Plenty of Valley baseball talent

Judging from the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association preseason rankings, the targets are out for a few area baseball teams.

For Kimberly (No. 7 in Div. 1), Appleton North (No. 9 in Div. 1), Seymour (No. 1 in Div. 2) and Fox Valley Lutheran (No. 2 in Div. 2), the area has its fair share of quality baseball talent.

And that's not even counting Appleton West who won the conference last year, or Appleton East who returns a bargefull of talent.

If you had the chance to plunk your money down and watch any team this spring it should be FVL. With Jon Gulbransen returning on the mound, he should lead his Foxes through the Valley 8 without a problem.

Welcome to the good 'ole boys club

The end of a high school sports season marks the emergence of all-conference teams.

Now, I'm all for the standard player and coach of the year, first team and second team. But coaches these days have gone too far.

In some conferences the honorable mention list is longer than "War and Peace" which includes anyone that managed to stay injury-free. I mean, what's the point even having an honorable mention, if there's nothing honorable about the voting?

The reason it's the way it is, is because coaches are constantly thinking politics. They are thinking about ways that will ultimately help their team down the road, so in turn, they will vote for the rival club's players to receive that coach's support down the line.

There needs to be stricter requirements for these diluted all-conference teams. Instead of letting the coaches vote in a stuffy room for over three hours, let them hand their votes to media who will tabulate them. This will eliminate any last minute campaigning that is done right before the No. 2 pencils are handed out.

He's better than that

After watching the Seymour sectional final win over Waupun on Saturday, Matt Hackl proved how good he is. He scored 30 points and only missed a couple shots.

Hackl put the Thunder on his back and cleared a path for its eighth-straight trip to state. However, the smooth-demeanored kid isn't going to be respected at the college level.

You see, he was offered a full-ride to UW-Green Bay as a sophomore, but turned it down. He didn't want the added pressure of a Division I scholarship hanging over his head with two years of high school ball left.

So, he kept playing.

However, he got injured during his junior campaign putting the big schools off the scent. This season, he poured in nearly 19 points a game to become the Bay Conference player of the year.

Tiny Division II Concordia University took notice and offered him a scholarship. With not too many others around, Hackl accepted.

What's upseting is that here's a kid that could dribble circles around the entire UWGB roster and he's headed to Concordia? I think it's high time that the Phoenix get off their high horse and re-offer the kid another offer.

He proved that when his team needs him, he can deliver. He's got a nice little head dip, that basically invites refs to give him every call. He can shoot the three with astounding accuracy and is quick enough to blow by anyone.

Hackl may be going to a dinky D-II school, but he doesn't belong there.

Maybe he'll stay too

Texas freshman point guard D.J. Augustin will return to Austin next season, foregoing to forego his sophomore year in college.

College basketball fans that Augustin's wiry highlight reel, Kevin Durant does the same thing.

Durant is currently slotted at going No. 2 to Boston in next June's NBA Draft. The 6-9, 220-pound forward could put some more meat on his bones and could use another season of seasoning.

Sure, Durant has dominated the Big XII by scoring 28.9 points per game and is averaging 12.5 rebounds. Durant is also the only player in the country that is ranked top 10 in scoring and rebounding. He's also had nine 30 point games.

Even with all those numbers, and the fact that he's a runaway for national player of the year, Durant will be better suited for the college cafeteria.

What are they thinking?

Just because the Chicago Bears advanced to this year's Super Bowl doesn't mean they have to grow an immense head.

They dealt their best running back, Thomas Jones, to the Jets for a measly late second round pick. And to add to the carnage, Chicago also threw in a second rounder so the Jets can have a potent one-two punch with Leon Washington next year.

Of course this move was about pride. Bears general manager Jerry Angelo needs his ego stroked. He's not going stand up and wave the white flag for making a mistake on the fourth overall selection in the 2005 draft.

However, it's not the first time Angelo has made an embarrassing draft flub. Rashaan Salaam answered a lot of questions as a No. 21 pick in 1994, fifth overall selection of 1998 Curtis Enis fit like a glove in the Bears backfield, Cade McNown sure worked out well as a No. 12 pick in 1999 and David Terrell, the eighth overall selection of 2001, is surely Hall of Fame-bound.

This man has got to be stopped. The Bears' offense scored about as often as the blonde geek in "The Breakfast Club." Getting rid of their only threat will only put more pressure on the defense to score even more. (So, Nathan Vasher, if you're listening, a handful of 108-yard returns are expected).

So without one of the NFC North's main offensive weapons that will make that division even more boring. Whoever scores 14 points first next year should be declared the winner.