The Wisconsin Sportscast

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates look back at some other big Badger comebacks over the years.

• The Badgers beat Penn State in a huge fourth quarter rally on Saturday. Their 17 point comeback is the biggest since 2006, thanks in part to their great defense. Oates still isn’t sure what to think about Colton Joseph, but ultimately his leg work made a big difference in those final minutes.

• The Packers, meanwhile, suffered a sobering loss to the Falcons last week, so bad they were booed out of Lambeau. The offensive troubles, especially on the offensive line, are really weighing on the entire team at this point, Oates says. They’ve brought in a few vets to beef up the line over the past few days, if they can’t play the role of saviors it’ll be hard to do anything the rest of the year. 

• Christian Yelich has been named the official captain of the Milwaukee Brewers, the first in the team's history. Lucas and Oates say that while his numbers may be weaker this year, he still deserves more than anyone. He’s even-keeled, a hard worker, and even has some class, as demonstrated by his asking of Robin Yount before accepting the position. He’s a true leader for Milwaukee, and a guy who makes a huge impact on the younger guys in the locker room. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates are happy the Packers at least have a healthy quarterback. 

• The Packers took down the Jets in what Oates thought was a game of not good football. Yes, the turf was not great and it was raining, but that doesn’t forgive all of their penalties. The Packers are an undisciplined football team, Oates says, and that goes right up to the top with LaFleur.

• The Badgers, on the other hand, had a record setting victory over Eastern Michigan. Sure, it was Eastern Michigan, but Oates saw a lot to love in that game. Saturday’s performance is what the Badgers should look like every week. Colton Joseph won’t be breaking records every game, but if he can find a middle ground between Saturday and his other performances, they have a chance at being a team to really watch.

• The Brewers have secured their postseason spot, and as of recording are on the verge of securing a bye in the first round. What should we expect to see different in this year’s postseason? Lucas and Oates agree that if their top two pitchers are dominant, they’ll have a good chance at taking any series. Add in a nice Joey Ortiz homerun, and they might have a shot at it all. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates tear down the Packers loss to the Vikings. 

• The Packers fell 22-39 against the Vikings on Sunday thanks to another collapse in the fourth quarter. The big swing in momentum came when LaFleur decided not to take a field goal after a penalty and instead tried to force a fourth-and-one, which failed. But it’s not all on that one decision, some bad calls and poor performance from Jordan Love after the Vikings struck back was hard to watch. 

• With that big opening lost, Lucas and Oates have to ask: is LaFleur on the hot seat? Oates thinks so, and it isn’t just because of the stupid decision to remove three points from their score. A team that falls apart consistently in the fourth quarter and an undisciplined team creating penalties makes it harder and harder to defend the head coach. 

• The Badgers, meanwhile, defeated Western Illinois as they needed to. We were able to learn a lot on Saturday: Lucas learned that quarterback Colton Joseph needs to figure out his accuracy problems, and Oates learned that the offensive line is still a problem. Still, their running backs and wide receivers showed some promise. We’ll learn more this weekend when they take on Eastern Michigan on Saturday. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates reflect on Wisconsin's loss in Lambeau. 

• The Badgers fell 41 - 13 to Notre Dame this weekend, showing an impressive first half and a depressive second half. The Badgers looked very physical in the first half, which is exactly what Oates said they needed to do, but couldn’t sustain. This weekend should be a better story as they return to Camp Randall to take on Western Illinois. 

• Sticking with college football, the MAC wants Western Michigan to be named the winner in their game against Michigan after officials “found” an extra second on the clock that let Michigan win the game. Appealing the results of the game is a bad idea, Lucas and Oates think. Yes, Western Michigan outplayed Michigan and the Big 10 refs had Michigan’s back. But what are they really going to do, take the game into a courtroom? 

• The Packers are opening their season this Sunday in Minneapolis as they take on Kyler Murray and the Vikings. Oates predicts Matthew Golden will be a big playmaker this week, and will stay a big playmaker the rest of the season. Looking at the season ahead, Oate’s biggest concern still sits at the line of scrimmage. If they can beef that up and get a bit more physical this year, they may have a chance to go further than just one game in the playoffs. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates are back in the booth after meeting some friends.

• Kelly Sheffield and the Badgers Volleyball Team are starting their season with a series of tough matches on the horizon. Good on Sheffield for giving the team a trial by fire to start the year, says Oates. It’ll prepare them for the year to come; more college teams should be following suit and not schedule some easy team to start the year. 

• Week zero of college football started last weekend, and we got to take a closer look at former Badger quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. as he helped North Carolina take down TCU. He showed some good promise we never saw in Madison, doing exactly what Bill Belichick needed him to do. Oates still isn’t sure if he’s consistent, but he at least showed some promise as a quarterback, something he never had the chance to do in Madison. 

• The Badgers kick off their football season this Saturday against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field. Oates has the key to at least staying competitive: focus on the defense and keep the score low. The Badgers’ defence showed some promise at the end of last year, and Notre Dame’s defence is impressive. Focus on defence and stay physical on the line, and Oates thinks they can at least stand toe-to-toe. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, get ready for the beginning of college football.

• It’s Week Zero of college football as a handful of teams hit the field across the country and across the globe. One of those teams is North Carolina with former Badger Billy Edwards Jr., who is ready to play after his “injury.” Oates says that some players leave Madison on bad terms, and some on pretty great terms, but with only two games here in Madison it’s hard to say what terms Edwards is leaving Madison on. 

• The Badgers may not have a game in Week Zero, but Lucas was able to catch their scrimmage this past weekend. His biggest concern this year is their lack of depth on offense, especially on the offensive line. Maybe they can’t afford all the great linemen, or maybe they let too many get away after last season, but just look at the Packers post-season performances in recent years to see what happens when an offensive line is run down. 

• Speaking of the Packers, they have their final preseason game Friday. It’ll be a LaFleur vs LaFleur matchup against the Cardinals, and Oates says not to hold your breath for seeing Jordan Love play another snap before the regular season. Still, it seems like more injuries are happening during the joint practices than during preseason games. There certainly seem to be more fights… 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates take a look at some long-time Wisconsin high school football rivalries.

• Wisconsin high school football kicks off for the first time of the season this week. Looking at recent performances, Lucas and Oates ask: why are Madison teams down in recent years? It’s down to the farm system, Oates says, which are lacking in the state capitol. Just look at the Milwaukee suburbs or even the Madison suburbs: programs with a lot of money and a healthy farm system perform well.

• In the MLB, Pete Crowe-Armstrong is making all of the headlines these days as he continues his push for MVP. Sure his mouth may get him in some trouble, Oates says, but even Brewers fans have to admit he has a lot of raw talent. With his help, the Cubs are turning the NL Central into a real chase… 

• Speaking of the Brewers, Lucas and Oates want to know when people will stop being so surprised by them. As of recording they already have 77 wins and they’ve been a very good team for years now. They may not have any five-star players, but they specialize in getting the most out of guys like Jake Bauers and producing results. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates rejoice at the return of football. 

• The Packers take the field on Thursday in their first preseason game against Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. Lucas and Oates agree that we likely won’t see Rodgers actually play, but Oates hopes to see Jordan Love get at least one series in. He could use the practice of playing against actual people before the regular season begins.

• The Wisconsin Badgers, meanwhile, put on pads for practice for the first time last week. Lucas got to take a peek at this year’s team, as was impressed by some of the new running backs in Madison. With 33 transfers and a new freshman class, you’d hope to find at least a few exciting new faces in the crowd. 

• Finally, the Brewers are on the west coast for a week against the Padres and the Dodgers. LA might be in a bit of a slump right now, but don’t worry, they’ll be ready by the post season. The Brewers may be winning games, but their offence has been hot and cold all year. Hopefully enough guys can pull it together come October. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Oates returns to the microphone after some time away to spend with family.

• The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and the Brewers have once again failed to make a big splash. Lucas never thought that Tarik Skubal was really on the table, but Oates was hoping for at least one more starting pitcher. That said, Oates doesn’t think that there was any big conspiracy around Skubal throughout the entire league; a rental just isn’t worth some of our top prospects.

• One team that did make a few big moves at the deadline was the Cubs. Now that they’re only five and a half games back with a few new pitching arms, do they have a chance to catch the Brewers? They addressed some key needs in their lineup, but the Brewers aren’t exactly an easy team to beat these days. Unless you’re the Pirates. 

• Meanwhile in college sports, Congress seems to be moving on their Save College Sports Act to address the NIL situation. Both the Big 10 and the SEC are firmly against it, of course, but Oates thinks that something needs to be done. If not, then we can expect college sports to consist of five big spenders at the top every year while everyone else fights for scraps at the bottom. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, veteran sports writer Bill Brophy returns to reminisce about the old days. 

• The Big 10 held their media days in Chicago, and while it looks a lot different than it used to it still gives a lot of insight into the season ahead. Brophy and Lucas remember the days when coaches would sit down at tables with people, but those days are long gone. Not that it’s not a great event now, it’s just a bit more choreographed than it once was. 

• Speaking of college football, the Badgers are rumored to have a roster worth over $25 million this year. In this modern environment, hopefully they can at least stay competitive with a few of the other big name teams. If not, I guess they’re going to have to find some more patches for their jersey… 

• The MLB trade deadline is just a few days away now, and the question Brewers fans are asking is: will they make the big move for Tarik Skubal? He’d make a great addition to the roster, but rumor has it the Dodgers are also interested. By next week we should know the full picture, maybe we can settle with Freddy Peralta at least (so long as he’s back to being Milwaukee Freddy).

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, veteran sports writer Bill Brophy joins the show to chat about some of his favorite sports. 

• Brophy’s latest gig is with Rush Media covering many different sports, including high school sports. It’s a tougher gig, he says, because there’s just so little information about these young amateurs. But that also tends to make it exciting, because they put in the work to make a splash and for a lot of them, it’ll be the last time they play in any professional manner. 

• As of recording, the Brewers hold the best record in baseball, and Brophy says the Miz plays a big role in that. The closest comparison he can think of is maybe Nolan Ryan, but even that’s a stretch. Sure, they might be babying him a little with his innings right now, but that’s just to make sure he can make as big an impact as possible in October. 

• Finally, as a hockey guy, Brophy says that Mark Johnson deserves a statue in Madison. Not only was he an amazing player, and is an amazing coach, but he’s also humble and able to connect with his players on another level. One day there should be a great book written about his life, just not by Lucas. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, it’s that time of year where all the sports writers gather round to make lists. 

• A players poll of the top 100 NFL players listed Jordan Love at #72. Lucas and Oates don’t particularly agree (and neither does Micah Parsons), but it’s not completely inaccurate. Sure, his stats are good, but he hasn’t taken the jump to greatness that everyone’s expected. At least not yet. 

• Monday night was the MLB Home Run Derby, with Jordan Walker taking home this year’s prize. The show was a lot more exciting in recent years, says Lucas, thanks to some changes in format. Still, Lucas wonders: if you asked someone on the street, could they even tell you what sport Jordan Walker plays?

• Sticking with baseball, the Brewers end the first half of their season with 59 wins, despite ending on a sour note. They are in desperate need of some new pitchers, Oates says. Could a big trade be on the horizon? Could another CC Sabathia be on their way to Milwaukee?

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates are back in the studio after Tuesday’s press conference at Camp Randall.

• Both boosters and former players were at Camp Randall to hear Shawn Eichorst give his welcome press conference. Those in attendance seemed to be giving him the benefit of the doubt after he admitted to some mistakes at Nebraska, but Oates still has one question: will he be able to reach out to all of his various constituencies, and not just focus on the players and coaches?

• Madison West grad Drake Baldwin is continuing his great run in the MLB as he will be the starting catcher for next week’s All Star Game. And to think, after high school, he was thinking about focusing on hockey! Lucas and Oates remember him from his Madison days (including a short stint with the Madison Mallards), and say that he’s always had the right character to make it big. 

• Sticking with baseball, as the Brewers hold the second best record in all of the MLB, is WIlliam Contreras the true leader of the team? Resoundingly yes, say Lucas and Oates. He’s a high impact player who’s able to get into his pitchers’ faces sometimes, and he can do that because he knows that his pitchers trust him. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates beat the heat with some sports news across the country and here at home. 

• Reports are saying that Shawn Eichorst is likely to become UW-Madison’s next Athletic Director. It’s a pick with a lot of goods and bads, Lucas and Oates think. One one hand, he’s a nuts-and-bolts guy who’s known to treat players and coaches well. On the other hand, what exactly happened at Nebraska? 

• Serena Williams has made her big comeback after four years away from the court, and fell big time. Williams is one of the greatest competitors of all time, Lucas and Oates think, but she looked slow and mechanical in what was supposed to be her big return. Hopefully she’s serious about returning to tennis, and hopefully a little more time on the court will get her back into game shape. 

• LeBron James says he’s playing again next year, but it won’t be with the Lakers. Lucas and Oates think that Golden State is creating a pretty nice looking team to surround him. He might be 42 and certainly doesn’t play like he did a decade ago, but LeBron has a real shot of getting one last championship under his belt with the right team. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates talk egos and a busy week for the Bucks

• Giannis Antetokounmpo is gone from the Bucks, and has been traded to the Miami Heat. In return, they got a handful of players (who may or may not still be around come the season) and some nice draft picks. It was about as fair of a trade as they could get, Lucas and Oates think, though when you trade someone like Giannis you’ll never truly get your money's worth.

• With those nice draft picks, the Bucks took in some decent players in the first round. It’ll be the last time they control their first round picks for many years, so you’d hope they’d make them count. Brayden Burries should be a very solid pick for the team, Oates thinks, as someone who could look a bit like Khris Middleton in the future. Nate Ament, on the other hand, could either work out really well or really poorly. Oates says he was drafted on his potential, so only time will tell if this draft was a success or a bust. 

• Finally, does Nick Boyd have a chance to still be drafted? As of Wednesday evening, Lucas and Oates think he has a chance late in the second round. His time with the Badgers really did him a lot of good, they think, as they let him show off what he could really do. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, no pro wrestlers join the show, to the disappointment of Lucas. 

• Lucas and Oates attended the celebration of life of former Badgers Football Assistant Coach Henry Mason this past weekend. The room was filled to the brim with great people sharing great stories about a man who, while maybe not as well known to the fans, was beloved in the locker room. Mason, who died this past spring, was known for his warmth and as a guy who treated everyone who came his way with respect. 

• Turning to the NBA, the Knicks had a fantastic story come to a close after they took home the NBA Championship. Jalen Brunson was the star of the show, says Oates, as someone who’s been a true winner even since high school. At the end of the day, the Spurs were just too inexperienced to take on that kind of talent that was dominating the entire playoffs. 

• By this time next week, Lucas and Oates think that Giannis Antetokounmpo will have a new home. Miami, Cleveland and Boston are on the shortlist, with both good players and draft capital to spend that might equal what Giannis is worth. But whoever they get as a player should be secondary, they say, because the high draft picks are vital for the Bucks to create a long-term plan to create a winning team once again. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, the boys skip the Banana Ball to dive right into the Packers

• It’s been suspected that Micah Parsons would miss the beginning of the season, and now it’s confirmed that he’ll miss at least four games to start the year. Lucas and Oates think that’s fine; Parsons should heal up as much as possible so that he’s 100% ready to go when he hits the field. But that does mean he might miss some important games at the top of the season and the Packers might want to start looking around for a decent pass rusher, unless they plan on relying solely on Lukas Van Ness… 

• Texas Tech will have their starting quarterback after all, after a group of judges decided that Brenden Sorsby cannot be banned by the NCAA from playing. That’s despite his history of betting on college football games, including ones he’s been involved in. It’s just another way the college sports is a complete mess, Oates thinks. Even the MLB banned Pete Rose for betting on games, why shouldn’t the NCAA ban him?

• Wauwatosa star basketball player Jalen Brown is coming to Wisconsin as the Badgers decide to keep one of the state’s big players close to home. It’s a great move, Lucas and Oates think. If he plays his cards right, Brown can set himself up for life. Just look at how Sam Dekker is treated these days…

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, big moves are happening across the NFL this week.

• The Rams are making a big move, bringing Myles Garrett into the fold. Lucas and Oates think that move is a lot like the Packers bringing in Micah Parsons; they’re nearly equals as players and both the Rams and the Packers paid roughly the same price. It also shows that both teams are making serious Super Bowl pushes, which will be interesting when the Packers play the Rams on Thanksgiving Eve.

• Speaking of the Packers, they have a major problem at running back after Josh Jacobs was arrested (but as of recording not yet charged) for domestic assault. It’s in the hands of the Brown County District Attorney and there’s not much to comment on at the moment until they make a move, Lucas and Oates say. Regardless of charges, the Packers need to make a big move; they need to have a great running back if they want to continue running the kind of offense they’re running. 

• Russell Wilson is stepping away from the field and entering the CBS studio as an analyst. Lucas and Oates aren’t sure if he’s entirely fit for the role, however. Sure, he knows football and is highly articulate, but will he be able to be critical of the players on the field? He’s a very nice guy, which is a great thing for most avenues of life, but he needs to have that critical edge if he wants to succeed in the studio.

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, not even a tooth extraction can keep Lucas and Oates away from marveling at The Miz

• Jacob Misiorowski had basically a perfect Memorial Day, throwing 57 pitches over 100 mph. He now leads the majors in strikeouts, hitting 100 before the calendar turns to June. Lucas and Oates think it may be a bit early to start thinking too hard about the Cy Young, but if it were decided now it would have to be between him and Ohtani. 

• Victor Wembanyama, or Wemby, is in the news not because of his playing, but because his basketball card sold for over $5 million. It’s fair, Lucas and Oates say, as he has to be one of the big three transformative big guys in the game of basketball, next to Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It takes a certain type of big man to be able to truly change the sport; but those few guys who are big and long can bring an extra something to make them one of the greats. 

• Former Badgers star Sam Dekker is returning to America, now as an assistant coach at South Carolina. He’ll be a great coach, Oates says, because he’s a guy who loves the game and has a great understanding of the fundamentals of basketball. It might be a bit sooner than we expected, but we had to know that he’d turn to coaching sooner or later and we wish him the very best. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates start their timers: as of recording there are 100 days until week zero of college football.

• With just 100 days (as of recording) to go until college football begins, all of the pundits are busy putting out their lists and predictions. That includes ESPN’s list of coaches who are in the hot seat this year. Of course, Luke Fickell sits at number three on that list. But with a lighter schedule this year and (hopefully) and an AD who’s behind him, Lucas and Oates think that his job may not be in danger quite yet. 

• In college basketball, Greg Gard says he’s in favor of expanding the conference schedule. That’ll be tough, say Lucas and Oates, as that basically becomes a professional schedule at that point. It all comes down to the money, of course, because all college sports today are about the money. 

• Aaron Rodgers announced that this season with the Steelers will be his last as an NFL quarterback. It’s hard to argue that he isn’t one of the top five quarterbacks of all time, Oates says. It’s a shame he only got one Super Bowl in Green Bay, though, thanks to his team’s defenses, special teams, and at times coaching. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, movement finally begins in UW Madison’s search for a new athletic director. 

• The Badgers announce that Eric Wilcotts, the interim chancellor, will head the search and ultimately hire the school’s next AD. Oates was sure they’d start with the search for a new chancellor, but at least he’s someone who’s been around the university for decades. The university announced their selection committee too, and it’s filled with some old names and some we aren’t familiar with. The varied backgrounds of everyone on the committee will be a useful asset, says Lucas. 

• What is needed out of a new AD for UW-Madison? Oates says someone who knows how to raise money. NIL isn’t going away any time soon and Wisconsin is falling behind in raising money. Whoever the next AD is has to be comfortable cozying up to some rich alumni.

• The Brewers swept the Yankees over the weekend, with Jacob Misiorowski getting all the national attention. With a 103.6 mph fastball, he holds the record now for the fastest pitch thrown by a starter during the pitch tracking era. Now that he’s found his control, and some confidence in his other pitches, he’s becoming more and more of a threat to even guys like Aaron Judge. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates talk about changes to one of their favorite sport events of the year. 

• The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament looks likely to expand to 76 teams. Lucas and Oates are not fans of the move. That’s eight more teams today, but they don’t think it’ll ever stop. The commissioners of the big conferences run all of college sports now, and they want more and more of their teams in the tournament. How long until we’re filling out 128 team brackets?

• Tryod Taylor is the new backup quarterback in Green Bay. He’s a journeyman who’s played for many teams over the years, so you know he has to be a student of the game to keep getting work. Jordan Love may not be injury prone, but Lucas and Oates think that having a veteran on standby will be a big improvement over someone like Desmond Ritter. 

• Russell Wilson’s name has been thrown around as a potential backup quarterback to Love (if he would ever accept it), and at least he has Wisconsin ties. Wilson is likely one of the best quarterbacks the Badgers have ever had, or at the very least would appear on anyone’s Mount Rushmore of Badger quarterbacks. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, the NFL Draft takes over Pittsburg and leaves Wisconsin sports fans with questions.

• No players from the Badgers are drafted this year after seven rounds, though a few former Badgers did make the cut. It reflects the current state of the Badgers, and while we shouldn’t read too much into this, Lucas and Oates are happy that Luke Fickell hit the transfer portal hard this year.

• A few Badger football players were signed to free agency contracts after the draft. While nobody can see the future, a lot of them do have the talent to have fruitful NFL careers. 

• The Packers, meanwhile, had either a great or an okay draft, depending on if you count Micah Parsons as their first round pick. The Packers had more position needs than normal this year, and were able to meet a lot of their defensive holes. But there are still plenty of question marks on the roster, most notably in the backup positions for several key offensive players. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, it’s hard to remember how many roster spots the Badgers Men’s Basketball team has left after a flurry of transactions. 

• John Blackwell is heading to Duke, where he hopes to grow his skills for the NBA while competing for a national championship. He’ll have to contend with not being the star of the offense anymore, but Lucas and Oates wish him well and are glad he’s at least not in the Big 10. 

• Greg Gard was able to pick up a few players in the transfer portal, mostly from smaller schools like Miami-Ohio and Washington. Lucas and Oates say that Gard has had success in the portal in recent years; every year there seems to be at least one big hit. 

• The NFL Draft starts this week, and the Packers will head to Pittsburgh without a first round pick. But when Lucas and Oates take a look at who the Packers have drafted in the second round over the past decade, the list is filled with heavy hitters. 

For this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, not even storms kept Lucas and Oates away from the recording studio.

Topics:

• Chris McIntosh announced his time as athletic director with UW-Madison has come to an end, as he is accepting a position in the Big Ten front office as deputy commissioner for strategy. Mike Lucas isn’t too surprised, but Tom Oates is, at least a little.
• The Wisconsin Badgers football team’s general manager, Marcus Sedberry, has been named interim athletic director. Lucas and Oates discuss what they know about Sedberry's new responsibilities and how this could put even more pressure on coach Luke Fickell, who considers McIntosh a friend.
• Who comes next? The role of athletic director has become that of a business man. UW-Madison will need someone who can shake hands and woo boosters to raise money for the team. Lucas and Oates discuss the right and wrong types of people for this job and some possible names already surfacing.