I like the UW athletic department website. There's a lot of great info there. We all know their "blogs" aren't really anything more than propoganda. And that's ok, it's UW's site, afterall. But 1st and Goal, their purported news aggregator, ends up disengenuous. If you want people to come to your site first to see what's going on out there in the world of Badger sports, but it doesn't include the biggest stories because they aren't positive for the University? Well, it ends up not being a particular good source. Example. No Carter and Pleasant story. Well, the Journal Sentinel wrote about it, Badger Beat wrote about it, the real blogs (bloggers, not just professional journalists putting out short stories without waiting for the morning copy of the paper) wrote about it. UW still hasn't acknowledged it. That's a pretty big story to fall through the cracks.
So, anyway, this brings up what a blog really is, and what it isn't. In my view, it's not professional journalists writing short stories that aren't tied to the paper's morning edition. That's just online news content. It's not UW putting out fluff pieces. That's propoganda. A blog is some independent out there recording their thoughts on the web. Now, some folks have done it well enough to actually make a living at it (in the sports world there's Brian at MGoBlog and . . .? Anyone else?). But most folks are just doing it for the fun of it, and because they know the journalists aren't really allowed to include all the invective opinion we little people can write.
Want news? Go to JSOnline or the BadgerBeat (they are both good for it). Want propoganda and details about two-deeps, rosters, etc., videos of presser's with Bielema et al, and game highlight films? Go the UWbadgers.com. Want real opinion pieces that are more likely to include a little UW history and fan perspective? That's where the blogs come in. Anyway, rant complete.
Showing posts with label UW Athletics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UW Athletics. Show all posts
If You Can't Beat 'Em . . .
Since Bielema (and probably most coaches, AD's, etc.) dislikes bloggers so much, it looks like the athletic department is trying to get into the act. This is an aggregator of sorts: linking to stories about the Badgers around the web. No links to any true bloggers yet, though. At minimum I'd vote for BadgerCentric and Bucky's 5th Quarter (ok, and me, too) for football coverage, but I won't hold my breath.
Also, UW opened a Fall Camp headquarters page. It includes the 2009 Fact Book (more or less a media guide -- there's generally a lot of good stuff in these), the present roster, and the current depth chart. Note: starting wide receivers are Isaac Anderson and Gilreath or Toon (I'm betting on Toon); strong safety is listed as Valai or Pleasant; and while Henry has one corner, the other is listed as Brinkley or Devin Smith.
Also, UW opened a Fall Camp headquarters page. It includes the 2009 Fact Book (more or less a media guide -- there's generally a lot of good stuff in these), the present roster, and the current depth chart. Note: starting wide receivers are Isaac Anderson and Gilreath or Toon (I'm betting on Toon); strong safety is listed as Valai or Pleasant; and while Henry has one corner, the other is listed as Brinkley or Devin Smith.
Dynasty
The Badgers women's hockey team won their third national title in four years. Led by all-American Hilary Knight, Meghan Duggan, Alicia Matthews, Captain Erika Lawler, and the NCAA's top player, goaltender Jessie Vetter, the Badgers left no doubt with a 5-0 finals win over Mercyhurst. The Badgers rolled through the NCAA tourney outscoring the competition 17-1 capping a season with only two losses. Seniors Vetter, Lawler, Matthews, Rachel Bible, Kayla Hagen and Angie Keseley have been there for all three national titles. Coached by Mark Johnson, himself one of the Badgers' all-time greats, with a men's NCAA title as a player, two goals in the Miracle on Ice victory over the Russians in 1980, a two-time NHL all-star with over 300 career goals, now coach of three women's NCAA titles, and the 2010 U.S. Women's National Team Coach, there's very little not to like about this team. Many, many congratulations to the dynasty in Madison.
UW Release College Hockey Online Release
Nice video intro to the team here; UW will surely release a 2008-09 highlight video soon.
UW Release College Hockey Online Release
Nice video intro to the team here; UW will surely release a 2008-09 highlight video soon.
Basketball Tourney: On Second Thought . . .
I've been kind of down on the NCAA tourney this year. Not that interested. Too many teams that don't belong. Frankly 64 teams is just too many. Among those 64, there's no way the Badgers are a national title team, so why should they (among many others) be playing in the tourney for the national title? It's a fun event, but it's a ridiculous way to chose a champion. Maybe even more so than the way they do in football. Anyway, that's not the point here. The point is, I've been disinterested.
So it's halftime of the Badger game and the announcers have decided Wisconsin sucks and doesn't belong, nor, for that matter, does the rest of the Big Ten. All of the sudden I cared again.
I was stuck at work, then coming home checking the score on my blackberry. It went to overtime as I was getting on my bike from the train station, so like any true fan I checked the score while I was riding (real safe, I know).
So all I have to say now, in sum, is . . .
HELL YEAH!!
So it's halftime of the Badger game and the announcers have decided Wisconsin sucks and doesn't belong, nor, for that matter, does the rest of the Big Ten. All of the sudden I cared again.
I was stuck at work, then coming home checking the score on my blackberry. It went to overtime as I was getting on my bike from the train station, so like any true fan I checked the score while I was riding (real safe, I know).
So all I have to say now, in sum, is . . .
HELL YEAH!!
Why Wisconsin?
It's a good year to adopt the women's hockey team. First, they are gunning for their 3rd national title in four years. Second, with a win today they could become the first program to go to four straight national finals.
Update: With a 5-1 thrashing of UM-D, the Badgers are in the finals.
Third, the ladies "get" Wisconsin. Really. Senior captain Erika Lawler, from Massachusetts:
"It's a very proud school," said Lawler. "You go there, and everyone's really proud to be a Wisconsin Badger. Definitely the school's pride is a cool, cool thing, a unique thing that Wisconsin has."
"Wisconsin people go all out in their sports, everyone's really into it and just fully invested in their sports and very supportive there. They have an unbelievable atmosphere. It's such a fun environment to be a part of while you're there and while you're living in it."
Meaghan Duggan, also from Massachusetts:
"I didn't know much about the school," Duggan said. "They fly you out for your official visit and I was kind of starstruck. It's an unbelievable campus, it's a beautiful city, I love Madison. They won the national championships the year before I got there. I knew the hockey was a powerhouse and it's just an unbelievable university."
"Anyone that goes out to Madison and gets the tour on the University of Wisconsin campus is going to think the same thing. I heard from a bunch of people from home that they didn't go out there because they were afraid they'd never come back."
"I guess that happened to me. It's hard to leave home and be away from my family but it was definitely the right decision for me."
Same for me. Ok, I didn't have an official visit and wasn't playing any sport (let alone one that just won a national title), and I enjoyed the independence of being far away from home, but on my first visit I saw the same thing: the University really is a special place. Nice to see these lady Badgers represent us so well.
Go Badgers.
I like the news feed feature, got this from here.
Update: With a 5-1 thrashing of UM-D, the Badgers are in the finals.
Third, the ladies "get" Wisconsin. Really. Senior captain Erika Lawler, from Massachusetts:
"It's a very proud school," said Lawler. "You go there, and everyone's really proud to be a Wisconsin Badger. Definitely the school's pride is a cool, cool thing, a unique thing that Wisconsin has."
"Wisconsin people go all out in their sports, everyone's really into it and just fully invested in their sports and very supportive there. They have an unbelievable atmosphere. It's such a fun environment to be a part of while you're there and while you're living in it."
Meaghan Duggan, also from Massachusetts:
"I didn't know much about the school," Duggan said. "They fly you out for your official visit and I was kind of starstruck. It's an unbelievable campus, it's a beautiful city, I love Madison. They won the national championships the year before I got there. I knew the hockey was a powerhouse and it's just an unbelievable university."
"Anyone that goes out to Madison and gets the tour on the University of Wisconsin campus is going to think the same thing. I heard from a bunch of people from home that they didn't go out there because they were afraid they'd never come back."
"I guess that happened to me. It's hard to leave home and be away from my family but it was definitely the right decision for me."
Same for me. Ok, I didn't have an official visit and wasn't playing any sport (let alone one that just won a national title), and I enjoyed the independence of being far away from home, but on my first visit I saw the same thing: the University really is a special place. Nice to see these lady Badgers represent us so well.
Go Badgers.
I like the news feed feature, got this from here.
Badger Hockey Friday
Yeah, so the men are playing basketball tomorrow, too.
Update: no NCAA tourney for the men after losing the WCHA semi to Denver. Tough to miss the tourney. Time to pull for the ladies.
Lest you forget, the Badger men's hockey team is playing in the WHCA semi-final vs. Denver. Defenseman Jamie McBain just won the WCHA player of the year award and was named as a top 10 finalist for the NCAA's Hobey Baker (MVP) award. Had the men been a touch more consistent this season, they wouldn't be fighting for their NCAA tourney lives, but they weren't, so they are. A win over Denver won't guarantee anything, but it's a necessary step to keep their NCAA hopes alive. They will need Connelly's best in net and will need to avoid the scoring droughts that haunted them at critical times throughout the regular season.
The women are legit national title contenders, and play in the NCAA semi-final against Minnesota-Duluth. The Badger women have a slight edge in the season series, at 2-1-2, but as that tells you, these teams are evenly matched. They basically need the same thing the men do, solid goaltending and goals (funny, but that's a common theme for how to win hockey games: score more than the other guys), but unlike the men, they consistently get both. In net, Jessie Vetter is one of three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier (MVP) award, and the Badgers had three skaters in the running, too (with two forwards making the final 10).
Update: no NCAA tourney for the men after losing the WCHA semi to Denver. Tough to miss the tourney. Time to pull for the ladies.
Lest you forget, the Badger men's hockey team is playing in the WHCA semi-final vs. Denver. Defenseman Jamie McBain just won the WCHA player of the year award and was named as a top 10 finalist for the NCAA's Hobey Baker (MVP) award. Had the men been a touch more consistent this season, they wouldn't be fighting for their NCAA tourney lives, but they weren't, so they are. A win over Denver won't guarantee anything, but it's a necessary step to keep their NCAA hopes alive. They will need Connelly's best in net and will need to avoid the scoring droughts that haunted them at critical times throughout the regular season.
The women are legit national title contenders, and play in the NCAA semi-final against Minnesota-Duluth. The Badger women have a slight edge in the season series, at 2-1-2, but as that tells you, these teams are evenly matched. They basically need the same thing the men do, solid goaltending and goals (funny, but that's a common theme for how to win hockey games: score more than the other guys), but unlike the men, they consistently get both. In net, Jessie Vetter is one of three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier (MVP) award, and the Badgers had three skaters in the running, too (with two forwards making the final 10).
I Don't Believe In Jinxes: Post-Season
Well, I don't believe that some random fan out in California can say something that somehow jinxes our athletic teams in Wisconsin.
The Badger hockey team still has a shot at the NCAA tourney without winning the WCHA tourney. Number one, they need to beat Denver in the WCHA semifinal. Then a whole bunch of other stuff has to fall just right. So it's still possible, but not likely. The problem is even teams that aren't playing any longer can get a boost in the pairwise rankings (which are very good at predicting NCAA tourney invites) when the teams they have played win. Because of that, the only sure bet is to win the WCHA tourney. So let's pull for that. It only requires 2 upsets, folks.
Along those lines, this Florida State match-up in the basketball tourney seems doable. Truth be told, though, this is a football blog and I don't know a thing about Florida State basketball (but I do know that 12/5 upsets aren't uncommon in hoops; oh, and I know we should have played them better in football). Assuming a win over FSU, everyone seems ok with the likely second round match-up with Xavier, although that strikes me as likely major conference bias. Of course I'd like to see the Badgers go far, but, seriously, there's no way they are one of the best 16 teams in the country. They just aren't. Get there and I'll be very happy for them and cheering them on, but that would just be an example of how strange the outcomes in the NCAA basketball tourney can be. You could say the same thing about the men's hockey team making their tournament.
On the other hand, our women's hockey team is a legit national title contender. Semifinals this Friday vs. UM-D (three WCHA squads, with Minnesota in the other semi, in the Frozen Four!). Go Badgers! Good goaltending is the key to playoff hockey and so far Patty Kazmaier finalist Jessie Vetter (video, and yes, the athletic department LOVES that song for highlight videos), who sounds like a someone who could shred on the lead guitar, has proven up to the task (1.33 GAA is just sick!).
The Badger hockey team still has a shot at the NCAA tourney without winning the WCHA tourney. Number one, they need to beat Denver in the WCHA semifinal. Then a whole bunch of other stuff has to fall just right. So it's still possible, but not likely. The problem is even teams that aren't playing any longer can get a boost in the pairwise rankings (which are very good at predicting NCAA tourney invites) when the teams they have played win. Because of that, the only sure bet is to win the WCHA tourney. So let's pull for that. It only requires 2 upsets, folks.
Along those lines, this Florida State match-up in the basketball tourney seems doable. Truth be told, though, this is a football blog and I don't know a thing about Florida State basketball (but I do know that 12/5 upsets aren't uncommon in hoops; oh, and I know we should have played them better in football). Assuming a win over FSU, everyone seems ok with the likely second round match-up with Xavier, although that strikes me as likely major conference bias. Of course I'd like to see the Badgers go far, but, seriously, there's no way they are one of the best 16 teams in the country. They just aren't. Get there and I'll be very happy for them and cheering them on, but that would just be an example of how strange the outcomes in the NCAA basketball tourney can be. You could say the same thing about the men's hockey team making their tournament.
On the other hand, our women's hockey team is a legit national title contender. Semifinals this Friday vs. UM-D (three WCHA squads, with Minnesota in the other semi, in the Frozen Four!). Go Badgers! Good goaltending is the key to playoff hockey and so far Patty Kazmaier finalist Jessie Vetter (video, and yes, the athletic department LOVES that song for highlight videos), who sounds like a someone who could shred on the lead guitar, has proven up to the task (1.33 GAA is just sick!).
Tuesdays with Barry?
This is a pretty cool little fluff piece from the athletic department *interviewing* Barry about the seniors on the men's basketball team. For the first in the series, talking about other UW coaches, go to the UW audiovisual page.
In other news, PJ . . . well, others have said what needs to be said.
In other news, PJ . . . well, others have said what needs to be said.
In Other News . . .
Pretty good Thanksgiving weekend for Badger sports:
the Women's hockey team remained unbeaten (16-0-2) and #1 in the land. The men continued their improvement, reaching .500 for the first time, with wins over Michigan and Michigan State in the [Big Ten] Showcase at the Kohl Center.
The #22 men's hoops team warmed up for its big ACC/Big Ten challenge match-up with VaTech by beating UW-Milwaukee. The 5-1 women's squad rallied late to upset #6 Baylor and win the Paradise Jam tourney in St. Thomas.
The wrestling team beat Oregon State Sunday.
The only downside for the weekend was two losses for the Volleyball team means the women will miss the NCAA tourney for the first time since 1995.
the Women's hockey team remained unbeaten (16-0-2) and #1 in the land. The men continued their improvement, reaching .500 for the first time, with wins over Michigan and Michigan State in the [Big Ten] Showcase at the Kohl Center.
The #22 men's hoops team warmed up for its big ACC/Big Ten challenge match-up with VaTech by beating UW-Milwaukee. The 5-1 women's squad rallied late to upset #6 Baylor and win the Paradise Jam tourney in St. Thomas.
The wrestling team beat Oregon State Sunday.
The only downside for the weekend was two losses for the Volleyball team means the women will miss the NCAA tourney for the first time since 1995.
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