By Adam Roberts – 4/2/2021

Yesterday American Family Field welcomed the first 11,740 fans of the 2021 season, and by extension the first fans the Brewers have had at their home games since early fall of 2019.

Lorenzo Cain scored the winning run as the Brewers walked off the Twins 6-5 in 10 innings, but the true magic happened in the inning before that. Travis Shaw re-established himself as the Mayor of Ding Dong City by doubling in two and Christian Yelich singled in another in a three-run ninth for the Brewers to tie it.

On the mound, starter Brandon Woodruff had his struggles, but Josh Hader looked electric; he struck out all three batters he faced in the 10th to pick up the win. Corbin Burnes is scheduled to start the second game for the Brewers tomorrow night against the Twins in Milwaukee. Minnesota will counter with Jose Berrios.

Also, Jackie Bradley Jr. will take his turn in the Brewers’ outfield rotation in the second game after flying out as a pinch-hitter in the opener. The series wraps up Sunday before the Brewers hit the road for six games.

By Adam Roberts – 3/31/2021

As the Brewers get set for tomorrow’s season opener against the Twins, the team will officially start the season with 25-percent capacity at American Family Field.

There will be no bags allowed, no cash payments, and it will be pod seating with masks. The Brewers are selling tickets for home games through May 2nd and hope to gain approval from the City of Milwaukee Health Department for increased spectators after that. Also as many have expressed ire with, there will be no tailgating permitted in the parking lots, a staple of Brewers baseball.

This follows a new poll that is casting some doubts on the attendance of paying fans. Less than half of the respondents in the poll feel comfortable attending live sporting events during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The poll was conducted by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland. Returning fans will be facing a variety of COVID protocols and restrictions. Outdoor sporting events get a higher comfort rating than indoor events.

By Adam Roberts – 3/30/2021

What we already knew was going to be official in a matter of time was officially confirmed by the NFL today: 17 games are coming for 2021.

The debate on the merit of a 17 game schedule will likely continue all offseason, but as for the details: an extra week has been added to the NFL regular season, with teams competing in the extra game against an opponent from the opposing conference that finished in the same place within their division the previous season, much like the two games a team already plays against in-conference opponents that aren’t in the division they’re slated to play entirely. For the Packers, this means the extra game will be against the defending AFC champions from Kansas City, adding on to an already tough schedule, while the Vikings will face the LA Chargers.

On top of the extra regular season game, the preseason will be reduced from four games to three.

By Adam Roberts – 3/29/2021

The Vikings defense is getting a little spruce up this week.

The team is bringing back a former Minnesota cornerback in Mackensie Alexander, who spent last year in Cincinnati, and also signing safety Xavier Woods from Dallas.

The Cowboys brought in a number of new safeties last week, which opened the door for the Vikings to make a one-year, 2.25 million dollar deal with Woods that includes 1.75 million in guaranteed cash. The team must have really wanted Woods, as CBS Sports reports they upped an initial offer in order to secure his services.

As for Alexander, he started 10 games for the Bengals last year after leaving Minnesota as a free agent last year. He had 47 total tackles and recorded an interception for Cincy in 2020 and will hope to improve on those numbers in his fifth year with Minnesota.

By Adam Roberts – 3/29/2021

Think about the Wisconsin football program when Barry Alvarez took over in 1990. At the time, the school hadn’t had a winning record since 1984, and Barry’s 1-10 record his first year wasn’t very reassuring. But within three years, the Badgers would be the talk of the state, winning the 1993 Rose Bowl 21-14 over UCLA.

Over a 16 year run from 1990 to 2005 Alvarez went 117-74-4 (he also served as an interim head coach in 2012 for Wisconsin’s loss in the Rose Bowl and again in 2014 for their Outback Bowl win) and led the Badgers to nine bowl game victories including three Rose Bowls. As an athletic director, he was the third-longest tenured at the position in the Power 5 and oversaw the last decade and a half of Badger football success. Now, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other reports, Alvarez plans to retire.

ESPN reports that a potential replacement could be deputy AD Chris McIntosh; he was an offensive lineman on Alvarez’s 1998 and 1999 teams earning All-American honors. ESPN also says the school may pursue a national search for Barry’s replacement. The Sentinel says a formal announcement from either Alvarez or the school will likely be made in the next few weeks.