The Sports Buzz Top 10 of 2001

Here are the 10 stories that created the most buzz in Wisconsin, according to the OnMilwaukee.com Sports Buzz column:

1. Miller Park opens -- After a long, long wait, Miller Park opened to great reviews and even a Presidential appearance. Thanks to the world-class park, the Brewers drew a record 2.8 million plus and became one of the few major league baseball teams to post a profit in 2001. Now if they can only become as good at building a ballclub as they were at building a ballpark.
2. Bucks reach NBA Final Four -- Coach George Karl started blasting his stars after the team got off to a 3-9 start and it worked. The Bucks won the Central Division and made it to the semis before losing to the Sixers. Maybe a NBA championship will top the 2002 buzz stories.
3. Lambeau renovation starts -- Historic Lambeau Field is getting a multi-million dollar facelift designed to bring in secondary sources of revenue for the team. The good news is the bowl section of the stadium will still be very recognizable.
4. Ron Wolf retires as GM -- An era ended in Titletown when Wolf, who along with Mike Holmgren built the 1996-97 Super Bowl teams, hung it up. Mike Sherman was given both jobs.
5. Packers back in playoffs -- After a two-year absence, the Packers earned a trip to the playoffs by beating Cleveland last week. Now, we have to see if they get a home game or not.
6. Al McGuire dies -- Coach Al, a legend from his Marquette days and national sports casting, succumbed to cancer. He will be missed.
7. Bo knows UW -- Bo Ryan left UWM and went to the campus and basketball program with only two initials -- UW. The job opened up after Dick Bennett decided to step down early in the season, and assistant Brad Soderberg was not retained after finishing out the schedule.
8. Wave wins another -- The Milwaukee Wave won yet another indoor soccer title and is playing well again this season in a different league.
9. UW gets probation -- The University of Wisconsin athletic program was given five years probation after the smelly shoe scandal was cleaned up. The sanctions amounted to a slap on the hand.
10. Downtown sports fans -- Plans were unveiled for improvements to the Bradley Center and Wisconsin Center, plus a group wants to build a 20,000 capacity soccer stadium downtown. Now, the representatives of the three groups have to merge their acts into a coordinated effort.

As ugly as their win was over the Vikings Sunday, it did move the Packers into the driver's seat among NFC wild card teams. The win, coupled with the 49ers loss to the Cowboys, gives both teams 11-4 records, but the Packers have the advantage because of a better record in the conference.

That means if both teams win next week, the Packers get a home game in the first round of the playoffs. The same is true if both teams lose. The Packers play the Giants in New York and the Niners play at New Orleans.

"I'm honestly and truthfully not concerned with that," coach Mike Sherman said. "I'm still trying to win the division and catch the Bears. I'd rather have a bye that first week. If we do have a game, I'd rather have it here."

Brett Favre said, "Our job is to play the Giants and win the football game. What happens to the Bears is beyond our control. So is what happens to the 49ers."

Neverthless, a playoff game in Lambeau Field, on Jan 12 or 13, would be a big advantage. "I'd like to get a team here," said cornerback Mike McKenzie, whose interception return for a touchdown put away the Vikings Sunday.

"I really don't like playing in the cold, but I wear the short sleeves and that out there," McKenzie said. "It's part of the mystique of Lambeau Field. It's part of being a Green Bay Packer."

The Bucks, already without Ray Allen, lost Glenn Robinson in the fourth quarter Saturday night, but still managed to win their sixth straight game against the San Antonio Spurs.

"In sports, you're going to have injuries," said Tim Thomas, who stepped up with 24 points including the game-winning basket with 28.8 seconds left in overtime. "Sometimes you fight through them, and sometimes you can't.

"We're just playing great team basketball right now. We're moving the ball, slashing to the basket and kicking out, playing good defense. This is how you have to play with a couple of your best players out."

Allen will likely miss a few more games, with tendinitis in his left knee. The Bucks have won four straight without him. Karl hoped that Robinson could play Monday against the Chicago Bulls.

The Bucks' streak against the Spurs, one of the better teams in the NBA, is nothing short of miraculous. The Spurs have not beaten Milwaukee since March 16, 1998. Karl, who played for the Spurs, has a 31-14 lifetime record against his former team.