In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, Lucas and Oates spend a little bit of time having old man flashbacks before tackling a big question everyone watching the beginning of the NFL season: what’s going on with these new kickoff rules?

They’ll be tested out for a one-year basis, but they are very confusing. Onside kicks are only allowed in the fourth quarter, and only if the team is trailing, and they have to be declared first? Touchbacks can be at the 20, 30, or 40 yard line? Sure, keeping the kickoff is a good thing, it should stick around! But this is confusing. 

There’s only one way to really know how they will turn out - watching a game. Still, the Packers were one of only a few teams to vote against the rule change. The first team to really figure out how to make the new rules work to their advantage might still be able to make some real big plays.

Speaking of Packers games, they play their first preseason game this Saturday, and Love will be on the field. Probably not for the full game, but Oates says it’s a good thing. The Packers are a young team this year, and Love is still a young quarterback. Getting some snaps in before the regular season could help them in the long run. 

The Packers first regular season game this year? Against Philly, and playing in Brazil. Lucas doesn’t like it, and neither does Oates. Lucas doesn’t like it because it’s not fair to the fans. It’s the opening game of the season, and very few hometown fans will probably be able to attend. Oates doesn’t like it because it’s not fair to the players. Any time any team plays overseas, it’s going to take more than a week for them to recover. 

Finally, the Memorial Shell at UW Madison is coming down, and Oates has a lot of memories playing pickup basketball there, going back decades. He’s played against everyone from football coaches to a cavalcade of players, to even a former Wisconsin governor…

The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.