I expect the Bucks will win big tonight

On Monday the Bucks lost badly to the Orlando Magic. I wrote that their effort was shameful and worthy of rebuke. But all of the voices that matter disagreed with me. They excused the loss as a natural consequence of fatigue. The Bucks were too tired to play hard, in other words. After all, they had a tough overtime game the day before against the Chicago Bulls. And given that they lost, and their feelings were hurt, they were just a little too "spent" emotionally (calling Dr. Phil) and physically to put up a respectable effort against the Magic the following night. Or at least that was the company line, echoed by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Well, the Lakers lost a double overtime game last night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. And today they will make the five hour journey down I-94 (I'm sure they're flying, actually) to Milwaukee and they then will be expected to play a game tonight against the Bucks at the Bradley Center just as the Bucks were expected to play a game Monday night (never mind that they never in fact did) against the Magic.

The Bucks had better walk all over the Lakers tonight. After all, the Lakers are in the same position (possibly worse) that the Bucks were in on Monday, and Terry Stotts told us you can't be expected to play a competitive game the day after such an experience. So the Lakers shouldn't be able to muster a competitive effort tonight. Or so the logic goes.

I bet they will. They're coached by Phil Jackson.

Rosen still doesn't like Bogut

Granted I've been a bit harsh on Bucks C Andrew Bogut from time to time, but I can't lay a glove on foxsports.com's Charley Rosen when it comes to Aussie bashing. Rosen has never had anything better than a backhanded compliment for Bogut, and most of the time all he has had is mocking criticism.

Where shall I start? Well, I believe he once said Bogut was no better than Adam Keefe. Now he insists he is not as good as fellow Australian and former Bulls C Luc Longley. Ouch, mate. Who's next, Randy Bruer?

Actually, in fairness, Bogut set himself up for the Longley comparison by running his mouth about how much better he was than Longley before he (Bogut) had ever stepped foot on an NBA floor. So to some extent he had that one coming.

Shout out to Cheesehead Craig

This is a personal query for Cheesehead Craig that has nothing to do with the Bucks. Cheesehead, as you may recall, my brother is a fellow Minnesotan. He has recently moved from the downtown warehouse district out to the suburban tranquility of Wayzata and he is considering getting DirectTV so he can watch the Packers lose on the NFL Sunday package (he's hardcore Green and Gold -- hardcore!). He asked me if DirectTV was a good investment or whether he should stick with cable and just go find a Sunday bar. I couldn't give him an intelligent answer since I have no experience with it. Now, I'm assuming that you, a Cheddar boy stuck in the land of a thousand grain mills, probably have Direct TV or have considered it for the same reason my brother is considering it. My question: what, if anything, can you tell me to tell him about it? Thanks, bud.

Actually, if anyone, not just Craig, has anything to add regarding DirectTV, please do so in the comment section. Thanks. Go Bucks! Green and Growing!