2-MINUTE DRILL
Journal Sentinel columnist Gary D’Amato answered readers’ questions on a wide array of topics during a chat on jsonline.com/ sports. Here is an excerpt:
Q. I know you don’t like the over hyped McGregor-Mayweather fight. Are you required to watch the fight as part of your Journal job? A. I am not required to watch the fight as part of my job and I can’t see shelling out $99 of my own money to see it. I’ve bought a couple Mayweather PPVs on my own dime and was hoping Pacquiao could beat him a couple years ago. I respect Mayweather’s defensive skills, but I’ve never been a fan of his run-and-jab style — though it’s been very effective — and I can’t say I feel good about the way he conducts himself outside the ring. I saw him fight in person once, in Grand Rapids, Mich., very early in his career. I do not pretend to know much about Conor McGregor, though I do follow the UFC.
Q. Should the Brewers trade some of their top prospects to make a run at the postseason this year? A. The Brewers already have made two moves I would classify as relatively minor. The first one — trading 1B Garrett Cooper for Tyler Webb — hasn’t worked out. We’ll see if the trade for Anthony Swarzak (Brewers gave up OF Ryan Cordell) turns out to be a good move. The team does need bullpen help. Josh Hader has stabilized middle relief to some extent but Counsell is being careful about how he uses Hader and Milwaukee is still an arm short, in my opinion. Maybe Swarzak is the answer. But I definitely wouldn’t trade top prospects at this point. The Brewers have been a pleasant surprise this season but I agree with you that they’re not ready for prime time (October, in baseball). GM David Stearns has a plan and I don’t think he will deviate from it.
Q. Should Bucks fans be concerned about the apparent incompetence displayed by the Bucks owners in the GM fiasco? A. Not sure I would classify it as incompetence. Having multiple owners can present a problem when it comes to big decisions and this was one example. Obviously, for whatever reason or reasons, the owners didn’t feel comfortable committing to Hammond for the long term. Then they apparently couldn’t agree on his successor. Wes Edens admitted during Jon Horst’s introductory news conference that from the outside looking in, the job search appeared to be “sloppy.” That’s probably a good word for it. But I don’t think it necessarily reflects poorly on ownership’s ability to move the Bucks in the right direction. Another way of looking at the GM search was that it reflects their individual passion. One thing I WOULD like to know is who among the owners has the strongest voice?
Q. Excited about the Wisconsin-Notre Dame matchup in football. But instead of playing at Soldier Field and Lambeau, why not play the games in South Bend and Madison for a true home and home series? A. I think UW playing storied Notre Dame at two historic venues is absolutely tremendous. We’re talking high-demand tickets and national interest. I think the positives far outweigh the negatives. Perhaps ALL the season ticket holders won’t be able to attend the games, but I would guess a high percentage will be there. Sure, Badgers players would be excited to play in South Bend, but a large percentage are from Wisconsin and grew up as Packers fans. Don’t you think they’ll be equally if not more excited to play in Lambeau and Soldier Field? And while the atmosphere at Camp Randall for UW-Notre Dame would be tremendous, I don’t think it will be any less so at Lambeau.
Q. Is the latest CTE study the tipping point for football? A. Football on all levels — from Pee Wee to the NFL — isn’t going away anytime soon. But I also don’t think the media is making too big a deal of CTE. There’s no doubt anymore that this is a pervasive problem in football (and other contact sports) and it’s important to bring it to light and educate people about it. The more studies and information, the better. Certainly, there are some things that can be done to minimize the danger — better equipment, better concussion protocols, rules changes — but brain injuries will never be eliminated from football. Parents with kids who want to play should educate themselves and make decisions with their children’s best interests at heart. I watch as much football as anybody and love the game. But knowing what I know now about CTE, I wouldn’t let my children play tackle football.