This column usually sticks to the buzz about Milwaukee sports teams, but call this week's column the Beyond-Milwaukee Sports Buzz.

I'd be remiss to not take a pre-season look at the UW Badgers and Green Bay Packers, since they attract a great deal of attention from Milwaukee area sports fans.

The Badgers look to be headed for a rebuilding season. In the old days that meant a losing record, but coach Barry Alvarez has built a strong enough program in Madison that the Badgers can rebuild, still finish above .500 and get a bid to a secondary bowl somewhere.

Gone are cornerback Jamar Fletcher and running back Michael Bennett, linemen Casey Rabach, Bill Ferraro and Dave Costa, receiver Chris Chambers and other experienced players.

In line to replace these players are talented but inexperienced underclassmen. Like any group of young players, they will need time to mature.

After revolving the offense around Ron Dayne and then Bennett, the Badgers will primarily count on quarterbacks Brooks Bollinger and Jim Sorgi to carry the load. Alvarez says both will see plenty of action.

As for a prediction, let's go with 7-5, good enough to get a secondary bowl bid, so devoted Badgers' fans can go someplace warm during the holidays.

The Packers are banged up, but seem to be mending. Besides the only player that absolutely must remain healthy is quarterback Brett Favre.

Favre is still the key to the Packers' fortunes. He does need Antonio Freeman to get his head together and play much better than he did last season. It also would help if the tight ends developed.

The Packers have picked up some ex-Bears, which is sort of like Yassar Arafat recruiting Israelis. But, Jim Flanigan, a Door County native, could help the defensive line.

Green Bay might not be that much better than last season, but the NFL Central Division looks weaker. The retirement of Robert Smith and tragic death of Korey Stringer are bound to have negative effects on the Minnesota Vikings.

Tampa Bay, in its last season in the division, always looks to be poised to become a power, but never quite makes it. The Lions and Bears are in building programs.

So a 9-7 record should get the Packers into the playoffs. It also seems achievable if Favre makes it through the season healthy.

As a closing aside, yours truly is part of the Associated Press team covering the Packers this season, so look for periodic BeyondMilwaukee buzz about the Pack.

Bucks guard Ray Allen continues to provide a Ray of Hope as a model athlete in the community.

Allen, who is the founder of the Ray of Hope Foundation and National Spokesman for the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, hosted the "Education Means Options" Youth Workshop at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Milwaukee last Thursday. Allen and teammate Scott Williams, as well as other selected speakers from the business, entertainment and sports communities discussed with area youth the benefits of higher education.

On Friday, the Ray Allen Celebrity Golf Classic benefiting the Marshall Scholarship Fund was held at Bristlecone Pines.

Allen has teamed with coach George Karl the last two years in hosting a prep basketball tournament that benefits Karl's Friends of Hoop foundation.

All's quiet on the fronts of two stories we've been following in the Sports Buzz column. You'd hope that's good news for the attempt to build a soccer stadium downtown and get a Major League Soccer franchise in Milwaukee.

Often when things are quiet, it means people are working behind the scenes to hammer out details. Hopefully, that's what Tim Krause and his investors have been doing with members of the Bradley Center board and others.

Expect something to surface again in the next couple weeks since Krause needs to have stadium plans in place if the MLS commissioners are going to consider Milwaukee for a franchise in October.

All also has been quiet on the Milwaukee Mustangs' demise story. The operation remains shut down, but fans can only hope the Vallozzi family will announce its plans for the franchise in the near future.