Wisconsin Sports Headlines – 4/10/2020

The Latest Sports Headlines: 

>>NBA Players May Get Last Paycheck Next Wednesday

(New York, NY)  — Players for the Milwaukee Bucks and the rest of the N-B-A teams may get their last paycheck for a while next Wednesday.  League officials have been talking to the players association about the status of player salaries during the game’s shut down. No NBA games have been played since March 11th, but none have officially been canceled. The Collective Bargaining Agreement says the players could lose just over one percent of their salary for each game that is canceled.  If the season is called off the players would miss out on about 21 percent of their pay – or, about five million dollars for Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

 

>>University Of Wisconsin:  Seniors Won’t Be Allowed An Additional Season

(Madison, WI)  — The University of Wisconsin won’t pursue waivers for senior student-athletes who competed in spring sports. The N-C-A-A Division One Council left that determination up to its member schools.  A statement from U-W says, “Student-athletes in their fourth year of eligibility have concluded their careers with us.” About three dozen student-athletes were eligible for the waiver. Schools are facing financial uncertainty right now, especially if the fall football season is affected. Athletic Director Barry Alvarez says, “The future is in question and we can’t promise you anything.”

 

>>NFL Draft:  Packers’ Needs Are Clearly Defined For 2020 Draft

(Green Bay, WI)  — The Green Bay Packers need to give Aaron Rodgers some help on offense, meaning the team’s needs are clearly defined going into the three days of the 2020 N-F-L Draft. Wide receivers top the “needs” list because the signing of Devin Funchess didn’t solve the problem. The Pack also needs to look for a tight end or two, an offensive tackle, a linebacker and cornerback.  Multiples at each of those positions would be fine. The bottom line is – Green Bay needs some dynamic playmakers to surround the still-talented Rodgers on offense.

 

>>Division I Athletic Directors Favor Expanding College Football Playoffs

(Undated)  — The message from college athletic directors is a clear one – nearly all believe the College Football Playoff needs an expanded field.  Eighty-eight percent responded to a survey saying more teams ought to be in the playoffs. That could be six teams, eight or even 16, though 72 percent of the athletic directors pointed to eight as the preferred number.  Currently, four teams qualify. Such a change could help the Wisconsin Badgers. Coach Paul Chryst’s squad has finished in the top eight spots on the rankings in three of the past four seasons.

 

>>Questions Remain For Brewers To Answer Before Playing Any MLB Season

(Milwaukee, WI)  — When spring training was cut short by Major League Baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers still had a lot of questions they hadn’t answered. Brandon Woodruff looked good in the spring, but there’s not much certainty about the starting rotation after his 97 mile-an-hour fastball.  Maybe Freddy Peralta can improve his performance with a little maturity – or, maybe Brett Anderson can just stay healthy. Former closer Corey Knebel is coming back from Tommy John surgery and hasn’t appeared in a game for two years. Spring training did nothing to indicate what he brings to the team.  If baseball returns, it looks like the Brewers will have less than three weeks to answer all those questions.