a lot of people
look back and they're like youall pions, you all pions.
Right, he stunk, he stunk again.
(01:34:18):
You all pions continues tostruggle.
Then you lose that game toGallon there on Sunday.
Had a 2-0 lead there for thelongest time and the
Diamondbacks were able to battleback and they will take the
lead and then in the eighthinning be able to kind of push
that lead to five to two andtake the win there.
And then we look over at thegame against the Tigers and that
(01:34:40):
was just disastrous.
And you look at what Pat Murphyhad to say and he said you know
, you look at a team where youbelieve you're supposed to be,
you know pretty darn good.
And it's hard to say that whenyou've been blown out four times
right, you lose 9-1 to theTigers there.
You lost 11-1 to the Royalsearly on.
You lost the Yankees 12-3 and20-9, so it's hard to say that
(01:35:01):
you are a well-rounded, goodteam when you keep getting blown
out.
What, where are you at right now?
Right, and I think the bullpenis a big concern for me.
I didn't think it was going tobe a big concern going into the
year I, I, we just confidentlysay to ourselves the birds are
going to put together a goodbullpen.
That just seems how it is.
They find guys right.
Last year was Brian Hudson andJared Canning who were those for
(01:35:29):
the Brewers got nobody's.
This season they've been prettygood for the Milwaukee Brewers.
But now you look at what's beenfaltering right.
Well, alvin Rodriguez hasdefinitely struggled for him and
he's finally they move on fromhim.
Logan Henderson number I believenumber 12 prospect for the
Brewers there is brought up nowthe right-handed pitcher, so
we'll see what they do with him.
If he's going to be a bullpenrole or kind of what, what's
going to work there?
But uh, if he's going to be abullpen role or kind of what
what's going to work there.
But uh, you all pints, I don'tknow, five and two thirds and 19
(01:35:54):
earned run.
He's got what.
He's given up a 12 earned runson the season so far in eight
games, eight pit games, pitchfive and two thirds innings and
he's given up 12 earned runs, 11, 11 hits, 12 earned runs, 11,
11 hits, 12 earned runs, onehome run given up.
It's just at what point isenough, enough, and you just
(01:36:14):
kind of got to move off of a guy, and I think that's where the
milwaukee brewers are at at thispoint.
That's where I'm at.
I'm like I get it.
You want to keep a guy around,but you have guys in the minors
now.
Are they ready?
I don't know craig yelo.
Is he ready?
I don't know.
Is a guy like mizorowski readyto go into the bullpen?
That's a question.
Are they trying to ramp them upfor a starter role?
(01:36:36):
That could be too.
You have guys where they'regoing to come back and they're
going to be able to fit bullpenroles right, and I don't think
yohal pines is.
I don't think it sucks as muchif he's not supposed to be a
high leverage guy, but he'ssupposed to be a high leverage
guy.
He's supposed to be a late inthe game guy for you right now.
(01:36:57):
You kind of look at it.
Trevor mcgill.
He's got that knee problemright now.
Hopefully that's all going toget figured out there.
You have mcgill.
Nick mears has been fantasticsince coming back.
So you have mirrors Mears.
You have McGill.
You have guys like Uribe hasbeen fantastic.
Jared Koenig, brian Hudson.
You got those guys.
But they expect UL Pines to bea guy and it just hasn't been
(01:37:21):
there.
It's been like this for acouple years now.
When he first came in toMilwaukee he was fantastic.
Right, we know that he'sfantastic with the Brewers.
That was back in 2023.
He had 69 games pitched and hehad 2.55 ERA.
He was fantastic 7-5 record.
(01:37:41):
He had 77 strikeouts and inthat season he only gave up 20
runs in total.
Last season, in 68 gamespitched, he had a 3 ERA and only
gave up 20 runs in total.
Last season, in 68 gamespitched, he had a 3 ERA and he
gave up 20 runs in total.
You want to look at the 2025totals for Yoel Pimps Because in
(01:38:04):
8 games he's given up 12 runs.
He's almost to the point.
He was at completing 2 straightseasons with the Brewers in
2023 and 2024.
Not good, not good at all, and II love the Brewers confidence
that they can fix guys, but thisis one that maybe a designate
him for assignment whatever andmaybe he just sticks with the
(01:38:27):
team and then maybe you can fixhim down in AAA.
But right now he's no help toyou in the bullpen and I'd
rather see the Brewers bring upsomebody else or try something
else in that spot.
So we'll see what he does.
We'll see what the Brewers dothere with Joel Pines, but I am
definitely at a crossroads withhim at this very moment.
(01:38:55):
Outside of that, I I did haveone more question on pitching
and that was with pat murphy,because in that game I kept
going back to the.
He pulled patrick out of thegame and I believe he pulled him
out in the fourth inning.
It was the fourth inning orjust at the beginning of the
fifth inning there that hedecided to pull patrick out,
just at the beginning of thefifth inning there that he
decided to pull Patrick out.
And I look back at the move andI'm like, okay, I don't hate
the move because you thoughtthat you were in a spot.
(01:39:16):
You had guys who you thoughtwere ready to go Four and a
third inning, five hits, twowalks, three strikeouts.
And Brian Hudson then came infor two-thirds of an inning, got
out of it and got you know, gothim advancing out of that game.
77 pitches for Patrick and he'sdone this a couple times with
(01:39:36):
guys.
He's pulled him early out ofgames and he goes straight to
the bullpen.
Well, when you pull Patrick,you use Hudson, you use your
rebate, you use scanning andthen you bring Nick Mears in.
You already limited yourbullpen.
You had a full bullpen, butbecause you pulled Patrick out
so soon, you had to use thatfull bullpen right.
And at that very moment in thatgame, the Brewers, when he
(01:39:59):
pulled him, had a 2-0 lead.
2-0 lead.
That was in that fourth inningthere that they had that 2-0
lead.
And you look at the situationthat he was in and Naylor had
(01:40:19):
just doubled, gurley L flied out.
And then we see Suarez.
He ended up walking in thatinning.
And then we see Thomas, allright here, right here, hampson
struck out, looking so Patrick,I was in, I was in the wrong
inning.
I'm sorry there, patrick, inthat bottom of the fifth struck
out Hampson.
And then Hudson came in so hegot the strikeout.
77 pitches had a strikeout.
(01:40:40):
Nobody's on base, in my opinion.
Ride with Patrick.
He's pitching well.
He got you.
It was not.
Should I say it was hisgreatest performance of the year
.
No, I thought it was a gutsyperformance.
He was pitching well.
Let him battle, let him getthrough that fifth.
When I saw him come out of thegame and he's ticked off, that's
(01:41:02):
what you want to see, right?
But I also, at the same time,I'm like put him back in, don.
But I also, at the same time,I'm like put him back in, don't
pull him, let him go out there,let him try to do it.
I just hated it.
I did not like that move.
So do I agree with?
Do I think Pat Murphy is kindof pulling starters too soon.
Sometimes I do, sometimes I do,and is it his decision at the
(01:41:23):
end of the day?
And sometimes it works,sometimes it doesn't.
Yes, but in that situation Ithought he pulled him too early
and I think there's been acouple other situations this
year.
Well, I think pat murphy's kindof outmanaged himself ride with
the hot hand, go with the gutfeeling.
Patrick was pitching a goodgame, let it ride.
I don't know.
That's kind of where I was atwith that.
So I had that question,somebody asked me that question
(01:41:45):
on murphy and if I thought hewas pulling some of his arms
early just because he had armsavailable, and I think, yes, I
think he is somewhat pullingarms, pulling guys early, just
because he believes, yeah, I gotarms available.
Great, well, sometimes yourstart is rolling, you just gotta
let him roll, man, you justgotta let him go, let him get it
.
So, yeah, I that's where I'm atright now.
Uh, with that uh situation withwhat I was asked there, I was
(01:42:07):
asked that by a couple peopleout there, so I just wanted to
answer that Terang and Churiocontinue their hot streak.
They've had a great start tothe season for the Brewers.
Churio is Churio.
Right at this point, churio isjust fantastic.
He's a phenom.
At this point I mean, goodnessgracious, he is just fantastic.
But Bryce Terang I think I saidit last week and I think I'll
(01:42:31):
say it again here the way BryceTerang's hitting is different
than what we saw last season.
The way Bryce Terang's hittingright now, he is just he's
seeing the baseball, he's seeingit, he's seeing the pitch, he's
taking the pitch where it is.
He's not trying to do too much,he's just hitting it where it
is.
Outside pitch boom.
(01:42:51):
Other way Inside pitch boom,pull.
Last season we have not seenhim hit a home run like he did
at Coors Field.
That home run he hit was a shotGetting around on that quick
heater.
We wouldn't have seen that.
We saw it.
Bryce Teruring, I believe, is adifferent hitter this year.
I don't know if it's RyanBrown's batting gloves.
He's wearing Ryan Brown'sbatting gloves from 2011.
I don't know what it is, but heis definitely a different kind
(01:43:17):
of mode right now and he'sleading the Brewers right now
3.29 average.
He's got 24 hits, he's got 10RBIs, 3 home runs.
He's been fantastic, fantastic.
Trujillo has been great too 275average there.
He's been great.
Sal Frelick continues to hitthe ball well 306 average for
Sal.
I mean he's been well.
Reese Hoskins has been heatingup a little bit for the Brewers,
which is great to see it, as hehit his first home run the
(01:43:40):
other night against the Tigersthere, hit that first home run,
which was great to see.
Christian Yelich still in theschneid a little bit there.
William contraris has beenhitting the ball better.
Joey ortiz has been getting alittle bit better.
Mitchell, hopefully, heating upthere.
So guys are starting to hit theball better and you love to see
it.
You love to see it.
Now it's about can this thing,is it sustainable?
(01:44:01):
Can these guys keep carrying itand will some of these guys
come along?
Right, will some of these guyscome along?
Because I think a big problemguys or people have right now
with the brewers is the thirdbase production.
Because I'm looking at thestats right now and the two guys
playing third base for themilwaukee brewers are toe-in-toe
with their batting averages.
We see oliver dunn bat 171 andwe see capro batting 100 and
(01:44:25):
he's only he's got three hits onthe One of them that home run
in Yankee Stadium, the firstat-bat of his MLB with the
Brewers there, first at-bat ofthe season there, home run, and
since then it's just beennothing.
So I guess it's kind of, atthis point, what are we going to
get from Vinny and Dunn?
And I think that's where a lotof people are having problems
(01:44:46):
with.
And I think that's where a lotof people are having problems
with.
And I would not hate if thebrewers were shopping right now
for a third baseman.
I think they definitely need tobe shopping for a third baseman
at this very moment.
So that's where I'm at.
I completely agree.
Everybody out there freakingout about it right now.
I'm not freaking out about it.
I'm not going to freak outabout it, but I'm going to tell
you right now I'm in agreeancewith you.
The breers need to find betterproduction at third base,
(01:45:06):
whether it's in-house, somewhereelse than these two, whether
these two figure it out, one ofthese two figures it out, one of
them, maybe both, figure it out, or if they go down to the
minors and find a guy, or ifthey go out in free agency, or
if they have to make a trade,whatever it is, I don't care.
You got to give them an arm andfind production at third base.
(01:45:30):
Right now you have nothing, youhave a hole.
You move joy ortiz over and nowyou have a hole.
How are you gonna fill thathole?
That's the question.
That's the question that patmurphy and this brewers team has
got to figure it out.
Man arnold especially right inman arnold, not as much pat
murphy, matt arnold and marcodonazio have got to figure out.
Where can we find help at thirdbase for pat Murphy and the
Brewers, because right now it'sugly, it's not great, and they
need to fill, fill that holehere moving forward.
(01:45:52):
So the Brewers they got a prettypretty good stretch, I guess
you could say, of games comingup here, uh, against some decent
, decent enough teams, right,that's what we'll say decent
enough teams.
You have that wrap-up serieswith Tigers there.
That was a tough little stretch.
And then you have the Athletics.
Not a pushover team in theAthletics, right, but not a
(01:46:13):
great team in the Athletics.
So we'll see what happens there.
When they take the Athletics onhere, that'll be Friday,
Saturday and Sunday, so theyhave an off day tomorrow and
then they'll have the Athleticsover the weekend and then next
week, before we come back hereand talk about them a little bit
more.
They're going to have theGiants, so they're going to have
a four-game series with theGiants.
So we'll talk a little WillieAdamas next week here on the
show.
So with that I mean, hey, wegot one more ad break, we're
(01:46:35):
going to come back, we're goingto wrap up the show for the day.
It was a great show.
We're going to wrap it up herewhen we come back.
Welcome back into wisconsin.
Sports on the go with trage.
I'm your host, trage.
This great program today wassponsored by some fantastic
sponsors here of the show and Iwant to mention them off here
(01:46:56):
real quick here at the end as wewrap it up.
Sport and spine clinic ofgreenwood expert traditional
physical therapy and structuralintegration programming.
Call for flexible schedulingand evaluations within 24 to 48
hours.
Just call Sport Spine Clinicthere in Greenwood Foreman's
Hardware.
They offer everything from homeessentials to farm supplies,
house to farm, grills to drills.
Foreman's Hardware has got youcovered.
(01:47:18):
Visit today in Loyal Colby orMedford, wisconsin.
There Marshfield Motor Speedwayis the half-mile paved track
there, three miles west ofMarshfield on county road age.
Find upcoming events and racesat marshfieldspeedwaycom there
and, if you want, when you go toforeman's there, just becausei
forgot there.
If you, when you go downforeman's there, mention to them
that trade sent you, you getfive percent off.
(01:47:38):
That's all you need.
Five percent off there atforeman's hardware if you tell
them that trade sent you.
So hey, before we wrap it uphere, find us across social
media.
Make sure you like, follow,subscribe anywhere.
You find us there across socialmedia Facebook, twitter, tiktok
, youtube and Twitch.
Find us on Twitter, twitch andTikTok.
Just search Wisco Sports on thego.
That is Wisco Sports on the goon Twitter, twitch and TikTok.
(01:47:58):
You can find us at Facebook andYouTube.
Just search Wisco Sports on thego with Trades.
You can also shoot us a text715-990-4914.
That is 715-990-4914.
If you know anybody who islooking for a sponsor, right, if
you want to sponsor the showhere, you want to get your name
out here, definitely let us knowabout it.
We would love to help you.
We'd love to take you on as asponsor in this new year and get
(01:48:21):
your name out there, get yourbusiness out there and get more
recognition.
If you can, and also if youmissed any portion of the show
today, make sure you find usthere iTunes, spotify, youtube,
wherever you get podcasts, youcan find us out there.
Just search Wisconsin Sports onthe Go with Trades.
That is Wisconsin Sports on theGo with Trades.
You can find us across all thepodcast platforms there.
(01:48:42):
So it was a great show today.
Make sure you listen back.
We had Badger Talk there withScary Alvarez.
We had Ummer on there.
We were talking Packer talkthere.
We had Kyle on for Bucs talk.
We're going to have the Bucscoming up this weekend here.
A big series starting with thePacers there.
A big series in the fact ofKyle, like he said earlier, we
don't know about Giannis.
What is he going to think ifthe Bucs drop another
(01:49:03):
first-round playoff series?
What's the honest gonna think?
Here we got the brewers comingup over the weekend.
They're gonna be taking on theoakland a's.
We're gonna see chad patricktaking on uh, the oakland a's in
the first game there, thenperalta, alexander and then
hopefully, just hopefully, we'regonna get some good news here.
Moving forward brewers pitchingstaff we see woodruff making
great progress there down intriple a n with Tobias Myers.
(01:49:26):
Hopefully get those two back atsome point here.
As we get closer and closer tothe month of May there, goodness
gracious, we're almost in themonth of May here Next week we
got draft talk, so make sure youguys are tuning in.
Next week there Umber's goingto be back.
We're going to talk a lot ofPackers next week, a lot of
Packers, a lot of Brewersbetween those two because,
goodness gracious, we got themlb draft coming up.
We're gonna have a lot ofbrewer talk to get to.
(01:49:48):
So I can't wait to get to thatkind of talk there.
So with that, for that's aboutall we got, that's about all we
got for nay, it was a greatnight there.
Thank you all for tuning in.
I hope you guys enjoy the restof your night and the rest of
your week, but until we talk toyou guys again next week,
wednesday, see ya.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.