Welcome to Saturday Scorecard, where we're battling a severe case of FedEx Cup fever.

On to the notes...

Staff infection: As the Brewers enter a crucial stretch of the season, this is not the time for Claudio Vargas to discover that he is... well... Claudio Vargas.

Staked to a three-run lead before tossing his first pitch Friday night in San Francisco, Vargas came out and threw what amounted to extra batting practice to one of the worst offensive teams in the league. He was tagged for six runs and failed to make it out of the first inning, a performance that doomed the Brewers to an 11-6 loss.

In a strange twist, reliever Chris Capuano, who came on in the second inning, took Vargas off the hook with a game-tying RBI single. Capuano didn't fare as well on the mound, though; he gave up a splashdown homer to Barry Bonds, an even more gruesome two-run homer to Giants pitcher Noah Lowry and ended up being tagged with yet another loss.

With Prince Fielder on the bench for the second half of his two-game suspension, the Brewers will look to rookie Yovani Gallardo to redeem the pitching staff tonight.

High hopes: Badgers football coach Bret Bielema once again has a tough act to follow.

A year ago, Bielema took over the program from legendary coach Barry Alvarez. This time, he has to follow up his own success: a 12-1 season and a bowl victory over Arkansas.

"In this profession, it's not what you did last year, it's what you're going to do this year," Bielema said in a recent interview.

The rigorous schedule of leading a big-time program didn't lend itself to a lot of off-season reflection.

"There are certain things that stand out," Bielema said of his first season. "I remember the locker room at halftime in the Illinois game when we were down by 14 (and came back to win). I remember the way we kind of handled and managed our preparation for the Michigan game.

"There are certain things that jump out in my mind and stand out real clear. If you just go about your job the same way every day, it's kind of a routine. You don't think about anything but what is in front of you."

With a week remaining before the opener against Washington State, the Badgers' relatively quiet and injury-free pre-season received a jolt Friday when it was announced that defensive lineman Jamal Cooper has been suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team. It was Cooper's third suspension in just more than a year.

Bielema wasn't available to comment on Cooper Friday, but he spoke earlier about the challenges of the Badgers' early schedule.

"Washington State is a great opponent," he said. "They have a great quarterback; a great receiving corps. I'm excited. I think it'll be a great opportunity for us to see what we have right out of the gate and then go to UNLV, a game that everybody is excited about. I think everybody I've talked to in the state of Wisconsin is going. We should set an all-time attendance record there."

In the zone: Bucks guard Michael Redd's impressive start in the FIBA Americas Cup tells us two things:

1. You need a steady jump-shooter to be successful in the international game.

2. Though still unappreciated in and out of Milwaukee, Redd is cementing his status as a star in the NBA. A strong showing this summer will go a long way toward erasing the

"Will he make the all-star team?" talk this season.
News blackout: Isn't it about time that we got an update on the status of the Bucks' negotiations with Yi Jianlian? Things have been eerily silent on this front and training camp will start before you know it.

Rough waters: What was your reaction to the news that authorities repossessed Latrell Sprewell's yacht, "Milwaukee's Best," this week? Did you snicker? Did you think about the "I have to feed my family" quote that Spree uttered while scoffing at a contract offer from the Timberwolves? We did, too. The more you think about it, though, it's kind of sad. It's doubtful that anybody will be hosting a telethon for Spree in the near future, but you'd like to see him exercise the kind of judgment that would avert bad publicity of this sort.

Problem solved: Speaking of bad judgment, a number of Marquette alums told us they wanted basketball coach Tom Crean to yank Damian Saunders' scholarship offer after the recruit was arrested for possession of a controlled substance back in June.

Saunders, a standout 6-foot-8-inch forward from Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., seemingly was a victim of a "wrong place, wrong time" situation in that circumstance, but it didn't matter. Crean announced Thursday that Saunders did not meet Marquette's academic standards and will not be admitted.

The Golden Eagles are now waiting to see whether their other highly-touted freshman-to-be -- Trevor Mbakwe - will receive clearance after taking a summer class in St. Paul.

Senseless act: In recent years, the booster club, athletes, parents and coaches at Brookfield East High School put a lot of time, effort and money into improving the athletic field behind the school. Here's hoping they catch the lowlife(s) who drove an SUV through a gate and damaged the playing surface to the point where the Spartans had to cancel their home opener Friday night.

Homecoming weekend: Matt Kenseth will have a lot of friends, family and fans in the stands when he takes to the track at the Milwaukee Mile Sunday during the Governor's Cup festivities. Kenseth, who is racing Saturday at Bristol, is a huge draw for the last racing weekend of the season.