It's time for Make the Call, a weekly discussion on the top Wisconsin sports stories of the week.
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Now, it's time for Make the Call, a Civic Media sports production.
Happy weekend to you.
Welcome in.
It's another edition of make the call here on the civic media radio network Jimmy Tuske here with you and joined as always this week by Parker Olson at headquarters in Madison.
What's going on Parker?
Oh, not too much.
I'm sporting my brew cruisey today.
I'm feeling excited about the Brewers.
At least it's not the whiskey.
All right, and we move on to Greg Gunderson up in the Northwoods gray.
First of all, happy birthday, man.
Thank you so much.
I appreciate that.
It was a good day on Thursday.
It actually was, but I knew this was coming.
I was ready.
It was great.
Well, we've all had birthdays recently, I feel like, so we've had our fair share of cake and now we're ready to have our cake eat it too as we get set for the top eight at eight here on Make the Call.
It is the top eight sports or not sports stories of the week and we recap it here on the weekend on Civic Media as part of Make the Call and number eight in our top eight at eight.
is this.
There's a Bob Euker Memorial going up in Milwaukee.
What else should be immortalized with that kind of work in Wisconsin?
So think, what mural would you like to see go up around the state?
And this is, first of all, I will just say this.
It is awesome that we are getting more artistic tributes in general to big time sports figures in Wisconsin.
Agree Jimmy.
I think it's a recognition that's that's kind of gone out of style this painting this this public figure kind of public figures exist mostly online now I love the memories that you can create by putting something on the pavement like this or on a on a on a brick wall That said the moment that I'm thinking of Bart Starr's dive in the ice bowl
Give me the give me the touchdown the game winning touchdown in the ice bowl in that freeze frame that you've already seen before and even if it's not perfectly accurate Tell me he jumped a little higher than he did with the painting.
That's fine
That's fine.
It's great.
It's about the story, not the facts.
Do we need Jerry Kramer behind him, giving him the push?
That is exactly what I was thinking too, Gray.
I don't know if I necessarily had that moment picked out, but I was thinking Bart Starr as well as definitely somebody who should be immortalized like that.
And I think in a way he probably is.
I can't picture it for certain, but I'm pretty darn sure that he's on those fences outside of Lambeau, field across the street.
No,
really.
It's funny you bring those up because Spencer, who does the Packers fence every year was one of my friends.
And I love every year how there's always a mix of, you know, the classic Packers, the historic moments, the new stuff.
I mean, the last year with Micah Parsons, the thank you, Jerry, was just outstanding.
I mean, to have that right outside of Webo is awesome.
So I love
I'm with you on that.
Those those real painting, whatever, any kind of artistic sports expression in Wisconsin, I think we need more of it.
I'm all for it.
Number.
seven in our top eight at eight.
And this is a question because the Packers just picked up the son of NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
And so with bread and rice on the roster, I've been thinking, guys, who's your favorite NFL legacy?
What son of a former player, you know, you could go from any, anytime in kind of the last 10, 15 years.
Do you have a favorite one?
Is there somebody that you really enjoy watching?
I've got a double up.
I think probably a popular choice, but Archie Manning and then you've got Peyton and Eli right there, the sheriff and the spoiler himself.
The foil to Tom Brady came from Archie Manning.
I mean, man, not many people can look at a family tree that's that sparkly.
Parker, who you got?
I'm going to be honest with you.
I guess I don't know ball that well.
I can't remember any other than Rice.
I honest to God, I cannot think of hardly anything right now.
I will say one to watch, I guess, is Shadoor Sanders.
Maybe with Dion.
Oh, that totally counts.
That totally counts.
Other
notable recent ones include like Howie Long and his sons, Chris and Kyle, maybe Ed McCaffrey with Christian going off in San Francisco.
The other one that came to mind, of course, Clay Matthews Jr.
and the third.
But I want to give a shout out to Jackie and Matthew Slater.
Matthew Slater, the Patriots special teams ace.
His father, Jackie, was a notable tackle 20 seasons under his belt.
Yeah, played for the Rams.
You know, and here's the thing.
I asked this question because as the resident old of this group, um, what I see the sons of players that played when I was, you know, when I was in your age, when I was growing up and I see the sons of those players now becoming NFL's Sam Madison, Jr.
become a breakout stud defensive back in Denver.
Like I feel extremely old now.
So, uh, just letting you guys know, I asked that question in part because I've seen, I'm seeing like, Oh, the son of Jerry Rice is on the Packers now.
Like, why did that happen?
I'm, and I realize I'm in my 40s.
So, you know, it happens.
You get old number six in our top eight and eight.
Um, I'm not feeling old about this because, uh, this is pretty cool.
Uh, how hyper are you for the brewers and twins to be meeting up in baseball?
Now, remember interleague play started 15 years ago or so, um, but brewers and twins, the border battle, how hyper are you guys for this?
Eh, no more than I am for most other.
series to be perfectly honest with you, I get the Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry the border battle, right?
I've never really been that big on the Twins, it's never felt like one that's mattered all that much to me, and that is being spoken as a guy who's lived in Madison and in southeastern Wisconsin his entire life.
I am aware that there are Brewer's fans that are out on that western side of Wisconsin who maybe think more of it than I do.
Not in particular.
I mean, right here up here in Park Falls in the studio, we've got Joel Karnak here, one of our close co-workers who is a twins fan.
He's a Minnesota guy.
So it's kind of here and there is a fair bit of crossover there.
You know, you find out how many Park Falls natives went and met somebody from over in Minnesota, myself included, my girlfriends from that side of things.
So we get a fair amount more than I might expect of exposure, but maybe if the twins were hotter, you know, losing record right now, the Brewers.
You know, six, seven games up, looking pretty good, uh, trending up from where they were a couple of weeks ago, maybe in a more competitive environment.
Don't you even give me that, Jimmy?
I asked for it and I know, but don't six, seven me now or ever.
Don't do
it.
I have two children in elementary school.
It happens literally every day, every minute of my life.
So
I know I did it.
It's on me.
I thought about
it, but I
didn't pull the
trigger.
For me, living in Northwestern, Wisconsin, most of my life and not, you know, living in Western Wisconsin now, uh, the twins and brewers does add.
a little bit of hype to it.
And I think the best part of it is that when you're living in Western Wisconsin, it's, you know, an hour and change from, you know, Eau Claire or for most places you can get to, to target field and pretty short order and to see the Brewers there is a pretty cool thing.
But with you guys, it'd be more hyped if, if the teams were competitive in some way, if the twins were better, but I know for people from where I grew up and in the Chippewa Valley in Western Wisconsin,
it
is, it is pretty neat to see these two teams play.
Number five in our top eight and eight, the NFL has released its schedule and
all the teams did it in video form.
So I have to ask this, which video release was your favorite?
I am pulling up my Twitter right now to look at the ones that I liked yesterday or the other day because I actually knew that we would talk about this.
And I've got rules about NFL schedule releases, boys.
And some of them are really good videos, but they don't meet my rules.
So I don't count them towards the Falcons.
It's a great video.
I love that this is Sports Center Parity.
I'm sorry, though.
It's not a good schedule release video.
I'm gonna go, I think, with the Browns.
I really like there's the Street Fighter mock-up.
The Street Fighter, I like that idea.
It feels like an idea that was had kind of quick though.
You can come up with that relatively quickly, not to knock the person who did it, but then they fleshed it out really well.
So they took an idea that I won't rate super high because it, not a high effort idea, but the execution was awesome.
I'm gonna highlight the Colts.
If you've seen the Colts, you know why I'm highlighting the Colts.
I love the choices that they make.
I love the reality there.
It isn't just all NFL media.
That felt like a human being making some jokes.
There were some stabs in there.
and also shout out to the Oakland Rangers.
Hold
on, hold on, hold on.
You can't pick two.
We did this last week.
We did it with Parker Stewart too last week.
No,
no, we're
all picking one.
I got to pick one.
Yeah, you pick one, man.
The colds.
All right, fine.
But there is an honorable mention that I just won't name.
We'll just let it be a name.
And
after I named mine, I don't.
So last week I lost my vote for something.
I don't want to lose it this week.
Who's it?
Chargers.
They are the undisputed king of this thing.
So they did theirs based on Halo and they have a lot of some subtle and some very not so subtle digs at things happening on and off the field in the NFL.
I don't think anybody does the better than Chargers.
They did an anime parody for years.
And they've been
switching it up in recent years but this year I'm not so sold on the on the halo thing personally like that what is aside it's just the fact that they sneak it so many like tiny like like
you have to be like a die-hard NFL insider to understand like 90% of the references.
So that's why I particularly enjoy it is that it references a lot of things.
All right, what's your runner-up?
All right, we'll do that.
What's your
runner-up?
Jimmy, I'm so sorry.
I feel like I owe you an apology.
I tried to steal your thunder when I was going to say the Oakland Raiders because they did the stepbrothers thing.
That was good.
I liked that
one.
Did we just become best friends?
I saw the title of it and I thought I already liked this.
And Fernando Mendoza with some comedy chops.
Kirk Cousins, like two guys who might not be known for making fun of themselves.
A lot of self-awareness.
That was great to see.
Number four in our top eight at eight is this.
The Brewers be in first place by the end of their series against the Cubs next week.
Now the Brewers were not.
not that it mattered because it was so early, but they were in last place only a few weeks ago.
And here they are rocketing up the standings as everything kind of plays out.
The run differential shows that they should be probably somewhere at or near the top of the division.
The Brewers, I think, are an example of why you do a series instead of a game, at least in most cases, and why the season's so long.
I believe I'm optimistic.
They're heating up in the right places at the right time.
Not to say there's no concerns with some injuries still out there on the radar, if not really dragging things.
down.
But I don't know, Parker, am I overly optimistic?
This feels like a good build up.
I think a good amount of optimistic.
I expect the Brewers to win the series against the Twins, which will probably put the Brewers a game game and a half.
I would bet back of the Cubs by the time that they meet, I believe a Monday of next week, maybe it's Tuesday, that series starts up.
I don't think the Brewers will be ahead of them, though.
I'm not sure they're going to win that series down in Wrigley.
The Cubs are very, very good at home this year.
I believe their records
is like, oh, I think it's like close to 18 and five, 19 and five, maybe they're doing very well when they are the home team.
So Brewers might have a little bit of a challenge getting over the hump at Wrigley this week.
Good news is that it's early number three in the top eight at eight.
Do we believe the trade rumors about Yanis are true this time?
This is our weekly question.
It's always very high in the top eight at eight, but you know, we've got more rumors out there.
So let's address it on the show.
What do you think, guys?
I don't want to talk about the honest thing every time.
I hate talking about the honest thing every time, and I really don't like it because now I kind of believe it this time.
I don't know what it is about this one, but there is something that's kind of pushing me to think, yeah, maybe, especially if it comes before the draft actually happens.
There's actually an instigator to really get moving.
There's a deadline there for the bucks to meet, so you might see a deal.
We can yeah, we can actually speak to some concrete motion with Taylor Jenkins being installed that press conference last week And I know there's been some stuff going on behind the scenes with ownership West Eden's in a little bit of a sticky wicket right now with that whole blackmail thing But neither here nor there except that when I was talking and we'll hear from Mike Clemens later in the show But I was chatting with him on Friday morning as I do on our morning show and he shared with me kind of a general vibe that a lot of people Don't necessarily feel in touch with current ownership and leadership
And Mike was actually beginning to ask, just kind of as an open question, does this mean we're going to wipe the slate clean here?
And if that's the vibe that's in the air, it's easy to believe that that applies to players too.
I don't know.
So just like you said, Parker, not that we know anything in particular that leans this way, but it feels different.
And that often, you know, it's like the storm coming in.
You can feel it before you know and can say out loud why you feel that a storm is coming.
Number two in the top eight eight and guys we have a minute to answer this so I you can make this in 20 seconds or less The Miz the Brewer's pitcher, right?
He has had a number of great outings.
How high does he go this season last year all-star game this year?
Where does he go?
I can see him being in the conversations for Cy Young.
He's gonna have to keep it going.
He's gonna have to keep his foot on the gas Kind of literally given how much heat he's got in his fastball.
I'm not sure that he'll be
very deep in the Cy Young talks, but he definitely should be in there.
How high will the Miz go?
I'm thinking somewhere around 105, maybe 106 on that four Seamer.
That sounds about right to me.
103.6 right now, which is a lot faster than I could throw.
It's probably faster than I'm even willing to drive my car.
So that is pretty incredible stuff.
We have a lot to talk about in our next segment.
Coming up later in the program, we have a one-on-one Mike Clubman's talk to H.A.
Dillon, former Packers running back.
The Wells will give us a rundown of sports.
But coming up next, we're going to go through the Packers schedule right here on Make the Pull, part of the Civic Media radio network.
Welcome back to Make the Call on Civic Media.
It's number one in our top 8-8 part of Make the Call on the Civic Media Radio Network, and it's simple.
We are going to just take a look at the Packer schedule in this segment.
Parker Gray and myself, Jimmy Kuska here.
The schedule release coming out on Thursday.
The NFL schedule for the Packers, a very interesting one.
I thought for a number of reasons, but I want to get you guys to take on this.
So I guess first of all, what stands out to you about the Packer schedule for this year?
We'll start with you, Gray.
There's a couple of things that I'd really like to highlight.
One of them is you can get a pretty clear feel for who the NFL believes in right now.
Again, Chad,
with Mike Clemens on Friday morning.
He was telling me about Peter King, NFL writer of old and his input on the schedule and basically kind of massaging the schedule a little bit with what people want to see.
And if you look, you'll see the Packers have six prime time games.
That's the first thing to point out.
There are five teams and it's not hard to guess who with no prime time games.
Also the Packers have no international games this year.
That's not necessarily a significant mark of anything from the NFL, except that the Packers were due for a bit of a break.
And I fully expect the Packers to be in Ireland and Germany next season or soon, because those are the two highest scoring Packers markets in Europe, according to, again, Mike Clemens.
Love that guy.
Catch more of him later in the show.
Finally, last mark here, done with the Vikings by Week 10.
Love that.
Love that we're going to be throwing them out.
putting them in the dumpster, not worrying about them for the back seven games of the season, which does include the Chicago Bears at Christmas, the last thing I'd like to touch on.
There's some major, major games.
You know, we've got the, the Jeff Halfley Dolphins coming up to Lambeau.
on December 20th.
That could be interesting.
Miami and Lambo, but it's so much former Packer kind of stuff going on that I love to see that.
Then the Bears on Christmas love to hate that.
And finally, the Detroit Lions to finish the season.
Fewer divisional games packed into the back of the season.
That's my last observation.
It's kind of nice with like five of them in the last six games last year.
It began, it began to feel like a little much.
Parker, do you think we should have kept the heat up on those divisional games or what are you seeing on this schedule?
Well, I think I talked about this last week, guys.
An idea I've got for how the schedule should work that you should play all three of your divisional opponents really early on in the season, maybe in the first month or so.
And then at the end of the season, your last three games, I think, should be against each of your division opponents.
I just think they'd be a lot of fun for pretty much every reason I can think of, honestly.
But I do get being done with the Vikings kind of earlier on.
That is kind of nice.
They'll be kind of beat up at that point.
And the Packers might be kind of beat up going into that last game.
with the Vikings as well though, I believe that's in week 10, and then the Packers will be looking forward to a weird kind of buy situation there.
I don't remember if we got to talk about this on the show last week or not.
The Packers have got a Wednesday game, because of course, that's how football works now, you need to play on Wednesdays of course.
Day before Thanksgiving, the Packers will be playing, it'll be kind of an interesting thing there.
I don't know what to make of
that.
I will give you this.
The Packers play on Sunday, obviously.
They'll play on a Monday.
They're gonna play on a Wednesday.
They're gonna play on a Thursday.
They're gonna play on a Friday.
And...
depending on the last week goes, they could play on a Saturday as well.
It is Packers almost every single day of the week this year on the schedule.
I want to give you just a quick high-fuel highlights for me.
I think the first one is that this schedule is loaded with what I've heard at press conferences called mini buys.
They have a number of Thursday and odd day games, right?
So there's all these weeks where they're going to have some quick turnarounds, week two to three, for example.
Then you have that gap from the Thursday and week three to week four.
When they go to Tampa, you've got sort of a mini buy there.
You have another one going from week eight to week nine.
from when you host Carolina to playing at New England.
Of course, you've got the schedule by between the game against the Vikings and the Thanksgiving Eve game.
But then you go from Thanksgiving Eve on Wednesday.
You don't play again until the following, like not the Sunday right after, but the one.
after that.
So you have a big gap there.
And then, of course, you've got the gap from the Friday Christmas game against the Bears until they play Monday night football against the Texans right at the end.
So when we look at last year, it just felt like they constantly were playing games, and they had like one big break in the middle of it, or sort of early in it.
This year, there's all these like mini bi weeks kind of schedule throughout the year, which I think builds very well for the health of the team.
The other thing that you guys alluded to, and I just had it in my notes here, you talked about all the prime time game.
I counted them up.
There's only five new games this year.
Five out of 17 games at noon on the schedule.
And I know in two of those are divisional games, those are protected because Fox can protect the divisional matchups.
I'm sure they protected those ones for those weeks, but there's only five new games.
And, you know, two of them are AFC East, Dolphins and Jets, two teams that aren't very competitive.
And then of course Tampa Bay, a team that is kind of an afterthought right now in the NFL.
So that was interesting to me.
And then finally, and I think this is one we can all talk about here,
In fact, that's scheduled for the last five games.
are at Lambeau Field.
I think it is absolutely diabolical that they play four games at Lambeau Field between December 13th and January 10th.
That is incredible.
Hopefully an opportunity at some home field advantage with that gut punch in the middle, though, it's two home games, then Christmas in Chicago, and then two more.
So I mean, we could be carrying a generally pretty solid vibe with that home field advantage into the postseason, hoping that the postseason is on the table.
But man, Chicago could really ruin a lot of things.
And so could Detroit, theoretically.
That's Dan Campbell still there.
He still wants to bite your kneecap off.
I don't see anything to relax about here.
Though those mini buys are a reassurance.
And the one thing I didn't touch on was the timing of the actual buy week.
If nothing else.
way better than last year week five by last year week 11 this year.
That's actually an opportunity to get healthy going into the key stretch with seven games after the buy as opposed to 11 or 12.
That was rough last year.
Jimmy, you touched on the noon games.
I love noon games.
I don't know if I'm an old man or what, but I love noon games.
I don't want this many prime time games.
And one last thing about those those last couple of weeks there with the four home games and the last five.
Got a couple of warm weather teams there.
You got the Dolphins.
You got the Texans coming in.
That's going to be kind of interesting.
Plus a Dolm team with the Lions in a week.
What is that, 18, 19, 20?
I don't know.
They keep adding weeks on me.
We have about, you know, about 45 seconds here.
Is there one game on the schedule that you would most like to go to, guys?
To be there for in-person?
Oh man, take your pick.
I mean, we're talking about attending a Packers game here.
But if there's just one that I want to see, I'm thinking week five, Lambo Field.
Hosting the Chicago Bears.
That is the second divisional game of the season.
You're going to know what you got.
And hopefully the defense has set in a little bit under new coordinator, Jonathan Gannon.
And hopefully the Bears are in rough shape by then.
Parker, what do you got?
Boys, I dream of being at a snow game in Lambeau Field.
And I would want to be against a divisional opponent.
And the only one that's going to trip the trigger there is the Detroit Lions in the final week of the season.
I would love to be there.
We are out of time in this segment.
We have a special one-on-one.
Mike Clemens was able to visit with AJ Dillon this week in a one-on-one.
And we're going to listen to that coming up next as part of Make the Call.
And we'll hear more from Mike later with the rundown of sports for this week here.
It has made the call to Civic Media Radio Network.
Welcome back to Make the Call on Civic Media.
Welcome back to Make the Call here on the Civic Media radio network.
Earlier this week, our own Mike Clemens had a chance to talk to former Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon.
He was in town to host
a pickleball event in Green Bay.
An event is for kids and families to raise funds for his Dillon Foundation and a focus to battle hunger in Wisconsin.
Here is Mike Clements talking to AJ Dillon in Green Bay earlier this week.
With AJ Dillon at one of his foundations events, the Dillon Foundation, you know, one of the things that intrigued me the most about the work that your foundation is doing is helping out families that
Are struggling and in terms of fighting hunger for kids I saw display once where a photographer went into some of the Homes in the inner city of Milwaukee and he let he folks let him in and he all he wanted to do is take a picture of their kitchen and A picture maybe the child and when he opens up the refrigerator What his choices are yeah or when it's empty and I've never forgotten those images and I imagine that You've probably thought about that too when you're doing these fundraisers, right?
Yeah, absolutely, and I think too it's it's one of those things being here and For better or worse like sometimes people don't think it's an issue here in Wisconsin or within these communities and In my time with the Packers and being in Green Bay Time and time again when I was you know joining other initiatives or things the biggest issue Would always be you know in the summer some of our students don't know where their meals coming from because they don't have the school lunch and things like that and so
We tried to partner, or we did partner, my first couple years with House of Hope in Green Bay and just tried to provide resources for families there.
And so when we started our foundation, we were expecting our first kid, Trey, who's now three, and the importance of the family is just, you know, you need
And everything that I'm doing on the football field, you need to be fueled.
You need to be ready to go.
And so for a kid going to school, they need the proper food to not just be and be OK, but also to learn and actually gravitate and understand the information that they're getting.
And so we think it's definitely a necessity.
And there is a need here in Wisconsin.
We do a lot of work in Northeastern Wisconsin, obviously Green Bay, Dorr County, Milwaukee.
But the goal is to continue to pour and pour more research
resources into the community.
And you know, you play with some guys that came from those backgrounds too, you know, that maybe added to their competitive edge.
And so you know some of those stories firsthand,
right?
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
I think when you look into a locker room in the NFL, it's not like a basketball team with 15 maybe guys, you got
53 guys active roster probably like 60 something guys actually on the team and they're from all different walks of life.
It's just kind of a melting pot of different scenarios and conversations and so You know, it's you get a lot of interesting perspectives about just what makes people take and what makes them who they are but also the need for all types of different things and so it's really great anytime you see guys using their platform for good I'm always encouraging guys to use their voice and people want to listen
hear what you want to say, but they'll also hear the negative.
So try to be as positive as you can, whatever that looks like.
And for us, we found our platform and our pillars and really wanted to help out this community here.
So today's event is
pickleball.
I got to tell you, I've seen people talk about it and I've seen pictures of it, but today was the first time I got a chance to play it.
And you're right, you're playing like an eight year old kid there wearing a panther's jersey.
By the way, that was a nice touch.
But anybody can play this, whether you're a kid or an old man like me.
Yeah, I mean, pick a ball for a purpose.
I think it's one of those things where it's trying to...
Connect everything and so you're adding the community layer in where everybody can play but also you're having fun while raising money and raising resources and awareness For a great cause and so yeah, I mean I just I just lost to a kid who's probably like ten years old and just got smoked and You know, I'm sure I'm gonna play somebody who's about 60 and lose again So it's a very humbling game, but it's a it's definitely a lot of fun to come out here and you know Boots on ground and just actually be a part of it not just say hey, I'm raising money for this
come donate but really come and just like you see the smiles on faces and you we have some kids from the Boys and Girls Club that we've worked with in Green Bay and also Dore County and it's nice to see those people it's nice to see them in the community it's nice to see parents who you know we've helped give don't backpacks of food or whatever and it was like hey this made a world of difference for us during the summer with our kid like it means it's a very rewarding isn't the word it's very
Fulfilling.
It's fulfilling.
I'm not doing any of this stuff that I'm doing for some reward or an award or anything like that, but it's to really make a difference and to see some of that start to come through with the first couple years of foundation is really awesome.
Also, the word gratitude comes to mind.
When you're a good football player in high school, Boston College, you get drafted high by the Green Bay Packers.
You've been a successful NFL player now five, six years or so, and you meet your wife here, Gabriel.
And and and I've never seen a player since maybe Donald drivers say I really love this area I loved the mayor of Dora County
thing
that stuff all worked
man
You know and when we look forward to you know, whatever when your NFL career is over that you guys you know are coming back here and seeing family and you know and being a part of the community and Doing more things like this.
I mean that's all part of
become a part of your life.
Yeah, definitely.
I think this community is something that welcomed me with open arms and this will be a part of my family.
Green Bay, Door County, Wisconsin will be a part of my family regardless of where I go during football season or whenever football is done.
We'll be back here.
This initiative, even when I was in Philadelphia last year, we did do stuff with the Boys and Girls Club there, but a lot of the funds still come back here.
And we have plans to do some things down the line this next year or two of some really cool initiatives and partnerships.
And a lot of people are doing some really great stuff for the community in Green Bay.
And we've had talks.
We're just trying to see what organizations we can get behind and put some of these resources back into.
And so I think a lot of things are going in the right direction.
I'm happy with the turnout today of people coming out to this event.
Your favorite game, the game you were most proud of,
In your time with the Green Bay Packers
I want to say we played the Seahawks Maybe 21.
I think I scored two touchdowns or so and you know, everything just was kind of flawed pretty well And it was just one of those fun ones.
I just there's certain games that stick out the Vikings game 20
to, I want to say, there's certain games that just kind of stick out of just like guys having a lot of fun and when I've been able to get into those situations it's just, I don't know, it's like you're playing in the backyard and so that's, you know, where I'm feeling right now, I'm feeling great, feeling loose and probably the best shape I've been in since I've come into the league and so I'm excited for the opportunity now in Carolina but I think anytime you can feel like a kid out there and just really just feel loose and play fast is the games that are the most memorable.
How about
this one?
Rookie year, which turned out to be the COVID year, empty stadiums.
Tennessee Titans are in town.
Mike Vrabel and his hard-hitting defense and AJ Dillon is going for 124 yards and 20 plus carries and two touchdowns.
I think Jamal
Williams wasn't available, but you and Aaron Jones were, and I thought, this is it.
This is why they drafted this guy.
You know, that kind of power football.
And in the snow, that
was the best part, snow game.
Yeah, no, I think, you know, that gave me a lot of those.
Those looks or shades of BC just kind of being the bell cow getting the ball I feel like that's kind of where I've always started to become the best when I can really get into a rhythm Which is you know sometimes hard to do when you're sharing a backfield, but I think
any time for me just knowing myself you can get kind of those volume carries and get a get a two-yard get a three-yard then you hit a 12 then you hit a 12 and then you hit a 10 and a four and then you start breaking out some long ones and really finding that rhythm and I think there's some games over my career here in Green Bay and that you can just look at and say oh you know got the ball got into a rhythm it's it's a great feeling as an athlete people talk about the flow state and basketball where it just looks like the
The basketball hoop is a as an ocean and just super wide open nothing's gonna miss so It's great man, and that's a great thing about sports
Next one would be a game.
It was Jordan's first year taken over at quarterback You started out strong and you ran three or four games in a row where you had losses.
It's in Denver
And you're making some key plays there.
You're getting runs for nine yards and 12 yards.
I think there was a key third down or fourth down where, you know, you were a little safety valve and over the middle and your young receivers are covered and Jordan dumps it off to you and you keep the drive alive.
And it was a frustrating game because, you know, Carlson had missed a field goal, and I think he lost 1970 to Russell Wilson and Sean Payton's first year as coach.
The receivers, Jayden Reed and those guys all got together, they put chairs together.
They had a little meeting because they felt like they had let down Jordan in the passing game.
And I got on the post game show and said, when the receivers are covered, it's 28, man.
Just let, just get that guy in the ball as a safety valve.
And it's like,
What happened after
that?
Yeah, no, I think that was one of those it was a tough turning point for the team there and you know, I think you know every team you kind of The beginning of the season always looks, you know great like you don't really start focus and then take it to November Nothing nothing none of those rankings none of that stuff really counts.
You see you it's all about getting hot at the right time and I think you know with my time with Jordan, obviously we're good friends off the field and have been for years but
For me, as a running back, it's always great to be that safety valve, like you said, for the quarterback and just say, hey, like, you know, if it all breaks down, look for me, I'll try to find a window to you.
And if you can keep coming up as a running back and, you know, make, get that first down and get a couple yards where it would have been a throw away or a sack, like those are big plays.
I don't necessarily show up on the stat sheet, but are important.
And it's just something you always try to develop that connection with your QB.
It's true and loved like as a friend.
He's great.
He's a fantastic friend.
I'm excited for his step here in the fatherhood with obviously them being pregnant and everything.
So it's fun.
I was out at his baby shower a couple months back in California and just got to see him.
so excited for his growth, obviously, not just as a man and friend, but also just, you know, as a QB1 and just watching his journey.
Still keep tabs.
It's hard to be friends with QB1 and not keep tabs on how the team's doing.
So it's always great to just kind of see him and wishing him nothing but success.
With AJ Dillon, we cover the Super Bowl every year.
I've been there like 23, 24 times.
A few years ago, I'm there with the Chiefs and it's Marquette's Veldis Gantling.
And we're sitting there talking over a table and I said,
Aaron Rodgers just came out of this darkness retreat.
I mean, what do you make of that?
And he goes, listen, man, he goes, I got cut in high school football.
Okay.
I got better.
I got to college and get drafted by the Packers.
If I don't spend those four years with Aaron Rodgers, I'm not sitting here talking to you, playing with Patrick Mahomes and the chiefs and the contract that I got.
Is that your experience?
Yeah, I think Aaron Rodgers and Jordan as well.
But Aaron specifically, he just made people around him better.
And he was one of those guys that I think comes with experience.
When I got in the league, I think he was on year 15 or whatever.
And I just think, obviously, great throw of the football and things like that.
But he's one of those guys who he
You know some people call it touch like he knew exactly where everybody felt the most comfortable catching the ball whether it's a little bit higher They rather like their right hand dominant things like that like when you really get to that next level like he knew those things So he knew you know if you're open Where he wants to give you the ball the best chance for you to catch and run like he knew his receiver.
He knew his weapons and Yeah, no great guy as well.
And I you know I have
There's so many conflicting polarizing figure type things, but I mean he was nothing but Amazing to me as a leader as a friend.
I have nothing but great stories with him and Yeah, no, he's he definitely makes everybody around him better
nice work on your pickleball for a purpose today and fundraiser and any time you're back in Green Bay Give us a ring because we want to get together with
you.
Yes, we'll do I appreciate your time and thank you so much
That again, Mike Clemens talking to AJ Dillon about his charity work in Wisconsin, even though he's a former Green Bay Packer still doing some good work here in Wisconsin.
When we return, we'll wrap up the show and we'll hear more from Mike Clemens next on Make the Call, part of the Civic Media Radio Network.
Welcome back to Make the Call on Civic Media.
Guys, final thoughts on sports for this week will start.
The
hungry sharks have been fed, Jimmy, so we'll just be satisfied this weekend with some NFL info officially released, something to chew on a little bit, something for the experts and pundits to release opinions about.
That's of more substance than the pure rumors and even contract news gets a little bit dry.
I'm excited to have some meat added back to the bone, even if it won't last for more than a little bit of soup.
Okay, I've extended that metaphor enough.
Parker, what are you excited about this weekend?
Oh, now I'm thinking about soup.
I'm going to actually take a step away from Packard's Badgers Brewers and all that stuff, especially Bucks.
I don't need to hear more about Yanis.
You know that.
I'm going to be heading out to the golf course, I think.
We've got a nice weekend here.
I am hoping to get on the course and hopefully not suck as much as I normally do when I have an iron in my hands.
I'm going to be in Baraboo coaching a flag football tournament to end our season.
That's what I am doing this weekend.
It is fun to have all these sports kind of come to an end.
in the spring is baseball season is turning the corner.
And as a parent in baseball, it just means every day you're going to watch baseball.
That's what it means as a parent, especially with two kids in the sport.
I will be at a diamond.
It won't be Ampham Field.
It won't be Target Field.
No, it's going to be Dusty Little Sandlot somewhere in Southwestern Wisconsin in the Hills.
So that is what I've got on tap.
coming up.
We do have a few seconds here.
Just wanted to mention too, for you guys, that with with everything we talked about today, you know, the NFL schedule, everything coming up, I am excited to dig in a little deeper on things coming up with brewers and more coming up this summer.
It's always fun to get your guys' thoughts on that.
You know, big, big, I don't know how much we talk motorsports on this, but for me, motorsports easy kind of starts with Memorial Day weekend.
That's coming up as
as well.
So, uh, getting excited for a full summer full of things, uh, beyond golf and tournament baseball.
And, uh, I don't know, getting, getting hyped about schedules and matchups and things like that.
It feels like football season.
It should be like tomorrow.
We still have a whole summer to go through and, uh, we don't want to waste it on the sports side.
Guys, thank you for joining us and being part of all this.
Uh, appreciate your, uh, your contributions and looking forward to talking next week.
Thanks a lot, Jimmy.
Thanks Jimmy.
Have a good one.
Mike Clemens with sports next year on make the call.
of the Civic Media Radio
Network.
Drama for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Hi, I'm Mike Clemens with sports.
NBA, a lot going on with the Milwaukee Bucks these days.
Last weekend, we learned that the primary owner, Wes Edens, allegedly had an affair, and now that woman tried to blackmail him with photos of the affair, asking for a billion dollars.
He eventually went to authorities, charges have been filed, it's a trial going to court.
Meanwhile, how did this team end up missing the playoffs for the first time in 10 years?
Doc Rivers has stepped down as head coach.
Miles Tur...
Turner was asked, are the players in the NBA held accountable for things like being late for meetings or the team playing on road trips?
It depends on the coach.
So Dr. Rivers, he didn't find anybody.
Guys were late all the time.
Guys were showing up to film whenever they wanted to show up.
Guys were missing meetings.
It was one of the craziest things I've personally experienced.
We literally, if the plane took off at two o'clock, we were leaving until 4.30.
Guys were an hour late to the plane.
It got to the point where I just...
I knew not to show up until like an hour after they said the plane was taken off.
It was crazy.
So who's the teammate that's most likely to be late?
Giannis.
Giannis is going to show up whenever he wants, really, you know?
I think that this kind of just came with the territory that, and once I kind of saw what was going down, I was like, I am in more power to you.
They ain't going to find you.
Do what you do.
All right.
Except when we're going to Dallas.
That's when I was like, all right.
Come
on.
That's Bucks Center Miles Turner at the press conference introducing their new head coach, 41 year old Taylor Jenkins, Jimmy Haslam.
Co-owner of the Bucks was there.
I went to Haslam and first said if he was impressed by the Milwaukee Art Museum.
the Kalatrava on Milwaukee's lakefront, a beautiful setting for the press conference, had he ever been there before.
Pretty spectacular location.
Yeah, that was.
I have not.
Yeah, it's spectacular.
I said, why don't
we do this in an audience?
You've had some unbelievable injuries that key players here in the last two years.
Yeah.
What have you learned from that that you want to see change moving forward?
And you say, here's, I know what we can do better
moving forward.
Well, I would say the injuries are obviously a factor, particularly when it's
You know, we hit Dame and then this year, Yanis.
So that's a factor.
Both of them take their, Yanis works on his body as hard as any athlete I've ever browned.
And people ask me all the time, what's the biggest difference in business and sports?
Well, let's take Josh Glessing, who runs the business side of the books.
If Josh pulls his hamstring Friday playing paddle ball, we don't really care.
I mean, it doesn't affect his job.
But in sports, if somebody pulls their hamstring or their calf or tears or Achilles tendon, it's a big deal.
But I think our training staff does a good job and we'll just need to watch it.
You know, if Janice does play somewhere else, we ought to get a lot of assets.
And that's John's job to do it.
And if he's here, then you build the team differently.
So I just want to stress so that our relationship with him, despite what is reported by certain ESPN writers, is very
positive.
It's a decision that keeps you up at night.
It's a big one.
It's a big one.
And you got to get it right.
And John knows it.
And Wes knows it.
And we didn't hold back with Taylor.
We just said, listen, he may or may not be with us.
So don't come because of that, because you want to be straight up with
people.
That's Bucks co-owner Jimmy Hass.
Baseball?
The Brewers in Minnesota this weekend to play the Twins.
On Monday they start a three game series at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs.
The series in Minnesota this weekend started out with another Brewers win.
They beat the Twins three to two thanks to a Jake Bowers double driving in the winning run in the eighth inning.
And another new young pitcher was impressive Cameron Crowell for the Brewers.
Add Jacob Mizorowski and Kyle Harrison picked up in that trade with the Red Sox.
Pat Murphy says
These young pitchers coming into their prime has been the Brewer's key to winning all along.
They've been great.
You know, it's the lifeblood of this whole organization for years, you know, like you got a pitch.
They've found guys for us that are young and we put them to the car wash and it's been great.
Another young pitcher for the Brewers we watched developed over the last two or three years is their closer, Abner Uribe.
Now, although he gave up a three-round homer to lose a game the other day to the Padres, he's been very impressive, including that sweep of the Yankee.
On Mother's Day weekend, Jose Caballero on first base with a huge lead, but Uribe able to keep him on first and focus on the batter.
Chris Hook is the pitching coach for the Brewers, giving these tips to Uribe.
I asked Pat Murphy if Uribe was able to hold runners and check at first base.
Yeah, I think he did a great job.
He's well aware of the situation.
And what I love about it is it didn't change his focus because pitchers that are holding runners, you can't become preoccupied.
That's kind of part of our offense.
You know, part of it is the thread of the steel causes pitcher trepidation and he gets focused over there and you can't do your job there.
Your number one thing is to make a pitch.
So hold the runner however you've decided to hold it.
Long hold, hit bottom and go, slide step, however you decide to pick the first, whatever you decided, predetermine, do it.
and then make a pitch.
And he did a great job of doing that.
That's actually a great question.
That's Brewers Manager
Pat Murphy with Sports on Mike Clemens.
