Would Bobby Knight do it?

This is the question we must all ask ourselves when faced with a tough decision. Just apply it to everyday questions such as: Should go to school or work today? Should I have that next drink or 15th piece of pizza? Should I pick up Derek Lee or Prince Fielder in my fantasy baseball draft? Well, would Bob Knight do it? Would Bob Knight buy his wife tickets to an opera or tickets to a Wisconsin vs. Ohio State game?

This question was posed to me the other day by a great individual, Mallards Manager C.J. Thieleke (Coach). Last year I set Coach up with a program where he went and read to a local classroom for half an hour. He was a little worried when I first told him about the engagement that I had signed him up for. However, come game day he was in stellar form and loved the experience. Ever since that day I have not hesitated to sign him up for anything and everything community related.

Some of our recent adventures have been signing Coach up to be a Big Brother, for Big Brothers Big Sisters, offering his services to do a PSA for Club TNT, and offering to have him appear at local schools to kick off Maynard’s Lil’ Ducks Reading Program, presented by The Mattel Toy Store. The program has taken off like the ball off the end of a Rob Lyerly or future Mallard big Harold Riggins bat! There has been a great amount of feedback from area schools and teachers as they are all excited to sign their students up for the program. One of the features of the program is the opportunity to have either Maynard or Manager C.J. Thieleke come to your school for a kickoff or ending celebration to help create excitement about reading and highlight the importance of reading to the youth of American. At the moment, Maynard is up two on Coach (sorry Coach). Two all-school assembly’s have been scheduled at Lake View Elementary School and Windsor Elementary School thus far! (If your son or daughter goes to one of these schools you might want to tag along with them on the day of the assembly. As the Mallards embark into the school assembly circuit, it is sure to be entertaining and informative!)

With every new school that signs up I joke with Coach and tell him that I have signed him up to read in front of 300 or 400 kids and he always gives me the same great response..he throws his hands up and says, “What?, O, Come on Kev, what are you talking about, you’re crazy, you’re crazy”…Then he goes right back to hacking away at his laptop and continues looking up stats and rumors about future and current Mallard players. Things finally came to a boiling point for him the other week, as he was living the office to go home for the day I said, “ O, Coach by the way I signed you up to speak in front of a 2nd grade class to explain the importance of reading.” Then the phrase was born, he looked right at me and said, “Kev from now on, ask yourself this question before you sign me up for anything else; Would Bob Knight do it?” He then turned to walk out, but before he could take one step, I broke out laughing hysterically and so did Jerrad and finally Coach himself joined in. I don’t know if it was because Bob Knight happened to be in town for college game day or if he over heard me talking about going to the Badger vs. Ohio State game and all I wanted to do was meet Bobby, or what compelled him to say it, but whatever it was I am glad he did.

I have tried to consider the phrase when signing Coach up for engagements and activities since this day, but each time I can’t help but crack a smile and say, Yes Bob Knight would totally do this! Bob Knight would go to work everyday; he would not have that 15th piece of pizza or extra drink. Bob Knight would totally pick Derek Lee over Prince Fielder, and we would buy this wife tickets to the opera because he got free tickets to the Wisconsin vs. Ohio State game.

Well my laundry just finished drying so that must mean the time has come for me to leave you all once again. Until next time Mallard blog fan or fans…. keep on, keep truckin’!


Extras: Since my last posting (basketball and curling spiraling downwardly out of control), we have not lost a basketball game which is awesome. Our curling team on the other hand has not shared the same fortune, but we did have a bye this week so we didn’t lose, SCORE!

Nick's Fourth Installment - My favorite time of the year!

So just to retouch on my last blog entry my prediction that the Steelers would win came right, but it was a lot closer game than I anticipated. What a way to finish the game!

So we are still working at a feverish pace in the Mallards office securing sponsorship deals, selling tickets, ordering merchandise and other such goods that will be utilized during the summer. With all these activities going it makes it really hard and almost depressing to realize the season is still over 3 months away, but before you know it will be May 28th and Mallards Baseball will be back in full swing. Coach usually provides some comedic relief to make the days go by as well (You have to see his imitation of an official at a hockey game dropping the puck in a face-off).

So it’s about that time of year again...no NOT tax season, but time for March Madness! I think this is my favorite time of year, next to the start of our season. I miss the good ol’ days of being in college and skipping classes on the Thursday and Friday of the opening round and doing nothing but sitting around in sweats, throwing back some beers and then hitting up the KFC dinner buffet during the 5:00 news break to re-energize for the night cap. Vern runs a tight ship around here so I don’t think I could justify taking off two days of work.

Another favorite part of watching the tournament is CBS broadcaster Gus Johnson. I mean I have never heard a routine call in the game called so emphatically or with so much energy. Listen to my favorite Gus Johnson call by clicking Here

I am obviously a huge Badger fan and this year has not been such a great year as we have been spoiled with such great teams the past few years. I am glad to see that Bo rallied the troops after the six game loosing streak to put together a five game winning streak. I really thought we had Michigan State on Sunday. They played our type of game the first half, but in the second half we played their game and couldn’t get a good look at the basket while they weaved through screen after screen and got good looks at the basket. I really would have liked to see Tom Izzo whine and complain after the game. I can’t decide if I hate him or Ohio State head coach Thad Matta (aka Gonzo, pictured) more.

I think we have a chance to make the tournament but we need to win out to even have that chance. The trip to Minnesota worries me a little bit, as the “Barn” is always a tough place to win and you have to deal with the whole elevated floor thing. Tubby Smith has turned that program around and they will be a force to reckon with in the coming years. I think we should be able to take care of business in the friendly confines of the Kohl Center against Michigan and Indiana. I mean Indiana….I think they have a few guys from intramural teams playing for them. I think if they can make a push and win two games in the Big Ten tournament they should pretty much secure a spot in the “Big Dance”.

I am going to say the Badgers secure an 11 seed in the tournament and make it to the Sweet 16.

Here are a few teams that I like heading into tournament season:

Marquette Golden Eagles- I like in-state rival Marquette to do some damage. They probably have played one of the toughest schedules in the country and with the depth and experience of having these four guys, Dominic James, Lazar Haywood, Jerel McNeal and Madison native Wesley Matthews, watch out for them to make some noise in tournament.

North Carolina- I think the ACC is a bit watered down from previous years, but as expected Carolina should have a good run in the tournament. With Player of the Year from last season Tyler Hansbrough and a bench of young stars they should have no problem pushing their way into the Final Four.

Oklahoma- Two words. Blake Griffin. He is a freakin' man-child. I think this will be your 2009 National Champ.

Here is my Final Four: North Carolina, Oklahoma, Villanova, and UConn

Well I can’t wait for a few weekends from now when I can spend my whole weekend in a recliner laying in my own filth (I plan on not showering all weekend!), drinking beer and listening to the mellow sounds of Gus Johnson watching NCAA March Madness coverage……nothing better…OK, except for Mallards Opening Day!

Schmeltzer's 4th Post

Alright folks, so by this time next week we will be right around 100 days until Opening Day here at the "Duck Pond”. It’s unbelievable how quick that day will sneak up us. Every year it seems like we prepare ourselves better, but no matter what we do there are always things we wish we could have done better. After all, he ballpark is old and needs a lot of "TLC." In order to make things “shine” the way they do each and every year we lean heavily on the group of new interns we hire each summer.

The internship position is by no means glamorous, but we look forward to giving each kid a summer experience they will never forget. One fun fact here is that most of us here know what it’s like to be an intern. In fact, five out of current eight full-time employees working in our office had an internship in the Northwoods League at one point in their career. The other three have worked as a part-time employee with the Mallards before they were brought as a full-timer.

The interns are expected to report immediately at the end of their spring semester of school, which is normally the middle of May. This gives us approximately two weeks to educate them on our organization and basically all the “ins and outs” of the ballpark. During this time they will spend the majority of their 9 AM to 5 PM day working in their respective area of concentration. After 5 o’clock everyone pitches in where they can and we work into the wee hours of the night. No one has ever been excused from painting duties. We go through a lot of Old Virginia green paint.

We hire interns in the following areas; marketing, ballpark operations, public relations (PR) and tickets/hospitality. Each spot is an extension of the front office and extremely important in helping to run and maintain a successful team during the summer. The hours we generally work during the summer can range from 60-90 hours on a given week. Although, if you make the most of this opportunity and can have some fun with it, the time really flies.

For me, I will never forget the summer of 2004. I was brought on as a Marketing/Operations Intern. During the day, I spent a lot of time moving beer and taking care of random maintenance tasks around the ballpark. When it was game- time, I was running the on-field promotions. I had a great superior/manager by the name of Eric Bjorling. He taught me all there was to know about the organization and for that, I am forever grateful. Good looking out Phil!

I ate ballpark food for just about every meal, although those meals were few and far between. One is just so busy that you are either to tired, stressed or busy to eat. Did I mention this was probably the best summer I ever had? Honestly, the friendships you make and the people you meet really do make this an unforgettable “career”. I do want to stress that this is a career and not a job. One final note, that I’m sure every intern (male, at least) can relate to is the interaction you have with the owner of the team. Steve is such a popular guy and knows so many people, that the first few times he meets you (or in my case, a month later), there is a good chance he will refer to you as being a “tough guy”. At this time I want to give you a little taste of what the internship experience was like through the eyes of a few former Mallard interns:

Vinnie Cholewa, PR Intern ’04 & PR Manager ’05: The summer internship with the Mallards was amazing, to say the least. There is one night that will forever stick out in my mind. It was the morning (2 AM) of Opening Day and we were trying to put the final touches on what was an 18 hour work day (mind you, we needed to be up and function less than six hours later). There was a load of bark that we had picked up earlier in the day that was sitting in the bed of my truck and we needed to dump it and spread it before the night was done. You can only imagine how thrilled everyone was to start this task at that time. I do know, however, that the mosquitoes loved every minute of it. These things were vicious to say the very least and almost put me over the edge. Following that daunting task was this humungous rolling Pepsi cooler that was at the bottom of a ramp by “needed” to be moved before we went home. There were probably five of us still left at the park at this time and we couldn’t budge the thing. This was the moment in my internship that sparked something in me that gave me a whole new perspective on life. I was so tired, frustrated, irritated that I took it into my own hands and just bust through this rolling cooler with all I had. I single-handedly moved it up the ramp and out of the fire lane. The look on everyone’s faces was priceless. This just proved to me that one can accomplish anything that is set in front of them. The internship in general taught me to overcome adversity and face challenges head on. I truly have the upmost respect for Vern and the organization as a whole.

Vinnie was probably the only intern ever to have a summer internship and not only one, but two jobs! He spent time working for State Street Brats & Verizon that summer as well. Not to mention, he was known to sleep at the ballpark. On more occasion than once, we would get into the office around 8 AM and sure enough Vinnie would be plugging away at his computer. He once a claimed that he had been there since 5 AM dumping garbage and on his fifth Redbull of the morning. If that doesn’t say dedication (or BS) I’m not sure what does! Anyway, Vinnie is currently living down in Arizona working for Careerbuilder.com and going to school for his MBA at ASU. Good luck pal!

Brian Dodge, Operations Intern ’05: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
Being a die-hard baseball fan, nothing made me happier than getting to go to the ballpark every day for work. The long hours and other minor factors made the position incredibly draining mentally and physically, but in the end you tend to remember all the good things and very few of the bad things. I loved the guys that we worked with that summer and I always felt like we put a good product forward for our consumers.

Aaron Reinen, Tickets/Hospitality Intern ’08: To try and wrap the entire summer into 3-4 sentences is going to be difficult. It was such a great and enjoyable experience, that I really wouldn't know where to start. However, if there is one key skill that I learned and mastered this past summer was the ability to count. You wouldn't think that a skill learned so early in life would leave you, but after many years of using a calculator to do all your math you really do lose some of those skills. For this very reason I will always be in debit to the Mallards, it was this organization that allowed me to find my math self again through counting wristbands!

On a serious note, I do believe the internship is a great starting tool to find out if a job in sports is for you. If you are able to work 938 hours from May to Aug, and still be able to go into work with a smile on your face then you may have found the career path for you. I know it certainly was great for me as I pretty much did a 180 career wise and this past summer really allowed me to get on the right track. I still would like to find a position much like mine last summer, taking care of hospitality/suites and sales. Where and when I'll find something like this is up in the air. Retired (for now) Tarp Crew Member Out!

OK, I am going to wrap up this fairly lengthy blog. I would love to go on and on, because I could write a book with all the things that go on at this ballpark. In fact, I have always wanted to do a reality television series on the Mallards organization.

To be continued…

Jerrad IV Post: Mallards win MSCR basketball barn-burner, 29-22

Madison (Sherman Middle School) – In a battle for first place in the MSCR Basketball Cypress Division Monday night, the Madison Mallards upended Birrenkott Appliance 29-22 in a very-physical game in front of three people.

The game had a nightmare beginning for both squads as neither team was able to hit a shot until five minutes into the contest. Once the teams started getting lucky and were able to put the “sphere”-shaped ball through the “cylinder,” (Geometry 101) the crowd erupted with a loud roar (or cell-phone ring) and the three-person wave broke out.

A back-and-forth affair this was not. Often one team would score, followed by at least 11 or 12 empty possessions by both squads, until again; one individual would have his “stars aligned” and hit a shot. With the absence of Mallards star Nick Staehler, film crews for the taping of the “And 1” series were nowhere near Madison. However, on this night, even minus the television coverage, both teams had a lot to play for—I mean, this was for first place after all.

And just because the halftime score was only 15-13 (Mallards on top), that didn’t mean the first 20 minutes (continuous clock) were played in a laid-back “lah-dee-dah” fashion. This was hardly the case.

When it was apparent early on that the officials were going to call a very-loose game, the force of the physical punishment seemed to increase with every offensive-charge. I haven’t heard that many slaps since I fell asleep to the World Sumo Wrestling Championships on ESPN Classic a week ago. To be fair however, the referees called the game fairly for both sides (None of this Tim Donaghy stuff) and were able to exit the gym afterwards in world-record time.

No question the Mallards lunch-hour office meeting in preparation for tonight’s ballgame paid off. Manager C.J. Thieleke (aka “The Point”) drew some great circles on the erase board followed by arrows to other circles, and squiggly lines to other arrows, and so on and so forth.

Said Duck Blind Manager Kevin Caloia, “Yeah, I thought coach’s lunchtime artwork was just a mish-mash of unguided Dry Erase marker strokes, but really when you think about it, if you were to draw each person’s motion during a typical game, the ending result would be pretty close to what he scribbled.”

“Think about it,” he whispered, no doubt inspired by phone conversations with The “Dude” from the motion-picture ‘The Big Lebowski’ (set to visit the Duck Pond this summer!).

The Mallards, 2-0, 3-4 overall) had great team scoring numbers with nearly everyone scoring a point. But because exact numbers aren’t reported due to an incident last season involving a scorekeeper who hurt himself while laughing, this story can only be told through randomly placed player biographies.

General Manager Vern (“Charging Bull”) Stenman was his usual self tonight. With a head of steam, he bulldozed his way from the top of the key all the way to the basket--two points every time. Ninety percent of the time Vern is fouled hard; 12 percent of the time Vern goes to the free throw line. He matches the playing style of Mark Madsen of the Minnesota Timberwolves, fitting that if Vern indeed cared about the NBA, he’d be a T’Wolves fan.

John (“The Ove Glove”) Schmeltzer is about as tenacious a defender as you’re going to find in MSCR basketball. At least in the Cypress Division. Think Gary Payton, minus the trash talking. John is always “up in his opponents’ business” and looks more like he’s trying out for a spot on Texas Tech’s roster in Bobby Knight’s first try at reality television, “Knight School,” than he is playing time in the league. His breakaway steal and late layup tonight were huge and actually might’ve been a turning point in the victory.

Mike (“O-Charge”) Then has to be considered for the team’s 1B Defender Award to Schmeltzer. With orange shoes that scream customization, Mike is another in-your-face ball-hawker who just so happens to be involved with the two-hardest fouls in the past two weeks. For that Mike, your teammates say “whew!” Tonight, he popped a few three-pointers and picked up a key offensive charge on his opponent late in the game. Indiana Pacer-great Reggie Miller was a very underrated ball defender, and Mike is too.

Nick (“Franchisor”) Staehler received his nickname from receiving royalties from opponents who’d rather throw their money and run than play the Mallards No.1 option. His game belongs in the motion offense where he has room to flash from the top of the lane and into the paint. His next move has opponents perplexed beyond no-end. Sometimes it’s the straight glide to the rim with a guide from the backboard; sometimes it’s a pull-up jumper with an Austin Croshere-like run back downcourt; or, this is the best, sometimes it’s a circus-style scoop shot that amazingly, seems to go in more times than not.

Kevin (“Spin City”) Caloia definitely exudes an old school approach to the game of basketball. The nimble-footed forward would rather spin around you than jump over. And it’s frustrating to stop because you cannot. Although again, statistics are not official, it is believed that at this point Kevin leads the team in banked-in free throws, but Stenman is close behind. Those in MSCR basketball circles have compared Caloia’s game to that of former Sacramento King center Vlade Divac…minus the flopping, sometimes.

C.J. (“The Point”) Thieleke is of course, the quarterback of the team. He’s barking out plays upon plays, formations upon formations, numbers upon numbers, and let it be known—he sure knows when to call a timeout. Maybe he just likes calling one because his summer gig (baseball) doesn’t allow him to, who knows? Like a true leader, he demands a lot of himself and oftentimes makes self-substitutions if he thinks someone else can contribute in his place. He’s that old-school type; think of a back-in-the-day Vancouver Grizzly Damon Stoudamire and Indiana Pacer Jalen Rose combination. CJ had a quick five points tonight and later made a sweet breakaway layup to put the Mallards ahead for good.

Steven (Slippery Salmon”) Stewart, now there’s one hard to catch fish. You better keep your eye on him, or you’ll lose sight of him fast. The comparisons can be made to former Chicago Bulls star role-player Toni Kukoc. Both change the game when they’re on the court and they do the little things necessary to win ballgames. In a real-time comparison, think of Steven as being today’s most unsung NBA player, Houston Rockets forward Shane Battier.

In the end, the Mallards outscored their opponent 14-9 in the second half to close out a 29-22 win. The victory pushes the team to 2-0 in the second half, with a date with the “Comets” lurking next week.

Time of Game: Under an hour, we know for sure

Attendance: 3 (Thanks Mary!)

Injuries: Thieleke (sprained right knee, day-to-day); Staehler (flu-like symptoms, day-to-day)

Mike's 4th post: All baseball, all the time!

Since my last blog entry I think I have found one of the single greatest television channels ever created…THE MLB NETWORK! For those of you who haven’t tuned in yet, it is on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and it is ALL baseball. For a baseball junkie like me, it is almost like there is no off-season. Everyday they replay some of the best games of seasons past. They have a studio where they try and re-create the greatest plays and go as far as breaking them down to show you how one little misstep or an extra pause by the pitcher would have completely changed the outcome of the play. There is a scrolling marquee at the bottom of the screen giving updates on all the trades, free agent signings and players still on the open market. One of my favorite programs is “Cathedrals of the Game” where they go in-depth for 30 minutes about historic stadiums or new-age technology taking over in the new stadiums. It’s AWESOME!

As I was flipping through the channels the other day, I noticed that the MLB Network was playing great pitching performances of the last century. Did you know that only 4 times in MLB history has a pitcher struck out 20 batters in a 9-inning game? Of the eight 19-strikeout performances, Randy Johnson did it twice in the same year (1997). Watching these games gives you an unbelievable appreciation of how incredible those feats really are. The stamina and control of the pitchers as they dominate opposing hitters blows your mind. I was mesmerized and couldn’t change the channel.

Another great segment I am addicted to is “Prime 9”. A panel of judges compile what they believe are the top 9 plays, games, or players in a certain category. It is definitely open to opinion of the judges but seeing the footage, listening to the players talk about their experiences and sometimes getting chills down your spine as you listen to how the game was originally called, makes me tune in every chance I get.

Now with spring training only days away and the first game of the spring season fast approaching MLB Network will help serve another purpose in my passion for the game of baseball: Fantasy Baseball. Last year, I played in 4 different leagues, all which required daily roster changes and were very competitive leagues. I try and do as much research as possible prior to draft days and having a resource like this channel will be great. (However, I do know just about all of the other members of those leagues are listening and watching as well). Here’s to another great year!

Switching gears a little bit, I need to give an update on Mallards Basketball 2009. After a fast start which saw the Mallards (wearing green jersey’s) win the opening game of the season, we haven’t been such “Lucky Ducks” and had dropped 4 consecutive games (all in which we wore white jersey’s). However, on Monday night, the slate was wiped clean and the second half started. Once again, we decided to break out the green jerseys and low and behold, WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER! The Mallards are now back in the win column and looking to keep the streak alive. We actually even had our very first fan attend a game the other night, so if there are more of you out there, let us know!

Well that’s it for now but not to worry, our very own season will be here in just over 100 days and your Madison Mallards will be back on the field making great plays of their own. Hope to see everyone at the yard.

VERN BLOG IV

Today everything seems right in the world. The Mallards Basketball team got our first win since week one of the season last night, the band I’m singing in (The Kites…more details in a later post) is starting to really sound great, there are strong signs that my daughter is a Bob Dylan fan, our staff are all doing a great job &, oh yeah, the Mallards promo schedule is really starting to come together as well.

So, those of you who follow Mallards Basketball team closely know that the last several weeks have provided a series of heart breaking defeats. Every loss (5) was within a few points & we had a chance almost every game to pull out a “W” well, until the game last week at least. Last week we got beat by 12 or so & it didn’t really even seem that close. To make it worse we actually seemed to play pretty well, but the other team just appeared that much better than us. Well it would be great to say that we learned from that loss & realized what we had to do to win last night…but that would be a bit misleading. The other team had four guys. Well for the first 5 minutes or so, after that they added a fifth guy. Best part was that our nine-man team only had a four point lead 5 minutes in! Anyway, we put it together pretty quick after the first five minutes & ended up winning by 16. Still it might be unfair to say we played great…the other guys might have been a bit tired…but hey, we’ll take any momentum we can get. Seriously though, we’ve got some good signs. Jerrad is lights out from 3-point land, C.J. is providing inspiration & game planning skills, Nick is solid as ever & we haven’t had to bring in Maynard yet to completely confuse our opposition.

So if you know me well, you know I’m kind of a Bob Dylan aficionado. The Dylan/Willie Nelson show we got to host in 2004 is definitely among my personal & career highlights (we’ve actually got an autographed Dylan Mallards uniform in the office). So when Christmas time came last December I was excited to find an illustrated version of the classic Dylan song “Forever Young” for kids. So of course I got it…technically I gave it to Kallie & Chloe, but it may have been (well it was) more for me. Chloe didn’t really appear to care too much about the book until the last week or so. She has started grabbing the book & bringing it over to me & insist that I sing it to her. Can’t beat that.

Oh yeah, Mallards promotions. Here is a quick list of some of the things we’ve been working on lately (nothing is final yet, but hopefully a lot of these will happen):
• Classic Bobble Boy Bobblehead
• Adam West at the Duck Pond – yeah!
• Original Star Trek character?
• Organic T-Shirts for on Summer Time St. Patty’s Night
• Big Lebowski Night – looking more & more like a lock!
• Swedish National team vs. Mallards (pre-season)
• Laser Light Show
So, it looks like the only bad thing is that Opening Day is still 110 days away. The good news is that pitchers & catchers will report in less than a week to MLB Spring Training. Which reminds me…Kallie & I will be throwing a big Twins Opening Day party at our house on the night of Monday, April 6th. We just won a big Weber Smoker last weekend at “Grill N’ 4 Peace” & I plan on putting it to good use for the celebration of the Twins returning to the field. If you are a Twins fan, or a Mallards fan looking for the inside scoop, or just like good food & would like to come over, just send me an email sometime & I’ll send you the specifics.

Liz's 3rd Blog: "February!"

Here we are on the 3^rd day of February. We have survived one month of 2009, the NFL season is over with the Pittsburgh Steelers winning the Super Bowl for the sixth time, and Jimmy the groundhog has seen his shadow so we can expect another six weeks of winter! Although I am always excited for spring, I am particularly excited this year. I am excited for warmer weather, Brewers baseball, and of course the best Mallards season yet.

However, I am also excited for spring as I have started coaching softball again. I am the assistant coach for the 12 U Xplozion Softball team. We practice every Sunday for 2.5 hours. Each week the girls are improving and learning more about the game. This past weekend we played in an indoor tournament at the Wisconsin Center in Wisconsin Dells. The tournament was great! It showed us what we need to work on, things we haven’t covered yet and gave the girls the chance to see live pitching, which is always helpful. Although I will not be able to coach all the tournaments this summer, it has been great working with the girls and being around softball again.

As for the Super Bowl, I was really hoping to see the Arizona Cardinals pull it off, but I must say it was one of the most exciting Super Bowls I have ever seen. The game was back and forth the entire time, Larry Fitzgerald had an amazing game, and Santonio Holmes was UNBELIEVABLE. The catch he had to put the Steelers ahead was spectacular. I also enjoyed the halftime show and thought Jennifer Hudson’s National Anthem was phenomenal. What a venue to make your first appearance after the tragedy of losing her mother, brother and nephew this fall. I don’t know I would have been able to do what she did, but I thought it was great!

I was also pleased with the commercials; my favorites were the Budweiser ones. The first Bud Light commercial with the guy getting thrown out the window for suggesting the company stopped purchasing Bud Light for all their staff meetings was the best in my opinion. And I also really enjoyed the one second High Life commercial. I wasn’t very impressed with the Coca Cola commercials; they were too plain and boring. I spent the Super Bowl with the guys from the office, which has become a bit of a tradition it seems. We enjoyed a nice spread of food, highlighted with homemade salsa and guacamole by Mike and John respectively. The salsa Mike made defiantly had some kick which I liked and John’s "guac" was good as usual. I made BBQ meatballs which seemed to go over pretty good; it is always a good thing when the dish you take to a pass is gone by the time you leave!

As far as the Mallards go, we are doing our best to get information out to companies, fans, players, host families and the Madison area. We are all busy making calls, setting up meetings and emailing. One new package we have put together is the Victory Plan Package. The Victory Plan includes one box or bleacher seat to the June 2^nd, June 11^th, July 7^th and July 10^th game. Each of these games that the Mallards win you will receive a FREE ticket to a future Mallards game! That means you can get up to 8 games in this package. The package is only $36 and is available now! Call the Mallards office for more information.

Thanks for tuning in for my third blog and congrats to the Pittsburgh Steelers!