LeRoy Butler made the rumor reality Thursday -- his injured shoulder has not healed enough for him to continue to play for the Green Bay Packers.
Butler officially announced his retirement after 12 seasons. The All Pro safety had been rumored to be contemplating retirement for several months.
The Packers will miss Butler. Although he had shown signs of slowing down, the 34-year-old Butler still was an experienced pro, who knew how to cover receivers and come up to help stop the run.
Butler provided leadership for the entire defensive unit while playing more games than any other Packer defensive back in history. He often served as a spokesman for the team with the media.
The veteran also is credited with taking the original Lambeau Leap. Of course, that tradition of leaping into the stands after a touchdown became one of the trademarks of the Super Bowl Packers.
A couple players will have to step up now that Butler is gone. Darren Sharper, who has reached All Pro status himself, will need to become more of a leader in the secondary.
Antuan Edwards also will have to step up to replace Butler. Edwards is coming off a knee injury, but is the heir apparent to the position. If he can't play well enough, rookie Marques Anderson might be given a shot.
Remember, you can read a weekly column, devoted completely to the Packers, when On The Pack debuts Aug. 5, with a season preview.
Spree To Come Home?
Latrell Sprewell will always be best known for choking his coach, but insiders in the NBA also know him as an intense competitor, with quickness and skills on both ends of the court.
GM Ernie Grunfeld has hinted the Bucks would have some interest in the former Washington High School player, who has been with the New York Knicks in recent seasons.
Would Spree fit with the already misfit Bucks? Certainly, he would add some intensity to a team that lacks it at times. He also would add some quickness.
But, how would he fit in with a team that already has some chemistry problems last season? Anthony Mason never really blended with the likes of Sam Cassell, Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson. The result could be seen in a late season collapse.
Sprewell also was included in a rumor Wednesday about a three-team trade involving the Knicks, Pistons and Timberwolves. So, if the Bucks are interested in Sprewell, they will have to move relatively quickly.
Bombers In Tourney
The Milwaukee Bombers will play for the championship of the Lake Michigan Australian Rules Football League in a tournament at Jensen Park in Elk Grove Village, outside of Chicago, this weekend.
This writer watched a quarter of a tuneup match for the tournament against the Chicago Swans last weekend at Kletsch Park. The Bombers, by the way, are officially a "sister team" of the Essendon Bombers, who are the Aussie version of the Packers. Essendon is a small market, but has managed to traditionally field good teams.
According to the Bombers' Steve Smith, known as Rock: "The Aussies (on the Bombers) play it predominately because it's the game they know and love, and it's a taste of home for them. Those of us who didn't grow up with it love it because it's real. You take away the pads, and the quarterback, and everyone is a lineman, and a receiver, and a kicker, and a running back.
"It's very team oriented, since none of us wants to run the whole length of the field (180m), and we have to support each other as well with warnings and advice, usually yelled at the top of our lungs. This is why everyone seems to end up getting a one or two syllable nickname (Rock, Boom, Bear, Gaz, J, Z, Trick, Plug)."
Rampage In Action
The Rampage, the leader in the Central Division in A-League soccer, will defend its first place standing with two home games this weekend.
The Atlanta Silverbacks come to Milwaukee for a 7 p.m. game Friday. At 6 p.m. Sunday, the Rampage will host the El Paso Patriots. All Rampage home games are played at the former Milwaukee County rec grounds in Franklin.
The Rampage earned a good prestige win by beating the Chicago Fire of the MLS on Wednesday night.
The Milwaukee Sports Buzz will appear again July 26 and then take a hiatus to make room for On The Pack. The column will return after the baseball season to cover the Bucks, Wave, Admirals and other winter sports.
