The Wisconsin Sportscast

The Unbeatable Miz, and Coach Sam Dekker

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, not even a tooth extraction can keep Lucas and Oates away from marveling at The Miz * Jacob Misiorowski had basically a perfect Memorial Day, throwing 57 pitches over 100 mph. He now leads the majors in strikeouts, hitting 100 before the calendar turns to June. Lucas and Oates think it may be a bit early to start thinking too hard about the Cy Young, but if it were decided now it would have to be between him and Ohtani.  * Victor Wembanyama, or Wemby, is in the news not because of his playing, but because his basketball card sold for over $5 million. It’s fair, Lucas and Oates say, as he has to be one of the big three transformative big guys in the game of basketball, next to Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It takes a certain type of big man to be able to truly change the sport; but those few guys who are big and long can bring an extra something to make them one of the greats.  * Former Badgers star Sam Dekker is returning to America, now as an assistant coach at South Carolina. He’ll be a great coach, Oates says, because he’s a guy who loves the game and has a great understanding of the fundamentals of basketball. It might be a bit sooner than we expected, but we had to know that he’d turn to coaching sooner or later and we wish him the very best.  The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wisconsin-sportscast/id1707016819], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2tXeiq8mVz82lnZW1gx1X8?si=941c64f5fb4d4d94&nd=1] or wherever [https://shows.audiocdn.com/s/leeenterprises/the-wisconsin-sportscast] you get your podcasts.

Countdown to College Football, and The End of Aaron Rodgers

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates start their timers: as of recording there are 100 days until week zero of college football. * With just 100 days (as of recording) to go until college football begins, all of the pundits are busy putting out their lists and predictions. That includes ESPN’s list of coaches who are in the hot seat this year. Of course, Luke Fickell sits at number three on that list. But with a lighter schedule this year and (hopefully) and an AD who’s behind him, Lucas and Oates think that his job may not be in danger quite yet.  * In college basketball, Greg Gard says he’s in favor of expanding the conference schedule. That’ll be tough, say Lucas and Oates, as that basically becomes a professional schedule at that point. It all comes down to the money, of course, because all college sports today are about the money.  * Aaron Rodgers announced that this season with the Steelers will be his last as an NFL quarterback. It’s hard to argue that he isn’t one of the top five quarterbacks of all time, Oates says. It’s a shame he only got one Super Bowl in Green Bay, though, thanks to his team’s defenses, special teams, and at times coaching.  The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wisconsin-sportscast/id1707016819], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2tXeiq8mVz82lnZW1gx1X8?si=941c64f5fb4d4d94&nd=1] or wherever [https://shows.audiocdn.com/s/leeenterprises/the-wisconsin-sportscast] you get your podcasts.

Madison Looks for a New AD, and The Miz Finds His Control

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, movement finally begins in UW Madison’s search for a new athletic director.  * The Badgers announce that Eric Wilcotts, the interim chancellor, will head the search and ultimately hire the school’s next AD. Oates was sure they’d start with the search for a new chancellor, but at least he’s someone who’s been around the university for decades. The university announced their selection committee too, and it’s filled with some old names and some we aren’t familiar with. The varied backgrounds of everyone on the committee will be a useful asset, says Lucas.  * What is needed out of a new AD for UW-Madison? Oates says someone who knows how to raise money. NIL isn’t going away any time soon and Wisconsin is falling behind in raising money. Whoever the next AD is has to be comfortable cozying up to some rich alumni. * The Brewers swept the Yankees over the weekend, with Jacob Misiorowski getting all the national attention. With a 103.6 mph fastball, he holds the record now for the fastest pitch thrown by a starter during the pitch tracking era. Now that he’s found his control, and some confidence in his other pitches, he’s becoming more and more of a threat to even guys like Aaron Judge.  The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wisconsin-sportscast/id1707016819], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2tXeiq8mVz82lnZW1gx1X8?si=941c64f5fb4d4d94&nd=1] or wherever [https://shows.audiocdn.com/s/leeenterprises/the-wisconsin-sportscast] you get your podcasts.

The Always Expanding NCAA Tournament, and Jordan Love Gets a Backup

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates talk about changes to one of their favorite sport events of the year.  * The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament looks likely to expand to 76 teams. Lucas and Oates are not fans of the move. That’s eight more teams today, but they don’t think it’ll ever stop. The commissioners of the big conferences run all of college sports now, and they want more and more of their teams in the tournament. How long until we’re filling out 128 team brackets? * Tryod Taylor is the new backup quarterback in Green Bay. He’s a journeyman who’s played for many teams over the years, so you know he has to be a student of the game to keep getting work. Jordan Love may not be injury prone, but Lucas and Oates think that having a veteran on standby will be a big improvement over someone like Desmond Ritter.  * Russell Wilson’s name has been thrown around as a potential backup quarterback to Love (if he would ever accept it), and at least he has Wisconsin ties. Wilson is likely one of the best quarterbacks the Badgers have ever had, or at the very least would appear on anyone’s Mount Rushmore of Badger quarterbacks.  The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wisconsin-sportscast/id1707016819], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2tXeiq8mVz82lnZW1gx1X8?si=941c64f5fb4d4d94&nd=1] or wherever [https://shows.audiocdn.com/s/leeenterprises/the-wisconsin-sportscast] you get your podcasts.

No Badgers in the NFL Draft, but Packers Meet Some Needs

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, the NFL Draft takes over Pittsburg and leaves Wisconsin sports fans with questions. * No players from the Badgers are drafted this year after seven rounds, though a few former Badgers did make the cut. It reflects the current state of the Badgers, and while we shouldn’t read too much into this, Lucas and Oates are happy that Luke Fickell hit the transfer portal hard this year. * A few Badger football players were signed to free agency contracts after the draft. While nobody can see the future, a lot of them do have the talent to have fruitful NFL careers.  * The Packers, meanwhile, had either a great or an okay draft, depending on if you count Micah Parsons as their first round pick. The Packers had more position needs than normal this year, and were able to meet a lot of their defensive holes. But there are still plenty of question marks on the roster, most notably in the backup positions for several key offensive players.  The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wisconsin-sportscast/id1707016819], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2tXeiq8mVz82lnZW1gx1X8?si=941c64f5fb4d4d94&nd=1] or wherever [https://shows.audiocdn.com/s/leeenterprises/the-wisconsin-sportscast] you get your podcasts.