NEWS BLOG (WSAU) With Tom King on vacation, some odds-and-ends from the world of sports.

Watching the Brewers over the next two months of the season will be difficult for me. When I grew up watching the Yankees and Mets, the idea of my team being ‘sellers’ and trying to unload their veteran players is foreign to me. How’s a fan supposed to react when all the remaining games in August and September are meaningless?

I’m surprised at the number of Packers who failed their physicals at the start of training camp. A professional athlete makes his living from his body. To show up for work out-of-shape or unable to play is a bad sign. The Packers have also gone four months without seeing many of their players because OTA’s are a thing of the past. All the failed physicals yesterday may be a surprise to management.

Is the NFL really going to start pre-season football in 2-weeks with replacement referees? There is a lock-out. Everyone is fairly sure it will end by the time the real games start.

The Woodchucks have simply decided not to lose for the second half of the season. They’ve won 15 of their last 17 games – and are only up 2-games on Madison, who’ve also been a very hot team.

Late July is when my thoughts turn to the best horse racing of the year. Saratoga opened last week – the historic racetrack has hosted racing since 1863. Saratoga is great for four reasons: first, it attracts horses from around the country, so the racing is competitive and the handicapping is lucrative when you pick correctly; second, it’s the ultimate racetrack venue --- the Fenway Park or Lambeau Field of horse racing; third, the race-meeting is of manageable length - 40 days; and last, there’s no place where you can get as close to championship horses. Park at the training track and you can walk through the barn area. These are 4-legged athletes that are best-appreciated up close.

Chris Conley
7/26