Getting To Know Your Chuckie Hacks Blogger

We did this once before, it’s time for Round 2. This might be the longest post in CH history.


Favorite Bucks player of all-time?

GOLDY: Moncrief. Reminds me of the times when the Bucks were good. Plus I have an awesome old Sports Illustrated poster of him. Yah, the one with the white border.

BRAD: Terry Cummings - beast. I think he was one of the first NBA guys to start lifting weights. Had some guns back in the day when most guys his size – James Worthy, for example – were string beans.

MATT: Sadly, it is probably Big Dog. I wish I felt otherwise. I was also a big Terry Cummings fan.


Most memorable game you attended?

GOLDY This would have to be a tie between the 1999 Rose Bowl and the 1997 Wisconsin-Minnesota basketball game at the Fieldhouse. The ’99 Rose Bowl was great because it was my first time in the Rose Bowl and the setting and the game were awesome. Wisconsin won a tight one thanks to Ron Dayne coming up just yards short of the Rose Bowl rushing record and scoring three TDs (I think), a Fletcher pick-six off McNown, UCLA running a fake punt that ended up about 2 yards short of a first down, and Bryant with a sack to seal the deal. Remember, this was the team that Craig James called the worst team to ever play in a Rose Bowl. UCLA was also on their way to the national title game until they lost a late November game to the Edge James led Miami Hurricanes in a game played in late November thanks to being postponed by a hurricane earlier in the season. The game was close all they way through and it was awesome to see how many Wisconsin fans made the trip and how in to it everyone was. UCLA had to call a time-out at the goal line because the crowd noise was too loud and they couldn’t hear McNown. How many times have you seen that in a bowl game, and in UCLA’s home stadium? Just a great game and a great trip out to LA in a mini-van with 4 great buddies.
The 1997 Wisconsin-Minnesota basketball game is another one I will never forget. This was the year Minnesota went to the Final Four (now vacated) and was ranked #2 in the country at the time. It was the last game of the Big Ten season (No Big Ten Tourney at the time) and the Badgers needed a win to most likely make the NCAAs. It was a huge deal at the time. Remember, at that point the Badgers had only made the NCAAs once since the ‘40’s, and that was in 1994. The Fieldhouse was rocking. Definitely the loudest sporting event I have ever been at. I remember Ty Calderwood coming up huge in that game. The Badgers won by one, but Minnesota had a shot to win at the end. I remember thinking to myself, “Sam Jacobson is going to kill us here.” Thankfully he didn’t. If memory serves my right, Jacobson did take the last shot for the Gophers, but it didn’t fall. The students stormed the court. I had to make it down from my seat on the second level. Still, the only time I have ever run on to the court/field following a victory. As an added bonus, you can see the back of my head in the famous Calderwood photo that ran on the front of the JS sports page that Sunday. Great game, great times!

BRAD: The Antonio Freeman Catch on His Ass. It was a cold and rainy MNF game. The Packers on the sideline blocked my view of the catch. I saw the ball in the air, and then heard everyone groan. A split-second later, Freeman started running back into my view. Everyone sort of stopped? Nobody really knew what happened until moments later…Lambeau went crazy.

MATT: Because memorable doesn't mean good, I would say the most memorable game I attended was a 3-3 tie between Wisconsin and Illinois at Camp Randall my freshman year of college. Just an awful, awful game, but we stayed because I brought one of my buddies up for the game and he'd never been to a Badgers game. Darrell Bevell nearly got killed by Simeon Rice and Kevin Hardy, and we got our first glimpse of a shell-shocked Mike Samuel. Oh yeah, and it was cold. The Brewers playoff win was pretty cool last year too.


County Stadium was…..

GOLDY:…like home. I loved County Stadium. It had nothing going for it, but it was the place I grew up watching Major League Baseball. Yes, by the end of its life it was a dump, but you have to remember that up until Camden Yards was built, stadiums were nothing special and County was no worse or better than most MLB stadiums. I loved the fact that I knew where every section in the ballpark was located. I loved the fact that I knew where to go for whatever food item I wanted. I loved the Speed Pitch. I loved that my Dad would sign up for the Designated Driver program to get me two free sodas and then go buy himself a beer. I loved running to our car after the game to beat the rush out of the lot. I loved seeing two NFL benches on the same side of the field. I loved hearing my Grandpa chant “Dilweg Sucks!” at a Packer game. I loved watching Molitor’s hit streak, Ryan’s 300th win and Robin’s 3000th hit in person. And I loved the ceremony after the last game at County. Back when the Brewers could do nothing right, this was done right. All the old Braves coming out on the field and Hank wearing his old Braves jersey. Robin the last one to come out and doing a lap on a motorcycle and the current players passing the flag from the old stadium to the new. I have only seen my Dad shed a tear three times in his life. The first time was when I came home from college right before my Grandpa died. The last time was when my Dad had to tell me he had cancer and only had about three months to live (support pancreatic cancer research!) and the other time was the last game at County. Great memories and I will always thing fondly of that place.

BRAD…awesome. No frills, just a ball yard. You could pretty much sit where you want. I don’t think I ever had my ticket checked to see if I was in the right seat. And Bernie sliding into the beer barrel was phenomenal.

MATT: …fine, until I got to Miller Park. I did enjoy watching games in the bleachers at County - that was good times.


Favorite Wisconsin Sports Announcer?

GOLDY The color commentator for Marquette Women’s Basketball. No, my answer is Matt LePay for Wisconsin basketball. Does a great job. Very descriptive, gets into the game at the right moments and is willing to question Bo’s strategy from time to time and can admit when a bad call goes in Wisconsin’s favor. Some games I almost prefer to listen to on radio. LePay paints a great picture of what is going on. He also gets bonus points for his call of the Schabert to Evan TD pass against Ohio State in 2003

BRAD. Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren. Larrivee is one of the best in the business, and McCarren isn’t afraid to say when the Packers are playing like crap. I like when he describes the line play – usually don’t get too much of that on the radio.

MATT: I agree that Lepay is a very good announcer, and so is Wayne Larrivee. So is Ted Davis - that guy makes a Bucks game entertaining, which is a feat. However, if I were going to listen to a game just for the announcer it would have to be Uecker, even though his stories are tired. He is entertaining to me, still. And he's a legend.


Least favorite Wisconsin sports announcer?

GOLDY Homer and McIlvaine. Had to listen to these guys for the first half of Marquette’s first round NCAA game this year. Just brutal. They cried so much it was like listening to a Bears game on the radio. However, I must admit my sample size on this is small since that was the only half of Marquette basketball I have ever listened to on the radio.

BRAD: As a Marquette fan, it pains me to agree with Goldy. Homer has a good radio show, but his play by play is piss poor. It sounds like what I would imagine the UW-Superior announcer to sound like. Jimmy Mac brings nothing to the table.

MATT: We are blessed in Wisconsin with a lot of good sports announcers. I might say Larry McCarren. He is generally very good and knowledgeable, but he is kind of a joke when he cheers in the booth in the background as Larivee calls a play, a la Ron Santo. (Noooooooo! AAaaaaarhgggghghh! Yes! Yes! Yes!) He's not terrible, but it's a personal taste of mine that I don't like cheering in the booth. I could see why some people would like him, especially Packers fans....... Hold the phone! I totally forgot about the Bucks TV announcers. Let me retract the McCarren answer and just say that Jon McGlocklin is awful, and I hate watching a game that he announces. Just terrible. I must have erased him from my memory momentarily. Paschke would be my #2 least favorite Wisconsin sports announcer.


Underrated fast food?

GOLDY Chick-Fil-A – I don’t know if this is underrated or just unknown in these parts. These places are huge down south, hence the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta. The only Chick-Fil-A in Wisconsin is in Racine. I love that place. It’s the only reason I have gone in to the Regency Mall in Racine over the past 10 years. As a side note, the Regency Mall has to hold the record for most dollar stores in one mall. The chicken sandwich is great there, but it is the nuggets that take the cake for me. I think they are made of real chicken, so that is a plus. You also get waffle fries. A nice departure from the standard fry. The only drawback is they serve Coke products (another southern thing). If this place served Pepsi, it might surpass Culver’s in my book. When I lived in Kansas City, the only Chick-Fil-A in the city was located in the cafeteria at Johnson County Community College. I went there once and it was awkward.

BRAD: Wendy’s. Long live the square hamburger. And the 99 cent menu is pretty solid…for 99 cents.

MATT: Goldy stole my answer with the Chick Fil A. I will say Cousins subs. I am rarely disappointed at Cousins.


Favorite sports venue in Wisconsin?

GOLDY Tough one. I would have to go with Miller Park. As much as I loved County, I actually saw a Brewers play-off victory that I can remember in Miller Park. Plus, it’s a cool place.

BRAD: Gotta go with Lambeau. A fantastic mix of history and new age. Friggin Vince Lombardi coached there! And who else has a Hall of Fame open year round?

MATT: Miller Park. Or the Straits Course at Whistling Straits, if you count the fact that it has hosted the PGA Championship.


What was “your number” growing up? (What number did you usually have on your sports jerseys?)

GOLDY For baseball: 19/17/16 – Yount/Grace/Random number I stuck with in Legion and HS. Basketball – 21/10 – Wilkins/Random that I equated to “normal” Dennis Rodman.

BRAD: 21. I really don’t know how I got this one. Wanted 33 (Larry Legend), but always went to a beefier player.

MATT: #13, but that was because of Dan Marino, not Big Dog.


If you have a son and he only plays one sport, what sport do you hope he plays?

GOLDY Baseball

BRAD: Basketball. I’m thinking high school level here….playing in a packed gym just has a different atmosphere that baseball and football can’t match.

MATT: I have a son, and that boy better golf. I could play with him until I'm 80, if things go right. He doesn't have to play competitively, just be able to get it around the course with me.


Do you drink Red Bull with out vodka?

GOLDY Heck yah.

BRAD: No chance.

MATT: No. I don't drink Red Bull with, or without, vodka. Las Vegas. Bachelor party. We drank the Venetian sports book out of Red Bull. I might have suffered a minor heart attack. Probably could have died. Enough said.


Big Dog or Ray Allen, and why?


GOLDY: Big Dog. Why? Uh, because. Seriously, I can’t come up with a great answer as to why. It’s strange because both guys actually wanted to be in Milwaukee. I think if Big Dog hits that 10-foot baseline jumper against Philly, his whole Bucks career is painted in a different light. The guy was terrible on D, we all knew that, so you didn’t expect much out of him at that end. I also found it funny the few times a year that he would slash to the basket and throw down a hellacious dunk. You would wonder where that had been all career. In the end, I guess I’ll go with Big Dog because I owned a Bucks #13 jersey and never a Bucks #34 jersey.

BRAD: Dogg. I agree with Matt. Couldn’t defend a lick, but he gave you 22 a night – no matter what. Dogg always got his.

MATT: For whatever reason, I've always had a special place for Big Dog in my heart. I hated Grant Hill coming out of college seeing as he was on Duke, so I wanted Big Dog to succeed so badly. I compared his stats to Hill's during their first few years, and managed to convince myself that Dog was the better pick because Hill couldn't shoot from the outside, never mind the defense, assists, etc. all favored Hill. So I made Dog into a player that he wasn't and that carried over to him being my favorite Buck when he was on the team. I could look past his lack of defense, or his seeming laziness because the guy could score the basketball. So I say Dog, and it has nothing to do with me not liking Ray Allen.

WOZ: Ray Allen. Simply for the fact that he absolutely killed the role of “Jesus Shuttlesworth” in “He Got Game.” The scenes with him and Rick Fox during the college campus visit were outstanding film drama. I particularly enjoy the scene of them eating outside right after Fox tells the white chicks “we’ll catch up with ya’ll later aight…” and Ray responds as they walk away by pounding on the table and asking in a low voice, “You hit those?” To which Fox replies, “About 50% from the field.”


Will you be going to Summerfest this year? If so, why? If not, why not?

GOLDY: There is potential. Honestly, I don’t have a ton of fun there. I guess it’s all about going with the right group of people and at this stage in my life, most of those people have kids, so it’s kind of hard to get everyone together at once. And honestly, I don’t find the scenery to be that great there. If you are all about single moms fro Stallis who smoke and have leathery skin from hitting the tanning beds too often, then this is the place for you. I guess if I come across free or severely discounted tickets and find some people to go with, I may attend. Leading bands to see of those who have been announced include: Rancid, Meat Puppets, Dropkick Murphys, The Gufs, Matisyahu, and Flogging Molly. Nobody I would go see just because they are there, but if I happened to be at Summerfest that day, I would see those bands.

BRAD: No. Last time I was there in about 1996, a bunch of thugs tried to run onto our shuttle bus (flashing gang signs the entire time) and whack my friend just because he is Asian. It was pretty surreal, actually.

MATT: If I go, it will be because my mother-in-law somehow got free tickets and I get dragged along with the family. I will spend my time marveling at the number of massive sunburns, and counting the number of chaches I see with no shirts on while wearing jeans. As you can see, I am not a fan of Summerfest. I will, however, be going to Fish Day.

WOZ: I’m a Summerfest junkie. People say it’s expensive, but if you are a music fan, you can’t deny the atmosphere. For a reasonable cost you have nothing but live music, beer, and the potential for deflowerment.


The last time I tailgated at Miller Park, I grilled ____ and drank _____.

GOLDY: Jim Beam burger from Sendiks (burger with bacon, cheese and Jim Beam in the patty) and drank High Life, Bell’s Oberon and some Red Bull and Vodkas.

BRAD: Johnsonville brats, High Life Light.

MATT: I grilled cheese/bacon burgers from Sendik's and drank Miller Hi Life Light.

WOZ: Meat and Miller Light. Then I went to the Spotlight Lounge after the game. Don’t tell me I don’t know how to enjoy myself.


If I could play only one more golf course in my life, it would be ________.

GOLDY: I really want to say Ives Grove in Racine since the fairways are wide open and that suits my game, but I need to pick something better than that. Since I can’t hit the ball straight, I don’t want to pick too difficult of a course, so famous ones are out. I’ll go with U Ridge in Madison. Much like Matt, I worked there in college and like playing the track and know how to play it. It has an open front and woodsy back, so you are getting some variation. Plus, I have the memory of washing Sal Bando’s clubs and getting a whole dollar as a tip. What a douche canoe.

MATT: This is very difficult to me. It would come down to one of four golf courses. Hawthorne Hills in Ozaukee County, University Ridge in Madison, Augusta or Pebble Beach. Obviously, these are very different plays. I grew up playing golf at Hawthorne Hills, and have played that course more than all other courses combined, I would venture to guess. So there are memories there, and I might want one last crack at it if I knew it would be the last course I play. Ditto for University Ridge. I worked there while in school, so I have played it a ton too, and again there are lots of memories. The other two are, in my mind, the best two courses that I haven't played. I've played the Old Course at St. Andrews, and I've played in Ireland, but to get to play Pebble or Augusta would be a thrill. I'm going to go sentimental here. Hawthorne Hills is my answer.

BRAD: Pirates Cove Mini Golf in the Dells. It’s the perfect combination of scenery, different colored balls, pirate ships and waterfalls.

WOZ: Assuming I’m picking a WI course, then I would go with the Fairways of Woodside in Sussex. Incredibly challenging relatively new course (maybe only 6-7 years old). The back 9 nine has one of the toughest 3 hole stretches in WI, with the last one being a DOUBLE dog leg par 5 with water to your left in play off the tee, and trees lining the fairway through the dog legs. If you don’t hit a perfect drive you are in jail the whole hole. I par it every time because I’m a natural athlete, but that’s beside the point .


Is NASCAR a sport?
GOLDY: Sure. Much more so than poker. The thing that kills me about NASCAR is listening to people at work talk about it. The highlights involve pit stops apparently. I think I am going to continue to stay away from this sport. I must say, I don’t mind “Days of Thunder” however.

BRAD: Yes. I watch the entire Daytona 500, and then about 10 laps combine the rest of the season. The pit crews, coordination with the crew chief, talent needed not to die…of course it’s a sport.

MATT: I will say yes, even though I don't follow NASCAR. It requires skill, people go to watch it. While it might not be athletically challenging like, say, basketball, I think it counts as a sport.

WOZ: There are people that claim bowling, darts, poker, backgammon, & cheerleading are sports. It’s all relative. Driving 200 miles an hour? Sure…why not. However, I don’t find it exciting like some people I know when discussing whether or not a guy should “pit” right now. So if racing is your bag, good for you. I’ll make fun of you behind your back.