Surviving Sunday: Packers News, Notes and Links for the Football Deprived
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football
LeBron James won his second consecutive NBA title with the Miami Heat on Thursday night and cemented his status as one of the greatest players of all time (at least among sane people).
I hated “The Decision” as much as anyone else, but I’m also over it. I don’t necessarily cheer for James now, but I make sure to appreciate him when I watch him play. James is an amazing, amazing, amazing athlete, and it’s a lot more fun to soak in what he’s able to do on the court instead of just calling him names and hating on him.
Anyway, James’ second title got me thinking: How many more titles will it take for Packers QB Aaron Rodgers to be considered an all-time great? He’s already considered great, but he’s not yet at all-time great status with the likes of Starr, Montana, Brady or Unitas.
Then I started thinking some more (always dangerous): Why do we need to attach an arbitrary number of titles to greatness? If Rodgers keeps producing like he has, but doesn’t win another title, should that significantly diminish how we view him in the context of greatness?
I suppose you have to have some criteria to separate certain great players from other great players in subjective arguments like this one, and titles might be a part of it.
You also have to factor in eras and the rules attached to each era. Defenders in today’s NFL can’t make contact with a WR beyond five yards, hit a QB too high, hit a QB too low, hit any player in the head, or fart too loudly in the direction of the quarterback. How many yards would Montana or Unitas throw for if those rules applied back when they played?
I guess I’m trying to say that while it’s sometimes fun to get into these debates about greatness and which player is greater than the other, don’t forget to actually enjoy the greatness while it’s happening.
Rodgers is on a roll right now. Soak it in.
There will be plenty of time to make comparisons down the road.
Packers News, Notes and Links
- In a Q&A with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Packers coach Mike McCarthy called questions about his team’s toughness a “load of nonsense.” I love that phrase. If I were a politician, I would use it to discredit everything my opponent said about me. Perhaps the lack-of-toughness narrative has been overdone this offseason, but it has some merit. Injuries impacted the Packers toughness last season, but I can’t erase the images of Adrian Peterson doing whatever he wanted against the Packers defense. Until those images go away, I’ll think the Packers need to get a little tougher.
- The Packers held a news conference to go over some of the new security measures announced recently by the NFL. Seatbacks and cushions are fine as long as they don’t have pockets that can conceal anything. Size regulations on purses and bags haven’t changed, but they need to be clear. Fans that require bags for special medical equipment will have a special gate to go through. Basically, the NFL will not be satisfied until a) everyone shows up to the game naked, or b) everyone just stays home and watches from their couch.
- The Packers officially cut Desmond Bishop on Monday. Is everyone else as excited as I am to have Brad Jones and A.J. Hawk as the Packers starting inside linebackers? And by excited, I mean, pissing in your pants with fear? Repeat after me: In Ted we trust…In Ted we trust…In Ted we trust…
- Aaron Rodgers wants to cut the number of times he’s sacked in half. THEN GET RID OF THE DAMN BALL!!!! Actually, Rodgers’ sacks don’t bother me as much as they bother most people. Obviously, getting sacked is not an optimal strategy for success, but Rodgers makes a lot of plays when he holds the ball a little longer and buys himself some time. As long the big plays keep coming, I can tolerate a couple of extra sacks.
- John Rehor has the full Packers training camp schedule over at Packerstalk.com. While you’re there, be sure to check out the latest podcast from the ‘Ol Bag of Donuts crew.
Non-Packers Links and Other Nonsense
- RIP James Gandolfini. “The Sopranos” was the first show I ever became obsessed with.
- Here is a disgusting story about “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes losing his “muffler.”
- Here are 9,486 ways that president Obama’s press secretary gets around answering journalist’s questions.
15 Comments On “Surviving Sunday: Packers News, Notes and Links for the Football Deprived”
Comments are closed.
“If Rodgers keeps producing like he has, but doesn’t win another title, should that significantly diminish how we view him in the context of greatness?”
How has it impacted Peyton Manning?
Cutting Desmond Bishop… in Ted we trust… uh huh, maybe it’s time to let go of “in Ted we trust”? He’s been to one fewer Super Bowls than Ron Wolf, and he’s been doing it longer. He’s fine, he keeps us competitive, manages the cap, etc…. but regarding Desmond Bishop: if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a MISTAKE! I strongly disagree
Good thing your not GM. We would be paying a LB 3.5M that we KNEW was 90% likely to re-injure his hamstring to sit on IR AGAIN.
In Ted We Trust!
but atleast he could resign a one yr for less to prove himself again
He’ll take less from another team than sign w/ GB. Only way the Packers would re-sign him was if he would do a vets min, and only way Bishop does that is if no other team is interested.
“Is everyone else as excited as I am to have Brad Jones and A.J. Hawk as the Packers starting inside linebackers? And by excited, I mean, pissing in your pants with fear?”
This accurately sums up my thoughts on the Packers ILB situation as well.
I think the fact that he got out of Minnesota without a contract says a lot about his health. Yes I know, the Vikings SAID he had a great workout. But, the Vikings are in need of a Middle LB like the Packers needed a kicker last year (and still do). I hated the move but maybe, just maybe he’s no where near where he was before. When he works out for the Giants and if he leaves without a contract, then I think he may be damaged goods. Meanwhile, back in Packers land, Jones has got to be better in his second season in the middle right, AND maybe just maybe Terrell Manning plays so well that he begins to get some of A.J. Hawks snaps. Then by the end of the 1st quarter in week one, Manning replaces Hawk altogether. I mean could that really be any worse??
They’ve got the bodies and different skill sets to pull off ILB without Bishop. Hawk won’t be covering TE’s on 3rd down. Between Jones/Lattimore/Manning we’ll be alright.
Manning is the pass rusher of the group. Yes, he’s raw. But he could be great. And let’s keep in mind, Perry/Neal are being counted on the rush the passer anyways.
And you have to keep in mind that Bishop’s re-injury chance is over 80% That kind of odds don’t lend themselves to staying healthier throughout the year.
IMO they’ll be ok.
Manning is the better pass rusher of the group, and is probably going to be better at it than Bishop. Manning is also an excellent run player. That was his forte at NC State, other than his ability to be a pass rusher. Only thing Manning doesn’t have is coverage experience. He does have the athletic ability to be good or better in coverage. Manning is gonna be a very good player. He could be the Packers version of Navarro Bowman.
Dude, why all the 49er love?
Saying that Manning might be the Packers version of Bowman?
Any true Packer fan would know that it’s Bowman who should be striving to become the 49ers’ version of Manning.
Thought you were a Packer fan, Stroh(ke).
Saying one of our players could be as good as one of theirs is hardly love. Its recognizing a good player, nothing more or less! This isn’t like you saying Kaepernick has revolutionized the NFL is it?!!
Brad Jones did a pretty good job last season when called upon.
No, I’m not pissing my pants.
Would I have liked to have seen the Desmond Bishop of old on the field in 2013? Yes.
Am I terrified of Brad Jones stepping in? NO.
Umm, we had two games with Francois/Smith/Lattimore playing ALL the reps at ILB last year, and guess what? For the most part, ILB play did not suffer, it just kept on keepin’ on.
So, no, not pissing my pants. My leg is arid extra dry.
*didn’t mean last year, meant 2011 season
BTW, everyone, in a 3-4 it’s far more important for the ILBs to be sound run defenders than it is for them to be pass rushers. I’m more concerned about Bishop’s replacement getting his run fits right and wrapping up than cutting through the line and pressuring the QB.
Everything in a 3-4 starts with strong integrity vs. the run up the middle of the defense. That means NT & ILB’s. Gotta force the run to the edges.
Oppossing Defensive Coordinators last season appeared to be playing our wide outs very tight, taking away quick slants taking away AR’s first look. In addition they played two safties deep to take away the long ball. IMHO the way that defenses are now playing us has more to do with the high number of sacks that our oline & AR. Defenses are just playing us “pass” every down. Only 6-7 defenders in the box & dlineman rsushing every down. It appears that MM & TT realize that they have to improve the threat of our running game to keep defenses more honest.