Tom_Pipines' Blog

     I wouldn't know RASCAL FLATTS from THE LIL' RASCALS-except that a kind producer/friend here told me they're a country western music group.

     I also know that they performed in Green Bay last Thursday night.

     If you check out YOUTUBE, you'll see some folks dancing on stage during the concert.

     The video isn't exactly High Def TV; it was shot on a cell phone, but if you look closely, you'll see a gentleman dressed in a blue shirt who looks a lot like Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

     That's because it IS A-Rod-showing off moves that would-be tacklers see on Sunday!

     The fella with the short hair and the brown shirt is Fullback Korey Hall.

     I'm told Donald Driver entertained the audience as well.

     I was not a Rodgers fan when he first came on board.

     He was cocky and didn't seem to have a clue on the field.

     Since then, A-Rod has grown up, and I've learned that there is life in Titletown A.B. (After Brett).

     Rodgers has proved-as well as Mister Favre is doing as a Jet-that he's the man to lead the Pack.

     I saw that in Green Bay's season-opener.

     Since then, battling through injury and great expectations, Aaron Rodgers has won me over.

     More important, he's won over his teammates from day one-with dinners at his house, with his heart and tougness-and with the fact that's he's "just one of the guys".

     The dancing with Rascal Flatts is just one more reason to admire a guy who's really getting it-as a person-and as Brett's Favre's replacement-hopefully, for years to come.

     No surprise to see that Brett the Jet Favre reached out to injured Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo recently.

     Romo-the Burlington native-is expected to miss 4 weeks with a fractured pinky finger in his passing hand.

     Favre-who fractured the thumb on HIS passing hand back in '99-but managed to keep playing-has encouraged Tony to try and avoid the sideline at all costs.

     Experts say the pinky finger is of more importance than other fingers when tossing the football, and Favre admitted that Romo knows best what he can do.

     The point here is that Number Four reached out to Romo-because he's that kind of guy.

     It also say here that the old pro sees a lot of himself in the Cowboys star.

     Brett called his counterpart at qb one of the top five players in the league-regardless of position.

     The Mississippi Gunslinger isn't too far down the list-even at the ripe ol' age of thirty-nine!

     CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??

     The Wisconsin Badgers football team was ranked in the top ten.

     BadgerNation anticipated a BCS bowl game.

     But the way Bret Bielema's beleagured bunch is going, they'll be lucky to get to the TOILET BOWL!

     Seriously, after blowing a 19-0 lead at Michigan (Against a rebuilding bunch of Wolverines who were stunned by TOLEDO on Saturday), then the heartbreaking loss to Oho State, Bucky was embarrassed by a superior Penn State team this past weekend.

     Everybody wondered how the Badgers would respond in light of the two losses, if the Nittany Lions punched 'em in the mouth early on Saturday night.

     BY GIVING UP!

     The 48-7 loss was the worst since 1989-remember how pitiful life in Mad-town was in the DON MORTON era  (yea, that guy!) ???

     That didn't look like a team coached by Bret Bielema-the ultimate competitor.

     If he and his staff can't get the troops to perform, this season will go down as one of the worst in years-particularly given the expectations!

     I will add this:

     Quarterback Allan Evridge is KILLING the team!

     Bielema has to go get somebody who can play the position -because the failure of number four has cost the team dearly.

     The Homestead High School Football team won a state championship in 1999-added another in 2006, and finished runner-up to Tom Taraska's awesome Hartland Arrowhead squad last year.

     Heading into Friday night's game against Whitefish Bay, Coach Dave Keel's Highlanders are unbeaten.

     That's far from a shocker.

     Homestead has a terrific feeder program for the younger players coming up.

     But what they REALLY do right there is develop the young man first.

     Two classic examples-Quarterback Casey Barnes and Defensive Lineman Shelby Harris.

     They have a world of talent, but these two yung men-among the most impressive yours truly has ever met-are even greater people-and leaders-selfless ones at that.

     I'll have more in a 9pm feature this Friday night.

     Suffice it to say, Dave Keel and his staff develop winners--on and OFF the field.  

           Many of you know about our nine o'clock news-a venue that give us a chance to be on first with the big sports stories, be they Packers, or Brewers, you name it.

     In case you haven't noticed, the Fox 6 sports department also runs a nightly feature that goes beyond sports.

     A perfect example was Jen Lada's effort on Monday night.

     She shared the story of Sarah Hagen, a tremendously gifted soccer player at UW Milwaukee.

     What made the story special is that Sarah has overcome cancer.

     When Sarah was a freshman in high school, her life-as well as her career-were put on hold by a tumor the size of a soccer ball.

     Her perserverance and courage through a tremendous ordeal were and are emotional and inspiring.

     I'm certain Sarah Hagen has touched her teammates, and anybody else with whom she's come in contact.

     Because of Jen's terrific enterprising, writing and story-telling--and the wonderful shooting and editing of our awesome Sports Photojournalist, Mickie Leach, many more were touched.

     If you missed it, I believe it's on the websight.

     Don't miss any more!

     Please stick around for Fox 6 News at 9 o'clock, and give a shout out to your family and friends to do the same.

     I promise you, we're offering you something that you won't see on any other station.

     The Packers three losses this season equal the total of last year.

     Of course, in two thousand seven, Green Bay had thirteen wins to go with the three losses-eleven more than the oh eight edition of the Pack has been able to muster.

     Injuries have been a killer.

     They're also a part of the game.

     The replacements have to come to play and find a way to get the job done.

     In Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Falcons, Mike McCarthy's men didn't come to play until well into the second quarter.

     Once again, they didn't play all four quarters.

     The plethora of mistakes and penalties are common to a bad football team.

     Right now, that's what the Green and Gold are, after starting the season with such promise.

     Somehow, from this Sunday's game in Seattle forward, McCarthy and his team have to find a way to clean their house, or they'll continue to get their clocks cleaned!

     With all the attention being paid to the Brewers first post-season dance in over a quarter century, to say nothing of the Packers woes, we haven't written or said much about the Wisconsin Badgers.

     Bret Bielema's bunch has been extremely DISAPPOINTING.

     After cracking the top ten in the polls, Bucky opened the Big Ten campaign by giving an inferior Michigan the game after jumping out to a nineteen point lead.

    They had Ohio State on the ropes-but (and we've seen this plenty with the Packers)- their defense couldn't put the clamps on during the Buckeyes long drive to take the lead and win the game.

     Next up-a visit from unbeaten Penn State on Saturday night.

     The schedule maker was cruel-that's a tough trio to go against, back to back to back.

     But Bielema can't help his Badgers can't find a way to cage the Nittany Lions, their season is toast! 

     If Brewers Owner Mark Attanasio wants to go with a big name manager for next year-and beyond-Dale Sveum doesnt fit the bill.

     Heck, if Dale hadn't played here, we might still be trying to figure out how to pronounce his name (Sway-m)!

     But after Ned Yost took the team to the horizon, Sveum stepped in and got them there-to the post-season party- for the first time in in twenty-six years.

     His calm demeanor and baseball know-how helped a young core of players accomplish that feat.

     Dale Sveum's a good fit.

     I hope Messers Attanaso and Doug Melvin see fit to keep him around.  

     Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin didn't plan on speaking to the ballclub before game one of their National League Division Series at Philadelphia on Wednesday.

     But he told Interim Manager Dale Sveum that HE might wanna speak to his players about not being happy just to get to the post-season party-but to stick around for awhile!

     Milwaukee's 3-1 loss could just as easily have been a 1-0 win.

     As brilliantly as lefty Cole Hamels pitched (8 shutout innings, 9 strikeouts-retired the first 14 batters in order), the Crew scratchd across a run off closer Brad Lidge in the 9th.

     Yovani Gallardo gave up three UNEARNED runs in the third inning.

     If Rickie Weeks doesn't let a ball go off his glove while covering first base-Chase Utley doesn't clout a 2 run double with two out.

     Even the two-bagger was questionable.  Mike Cameron (challenged by swirling winds) took a bad angle and watched the ball slip out of his glove.

     A game of inches.

     Twenty-four of twenty eight game one winners have gone on to win the Division Series.

     But all is not lost.

     CC Sabathia gets the ball for game two tonight at five.

     A split in Philly-and the best of five series looks different coming back to Miller Park.

     A message for Mr. Gallardo:

     Yo, can do it!

     Yes your twenty-two years old; but you're not the typical twenty-two year old man.

     You are a husband and proud father of Yovani Jr.

     You are mature beyond your years.

     Your poise, on and off the baseball field, proves that.

     What's more, you are a brilliant pitcher-one of the most physically gifted in the big leagues.

     Combine your God-given gifts with your remarkable composure and confidence, and you are the man to pitch the Brewers first post-season game in twenty six years (four years before you were even born!).

     The fact that you are even taking the mound after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in your knee on May first is a remarkable testament to your will and work ethic.

     Your fourth start of the season comes against a monster hitting team in the Phillies-at their Citizens Bank Park.

     Winning game one is critical-given the problems of the pitching staff-relative to injury (no Ben Sheets) and effectiveness.

     No matter what, your career is on the rise, my friend.

     In all probablility, you'll be the ace of the staff next season.

     Good luck-other than CC Sabathia-the major leagues Ace-there's nobody I'd rather see in such a big spot.