Winning It All

I was thinking recently about whether the Packers can win a Super Bowl during the time that Aaron Rodgers is QB. While it is certainly possible given the strength of the franchise, the available talent and Rodgers ability, I don't like the odds: Too many things need to go just right in an environment where so many other teams are legitimately capable of winning it all.

The reason the NFL is so compelling is because of the number of teams that have a chance of being champion. The vagaries of a season long enough to cripple a contender with injuries yet short enough to allow an improbable team to get on a title roll underscores how difficult it is for even the best run franchises replete with winning-caliber talent to capture the top prize. Certainly, the Packers are equipped for the challenge, but reaching the goal is a whole different matter.

Reflections on the Dark

There was a period in my life when this time of the year brought on extra excitement. The winter nights were longer and that meant more time in the dark, longer hours for doing things that people do in the dark. In those times, I understood just what Sting, Stewart and Andy were getting at -- indeed, "Bring on the Night":



But the days of bars and parties are largely past for me. In fact, if truth be told, I was never really into that scene too much anyway. These days the shortness of the daylight hours leaves me listless, cold, and dispirited. In my head, the Counting Crows stellar "Daylight Fading" is laced with a sadness that I feel this time of year, a longing for the excitement of night only to find the reality to be something less, something far from fulfilling:



Maybe that's one of the reasons why the Christian season of Lent -- "the lengthening of days" -- holds meaning for me. I connect with the introspection the season, to be sure. But that self-examination is played out against of backdrop of creeping daylight and warming weather. The combination, culminating in Easter, has a certain exhilaration for me.

It might also be a reason why certain sports hold their place in my life: Baseball is the game I played most (and, probably, best) as a boy, perhaps because it celebrated summer. But my affection for football -- specifically the Packers -- has been cast in a new light, too. My passion for the Packers might be a life raft for me, a vehicle that ushers me through the growing darkness until the time when the days start to lengthen and my spirits rediscover their equilibrium.

2010 Playlist

Well, there it is -- the artists I've been listening to this year (courtesy of Last .fm). Clearly, I discovered the Avett Brothers in 2010. When their disc "I and Love and You" topped Paste's best of 2009 list I got intrigued, so much so that the record found its way to my Heavy Rotation this year. I also note Mike Behrends checking in at #10. This young man is a serious singer-songwriter talent -- hit the link and check him out. The only other surprise for me was how much Elton John I listened to. I stumbled on some old acoustic versions of classic stuff (e.g. Grey Seal) and several new remixes of "Rocket Man" that I guess I really liked. So, what were you listening to this year?

I've Found the Horseshoe...

...and it's up Lovie Smith's tuchas.

In the afterglow of a Gigantic boatrace v. NY, the Packers now face another do-or-die situation against the Chicago Bears next Sunday on the electronically unfrozen DD GrassMaster of Lambeau Field. In order to stuff more cash into Rupert Murdock's pants, the game has been shifted to a 3:15pm (CST) start.

If PHL throws up on itself and somehow loses to MN on tomorrow night, CHI secures the second playoff seed and will likely be more docile at Lambeau next weekend. For that matter, even if PHL wins on Tuesday but somehow manages to lose their noon tilt on Sunday, the Mortgage Lenders of the Midway will still find themselves with a first round bye.

But if none of that happens and the Bears have something to play for next Sunday, it says here they will take down my beloved Packers. I don't feel this way because I believe CHI is that good. Heck, I don't even think they are better than the grotesquely diminished Packers (the second most injured team in the NFL--how's that for a marketing slogan for '11?). But as I have been saying for months, every season has at least once surprise team, a club everyone has overlooked or written off; this year, it's the Bears. Luck has gone their way since Week One when one of the worst calls in memory went their way, wiping the winning Lions TD off the board. They then caught the Cowboys at the front end of their meltdown and were the recipient of a franchise record penalty orgy by the Packers, riding those 18 flags to a three point win at Solider Field. Their luck has held all season, as evidenced by the play this past Sunday when Jay Cutler's pass to his intended receiver was batted down in an excellent play by a Jets defender...and right into the arms of Johnny Knox, who as inexplicably standing nearby. Even Franco Harris thought that was lucky. Oh, and if that isn't enough, CHI is one of the league's healthiest teams, too.

So, Packers fans, get ready for disappointment next Sunday. Somehow the Bears will find their way to victory, likely in some excruciating, improbable manner. And after the game, when Lovie Smith takes his copy of Sports Illustrated into the Bears Den, rabbit's feet will no doubt pour forth...

Injury Fallout

Prior to getting injured and becoming one of the Packers 15 players lost for the year on IR, Mark Tauscher was not having a great season. At least he wasn't as solid as he was after coming back from knee surgery last year when he stabilized the Green Bay OL during the second half of the season. When Tauscher went down, the Packers responded by inserting rookie left tackle Brian Bulaga into Tauscher's RT spot, a position Bulaga had little experience playing. He has done OK, but there have been rough patches as one would expect for a rookie (even a talented one with a bright future) thrust into such a situation. One of those happened late in the game last Sunday and it was discussed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today:

Bulaga made a rare mental error at the end of the Packers' 31-27 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday that put a major crimp in the offense's hopes for a last-minute comeback. Rather than pick up an outside blitzer, Bulaga blocked down on the end and allowed quarterback Matt Flynn to be sacked for an 8-yard loss with 53 seconds left.

Not only did it push the Packers back to the Patriots' 32, it forced them to use their last timeout so they could regroup.

"I've been pretty solid with assignments the whole year," Bulaga said. "I was pretty solid with assignments that whole game to be honest with you. We had that look multiple times; we picked it up multiple times, and just that one the communication was off.

"I was on a different page and that's the kind of stuff that happens when everyone isn't on the same page."

That's what happens to a rookie OT who is learning a new position on the job. Injury forced him into the line up and required him to move to the right side, not his natural position. Episodes like those described in the article are emblematic of the fallout from losing players to injury...something the Packers have excelled at this season.

Let's Fire the Coach!

One of the keenest observers of sports I know is my friend Mike, known as BigSnakeMan on Twitter and around the Net. In response to a blog post at the sublime PocketDoppler.com (disclaimer: Mike and I are part of the team that founded that site) BigSnakeMan took on the question of whether the Packers struggles in close games under Mike McCarthy merit the coach's dismissal:

I’ve heard a lot of people in the last couple of days argue that McCarthy should be fired. Not one of them has indicated who they would replace him with.

There’s only one Bill Belicheck, kids, and he ain’t leaving New England. (And his team didn’t look all that great Sunday night, either.) I defy those calling for McCarthy’s head to name one available candidate that they can positively say would do a better job overall.

Fans look at the close losses and say that injuries aren’t a factor. To my way of thinking, that’s illogical. Such games are generally decided by a handful of plays; plays that quite possibly would go the Packers way if they had their full compliment of players.

I certainly understand the frustration; I’m seeing the same things as everyone else. But change for the sake of change doesn’t guarantee improvement. A new coaching staff brings a new scheme with new terminology and most likely at least some new personnel to fit that scheme. That takes time to pull together and would probably require at least a minor step backwards. If I’m reading the dissatisfaction correctly, it’s because fans think the Packers are too close to waste this opportunity. That’s why I find it ironic that their solution is to start over.

I’m not even saying that those calling for a coaching change are necessarily wrong. I do believe, however, that they oversimply the situation. By focusing on a few details and ignoring the overall picture, they are guilty of the same mistake they accuse McCarthy of making. If you are in favor of a coaching change, just be aware of all that entails.

Despite what many think, I believe MM deserves a pass on this season. Since they installed Rodgers at QB and revamped the defense, I’ve seen steady signs of progress from this team. It’s funny that since McCarthy has kept his team in playoff contention despite the personnel losses, he’s actually made it easier for his critics to deny that injuries have derailed their season.

IMO, MM merits at least one more year to take this team to the next level. The Packers record during his tenure is among the best in the NFL. Until I see a better alternative, I’ll take my chances with what we have.

As they often say on Twitter: "Co-sign."

Requiem for a Dongslinger

 When it comes to understanding the feelings of a good number of Packers fans about Brett Favre, sports talk radio host Steve Czaban gets it:





I don't know that I will always harbor this hurt about Favre, but I am still not ready to embrace this guy again right now. With his consecutive games started streak over and permanent retirement very likely looming , perhaps my feelings will begin to soften. But I am still some distance from that.

"If Everyone Stays Healthy..."

It's instructive to look back at the preseason predictions for the Green Bay Packers. I couldn't help but notice the caveat: "If everyone stays healthy, this team is the Super Bowl favorite in the N.F.C." The thing is, everyone has not stayed healthy. The team has 13 players on IR, including six starters, among them vital cogs like Jermichael Finley and Ryan Grant. (They are also playing the season without another starter, Johnny Jolly, who is under a league mandated suspension.) The Packers have also lost games to injury for key players like Donald Driver, Clay Matthews and Cullen Jenkins. Things have gotten so bad that reserves who were never expected to play important roles but who have stepped up -- guys like Frank Zombo -- are finding their way to the sidelines. In short, the Packers depth has been gutted.

It is unrealistic to expect a team to overcome a wave of injuries this large and still fulfill the preseason expectations that many had for them. I would also suggest it is unfair to evaluate them on that basis given the circumstances. Instead, I think it is remarkable that Green Bay has weathered the storm as well as it has, posting a winning record with a chance -- albeit diminishing -- of reaching the postseason entering Week 15. So instead of joining the chorus of those calling for the head of Head Coach Mike McCarthy and/or General Manager Ted Thompson, I applaud their efforts in keeping this team competitive in the face of the roster upheaval.

Should Aaron Rodgers Take a Seat?

 When Packers QB Aaron Rodgers suffered a concussion in yesterday's game at Ford Field, causing him to miss the second half against the Lions, the first question most of us had was "Will he be ready to play next week?" It was also the question many in the media had for Coach Mike McCarthy following the game and again today at his Monday presser.

But maybe that is the wrong question to be asking. I think the team needs to decide if risking Rodgers' long-term health is worth the dim chance they have of beating the Pats on Sunday night. Even if they do prevail in Foxborough, the Packers odds of reaching the post-season are not great, so is it smart to risk the future of the franchise on what is becoming an increasingly long bet?

Multiple concussions, especially so close together, is a warning sign. If Rodgers is prone to this sort of injury it could end up shortening his career--Troy Aikman and Steve Young retired when the concussions started piling up on them. Rodgers should just be entering his peak years of performance. I would hate to see that short-circuited, casting the Packers into the dark spiral of grasping for a franchise QB.

The War on Christmas is Over ... And Christmas Lost

In recent years I have started suffering a deep malaise this time of year. I don't do well in the cold darkness of winter, but that usually was a problem for me mainly after the Holidays (and before pitchers and catchers started to report for Spring Training). Lately, though, December has become a struggle. I think this might be part of the reason why:

"...many Christians (and non-Christians) now feel completely overwhelmed with the demands of the consumerist holiday. Not news, you say? Well, the difference now is that the pressure to buy, decorate, spend, send, mail, bake, prepare, party and plan, which used to be confined to ads for a few weeks after Thanksgiving is now a two-month bacchanal in newspapers, television, radio, your mailbox, your smart phone, your email, and on the web."

I think the priest who offers this reflection in the Huffington Post is on the right track. For me, the Season has become that Counting Crows song -- "A Long December" -- on continuous repeat.