Surviving Sunday: Packers news, notes and links for the football deprived

As I get older, I'm enjoying the game of baseball more and more. The up-and-coming young players, the endless reels of traditional and sabermetric statistics, the many talented writers and reporters who cover the game, getting angry at my favorite team (the hapless and helpless Minnesota Twins).

Yes, I love baseball. But get this: I have no desire to watch an entire baseball game. How can I love a sport, but not want to watch an entire game of it being played? I don't know, it doesn't make any sense. 

It probably has a lot to do with baseball's mind-numbing pace-of-play issues. Batters step out of the box after every pitch. Pitchers walk around the mound and waste time between pitches. Endless mound visits, numerous pitching changes, replay reviews -- it all adds up to games that are much longer than they need to be. And boredom. Tedious boredom. 

Football remains my favorite sport. I have no problem watching an entire football game, even though they now routinely clock in at well over 3 hours per contest. There's also plenty of downtime in football games between plays, staring at replay reviews and other nonsense.

Watching 22 men crash into each other repeatedly provides a bigger payoff for sitting through the tedium than watching another curve ball in the dirt or routine fly ball to right field. But I do wonder if I'll ever tire of watching entire football games like I have of watching a whole baseball game.

The commercials during football games are becoming too much. The touchdown-commercial-kickoff-commercial schtick now routine during NFL games is mind-numbingly dull. Replay reviews are getting more complex and time-consuming. Play seems to be sloppier in recent years now that team's have had practice opportunities reduced and physical contact during practices limited. Injuries to starters only adds to the sloppiness, and reduced quality of play that tends to make games drag on.

I know the NFL would never do this because its all about turning bigger profits instead of improving the fan experience, but I'd be all for doing whatever it takes to eliminate several commercial blocks during games. Put advertisements on jerseys, plop a giant corporate logo on the TV screen during the entire game, make each yard line sponsored by some beer company that makes pisswater and calls it alcohol. I don't care, anything that would bring games back under the 3-hour mark, I'm all for.

I can't see myself tiring of watching an entire football game any time soon. Sitting through 16 of your favorite NFL team's games filled with tedium and excessive downtime is much easier than sitting through 162 baseball games filled with just as much tedium and downtime. But the fact that I'm even writing this should be some cause of concern for the NFL.

NFL games are too long. The endless commercials are excessive. Sloppiness of play only adds to the issue. It'd be nice if the NFL did something to bring games back under the 3-hour mark, but I'm not holding my breath.

Issues like domestic violence and concussions have failed to slow the league's momentum as the most dominant sports league in the U.S.. So far, slower pace-of-play also doesn't appear to be putting a dent in the NFL's dominance, either. Expect more 4-hour games and Viagra ads from the NFL in the foreseeable future.

Packers news, notes and links

  • Mike McCarthy is an outstanding coach, but I agree with everything in this Don Banks piece about why the coaching seat McCarthy currently sits on is getting hotter. The playoff losses, crunch time collapses and sometimes lack of imagination on offense is adding up.
  • I'm sick of reading about Eddie Lacy's weight, but if you're not, here's a nice piece from Rob Demovsky detailing exactly what Lacy did with the P90X dude this summer. 
  • WR Ty Montgomery needed both ligaments and cartilage repaired during his ankle surgery in the winter and he's still not able to practice. Yeesh, I don't like the sound of that. Here's hoping to a full return and recovery for Montgomery in 2016.
  • This was a fun post from Tex over at Acme Packing Company: What's the best Packers play-by-play call in recent history?
  • Should the Packers keep Clay Matthews at inside linebacker? Taylor at Packerstalk.com asks that question in this post. I think Matthews should be used like a Charles Woodson of the front seven: Move inside, move outside, rush from anywhere and drop back in coverage when necessary.
  • Be sure to listen to the new Pulse of the Pack podcast with Ourlads draft expert Dan Shonka. Great stuff.

Non-Packers links and other nonsense

  • Cancer update: Here's my latest Caring Bridge post. Another round of treatment began on Thursday. Is it football season yet? Packers games would really help pass the time during my down days.

Total Extreme Wrestling 2016

This week's non-Packers section is going to be dedicated to a super-fun game I recently discovered: Total Extreme Wrestling 2016 (TEW). As you know, I sometimes dedicate this space to letting people know about sports management simulation games like Out of the Park Baseball or Action PC Football.

TEW is similar to those games, only it's subject is pro wrestling. That's right, you own and operate your own professional wrestling organization and compete against rival organizations for talent, TV times, geographical territory and prestige. But instead of mashing buttons to execute moves in the ring, you use your brains and backstage wrestling acumen to make all the behind-the-scenes decisions that make a wresting organization succeed or fail.

Can you take a talented wrestler and turn him into the next Hulk Hogan or The Rock? Can you create heated feuds that sell out arenas in your region or throughout the country? Can you get a coveted TV time slot to grow your promotion? How will you react when one of your wrestlers refuses to lose to another wrestler? Can you overcome the loss of a top talent to a rival organization, or maybe you can sign away one of your competitors' top wrestlers?

These are the types of things you deal with in TEW 2016. It's deep, it's analytical, it's nerdy, sometimes it's overwhelming. Most importantly, it's a helluva lot of fun once you get rolling. 

The game comes with an amazingly detailed wrestling universe filled with fictional wrestlers, commentators and characters. If you want to use real wrestlers and real wrestling federations, several user-created mods are available on the Grey Dog Software forums. I'm currently controlling one of my personal favorite promotions, Mid-South Wrestling, using a mod called Death of the Territories that begins in 1983. There are also mods in development that begin in 1987, 1993, right before WCW died and modern-day wrestling.

Honestly, TEW is one of those games that's a little hard to explain in a review. You just have to dive in and give it a shot. If you love the inner-workings of wrestling, you'll become addicted to this game in no time. And that's the bottom line, BECAUSE ADAM CZECH SAID SO!!!!

(Sorry, had to end this write-up with a wresting catch-phrase. But seriously, give TEW 2016 a try.)

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Comments (15)

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NickPerry's picture

May 29, 2016 at 06:43 am

On the Matthews subject I'm still of the opinion that Matthews should be lined up all over the place. Just look at Matthews Stats from 2014 before the switch to ILB. He had 2.5 sacks in the first 8 games of the season and 8 after the switch inside. Matter of fact he had 6.5 the last 4 weeks of the regular season when he really started to settle in. I think Matthews is much more effective when the offense is unsure where he's coming from and when. With Ryan from last year, Fackrell and Martinez this year I'd think you could keep defenses guessing even more.

Ryan played OLB at Michigan so he might be effective blitzing from time to time. Fackrell and Martinez give the Packers much more versatility because they both can cover really well. Fackrell is going to be a stud IMO, especially as he gets stronger.

Adam, stay strong! Football is almost here and you'll have games on from Thursday to Monday to help pass the time. Hope Mom and Baby are well.

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Ibleedgreenmore's picture

May 29, 2016 at 01:04 pm

Agreed if Martinez and Fackerell are as good as they seem to be the offense will have no idea whats hitting them.

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Tundraboy's picture

May 29, 2016 at 08:38 am

Adam, Your spirit and abilty to write your column each week continues to amaze me. You are an inspiration. My battle with cancer was far less and I could barely prop up the courage to face each day up to and through my surgery, let alone do what your doing.

On the football side of things, I too am very concerned with Ty, I hope he comes back fully, sooner than later but it does not look very good. Truly hope he does

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NickPerry's picture

May 29, 2016 at 12:39 pm

Good Point Tundraboy about Ty, the more I read about that injury the more I wonder if he'll be able to bounce back.

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Tundraboy's picture

May 29, 2016 at 03:03 pm

Absolutely NP. We are so due to have someone bounce back from a serious injury for a change with no setbacks . Seems like it always happens when someone is on the verge of breaking out. Fingers crossed.

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Handsback's picture

May 29, 2016 at 08:58 am

I loved playing baseball as a kid much more than football. Pick-up games were endless and more often than not, the ball would unravel and we would be hitting it w/o the outer covering.
Living in Texas but growing up in Virginia has allowed me to have a perspective that maybe many others share....baseball was for kids and football was too dangerous to play unless you have the pads and adult supervision. After sandlot baseball graduation (around the 5th grade) I started playing football and never looked back.
Like Adam, I can't watch an entire game of baseball on TV because it's too boring. I hope football doesn't become a game of too much waiting and too little action.
I have one recommendation for the readers of Cheesehead TV....the Men’s National Lacrosse final are on TV tomorrow. If you want to see a game that will remind you of the old AFL action, watch it. Lacrosse has lots of scoring, and game management and it may be the best sports activity you can watch on TV.
Thank you again Adam for your article...and keep the faith!

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4thand1's picture

May 29, 2016 at 09:05 am

Davis could become a faster Wes Welker. Monty injury scares me a little too, he shows so much promise. You're right on about baseball Adam, it's hard to watch. The ads in football are what brings the big bucks coming in. I like taping a game and fast forwarding through the ads. Its good to see some pressure put on the coaching staff, lets see how they respond. Best wishes Adam and keep up the good work.

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Ferrari Driver's picture

May 29, 2016 at 10:13 am

NFL games too long? The actual number of minutes of one of these games average 11 minutes of actions.

I thought it was closer to 15, but here is a link: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704281204575002852055561406

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Since'61's picture

May 29, 2016 at 10:54 am

Adam - I am also a big baseball fan. I grew up in New York City watching the Yankees in the Mickey Mantle era. Yes, baseball games have become much too long but the game becomes difficult to watch and tedious when your team is not very good. The Twins have not had a very good team since the 2010 season. It's difficult to stay with a losing team through 162 games especially with all the factors you mention in your article making the game so long. Baseball could eliminate the 1/2 inning commercials and limit the number of times a batter can step out or a catcher can visit the pitcher during an at bat. If you a watch a tape from a 1960s baseball game you will rarely see a batter step out or a pitcher walking around the mound. I have been through many cycles with the Yankees and when your team is winning especially late in the season and during the playoffs you come to appreciate the game again but the current games are still too long regardless. As for the NFL, the league should shorten their games also. As the cost of game tickets continue to rise more fans will opt remain in the comfort of their homes for 4 hour plus games rather than sit through inclement weather. Secondly as the media continues to improve the in home game experience more fans will opt to stay home. Adam, continued best wishes for your on going health battle. Hang in there. Thanks, Since '61

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Ibleedgreenmore's picture

May 29, 2016 at 12:55 pm

When I grew up we worked and either played baseball or football till it was pitch black dark. I loved both sports but but truly love to watch football and hey loved to play it.

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Rossonero's picture

May 29, 2016 at 05:20 pm

DesertPackfan touched on what I was going to mention: the build up to Sundays is what makes watching the whole game worth it. It's quality over quantity.

Baseball dilutes itself with so many meaningless games. The demographic is changing and if baseball wants to recruit and retain the next generation of fans, they'll have to make rule changes to speed things up.

Along the lines of commercials, the only sport not mentioned was soccer. Now, I'm sure I'm one of the few on here who also is a soccer fan, but I'll tell you it's also the only sport that you can watch continuosly. The only ads are at at halftime, that's it. The game itself is 1.5 hours. With the pregame, halftime and post game, it's only around 2 hours.

The problem is if you don't understand or like soccer, you get bored quickly. To each their own, but soccer is a game that won't be changing anytime soon and doesn't need to. That's why it's the most popular game on the planet.

Keep fighting the good fight Adam. Hopefully by the time the season starts, all these treatments will be a distant memory.

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EdsLaces's picture

May 29, 2016 at 06:47 pm

Prayers as usual buddy.

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lucky953's picture

May 29, 2016 at 09:41 pm

Baseball is a boring game to watch, but a fun game to play. I quit being a baseball fan in 1994 when the WS was cancelled. F*** em!, I thought and never got over it. I watch a lot of soccer because I had a son who was really good at it and started 4 years of college soccer. I am a fan of the Arsenal in England, but my first sports love is the Green Bay Packers. I only watch games live in-season at a local bar that carries all the away games (live in Illinois), otherwise I feel lucky to have digital recording and watch the games delayed so I can skip the tortuous and repetitive commercials. I feel extremely lucky to have grown up in Wisconsin and to have lived through both times of dominance and times of pathetic ineptness. The last 20 years have been one of the great sports stories of all time. Back to back HOF QBs, top shelf GMs, and upper echelon head coaching. Is McCarthy the best? Not yet, but if he wins another Super Bowl, his faults will fade and his trophies will shine very bright.

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oldfart's picture

June 01, 2016 at 08:32 am

WHAT CONCERNS ME THE MOST ABOUT THE UPCOMING SEASON FOR THE PACKERS IS THE CREATIVITY IN MM'S PLAY CALLING. EITHER WE LACK CREATIVE PLAYS OR THE CALLING. IT'S BEEN PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT THE COMPETITION KNOWS WHAT PLAY HAS BEEN CALLED AND HAVE DEFENSED IT APPROPRIATELY. SO MANY TIMES THE PACKERS HAD TO PLAY THEMSELVES OUT OF A HOLE BY HALF TIME. NOT A GOOD GAME PLAN IN MY OPINION.

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Karuzzo's picture

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