People were really impressed with Silverstein? I found the interview to be a bunch of grandstanding.

"Are you arrogant"? What's the point of that question? Like Thompson is going to say "now that I think about it, yes, I am arrogant." The only pount is that Silverstein was trying to show everyone how tough he was.

Yawn.

Here's a great script for Silverstein's next great interview:

"Are you an asshole or just an idiot?"
"When did you stop beating your wife?"
"Why aren't you more like Bill Belichick?"
"Does this sweater make look fat?"

Also, all the Aaron Rodgers stuff was annoying. It's funny. The national media gets it.

Why can't the Journal Sentinel guys---the ones who supposedly follow the team more closely---pick up on the obvious point that Rodgers led plenty clutch drives only to watch his kicker and the defense let him down?

The only people in the whole world that don't understand that is Tony Kornheiser and the JS writers.

I thought TT was pretty open and forthcoming.

If you were the Jets or the Redskins, why would you ever let that become public knowledge?!?! That's embarrassing.

The guys at JS want to sell newspapers, increase readership and make money. They are not interested in being picked for Obama's cabinet,authoring texts on interview technique or some other noble cause. So what's the best way to get readers - ask the questions the fans want to ask. I liked the questions. The answers weren't all that enlightening, but the fact the questions were asked will make a lot of Packer fans happy. From a strategic standpoint I think it's brilliant.
Was it Wilde who asked at one point during the season - "Do you guys know what you are doing?" The fans loved that question.

I would never accused Silverstein and Bedard of not being able to craft "stories." What I wish they would do is craft "journalism."

Critising Bedard and Silverstein is quite a bit different that second-guessing playcalling and I'm pretty sure you know it. You don't need to be an "expert journalist" to know if some hack is cherry picking anecdotes or injecting pure conjecture into an article. Do you?

Speaking of Jason Wilde: read his interview with Thompson. Read how he handles the Rodgers situation. Read how he brings up the Ryan/Frost debacle (a topic that Silverstein didn't even bother to bring up). It's excellent journalism. And he is getting Thompson to answer his questions!

Now go back and read that slop from Silverstein and tell me with a straight face that it stacks up.

Here's the Wilde interview for those that missed it:

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/packers/431961

You have much more knowledge of journalism than I DDD so I greatly respect your opinion. It's just that when I think "journalism" I think NY Times or Bob Woodward, but when I think JS that's not the vision I get. For JS I think "sell papers" JMHO

Journalism, by its truest definition, is the window in which we see the world through. Think about it: without the "media" (read: newspapers, television, radio, internet), how would we know anything about the Packers?

We wouldn't. We would only know what we see when we went to the games and if we could break into some non-press conference. We would have never had to know anything about FavreGate, because no one would have told us it ever happened.

So, in essence, what I am trying to say is that journalists have tremendous power to color our view of everything, including the Packers.

And with great power, comes great responsibility. But, we all know that not all journalists and media types take that kind of responsibility. They are out to make a name for themselves, sell papers, and at times, create the news themselves.

I don't know if Silverstein was particularly in violation of such a "code" in this interview, but I can see how he might have brushed against the limits of it. But, that is the view of Packer Nation, and he is getting the answers that they want.

You make tough decisions, you are going to get questioned on it, and I think TT answered them in his usual style adequately.

Just heard an interview with Vic Hesson, Jaguar analyst on WSSP

He said - flat out you don't have the talent on defense to play an attack style. 4-3, 3-4 they just won't be able to play it. Rodgers is a franchise QB - going to be one of the best.

That's a fair point, but I don't think I have ever said that fans should never criticise playcalling. That would make me a hypocrite. I do it all the time.

I wonder if Coors Light are paying attention to Mike McCarty and Ted Thompson`s press conferences? I bet they could find a rare gem or two from these two guys and make a dumb commercial out of it.

Coors Light Guy: Coach, is the team taking the train to the game this week?
MM: The train has left the station
Coors Light Guy: So then are you flying or driving?
MM: It all fits together
Coors Light Guy: Won't you get bad press if you don't travel with the team?
MM: I'm not playing the PR game

Oooo, very nice Aaron

Semantic dodge? How?

Sure, we can all watch the games, but do we all have access to Ted Thompson? Do we all have access to unnamed scouts for rival teams?

I rarely (and I mean rarely) waste my time reading a straight recap of a game I just watched, because as you point out, what's the point?

But most of sports journalism is not a straight recap of game you just watched. Agree?

I would like well-substantiated and neutral but I would settle for well-substantiated. That would be a good start. Some of the stuff Bedard and Silverstein (and Bedard in particular) is downright cringe worthy.

Like I said above, go compare the way Wilde handled his interview with the way Silverstein handled his. I wouldn't exactly call Wilde's interview a bunch of softballs, but he also didn't come across like a meathead with an agenda. Wilde didn't make his stupid theories the focal point of the interview and let Thompson talk. ...And Thompson actually talked.

And what did Thompson say about JS's very own pet cause veteran leadership? You didn't find that interesting? I did.

I guess we have to agree to disagree.

I guess I just can't stand interviews with an agenda. We found out far more about Silverstien's ideas than we did about Thompson's. Hell, Silverstein was too busy being heavy-handed with his pet crusades to even *ask* about Ryan/Frost. How is that even possible?

But bloggers eat it up, so I expect to see more of the same in the future. Yeeeeah!

Oh snap. It just got real in the "Packer blogosphere"

Not sure what the last dig is inteaded to prove.

There is simply no way that I can express my uncensored views in the position that I am in. Am I nervous about how my firm my react to my musings on how Michael Vick got a raw deal?

Yes.

What exactly does that prove?

Stick to the merits.

My point was that I occasionally take controvrersial positions. I try to preserve my anonymity so that I have that luxury.

<i>Last Word freak.</i>

No, that would be me.

Would it be wrong to assess:
1) JS was very Pro-Favre last summer
2) JS "never" asked any hard questions, either
3) JS suppressed Milwaukee fans being 75% pro GBP
For that matter, most of the Press, from coast to coast was (and usually is) very anti-Green Bay and 99% Pro-Favre. Trouble with that nonsense was Favre didn't do his part in propping them up at the end of the season, the way they did at the beginning of the season. So, it isn't like I'm going to bend over backwards to commit adoration for most of the mainstream press, on any level, political, sports or otherwise.
As far as Aaron Rodgers is concerned, most have already read how I feel about him being in a Packer uniform. For my take, the same goes for Matt Flynn. The jury's still out on Brian Brohm, but I did have Brohm as one of my first two draft picks when TT grabbed him. Eventually, I expect one of them to go away onto better pastures - but the Packers are set at QB for the future.
TO HEAR A PACKER PRESS CORPS (I want my Favre back) WHINER premise his interview with slanted attitudes, my friends, is NOT journalism (which I took in High School). It's simplistic blogging, and nothing more, under the guise of a Press Badge. As usual it's just another case of someone venting while they hide behind something.
All in all, PackerAaron at least keeps our feet on the ground. Just wish Silverstein had the stones to do the same. I think the Team is now past the BF nonsense - which WAS the Gunslinger's fault, not GBP's. Many Cheeseheads prefer to forget who started it. And, that's the really sad part.
It's over. Demanding TT commit career suicide grounds for having his credentials yanked in my book. He's supposed to be a Packerfan, yes?Silverstein should just man up (if he actually knows how) and OWN UP.
If Packerfans have a right to be miffed at TT, it would be going one season too many with the GM's preference for "best player available" versus the "best player WE NEED" scenario. Had we grabbed at least one more O-Lineman, then maybe Bootlegger would have had more time in the pocket - something I've already written that I want for our new QB - ALL DAY IN THE POCKET.
NOW --- you two go kiss and make nice!