June 29, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers football
In a chat with ESPN’s Rob Demovsky this week, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers talked about getting together with Brett Favre and Bart Starr to talk football at some type of event.
Since we’re always one step ahead of ESPN here at ALLGBP.com, we’ve learned that Rodgers, Favre and Starr actually did get together last week. However, it wasn’t to talk about any old event, it was to plan Favre’s return to Lambeau Field at halftime of the Nov. 9 game against the Bears.
The trio met at Chico’s near tiny Ringle, Wisconsin. Chico’s is a bar/restaurant in the middle of a corn field that serves amazing chimichangas.
ALLGBP.com has obtained an exclusive transcript of this historical meeting. Here it is:
Starr and Favre arrive at the same time, Starr in his 1996 Buick and Favre on his riding lawn mower. They shake hands, walk across the gravel parking lot, enter Chico’s, and find a quiet table near the bar.
Starr: I almost didn’t recognize you with that giant beard and those two guns you’re carrying around.
Starr grips Favre’s biceps, which are exposed because Favre can’t find any shirts with sleeves in Mississippi that fit over his arms.
Favre: Thanks, Bart. I’m coming back to Lambeau this year and I need to be in good shape so I can fight all the fans.
Starr: Oh Brett. C’mon. No fans are going to try and fight you. They’ll be glad to have you back.
Favre: It’s all part of my plan to not get booed.
Starr: Your plan?
Favre: I don’t want to get booed, Bart. I need to be loved. To ensure Packers fans won’t boo me, I’m going to challenge them all to a fight.
Starr: Oh fer chirssakes…..
Favre: Yeah, before I even make it out of the tunnel, I’m going to get on the mic, tell everyone in the stadium that their mother is a Vikings fan, and dare them all to come out to the 50 yard line and fight me to the death.
Starr: So you’re going to have a death match with 80,000 Packers fans at Lambeau Field?
Favre: Goddang right. And I’m going to go undefeated, 80,000 – 0. Have you seen these things?
Favre kisses his biceps and does a Hulk Hogan pose.
Starr: At least 79,999 people will forfeit because they’re scared of your creepy old man beard.
Aaron Rodgers finally arrives. He walks through the door texting with girlfriend Olivia Munn and sits down without bothering to look up.
Favre: Oh, look who decided to show up.
Starr: Son, no cell phones allowed at this Table of Greatness.
Rodgers doesn’t hear any of this because he’s still texting Olivia and giggling the way people giggle when they’re madly and annoyingly in love. Favre takes Rodgers’ phone and stuffs it into his beard.
Rodgers: Hey, a-hole! Gimme my phone back!
Favre: Get it yourself, Aaron.
Favre mockingly sticks out his chin and invites Rodgers to reach into his beard and grab his phone.
Rodgers: I’m not sticking my hand in that thing. I have no idea where that beard has been or what else you’ve stuffed in there.
Starr: Both of you shut up. Let’s get down to business. We’re here to figure out what we’re doing for Favre’s welcome back to Lambeau ceremony.
Favre: I already told you, I’m fighting all the fans before they can boo me.
Rodgers: No you’re not. Then there won’t be any fans left to cheer me on as I lead the Packers to another victory. Because unlike you two has-beens, I still play in the NFL and provide the people of Green Bay with football victories every Sunday.
Favre: Lately I’ve been seeing more TV commercials from you than victories, Rodgers.
Starr: Yeah, and tabloid photos of you and Olivia sucking face, but kudos to you for at least keeping your hands in an appropriate position.
Rodgers: Both of you shut up! I’d like to see you two geezers try and win a Super Bowl with M.D. Jennings, Erik Walden and the corpse of B.J. Raji playing defense.
Favre: So you’re saying you want me to make a comeback?
Starr slams his head on the table in frustration.
Rodgers: I ran you out of town once and I would have no problem doing it again now that you look like a jacked-up hick Santa Claus.
The waitress comes over to take food orders.
Favre: I’ll have the chimichanga.
Starr: Same here.
Rodgers: Could I get a tofu salad with organic lettuce, a non-GMO, free-range, sustainably-raised grilled chicken breast and a side of steamed broccoli? Oh, and can you also bring me a pile of freshly picked vegetables and fruits so I can use my own juicer to make myself a tasty beverage?
Favre: What the hell is wrong with you?
Starr: Get the chimmi instead of all that crap. C’mon Rodgers, be a man for a change!
Rodgers: Unlike when you two played back in the 1920s, today’s NFL players eat right and take care of their bodies.
Favre: How’d all that eating right and taking care of your body work out for your collar bone last year?
Starr: Back in my day, we’d pound a couple of Leinenkugel’s and eat a steak dinner at halftime. Then we’d go back out there, play with a concussion and six broken ribs, and win games like the Ice Bowl and the first two Super Bowls.
Favre: Yeah, I played with a broken thumb and they once had to amputate my ankle at halftime. Never missed a snap. Broken collar bone. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiit.
Rodgers: That’s it, I’m leaving! I don’t have to put up with this abuse. Besides, I already have my own Welcome Back Favre ceremony planned. It involves a famous Favre (s)text message, the Lambeau jumbotron and a highlight package I spliced together called “No. 4’s greatest interceptions of all time that broke the hearts of Packers fans everywhere.”
Suddenly the juke box starts playing “Bad to the Bone.” All eyes in the bar turn toward a tall, slender, silver-haired man who just walked through the door.
Starr: Oh. My. God. THAT’S TED THOMPSON’S MUSIC!!!!!!
Ted Thompson: Hello, fellas.
Favre: You here to run me out of Ringle like you ran me out of Green Bay, Thompson?
Rodgers: What are you doing here, Ted? Go sign some free agents to help our sorry defense and cover up for your terrible draft choices.
Thompson: I can see this might take a while. I better order myself a strong drink.
Thompson orders a 20 oz. bottle of water instead of the usual 16 oz.
Thompson: I’m sick of you three bickering. Favre is coming back to Lambeau this year whether you all like it or not.
Favre: Of course I am. And I’m going to fight all the fans. Should I tell you my plan?
Thompson: The only thing you’ll be fighting is tears because every fan in the stadium is going to be cheering like crazy when we’re done.
Rodgers: Yeah, they’ll be cheering for me because I’ll be leading the Packers to another Super Bowl. And I’m on TV. And I have my own radio show to, you know, to connect with the fans and stuff.
Starr: Back in my day, we listened to music on the radio, not prima donna quarterbacks.
Thompson: Here’s the plan: Everyone loves you, Bart, because you’re old and fans in Green Bay value the Ice Bowl victory more than our country’s victory in World War II. So you’ll go out first.
Starr: Ah, the Ice Bowl. It was so cold that day that you could literally see your breath —
Thompson cuts off Starr before he can tell the same story for the 1,000th time.
Thompson: Next, Rodgers will come out.
Rodgers: Fans will be happy to see me because we’ll be beating the Bears 107-8 and I’ll have 13 touchdowns.
Thompson: Finally, you’ll come out of the tunnel, Brett. There will be a few boos. I won’t lie to you, there’s plenty of people that still hate you.
Favre: Yeah, so I’m going to fight them. All of them. To the death. They can’t boo me once they’ve been flattened by these cannons.
Favre gets up, ties some tassels around his biceps, paints his face, and starts running around the bar like the Ultimate Warrior.
Thompson: No, Brett. You’re not going to fight the fans. You’re going to buy them a beer.
Favre: Buy them a beer?
Thompson: Yup. From the 50 yard line, you’re going to pull out your wallet and buy everyone in the stadium a beer. Because even though there may be some hard feelings and ill-will, buying someone a beer helps to officially bury the hatchet and make things ok again.
Rodgers: Instead of a beer, can mine be a protein shake?
Thompson: Shut up, Rodgers. After everyone has their beer in hand, we’ll ask them to raise their glasses and toast No. 4 for all the memories — the good ones, the great ones and all the memories in-between.
All four men are now sobbing uncontrollably. Favre and Rodgers embrace. Thompson and Favre shake hands and apologize for all the hard feelings. Starr lets all three wear his Super Bowl I and II rings. Finally, all four interlock in a somewhat awkward, but still moving, two-minute long group hug.
Thompson: Oh, but make sure the beer you buy everyone is a Spotted Cow. If you buy them some crappy light beer, they’ll probably start booing you again.
Favre: Noted. Thanks guys. I love you.
Rodgers: I love you too, Brett.
Thompson: I love you too, No. 4.
Starr: I love you also, Favre. Did I ever tell you guys about how cold it was at the Ice Bowl? It was so cold………
Packers News, Notes and Links
- Should we be worried that first-round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix wasn’t running with the No. 1 defense during minicamp? I don’t know. I supposed you’d like your first-round pick to swoop in and entrench himself as a starter right away, but the Packers haven’t even put on pads yet. If running with the No. 1 D during offseason workouts helps Micah Hyde learn the safety position quicker, then I’m good with it. I’m not ready to pass judgment on Clinton-Dix yet.
- Is anyone else getting the sense that Scott Tolzien may have the upper hand over Matt Flynn for the Packers backup QB job? I’m not reading into any quotes and I definitely don’t have any inside info, but I just have a feeling that Tolzein is going to win the job. His arm strength surprised me last season and with a full year under his belt learning the offense, this might be Tolzien’s big chance.
- Unlike the nonsense I wrote to start this post, John Rehor writes a serious piece about Rodgers, Favre and Starr connecting for a meeting over at Packerstalk.com.
- Michelle at Bleacher Report counts down the Packers biggest offseason question marks. All of her question marks are valid, but to me, the biggest question remains “Can this team stay healthy for a change?”
- I”ve enjoyed the “(insert number) of days to football” series over at Lombardi Ave. This week, they profiled No. 72 Dick “the Bruiser” Afflis. I also profiled Dick the Bruiser for ALLGBP.com a couple of years ago.
- I love Eddie Lacy’s attitude. “I’ll run the ball as if it’s my last play,” he says. Man, I can’t wait for football to start and Lacy to start trucking guys.
Non Packers links and other Nonsense
- I hate soccer. But you know what I hate more? People like this who also hate soccer, but feel the need to lecture everyone else about how they should also hate soccer; all while using tired, cliched, dated anti-soccer rhetoric that annoyingly tries to draw parallels between soccer and where we’re at as a society.
- Not sure how I missed this when it was first published, but make sure you read this story on a rookie New York City firefighter.
- Hopefully no Packers first-round picks never have this reaction after being drafted.
- If any of you reading this live in the Twin Cities and are looking for something to do today, come to the Minnesota Food Truck Fair in Uptown Minneapolis, come say hi to me at the Corn Growers tent, and I’ll give you some free “a-maize-ing” corn ice cream.
June 22, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers football
After the Packers lost to the 49ers (again) in the playoffs, I wrote this about another “ho-hum” playoff performance from Aaron Rodgers.
I was critical of Rodgers’ recent playoff games, while at the same time trying my best to make clear that Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league and shouldn’t be “blamed” for recent playoff defeats.
However, I thought it was fair to take a look at Rodgers in recent playoff games and at least offer some insight into how his play factored into the Packers coming up short. Of course, this set off a firestorm in our comments section. I even waded into the discussion and got all fired up at a couple of commenters.
Now that we’re almost six months removed from the playoff defeat, let’s re-examine my Rodgers-in-recent-postseasons post and see if we feel any differently about it. Do I regret anything I wrote? Do any commenters who accused me of trolling feel differently?
Here’s an excerpt from the post:
And I do feel guilty for writing a post that is critical of Rodgers when there are all kinds of other reasons why the Packers season has ended early three years in a row.
But ever since going on a tear and winning the Super Bowl in 2010, Rodgers hasn’t had another standout postseason performance — the kind of game that cements legacies and delivers memorable playoff wins that are talked about for the next 30 years.
I stand behind this. We haven’t seen a HOLY CRAP! playoff game from Rodgers since the Super Bowl run and the Packers have only won one postseason game since. I think what I wrote was a fair representation of how important Rodgers is to the team and how he’s been good, not great, in recent postseasons.
Now here’s a reader comment on the post from “Sportsfan1”:
This article headline feels like “click-bait” and the article itself tries to take advantage of Packers fans’ emotions after a loss, while presenting odd statistics and voicing discreet statements of disdain. Adam said he isn’t blaming Rodgers for the loss, yet the statement that Rodgers “needs to make plays on third down and deliver touchdowns when in the red zone late in close games” is a reproachable statement; one that places the loss squarely on Rodgers’ shoulders.
The comment from “Sportsfan1” went on much longer and accused me of more trolling. I still disagree with “Sportsfan1” click-bait accusations and generally wonder how someone who actually read my post could accuse me of blaming Rodgers for the loss when I clearly stated that I didn’t blame Rodgers. But I think the issue “Sportsfan1” and other commenters had with the post is its general tone.
Perhaps I could have done a better job of lightening the mood of the post a little. I was not blaming Rodgers for any of the Packers playoff losses. I stated that clearly in the post, but the overall tone of the post had kind of an ominous feel. Even though I never wrote it, I could see how a casual reader might get the sense that I was pinning everything on the quarterback.
If I had a chance to re-write the post, I’d probably re-do the last paragraph:
Until Rodgers plays a $110 million game in the postseason instead of just making a few $110 million plays, the Packers will likely keep coming up short when it matters most.
Yeah, that’s kind of snarky. It’s still not blaming Rodgers, not even close, but it’s kind of a douchey thing to say and probably left readers with a bad taste in their mouth, leading to the misguided “Why does Adam hate Rodgers and blame the QB for the Packers playoff losses” sentiment.
Since I’m not a very emotional person, I can get too locked in on facts and statistics when making an argument and be oblivious to how the tone of what I write could cause people to completely misconstrue what I’m trying to say. In other words, sometimes I don’t realize when I’m being a dick.
Here’s another reader comment from “Razer:”
People are irked by the “ho hum” inference in the headline and the $110 million reference. Maybe we should focus on the fact that the Packers got the most out a injury depleted, rag-tag group of gutsy, blue collar players. It is the story of this team, this season and this game. All the rest is noise.
That’s accurate. But I feel we’re pretty level-headed here at ALLGBP.com when it comes to balancing criticism with giving praise and credit when credit is due.
In my opinion, a deeper and a more critical look at Rodgers was warranted after another early playoff exit.
Bottom line: If I could go back in time to Jan. 5, back to sitting in front of my laptop and feeling depressed after another Packers playoff loss, would I write the Rodgers-in-the-posteseason post again?
Absolutely.
However, I might change the title and try to lighten the tone a little. I stand behind my overall point, but the execution was a little “ho-hum.”
Packers News, Notes and Links
- After a Packers minicamp practice this week, defensive lineman Mike Daniels went off about toughness on the Packers’ defense. He even said he might start beating up his teammates if he didn’t think they were being tough enough. Daniels’ comments are good for a laugh, but hopefully he doesn’t actually think this kind of stuff will actually make the Packers tougher. Toughness on defense comes from sound tackling, winning one-on-one matchups, being faster than the other guy, having a scheme that confuses the offense, and standing firm in the red zone. Chest-thumping, talking big and acting tough does not equate to actual toughness. But it is entertaining and fun to read about, so good on Daniels for adding some color to the normally mundane string of locker room quotes.
- Jonathan Franklin’s career is over because of a neck injury and it makes me sad. He seemed like a good kid. Here’s a list of all the Packers players who have had their careers ended (or almost ended) by serious neck injuries. There’s nine players in all. That’s crazy. Perhaps Packers players are more susceptible to neck injuries because they’re always staring up at the championship banners hanging at Lambeau Field.
- I was really upset that I couldn’t co-host this week’s No Huddle Radio podcast because of a work commitment. But Jersey Al, Kris and Jason do a fine job talking Packers with the co-host of ESPN’s Green & Gold Today, Bill Johnson. It’s probably a good thing I couldn’t be on the show because if I was, Bill and I would have probably spent 20 minutes talking about old-school professional wrestling jobbers.
- Jason at Acme Packing Co. wonders if Nick Perry, who has missed the offseason program with an injury, is falling behind. Forget falling behind, Perry might be falling out of a job if he can’t stay on the field.
- For a full Packers offseason and minicamp report, check out this post at ALLGBP.com from Jason Perone.
Non Packers links and other Nonsense
- The comments section here at ALLGBP.com can sometimes get a little heated, but, um, nothing like this, thankfully.
- Are there still people in this world who take what Dick Cheney says about Iraq seriously? Cheney makes Ray Rice seem self-aware. If you want to read someone who is actually credible on Iraq, Fred Kaplan is a good bet.
- Was Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at the center of a political fundraising “criminal scheme?” The whole thing is a little confusing to me, but based on what I read, and my limited understanding of it, I smell politics behind the accusations more than a legitimate “criminal scheme.” We’ll see, I guess.
- Tony Gwynn sounded like a great guy. RIP.
- Mastodon’s new album “Once More ‘Round the Sun” comes out Tuesday. If you don’t know who Mastodon is, they are the best rock/metal band going today. If the Packers defense listened to Mastodon, they’d be the toughest defense in the NFL and Mike Daniels wouldn’t have to beat anyone up in the locker room.
June 15, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers football
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said this week that the current group of Packers receivers could be the deepest he’s had.
Remember before the 2006 season when Brett Favre said that teat team was the most talented he’s been a part of and we all chuckled? We thought it was just Favre being Favre, talking out of his you know what and maybe even having a little fun with his buddies from the Super Bowl teams of the 1990s.
Well, after a year of seasoning, the Packers went to the NFC championship game. Favre saw something in that group a lot of us overlooked and that talent eventually emerged. We can debate whether Favre’s statement was accurate when it came out of his mouth, but it ended up being a lot more accurate than we thought it would be.
Now Rodgers is heaping praise on a receiving group that features two rookies, a guy coming off a broken leg, no proven tight end and Jarrett Boykin, who appeared dead in the water last season before doing a 180 and coming up big when the Packers needed him.
Is Rodgers going overboard with his proclamation of this group’s depth? Not necessarily.
Favre qualified his praise of the 2006 team by saying it was also the most unproven and inexperienced team he’s been a part of. Most people conveniently overlooked that part of the quote.
The key phrase in Rodgers’ recent praise for his receivers is “could be.”
If Rodgers would have continued talking on the subject, he would have continued by saying his receivers “could be” his deepest if:
- Randall Cobb returns to his old self.
- Jarrett Boykin takes another step.
- Davante Adams is the real deal and fills James Jones’ shoes.
- Jared Abbrederius proves he’s the fifth-round steal a lot of people think he was.
- Jordy is Jordy.
- A tight end emerges as a red-zone threat.
- Someone we’ve never heard of plays well.
Rodgers probably didn’t feel the need to expand on the “could be” portion of his praise because he’s confident that if his collar bone stays in one piece, a lot of those “ifs” will disappear and “could be” will turn into reality.
Packers News, Notes and Links
- Several Packers have taken up yoga this offseason. If it’ll help end the annual plague of injuries, I’m all for it. I did yoga for a while. It’s a good workout. I felt bad for the poor person who got stuck behind me when it was time for the downward dog pose.
- Thanks to Colt Lyerla and Jermichael Finley monopolizing offseason tight end news, third-round pick Richard Rogers has flown under the radar. He’s starting to pick up steam, however, and even got a pat on the back from Aaron Rodgers this week. I have no idea what’s going to happen for the Packers at tight end, but if I had to guess, Rogers might end up contributing as a sure-handed red-zone threat.
- Any time ESPN Wisconsin’s Jason Wilde sits down for a chat with Aaron Rodgers, it’s a must-read. This week’s conversation was no exception. Wilde has a knack for getting Rodgers to talk about non-football topics in an interesting and engaging way.
- Ian Hanley power-ranked the Packers inside linebackers at Packerstalk.com. He’s got A.J. Hawk No. 1, but if someone like Jamari Lattimore wanted to swoop in, it wouldn’t take much to knock Hawk down the list.
- Brett Favre spoke again this week. Honestly, I didn’t even read a transcript of what he said, but if you want to, you can do so here. Talking about retiring Favre’s number as a Packers has gotten annoying. Just do it, already.
- ALLGBP.com’s Jason Perone looks at what the Packers might have up their sleeve for land they’re acquiring around Lambeau Field. Unfortunately, rumors that the land will be used to build ALLGBP.com a new headquarters are untrue. Too bad, Jersey Al is a job creator and could have done great things for the area economy.
Non Packers links and other Nonsense
- My thoughts on Bowe Bergdahl last week got a bunch of you all wound up in the comments section. That’s fine, but stop with the “stick to football” nonsense. I started “Surviving Sunday” on Feb. 26, 2012, so I could kill time during the offseason and try to cram as much Packers info into a single post as I could. I also created it so I could mix in some non-Packers and non-football discussion because there’s only so much you can beat offseason NFL/Packers topics into the ground. Most of us around here understand that sports, culture and current events often intersect. We’re also capable of having discussions that go beyond who is going to be the Packers third safety or sixth offensive lineman. But if all you want to talk is football, that’s fine. The football and non-football parts of “Surviving Sunday” are clearly labeled. Don’t bother interrupting the discussion with annoying “stick to football” comments.
- If I really wanted to aggravate you people further, I’d follow up the above rant with my opinion on the gay marriage issue currently going back and forth in Wisconsin. But maybe I’ll save that for next week 🙂
- This father’s day guide to youth sports from Mike Tanier is essential reading. I pray every day that my eight-month-old son never shows interest in playing hockey, soccer or wrestling.
- If you haven’t seen this throw from Yoenis Cespedes yet, click here and change that.
- I forgot to link to this last week, but the list of demands from the NFL on cities that host the Super Bowl is absurd. Isn’t it enough that taxpayers pay to build stadiums for their hometown team?
June 8, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers footba
If B.J. Raji and A.J. Hawk had a baby, he would fit in perfectly on the Packers defense.
(Pause)
Now that you’ve cleaned up the vomit and are fully recovered from the mental image of Hawk and Raji breeding, please continue reading:
All signs are pointing to Hawk starting at linebacker for the Green Bay Packers for the 9th consecutive season. Over the last eight years, Hawk has amassed 832 tackles, 18.5 sacks, nine interceptions and four forced fumbles.
If I were to ask you to name a memorable Hawk tackle or a key play where he forced a fumble or knocked down a pass, could you do it? I’m racking my brain right now and the only play I can come up with is when he sacked Sam Bradford in 2011 and flipped off the Packers bench.
That play was memorable, but not necessarily because of the impact it had on the game.
Raji had dollar signs in his eyes when he turned down a lucrative contract extension from the Packers midway through last season. Those dollar signs turned to tears after Raji’s play fell off a cliff, the extension offer was withdrawn, and Raji returned to Green Bay on a 1 year “prove-it” deal worth $4 million.
If I were to ask you to name a memorable play in Raji’s career, I guarantee everyone reading this will cite the pick-six against the Bears in the 2011 NFC title game and the ensuing Raji Dance. Raji also had 6.5 sacks in 2010 and occasionally gets featured in replays blowing up the center or pushing back a double team and wrecking a running play.
It’s safe to say both Hawk and Raji have failed to meet Packers’ fans expectations. Yes, Hawk is consistent, but with the No. 5 pick in the draft, Packers fans wanted a guy who scared the other team, not someone who’s just consistently ok. Raji has had moments of brilliance, but gets wiped off the line far too often and disappears for long stretches that lead to breakdowns in the Packers run defense.
Basically, if Hawk had some of Raji in him — an occasional flashy play that changed a game — and Raji had some of Hawk in him — more consistency — both players would be closer to meeting the expectations of Packers fans.
The offspring of Hawk and Raji, who would undoubtedly be named B.J. Hawk or A.J. Raji, would be perfect for the Packers defense.
Hawk and Raji are durable, which is a major anomaly on the Packers defense. Combine that durability with the steady tackling and firey attitude of Hawk and the raw athletic ability and size of Raji and you’d have an ideal player.
You’d also have one helluva celebration dance. I’d call it the “Middle Finger Mackarena.”
Unfortunately for Packers fans, genetics and basic laws of human decency prevent Raji and Hawk from bearing a child. Instead, we have to rely on another season of hoping that Hawk makes more impactful plays and Raji doesn’t end up on the back of a milk carton for half the season.
This column has totally gone off the rails, so let me try and close it with some sense of normalcy: Has Raji or Hawk had the better career so far?
Even though we might remember more plays from Raji, the edge here has to go to Hawk. As frustrating and underwhelming as Hawk can be, he doesn’t completely disappear like Raji often does. Plus the middle finger celebration is slightly better than the fat guy dance.
Packers News, Notes and Links
- Michelle at Bleacher Report argues that the Packers should use fewer shotgun formations. It’s tough to argue with her. When under center, Aaron Rodgers had an 83.3 percent accuracy rate with a 120.6 QB rating compared to 78.3 and 100.5 out of the shotgun. With Eddie Lacy now in the backfield, putting Rodgers under center more often should also boost the running game and allow the Packers to use more multiple sets.
- Brian Carriveau at CheeseheadTV highlights how the Packers don’t pay much for wide receivers compared to other teams, and how that’s about to change with looming extensions for Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Nelson was grossly underpaid with his previous extension, and he’s talking like his re-signing with Green Bay is a foregone conclusion. Even if he’s slightly underpaid with the upcoming extension, he’ll still rake in a ton of cash and boost the Packers overall spending on receivers.
- Here’s more on the Nelson and Cobb contract situation from ALLGBP.com’s Thomas Hobbes.
- Jason Hirschhorn breaks down the film on new Packers DT Khyri Thornton. Hirschhorn’s conclusion: “Thornton remains an intriguing (albeit high-risk) prospect who could carve out a role in the base 3-4 defense over the next two years. He also brings enough versatility to contribute in the Packers’ 4-3 under packages. The pressure is on Dom Capers and Mike Trgovac to find a way to get Thornton snaps along a crowded defensive line.” (I never heard of Thornton before so I’ll take Hirschhorn’s word for it.)
- Ian Hanley power ranks the Packers safeties. Based on last season, here’s how my rankings would look: 1. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (because he can’t be any worse than the other safeties on the team); 2. Morgan Burnett (because there was nobody else to put at No. 2); 3. Micah Hyde (because why not?); 4. Whoever else can walk upright and play safety.
- The Out of the Pocket podcast team at Packerstalk.com breaks down OTAs and hot yoga. OTAs and hot yoga go together like Brett Favre and questionable decisions.
- It sounds like Scott Tolzein is making a good impression at Packers OTAs. I was surprised by Tolzein’s arm strength last season and look forward to seeing what he can with a full offseason in the Packers system. To me, Tolzein has a higher ceiling than Matt Flynn.
Non Packers links and other Nonsense
- Some people’s reactions to Bowe Bergdahl’s return home is embarrassing. There’s not an *asterisks next to Support Our Troops that says *but not the troops who may have made a poor decision while under extreme stress in a war zone that most of us will never understand. As far the negotiating with terrorists talking point, every president negotiates with terrorists and every president will continue to negotiate with terrorists. Why does everything has to turn into a political circus that makes Americans dumber?
- I’m in the middle of “Console Wars,” a new book that digs into the video game battle between Sega and Nintendo in the early 1990s. So far, it’s a great read. I wasted a lot of my teenage years playing NHL 94 on the Sega Genesis. I was also one of the few kids who owned a Sega Master System.
- Best rock band you’ve never heard of: Red Fang.
- Friday was the 70th anniversary of the attack on Normandy Beach. There’s nothing I can say to capture the importance of that day, so listen to the men who were there instead.
June 1, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers football.
Despite being two of the most accomplished defensive players over the last 10 years, both Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers have something to prove this season for the Green Bay Packers.
It sounds like they’re looking forward to helping each other make their respective points.
Matthews needs to show that he can stay healthy and return the Packers defense back to its Super Bowl form of 2010. The Packers paid Matthews $66 million over 5 years last offseason, but he missed a chunk of 2014 and has battled nagging hamstring injuries his entire career.
Peppers wants to show that he’s not washed up and can be a difference maker on a defense that has come up short in the postseason the last three seasons.
If both players are going to make statements and get the Packers defense back to where it needs to be, they’ll need to sack, hit, chase, harass and make life miserable for the other team’s quarterback.
Matthews and Peppers have done plenty of that in their careers, but they’re finally going to have something neither one has had much of in the past: Help from the other side. And that help will come from each other.
According to Ourlads.com’s opening day NFL depth charts archive, here are the players who have lined up on the opposite end of the line from Peppers and at the opposite linebacker from Matthews to start the season since 2010 (and the number of sacks each sidekick finished with):
Peppers
2009 Tyler Brayton (5 sacks)
2010 Mark Anderson (3.5 sacks)
2011 Israel Idonije (5 sacks)
2012 Israel Idonije (7.5 sacks)
2013 Corey Wootton (3.5 sacks)
TOTAL Four different players in five seasons, 24.5 sacks.
*Peppers totaled 48.5 sacks from 2009-13.
Matthews
2009 Aaron Kampman (3.5 sacks)
2010 Brad Jones (0 sacks)
2011 Erik Walden (3 sacks)
2012 Nick Perry (2 sacks)
2013 Nick Perry (4 sacks)
TOTAL Four different players in five seasons, 12.5 sacks.
*Matthews totaled 50 sacks from 2009-13.
Obviously, as each season progressed, the person lining up opposite of Matthews and Peppers changed due to injury or lineup adjustments, but you get my point: Neither player has had a feared pass-rushing partner from the other side of the line in a long, long time, if ever.
Peppers himself said as much during the first day of OTAs earlier this week. From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
“I haven’t really played with a guy like Clay my whole career,” Peppers said. “Early in my career, I played with a guy in Mike Rucker who was a threat on the other side. But a really dominant player on the other side, I really haven’t had that, ever. So I’m excited.”
If Peppers is excited, imagine how Packers fans feel.
I realize that Peppers will probably move around the defense and not solely line up on the opposite side of Matthews. I also realize that Peppers is old and might not be the player he once was.
But it’s nice to have some excitement about the edge pass rush opposite of Matthews for a change. We don’t have to hope that Nick Perry will finally develop. We don’t have to fire up Google and figure out who the hell Erik Walden or Brad Jones are.
Now, the Packers will put a player with 119, sacks, 40 forced fumbles and 64 knockdowns on the other side of the defense from Matthews.
Go ahead and be a skeptical worry-wart if you want. I’m going to be excited and look forward to Peppers and Matthews helping each other make their respective points.
Packers News, Notes and Links
- On Twitter this week, I had people whose opinions I respect compare Colt Lyerla to Jimmy Graham, Aaron Hernandez, Julius Thomas and Eric Ebron and say Lyerla was a first-round talent. This Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel piece was also gushing. I get how making comparisons to other well-known tight ends helps people understand what type of player the Packers have, but let’s not put Lyerla in the hall of fame just yet. If he truly was a first-round talent with Jimmy Graham talent, he would have been drafted by some team late despite his off-field issues. Go ahead and be excited about what Lyerla could be, but keep a little bit of perspective while doing it.
- The doctor who performed Jermichael Finley’s fusion surgery cleared the tight end to play football, but that doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to see the field ever again. I always thought the Packers should definitely bring Finley back if he was cleared by team doctors to play without increased risk of permanent injury, but now I’m not so sure. He’s now had a major knee injury and a major neck injury, plus a concussion. The Packers usually part ways with a player after those types of injuries and they are usually right in doing so.
- The Packerpedia podcast returns with a discussion featuring Matt Waldman from Rookie Scouting Portfolio. Another must-listen draft conversation from one of the Packers Talk Radio Network shows.
- Micah Hyde took snaps at safety during OTAs this week. This only makes sense because it might be tough getting Hyde on the field this season (before injuries hit, of course). If he can also play safety, it gives him another opportunity to get snaps and make an impact. Hyde is a talented player, but not necessarily more talented than the players in front of him on the depth chart.
- Will 2014 be the year of a B.J. Raji resurgence? Robert Olson at CheeseheadTV takes a look at how it could (key word there is “could”) happen. I never saw Raji as a jet pass rusher but the Packers tried to make him one and Raji wanted to be one. Maybe if he simply focuses and taking up space as a nose tackle, he can be effective (key word there is “maybe”).
- Speaking of rebounding in 2014, ALLGBP.com’s Kris Burke wonders if Morgan Burnett can bounce back.
Non Packers links and other Nonsense
- If you like football and you like to laugh your ass off, buy “Goodell vs. Obama,” a hilarious e-book from @PFTCommenter.
- 45 days to build the perfect Tweet, and it doesn’t even get re-tweeted? I could have come up with at least 7,169 Tweets in 45 days that also would not have been re-tweeted.
- Last week I closed this column with a link to a disturbing recap of the Ray Rice news conference where he tried to explain away knocking out his then fiance in an elevator. I’ll close this column with a sad, yet inspirational, story from Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams about his mother, who recently died from breast cancer. Please encourage your wives, mothers, sister, aunts friends and family to get regular mammograms.
May 25, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football
What would it take for you to stop following the Packers?
I’m asking because of the hullabaloo over the Packers signing troubled Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla and the “risk” that people think comes with signing a guy like him. Really, what risk is there?
Let’s say Lyerla gets arrested for cocaine again. The Packers can just cut him and move on. Let’s say he tweets something terrible again. The Packers can just cut him and move on. Let’s say, God forbid, he does something on the same level as Aaron Hernandez. Once again, the Packers can just cut him and move on.
(By the way, it’s unfair to lump Lyerla in with Hernandez, but people are doing it, anyway. A drug arrest and an offensive tweet don’t mean you are going to murder someone in the near future.)
I suppose you could argue there is risk if Lyerla does, in fact, make the team, then does something to get cut during the season and forces the Packers to scramble to fill a roster spot. But even then, teams have to fill vacant rosters spots all the time during the season.
Is Lyerla a public relations risk? Are people mostly worried about the Packers’ image taking a hit and the term “Packer people” becoming more and more a thing of the past (if it ever existed in the first place)?
Obviously, no team wants to deal with its players getting arrested or making offensive remarks on social media, but is anything a public relations risk to the NFL these days? Does the phrase “public relations risk” even exist in the Packers — a team who has no trouble selling “stock” in the franchise and has a season-ticket waiting list filled up for what seems like forever — vocabulary?
The New England Patriots had one of their players (allegedly) commit multiple murders. I didn’t notice fewer people at Gillette Stadium last season or large quantities of New England residents renouncing their Patriots fanhood. Ray Rice (allegedly) knocked out his then-fiance in an elevator and just gave a really weird news conference about it, but I doubt people in Baltimore will stop supporting the Ravens or cite the incident as a reason to stop filling the NFL’s coffers with cash.
The Packers and the franchise’s most popular player went through a bitter divorce in 2008. The bleachers at Lambeau Field were still packed and the team today is more popular and profitable as it ever was.
Unless you think the Packers follow, or should follow, some pretend moral code when it comes to the players they bring in, what’s the risk in giving a guy like Lyerla a shot? Does signing a guy like Lyerla make you question your Packers fandom? Are you now one step closer to not following the Packers because they gave this kid a shot after he did and tweeted some very dumb things?
I doubt it. Besides an extended run of futility on the field, it’s hard to envision anything significantly dampening enthusiasm for the Packers in the foreseeable future.
The only way I would stop following the Packers is if I lost interest in football, and that doesn’t appear to be happening any time soon. I used to be a huge baseball fan, but my interest has waned recently because baseball has gotten really boring, even more boring that it always has been. MLB seems to be intentionally pushing away fans by not addressing easily fixable pace of play issues and it’s even driving once die-hard fans like me away from the sport.
Sure, I’d like every Packers player to be an upstanding citizen and a beacon of the community, but that’s not realistic. I respect your point of view (even though it’s pie in the sky) if you feel that the Packers should simply stay away from players like Lyerla, whose red flags are completely out in the open. I get it. We all want to root for people with a track record of doing the right thing and staying out of trouble.
But if you’re against the Lyerla signing because of the “risk” involved, you’re way off base. There is little, if any, risk.
Packers News, Notes and Links
- We’ve heard plenty about Lyerla’s off-field issues. What are the Packers getting on the filed with the tight end? Zach Kruse focuses just on the football aspect of Lyerla, and it kind of gets you fired up about his potential.
- This week’s Cheesehead Radio featuring Dan Shonka providing a Packers draft review is an absolute must-listen.
- Ross at Packerstalk.com wonders if Clay Matthews could play more snaps at inside linebacker. I’ve always wondered the same thing. Matthews is definitely fast enough and explosive enough to play the position, I think. But if he moves inside beyond just the occasional snap, who’s going to rush from the outside? That’s putting a lot of faith in players like Nick Perry, Andy Mulumba, Carl Bradford or an undrafted free agent to come through.
- ALLGBP.com’s Thomas Hobbes breaks down some numbers for Packers kick and punt returners. I thought Micah Hyde was too slow to be an effective returner last season, but he did better than I thought he would. I’m anxious to see Jared Abbrederis in this role, although I worry he could break in half after one too many hits.
- Brandon Marshall signed a new contract (on “The View,” for crying out loud) and Jason at Acme Packing Company wonders if the 3 year, $30 million deal sets the market for Jody Nelson, who will turn 29 on May 31 and hits the open market after this season. If the Packers can get Nelson for 3 years and $30 million, they need to get that deal done now. I’m guessing after accepting a below-market deal last time, Nelson is probably looking for something in the five-year range.
- Packers president Mark Murphy said this week that ideally the Packers would like to extend Ted Thompson’s contract before Mike McCarthy’s, since all football decisions are made by Thompson. In a perfect world, that’s how I would do it too. But if the Packers think highly of McCarthy and view him as the coach they want for the forseeable future (and it appears that they do), they shouldn’t risk losing McCarthy if Thompson doesn’t sign an extension in a timely fashion.
- David at LombardiAve.com makes season predictions for the Packers sophomores in 2014.
Non Packers links and other Nonsense
May 18, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football
Well, I had a column about Michael Sam and his misguided decision to become a reality TV star ready to publish, but since Sam wisely chose to eschew his reality TV career for the time being, that column wouldn’t have made much sense.
So, it’s 8 p.m. on a Saturday night, the in-laws are on the couch watching the Marty Stuart show on something called RFD-TV, and I have to come up with something else to write about.
It might be kind of a cop out, but how about I take a look at the entire post-draft Packers roster and share some general thoughts?
Too boring, you say? Too bad, I say. The Marty Stuart show is almost over and I need to crank something out quickly.
I’ve copied and pasted Bob McGinn’s Packers depth chart from earlier this week in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. My thoughts on each position group will follow.
(Oh, and if you really wanted to read something about Michael Sam, Chad Toporski came out of retirement to write about him on Saturday for ALLGBP.com. Check it out.)
WR — Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarrett Boykin, Davante Adams, Jared Abbrederis, Kevin Dorsey, Myles White, Jeff Janis, Chris Harper, Alex Gillett.
Until the end of 2011, the Packers had been fortunate with their injury luck at receiver. That luck appears to have run out. Greg Jennings was gimpy at the end of 2011 and into 2012. Nelson hobbled through 2012. Cobb wasn’t himself in the playoffs in 2012. Cobb and James Jones missed significant time in 2013.
If nothing else, the Packers three draft picks at receiver should provide some insurance in case of another injury outbreak. Longer term, if any of the three picks turns out to be a stud, it gives the Packers some leverage and flexibility with Nelson and Cobb hitting unrestricted free agency after this season.
Key training camp battle: Boykin vs. Adams for the No. 3 receiving job.
TE — Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick, Ryan Taylor, Richard Rodgers, Jake Stoneburner, Raymond Webber, Justin Perillo.
Who, if anybody, is going to emerge and provide a threat down the seam now that Jermichael Finley is likely gone? In my opinion, the only player with the speed and size to do it is Bostick, but he’s got a long ways to go and needs to improve his hands. Quarless showed signs of life late in 2013, but I don’t think he’s a down the seam type of tight end.
Key training camp battle: He needs to get through a tryout first, but what if Colt Lyerla makes it into camp and enters himself into the training camp battle royal?
T — Bryan Bulaga, David Bakhtiari, Don Barclay, Derek Sherrod, Jeremy Vujnovich, Aaron Adams, John Fullington.
Mike McCarthy might as well move Bulaga back to the right side now that Bakhtiari has a year under his belt and looked promising. If Bulaga gets hurt again, Barclay has the experience at right tackle to step in.
Key training camp battle: Derek Sherrod vs. himself. If Sherrod flops in camp, he will reserve his spot next to Justin Harrell in the Ted Thompson first-round flop hall of fame.
G — Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang, Lane Taylor, Andrew Tiller, Jordan McCray.
No worries about Sitton and Lang. I do wonder if Barclay and newly drafted center Corey Linsley will see time at guard as well.
Key training camp battle: Sitton vs. Lang to see who can have the funniest quotes and tweets from training camp.
C — JC Tretter, Corey Linsley, Garth Gerhart.
I have nothing against Tretter — it sounds like he’s a talented and bright player. But on a team torn apart by injuries every season, it’s nerve-wrecking to open camp with a guy who snapped his ankle in a non-contact fumble-recovery drill as the leading candidate to snap the ball to Aaron Rodgers.
Key training camp battle: Tretter vs. Linsley. The Packers drafted an actual center for a change in Linsley. He’s an undersized mauler, so we’ll see what kind of fight he gives Tretter.
QB — Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, Scott Tolzien, Chase Rettig.
Stay healthy, Aaron Rodgers.
RB — Eddie Lacy, James Starks, DuJuan Harris, Johnathan Franklin, Michael Hill, Rajion Neal, LaDarius Perkins.
FB — John Kuhn, Ina Liaina.
This is probably the deepest the Packers have been at running back in the Favre/Rodgers era. Lacy is a legit No. 1. Starks was on turbo speed last season and is less prone to injury as a backup. Harris, aka the used car salesman, will be back and Franklin will try to rebound after a lost rookie season.
Key training camp battle: Harris vs. Franklin. I think the edge here goes to the used car salesman, but you never know how he’ll look post-knee injury.
DE — Josh Boyd, Datone Jones, Khyri Thornton, Jerel Worthy, Carlos Gray.
Wow, the Packers don’t have any proven defensive ends. Zip. Zero. Nadda. Someone has to step up here, preferably Jones since he appears to have the athleticism to get after the quarterback.
Key training camp battle: Thornton vs. Worthy. If Worthy loses, does he also lose his spot on the roster?
DT — Mike Daniels, B.J. Raji, Letroy Guion, Mike Pennel.
I like this group, mainly because Raji can’t play any worse than he did in the second half of last season. If Daniels is his usual disruptive self and Raji bounces back at least a little bit, this group should do the job.
Key training camp battle: Raji vs. Boyd. I don’t see Boyd so much as a defensive end. I think he’ll push Raji for snaps at the nose.
ILB — A.J. Hawk, Brad Jones, Sam Barrington, Jamari Lattimore, Victor Aiyewa, Jake Doughty, Joe Thomas.
Here is my bold prediction for the season: Sam Barrington will eventually beat out Brand Jones and have a breakout season. I wrote about Barrington after he was drafted and still have high hopes for the kid.
Key training camp battle: Jones vs. Barrington. Watch out, Jones. My man Barrington is coming for ya.
OLB — Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, Nick Perry, Mike Neal, Carl Bradford, Andy Mulumba, Nate Palmer, Jayrone Elliott, Adrian Hubbard.
Peppers will probably move around and not play exclusively at OLB, but if he does line up outside, I wouldn’t mind seeing Matthews move around the formation a bit more.
Bradford seems like a mean SOB, something the Packers have missed since losing Desmond Bishop. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bradford get an opportunity to play inside as well.
Key training camp battle: Nick Perry vs. Mike Neal. Neither player is in danger of losing his roster spot, but precious snaps will be at stake for whoever emerges.
CB — Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde, Davon House, Jarrett Bush, Jumal Rolle, Demetri Goodson, Antonio Dennard, Ryan White.
Another deep group, especially if we get the Williams we got at the end of 2013. Hayward is coming back, Goodson is a wild card and Hyde has a year under his belt. Let’s play.
Key training camp battle: Hayward vs. Hyde. I’m sure Dom Capers will find ways to make sure both players get on the field, but there will still be a battle between these two to play in the slot.
S — Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Sean Richardson, Chris Banjo.
It can’t get any worse, can it?
Key training camp battle: Richardson vs. Banjo vs. someone not yet on the roster or Hyde. The Packers have to bring in another safety to make the battle for the No. 3 job a three-way dance, right? Or does Hyde take snaps at safety?
SPECIALISTS
K — Mason Crosby.
P — Tim Masthay.
LS — Brett Goode.
Will we get the Crosby of 2013 or the Crosby of 2012? Flip a coin, but it’ll probably be something in-between.
Packers News, Notes and Links
- Since the Packers are typically one of the most injured teams in the NFL, I thought it might make sense to compile the injury history of each Packers 2014 draft choice into one spot. Here’s what I came up with. Am I missing any injuries to any of the Packers new players?
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Missed a month after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus suffered in the Iron Bowl loss late in the 2013-14 season to Auburn. Returned in time to play in Alabama’s January bowl game.
Davante Adams
Never missed a game due to injury.
Khyri Thornton
Missed final game of career with an undisclosed injury.
Richard Rodgers
Missed one game in 2012 with a sprained foot. Missed one game with a thumb injury in 2013. Limited in spring practice with a shoulder injury suffered during the 2012 season.
Carl Bradford
I couldn’t find much about Bradford’s injury history. Either he’s been perfectly healthy, or I didn’t look in the right places. Feel free to post in the comments section if Bradford missed any games.
Corey Linsley
Played all of 2012 with a foot injury that required surgery following the season. Missed both preseason camps in 2013 as he recovered from the foot surgery.
Jared Abbrederis
Missed all of one game and part of another with a concussion in 2012. Some reports indicate Abbrederis may have suffered three or four concussions in college. He says he only had one, and it wasn’t that bad. Abbrederis left a game against Northwestern in 2013 with a head injury. Left a game in 2013 against Iowa with a rib injury. Abbrederis also missed the senior bowl after suffering a hamstring injury in practice.
Demetri Goodson
Missed the last eight games with an ankle injury in 2011. Broke his arm and played in just four games in 2012. Missed two games in 2013 with another arm injury.
Jeff Janis
Didn’t miss a game in college. Did suffer a minor ankle sprain during Senior Bowl practices.
- John Rehor at Packerstalk.com wonders if expectations are too high for Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Given the Packers recent run of injured and ineffective first round picks — Bryan Bulaga, Derek Sherrod, Nick Perry and Datone Jones — I hope we don’t set the bar too high for Dix.
- The Packers gave Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla a tryout. Here’s a Q&A with the troubled but talented player over at Cheesehead TV.
- Michelle Noyer-Granacki consistently turns out excellent Packers content over at BleacherReport.com. In this piece, she lays out how the Packers bolstered the receiving corp on the cheap using multiple draft picks. Remember, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are unrestricted free agents this offseason.
- I’ve never been into jersey numbers, but a lot of people are. If you are one of those people, be sure to check this out from Acme Packing Co. on the history of Packers draft picks and jersey numbers.
- Opening day vs. Seattle is a long ways away, but his peek at Aaron Rodgers vs. Richard Sherman from LombardiAve.com will make you wish the game was happening tomorrow.
- Our own Kris Burke says the time is now for Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers to finally turn the defense around.
Non Packers links and other Nonsense
- When you hear about political correctness run amok, this should be Exhibit A.
- Is there any way to cut down on the number of promising young MLB pitchers who blow out their arms?
- There are some really dumb things in this piece. Yes, after having a kid it’s tougher to get together with friends or do the things you used to do, pre-kid. But it’s not as dire as this piece makes it out to be. With a little bit of effort, you can still maintain a pretty solid balance of being a parent, homebody, friend, and person who enjoys having fun outside of the home/family environment.
May 4, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football
I finally got around to watching “Last Day at Lambeau, the excellent film that chronicles Brett Favre’s painful separation from the Packers. Even though I am probably the last Packers fan on Earth to see it, it still brought back all the memories I thought it would, plus a few more.
There are many things we will never know about the Favre soap opera, but there is one thing in particular I wish I had the answer to: Why didn’t the Packers just trade Favre to the Vikings? I kept asking myself that question as the drama unfolded in real-time back in 2008, and while I was watching “Last Day at Lambeau.”
Apparently the Packers didn’t want to trade Favre within the division, especially to a division rival like the Vikings. That doesn’t make any sense to me. Ted Thompson should have been sitting by the phone, rubbing his hands together and sneering like Mr. Burns on The Simpsons while he waited for the Vikings to call.
It was obvious the Vikings wanted Favre, so much so that they broke league rules and tampered to try and make it happen. The Vikings are the same franchise that traded a billion draft picks for Herschel Walker. It’s also the franchise with a fanbase that hates the Packers more than they love their own team, and would enjoy nothing more than to get Favre on their team simply out of spite.
The Vikings were a team desperate for a quarterback, and drooling at the possibility of that quarterback being Brett Favre.
The Packers ended up trading Favre to the New York Jets for a measly conditional draft pick, which ended up being a third-rounder. Ted Thompson had no leverage in dealing Favre, except with one team: the Vikings. Who knows what Thompson could have extracted out of the Vikings for Favre. One first round pick? Two first round picks? A first and a third? We’ll never know.
The “you can’t trade him within the division, especially to the Vikings” theory doesn’t fly with me. Why? Because if you didn’t think Favre was good enough to help the Packers win a Super Bowl, why would he be good enough to help the Vikings win a Super Bowl?
Why not try and get the upper-hand on your rival by fleecing them in a Favre trade?
Of course, you never know how these what-if scenarios would play out in real-life, but that’s never stopped me before. So, what if the Packers traded Favre to the Vikings for first-round picks in 2009 and 2010?
That would’ve taken away Minnesota’s 2009 first-rounder, robbing them of the chance to take Percy Harvin 22nd overall.
Let’s assume Favre would have improved the Vikings by a win or two and the Packers would be getting Minnesota’s pick in the mid-20s instead of the early 20s in 2009. Maybe that means Thompson doesn’t have to trade into the first round to nab Clay Matthews (he actually used the third-rounder from the Favre deal as part of the package to move up) and just takes him with the pick he got from Minnesota for Favre.
Or maybe Thompson, in a trade-up mood in 2009, takes Matthews, then trades for a third first-round pick and grabs Vontae Davis (No. 25). Hakeem Nicks (No. 29), Louis Delmas (No. 33) or James Laurinatis (No. 35).
Minnesota ended up with the 30th overall pick in the 2010 draft (they traded it to the Lions). The 30th pick would have given the Packers a chance at taking Rob Gronkowski (No. 42).
We could do this all day, but I think you get the picture. Yes, things turned out well for the Packers after Favre’s departure, but I’ll always wonder what the Packers would have done if they sent Favre to Minnesota for a haul of draft picks.
Packers news, notes and links
- Ted Thompson held his pre-draft news conference this week and, predictably, didn’t reveal much. Whenever the tight-lipped Thompson speaks publicly, I always wonder how much money it would take for him to write a book or do a long television interviewing revealing everything that happened behind the scenes during the Favre divorce.
- Most mock drafts are just fodder for us to kill time before the draft. But this Packers-centric mock at Cheesehead TV takes a really deep look at what the Packers might do with their selections. You will be smarter after reading it. Or maybe you won’t. Who knows.
- Here are a few scenarios where the Packers could trade out of pick No. 21 in the first round. In this draft, I can see Thompson trading down and gathering more picks instead of trading up in the first round.
- Thompson has had success in the second round recently. The folks at Lombardi Ave. has prepared a list of possible second-round targets for the Packers.
- Just when you thought the podcasts at PackersTalk.com couldn’t get any better, they book Mike Freeman and Wes Hokiewicz as guests. The nationally-known Freeman appeared on the Out of the Pocket podcast and Holdkiewicz, a local beat writer, shared his knowledge on CheeseHead Radio. Last but not least, Old Bag of Donuts preview secondary prospects in the NFL draft.
- Jay Hodgson is the newest scribe at ALLGBP.com and continues cranking out useful pieces that focus on the X’s and O’s of the Packers and football.
- Aaron Rodgers reported former Packers TE Tom Crabtree to PETA over Twitter this week.
Non-Packers Links and Other Nonsense
We’re only days away from the NFL draft and a temporary reprieve from offseason boredom. Unfortunately, once the draft is over, we still have to wait a long time for training camp to open, then we have to slog through an agonizingly boring preseason before finally getting actual football in September.
You’re going to need something to keep you occupied through these down periods. That something should be Action PC Football (APC).
APC is a single-season replay football simulation game that makes you the head coach of your favorite team(s). Like Out of the Park Baseball (OOTP), which I profiled last week, APC makes you use your brain, not your thumbs, to achieve success.
Unlike OOTP, APC is not a general manager simulation. You don’t progress from season to season and sign free agents, manage a salary cap or draft rookies. Instead, you play individual NFL seasons on a game engine that challenges your football knowledge while generating incredibly realistic results.
Do you think your coaching acumen can take the 2011 Packers to the Super Bowl instead of fizzling out in the divisional round? Are you cocky enough to take one of the lousy Packers teams from the 1970s and 80s and try to make them into Super Bowl champions? You can try it all with this game.
You can also create what-if scenarios (try putting Bart Starr on the 1995 Packers or insert Reggie White onto last year’s Packers) or play games and leagues made up of franchise all-stars or players from different eras. And like OOTP, the game is customizable. You can set up the game exactly how you want to play it.
In other words, this game is a football junkie’s dream.
Oh, and I completely forgot to mention that you can also play college football seasons!
The game comes with the 2013 season and a set of championship teams. Other individual seasons, franchise all-star packs and decade sets are sold separately and are frequently on sale, allowing you to stock up at a reduced rate.
If you need even more of a reason to check this game out, developer Dave Koch is a lifelong Wisconsin resident and Packers fan. If you buy Dave’s game, you’re supporting one of our own. Dave also makes a baseball, basketball, hockey and golf game and has been making these types of games since 1992.
He also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you buy the game and aren’t satisfied for whatever reason.
Yes, games like Madden are fun and serve their purpose to meet the football fix for a mainstream and casual audience. If you’re reading ALLGBP.com, there’s a good chance you’re more than just a casual fan. You probably know more about the game than the typical pimply-faced 13 year old who smashes buttons and constantly throws deep post patterns while playing Madden online.
APC is a real football game for diehard football fans. Check it out.
April 27, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football
The Packers 2014 schedule was released on Wednesday and it contains five night games. If the Packers have another successful season, odds are another night game or two could happen due to flex scheduling.
Night games are a good thing in my situation. My son is going to turn 1 year old in early October, so I’ll have to watch Packers games with one eye while making sure my boy isn’t putting his fingers in a light socket or trying to open the front door and run out into the middle of an intersection.
Night games mean my son should be sleeping before kickoff. So that gives me five games where I shouldn’t have to worry about him tumbling down the stairs or eating the dog’s food while I yell at my TV about Mike McCarthy calling a John Kuhn fullback dive on an important 4th and 1.
Five night games also might not be a bad thing for the Packers. After the Thursday night season opener, Green Bay gets a 10-day mini bye to savor a victory over the defending Super Bowl champs. Then again, if the Packers lose, it means a week-and-a-half of doom and gloom from the more worrisome sector of the fanbase.
The schedule is fun to talk about now for a couple of reasons: 1) There’s literally nothing else in the NFL world to talk about; and 2) we can begin making plans around Packers games. Throwback Weekend is set for Oct. 18-19 when the Packers play Carolina. Speculation has started about when and if the Packers might retire Brett Favre’s number (Thursday night against the Vikings? Sunday night against the Bears?). Now is the time to try and wriggle out of boring weekend family functions that might interfere with watching the Packers.
But ultimately, while schedule-talk is a fun time filler as we go nuts waiting for the NFL draft that seems like it will never get here, it’s meaningless. We already knew the Packers’ opponents. Does it matter all that much when they play them? It does for our personal plans, but that’s about it.
I can remember talking last April and May (and June, and July and August) about how difficult the Packers 2013 schedule was. You had Washington and RGIII in week two, at the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens in week five, at the always-tough-to-beat Giants in week 10, the perennial contending Falcons in week 13 and the Steelers in week 16.
None of these teams ended up being very good (and neither did the NFC North) and the Packers schedule wasn’t as difficult as many of us feared.
We’ll see what this year brings, and if I can manage to watch the games without my son sneaking away with my iPhone and throwing it in the toilet. Meantime, if my boy decides he wants to stick his finger into a light socket tomorrow, I might join him and see if it helps the draft get here any faster.
Packers news, notes and links
- For more on the Packers schedule, check out this post from our friends at Acme Packing Company. While you’re there, be sure to click around and check out Acme’s draft coverage. It covers all of the angles that need covering from this Packers fan’s perspective.
- Every draft season we feature some looks at some not-so-obvious prospects for the Packers. Here is a post on some under-the-radar defensive line prospects.
- Make sure you’re following Jersey Al’s NFL mock draft picks for the Packers at Drafttek.com.
- The ‘Ol Bag of Donuts podcast is back! No Huddle Radio and From the Benches also cranked out quality Packers podcasts this week.
- Remember how I said worrying about the schedule in April doesn’t make any sense? I still believe that, but it doesn’t mean we can’t have fun and make way-too-early predictions about the Packers record like John Rehor does here.
- Colleen takes down “Al Davis” in this post at Pocket Doppler.
- Many people think Ohio St. LB Ryan Shazier could end up being drafted by the Packers. LombardiAve.com has a Shazier profile that is worth your time.
- Why stop at four days? I think the NFL draft should run throughout the entire season. Every night at 8 p.m., a new team makes a selection.
Non-Packers Links and Other Nonsense
I’ve been complaining for the last month about the NFL draft getting pushed back to May and how this is one of the more boring Packers offseasons in recent memory.
Thankfully, Out of the Park Baseball 15 (OOTP) was released on Monday. For those of you unfamiliar with OOTP, it’s the best video game you will ever play. Seriously, it’s that good. I could go into a long description of what the game is, but that’s all you really need to know — it’s the best video game you will ever play.
Go check out the website if you want more details. You’ll find out that it’s a baseball management sim, that you use your brain instead of your thumbs to play it, and that it’s amazing.
With annual sports game releases on the big consoles, you often get the same old game every year with updated rosters and maybe a few minor tweaks here and there to fill up the description space on the back of the box. Not with OOTP.
Every year the developers of OOTP make legitimate improvements to the previous version, and OOTP 15 is no exception. The level of immersion in OOTP was already amazing (sometimes even overwhelming). This year the immersion level is dialed up another notch with seven international leagues featuring real rosters, the ability to retire numbers of your franchise greats, more league options and an improved computer manager.
And the best part of OOTP? The entire game is customizable. You can play it however you want.
Want to create a league filled with teams that only play in Wisconsin cities? You can do it. Want to take over in 1901 and play out the entire history of baseball to see how your league ends up compared to real life? It’s easy. Want to make yourself general manager of the Brewers and see if you can win a couple of World Series rings? You can replace Doug Melvin with yourself in just a couple of mouse clicks.
OOTP 15 also adds 3D ballparks and a revamped interface that makes navigating this monstrosity of a game simple.
I could go on and on about the hours of enjoyment I get out playing OOTP every year. I could even bore you with the details of my current franchise, where after seven years of play my Minnesota Twins have yet to make the world series. But I won’t.
Instead of reading this, take what precious time you have and spend it playing OOTP 15. Believe me, it’s worth your time and $39.99. I would’t be writing about it on a blog about Packers football if it wasn’t.
April 20, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football
As we sit here waiting…and waiting…and waiting for the NFL draft to come around, now is as good a time as any to look back on Packers general manager Ted Thompson’s draft classes.
This draft will be Thompson’s 10th. Let’s rank his first nine classes best to worst, even if it’s still too early to judge some of the more recent classes.
- 2005. How do you not put the draft where Thompson selected Aaron Rodgers and Nick Collins in your top slot? I scratched my head when Thompson took Rodgers (apparently he couldn’t find a trade partner in time), but, unlike 23 other general managers, Thompson pulled the trigger and rescued Rodgers from the green room at Radio City Music Hall. It might have been a bit of a head-scratcher at the time, but now the Packers have the best quarterback in the league. The Packers would probably still have one of the best safeties in the league if Collins didn’t have his career shortened by a neck injury. Thompson’s first draft was 2005 and was a helluva way to start off as the new general manager. I suppose if you’re a glass-half-empty type of person, you could say Thompson’s drafts have all gone downhill since.
- 2009. After taking B.J. Raji ninth overall, Thompson traded back into the first round to nab Clay Matthews. He also picked up T.J. Lang in the fourth and Brad Jones in the seventh. Yeah, Raji fell off a cliff last season, but let’s not forget what he did to help the Packers win a Super Bowl. When Matthews is healthy, he’s one of the most dynamic defensive players in the game. Grabbing a starting guard in Lang and solid backup/fringe starter in Jones later in the draft gave 2009 a slight edge over…
- 2008. I probably would have given 2008 the nod over 2009 if not for Brian Brohm, a complete bust of a pick in the second round. But Thompson did end up finding his backup quarterback/oh-crap-what-if-Aaron-Rodgers-flops option later with Matt Flynn in the seventh round. Before finding Flynn, Thompson took Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finely and Josh Sitton. Yeah, that’s a helluva haul.
- 2013. Yup, I’m ranking 2013 this high even though we still don’t know for sure how the players from this class will turn out. Eddie Lacy helped save the Packers season in his rookie campaign. Micah Hyde played like Charles Woodson-lite at times. David Bakhtiari was thrown into the deep end of the starting lineup at left tackle and didn’t drown. Datone Jones didn’t do much, but you need to be patient with rookie defensive linemen. I’ve got high hopes for the 2013 class taking a big step forward and helping to make up for some of Thompson’s whiffs in 2011 and 2012.
- 2006. A.J. Hawk has not lived up to the expectations of a No. 5 overall pick, but he’s one of the few defensive players drafted by Thompson who is not made of paper. Unlike the rest of the Packers defense under Thompson, Hawk has stayed healthy and played in 126 games. Thompson found Greg Jennings in the second round of this draft and also added Johnny Jolly in the sixth. Throw in Daryn Colledge in the second, and it was another solid showing
- 2012. We’ll find out for sure this season if the 2012 class will move up or down these rankings. It’s time to find out if Nick Perry can play and if Casey Hayward can stay healthy and build on his rookie season after missing most of 2013. Can Jerel Worthy bounce back from a major injury and fill some type of role on the defensive line? Can Mike Daniels keep playing like a Tasmanian devil and give the Packers the pass rush they need from the defensive line?
- 2007. Justin Harrell in the first round torpedoed this draft. James Jones, Desmond Bishop and Mason Crosby turned out to be decent finds later in the draft, but the shadow of Harrell will always loom over this class.
- 2010. A ho-hum class that had potential to be good with Bryan Bulaga at the top. Unfortunately, like too many of Thompson’s recent draft picks, Bulaga can’t stay on the field.
- 2011. The Packers won the Super Bowl in 2010 and Thompson followed it up with this dud of a draft. Derek Sherrod, Alex Green, D.J. Smith and Ricky Elmore. Yuck. Not even Randall Cobb could rescue this class from a last-place finish.
Packers news, notes and links
- Want to be even more depressed about the Packers 2011 draft? Check out Zach Kruse’s analysis over at CheeseheadTV.
- Who’s got two thumbs and needs to stay healthy in 2014? Clay Matthews. Unfortunately, it sounds like Matthews injured thumb isn’t 100 percent yet, but he thinks it will be by training camp.
- The Packers re-signed Matt Flynn. No more talk about backup quarterbacks until at least 2020, please.
- Mock drafts drive me crazy. They’re useless. But for some reason, whenever I see a new mock draft pop up on Twitter, I click on it and read the whole damn thing. If you like driving yourself crazy like I do, here is a good summary of Packers selections in various mock drafts.
- John Rehor shares a story about meeting Lynn Dickey.
- We’re still like three weeks away from the draft. This is maddening. NFL: Don’t ever delay the draft into May again.
- The longer the draft gets delayed, the more stuff like this happens.
Non-Packers news, notes and links
- The weather has been crappy all week and it even snowed. But it was still a good week because Mastodon released a new single.
- This is an amazing story about the Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig. Take the time and give it a read.
- Back when I played baseball in high school we pulled some good pranks on each other, but never this good.
- The new version of Out of the Park Baseball (OOTP) comes out Monday. Those of you who know me know I am obsessed with sports management sims and OOTP is the best out there. I’ll have a full review/overview of the latest version next week.
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