Miscellaneous

What Have I Missed?

by Brandon on Feb 25, 2010 11:00 AM CST in Miscellaneous Comment 8 comments

I started writing a blog about the Green Bay Packers back in 2003 because I was looking for another point of view. As much as I love the beat writers, and I read JS Online and the Press-Gazette every day, they don't provide analysis of every player. Or every potential player on the eve of free agency and the NFL combine.

Please consider writing a Fan Post, and start a discussion about a player you'd love to see wearing the Green and Gold. I've promoted four Fan Posts to the front page in the past couple days, and I'd love to read and promote another one (or two, etc.).

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Random NFL Connections at the Olympics

by texwestern on Feb 23, 2010 5:30 PM CST in Miscellaneous Comment 2 comments

On Thursday afternoon of last week, I attended the USA women's hockey game against Finland in the preliminary round of the Winter Olympics-photographic evidence is here. Many in my group of fans were wearing Wisconsin jerseys, which attracted quite a bit of attention. One person who came down to chat with me during the second intermission was a lady with a heavy southern drawl. She asked me if we were from Wisconsin, and I said yes. She then asked, "Do y'all still hate Brett Favre?" I told her that yes, there are many in our fine state who have not forgiven Favre for his off-the-field actions, and explained some of my personal reasons for feeling that way. She seemed disappointed, and went on to tell me that she was Brett Favre's 7th-grade math teacher.

She had only good things to say about Favre, and made some interesting comments about Brett as a person. But I think the most interesting comment she made was about Irvin Favre, Brett's father and high school coach. She said that he was a hot-headed guy who had little interest or respect for the fact that the kids he was coaching needed to get an education as well. Specifically, she mentioned that one student of hers was given a failing grade because he hadn't turned in a single assignment all semester, but that Irv got into a screaming match with her because the student needed to pass the class to play football.

I don't know what, if any, reflection this shows on Brett, but I thought it was an interesting story worth repeating.

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Did the Pro Bowl Changes Actually Work?

by texwestern on Jan 31, 2010 9:30 PM CST in Miscellaneous Comment 22 comments

As I write this, it is late in the second half of the 2010 Pro Bowl. I am watching it. I have watched the entire game so far, and will watch until the end of the game. I initially only planned to tune in for the first quarter to watch Aaron Rodgers start and play a few series, but I ended up getting hooked. Let me reiterate. I got hooked on watching the Pro Bowl. Now let me explain.

The television coverage is actually entertaining me. Tirico, Jaworski, and Gruden don't seem like their usual cliched, bland selves. They're actually having a fun time watching the players enjoy themselves. Basically, they didn't get in the way of me enjoying a football game like announcers often do, and that is part of why I didn't turn it off immediately after Donovan McNabb took over under center in the second quarter. What's really doing it for me, though, is the variety and quantity of interviews, game audio, and even coach-to-QB helmet communication that has been displayed during this game. I was fascinated to hear the transmission into Rodgers' helmet before the play, I was interested by hearing him relay that information into a playcall in the huddle, and I was laughing as Rodgers had to tell his receivers what route to run because they didn't understand the alternate terminology.

So I would argue that ESPN did a good job of televising the game and giving the viewing audience entertaining coverage of a meaningless game. The question is did the NFL make the game as a whole better by moving it before the Super Bowl and putting it in Miami?

Poll