I like soccer. I really really like soccer. Most people in America don’t. Because it’s a sport played by wussy little boys who flop around on the field pretending to be hurt. Oh, wait, that’s not soccer, that was last Monday night’s football game.

Pathetic? Yes. Bad Acting? Yes. Unsportsmanlike? Most definitely. But let’s all be real here. This is not the first time a player has faked an injury, either to stop the other team’s momentum or give their own team a free time out. Why do you think they run ten seconds off the clock when you’re within the two minute warning if you do it on offense and have no time outs left? Because people have faked it before. But I don’t know if I have ever witnessed a more obvious attempt at faking an injury, and I watch A LOT of soccer.

So a lot has been made this week of how to put a stop to such an awful thing. People have suggested penalties (which, FYI, if you do it on offense a second time in the two minute warning you do already get penalized), but it brings about the question, how do you know when a player is faking it?

This is the new NFL, the concerned about concussions and player safety NFL. So they responded with this memo:

“Going forward, be advised that should the league office determine that there is reasonable cause, all those suspected of being involved in faking injuries will be summoned promptly to this office … to discuss the matter. Those found to be violators will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action for conduct detrimental to the game.”

Okay, just so I’m clear. The NFL wants players to be free to tell them about even the smallest lingering effects or even the slightest possibility of a concussion, but if you can’t prove it, you could be in trouble? Today on ESPN radio I heard a couple of people suggesting that perhaps the injured player should have to sit out a series instead of just the next play. So it’s the end of the game and my team’s driving and I get hurt.  I’m not sure how bad it is, but I can’t act hurt then I’m done the whole series. Rub some dirt on it and go.

I’m not pro-faking injuries. I think it’s dumb. If your coach and players can’t figure out how to stop the other team, rolling around on the ground like you’re trying to win an Oscar shouldn’t be your next option. But I do think the NFL needs to tread wisely on this subject. You can’t on the one hand tell players that they should feel free to be up front and honest about injuries and encourage them to share and then penalize them if they can’t prove it. (I had a concussion after my head met a cement door frame. It happened right before St. Patty’s Day. Despite the two CAT scans and one MRI, I still have people who thought I was over reacting to avoid going out with them).

I really thought that this whole situation would eventually become a non-issue. The NFL issued that warning, and I assumed no team would be so blatant and then we’d all move on.

But then this ad appeared today.

We all already know how I feel about fantasy football. So I’m going to do my best not to rant about that as well. But come on, NFL! Forget about the fact that his injury probably actually hurt, as is the long recovery. Forget about the fact that he’s probably going to be making less money this year then he planned on seeing as he won’t be making any of those roster/yardage bonuses that I’m assuming are worked into his contract. Forget the possibility that this might completely alter his career. Forget his, his teams, and the team’s fans’ disappointment, let’s instead using him as a poster child for how people can save their fantasy football season!

NFL, wise up. I had thought we moved past this discussion once you decided to stop making the “best hits of the NFL” montage videos, but apparently not. No one’s going to believe that you actually care about player safety if you try to make money off of their injuries.

I have no words left. NFL, you are a massive fail today.

So I’m not really sure why I watched the scenes from the San Francisco/Oakland preseason game, but I did. And I immediately wanted a hug. I’m all for trash talking and “hating” on another team, but wtf is wrong with people?!

Credit: Ben Margot/AP

If you haven’t heard by now, two people were shot, and over six large brawls happened during the game in the stands, in the bathrooms and in the parking lot. It’s not the first incident of its kind, and sadly it probably won’t be the last.

I’ve been to that stadium twice. When I lived in Redwood City, I was given tickets to the Niners/Eagles game and went with my Redskins fan roommate. (We both wore jerseys of teams that weren’t on the field). It was a game early in the season and neither one of us really knew the city nor the stadium that well. We arrived late and probably left early so we probably missed a lot of the off the field fan activities. The second time I went to Candlestick/Monster/whatever it was called then Park, I was meeting two of my fellow AmeriCorps volunteers at the game. One was a former GB resident and was decked out in Packers gear, the other was a lifelong 49ers fan. I drove up by myself, walked through the massive, very unorganized parking lot by myself, and found my seats by myself. I was 24, and pretty tiny. People in the parking lot waived cheese graters at me, and a man threw a hot dog at a Packers fan in a bikini because she wouldn’t do him the favor of removing her top.

Two seasons ago, now living in Cincinnati, I won tickets to the Packers/Browns game in Cleveland. No one wanted to make the 8 hour round trip drive with me, so I rose early Sunday morning and headed out by myself. I walked through downtown Cleveland to the stadium, by myself. I found my seats by myself and sat by myself. The only trash talking that I can remember is that the Browns fans barked a lot. I was worried at first about the dog pound, but really all they wanted to do was bark.

I consider myself lucky. That in most of my travels and watching my team on the road, I have found and befriended other Packers fans. That I have also met some relatively nice fans of other teams. That despite my previously small stature, I walked through crowds without getting things thrown at me.

I’ve also had some bad experiences. Last season I went to a Bengals/Steelers night game. Saw a fight close to us, overheard the Steelers fan behind us proclaim that Carson Palmer should start raping people, and watched more than a handful of couples scream and possibly slap each other. My sophomore year of college, I went to the USC/fUCLA game. For a city that can’t seem to support a professional football team, Los Angeles is really invested in this college rivalry. I lived on campus, so I walked to and from the games. We waited inside the stadium for a while after the wonderful SC victory in our attempts to avoid the chaos and fights that reigned supreme outside. We sat and watched the LAPD attempt to defend the field from wayward fans and watched them break up a couple of fights. Last year at this game, a man was stabbed. My freshmen year at USC my friends and I got in a screaming match with some drunk Notre Dame fans who wandered, after crushing SC on the field, into the student section.

But still, none of these experiences compare with what happened at the Raiders/Niners preseason game. Never have I been physically unable to watch a game when at the stadium, never has my physical safety been threatened. The fact that a man was shot multiple times in the stomach and had to drag himself to security for help at a SPORTING event is pure insanity. I’m all for trash talking and I’m uber obsessed, but at what point does your passion for a team turn into the desire to harm, potentially permanently damage or kill another person? Logic does not exist here, and I’m pretty sure some alcohol does.

So what are we to do? The 49ers and the Raiders have now cancelled their annual preseason game. At Paul Brown Stadium there is the “jerk line” where fans can call and report other fans for fights or for using foul language. Are any of those really the answer? Probably not. I’m not sure what the answer is. But I can tell you I probably wouldn’t drive up to Cleveland or into San Francisco for a game alone again. Not just from a safety perspective but also because those type of events are not places I like to be. And that is sad. Not as sad as a person getting shot, but fans not being welcome and safe at a sporting event is sad.

Unfortunately, there are a few things about the draft that I severely lack in. One is player analysis. I will admit that I do not have the patience to watch hours of film on college players who might become Green Bay Packers. I’ll leave that to places like this, and this, and this, who do the work for me and I can sit back and read analysis I could never provide.

The other thing I cannot do is a mock draft. I love to read them, won’t even attempt to do one, probably because I would bat a stellar .000 with my prediction. I refuse to delve into the mind of Ted Thompson and try to figure out what he will do anymore. Plus, Alex already did the best mock draft ever, so there is no need to add to that.

So what I started thinking about was drafts gone by, and what I was thinking about the weeks leading up to a particular draft. For me, there is no where else to start than 1989.

I thought Tony Mandarich was the shit in 1989. I bought his Sports Illustrated cover specifically because I thought he was going to be the man around Green Bay for years. A towering, terrifyingly strong offensive lineman who would protect the quarterback of whatever team selected him for years. Everyone said the Cowboys were going to draft Troy Aikman, so logic would dictate that the Packers would pick Mandarich. Don Majkowski would be safe for years, allowing the 7-9 step drops in the Lindy Infante offense to flourish, leaving opposing defenses in the dust.

So after the draft had taken place, and the Packers picked him, I went back to school mocking everyone else. “Look who we got!” showing the cover of SI. Who needs Troy Aikman, or Barry Sanders, or Deion Sanders? We’ve got the guy who won’t allow a sack his entire career, the one who makes opposing teams defenders run the other way when coming off the line to run block.

And as we all know, none of this was ever the case.

I learned at a very young age a few things about the NFL Draft. One, I am not an expert, and never pretend to be. I would just get laughed and was for years because of my bold predictions about the Incredible Bust.  Secondly, and more importantly, I never subscribe to all the hype about any one particular player. Why? Because for every Tony Mandarich in the world, the one who was supposed to be something huge and never amounted to much, there is a story like this one, about a player who most probably never gave a second thought about on draft day and went on to be one of the best ever to put on the green and gold.

Because I don’t sleep, I have time to think about all sorts of things. Whether it’s pondering why the hell is it snowing in late March, to why do my dogs wait until 3am to want to play, I have lots of time to think about things.

Last night, my attention drifted to football, in particular the letter sent by Roger Goodell to the players, restating the owners’ offer for everyone to see. I had read it, several times, but this time, something caught my eye and really had me thinking.

“For the first time players and families would be able to purchase continuing coverage in the player medical plan after retirement for life, and could use their health savings account benefit to do so.”

A plan to have medical coverage for life for former football players and their families, and it was left on the table? My brain started doing some number crunching and I was thinking how could this be walked away from?

Before I continue, lets assume that every thing the public was allowed to view, the offer and the response from the players is true for what is stated, that there is nothing hidden, no hidden lingo that was buried.

I took a look at my pay stub I receive bi-weekly, and focused at the medical line. How much was taken out for medical insurance every week? Could I afford this every week for the rest of my life, with normal 1% increase year on year as a basic escalation of insurance costs? Very interesting. Here is what I came up with (keep in mind, the numbers are not exact, not even close):

$100/week for insurance for my wife and myself

52 weeks/year=$5200/year for medical insurance

Roughly 30 years (hopefully) of work left to go.

Yearly increase for medical insurance per year for 30 years-lets make it easy and increase $100/year

Add it all up, and the total needed to cover medical insurance for life using this simple formula: $199,950

Now I might be crazy, but this seems like a bargain for lifetime medical insurance. Granted, I am not in the NFL, but if my company came up with a way for me to keep my insurance for life, I would figure out a way to make it happen. Would you? What if you had a pre-existing condition, say like you went to work every day and slammed your body against a desk for 8-10 hours a day?  Sometimes you would break a bone, maybe a concussion here and there for good measure, and you still kept your insurance? Would you take up the offer I just proposed?

It’s a simplistic way to look at one aspect of the proposal made by the owners to the players, and there is much more to negotiations (if they were actually negotiating) but if I was voting on the proposal, this might have been enough for me to vote for the owners proposal. And the players left this on the table.

Makes no sense to me. Of course, not much does in this mess.

I hate this time of the year. The time in between the NFL Combine and the Draft is such a dead period, and I am having trouble filling the time.

Part of the problem is the current labor issues in the NFL. It is depressing to read all of the worst case scenarios that exist. I break down the year into sections, the NFL year nicely filling in the gaps of the year with yearly events (the draft, mini camp, OTA’s) through the spring and summer, leading into training camp. Right now, there could be a draft, and that’s it for a while. That sucks.

To occupy myself, I could sit and look at all of the prospects for the draft, reviewing tape, combine stats, and trying to piece the puzzle of what the Packers needs are, but that just isn’t my thing. I’ll leave that to the experts. The only thing that is certain is that between April 28-30, the Packers will draft 6-8 former college players who will attempt to contribute to a Super Bowl defense in 2011. And in typical Ted Thompson fashion, one of those picks will leave people scratching their heads, with only a select few knowing the reason why that player was drafted, and the rest of us to shake our heads and keep repeating “In Ted We Trust.”

The draft is still 7 weeks away, far too long. So what else is there? What do I do to stay busy?

The NBA? How about not.

Baseball? I don’t even look at the standings until June

College basketball? Never got into it

See the problem here?

I need my NFL fix. I need my Packers fix. Right now.

Any suggestions?

Kudos to Brandon over at the Acme Packing Company for getting me fired up about something on a day I feel like doing nothing. Simple enough question: Do you downgrade a draft pick because he smoked pot?

For god sakes no.

Around this time, every single season, this list of suspected marijuana users gets around to the scouting staff. Almost instantaneously their stock drops and they receive the label druggie. Give me a break.

Cites Brandon:

“According to one veteran club personnel man, 10 or 11 players who carry first-round draft grades on their board this year have been red-flagged for marijuana use in college, an estimate echoed by two clubs’ head coaches.”

Trust me, that’s just the 10 or 11 guys that openly admitted it, I’ll guarantee that there at least 10 or 11 more that have quietly kept their mouths shut. Get real America, there are tons of people smoking pot and you already know that. I don’t know why this issue is brought in the media every year like it’s some kind of taboo. As far as I still know anyway, people are getting baked in larger and larger numbers everyday. And to be quite frank, I’m happy they are doing so.

There is no need to throw in any discussion on legalization and medical use. That’s just fodder for the real bottom line. Alcohol.

What I would like to see is a list of the first round draft picks that went out four times a week to local sports bars and got tanked off their ass. Then, I’d also like to see a list of those who then got in fights, threw up everywhere, and passed out while watching TV with a half eaten microwave burrito. I want a list of the guys who are going to hit the strip clubs and then come home and hit their wives because their frickin’ too plowed to think straight. That’s the kind of list I want. I want the list of the guys most likely to get drunk and mow over people, or even do crazy stunts on motorcycles at 2:30 in the morning.

I’ve known plenty of pot smokers in my time, and I’d rather have them on my team than the asshole sucking down 24 cans of Old Milwaukee on a Tuesday night.

It’s time to get over the marijuana issue. I would be much  more concerned with decision making and moral conviction before I worried about a little pot. It has absolutely nothing to do with character. In fact, outside of abstinence, it’s probably a better sign of levelheadedness than anything else.

You’ll always have your Travis Henry’s, but you’ll always have your Leonard Little’s too. That’s just stupidity, nothing more and nothing less.

Give me the dumbass list first, the stoner list is just silly.

The BEST Green Bay Packers First Round Draft Picks of the Last 50 Years

As the 2009 NFL Draft approaches, and anticipation builds, Packers fans are hoping the team’s first round draft pick will turn out to be our next Hall of Fame Player. History says – not very likely.

First, some facts you may find surprising:

In the 72-year history of the NFL Draft, Green Bay has only had the first overall pick once, in 1959. It would be Vince Lombardi’s first draft and his selection, quarterback Randy Duncan, unfortunately made my previous list of the WORST Packers first-round draft picks of the last 50 years.

The Green Bay Packers have 19 players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Only 3 were first round draft choices (Paul Hornung, Herb Adderley and James Lofton). Only 2 (Adderley and Lofton) were in the last 50 years that this article covers.

The Packers have been very active first-round traders. In 27 of the past 50 years, the Packers have made a trade involving a first round draft choice.

A few disclaimers:

You will not see Jerry Kramer or Paul Hornung on this list as they were drafted before 1959.

You will not see AJ Hawk or Aaron Rodgers on this list as their body of work is too short to pass judgment.

So, without further delay, here is the list:

Nick Barnett – LB – 2003 – Selected 29th overall

6’2″, 236 lbs.

Out of Oregon State University, Nick Barnett was a 4-year varsity player. He entered the starting lineup halfway through his sophomore season and remained a fixture at strong side linebacker for the rest of his collegiate career. His senior season he averaged over nine tackles a game and was named All-Pacific 10 Conference, after leading the league with 121 tackles (62 solo).

Selected by the Packers with pick 29 of the first round, Barnett was the first Oregon State player taken in the first round in 40 years. He quickly proved to be worthy of that pick, starting the packers’ first regular season game at middle Linebacker. He has been incredibly consistant, still averaging the same nine tackles per game with the Packers as he did in college. Barnett has lead the Packers in tackles 4 times, and until this last season, has not been affected by injuries. He has become the leader of the Packers defense, and at no time did this become more evident this year. When Barnett got injured, the Packers defense went downhill immediately. His leadership and contributions were sorely missed.

Ezra Johnson – DE – 1977 – Selected 28th overall

6’4″, 240 lbs.

Out of tiny Morris Brown College, Ezra Johnson was actually the the Packer’s second first-round pick that year. Green bay had received this first-round pick as compensation from the Oakland Raiders for Al Davis signing Ted (The Stork) Hendricks as a limited free agent.

Ezra Johnson played eleven seasons (1977-1987) for the “Green and Gold”. In only his second pro season, Johnson made the Pro Bowl after a season with an “unofficial” 20.5 sacks. Unfortunately for Johnson, the NFL did not officially begin keeping sack statistics until the 1982 season. The official sack total for his career is 55.5, ignoring the first five years of his career. Johnson is a member of the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame.

Donny Anderson – RB – 1965 – Selected seventh overall

6’2″, 215 lbs.

Out of Texas Tech, Donny Anderson was known as the “Golden Palomino”. He finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting as a multiple threat. While primarily a halfback, Anderson also was a punter, kick returner, defensive back, and even played some quarterback. He signed with Green Bay for a then-record $600,000 contract.

With the Packers, Anderson had an immediate impact during the season leading to their second straight Super Bowl Win. In total, he played six solid seasons for the Packers before leaving for St Lous and playing three more years before retiring.

Although remembered more for his running, Anderson had a much larger impact on the NFL as a punter. In 1967, Anderson is credited with originating the idea of hang-time. Before Anderson, punters were only concerned with distance.

Reporters at the time couldn’t understand why Vince Lombardi didn’t go find a punter that could kick farther (Anderson’s average was only 36.6 yards per kick in 1967). But then Lombardi showed them these statistics for the year:

63 punts, only 13 returned, 22 TOTAL return yardS

Other punters soon followed suit, and eventually the NFL had to change punt coverage rules to bring punt returns back into the game.

Donny Anderson is a member of the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame.

John Anderson – LB – 1978 – Selected 26th overall

6’3″, 226 lbs.

Out of the University of Michigan, John Anderson was an Academic All-American. Born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, he couldn’t have been happier to be drafted by the Packers. Anderson was actually the second of Green Bay’s two first-round picks (the first was James Lofton – more on him later). The pick was obtained from the Oakland Raiders in exchange for DT Mike McCoy.

A team leader on Defense, Anderson had a solid 12-year NFL career, all with the Packers. He was a fixture at left outside linebacker, and retired as the Packers all-time leader in tackles and interceptions for a linebacker (25). Although he was never named to a Pro Bowl, Anderson was named to the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 1980s and is a member of the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame.

Fred Carr – LB – 1968 – Selected fifth overall

6’5″, 238 lbs.

Out of the University of texas – El Paso (UTEP), the 6′ 5″ Fred “Freddy” Carr helped usher in the move to taller linebackers in the NFL. As Vince Lombardi’s final first-round pick for the Packers, Carr was rated the best overall athelete in the 1968 draft. With the Packers, Carr was originally tried at tight end and defensive end before settling in to his final position of OLB, starting every game for the next eight years.

Carr’s amazing athletic ability manifested itself in many ways. In High School, Carr, was a National top-10 discus thrower. In college, besides starting for UTEP football, Carr was a member of the 1966 NCAA Basketball champions from UTEP (then known as Texas Western College).

Although he didn’t see much playing time as a sophomore on the basketball team, he did witness history. UTEP won the NCAA championship, beating legend Adolph Rupp’s University of Kentucky team in the final game. Coach Don Haskins broke racial barriers by being the first coach to start 5 African-American players in an NCAA championship game. This was the team that the movie “Glory Road” was based on.

For the Packers, Carr was a model of consistancy. In his 10 years with Green Bay, Carr never missed a game. He had a nose for the ball, recovering 25 fumbles in his NFL career. He also blocked 3 field gaols and two extra points.

Carr was named to the NFL Pro Bowl three times, and was voted the MVP of the 1971 Pro Bowl. Carr is a member of the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame.

Gale Gillingham – G – 1966 – Selected 13th overall

6’3″, 255 lbs.

Out of the University of Minnesota,Gale Gillingham was the Packers’ second of two first round draft choices in 1966 (the first was running back Jim Graboski, selected with the ninth pick). Gillingham was drafted as the heir apparant at guard for Fuzzy Thurston and/or Jerry Kramer.

Gillingham was an early proponent of weight lifting, which was still uncommon at that time. His rookie season, he was a backup for Kramer and Thurston, and earned a Super Bowl ring. Fuzzy Thurston retired and Gillingham took over his left guard spot for the 1967 season, which resulted in the Packers’ second Super Bowl win.

Gillingham would play 10 seasons for the Packers, earning Pro Bowl honors four times. In 1972, Coach Dan Devine made the dubious decision to convert Gillingham into a defensive tackle. He was injured in the first game and missed the rest of the season.

He came back next year at his normal offensive guard spot and played three more years. Gillingham is a member of the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame.

Dave Robinson – LB – 1963 – Selected 13th overall

6’3″, 245 lbs.

Out of Penn State University, Dave Robinson was an All-American two-way player for the Nittany Lions at tight end and defensive end. Robinson was a superb athelete, and could probably play almost any position on the field.

Drafted by Vince Lombardi with the intention to convert him into a linebacker, Robinson was the understudy for Dan Currie his first year. He earned the starting spot the next season and was a fixture there for the Packers for the next nine seasons.

Robinson was a key player for the Packer defense during their three straight NFL championships. He intercepted 12 passes during those seasons and finished with 27 interceptions during his 12 year NFL career. Robinson was a new breed of linebacker in the NFL; tall, fast, intelligent and skilled.

Robinson wanted so much to finish his career with the Packers. But unfortunately Dan Devine had other ideas. In 1973, after 10 years with the Packers, he decided he wanted younger players and traded Robinson to George Allen’s Washington Redskins. Robinson played two years for the Redskins and then retired from the NFL.

Dave Robinson was a three-time Pro Bowler, the MVP of the 1967 Pro Bowl and was named to the NFL All-Decade team of the 1960s. In addition, Dave Robinson is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame.

John Brockington – RB – 1971 – Selected ninth overall

6’1″, 225 lbs.

Out of Ohio State University, John Brockington had just set the OSU single-season rushing yardage record as a senior. The Packers made him their first selection in the draft, but probably never could have expected the instant production they got out of Brockington.

Brockington crashed onto the NFL season his rookie year, gaining over 1000 yards and making the Pro Bowl. Amazingly, he repeated those feats his next two seasons as well, becoming the first player in NFL History to rush for over 1000 yards in his first three NFL seasons.

Brockington represented a new type of running back, with the strength to run through and over defenders, instead of around them. Together with MacArthur Lane, the Packer running game was of the bruising variety in the early 70s.

Unfortunately, all of that contact started to wear down Brockington. His fourth season he reached 800 rushing yards and was used more as a receiver out of the backfield, catching 43 passes. That was his last productive season for the Packers and after playing in only one game in 1977, his seventh with the Packers, he was released. He joined the Kansas City Chiefs for one year, but hardly played. He retired from the NFL after that season.

Although he didn’t have a long career, Brockington was a star from day one with the Packers. If his career had been longer, he might have been in the discussion for greatest Packer first-round pick of all time. As it is, he’s still near the top of the list. Brockington is a member of the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame.

Sterling Sharpe – WR – 1988 – Selected seventh overall

6’0″, 207 lbs.

Out of the University of South Carolina, Sterling Sharpe graduated with a double major and a retired jersey already in hand. As a holder of numerous receiving records for the Gamecocks, the school decided not to wait, and retired his jersey after his senior year. Sharpe was the school record-holder for career receptions (169), receiving yards (2,497), and receiving touchdowns (17).

As the first round pick for the Packers, Sharpe was an immediate starter. His rookie season he caught 55 passes, the most ever for a Green Bay Packer rookie. In his second year, Sharpe caught 90 passes and was on his way to an amazing career.

In 1992, Sharpe’s fifth season in the NFL, a new quarterback with a big arm and a funny name (Favre) emerged for the Green Bay Packers. That season was one of the greatest ever recorded by a receiver. Sharpe broke the NFL single season reception record with 107 and led the league in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Only seven players in NFL history have accomplished this; Don Hutson (5 times!), Elroy Hirsch, Pete Pihos, Raymond Berry, Jerry Rice and Steve Smith.

The following year, Sharpe caught 112 passes, the first player to have caught more gthan 100 passes 2 years in a row. He and Brett favre, led the Packers to their first playoff game of the 90′s. The Packers defeated the Detroit Lions that day on a last-minute Favre to Sharpe 40 yd touchdown pass (his 3rd of the game).

in 1994, despite playing with very painful turf toe, Sharpe was having another outstanding year when he suffered a neck injury in a December game. He was cleared to play the following week, but had to leave the game once again with severe pain in his neck.

He was later diagnosed as having damaged two vertebrae in his neck and would require surgery to fuse the vertebrae. After successful surgery, Sharpe considered returning to the NFL, but the packers and no other teams were willing to take the chance of Sharpe suffering a debilitating injury. Sharpe was forced to retire after only seven seasons with the Packers.

Sharpe was an extremely intense individual, both on and off the field. Unhappy with how the press treated him his rookie year, and feeling that dealing with the press interfered with his focus, Sharpe refused to grant interviews throughout his career. He says he has no regrets, although it was a bit ironic that he went on to work for ESPN.

Sharpe was selected to the Pro Bowl in five of his seven seasons with the Packers and is a member of the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame. If not for that career-ending injury, I am sure that Sharpe would be looked at today as one of the greatest receivers of all time.

James Lofton – WR – 1978 – Selected sixth overall

6’3″, 187 lbs.

Out of the University of Stanford, James Lofton was a second-team Football All-American, Academic All-American, and a National long-jump champion. Mostly a track athlete, Lofton wasn’t even a football starter until his senior year. Stanford coach Bill Walsh saw his potential and decided to feature him in the offense. As a senior in 1977, Lofton caught 57 passes for 1,010 yards (17.72 yards per reception average) with 14 touchdowns.

Drafted by the Packers, Lofton was an instant starter. His speed and “soft hands” made him a premier deep-threat receiver from the moment he entered the pros. His rookie year with the Packers, Lofton caught 46 passes and averaged 17.8 yards per catch. Those first-year numbers are very telling, as they are almost exactly what Lofton would average over his 16 season NFL career.

Lofton spent his first nine seasons with the Packers. During that time, Lofton caught 530 passes for 9.656 yards and 49 touchdowns. In 1987, Lofton left Green Bay for a two-year stay with the Los Angeles Raiders, followed by four seasons with the Buffalo Bills and brief stints with the L.A. Rams and Philadelphia Eagles before his retirement following the 1993 season.

In his 16 NFL seasons, Lofton caught 764 passes for 14,004 yards and 75 touchdowns. He averaged 20 yards per catch or more in five seasons, leading the league in 1983 and 1984 with an average of 22.4 and 22 yards respectively.

James Lofton was named to the Pro Bowl 8 times, seven with the Green Bay Packers. He is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Herb Adderley – RB – 1961 – Selected 12th overall

6’0″, 205 lbs.

Out of Michigan State University, Adderley was a star running back for the Spartans. He arrived on the scene at Green Bay expecting to continue in that vein, but found future Hall-of-Famers Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung squarely in his path.

Well into the season and unlikely to find him any playing time at running back, Vince Lombardi put Adderley in as an emergency replacement for injured cornerback Hank Gremminger. Adderley turned out to be a natural at the position and stayed there from that point on.

Adderley’s athleticism and instinctual nose for the football helped him intercept 47 passes during his career, returning 7 for touchdowns. Besides playing cornerback, Adderley also used his running back skills to his advantage as a kick returner. He returned 120 kicks for the Packers, averaging 25.7 yards per return.

Adderley played for the Green Bay Packers from 1961- 1969. He later went on to play with the Dallas Cowboys for three years and retired at the end of the season in 1972. Adderley played in 4 Super Bowls (winning three) and was on 5 Green Bay Packer World Championship teams including the first two Super Bowls.

Adderley is quoted as saying, “I’m the only man with a Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl ring who doesn’t wear it. I’m a Green Bay Packer.”

Adderley is a member of the Green Bay Packer and NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame. One of only 20 defensive backs in the Hall, he is considered by many to be the greatest cornerback to ever have played the game of football.

I love rule changes. I really do. I feel no league is perfect and could always improve but the NFL rules committee really dropped the ball on this one.

When having a look at the rules over at FOX Sports  and the Washington Post I was just not as pleased as I thought I would be when I looked at the new rules. Let’s take a look.

Rule Change #1: There can be video replays on a loose ball that could be either a fumble or an incomplete pass.

The “Hochuli Rule” is probably a decent rule change. I’m saddened that there’s a Hochuli rule and it doesn’t involve his massive arms.

Rule Change #2: It already was illegal for a defender to deliver a helmet-to-helmet hit to a defenseless receiver. The new rule extends the protection given to the receiver who’s in the act of catching the ball, also prohibiting hits to the receiver’s helmet when the defender leads with his shoulder or delivers a forearm.

As if there wasn’t already enough rules helping out the offense and crippling the defense, they decide to add this. Hopefully this is one of those rules nobody pays any attention to unless someone gets hurt. Do you know how manytimes a forearm is going to hit a defender’s head not out of maliciousness, but out of trying to make a legit football playing (like…reaching to grab the guy)? This rule could be out of hand and hopefully the refs just let this one go.

Rule Change #3: The owners also approved a rule giving similar protection to defenders, making it illegal for an offensive player to deliver a blindside block by using the helmet, shoulder or forearm to deliver a blow to a defensive player’s head.

This was already illegal, wasn’t it? It’s called a block in the back, or have human beings learned to run with their heads turned all the way around, Exorcist style? This seems like lip service to the defensive players. “See, we gave you something too! So what if that rule already exists?”

Rule Change #4: The kicking team now is prohibited from bunching too many players in the middle of the field, or on a single side of the field. That eliminates dangerous scrambles involving too many players on onside kicks.

I don’t care. Onside kicks never work and are a waste of time. Onside kicks should be a kicker, one recovering player and one receiving player. That’d be some crazy stuff.

Rule Change #5: The receiving team now is prohibited from using a blocking “wedge” of more than two players on a kickoff return.

I really don’t care.

Rule Change #6: Replay now can be used to determine if a loose ball hit the sideline. A Cardinals kickoff in January’s NFC championship game was ruled to have gone out of bounds even though it was recovered in bounds by Arizona. Replays showed the ball never hit or crossed the sideline.

Another decent rule. Getting things right is the most important thing these replay rules can bring.

Rule Change #7: The owners eliminated a rekick after an illegal onside kick, awarding the ball immediately to the receiving team

Yeah, let’s get right to the action. Nobody wants to see more extra team plays! I’m serious, by the way.

Rule Change #8: The draft order for playoff teams was reworked and will be based on where teams were eliminated in the postseason. Last season, the Chargers (8-8) beat the Colts (12-4) in a wild-card game, but San Diego will pick before Indianapolis in next month’s draft. The new procedure begins in 2010.

That wasn’t already a rule? Come on, NFL.

Rule Change #9: A waiver period during the first two weeks of training camp was established. Owners also reworded when the postseason waiver period begins — previously it was after the Pro Bowl. In the future, the Super Bowl will be played after the Pro Bowl in some seasons, and the waiver period will begin after the final postseason game.

Good for them.

Rule Change #10: On all fumbles and laterals that go out of bounds, the clock will start when the referee signals ready for play.

More of the NFL trying to speed up NFL games. Soon the clock will continue to run after incomplete passes too. You’ll see.

18 GAMES?

As of now we play 16 games with 1 off-week but Commissioner Goodell wants to lessen the pre-season and lengthen the regular season to 17 or 18 games. This is a great idea!

No NFL team needs four pre-season games(plus mini camps, training camps, practices, off-season workouts) to see who should make the team and start. Injuries also seem to dampen the mood in pre-season as well. We all remember Mike Vick breaking his leg in a pre-season game. This was a big deal at the time as it was when he was a phenom and not a dog killer.

The biggest reason this is a great idea is this:

“The longer the season, the better chance the better teams make the playoffs.”

Of course it’s still one and done in the playoffs and the best team doesn’t always win THERE, but we could make sure the best teams at least MAKE it to the playoffs with a lengthened regular season. It’s more money for the NFL and more drunken weekends for me! Everyone’s a winner!

Let’s hope this happens for the 2010 season.

Of course the guys at CheeseheadTV beat me to it (I don’t know what they do all day) but this next link is beyond cool. I don’t know if you have ever heard of ‘zeitgeist’ but this is it.

Talk about the right product at the right time, and all for free. Check out this new feature the NFL has provided. Tons of props for this little tool.

The Packers Lounge will immediately start a contest to crown the best video. Post your links here.

Too cool.