My first year in Milwaukee is coming to a quick end, and the last nine months of 2012 have been pretty exciting here at OnMilwaukee.com. I've had some cool experiences, met some great people and covered some pretty amazing events. Here's the best of the best.
Stadium spread: Lambeau Field. This is a no-doubter. In my world, the availability of Coca-Cola would've pushed them to the top anyway, but from the made-from-scratch omelets to the savory meat selections to the cheesecake, the folks in Green Bay do it right every Sunday.
Runner-up: BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Interview: John Axford. The Brewers closer was always available, win or lose, and answered every question. And when he wasn't available, he left a nice note.
Runner-up: Na Yeon Choi, 2012 U.S. Women's Open champion.
Quote: "It's pretty neat, even though I sucked for the most part." – Zack Greinke after allowing six runs in his historic third consecutive start for the Brewers.
Runner-up: "It was like some amateur playing the back nine." – Five-time major winner Yani Tseng after shooting 9-over on the back side on Sunday at the U.S. Women's Open at Blackwolf Run.
Food: The mac-and-cheese at Comet, hands down.
Runner-up: Rattlesnake jambalaya, Twisted Cuisine in Kenosha.
Sporting event: This past year was filled with so many major sporting events, but the Ryder Cup at Medinah was something that will be talked about for as long as golf is played on this planet. The stunning European comeback on Sunday was historic and emotional. For years, I heard crusty colleagues say the Ryder Cup is a must cover, once-in-a-lifetime event. It was.
Runner-up: U.S. Women's Open.
Concert: The Tech N9ne show at The Rave was something to behold. The indie rapper from Kansas City filled that place to back walls and up to the balcony, and the energy was incredible.
Runner-up: Lupe Fiasco at Summerfest.
Weirdest story: Some oddball things happened in sports in 2012, but nothing can top meeting "the other you."
Runner-up: A fake baseball player. Yeah, that happened.
Fan jersey at a Brewers game: Admittedly, I roped MLB.com writer Adam McCalvy into this during the year, but it became a "thing" for me to tell him the best of the worst Brewers jerseys I saw in the stands during games at Miller Park. By far the best of the worst was the fan rocking a Brad Nelson jersey. That's dedication my friends.
Runner-up: Jorge Julio.
Twitter conversation between teammates: This between Green Bay Packers offensive linemen Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang.
@jsitton71 your a idiot go to bed — TJ Lang (@TJLang70) September 13, 2012
Runner-up: There is no runner-up to that.
Well, 2012 has been great – here's to a great 2013!
Jim Owczarski is an award-winning sports journalist and comes to Milwaukee by way of the Chicago Sun-Times Media Network.
A three-year Wisconsin resident who has considered Milwaukee a second home for the better part of seven years, he brings to the market experience covering nearly all major and college sports.
To this point in his career, he has been awarded six national Associated Press Sports Editors awards for investigative reporting, feature writing, breaking news and projects. He is also a four-time nominee for the prestigious Peter J. Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism, presented by the Chicago Headline Club, and is a two-time winner for Best Sports Story. He has also won numerous other Illinois Press Association, Illinois Associated Press and Northern Illinois Newspaper Association awards.
Jim's career started in earnest as a North Central College (Naperville, Ill.) senior in 2002 when he received a Richter Fellowship to cover the Chicago White Sox in spring training. He was hired by the Naperville Sun in 2003 and moved on to the Aurora Beacon News in 2007 before joining OnMilwaukee.com.
In that time, he has covered the events, news and personalities that make up the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, NCAA football, baseball and men's and women's basketball as well as boxing, mixed martial arts and various U.S. Olympic teams.
Golf aficionados who venture into Illinois have also read Jim in GOLF Chicago Magazine as well as the Chicago District Golfer and Illinois Golfer magazines.
