Sportsday 'Jaws' believes in Rodgers
Scheduling wha, what?
How in the wide, wide world of Pete Rozelle could the New England Patriots wind up with the easiest 2008 NFL strength of schedule?
The current formula calls for teams to play every other team atleast once over a four-year period. Only two games each season arebased on a team's strength of schedule.
So there it is.
The 2007 team that did not lose a game until the Super Bowl is upagainst opponents this season who were 99-157 (.387) last season.The Patriots have five games against opponents .500 or better andfour games against playoff teams.
Because the AFC East is not strong and because the at-large AFCand NFC divisional opponents happen to be weaker, the Patriotscaught a break.
By contrast, the Packers are tied for 11th with the Chicago Bearson strength of schedule. Green Bay's opponents were 136-120 (.531)last season. The Packers play nine games against teams .500 orbetter and six playoff teams.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are at the top of the strength ofschedule grid. Their opponents were 153-103 (.598), including 12games against .500 or better teams and eight playoff teams.
Come on up
The Chicago Cubs organization's second-year minor-league catchingcoordinator, De Pere's Casey Kopitzke, has been invited to join theCubs for a few weeks in September.
Kopitzke, 30, was a 27th round pick of the Cubs in 1999. Heplayed eight years in the minors, all in the Cubs' system. He neverplayed in a regular-season game on the major-league level.
In mid-September Kopitzke is to go to Arizona to be the managerof the Cubs' team in the Arizona Instructional League.
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