Hometown Broadcasting Sports Thursday 1/6/22
6 January 2022 Sports
Sports for January 6th
Aaron Rodgers’ sensational play has him the odd-on favorite to win a historic 4th NFL MVP award. But one of the Associated Press’ 50 voters for that award, Hub Arkush, says he has ruled out voting for the Packers’ quarterback. Arkush calling Rodgers “the biggest jerk in the league” and that “he’s a bad guy” in a radio appearance this week, citing Rodgers’ offseason absence and vaccination comments.
On Wednesday? Rodgers responded emphatically.
“I think he is a bum,” Rodgers said. “I think he is an absolute bum. I don’t know who he is. No one probably knew who he was until yesterday’s comments. But to say he had his mind made up in the summertime, in the offseason, that I had zero chance of winning the MVP, in my opinion should exclude (him from) future votes. His problem isn’t with me being a bad guy or the biggest jerk in the league, because he doesn’t know me. His problem is that I am not vaccinated. So if he wants to go on a crusade and collude and come up with an extra letter to put on the award, just for this season, and make it the Most Valuable Vaccinated Player, then he should do that. But he is a bum.”
Rodgers is tied with Brett Favre, Tom Brady, and Johnny Unitas for the 2nd-most MVP awards in NFL history. Only Peyton Manning (with 5 MVPs) has more.
Meanwhile the Packers continue to get ready for their final regular season game of the year at Detroit Sunday against the Lions. Green Bay (13-3) has clinched the number one seed in the NFC while Detroit comes in at 2-13-1. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Monday that he’ll play his starters for at least some of the game, saying he wants to keep momentum heading into the playoffs and doesn’t want to give his starters what will essentially be nearly three off before their first playoff. Sunday’s game starts at noon. You can hear all of the action beginning with the pregame at 10:00 on FM 1023.3, The Bug.
Green Bay Packers rookie center Josh Myers is taking a big step forward in his recovery from knee surgery. Myers was at practice on Wednesday and has been designated for return from injured reserve, opening his 21-day window to be reinstated to the 53-man roster. Coach Matt LaFleur said Myers would participate during individual periods.
Myers, the Packers’ second-round pick, started five of the team’s first six games at center. He was injured on the first offensive series against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 17 and eventually required surgery.
The Packers have played veteran Lucas Patrick at center during 11 games this season. Myers was the Week 1 starter, but it’s possible the Packers might want to stick with Patrick, especially if Myers can’t return until the start of the postseason.
Myers can now practice with the team over a three-week window or until he’s ready to return to the field. He doesn’t count on the active roster until he’s activated.
Over 261 total snaps to start the season, Myers allowed six total pressures and one quarterback hit, per Pro Football Focus. The Packers also returned left tackle David Bakhtiari to the practice field on Wednesday, as expected. Cornerback Jaire Alexander is on the COVID-19 reserve list, and outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith isn’t ready to practice.
Heading into the final game of the Chicago Bears’ 2021 season, the expectation is that head coach Matt Nagy will be fired. That much we’ve known for awhile Nagy’s failures as an offensive guru, his handling of rookie quarterback Justin Fields and his team’s overall disappointing 2021 season have made it an easy decision for the Bears.
According to Boomer Esiason, Nagy has been informed that he won’t return as Bears head coach next season. Which means Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings will be his last on the Chicago sidelines. Nagy will finish his career with a winning record — which currently sits at 34-32. But 12 of those wins came in 2018, and Chicago has failed to win more than eight games in the three seasons since. The Bears have also lost both of their playoff appearances.
Nagy’s impending firing isn’t much of a surprise or concern at this point. The bigger concern is what the Bears decide to do with general manager Ryan Pace, who should be accountable for his part in Chicago’s failures. There has been a report that the Bears have done homework on potential GM replacements. Recently, it was reported that Pace is likely remaining with the organization. Whether that’s as GM remains to be seen.
One day after the Green Bay Packers walloped the Minnesota Vikings 37-10, third-string quarterback Kyle Sloter was released by the Vikings. What was his paycheck for six days of work? $51,111. …..Kirk Cousins was inactive for the team’s last game because he contracted COVID. The Vikings started Sean Mannion against the Packers, and rookie Kellen Mond was the backup. Sloter didn’t even suit up for the game. On Monday the Vikings released Sloter..
Pascal Siakam scored 33 points, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. had 22 apiece and the Toronto Raptors beat the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks 117-111 on Wednesday night. Fred VanVleet added 19 points for the Raptors. They improved to 18-17 and overcame Milwaukee’s hot-shooting first half and late rally.
The defending NBA champs were without coach Mike Budenholzer after he entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Milwaukee played without NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sat out due to an illness unrelated to COVID-19. Grayson Allen, George Hill and Pat Connaughton also entered protocols on Wednesday Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 25 points. Jordan Nwora had 17 and Jrue Holiday and DeMarcus Cousins each had 15. The Bucks were coming off a 115-106 home loss to lowly Detroit. The Bucks are at Brooklyn on Friday night.
In men’s Big Ten basketball action tonight Iowa (10-3) plays at Wisconsin (11-2). The 23rd ranked Badgers are coming off a 74-69 road victory over #3 Purdue Monday night and have won three straight.
The Green Bay Phoenix were unable to survive a 27.8% shooting night from the floor as they fell to in-state rival Milwaukee 63-49. It’s the 7th straight loss for the Phoenix, who haven’t won since December 2nd. Kamari McGee led the way for GB with a career-best 22 points, while Japannah Kellogg III had his first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Phoenix trailed by as many as 16 in this one, but were able to tie it at 33 early in the 2nd half. The Panthers responded with a 17-1 run to put the game out of reach.
The UW-Oshkosh men’s basketball team lost at home to UW-Whitewater Wednesday night 82-78. The Titans fall to 12-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference. It was the Titans first loss at home this year.
Ali Patberg scored 18 points and Mackenzie Holmes added 16 and No. 6 Indiana beat Wisconsin 76-53 on Wednesday. The victory came four days after the Hoosiers’ 70-63 overtime win over then-No. 6 Maryland. Patberg scored 12 points in the first half when Indiana used a 19-9 second quarter to take a 36-21 lead. Grace Berger had 11 assists and scored seven points in the victory. Aleska Gulbe scored 13 points and had eight rebounds for the Hoosiers, who’ve won eight straight in the series against Wisconsin. Indiana (12-2, 4-0 Big Ten) held Wisconsin to under 70 points, and the Badgers became the 14th opponent the Hoosiers have held below that mark.
Julie Pospisilova scored 15 points and Sydney Hilliard scored 10 points for Wisconsin (3-10, 0-3), which was playing for the first time in 20 days after two Big Ten games were canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Badgers program. Wisconsin’s Brooke Schramek scored six points as the Badgers held a 10-5 to start the game. Schramek finished with seven points.
The Wisconsin Herd, the NBA G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks, beat the Delaware Blue Coats 124-123 in double overtime. Terry Larrier hit a three to tie and send the game into overtime at 113-113. The two teams scored five points each to send the game into double overtime at 118-118. Lindell Wigginton had four points and Terry Larrier had two points in double overtime to win the game 124-123.
Five Herd players scored in double digits including two 20+ efforts. The Herd was led by Lindell Wigginton with a double-double of a career and team high 33 points and ten assists. In his first game with the Herd, Jaylen Bland followed Wigginton with 24 points. Javin DeLaurier topped both teams with 17 rebounds.
The Delaware Blue Coats were led by Jared Brownridge with 36 points and Shamorie Ponds added 30 points. The Herd will play their next game on Sunday January 9 at Maine Celtics at 12:00 p.m.
Counterfeit Milwaukee Bucks NBA championship rings were among 1,382 fake sports memorabilia items seized by federal agents late in 2021. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati say they intercepted 56 shipments of counterfeit championship rings and trophies. The shipments came from China. Officers suspected they were counterfeit based on where they came from and what they looked like. In addition to the Bucks, the counterfeit rings represented the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, University of Kentucky and NASCAR. The shipments were destined for homes throughout the U.S. Had all the items been genuine, CBP says they would have been retailed for $982,263.
Boys Basketball (Thurs.)
Berlin at Ripon-7:15 tipoff on AM 1600/93.1 FM, WRPN.
Kettle Moraine Lutheran at Winneconne
Kewaskum at Pymouth
Poynette at Waupun
Campbellsport at Omro
Lomira at Laconia
Mayville at Winnebago Lutheran
North Fond du Lac at Saint Mary’s Springs
Green Bay West at Xavier
Beaver Dam at Waunakee
Appleton North at Oshkosh West
Girls Basketball (Thurs.)
Iola-Scandinavia at Weyauwega-Fremont
Tri-County at Wild Rose
Wautoma at Westfield
Wisconsin Dells at Adam-Friendship
Nekoosa at Mauston
Horicon at Dodgeland
Deerfield at Hustisford
Pardeeville at Cambria-Friesland
Fall River at Rio
Markesan at Randolph
Montello at Princeton/Green Lake
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