The WIAA Hockey Tournament gets underway tonight with first round games around the area. The goal is a berth in the annual State Tournament in Madison starting Feb 28th. It will be tough for any of the teams playing tonight to get there as they would face the the higher seeds later this week. Wausau West, Stevens Point, Northland Pines and DC Everest have a first round bye and West is the #1 seed. The seedings were determined before SPASH and West played their final game which saw Point win and claim the Valley Conference title. Stevens Point may be the strongest team at this point but don't count out any of those four. Pines is very good...big and fast, Everest play excellent defense and is getting good goaltending from Andy Mahler, and of course never count West out at tournament time...they have alot of big game experience. Tonights action includes Merrill at Antigo, Rhinelander at Mosinee, Tomahawk at Pacelli, Medford at Marshfield and Lakeland at Wausau East. I'll have the East game live on Foxsports AM1390 & FM 93.9. If the Lumberjacks win they would face West Thusday night at Marathon Park. Let the fun begin!

There is also wrestling team sectional action tonight. menominee is at Wausau West, Wisconsin Rapids at BayPort, Witt/Birn at Oconto Falls and Crandon at Edgar.

Also Chris Conley will have a DC Everest/Merrill girls & boys basketball doubleheader following the East/Lakeland tournament hockey game on Foxsports AM1390 & FM 93.9.

A reminder that all East and Everest games are archived as podcasts on foxsportswausau.com and wsau.com.

All of a sudden the Bucks are fighting for their playoff lives. They have lost four in a row and the Celtics have won seven in a row to move past Milwaukee into the 7th playoff spot in the East. The Bucks are still up two games on Philly for the 8th spot but they host Philadelphia Wednesday night. They are only two games back of both Boston & Atlanta but really need the game on Wednesday.

Brewer pitchers & catchers report to Maryvale today. Positions players will arrive by Friday with the first complete workout set for this Saturday. Most experts see the Brewers struggling but I don't see why the young pitchers can't continue their maturation process in a positive way and the lineup should score alot of runs. Of course it's all based on Ryan Braun being available for the entire season.

Songs Of The Day...(From My I-pod)

Livin It Down-Delbert McClinton (2001) If you havent discovered ole Delbert you have been missing some of the funkiest, bluesiest, horn drenched Texas music around. Hard to sit still when Mr McClinton is wailing

Livin Thing-ELO (1976) from "A New World Record"...Jeff Lynne and his band were at the height of their powers