Are you ready to relive the most heart-stopping moments in Wisconsin sports this week? Your host Trag is here to walk you through the highs and lows, from the cosmic wonder of a solar eclipse to the thrilling plays on the field. You'll get an insider's take on the Brewers' clash with the Reds, where we celebrate Contreras' hot streak and peel back the layers of Aaron Ashby's deceptive stats. Every pitch, every catch – we're dissecting the game that kept us all on the edge of our seats.
The conversation heats up as we pivot to the hardwood, scrutinizing the Milwaukee Bucks' unexpected struggles despite their star-studded lineup. I share my perspective on how the team's current form starkly contrasts with the fans' championship hopes, and we delve into the tactics and energy that could reignite the Bucks' fiery potential. It's not just about the scoreboard; it's about the soul of the game and how the fervent support of the fans can tip the scales.
To wrap up, we're tackling the electric topic of baseball rivalries – which ones sizzle and which fizzle out? Join me as I share my candid thoughts on the matchups that get our blood boiling and the ones that barely register a pulse. And as the final note, we'll leave you with a lyrical reflection on the darker moments in sports and the redemption that follows. So tune in for all this and more – it's Wisconsin sports as you've never heard it before!
Are you ready to relive the most heart-stopping moments in Wisconsin sports this week? Your host Trag is here to walk you through the highs and lows, from the cosmic wonder of a solar eclipse to the thrilling plays on the field. You'll get an insider's take on the Brewers' clash with the Reds, where we celebrate Contreras' hot streak and peel back the layers of Aaron Ashby's deceptive stats. Every pitch, every catch – we're dissecting the game that kept us all on the edge of our seats.
The conversation heats up as we pivot to the hardwood, scrutinizing the Milwaukee Bucks' unexpected struggles despite their star-studded lineup. I share my perspective on how the team's current form starkly contrasts with the fans' championship hopes, and we delve into the tactics and energy that could reignite the Bucks' fiery potential. It's not just about the scoreboard; it's about the soul of the game and how the fervent support of the fans can tip the scales.
To wrap up, we're tackling the electric topic of baseball rivalries – which ones sizzle and which fizzle out? Join me as I share my candid thoughts on the matchups that get our blood boiling and the ones that barely register a pulse. And as the final note, we'll leave you with a lyrical reflection on the darker moments in sports and the redemption that follows. So tune in for all this and more – it's Wisconsin sports as you've never heard it before!
Thank you, how we doing everybody, and welcome to wisconsin sports on the go with trage. I'm your host trage. It is tuesday, a fantastic tuesday, and well, you're listening today. That means that you didn't get in a crash yesterday. You turned your headlights on during the eclipse out there and, hopefully, hopefully, you're not one of those who are claiming disability today because, well, they got blinded looking into the solar eclipse.
Speaker 1:The special glasses, right, the special glasses that you could get for like I don't know, $3, whatever it was, for these glasses that are going to protect you from these. I mean it was just ridiculous Some of the prices I saw for these glasses that help you see, but I didn't get to see it here, central Wisconsin, we didn't get to see much of it. To be honest with you, it was overcast, cloudy all day long. I mean, it got dim, right, but that could also be. It was getting cloudy out there. We didn't see the sun. We saw the sun once today. We saw the sun. It was probably about 10 o'clock in the morning and we were all standing there at work. We're like man, you know. We were working outside all day. We're like man, we're going to see this thing. We're going to be able to at least see cloudy started to sprinkle a little bit and we're like, yeah, there goes our day saw a lot of pictures. Though that's what I said, I was like I don't need to see it. All these people going down to indy, uh, the speedway down there, watching it from there, and then everything else. I was like somebody's gonna post a video, somebody's gonna post it online, somebody's gonna do this, somebody's gonna do that. So I mean got to see it there in that kind of aspect. But good stuff yesterday there. I mean we're going to talk about it a little bit today, right now, watching the National Championship game right now. So not going to be able to talk about that one yet. We'll get more into the NCAA men's, the season wrap-up, everything like that tomorrow here on the show, but for today a little bit shorter of a show today. Not a lot going on in Wisconsin sports today. So right away I want to look at the Brewer game from last night there. The 10-8 finish there.
Speaker 1:The Reds got the win over the Brewers and I mean right out the gates. The Reds jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Then they used that fourth inning, six runs in the fourth inning there and that was the big difference maker in this game here. Brewers played catch up the entire game and well, I mean you can't knock the team. They fought. They fought in this game to get back into it At one point, down eight to nothing in this game, got it to eight to three. Then the Reds added on another run nine to three. Then the Brewers got back into it nine to six. Then they got all the way back into it to nine to eight before Elliot De La Cruz hit that inside the park home run. That was the 10-8 deficit. That would be the finish, the final. The final bell rang and the Brewers were on the losing end of this one. So Aaron Ashby takes the loss for the Brewers. Ashcraft gets the win for the Reds, even though he did not pitch well. I mean the Brewers scored a lot of runs against Ashcraft. I was surprised they left him out there as long as they did, but the Reds let it ride with Ashcraft there and the Brewers jumped on him a little bit, but still he got the win in this one.
Speaker 1:Looking at the Brewers lineup, it took a while but the Brewers got the bats going there and it started. Oliver Dunn one for five in that leadoff spot. Contreras two for five on the ball game there. He's still batting 389. Contreras is off to a hot start. Yelich one for four. That big two run home run late in that one. Adamas 0 for 5, but son of a gun, he was robbed of a home run there to right. That was just, I mean, 0 for 5 looks bad, but then you watch the game there it's like crap. You know that that was a big blow that Adamas took there with that home run. Robbery by Stuart Fairchild out there in right. Sal Frelick two for three.
Speaker 1:In the middle of the order there, two runs scored on the ballgame. Reese Hoskins one for five. Churro one for four. Terang went two for four with a big home run. He had four RBIs in this game and Joey Ortiz two for four on the ballgame there. So good stuff. On the Brewers hitting late in this one 12 hits in total there. Eight runs scored all the way around, seven RBIs in this one, but 11 strikeouts. Brewers struck out 11 times in this ball game here.
Speaker 1:Looking at the pitching and this is where my opinion might differ from others right, aaron Ashby in this game three, two thirds, six hits, eight runs, four earned runs. I'm going to say that again eight runs, four earned runs, two walks, two strikeouts and a home run given up. Brewers three errors in this ballgame. Now I get the argument. Aaron Ashby hasn't pitched well for the Brewers yet. I get that. 100% agree with anybody who wants to say that. I will say that to you. Aaron Ashby has not proven enough for me to say that he is a solid guy in this rotation. He is going to be a guy of the future for the Brewers. He has not done enough for me to say any of those things yet, but the one thing that I can say about Aaron Ashby was in this game Aaron Ashby did not pitch as bad as what the stat line reads.
Speaker 1:That's simple as that. He did not pitch as bad as the stat line reads. I look at games and when I look at games I look in between in the innings. Right, those innings where there were errors. Right, the throwing error by Joey Ortiz LA Dayla Cruz ended up stealing. Third, he ended up coming home on a ground ball. Then the solo shot in that inning Should have been two outs there, possibly three after that, one there. So you got that there. Then you look at the two drop balls by Reese Hoskins at first base. That was in that big six run fourth inning there. That was another chance for the Brewers to be able to help out Aaron Ashby on the mound.
Speaker 1:I get it when you want to say that he did not pitch his best game. He didn't. He didn't pitch great. I won't say that he pitched fantastic. I won't say that he pitched great. I will say that he pitched fine in this game. His changeup I actually pitched. He was throwing the changeup very well. The one bad changeup he threw was to Spencer Steer and I believe Steer hit that thing into the gap for a double. Two runs came in to score Outside of that, besides the home run by Benson. I believe Benson's the one who hit the home run there for the Reds, if I'm not mistaken. Yes, benson hit that home run for the Reds there.
Speaker 1:Outside of the Benson home run, there were not that many hard hit balls by this Reds team against Aaron Ashby early on and that's when everybody was like, oh Aaron, I was scrolling through Twitter, I was getting all the feeds and it was all Aaron Ashby this, aaron Ashby, this and a lot of. I can't, I don't want to say it here on the show, but a lot of foul language in front of B or anything like that, and I'm like, ok, ok, I get it. But you look three days earlier or two days earlier, dl Hall, you look three days earlier at Freddy Peralta three runs, three runs. Both of them gave up there. All earned, both of them. Okay. So to say that Aaron Ashby's outing was that bad? Okay, if you're just looking at earned runs, the same aspect, right, the same aspect. Okay, if you're just looking at earned runs, the same aspect, right, the same aspect.
Speaker 1:They were hitting the ball against ashby but weak contact we talked about in the past with adrian hauser. Right, hauser would give up a lot of hits, but it wasn't like it was hard hit balls. Guys weren't making solid contact against hauser. Hauser was just giving up tick-tock little balls through the infield. They were finding holes. The reds found holes in this game here. They weren't hitting the ball hard.
Speaker 1:I mean Elie De La Cruz, he hit that one 450 feet against Buckus there, but other than that, I mean there wasn't. Elie De La Cruz did not have a hard hit ball. His single to right was not a hard hit ball against Aaron Ashby and there was a couple other hits by him. I mean there was probably, I would say, outside of foul balls and everything like that. There was probably three balls hit in play against Aaron Ashby that I can solidly say, that I can recall off the top of my head that were solid hits. Outside of that, I mean six hits given up in total and everybody this is his first start in the big since 2022. And everybody's going to go back to 2022 and they're going to say, oh my God, back in 2022, he was so bad and this and that he was young, he was still developing. Back in 2022.
Speaker 1:We're all acting like Aaron Ashby was supposed to jump into this rotation and automatically be Corbin Burns, automatically come into this rotation and be Jacob DeGrom. That's what we were all hoping. It's the hope, right, but it's not reality. Reality is Aaron Ashby was a project. He's always been a project. He's had the stuff. Now he had the shoulder problem, so now he lost the velocity. He doesn't have the same velocity. Before he struggled with location, but when you throw hard, location isn't as big of a deal. Guess what Big league hitters see 93 when they're still playing in high school. Nowadays they're used to 93. So when you get up to this point now, everything has to be working. Look at Zach Davies when he was with the Brewers Did he throw hard?
Speaker 1:No, not at all. Brent Suter, when he was with the Brewers, did he throw hard? No, location was massive for those guys. Even a guy like Francisco Rodriguez. I mean you can go all the way back to K-Rod when he was closing down games for the Brewers. Was it hard stuff? Was he throwing this nasty crap? But was he throwing hard? No, not at all. But the difference is is Ashby's still a work in progress?
Speaker 1:I thought this might've been too early to bring him out. To be honest with you, he's got one start so far in the minors this year and besides that, spring training and not much in spring training. So you're talking about a guy who hasn't really pitched since 2022 and we're already shoveling them.
Speaker 2:We're like get out of here, we're done, we're done, we're done Give me a break.
Speaker 1:Give me a break. I mean, if we have to sit through Christian Yellich for how many years of him, I mean he's gotten better. I'm not going to say that Christian Yellich hasn't gotten better, I am not going to say it, but he had some dumpster fire years and we sat through that and we said to ourselves he'll figure it out, he'll figure it out. Guess what he did? He figured it out on the backside Corbin Burns After 2018, he came back. He struggled. The Brewers fixed Corbin Burns.
Speaker 1:What tells you Aaron Ashby can't be the next project pitcher? The Brewers do wonders with pitchers. What tells you that Aaron Ashby can't be that next candidate? Nothing, absolutely nothing. You can look at stats all you want, but I tell you what? If there's an organization I mean the Rays would be my number one, but if there's an organization I trust to grow, pitching and young prospects right now is the Brewers. We're looking at it. We're looking at Jackson Shurow. We're looking at Sal Frelick, we're looking at Abner Uribe and a couple of these Jacob Mizorowski coming through the ranks, a guy like Robert Gasser coming up, carlos Afrodwi we're looking at pitchers the Brewers, brandon Woodruff, corbin Burns, freddie Peralta I can keep naming off guys the Brewers have built up throughout the years. Here we're talking about an organization that does wonders, building pitchers and hitters in that aspect. So for you to tell me that we're already going to throw in the towel on Aaron Ashby after this Brewers organization apparently thinks that he might have the stuff, giving him a pretty good deal with I believe it was like five years. They signed him to a couple years ago there. So then it comes down to that was a bad signing, that was a bad contract and the Brewers got to eat it.
Speaker 1:I don't know. I don't know. What I'm saying is. I'm not going to take this one outing where I did not think he pitched that bad and close it down on him. I'm going to say that If the Brewers played fantastic defense and Aaron Ashby gave up eight runs, my story is different right now. My story is completely different. But what I saw on the field versus what everybody is going to be talking about are two different things. Two different things, and call me crazy.
Speaker 1:You might not agree, and that's a big thing. Nobody wants to agree, but it's okay. We don't have to agree on that statement. But what I'm saying is is, if he starts, if they give him another start, okay, and he gives up a boatload of runs, boatload of hits, boatload of runs right, and he gives up a boatload of runs, boatload of hits, boatload of runs, right. Then we can say, okay, enough's, enough, we've seen enough, send him down there, get him figured out down in the minors, and then we'll give him another shot, or never Some people would say never.
Speaker 1:But if you give him another shot and he pitches like this and the Brewers eliminate the airs and they are able to get him through five if he gave up three runs through five innings, that's fine, that's okay. I'm a basketball player, that's okay with me. He's the number five in the rotation, right? Adrian Hauser gave you that same thing. Nobody was saying that we should get rid of him right off the bat. No, you're going to have guys who give you three runs a game. Your offense has got to pick it up at some point. It's just when it gets down to the simple fact of there was eight runs scored in this game off Aaron Ashby and only four of them were earned. That's the difference maker for me. So I did not think Aaron Ashby pitched that bad in this game here, but keeping with the pitchers there. Jb Buckus inning and a third, two hits, one earned run in the game, one strikeout, a home run giving up.
Speaker 1:Pions came in pitched well, I mean, his last outing didn't go so hot, this outing here the velocity was back. Everything was great. Inning pitched, one strikeout. Hudson, he came in for an inning, two hits, one earned run there and a walk. One home run, two strikeouts there. So Bryce Wilson bounces back and so does Pye Umpster. So the bullpen they step in take care of business here and they looked a lot better doing it. Some of the bigger guys in the bullpen there taking care of business for the Brewers. So good stuff there in that game. Well, I shouldn't say good stuff, not a great game, because the Brewers lost right. But outside of that there was some good things to take away from this game against the Reds there.
Speaker 1:But with that, before we move on here and talk about this game a little bit more here, I just wanted to mention a few of our sponsors here. Quick First Game Day Supply in Onalaska. Do you have a sports club or team? Are you looking for some sweet custom uniforms or apparel? Check out the awesome crew at game day supply in on alaska to help your team get the sweetest gear. Find them on facebook at game day supply or online at game day supply dot net. Also pittsville farm and home center at the store they serve you anything from hydraulic hoses to red roses. Stop in and see the awesome crew at pittsville farm and home center in pittsville, wisconsin.
Speaker 1:And also marsh Motor Speedways, located just three miles outside Marshfield on County Road H. I was just driving past there today, coming back from work and looking at the track. I was like man, there is going to be some great stuff happening there in a few weeks here. So check out the schedule on Facebook, check it out online. Just search Marshfield Motor Speedways, check them out there. You got to get down to the track this summer for some fantastic racing. It's great, great family fun for all ages down there. So get down to the track this summer here. But with that, a couple more things coming out of the Brewers game there Terang Bryce Terang has been playing phenomenal for the Brewers in this early season here.
Speaker 1:A lot of barrel to the ball, baseball here for Bryce Terang, a lot of what we didn't see last year the fastball. He wasn't a very good fastball hitter last year. This year we're seeing this guy teeing off on him. It's a different approach for him. Right Short compact to the baseball. Bryce Terang's playing well. We talked about it yesterday there.
Speaker 1:Oliver Dunn, in the leadoff spot and I like it. I got to be honest with you. This guy puts the bat on the baseball and he gets on for you. This guy is going to put the ball in play and he's going to battle and count and that's what you love in a leadoff guy. I think he stepped up big time and I think I could see him in the leadoff spot for the Brew the brewers. I'm not opposed to him at third base either, so but if he's the dh, he's the dh. That's just how it's got to roll there.
Speaker 1:Sal frelick, he's settling in there. He's settling in in the middle of the order right now. Look at this game. Here. He was two for three. His average is up to 267. Now started out. The season at the top wasn't doing very hot. You move him down to the order. He's been playing well, so good stuff there.
Speaker 1:Out of Sal Frelick, defense for the Brewers. We've seen him play fantastic and now we've seen the worst. It could possibly be. Reese Hoskins a couple drops. Joey Ortiz a couple throwing errors, it happens. Brush it off, move on. Good stuff to come here. We saw this defense early on. We know this is a very good defense for the Brewers here. Just a rough game all the way around for the Brewers. I don't know, maybe it was a solar eclipse. I saw Reese Hoskins with the glasses on looking up. Maybe he got the real cheap pair of glasses. They didn't work out too well, I don't know. I don't know what happened there, but not so good on the defensive side last night for the Brewers. They lose the game to the Reds. They will be in action again today here. That'll be a 540 start for that one.
Speaker 1:Joe Ross taking on Frankie Montes for the Reds. Their Montes is at 2-0 with a .77 ERA. Joe Ross, in his one start this year. He's got nothing across the board there in three strikeouts on the year so far. Joe Ross, he's faced a couple of the guys in this order here. Candeliero, he's got three at-bats against him with a home run, india with one at-bat and then Martini with one RBI and Stevenson two at-bats against him. The Brewers have faced Montas a little bit there. Yelich, he's had no. I mean you have a couple guys with not much success against him there in Sanchez and Yelich Hoskins two at-bats, he's got two RBIs. Adamas five at-bats, he's got three RBIs and a home run. And then we're looking at Jake Bowers nine at-bats, one RBI and a 1-1-1 batting average against him. So Brewers Reds, game
Speaker 1:two. I believe we're going to see a lot of good games between the Brewers and Reds this season. This could honestly be the one-two in the division when it's all wrapped up. You know we've got Pirates in there yet, right, pirates have been rolling to start the year, no-transcript. So good stuff for the brewers. That game will be on bally tonight and also on the radio there, wtmj 620 or the brewers radio network. Wherever you get the brewers right, central wisconsin, down to black river falls. In that area it's 99.7. You get up to the north a little bit, we get it on 107.1 around here. Uh, you get the am station. I'm not sure what am station it is. I. I flip through the am, it pops up, right, that's, that's how I find it there, and then otherwise on TV Valley Sports Wisconsin or on the MLB at Bat app if you just feel like checking out the score there. So good stuff there, with the Brewers Moving on here, we got the
Speaker 1:Bucs. The Bucs are in action, coming up tonight against the Celtics and this we don't know what Celtics are going to throw at you. Right, they've already locked up the best record in the NBA and they are the number one overall seed in the Eastern Conference. So Bucs have a lot to play for, though, because the Bucs currently sitting in second place. They've locked up the playoffs, but the Orlando Magic sitting 16 games back and the Knicks are also 16 games back, the Cleveland Cavaliers 16 and a half and the Pacers at 17 and a half. The Bucs are at 15 games back right now. They could get I mean, they have the Magic twice, yet they have the Celtics, the Magic twice and OKC yet the Magic are running rampant right now and they've won six of their last 10 games. You look at the Knicks they've won five of their last 10. And last 10 games. You look at the Knicks they've won five of their last 10. And you look at the Pacers seven of their last 10. The Cavs they've been a little cooler here three of their last 10 here, but all within striking distance of the Bucs here as we get down the stretch. So the Bucs need to figure it out here tonight, somehow, some way, some shape and form, figure out how to score some buckets here against the Celtics and pick up a win. They got to pick up a win here and I asked
Speaker 1:around. Before I get to my question that I asked on Facebook today, I want to mention a couple more of our sponsors here. Real quick. First, your hometown team, century 21 Gold Key Realty. Call Peggy Sue or Anna to find your dream home. Or, if you're looking to sell, find them on Facebook at your hometown team, century 21 Gold Key Realty, or stop in and see them at your location in
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Speaker 1:there. But I asked out on Facebook today. I had to see where some people were sitting with this Bucs team. So I said Bucs fans, in your eyes, what is going on with this team? Does this team still have the ability in in your eyes, to make a run in the playoffs? Looking for and I just went on there. But he had a couple of replies there Kevin Owens, he said of course they're going to make a run. If anything, it's the new fan base that's. I don't know if I can swear on the air. So I'm going to say but we're going to say, but we're going to say, but that's but so much expectations that don't contribute to nothing and get it going or protect home base. The same crap was said when they won a few years back. This is not the Brewers or Packers. That is from Kevin Owens, not the Kevin Owens from the WWE, though Don't get it mistaken. Not the Kevin Owens from the
Speaker 1:WWE. He was at WrestleMania that night. Anybody check out WrestleMania. Fantastic stuff. Cody Rhodes right, cody Rhodes, the new universal champion. If you watch WrestleMania. That was great stuff. You saw the Undertaker come back, you saw the Rock, you saw John Cena. You saw Seth Rollins come back as the Shield. I watched that game. I was doing the show last night. I was watching that. I was like I can't do both here. I'm watching this and I'm trying to talk about baseball and it's like this is not working out too well. But I ended up having to rewind it, rewatch it, because I was like I missed a lot that happened here.
Speaker 1:I mean Jimmy and JO started coming out. Everything was going nuts there. So it was a fantastic WrestleMania last night there. But getting last night there, but getting off topic right, getting off topic, kevin Owens, not the Kevin Owens from WWE, different Kevin Owens there, I mean I get it. I get what you're saying, with, I guess, the Bucks being able to make a run there.
Speaker 1:But you know, I don't agree with the expectation part, right, because the second that the Bucs got Damian Lillard, the expectations went through the roof. You know you, you already had expectations with Drew Holiday and even Middleton coming back to this team with Giannis. You had the expectations and then all of a sudden you get Damian Lillard, who is supposed to be one of the better shooters, better scorers in the game at the point guard position, and now this team's everybody, vegas, everybody's like this is the team, this is the team to compete with the Denver Nuggets for this next championship and flip the script. It's like the Bucs regressed. So I mean, you're talking about expectations, but the expectations went through the roof with the signing of Damian Lillard. So I can't agree with the portion of expectations for this team were different because I mean, as fans right, you're talking about fans who don't contribute to nothing. I mean, I don't agree with that one either, because fan atmosphere is what makes it. I mean, you can go back to.
Speaker 1:I was just watching today. Which one was it it was. Was it Josh Gosser is doing the tribute to the 2014 Badger run to the final four? I believe that Josh Gosser if it's not Ben Brust, it might be Ben Brust is doing that and I was watching and they were talking. I think he was talking to Big Cat. He was talking to Big Cat Barstool there and he said you know the atmosphere inside the BMO Harris Bradley Center when the Badgers played there against Oregon. That was a big reason why the Badgers won right, and Josh Gosser will tell you that. Everybody off that team because Wisconsin fell behind and that was a big reason why they came back. Now, college NBA two different things, but the atmosphere does help you.
Speaker 1:So fans expectations for a team and fans contributions to a team that's 100% true. Like, fans contribute a lot more to teams than you think. Like you, look at the Pirates. I mean you could go all the way back to when the Pirates and Reds faced each other in the playoffs there for a wild card and the fans were going so crazy, johnny Cueto stepped up on the mound and dropped the baseball Like just flustered Flustered by how loud it was at PNC and so to tell me that fans don't contribute to nothing, no, no, I think that's a load of bullhockey. I'll be honest with you. I think that's a load of bullhockey. I don't think the fan base is crap either. I don't. I really don't.
Speaker 1:I think the fan base of Milwaukee has seen this team at its peak. Right, we saw this team at its peak with PJ Tucker and with Drew Holiday and Chris Middleton and Giannis. Now we got this prolific score in Damian Lillard, who was supposed to put us over the top, and now we're falling way short of expectations. Right, we're sitting 15 games back of the Celtics right now. 15 games back. And if that's what you expected heading into this season, if you expected the Bucs to drop four games in a row, three of which were to teams like the Wizards, the Raptors and the Grizzlies, without John Morant or really anybody, I would tell you that you were nuts. I would, because that's crazy, that's just nuts.
Speaker 1:The expectations for the Bucs going into this year were astronomical because of the roster that they put together. Now, did anybody look at the depth? No. Did anybody look at how they were going to use players? No. But when they looked at this team, they said to themselves we have Giannis, we have Dame, we have Middleton, we have Lopez coming back. This is a solid ball club. Four guys, you have a big three. Right, you have a big three now. Now, it doesn't help injuries and everything like that, but that happens throughout years and it still comes down to the fact that this team doesn't play well when they're all out there. This team doesn't play well when two of them are out there. This team struggles mightily, even with the big three on the court. They haven't played a lot together, but they've still struggled. And then Giannis and Dame, they've struggled at times together on the court.
Speaker 1:So I don't think it's as much as fans are the crappy part. I think it's the fact of the effort of the players out there on the court has really lost this fan base to the point of the fans are saying to themselves what are we watching right now? There's zero effort. We're putting in more effort sitting on our couches yelling at the tv than they're putting effort in on the defensive end or getting after guys. So I I don't know. I thank you for your comment there, but I I I'm not a fan and I I don't agree whatsoever with that comment there.
Speaker 1:Uh, dave milton r, he commented and said they need to create more defensive pressure. They are doing a good job of not turning the ball over, but they need to make the other team turn the ball over. I agree, getting after guys you got to be able to get after guys and effort on the defensive end. I get there isn't a lot of defense in the game in the NBA anymore. I mean, it's not, it's not like there's zero defense but there's not a lot. Right, and but there's a difference between that and what the Bucs are doing. The Bucs are lazy. I've said it before. They play lazy. They are about the laziest team I think I've watched and it really does hurt to watch at times this Bucs team. So I completely agree with you right there. And Mary Moore, she said they run out of steam in the second half, need to play the young bench guys. I agree, 100% agree.
Speaker 1:I have never understood the rotations of the Bucs, the lack of usage of Ajax and others on this roster. Bishkamp, anybody like that. They don't rotate some of these younger pieces into there who give them the effort on the defensive end. Ajax coming into the league is a known defender. He came out of UConn. This guy defends very well. That's what his scouting report says. This guy's a bigger defender but he's not as great on the offensive end. We don't even use him in those situations. So I mean, I completely agree with you there, mary. It is ridiculous right now the lack of usage of some of these guys off the bench. Greg Drinkwine I don't know if that's your real last name there, greg, but I love it If it is, I love it. Drinkwine on the end there, I love that name there. That would be a big N-O. Capitalize the N-O there. They are old and slow. I would be very surprised if they don't get swept in the first round. We've talked about it. This Bucs team is getting older. They're getting slower.
Speaker 1:I talked about it with Brooke Lopez there, especially when they played the Golden State Warriors out there on that West Coast road trip, which was a big. That West Coast road trip was a big downfall for the Bucs out there because they won one game on that road trip there against some depleted rosters. Right, golden State was coming off a big loss to the celtics. Like what was it? A 60 point loss. I mean it was crazy, just stupid amount that they were losing by in that game and then they I mean this warriors team was down the bucks lose that game. They lose the game to the lakers without lebron and then they won that game against the clips there. But they lost another game out there to the kings. A lot of tough losses on that road trip that the Bucs needed, because I think you know you came out of the All-Star break, you were hot and then you lose some games on that road trip. That really killed the momentum of this team.
Speaker 1:But, like I was saying there, I mean that Warriors game really showed me I mean they didn't play Brooke that much in that game and that was a big reason for it was simply because they just couldn't. They just couldn't put them out there because they were running circles around the Bucs there. So, looking, I had another comment, this one's from Dave Stubbs Sturdivant, I'm thinking I got that one Sturdivant there. He said don't play Beasley and Crowder, do play Bishkamp Jackson and we'll be much better. I mean I'm with you, I could see Beasley being in there just for his scoring, because he is a pretty good three-point shooter but lacks on the defensive end and Crowder's been a non-factor for the Bucs this year. So for him to get rotation time over a guy like Bishkamp or even a guy like Jackson there, I disagree.
Speaker 1:I don't disagree with you. I disagree with the way that Doc runs the team there, because I dislike that aspect of it. The Bucs really need to get those two on the basketball court here pretty soon because right now, lacking effort, I really do believe some of these young guys could give the effort that the Bucs are losing there. You can keep some of your other guys out there Giannis and Dame and everybody else but get some of those rotational pieces in there. If you are Milwaukee Dustin Reese good old Dustin Reese there from Chicago Sports HQ out there, shout out to Dustin Reese there. He said what is going on? Is they missed Bud? I read that I was like Bud and then I was like yep, yep, yep and I mean I, I saw, and right after I I saw he commented that there I was on twitter x, whatever you want to call it. I was scrolling through there and I saw somebody tweeted bobby buckets tweeted out there and he goes Bud wasn't as bad as we might have made him out to be.
Speaker 1:2019, two games from the finals. 2020 bubble year arguably the best Bucs team we've seen prior to that. 2021 championship. 2022, back-to-back without Chris Middleton injury question mark and then 2023, giannis injured in second quarter of game one. I mean you want to say that the Bucs have been riddled with injury this year. You look at Bootholzer's years right there Two straight years losing Chris Middleton and then Giannis, basically for that Heat series. So I mean, was Bootholzer the problem? I don't know. I don't know. They haven't answered that question yet because, as of late, we've seen Adrian Griffin. Apparently he wasn't good enough. We saw Doc Rivers. Now Doc Rivers has got more losses than Adrian Griffin did on the year in like half the games. So have we really proven to ourselves that Bud was the problem? I don't know. I don't know if we ever will get the truth answer to that. So good stuff there. Good stuff there coming out of the comments. Thank you everybody for commenting there.
Speaker 1:Last but not least, I got the Doc Rivers comment coming after that Knicks game. This team is too talented, in my opinion, to go through this. Yeah, there's your expectation thing. They're too talented to go through this. Why is it happening then, doc? Why is it happening? Can you explain that one to me? This all relies on the players wanting it, effort, getting after it. Simple as that. Simple as that. You can say that to me, doc. You don't have to tell me that this team is too talented to be going through this. We know what they're going through. We're watching it, we're watching it on the court there, and it's the simple things, the little things throughout a game that they can't do right right now. That's a big problem, if you ask me in Milwaukee so that was Doc Rivers' comment there and I don't know, I don't know. Bucks, tonight, I'm hoping for a good game against the Celtics. That's all I'm going to say. Hoping for a good game against the Celtics there. But last but not least, I just got to get to this before we wrap it up here. I saw a post out there this one was on Instagram there. I saw it.
Speaker 1:They said the top MLB rivalries according to ESPN, number one was Phillies and Braves, number two is Yankees and Astros, number three is Padres and Dodgers, number four is Rangers and Astros and number five is the Red Sox and the Yankees, the Cardinals and Cubs that's like one of the bigger rivalries in the game. I mean this list is just. I read it and I was like, okay, red Sox and Yankees would be higher for me. To be honest with you, the Yankees just hate the Astros. The Astros don't care about the Yankees, right, that's a one-way rivalry. The Astros don't care, like the Yankees fans are the only ones that get really butthurt when they hear about the Astros coming to town and everything like that. We get the oh they cheated scandal again. I mean that's all we get out of that. So I mean I don't like that one there. I mean Rangers and Astros that's a rivalry there. But Red Sox and Yankees that's one of the oldest rivalries in baseball, and I mean so.
Speaker 1:I thought that was interesting. I don't know what you guys got for your biggest rivalries in baseball, but I got to say I mean I agree with a couple of them on that list, but not a fan, no Cubs, no Cardinals on there. And I mean you have the Astros and Yankees. That's a one-way street there. It's a one-way street and it ain't coming from Houston. I can tell you that much. So, with that, this has been Wisconsin Sports on the go with Trades. Thank you guys for listening. We'll catch you guys back here tomorrow.
Speaker 2:But until then, deuces, oh my lord, watch me sway. Darkness falls and we all pray, hoping for the light of day. Down to the river, I have held the devil's hand, felt the weight of my own sin, buried by the heart of man Down to the river. Down to the river.