Surrounded by Bears fans in the middle of Bear country, the grief I would receive in the early 90′s was constant. Their franchise was on the up, while the Packers had not yet begun their renaissance under the leadership of Bob Harlan and Ron Wolf. Every time the Packers would win, which was a rarity before 1992, it was relayed to me that it was out of sheer luck that they managed to win. It was a consistent mantra for the first 15 years or so of my life.

When they played the Bears, it was even worse. From 1985-1992, the Packers were a less than stellar 3-13 against their hated rivals, and every loss was a guaranteed week (or 2, sometimes 3) of “you suck” comments  coming from friends who happened to be Bears fans. If there is an opposite of fun, this was it.

Being the good sport that I am, friendly wagers were a common occurrence during Packer/Bear week. Even when I thought there was little chance the Packers would win, there was no way I would not make this bet. Not agreeing to make a bet was like admitting the Packers would lose even before the game had been played. Many a time my hard earned $4.25/hour would go to paying off one of these friendly wagers, and there is one in particular I will never forget.

My girlfriend at the time (a die hard Bears fan) and I made a wager in October 1992 about the game that was to be played in Chicago. She naturally picked the Bears, and I naturally picked the Packers. The pay off was simple-lunch at McDonald’s. The way I saw it, even if I lost and had to buy her lunch, it was something I would have probably done anyways, so it would not have been a big deal.

Sadly, the Packers lost 30-10. So it was time to pay up. Which I did. Kind of.

The grief I was getting over this loss from her was award winning. She was already well versed in her “Packers suck” lingo, and did not hold back in her celebrating. I remember thinking “Even from you?” I could not catch a break.

Well, revenge would be mine. Kind of.

After dropping her off at home after school and hanging out for a while, we talked about what to do for the afternoon, since neither of us had to work. She mentioned going to McDonald’s, primarily for the purpose of paying off the bet we made. At first it seemed like a good idea-until the inevitable hazing about the loss started up again.

Growing increasingly more irritated by the minute, I stood up and handed her $5 or so and said “Have a nice meal” or something to that effect, and left her house. As I was leaving, the look on her face was one of shock and anger. Even so, I left, finding out later that she walked 4 blocks to the McDonald’s by her house and enjoyed a nice meal, by herself.

While she was eating, I was going home. In retrospect, I’m thankful this was in the days before cell phones, and I hadn’t yet jumped on the beeper craze that was sweeping the nation. I can only imagine the barrage of calls and beeps that would have been headed in my direction as a result of my action.

At least she can’t say I welched on the bet.

Needless to say, the wagers between her and I about the Packers and Bears came to an end after that game. I’m still not sure if it’s because the Packers started to play the Bears better after that game, or how I handled the bet. I like to think it’s because she realized even of they lose a game, the Packers always win.

Which of course, they do.

Since becoming the starter in 2008, all Rodgers has done is win a Super Bowl, win a League MVP, set league records for best passer rating in a single season, and made us all but forget who his predecessor was.

The stats over the last four years border on ridiculous, and speak for themselves:

YEAR   CMP     ATT      YDS        TD       INT       RAT

2008     341      536       4,038     28        13        93.8

2009     350      541       4,434     30        7         103.2

2010     312      475       3,922     28        11        101.2

2011     343      502       4,643     45        6          122.5

His personal expectation level is set exceptionally high, as evidenced by his comments in a recent interview at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, in which he calls himself “obsessively competitive.” Driven by a desire to do nothing but win, this has translated into a drive which can be seen as anything less than winning is unacceptable.

Fans love this obsession. We know that the Packers are in excellent hands at quarterback for years to come. And with Rodgers set at QB, and as long as Ted Thompson continues to draft to continuously replenish the roster, and Mike McCarthy continues to push the right buttons of the players, this team should be Super Bowl contenders for years to come.

But what would happen if Aaron Rodgers had a seemingly mortal year statistically? How would fans react after seeing their QB set the world on fire for the past four seasons?

Looking at the average of Rodgers’ stats since 2008, he has set a bar which could be very difficult to continue:

4,259 passing yards

33 TDs

9 ints

Those are very lofty statistics that most quarterbacks would struggle to have in one season, let alone the average of four.

So what would happen if Rodgers saw a decrease in statistical success? For nothing more than discussion sake, let’s look at a 10% decrease in his what I will term “positive stats”, using the previous four seasons as the baseline:

4,259 passing yards – 10% = 3,833 passing yards

33 TDs -10% =30 TDs

More than respectable numbers. However, if a 10% increase in interceptions was factored in, again just for the sake of discussion, the result would be 10 interceptions per year.

3,833 passing yards. 30 TDs. 10 Ints. I don’t think there is a single fan who would not take these  numbers from the reigning MVP. But would we feel the same if the rest of the offense was not able to pick up the so-called slack from Rodgers decrease in statistical success? What if it led to one or two fewer wins a season?

My point is that it is possible that Packer fans have set the bar too high for Rodgers, based on his previous success. Anything less that MVP numbers could be seen as a down year for him, and those who are quick to point out flaws in his game could have a field day, especially if the result was the Packers missing the playoffs. Every quarterback has a down year at some point in their career.

While number crunching can be an entertaining hobby, and stats continue to litter our brain for quick reference, it is not as important to me as it may be for others.  The success of a team comes from the sum of its part, not just its statistical machine of a quarterback. And as such, I don’t expect Rodgers to continue to put up the numbers he has since 2008. Not that he cannot do it-I’m just not expecting it. That way, if he did have a (gasp) sub par year but the team continued to win, I won’t feel that torment of realizing that Rodgers is what we all are: mortal.

I hate the waiting around for Packers news. I hate waiting for mini camps to begin. I hate waiting for training camp to start. Basically, I hate being bored.

There is the NFL Draft in a few weeks, which should help placate my needing Packers info in my life. Unfortunately, I am the furthest thing from a draftnik. It is almost impossible for me to get into the events which lead up to the draft, and mock drafting is most definitely not my forte. The only thing about the draft I am certain of about the draft is Ted Thompson is certain not to do what we think he should do (see all the trade scenarios which will not happen on draft days), and will give us at least one head scratcher of a pick. As a result, while others are glued to the TV for all 238 hours of the draft, I pay attention only when the Packers draft.

Because of the self imposed time I have during the off season, I have a lot of time to think. And over coffee this morning, I started to think about the Packers.

While I do not consider myself to be “old” I am also not that young anymore. There are things that I would like to accomplish before my time on this planet comes to an end. So I thought to myself: what do I want to see Packers related during my life? A Packers bucket list. So without further adieu, here are the 5 items I would most like to experience as it relates to the Packers.

5: Attend the NFL Draft. Maybe if I attend the draft, I’ll “get it” more. Watching it on TV probably does not do justice to the atmosphere inside inside Radio City Music Hall. The swirling emotions of the players waiting to be drafted, the teams trying to determine the best players to add to help them, and the crazy fans doing their best to prove their team is the best there is. Maybe if I see this up close, I’ll develop a new sub-obsession in the draft which goes hand in hand with my obsession with the Packers.

4: See the Packers play on the road anywhere but Chicago. I’ve seen the Packers play at Soldier Field. It sucked. Beyond getting beer dumped on me and every profanity thrown my way, I watched the Packers lose to the Bears in 1988 along the Lake Michigan lakefront. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to venture into enemy territory, dressed head to toe in green and gold, and cheer for the Pack. As much as I would want it to be a cold weather city, I would not be opposed to a trip to California or Florida during the winter months. One addendum to this item: no domes. Real football teams play outside, in the elements. Being inside in 68 degree comfort watching football when its single digits just isn’t right.

3: Witness a record setting performance. I could have gone to the Matt Flynn game this past January. I wish I had. Games like the one he had this day do not happen often. You have to get lucky and happen to be in the stands when games like this take place. Flynn was a machine this day. To set a record for most touchdown passes and passing yards in his second career start is incredible. To have done it for a team as rich in history as the Packers is even more astounding. Much like a no hitter in baseball, you have to have great luck to witness a rarity in sports like the day Flynn had in January. I hope I am lucky some day.

2: Attend the jersey retirement for Brett Favre. One of the biggest sports related regrets I have is I never got to see Favre play in person-for any team. As someone who was part of my life for almost half of it, I feel that this would be a nice, personal tribute to the man. If I could not see him play, the least I could do is watch his number be retired in honor of what he did on the field. That will be a truly special day.

1: Witness a playoff victory at Lambeau Field. I thought for sure I would have been able to take this one off the list this year. Unfortunately, we all know ended. To say it was tough to sit in the stands and watch the unstoppable machine that was the 2011 Packers season come to an end is an understatement. So I can only imagine what the vibe would be inside Lambeau during and after a playoff win there. It must be surreal. If a regular season win can evoke the pure joy from fans as they exit the stadium, it must be amplified many times over. That is something I have to experience in my life.

Now I know what some of you are thinking-what about seeing the Packers win a Super Bowl. Is this something I want to see? Most definitely. It is the dream of all Packers fans. But the cost of attending the game is ridiculous. If anyone wants to supply me with the funds to experience this, I will gladly accept it, and cross this off the list on your tab.

There you have it, my Packers bucket list. I hope to start scratching off some of these items soon. I bet most everyone who reads this has their own Packers bucket list as well.

This story continues to evolve, the latest report being that Gregg Williams instructed Saints players to injure opposing 49ers players before last year’s Wild Card playoff game. The audio states that Williams was encouraging his players to take out members of the 49ers, using a stream of profanity and graphic description of how to injure the opponent.

As horrible as these accusations are, I am here to tell you that Williams is not alone in using these tactics to motivate players. I was personally involved in something similar, only when I was part of it, I was not in the NFL. I wasn’t even in college or high school yet. Nope, for me, we have to go back to grade school, where I first learned how to play the game of football.

I first started playing football in 5th grade. As a pre-pubescent athlete, I was awkward at best. The team was coached by a trio, all of whom were coaching or had coached in high school at some point. Seeing as I was not very athletic, and sadly not very good, the coaches tended to pay more attention to the starters (mostly 6th graders, as the team was a 5th and 6th grade mix), hoping they would lead them to championship glory. In fact, my 5th grade team lost the championship by 3 feet, failing to score a touchdown as the clock expired which would have won the game. I remember getting that feeling of getting so close, but falling  just short. I never wanted to feel that again.

Things would be different two years later. Very different indeed.

By the time I was in 7th grade, I was ready. Having grown taller and stronger, I was ready to show that I belonged on the field with the starters, the seemingly invincible 8th graders. I was fortunate enough to win a starting spot on the defensive line as a nose tackle (yes, I was a nose tackle) as a 7th grader. I played with reckless abandonment, part of it due to my blossoming athletic ability, and part of it due to the coaching I received.  At the time I thought the coaching is what made the difference. As time as gone on, I have realized the coaching was not only wrong, but disgusting, especially when it was being taught to a child.

Imagine being 13 years old, and making a mistake on the football field. Now imagine your coach grabbing you by the facemask and screaming in your face, using every profanity available to describe how much you screwed up on that play. That was a fairly common occurrence in my world as a 13 year old. If you made enough mistakes, you got to do leg lifts for 10 minutes at a time, holding your legs in place 6 inches off the ground. I understand the coach was merely trying to motivate his players to do better, but as a 13 year old, the only thing it really did was put the fear of God into me not to make a mistake. As an adult, I might be able to  handle it. As a kid, not so much.

One of the ways this same coach tried to make me better was to show me some of the tricks of the trade of playing football, at least the way he wanted it to be played. I can still remember him telling me that if an offensive lineman tried to take out my knees, I had to throw him to the ground and stomp on him. “Aim for the back of his neck” was the direction I was given. And if I couldn’t get him on the neck, “Try to break his hand” was my secondary target. I was 13, and being told by a coach to try and break someone’s neck or hand. It is disgusting to think about this in retrospect, and I am thankful I never participated in these actions. We did win the championship when I was in 7th grade, but in looking back at how it was won, I cannot believe we actually celebrated the spread of unsportsmanlike conduct.

Gregg Williams is paying the price for his actions. Suspended indefinitely by the NFL, he should never be allowed to coach again. But it is not just him who believes that administering pain in an already violent sport is not only allowed, but encouraged. Coaches who think that this is an acceptable should be removed forever to prevent spreading the infection of unsportsmanlike behavior. My coach never coached again after his son graduated from grade school. I wonder if it had something to do with the way he coached. I certainly hope so.

Everyone alright still? Anyone get their panties in a bunch because I said his name? OK, now that that’s out of the way, I’ll proceed.

In a recent post at Cheesehead TV, CD Angeli discusses his own personal “Last Day at Lambeau”, a reference to the soon to be released film of the same name which discusses the divorce of Brett Favre and the Packers. While the film focuses on the actions of Favre from 2008-2010, Angeli’s post instead focuses on fan’s perspective of seeing Favre play his final game at Lambeau Field. This personal story spans the entire range of his career, starting in 1992 and concluding in his final game at Lambeau as a member of the Vikings in 2010. It is a great read, giving incredible insight into the impact Favre had on the author.

As with any post, there is a place for comments. And Favre’s name is a guarantee to generate comments from the Packer faithful. The unfortunate thing is that some of the comments that are left are so incredibly short minded and naive that they actually cause me (and others) to shake our heads and ask ourselves, “Are people really this dumb?”

Case in point:

Can we Get over this Favre thing, do you realize the PACKERS are almost 100 yrs old?
He was a great player, not a great PACKER!!!!!!
Just sayin!
I’d really like to see articals about great PACKERS!!!!

Really?

Or how about this nugget of wisdom:

You’d better plan on a pretty big mountain if you expect to get the cell phone man a very good seat. As only the third best modern era QB, at present, for this storied franchise I don’t figure Favre is a lock even for the HOF either the one in Canton or the one that counts!

Now I may not know much about anything, but I do know a few things about football. Let’s run through them, for S’s and G’s:

• 61,000+ passing yards for Favre as a Packer. I’d say that’s pretty good
• 400+ TD’s for Favre as a Packer. Yep, still pretty good.
• Won a Super Bowl. OK, I’ll add that to the list of pretty good things about Favre.
• Won 3 MVPs. Ok, now I’m just pushing it I guess.

Based on stats alone, this humble blogger thinks that Favre will probably make the Packer Hall of Fame. Hell, if he plays his cards right, he could even be inducted into Canton. But what do I know, I’m just a blogger.

Just to prove that I have an open mind, I’ll try to balance out what seems to be a complete love fest for Favre:

• Did Favre act like a complete douche waffle in the Summer of 2008? Most assuredly. And for the record, the Packers could have done things a hell of a lot better as well that Summer.
• Did Favre going to the Vikings sting? Absolutely
• Did I cheer when the Vikings lost the NFC Championship Game with Favre as QB? Damn right I did (although in light of BountyGate, I’m not sure I would have wanted either team to win)

The point I am attempting to make is although CD mentions Favre in his article, the post is not about Favre. It is about his impact on a fan, and the desire of a fan to get one final look at an all time great player. One of the regrets I have is that I never got to see Favre play in person, much less as a member of the Packers, and would have loved to see his “last day at Lambeau” once, let alone five seperate times. But because the post mentions Favre, the haters have to come out, complete with their ridiculous comments questioning whether he is an all time great. I can sum it up in one sentence:

Brett Favre was one of the greatest players in the history of the Green Bay Packers and National Football League, who had the messiest divorce in the history of pro sports, which unfortunately led to his ending his career with another team.

There you have it. Clear, concise, and to the point. I said it, and I will say that until the day I leave this planet. But questioning whether he was a great player is beyond dumb. Saying he is not hall of fame worthy is even dumber. It smacks of bitterness, and I’m done with it.

It has been four years since Favre left Green Bay. Four years. It’s time to get over it already and move on. You cannot hold on to bitterness forever, no matter what the topic is. Bitterness will leave you lonely and miserable. At some point, you have to accept the past, and try to find a silver lining. In the case of Favre, my silver lining is the pure joy (and occasional streaming profanity he caused me to hurl his way) he brought me for 16 years. Did the last few years of his career suck? Of course they did. But did he bring a Super Bowl title to Minnesota? He did not. Did the Packers win one the very next year? Yes they did-and that is why I have moved on. He cannot hurt us anymore.

So to the haters out there, go ahead, keep hating. If nothing else, you make for good topics to write about. And heaven knows us bloggers need topics to write about.

If not, I would strongly recommend that you get with the program and join ASAP.

I could tell you that it is the best way to get breaking news on anything that interests you, but I won’t.

I could tell you that it is a great way to interact with others who have the same interests as you, but I won’t.

What I will tell you is that if you are not on Twitter, you are missing out on classic one liners being dished out by two of your Green Bay Packers, and it is hysterical.

The banter between Josh Sitton and TJ Lang reminds me of arguing with my brothers when I was growing up, and the good natured ribbing that brothers do to each other. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Please, allow me:

From Sitton’s twitter feed:

I hope Jeff Saturday is not a super d bag like @TJLang70

@JoshElkin: @TJLang70@jsitton71 according to wikipedia you both weigh the same at 318 haha”unlike chubby

“@sfeder9: @jsitton71 who’s the scariest guy on the team? Be honest, aside from yourself!”ummmm. @TJLang70 is the scariest looking!

@TJLang70: @jsitton71 @borchardtkyle josh is bursting out of his pod..”there’s no pod in the world big enough for TJ s head

@GonzoDrunkbeer: @jsitton71 hey can you tell @TJLang70 to stop stealing my Snickers?”he’s so chubby

Not to be outdone, Lang had a few comebacks of his own:

No matter who we sign @jsitton71 is still the chubbiest linemen the pack has and will ever have

Ask @jsitton71 about his onesie jersey with the diaper.. see what he says

@jsitton71: “@JoshElkin: ”well I actually lost weight this offseason” I thought you already beat your anorexia?? Someone fell off the wagon

@emiarnowski: If @jsitton71 and @TJLang70 change to Friday & Sunday,” Josh gets Monday.. nobody likes monday

Seriously, these guys need their own show. So get on Twitter and tell them that. You might even see me on the tweeter occasionally. If you’re lucky.

After trading for Brandon Marshall earlier this week, the Bears have been named Champions of the Offseason. A coveted award bestowed to the team which does the most in March and April, it is something I am certain the Bears fan base will relish for the next several months before games that actually matter start again in September.

As a token of appreciation for winning this award, I am proud to present this trophy to the Chicago Bears.

I hope that they cherish this trophy, and look back on it fondly over the next few months, remembering that special day that Marshall was acquired, the latest in the line of great hope destined to lead the Bears back to glory.

Of course, offseason awards don’t mean much more than this:

And I know  it’s only a matter of time before we see this again:

Never ending source of material.

The 3pm deadline has come and gone, and the Packers decided not to place the franchise tag on Matt Flynn. He will become an unrestricted free agent next week, and the Packers will receive no more than a compensatory draft pick in 2013 for losing him, assuming he does not return to Green Bay after testing the waters of free agency.

It was no secret that I clamored for the Packers to tag Flynn, in the hopes that a tag and trade deal could be reached in exchange for additional draft picks in the upcoming draft. An additional first or second round draft selection would have been a nice vehicle to help a defense in need of more play makers, or perhaps additional depth along the offensive line. Considering the Packers allowed Scott Wells to become an unrestricted free agent as well, center has gone from a position of strength to a position of need.

And then I remembered Ted Thompson is the Packers General Manager.

Every year around this time, fans make it a ritual to discuss the what if scenarios that the Packers could do in the off season. Analysis of the Packers free agents is matched my analyzing the free agents across the league, and the discussions of “the Packers could do this” and “the Packers should do that” run rampant. Blogs, radio, Twitter, Facebook, and every other conceivable form of media becomes inundated with imaginary GMs doing their own wheelin’ and dealin’, myself included. And what ever comes of it? Poppycock.

This is not to say Ted is afraid of free agency. People still mention the signing of Charles Woodson and acquiring Ryan Pickett as proof that Ted will dip his toe into the cold waters of free agency. But these moves are so far in the rear view mirror, they are almost a distant memory. Since 2006, the only unrestricted free agents Ted has signed have been Frank Walker, Brandon Chillar, and Duke Preston. The last players Ted traded were Caleb Schlarderaff and Quinn Johnson. None of these players were exactly top tier players, so recent history should show Thompson is just not going to shock the world and pull off a major deal. Yet year after year we speculate he will.

Why do we subject ourselves to this? Why do we  pull hair out, trying to get a glimpse inside the mind of Ted Thompson and think he will surprise us?

The answer for me is because I know he won’t do it, but it sure is fun to speculate. As strategically sound as all of Ted’s personnel moves are, they are also incredibly boring. He enters free agency and the draft quietly every year,  and every year exits just as quiet. He may sign a lower tier free agent as long as it fits his vision for the continued success of the Packers, and occasionally make a draft day trade (trading up to draft Clay Matthews) but as far as pulling off a blockbuster trade or signing a top free agent, it is not his modus operandi. So while tagging and trading Matt Flynn might have come across as the “sexiest” move in Thompson’s tenure if it were to have have happened, it did not. And now we can go back to pretending we know what Ted is going to do in the upcoming draft.

Of course, he could be saving up to sign Mario Williams. Now THAT would be a surprise.

In Ted We Trust.

Over the past few weeks, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been issuing articles as part of their “Seasons of Greatness”. The series, which covers both college and professional sports, was the result of analyzing 65 single season performances. The names of the reporters who participated in this series are among the most well known and respected: Bob McGinn, Cliff Christl, Michael Hunt, and Bud Lea on the football add instant credibility to the opinions which they offer.

In the past week, the series became even more must read material.

The 2012 season by Aaron Rodgers was noted as being the fifth greatest season in the history of Wisconsin sports. A statistically excellent season, which culminated in his winning his first MVP award, Rodgers was clear and away the best player in the league, while leading the Packers to a franchise best 15-1 regular season record. Despite his superior play, the Packers fell short of the ultimate goal, losing in the Divisional Round of the playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl champions New York Giants 37-20.

This was followed by Brett Favre’s 1996 season ranking as the fourth greatest season of all time. Overcoming personal struggles before the  season with an addiction to pain killers, Favre led the Packers to a 13-3 season, steamrolling the 49ers and Panthers in the playoffs before bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay. An MVP season of his own, Favre was in the middle of his three consecutive MVP seasons, and was at the peak of his career.

This is where it gets interesting.

Without trying to stir up the inevitable Favre/Rodgers debate, I am torn on which was the greater season. Rodgers had a statistically superior season, yet Favre brought a Super Bowl title to Green Bay. Does a Super Bowl victory sway the vote? They both had MVP seasons, so do they offset each other? What about the failure in the playoffs for the 2011 Packers-does this drop Rodgers from a potentially higher ranking?

After careful consideration, I have to agree with the experts.

While Rodgers had without question an excellent season, the 2011 Packers season was ultimately a failure. After going 15-1 in the regular season, to lose in their first playoff game was cause for much pain and many questions by the fans. Rodgers ranking in this series no doubt was affected by this early exit in the playoffs, and we can only imagine where he could have ranked if not for their playoff failure.

Favre’s season, while not close to the statistical excellence of Rodgers’, resulted in bringing a championship to Green Bay. If greatness is measured by individual season success, an MVP season plus a Super Bowl title for Favre outweighs Rodgers. While one can never take away the 2011 season for the reigning MVP, Favre’s 1996 season ranks ahead of Rodgers by the slightest of margins.

Go ahead, fire up the torches and sharpen the pitchforks.