Showing posts with label Go Pack Go. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Go Pack Go. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
GREG JENNINGS WINS WAR WITH PACKERS!
OMG This is such a sick burn bro! As a Packers fan, I can't do anything but give you credit where credit is due, and humbly surrender to the master. I really hope there is any way Jennings can allow the Packers to play out the season, and ride off into the sunset forever as a franchise and fanbase. Lesson learned. Lesson learned.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Super Bowl - California Edition
Big couple of days in my household, as I had the ultimate pre-party. If you can beat this, I need to hear it.
Super Bowl Sunday got off to a rousing start with the arrival of Logan Jonathan Gonzalez (aka "Wolverine") at 12:43 a.m. Words don't describe the experience, but it is in fact as cool as they say. The Packers winning the game last night was also a huge bonus treat for Angie and I, as it topped off an already magical day.
I can tell you all with absolute certainty that Logan is set for life to become the worlds coolest kid (at least if judged by Packer fans). Not only was he born on the morning of what would turn out to be the latest in the Packers storied history of NFL championships, he was immediately clad in green and gold and wore his Rodgers jersey while watching the game.
Logan was integrated into the Packers family by birth. His mother grew up 18.9 miles west of Lambeau Field, and I am an obsessed Packers fan who flies all over the country to attend multiple games per year (I don't miss a minute of Packer football). Now that he was born literally hours before the Packers won their fourth Super Bowl title, he will forever be known to Packers fans as "the lucky charm."
Since the end of the game I've had countless non-Packer fans tell me how hard they were rooting for our boys to win just because it "felt right" given the arrival of our Super Bowl baby boy. Even a Steelers fan told me she was kind of rooting for us on the inside due to Logan's arrival. So we had that on our side.
Sidebar -Skip to "end sidebar" if only interested in the sports portion of this article (but run the risk of some fun pop culture [albeit family-related] stuff). I try and make my personal stuff interesting for you unlike some ESPNMilwaukee twitter reporters (no need to mention names), but if you only want to read about the game go ahead and skip down to the next bolded section.
I know a lot of people say their kid is the coolest ever, but I'm going to give you a persuasive argument as to why, in this case, it's true. No lip service here, I'll give you evidence even though he's only 1 day old.
First off, Logan was born a Packer fan and his team won the Super Bowl on his birthday. A lot of kids in his class are gonna be pretty jealous about that if you ask me. Think about it, in second grade there will be some sort of show & tell presentation where kids are asked to research what happened on the day they were born. Only Logan can say that HIS team won the Super Bowl FOR HIM on HIS birthday (or at least that's how I'm going sell him on being a Packer fan and keep him from rooting for the Queens or Bears).
Next, I looked up notable February 6th birthdays and the list read like a "who's who" of badasses and insanely successful people. Here are the highlights:
1) Ronald Reagan- Born February 6, 1911.
"The Gipper" was a cowboy who ended the cold war and saved America from mutually assured destruction. He was born exactly 100 years before Logan, and is considered by many to be the greatest American in history. He belongs on Mount Rushmore.
"Cool" factor: 9.5.
2) George Herman "Babe" Ruth - born February 6, 1895.
Pretty much invented the Home Run and tearing the cover off of baseballs. Oh yeah, and he put a hex on the Red Sox that lasted 89 years. Since their fans wear lame hats and had a stupid movie called "Fever Pitch" made about them, the curse thing increases the "cool" factor by .5.
"Cool" factor: 9.0
3) Axl Rose - born February 6, 1962
If Axl weren't such a pussy, and had the nucleus of Guns 'n Roses stayed together for 10 more years, the "cool" factor would be higher on this one. Nevertheless, playing "Sweet Child 'o Mine" on my ipod on Axl & Logan's birthday was pretty cool.
"Cool" factor: 7.0 (adjusted because Axl is kind of a pussy).
4) Bob Marley - February 6, 1945
I've never been a fan of weed's effect on me, but I do appreciate a good reggae tune, and am totally cool with people who love getting high (except you Logan, stay away from drugs. Far away). Thus, the "cool" factor is definitely there for a musician like Marley. Plus, Angie had a smooth delivery, so it was definitely "No Woman No Cry."
However, Logan was born to a set of parents that kind of want to give him everything, and not in a shanty town, so if he takes anything from Marley, take away the fact that the dude was a bad ass who spoke his mind and was an artist with a loyal following many years after his death.
"Cool" factor: 7.0.
5) Aaron Burr - Born February 6, 1756
Former Vice President of the United States best remembered for killing Alexander Hamilton in a famous 1804 duel. While this doesn't sound sexy, anytime you are best remembered for being a participant in a "duel" and you were the dude that lived you get massive cool points from me! I mean, Burr shot Alexander Hamilton and walked away to talk about it.
"Cool" factor: 5.0
6) Tom Brokaw - Born February 6, 1940
I struggled with whether to include Brokaw in this article. On one hand, he doesn't reek of "cool." On the other, he's covered pretty much every important event in world history from Watergate through the Athens Olympics. This guy saw a ton of global conflicts worldwide firsthand. He passes the sniff test.
"Cool" factor: 4.9 (only because he can't be as cool as a guy who won a real "duel").
As for famous people that share Logan's parents birthdates, I was born on June 16. Tupac Shakur and Phil Mickelson share my birthday. There is definitely some "cool" there. Angie was born on September 26. Although doesn't have anybody on the level of Ronald Reagan or Tupac, she does have Linda Hamilton, who portrayed Sarah Connor in Terminator and Terminator 2. Again, there is some definite "cool" there.
I really enjoyed looking up the shared birthdates yesterday. It helped pass the time before Logan arrived. At one point it looked like he was going to be born on February 5, which would have made him the only famous person born on his birthday. He clearly didn't want that and stayed in until Super Bowl Sunday, albeit barely.
So there you have it. Our family of 2 is now a family of 3, and we couldn't be happier. Mom and baby are both doing great, and I've got enough energy to write, so that's a definite positive!
Yes, yesterday was the greatest day of my life. The Packer game certainly didn't hurt either!
Back to the game . . .
End SideBar
Thank god I had a lot going on yesterday and missed the 12 hours of pre-game. I'd heard enough by Saturday afternoon and wasn't going to change my pregame opinion (packers win a close one fueled by a game-changing play by the defense).
I tuned in right at 3:00 so that I could watch the teams take the field. I love watching players faces before big games with the hope that I can gain some insight into their level of nerves. Hines Ward and Ben looked very nervous, which surprised me since they each have 2 rings and one has a S.B. MVP.
On the other side of the field, Rodgers looked cool as ice, which was good because I've seen him look really nervous in prior big games. It was nice to see him get past all that in time for the biggest game of his life.
I don't think enough can be written about Christina Aguilera. Although it's been covered on this blog already, come on. Epic choke job. Only EVERYONE in America knows the lyrics to the national anthem. Since I was watching it here in the hospital (and not in a bar), I was able to pick up on it right away.
Look, I get it when Metallica is on day 185 of a 200 day tour, has been in 160 cities, is on enough drugs to eviscerate the population of Grenada and they mistakenly say "Arrree YOU READY St. Louis?"while in Memphis, but this is the Super Bowl, it's the ONLY time you'll sing this song this year. Total failure.
The game itself is gonna be a lot of fun to watch the second time through. I'm glad I recorded it, because I legitimately thought I was going to be sick in the fourth quarter, and I'm sure I've forgotten a good portion of the stuff I wanted to write about.
I'm not going to make a big deal out of it because I'll be forever grateful that he helped deliver a Super Bowl title to Green Bay, but I've harped on McCarthy all season about his mismanagement of the playbook with big leads, and I'm not going to stop now. Instead of his usual "run three times into a nine man front" big-lead playcalling, MM decided to keep testing the outside when it wasn't working. This led to 2nd and 3rd and long all day (and really pissed me off). The middle was wide open, and 5 yard passes take off big chunks of time! Please use them.
Nevertheless, the Packers got the big turnover(s) I was hoping for and Ben failed to deliver in the clutch (can't really hang this one on him though, despite the turnovers he had a pretty decent game). Add to that the fact that Rodgers cemented himself as one of if not the best quarterback in the NFL with a well-deserved MVP performance, and I'd say the Packers Super Bowl XLV experience was about all they could have asked for.
After the game was over I had some legitimate tears streaming down my face. Yes, it was the culmination of everything that happened yesterday, but more than that, I feel like us fans have really matured right along with this edition of the Green Bay Packers. Through all the injuries this year and all the bullshit that happened the past 3 years we got through it and are on cloud 9. I hope they keep partying in the streets downtown until Angie and I come back in 3 weeks. If they stop, I'm going to get them started again so I can enjoy it.
Finally, I'm beyond ready to put the Favre drama behind me. Welcome back Brett. It's not just the Super Bowl high either, although it is related. I feel like now that the Packers have won a Super Bowl without Favre it's time to be the gracious victor in the divorce and do everything that we can to bring him back into the fold. He's an important piece of Packer history, and it doesn't feel right rooting for him to fail. It's time to let bygones be bygones . . . after we're done celebrating the XLV victory.
In the next couple weeks I'll give you a column with my thoughts on the NFL labor-situation. Since I'm a management-side labor lawyer by trade, I can hopefully translate some of the posturing that will be going on between now and the March 3 expiration of the current CBA.
As a preview of the labor column, I will tell you all that I am completely confident that the Packers will kick off the 2011 season on time, and ready to defend their title.
In case you missed it, WE WON THE EFFING SUPER BOWL YESTERDAY.
GO PACK GO.
I can tell you all with absolute certainty that Logan is set for life to become the worlds coolest kid (at least if judged by Packer fans). Not only was he born on the morning of what would turn out to be the latest in the Packers storied history of NFL championships, he was immediately clad in green and gold and wore his Rodgers jersey while watching the game.
Logan was integrated into the Packers family by birth. His mother grew up 18.9 miles west of Lambeau Field, and I am an obsessed Packers fan who flies all over the country to attend multiple games per year (I don't miss a minute of Packer football). Now that he was born literally hours before the Packers won their fourth Super Bowl title, he will forever be known to Packers fans as "the lucky charm."
Since the end of the game I've had countless non-Packer fans tell me how hard they were rooting for our boys to win just because it "felt right" given the arrival of our Super Bowl baby boy. Even a Steelers fan told me she was kind of rooting for us on the inside due to Logan's arrival. So we had that on our side.
Sidebar -Skip to "end sidebar" if only interested in the sports portion of this article (but run the risk of some fun pop culture [albeit family-related] stuff). I try and make my personal stuff interesting for you unlike some ESPNMilwaukee twitter reporters (no need to mention names), but if you only want to read about the game go ahead and skip down to the next bolded section.
I know a lot of people say their kid is the coolest ever, but I'm going to give you a persuasive argument as to why, in this case, it's true. No lip service here, I'll give you evidence even though he's only 1 day old.
First off, Logan was born a Packer fan and his team won the Super Bowl on his birthday. A lot of kids in his class are gonna be pretty jealous about that if you ask me. Think about it, in second grade there will be some sort of show & tell presentation where kids are asked to research what happened on the day they were born. Only Logan can say that HIS team won the Super Bowl FOR HIM on HIS birthday (or at least that's how I'm going sell him on being a Packer fan and keep him from rooting for the Queens or Bears).
Next, I looked up notable February 6th birthdays and the list read like a "who's who" of badasses and insanely successful people. Here are the highlights:
1) Ronald Reagan- Born February 6, 1911.
"The Gipper" was a cowboy who ended the cold war and saved America from mutually assured destruction. He was born exactly 100 years before Logan, and is considered by many to be the greatest American in history. He belongs on Mount Rushmore.
"Cool" factor: 9.5.
2) George Herman "Babe" Ruth - born February 6, 1895.
Pretty much invented the Home Run and tearing the cover off of baseballs. Oh yeah, and he put a hex on the Red Sox that lasted 89 years. Since their fans wear lame hats and had a stupid movie called "Fever Pitch" made about them, the curse thing increases the "cool" factor by .5.
"Cool" factor: 9.0
3) Axl Rose - born February 6, 1962
If Axl weren't such a pussy, and had the nucleus of Guns 'n Roses stayed together for 10 more years, the "cool" factor would be higher on this one. Nevertheless, playing "Sweet Child 'o Mine" on my ipod on Axl & Logan's birthday was pretty cool.
"Cool" factor: 7.0 (adjusted because Axl is kind of a pussy).
4) Bob Marley - February 6, 1945
I've never been a fan of weed's effect on me, but I do appreciate a good reggae tune, and am totally cool with people who love getting high (except you Logan, stay away from drugs. Far away). Thus, the "cool" factor is definitely there for a musician like Marley. Plus, Angie had a smooth delivery, so it was definitely "No Woman No Cry."
However, Logan was born to a set of parents that kind of want to give him everything, and not in a shanty town, so if he takes anything from Marley, take away the fact that the dude was a bad ass who spoke his mind and was an artist with a loyal following many years after his death.
"Cool" factor: 7.0.
5) Aaron Burr - Born February 6, 1756
Former Vice President of the United States best remembered for killing Alexander Hamilton in a famous 1804 duel. While this doesn't sound sexy, anytime you are best remembered for being a participant in a "duel" and you were the dude that lived you get massive cool points from me! I mean, Burr shot Alexander Hamilton and walked away to talk about it.
"Cool" factor: 5.0
6) Tom Brokaw - Born February 6, 1940
I struggled with whether to include Brokaw in this article. On one hand, he doesn't reek of "cool." On the other, he's covered pretty much every important event in world history from Watergate through the Athens Olympics. This guy saw a ton of global conflicts worldwide firsthand. He passes the sniff test.
"Cool" factor: 4.9 (only because he can't be as cool as a guy who won a real "duel").
As for famous people that share Logan's parents birthdates, I was born on June 16. Tupac Shakur and Phil Mickelson share my birthday. There is definitely some "cool" there. Angie was born on September 26. Although doesn't have anybody on the level of Ronald Reagan or Tupac, she does have Linda Hamilton, who portrayed Sarah Connor in Terminator and Terminator 2. Again, there is some definite "cool" there.
I really enjoyed looking up the shared birthdates yesterday. It helped pass the time before Logan arrived. At one point it looked like he was going to be born on February 5, which would have made him the only famous person born on his birthday. He clearly didn't want that and stayed in until Super Bowl Sunday, albeit barely.
So there you have it. Our family of 2 is now a family of 3, and we couldn't be happier. Mom and baby are both doing great, and I've got enough energy to write, so that's a definite positive!
Yes, yesterday was the greatest day of my life. The Packer game certainly didn't hurt either!
Back to the game . . .
End SideBar
Thank god I had a lot going on yesterday and missed the 12 hours of pre-game. I'd heard enough by Saturday afternoon and wasn't going to change my pregame opinion (packers win a close one fueled by a game-changing play by the defense).
I tuned in right at 3:00 so that I could watch the teams take the field. I love watching players faces before big games with the hope that I can gain some insight into their level of nerves. Hines Ward and Ben looked very nervous, which surprised me since they each have 2 rings and one has a S.B. MVP.
On the other side of the field, Rodgers looked cool as ice, which was good because I've seen him look really nervous in prior big games. It was nice to see him get past all that in time for the biggest game of his life.
I don't think enough can be written about Christina Aguilera. Although it's been covered on this blog already, come on. Epic choke job. Only EVERYONE in America knows the lyrics to the national anthem. Since I was watching it here in the hospital (and not in a bar), I was able to pick up on it right away.
Look, I get it when Metallica is on day 185 of a 200 day tour, has been in 160 cities, is on enough drugs to eviscerate the population of Grenada and they mistakenly say "Arrree YOU READY St. Louis?"while in Memphis, but this is the Super Bowl, it's the ONLY time you'll sing this song this year. Total failure.
The game itself is gonna be a lot of fun to watch the second time through. I'm glad I recorded it, because I legitimately thought I was going to be sick in the fourth quarter, and I'm sure I've forgotten a good portion of the stuff I wanted to write about.
I'm not going to make a big deal out of it because I'll be forever grateful that he helped deliver a Super Bowl title to Green Bay, but I've harped on McCarthy all season about his mismanagement of the playbook with big leads, and I'm not going to stop now. Instead of his usual "run three times into a nine man front" big-lead playcalling, MM decided to keep testing the outside when it wasn't working. This led to 2nd and 3rd and long all day (and really pissed me off). The middle was wide open, and 5 yard passes take off big chunks of time! Please use them.
Nevertheless, the Packers got the big turnover(s) I was hoping for and Ben failed to deliver in the clutch (can't really hang this one on him though, despite the turnovers he had a pretty decent game). Add to that the fact that Rodgers cemented himself as one of if not the best quarterback in the NFL with a well-deserved MVP performance, and I'd say the Packers Super Bowl XLV experience was about all they could have asked for.
After the game was over I had some legitimate tears streaming down my face. Yes, it was the culmination of everything that happened yesterday, but more than that, I feel like us fans have really matured right along with this edition of the Green Bay Packers. Through all the injuries this year and all the bullshit that happened the past 3 years we got through it and are on cloud 9. I hope they keep partying in the streets downtown until Angie and I come back in 3 weeks. If they stop, I'm going to get them started again so I can enjoy it.
Finally, I'm beyond ready to put the Favre drama behind me. Welcome back Brett. It's not just the Super Bowl high either, although it is related. I feel like now that the Packers have won a Super Bowl without Favre it's time to be the gracious victor in the divorce and do everything that we can to bring him back into the fold. He's an important piece of Packer history, and it doesn't feel right rooting for him to fail. It's time to let bygones be bygones . . . after we're done celebrating the XLV victory.
In the next couple weeks I'll give you a column with my thoughts on the NFL labor-situation. Since I'm a management-side labor lawyer by trade, I can hopefully translate some of the posturing that will be going on between now and the March 3 expiration of the current CBA.
As a preview of the labor column, I will tell you all that I am completely confident that the Packers will kick off the 2011 season on time, and ready to defend their title.
In case you missed it, WE WON THE EFFING SUPER BOWL YESTERDAY.
GO PACK GO.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Super Sunday
Time to settle in for 9.5 hours of pregame shows. For the 10,000 calories today (the wife and I spent $75 on snacks and booze for the two of us yesterday. I mean, so what if the saturated fat combined with the overwhelming stress might kill me. It might be another 13 years until this happens again.). For the three hour football game that will take 5 hours. For the commercials that non-football fans look forward to, but which haven't been good in a long time. For the 12 minute national anthem. For the pregame show to end, followed by the "kickoff show" which will take another 40 minutes. For Aaron Rodgers to have one of the best Super Bowl performances that a quarterback has ever had. For Big Ben to get sacked 5 times and picked twice. For the Pack to hoist the Lombardi trophy under an avalanche of green and gold confetti. For it to perhaps get a little dusty in here.
THE PLAN
Eating a lot. Watching Bucky smoke Sparty. Then finding something to do for three hours or so so I don't kill myself.
OTHER THINGS
-Rumor has it that an hour ago (8:30 a.m.), there were people lined up outside waiting to get into Stadium View to watch the Super Bowl. Reaffirms that a) Packer fans are awesome, b) I'm happy to be in my warm house drinking coffee.
-Last night I went to a b-day part for a friend. That douchebag "Fence Painter guy" with his douchy fence hat and douchy overalls showed up out of the blue, ate free food, and tried to get chicks to blow him. I hate that fucking guy.
-I'm REALLLY stressed. I had multiple Super Bowl dreams last night. 1) On a 3rd quarter FG attempt, the snap went through Matt Flynn's hands. The score was 28-27 Pit at the time. Later in my dream, in which I was at a mall drinking, not in view of TVs, and it was somehow attached to Cowboy Stadium, but not really that close, I found out the Packers won and Rodgers was MVP. Also a Predator, from the movie Predator was in the dream, and he spoke English.
THE PLAN
Eating a lot. Watching Bucky smoke Sparty. Then finding something to do for three hours or so so I don't kill myself.
OTHER THINGS
-Rumor has it that an hour ago (8:30 a.m.), there were people lined up outside waiting to get into Stadium View to watch the Super Bowl. Reaffirms that a) Packer fans are awesome, b) I'm happy to be in my warm house drinking coffee.
-Last night I went to a b-day part for a friend. That douchebag "Fence Painter guy" with his douchy fence hat and douchy overalls showed up out of the blue, ate free food, and tried to get chicks to blow him. I hate that fucking guy.
-I'm REALLLY stressed. I had multiple Super Bowl dreams last night. 1) On a 3rd quarter FG attempt, the snap went through Matt Flynn's hands. The score was 28-27 Pit at the time. Later in my dream, in which I was at a mall drinking, not in view of TVs, and it was somehow attached to Cowboy Stadium, but not really that close, I found out the Packers won and Rodgers was MVP. Also a Predator, from the movie Predator was in the dream, and he spoke English.
-It is hard to put into words what a win or a loss would mean to me. And what it would mean to Packer fans everywhere. This is probably going to mean the difference between the best offseason ever, and not dreading a work stoppage, and the worst offseason ever, compounded by said work stoppage.
GO PACK GO!
GO PACK GO!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Fools, Damn Fools, Rednecks and Predictions
I was going to take the day off today, but two things made me incredibly angry. One wasn't surprising, but it annoyed me and may make me change my political leaning. One is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Also, I'm tired of analysis. I need it to be Sunday.
First, President Obama has decided that he hates Wisconsin enough that he doesn't need their votes in 2012. With the political climate like it is right now, I'm surprised that the President would say anything to upset anyone. He already has approximately 60% of Wisconsinites that hate him, and by vocally rooting for the Bears to beat the Packers, he just alienated the other 40%, including me. On one hand I applaud him for sticking with his roots and cheering on his team. On the other hand, fuck the Bears and anyone that roots for them. Palin in 2012!
Second, there is this. From Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. I don't even know where to begin. I think I'm going to break this down Fire Joe Morgan-style. And I'm going to do it with little to no research other than my personal knowledge and a trip to Pro Football Reference (which I've heard is widely available on most internets), which HAS to be more than Mr. Souhan has, because there is no way he really believes what he wrote. (Actual text of article in italics. My responses in bold)
"If he wins his next two games, Packers coach Mike McCarthy will get to hold the Lombardi Trophy, that symbol of NFL excellence and homage to the presumed greatest coach of all time."
I would take out "presumed". They named the trophy after him.
"Which is funny, because if I had to win an NFL playoff game today, I'd rather have McCarthy on the sideline than ol' St. Vince."
I am going to guess you are going to explain why, and I'm also going to guess that you have never seen a Packer game in either era.
McCarthy will need to win about five Super Bowls before most Packers fans will elevate him to Lombardi's exalted status. I say he's already a better coach than Vinny, and any Packers fan who doesn't agree should get with the century and embrace modern developments. Such as electricity, and the forward pass.
Well, Lombardi won 5 championships in 7 years between 1961 and 1967, so I would go out on a limb and agree that McCarthy will need to win "about" 5 Super Bowls before I put McCarthy on the same level as Lombardi. Also, just because I don't have electricity doesn't mean I should agree with you.
Lombardi dominated 14- and 16-team leagues. To win his first four NFL titles, he had to win either one or two postseason games. Today, becoming the best of 16 teams and winning one or two postseason games would get you to the conference title game, a level reached by such legends as Jim Mora, Denny Green, Brad Childress and Steve Mariucci.
I guess McCarthy is better because there are more teams now. I suppose you could ignore the fact that they also played less games, and if you lost more than once, you didn't make the playoffs. I suppose you could ignore that a lower percentage of teams made the playoffs at all in the 1960's (4/16 vs. 12/32). Or that every team was more relatively stacked because there was less dilution of talent. Also, here are the coaches that are also apparently Lombardi-esque because they won at least two playoff games and got to the Super Bowl since the league had at least 31 teams: Brain Billick (2000), Mike Martz (2001), Jon Gruden (2002), Bill Callahan!!(2002), John Fox (2003), Lovie Smith (2006), Ken Wisenhunt (2008), Jim Caldwell (2009). So based on your argument so far, all of these coaches are better than Lombardi.
Lombardi took advantage of a league that viewed the forward pass as an occasionally necessary evil. The Packers who won the 1961 NFL title ranked ninth in the 14-team league with 168 passing yards per game.
If a McCarthy-coached team ever averaged 168 yards passing, he'd be Macalester's offensive coordinator the following year.
In today's NFL, the quarterback is the fulcrum of an elaborate and intricate mechanism featuring dozens of formations and hundreds of plays. In Lombardi's NFL, the quarterback was a UPS man, required to deliver a leather object from the center to the halfback.
So Lombardi was supposed to think ahead 50 years and run the spread offense. I suppose being 1st in the league in scoring in 1961 (and 1962) is meaningless. Clearly scoring 27.9 pts per game wasn't enough because passing is more fun to watch than gaining 8 yards on a sweep or something. For the record, McCarthy, clearly a superior coach and offensive mind, has led his team to 24.2 pts per game this year, 10th in the league. I bet if McCarthy averaged 168 yds passing per game, but his team led the league in scoring, he would not be Macalester's (whatever that is) Offensive Coodinator.
Lombardi dominated the NFL by demanding toughness from his players. That was easy when concussions were referred to as "seeing stars.''
In McCarthy's NFL, one more blow to Aaron Rodgers' head could end the season, and if he asked Rodgers to "gut it out,'' McCarthy would be subjected to public ridicule, if not legal action.
The NFL was so primitive during Lombardi's rise that he gained a marked advantage over the rest of the league by -- I'm not making this up -- making his players work out.
The level of physical fitness required by the average backup tackle in today's NFL made the Packers physically superior to the competition in the 1960s.
Games were also shown on black and white TV's, and many players from that era suffered and died from dementia. Also, clotheslining and body slamming opponents was encouraged and helmets were cheap and unsafe. How does this make McCarthy a better coach? Because he lost a game when Rodgers was forced out by injury? I'm sure nobody ever got injured when Lombardi coached, and players dragged broken legs around. And how does the fact that people were stupid and didn't exercise/work out/do steroids in 1960 make McCarthy better? Lombardi was a sort of pioneer in this "working out" thing. He gets dinged for gaining an advantage over other teams??? This makes no sense at all. In addition, the average backup tackle today is ten times more athletic than almost any player from the 1960's, and Jim Souhan.
Remember, Lombardi dominated a league that had yet to embrace the concept of the short pass. Lombardi became a coaching giant by emphasizing -- I'm not making this up -- the "sweep.''
Imagine if a current NFL coach tried to win with a playbook designed around the power sweep. Even Childress, who wanted to build his offense around power running when he took over the Vikings, eventually acknowledged that an intricate passing offense was necessary to win in today's NFL.
Again, I would point out that he scored more points using his "sweep" than McCarthy has using his "pass". The players today are bigger, faster and stronger on defense, which necessitates passing because running is extremely difficult. One could argue we aren't even discussing the same sport. If Lombardi was coaching today, do you think he would just sweep left and right all game if it wasn't working? Does Lombardi have to take his 1960's team and play it against the 2011 NFL? Because if that is true, then Mr. Souhan is probably right. I doubt Bart Starr could get dropped onto the field Sunday like it was 1961 and throw for 366 yards throwing to Max McGee.
First, President Obama has decided that he hates Wisconsin enough that he doesn't need their votes in 2012. With the political climate like it is right now, I'm surprised that the President would say anything to upset anyone. He already has approximately 60% of Wisconsinites that hate him, and by vocally rooting for the Bears to beat the Packers, he just alienated the other 40%, including me. On one hand I applaud him for sticking with his roots and cheering on his team. On the other hand, fuck the Bears and anyone that roots for them. Palin in 2012!
Second, there is this. From Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. I don't even know where to begin. I think I'm going to break this down Fire Joe Morgan-style. And I'm going to do it with little to no research other than my personal knowledge and a trip to Pro Football Reference (which I've heard is widely available on most internets), which HAS to be more than Mr. Souhan has, because there is no way he really believes what he wrote. (Actual text of article in italics. My responses in bold)
"If he wins his next two games, Packers coach Mike McCarthy will get to hold the Lombardi Trophy, that symbol of NFL excellence and homage to the presumed greatest coach of all time."
I would take out "presumed". They named the trophy after him.
"Which is funny, because if I had to win an NFL playoff game today, I'd rather have McCarthy on the sideline than ol' St. Vince."
I am going to guess you are going to explain why, and I'm also going to guess that you have never seen a Packer game in either era.
McCarthy will need to win about five Super Bowls before most Packers fans will elevate him to Lombardi's exalted status. I say he's already a better coach than Vinny, and any Packers fan who doesn't agree should get with the century and embrace modern developments. Such as electricity, and the forward pass.
Well, Lombardi won 5 championships in 7 years between 1961 and 1967, so I would go out on a limb and agree that McCarthy will need to win "about" 5 Super Bowls before I put McCarthy on the same level as Lombardi. Also, just because I don't have electricity doesn't mean I should agree with you.
Lombardi dominated 14- and 16-team leagues. To win his first four NFL titles, he had to win either one or two postseason games. Today, becoming the best of 16 teams and winning one or two postseason games would get you to the conference title game, a level reached by such legends as Jim Mora, Denny Green, Brad Childress and Steve Mariucci.
I guess McCarthy is better because there are more teams now. I suppose you could ignore the fact that they also played less games, and if you lost more than once, you didn't make the playoffs. I suppose you could ignore that a lower percentage of teams made the playoffs at all in the 1960's (4/16 vs. 12/32). Or that every team was more relatively stacked because there was less dilution of talent. Also, here are the coaches that are also apparently Lombardi-esque because they won at least two playoff games and got to the Super Bowl since the league had at least 31 teams: Brain Billick (2000), Mike Martz (2001), Jon Gruden (2002), Bill Callahan!!(2002), John Fox (2003), Lovie Smith (2006), Ken Wisenhunt (2008), Jim Caldwell (2009). So based on your argument so far, all of these coaches are better than Lombardi.
Lombardi took advantage of a league that viewed the forward pass as an occasionally necessary evil. The Packers who won the 1961 NFL title ranked ninth in the 14-team league with 168 passing yards per game.
If a McCarthy-coached team ever averaged 168 yards passing, he'd be Macalester's offensive coordinator the following year.
In today's NFL, the quarterback is the fulcrum of an elaborate and intricate mechanism featuring dozens of formations and hundreds of plays. In Lombardi's NFL, the quarterback was a UPS man, required to deliver a leather object from the center to the halfback.
So Lombardi was supposed to think ahead 50 years and run the spread offense. I suppose being 1st in the league in scoring in 1961 (and 1962) is meaningless. Clearly scoring 27.9 pts per game wasn't enough because passing is more fun to watch than gaining 8 yards on a sweep or something. For the record, McCarthy, clearly a superior coach and offensive mind, has led his team to 24.2 pts per game this year, 10th in the league. I bet if McCarthy averaged 168 yds passing per game, but his team led the league in scoring, he would not be Macalester's (whatever that is) Offensive Coodinator.
Lombardi dominated the NFL by demanding toughness from his players. That was easy when concussions were referred to as "seeing stars.''
In McCarthy's NFL, one more blow to Aaron Rodgers' head could end the season, and if he asked Rodgers to "gut it out,'' McCarthy would be subjected to public ridicule, if not legal action.
The NFL was so primitive during Lombardi's rise that he gained a marked advantage over the rest of the league by -- I'm not making this up -- making his players work out.
The level of physical fitness required by the average backup tackle in today's NFL made the Packers physically superior to the competition in the 1960s.
Games were also shown on black and white TV's, and many players from that era suffered and died from dementia. Also, clotheslining and body slamming opponents was encouraged and helmets were cheap and unsafe. How does this make McCarthy a better coach? Because he lost a game when Rodgers was forced out by injury? I'm sure nobody ever got injured when Lombardi coached, and players dragged broken legs around. And how does the fact that people were stupid and didn't exercise/work out/do steroids in 1960 make McCarthy better? Lombardi was a sort of pioneer in this "working out" thing. He gets dinged for gaining an advantage over other teams??? This makes no sense at all. In addition, the average backup tackle today is ten times more athletic than almost any player from the 1960's, and Jim Souhan.
Remember, Lombardi dominated a league that had yet to embrace the concept of the short pass. Lombardi became a coaching giant by emphasizing -- I'm not making this up -- the "sweep.''
Imagine if a current NFL coach tried to win with a playbook designed around the power sweep. Even Childress, who wanted to build his offense around power running when he took over the Vikings, eventually acknowledged that an intricate passing offense was necessary to win in today's NFL.
Again, I would point out that he scored more points using his "sweep" than McCarthy has using his "pass". The players today are bigger, faster and stronger on defense, which necessitates passing because running is extremely difficult. One could argue we aren't even discussing the same sport. If Lombardi was coaching today, do you think he would just sweep left and right all game if it wasn't working? Does Lombardi have to take his 1960's team and play it against the 2011 NFL? Because if that is true, then Mr. Souhan is probably right. I doubt Bart Starr could get dropped onto the field Sunday like it was 1961 and throw for 366 yards throwing to Max McGee.
In Lombardi's NFL, he could line up his assortment of indentured Hall of Famers and run over the opposition.
In an NFL filled with remarkably fast, powerful defenders, McCarthy has resorted to using three-back and five-receiver sets during the same drive.
Lombardi's team was never threatened by free agency or salary caps. McCarthy has been forced, because of free agency and injuries, to remake his team almost weekly. His best defender during the playoffs has been Tramon Williams, who was once released by Houston, and his best back has been James Starks, a rookie sixth-round draft pick.
Lombardi relied on one Hall of Fame quarterback, Bart Starr. McCarthy reinvigorated one Hall of Famer, Brett Favre, and may have created another in Rodgers.
Lombardi reaped the benefit of coaching on the Frozen Tundra, giving his players a dramatic home-field advantage. Today, Lambeau Field and its sidelines are heated, making Lambeau just another outdoor stadium to opponents.
Where to begin. Well first, your hall of famer argument just completely defeated your earlier argument about how much easier it was to win in a 16 team league. Doesn't it follow that if your team had a bunch of hall of famers, others did too? I know the Packers were the most talented team in the '60s, but I don't know too many that would not put today's Packers among the elite at least talent wise. How is McCarthy "better" in a "tougher era" when he had two hall of fame QBs versus one? And none of these other things is an argument that McCarthy is better than Lombardi, they are just arguments that the 1960's sucked compared to 2011.
Clearly, McCarthy is the better coach. But in the interest of even-handedness, we have to give Lombardi this: He was the better dresser.
McCarthy always looks like he just got done mowing the lawn. Lombardi dressed like a champ -- the champion of a small, backward, league.
No, McCarthy is not clearly a better coach. Lombardi did dress like a pimp.
I didn't see anything in this article about clock management or the use of challenges. But McCarthy is obviously better at the challenges than Lombardi could ever be because they didn't exist when dinosaurs roamed the earth in 1961.
This is the worst article ever written. Not only was it pointless, but it was poorly researched and incorrect. This guy got PAID to write this. It is incomprehensible.
ONE LAST THING
I heard Jared Allen, who is by all accounts a genius, pick the Bears because "their defense has been so good all year". The Packers ranked 2nd in points allowed and 4th in yards allowed vs. The Bears 4th in points allowed and 9th in yards. Also, The Packers were 10th in points scored and 9th in yards while the Bears were 21st in points scored and 30th in yards. So, um, yeah, not only is the Packers defense statistically better, but they did it against a tougher schedule, and are playing against a far worse offense than the Bears defense is this week.
ONE LAST, LAST THING
You know what? I'm tired of experts predicting this game. I'm not saying the Bears can't possibly win, because they can. I'm just saying if the Packers and Bears both play a typical football game, and neither side completely melts down, the Packers should win this game. They are better on offense AND defense. The only way I see the Bears winning is: an injury to Rodgers, or a return TD from Hester (not out of the question). I'll say 24-17 Pack.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
RELAX.
Yesterday about 5 p.m., you would have thought that Ted Thompson took a dump on Curly Lambeau's statue, and wiped his ass with the American flag.
Free agency had started. The Packers had not held a gun to Chad Clifton's head and demand that he sign whatever they offered him therefore giving up the chance to check to see if he could cash in one last time. Clearly, Thompson did not utilize the Jack Bauer strategy of kidnapping Clifton's family and threatening their lives if he did not stay in Green Bay. It was obviously Thompson's fault for letting Clifton hit the open market, because the player has no choice in the matter.
Not only that but OMFG! The Bears paid an aging (pretty freakishly athletic, but still aging) 4-3 Defensive end, who doesn't like to work very hard, 6 years, 91.5 million with $42 mil guaranteed. Obviously, Thompson should have offered him $100 mil to play a position he had never played before! Either that or had him killed so that the Bears couldn't overpay him.
Then, Detroit went out and signed Kyle Vanden Bosch! And Nate Burleson!! They are going to win the Super Bowl!! And the Bears also signed a backup running back! GASP!
It was seriously panic on sports radio. Thompson had no plan, Chicago and Detroit were not going to lose a game except when they play each other. He Who Shall Not Be Named will be back, and the Vikings will be 12-4 (losing only to the Bears and Lions), the Pack was going to trot out Breno Giaciomini (sp) at left tackle, Rodgers was going to get injured in week one, and we traded away Brian Brohm and OMFG Matt Flynn is going to be our starter and we will go 0-16. This was all based on the fact that a 36 year old LT with bad hips and bad knees was going to visit Washington.
Oh, and overnight they signed Clifton to a 3 year, $20 mil deal. Seriously. Calm the fuck down. I would enjoy the Pack making a splash. But they will be fine. Ted has a plan, and he is working his plan. You (Packer fan) are not on the phone listening to what is going on. You can't just give the players everything they ask for without negotiating anything. If you did that, you would be the Washington Redskins. Or the Bears I guess. It will be fine. Have a can or 15 of Busch Light. Smoke some cigs. Eat some fried cheese. The Packers are still going to be fine. I will let you know when to panic.
Free agency had started. The Packers had not held a gun to Chad Clifton's head and demand that he sign whatever they offered him therefore giving up the chance to check to see if he could cash in one last time. Clearly, Thompson did not utilize the Jack Bauer strategy of kidnapping Clifton's family and threatening their lives if he did not stay in Green Bay. It was obviously Thompson's fault for letting Clifton hit the open market, because the player has no choice in the matter.
Not only that but OMFG! The Bears paid an aging (pretty freakishly athletic, but still aging) 4-3 Defensive end, who doesn't like to work very hard, 6 years, 91.5 million with $42 mil guaranteed. Obviously, Thompson should have offered him $100 mil to play a position he had never played before! Either that or had him killed so that the Bears couldn't overpay him.
Then, Detroit went out and signed Kyle Vanden Bosch! And Nate Burleson!! They are going to win the Super Bowl!! And the Bears also signed a backup running back! GASP!
It was seriously panic on sports radio. Thompson had no plan, Chicago and Detroit were not going to lose a game except when they play each other. He Who Shall Not Be Named will be back, and the Vikings will be 12-4 (losing only to the Bears and Lions), the Pack was going to trot out Breno Giaciomini (sp) at left tackle, Rodgers was going to get injured in week one, and we traded away Brian Brohm and OMFG Matt Flynn is going to be our starter and we will go 0-16. This was all based on the fact that a 36 year old LT with bad hips and bad knees was going to visit Washington.
Oh, and overnight they signed Clifton to a 3 year, $20 mil deal. Seriously. Calm the fuck down. I would enjoy the Pack making a splash. But they will be fine. Ted has a plan, and he is working his plan. You (Packer fan) are not on the phone listening to what is going on. You can't just give the players everything they ask for without negotiating anything. If you did that, you would be the Washington Redskins. Or the Bears I guess. It will be fine. Have a can or 15 of Busch Light. Smoke some cigs. Eat some fried cheese. The Packers are still going to be fine. I will let you know when to panic.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Amen 2: Electric Boogaloo
More from Ex-Packers:
"Sorry Brett. You're on the other side now," said LeRoy Butler
"It's not just another person that walked away, it's Brett, whom we all loved and admired and thought the world of, and now he's on the dastardly Vikings," added Jerry Kramer
"The only thing that could be worse for me is the Bears, and I don't know if that would be worse," Kramer said, according to the report. "Brett Favre wearing a Vikings uniform playing the Packers? That's about as bad as it gets."
"When you switch to the Vikings, that's the one team you hate and hate's a strong word," said Butler, according to the Journal Sentinel. "That's the one thing you dislike. You enjoy beating the Bears, it's a great rivalry. But when you play the Vikings -- Hatfield and McCoys, that's how it is. All the rules go out. You have to beat them. It's a must-win game. You can live with splitting with Chicago. You can't live and you can't sleep losing to the Vikings."
"Eat a dick." --Vince Lombardi's rotting corpse.
"I hope you choke on a cock." --Curly Lambeau, who isn't dead, he is sleeping
"Sorry Brett. You're on the other side now," said LeRoy Butler
"It's not just another person that walked away, it's Brett, whom we all loved and admired and thought the world of, and now he's on the dastardly Vikings," added Jerry Kramer
"The only thing that could be worse for me is the Bears, and I don't know if that would be worse," Kramer said, according to the report. "Brett Favre wearing a Vikings uniform playing the Packers? That's about as bad as it gets."
"When you switch to the Vikings, that's the one team you hate and hate's a strong word," said Butler, according to the Journal Sentinel. "That's the one thing you dislike. You enjoy beating the Bears, it's a great rivalry. But when you play the Vikings -- Hatfield and McCoys, that's how it is. All the rules go out. You have to beat them. It's a must-win game. You can live with splitting with Chicago. You can't live and you can't sleep losing to the Vikings."
"Eat a dick." --Vince Lombardi's rotting corpse.
"I hope you choke on a cock." --Curly Lambeau, who isn't dead, he is sleeping
Amen
I'm passing this on like 3rd hand. I didn't see where it came from. All I know is that I've always loved LeRoy.
LeRoy Butler: "I never knew there were Brett Favre fans and a Packer fans. I thought it was all one. But now I know it's two types of people. Those are the people that are going to have the most problem with it because they're going to hope Brett does well. If you hope he does well Monday night against your team, you're not a Packers fan. This is plain English to me, black and white: if you're not in the green and gold, I don't cheer for you. That is not hard to understand. I'm a No. 12 fan. He' s playing for my team. I want the defense to go get him, just like I did last week with Marc Bulger or Kyle Boller. Brett Favre is going to be just another quarterback. Go get him guys."
LeRoy Butler: "I never knew there were Brett Favre fans and a Packer fans. I thought it was all one. But now I know it's two types of people. Those are the people that are going to have the most problem with it because they're going to hope Brett does well. If you hope he does well Monday night against your team, you're not a Packers fan. This is plain English to me, black and white: if you're not in the green and gold, I don't cheer for you. That is not hard to understand. I'm a No. 12 fan. He' s playing for my team. I want the defense to go get him, just like I did last week with Marc Bulger or Kyle Boller. Brett Favre is going to be just another quarterback. Go get him guys."
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Packer Parties
So I'm heading off to a "Packer party" in about an hour. A "Packer party" is where a bunch of people go to someones house and watch a Packer game. No sex is involved. Usually a small amount of beer is consumed. Everyone typically runs out of the house as soon as the clock hits :00. (Unless it is a rare Saturday playoff game or something). I hate Packer parties generally. The only time these things are acceptable for me is if it is a preseason game, it is some type of holiday (i.e. Thanksgiving), or the Packers are like 2-12. The only redeeming quality that these parties tend to have is a shitload of food. I hate them because people like to invite me because they know I am a Packer fan, and feel that I will enjoy them. But these people don't have a true understanding of what a psycho freak I am. The only one that truly understands outside of a select few friends, is my wife. She has learned to tolerate my incoherent screams and throwing of objects. We have an understanding that I have Packer party veto power. I am allowed to reject the idea if I'm pretty sure that my emotions won't be able to be controlled. For instance, we were invited to at least 3 of them for the NFC championship game last year. I couldn't do it. I probably didn't sleep for the entire week before hand. I was showing signs of physical stress by Sunday (upset stomach, incessant leg tapping, etc.). It's a good thing I didn't go to any parties on that day. Not only would I have embarrassed my wife irreparably, I doubt very much I could have operated a motor vehicle safely. I distinctly remember when He threw his final back breaking interception as a Packer, jumping off the couch about three feet into the air, twisting, and landing with my knees on the ground and my face in the seat of the couch, all while letting out a primal scream. I'm guessing most can't comprehend what I went through, and I might have been divorced if I had done it in front of her family or something.
Today, this party in particular is at one of my sister-in law's houses. My wife's family acts like they enjoy watching the game with me because of how "into it" I get. The problem I'm beginning to have, is that we have three nieces and nephews that are under the age of 3. And all will be at the "party". They also have a large number of toys and shit that make alot of noise. I already can predict what will happen. The game will be on, when the kids aren't crying, they will be planted right in front of the fuckin non-HD TV, making shitloads of noise and be generally distracting. The kids' parents will be making it a point to make sure everyone sees how cute they are being. The volume on the TV will be far below the deafening level I usually keep it at in the privacy of my home. Basically, I will be viewing at about a 60% capacity. On top of that, I will get yelled at if I scream. Inevitably, it will be nap time at some point at a crucial fourth quarter moment, and I will get warned again to keep it down. I like my wife's family, but there are only about 10 people on earth I can watch a Packer-Viking game with, and none of them are on the list. Basically, today is going to suck, and if I complain I will get yelled at. Fuck.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Thoughtless NFL Predictions
With nothing but my sick thoughts, and my dick in my hand, here is my random, biased, NFL Preview: (And I know the records probably don't add up)(*denotes wild card, ^denotes 1st rd bye)
Cowboys 11-5^
Eagles 10-6*
Giants 9-7*
Redskins 6-10
Packers 10-6
Vikings 7-9
Lions 5-11
Bears 3-13
Cardinals 10-6
Seahawks 9-7
49ers 7-9
Rams 5-11
Saints 12-4^
Panthers 8-8
Bucs 7-9
Falcons 4-12
Pats 12-4^
Bills 9-7
Jets 7-9
Dolphins 6-10
Browns 11-5
Steelers 9-7
Bengals 6-10
Ravens 6-10
Jags 11-5
Colts 10-6*
Texans 9-7*
Titans 7-9
Chargers 13-3^
Raiders 8-8
Broncos 5-11
Chiefs 5-11
AFC Wild Card: Browns over Texans, Colts over Jags
Divisional: Chargers over Colts, Pats over Browns
AFC Champ: Chargers over Pats (yawn!)
NFC Wild Card: Eagles over Cards, Giants over Packers (He wouldn't have lost!, Oh wait, He just did).
Divisional: Saints over Giants, Eagles over Cowboys
NFC Champ: Eagles over Saints
Super Bowl: Eagles over Chargers
I probably need to check to make sure I'm not on crack. I pick the Eagles for no apparent reason at all. It will probably end up being Pats/Cowboys, Jets/Vikings or Pats/Vikings, and then I can kill myself.
In other news, I plan to go ahead and pick weekly winners v. spread to see how bad we all are at it.
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