The Wisconsin Sportscast

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Oates returns to the microphone after some time away to spend with family.

• The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and the Brewers have once again failed to make a big splash. Lucas never thought that Tarik Skubal was really on the table, but Oates was hoping for at least one more starting pitcher. That said, Oates doesn’t think that there was any big conspiracy around Skubal throughout the entire league; a rental just isn’t worth some of our top prospects.

• One team that did make a few big moves at the deadline was the Cubs. Now that they’re only five and a half games back with a few new pitching arms, do they have a chance to catch the Brewers? They addressed some key needs in their lineup, but the Brewers aren’t exactly an easy team to beat these days. Unless you’re the Pirates. 

• Meanwhile in college sports, Congress seems to be moving on their Save College Sports Act to address the NIL situation. Both the Big 10 and the SEC are firmly against it, of course, but Oates thinks that something needs to be done. If not, then we can expect college sports to consist of five big spenders at the top every year while everyone else fights for scraps at the bottom. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, veteran sports writer Bill Brophy returns to reminisce about the old days. 

• The Big 10 held their media days in Chicago, and while it looks a lot different than it used to it still gives a lot of insight into the season ahead. Brophy and Lucas remember the days when coaches would sit down at tables with people, but those days are long gone. Not that it’s not a great event now, it’s just a bit more choreographed than it once was. 

• Speaking of college football, the Badgers are rumored to have a roster worth over $25 million this year. In this modern environment, hopefully they can at least stay competitive with a few of the other big name teams. If not, I guess they’re going to have to find some more patches for their jersey… 

• The MLB trade deadline is just a few days away now, and the question Brewers fans are asking is: will they make the big move for Tarik Skubal? He’d make a great addition to the roster, but rumor has it the Dodgers are also interested. By next week we should know the full picture, maybe we can settle with Freddy Peralta at least (so long as he’s back to being Milwaukee Freddy).

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, veteran sports writer Bill Brophy joins the show to chat about some of his favorite sports. 

• Brophy’s latest gig is with Rush Media covering many different sports, including high school sports. It’s a tougher gig, he says, because there’s just so little information about these young amateurs. But that also tends to make it exciting, because they put in the work to make a splash and for a lot of them, it’ll be the last time they play in any professional manner. 

• As of recording, the Brewers hold the best record in baseball, and Brophy says the Miz plays a big role in that. The closest comparison he can think of is maybe Nolan Ryan, but even that’s a stretch. Sure, they might be babying him a little with his innings right now, but that’s just to make sure he can make as big an impact as possible in October. 

• Finally, as a hockey guy, Brophy says that Mark Johnson deserves a statue in Madison. Not only was he an amazing player, and is an amazing coach, but he’s also humble and able to connect with his players on another level. One day there should be a great book written about his life, just not by Lucas. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, it’s that time of year where all the sports writers gather round to make lists. 

• A players poll of the top 100 NFL players listed Jordan Love at #72. Lucas and Oates don’t particularly agree (and neither does Micah Parsons), but it’s not completely inaccurate. Sure, his stats are good, but he hasn’t taken the jump to greatness that everyone’s expected. At least not yet. 

• Monday night was the MLB Home Run Derby, with Jordan Walker taking home this year’s prize. The show was a lot more exciting in recent years, says Lucas, thanks to some changes in format. Still, Lucas wonders: if you asked someone on the street, could they even tell you what sport Jordan Walker plays?

• Sticking with baseball, the Brewers end the first half of their season with 59 wins, despite ending on a sour note. They are in desperate need of some new pitchers, Oates says. Could a big trade be on the horizon? Could another CC Sabathia be on their way to Milwaukee?

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates are back in the studio after Tuesday’s press conference at Camp Randall.

• Both boosters and former players were at Camp Randall to hear Shawn Eichorst give his welcome press conference. Those in attendance seemed to be giving him the benefit of the doubt after he admitted to some mistakes at Nebraska, but Oates still has one question: will he be able to reach out to all of his various constituencies, and not just focus on the players and coaches?

• Madison West grad Drake Baldwin is continuing his great run in the MLB as he will be the starting catcher for next week’s All Star Game. And to think, after high school, he was thinking about focusing on hockey! Lucas and Oates remember him from his Madison days (including a short stint with the Madison Mallards), and say that he’s always had the right character to make it big. 

• Sticking with baseball, as the Brewers hold the second best record in all of the MLB, is WIlliam Contreras the true leader of the team? Resoundingly yes, say Lucas and Oates. He’s a high impact player who’s able to get into his pitchers’ faces sometimes, and he can do that because he knows that his pitchers trust him. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates beat the heat with some sports news across the country and here at home. 

• Reports are saying that Shawn Eichorst is likely to become UW-Madison’s next Athletic Director. It’s a pick with a lot of goods and bads, Lucas and Oates think. One one hand, he’s a nuts-and-bolts guy who’s known to treat players and coaches well. On the other hand, what exactly happened at Nebraska? 

• Serena Williams has made her big comeback after four years away from the court, and fell big time. Williams is one of the greatest competitors of all time, Lucas and Oates think, but she looked slow and mechanical in what was supposed to be her big return. Hopefully she’s serious about returning to tennis, and hopefully a little more time on the court will get her back into game shape. 

• LeBron James says he’s playing again next year, but it won’t be with the Lakers. Lucas and Oates think that Golden State is creating a pretty nice looking team to surround him. He might be 42 and certainly doesn’t play like he did a decade ago, but LeBron has a real shot of getting one last championship under his belt with the right team. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates talk egos and a busy week for the Bucks

• Giannis Antetokounmpo is gone from the Bucks, and has been traded to the Miami Heat. In return, they got a handful of players (who may or may not still be around come the season) and some nice draft picks. It was about as fair of a trade as they could get, Lucas and Oates think, though when you trade someone like Giannis you’ll never truly get your money's worth.

• With those nice draft picks, the Bucks took in some decent players in the first round. It’ll be the last time they control their first round picks for many years, so you’d hope they’d make them count. Brayden Burries should be a very solid pick for the team, Oates thinks, as someone who could look a bit like Khris Middleton in the future. Nate Ament, on the other hand, could either work out really well or really poorly. Oates says he was drafted on his potential, so only time will tell if this draft was a success or a bust. 

• Finally, does Nick Boyd have a chance to still be drafted? As of Wednesday evening, Lucas and Oates think he has a chance late in the second round. His time with the Badgers really did him a lot of good, they think, as they let him show off what he could really do. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, no pro wrestlers join the show, to the disappointment of Lucas. 

• Lucas and Oates attended the celebration of life of former Badgers Football Assistant Coach Henry Mason this past weekend. The room was filled to the brim with great people sharing great stories about a man who, while maybe not as well known to the fans, was beloved in the locker room. Mason, who died this past spring, was known for his warmth and as a guy who treated everyone who came his way with respect. 

• Turning to the NBA, the Knicks had a fantastic story come to a close after they took home the NBA Championship. Jalen Brunson was the star of the show, says Oates, as someone who’s been a true winner even since high school. At the end of the day, the Spurs were just too inexperienced to take on that kind of talent that was dominating the entire playoffs. 

• By this time next week, Lucas and Oates think that Giannis Antetokounmpo will have a new home. Miami, Cleveland and Boston are on the shortlist, with both good players and draft capital to spend that might equal what Giannis is worth. But whoever they get as a player should be secondary, they say, because the high draft picks are vital for the Bucks to create a long-term plan to create a winning team once again. 

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, the boys skip the Banana Ball to dive right into the Packers

• It’s been suspected that Micah Parsons would miss the beginning of the season, and now it’s confirmed that he’ll miss at least four games to start the year. Lucas and Oates think that’s fine; Parsons should heal up as much as possible so that he’s 100% ready to go when he hits the field. But that does mean he might miss some important games at the top of the season and the Packers might want to start looking around for a decent pass rusher, unless they plan on relying solely on Lukas Van Ness… 

• Texas Tech will have their starting quarterback after all, after a group of judges decided that Brenden Sorsby cannot be banned by the NCAA from playing. That’s despite his history of betting on college football games, including ones he’s been involved in. It’s just another way the college sports is a complete mess, Oates thinks. Even the MLB banned Pete Rose for betting on games, why shouldn’t the NCAA ban him?

• Wauwatosa star basketball player Jalen Brown is coming to Wisconsin as the Badgers decide to keep one of the state’s big players close to home. It’s a great move, Lucas and Oates think. If he plays his cards right, Brown can set himself up for life. Just look at how Sam Dekker is treated these days…

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, big moves are happening across the NFL this week.

• The Rams are making a big move, bringing Myles Garrett into the fold. Lucas and Oates think that move is a lot like the Packers bringing in Micah Parsons; they’re nearly equals as players and both the Rams and the Packers paid roughly the same price. It also shows that both teams are making serious Super Bowl pushes, which will be interesting when the Packers play the Rams on Thanksgiving Eve.

• Speaking of the Packers, they have a major problem at running back after Josh Jacobs was arrested (but as of recording not yet charged) for domestic assault. It’s in the hands of the Brown County District Attorney and there’s not much to comment on at the moment until they make a move, Lucas and Oates say. Regardless of charges, the Packers need to make a big move; they need to have a great running back if they want to continue running the kind of offense they’re running. 

• Russell Wilson is stepping away from the field and entering the CBS studio as an analyst. Lucas and Oates aren’t sure if he’s entirely fit for the role, however. Sure, he knows football and is highly articulate, but will he be able to be critical of the players on the field? He’s a very nice guy, which is a great thing for most avenues of life, but he needs to have that critical edge if he wants to succeed in the studio.