In sports, it's the big headlines and the big headliners that get our attention.
Favre. Sabathia. Packers. Yankees.
Mention those names, and you've got a sure thing, stuff to be devoured by every sports fan with fingers stained with ink or a keyboard with rubbed-off letters.
But, there's a lot of stuff than happens that we don't notice. So, in the interest of keeping everyone informed, herewith some sports stuff nobody noticed:
In case you didn't notice, the professional golf season has come to an end. I know, I know. The excitement of that FedEx cup thing just about wore you out. But, it's over. Some people say it ended when Tiger went home to Florida to rest his ailing body by siring another child. Despite the best efforts of the money-grubbers who run the PGA Tour, the vaunted FedEx cup is the biggest bomb since Danny Bonaduce recorded an album of dance songs.
In case you didn't notice, the Bucks are a pro basketball team that plays right here. I understand if you can't recognize them. More than half the players are new. The coach and general manager are new. The assistant coaches are new. The dancers have new clothes, as do the players. The ushers are wearing the same jackets, though, so you should feel right at home. And the pizza still sucks.
In case you didn't notice, the Brewers didn't pick up the $3.4 million option for Craig Counsell. I know you're stunned that the club won't pay that to a guy who hit .226. Especially since he's a hometown hero. But, you don't have to worry. Counsell is one of the real good guys in sports and will probably sign for a lot less so he can keep on taking his kids to Kopp's during the summer.
In case you didn't notice, just more 3,000 fans clamored into the 18,000-seat Bradley Center to watch the Admirals snap out of their recent funk with a 3-2 overtime goal over the Grand Rapids Griffins. The victory kept us just ahead of the Quad City Flames in the West Division. We still trail the Iowa Chops, though.
In case you didn't notice, UWM is going to play basketball again this season. I love Rob Jeter, but him following Bruce Pearl is like Charo taking over the role of Lady McBeth after Katherine Hepburn. UWM's success was a fluke and they have returned to that ignored school near the lake that, oh, by the way, has a basketball team.
In case you didn't notice, the new president of the Milwaukee Mile is now the old president of the Milwaukee Mile. Once he got a good look at the books, he took off. Color me a pessimist, but I've got the distinct feeling that the future of racing at State Fair Park is in serious jeopardy. If we could figure out a way to get the state and the fair out of the way, it might succeed. But bureaucrats seem determined to eliminate the track with a death by a thousand cuts. Somebody with power, foresight and brains needs to ride to the rescue.
And some minor things:
In case you didn't notice, someone named Buzz Williams is the coach at Marquette.
In case you didn't notice, the sports editor of the local paper is also an occasional columnist who is a master of the obvious.
In case you didn't notice, David Beckham has been loaned to AC Milan, one of the top soccer teams in Europe. The two reasons given are that he wants to prove to the English coach that he can still play and his wife is very involved in fashion and Milan is a fashion capital. Oh, really? The fact that his move to America has been a huge failure probably has little to do with it. My bet is that he never comes back here. At least not to play futbol.
In case you didn't notice, Angela Taylor was hired as a general manager. First person to name what team and what league wins an OnMilwaukee.com T-shirt.
In case you didn't notice, second baseman Chase Utley put the f-bomb between the words "world" and "champions" during a live interview on all television stations at the public celebration of their World Series title. Philadelphia fans cheered harder for that than they did for their glance at the trophy. Go figure.
In case you didn't notice, golfer Colin Montgomerie is in the middle of a tidy spat. Jack Vettriano is a hugely successful British artist. Someone asked him to paint a portrait of Montgomerie. Vetteriano declined, saying, "I don't paint men with breasts."
With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.
He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.
This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.
Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.
