Saturday, August 29, 2009

Fun in the Sun


If Friday night's game at Arizona was any indicator, this could shape up to be a fun year to watch the Green Bay Packers. Both offensively and defensively the Packers consistently came up with big plays; exciting big plays.

The Packer running game is now functional enough that Aaron Rodgers could spend some time baking the Cardinal's defense down-field, cooking up plenty of impressive passes to the many talented Packer receivers.

Green Bay might have the best bunch of receivers in the NFL. Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and James Jones all pose a high degree of threat, and if Rogers keeps getting the kind of protection the offensive line has provided thus far, things could really heat up this year.

And if this was not excitement enough for fans of the team, some idiot in Arizona's new stadium made the mistake of letting Charles Woodson in the building. Woodson, unleashed by the new defensive coordinator, and possibly next governor of Wisconsin, Dom Capers, violated the Cards' offense so much it is surprising that Maricopa County's Sheriff Joe Arpaio didn't put him in a pair of pink boxers, the mandatory attire of those incarcerated in Sheriff Joe's jail.

Woodson got so close so often to Arizona's dangerous veteran quarterback, Kurt Warner, there are some rumors now that they are engaged. Green Bay's most dangerous cornerback was absolutely deadly to Warner and the host's offense- disrupting timing, forcing fumbles, intereceptions, and behaving much like a cat in a bird cage.

And if Woodson isn't part killer-cat, then it's only because no one has checked his DNA, because he is already playing like the league MVP and making a strong case that he should be inducted into the Hall of Fame by Friday.

Some will say that pre-season doesn't mean anything. That is Baloney. It means a great deal to the players, the coaches and the team. When a team can go out in a pre-season game and execute its offensive strategy, and thus its will, against the other team's starting unit, that says something to the players themselves.

When a team can also play solid defense and force a whole basket-full of turnovers and capitalize on them, this means something big to the team. It builds confidence, courage and optimism, all of which are contagious.

The only thing missing from the Packers menu last night was the field goal game. It is noteworthy, however, to bear in mind that both of Crosby's missed field goals were held by someone other than his regular holder, Matt Flynn. Perhaps they threw someone in there on short notice who hadn't practiced much with Crosby. Who knows.

But if Aaron Rodgers and the offense keeps lighting things up, and if people keep letting Charles Woodson in the building with the defense, then we may not even need a kicker.

And it sure could be a fun year.

Friday, August 28, 2009

BF Learning How to Choke

Like any other player who joins the Minnesota Vikings, Brett Favre is required to know how to choke.

Starting slowly, some of the coaching staff of the Vikings are working with Favre to have him stick his finger down his throat to force the choking spasms, as pictured below.

This will get easier for the quarterback as he spends more time as a Viking, and eventually he will be able to choke at critical moments all on his own without such drastic procedures, like all other Minnesota Viking players can do.

Good luck with that, Brett.


BF Gets Trashed

Seen on some Wisconsin streets:


BF Meets the Love Boat

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Brent Who?

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Monday, August 24, 2009

From Around the Packer Planet

Several Packer sites caught my eye recently which deserve a visit from the rest of us Packer fans. They are both rich with humor and sarcasm.

First is the Central Florida Packer Backers site which includes this beauty:

Absolutely! Love it! That one will live in my memory forever!

Also, love Favre's 'new' name: Brent!

You can catch that action here: http://www.centralfloridapackerbackers.blogspot.com/



Another one, obviously quite new, is also a kick in the pants. It is called Brett Favre Broke My Heart.

On this site, an expatriate (no, not ex-Patriot) Packer fan bemoans being away from Packerland, despises Favre for turning coat, and just hates the Vikings 'because it's the right thing to do.'

Definitely some good stuff in there as well.

Here it is: http://favrebrokemyheart.blogspot.com/

(You can also find links to both sites on the right column here at PackSmack.)

Sunday, August 23, 2009

So Far...So Good

Don't crown Minnesota North Division Kings yet.

It looks like the Green Bay Packers are expecting to have something to say in that coronation.

With a defense that plays like a caged and cornered wildcat, and an offense that looks as crisp as a mid-season team, the Packers played about as well as an NFL pre-season team can be expected to play in August.

Sure, they were playing the Buffalo Bills, but Green Bay already is playing smarter and more aggressive defense than they ever did last season. With a plethora of defensive take-aways, stops, forced quarterback-hurried passes and creative, unpredictable but fierce pass pressure, the green and yellow made new defensive coordinator look a little like Lombardi; or at least Einstein (yes, this presumes that Vince Lombardi was a greater man than Einstein.)

It would be hard to remember a recent defensive game that was more impressive for the Packers. Perhaps some of what was broken on last year's defense has been fixed. It sure looks like it.

Offensively, Aaron Rodgers looked like a machine. He was sharp, on-target and made the quarterback position of the Green Bay Packers look like it was on auto-pilot, running with smoothness and mechanical ease as if the residual, methodical ghostly energy perpetuated by years of consistency at that spot by a recent previous Packer quarterback might just be ingrained into the position. Let us hope so; sans the interceptions.

Rodgers' line gave him time and space, his receivers gave him space and yardage, and the running game gave him yardage and options.

There were many offensive high points. In fact the whole offense was a high point. Which is not surprising, but married to a strong defense this year, the Packers could likely be strong contenders in the division.

It looks like the Packers have come quite far, because at this point, they certainly look quite good.

Game ball: Packer Defense

Friday, August 21, 2009

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Some Good News on Favre as a Viking


There is some good news about our Brett Favre suiting up for the Minnesota Vikings this season.

For, what do we know about the Vikings?

What one single thing has been a constant for the Vikings since they first came into the NFL?

You guessed it...they CHOKE.

They ALWAYS choke.

They had Chuck Foreman. They had Fran Tarkenton. They had the Purple People Eaters. They had Herschel Walker. They had Randy Moss. And what have they done every single NFL season since the early 1960's? They have CHOKED.

And now they have the best running back in the NFL. They have arguably the best defensive line in the NFL. Throw in legendary quarterback, Brett Favre and they are loaded to the gills.

But guess what they are going to do with all that talent?

You know it, THEY WILL CHOKE!

You KNOW they aren't going to win a championship because they CAN'T win a championship.

And this thought, this doubt, this subtle futility, this idea that they can't win a championship has been embedded way back in every single Vikings player's mind since Bud Grant was their coach and they were choking outdoors in Metropolitan Stadium.

So what this means for Packer fans is this: We will shortly be able to say, 'Hey, Minnesota, you're loaded with talent, you swooped up Brett Favre and you STILL can't win a championship. You guys are CHOKERS!!!'....with NO EXCUSES!

I mean it was great when they bombed in their Super Bowl appearances. It was sweet when they tanked with Herschel Walker. It was awesome when they missed that field goal against Atlanta which would have put them in the Super Bowl (not that they could have won), and it was fantastic when they couldn't get it done with Randy Moss.

But imagine how, well, satisfying and rewarding it will be for us when they crash and burn once again this football season, Pederson, Favre and all.

That will be sweeeet.

Hey Brett, you've boarded not the Love Boat, but the Titanic!

It is What it Is

Well, nobody can change the fact that Brett Favre has now officially signed with the hated Minnesota Vikings.

It bites. Really bites. And what can we do? Nothing. Not a single thing.

But, please, though it is distasteful to us all, stop hating the man, Brett Favre!

Today the media and blogosphere is filled with people's raging rants about what a selfish, arrogant jerk Favre is, as if any of this has anything at all to do with a single author or writer. Sorry to break the news to the Favre haters, but it is not about them; at all.

It just is what it is.

Decisions were made. Some wrong ones, some hard ones. But none of us had to make any of them.

I am of the opinion that Ted Thompson is to blame for not letting Favre back on to the Packers in the spring of 2008 and ushered him into a pre-mature retirement.

But none of that, none of what I think or any other writer thinks, makes Brett Favre anything but a Minnesota Viking this year.

Packer fans will be cheering against our former hero this year, but he has given enough of himself to Green Bay fans over the many years over center to earn a little space to do what he thinks he has to do. And I think only the childish will hate him for it.

Furthermore, it will bring an added level of excitement and significance to the Packer-Viking games this year, will it not? There will be mixed emotions, heightened drama and memorable times.

Enjoy that for, well, what it is.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!


Say it ain't so.

Say it ain't real.

Tell me there isn't going to be a purple #4!

Wake me up and tell me I'm dreaming...that Brett Favre is not going to play for the hated Minnesota Vikings!!!!

Tell me his arrival at a local Minneapolis/St. Paul airport is coincidence.

Tell me that his ride with Vikings coach Brad Childress to the Vikings training camp doesn't mean nothing.

Tell me that the purple Favre jerseys spotted around are only speculator's wishes, and will never actually be worn by the Green Bay Packer's Brett Favre.

Tell me that the rumors that Favre is going to sign with them this week is just bad reporting.

Because if Brett Favre plays for the Minnesota Vikings because Ted Thompson forced the legend out of Green Bay, that is just the wrongest thing that can be. And you can't blame Favre for wanting to get back at Thompson.

Favre with the Vikings?

NOOOOOoooooooo!