We begin with an interesting non-musical anniversary: Today in 1945, Major League Baseball sold the advertising rights for the World Series to Gillette for $150,000. Gillette for years afterward got to decide who the announcers for the World Series (typically one per World Series team in the days before color commentators) would be on first radio and then TV.
Today is the “fall” primary election in Wisconsin, though the weather is far from fall-like.
The biggest race on the Democratic side is, of course, the 337-candidate gubernatorial primary.
The favorite is supposedly Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers, basically because he’s won statewide elections before now. Evers is not only a politician, but he comes from the education bureaucracy. which makes him doubly bad.
Of the Democrats, Christian Schneider writes:
According to the Marquette Law School poll, State Superintendent [of Public Instriuction] Tony Evers has hovered in the mid-20% to low 30% range, with no other Democratic contender even registering in the double-digits.
Either the other seven remaining candidates are all completely inept, or they simply don’t want to win. Only sporadically has another Democrat taken a gentle jab at Evers, the clear frontrunner. Instead, they all emphasize their own credentials and criticize Walker, giving Evers a clear path to stroll to the nomination on Tuesday.
In a perfect world, candidates would be able to simply discuss their own qualifications and leave it up to voters to make their own choices. But this is real politics, where successful candidates not only have to promote their own ideas but explain why the other candidates are wrong. The other seven candidates needed to bring Evers’ numbers down in order to overtake him; instead, they gave him a free pass.
Of the group of Democrats, only gruff attorney Matt Flynn has aggressively targeted Evers, arguing in a debate this week that Walker would “have (Evers) for lunch.” (This likely would only happen if Evers were dressed as a ham sandwich and hiding in a paper bag.) Yet Flynn has little chance of making up ground on Evers, as other prominent state Democrats have called for him to drop out of the race because of his work defending the Milwaukee Roman Catholic Archdiocese.
Other plausible challengers, including former State Rep. Kelda Roys and firefighter Mahlon Mitchell, have decided to take a knee. Both had the chance to go negative on Evers weeks ago, but each demurred, intent to simply ride out the election. Both have young families that they may not want to have subjected to a fierce general election; perhaps neither thought they could put in the time needed to raise enough money to challenge Walker’s war chest.
Roys’ timidity is especially puzzling, given the fact that she loaned her own campaign nearly a quarter of a million dollars to keep it alive. She even received the backing of the wealthy EMILY’s List, but special interest groups can read polls, too, and they passed on dumping a truckload of money on her behalf. Clearly, Roys is the candidate Walker would least like to face in the general election, but if it wasn’t for fringe candidate Josh Pade polling at 0%, she’d be in last place.
And, of course, there are candidates like State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, Mike McCabe, and Madison Mayor Paul Soglin who are just along for the ride. In the last reporting period, Vinehout reported raising and spending almost no funds. Soglin, who dubbed his vanity candidacy as a “Supper Club” campaign, seems like he may have just been very hungry when he made his choice to run.
While Flynn has almost no chance of winning, he is right in one respect — Evers is the guy Walker likely wants in the general election. At the state level, the two have worked together, with Evers even calling Walker’s most recent education a “kid-friendly” budget. Undoubtedly, Walker has these quotes in his chamber, ready to use them to blunt criticism of his tenure as governor.
Evers and the other Democrats have been bashing Walker for not spending enough money on schools, despite the fact that K–12 spending is up 21 percent since Walker’s first budget and up 12 percent since Gov. James Doyle’s last budget. Evers has also been talking about what needs to be done with schools, which is odd for someone who was supposedly in charge of the state’s schools since he was elected in 2009. (Evers’ Department of Public Instruction media minions keep referring to him as “State Superintendent,” as if Evers has more power than he actually does.)
What about the other candidates? Mitchell has been sending news releases about how much money he’s raised, though that has not apparently led to noticeable popularity. Mitchell is also a government union head, which should make him ineligible for elective office.
I would have expected more of a race from Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, but he got on the ballot and, if he hasn’t stopped campaigning since then, he’s been practically invisible, matching his polling. I would have expected more of a race from state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D–Alma) as well, because as a non-Madisonian one would have thought Vinehout could have caused Walker more problems than Roys, but Vinehout’s campaign hasn’t gone anywhere either.
The only candidate that deserves some respect for at least not being a hypocrite is Mike McCabe, who at least has not been aping his fellow Democrats by accepting huge sums of campaign donations and then decrying big money in politics. I wouldn’t call McCabe exactly a moderate, but it’s too bad he didn’t run as an independent instead of a Democrat, since he styled himself as the critic of both parties and government as usual, although his Blue Jean Nation’s Five Aims are big government as usual.
The biggest race on the Republican side, of course, is the U.S. Senate primary, essentially between (though there are other candidates) Sen. Leah Vukmir (R–Brookfield) and former Democrat Kevin Nicholson.
Nicholson has run a stupid race fueled by the money of people who evidently know very little about Wisconsin. It is impossible to imagine how Vukmir, who led the way on Act 10, several tax cuts and other reforms since Walker became governor, can be called unconservative, whether or not you agree with her votes. Nicholson, a former member of the Democratic Party hierarchy, has been far less persuasive than another former Democrat, Ronald Reagan, about why he is an ex-Democrat.
Nicholson’s entire campaign seems to be (1) he was a Marine and (2) he’s running for office for the first time. Being a veteran means you served your country; it does not necessarily mean by itself that you should be elected to office. Nicholson should be running for something other than U.S. Senate first. Nicholson also has yet to explain why he has any chance at all against U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D–Wisconsin) when Vukmir would seem much more likely to get women to vote for her.
One of the Congressional primary races is in the Fifth Congressional District, where U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R–Menomonee Falls) faces an opponent who appears to hold multiple and opposite positions on one issue, James Wigderson reports:
Longtime conservative Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI5) has an opponent in the Republican primary, Dr. Jennifer Vipond of Brookfield. Vipond claims to be a lifelong Republican, and even claimed on Facebook that’s she’s pro-life.
However, Vipond is definitely not pro-life and is in favor of legalized abortion. At a “meet the candidate” event in West Allis, Vipond made her position clear.
“I believe that abortion should not be illegal,” Vipond said. Then echoing the Clinton-esque “safe, legal and rare,” position, Vipond said, “I believe the demand for abortion should be eliminated.”
Vipond also said she would not support legislationto make abortion illegal. “I don’t know. Probably not,” Vipond said. “Making abortion illegal does not reduce the demand for an abortion. Making abortion illegal would make it possibly less likely but it…”
At that point, she was interrupted with a question if she would support a ban after 26 weeks, Vipond responded that she would support a ban after 20 weeks. But then she offered support for “health centers” such as those run by Planned Parenthood.
“The real way to reduce abortions is to get rid of abortions would be health centers and adequate health care,” Vipond said, and said more access to long-term contraceptives would reduce unwanted pregnancies.
“With the technology that we have, abortion should be a very rare event,” Vipond said.
Vipond also claimed that, because of a questionnaire she received, she learned that to be considered pro-life meant that a candidate had to be against all contraception, a position that is incorrect. While many pro-life organizations oppose artificial contraception for a variety of reasons, including those contraceptives that can be used to induce abortions, being pro-life does not mean opposing all forms of contraception.
“I strongly believe in birth control, and condoms. I’ve been prescribing them for 27 years,” Vipond said. “And even if I tried to say that I don’t believe in them, no one would believe me because, you know, 3,000 girls in Waukesha would hold up their prescription with my name on it.”
When asked to choose between being described as pro-life or pro-choice, Vipond said, “Pro-reality. The pro-life people say that you cannot have birth control, condoms, obviously abortion, or education. I cannot say that I am that.”
On the right to bear arms, Vipond refused to answer the National Rifle Association survey, earning an F rating. While she says on her website that she supports the right to bear arms, she would support raising the minimum age to buy a semi-automatic rifle to 21 and would support limits on magazine sizes. She would also support a federal requirement for a minimum amount of instruction for concealed carry permits, and would increase the amount of background checks needed for private sales.
Vipond likes to engage in conspiracy theories, attacking Sensenbrenner because he dares to own pharmaceutical stocks and blaming Congress for the opioid problem. Of course, she’s ignoring the work that Congress, including Sensenbrenner, and Wisconsin Republicans have done to combat the opioid epidemic, and even the bill he introduced to fight Fentanyl abuse.
Vipond even went full-tilt conspiratorial by accusing Sensenbrenner of avoiding media appearances because he didn’t want to give her publicity, even though Sensenbrenner has made countless appearances at town hall meetings with his constituents and is one of the most visible members of Congress in Wisconsin. Apparently Vipond is unaware that equal time restrictions no longer apply and that a Sensenbrenner appearance on any radio or television program does not mean she would be invited on.
Ironically, Vipond brings in a former local politician to accuse Sensenbrenner of being part of “the swamp,” her “friend,” former Village of Menomonee Falls President Joe Greco Sr. As long time observers of Menomonee Falls politics will note, Greco accusing anyone of being part of a political swamp is like an alligator calling someone a reptile.
No suprise, Vipond is being promoted by a very liberal Republican group, Republican Women for Progress, an organization that began as “Republican Women for Hillary” in 2016.
Then there’s the race for state treasurer, a position that, irrespective of how the state’s voters voted in the April referendum, should not exist. I voted for neither Republican, but James Wigderson reports:
The GOP primary for state treasurer got personal Wednesday night when one candidate, Jill Millies, said in a Facebook post that her opponent, Travis Hartwig, would be shot and that his fiancée will be raped.
The post was allegedly in response to Hartwig’s positions on gun control and abortion. Hartwig is pro-life and has an AQ rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA). Millies is for legalized abortion, including support for government funding of Planned Parenthood, and gets an F rating from the NRA.
In an interview on Thursday, Hartwig said he had to re-read the post after being stunned by the content.
“I didn’t think my opponent would go there,” Hartwig said. “And then we started taking it very seriously. We thought it was very inappropriate for anyone to threaten rape or gun violence in a post like that.”
Hartwig said it was especially upsetting that his fiancée was mentioned in Millies’ Facebook post.
“I personally chose to be in this race. I understand politics is ugly,” Hartwig said. “But personally I think my fiancée deserves better than that.”
Millies deleted the post on Thursday and issued an apology on Facebook to those that read it, but not to Hartwig, whose supporters caused her to lose her temper, she claims.
“I would like to apologize to anyone who read last nights comments on Facebook,” Millies wrote. “They have been deleted. My opponent and his supporters got the best of me and drew me into a fight on our beliefs of abortion.”
Millies then attempted to deflect attention by pointing to one question from the Ivoter Guide survey that she says prompted the exchange:
According to Ivoter Guide this question was:
Q: Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Travis said NONE
Jill said “In any case of rape, or the woman is not mentally stable or in health issues.”However, the Ivoter Guide asked the candidates if they agree or disagree with the statement, “Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.” Millies said she disagreed while Hartwig agreed.
The guide also asked the candidates to agree or disagree with a statement about Planned Parenthood, “Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments.” Millies disagreed while Hartwig agreed.
While Millies did not respond to our request for an interview, she told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the post was written out of frustration.
“Push come to shove, this is my first time in politics and I’m just sick and tired of Travis and his little minions coming onto my Facebook page and bashing the hell out of me all the time,” Millies told the newspaper. “I guess I just blew it after awhile.”
It’s not clear to me why abortion rights and gun control are issues in a state treasurer’s race. This kerfuffle suggests at a minimum that Millies lacks sufficient judgment to be an elected official until she learns to not assault those with different views from herself on social media, given that if she wins the primary she’s going to have to get the support of those who didn’t vote for her to win in November.
I wrote in Mrs. Presteblog for state treasurer. I voted for Jay Schroeder for secretary of state even though I believe neither office should exist. Secretary of State Douglas La Follette shouldn’t be paid $70,000 a year to protect the state seal.
Cast an informed vote today.
The number one song today in 1965:
Three years later, the singer of the number one song in Britain announced …
Today in 1976, Chicago released what would become its first number one single, to the regret of all true brass rock fans:
M.D. Kittle reports:
A newly released poll provides a compelling counterpoint to the Democratic Party “Blue Wave” narrative – at least in the Wisconsin Legislature.
The poll, commissioned by the Brookfield-based Jobs First Coalition, surveyed 600 likely voters in “Wisconsin Target Districts,” eight legislative districts that could very well determine control of the Legislature in 2019.
“I don’t think you will see a blue wave hitting the Wisconsin Legislature,” said former GOP Assembly Speaker and Jobs First Coalition adviser Scott Jensen.
Republicans hold a slight advantage over Democrats, the poll found, in these districts, with 41 percent of respondents saying they would definitely or probably vote Republican if the elections for state legislator were held today. That compares to 39 percent saying they would vote for a Democrat. A total of 22 percent make up the Lean/Undecided/or refused to answer category of voter in the districts, so despite the bitterly divided nature of Wisconsin politics, there remain plenty of voters to win over.
The poll was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies on July 29-31. The Republican polling firm, led by pollster and researcher Gene Ulm, has been conducting polls in Wisconsin for decades.
Among its key findings, the poll found that Gov. Scott Walker’s approval rating in these key districts is well above water, at 54 percent. Meanwhile, the disapproval rating for the Republican incumbent, seeking his third term, is at 43 percent, according to the poll.
Assembly districts 49, 50, 51, 68, 72, and 85, and Senate districts 17 and 23 – including Chippewa and Eau Claire counties in the west to Grant County in far southwestern Wisconsin – make up these all-important swing districts.
They supported Walker in 2014 and helped turn Wisconsin from blue to red in the 2016 presidential election that saw the surprising victory of Republican Donald Trump.
“They haven’t changed their minds how they voted in the last two election cycles for Walker and Trump,” Jensen said of voters in the legislative districts.
Walker’s job approval rating was 47 percent, with 45 percent of respondents disapproving, in the most recent statewide Marquette Law School poll last month. The governor’s numbers rose to 52 percent approval when voters were asked whether Wisconsin was headed in the right direction.
But it’s in the smaller target districts, which gave Walker critical support in the 2012 recall election, where the 2018 general elections will be won or lost, Jensen said. And Walker holds an 11 percentage point favorability lead here.
“Gov. Walker is in a very strong position in the swing districts around the state where the Legislature’s control will be determined,” Jensen said.
Many of these swing districts include so-called “pivot counties” that voted for Republican Trump in 2016 after voting for Democrat President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, according to Ballotpedia. Wisconsin had 23 of the 206 pivot counties in 34 states.
Trump’s job approval rating in the eight swing districts is right-side up, as well. The Jobs First Coalition poll found 49 percent of likely voters approved of the president’s job performance, while 47 percent disapproved. Like several other polls, Trump had significant support (89 percent) among voters in his party, and perhaps more impressive, 49 percent approval among undecided voters and 61 percent among the “Movers” category.
While mid-term elections historically have run against the party in power, the latest polling figures suggest some potential lessening of that trend.
The poll found that health care and public education should be the main focus of state government, or anyone hoping to be elected to serve.
Twenty-three percent of respondents ranked health care as a top policy concern; 23 percent of Republicans, 27 percent of Democrats, and 22 percent of Independents.
Improving education was a top priority for 21 percent of respondents, with 37 percent of Democrats and 22 percent of Independents saying so. Only 7 percent of Republicans surveyed put the issue at the top of the priority list.
Improving the economy ranked third on the primary focus list, with 13 percent of likely voters in the target districts ranking jobs and economic growth the number one priority – 22 percent of Republicans, but only 11 percent of independents and 5 percent of Democrats.
Despite all of the legislative battles over the state of Wisconsin’s roads and funding for them, 9 percent of the poll’s respondents said road repair was a top issue.
And 6 percent of likely voters in the target districts say holding the line on taxes is the biggest policy concern. Another 10 percent said they wanted to see a reduction in government spending. Not surprisingly, 14 percent of Republican respondents cited shrinking the size of government as a major issue, while just 5 percent of Democrats said so.
Income and property taxes remain the sources of government revenue that voters in the swing districts would most like to see cut. The poll found 34 percent of respondents – 30 percent Republicans, 38 percent Democrats – favor cutting individual income taxes first. Just below that, at 33 percent of respondents – 39 percent Republicans, 29 percent Democrats – would first choose to trim their property taxes.
The MacIver Institute has proposed “A Glide Path To A 3% Flat Income Tax,” which would go a long way in reducing the tax burden in a state long known for its high tax rate rankings.
The poll looked at a number of controversial ideas or proposals from Democratic candidates, including tax increases, non-resident voting, and a sweeping prison inmate release plan. Those ideas did not test well in the swing districts.
A vast majority of respondents – 71 percent – said they were “Much Less Likely” to vote for a Democratic candidate who wants to release half of the inmates currently in Wisconsin’s prisons; 12,000 convicted felons, some of which are serving time for committing the most violent crimes like murder and rape.
That bold idea comes from Democrat gubernatorial candidate and Madison ultra-liberal, Kelda Roys, who told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last month that she would halve the prison population through more parole options, the release of ill and aging inmates, and legalizing marijuana.
The poll found 66 percent of respondents were less likely to vote for candidates who support allowing non-residents to vote in Wisconsin elections.
More than half of respondents weren’t crazy about a liberal proposal to raise Wisconsin taxes by $460 million. That provision is part of Rep. Chris Taylor’s proposed amendments to the state constitution. That’s the price tag of Assembly Democrats’ progressive income tax.
The Assembly Democrat manifesto also includes a provision allowing local government to regulate the carrying of arms, effectively gutting the Second Amendment and the state’s concealed carry law. The poll found more than half of respondents were much less likely to vote for a Democrat candidate who supports allowing local governments to override the Wisconsin state constitution and “restrict the right to bear arms by law abiding citizens.”
But only 33 percent of likely voters said they would be less likely to support a Democrat who would vote to legalize recreational marijuana. Fifty percent of Republicans said as much, while just 17 percent of Democrats sounded opposed to such a proposal.
A majority of poll respondents (51 percent) support the Foxconn incentives deal, with 24 percent strongly in favor, and 27 percent somewhat in favor. On the other side, 30 percent of the likely voters surveyed were strongly opposed, and 13 percent somewhat opposed.
“A lot of Democrats are counting on (the Foxconn deal) to be one of their issues that’s going to help them capture the majority, and I just don’t see that,” Jensen said.
That is certainly interesting reading for someone who lives in the 17th Senate District and the 49th Assembly District, both home to Presteblog World Headquarters. I find the labeling of those two districts as “swing” districts somewhat curious, however. Wisconsin’s reputation as voting on both sides of the political aisle in an election forgets that’s it’s not just whom you vote for, it’s the race too. The fact that a majority of people in a particular legislative district voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump in 2016, or that they voted for Tammy Baldwin in 2012 and Ron Johnson in 2016 doesn’t tell you as much as you might think.
Recall that the 17th Senate District was the home of Sen. Dale Schultz (R–Richland Center) before his retirement in pique in 2014. My research at the time indicated that the 17th Senate District had been represented by a Democrat exactly twice since statehood, most recently after the 1974 election, when UW–Platteville Prof. Kathryn Morrison, who defeated Sen. Gordon Roseleip (R-Darlington), he of the famous butter vs. margarine taste test. Morrison’s Senate career lasted one term, until she lost to Richard Kreul in 1978.
After then-Rep. Howard Marklein (R–Spring Green) announced early in 2014 that he was running for the Senate, Schultz announced his retirement in rather bitchy fashion, not bothering to first announce his retirement to news media in his own Senate district. Compare and contrast:
Indeed, Marklein was so out of step with his future constituents that he won the 2014 election.
I haven’t had to research the 49th Assembly District, but I think it has similar history. The last Democrat to represent the 49th was Rep. Phil Garthwaite (D–Dickeyville). (Note: I covered Phil when he was a high school athlete at the late West Grant High School. Sigh.) He got elected in 2006 over colorful Rep. Gabe Loeffelholz (R–Platteville), and was reelected in 2008 before being flushed out with other Democrats in 2010. Rep. Travis Tranel (R–Cuba City) ended Garthwaite’s political career and hasn’t really been touched since then. Before Garthwaite, according to my research, a Democrat has not represented Grant County in the state Assembly since 1914.
The 51st Assembly District seems to be more close given that Iowa County is a more Democratic county. Marklein was replaced by Rep. Todd Novak (R–Dodgeville), who is also the Dodgeville mayor and a target of The C(r)apital Times because Novak breaks several Republican stereotypes. Novak had a narrow win in 2014 and in 2016 over a Sauk Prairie School District assistant superintendent, who is running against Novak again. The 50th Assembly District is an open seat after the retirement of Rep. Ed Brooks (R–Reedsburg).
Basically the Senate is considered close because had its majority trimmed to 18–15 in two (wasteful) special elections earlier this year. One of those, the 1st Senate District, will be rerun in November, and if they have any brains Rep. Andre Jacque (R–Manitowoc) and his campaign will be paying attention to the lessons taught by his loss in November.
To believe that the Democrats will flip the Senate basically requires you to believe that the special-election winner (the other will serve until 2020) will win in November and both Marklein and the other Senate district brought up here, the 23rd Senate District, will flip to Democrat. That is certainly possible; anything is possible in these tumultuous political days. Likely?
Wisconsinites Against the Fist posted Friday:
Today my favorite unhinged Madion blogger was making an endorsement for govenor. I am quoting this part of the post because it was the only part that mattered in the whole rant
“We must get back to the point where at the end of the day–whether we agree or not–we can grab a meal together or play a round of golf as friends. Too many stories of hostile Thanksgiving meals due to Walker pitting one group against the other must end.”
I find it odd he blames Scott Walker when it really comes down to the liberal left in this state and in this country being openly hostile. Actually the leadership of the party is guilty of encouraging this hostility. Until the left is able to come to terms with the reality that America wants responsible spending, wants job creations, want secure borders and expect accountability of our politicians, civility is going to be a thing of the past for a majority of them and the left will continue to encourage a hateful intolerant environment in America.
What the unnamed “unhinged Madison blogger” was really saying, of course, is (1) do what I want you to and (2) shut up. A majority of Wisconsin voters have been voting against that since 2012. That can come back if voters vote the wrong way Nov. 6. Recall that George Santayana observed that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
The number one song in Britain today in 1964 was brought back to popularity almost two decades later by the movie “Stripes”:
That same day, the Kinks hit the British charts for the first time with …
This was, of course, the number one song in the U.S. today in 1966:
Today in 1968, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham played together for the first time when they rehearsed at a London studio. You know them as Led Zeppelin:
We begin with a non-musical anniversary, though we can certainly add music:
On Aug. 11, 1919, Green Bay Press–Gazette sports editor George Calhoun and Indian Packing Co. employee Earl “Curly” Lambeau, a former Notre Dame football player, organized a pro football team that would be called the Green Bay Packers:
(Clearly the photo was not taken on this day in 1919. Measurable snow has never fallen in Wisconsin in August … so far.)
Today in 1964, the Beatles movie “A Hard Day’s Night” opened in New York:
Two years later, the Beatles opened their last American concert tour on the same day that John Lennon apologized for saying that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus. … Look, I wasn’t saying The Beatles are better than God or Jesus, I said ‘Beatles’ because it’s easy for me to talk about The Beatles. I could have said ‘TV’ or ‘Cinema’, ‘Motorcars’ or anything popular and would have got away with it…”
This week’s Sports Illustrated features …
… Wisconsin Badgers starting offensive linemen eating at a Red Robin restaurant, along with …
If center Tyler Biadasz had to endure an initiation when he became the youngest member of the Red Robin High Council, his fellow Wisconsin offensive linemen aren’t revealing any details. “The first rule of Fight Club,” left guard Michael Deiter says, “is don’t talk about Fight Club.”
That might be one of the most accessible, decipherable statements from a group that communicates frequently in quotes from movies (The Big Lebowski), TV shows (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Office, Trailer Park Boys) and YouTube videos featuring random Canadian bumpkins fixing cars. The more obscure the reference, the better. “Nobody knows what they’re talking about except for them,” Badgers quarterback Alex Hornibrook says.
That’s why one of the linemen drops a “Those are good burgers, Walter” (Steve Buscemi says it to John Goodman in Lebowski) as the group devours an array of burgers, shakes and french fries. This outpost of the Red Robin chain in a Madison suburb has become holy ground for the 300-pounders who protect Hornibrook and open holes for Heisman hopeful Jonathan Taylor. Deiter, Biadasz, left tackle Jon Dietzen and right tackle David Edwards populate the High Council, which meets weekly. Right guard Beau Benzschawel has yet to be admitted to the Council because of his insistence on ordering fish and chips or chicken fingers instead of a burger*. Yet all five agree on the restorative powers of Campfire Sauce, the barbecue sauce/mayonnaise mix into which they dunk dozens of fries on each visit. “Just get a light coating,” Edwards advises. “Not a huge glob.”
*Don’t feel bad for Benzschawel. He owns a boat, which makes him the most popular lineman on the mornings when the weather is nice and the walleye are biting.
These five began playing together in spring 2017, when Biadasz won the center job as a redshirt freshman. That allowed Deiter, who had been playing center, to move to left tackle. (Deiter has since flipped spots with Dietzen and starts preseason camp at left guard, where he began his career.) Last year, the Badgers averaged five yards a carry and allowed only 21 sacks. In the process, Wisconsin reached double-digit wins for the fourth consecutive season and won the Big Ten’s West division for the second consecutive season. Deiter, Edwards and Benzschawel explored the possibility of entering the NFL draft, but they quickly decided they wanted to play one more season together on the Wisconsin team that might finally be talented enough to break through, win the Big Ten and reach the College Football Playoff.
Indeed, SI ranks the Badgers third in the preseason rankings, and predicts a trip to the playoff.
The group also could pave the way for a Taylor assault on Melvin Gordon’s school record of 2,587 rushing yards, which could put the back in striking distance of the Division I mark held by Barry Sanders (2,628). Taylor ran for 1,977 yards as a freshman, but at first, he didn’t realize how dominant his offensive line was. At early practices, he would watch the line plow open a hole and wait. “I was hesitant to go through it,” Taylor says. “I didn’t think a hole was supposed to be that big.” Taylor assumed a safety or linebacker was hiding behind the mass of bodies waiting to clobber him. He quickly learned there is no trick. “Oh, that’s normal,” Taylor says. “Those guys have got that thing sealed off.”
They also regulate the mood of the offense. When players bicker in the huddle, Deiter bellows and quiets them so Hornibrook can call the next play. When a Tyler Childers song called “Charleston Girl” flows from the speakers at practice, Deiter screams the lyrics. This causes a chain reaction down the line that occasionally ends with five 300-pounders singing and dancing and Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Edwards yelling, “Why do we play this song?”
This apparent hivemind comforts Hornibrook, whose safety depends on the giants who gather to fish, to sing, to eat burgers and, ultimately, to move other large humans. “They’re never alone,” Hornibrook says. “They’re together all the time.” Deiter offers the ultimate explanation why. It’s not the Campfire Sauce. It’s the company.
“We’re forced to lift together. We’re forced to practice together. We’re forced to meet together,” he says. “That’s about it. All this stuff? We just like to do it. It’s pretty much an excuse for friends to hang out and eat their favorite food. We make this big thing about it, but it’s just us eating Red Robin. But when you know guys like that and you step on the field, nothing ever feels off. You’re playing Ohio State and it’s super loud. Frickin’ Nick Bosa is standing there. There’s a lot of stuff that can psyche you out. But then you look at Beau and he’s doing something stupid or Deitz is saying something stupid or it’s me saying something just so stupid. If you weren’t good friends, it would be so much different.”
Offensive line is, of course, the most important position group on offense. A quarterback has time to find receivers behind a good offensive line. A good running back has holes to run through behind a good offensive line. Behind a bad offensive line, neither happens.
This made me think of the 1980s Washington Redskins teams under coach Joe Gibbs. One reason why Gibbs should be mentioned as an answer to the question of the best coaches in the Super Bowl era is that he won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks and three different featured running backs. The reason was what were called the Hogs, the Redskins’ offensive line (including tight ends because Gibbs ran a two-tight-end one-running-back offense.) Gibbs won one Super Bowl with quarterback Joe Theismann and running back John Riggins. He won a second Super Bowl with quarterback Doug Williams (who had been beaten nearly to death by defenses at Tampa Bay and in the United States Football League) and previously-unheard-of running back Timmy Smith. He won a third Super Bowl with quarterback Mark Rypien and running back George Rodgers, who had been nearly beaten to death behind porous New Orleans (S)Aints offensive lines.
That’s basically how college football works. No player ever starts for more than four seasons, and that’s only if, like Hornibrook and before him Joel Stave, you start quarterbacks as freshmen. Coach Paul Chryst therefore has to change everybody every year or two, and yet he’s made it work every season.
Rev. Mike Donahue of Speed Memorial Church in Sellersburg, Ind.:
Recently I had a Facebook discussion about the Bible … well at least my interpretation of it. Now before I go further, however you believe is fine with me as long as it gets you to Christ. My discussion began after a relative posted Bible verses from the Old Testament. I came back with be careful because there are passages in the Old Testament we can not follow, because if we did we would be in jail.
Now I will give you my concern over what is happening in some churches concerning the Bible. Joel Osteen (televangelist) after every broadcast says, “get into a Bible believing church.” I have no problem with him saying that, but I believe to many churches are elevating the Bible above Christ. That concerns me on so many levels. First and foremost, the Bible is our guide to Christ … it is a love story from beginning to the end. I am familiar with people who can quote the Bible like a machine gun, but (you can tell) do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
As most of you know we can not follow everything in the Bible. Deuteronomy 21:18-21 talks about taking your stubborn and rebellious son to the elders of the city and “All the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die; so shall thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear”
Well, I don’t know about you, but there would be a lot of “men” going to jail if we did that today. Now does that invalidate the Bible … of course not. In seminary we did what is called exegesis a passage. What that means is when you read the passage you determine who wrote it, the time it was written and who his audience was we he wrote it. We can see that it was a specific audience the author was writing to.
The good thing is that it is easier to follow the New Testament then the Old Testament. I always tell anyone who wants to read the Bible for the first time start with the New Testament. If you read the Old Testament first you are going to be saying, “God really!”
Let us not forget John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” and John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” To me this means that we need to concentrate on what became the flesh … Jesus Christ.
Yes, we need to read the Bible; just don’t stay in the “Word,” but rather have that relationship with Jesus Christ. Remember none of Jesus’ disciples were seminary educated or Torah (Bible of Jesus’ time) scholars.He said, “follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” And they did!
Here’s my point: I would rather have a church say they were “Christ centered” then “Bible centered.” If you are always in the Word, then how do you have a relationship with a risen savior … who is a live and well in each one of us. So let’s be careful and not use the Bible as a club (to new Christians or anyone else), but rather a hug to get people to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Every day I am thankful that the Jesus Christ of the New Testament believed in me enough to call me into the ministry (for 30 years). I pray to Him everyday and read the Bible to make sure I am understanding the man, the son of God, named Jesus.
Rev. Donahue married us in 1992, by the way. His belief is that with one exception, a Bible verse requires a repeat reference somewhere else in the Bible to be valid for the purpose of Bible study. My favorite Bible verse, Psalm 146:3 — “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help” — is repeated in four other Psalms, as well as in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel.
The exception is John 3:16 — “For God gave the world his only begotten son, that those who believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting live.”
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