As we mix the wassail and trim our tree, we turn our thoughts to the wishes for gifts.
And I hate to be greedy, but, boy, do I have a whole bunch of wishes for this Christmas.
I’m loaded with wishes for the Packers. I hope, first of all, that Brett Favre will announce one hour after the last game of the season whether he’s coming back or not next season. I’m also hoping that Favre decides to play next year. I still love watching him.
I hope that Mike McCarthy has the wisdom not to hire Mike Martz to be his new offensive coordinator. And I’d like to see him find a coach of some color other than white to hire. I’d also like to see him fire his special teams coach. Their special teams suck.
I also wish that three guys named Colledge, Spitz and Moll get older and better.
And while we’re talking offense, I wish that the Packers, and writers like Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel, would stop perpetrating the idea that this zone blocking scheme thing is something like the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. It’s really five 300-pound guys going after four 300-pound guys and a 220-pound running back trying to find some space in there to run. The Packers make it seem they discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls when they figured out how to zone block.
And finally I hope Ted Thompson finds a breakout, big-time receiver and a new tight end either in the draft or through free agency.
For the Brewers, the list of wishes is almost endless.
The first one is for the miracle of good health for everyone. I’d love to see how the Brewers do with Fielder, Hardy, Weeks, Hall and Sheets stay healthy for a year. Then we’d know if they’re on the right track or we go back to the drawing board.
I don’t know exactly what I wish for Geoff Jenkins, but I wish something. He’s been a good pro, an asset to the Brewers and now finds circumstances swirling around him so that his future is cloudy. There is so much to like about Jenkins that I find myself wishing that something nice happens to him.
I also wish the team had more money so it could play with the big boys. I also wish people would stop talking about the Minnesota and Oakland examples as how small market teams can make it big. In reality, you’ve got to pay to play at the highest levels. The way it is now, the Brewers can’t take risks. They almost have to be sure things before they get into a bidding war.
My wish for the Bucks is simple. I want a Christmas miracle so that they go deep into the NBA playoffs. There is no team that I know where everyone has worked so hard and been willing to take risks and spend money in pursuit of a title. I also wish people would get off Terry Stotts’ backs. He’s turning out to be a pretty good NBA coach.
I also wish The Homer and Rick Majerus would get off Andrew Bogut’s back. Bogut is young and he’s learning. But it’s obvious he has some of the things needed to be a great player, including a lot of heart. I don’t know what those other two have against him, but they ought to back off.
I wish that somebody would stand up and shout that the University of Wisconsin has one of the top athletic programs in the country. I mean the whole country. Great football, great basketball, wonderful track and field.
For Marquette, I wish that Dominic James decides to play at least another year before trying his hand at the NBA. James is one of those 'tweeners who might not have a position in the pros, so he might as well stay at Marquette. I also wish that the controversy over the Marquette nickname rears its head again and we have a pitched and passionate battle about it.
I hope both WAUK and WSSP get better ratings so that sports radio is here to stay in Milwaukee. Although I think both stations could do lots of things better, I’d still rather have them than not.
I wish the Admirals would somehow find a way to get more attention. I just don’t know what that way is. Same thing for the Wave.
And I also wish that the people who keep trying to bring a major league soccer team to Milwaukee would get an injection of common sense and forget about it. It ain’t going to work.
And finally, to each and every one of us who loves sports. I wish you all got HDTV, all the snacks and beer and soda you can want, a wife or girlfriend who either loves sports or knows how to stay quiet and a holiday season that brings you everything you desire.
And I hate to be greedy, but, boy, do I have a whole bunch of wishes for this Christmas.
I’m loaded with wishes for the Packers. I hope, first of all, that Brett Favre will announce one hour after the last game of the season whether he’s coming back or not next season. I’m also hoping that Favre decides to play next year. I still love watching him.
I hope that Mike McCarthy has the wisdom not to hire Mike Martz to be his new offensive coordinator. And I’d like to see him find a coach of some color other than white to hire. I’d also like to see him fire his special teams coach. Their special teams suck.
I also wish that three guys named Colledge, Spitz and Moll get older and better.
And while we’re talking offense, I wish that the Packers, and writers like Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel, would stop perpetrating the idea that this zone blocking scheme thing is something like the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. It’s really five 300-pound guys going after four 300-pound guys and a 220-pound running back trying to find some space in there to run. The Packers make it seem they discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls when they figured out how to zone block.
And finally I hope Ted Thompson finds a breakout, big-time receiver and a new tight end either in the draft or through free agency.
For the Brewers, the list of wishes is almost endless.
The first one is for the miracle of good health for everyone. I’d love to see how the Brewers do with Fielder, Hardy, Weeks, Hall and Sheets stay healthy for a year. Then we’d know if they’re on the right track or we go back to the drawing board.
I don’t know exactly what I wish for Geoff Jenkins, but I wish something. He’s been a good pro, an asset to the Brewers and now finds circumstances swirling around him so that his future is cloudy. There is so much to like about Jenkins that I find myself wishing that something nice happens to him.
I also wish the team had more money so it could play with the big boys. I also wish people would stop talking about the Minnesota and Oakland examples as how small market teams can make it big. In reality, you’ve got to pay to play at the highest levels. The way it is now, the Brewers can’t take risks. They almost have to be sure things before they get into a bidding war.
My wish for the Bucks is simple. I want a Christmas miracle so that they go deep into the NBA playoffs. There is no team that I know where everyone has worked so hard and been willing to take risks and spend money in pursuit of a title. I also wish people would get off Terry Stotts’ backs. He’s turning out to be a pretty good NBA coach.
I also wish The Homer and Rick Majerus would get off Andrew Bogut’s back. Bogut is young and he’s learning. But it’s obvious he has some of the things needed to be a great player, including a lot of heart. I don’t know what those other two have against him, but they ought to back off.
I wish that somebody would stand up and shout that the University of Wisconsin has one of the top athletic programs in the country. I mean the whole country. Great football, great basketball, wonderful track and field.
For Marquette, I wish that Dominic James decides to play at least another year before trying his hand at the NBA. James is one of those 'tweeners who might not have a position in the pros, so he might as well stay at Marquette. I also wish that the controversy over the Marquette nickname rears its head again and we have a pitched and passionate battle about it.
I hope both WAUK and WSSP get better ratings so that sports radio is here to stay in Milwaukee. Although I think both stations could do lots of things better, I’d still rather have them than not.
I wish the Admirals would somehow find a way to get more attention. I just don’t know what that way is. Same thing for the Wave.
And I also wish that the people who keep trying to bring a major league soccer team to Milwaukee would get an injection of common sense and forget about it. It ain’t going to work.
And finally, to each and every one of us who loves sports. I wish you all got HDTV, all the snacks and beer and soda you can want, a wife or girlfriend who either loves sports or knows how to stay quiet and a holiday season that brings you everything you desire.
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.
