Welcome to Saturday Scorecard, where we wrestle with the important questions, such as: "Why are there no vuvuzelas at the British Open?"

It's a busy weekend, so we'll keep the reading time to about 8 minutes.

Not so, Jolly: The National Football League made the right decision when it suspended Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly "indefinitely without pay" on Friday for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

"Johnny is a good player that loves everything about the game of football," Packers general manager Ted Thompson said in a statement released by the team. "We appreciate the contributions he has made to the Packers the past four seasons. His focus and priorities now lie elsewhere -- our thoughts are with him during this difficult personal time."

Jolly's suspension began immediately. He can apply for reinstatement after the Super Bowl.

In essence, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell took the Packers off the hook. Jolly, 27, is scheduled to go on trial July 30 in Houston to face charges that he possessed more than 200 grams of codeine during a Houston traffic stop in July 2008. A police gang unit pulled over his car because of excessive stereo noise and police detected "the strong odor of codeine" in cups in the vehicle.

The beverage, called "Purple Drank," was recently featured during an episode of ESPN's "Outside the Lines," which focused heavily on Jolly's case.

Jolly's status has kept the Packers in limbo for awhile. He was excused from mandatory minicamp last month and the team knew that -- even if Jolly was acquitted -- a league suspension was likely.

That begs a question: why didn't the Packers suspend him themselves?

Jolly's situation was uncertain and unsettling. It was a minor distraction during minicamp and could have intensified during training camp.

The team took steps to prepare for Jolly's absence, shifting B.J. Raji to nose tackle and moving veteran nose tackle Ryan Pickett to end. The team also drafted two defensive ends in April, including second-round pick Mike Neal.

Jolly's legal trouble and pattern of bad decision-making merited some action by the team. Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy talk a great deal about accountability, character and "Packer people."

They had a chance to send a message to players, fans and the league, but they let Goodell do it for them.

A void in the calendar: While watching the British Open the past two days, I thought about Brown Deer Park. This weekend traditionally was time for the U.S. Bank Championship, which faded into oblivion when Bo Van Pelt took the trophy last year.

The tournament had lost most of its sizzle due to a bad date and dwindling crowds, but it still was an asset for the community. Upcoming major events at Whistling Straits and Erin Hills will keep hardcore golf fans happy and bring a lot of attention to the area, but the tournament at Brown Deer will be missed.

Go Wes, young man: Former Marquette standout Wesley Matthews' new deal with Portland (5 years, $32.7 million) is jaw-dropping on many fronts.

And, it's a great story.

Matthews, overshadowed at times by college teammates Dominic James and Jerel McNeal, flourished last season in Utah, where he played in all 82 games and averaged 9.4 points and 1.5 rebounds. While there was some concern about his shooting touch, he made 48 percent of his shots, including 38 percent from three-point territory. He was an absolute bargain last year at $457,000. Now, under the new deal, he's going to make $9.2 million next season as a backup shooting guard.

It's an amazing story and a testament to Matthews' work ethic.

Trade winds: Although many fans are eager for the Brewers to trade all-star rightfielder Corey Hart for pitching before the July 31 deadline, general manager Doug Melvin is considering a pretty hefty counter-argument.

If the Brewers trade Prince Fielder this winter, a move that seems almost inevitable given the first baseman's impending free agency and agent Scott Boras' lust for a deal approaching $200 million, they are going to need someone to provide some home runs and RBI.

Adding pitching is great, but as the Mariners have proved this year you also need to score some runs.

The fact that the Brewers have not been able to sign Hart to a long-term deal during past attempts could push Melvin to pull the trigger, but the move will have ramifications beyond this season.

LARRY KING LOUNGE
Get ready, railbirds. The Packers will be practicing in two weeks... Reports in the NBA indicate that the Bucks are interested in acquiring backup combo guard Luther Head, who could replace Luke Ridnour, who signed with Minnesota. Head's acquisition could lead to some interesting headlines... Congratulations to Mark Chmura, Marv Fleming and Greg Koch, who go into the Packers Hall of Fame tonight in Green Bay... Having a Big Ten championship game at Lambeau Field seems like a good idea. Having it in the climate-controlled environs of Detroit's Ford Field or Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis seems like a better idea. Consider this: if Lambeau gets a game, there will be one at Soldier Field... Interesting debate of the week -- name the greatest golfer in Wisconsin history. Andy North has two U.S. Open championships, which is awesome, but Steve Stricker's overall resume is more impressive... From the "weird injury file" -- Mariners slugger Russell Branyan stubs his toe while going to close his drapes at 5 a.m. and goes on the DL. Padres pitcher Mat Latos stifles a sneeze and strains his side, ending up on the DL. Love that stuff... It looks like Bob Bradley will stay on as coach of the US men's soccer team. That's a bit of a surprise, but also a decent decision. That program needs a bit of continuity, because expectations will be high in 2014.