And speaking of returns…
Frank: So we're back after a one-week, um, hiatus.
Artie: I wasn't sure that holdout idea was gonna work.
Frank: Asking for $5 million guaranteed and up front may havebeen a mistake.
Artie: I was never able to spell "leverage" anyway.
Frank: Well, back to work. Do you think the Badgers have someleverage in the Big Ten?
Artie: Absolutely! This could be an exceptional season in Madison.
Frank: The good news is that most of the preseason rankings have Wisconsin in the Top Tenor close to it. The bad news is that some of them rank two other Big Ten teamshigher.
Artie: It seems like everyone has OhioState at No. 2 behind Alabama. Then it'seither Iowaor UW toward the back of the Top Ten and the other close by. The AssociatedPress has Iowaninth and the Badgers 12th; The SportingNews has the Badgers eighth and Iowa 13th.
Frank: None of the three teams will be ducking the others. It'llbe a round robin, ending with OSU at Iowaon Nov. 20.
Artie: But the Badgers have to play the other two in successiveweeks—hosting the Buckeyes on Oct. 16 and going to Iowa City on the 23rd. Who the hell dreamedthat up?
Frank: The same guy who dreamed up last year's schedule, whichgave the Badgers the same teams back-to-back but with the opposite home fields.And UW dropped both games.
Artie: Iowa'sa good, good team, and it'll be tough going there after what could be a reallyemotional game against OSU. If the Badgers win that one, they'll be sky-highand maybe ripe for a letdown.
Frank: Last year both games were closer than the scoresindicated. Iowa rallied in the second half in Madison to win 20-10, and OhioState asserted itself defensively inthe 31-13 game in Columbus.
Artie: In ’08 when the Buckeyes came to Madison, it went down to the wire. TerrellePryor led a late TD drive and an interception sealed OSU's 20-17 win.
Frank: At least the Badgers won't play Penn Statefor the second straight year.
Artie: But this year that's not a good thing. The Nittany Lionsaren't expected to be a power. I'd much rather have Iowa on the "miss" list; thatdefense is just rabid.
Frank: UW looks real solid on offense, with the usual caveat thatinjuries could strike.
Artie: Scott Tolzien emerged as a solid quarterback last year andJohn Clay rushed his way to the Big Ten offensive player of the year award.Most people are picking Pryor for that prize this year, but I'm still notconvinced he's the real deal as a passer.
Frank: I agree, although Pryor had some good throws in the RoseBowl.
Artie: Clay is just a monster. The Badgers' whole running game isgreat. They also have Montee Ball and Zach Brown and this freshman, JamesWhite, who from what I've read is a total change of pace. The others are RonDayne types, but he's like a Chris Johnson.
Frank: So they could have "Thunder and Lightning," likethe Giants touted with Dayne and Tiki Barber. Except that they didn't get muchthunder.
Artie: So the QB is above average, the offensive line is reallygood, the running backs terrific, the receivers solid. Most of the bigquestions are on the defensive side. They have to replace guys like O'BrienSchofield on the line and Chris Maragos in the secondary. But the potential isthere.
Frank: It'll be mighty tough to beat OhioState and Iowa back-to-back. But it sure ain'timpossible, and if they do it, they should be off to the races. Maybe off to…dare we say it? The Big Ten title and BCS championship game?
Artie: Northwestern and Purdue could be spoilers. The Badgersalways seem to have crazy games against Northwestern, like last year's 33-31loss.
Frank: Is there any chance they'll lose any of their"cupcake" games—UNLV, San Jose State, ArizonaState and Austin Peay?
Artie: No… Well, there's always a possibility. But realistically,no. It's gonna be an exciting season. Fans, there's no reason not to dreamabout a BCS bowl game—maybe even the Big One. Bring on ’Bama!
The Energizer Buddy Gets His Due
Frank: I was at the ballyard the other day and saw the Bud Seligstatue. It's very nice.
Artie: Did they capture the commissioner's leadership on thesteroid issue? How do you translate heel-dragging into bronze?
Frank: The statue is firmly flat-footed. And really, everyone hada hand in the procrastinating—Major League Baseball, the players' union, themedia and fans. Everyone was on board in 1998 when Big Mac and Sammy revivedthe game, even though everyone probably had suspicions.
Artie: Everyone dug the long balls.
Frank: But I think Bud did something very smart when Congressstuck its nose into this thing a few years back. My initial reaction, andperhaps Bud's, was, "Great, now these gasbags will put on a show ofrighteous indignation for their own benefit."
Artie: It's what congressmen do, ain’a?
Frank: But I think Bud realized that if he didn't squawk aboutthe hearings in March 2005, and instead took his lumps, Don Fehr and the unionwould come out looking worse than MLB. And that's what happened. Some testingwas in place already, but a few months later the union agreed to much tougherpenalties.
Artie: Selig's leadership style often seems like a lot of waitingto see which way the scale tips, and then he goes that way.
Frank: He's not a showman, he's a consensus builder, andsometimes that's vexing. But he doesn't give up on the things he wants, and hedoesn't go away.
Artie: Like a pebble in my shoe. Or the bunny in the batterycommercials; he's the Energizer Buddy.
Frank: The statue symbolizes Bud's determination in bringingbaseball back to Milwaukeein 1970. After the Braves left he was in the wasteland, plugging away, and hesucceeded. Then in the ’90s when it was clear that a new stadium was needed, hegot that done.
Artie: Not quickly or easily, but it happened.
Frank: If you agree with the premise that big-league baseball, onbalance, is good for this town—even as it raises questions about the prioritiesour society should have—then Bud is truly a hero.
Artie: Not that the baseball has been good in many ofthese 40 years.
Frank: When he ran the Brewers I thought Bud got too wrapped upin the mantra of "Woe is us, we can't compete with the big markets."It became a self-fulfilling prophecy, and maybe led the team to not do enoughto improve the scouting and make better decisions in the draft.
Artie: And not re-sign Paul Molitor in 1993. So Selig was reallyproactive in getting us a team. But on other things he just waits.
Frank: Still, as commissioner he's presided over bigchanges—expanding the playoffs with the wild cards, interleague play, things tospice up the All-Star Game. Which makes me surprised that he isn't more open togreater use of replay to help umpires.
Artie: You mean, like, he's foot-dragging? He's gonna take someheat if this year's playoffs have messed-up calls like last year's did.
Frank: But Bud is willing to take the heat, and the owners lovehim for it. After all, he's their employee, with the job of keeping thebusiness profitable—even if it means that what I pay for a single beer at theballpark can buy a 12-pack in the real world.
Artie: A 12-pack? Hell, for the kind of beer I drink, that's acase!
