Isn't it up to Obama as to who to invite?

Just as bizarre as boxing-up a locker and calling FedEx for a pickup...

...but at least the roster is looking pretty good.

Are we assuming they weren't invited or was that stated somewhere? I was under the assumption that they did invite the players but they couldn't come due to obligations with their new teams. For example, the Eagles won't let Jenkins come or the Bills won't let Barnett come. How do we KNOW they weren't invited?

Nobody said life is fair

Good God, I agree with this so much...

Decisions that you would think are a no brainer, the Packers screw up!

While I agree with Aaron from a sentimental point of view the fact is that it's not practical to invite some of these players.

Case in Point Brandon Jackson, Cullen Jenkins and Daryn Colledge.

There is no way...none that there new team lets them go to the White House for this. I can't blame them and can't see any issue in TT not inviting them.

In a normal year this trip was made months ago before camp. With camp in session and the strange and bizarre start to our season I have to just call this an odd situation that would not have otherwise occurred.
I think we all owe TT the benefit of the doubt...don"t you ?

Agreed. At the very least an invitation should have been sent out. Like you said, if a player can't go, it's then either on them or their new team (if they have one).

I'm sure some players wouldn't even mind paying for the trip out of pocket.

Not inviting Tauscher blows my mind. It's one thing for the guys who are already on other teams. I'm not even sure that's right, but it's less wrong. But Tauscher? It's not an exaggeration to say Aaron Rodgers might not still be playing football if Tauscher hadn't come back in 2009 and put an end to the science experiment that was our pass protection. ("Abstract: An In-Vivo Investigation Into the Limits of Punishment-Absorption by Human Tissues.")

It might not be strictly fair, but I don't think anyone would have screamed if the Packers had issued some kind of statement saying "In light of Mark Tauscher's extraordinary contributions to the Green Bay Packers" etc. and made an exception for him.

I don't think it's that big of a deal. In fact, I think it would be kind of awkward.

I think it's more a slap in the face that they had to wait this long.Lockout or not,absolutely no reason why the Packers couldn't get permission for White House visit when some got it for a wedding.

Besides,hasn't it kind of lost the shine it should have garnered?

What phone number can we call to deluge the front office with complaints?

I don't get it either. What's the harm in telling former Packers that if they are in the hotel lobby the morning of, they are welcome to get on the bus?

As much as I would love the Packers to have invited certain players that are not on the team right now, I understand why they didn't. TT said that this is a business trip (they are doing it right before a preseason game) so they can't invite as many people as they initially wanted. Only game day staff is allowed to go. Messed up? Yes. But it is understandable.

Isn't it also true that the rookies will be going? Derek Sherrod gets to shake the President's hand but not Mark Tauscher?

This makes no sense to me. Didnt the players earn that right to meet the president. Seems like the packers are trying to be a cold faced team, and its starting to rub me the wrong way.

If the lockout hadn't of happened this wouldn't even be an issue. I blame that crook devil Goodell.

I wouldn't want to go to the whitehouse just to shake a Bears fans hand.

If I was an ex-packer, it would feel like an empty invite to me. Yeah the thought is nice, but you know because of the circumstances that you wont be able to attend anyway

I also read that after the 96 SB, Ron Wolf didnt invite former players either. Maybe it was precedent

ok...yall just need to get over it in a typical offseason without a lockout they would have went a week or two after the SB, thats not what happend, its not practical, what where they supposed to do? track down every player that left the team and arrange flights for them? other teams would not have let the players leave anyways. who cares they got the rings right? so la vie

The Packers should have invited the same group of people who ended up in the SB picture.

I know the MJS reported that Jerry Jones wished he hadn't after he allowed everyone to go after a Cowboy SB, but not bringing some of these former Packers seems odd to me.

It makes much more sense to bring the players who part of the SB team than newbies who had absolutely nothing to do with it.

There maybe awkward moments, but so be it. I have a feeling MM and players would have liked some of these former Packers there but TT nixed it.

Considering how well the Pack often treat former alums this doesn't make sense to me.

Who cares? seriously? I haven't heard one word about it besides from Jarret Bush, who IS getting to go.

The other guys have moved on. Brandon Jackson is a Cleveland Brown right now. He is trying to win a championship with Cleveland (a futile effort it may be) He has the hardware. The ring and the ceremony have already taken place. He got what he came for and now he is on to the new objective. Why would he need to stand on a stage for a photo op for something his former team accomplished a half year ago?

I for one am glad that the Packers are run as a football team instead of a public relations office. Let Jerry Jones worry about the photo op's, Thompson can keep on winning rings.

Odd are the White House thing is a pretty weird affair... guys running around in dark glasses, talking into their cuffs.

I can imagine there's a Secret Service briefing first; probably goes something like this:
(1) Three of you have been selected to shake hands with the president -- standard clasp, one pump, let go immediately.
(2) Additionally, one of you has been selected to have a Presidential backslap.
(3) The rest of you -- DO NOT TOUCH THE PRESIDENT.
(4) A complimentary button awaits your departure.
(5) Please be on the bus, in your assigned seat, within 60 seconds after photographers are removed.

Enjoy your day !!

I love being a Packers fan this season, nothing but "first world problems." Other teams have QB controversies, they're running around signing free agents, worried about new playbooks and coaches, have chemistry issues, etc.

For us it's: who is going to meet the President, and how is Aaron going to spread the ball to all his receivers.

Geez, here we go again with the victim narrative. Stop the whining and give it a rest. Really, who cares of Justin Harrel and Nick Barnett get to partake of the photo opp. at 1600 Pennsylvania ave.?

Though, I think it would have been appropriate to bring Tauscher along since he's still w/the team in a supportive capacity.

I'll take your tickets at face value if your truly upset with this.

Sorry but this is just a formality, the Packers aren't going to extend niceties for the sake of it. It's just a trip to the Whitehouse, afterwards you still have to lace up and play (the important bit). I think a bit of perspective is needed here for heavens sake.

Really, people? If Aaron disagrees with you, you call him a whiner? What are you, 13?

No big deal to me, I blame the lock out. Taking the Packers brass to task for this decision is lame.

How many other teams after winning the SB had to wait till after training camp started to go to the White House?

Sorry to break it to you but the Packers org is not perfect no matter how much you want them to be. Carefully step down off your high horse.

The sad thing is there is probably a good explanation for why the logistics don't work out. All they had to do was either extend a token invitation, or explain publicly why it won't work. That's what PR people are for. Now fans and players are bitching and you haven't heard peep from the Packers. Their' PR department is the absolute worst mess, it's downright embarrassing to me as a fan. The fact that this or the Superbowl team picture issues even need to be debated by anyone is evidence of how bad their PR department is. Both were easy to see coming a mile away and could have been defused well before a messy public uproar forced their hand. Pathetic.

It's as if the organization is getting punished for the more success it attains.

I thoroughly disagreed with the hissy fit over the injured players in team photo business.

But I do agree with you here, Aaron. There's no reason Tauscher shouldn't have been invited.

Read all the comments, seems the real Packer fans and the bandwagon fans are having a little tiff here. This isn't about logistics or whether or not the ex players could attend or not. This is simply about doing the right thing. If your truly a fan, you care about the public perception of your team. Plain and simple. If you don't care or it don't bug you how your team is perceived, become a Cowboy fan for shit sakes.

I have to disagree, I do not think it is wrong. It is too much trouble to contact and arrange for players to meet up with the team for the trip. He is doing the right thing in concentrating on the players that are on the team currently. This is an effect of the lock out and not a PR thing. If the lock out did not take as long as it did, they would have had much time as a team to visit but it is what it is.

Honestly, it's really hard for me to care about this. That said, I do agree that the offer should have been made to players that haven't landed on new teams yet. For the players that are on new teams, that's where I draw the line. It's nothing personal, but the obligation stops when you're working for the competition.

Also, I wonder what role the lock-out played in this. I know the saints went a little later last year, but I have to believe they would have went a little earlier had the lock-out not taken place-- then again, free agency would have been earlier too.

Been cheering for them since 1960 RS. Through the good and the bad. Very bad at times. I remember cheering when our Packers made a first down and didn't go backwards. Remember Taggy Time? So if I follow your logic, I'm not a fan because I think they may be a little mixed up in the PR dept? Interesting to say the least. Look, if you disagree with my take on this it's your choice. No harm no foul, but at least you have a choice.

It's an Obamanation!!! Cold Cold business.

Isn't there a rule against management talking to other teams players, especially if it's to invite the player to one of your teams functions?

And it sure would be nice if Ted could arrange for President Obama to personally present Josh Bell with his Superbowl ring.

I think a lot this has to do with the timing of the trip. The Packers have a preseason game the next night and my guess is they don't want to deal with players who are no longer on the team.

alright guys, we just got invited to the white house. lets get our team together, go to DC, claim our last little reward for winning the super bowl and get the hell outta there so we can focus on whats really important. MEETING THE PRESIDENT NEXT YEAR. the packers dont have time to make sure no ones heart got broken cuz they didn't meet the president.

We don't know the terms and conditions the White House gave the Packers organization as to who they can all invite. For all we know, the Packers cannot invite anybody outside their own organization. I'd also like to see info regarding the past 30 or so champions and whether or not they invited players no longer under contract in their organization. Until I see factual information, I won't jump to a conclusion to judge the Packers organization (and I certainly wouldn't write an article about it if I were a blogger without gathering all the proper information).

It's not wrong. It's not even important. Give me a break. This looks like an excuse to rip the Packers organization where none really exists, to me. Pipe down about ripping the team. This is ridiculous.

If anybody deserves blame, it's the parties responsible for the lockout. The lockout caused the trip to be pushed back. I'll blame De Smith and Goodell...equally.

OK guys, relax a little bit. I heard Mark Murphy talking to talk radio at about 3pm today and he said that the Packers have invited everyone that is not with another team and have offered to pay for them to go to the White House.

This happens in other sports too for example when the PUMAS won the mexican soccer tournament they visited Felipe Calderon without some of the players that were part of the champion team that went to other mexican teams.

To me, this seems to be an example of fans getting too emotionally invested in a team & its players and subsequently holding them to an overly high standard. Time and time again, the Packers make decisions just like any corporation would, but because their fans view them more like an extended family rather than a business, many are offended. This happened in 1997 with the White House visit, it happened when Brett Favre wasn't allowed to return, and it's happening now.

As much as we'd like to think of our beloved Packers as a tight knit family first and a business second, we know it's not true. The Packers are a business, period. That's why Tauscher is on the street and not currently a part of the organization (not to say that he won't be in the future).

Let's say that Packers, Inc. wasn't a football team, but were instead a corporation in some other field. In 2010, they were the leaders in their industry and had their best year in over a decade.

The following year, the staff is invited to the state capitol by the governor for a celebration of their success & their contribution to their community. Due to circumstances beyond their control, the trip is delayed till mid-summer. In the mean time, a handful of employees have left for other jobs with competitors, and some have been terminated (even a well-liked one with a long tenure). New employees have been brought in.

Would you honestly expect a company in this situation to invite all of these former employees on the trip? For that matter, would it be unreasonable for the new employees to participate?

Sure, inviting all of the ex-players to meet the POTUS be a nice PR gesture. Is it a bit disappointing that Tausch won't be there? Yeah. But overall, this whole thing doesn't upset me enough to think that an article like this is necessary. Obviously some of my fellow Packers fans feel otherwise.

Love the fact one of the tags is: Packer People my ass... That's real funny!

Can't believe I made all the way through to the end of this truly embarrassing article. In the absense of drama, Arron, you have created some. Women do this shit all the time to get attention no matter if it's positive or negative. This is a non-issue. The lockout created this. Just getting this trip together had to be a logistical nightmare. Reacting so irrationally to something you most definitely do not have all the information to makes me question your journalism skills. I saw your video of the Harrell pick, and it gives a little insight to your passion for the Packers( which I respect), however, it reveals much more than that. We all would love for a perfect situation in this matter. That does not exist. Get over it. We all love this sight, but don't turn your reporting into some kind of New York-Philly kind of negative-second guessing everything circus!

My bad, all the "I" references distracted me. Missed the "Slater" part at the end. Sorry. Still doesn't change how irrational this article is. I did not call Aaron a "woman". I compared the creation of drama in this "article" to women creating drama. Twisting people's words to fit your argument is a little ladylike wouldn't you say? Apparently you can insult me as "uneducated" without knowing anything about me, yet I fully admit I made a mistake on my last post. Throw a little of that embarrassment back at yourself there bud.

Best. Comments. Ever

Love women. Happen to observe very real traits most women possess. Seriously, am I wrong? Is your wife or girlfriend watching over your shoulder?

The reading comprehension in this thread is simply painful.

Did anyone read gbslapshot say that Mark Murphy said on the radio that he sent an invite to everyone that they can go to the white house Current and Ex-Players.

Arron please cite some credible source saying they wernt invited.

I know I was lazy in my overview of the video article. That was wrong. Sorry Aaron. First sight I go to daily for Packer info. Love it. Stay positive until it's warranted people. Go Pack Go!

DOn't you just hate it when your old employer gives you the cold shoulder.

I agree, this is lame. Classy comment by Tausch though.