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2021 NFL Draft Third Most-Watched Ever

By Adam Roberts – 5/4/2021

I know from speaking to people who listened to our NFL Draft Show last week that there was certainly intrigue in this year’s draft for Packers fans, more so than in years past. Combining the aura of draft night with the Rodgers drama that exploded earlier that day, and I’m pretty confident in saying we had quite a few ears on the broadcast over the course of the evening. As for the television draft, that certainly didn’t do too shabby, either.

This year’s NFL Draft is one of the most watched ever. The league says it came in third, just behind the past two drafts, in terms of the number of average viewers. The NFL is reporting an average of six-point-one million people watched the event across the TV and digital platforms where it aired.

The 2019 Draft drew six-point-two million sets of eyes. Last year’s draft during the pandemic drew more than eight-million watchers, likely capitalizing on the lack of other sports content at the time last year.

Vikings Decline Option on CB Mike Hughes

By Adam Roberts – 5/4/2021

It’s been a difficult go in the NFL for Minnesota’s Mike Hughes. Injury trouble has plagued his three-year pro career, and now it seems with a re-tooled secondary Minnesota is preparing to move on.

The Vikings declined to exercise the fifth-year option on Hughes’ contract, making him a free agent following the upcoming season. Hughes was selected 30th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, but has been plagued by injuries during his short career, missing games in each of his three seasons. He’ll have competition in the secondary this summer with Pro-Bowler Patrick Peterson and the returning Mackensie Alexander signing deals this offseason.

Hughes has recorded two interceptions in his career so far with one pick-six in 24 games played.

Badgers Football Agrees to Home-And-Home Vs. Utah

By Adam Roberts – 5/4/2021

At the advent of the College Football Playoff, it became apparent that the era of fluffing a schedule with lower-tier FBS teams and FCS teams would be ending. The CFP has clearly put a high value on strength of schedule, so a close loss against a tough opponent is looked upon more favorable now than a blowout win against a cupcake.

Wisconsin football is aware of this, having crafted games over the next few years against teams like Notre Dame and Alabama. And now another series has been finalized with the hopes of bolstering each team’s schedule.

Badgers Football announced Monday a home-and-home series against Utah, however the series won’t start until 2028. The two teams have faced each other three times, first in 1961 (a 7-0 Wisconsin win) then again in 1987 where the Utes won 31-28 and again in 1996 with Wisconsin claiming victory 38-10.

Last season, Utah finished 3-2 in the Pac-12 South.

Thursday Night Football Moving To Amazon Prime In 2022

By Adam Roberts – 5/3/2021

Anyone still holding out from Amazon Prime because they can watch football ever Thursday night on FOX might want to plan on change sooner rather than later.

Amazon Prime Video will soon be the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football. The NFL says that will start in the 2022 season, which is a year earlier than expected. Due to that, the upcoming season will mark the final one that the featured Thursday night game will be on FOX.

Importantly, fans of the teams playing on Thursday night will be able to watch the game on over-the-air television. Still, the move marks a big step forward for the league’s streaming capabilities and an acknowledgement of the changing viewership habits of fans.

UWL Scores School-Record 37 Runs In Win vs Finlandia (Mich.)

By Adam Roberts 5/3/2021

If you had told me the Brewers gave UWL baseball a call yesterday and asked to borrow some of the runs they scored against Finlandia on Saturday to help beat the Dodgers, I wouldn’t be the least surprised.

Saying the Eagles were electric on offense would be a gross understatement. UWL set school records in both runs scored and RBI in their 37-7 win Saturday, part of a doubleheader sweep that included a 10-0 shutout in game two. Interestingly enough, Finlandia acutally led in game one after the top of the second 1-0, before the Eagles responded with 13, 8, 5, 4, and 7 runs in each subsequent inning before the game was called off on a mercy rule in the seventh.

UWL also had 26 hits in the first game Saturday, now third most in school history and just one shy of the record set against UW-Superior in 1981. The 10 hits they had in the second inning tied the most in one inning with games against Superior in 1995 and Occidental College of California in 2000. The seven home runs are second in school history behind the nine in that 1981 Superior game. Also, big thanks to whoever keeps track of the records at UWL for being on top of those statistics!

The Eagles play again up in Eau Claire tomorrow in a doubleheader.

Bucks Defeat Nets 117-114; Keep Pace In East

By Adam Roberts – 5/3/2021

Philadelphia 76er fans were all Bucks fans this weekend.

It would appear, looking at the schedules for Philly, Brooklyn, and Milwaukee, that the Bucks won’t be able to take back the top spot in the East before the playoffs begin, but a two-seed is still in play after a 117-114 win yesterday. Giannis Antetokounmpo showcased why he is still one of the most important weapons in the NBA as he went off for a game-high 49 points. Khris Middleton donated 26 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks, who have won five of their last seven, while Kevin Durant poured in 42 points to lead Brooklyn.

The atmosphere at Fiserv felt like a playoff game according to many who were there yesterday, so it’s only fitting the game came down to the final seconds. Both teams missed threes late, including Durant who had a difficult look to tie the game on the final play. Notably absent from the proceedings was James Harden, who missed his 14th straight game with a hamstring injury.

The rematch is tomorrow at Fiserv. As of right now, Milwaukee is three and a half back of Philly for the one seed and trails the Nets by two and a half for the two seed.

Packers Draft CB Eric Stokes

By Adam Roberts – 4/30/2021

Days like yesterday happen maybe once every few years or so, where just about all the news coming across your desk/phone makes you wonder “what’s next?”

I had one foot out the door of the station at about 2:20 yesterday afternoon, ready to head over to Buffalo Wild Wings to get ready for the NFL Draft Show, and so naturally that’s when the Schefter tweet was made known to me, followed by a bevy of rumors involving trades, disgruntlement, and he said/he said between Aaron Rodgers and the Packers front office. Then you throw in the Corbin Burnes and Giannis injuries, and I almost forgot we had a draft pick to talk about for Green Bay at 29.

Maybe it was in reaction to the defensive struggles in the NFC Championship Game, maybe it was a slight towards Rodgers, or maybe it was just who Brian Gutekunst thought was the best fit for the team at 29, but Green Bay ended up with Eric Stokes, a cornerback from Georgia.

Here are the notables on Stokes:

Speedy cover corner; kept up with the agile receivers in the SEC
Excels in zone coverage; good compliment to Jaire Alexander
Struggles with consistency and staying in receivers’ hip pockets

His Bleacher Report grade is a 7.7/10, but he was also not projected to go off the board until the third round leaving some wondering if the Packers reached on the pick. We openly discussed during the show last night whether or not Green Bay would trade up like they did last year, and there were certainly weapons they could have gone after such as fellow corner Greg Newsome or wideouts Rashod Bateman and Elijah Moore.

Our coverage picks up again this evening at 5pm, and we should get a Packers pick live at #62.

BREAKING: Adam Schefter Reports Rodgers Does Not Want To Return To Packers

By Adam Roberts – 4/29/2021

I want to start this off with a word of caution. It IS Draft Day, rumors swirl around Twitter CONSTANTLY. Everything should be taken with a grain of salt, and you should never ever retweet something as fast as possible.

That being said, if any of the Adam Schefter reports are true, there truly is trouble in Titletown.

According to Schefty: Reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers is so disgruntled with the Packers hat he has told some within the organization that he does not want to return to the team, league and team sources told ESPN on Thursday.

Schefter went on to say: “The Packers are aware of his feelings, concerned about them and have had team president Mark Murphy, general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur each fly out on separate trips to meet with Rodgers at various points this offseason”

We’ll continue following this closely.

Winona State Footbal HC Tom Sawyer To Retire

By Adam Roberts – 4/29/2021

I think it was in either late 2017 or early 2018, but at some point in that window I did a write up for our old website on the work of Winona State head football coach Tom Sawyer, half because it was an interesting piece and the Warriors were doing well at that time, and half because I wanted to use half the article making Rush references.

Looks like coach Sawyer won’t be living in the limelight much longer, at least not for Winona State.

Saywer announced earlier this week that the 2021 season will be his last coaching the Warriors. The announcement ends a 25 year coaching career in which Winona State was consistently a player in the NSIC, amassing a 190-86 record. Coach Sawyer was no stranger to accolades of the physical kind, either; he was named the NSIC football Coach of the Year five times.

In the most recent iteration of Winona State football, the Warriors went 8-4 and played in their third Mineral Water Bowl. They begin Coach Sawyer’s final campaign September 2nd against Concordia-St Paul.

NFL Draft Preview: Green Bay

By Adam Roberts – 4/28/2021

Having to have a reaction to every draft selection is one of the most difficult parts about hosting a draft show. Last year, when the Packers selected quarterback Jordan Love after trading up, I’m happy that I had both Mitch Speltz and John Pappadopoulos to react in real time to the pick with a concise breakdown of the “whys”, “hows” and “whats”, because I was borderline speechless.

Going into the 2021 draft, I’ve honestly been so focused on lining everything up as a producer that I haven’t been able to give 100% of my time to researching what avenue GM Brian Gutekunst and the Packers’ front office will take this year. The fan in me believes they might go the route of grabbing a wide receiver to appease Aaron Rodgers and turn the tide of that nonverbal war in their favor. The sports reporter in me believes they could instead bolster a secondary that was gassed in the NFC Championship Game. And the wildcard in me believes the team could take the approach Steve Fifer has hinted at this week on the Wendy’s Big Show and go edge rusher with the hope of lessening their cap hit.

The Green Bay Packers have 10 total picks across seven rounds, and it stands to reason somewhere in that pack of picks each of these positions will be selected. But what do the Packers do at pick 29? My game notes include names like Rashod Bateman from Minnesota as a possible wideout that could fall to 29th and Florida’s Kadarius Toney who would I think gel well with Matt LaFleur’s offense. But don’t forget, despite the offensive line mostly returning in tact this year, Green Bay is without a full-time center with the departure of Corey Linsley and despite how much I like the guy David Bakhtiari has some notable injury concerns. Lane Taylor is also gone, so maybe Green Bay pursues a name like Teven Jenkins from Oklahoma State or Alijah Vera-Tucker from USC if he falls that far.

To make this interesting, I’ll throw out the name Terrace Marshall Jr from LSU. The 6’2″ receiver might fly under the radar a bit considering he played alongside both Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. He had a career year as a senior despite opting out a number of games. And I do truly believe, somewhere in the back of his mind, Gutey doesn’t want this draft to be yet another talking point when he’s going to have to be answering Rodgers questions for the “foreseeable future”. (See what I did there?)

Prediction: Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU