My Week that Was - September 26

Happy Birthday to me. 9/20/26 dwm

 This week started with a bang - Saturday morning I took the bus down to the University of Wisconsin campus to watch the Badger football team play Eastern Michigan in their home opener in Camp Randall.

 

 Since I last used the Madison Metro, it's added a Rapid Transit service on a route that crosses the city from west to east, then back again with a number of buses working the route. The cost to ride is $2 to your destination and $2 home. If you ride more than twice in a day, the $4 serves as your ticket to ride all day.

 

 I got on the bus in front of the University Woods campus of Oakwood Village and got off by Union South on the U.W. campus. You can read more about it in Tuesday's blog.

 

Reboot Social features vintage game machines. dwm

After the game, I walked to the bus stop and headed home, stopping for a bite to eat, then changing clothes
for a ride to Eau Claire for our oldest son's bachelor party. The younger son and I met him and two of his groomsmen at The Reboot Social.

 

It's a restaurant for people who enjoy socializing while playing games, whether it's cards of a board game around the table or playing pool or arcade games. 

 

I used to play Galaga during my college days, but the version they had wasn't that old, so I tried a current pinball game before playing a couple games of duck-pin bowling with the boys.

 

Matt throws the ball. 9/19/2026 dwm

 It took a few frames before I figured out the biggest weapon in duck-pin bowling is throwing the ball with as much speed as you can muster. After knocking down the pins, the machine pulls the strings connected to each pin, keeping those knocked over off the lane, while the ones you missed are placed in position for a second, or even third throw.

 

 Sunday morning we stopped in Osseo to eat at Norske Nook, then made it home in time for the Packer game with the New York Jets. 

 

 Green Bay lost its last five games in the 2025 season and play-offs, then extended the losing streak in the 2026 opener with a gut-punch loss by losing a lead to the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers hadn't lost the first two games of the season since 2006 and wanted to keep it that way. Then the game started. 

 

Neither the Packers or Jets could do much on offense in the first quarter, then each scored a touchdown in the second. Both Green Bay and New York were called for a dozen penalties, most of them calls that don't help teams win games. By the end of the third quarter, the Jets lead the Packers 17 - 7 and it was difficult to believe Green Bay could find a way to end their losing streak. 

 

The offense tied the game with a field goal by their rookie kicker, Trey Smack, who got the game-winner after the Packer defense forced New York to punt on their first overtime possession only to watch Green Bay move down the field to inside the ten where Smack ended the contest, 20 - 17 in overtime. 

 

I don't care how ugly the win was, it's better than a loss, and it gives them an opportunity to grab a win in their home opener played Thursday, September 24 against Atlanta.

 

Meanwhile, the Brewers are finishing the season strong with a sweep in Baltimore over the Orioles, winning their 98th game of the season Sunday evening. Milwaukee set a team record in 2025 with 97 wins; this crew passed that number with six games to play, three in Philadelphia that started Tuesday before closing the regular season at home when the St. Louis Cardinals come to town, I'm looking forward to seeing them play.

 

The Brewers won their 100th game in their last road game in Philadelphia, putting the team in a very good place as far as the final standings. It's been a wonderful season for the Brew Crew.

 

Meanwhile, in Green Bay, the Packers got off to a good start, intercepting Atlanta early in the game, but were unable to move the ball. They scored the next time they got the ball, but after that, Atlanta scored 27 unanswered points. The home fans were unhappy with the refs and a team that seemed to lose all of its poise and confidence on each successive possession. It's difficult to imagine this team getting back on track.

 

The Packer offense couldn't move the ball and couldn't run the ball at all. More surprising to me was that the Green Bay defense, which has looked promising, played like they had no idea what was coming next.  

 

For the moment, Wisconsin sports fans should pay attention to the Brewers. Milwaukee gets several days off, then play in the Divisional series Saturday, October 3. Go Brewers!