It's hard to understand from a fan's perspective why the Indianapolis Colts threw away their chance at history by pulling Peyton Manning and other starters from their game with the Jets on Sunday. The Colts went on to lose the game and their chance at becoming the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to run the table. From Coach Jim Caldwell's perspective it's a little easier to understand. He's being judged by how deep the Colts go into the playoffs and a Super Bowl win is more important than a perfect season. If Manning stayed in a meaningless late season game and suffered a season-ending injury, Caldwell would have been skewered by the same people who are criticizing him now. If it was me...I'm keeping my key guys healthy until the games matter. Manning probably didn't like it....We know Brett Favre doesn't like it....but that's why the inmates don't run the asylum...they don't hold the proper long term perspective to make a good decision.

Packer coach Mike McCarthy will face that decision this week. The Packers made the playoffs Sunday with a stomping of Seattle. Now they face Arizona this week...a team they likely will play again the following week in a first round playoff game. Expect a vanilla game plan this week with the subs getting alot of time.

The Badger Men's basketball team keeps on rolling with wins over UW-MIlwaukee and Illinois-Chicago to prepare for the Big Ten schedule. They play Ohio State on New Years Eve. Alot of the pundits have Bucky finishing low in the conference this year. I think they're nuts. Hughes, Leuer  & Bohannon have Wisconsin playing well. Look for Bo Ryan's bunch to challenge for the conference title again.

i see the Daily Herald has chosen the 2000 Mosinee girls basketball team as the "Girls Team of the Decade. I covered that team and broadcast most of their games on WSAU. Before that I hadn't watched alot of girls basketball but that team was fun to see in action. They had a strong inside game with Amanda Nechuta and Becky Stieber and their guards could hit the 3. Rory Mckellips would have them practice against grown men so they were much more physical than any team they faced. That was a great few years as they made it to Madison three years in a row.

Sportstalk tonight at RJ's Bullshooters Saloon in Weston. We'll be giving away a pair of airline tickets from United Airlines. Also Denny Tauscher is scheduled to join us. It all starts at 6:05 on WSAU.

Songs of the Day

Do I Ever Cross Your Mind-Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmy Lou Harris (1999) from "Trio II" the second collaboration from these songbirds. It's a Parton song but Harris sung the lead on this version. Released 12 years after the original "Trio".

Dixie Chicken-Little Feat (1973) Lowell George may be the most underated singer-songwriter of the rock era. The 70's incarnation of this band was so good but so overlooked. George's untimely death in 1979 changed everything although Bill payne and Fred Tackett kept the band going...and they still tour & record today.