Bucks' Bango has surgery

Bucks mascot Bango had successful surgery Monday morning to repair the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, the team announced today.

The surgical procedure was performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Gordon, M.D., at Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Ozaukee, Wisconsin.

Bango will begin rehabilitation immediately and is expected to make a complete recovery in time for the start of the 2009-10 season. The popular mascot will continue to set the entertainment pace at Milwaukee’s final five home games of the season next month, and is expected back for the next home game on Wednesday, April 1 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.

The ageless Bango has brought smiles and thrills to Bucks fans at home games, appearances, parades, school assemblies, hospital visits, festivals, and everywhere Bucks fans celebrate since 1977. He has performed throughout the United States, Canada and in China.

Skiles, CV31 and Twitter-gate

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - I'm usually safely behind the curve in the technological revolution.

I text, and am fairly well versed in the world of computers, but I still struggle with my DVR and can't figure out how to sync up Rhapsody to my cell phone.

If it were up to me, I would still be tucking a newspaper under my arm when the mood struck, and buying CDs at Sam Goody.

I could care less about My Space and Facebook and I have never been, nor do I have any desire to be, "tweeted."

In fact, when I think "tweet," I picture a young Michael Jackson singing "Rockin Robin," or Sylvester the Cat chasing around Tweety Bird.

So, for the rest of the technically-challenged, Twitter is the latest in thing in the social networking world, a micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as "tweets."

According to the good folks at Twitter.com, "Tweets" are text-based posts of up to 140 bytes in length. Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them.

Charlie Villanueva didn't think his "tweet" would cause such a stir.

Evidently plenty of people love getting updates on the grocery-shopping skills of their favorite celebrities, politicians and sports stars.

Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva is one of a handful of NBA players that has embraced the Twitter phenomenon and has cultivated more than 1,600 "followers" subscribing to his feed.

On Sunday, Villanueva took things a little too far.

Instead of updating his fans on his latest cereal purchase or the BLT he had for lunch, the rising star posted a message to his Twitter feed from his mobile phone during halftime of the team's win over the Boston Celtics.

Using the screen name "CV31," Villanueva wrote: "In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. We're playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up."

Certainly nothing earth-shattering but the no-nonsense coach who wanted that toughness, Scott Skiles, wasn't amused when he found out.

"We made a point to Charlie and the team that it's nothing we ever want to happen again," Skiles said after practice Tuesday. "We don't want to blow it out of proportion. But anything that gives the impression that we're not serious and focused at all times is not the correct way to go about our business."

Probably a legitimate point by Skiles but Villanueva did finish the contest with a team-high 19 points as the Bucks, who are fighting for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, topped the C's 86-77.

Skiles gave Villanueva the benefit of the doubt but made sure the former UConn star understood other people could view things very differently.

"I think a reasonable person could look at that either way," Skiles said. "I know from the comments I've gotten from some people in the game that there could be people who think it's a sign (showing lack of focus). We just want to distance ourselves, that's all."

For his part, Villanueva didn't think his "tweet" would cause such a stir but did understand that some people could jump to the conclusion that he wasn't all that focused on the task at hand.

"That wasn't the case at all, because I was very into the game," Villanueva told The Associated Press. "But you can interpret it two different ways. You can look at it like, 'OK, he's definitely going to step up' versus, 'Oh, he's really not into the game, he's not paying attention.'"

Skiles elected not to fine Villanueva for his indiscretion but called it a "no-brainer" that players shouldn't be doing such things from the locker room.

"My personal opinion is, it doesn't have any place in the locker room," Skiles said.

Bucks sign G Gill to 10-day deal

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed guard Eddie Gill (6-1, 185) to a 10-day contract, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Gill, 30, has played 22 games for the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League this season and averaged 16.2 points, 8.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 35.5 minutes per contest. Last season for the 14ers, he averaged 18.0 points, 8.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds in 37 games. Gill began the 2007-08 season with the New Jersey Nets and appeared in 13 games before being waived on December 12, 2007.

A seven-year NBA veteran, Gill began his NBA career with New Jersey in 2001. In 181 career games he has averaged 3.1 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists with stints at New Jersey (2001, 2007), Memphis (2002), Portland (2004), Indiana (2004-2006) and Seattle (2008).

Not drafted out of Weber State in 2000, Gill began his professional basketball career with Las Vegas of the International Basketball League. He has also played professionally in the American Basketball Association (Kansas City), the CBA (Dakota), as well as overseas in Italy, Greece and Russia.

Bucks' Redd is day-to-day

Sharp-shooter Michael Redd, who left the 3rd quarter of last night's win in New York with a right ankle sprain and did not return, is currently listed as day-to-day.

Meanwhile, point guard Like Ridnour is still listed as day-to-day with lower back spasms.

Bucks claim Croshere

The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired forward Austin Croshere off of waivers from Indiana. In a subsequent move, the team requested waivers on forward Adrian Griffin.

Croshere (6-10, 235) comes to the Bucks with 11 years of NBA experience. He spent his first nine seasons with the Indiana Pacers, the team that drafted him with the 12th overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. He followed up his Pacers career with one-year stints in Dallas (2006-07) and Golden State (2007-08). He averaged 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 44 games with the Warriors last season. He comes to Milwaukee with 645 regular season games to his credit and career averages of 6.9 points and 4.1 rebounds. The 33-year-old has also appeared in 68 playoff games and owns postseason averages of 6.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.

Griffin (6-5, 230) appeared in two preseason games with the Bucks.

Bucks waive Freije

The Milwaukee Bucks have requested waivers on forward Matt Freije. Freije, 27, signed a free agent contract with Milwaukee on October 1. He appeared in five preseason games, averaging 7.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 12.0 minutes.

Roster moves galore

Lots of roster moves today...

The Spurs waived forward Charles Gaines, who averaged 3.3 points in four preseason games for San Antonio.

The Bulls waived forward Elton Brown and guard Darius Washington. Brown (6-9, 250) appeared in two preseason games and averaged 2.5 ppg and 2.0 rpg in 8.0 mpg.

Washington (6-2, 195) saw action in two preseason games and averaged 8.0 ppg in 13.0 mpg.

The Bucks requested waivers on guards Ron Howard and Kevin Kruger.

In three preseason games, Howard, 25, posted averages of 2.0 points and 1.0 assist per game.

Kruger, 25, played in two games and averaged 4.0 points, 1.5 assists and 1.0 rebound per game.

The Mavericks requested waivers on forward Charles Rhodes.

Rhodes (6-8, 245) was signed by the Mavericks as a rookie free agent after
he went undrafted out of Mississippi State in the 2008 NBA Draft. He saw
action in 5 preseason games and averaged 1.0 point and 2.4 rebounds in 6.0
minutes per game.

The Sixers waived Antywane Robinson. He appeared in three preseason games, playing a total of 15 minutes.

Robinson (6-8, 220) played all four seasons at Temple University, earning Atlantic-10 All-Conference Second Team honors his senior season. In 116 career games played for the Owls, he had 85 steals to 54 turnovers. He has yet to appear in a regular season game since going undrafted in 2006, but played preseason games for the Atlanta Hawks in 2007. After being waived by the Hawks, Robinson joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League before playing overseas for Elan Bearnais Pau-Orthez of the French League.

Redd sits out for Bucks

Michael Redd (left knee soreness), Adrian Griffin (left ankle sprain) and Charlie Bell (left achilles tendinitis) all sat out the Bucks game with Golden State in China today. All three players are day-to-day.

Bucks on their way to China

The Milwaukee Bucks areon their way to China for two preseason.

New Head Coach Scott Skiles will continue pre-season preparation on the 7-day journey with games vs. the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, October 15 in Guangzhou (7 am Milwaukee, ESPN2) and Saturday, October 18 in Beijing (10:30 pm Friday, October 17, Milwaukee, ESPN2). The team will practice Tuesday after arriving in Guangzhou early Monday evening.

“The Bucks visit to China as an NBA team is a great marketing event for Milwaukee, the region and Wisconsin,” Milwaukee County Common president Tim Sheehy said. “It is part of the marquee value of having NBA basketball in this city. China is now our third largest export market. At over $1 billion dollars, the economic activity creates jobs here at home. We have a number of our members participating in this opportunity because they see value in this exposure with the NBA which is now a high profile sports entertainment business in China,” Sheehy concluded.

Bucks cut Cummings

The Milwaukee Bucks have requested waivers on forward T.J. Cummings.

In one preseason game with the Bucks, Cummings scored four points while adding one rebound, one assist and one steal. Cummings, 27, signed a free agent contract with Milwaukee on October 2.