Tim_VanVooren's Blog

Trey Roy is an impressive individual.  Born fourteen years ago with spina bifida, Roy hasn't allowed his condition to stand in the way of his athletic endeavors.  He is a standout wheelchair basketball player, but is even more impressive right now in track.  He will participate in July in an international paryalympics type event as a member of Junior Team USA.  He's truly an elite level competitor.  However, Trey is also a member of the Silverbrook Middle School team, lining up alongside his able-bodied teammates and his able-bodied opponents.  In an event like the mile, he lines up on the outside of the field and starts more slowly than the rest of the field.  He usually is able to accelerate past the group, though, and win going away.  As things stand now, he won't be able to do that next year.  His family's understanding of rules for high school competition in Wisconsin prohibit wheelchair athletes from lining up against able-bodied competitors.  Trey isn't a trailblazer type guy in terms of trying to take a stand.  In fact, it seems as though he is enjoying fifting in with the guys on his team as much as anything.  So this isn't his question, it's mine.  Should a wheelchair athlete be allowed to line up in a field of able-bodied competitors on the high school level ?

It's the biggest money on the PGA Tour.  It's at Sawgrass, which is a perfect course for television viewers.  But Tiger Woods is not entered in this year's Players Championship as he recovers from knee surgery.  This should be a litmus test for professional golf.  How strong is the sport when the biggest name in the sport is known to be absent ? Do you care who wins if that guy doesn't need to beat Tiger ?

I had never met anyone named Breno before catching up with Packers rookie offensive lineman Breno Giacomini.  I had also never met anyone that, to my knowledge, had flipped the bird to the crowd at the University of Kentucky while wearing a University of Louisville football uniform.  Giacomini seems only mildly remorseful for that gesture, which was actually a two-handed gesture.  This is a guy who thought his future was in basketball, so he didn't play high school football for a year in suburban Boston to work on his hoops.  He's also a guy with a large family of Brazilian descent who just happens to have an Italian surname.  This guy is one of a kind in many ways.

I had never met anyone named Breno before catching up with Packers rookie offensive lineman Breno Giacomini.  I had also never met anyone that, to my knowledge, had flipped the bird to the crowd at the University of Kentucky while wearing a University of Louisville football uniform.  Giacomini seems only mildly remorseful for that gesture, which was actually a two-handed gesture.  This is a guy who thought his future was in basketball, so he didn't play high school football for a year in suburban Boston to work on his hoops.  He's also a guy with a large family of Brazilian descent who just happens to have an Italian surname.  This guy is one of a kind in many ways.

So Eric Gagne leads the major leagues in blown saves this season and even when he is successful, has to navigate through some pretty tough traffic.  Derrick Turnbow is off the roster.  Yovani Gallardo is likely lost for the season.  Dave Bush used to drive fans crazy by unravelling in the seventh inning on a semiregular basis.  However, Manny Parra and Carlos Villanueva often don't even get to the seventh.  Jeff Weaver isn't major league ready yet at Nashville and Zach Jackson is pitching his way right out of the picture.  This is a pretty significant turnaround for a team that had a logjam of pitching in spring training.  And it's a pretty troubling development for a team that isn't hitting and has to somehow find a way to get some positive momentum going sooner rather than later.  And if Ben Sheets were to get hurt again.... At least for the time being, Sheets and Jeff Suppan have to pitch like big money, front of the rotaion starters and either Parra or Villanueva has to approach his potential.  General Manager Doug Melvin has put this team in position to warrant high expectations, and he is undoubtedly trying to find a way to shore up his squad's position on the mound.

This is the weekend for the Packers rookie orientation (or minicamp).  I am personally interested in seeing Brian Brohm's arm strength and physical dimensions, as well as Jordy Nelson's advertised athletic ability and Justin Beaver's shot at earning a contract from his home-state team.  Last year, DeShawn Wynn did nothing to erase his reputation as an injury-waiting-to-happen and that stuck with him into the regular season.  John Stocco was a nice camp story, but obviously not strong enough to become an NFL player.  What are you interested in learning about this weekend ?

The Brewers need a whopping 78 pitches from their bullpen Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.  That may very well be a season high for a game in which the starter actually works long enough to get credit for a victory.  Do you think that last year's group would have been capable of such a performance ?  David Riske has been struggling lately and he was let off the hook with a big double play ball Tuesday.  Salomon Torres has been strong, but he couldn't avoid a 3 run frame Tuesday.  That's the nature of bullpen work.  But General Manager Doug Melvin went about acquiring veterans for the bullpen in order to avoid meltdowns on the road and to have more places to turn if someone is in a rut.  Mission accomplished Tuesday night.

The best pick the Packers made this weekend based on when he was selected will be third round tight end Jermichael Finley.  He is very young and has some off-field things to get cleaned up, but he has the physical dimensions and the athletic ability to become a perfect NFL tight end.  And Mike McCarthy is very capable of utilizing a tight end in his offensive scheme.  Finley will likely be an inconsistent tease this season, but look for big things from him in the future.  It will be very interesting to see how the quarterbacks do this weekend during rookie orientation.  There have been guys in the past who seemed like intriguing prospects who were simply overwhelmed right off the bat.  You could tell that some of those guys just weren't going to be able to get it done.  I am personally looking forward to eyeballing Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn.  No matter how good McCarthy is with quarterbacks, it would be a mistake not to have a veteran of some standing on the roster this year.  Could that still be Brett Favre ?  General manager Ted Thompson's quote on Sunday of  "you can never say never" will only keep the notion alive.  Depending on your perspective, that could be a huge mistake, but knowing Thompson, maybe that's getting everybody all worked up about Favre might just be part of the plan. 

Hello from Lambeau Field.  We had some computer connection issues last night and this morning, but we are ready to roll now.  The Packers made one of those puzzling picks under Ted Thompson to open the draft, but Jordy Nelson is the kind of guy who might be producing when mid-30 year old Donald Driver is declining.  And there is little doubt that Koren Robinson's indecisive running after the catch in the NFC Championship Game dropped him in the eyes of the organization.  Since the selection of Nelson, the Packers have addressed needs (whether immediate or not).  Getting a quarterback, a cornerback, a tight end, and a defensive end supplement positions that can always use quantity.  And mirale of miracles, Thompson even traded up for that last selection (the brother of current Packers o-lineman Orrin Thompson).  Maybe he'll only break tradition for guys who share his surname. Jeremy Thompson has a final on Monday in "Fathers and Daughters" at Wake Forest University and then he'll be eligible to graduate.  There are always a few interesting stories in a long draft weekend.  I'll be back later Sunday with another blog. 

It was a pleasure talking with longtime ESPN college basketball analyst Digger Phelps at Miller Park on Thursday, and at the risk of being presumptuous, I think it was a pleasure for him, too.  Here's why.  Phelps had the chance to talk about his son-in-law, Phillies lefthander Jamie Moyer, who was awfully tough on the Crew at the age of 45.  Plus, we had the chance to talk about his passion, college hoops.  For the record, Phelps thinks the move of Tom Crean from Marquette to Notre Dame was an absolute no-brainer.  He says Crean is perfectly suited to organizing and energizing an uncertain program, and that by going in when the Hoosiers are down gives him the advantage of taking things in a positive direction and building momentum.  Phelps is also of the opinion that if folks leave Buzz Williams alone, he'll do fine at Marquette.  Obviously, a lot of dust has had to settle in the last three weeks or so, and the process isn't over.  However, the pages have been turned in both of these programs, and wallowing in the whys and what should have happened and what shouldn't have and who should have been pursued, etc. is counter productive at this point.  If you think all the way back to Digger himself  wearing the carnation on the Notre Dame bench, it's easy to realize that the world of college basketball does indeed move on.

The Brewers host a division leading ballclub this weekend.  The MISL Championship game will be played in Milwaukee on Saturday.  Sorry, but the Packers participation in the NFL Draft trumps those and so many other events.  Last  year, they picked an absolute unkown to the populace in the first round, and yet folks were muttering Justin Harrell's name all weekend long.  That's the power of the Packers passion, and the power of information.  The year before, most football fans had at least passing knowledge of linebacker A.J. Hawk.  Between ESPN, the NFL Network, and of course, the internet, there are so many more "experts" on the draft than there used to be.  So when there is a murmur in the stands at Miller Park maybe in the second inning on Saturday night, you'll know why.  We'll be in Green Bay all weekend, and we'll have analysis for you on the air and on-line.  After all, we are all "experts" now.

It's amazing how many times you run into someone in regular life who may have grown up in this area and left for one reason or another, but then returned to Milwaukee.  And here we go with another Bucks coach.  Since George Karl left, Terry Porter returned to his hometown and then Terry Stotts returned to where he had been an assistant and then Larry Krystkowiak took over the team he used to play for.  Now it's Scott Skiles, who was a first round draft choice by the Bucks.  He actually played less than estimable fellow rookie guard Keith Smith in his lone year here.  Skiles can say all the right things, but the measure of his success will be in whether or not he can make the players on his roster accountable and whether or not he can instill in them  reason to show pride in playing for Milwaukee.  After all, some day they may want to return.

Great relief work by Seth McClung of the Brewers on Thursday at St. Louis.  Lousy number.  I know he wore 37 before he came to Milwaukee, but couldn't have that because Jeff Suppan already wore it with the Brewers, so McClung reversed the digits.  I understand why he sports number 73.  I just don't like it.  I didn't like Carlton Fisk going from 27 with the Red Sox to 72 with the White Sox.  I sure didn't like Jim Bruske wearing 88 with the Brewers just because he was a screwball.  I didn't really like Scott Linebrink wearing 71 last year, but at least that was a tribute to his former bullpen catcher in San Diego who was battling cancer.  And it's not just baseball.  Dennis Rodman in anything after 10 with the Pistons, just a cry for attention (but how surprising is that ?)  Drew Gooden wearing 91 ??!!  Simply, no.  Shawn Bradley was 7 feet 6 inches tall.  He still didn't need to wear number 76.  Back in the day when a basketball player had to wear 3,4,5,10,11,12,13,14,15,20,21,22,23,24,25,30,31,32,33,3
4,35,40,41,42,43,44,45,50,51,52,53,54, or 55 it was just better.  If you are thinking, "this isn't really much of a big deal", I would agree with you. And I don't have sleepless nights worrying about Andrew Lang banging under the boards wearing number 28.  But the other night, I saw a clip of Hideo Nomo pitching for the Royals and after I assured myself that we are no longer in Spring Training, here's the question I asked myself.  How is he back on a roster, and why is he wearing a number 91 ?

As in any line of work, those of us in the FOX SIX sports office often have to leave messages for our co-workers through our in-house computer system.  We are in the communications business after all, although that hardly saves us from our share of miscommunication.  Since we are all sports addicts with minds that hold onto minor details, we have often signed those messages with obscure names from the sports world.  There are no real rules to these signoffs, other than if you have to go to a media guide for clarification, it's just not worth it.  These names just have to strike you at the moment.  You can't help but smile when you get a message from Mike Potts or Steve Mix or Kevin Restani.  Needless to say, I could go on and on.  So I will.  Dub Kilgo, Bronswell Patrick, Paul McJulien, Jamie Feick, Zack McCall, Mike Kosolcharoen, Fred Edelstein, Richard Zokol, Pat Easterlin, Yusef Burgess, Steve Tuttle, Ralph Jarvis, Johan Aarnio, Mack Calvin, all of those guys and many, many more have been used over the years.  I'm sure some of the messages themselves were even rather important, but often times, I can only remember the "sender".

Opening Day 2008.  It is a big deal, unless you are the manager.  Ned Yost sees it as 1 of 162 equally big deals in a regular season.  Tom Trebelhorn and Phil Garner were Brewers managers who earned some political capital by engaging in small talk and trying to win over members of the media and then by extension, the fans.  Davey Lopes was never into that part of the job at all.  Ultimately all of those guys were done in by what happened on the field, but the length of their tenures was tied in some ways to their personal popularity, or lack thereof.  Just before doing an interview with Yost at the Winter Warmup in 2007, I asked him whether he enjoyed the promotional aspects of his job at all or if they were merely part of the deal.  He made it clear they are merely part of the deal.  No apologies, no animosity, just straight to the point.  I think you have to respect that part of  Yost.  He comes off as terse at times, and doesn't seem to care.  In that respect, he is fortunate to be managing this team now because what happens on the field is infinitely more important than it used to be for this franchise.  If he produces a winner, there will be plenty of popularity for everyone to go around.  If he doesn't, he will have done it his way.  Last season, you could tell on the night of the big 1982 reunion celebration that he was worried about what the crowd reaction to him would be (it was positive and he was demonstrably relieved), but otherwise he is a true competitior who is out for winning games and not necessarily for winning friends.  For him, every game is a big deal.