PackerChatters: The Not-So-New Awful

I’ve remained silent for long enough.

Many of you are aware of a site called PackerChatters, who like to call themselves “The #1 Green Bay Packers Fan Site”. Nothing could be further from the truth.

For me, it started with the snooze-fest they call a podcast, Packers Therapy. Long time listeners of Packer Transplants know how Corey and I (and long-time listener Keith) feel about it, but for those of you just tuning in, Packers Therapy is the aural equivalent of watching paint dry, but without all of the inherent thrill of that activity. They constantly misidentify players, they drone on and on for over an HOUR about who threw for how much yardage, as if NFL.com didn’t exist. (I mean, thank GOD some yahoo with a thick Wisconsin accent is here to TELL me these things, ya know?) On top of all of this, they have all the showmanship of a dead seal. This, from the “#1 Green Bay Packers Fan Site” Really? It’s an insult. Period.

Next, there’s what can only be described as some of the worst opinion writing on the Green Bay Packers this side of Firetedthompsonnow.com. Seriously. For a recent example of said phenomenon, look no further than this recent column from Bruce Smith, a regular Packer Chatters contributor, entitled ‘The Other Great Defensive Coach Hired…Mike Tgrovac.’ Great idea for a piece, right? That’s where the ‘greatness’ ends and the disappointment begins. Read it. The whole thing consists of Smith doing two things – a) saying he’s excited by the hire and then b) recounting Tgrovac’s bio. And just for fun, Smith throws in a bunch of quotes from Tgrovac’s media sessions when he was hired. That’s it! Column complete! What a waste. If you handed this in in grade school you’d get an ‘F’, and this is “The #1 Green Bay Packers Fan Site”? Now, to be fair, there are some decent writers over at the ol’ Chatters, such as CHTV favorite C.D. Angeli, our friends Jersey Al and F. Gordon Union, but the mediocrity those gentlemen find themselves surrounded by is a shame.

Finally, there’s the draconian, fascist PackerChatters Forums. A collection of pretty knowledgeable Packer fans, being lorded over by what can only be described as some absolute pricks. Did you know that if you put up a link to another Packer blog, they IMMEDIATLY take it down? Not only that, THEY edit your post to make it seem as though you never mentioned it to begin with? I know what you’re thinking “Come on Aaron, stop going over there an pimping your site” Not so my friends! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten messages from people saying they linked to CHTV only to have the links taken out of their posts. These are their OWN READERS they are doing this to! Wait, wait, WHAT do they call themseleves again? Oh that’s right - The #1 Green Bay Packers Fan Site.

Just today, a long time PackerChatter reader sent me the following:

Whattttt???!!! These guys have removed the link? Already?! Never mind ‘Already’ – I mean, AT ALL??!!
I don’t get it. I just don’t get it. Twice before, recently, I’ve seen links removed in situations in which it made absolutely no sense to me. One time in particular, where a site specifically requests that their material not be copied – but removing a link to the material made no sense. Both times, especially the latter, I came very close to arguing it, but decided to let it go because it was a losing battle and there was no point.

I see it’s about time to get myself thrown off the forum. This shit is too much. It’s just a forum and there are others, equally good, in spite of all the self praising breast beating that goes on here. And besides, f*** it, I can read all I want as a guest anyway.

No wonder this place keeps losing so many of its better posters.

And this is from someone who’s been going to PackerChatters for years.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand keeping flame wars under control, I understand that it’s their site, their rules, etc. But to blatantly remove links to other sites that offer ideas and insights on the very team who’s fans you supposedly are there to serve isn’t just stupid, it’s sub-moronic. And do you really want to laugh? This is taken directly from their ‘About Us’ section:

Originally, when the internet was in its infancy, this was the only on-line source for accurate Packers info. Larry and other members would type in Press-Gazette articles so that fans outside Brown County could stay in touch. Today things are blissfully a lot more open.

I mean, that’s comedy gold right there.

I could go on and on, from the ridiculous rumors that Patty and Joe Arrigo spit out with regularity at draft time (none of which ever come to fruition) to the horrible layout of the site and how they have completely ignored all advances in Internet connectivity since about, um, 1999. But I won’t bore you the way they bore their readers and listeners. I just find it absurd that a site this behind the times, this horrible, this BACKWARD, could call itself, that’s right, say it with me: The #1 Green Bay Packers Fan Site. What complete and utter bullshit.