There are basically two ways a Packer fan can react to the fact that Mike Holmgren took the Seahawks to the Super Bowl this year. Some Packer fans I know take a generous attitude, and wish him well. They say, Mike Holmgren was a great coach for the Packers. He left Green Bay for his own reasons, and while many of them would have preferred it if he stayed, they harbor no ill will toward him. Therefore, these fans were happy for Holmgren to take the Seahawks to the Super Bowl, and they were rooting for the Seahawks today. They were also rooting for Holmgren to become the first head coach ever to win the Super Bowl with two different teams.
Then there are those with a more vindictive point of view. They too believe that Holmgren was a great coach for the Packers, but they can never forgive him for abandoning the Packers at a time when they had much more talent than they do right now, which led (at least arguably) to some wasted years and wasted chances for the Packers. While the more generous fan might say that Holmgren left so that he could satisfy his desire to try his hand at running the whole show, the more vindictive fan would say that he left the Packers to fuel his personal ego and ambition, at the expense of the team he had built with Ron Wolf.
Me? I am a vindictive SoB. I had no mixed feelings about rooting for the Steelers today. Oh, I like Matt Hasselbeck as a player, and he has improved to the point where he is one of the better quarterbacks in the league. And I am a fan of Shaun Alexander, and think he is a real star. But everything else had me pulling for the Steelers. The Steelers are an old-time NFL team with a long and glorious history, even though they were switched to the AFC at the time of the NFL-AFL merger. Pittsburgh, like Cleveland and Green Bay, represent (at least in my mind) the "regular Joes" of football fans, people who care about the tradition and history of the game. People who show up in good weather and bad. Seattle, like San Francisco and Los Angeles (when they had a team) have fans that (again, to me) are closer to the "fair weather fan" mentality. Certainly in San Francisco this is true.
The 49ers didn't even sell out their stadium when we moved to the San Francisco area in 1980. And most 49er fans seem to think that the NFL must have been founded around 1981, when the 49ers started winning.
Plus, the Steelers had a coach who was hired at the same time as the Packers hired Mike Holmgren, but who had the loyalty to stick with his team even in years when they were not at the top of the league, and who was not driven by personal ambition in the same way Mike Holmgren was. So, without any hesitation, I salute the Pittsburgh Steelers tonight, and offer congratulations to Bill Cowher, Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker, and the rest of the Steelers.
Sunday, February 5, 2006
Monday, November 28, 2005
Lions Fire Mariucci
Yes, I know. It has been a while since my last article. Writing about the Packers this season is a little on the depressing side, to say the least. I didn't even get around to writing an article about my trip to Green Bay a few weeks ago to go to the Steelers game. To make a long story short: we had a great time other than the game result.
What finally got me off my couch this morning was the report that the Lions have fired Steve Mariucci. See http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/9066825. Long time readers may recall that I have never been that big a fan of Mariucci. On the other hand, I do feel that he got a raw deal from the 49ers. He was a better coach here in SF, with poorer talent, than he was given credit for being. Living in the SF area, it was hard for me to avoid knowing a little about the 49ers, even though I do not follow them in any meaningful way.
Since Mariucci has been in Detroit, I have followed his team even less, since I am not immersed in Detroit Lions news. Therefore, I really don't have an opinion as to whether he has done as well as could be expected, given the talent, in Detroit. I would be interested in hearing opinions from any of you on that question.
The thing I have been pondering for a few weeks is whether Mike Sherman will be fired. It is obvious that he has never gotten the Packers to the big game, and there have been some disasters on his watch (Atlanta playoff loss, "4th and 26", Vikings playoff loss). Still, I have felt throughout his tenure that the team talent was not even close to the level of talent of the team in the mid-1990's. So, to that extent, I have felt that the team's big losses have been more the fault of the players than of Mike Sherman. In my heart, I have been hoping that the Packers would turn things around enough to finish the season in a respectable fashion, saving Sherman's job, and in the process persuading Brett Favre to come back for at least another year. Favre has said things suggesting that he was not intersted in coming back if there is a new head coach in Green Bay, and I can understand the sentiment that he is getting too old, in "football years," to start over with a new coach (or with a new team, for that matter). Favre has lost some of his magic from the mid-1990's (maybe a lot of his magic), but I am reluctant to see him go, since it may be a long time before this team is competitive again.
Against this backdrop, the firing of Mariucci raises a whole different issue. As we all know, Mariucci was Favre's quarterbacks coach in his early years in Green Bay, and the two were reportedly very close. As I recall, during Mariucci's time in SF, he said that he would frequently speak with Favre during the season. Mariucci grew up as a Packer fan in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and during his years in San Francisco, I remember reading that he kept a cheesehead hanging in his office. Favre and Mariucci always greeted each other warmly on the sidelines before and after games.
At 2-9, the chances for Sherman to survive are looking worse and worse every week. I don't know if he has lost the team (as Ray Rhodes seemed to have lost the team late in his season) or if the devastating set of injuries (combined with the loss of two starting offensive linemen) has just overwhelmed the ability of the Packers to win. But if Sherman is fired, would the Packers hire Mariucci? I am pretty sure that Mariucci would jump at the opportunity to coach the Packers. And I am almost positive that Favre would return to play with Mariucci as coach.
Anyway, this is bound to make things more interesting over the next few weeks.
What finally got me off my couch this morning was the report that the Lions have fired Steve Mariucci. See http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/9066825. Long time readers may recall that I have never been that big a fan of Mariucci. On the other hand, I do feel that he got a raw deal from the 49ers. He was a better coach here in SF, with poorer talent, than he was given credit for being. Living in the SF area, it was hard for me to avoid knowing a little about the 49ers, even though I do not follow them in any meaningful way.
Since Mariucci has been in Detroit, I have followed his team even less, since I am not immersed in Detroit Lions news. Therefore, I really don't have an opinion as to whether he has done as well as could be expected, given the talent, in Detroit. I would be interested in hearing opinions from any of you on that question.
The thing I have been pondering for a few weeks is whether Mike Sherman will be fired. It is obvious that he has never gotten the Packers to the big game, and there have been some disasters on his watch (Atlanta playoff loss, "4th and 26", Vikings playoff loss). Still, I have felt throughout his tenure that the team talent was not even close to the level of talent of the team in the mid-1990's. So, to that extent, I have felt that the team's big losses have been more the fault of the players than of Mike Sherman. In my heart, I have been hoping that the Packers would turn things around enough to finish the season in a respectable fashion, saving Sherman's job, and in the process persuading Brett Favre to come back for at least another year. Favre has said things suggesting that he was not intersted in coming back if there is a new head coach in Green Bay, and I can understand the sentiment that he is getting too old, in "football years," to start over with a new coach (or with a new team, for that matter). Favre has lost some of his magic from the mid-1990's (maybe a lot of his magic), but I am reluctant to see him go, since it may be a long time before this team is competitive again.
Against this backdrop, the firing of Mariucci raises a whole different issue. As we all know, Mariucci was Favre's quarterbacks coach in his early years in Green Bay, and the two were reportedly very close. As I recall, during Mariucci's time in SF, he said that he would frequently speak with Favre during the season. Mariucci grew up as a Packer fan in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and during his years in San Francisco, I remember reading that he kept a cheesehead hanging in his office. Favre and Mariucci always greeted each other warmly on the sidelines before and after games.
At 2-9, the chances for Sherman to survive are looking worse and worse every week. I don't know if he has lost the team (as Ray Rhodes seemed to have lost the team late in his season) or if the devastating set of injuries (combined with the loss of two starting offensive linemen) has just overwhelmed the ability of the Packers to win. But if Sherman is fired, would the Packers hire Mariucci? I am pretty sure that Mariucci would jump at the opportunity to coach the Packers. And I am almost positive that Favre would return to play with Mariucci as coach.
Anyway, this is bound to make things more interesting over the next few weeks.
Sunday, October 9, 2005
Champs for a Day
Don't you wish that we could take a few of the extra points from today's game and get to decide where to allocate them in other games? It wouldn't take many. If we could move just 9 of those points to other games, the Packers would be 4-1 right now, and they still would have won today's game by the score of 43-3. Yes, I know, and if pigs could fly, etc. . . . .
Anyway, if you are going to act like world champs for a day, it is nice to do it right before a bye week, to let some of the bad feelings and bitterness blow away for a couple of weeks. It honestly has occurred to me over the past few weeks that the Packers are not as bad as their record. When the Packers start losing games by a point, with the difference being the first Ryan Longwell missed extra point in over 150 games, you can be sure that the Packers are not that far away from being a competitive team. But, on the other hand, it is precisely those little things that mark the dividing line between a poor team trying to learn how to win all over again (like the Packers in the Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and Carolina games) and a better team that manages to hang on and "win ugly" (like the Browns, Buccaneers and Panthers in those same games).
It is even more clear that, if the Packers were not as bad as their 0-4 record, they are not even close to being as good as they looked today. This was one of those games where just about everything went right (other than Najeh Davenport's season-ending injury, that is), and once it started going that way, things just snowballed on the poor Saints. They have got a few other things on their minds these days, and as Chris Berman said after the game, they are unfortunately going to have some games like that this year. So let's wait for the Packers to put together a few more good games before we start to think they have turned the season around.
For now, it will be enough if they can get a few of their injured players ready to go to Minnesota in a couple of weeks, and then try to string a few wins together. If they can do that, given how bad this division looks this year, they might actually have something going.
Andrew Chen update. The young man from northern California, who attended his first Packer game a few weeks ago, has put his name on the Packer season ticket waiting list. I forget his exact number on the list, but it is something over 69,000. It looks like a long wait.
Anyway, if you are going to act like world champs for a day, it is nice to do it right before a bye week, to let some of the bad feelings and bitterness blow away for a couple of weeks. It honestly has occurred to me over the past few weeks that the Packers are not as bad as their record. When the Packers start losing games by a point, with the difference being the first Ryan Longwell missed extra point in over 150 games, you can be sure that the Packers are not that far away from being a competitive team. But, on the other hand, it is precisely those little things that mark the dividing line between a poor team trying to learn how to win all over again (like the Packers in the Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and Carolina games) and a better team that manages to hang on and "win ugly" (like the Browns, Buccaneers and Panthers in those same games).
It is even more clear that, if the Packers were not as bad as their 0-4 record, they are not even close to being as good as they looked today. This was one of those games where just about everything went right (other than Najeh Davenport's season-ending injury, that is), and once it started going that way, things just snowballed on the poor Saints. They have got a few other things on their minds these days, and as Chris Berman said after the game, they are unfortunately going to have some games like that this year. So let's wait for the Packers to put together a few more good games before we start to think they have turned the season around.
For now, it will be enough if they can get a few of their injured players ready to go to Minnesota in a couple of weeks, and then try to string a few wins together. If they can do that, given how bad this division looks this year, they might actually have something going.
Andrew Chen update. The young man from northern California, who attended his first Packer game a few weeks ago, has put his name on the Packer season ticket waiting list. I forget his exact number on the list, but it is something over 69,000. It looks like a long wait.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Lambeau Travelogue
It looks suspiciously as if it is going to be a long year. If the Packers can't beat the Browns at home, on a day they retire Reggie White's jersey, and when Favre throws three touchdown passes and sets two records, then you can't count on much in Titletown.
Since I am in no mood to rehash Sunday's game, I was searching around for an idea of something else to write about for my long-overdue column. VOILA! My friend Peter Chen, a Northern California attorney with whom I worked years ago, and who is in my fantasy football league to this day, took his son Andrew (a huge Brett Favre fan) to Green Bay for the game as a 15th birthday present. Peter then sent me an account of the weekend's festivities. It serves as a reminder of how fortunate we have been to have Brett Favre with us these many years. If you have a son or daughter who would appreciate going to see Brett Favre play at Lambeau Field, you might want to get cracking since, the way things are going, you probably have exactly 7 more chances to do it.
Anyway, here is a slightly edited version of Peter's account. I have agreed to give him half my fee for writing this column (remedial math lesson: 1/2 x $0 = $0).
Saturday
5 pm: arrive Green Bay, after a flight from O'Hare that included a few Browns fans from the famed "Dawg Pound." One funny exchange during the flight:
Dawg Pound guy: Hey lady, are you going to the game too?
Elderly Lady: No, I'm from Eugene, Oregon. I'm going on a scenic bike tour of Wisconsin!
Dawg Pound Guy: a bike tour?! Whoa. I think I've had a few too many!
The flight lands safely, and the Dawg Pound heads for parts unknown.
Our hotel is 2 blocks from Lambeau; both are on Lombardi Avenue.... we wander over to Lambeau. Andrew buys a cheesehead at the Packer Pro Shop, which he proceeds to wear for most of the weekend.
A wedding party emerges from the stadium.... According to the tour guides, Lambeau is booked solid for weddings for the next 18 months! It's a destination wedding site.
The stadium was redone in 2003, and has wide concourses and Camden Yards-like brick everywhere, along with a 5-story enclosed Atrium housing the pro shop, sports bar, ice cream parlor, and the Packers Hall of Fame.
6:30 pm: the wait at Brett Favre's Steakhouse for dinner is long (they don't take reservations on home game weekends), so we opt for a snack of mini-burgers, chicken wings and ale/root beer at Curly's Pub, the sports bar and restaurant inside Lambeau. As the food arrives, the big screen shows Michigan State beating Notre Dame in OT. Curly's erupts into a mixture of cheers and groans.
9:45: dinner at Brett Favre's Steakhouse. There are lots of photos of Brett and other Packers all over the walls. Brett playing youth football in Kiln, MS. Brett winning the Super Bowl.... etc. Brett was there on Friday, says our waitress...the restaurant is at the end of a little alley near Lambeau, called... Brett Favre Pass. Pretty good steaks.
Sunday
By 10 a.m., Holmgren Way is teeming with tailgaters, and a gazillion Packer fans wearing # 4 Favre jerseys and # 92 Reggie White jerseys.
We wade through a sea of tailgaters in the parking lot, and go inside Lambeau to the Hall of Fame. My favorite exhibits are the life size re-enactment of the Bart Starr QB sneak in the 1967 NFL title game, the story of the Lambeau Leap, and the replica lockers of Packers in the NFL Hall of Fame.
1:30: into the stadium, for pregame warmups. This was fun -- Andrew and I, and hundreds of others, watched the entire Packer warmup, leaning on the rail at Row 1, not more than 20 yards from the field!
Favre and ex-Cal QB, Aaron Rodgers, run the offense. Rodgers must be on Cloud Nine. It's his first (regular season) game at Lambeau.
By the time warmups ended, the stadium was packed, and kickoff was only 20 minutes away. Yet not one fan or security guy asked anyone to move. At most pro or college sports events, you get ordered to "find your seat" long before the game starts. Not at Lambeau.
There were many fans holding signs reading, "My 1st Packer Game," as it is hard to get tickets. (The waiting list for season tickets is about 60,000, and very few become available every year.)
3:15: The Packers are retiring # 92 of the late Reggie White. His daughter sings the National Anthem...4 F-16 jets fly over...the place goes nuts.
The stadium is more like a college facility -- a fairly steep bowl with about 70 rows of aluminum bench seats, bleacher style. There are club level enclosed seats and luxury boxes too.
After all that, the Packers then proceed to lose to the lowly Browns, 26-24!? The Lambeau home field advantage seems to be dissolving, as the Packers are 4-6 in their last 10 Lambeau games.
Favre has a record-setting day. He tosses 3 TDs (breaking an NFL record for most TDs in one stadium) and throws for over 300 yards (joining Marino and Elway in the 50,000 yard club). But the Packers D, which surrenders a career day to Trent Dilfer, could've used Reggie White!
I'd recommend a road trip to Lambeau, for all. There aren't any other pro football teams that play in a college atmosphere, in such an historic stadium. And if you go in September, the tundra won't be frozen.
Post game, we had an ice cream at the "Frozen in Time" ice cream parlor inside the Atrium. We then bumped into Reggie White's family as they were heading out! His son looks ready to suit up for the Pack. They could use some help on D.
Next, we went back to the pro shop for one last souvenir hunt, and then upstairs to Curly's for more brats. We watched the Sunday night game and Sunday night baseball on the big screens. A father and son in the booth across from us ask us where we're from.... they were from Los Angeles, and were also on a pilgrimage to Lambeau! After 30 minutes of conversation, it turns out he's swimmer Mike O'Brien, 1984 Olympic gold medalist! Nice guy too. A fun way to finish up the weekend.
My son is 15, a sophomore in high school, and with his school schedule and my work schedule, we can go for days without much meaningful interaction. So it was great just to be with him for a weekend, and super special for that weekend to be at such a sports shrine.
Since I am in no mood to rehash Sunday's game, I was searching around for an idea of something else to write about for my long-overdue column. VOILA! My friend Peter Chen, a Northern California attorney with whom I worked years ago, and who is in my fantasy football league to this day, took his son Andrew (a huge Brett Favre fan) to Green Bay for the game as a 15th birthday present. Peter then sent me an account of the weekend's festivities. It serves as a reminder of how fortunate we have been to have Brett Favre with us these many years. If you have a son or daughter who would appreciate going to see Brett Favre play at Lambeau Field, you might want to get cracking since, the way things are going, you probably have exactly 7 more chances to do it.
Anyway, here is a slightly edited version of Peter's account. I have agreed to give him half my fee for writing this column (remedial math lesson: 1/2 x $0 = $0).
Saturday
5 pm: arrive Green Bay, after a flight from O'Hare that included a few Browns fans from the famed "Dawg Pound." One funny exchange during the flight:
Dawg Pound guy: Hey lady, are you going to the game too?
Elderly Lady: No, I'm from Eugene, Oregon. I'm going on a scenic bike tour of Wisconsin!
Dawg Pound Guy: a bike tour?! Whoa. I think I've had a few too many!
The flight lands safely, and the Dawg Pound heads for parts unknown.
Our hotel is 2 blocks from Lambeau; both are on Lombardi Avenue.... we wander over to Lambeau. Andrew buys a cheesehead at the Packer Pro Shop, which he proceeds to wear for most of the weekend.
A wedding party emerges from the stadium.... According to the tour guides, Lambeau is booked solid for weddings for the next 18 months! It's a destination wedding site.
The stadium was redone in 2003, and has wide concourses and Camden Yards-like brick everywhere, along with a 5-story enclosed Atrium housing the pro shop, sports bar, ice cream parlor, and the Packers Hall of Fame.
6:30 pm: the wait at Brett Favre's Steakhouse for dinner is long (they don't take reservations on home game weekends), so we opt for a snack of mini-burgers, chicken wings and ale/root beer at Curly's Pub, the sports bar and restaurant inside Lambeau. As the food arrives, the big screen shows Michigan State beating Notre Dame in OT. Curly's erupts into a mixture of cheers and groans.
9:45: dinner at Brett Favre's Steakhouse. There are lots of photos of Brett and other Packers all over the walls. Brett playing youth football in Kiln, MS. Brett winning the Super Bowl.... etc. Brett was there on Friday, says our waitress...the restaurant is at the end of a little alley near Lambeau, called... Brett Favre Pass. Pretty good steaks.
Sunday
By 10 a.m., Holmgren Way is teeming with tailgaters, and a gazillion Packer fans wearing # 4 Favre jerseys and # 92 Reggie White jerseys.
We wade through a sea of tailgaters in the parking lot, and go inside Lambeau to the Hall of Fame. My favorite exhibits are the life size re-enactment of the Bart Starr QB sneak in the 1967 NFL title game, the story of the Lambeau Leap, and the replica lockers of Packers in the NFL Hall of Fame.
1:30: into the stadium, for pregame warmups. This was fun -- Andrew and I, and hundreds of others, watched the entire Packer warmup, leaning on the rail at Row 1, not more than 20 yards from the field!
Favre and ex-Cal QB, Aaron Rodgers, run the offense. Rodgers must be on Cloud Nine. It's his first (regular season) game at Lambeau.
By the time warmups ended, the stadium was packed, and kickoff was only 20 minutes away. Yet not one fan or security guy asked anyone to move. At most pro or college sports events, you get ordered to "find your seat" long before the game starts. Not at Lambeau.
There were many fans holding signs reading, "My 1st Packer Game," as it is hard to get tickets. (The waiting list for season tickets is about 60,000, and very few become available every year.)
3:15: The Packers are retiring # 92 of the late Reggie White. His daughter sings the National Anthem...4 F-16 jets fly over...the place goes nuts.
The stadium is more like a college facility -- a fairly steep bowl with about 70 rows of aluminum bench seats, bleacher style. There are club level enclosed seats and luxury boxes too.
After all that, the Packers then proceed to lose to the lowly Browns, 26-24!? The Lambeau home field advantage seems to be dissolving, as the Packers are 4-6 in their last 10 Lambeau games.
Favre has a record-setting day. He tosses 3 TDs (breaking an NFL record for most TDs in one stadium) and throws for over 300 yards (joining Marino and Elway in the 50,000 yard club). But the Packers D, which surrenders a career day to Trent Dilfer, could've used Reggie White!
I'd recommend a road trip to Lambeau, for all. There aren't any other pro football teams that play in a college atmosphere, in such an historic stadium. And if you go in September, the tundra won't be frozen.
Post game, we had an ice cream at the "Frozen in Time" ice cream parlor inside the Atrium. We then bumped into Reggie White's family as they were heading out! His son looks ready to suit up for the Pack. They could use some help on D.
Next, we went back to the pro shop for one last souvenir hunt, and then upstairs to Curly's for more brats. We watched the Sunday night game and Sunday night baseball on the big screens. A father and son in the booth across from us ask us where we're from.... they were from Los Angeles, and were also on a pilgrimage to Lambeau! After 30 minutes of conversation, it turns out he's swimmer Mike O'Brien, 1984 Olympic gold medalist! Nice guy too. A fun way to finish up the weekend.
My son is 15, a sophomore in high school, and with his school schedule and my work schedule, we can go for days without much meaningful interaction. So it was great just to be with him for a weekend, and super special for that weekend to be at such a sports shrine.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Reggie White, R.I.P.
Going into the Friday game, we had the Packers' pathetic historical record in the dome, pointing in one direction, and the Vikings' traditional late-season collapse, pointing in the other. Most Packer fans, including me, were probably pretty pessimistic about the chances for the Packers.
Lots of bad things happened during the game. The Packers' defense could not stop the Vikings all day long. Favre threw his traditional interception as a Christmas gift to the Vikings, although this one was caused more by a tremendous leaping grab by Claiborne than by an error by Favre. But, to make matters worse, this interception took place in the fourth quarter, with the score tied. To make matters worse still, this interception was returned for the go-ahead touchdown.
Not content to let this one slip away, Favre guided the Packers on a 5 minute, 13-play drive, which ended when Favre threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Driver on 4th down. The score was tied, with over 3 minutes left to play. Still, the way the defense had been playing all season, it would have been no shock for the defense to let the Vikings drive downfield for the winning score. But for once, the defense rose to the occasion, with the help of a couple of penalties on the Vikings, and forced a punt.
The Packers had the ball, at their own 13 yard line, with 1:35 to go and 2 timeouts. That deep in their own territory, on the road, would they play for the tie and take the game into overtime? Not without taking some carefully controlled shots at some yardage first. The Packers proceeded to mount another long drive, with 12 plays, leading to the game-winning field goal as time expired.
Ryan Longwell deserves a lot of credit. This is the fourth time in the last seven weeks he has kicked game-winning field goals in the final seconds of a game. He is certainly not perfect (longer kickoffs would be nice), but he is as dependable as any kicker in the league in this kind of situation. And Mike Sherman deserves a lot of credit, too. Quietly, almost without anyone noticing, he has built a 7-3 record against the Vikings, including a 3-2 record at the dome. When you consider that Mike Holmgren's record against the Vikings was 5-9, and 1-6 in the dome, Sherman's accomplishment in turning around that futility is significant and welcome. As a result, the Packers won the division for the third year in a row, and will have their home game in the first round of the playoffs. All was well in the world of the Green and Gold.
Until Sunday morning. That is when the shocking news came of Reggie White's death, at the age of 43. The day Reggie White signed with the Packers is probably etched in the minds of many of us. Living in the San Francisco area, I can remember very well the smug assumption in these parts that Reggie would sign with the 49ers. After all, they were the "classiest organization in all of sports" (as 49er fans and media types were fond of telling us) and they had been at or near the top since 1981. Why wouldn't someone like Reggie want to jump on board? I remember being asked by a 49er fan that day, "Did we get Reggie White?" Which allowed me to use the punch line of the old joke, "What you mean WE, kemosabe?"
None of us will soon forget the sight of Reggie White taking a victory lap around the Super Dome after Super Bowl XXXI, with the Lombardi trophy held high for all to see. My family will never forget his graciousness in posing for a picture with us, at the San Francisco hotel restaurant, the night before the NFC Championship game the following year, or the fact that he signed and send back the picture to us after it was developed.
Reggie White was on the receiving end of criticism for some of his politically incorrect remarks off the football field, to some extent deservedly so. Let us not dwell on that now. Nobody who is honest about it will dispute that this was a good man, a proud man of faith, and one who tried to do the right thing in his personal and professional life. He was also a phenomenal football player. The two games that stand out most in my mind were the game against Denver, in 1993 (Reggie's first year with the Packers) when he single-handedly preserved the victory by sacking Elway several times on the pivotal, 4th quarter drive, and of course Super Bowl XXXI, when he did the same thing to Drew Bledsoe late in the game. He left us far too soon, and there is no more fitting tribute to him than the New Testament epigraph that appears at the beginning of the book Reggie wrote with Andrew Thomas:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
Lots of bad things happened during the game. The Packers' defense could not stop the Vikings all day long. Favre threw his traditional interception as a Christmas gift to the Vikings, although this one was caused more by a tremendous leaping grab by Claiborne than by an error by Favre. But, to make matters worse, this interception took place in the fourth quarter, with the score tied. To make matters worse still, this interception was returned for the go-ahead touchdown.
Not content to let this one slip away, Favre guided the Packers on a 5 minute, 13-play drive, which ended when Favre threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Driver on 4th down. The score was tied, with over 3 minutes left to play. Still, the way the defense had been playing all season, it would have been no shock for the defense to let the Vikings drive downfield for the winning score. But for once, the defense rose to the occasion, with the help of a couple of penalties on the Vikings, and forced a punt.
The Packers had the ball, at their own 13 yard line, with 1:35 to go and 2 timeouts. That deep in their own territory, on the road, would they play for the tie and take the game into overtime? Not without taking some carefully controlled shots at some yardage first. The Packers proceeded to mount another long drive, with 12 plays, leading to the game-winning field goal as time expired.
Ryan Longwell deserves a lot of credit. This is the fourth time in the last seven weeks he has kicked game-winning field goals in the final seconds of a game. He is certainly not perfect (longer kickoffs would be nice), but he is as dependable as any kicker in the league in this kind of situation. And Mike Sherman deserves a lot of credit, too. Quietly, almost without anyone noticing, he has built a 7-3 record against the Vikings, including a 3-2 record at the dome. When you consider that Mike Holmgren's record against the Vikings was 5-9, and 1-6 in the dome, Sherman's accomplishment in turning around that futility is significant and welcome. As a result, the Packers won the division for the third year in a row, and will have their home game in the first round of the playoffs. All was well in the world of the Green and Gold.
Until Sunday morning. That is when the shocking news came of Reggie White's death, at the age of 43. The day Reggie White signed with the Packers is probably etched in the minds of many of us. Living in the San Francisco area, I can remember very well the smug assumption in these parts that Reggie would sign with the 49ers. After all, they were the "classiest organization in all of sports" (as 49er fans and media types were fond of telling us) and they had been at or near the top since 1981. Why wouldn't someone like Reggie want to jump on board? I remember being asked by a 49er fan that day, "Did we get Reggie White?" Which allowed me to use the punch line of the old joke, "What you mean WE, kemosabe?"
None of us will soon forget the sight of Reggie White taking a victory lap around the Super Dome after Super Bowl XXXI, with the Lombardi trophy held high for all to see. My family will never forget his graciousness in posing for a picture with us, at the San Francisco hotel restaurant, the night before the NFC Championship game the following year, or the fact that he signed and send back the picture to us after it was developed.
Reggie White was on the receiving end of criticism for some of his politically incorrect remarks off the football field, to some extent deservedly so. Let us not dwell on that now. Nobody who is honest about it will dispute that this was a good man, a proud man of faith, and one who tried to do the right thing in his personal and professional life. He was also a phenomenal football player. The two games that stand out most in my mind were the game against Denver, in 1993 (Reggie's first year with the Packers) when he single-handedly preserved the victory by sacking Elway several times on the pivotal, 4th quarter drive, and of course Super Bowl XXXI, when he did the same thing to Drew Bledsoe late in the game. He left us far too soon, and there is no more fitting tribute to him than the New Testament epigraph that appears at the beginning of the book Reggie wrote with Andrew Thomas:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Another Close Shave
So the Packers wrap up an exciting little victory over the Lions (way too exciting, in fact), giving them an 8-5 record, and sole possession of first place in the NFC North for the first time all season. They are all set to take some new momentum into the playoffs, and then who knows what will happen? It is possible to believe that, at least somewhat.
The Packers host the Jaguars next week, followed by a Christmas Eve trip to Minnesota, and then finish upon the road at Chicago. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the Packers lose the Vikings game and win the other two. The will end up at 10-6 in this scenario.
Meanwhile, the Vikings play at Detroit, then host the Packers, and then play on the road at Washington. Now everyone knows that think the Vikings could easily lose a road game outdoors at Washington in January, but again, for the sake of argument,let's say they win all remaining games to also finish at 10-6. The Packers and Vikings will have split the season series, so we look next at the Division records, where we find the Packers at 4-2, and the Vikings also at4-2 (given these assumptions). Turning to common opponents, the next tie-breaker, the Packers will have a record against common opponents of 7-5(wins against Dallas, Houston,Detroit, Jacksonville, Chicago, Detroit and Washington, and losses against Philadelphia, Chicago, Tennessee, N.Y. Giants, and Indianapolis), while theVikings will have a record of 8-4 (wins against Dallas, Chicago, Houston,Tennessee, Detroit, Jacksonville, Detroit and Washington, and losses against Philadelphia, N.Y. Giants, Indianapolis, and Chicago). So, under this set of assumptions, the Vikings would win the division. If this is incorrect,please send an email, but it appears to be correct.
If that is so, then it will take a Packer victory at Minnesota to win the division (or it will take Minnesota to stumble against one of the other teams). You could have lost a lot of money over the years counting on a Green Bay victory at Minnesota. Could have? Many of us probably actually have lost a lot of money counting on Green Bay wins at Minnesota.Now, even if the Packers lose the division, they might still be a wild card,but that means no home games, and frankly not much of a chance.
To be honest, there is no strong reason for optimism even if the Packers do win the division. Take a look back at the Packers' record this year. They have played only 3 games against teams that currently have winning records (Indianapolis,Minnesota, and Philadelphia). The Packers are 1-2 in those games, and the Colts and Eagles games were pretty tough to even watch until the end. The other 10 games have been against teams with a losing record as of now, and the Packers are 7-3 in those games, with some close shaves thrown in, which is NOT a reference to Brett Favre's new hairdo. In other words, the Packers are not exactly blowing the doors off even in games where you might say that they should win. For this reason, even though the Packers have won 7 out of their last 8 games, it is hard to develop too much excitement about their chances this year. In spite of the improbable way the Packers got into the playoffs last year, the Packers' chances last year were much better to go somewhere in the playoffs last year than they seem this year. Only the 4th and 26 disaster stopped the Packers short of a trip to the NFC Championship game, where they certainly would have had a real shot of earning another trip to the Super Bowl. This year, the Packers look distressingly like a team heading for one and out in the playoffs.
Obviously, they still have to play the games one at a time, and it is not too late to get really hot going into the playoffs. They may get lucky if they get there, and go a long way. But nobody should count on it.
The Packers host the Jaguars next week, followed by a Christmas Eve trip to Minnesota, and then finish upon the road at Chicago. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the Packers lose the Vikings game and win the other two. The will end up at 10-6 in this scenario.
Meanwhile, the Vikings play at Detroit, then host the Packers, and then play on the road at Washington. Now everyone knows that think the Vikings could easily lose a road game outdoors at Washington in January, but again, for the sake of argument,let's say they win all remaining games to also finish at 10-6. The Packers and Vikings will have split the season series, so we look next at the Division records, where we find the Packers at 4-2, and the Vikings also at4-2 (given these assumptions). Turning to common opponents, the next tie-breaker, the Packers will have a record against common opponents of 7-5(wins against Dallas, Houston,Detroit, Jacksonville, Chicago, Detroit and Washington, and losses against Philadelphia, Chicago, Tennessee, N.Y. Giants, and Indianapolis), while theVikings will have a record of 8-4 (wins against Dallas, Chicago, Houston,Tennessee, Detroit, Jacksonville, Detroit and Washington, and losses against Philadelphia, N.Y. Giants, Indianapolis, and Chicago). So, under this set of assumptions, the Vikings would win the division. If this is incorrect,please send an email, but it appears to be correct.
If that is so, then it will take a Packer victory at Minnesota to win the division (or it will take Minnesota to stumble against one of the other teams). You could have lost a lot of money over the years counting on a Green Bay victory at Minnesota. Could have? Many of us probably actually have lost a lot of money counting on Green Bay wins at Minnesota.Now, even if the Packers lose the division, they might still be a wild card,but that means no home games, and frankly not much of a chance.
To be honest, there is no strong reason for optimism even if the Packers do win the division. Take a look back at the Packers' record this year. They have played only 3 games against teams that currently have winning records (Indianapolis,Minnesota, and Philadelphia). The Packers are 1-2 in those games, and the Colts and Eagles games were pretty tough to even watch until the end. The other 10 games have been against teams with a losing record as of now, and the Packers are 7-3 in those games, with some close shaves thrown in, which is NOT a reference to Brett Favre's new hairdo. In other words, the Packers are not exactly blowing the doors off even in games where you might say that they should win. For this reason, even though the Packers have won 7 out of their last 8 games, it is hard to develop too much excitement about their chances this year. In spite of the improbable way the Packers got into the playoffs last year, the Packers' chances last year were much better to go somewhere in the playoffs last year than they seem this year. Only the 4th and 26 disaster stopped the Packers short of a trip to the NFC Championship game, where they certainly would have had a real shot of earning another trip to the Super Bowl. This year, the Packers look distressingly like a team heading for one and out in the playoffs.
Obviously, they still have to play the games one at a time, and it is not too late to get really hot going into the playoffs. They may get lucky if they get there, and go a long way. But nobody should count on it.
Friday, October 29, 2004
One Good Shot Syndrome
Three eventful weeks have gone by since the last West Coast Offensive column. During that time, the Packers lost the next game, dropping to 1-4.This had many of us convinced that yet another (maybe the last) Brett Favre season would be squandered. It also sent many casual Packer fans off to find other hobbies for the rest of the football season.
Occasional golfers are probably familiar with the "one good shot" syndrome.They don't play often enough to keep their game in tune. So when they do play, things can go pretty badly. The front nine is miserable. The back nine is not much better. Then, on maybe the 17th tee, the occasional golfer hits one just right. Straight down the fairway. A beautiful shot. And that one good shot is enough to convince the golfer not to give up on the game.
These last two weeks have been like that for Packer fans. Oh, sure, I am going to watch all the games anyway. My NFL Sunday Ticket package is paid up for the whole season. But, let's face it. Sundays would be a lot less fun now if the Packers were at 1-6, instead of 3-4. They have climbed just close enough to being back in the race that each game seems to matter again.For a while, anyway.
And that brings us to this week's game at the Washington Redskins. A game that brings together Packer football and the Presidential election. For it turns out that there are many factors that historically have been good predictors of the Presidential election. The candidate whose Halloween mask sells best usually wins (Bush, in this case). The candidate who wins in various national school polls usually wins (Bush again). And there is a very interesting indicator relating to the Redskins' last home game before the election. This has been reported in a number of venues, but here is how it was described by Gregg Easterbrook, NFL.com's Tuesday Morning Quarterback:
"As many readers, including Dan Danka of Pittsburgh, have pointed out,forget the polls and focus groups, the Washington Redskins reliably predict elections. For each presidential contest going back to 1940 -- the first presidential year the Redskins performed in Washington -- if in their final home game before the voting the Skins win, then the party in power keeps the White House; if the Skins lose, the party out of power takes the White House. This Sunday, Green Bay plays at Washington in the Redskins' final home appearance before the election. So if the Packers win, John Kerry will be the next president, while if the Redskins win, George W. Bush will be re-elected. How fitting the Packers should draw this assignment -- they're from a swing state, Wisconsin! TMQ has learned, on an exclusive basis, that the Democratic National Committee has been funneling donations to the Green Bay salary cap, while the Pentagon has secretly equipped Redskins quarterbacks with GPS-guided footballs. Remember, this is a Tuesday Morning Quarterback exclusive."
So, what is a Packer fan to do? Here is my advice. To John Kerry fans, you have no problem. Go out and root for the Packers on Sunday, and then root for Mr. Lambert Field on Tuesday. To fans of George Bush, you know as well as I do that this is one of those weird coincidences. It is, in short, junk science. So root for the Packers on Sunday and do not worry about the outcome of the election.
Occasional golfers are probably familiar with the "one good shot" syndrome.They don't play often enough to keep their game in tune. So when they do play, things can go pretty badly. The front nine is miserable. The back nine is not much better. Then, on maybe the 17th tee, the occasional golfer hits one just right. Straight down the fairway. A beautiful shot. And that one good shot is enough to convince the golfer not to give up on the game.
These last two weeks have been like that for Packer fans. Oh, sure, I am going to watch all the games anyway. My NFL Sunday Ticket package is paid up for the whole season. But, let's face it. Sundays would be a lot less fun now if the Packers were at 1-6, instead of 3-4. They have climbed just close enough to being back in the race that each game seems to matter again.For a while, anyway.
And that brings us to this week's game at the Washington Redskins. A game that brings together Packer football and the Presidential election. For it turns out that there are many factors that historically have been good predictors of the Presidential election. The candidate whose Halloween mask sells best usually wins (Bush, in this case). The candidate who wins in various national school polls usually wins (Bush again). And there is a very interesting indicator relating to the Redskins' last home game before the election. This has been reported in a number of venues, but here is how it was described by Gregg Easterbrook, NFL.com's Tuesday Morning Quarterback:
"As many readers, including Dan Danka of Pittsburgh, have pointed out,forget the polls and focus groups, the Washington Redskins reliably predict elections. For each presidential contest going back to 1940 -- the first presidential year the Redskins performed in Washington -- if in their final home game before the voting the Skins win, then the party in power keeps the White House; if the Skins lose, the party out of power takes the White House. This Sunday, Green Bay plays at Washington in the Redskins' final home appearance before the election. So if the Packers win, John Kerry will be the next president, while if the Redskins win, George W. Bush will be re-elected. How fitting the Packers should draw this assignment -- they're from a swing state, Wisconsin! TMQ has learned, on an exclusive basis, that the Democratic National Committee has been funneling donations to the Green Bay salary cap, while the Pentagon has secretly equipped Redskins quarterbacks with GPS-guided footballs. Remember, this is a Tuesday Morning Quarterback exclusive."
So, what is a Packer fan to do? Here is my advice. To John Kerry fans, you have no problem. Go out and root for the Packers on Sunday, and then root for Mr. Lambert Field on Tuesday. To fans of George Bush, you know as well as I do that this is one of those weird coincidences. It is, in short, junk science. So root for the Packers on Sunday and do not worry about the outcome of the election.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Battle of the 1-3s
When league officials and ABC people sat down to rough out the Monday Night Football TV Schedule, Tennessee at Green Bay probably looked pretty good for the week 5 game. A couple of playoff teams from last year, both likely playoff contenders this year as well, both with tough, hard-nosed, popular quarterbacks at the helm.
"The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men gang aft agley." Turns out that tomorrow night's game is between a couple of losers ("success-challenged"for the PC crowd) led by wounded warriors. Obviously Packer fans, Titans fans and those of us who watch every Monday Night game no matter what will tune in, but others could be excused for thinking that this game might be a good time to do a little year-end tax planning, catching up on homework or whatever else may be on their "to-do" lists.
So, where do the Packers stand at the one-quarter mark of the season? Is it true, as a family member who will remain nameless said this week, that the"Packers suck"? I am not ready to go that far (yet). The Packers certainly don't look like they will be in the running for home field advantage or fora bye week in the playoffs this year. On the other hand, going into this week's games, they were not far behind the division-leading Lions and Vikings, both at 2-1. Still, as this is being written at half-time of the early games on Sunday, the Vikings are beating the Texans (not a big surprise) and the Lions are beating the Falcons (much more of a surprise).This suggests that at least one of them is likely to be at 3-1 after today's games, which in turn suggests that it is high time for the Packers to win another game.
The Packers are, I think, better than they have been playing. Fumbles and injuries have had an impact on a couple of their games. Mike Flanagan and Doug Pederson are not coming back from their injuries this year, and Mike McKenzie, assuming he comes back, will be wearing a different uniform. It appears that Brett Favre will be ready to play this week, and it would be nice if Grady Jackson comes back soon. And while Ahman Green has struggled with the label as a fumbler throughout his career, maybe, looking at the bright side, he has gotten his fumbling out of his system for the year.
One of the teams on Monday night is going to end up with a 1-4 record. That is not a good place to be. Already, at 1-3 and living in the San Francisco area, I have been reduced to the slogan "your team stinks worse than my team." It is up to the Packers to rise to the occasion if they have any intent to try to turn this season around.
"The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men gang aft agley." Turns out that tomorrow night's game is between a couple of losers ("success-challenged"for the PC crowd) led by wounded warriors. Obviously Packer fans, Titans fans and those of us who watch every Monday Night game no matter what will tune in, but others could be excused for thinking that this game might be a good time to do a little year-end tax planning, catching up on homework or whatever else may be on their "to-do" lists.
So, where do the Packers stand at the one-quarter mark of the season? Is it true, as a family member who will remain nameless said this week, that the"Packers suck"? I am not ready to go that far (yet). The Packers certainly don't look like they will be in the running for home field advantage or fora bye week in the playoffs this year. On the other hand, going into this week's games, they were not far behind the division-leading Lions and Vikings, both at 2-1. Still, as this is being written at half-time of the early games on Sunday, the Vikings are beating the Texans (not a big surprise) and the Lions are beating the Falcons (much more of a surprise).This suggests that at least one of them is likely to be at 3-1 after today's games, which in turn suggests that it is high time for the Packers to win another game.
The Packers are, I think, better than they have been playing. Fumbles and injuries have had an impact on a couple of their games. Mike Flanagan and Doug Pederson are not coming back from their injuries this year, and Mike McKenzie, assuming he comes back, will be wearing a different uniform. It appears that Brett Favre will be ready to play this week, and it would be nice if Grady Jackson comes back soon. And while Ahman Green has struggled with the label as a fumbler throughout his career, maybe, looking at the bright side, he has gotten his fumbling out of his system for the year.
One of the teams on Monday night is going to end up with a 1-4 record. That is not a good place to be. Already, at 1-3 and living in the San Francisco area, I have been reduced to the slogan "your team stinks worse than my team." It is up to the Packers to rise to the occasion if they have any intent to try to turn this season around.
Friday, October 1, 2004
More Bad News
Oops, as Chris Berman might say, "that's why they play the games." After fumbling the game away against the Bears, they found themselves in a shoot-out against the Colts, somewhat reminiscent of the game Joe Theisman calls the "shoot-out at Lambeau Field," the famous 1983 Monday night game against the Redskins, featuring overpowering offenses and non-existent defenses by both teams. That game wasn't decided until Mark Moseley missed a field goal at the end of the game, preserving the Packers' 48-47 game. The Colts' victory on Sunday was not assured until Javon Walker's disastrous fumble in the fourth quarter. What a shame. Walker had a monster game. The Packers had pulled to within 7 points, at 38-31, had the ball back and had just crossed midfield in an effort to tie up the game when Walker was stripped of the ball. The Colts scored again, to go ahead 45-31, and the game was effectively over.
So, the Packers find themselves at 1-2 after three games. Ironically, that is exactly the record I would have predicted at the end of the pre-season, but it is demoralizing to get there after such a great opening day game. And, today comes word of more bad news. The Packers' starting center, Mike Flanagan, will undergo season-ending knee surgery. So much for the experience and continuity of the Packers' offensive line. This is a very unfortunate development, leaving Grey Ruegamer as the Packers' starting center. Ruegamer was acquired last year as an unrestricted free agent.
Anyway, here come the New York Football Giants to town, for the first game between the two teams since the 2001 season. It is truly remarkable to contemplate how much the world has changed since the last meeting. You may recall that the Packers were scheduled to play the Giants, in New Jersey, on September 16, 2001. The attack on the U.S. by Islamic terrorists ended up canceling all of the games for that weekend, and those games were rescheduled for the very end of the season, in January, 2002. When the Packers finally came to the New York area for the game, New York native Marco Rivera led a group of players and coaches to the World Trade Center site to pay their respects. The game itself is memorable mostly for being the game in which Michael Strahan "sacked" Brett Favre as the clock was winding down, giving Favre's friend Strahan the all-time record for sacks in a single season. The Packers won the game, 34-25. Let's hope that by the fourth quarter of this week's game, the Packers will again be far enough ahead to be able to afford to give away free sacks to the Giants.
So, the Packers find themselves at 1-2 after three games. Ironically, that is exactly the record I would have predicted at the end of the pre-season, but it is demoralizing to get there after such a great opening day game. And, today comes word of more bad news. The Packers' starting center, Mike Flanagan, will undergo season-ending knee surgery. So much for the experience and continuity of the Packers' offensive line. This is a very unfortunate development, leaving Grey Ruegamer as the Packers' starting center. Ruegamer was acquired last year as an unrestricted free agent.
Anyway, here come the New York Football Giants to town, for the first game between the two teams since the 2001 season. It is truly remarkable to contemplate how much the world has changed since the last meeting. You may recall that the Packers were scheduled to play the Giants, in New Jersey, on September 16, 2001. The attack on the U.S. by Islamic terrorists ended up canceling all of the games for that weekend, and those games were rescheduled for the very end of the season, in January, 2002. When the Packers finally came to the New York area for the game, New York native Marco Rivera led a group of players and coaches to the World Trade Center site to pay their respects. The game itself is memorable mostly for being the game in which Michael Strahan "sacked" Brett Favre as the clock was winding down, giving Favre's friend Strahan the all-time record for sacks in a single season. The Packers won the game, 34-25. Let's hope that by the fourth quarter of this week's game, the Packers will again be far enough ahead to be able to afford to give away free sacks to the Giants.
Friday, September 17, 2004
Off to a Good Start
I literally had no idea what to expect from the Packers Monday night. The last couple of years, I have gotten into the bad habit of not following football in the off-season. It was particularly true this year. I didn't follow off-season transactions, didn't watch any of the draft, didn't read hardly any football news in the paper or on the internet. I suppose I could blame it on the bad taste left in my mouth by the ending of the Eagles' playoff game, but I don't really think that was the cause of it.
Anyway, then the pre-season arrived. I knew that I would only get to watch one Packer game, the nationally televised game against the Seahawks, since the NFL Sunday Ticket package does not carry pre-season games. So I set the VCR to tape the game, but I messed something up, and the game didn't tape, so I didn't even get to watch that game. Instead, I just had to go with the box scores and articles about the pre-season games. Oh, I know, it is a mistake to put too much emphasis on pre-season games, but that was all I had to go on, and it didn't look too promising. The fact that the Packers were playing the defending NFC Champions did not serve to increase my confidence level, either. I figured it would be a pretty good way to get a sense of whether this Packer team is in a position to be a contender this year.
If that was what I was looking for, I got exactly what I wanted and needed. The Packers looked good, despite losing Grady Jackson after only a few plays, and despite (obviously) playing without Mike McKenzie. When Jake Delhomme threw his first pass right at Michael Hawthorne, McKenzie's replacement, completing the pass for about 20 yards, I was concerned that Hawthorne might be the Packers' Achilles Heel. But after that play, I was quite impressed with the defensive backs, and in general with the new high-pressure defensive approach by new defensive coordinator Bob Slowik. Now, it is true that the Panthers didn't look very good, but they still are the defending NFC Champs, so it is hard to dismiss them as a mediocre team.
I am still getting used to the Packers relying so heavily on the running game. Throughout most of the Favre era, they have relied so heavily on Favre's arm, with all the pluses and minuses that come with that kind of reliance. It is such a delight to watch them march up and down the field, pretty much relying on the running game. As long as this offensive line stays healthy, we can probably count on a lot more of that power running.
Week Two is almost too early to have the Bears visit the Packers at historic Lambert Field (oops, make that Lambeau Field, I guess I am watching too many campaign speeches). I'm not really ready for a Bears' game just yet. Judging by the parts of the Bears game I saw on Sunday, though, the good news is that the Bears might not be ready for the Packers, either. I'm sure that our neighbors in the Land of Lincoln were not too happy about the debut of their new coach, since the Bears managed to provide the Lions with their first road victory in several years. I remember when Lovie Smith was hired, and the emphasis that was put on his mission being to go out and beat the Packers. I have nothing against the guy, as he seems like a nice-enough person. It will take me awhile to build up any real animosity for him. But I would sure like to see him sitting at 0-2 after two games. The Packers have enough tough games coming up later this year (one of them the week against the Bears game). They need to make sure they don't falter in one of those games, like this one, that they should win easily.
Anyway, then the pre-season arrived. I knew that I would only get to watch one Packer game, the nationally televised game against the Seahawks, since the NFL Sunday Ticket package does not carry pre-season games. So I set the VCR to tape the game, but I messed something up, and the game didn't tape, so I didn't even get to watch that game. Instead, I just had to go with the box scores and articles about the pre-season games. Oh, I know, it is a mistake to put too much emphasis on pre-season games, but that was all I had to go on, and it didn't look too promising. The fact that the Packers were playing the defending NFC Champions did not serve to increase my confidence level, either. I figured it would be a pretty good way to get a sense of whether this Packer team is in a position to be a contender this year.
If that was what I was looking for, I got exactly what I wanted and needed. The Packers looked good, despite losing Grady Jackson after only a few plays, and despite (obviously) playing without Mike McKenzie. When Jake Delhomme threw his first pass right at Michael Hawthorne, McKenzie's replacement, completing the pass for about 20 yards, I was concerned that Hawthorne might be the Packers' Achilles Heel. But after that play, I was quite impressed with the defensive backs, and in general with the new high-pressure defensive approach by new defensive coordinator Bob Slowik. Now, it is true that the Panthers didn't look very good, but they still are the defending NFC Champs, so it is hard to dismiss them as a mediocre team.
I am still getting used to the Packers relying so heavily on the running game. Throughout most of the Favre era, they have relied so heavily on Favre's arm, with all the pluses and minuses that come with that kind of reliance. It is such a delight to watch them march up and down the field, pretty much relying on the running game. As long as this offensive line stays healthy, we can probably count on a lot more of that power running.
Week Two is almost too early to have the Bears visit the Packers at historic Lambert Field (oops, make that Lambeau Field, I guess I am watching too many campaign speeches). I'm not really ready for a Bears' game just yet. Judging by the parts of the Bears game I saw on Sunday, though, the good news is that the Bears might not be ready for the Packers, either. I'm sure that our neighbors in the Land of Lincoln were not too happy about the debut of their new coach, since the Bears managed to provide the Lions with their first road victory in several years. I remember when Lovie Smith was hired, and the emphasis that was put on his mission being to go out and beat the Packers. I have nothing against the guy, as he seems like a nice-enough person. It will take me awhile to build up any real animosity for him. But I would sure like to see him sitting at 0-2 after two games. The Packers have enough tough games coming up later this year (one of them the week against the Bears game). They need to make sure they don't falter in one of those games, like this one, that they should win easily.
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