The Edge of Sports

Join us at our new broadcast site

2011-08-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I have neglected this blog for too long...but now we have entered a new era for The Edge of Sports.

Along with our Facebook and Twitter feeds, I have launched a series of shows on BlogTalkRadio...the worlds best resource for online broadcasting.

Each week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10pm CT) I';ll be broadcasting a 30 minute show spotlighting positive and unique stories in the world of sports.

In addition we'll have special features including the HIGH FIVE (Mondays, spotlighting 5 positive stories from the past week), the Wednesday Wrestling recap, the Friday Twitter and Facebook friends of the week, and our Poll Question of the week.

Shows will be archived on BlogTalk Radio for listening anytime, anywhere.

I am looking for sponsors/partners to join the show. $50 per month will get you a :30 commercial per show, plus listing and links on our Facebook page, Blogspot page and numerous mentions on our Twitter feed per week.
For more information on the show and sponsorship, please email me at TheEdgeOfSports@gmail.com

ILLNESS FORCES WAVE'S TERMINESI TO INJURED LIST

2010-02-17T07:20:00.000-08:00

ILLNESS FORCES TERMINESI TO INJURED LIST
Doctors believe he may have brain tumor

MILWAUKEE (Feb. 17, 2010) – Marco Terminesi, the leading scorer for the Milwaukee Wave and the third-leading scorer in the Major Indoor Soccer League, has been placed on injured reserve as he undergoes examination for what doctors believe could be a brain tumor.
Terminesi, a native of Woodbridge, Ontario, has returned to Canada for extensive testing and observation. He has missed five of the Wave’s last six games with symptoms of nausea, headaches and vertigo, playing only on Jan. 23 against Baltimore. He is on the injured list for five games, making him eligible to return on March 7.
“Words cannot describe how much we miss Marco’s presence each and every day, more for who he is than what he has done,” said Wave coach Keith Tozer. “He and his family are in our prayers, and we look forward to his return to the Wave in the very near future.”
In a letter to teammates on Monday, Terminesi said doctors believe he has a tumor on the pineal gland in the center of the brain. The type of tumor and its status is unclear, he said. Doctors believe the best course of action is to observe him for six more weeks, then perform another MRI to see if the tumor has changed size or shape. A biopsy comes with risks because of the location of the gland and the tumor, Terminesi said, so doctors want to pursue other options first.
His doctors aren’t positive the symptoms are related to the possible tumor, Terminesi said. The original diagnosis was an inner-ear infection, but as symptoms lingered and worsened, doctors performed tests and found the irregularity.
As a rookie in 2008-09, Terminesi racked up 52 points in 20 games and was Xtreme Soccer League Rookie of the Year. But he began experiencing symptoms in the days following the Jan. 10 game with Monterrey. After sitting out a pair of losses on Jan. 16-17, Terminesi scored a 3-pointer and 2-pointer in the 13-10 over Baltimore on Jan. 23. He has been unable to return to the lineup since. The 25-year-old forward has 35 points in just nine games, and still is only one point behind the league leaders.
A popular player both for his skill and his ebullient personality, Terminesi remains upbeat and offered encouragement to his teammates in the letter.
“I am in good hands here and you know I will be jumping up and down every time you guys score and win a game,” he wrote. “No matter how much pain I am in I will come down there and hold the trophy with you guys when you win it.”

The Wave’s next game is at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21 against the Philadelphia KiXX. It’s the World’s Longest Pinewood Derby, and fans can run a car down the track beginning at 10 a.m. For more information, call 414-224-9283 or visit milwaukeewave.com.

(Courtesy of press release from Milwaukee Wave)

The most exciting week of the year

2010-02-06T14:12:00.001-08:00

This is one that could be put up for argument, but in my mind this is one of the more exciting weeks as a sports fan.
Tomorrow is the culmination of a season of professional football with the SuperBowl, pitting the Indianapolis Colts against the New Orleans Saints. Manning vs Brees. potential dynasty vs first time championship visitor. Archie Manning's son vs Archie Manning's old team.
Who am I rooting for? Not a particular team this year. I am hoping for a fun, entertaining and high scoring game.
This week also marks the beginning of Speed Week in Daytona leading up to the Daytona 500 in NASCAR. Qualifying is going on this weekend (sandwiched in between is Danica Patrick's stock car debut in the ARCA/ReMax series), then Thursday is the Twin 125 qualifying races. Sunday is the granddaddy of all stock car races.

And how can I forget the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I am a major Winter Olympiad geek, ready to watch hockey, skiing, snowboarding, luge, speed skating and figure skating. The best in the world gathering for two weeks to determine who really is the best of all.

For some it's March Madness, others its college bowl week. Hands down this week is the most exciting.
What is your favorite sports week?
Will you be watching any of these events this coming week?

What would you like to hear about on The Edge?

2010-02-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

Listener supported...in a sense.

What would you, the readers of the Edge of Sports blog, like to hear on The Edge podcast? Sports stories? Athlete profiles? Interviews? Current event topics? Social Issues?

Let me know your thoughts here as we start to put together the first of many Edge podcasts for 2010.

New podcast before the end of week, plus some vintage interviews and possibly a live show on BlogTalkRadio.com

Remember to follow us on Twitter: TheEdgeofSports
and become a fan on Facebook!

WAVE HOST WORLD’S LONGEST PINEWOOD DERBY

2010-01-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

WAVE HOST WORLD’S LONGEST PINEWOOD DERBY
Track covers almost 200 feet at U.S. Cellular Arena

MILWAUKEE (Jan. 20, 2010) – Set a world record with the Milwaukee Wave on Sunday, Feb. 21 when the World’s Longest Pinewood Derby Track comes to the U.S. Cellular Arena.

Nearly 200 feet of track starts in the 200 level of the arena, comes down over the boards and reaches almost to the yellow line on the other end of the field. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and runs start at 10 a.m. All fans need is a car and a game ticket. This event celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts, but anyone – boys, girls or parents – can build and run an official Pinewood Derby car down this track.

Everyone who participates receives a certificate commemorating the achievement. 102.9 The Hog joins the Wave in presenting this event, prior to the 4 p.m. contest against Philadelphia.

Pinewood Derby dates to the 1950s. Per the rules, a kit consists of a block of wood made of pine with two notches for wheels, four plastic wheels and four nails. The finished car must use all nine pieces, must not exceed a certain weight (usually five ounces), must not exceed a certain length and must fit on the track used by that particular scout pack. Kits are available at most hobby stores.

The track will close promptly at 1 p.m. so other pregame festivities can take place. To ensure a place in line, pre-register your car by calling Rick Meyer at 414-908-6346.

The Wave host Baltimore at 6 p.m. this Saturday in the first Wave Homecoming game. Teams can participate in a pregame Parade of Champions on the field by calling 414-224-9283. Pre-order the popular Family 4-Pack for this game; receive four Premier level tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for just $59.

PACKERS STARS SIGN AUTOGRAPHS AT GO PINK! GAME

2010-01-05T09:59:00.001-08:00

Freeman, Winters among Green Bay legends appearing on Feb. 13

MILWAUKEE (Jan. 4, 2010) – Former Green Bay Packers stars Antonio Freeman, Frank Winters, George Koonce, Brian Williams, Bill Schroeder and Derrick Mayes will sign autographs following the Feb. 13 Milwaukee Wave game in support of Go Pink! Soccer.

But there’s only one way to get a signature – you need a game ticket plus a limited-edition, commemorative pink soccer ball, which serves as your ticket onto the field for the autograph session. The pink balls are $20 each, with all proceeds benefiting Go Pink! Soccer.

Purchase the balls at milwaukeewave.com, or by calling Steve Goralski at 414-908-6341. Only 2,000 balls are available, and not every player will sign every ball. Lots will be drawn for placement and only the commemorative pink soccer balls will be signed.

Milwaukee hosts the Rockford Rampage at 6 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Arena. An addition Go Pink! fund-raising event is slated for Feb. 11 at Major Goolsby’s. More information will be available soon.

Go Pink! Soccer activates young women in the fight against breast cancer. The organization launched the Go Pink! Girls’ High School Soccer Series last spring. More than 80 schools participated in the fund-raising games in the inaugural year, and more than 100 are expected to be part of the program this spring.

For Wave tickets or more information, call 414-224-9283 or visit milwaukeewave.com. The Milwaukee Wave professional indoor soccer team is the longest-running soccer franchise in continuous operation in the United States. The team celebrated its Silver Anniversary last season, and operates the largest summer soccer camp program in Wisconsin. For more information, visit milwaukeewave.com.

2010 and the Edge of Sports

2010-01-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

Well it has been quite a hiatus for the Edge of Sports during the 2nd half of 2009.

We have seen lots happen in the Wisconsin sports landscape in those 6 months, the demise of PGA golf in Milwaukee and racing at the Milwaukee Mile, the saving of the Milwaukee Wave by Hartland businessman Jim Lindenberg, the rise of a rookie "phenom" for the Milwaukee Bucks, unbelieveable success for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers....just to name a few.

In 2010, The Edge of Sports will go back to it's root...back almost a decade...to what it once was on the old AM 540 WRRD (when it was called Border Sports)...stories, links and features on the positive side of sports.

Honestly I do not know how often things will get posted...but the goal is more than once per week. Every so often we will post a link for audio and possibly video...maybe the return of a one hour "radio" type webcast.

One new thing I will attempt is a live webcast on UStream, allowing interaction by the fans. Still working on lighting and sound issues for that, but I will give it an attempt in a few weeks.

2010 will be a back to basics kind of year for the Edge of Sports, but honestly thats when it has been its best.

Hope you will join me for the journey!!

Milwaukee Wave-Local investor signs letter of intent

2009-07-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

This press release came directly from Matt Schroeder of the Milwaukee Wave on Friday afternoon, on the future of the Milwaukee Wave

LOCAL INVESTOR SIGNS LETTER OF INTENT TO BUY WAVE
Staff returns to work Monday to continue ‘Save the Wave’ ticket drive

MILWAUKEE (July 24, 2009) – Milwaukee Wave owner/investor Charles Krause has reached conditional terms for the sale of the longest-running soccer franchise in North America to a local investor.

Krause announced July 6 he would relinquish ownership of the Wave after seven seasons. Front office employees were released July 15, but will come back to work Monday in an effort to meet conditions of the sale.

“Based on that expectation, I am calling the staff back to work starting Monday to work on increasing new season ticket sales to 1,000 as the immediate goal, against the ultimate goal of 2,000,” Krause said. “I have every expectation that the community, both individuals and corporations, will step forward and support the Milwaukee Wave during this critical period.”

A letter of intent was signed Friday and Krause said he expects to close the sale in about one week, provided the conditions are met.

A “Save the Wave” drive, launched July 6, has collected nearly 600 total season ticket pledges. Tickets are $200 each for the full regular season plus three School Day Games.

The Wave celebrated their Silver Anniversary last season, playing their 1,000th game on Feb. 1 against Chicago. For the 2009-10 season they are candidates to play in the National Indoor Soccer League (NISL), featuring longtime rivals Baltimore and Philadelphia.

“We are very excited about the possibility of the Milwaukee Wave joining the NISL,” said Dave Grimaldi, commissioner of the NISL. “Considered one of the premier soccer franchises in North America, and the longest continuously operating professional franchise in indoor soccer history, the Wave would be a great addition to the NISL. The Wave organization will have to pass the due diligence process set forth by the Management Committee, as well as hit certain new season ticket benchmarks set forth in the letter of intent; however, I am quite confident that both objectives will be successful”.

To participate in the “Save the Wave” drive, fans can e-mail a season ticket pledge to save@milwaukeewave.com, or call the office beginning Monday at 414-224-9283. No deposit is required. Fans will be contacted in the order of their pledges to secure a full commitment.

-30-

Judas Favre??

2009-07-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

Ok this will be the only time I really chime in on that guy from Kiln that is supposed to sign with the dreaded Purple and Gold on Minnie Sota.
One of my Twitter friends posted this link and I had to share

Milwaukee Wave future in jeopardy, Tozer startes Save the Wave campaign

2009-07-07T06:24:00.001-07:00

Last week word started going around that the Milwaukee Wave and their Xtreme Soccer League were folding, then the team was taking a hiatus for the 2009-2010 season. On Monday the questions were answered in a press conference at the US Cellular Arena, but more arose.
Wave owner and principal investor Charles Krause, VP of Soccer Operations and Head Coach Keith Tozer and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett addresses the media and shed some light on the precarious situation.
Krause acknowledged that he is stepping away as the principal investor of the Wave after 7 years of involvement, a decision that has been in the works for well over a year. During Krause'e tenture as owner, the Wave's involvement in the community has dramatically increased through their Making Waves and Wave of Kindness programs.
Mayor Barrett offered his support for the Wave touting not only their on the field accomplishments, but what they have meant to the community.
Keith Tozer offered the most candid comments of the press conference, sharing the dire nature of the situation, but offering hope for not only the team but their fans.
Tozer, the winningest coach in soccer history, discussed the history of the Wave, going from a team that couldn't win a playoff game, to winning three consecutive titles and being called a dynasty, to once again losing in the finals three straight years, finally winning their fourth championship in 2005.
Tozer reassured that Wave soccer camps will continue as scheduled for the remainder of the summer, but that is a new owner is not in place quickly that front office staff would be laid off as of July 15th and the coaching staff and players on August 31st.
The call went out to the business community and Wave fans to help with their "Save the Wave" campaign, asking for pledges for season tickets to show a potential new owner that the fan base in in please. The pledge consists of $200 which would cover a 13 game home season, plus 3 school day games. The idea for the campaign came about in an emergency meeting called by Tozer, when he explained to the team what was happening. The goal in a two week period of to secure 2,000 season ticket pledges, along with a new ownership group.
Tozer shared that each of his players committed to staying with the team, through the remainder of summer camps and into the immediate future. Many of the players have started families in the Milwaukee area, including long time Wave veterans Troy Dusosky, Marcelo Fontana, and Giuliano Oliviero.
What a new owner will get in the Wave is a successful franchise,a team with huge community involvement and a winning team of quality coaching and players, but also a team that will have no debt. Tozer said a new owner would start with "zero bank debt and a clean slate". Krause stated that we would "entertain and reasonable offer for the team", offers that had serious financial backing.
Businesses and fans interested in making pledges for "Save the Wave" can get more information on the teams website www.milwaukeewave.com or by calling the Wave office before July 15th at 414-224-9283
To read more about this story, please see Charles Gardner and Don Walker's article on JSOnline here
*******************************************************************************
On a personal note, I am saddened to see what is happening to the Milwaukee Wave, but in this recession not totally surprised. We see the Milwaukee Mile threatened with being shut down, the US Bank Championship losing its primary sponsor after this year and rumors of the Bucks, Iron and Bonecrusher futures in question.
My family has enjoyed going to Wave games for the past 6 years, with my son becoming not only a huge fan, but a friend of a number of players during that time.
If the Wave is unable to find a new ownership group, this community would lose not only a hugely successful team on the field, but one of the most community involved teams in all of sports. Camps, school programs, school day games, hospital visits and more would all vanish from the landscape.
I am encouraging any Wave fans that read this, including business owners and leaders...make the pledge to Save the Wave. No upfront money if needed, you only need to pledge your support.
Also their must be someone or a group of someones that can step forward to purchase the Wave. We're not talking New York Yankees or Chicago Cubs type money. A minimal investment (in the grand scheme of things) could buy someone a great franchise and a great community partner.

One season begins as another one ends

2008-12-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

This week marked an early transition, at least in my life as a sports fan, from one sport to another.

Saturday was the opening of the Milwaukee Wave Indoor Soccer season. The off season was interesting for the Wave, as they left the MISL, helped form a new league (The XSL) and saw four players go down with injuries.

All of that did not stop Coach Keith Tozer's squad from recording a season opening victory over the Detroit Ignition. Led by newcomer Jack Przednowek, who scored a hat trick, the Wave notched an 11-4 victory at the US Cellular Arena.

On to the flip side, the downslide of the economy and the stock market may have been surpassed by the second half floundering of the Green Bay Packers, who lost their 4th consecutive game and 6th out of 7 in a 20-16 loss to the Jacksonville jaguars.

Four short weeks ago the Pack was tied with the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings for 1st place in the NFC North at 5-5. Minnesota is 4-0 and Chicago 3-1 in that stretch, while the Packers are 0-4 and looking at a losing season, after going 13-3 and going o the NFC championship last year. With two division games left (Monday night vs the Bears and the final Sunday against the 0-14 Detroit Lions), could this slide hit 6 in a row and the season end 5-11?

On the positive side of football, UW Whitewater will make it's 4th consecutive appearance in the Stagg Bowl, D-3 football's championship game against Mount Union. The Warhawks lost the first two title meetings between these two powerhouses, before finally bringing the Trophy home last season, led by the running of RB Justin Beaver.

Watch for a new Edge of Sports podcast coming your way Wednesday December 17th.

Milwaukee Wave Season kicks off this weekend

2008-12-09T08:31:00.000-08:00

The Milwaukee Wave return to indoor soccer action this coming Saturday (12/13)at the opening of the Xtreme Soccer League (XSL) season. The Wave will play host to the Detroit Ignition to kick off the 20 game season.

The Wave will have a new look with returning veterans and lots of talented newcomers.
Some of the veterans donning the wave uniform again will be Troy Dusosky, Nick Vorberg, Marcelo Fontaa, Lovelace Ackah, Joe Hammes, Guiliano Oliviero, Brett Wiesner and Marcel Feenstra.
One name missing with be star forward Marcio Liete, who suffered a season ending knee injury during the first Wave practice.

The Edge of Sports has an exclusive interview with Wave goalkeeper Nick Vorberg on our podcast page http://theedgeofsports.mypodcast.com/2008/12/Edge_of_Sports_121108-166490.html

Rough football weekend

2008-11-10T14:32:00.000-08:00

Talk about two similar football games this weekend...meaning Wisconsin Lutheran vs Benedictine and Packers/Vikings. Conference foes, same record, similar styles.

Both WLC and Green Bay looked decent early on, faltered as the game wore on, couldn't stop the running attack of their opponent and in the end could not squeak out a victory.
Both quarterbacks were running for their lives from a strong defensive line that chased like a lion after a helpless animal.
Both defenses battled mightily to keep their team in the game...but in the end were unsuccessful.
In the end both WLC and The Packers has games that they should have one slip away. They now both are on the back end of a .500 record, something that could have been prevented with a couple different bounces of the ball over a series of 2 or 3 games.

Thankfully football is just a game and none of us let our lives get turned upside down over it...oh wait!

Wave announce 7 more player signings

2008-10-22T11:46:00.001-07:00

FIVE ADDITIONAL VETERANS JOIN WAVE ROSTER
Trio had played in FIFA Futsal World Cup in Brazil; 2 rookies also added

MILWAUKEE (Oct. 22, 2008) — Five more veterans from the Milwaukee Wave’s 22-8 club of last year have signed Xtreme Soccer League contracts for 2008-09 and were assigned to the team. At least nine of the 15 roster spots will be filled with players who donned Wave jerseys last season.

“With those returning players, I think we have a great core of guys not only to ring in the 25th year of the Milwaukee Wave, but the first year of the XSL,” said Keith Tozer, Wave head coach and vice president of soccer operations.

Goalkeeper Nick Vorberg, defender Joe Hammes and midfielder Brett Wiesner all just returned from representing the United States at the FIFA Futsal World Cup. Vorberg posted a 17-8 record last season and played at least 1,400 minutes for the fourth consecutive season. He is 74-45 in five seasons with the Wave. Hammes, a Cedarburg native, recorded 20 points and 26 blocks in 24 games a year ago. Wiesner, from Brookfield, broke out in his third season with the Wave, playing all 30 games and tallying 37 points.

Brazilian Jonathan Santos shined after his mid-season move from midfield to the back. He had 23 points and 19 blocks in 23 games and recorded one of the season’s best goals against New Jersey on March 16, faking Ironmen keeper Tony Meola off his feet and flicking the ball over his outstretched arms.

Also back is midfielder Chico. From Chapeco, Brazil, Chico played in 16 games as a rookie and recorded two assists.

In addition to the veterans, Tozer has inked a pair of rookies. Marco Terminesi is a forward who played four years at the University of Louisville. As a senior, he led the team in goals (eight) and points (19) as the Cardinals advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. Travis McKenzie was a college draft choice of the Wave last spring after finishing a decorated career at Duquesne University. A midfielder, McKenzie was first-team All-Atlantic 10 as a sophomore and junior, and second-team as a senior. He finished his career third on the Dukes’ all-time scoring list.

“I’m excited to add two young players in Marco and Travis who have a lot of talent, goal-scoring ability, toughness and coachability, which has been a trademark of the Wave throughout the years,” Tozer said.

These seven players join Marcelo Fontana, Giuliano Oliviero, Marcio Leite and Marcel Feenstra, who signed last month. Additional negotiations continue, and Tozer will conduct an open tryout on Nov. 21 as he continues to fill out both the Wave and Wave Armada rosters.

The Milwaukee Wave open their Silver Anniversary season at 6 p.m. Dec. 13 with a home game against the Detroit Ignition. The inaugural season of the Xtreme Soccer League features Milwaukee, Detroit, the Chicago Storm and New Jersey Ironmen playing a 20-game schedule from mid-December through April.

Milwaukee Wave signs 3 veterans

2008-10-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

From the Milwaukee Wave
Communications Department
FONTANA, OLIVIERO, FEENSTRA RE-SIGN
First XSL season begins at U.S. Cellular Arena as Detroit visits

MILWAUKEE (Oct. 3, 2008) Two popular veterans with more than 500 career goals combined have been signed by the Xtreme Soccer League and assigned to the Milwaukee Wave, the XSL announced today.

Midfielder Marcelo Fontana and forward/midfielder Giuliano Oliviero both were members of the 2005 league championship team in Milwaukee and are coaches with the Wave Summer Soccer Camp program and in area youth clubs. Also back with the Wave next season will be second-year goalkeeper Marcel Feenstra.

Fontana, 35, tallied 15 2-point goals and 14 assists last season, and then added a memorable 3-point, end-to-end dash in the playoffs against the Baltimore Blast. Fontana has at least 12 goals in each of his seven seasons with the Wave and 163 total goals in an 11-year indoor career.

Oliviero, 34, eclipsed the 900-point career mark last season and finished with 46 points (1 3PG, 15 2PG, 13A). Like Fontana he’s tremendously consistent, with at least 10 goals and 10 assists in each of his 13 indoor seasons, seven in Milwaukee (1995-97, 2001-08).

Feenstra, 27, is a native of Den Helder, Holland. As a rookie last year, he would have led the league in points allowed average (6.65) and save percentage (.814) had he played enough minutes to qualify. The 6-foot-4 Feenstra won all five of his starts in helping the Wave to a 22-8 regular-season record.

"We are very happy to be able to sign two of our veterans who have been very instrumental with our success both on the field and off," said Wave Head Coach Keith Tozer. "Marcel had a very good rookie year and we look forward to him improving in his second year."

These three players join Marcio Leite, the first signing of the XSL, on the Wave roster. Additional players will be signed and announced in the coming weeks.

The Milwaukee Wave open their Silver Anniversary season at 6 p.m. Dec. 13 with a home game against the Detroit Ignition. The inaugural season of the Xtreme Soccer League features Milwaukee, Detroit, the Chicago Storm and New Jersey Ironmen playing a 20-game schedule from mid-December through April.

Wave-XSL/Milwaukee Bonecrushers/Edge of Sports news

2008-09-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Lost in the shuffle of the Brewers playoff run, the successful debut of Aaron Rodgers and the 2008 Green Bay Packers and a myriad of other sports related items...the Milwaukee Bonecrushers indoor football team is well underway for 2009 planning.

Some of you may say "they're coming back?" The answer is YES!
Despite a rocky inaugural season, 2009 will be a new year with a new vision for the CIFL franchise.
The greatest challenge will be the reported arrival of an AF2 team, named the Milwaukee Iron (details on this team have been sketchy at best.)
According to A'Ron Williams III (one of 3 Bonecrushers owners) the team will be announcing player signings, 2009 tryouts, ticket plans, schedule and more details in the coming weeks.
The Edge of Sports will keep you posted on all things Bonecrushers related as they are announced.
***********************************************************************
Speaking of season questions...The Milwaukee Wave announced 2 weeks ago the formation of the new XSL (Xtreme Soccer League) with former MISL teams Chicago Storm, Detroit Ignition and New Jersey Ironmen.

Tuesday 9/16 the Wave and XSL will hold a press conference to officially unveil the XSL, commissioner, schedule and all things XSL related.

The Edge of Sports will have all the details for you on the Milwaukee Wave and the new XSL.
*********************************************************************************

Speaking of news (like this isn't enough)...along with my regular endeavors and side projects...I will also be branching out into sports marketing very soon.
Cannot provide too many details, but I will be working with at least one local team with public relations (to those that work with me...I am not leaving my job...just expanding my off hours opportunities...lol)

New podcast coming soon...as well as some fresh columns in days.

The beginning of an Aaron-Era

2008-09-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Well we are just days away from a new era in Green bay Packer football...one that many people dreaded, feared and hope against for many a moon. No I am not talking about Aaron Rodgers as QB for our beloved Packers, but a season with out #4 at the helm.

Let me say...as a Packer fan for over 30 years (I remember watching Lynn Dickey and David Whitehurst when I was 7 years old)...I have enjoyed the last 16 years...but it's time to move on.

It's not easy when a future Hall of Famer, arguably the greatest quarterback of our generation leaves...but it's not the first time to happen in the NFL or in Green Bay.

I think back to the great QBs of the 1980's....Joe Montana, John Elway, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly...and going further back...Bart Starr. Yes there were bumps in the road for each team (OK Miami has stunk to high heaven..and San Fran had Steve Young waiting in the wings), but you know what folks...life will go on.

Many of you live your lives, hanging on the hopes and dreams of another Super Bowl run, kinda like Jimmy Fallon in "Fever Pitch", when he got together with his buddies around the freshly printed Red Sox season tickets and proclaimed "It's a new season, this is the year"

Yes I want to see the Packers succeed...and of course a Super Bowl run would be great, but if they stumble, my whole life will not be shattered. There is more to life than just football.

Maybe I am getting old(er) and looking at life a little differently with a new baby at home, but I get amazed when I listen to sports radio, watch the TV and read the sports blogs how up in arms people get when a QB throws an interception, the running back fumbles at a crucial time, or a team loses two in a row to a division rival.

How about we all show that same passion about gas prices, poverty, the lack of educational support in MPS, the Presidential election (which will shape the future of our country, though the President does not have the ultimate power) and CHURCH!!
This is where the African American community, primarily in baptist churches get it right...talk about passion, excitement and out and out exuberance.

Yes I will be watching Aaron Rodgers first start at QB Monday night when the Pack plays the Vikings...yes I will be upset if he makes a mistake or they lose, but I will go to bed knowing...hey it's just a game

Milwaukee Wave and a new soccer experience

2008-08-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

After a summer filled with questions and uncertainty, the Milwaukee Wave have announced plans to play in a new indoor soccer league this fall, with a couple of familiar teams.

The Xtreme Soccer League (XSL) and the Xtreme Soccer experience (XSX) is scheduled to debut on September 16th, according to a press release from the Milwaukee Wave.
The XSX is decscribed as " an energetic and innovative 12-month experience built around skilled soccer professionals, entertainment and fan participation-both live and online."

³It took us only a short time to fully appreciate the impact this lifestyle brand has, and we are elated to be at the forefront of the Xtreme Soccer platform,² said Jeffrey Vanderbeek, co-owner with Michael Gilfillan of the New Jersey Ironmen.

³We are thrilled to enter our Silver Anniversary season in the new and exciting format of Xtreme Soccer,² said Charles Krause, owner of the Milwaukee Wave.

³Being part of a group that is committed to long-term success and understands the value of such an amazing product is truly special,² said John Hantz, owner of the Detroit Ignition.

³Soccer played a major role in my life, and those of my partners,² said Viktor Jakovljevic, co-owner of the Chicago Storm. ³To be a part of this lifestyle brand is a dream come true.²

It is fair to say that Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit and New Jersey are all franchises from the old MISL that will participate. No additional information is available at this time on other teams or schedule format. The Milwaukee Wave will be celebrating their 25th season in 2008-09 and have been participants in the MISL (which disolved at the end of May), the AISA and the NPSL.

Stay tuned to the Edge of Sports for more details on this exciting new venture for the Milwaukee Wave and the XSL.

Inspiration from the gridiron

2008-08-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my boss...I was reminded of this great scene from the movie "Facing the Giants" We must place our trust in God and give everything we can in everything we do, no matter how hard it may be.

The next scene, also from "Facing the Giants" reminds us that with God nothing is impossible, but we must praise Him in the good times and the bad!

Something stupid to start your weekend

2008-08-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

OK if my daughter Mia saw that I wrote "stupid" she'd yell at me.
After weeks of the haggling, arguing and everything else related to the guy that is now playing QB for a team in New jersey...something a little more fun, yet disturbing

Credit John Jagler at WTMJ for posting this on this blog (maybe he should be slapped for it.)

Forgiveness

2008-08-05T07:09:00.000-07:00

Now this could potentially come off a blasphemous....but I was inspired.

Reading one of the email devotionals I receive everyday, I came across the following verse: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."~ Luke 6:37, NLT

It got me to thinking about the whole Green Bay Packers/Brett Favre saga...and a comment my lovely wife made this morning "Mia (my 9 year old daughter) is sounding like you with the whole Brett Favre thing and it doesn't sound cute"

Here is my final take on this situation (as it stands)

Brett, I forgive you for not being able to decide what you want to do. I know it's hard when you make millions of dollars a year and people treat you like a hero. You love the game, love the accolades, love the spotlight and it's hard to walk away from it all. I will not condemn you for retiring, then 2 weeks later un-retiring, then going back and forth two more times. I will not judge you for putting you priorities before the organization that gave you the opportunity to become a superstar (remember, when Ron Wolf got you, you were a 3rd string QB for Atlanta that was not going to see any playing time)

Ted (Thompson), I forgive you for making some of the decisions you have made concerning Brett Favre. You are in a tough spot, having to watch out for the future of the organization while trying to make the millions of Green & Gold faithful happy.
Ted...I will not condemn you for dedicating so much time turning the whole QB situation into a circus, while letting Ryan Grant sit with no contract (thankfully that is done)

Mike McCarthy...I forgive you for not making a definitive decision in this matter and for towing the company line. I will not condemn you for announcing Aaron Rodgers as your #1 quarterback, then being open to the idea of Favre competing for his old job.

Mark Murphy...I forgive you for letting this situation get to the point that it has. I will not condemn you for offering Favre a $20 million "personal service" contract while your #1 RB sat without a contract until a few days ago. I will not judge you for allowing the team that you are President for turn into the laughing stock of not just the NFL but professional sports in general.

To Packer fans (whether pro or con-Favre)...I forgive you for putting the Brett vs Packers story above all else in your lives, starting websites, having rallies with 3 dozen people. I will not condemn you for being more vocal about an aging QB and a football team than you are about gas prices, crime and the Presidential election. I will not judge you for being blind sheep, letting one guy from Kiln, Mississippi control your lives and thinking.

God...forgive me for wasting 5 minutes of my life that I could have spent praying, reading your Word, helping others or just loving on my family...but instead writing this.
************************************************************************************
Ok in all seriousness...I am ready for this to be done....but something tells me the story is just beginning.

With the Olympics just a couple of days away...my focus turning to Beijing China and if the USA can bring home boat loads of gold.

more on last week

2008-07-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

Maybe it should read Mor-On last week, oh the best laid plans, etc
After the lengthy recap of day 1 of Noah's excursion to Milwaukee Wave Soccer Camp, I feel compelled to offer brief "father's Eye" view of the remainder of the week, as I have been stewing on a few other topics to write about.

Needless to say with the temperatures in the 80's all week, Noah's sweat level was high from hours of running around the soccer field. For those of you that may say "Soccer is not interesting to watch", I encourage you to take in some viewing of 75 6-15 year olds running around the fields; kicking, passing and trying to score goals.

Each day of last week started between 8:40-9:00am with the kids arriving and immediately dropping their red Puma soccer balls onto the still dewy grass of Hawthorne Park...and it was off to the races as boy and girls of all skill levels dribbled, kicked, shot and juggled balls across the field.
The whistle sounds and everyone stops what they are doing and assembles under the one large shady spot in the park, under a large tree, for their initial instructions for the morning from Camp Director Michael King.

Fast forward to the middle part of the afternoon...parent begin to arrive as each age group is dispersed around the park, working on a variety of skills or in the middle of a scrimmage, or a game of "World Cup". After a full day of soccer action, many of the young, World Cup wannabes are winded, tired and ready for a break, while a handful of others are still running like the Olympic gold medal was in the balance.

Once again the whistle sounds, and each of the budding soccer stars scrambles to collect soccer balls, water bottles, cones, nets and anything else strewn across the park. Just as in the morning, the kids assemble under the cooling shade of that one tree for a recap of the day that was and instructions for the next day. The red faces shows the level of exercise these children faced throughout the day.

Back to Noah...each day we would retreat to the comfort of the air conditioning of our Dodge Grand Caravan..and Noah will release a full recap of what happened that day. More often than not, the stories would be filled with quips about Deco and Chico, the two Brazilian players that were coaches for the week's training. After a couple of minutes, Noah's head would begin to slump to one side, as the adrenaline of the day wore off and his body finally succumbed to the rest that was needed.

Friday was the one day I was not able to witness the ending of the camp day, as I was 2 hours to the north. Friday was a shorter day, ending at 1pm, with the campers getting to enjoy "graduation" from camp, but also a special Water day. Dozens of different types of water gun paraphernalia arrived the morning from many of the campers, in anticipation of the after-lunch activity of chasing coaches and other kids with the Super Soakers.

Needless to say...Noah will cherish his time at Milwaukee Wave camp, the friends he made, the time spent with Wave players and the new skills he learned. If you have a son or daughter between the ages of 5-15, I encourage you to look into the Wave Summer Camps...it is well worth the minimal investment.
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I will post later on some of the things that have been on my mid, including the Brewers/Cubs series that kicks off tonight, the upcoming Olympics (huge news...Paul Hamm is out [see story here], and more)
Also...expect a podcast/story about an upcoming event involving Soccer Tennis!

Noah's week at Wave Soccer Camp

2008-07-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

Well I had hoped to send out daily reports (from a father's point of view) on my son Noah's experience at Milwaukee Wave Summer Soccer Camp. But of course it was one of those weeks where one thing led to another and before I knew it....it's Thursday.

Day 1 (Monday)-Noah's excitement level was high, because he knew he would be spending an entire week playing soccer, but better yet, taught by Wave players. The only thing was, Noah did not know which players would be there (but his Dad did).
8:40am: We arrive for registration...Noah is practically bouncing in his seat. We arrive at Hawthorne park in Wauwatosa and Noah bounds out of our Dodge Minivan (OK I guess you can call me a Soccer Dad). He immediately starts to scan the area to see what is out there and if he recognizes any players. His eyes light up as he catches a glimpse of Michael King, the now retired captain of the Milwaukee Wave (not a Favre-esque retirement either)
A little background, Michael King made a special appearance for Noah's 1st grade class in June when he was "Star of the Week", much to the delight of his classmates and his teacher.
Later, as the kids assembled for the first group introduction, they all found out that two more Wave players were there...Deco and Chico (both from Brazil).
Fast forward to 2:30pm...I arrive a little early for pick-up to watch some of the afternoon action. The well-oiled machine of the Wave Soccer Camps had the 70 plus kids divided up into a variety of age groups. Noah's group of a dozen or so 7 year olds was on the field playing "World Cup", basically a scrimmage game. before I even noticed where they were, I could hear Noah's voice booming above all yelling "let's go USA, let's go". I immediately thought "Oh great Noah is going to embarrass himself". Well just a few seconds later I hear Noah's coach (Gabe) yell out "Hey at least one player is cheering for their team!"
Typically Noah will be charging after the ball and running the field, but on this afternoon he was doing his best Nick Vorberg (goal keeper for the Wave)imitation...covering the net, making blocks and clearing the ball away from the goal area.
2:55pm hits and the loud whistle sounds...as Michael King and the coaching staff assemble the mass of kids for one last talk. Much like a combination drill sergeant and coach, Michael commands the attention of all and he provides the last words of wisdom for the day and instructions for the following morning.
Noah loads into the van, covered in grass and sweat and tired from a full day of soccer...ready to share his stories from the day, clutching his new, red soccer ball.

More to come later....

My take on Brett Favre and Days of our Packers

2008-07-14T09:23:00.001-07:00

OK...I am jumping in late, after just about every other media outlet, blogger and fan website has beaten this topic to death.

"Should Brett Favre retire, return or be traded"

One sentence and four words will answer the question..."I DO NOT CARE!!!"
In this time when gas prices have hit an all time high, prices at the grocery stores are skyrocketing, the economy is more than slumping and companies are laying off hundreds, if not thousand of employees...here we spend so much desire and energy on a football player??!!??

Yes Brett Favre was the "messiah" for Green bay Packer football, leading the team to the "promised land" in 1996-1997, and spurning hope every late July that "this could be another Super Bowl year.

Folks let me remind you...football is a sport, a game played by men. It is an escape every Sunday from September though January, where we can forget the cares of the world and don the colors of our beloved team and cheer them on, jeer them on Monday mornings when they lose, and hope the Bears still Suck.

I have been a Green Bay Packers fan going back to the mid 1970's, when Bart Starr was the coach, Lynn Dickey, David Whitehurst, Paul Coffmann, Terdell Middleton, James Lofton and others wore the Green and Gold, mostly in losing efforts. I lived though dismal season after dismal season under Starr, Forrest Gregg, Lindy Infante and others.

I was thrilled to death like many other Cheeseheads in the mid 90's when the team was beginning to look like a contender...I was jumping and screaming when Favre and Desmond Howard brought home the beloved Lombardi trophy. I reveled in the Superman-like effort Favre put out on Monday Night Football against the Oakland Raiders the day after his father passed away...and I cried the day this past March when Brett Favre announced his retirement to the world.

Ladies and gentlemen...as much as many in this great state and around the country tend to forget...football (along with other professional sports) are just a game. It should not take over our lives.

The passion that is being shown by the Pewaukee brothers that are organizing the Bring Favre Back Rallies...if that was redirected towards something more beneficial to all...imagine the impact it would make.

Our culture has become so passive when it comes to moral and ethical issues, but when it comes to sports, everyone is ready to shout their opinions from the rooftops. Yes I will admit I am guilty of this as well.

THIS IS YOUR WAKE-UP CALL!! Get off your Green and Gold soapbox, take off the Fire Ned Yost T-Shirt...and get involved in something bigger.

I am tired of spending over $4.00 a gallon in gas, spending hundreds of dollar more a month on groceries and not getting anything extra, watching businesses downsize and close because the economy is killing them.

Instead of trying to hold the Ted Thompson's, Ned Yost's and Brett Favre's of the world accountable for something that happens on the athletic fields, how about we work, (individually and as a community) to send a wake up call to the Jim Doyle's, Tom Barrett's, Russ Feingold's and Herb Kohl's of the world (no I am not taking shots at the Democrats) and let them know we are sick and tired and are not going to stand for it.

We vote these men and women in to represent US....let's let them know we are here 24/7/365, not just at Election time.

And as far as Brett Favre...be a man, keep your word, RETIRE and enjoy the time with your wife and daughters. how many of us wish we could retire at 39 and have the money to be financially sound for the rest of our lives???

The next generation Gym???

2008-07-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Drew Olsen of OnMilwaukee.com and ESPN 540 in Milwaukee for this funny video.

2008-06-24T11:53:00.001-07:00

Boys of summer...being boys

2008-06-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

Great to see that some Major league athletes can still have fun like little kids.
Here is video of some Texas Rangers players having a "Bull Durham" moment at Shea Stadium.

Credit John Jagler of 620WTMJ for posting this on his blog!

New Podcast with Erik Darnell

2008-06-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

We have a new podcast posted, featuring a press conference and interview with Erik Darnell of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Erik, driver of the #99 Northern Tool & Equipment Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing, appeared at Sprecher Brewery in Milwaukee, WI to promote the upcoming NASCAR Weekend at the historic Milwaukee Mile.

Podcast is available here

You can also check out video from the event, provided by our good friends at SportsBubbler.com

Stay tuned for more updates and podcasts as the weekend approaches!

Testimony of Stephen Baldwin

2008-06-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Found this great video on GodTube.com of actor Stephen Baldwin sharing his testimony.

Aim Lower, Think Smaller, Give Up and Go have a Cup of Coffee

2008-06-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

US Futsal earn spot in CONCACAF semifinals

2008-06-06T08:42:00.001-07:00

Thursday was a huge day for the U.S. Futsal National Team, setting the stage for an appearance in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Championships.

Chicago Storm goalkeeper Jeff Richey made a amazing 32 saves and former Wave midfielder Matthew Stewart scored a goal and assisted another as the U.S. upended Costa Rica, 6-2, to win Group B in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The U.S. will face the home team Guatemala Saturday in the semifinals. Guatemala ties 3-3 with Cuba on Thursday in Group A play.

A stellar effort by Richey, which included stopping Costa Rica's fifth attacker set with less than 9:00 remaining, came one day after containing Team Panama to a single goal.

"I thought Jeff played an unbelievable game in goal, and we needed that," U.S. head coach Keith Tozer said.

Stewart tallied the fifth goal for the U.S. against Costa Rica, while also forcing a turnover and getting the assist on Jamar Beasley's goal that gave the U.S. an early 1-0 lead.

"Matt brings so much heart and desire to the games that he plays in," Tozer said. "Matt came back today and played a superb game."

The U.S. defense held Costa Rica scoreless in the second half. while on the offensive side, six different players scored a goal in Team USA's victory. Former Wave player Pat Morris, Sandre Naumoski, Dan DeGeer and MISL Finals MVP Denison Cabral had the other scores for the U.S. as they continue their trek to defend their CONCACAF crown.

"It was a tremendous moment for U.S. futsal," Tozer said. "Our job is not done. We really want to qualify for the World Championships, which will be our first goal in our first match on Saturday. And with a victory there, then we'll go for the gold on Sunday."

U.S. CONCACAF Championships Schedule:

Tuesday, June 3: U.S. 5, Haiti 3

Wednesday, June 4: U.S. 1, Panama 1

Thursday, June 5: U.S. 6, Costa Rica 2

Saturday, June 7: Semifinals, US v. Guatemala/ Panama v. Cuba 3 p.m./5 p.m. (CST)

Sunday, June 8: Championship, 3 p.m./5 p.m.* (CST) * if necessary

The U.S. Futsal National Team is coached by Milwaukee wave coach Keith Tozer and includes Wave Goalkeeper Nick Vorberg
Source outsportscentral.com

Here is 2nd half action from the game

US FUTSAL team gets 1-1 draw against Panama

2008-06-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Story Courtesy of the Chicago Storm

Chicago Storm goalkeeper Jeff Richey made 17 saves as the U.S. Futsal National Team played to a 1-1 draw Wednesday in the CONCACAF Futsal Championships in Group B play at Domo Polideportivo in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

The U.S. heads into a critical match at 1 p.m. (CST) on Thursday against Costa Rica. Team USA and Costa Rica are tied atop Group B with four points apiece. The winner is guaranteed a spot in Saturday’s semifinals. Costa Rica routed Haiti, 12-0, on Wednesday.

“Right now we have to beat Costa Rica to move on,” U.S. head coach Keith Tozer said. “We’ve played Costa Rica in this same scenario before and we’ve done it.”

The U.S. is 3-0 against Costa Rica all-time, including a 2004 victory in the CONCACAF Championships and a 2007 win in the Pan American Games. Costa Rica won the 2000 CONCACAF with a 2-0 victory against Cuba, which eliminated the U.S. in the semifinals.
Courtesy of the Chicago Storm
On Wednesday, the U.S. and Panama went into halftime without a goal. But early in the second half, Alquis Alvarado gave Panama a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute. The U.S. responded with Sandre Naumoski’s goal in the 31st minute for a 1-1 tie.

U.S. CONCACAF Championships Schedule:
Tuesday, June 3: U.S. 5, Haiti 3
Wednesday, June 4: U.S. 1, Panama 1
Thursday, June 5: vs. Costa Rica, 1 p.m. (CST)
Saturday, June 7: Semifinals, 3 p.m./5 p.m. (CST)
Sunday, June 8: Championship, 3 p.m./5 p.m.* (CST) * if necessary

Futsal features four field players and a goalkeeper on each team. Unlike the MISL, Futsal has no walls, the ball is smaller and has less bounce than traditional soccer balls, and the goals are much smaller. The game was invented in Brazil, and it is sanctioned by FIFA as the only form of international indoor soccer.

CABRAL’S HAT TRICK LEADS U.S. TO EXHIBITION VICTORY

2008-05-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

From US Soccer Press Release
Futsal team wins first of two matches against local pro sides

Guatemala City, Guatemala (May 30, 2008) — Denison Cabral scored a hat trick and Ptah Myers added two goals as the U.S. national futsal team defeated Winasor 7-1 on Friday in an exhibition match at Bremen Domo.
Winasor plays in the second division of Liga Nacional de Futsal Guatemala.
Head Coach Keith Tozer’s emphasis on defense showed Friday, when the Americans allowed only a 40th-minute tally and created a number of goals and scoring opportunities by forcing Winasor to turn the ball over in its defensive half.
“Whenever you play a game with the national team and come out with a win, I think that’s good,” Tozer said. “It was a good confidence-builder for our guys. Some of the things we worked on (during our training trip) in Brazil and here came out today.”
Cabral, who plays for the Major Indoor Soccer League’s Baltimore Blast, opened the scoring in the 9th minute after Andy Rosenband forced one of those turnovers. Chile Farias set up Cabral’s 13th-minute goal.
Another turnover in the half’s final minute led to some nice ball movement in the box, Myers finishing a pass from his Philadelphia KiXX teammate, Sandre Naumoski.
Cabral also had an assist in the game, setting up Matthew Stewart in the 29th minute. Farias fed Naumoski after yet another forced turnover to make it 5-0 in the 34th minute.
Winning goalkeeper Nick Vorberg initially thought he had his first futsal goal on a corner kick play in the 36th minute, but his one-time actually was redirected in front by Cabral. Vorberg played all 40 minutes in Friday’s exhibition.
Myers closed the U.S. scoring in the 37th minute, before Winasor got its only tally.
A second exhibition game is scheduled Saturday, before Tozer’s squad fine-tunes things before Tuesday’s CONACAF opener against Haiti at noon (2 p.m. EST). The U.S. is the defending CONCACAF gold medalist.

Milwaukee Bonecrushers Partner with Hunger Task Force to CRUSH Hunger

2008-05-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

The Milwaukee Bonecrushers are teaming up with the Hunger Task Force to boost food pantry supplies in Milwaukee this summer with a “CRUSH Hunger” event. The event will take place in conjunction with the Bonecrushers’ final regular season home game, Sat., May 31 at 7:30 p.m. against the Saginaw Sting at “The Boneyard” (the U.S. Cellular Arena).

Bonecrushers fans are being asked to bring non-perishable food items to the arena for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) match-up. Collection boxes will be set-up at all fan entrances. The goal is to collect one ton of food (2,000 lbs.) through this one-day event and the generosity of the Bonecrushers’ fans and business partners.

Fans will receive a raffle ticket for each donation of four (4) items or more that they bring to the game and a drawing will be held at halftime where fans will have a chance to win fantastic prizes.

Bonecrushers silence Thunder for first franchise win

2008-05-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

BONECRUSHERS EARN FIRST VICTORY OF SEASON

MUSKEGON – The undermanned Milwaukee Bonecrushers notched their first franchise victory with a 51-46 upset over the Muskegon Thunder in Continental Indoor Football League action Saturday night.

Bonecrushers quarterback Brian Ryczkowski powered into the end zone from a yard out on the final play of the game to end eight weeks of frustration for the first-year franchise. Muskegon (5-4) had just taken its fifth lead of the night at 46-45 on a Derrick Phillips 3 yard run with 55 seconds remaining, but Ryczkowski’s 23 yard scramble with 1.4 seconds left set up the winning score.

The offenses were in high gear from the outset as the game’s first five drives resulted in touchdowns with Milwaukee (1-8) holding a 19-13 edge midway through the second quarter.

Thunder linebacker Tim Gough briefly halted Milwaukee’s momentum when he sacked Ryczkowski for a safety and two plays later Muskegon quarterback Dan Richard hooked up with Richard Gills on a 12 yard scoring strike to put the hosts in front 22-19 just before halftime.

Ryczkowski bounced back with a 24 yard scoring toss to James Leszczynski as the first half ended, heading to the locker room with a 25-22 lead.

After stopping Muskegon’s initial drive of the second half, it took Milwaukee just one play to up their lead as Ryczkowski hit Dorian Palmer on a 24 yard corner route to extend the lead to 31-22 lead.

Muskegon responded as Richard and Gills combined for a 10 yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 31-28.

Brian Ryczkowski, pulled another big play out of his pocket as he lobbed the ball to a wide open Matt Rahn, to give the Bonecrushers a 39-28 lead.

Phillips brought the Thunder back with a pair of scores. First, he returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards to paydirt on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Richard’s two point pass sailed incomplete, leaving Muskegon down 39-34.

After a Gough interception, the Thunder offense drove 33 yards in five plays, reaching the end zone on a Phillips 14 yard TD run, giving Muskegon a 40-39 with 7:19 remaining.

Ryczkowski bounced back after the only turnover of the game with a one yard touchdown dive that capped a methodical six-play, 27-yard march that chewed 4:16 off the clock. Palmer was stuffed on a reverse on the two point try, leaving Milwaukee clinging to a 45-40 lead with just under three minutes left.

Ryczkowski, a former UW Whitewater Warhawk finished with 15-of-28 passes for 162 yards and five scores while rushing for 60 yards and three TD’s.

Palmer led the Bonecrushers with 4 catches for 43 yards while Leszczynski added three grabs for 44 yards. Rahn, Thomas, Sam D’Alie and Marques Johnson each had two receptions.

Defensively, Milwaukee took away the big play all night as Muskegon’s longest play from scrimmage was Phillips’ 14 yard run. The Bonecrushers got 8 stops from James Cichon, who also forced a fumble, recorded a pass break up and handled kickoff duties. Matt Helgemo notched six tackles and Ahmed Braimah and Joe Schutz chipped in four stops each.

Milwaukee finished with 210 yards of offense and added 107 return yards while Muskegon managed 159 yards plus 114 more in the return game.

Thanks to Bob Eacker Director of Media Relations/Muskegon Thunder for game recap and statistics

The Bonecrushers play the next two at home....this Friday (May 23) against the Rock River Raptors, followed by a rematch against the Saginaw Sting on Saturday May 31st, both games at the "BoneYard"...the US Cellular Arena

Bonecrushers fall to Revolution on the road

2008-05-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

The first franchise win for the Milwaukee Bonecrushers eluded the team last Friday night with a 56-32 loss to the New Jersey Revolution at Mennen Arena in Morristown New Jersey.

The Bonecrushers were behind the 8-ball going into the game with the absence of QB Cody Craig, kicker Jake Provan and Head coach Michael Tumbleson, all who were unable to make the trip. Matters were made worse after the Revs jumped out to a 23-6 first quarter lead.

An early second quarter offensive flurry by the Bonecrushers cut the lead to 29-20 with touchdown receptions by Sam D'Alie and Dorian Palmer, but the Revs took control for good with a 43-20 halftime lead.

The Revs offense was led by QB Mike Merritt and offensive weapons Collis Martin, Elliot White, Chris Drayton, Herman Barlow and Brandon Edmonds.

The Bonecrushers continue their three game road trip this Saturday against the Muskegon Thunder before returning home for back to back games at the Boneyard (US Cellular Arena) against the Rock River Raptors on Friday May 23rd and Saginaw Sting on Saturday May 31st

To listen to the podcast of this game featuring the Voice of Bonecrushers football, Dan Pfiefer, please go to http://mkebonecrushers.mypodcast.com/

A look back

2008-05-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

The Milwaukee Wave 2007-08 season is behind us, but it's time to reminisce about the season that was...the highlights and the career of Michael King.

Thanks to SportsBubbler.com and Tom Kurtz of Time Warner Sports, here is a highlight video of the Wave's 24th season

Justin Beaver-Future NFL Running back

2008-05-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

Many of you have probably heard the story of UW-Whitewater running back Justin Beaver...kids from a D-3 school, wins national title, goes undrafted but is now one step closer to his dream of playing in the NFL.

Justin is an undrafted invitee of the Green Bay Packers.

Here is a video from StoryBridge.TV about Justin's journey...he also has a blog that he is updating regularly.

Justin is a true inspirational story of someone whose passion and desire could fulfill his dreams...nothing flamboyant or flashy, just a hard working young man trying to live the dream!

Thank you to StoryBridge.tv for this video

Milwaukee Bonecrushers fall to 0-7

2008-05-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

After a furious comeback at the Boneyard on Sunday, the Bonecrushers offense struggled to get on track in a 51-28 loss to the Saginaw Sting Wednesday night in Saginaw Michigan.

Despite two touchdowns receptions from Brian Sylvas, the Bonecrushers were unable to overcome six touchdown passes from Sting QB Damon Dowdell.

The Bonecrushers jumped out to an early 7-0 lead when QB Cody Craig connected on a 24 yard touchdown pass with Marques Johnson, but Saginaw went on a 34-0 tear to lead 34-7 at the half.

The second half saw the Bonecrushers come our strong again with Craig and Sylvas hooking up for 17 yard TD followed by a 23 yard touchdown run by Brian Jennings Jr to cut the lead to 34-20.

Saginaw put the game away when the tandem of Dowdell and receiver Nick Body connected for a pair of touchdowns extending the lead back out to 48-20.

With the loss the Bonecrushers fall to 0-7 in the Western Division of the Great Lakes conference, with Saginaw breaking a two game losing streak and improving to 6-2

The Bonecrushers continue to be road warriors with their next road match-up on Friday May 9th at the New Jersey Revolution, followed by a trip to Muskegon to battle the Thunder on May 17th, before returning home for back to back home games on Friday May 23rd versus the Rock City Raptors and Saturday May 31st hosting the Saginaw Sting in a rematch.

IndyCar series driver Scott Dixon visits Milwaukee

2008-04-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

Indy Car series driver Scott Dixon made a media appearance today at the Milwaukee Mile to help promote the upcoming ABC Supply AJ Foyt 225.
Due to scheduling conflicts the Edge of Sports was not in attendance, but our good friends from SportsBubbler.com were there.
Check out the video interview here

Too little too late for the Bonecrushers

2008-04-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Milwaukee Bonecrushers fell just short Sunday afternoon at The U.S. Cellular Arena with a 43-42 loss to the Miami Valley Silverbacks. After a slow start and being down as much as 43-14 at one point they clawed their way back.

The second half was owned by the Bonecrushers by shutting Miami down for the last 22 minutes and scoring the games final 28 points.

The second half swing started for the Bonecrushers on an 33 yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker James Cichon who snatched a pass out of the air from Silverback quarterback George Murray.

The Bonecrusher offense, led by second half touchdowns by running back Brian Sylvas and receivers Dorian Palmer and Jim Leszczynski fought back from the 29 point deficit. The late surge was not enough to overcome, despite battling back within one point with one minute remaining.

Bonecrushers QB Cody Craig threw for four touchdowns on the day that the Bonecrushers dedicated the game to teammate Jamie Isome. Isome suffered a concussion two weeks ago after hitting his head on the field in Marion Ohio. Subsequent evaluation let to the discovery of a brain tumor was surgically removed a few days later.

Cabral hat trick leads Baltimore Blast to 4th MISL title

2008-04-27T05:55:00.000-07:00

Denison Cabral notched a hat trick leading the Baltimore Blast to a 14-11 win over La Raza de Monterrey in the MISL Championship game Saturday night at the US Cellular Arena.

Monterrey jumped out to a hot start with a 6-2 lead after the first quarter, but goals by Cabral and Carlos Garcia in the second period tied the title game at 6-6 at the half. After trading goals by Baltimore's Giuliano Celenza and Monterrey defender Carlos Pichardo, Baltimore rattled off two quick fire goals in 12 seconds by Garcia and Cabral to jump out to a 12-8 third quarter lead.

Baltimore could not clinch the victory until 2:03 remaining in the fourth when Lucio Gonzaga drilled a shot to the right corner of the goal past Monterrey rookie goalkeeper Jose Bontti to give the Blast a 14-11 lead. The first year LaRaza battled until the end with Jose Luis Birche nailing a 3-pointer with six ticks left on the clock, but it was too little to late.

Cabral's hat trick not only lead Baltimore to it's fourth title in six years (2003, 2004 & 2006) but also earned him championship game MVP honors.

Monterrey's scoring was led by a pair of goals and an assist from Byron Alvarez.

To see more on the MISL title game, visit SportsBubbler.com

Greg Howes named MISL MVP, Tozer named Coach of the Year

2008-04-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

Milwaukee Wave forward Greg Howes notched another post season honor today by being named the 2007-08 MISL Most Valuable Player. This marks the third time that "the Howitzer" nabbed the MVP award, named for legendary indoor soccer player Hector Marinaro.

In addition to the MVP award, Howes will be honored at Saturday night's MISL Championship Final as the PUMA Scoring Champion for the 2007-08 season, the fourth time for this honor in his career.
Click here for our interview with Greg Howes

Wave head coach Keith Tozer was named the MISL's Coach of the Year for the sixth time in his legendary career. Tozer is the winningest coach in indoor soccer history and has just completed his 16th season at the helm of the Milwaukee Wave.

Other award winners announced:
Rookie of the Year: Frederico Moojen (New Jersey Ironmen)
Goalkeeper of the Year: Sagu (Baltimore Blast)
Defender of the Year: Genoni Martinez (La Raza de Monterrey)

The 2007-08 MISL Championship will be played Saturday night at the US Cellular Arena with the 3rd seed Baltimore Blast taking on the 4th seeded La Raza de Monterrey.

Watch for a full recap of the MISL championship right here on the Edge of Sports and on SportsBubbler.com

Wave, Danica and much more

2008-04-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

Well it has now been 4 days since the Milwaukee Wave lost a heart breaker to the Baltimore Blast in the MISL semi finals...but I am still not over the loss.

This season was tougher than the last few, just because of the personal & professional relationship I have built with the Wave organization. Just like the team and many fans, I dreamed of Michael King hoisting the MISL championship trophy up at the Cell (no dropping it on his head this time...lol) and end his career on the ultimate high note.

That was not to be.

Though the Wave put up a valiant effort, being two players down and obviously tired, the Blast came out on the better end once again and secured their spot in the championship this coming Saturday again LaRaza Monterrey. Regardless, I will be there with my family, but it's not going to be the same without the familiar faces of Greg Howes, Marcio Leite, Nick Vorberg, Troy Dusosky and of course Michael King being on that field.

Yes there is always next year...but with the lineup Keith Tozer had to work with this year....I thought this was the year for championship #5.

Thank you to the Milwaukee Wave for a season filled with memories...the next season will not start soon enough for me and my family!!
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The story that should have gotten a lot more attention, but didn't was Danica Patrick notching her first Indy Series victory this past weekend in Japan.
This is a huge story because Patrick has done what no other woman has done before....won an event in a sport dominated by women. Yes it did get some cursory press coverage, but this is monumental.
I had the opportunity to meet Danica Patrick a couple of years ago at the Milwaukee Mile, while she was driving for one of the "feeder" series for IRL. You could tell at that time she was meant to be a superstar. She exuded the confidence of someone that had been driving in the big time for years. The one thing that caught my attention was her frustration with the same old "woman driving in a man's sport" questions. I met her after she had talked to about a half dozen undereducated reporters...guys that wanted to talk to the pretty girl that was driving.

Unfortunately a couple years later I believe she is still fielding the same ridiculous, sexist questions that plagued her in the beginning.

Personally I am happy for Danica Patrick that she finally got this "monkey" off her back, but realize that in this new season of open wheel racing (with the merger of Indycar and Champcar) that the pressure is on even harder for her to succeed even more. Danica Patrick is the face of open wheel racing in America....she is the true star of that series and the only 100% marketable personality in a racing series that has lacked one for many years.
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One of my favorite Brewers is wearing a new uniform...and I am not talking about Geoff Jenkins.
Gabe Gross was traded immediately following the Brewers 9-8 extra inning win over the St. Louis Cardinals...a move that brought cheers from many sports talk hosts and fans.

The main thing Gabe will be remembered for is not his play on the field, but his entrance music.
In a day and age where most players come out to rap, hip-hop or the latest rock hit, Gabe Gross stuck with his beliefs and came out to Christian music. The 2007 season was Mercy Me's "I Can Only Imagine". Of course most cringed at this, but I reveled in it every time he came to the plate. My kids would be excited because they knew the song.

It sickens me how many sports talkers (and fans as well) in this town would love to spend more time bashing Gabe Gross' song selection, rather than focus on the fact that he is a great example of a Christian athlete. Yeah I suppose negativity draws calls and ratings, but that's not what I am about!

God bless you Gabe Gross...may your career flourish in Tampa Bay!!!
My family will miss you!
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One more for you...

Wave in "Do or Die" situation

2008-04-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

It was a rough night for the Milwaukee wave Wednesday night in game 1 of their MISL semifinal series against the Baltimore Blast. Injuries to Marcio Leite and Warren Ukah, along with the ejection of defender Troy Dusosky were part of a 13-8 loss for the Wave.

In this unique 2 game playoff series, the Wave must win Sunday afternoon's match-up at the US Cellular Arena to set up a Golden Goal (one goal sudden death) for an opportunity to continue their quest for a 5th Indoor Championship

The Wave returns to Milwaukee this morning in preparations for Sunday crucial match-up. I will be efforting interviews to post either Friday or Saturday to preview game two.

In the meantime...enjoy this video of the Wave's regular season finale win over LaRaza Monterrey.

the Summer of Amazing Movies

2008-04-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

Ok this is not sports related....but I felt the need to post this here.

Every other year, we are blessed with a solid line-up of summer "blockbusters" and this year is no exception. The Dark Knight (movie 2 in the new Batman franchise), The Incredible Hulk (hopefully a much better version that what came out a couple years ago) and the new Indiana Jones.

It all kicks off May 2 with Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. I will admit...I have never been a huge comic book fan, and I only knew of Iron Man from different pictures I have seen. But when buzz starting going around about this movie late last summer, I became hooked.

The couple of trailers I have seen are simply amazing and it looks to kick some serious superhero rear-end, even though it is coming out super early. For the first time in at least a couple of years, I plan on taking in this movie within the first few days of release (My spot of interest to see this is the new IPic at Bayshore Mall)

Postmortum for the 2007-08 Bucks

2008-04-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well to say a season was an utter disappointment is a huge understatement when talking of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Like an injured horse that is taken behind the stable to be put down, so can we do to the Milwaukee Bucks. A team that looked to make it back to the playoffs with a group of veteran players and youth, and a fired up coach looking to focus on stopping the opponents fell flat on their faces.
We have seen former GM Larry Harris get the boot and Larry K have his team totally turn their backs on him. With a new GM in place and one game remaining in this dreadful season...it is time to start a whole new chapter for the Milwaukee Bucks franchise.

I have heard numerous opinions from the sports talking heads in town for months of what should happen...I shall now share my thoughts.

1. Replace Coach K...Ok I think this is a foregone conclusion. No offense to Larry K, but the veterans never respected him and what he wanted to do. I hope for all the best for him in the future, but let new GM John Hammond start fresh.

2. Trade Mo Williams, Michael Redd...oh heck everyone but Bogut and Yi. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Michael Redd (I am biased because he is a Christian and a great all around guy), but this team need to start fresh and build around the guys that can be the cornerstones for the next 5-7 seasons, being Andrew Bogut and Yi...throw Ramon Sessions and Desmond Mason into the mix.

3. Get us a seasoned veteran coach... No more one year experiments, no more nice guys with past history to the team. get us a coach that players will respect, that has one and that can kick this team into gear.

4. Do anything and everything you can to get the confidence back from the fans that have been lost. Do more to get in the community (see what the Brewers have done the past 3-4 years)

As a Milwaukee sports fan, I went to a handful of Bucks games this season with my son, but I refused to pay full price for tickets to see this team play this year (the benefit of EBay and tickets from work) Please bring back the days where I can be proud to be a Bucks fan, where 50 wins in a season is an expectation, not a hope and dream dashed in the first months of the season.

One game left....and we can look ahead to the NBA draft and the 2008-09 season with some optimism...hopefully

Milwaukee Wave's Nick Vorberg Podcast

2008-04-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

Click on the link to hear the exclusive interview I did with the Milwaukee Wave's goalkeeper Nick Vorberg leading up to Game 1 of the MISL semi-final match-up against the Baltimore Blast
http://theedgeofsports.mypodcast.com/index.html

For more on this playoff match-up, here is a link to a great article by Charles Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee Wave's Drive for Five

2008-04-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

As the Milwaukee Brewers get off to a hot start, the Bucks look for a quick end to a disappointing season and the packers still looking to life after Favre...my focus goes to the state's winningest franchise in the last decade....

The Milwaukee Wave, led by head coach Keith Tozer are one playoff series win away from going for their fifth indoor soccer championship...though from the sports media in Milwaukee you wouldn't know it.
This highly successful team is led by veterans like 4-time scoring champ Greg Howes, Troy Dusosky and the legendary Michael King, along with amazing young talents like Marcio Leite and Brookfield's own Brett Wiesner.
I may be slightly biased towards the Wave because of the relationship I have built over the past 6 years with the organization, but you will not find another team, top to bottom, that is more accessible or community oriented than the Milwaukee Wave.
I encourage you...if you have never been to an indoor soccer game...contact the Wave, get a ticket to the April 20th semi-final game and find out what the excitement is about.
High octane, loud and fun...that's what Wave soccer is all about!!
www.milwaukeewave.com

Welcome to The EDGE OF SPORTS

2008-04-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

Greetings one and all.

Thank you for coming to the newest venture in interactive sports blogging...THE EDGE!

This blog will be the beginning of hopefully an internet revolution in sports media.
My dream is to create a nationwide, maybe worldwide, net of positive sports talk and blogs.

It all starts here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...home of the Brewers, Bucks, Wave, Admirals, Bonecrushers, Marquette, Green bay Packers, Wisconsin badgers and more.

Thanks for stopping by, bookmark this site and tell your friends.

Jon Kurozawa
Creator of "The EDGE"