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The Wisconsin Sportscast — Sports
The Wisconsin Sportscast

A weekly podcast with insights and analysis on the Wisconsin Badgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Bucks from two of Wisconsin’s most experienced sports journalists. Mike Lucas is a veteran sports columnist for the Cap Times and was a Badgers radio color commentator for over 25 years. Tom Oates was a sports reporter and columnist for the Wisconsin State Journal for 40 years.

Copyright: 2023 © Copyright The Cap Times

Latest Episodes:

Who’s Better Than Jordan Love? And Brewers Need a New CC Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, it’s that time of year where all the sports writers gather round to make lists.

A players poll of the top 100 NFL players listed Jordan Love at #72. Lucas and Oates don’t particularly agree (and neither does Micah Parsons), but it’s not completely inaccurate. Sure, his stats are good, but he hasn’t taken the jump to greatness that everyone’s expected. At least not yet.
Monday night was the MLB Home Run Derby, with Jordan Walker taking home this year’s prize. The show was a lot more exciting in recent years, says Lucas, thanks to some changes in format. Still, Lucas wonders: if you asked someone on the street, could they even tell you what sport Jordan Walker plays?
Sticking with baseball, the Brewers end the first half of their season with 59 wins, despite ending on a sour note. They are in desperate need of some new pitchers, Oates says. Could a big trade be on the horizon? Could another CC Sabathia be on their way to Milwaukee?

The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Shawn Eichorst’s Vision, and a Madisonian Goes to the All Star Game Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates are back in the studio after Tuesday’s press conference at Camp Randall.

Both boosters and former players were at Camp Randall to hear Shawn Eichorst give his welcome press conference. Those in attendance seemed to be giving him the benefit of the doubt after he admitted to some mistakes at Nebraska, but Oates still has one question: will he be able to reach out to all of his various constituencies, and not just focus on the players and coaches?
Madison West grad Drake Baldwin is continuing his great run in the MLB as he will be the starting catcher for next week’s All Star Game. And to think, after high school, he was thinking about focusing on hockey! Lucas and Oates remember him from his Madison days (including a short stint with the Madison Mallards), and say that he’s always had the right character to make it big.
Sticking with baseball, as the Brewers hold the second best record in all of the MLB, is WIlliam Contreras the true leader of the team? Resoundingly yes, say Lucas and Oates. He’s a high impact player who’s able to get into his pitchers’ faces sometimes, and he can do that because he knows that his pitchers trust him.

The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Madison’s Potential AD, and LeBron Wants a Championship Jul 01, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates beat the heat with some sports news across the country and here at home.

Reports are saying that Shawn Eichorst is likely to become UW-Madison’s next Athletic Director. It’s a pick with a lot of goods and bads, Lucas and Oates think. One one hand, he’s a nuts-and-bolts guy who’s known to treat players and coaches well. On the other hand, what exactly happened at Nebraska?
Serena Williams has made her big comeback after four years away from the court, and fell big time. Williams is one of the greatest competitors of all time, Lucas and Oates think, but she looked slow and mechanical in what was supposed to be her big return. Hopefully she’s serious about returning to tennis, and hopefully a little more time on the court will get her back into game shape.
LeBron James says he’s playing again next year, but it won’t be with the Lakers. Lucas and Oates think that Golden State is creating a pretty nice looking team to surround him. He might be 42 and certainly doesn’t play like he did a decade ago, but LeBron has a real shot of getting one last championship under his belt with the right team.

The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Giannis Trade, and the NBA Draft Jun 25, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates talk egos and a busy week for the Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo is gone from the Bucks, and has been traded to the Miami Heat. In return, they got a handful of players (who may or may not still be around come the season) and some nice draft picks. It was about as fair of a trade as they could get, Lucas and Oates think, though when you trade someone like Giannis you’ll never truly get your money's worth.
With those nice draft picks, the Bucks took in some decent players in the first round. It’ll be the last time they control their first round picks for many years, so you’d hope they’d make them count. Brayden Burries should be a very solid pick for the team, Oates thinks, as someone who could look a bit like Khris Middleton in the future. Nate Ament, on the other hand, could either work out really well or really poorly. Oates says he was drafted on his potential, so only time will tell if this draft was a success or a bust.
Finally, does Nick Boyd have a chance to still be drafted? As of Wednesday evening, Lucas and Oates think he has a chance late in the second round. His time with the Badgers really did him a lot of good, they think, as they let him show off what he could really do.

The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Remembering Henry Mason, and Where Will Giannis Go? Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, no pro wrestlers join the show, to the disappointment of Lucas.

Lucas and Oates attended the celebration of life of former Badgers Football Assistant Coach Henry Mason this past weekend. The room was filled to the brim with great people sharing great stories about a man who, while maybe not as well known to the fans, was beloved in the locker room. Mason, who died this past spring, was known for his warmth and as a guy who treated everyone who came his way with respect.
Turning to the NBA, the Knicks had a fantastic story come to a close after they took home the NBA Championship. Jalen Brunson was the star of the show, says Oates, as someone who’s been a true winner even since high school. At the end of the day, the Spurs were just too inexperienced to take on that kind of talent that was dominating the entire playoffs.
By this time next week, Lucas and Oates think that Giannis Antetokounmpo will have a new home. Miami, Cleveland and Boston are on the shortlist, with both good players and draft capital to spend that might equal what Giannis is worth. But whoever they get as a player should be secondary, they say, because the high draft picks are vital for the Bucks to create a long-term plan to create a winning team once again.

The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

We Want the Full Micah Parsons Experience, and Lawyers Are Loving College Sports Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, the boys skip the Banana Ball to dive right into the Packers

It’s been suspected that Micah Parsons would miss the beginning of the season, and now it’s confirmed that he’ll miss at least four games to start the year. Lucas and Oates think that’s fine; Parsons should heal up as much as possible so that he’s 100% ready to go when he hits the field. But that does mean he might miss some important games at the top of the season and the Packers might want to start looking around for a decent pass rusher, unless they plan on relying solely on Lukas Van Ness…
Texas Tech will have their starting quarterback after all, after a group of judges decided that Brenden Sorsby cannot be banned by the NCAA from playing. That’s despite his history of betting on college football games, including ones he’s been involved in. It’s just another way the college sports is a complete mess, Oates thinks. Even the MLB banned Pete Rose for betting on games, why shouldn’t the NCAA ban him?
Wauwatosa star basketball player Jalen Brown is coming to Wisconsin as the Badgers decide to keep one of the state’s big players close to home. It’s a great move, Lucas and Oates think. If he plays his cards right, Brown can set himself up for life. Just look at how Sam Dekker is treated these days…

The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Myles Garrett Heads to the Rams, and Russell Wilson Heads to the CBS Studio Jun 03, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, big moves are happening across the NFL this week.

The Rams are making a big move, bringing Myles Garrett into the fold. Lucas and Oates think that move is a lot like the Packers bringing in Micah Parsons; they’re nearly equals as players and both the Rams and the Packers paid roughly the same price. It also shows that both teams are making serious Super Bowl pushes, which will be interesting when the Packers play the Rams on Thanksgiving Eve.
Speaking of the Packers, they have a major problem at running back after Josh Jacobs was arrested (but as of recording not yet charged) for domestic assault. It’s in the hands of the Brown County District Attorney and there’s not much to comment on at the moment until they make a move, Lucas and Oates say. Regardless of charges, the Packers need to make a big move; they need to have a great running back if they want to continue running the kind of offense they’re running.
Russell Wilson is stepping away from the field and entering the CBS studio as an analyst. Lucas and Oates aren’t sure if he’s entirely fit for the role, however. Sure, he knows football and is highly articulate, but will he be able to be critical of the players on the field? He’s a very nice guy, which is a great thing for most avenues of life, but he needs to have that critical edge if he wants to succeed in the studio.

The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Unbeatable Miz, and Coach Sam Dekker May 27, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, not even a tooth extraction can keep Lucas and Oates away from marveling at The Miz

Jacob Misiorowski had basically a perfect Memorial Day, throwing 57 pitches over 100 mph. He now leads the majors in strikeouts, hitting 100 before the calendar turns to June. Lucas and Oates think it may be a bit early to start thinking too hard about the Cy Young, but if it were decided now it would have to be between him and Ohtani.
Victor Wembanyama, or Wemby, is in the news not because of his playing, but because his basketball card sold for over $5 million. It’s fair, Lucas and Oates say, as he has to be one of the big three transformative big guys in the game of basketball, next to Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It takes a certain type of big man to be able to truly change the sport; but those few guys who are big and long can bring an extra something to make them one of the greats.
Former Badgers star Sam Dekker is returning to America, now as an assistant coach at South Carolina. He’ll be a great coach, Oates says, because he’s a guy who loves the game and has a great understanding of the fundamentals of basketball. It might be a bit sooner than we expected, but we had to know that he’d turn to coaching sooner or later and we wish him the very best.

The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Countdown to College Football, and The End of Aaron Rodgers May 22, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates start their timers: as of recording there are 100 days until week zero of college football.

With just 100 days (as of recording) to go until college football begins, all of the pundits are busy putting out their lists and predictions. That includes ESPN’s list of coaches who are in the hot seat this year. Of course, Luke Fickell sits at number three on that list. But with a lighter schedule this year and (hopefully) and an AD who’s behind him, Lucas and Oates think that his job may not be in danger quite yet.
In college basketball, Greg Gard says he’s in favor of expanding the conference schedule. That’ll be tough, say Lucas and Oates, as that basically becomes a professional schedule at that point. It all comes down to the money, of course, because all college sports today are about the money.
Aaron Rodgers announced that this season with the Steelers will be his last as an NFL quarterback. It’s hard to argue that he isn’t one of the top five quarterbacks of all time, Oates says. It’s a shame he only got one Super Bowl in Green Bay, though, thanks to his team’s defenses, special teams, and at times coaching.

The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Madison Looks for a New AD, and The Miz Finds His Control May 13, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, movement finally begins in UW Madison’s search for a new athletic director.

The Badgers announce that Eric Wilcotts, the interim chancellor, will head the search and ultimately hire the school’s next AD. Oates was sure they’d start with the search for a new chancellor, but at least he’s someone who’s been around the university for decades. The university announced their selection committee too, and it’s filled with some old names and some we aren’t familiar with. The varied backgrounds of everyone on the committee will be a useful asset, says Lucas.
What is needed out of a new AD for UW-Madison? Oates says someone who knows how to raise money. NIL isn’t going away any time soon and Wisconsin is falling behind in raising money. Whoever the next AD is has to be comfortable cozying up to some rich alumni.
The Brewers swept the Yankees over the weekend, with Jacob Misiorowski getting all the national attention. With a 103.6 mph fastball, he holds the record now for the fastest pitch thrown by a starter during the pitch tracking era. Now that he’s found his control, and some confidence in his other pitches, he’s becoming more and more of a threat to even guys like Aaron Judge.

The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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