11/8/23 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Wednesday
8 November 2023 Sports
From Wayne Mausser
The Packers return to the practice field today as they get ready for a road game at Pittsburgh Sunday. Green Bay (3-3) is coming off a 20-3 home win against the Rams, snapping a four-game losing streak. Pittsburgh (5-3) is back in action after a win at home over the Titans last Thursday.
The Milwaukee Bucks are back in action tonight as they host the Pistons. The Bucks are 4-2 on the season while the Pistons are 2-6. Tipoff is at 7:00.
The NFL and the Green Bay Packers have announced the dates of the 2025 NFL Draft will be April 24-26, 2025.
“On behalf of the NFL, I’m thrilled to announce that the 2025 NFL draft, presented by Bud Light will take place from April 24th to 26th right here in Green Bay, inside and around historic Lambeau Field and Titletown,” NFL Senior Director Alex Brooke announced on Monday to a crowd of community leaders, donors, and other area partners at Lambeau Field.
Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said those dates will be like a 3-day commercial for the city of Green Bay as well as the entire state.
“We all know how great it is here and all the great things that we have in Wisconsin, but now we have not just across the country, the draft is followed internationally and it’s going tremendous for our community,” said Murphy.
For now, the dates are blocked off but guests should be able to book about a year out. Lodge Kohler has the benefit of being able to tap into their staff in Kohler at the American Club, but they’ll also be adding more. State-wide, the draft is expected to bring in roughly $94 million; Green Bay will see about $20 million of those dollars. That’s six times the economic impact of a regular home game. Green Bay is the smallest market to ever host an NFL Draft, but Mark Murphy says Titletown is undoubtedly the most passionate.
Details are still being finalized, but the main portion of the event is expected to happen at Lambeau Field and the Packers’ Titletown, with other nearby venues being used as well.
It will include several days of activities throughout Green Bay, turning it into a massive, free football festival with interactive exhibits, autograph sessions, and photo opportunities.
The Milwaukee Brewers are considering former MLB manager and current Toronto Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly, among other candidates, to replace Craig Counsell, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday morning, citing sources briefed on the Brewers’ thinking.
Mattingly’s playing career ended in 1995. He became the Dodgers’ chief in 2011. He had a 446-363 record with the club when he left after the 2015 season.
In the next 7 years with the Marlins, he went 443-587, for a career record of 889 wins and 950 losses in 12 seasons. He parted ways with the Marlins after the 2022 season and took a new position in Toronto.
The Brewers now must try to keep winning in Major League Baseball’s smallest market without the manager who led them to their greatest run of sustained success.
“We have a really good thing,” Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio said Monday. “I give Craig credit for helping to build that, and for adding all these coaches, all of whom have stayed. So we’re going to look for a manager who can continue having a terrific clubhouse culture and that can help us keep winning and hopefully get over the hump in the playoffs.”
Counsell had two stints with the Brewers in a 16-year playing career and became their winningest manager. He took over the Brewers in 2014 and led them to five playoff appearances over the last six seasons.
Counsell told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on Tuesday the opportunity for a new professional challenge and the proximity of Chicago made this opportunity appealing. “I think as I was going through this process, it became clear that I needed and wanted a new professional challenge,” Counsell said. “At the same time, look, I’m grateful to be part of this community. And that’s going to continue, hopefully, because it has nothing to do with baseball, that part of it. I’m looking forward to being part of a new community and hopefully impact our community well, too. But as I went through it, it just became clear that I needed a new challenge.”
Attanasio said the Brewers offered Counsell a deal that would have made him the highest-paid manager in baseball “both per season and the total package.” Attanasio didn’t specify terms, but Cleveland’s Terry Francona was believed to be the highest-paid manager in MLB this past season with a salary of $4.5 million.
After losing at Indiana 20-14 the Badgers are back in action, hosting Northwestern. Wisconsin will try and shake up their offense against the Wildcats. The Badgers are 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the Big 10 West while Northwestern is 4-5 overall and 2-4 in the conference.
The Wisconsin Herd is preparing for the 2023-24 season with new coach Beno Udrih, but also with a stacked new roster.
Glenn Robinson III is making his returning to basketball after taking two years off. The seven-year NBA veteran, who won the 2017 NBA Slam Dunk contest, last plated for the Kings in 2021.
“I’m so excited to be here. When you’re gone for two seasons, and now I step back in to just hooping again, playing again, just being who I am, it brings a light out of me that I had almost forgotten that I had,” Robinson said.
Robinson is no stranger to Wisconsin or the Bucks organization. His dad, Glenn Robinson Jr played for Milwaukee from 1994 to 2002.
The Herd open the season Friday at the Cleveland Charge.
The Green Bay Packers announced Tuesday they’re nominating comedian, podcaster, and YouTuber Tom Grossi to be the 2023 NFL Fan of the Year. According to Grossi’s YouTube accunt, he’s been creating NFL-based content on YouTube since 2015. A man of many jerseys, he impersonates the fans of every team to react to games, player news and draft picks. This summer, his “30 in 30″ campaign visiting 30 NFL stadiums in 30 days raised half a million dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Despite his many jerseys, Grossi declares himself a Packers fan and talks about his love for the Packers in his weekly podcast, “Packers.” His podcast features over 1,000 tracks.
The 2023 NFL Fan of the Year will be named later this month.
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