Temple's debut a spark for Bucks

By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers Published Jan 28, 2011 at 5:10 AM

Since the last week has been a non-stop barrage of Packers coverage -- and the days leading up to Super Bowl XLV won't be much better -- this week's edition offers you a Packers-free guarantee.

(Check back later today, of course, for a full rundown of the latest Packers news).

On to the notes...

What a debut: How many people raised an eyebrow when the Bucks signed Garrett Temple out of the NBA D-League this week? Heck, how many of you even noticed?

Temple made the most of his first opportunity in Milwaukee, scoring eight points in 18 minutes to go along with three rebounds and three assists in the Bucks' 98-90 victory over Atlanta.

Not bad for a guy who only had one practice with the team.

"He started picking things up instantly," said head coach Scott Skiles. "We could tell right away. There were some stoppages of play where we could get him organized a little bit."

Temple, 24, was averaging 13.4 points with the Erie BayHawks before getting a 10-day contract with Milwaukee. Undrafted out of Louisiana State University, he's appeared in 30 NBA games (four starts) over the last two seasons with San Antonio, Houston and Sacramento.

The Bucks made the move for Temple while they wait for guards Brandon Jennings and John Salmons to return from injury. Jennings has been working out with the team and Salmons, suffering a strained right hip, is making progress, according to Skiles.

Drew Gooden, signed as a free agent during the off-season, is still sidelined with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Really?: OK, so NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he'll take a $1 salary if there is no 2011 NFL season. The New York Jets' Antonio Cromartie has been calling out the union on Twitter. Other players called him out, and he turned around and threatened others.

You've got to be kidding me.

You'd think by now that professional athletes and team owners have learned their lesson from the '94 baseball strike, the NBA and NHL lockouts and the '04 NHL season -- completely wiped out due to a labor dispute.

The NFL and NBA are both reaching the brink of work stoppages and if any of the involved parties think they'll curry favor with a public of which more than nine percent is unemployed, they've got to be insane.

Sure, each side has valid complaints but the bottom line is both are making more money than the common fan would know what to do with. Either sit down in a room and fix things, or shut up and play until things are settled.

A strike? A lockout? Ridiculous. Shut up and play.

Milwaukee 225 lands major sponsor: IndyCar's return to Milwaukee is still several months away but race organizers this week announced a sponsorship deal with two major Milwaukee companies.

Coors Light, a product of MillerCoors, will be the official beer of race weekend and also the title sponsor for qualifying action -- Coors Light Pole Day -- which also includes the David Hobbs 100 Indy Lights race.

A title sponsor for the June 19 race has not been announced.

The Kid returns: The Brewers this week announced that franchise icon Robin Yount will be part of the cadre of players, coaches, prospects and alumni taking part Sunday in Brewers On Deck at the Frontier Airlines Center.

Gotta support the team: OK, this kind of violates the no-Packers pledge of this piece, but so it goes...

The Admirals are getting behind the Packers with a touch of color at the Bradley Center. After the team's Thursday practice, Bradley Center officials shaved down the ice and painted the face off circles green and gold.

The color scheme will remain in place for the team's next three games, beginning tonight when the Peoria Rivermen come to town.

Larry King Lounge: There were a lot of empty seats Tuesday night at the Bradley Center for the Marquette-UConn game, but those who were there were very, very loud ... Could somebody please tell Streetlife that their work over the years at Bucks games has been appreciated, it's time to go a different direction? A live rendition of Journey's 1980 single "Anyway You Want It" does little to fire up a crowd in the waning moments of a tight game ... Michigan State guard Korie Lucious, who played at Milwaukee King and Pius XI High Schools, was suspended for the season by head coach Tom Izzo ... How good would the Bucks be if they were actually healthy this season? ... The new "Miller Park" sign, installed above the stadium's new scoreboard this week weighs in at 18,900 pounds.

Weekend schedule:

Friday