The State of Wisconsin Football

You may wonder why a freelance copywriter from Manchester is blogging on the state of American Football in Wisconsin. Besides the fact that copywriters research and blog on just about anything, if you’ve read my blog before or know anything about me, you’ll know I lived in America for two years.

In Wisconsin to be precise, where I ended up somehow hooked to the little known sport in the UK, but massive game in the US, called American Football.

Two years ago, the college football team, The Wisconsin Badgers, won their Big Ten Championship and had a victory trip to the Rosebowl in California. Then they did it all again the next year. The Green Bay Packers meanwhile, the state’s NFL team, well they just went and won the Superbowl, the crowning achievement for any team. Then they went 15 straight games undefeated in the following season.

But this year, this season, it’s a different story all around.

In many ways, both teams are victims of their own successes. Expectations are tremendously high, and they just can’t live up to them.

The Badgers came off back to back Rosebowl trips only to have their starters leave for the NFL, and with new national attention on the program, half their coaching staff leave for higher paid jobs and career advancements elsewhere. Thus this left a big problem back at Camp Randall, which has been evident to see in their first 3 games.

While star running back Montee Ball may have stayed, the superb offensive line from last season is nowhere in sight. Ball can run, but he needs holes. That needs to be worked on, because Ball has the potential to be legendary, and his big gains really rally the team.

More analysis from the Manchester Copywriter BJ Hampson on my new website.

Me? Watching Sports?…More Americanness

Monday night, sat watching the Lakers game. The weekend, spent discussing the draft and watching college football highlights. Last Thursday, another Lakers game. Last week I even watched some baseball!

Anyone who knows me from England would never describe me as the kinda guy to sit and watch sports. It just never really interested me. I could watch the occasional important soccer game from time to time, most likely when it was United in a final, or England in an international competition. Even then, I’ll be the first to admit I got a little bored. I’d happily play any sport, but watching it, just wasn’t for me.

Well, watching soccer still hasn’t really changed, though again, England in the world cup will still have me. But American sports…. different matter. I think I am a football junkie now. I have really come to appreciate the skill and tactics of the game, even recognising some of the plays now. I am loathe to miss a Packers and Badgers game next season, and I feel like I might even find myself watching various other games too, both in college football and the NFL. I even watched some of the NFL Draft, the weekend where NFL teams pick up new players straight out of college.

On the subject of the Draft, it’s an interesting process. Too big a fanfare is made of it sure, but I like how it’s set up. Instead of professional teams picking up new players based on how much they can afford to pay in contracts, they are assigned positions in a queue, and simply get to pick the next best available player, or a player they particularly want. Your position in the queue is based on how well you performed the previous year…in reverse. So the worst team last season gets the first pick in the draft, the option to pick the very best available new player. And the team which won the Superbowl- the Packers this year- get the last pick, No.32.

Multiple rounds follow, picks are traded for better positions, or more players, and a saga unfolds. I like it because it means the teams with the most money don’t get to dominate, and by having the better teams pick later, it keeps a nice amount of fairness and competition in the game.

A similar process takes place in the NBA, the professional basketball league. I used to play basketball a little in high school (yes despite my height), but these guys are something else. I first started watching the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009, when they won the NBA championship. We saw the playoff finals, and since then, the Lakers have been my team. (In fairness, I was a Laker when I was 4 too, with my very own Lakers bomber jacket!)

These past few weeks, I’ve been back into basketball, watching as the Lakers seek a third straight NBA championship. I’ve seen them play the New Orleans Hornets and now they’re playing the Dallas Mavericks. I’ve also caught the Chicago Bulls playing, and Miami Heat and the Orlando Magics. I know players, I know plays, and I am hooked.

I even watched the Brewers play a baseball game, though I confess, that wasn’t my thing. That was a little boring. Some more watching though, and who knows? Heck, I even read the sports section in the newspaper!

P.S. The Lakers lost by one basket! 😦