Could Matt Gamel be the next big thing for the Brewers?  I think the answer is yes, though with a condition.  He will most likely start getting some regular at bats, and if last Monday night is any indication, if he can field well enough, he could be a solid addition.  That sounds a lot like Ryan Braun a couple of years ago.  The Brewers ended up having to move Braun to left because he had such a poor performance, but with Rickie Weeks out for the season, the infield will be a bit of a patchwork, so expect Gamel to get more at bats.

    I like his swing, and his eye at the plate, though a little anxious at times, isn’t bad.  His minor league numbers this year, hitting .336, with 8 home runs and 31 RBI in just 119 at  bats, show he is absolutely ready.  He has hit everywhere he has played, and will continue that in the majors.  The question is whether or not his glove will be able to keep up with his bat.

     Right now he’ll be used as a DH in the upcoming Twins series in Minneapolis, removing the problem, but the Brewers will have to address the situation at some point.  Monday night was a perfect example, as he hit a home run, made a tremendous diving play for an out, then threw an easy one away all in the same game.  That has to become more consistent before Gamel will find a permanent spot on the field.

     What do you think about the Brewers chances this year?  Let me know!

   The struggle with the last two years of covering Brett Favre is separating fact from fiction.  However, I’ve finally figured it out.  The conspiracy theorists are right.  That’s how I know Brett Favre will play football next year in the NFL.

    Sure, it seems absolutely ridiculous that Favre would even consider playing another year after the way last year ended with the Jets.  It would make sense to just fade away, get his jersey retired next year by the Packers, go into the Packers Hall of Fame, then finally head to Canton in five years.  However, nothing Favre has done has been logical.  In the past year, he has been rumored to retire (he did), rumored to be thinking about playing (he was), rumored to be unsure of staying retired (he was) and rumored to be wanting to come back (he did).  Almost all of these things were denied by Brett or someone close to him, but ended up being true.  So now, as Favre and his agent say he isn’t interested in talking to the Vikings about playing again, I know one thing.  It’s almost certain to happen.

    The Vikings head coach Brad Childress has said he would be interested in talking to Favre, and we all know how much he wanted to stick it to Ted Thompson, who made the tough decision to move on with Aaron Rodgers.  You can debate all you want whether it was the correct decision, but when it was done, it was time for everyone to move on.  I think Brett still feels he has unfinished business because he wanted to beat the Packers in another uniform, just to show them.  I think he’ll get that chance, and the more he denies it, the more I am absolutely certain it will happen.

In looking at the Packers draft top to bottom, it was a pretty solid weekend.  I thought day one was very good- I already described how I feel about the agressive Ted Thompson.  While Sunday was boring (no trades!!) it was still very useful for what the Packers need.

It seems every draft has the requisite project (Jarius Wynn, DE in the 6th), the chance taken on a problem guy who may have the skills (Brandon Underwood, CB in the 6th) and the big as an oak offensive lineman.  The Packers had all that, and addressed some needs as well.  Mark Tauscher will probably never play for the Packers again, so getting two tackles was smart to be prepared.  T.J. Lang could even be accomplished enough to start this year.

The only head scratcher was Quinn Johnson, the fullback, in the 5th round.  Aren’t fullbacks a dime a dozen?  The Packers have now drafted a linebacker-turned-fullback in two straight drafts (Korey Hall) so will have a little competition. If I had to grade the draft: A-/B+.  I would have liked to see a running back at some point, probably at the expense of the second LB in the 7th round (Brad Jones), though in the 7th, it’s really a roll of the dice anyways.   Fans should be happy after this weekend.  Now if the rest of the guys who still work at 1265 Lombardi can buy in to the new system, things should be exciting this year.

Draft recap from day one-

     Usually we see the “safe” Ted Thompson.  Making sure he has lots of players so when guys do go belly up, he can point to others who worked.  More picks is better, says Ted, and two next year is better than one this year almost all the time.  However, in the first round, he tries to be careful.  This year, however, we saw the aggressive side of Thompson, something I would like to see more of in the future.

     Usually, in the first round, the one thing you don’t want to do is guarantee a bust.   That’s what the Packers did by taking Justin Harrell two years ago, even though he had not played football for a couple of years, and had injury problems since high school.  By picking a wide body who’s only trouble has been academically (though that is a symptom of other issues) and a linebacker with a big heart and good pedigree, the Packers were one of the winners in the NFL draft this year.

     BJ Raji was a safe pick for Ted Thompson, and though he doesn’t usually pick safe, he did here.  He could have gone with Michael Crabtree, the WR from Texas Tech who was still on the board, but by deciding that wasn’t a headache he wanted to deal with, he instead drafted the top player in the draft in a position of need, something you don’t normally get a chance to do unless you are in the top four or five.  Raji could have gone as high as 4-5 and no one would have said that was an issue, so getting him at nine, where impact players end up being an every third year proposition, is pretty solid.  My only worry about Raji is his motivation and work ethic.  Scouting reports talk about his coaches diplomatically calling him a “gameday” player, meaning he didn’t like to practice.  That won’t fly in Green Bay.

     Clay Matthews III was another very solid pick, though some may ask if Thompson paid too much to get there.  He moved up 15 spots to get a guy who is a late bloomer and hasn’t found his ceiling, much less hit it in his development.  Matthews dad and grandfather both played in the league, his uncle is a hall of famer, so he knows what it takes to succeed in the league.  He was a walk-on at USC, so he doesn’t have an air of entitlement about him.  He played in the 3-4 for the Trojans, so knows the system, and is a weight room fiend, so no question on his work ethic.

    Did the Packers pay too much?  I don’t think so.  If they got the guy they wanted, then the price doesn’t matter.  They gave away their 2^nd, which was a given, then their two thirds, and got a fifth in return.  The difference between a 3^rd and 5^th rounder is moderate, but not so vast that it makes the trade lopsided.  Throw in there the fact that one of the thirds was the one from the Jets that they got for Brett Favre, and you realize that Ted has been planning to move that pick all along.  It was almost a free pick (trading instead of a retirement or cutting means they got something back at least) and anyone drafted in that slot would have never been able to live up to the “this is the guy they drafted for the Favre pick” responsibility.

     Day two should be interesting- I expect at least two offensive linemen, probably a running back, and a couple of DB’s to go to the Packers.  So far, though, after one day, I would say the bold Ted Thompson was right on the mark.

    Every year I watch the Masters with more attention than any other golf tournament.  I enjoy the US Open, partially depending on where it’s played, and the Open Championship (British) is fascinating viewing, but I don’t DVR the entire coverage to make sure I don’t miss any.  I do with the battle for the green jacket.  As a result, I’m rather opinionated on who should win it each year.

    Let me say first, however, that I am an absolute Tiger Woods fan.  I am one of those who have more interest in a tournament when Tiger is on the leader board and route for him in every major.  He is the great golfer of my adulthood, and I was there when he won his first tournament, in a playoff against Davis Love III in the LVI, Las Vegas Invitational.  Exciting stuff.  With him essentially out of contention (sure the final round battle with Phil was fun, but they were never going to post a low enough number), I had to pick another favorite.  I find it more enjoyable routing for a player during the last round, so this year I picked Kenny Perry as my favorite, routing for him, and against everyone else.  I like Kenny because he has worked hard to get where he is, is a late bloomer, and said playing for his country was more important than going to the British last year.  That’s pretty cool in my book.

    I also route for history being made.  Hence, Perry winning a jacket would make him the oldest ever to do so.  Tiger or Phil winning would make history as well.  Chad Campbell is a young golfer who has some majors in his future, I think, so he would have done for a champion.  However, the fan in me wasn’t an Angel Cabrera supporter.  I’ve never considered him a viable big tournament player.  Of course now with two majors, I’ve perhaps got to change my tune.  One is sometimes a fluke (Hello Shawn Micheel!), two has some staying power.  

     Cabrera has a great story.  From Argentina, he had to go through Q School four times before getting his European card.  He won the 2007 US Open, out dueling Tiger and Jim Furyk.  His nickname is “El Pato”, the Duck!  Is that the worst nickname ever?  Perhaps. During the US Open, he was puffing away at a cigarette while he won!  This year at the Masters, it was just gum he was giving a workout.

    Cabrera may not be the perfect champion for Augusta, but he is a deserving one.  Now maybe he can do something about that nickname…

   With the final four now set, your bracket may or may not be still alive.  Regardless, I think this year’s final four includes four of the best the NCAA has to offer.

    While some folks love the Cinderella stories from time to time in the NCAA pool, I like to see those stories in the first week, maybe into the 16.  But once we are headed to the venue for the final four, give me the best athletes, the best teams, and the best coaches so I can get quality basketball.  Remember when George Mason went to the final four a few years ago?  That was fun to think about, but their final four game wasn’t really that competitive.   This year’s teams, however, seem to be peaking all at the same time.  I would be good with any of them for a national champion. 

    Who do I think is going to win?  I’ve had North Carolina all along, and I don’t plan to change that now.  I still think they have the best inside/outside combination, and with Lawson on the court, they are the best team left in the competition, though Connecticut is also tough.

      What are your thoughts?