OnMilwaukee.com Sports Digest for Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007
Sheets update: Brewers right-hander Ben Sheets, who left the mound in the second inning Tuesday night in Houston, will have his sore right hamstring examined by team doctor William Raasch Wednesday in Milwaukee.
Sheets is expected to rejoin the team Thursday night in Atlanta.
Favre honored: Packers quarterback Brett Favre was named NFC offensive player of the week on Wednesday. Tampa Bay linebacker Barrett Ruud was named defensive player of the week and Chicago's Devin Hester grabbed special teams honors.
Farve completed 29 of 38 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns in the Packers' 35-13 victory over the Giants. It was the 149th victory of Favre's career, moving him past John Elway for most by a starting quarterback Favre, who needs three touchdown passes to match Dan Marino's all-time record of 420, has been player of the week 11 times in his 17-year career.
Wave signings: Emboldened by the solid play of Brazilian rookie Marcio Leite last season, the Wave signed three Brazilian players on Wednesday.
Andre Gustavo Sandri Silva, known as "Deco," is a 5-foot-9, 155-pound midfielder who played for the same Malwee futsal club from which Leite was discovered. Deco is just 19 years old and played a center position with Malwee. Last year he had 38 goals and 49 assists in 53 games playing for both Malwee's adult team and junior squad.
Aurinei Parisotto, "Chico," is a 5-foot-8, 165-pound defender and midfielder. He is 30 years old and has played for a series of indoor and futsal teams throughout his career.
Jonathan Santos, "Jonatas," led Sport Club Paulo Afonso, a futsal team, to the Bahia State Championship in 2005 with 16 goals. He then signed with Real Moitense for the Superliga national championship tournament. Coach Wilson Mendonca said Jonatas "is one of the most talented players in the region and he will help his teammates to shine." He is 22 years old.
"I'm very excited about bringing these three talented players from Brazil," said Wave coach Keith Tozer, whose team opens camp Sept. 24. "Obviously, they have a huge learning curve, coming from either outdoor soccer, futsal or both. But we feel they possess the technical ability everyone comes to expect from Brazilian players. They have speed and tactical ability. If they take off anything like Marcio Leite, they'll be very important players for the Milwaukee Wave for years to come."
Legal matter: Marquette University Law School's National Sports Law Institute will host a conference entitled "The Increasing Globalization of Sports: Olympic, International and Comparative Law and Business Issues" from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28, at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, 515 W. Wisconsin Ave. Registration is available here.
Four conference panels composed of leading sports lawyers, sports law professors and industry professionals will address legal and business issues related to the global expansion of sports and its implications. The conference will feature presentations on global sports marketing, the legal protection of intellectual property, resolution of international sports disputes, and a comparative analysis of sports league structure, governance and player restraints.
Michael Conley, gold medalist in the triple jump at the 1992 Olympic Games and executive director of World Sport Chicago, will be presented with the National Sports Law Institute's Master of the Game Award, which honors an individual who has contributed significantly to the sports industry and exemplifies the highest level of professionalism. Previously, Conley served as executive director of the Elite Athlete Division at USA Track & Field for seven years. In 2005, Conley was responsible for establishing Track & Field's first Professional Athletics Association, which protects the rights of professional track and field athletes; he currently serves as its chief executive officer.
"The conference will provide a national forum for discussion and consideration of United States and international sports issues with presentations from a distinguished group of experts representing a variety of viewpoints," said Professor Matt Mitten, director of the National Sports Law Institute (NSLI).
The NSLI strives to be at the forefront of the study of legal, ethical and business issues affecting amateur and professional sports. The NSLI also reflects Marquette University's Jesuit values, as it is committed to searching for truth, discovering and sharing knowledge, fostering professional excellence, developing leaders and serving those in the sports industry.
