Where are they now: Catching up with former Wisconsin athletes
Being a sports fan requires a person to divide their loyalty among two entities tied together by a fragile thread. Fans must find the balance between supporting their team and the athletes on that team. While the task may seem simple, it becomes infinitely more complicated when a business decision ruptures the connection.
Most fans retain their team loyalty and send former athletes off with well wishes that amount to nothing more than an occasional retweet of the athlete. For those of you that forgot about the athletes that have left the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Milwaukee Bucks, here is a brief overview on the current lives of some former fan favorites.
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The former Brewers’ shortstop is currently playing for the Baltimore Orioles. If your memory is a little hazy, Hardy was first traded in 2009 to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Carlos Gomez. After only one season with the Brewers’ American League rivals, Hardy was sent to the Orioles. Since arriving in Baltimore, Hardy has remained relatively under the radar.
He is currently batting .210 and has an on-base percentage of .229. Despite his insignificant contributions, Hardy has been there to experience the Orioles’ recent success, including a wild card berth and an AL East Division title.
Jun 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Prince Fielder (84) reacts to scoring a run the the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Texas won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Following the successful 2011 season in Milwaukee, Fielder became a free agent. He agreed to a nine-year deal with the Detroit Tigers worth $214 million. It was the largest contract in the history of the Detroit Tigers. He played with Detroit for two seasons before being traded to the Texas Rangers after a noticeably quiet postseason.
Fielder then suffered a season-ending neck injury in June 2014. This season, though, Fielder appears to be back with a vengeance. His .346 batting average is the best in the American League, and his .406 on-base percentage puts him third on that list.
After being released by the Packers in February 2013, Woodson signed a one-year contract that sent him back to the Oakland Raiders. On Oct. 6, 2014, Woodson tied an NFL record for most career defensive touchdowns. He reached 13 touchdowns by scoring on a fumble recovery against the San Diego Chargers.
He finished the 2014 season with 112 combined tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery, and four interceptions. In January, the Raiders signed Woodson for the 2015 season.
Breaking the pattern is former Packers’ wide receiver, Donald Driver. While Driver did not leave the Packers for another team, he did retire, and his many accomplishments meant that he was an interesting person to cover. Driver has not missed a beat since retiring in 2013. In the fall of 2013, Driver released a memoir entitled “Driven” that made the New York Times’ Bestseller List.
He received a statue and a street name in his honor in downtown Green Bay, was named the AMVETS Humanitarian of the Year, partnered with Children’s Hospital to promote the Driven to Better Health Program, and created Driven to Achieve Awards to honor those giving back to their communities.
Clearly, Driver enjoys being an active member in his community and manages to maintain a complex schedule.
In the one of the most controversial decisions in Wisconsin sports’ history, Ray Allen was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics. He, along with several teammates and a draft pick, was sent to Seattle midway through the 2002-03 season in exchange for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason.
Although Allen battled injuries during his time with the SuperSonics, he found success in Seattle, leading the team to the conference semifinals in 2005. Allen was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2007. It was in Boston that Allen captured his first ring (2008), broke multiple records, and solidified his place in NBA history.
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Allen accepted an offer to play for the Miami Heat in 2012 and earned his second ring with the Heat in 2013. He became a free agent after the completion of the 2013-14 season. In March, Allen announced that he planned to take the 2014-15 season off and focus on 2015-16.
Andrew Bogut was traded to the Golden State Warriors with Stephen Jackson in 2012. The Milwaukee Bucks received Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown in return. Bogut has continued to be plagued with injuries during his career with Golden State. After undergoing ankle surgery in April 2012, Bogut did not participate in the 2012-13 preseason.
He played four of five games to begin the regular season, but he played poorly and the Warriors declared him out indefinitely. He returned in January 2013 and proceeded to set career playoff highs in May of that year.
Bogut had an injury riddled 2013-14 season, but he became the first player in franchise history to have at least 10 rebounds per game while shooting 60 percent from the field. Despite injuring his knee early in the 2014-15 season, Bogut played well in the latter part of the season. Currently, Bogut is playing in the NBA Finals, and is averaging 8.1 rebounds per game and 6.3 points per game.
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