Thanksgiving State Sports Briefs: Bigby out for Sunday's game

• Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers

Talk about it

GREEN BAY - Green Bay Packers’ safety Atari Bigby has been ruled out for Sunday’s game at Atlanta. Bigby suffered a hamstring injury last Sunday at Minnesota. And he said the injury could have ended his season had he not left the game early.

Bigby said an MRI did not reveal anything new, other than swelling in the affected location. Meanwhile, safety Anthony Smith is said to be much better after hurting an ankle during the win over the Vikings. He said there’s a chance he could play against the Falcons. Defensive end Cullen Jenkins also sat out of today’s practice.

____________________________________________________________

The Green Bay Packers would make the playoffs if they were to begin today – but just barely. Except for Seattle, the top seven teams in the NFC race are only within one game of each other. Atlanta leads the group at 8-2. Seattle is the NFC West leader at 5-5, and the Seahawks would be guaranteed nothing lower than the number-four playoff spot if that holds up. The other five teams are all 7-3. And because of the tie-breakers involved, the Packers are holding onto the sixth-and-final NFC playoff spot at the moment. A victory at Atlanta on Sunday would go a long way toward improving Green Bay’s playoff prospects. The Packers started practicing for that contest today. The Falcons are 8-2. The Packers, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, and Tampa Bay are all a game behind Atlanta. Tampa Bay would stay home if the standings don’t change.

Thanksgiving ballgames have New England at Detroit, New Orleans at Dallas and Cincinnati at the New York Jets.

_________________________________________________________________

The Milwaukee Brewers added outfield depth by signing AAA outfielder Brandon Boggs. The switch-hitter had a .290 average this season for Oklahoma City. He has played 114 games in the majors with the Texas Rangers. Boggs has no minor league options remaining, so he either makes the team's roster next spring or he will have to make it through waivers to be returned to the minors.

___________________________________________________________

A hockey center from Waupaca says he’ll play at Wisconsin, but he’s not sure when. 18-year-old Brad Navin has given a verbal commitment to join the Badgers in either 2012-or-13. He said he would play a year of junior hockey, and then see how his career is going. Navin also said his arrival at the UW might hinge on how many players Badger coach Mike Eaves loses to the pros in the next couple years.

__________________________________________________________

Jake Smith of UW-Superior and Hannah Mesick of Eau Claire have been named the WIAC’s men’s-and-women’s basketball players-of-the-week. Smith, a senior guard-and-forward, scored 27 points against Dubuque. He shot 61-and-a-half percent in three games last week, and he made half his three-pointers while pulling down 27 rebounds. Mesick, a senior center, surpassed the one-thousand-point scoring mark for her career against Saint Benedict last week. And she averaged just under 25 points in three contests.

The WIAC also recognized Matt Olp of Stevens Point and Nicole Dorvinen of Eau Claire in swimming – Nick Badilla of Eau Claire and Maggie Klabunde of River Falls in diving – Tom Lescovich of Stout in men’s hockey – and Mack Drees of Platteville in wrestling.

___________________________________________________________

Mesick was also named to the first women’s small college team-of-the-week of the season from D3hoops.com. Mesick, a senior, reached the one-thousand-point scoring mark for her career with three games of 23-points-or-more last week. She had a double-double against Millikin with 23 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. And Mesick had 26 against Marian of Indiana – two short of her career single-game scoring high.

Tags: wisconsin sports, proam, sports