The spotlight is on football this weekend.

Brett Favre’s request to be released from the Packers has been widely reported and debated.

There’s been considerable speculation on how the Packers will deal with the messy situation/dilemma.

On a happier note, here’s some other football news:

Several teams in the Ironman Football League (a Semi-Pro league) will be playing at the Milwaukee Sports Complex, 6000 W. Ryan Road in Franklin on Sunday, July 13.

• The New Berlin Panthers will take on the Milwaukee Venom at 5 pm .

• Then at 8 pm, it will be Muskego Hitmen vs Fond du Lac Crusaders.

Congratulations to Wayne Hamilton, who was presented with the 2008 Citizen of the Year award* on April 22 by Mayor Chiovatero.

Gary Drinan nominated him, maintaining that Wayne Hamilton was deserving of this honor because of his active involvement in New Berlin youth sports for over 41 years.

Mr. Drinan’s compelling nomination letter conveyed that Wayne Hamilton-----

• Is an upstanding citizen, committed volunteer, Korean War Veteran, married 52 years to Audrey and has 5 children, 14 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
• Joined the New Berlin Youth Athletic Program (NBYAP) in 1967
• Volunteered for the newly created New Berlin Athletic Association (NBAA) Board in 1972, which succeeded NBYAP and continues to be an active board member
• Besides his duties on NBAA Board, served as county coordinator for youth sports from 1975-1987
• In his 41 year association with NBAA, has coached, recruited others to coach (boys and girls sports---baseball, basketball, soccer, wrestling, track and bowling)--and coordinated award dinners & ceremonies, including arranging for prominent speakers. Echoes the NBAA philosophy: “The NBAA was formed to give all kids a chance to play. There is no cutting. If they come out to play, they make the team.”

    In addition---

• New Berlin Lakes Baseball, Inc. was formed in 1971 to serve talented youth and adults who wished to play baseball after high school. In 1972, it combined with NBYAP to form the NBAA. Wayne Hamilton not only played on the team for 2 years, he managed it for 3 years, winning the Land O’Lakes Grand Championship in 1977.
• In 1977, Wayne Hamilton assumed the General Manager position, helping the team secure financing and to keep it functioning to the present. He worked closely with the City Parks and Recreation Department and NBAA board to keep the hardball diamond at Malone Park in excellent playing condition, installing modern lighting and reconditioning the playing field with a new drainage system and playing surface. Wayne Hamilton was inducted into the Land O’ Lakes Hall of Fame in 2004.

* Nominations for Citizen of the Year are judged by the Mayor’s Office and City Clerk on this criteria: Contribution to community welfare; Civic achievement; Contribution of something of a lasting effect on the community; Volunteerism; Enrichment of the cultural, civic, and youth facilities of the City of New Berlin.

The New Berlin Eisenhower Boys Basketball team beat Adams-Friendship 54-41--- and won its first Division 2 WIAA State Championship. Awesome.  Congratulations Eisenhower Lions!

The UW Badgers defeated Northwestern 65-52, winning the Big Ten Championship outright (no sharing). The Badgers secured the #1 seed in next week’s Big Ten Tournament. Way to go Badgers!

Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre announced his retirement today.

# 4 brought a lot of excitement and enthusiasm to the game.

We’ll miss you, Brett.

To the disappointment of Green Bay Packers fans, the New York Giants beat the Packers in overtime at Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

So, it will be the Giants, not the Packers versus the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Despite the sub-zero temperatures at Lambeau Field, Giants quarterback Eli Manning played remarkably well.  Although Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes missed 2 field goals during the game, he redeemed himself in the final minutes by kicking a 47- yard field goal that put the Giants on top 23-20.  

The Packers had home-field advantage. The Packers did not play error-free: several penalties were called against Packer players.  The Giants effectively shut down the Packers running game. Brett Favre had two touch downs, but also two interceptions. The last pass Favre threw was intercepted; shortly afterward, Tynes scored the game-winning field goal for the Giants. 

The Packers missed several opportunities to win. It was a disappointing team performance and finish to an otherwise sensational Packers season.

Last Saturday’s Packers game in Green Bay was amazing.

The Packers trounced the Seattle Seahawks 42-20. That victory propelled the Packers to Sunday’s (Jan. 20) NFC Championship Game against the New York Giants at Lambeau Field.  

It was all the more impressive because the Packers’ resounding win was achieved despite a bad start (they were down 14-0 after only the first four minutes of play) and poor weather conditions: snow, snow, and more snow.

The Packers will have to contend with a different weather hurdle for Sunday's Packers-Giants game:  frigid temperatures (around zero degrees) are being forecast--and that's not including the wind chill factor.  Brrrrrrr.

Packers fans throughout Wisconsin will be watching this game, rooting for their team-- hoping the Packers play well, triumph over the bitter cold, and defeat their opponent.

Having the Packers play in the next Super Bowl would be so AWESOME.

GO PACKERS!!!!!

The NFL playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks is today.  Go Pack Go!!!

But isn’t it a shame that the NFL won’t let football fans watch the game on the big screen at theaters?

According to the Jan. 6 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the NFL confirmed it sent cease-and-desist letters to three businesses: Marcus Corp. ( Palladium at Majestic Theater in Brookfield), Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse in Wauwatosa, and Potawatomi Bingo and Casino.   NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy argued the businesses were violating copyright law and NFL policies that ban mass out-of-town viewing of NFL games. The news story’s last paragraph says,  “McCarthy said theaters were showing games on ‘huge screens that can attract 50 to 500 people watching the games. Talk to your local TV affiliates, who will say those types of events take away from their ratings. That’s what this is about,’ he said.”

Oh. It’s about TV ratings?!!!

A Wauwatosa resident contends it’s about greed. In his letter to the editor “NFL shows it’s all about greed”, published in the Jan. 9 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,  Jeff Kartz writes “…Now local theaters have been told to stop showing Green Bay Packers games for fear of being dragged to court by the NFL? It’s not good enough that taxpayers have to build their stadiums, pay good money for their tickets and are considered unpatriotic unless they subscribe to the NFL Network? Now we can’t watch a broadcast of the game at our local theater? Maybe if the NFL made people pay for the privilege or got a commission on popcorn, the league would go for it.”…

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Jan. 11) reports that at least three theaters in the state (Rivoli in La Crosse, Majestic in Madison, and Fox Bay Cinema Grill in Whitefish Bay) plan to show Saturday’s playoff game on the big screen. Of course, those plans could change.  In the news article,  (NFL spokesman) Brian McCarthy claims that warning letters were sent to the owners of the theaters. And that “.. The league is arguing that showing the games on big screens violates copyright law. The league says businesses that offer such showings are creating a special event, which is unlawful. That makes it different from sports bars, according to McCarthy. The league makes exceptions for bars that show games on a daily basis.”

Huh? It makes exceptions for bars that show games daily?!!!   It's OK for bars but not theaters to show NFL games?  Occasional "special events" are no-no's but airing games daily is fine?  That seems a bit screwy.  

The  NFL also considers it OK for bars but not churches to show games?  

 Greg Kowalski’s “Today’s Concerns” FranklinNOW blog post called “Goodbye to Packer games in theaters”  informs us that the NFL refused to allow a church to air the Super Bowl game last year.