Even the Real Refs Hate the Packers

In other news, the Packers defense still sucks, and Graham Harrell still isn't ready for prime time.  We would have been better off putting an eye patch on Rodgers and keeping him in the game.

Behold, the Power of Twitter

Twitter has been credited by some for helping to boost the 2009 protests in Iran and the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, particularly in Egypt.  Now, it may have hastened the return of the NFL referees.  I doubt that the league offices would have received 70,000 voicemails if the phone number hadn't been tweeted (by Wisconsin State Senator and occasional Daily Show guest Jon Erpenbach, among others).

In the past few days, Packers offensive lineman T.J. Lang has surpassed Justin Bieber as the all-time re-tweet champion.  Of course, if Lang and the rest of the O-line had done a better job protecting Aaron Rodgers in the first half of the game, the debacle at the end would never have happened.  So, I guess he does deserve a lot of credit for ending the lockout.

Return to Oz

I was shown up by a rookie
'Cause our O-line played some hooky
And left me in a bind.
We'd have beat up on Seattle;
I'd have won the Monday battle,
If I only had a line.

The Seahawks fans are noisy;
You can hear them clear in Boise,
And I thought I'd lose my mind.
I'd have had more of their silence
And less of Irvin's violence,
If I only had a line.

I hope those scab officials
Are choking on their whistles;
They've gone too far this time.
But if our offense hadn't tarried,
There'd have been no Hail Mary,
If I only had a line.

Friday Morning Quarterbacking

I am now less concerned about Graham Harrell's ability as a back-up quarterback than I am about our lack of depth on the offensive line.

Then again, maybe the difference wasn't so much playing with Green Bay's starters as it was playing against the Kansas City Chiefs.  Height-challenged rookie Russell Wilson looked like a Pro Bowl contender against the Chiefs last weekend, prompting Seattle's coach to name him as the Seahawks' starter for the season opener (and leaving poor Matt Flynn to remain as a back-up quarterback, albeit at a much higher salary than he enjoyed in Green Bay).

Maybe the Chiefs aren't that bad.  Maybe Russell Wilson really is a superstar NFL quarterback in the making, and Graham Harrell is a reliable back-up for Aaron Rodgers.

Hope springs eternal in the pre-season.

RIP, Anthony Shadid

I never had the honor of meeting him, although our years at UW-Madison overlapped a bit.  His time in Wisconsin stayed with him.  Here is a quote from an article he wrote about a year ago for the Journal Sentinel (h/t Packergeeks):

I've worked as a foreign correspondent for 15 years, and I feel like the Packers were there on every assignment, from Cairo to Islamabad. On my way back from Egypt, after landing at JFK in New York, I listened in disbelief to the radio in the taxi as Terrell Owens snagged the game-winning pass with three seconds left. Three. In a brutal winter in Kabul, I logged on to the slowest Internet connection in the history of the Afghan capital to see that we had lost to the St. Louis Rams, 45-17. Next to a wood-burning stove, still in my sleeping bag, I asked myself whether Favre really could have thrown six picks. Six.

I think he deserves a mention in the Packers Hall of Fame for his outstanding devotion to the team in the face of extreme challenges.

Congratulations, Matt Flynn

...on being named the NFC's Offensive Player of the Week.

What a difference a year (and better blocking) can do.

Congratulations to the NFC North Division Champions

Aaron Rodgers has led the Packers to clinch the NFC North Division.  I always knew he had it in him.

Ugliest First Down Ever

The Packers' coaching staff needs to work on teaching Tim Masthay to hold onto the ball for more than a few steps.

It's About Time

The Packers cut Brandon Underwood.  We no longer have to worry about his annual off-season embarrassing arrests.

It's Past Time to Kick Brandon Underwood to the Curb

Classy. He continues to be an embarrassment to his family and to the Packers organization. How many times must he be arrested before the organization dumps him? Maybe they need to wait for a new CBA before they can trade or cut him.

I wish Mrs. Underwood well in her divorce proceedings. I hope she eventually finds a decent man to provide a good example for her kids.

Let the Tailgating Begin

Hotels in Green Bay are full of Packer fans who couldn't afford the trip to Dallas.  All over Wisconsin, pre-game parties will be starting long before the game.  Since it's the weekend, we may has well start the celebration now.  To get you in the mood, here is Higher Education's Feelin' So Fly Like a Cheesehead:



For those of you who aren't into hip-hop music, here is Pat McCurdy's We Love the Green and Gold.  It's a fun video full of Wisconsin cultural touchstones (and, inexplicably, Larry the Cable Guy).

Who Really Wants to Build on the Wetlands Surrounding Lambeau Field?

Wealthy businessman (and Green Bay Packers Executive Committee Member) John Bergstrom called in a favor with new Governor Scott Walker in order to get legislation allowing the team to build on protected wetlands near Lambeau Field for a proposed retail-entertainment center called Titletown Sports District.  It was hoped that Bass Pro Shops would anchor the retail component.

However, the environmentally-conscious company has distanced itself from the project, stating that it does not build on wetlands.

Governor Walker persists in saying he can change their mind (just as he insisted he could get the federal government to allow Wisconsin to use those rail project funds for roads).  I expect the outcome to be the same.

But what I find interesting about the coverage of this issue is that the Wisconsin media (and bloggers critical of the special treatment for Bergstrom and destruction of wetlands in general) have downplayed or ignored the role of the Green Bay Packers organization in this project.  Bergstrom was acting on behalf of the Packers in seeking special treatment.  Why ignore that fact?  Do we want to avoid criticizing our beloved Packers?  Or do we fear that voters won't care as much about the wetlands as long as it's the Packers who want to pave them over?

Quite a Surprise

A day ago, if a crystal ball had told me that Matt Flynn would come in and finish the game for the Packers, I would have assumed that was bad news.

Matt Flynn in Oz

I'm a pretty decent back-up;
The yards and points I'd rack up
And come back from behind.
I'd throw more to Jennings,
Move us up in the standings,
If I only had a line.

The fans would be less nervous,
And coach would be less churlish
And for Rodgers wouldn't pine.
I'd beat up the Lions,
Keep our playoff hopes from dyin'
If I only had a line.

Our defense would be rested,
Instead of being bested,
And on victory we'd dine.
I'd be an inspiration;
They'd forget my interception,
If I only had a line.

It's Time to Kick Brandon Underwood to the Curb

If the Green Bay Packers have any sense, they will trade or cut Brandon Underwood before the NFL preseason begins.

I'm assuming that Underwood told the truth when he said the sex in Lake Delton was consensual. The law enforcement response is consistent with this report.  I'm pretty libertarian when it comes to the acts of consenting adults.  I feel bad for Underwood's family, but it isn't the Packers' job to play nursemaid.

However, Underwood has demonstrated that he is an idiot with neither impulse control nor common sense.  He embarrassed his family, endangered the health of his wife, and put his teammates at risk of robbery, arrest and infamy.  The Packers cannot afford to keep him around.

And if Mrs. Underwood is wise, she will divorce his sorry ass while she can still get a decent child support settlement. His stock in the NFL is about to plummet.  With his demonstrated impulse-control problems, he is likely to piss away his money on booze, drugs and hookers long before he turns 30.

Of course, if Brandon Underwood's agent has any sense, he will check him into a high-profile rehab facility to work on his "sex addiction" and call a press conference so the player can make a public plea for forgiveness and express his belief that, with God's help and the support of his loving wife, he will turn his life around.

Best Joke I've Heard All Week

Attributed to porn queen (and Cathouse regular) Sunset Thomas: "Brett Favre wants to retire, but every time he throws in the towel it's intercepted!"

h/t The Kats Report

Stages of Grief

The Packers keep finding new ways to break my heart. Just when I'd begun to accept that it was going to be a humiliating rout (during the 2nd quarter), they came back and gave me reason to hope again.

After that brilliant onside kick early in the 3rd quarter, I thought for sure they would do that again after their last touchdown. Yes, the Cardinals would be expecting it, but it was really the Packers' best hope. It was not reasonable to expect the defense to stop the Cardinals with almost two minutes to play, given the way they had played all game. I also expected the Packers to go for two after their last touchdown, in order to take the lead even if they didn't get another chance to score.

I need to keep reminding myself that I didn't even expect the Packers to make the playoffs at the beginning of the season. Dammit.

Halftime Snarks

Even against a team that had no sacks in its last two games, Aaron Rodgers is earning more money on his back than Sunset Thomas.

Does Mike McCarthy get a dopamine rush from throwing that red flag? I can think of no other explanation for his seeming addiction to making bad challenges. Maybe Chantix would help...

Packers OLs to Do Public Penance

This is a good start. Now if only the rest of the line would do their part.

Aaron Rodgers in Oz

I'm the second-leading rusher,
Can get away from pressure,
If I have a little time.
I would throw more to Driver,
Improvise like MacGyver,
If I only had a line.

I'd help the Green Bay Packers
Look less like lazy slackers
And make the fans feel fine.
I'd win the division,
Star in ads on television,
If I only had a line.

I've no reason to be hating
My season QB rating;
My stats are just divine.
I'd hand off to our fullbacks,
Instead of taking more sacks,
If I only had a line.