Thompson\'s Way

Nice piece from new Packers Lounge writer Greg C looking at Thompson's major moves since being named General Manager of the Packers and how those moves are interpreted as 'timid' by Packer fandom. Greg comes to the conclusion that:

 ...the balance sheet on these moves is mostly in Thompson’s favor. But it all comes down to wins and losses in the end, and after last year’s 6-10 performance, fans have good reason to be skeptical.

My point is that I think fans misread Thompson when they cast him as overly timid. It is often forgotten that Thompson has earned the respect of Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren, two guys who know a thing or two about football. Thompson is a man of deep convictions. He is going to stick to his plan, and guess what? He doesn’t care what you think, nor should he. The 2009 season should tell us a lot about whether Thompson’s strategy will pay off in the long run.

I agree with the overall thrust here and I think Greg is spot on when he says that 2009 will tell us a lot. I don't think it's a make or break year, as some have intimated, but if the Packers don't have a winning record in 2009, you can be sure that 2010 will be do or die for everyone working at 1265 Lombardi Avenue.

 

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.

__________________________

0 points
 

Comments (6)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
IPBprez's picture

March 09, 2009 at 01:59 pm

So, I guess the real question "from the fan's perspective" would be:
=================
Is Trader Ted Thompson a wallflower?
Or is he an egotistical jerk?
=================
I put it that way, because of all the chatter we saw on just about any Blog with regards to last Summer's events. Is it possible that (maybe, just maybe) Ted Thompson is more a deeply religious man whose convictions are handled with a Bible not too far away? Which would be a major WHY on how he responds to criticism(s) from all angles.....
===============
Remember, his peers did give him a very prestigious award at the end of 2007. Remember?

0 points
0
0
Nick's picture

March 09, 2009 at 04:35 pm

Thompson is the man. Anyone who doesn't like him is clearly a hater. :P

. Seriously though overall I agree that people have a right to be pissed at him when the team goes 6-10...but I just don't understand the pure hatred that some people have for him. I like a guy who sticks to his guns, at least it shows he's got some sort of strategy. I always liked the guy.

0 points
0
0
jerseypackfan's picture

March 09, 2009 at 08:50 pm

Watching the NFL Classic 1985 Chicago Bears vs. Packers on NFL Network. Such a great game!
Yes we are all fully aware of how good the 1985 Chicago Bears were but who can forget the 1985 Green Bay Packers?

Such greats as:

Lynn Dickey
James Lofton
Paul Coffman
Mike Douglas
Ezra Johnson
Brian Noble
Mark Murphy
Eddie Lee Ivory
Gerry Ellis

Then you had this cast of characters:

Mossy Cade
Charles Martin
Randy Wright
Jim Zorn
Alfonso Carreker
George Cumby
Preston Dennard
Phillip Epps
Guy Prather
Ed West
Walter Stanley
Mark Lee
Ken Ruttgers
and my personal favorite
Harian Huckleby

0 points
0
0
PackerAaron's picture

March 09, 2009 at 09:09 pm

Watched it as well. Funny to see Jim Zorn QBing the Pack...

0 points
0
0
PackerBacker's picture

March 09, 2009 at 09:42 pm

Nick,

I think you see the pure hatred from the people who truly idolized Brett Favre. Most of us loved him as a Packer, I mean who wouldn't. He was the ultimate Ironman and he always made the game exciting. However, some fans saw him as the Trinity reincarnated on Earth. He could do no wrong. It was easy to overlook the drug addiction because he did the important thing during that period of time - he won games. But last year, when the shit hit the fan, some of the "true" Brett Favre supporters saw a different side of Brett than the persona he put on for 17 years. He was vindictive and whined more than a Frenchman at a Wisconsin cheese fair. The only way that something like that could happen was if he had been tricked, duped, thrown a huge curveball. They needed someone else to blame, and here was Teddy.
Ted Thompson got rid of our guards, he brought in a replacement for Brett without Brett's permission. He wouldn't bring in Randy Moss. He must be the devil.
Once you start believing that, it is easy to see everything he does as worthless.
Heck, they'll be bitching so much that in the next few years, when the Packers end up winning a Superbowl, they will claim that it is pure luck and had nothing to do with TT. Only if they win 4 Superbowls in a row will it really prove that TT knows anything.
OK, I'm finished with my rant now.

0 points
0
0
Andrew n Atlanta's picture

March 09, 2009 at 09:56 pm

"whined more than a Frenchman at a Wisconsin cheese fair"
Priceless

0 points
0
0