Sure, it's only a game. No use getting stoked up over anything as inconsequential in the total scheme of things as a lousy football game. But we can't help it - it's in our genes. We are hardwired through eons of evolution to get behind the warriors who defend our territory and represent our honor. Illogical perhaps, but that's the way it is.
Around here we get sick and tired of the nitwits on national media trashing the Big 10, and ignoring the Badgers that fly beneath the national radar no matter what. Even Ohio State, no favorite around here, with its long winning streak, is dismissed by media hacks as unworthy because they "play a weak schedule." Wisconsin, Illinois, Northwestern - after all.
So we endure the humiliation of media sycophants fawning over the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Pacific Athletic Conference (PAC12). Okay, so they have some good teams. But we Midwesterners get sick of it.
But maybe we cheeseheads can take some solace in our other team, the one by the bay, Green Bay, that is. Nope, not lately.
Media halfwits, with all the depth of the Platte River in dry season, attribute Green Bay's collapse to the injury of Aaron Rodgers. But its problems are deeper, and obvious to anyone who has been paying attention. Consider the following:
n Rodgers, the league's most valuable player, spent last season enduring the dubious statistic of being sacked more than any other quarterback in the league.
n Even with Rodgers, the Pack has struggled in the red zone this year.
n The last three times the Pack faced the 49ers, they were manhandled, even with Rodgers.
n One of our 2013 victories was over the then-hapless Vikings, another was over the struggling Cleveland Browns, another over the Lions without their superstar, Calvin Johnson, and another was a marginal victory over the Ravens - not much to instill confidence.
n While the Pack defense has shown occasional signs of effectiveness, it has been unable to stop the running games of its division rivals, the Vikings, Bears, and Lions. Pathetic tackling and pass defense shaky as a bowl of Jell-o.
n Kickoff and punt return coverage ranks consistently among poorest in the league.
In short, much of this has nothing to do with Rodgers, but with persistent, nagging deficiencies.
Mike McCarthy is a successful coach, highlighted by his coaching the injury-riddled, 8th-seeded playoff team of three seasons ago to an improbable Super Bowl victory.
But c'mon, Mike - you have the most valuable player in the league operating behind an injury-riddled, porous offensive line clearly unable to protect him. Some of the toughest guys on the planet are itching to make a name for themselves by slamming Rodgers to the turf and taking him out of the game - permanently if they can. So why, when the inevitable happens, are you not prepared to have at least one, if not two, capable backups ready to step into the breech? Just asking.
But then with the weaknesses cited above, it probably would not have made much difference. Rodgers' exceptional play was simply masking multiple underlying weaknesses. Barring total collapse of the Bears and the Lions, the Packers aren't going anywhere this year, with or without Rodgers.
When the football gods smile on a team, miracles happen. Take those freak plays each of the last two weeks, plays you don't see watching decades of football, that enabled Auburn to pull off last-second victories. Of thousands of collegiate games, NCAA records show only four missed field goals returned for touchdowns. And this one was in the final second against the nation's top ranked team, Alabama. Tinsel town would reject such a script as too far-fetched.
Wisconsin is clearly cursed by the football gods. Take those two "hail Mary" passes by Michigan State and Ohio State several seasons ago that kept the Badgers out of the elite. I still say the blocked punts that led to MSU and OSU touchdowns were more significant. But then, ink-stained scribes would rather write about "hail Marys" than fundamentals such as punt protection.
So Russell Wilson and the Badgers suffered the consequences of those "hail Marys." But when Wilson gets away from Wisconsin and becomes Seattle's quarterback, the gods make amends - to Wilson, that is. When Wilson throws a "hail Mary" and the Pack intercepts it, the refs call it a Seattle completion and award victory to Wilson and the Seahawks. Hey, we still love Wilson and wish him well, but not against the Pack.
And never mind that the media nitwits considered Wilson an improbable NFL quarterback. His wins with the Badgers against "Big 10 weaklings," little sisters of the poor, considered meaningless. And "he's too short, blah, blah blah."
So maybe as a long shot as a backup quarterback, Seattle drafts Wilson in the third round. Then he beats out Seattle's heir apparent, former Packer backup, Matt Flynn, and today he's the leader of the NFL's most balanced and winningest team.
Last year when USA Today did a huge spread on the emergence of Wilson, did Wisconsin get mentioned? Nope - wasn't mentioned, even once. Like Rodney Dangerfield, the Badgers get no respect.
The saga goes on. Take that game against highly ranked Arizona State of the PAC 12. During the closing seconds when Wisconsin should have had the opportunity for a game-winning field goal, the PAC 12 officials inexplicably let the clock run out. With that, even some national media hacks admitted that Wisconsin should be considered a 9-and-1 team instead of an 8-and-2 team. That is, until another inexplicable event, Wisconsin's collapse against a so-so Penn State team.
Wisconsin has a loyal fan base for both the cardinal and white and the green and gold. But no fan base can be as frustrated and convinced that the football gods, and the national media, are against us.
All this football media idiocy shouldn't matter. But somehow, it does.
- John Waelti's column appears every Friday in the Times. He can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net.
Around here we get sick and tired of the nitwits on national media trashing the Big 10, and ignoring the Badgers that fly beneath the national radar no matter what. Even Ohio State, no favorite around here, with its long winning streak, is dismissed by media hacks as unworthy because they "play a weak schedule." Wisconsin, Illinois, Northwestern - after all.
So we endure the humiliation of media sycophants fawning over the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Pacific Athletic Conference (PAC12). Okay, so they have some good teams. But we Midwesterners get sick of it.
But maybe we cheeseheads can take some solace in our other team, the one by the bay, Green Bay, that is. Nope, not lately.
Media halfwits, with all the depth of the Platte River in dry season, attribute Green Bay's collapse to the injury of Aaron Rodgers. But its problems are deeper, and obvious to anyone who has been paying attention. Consider the following:
n Rodgers, the league's most valuable player, spent last season enduring the dubious statistic of being sacked more than any other quarterback in the league.
n Even with Rodgers, the Pack has struggled in the red zone this year.
n The last three times the Pack faced the 49ers, they were manhandled, even with Rodgers.
n One of our 2013 victories was over the then-hapless Vikings, another was over the struggling Cleveland Browns, another over the Lions without their superstar, Calvin Johnson, and another was a marginal victory over the Ravens - not much to instill confidence.
n While the Pack defense has shown occasional signs of effectiveness, it has been unable to stop the running games of its division rivals, the Vikings, Bears, and Lions. Pathetic tackling and pass defense shaky as a bowl of Jell-o.
n Kickoff and punt return coverage ranks consistently among poorest in the league.
In short, much of this has nothing to do with Rodgers, but with persistent, nagging deficiencies.
Mike McCarthy is a successful coach, highlighted by his coaching the injury-riddled, 8th-seeded playoff team of three seasons ago to an improbable Super Bowl victory.
But c'mon, Mike - you have the most valuable player in the league operating behind an injury-riddled, porous offensive line clearly unable to protect him. Some of the toughest guys on the planet are itching to make a name for themselves by slamming Rodgers to the turf and taking him out of the game - permanently if they can. So why, when the inevitable happens, are you not prepared to have at least one, if not two, capable backups ready to step into the breech? Just asking.
But then with the weaknesses cited above, it probably would not have made much difference. Rodgers' exceptional play was simply masking multiple underlying weaknesses. Barring total collapse of the Bears and the Lions, the Packers aren't going anywhere this year, with or without Rodgers.
When the football gods smile on a team, miracles happen. Take those freak plays each of the last two weeks, plays you don't see watching decades of football, that enabled Auburn to pull off last-second victories. Of thousands of collegiate games, NCAA records show only four missed field goals returned for touchdowns. And this one was in the final second against the nation's top ranked team, Alabama. Tinsel town would reject such a script as too far-fetched.
Wisconsin is clearly cursed by the football gods. Take those two "hail Mary" passes by Michigan State and Ohio State several seasons ago that kept the Badgers out of the elite. I still say the blocked punts that led to MSU and OSU touchdowns were more significant. But then, ink-stained scribes would rather write about "hail Marys" than fundamentals such as punt protection.
So Russell Wilson and the Badgers suffered the consequences of those "hail Marys." But when Wilson gets away from Wisconsin and becomes Seattle's quarterback, the gods make amends - to Wilson, that is. When Wilson throws a "hail Mary" and the Pack intercepts it, the refs call it a Seattle completion and award victory to Wilson and the Seahawks. Hey, we still love Wilson and wish him well, but not against the Pack.
And never mind that the media nitwits considered Wilson an improbable NFL quarterback. His wins with the Badgers against "Big 10 weaklings," little sisters of the poor, considered meaningless. And "he's too short, blah, blah blah."
So maybe as a long shot as a backup quarterback, Seattle drafts Wilson in the third round. Then he beats out Seattle's heir apparent, former Packer backup, Matt Flynn, and today he's the leader of the NFL's most balanced and winningest team.
Last year when USA Today did a huge spread on the emergence of Wilson, did Wisconsin get mentioned? Nope - wasn't mentioned, even once. Like Rodney Dangerfield, the Badgers get no respect.
The saga goes on. Take that game against highly ranked Arizona State of the PAC 12. During the closing seconds when Wisconsin should have had the opportunity for a game-winning field goal, the PAC 12 officials inexplicably let the clock run out. With that, even some national media hacks admitted that Wisconsin should be considered a 9-and-1 team instead of an 8-and-2 team. That is, until another inexplicable event, Wisconsin's collapse against a so-so Penn State team.
Wisconsin has a loyal fan base for both the cardinal and white and the green and gold. But no fan base can be as frustrated and convinced that the football gods, and the national media, are against us.
All this football media idiocy shouldn't matter. But somehow, it does.
- John Waelti's column appears every Friday in the Times. He can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net.
