Green Bay Suckers and Milwaukee Lewsers

By Nik Sobic | Monday, October 06, 2008 | ( 3 )

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As the pleasant Wisconsin fall gives way to what’s soon to be the bitter cold (sorry, guys, it’s the truth), the chills came unseasonably early this year. In a woeful weekend for Wisconsin sports that saw both the Milwaukee Brewers get knocked out of the National League playoff race and the Packers lose their third game in as many weeks, it’s hard to have anything to look forward to as the impending weather forces Midwestern football fans indoors to spend some quality time with their television sets.

It’s also hard to ignore the wealth of similarities that these two struggling Wisconsin franchises have shared over the last few weeks. Before I address the similarities, this writer realizes that most sports fans might think it’s borderline insane to refer to the Packers and the Brewers as "struggling." After all, the Packers have a similar or better record than 19 other NFL teams; the Brewers, on the other hand, were one just eight teams to qualify for baseball's postseason. It’s a little kooky but not all that far-fetched when you consider both the Brewers' and the Packers' underachieving, talent-rich rosters. Part of the reason for the current state of depression in America’s Dairyland is the failure to reach realistic expectations time and again.

Football and baseball are two completely different sports with different rules, different uniforms and different body types, but in a recent slew of Emmy-worthy performances several Packers have been doing fine jobs impersonating Brewers. Without further ado ...

Ryan Grant is Corey Hart: Hart's batting average was an abysmal .132 after Sept. 6; it's hard to believe he was an all-star during the season. Grant, who turned in a Pro Bowl-level season last year, has neither lived up to expectations nor done much to keep his starting job.

Aaron Kampman and Charles Woodson are C.C. Sabathia: Even on bad teams, there are the rare recession-proof workhorses who seem to show up and play regardless of how bad the surroundings are. The aforementioned studs are always reliable and always make an impact.

Aaron Rodgers is the Brewers' middle relief pitching: Both parties had low expectations coming into their respective seasons, but the Brewers' middle relief performed well and Rodgers is in the midst of doing a nice job.

Mike McCarthy is Rickie Weeks: Weeks, the Brewers' second baseman, had a .234 batting average during the regular season and was 0 for 4 at the plate in the playoff. Bottom line: He’s a young player with high expectations. Similarly, McCarthy is a young head coach with high expectations. As of late, his coaching has been a lot like Weeks' play -- uninspiring.

Why you shouldn’t hang your head ...

When things are this bad there’s only one strategy to employ that offers any sort of solace for a Wisconsin sports fan. It’s the “at least we’re not (fill in the blank)” strategy. In this case, starting with baseball, that “blank” is the Chicago Cubs. The division rival Cubs, who proved dominant over the Brewers all season long, were recently swept by the Dodgers. The Cubs were a National League title favorite who failed to win a single postseason game.

The “blank” for Packers fans has to be the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have a proven franchise QB and one of the best wide receiver groups in the NFL, but they are an embarrassing 0-5. While the Packers had arguably higher hopes coming into the 2008 season, at least there are some hopes still to be had. At 0-5, it seems nearly impossible that the Bengals will spend any time in the playoffs this year.

To sum it up, it's not good to be a Wisconsin sports fan right now. But hey, at least you're not a Cubs or Bengals loyalist.

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	About Nik Sobic Nik Sobic is a Graduate of Harvard University and former NFL/CFL football player. When he isn't writing about sports he's writing comedy. Nik's unique background and passion for writing make him a valuable addition to our staff. Nik was born and raised a Packer fan-he hails from Milwaukee, WI. ...
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