1/3/25 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Friday
3 January 2025 Sports
Gaining momentum matters more to the Green Bay Packers than improving their playoff seeding as they gear up for the postseason against their longtime punching bag, the slumping Chicago Bears.
Green Bay (11-5) is currently positioned as the No. 7 seed in the NFC, which would result in a trip to Philadelphia for the wild-card round. The Packers could earn the sixth seed if they beat the Bears (4-12) on Sunday and the Washington Commanders lose at Dallas.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he intends to treat this game like any other and will play his starters.
The Packers are 1-5 against NFC teams that have clinched playoff berths, but they’re 10-0 against everyone else. That includes a 20-19 victory at Chicago on Nov. 17 that gave the Packers 11 straight wins over the Bears, the longest active winning streak by an NFL team over an opponent.
Chicago began the season 4-2 but has lost 10 straight since. Quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, says he has taken notes throughout his rookie season on areas where he must improve.
Jacobs has run for a touchdown in seven straight games to match Paul Hornung in 1960 for the longest such streak in Packers history.
Jacobs enters the weekend ranked fifth in the NFL with 1,285 yards rushing. He earned his third Pro Bowl selection this week.
Green Bay’s 11 straight victories over Chicago represent the longest winning streak by either team in the history of this rivalry, which has been played more than any other NFL matchup.
The Packers’ only longer winning streak over an opponent was 15 straight over the Chicago Cardinals from 1937-46.
Green Bay kept the streak alive back in November when Karl Brooks blocked Cairo Santos’ 46-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
Sunday’s pregame starts at 10:00 with the kickoff at noon and can be heard on FM 1023, The Bug.
Three Green Bay Packers players have been named to the Pro Bowl.
Rashan Gary, Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney will be on the Pro Bowl roster.
This is the first Pro Bowl selection for Gary, who moved into No. 8 on the Packers’ all-time sack list (since 1982) this season (38.0).
It’s also the first career selection for McKinney in his first season with the Packers. McKinney is the first Packers safety to make the Pro Bowl since Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in 2016.
McKinney ranks No. 2 in the NFL this season in both interceptions (seven) and takeaways (eight). He recorded the most interceptions since Charles Woodson in 2011 (seven). McKinney became the first player in team history to register an interception in each of his first five games in a Green Bay uniform.
Elgton Jenkins was named first alternate.
Other alternates include Jaire Alexander, Kenny Clark, Tucker Kraft, Jordan Love, Josh Myers and Keisean Nixon.
The Pro Bowl will take place one week before the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. in Orlando, Florida.
Cam Johnson scored 26 points, Cam Thomas had 24 and the Brooklyn Nets withstood a frantic Milwaukee comeback attempt down the stretch to beat the Bucks 113-110 on Thursday. Brooklyn led by as many as 24 and still owned a 111-90 advantage with less than seven minutes left before the Bucks scored 20 straight points. The Bucks had the ball with a chance to take the lead, but Giannis Antetokounmpo couldn’t finish on his drive to the basket.
Brooklyn’s Ziaire Williams got the rebound and hit two free throws with 6.1 seconds left.
Damian Lillard missed two potential tying 3-point attempts in the last 4.1 seconds.
Antetokounmpo had 27 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists while shooting 12 of 24 from the floor.
Milwaukee’s Andre Jackson Jr. was ejected from the game with 9.9 seconds left in the first half for making unnecessary and excessive contact with Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton.
Nets: Brooklyn went 3-1 against the Bucks this season, including two wins at Milwaukee over the last eight days. The last time the Nets beat the Bucks as many as three times within the same regular season is 2013-14.
Bucks: Antetokounmpo has scored at least 20 points while shooting at least 50% from the floor in each of his 26 games this season, the longest such streak in NBA history. Shaquille O’Neal (January-March 2001) and Zion Williamson (February-April 2021) were the only players to score at least 20 points and make at least half their shot attempts in 25 straight games.
D’Angelo Russell, who had 11 points and 12 assists, was carried to the locker room in the final minute with what coach Jordi Fernandez said was cramps.
The Nets’ last basket came with 6:55 left, but they still found a way to win.
Both teams play at home Saturday, with the Nets facing the Philadelphia 76ers and the Bucks meeting the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Milwaukee Brewers acquired right-handed pitcher Grant Anderson from the Texas Rangers for minor league left-hander Mason Molina on Thursday. The trade followed the Rangers’ decision to designate Anderson for assignment on Monday.
Anderson, 27, went 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA and one save in 23 relief appearances for Texas last season. He struck out 29, walked 10 and allowed 11 homers in 26 2/3 innings.
While pitching for Triple-A Round Rock last season, Anderson was 3-0 with a 2.93 ERA and one save in 26 appearances.
That followed a 2023 season in which he was 2-1 with a 5.05 ERA in 26 relief outings for Texas.
Molina, 21, was a seventh-round pick out of Arkansas in the 2024 amateur draft. He made two starts for Class A Carolina last season and struck out six over five shutout innings. Molina also made two postseason appearances last year — one for Carolina and one for Class A Wisconsin.
To make room for Anderson on their 40-man roster, the Brewers designated left-handed pitcher Tyler Jay for assignment. Jay, 30, went 0-0 with a 4.70 ERA last season in five combined appearances with the Brewers and New York Mets.
In College Football Quarter Final playoff action on Thursday #5 Notre Dame defeated #2 Georgia 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl.
In the Gator Bowl #14 Ole Miss rolled over Duke 52 to 20.
In Big Ten basketball Wisconsin hosts Iowa tonight with the tipoff at 6:00 from the Kohl Center.
On Saturday, Beloit College is at Ripon College with the tipoff at 3:00.
In women’s college basketball Saturday Beloit College is at Ripon College with the tipoff at 1:00.
Sports Illustrated” has named Simone Biles as its Sportsperson of the Year.
In 2024, Biles retook the crown as the world’s greatest active gymnast. She became the most decorated gymnast of all time, with a total of 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals.
“Sports Illustrated” chose Biles for more than just her medal count. The magazine said she sparked sweeping change by speaking out about mental health issues in sports.
Biles will be honored at the Sportsperson of the Year award ceremony on Jan. 7 in Las Vegas.
High School Basketball (Thurs.)
Boys
Waupun 88 Ripon 44-Aiden Hawkinson led the Warriors with 35 points while Blake Bradley led Ripon with 20.
Plymouth 94 Kettle Moraine Lutheran 92
Berlin 89 Winneconne 85
Beaver Dam 70 Milton 54
Kiel 89 Saint Mary’s Springs 78
Adams-Friendship 76 Wautoma 44
Dodgeland 64 Abundant Life 62
Valders 57 Randolph 51
Deerfield 67 Fall River 59
Girls:
Kohler 59 Kewaskum 20
Lourdes Academy 55 North Fond du Lac 38
Kaukauna 64 Appleton West 18
Mauston 54 Baraboo 38
Princeton/Green Lake 54 Portage 41
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