Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Training Camp 2008 - LETS DO THIS!


Ah, yes....its that time of year. Time for Justin Harrell to get hurt Green Bay Packers Training Camp 2008 to get into full swing. Sans Brett, of course.

One last Favre rant, I swear. Brett..it's done, it's over. There's a new quarterback for the Packers. TT, President Mark Murphy, and the entire Green Bay Packers Executive committee moved on. It's over. Good or bad, for better or worse, Brett is not the QB anymore. Deal with it. Once in a while I'll chuckle at a bumper sticker I see (in Madison, no less...making it more funny) that says "Bush Won: Get Over It." That's what Favre supporters are sounding like...the Democrats who were whining about the 2000 election for years. Like it or not, Rodgers is the QB.

I've herd/read all the opinions on this saga. Local/national radio, local/national TV, local/national writers, bloggers, ex/current teammates, ex/current coaches, ex/current players, etc. I've been a glutton for punishment. One opinion stood out, it really did. Not just because I agree with the message, but because of the messenger. Someone who knows a thing or two about building, growing, and maintaining a highly successful program. That guy...Pat Richter.

You know the story. Took over an athletic department so dysfunctional, he found an IOU (Dumb and Dumber style?) in a cigar box left by the previous accountant (read "From Red Ink To Roses," a great book). Richter hired Barry Alvarez and the rest is history. Also hired Dick Bennett, Bo Ryan, and Mark Eaves. Bowl game every year, annual NCAA tourney bid, hockey championship, more money than Fort Knox...the envy of about %98 of athletic departments in the nation. This guy's opinion holds some weight. Serious weight. Much, much more than a hick writer from the Biloxi Sun-Herold, more than Johnny Clayton on ESPN, and, yes, even more than Brad from Chuckie Hacks.

Richter was on Steve "Homer" True's show about a week ago. When Homer asked "what should Thompson do with Favre?" Richter said (paraphrasing) , without hesitating for a even a nano- second:

"Move on. You have to move on. You can't ever look back or wait for someone to make decisions for you. Move on."

With that said, the time to look into the 2008 Packers Training Camp begins NOW....I think Ahmad Carroll just gave up another touchdown. DAMMIT!!!

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

If it's good enough for Richter, it's good enough for me.

Anonymous said...

very well put

Anonymous said...

I trust Ted Thompson

Anonymous said...

GO PACK GO!

Anonymous said...

Who's Mark Eaves????

What professional team has Richter ever run? Oh, sorry, stupid question. He ran Madison.

Brett Favre has a right to play if he wants (or at least be on a roster if he's good enough).

And he IS good enough.

Thompson's job is to put the best possible team on the field. Brett Favre is his best quarterback. Do you think Mike Shanahan would have told John Elway, "Sorry, John, we're moving on with Brian Griese and Bubby Brister." Do you think Bill Polian would say to the recently retired Peyton Manning, "Sorry, Peyton. We're moving on. We've spent 4 years developing Jim Sorgi. It's over. Sorgi's our man."

What is Thompson afraid of? Let Favre compete for the job. But then TT's butt buddy would be "shattered".

The Packers should stop holding Brett Favre hostage. If he's not good enough, which from the actions of the Packers, seems to be their viewpoint, just release him. He deserves that much respect for what he's done for the franchise.

And if he's not good enough, why are you afraid if he suits up for the Vikings?

Anonymous said...

FYI - Mike Eaves won a NCAA hockey title coaching the Badgers.

Anonymous said...

Ah, hockey.

I thought you were talking about a real sport.

Carry on.

Anonymous said...

B/c they have moved on, and they believe they are better w/o Brett Favre(which if TT says that I agree with)

Why would u just realease him, when u can get something for him. He also makes the Queens up in MN better.

Anonymous said...

But he isn't good enough to even be a backup in Green Bay (according to Thompson). So what kind of value can he have (according to Thompson)?
He's not worth anything (according to Thompson).

So why not release the worthless player and let him play in Minnesota if he's not any good (according to Thompson)?

Keep drinking the koolaid, anonymous.

Anonymous said...

When did Thompson say he's not any good and worthless?

Alan, Im sure glad you're not the GM.

Anonymous said...

Thompson has said

1) Stay retired.
2) Aaron Rodgers is our quarterback.
3) We don't want you here.

So, obviously, he doesn't think Brett Favre is good enough to help the Packers.

aka, worthless.

Matt said...

Wait - I thought you hated the Badgers?

Anonymous said...

Ben,

No, if I was the General Manager, I would put the best product on the field.

Not try and prove myself (like Jerry Krausse) by drafting a quarterback when he wasn't needed and then thinking I had to prove he was actually good.

If the second place finisher in the MVP voting came to me and said he wanted to play, and I had him under contract already, I'd welcome him with open arms.

Anonymous said...

Matt, yes I dislike the Badgers. But I'm not blind to what they accomplished under Richter.

I also hate the Patriots, Yankees, and Duke but understand they've been pretty darn good over the years.

Anonymous said...

Brett Favre isn't in Green Bay because he doesn't want to be in Green Bay. Period. If he reports to camp at this point he will do nothing except divide the locker room (as if it hasn't already been divided).

#4 has a grand plan, and it all started after the playoff beatdown that the Packers had in Lambeau at the hands of the Vikings, where Moss wiped his a$$ on the goalposts. He (#4) was LIVID with the team and the personnel decisions that had been made. This was the start of Brett's "will I retire or will I come back" diva train. The result was that pear-shaped loser, Mike Sherman, gave Brett whatever he wanted, which BTW lead to the worst record in GB since Favre had been there. Enter Ted Thompson, who said to Brett, sorry son, you are the QB, not the GM, just do your job and I'll worry about putting together a team for you. This was the start of Favre's break with the team. This was also when Darrell Bevel (Favre's friend & QB coach) was also fired and went to Minnesota.

So Favre really had no intention of coming back and playing in Green Bay. This was a calculated move on his part to force GB to release him. He figured that GB would release him (like they did with Reggie White when Bob Harlan was the team president and Ron Wolff was the GM). Well Ted Thompson is no Ron Wolff. He isn't about to let Favre go without getting something for him. So now it becomes a pi$$ing contest, a game of chicken if you will, to see who blinks first. Favre wants to go to Minnesota, and GB has no intention of sending him there.

The reason #4 is pulling things the way he is right now is so that he doesn't look like the bad guy and puts everything on Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy, and new team President Mark Murphy. How terrible is it for the guy who was the face of the franchise for 16 years to come out and say he wants out of his contract because he doesn't like team management? He would look like a traitor and the fan base would murder him. Doing it this way, Ted Thompson receives the scorn from Packer Nation and puts the organization in a no-win situation, unless Aaron Rodgers goes out and actually wins a Super Bowl this year.

Favre will NEVER take another snap in GB. Time to wake up to that fact Alan and quit your whining about it. Brett Favre, like all players will can be replaced. The Packers will be around long after Favre is worm food.

Anonymous said...

Alan you are just a blind Packer fan that thinks MGR should just take it in the ass from Brett Favre. Imagine how bad they'd be if #4 was the GM.

He has done this retire or not retire for 5 years, its time to move on, the Packers have. If he is the backup every time Aaron throws a pick it will is Brett going to come in, get serious. If you think TT thinks he isn't good enough to back up then your a moron. TT just thinks the future is now. BTW how'd it work out w/o Randy Moss last year, or those 2 washed up OL he didn't sign.

Anonymous said...

I want Randy Wright at QB.

Anonymous said...

manbearpig:

There are a few things wrong with your scenario. Thompson was the GM when the Packers had their worst season in the Favre era, he DID NOT come in after that season. Do you really think he had a 4-year grand plan to exit Green Bay? You are delusional.

greatone: I don't blame the Packers for moving on. However, any GM in the league where the #2 player in MVP voting and one of the top 3 QB's in the league says he wants to play for you, they will take him back. But not Teddy. How is it "taking it in the ass" from Favre just because he wants to play football? I don't understand that concept.


Lastly, the Packers made an embarassing, disgusting, dispicable move yesterday by offering him $20 million NOT to play for them. That is comical and there is NO defense for that.