‘Player of destiny’
Add comment January 19th, 2008
Newsday.com sports writers talk about Packers-Giants game, calling this year Brett Favre’s last shot. Hmmm. I hope not. But I’ll worry about next year later. Big game Sunday to get past first.
Archive for January 19th, 2008
32 hours to go
Add comment January 19th, 2008
It’s the eve before the big game. I am sitting in a Wisconsin Dells hotel room (Christmas present). I’ve seen lots of green and gold. It’s so nice to be in Wisconsin. Still, you wouldn’t believe how many Bears shirts and jerseys I’ve seen up here. Doesn’t matter. Their team isn’t playing tomorrow.
Mine is. Whoo hoo. (I actually said the in response to a guy in the hallway who said, “Go Packers.” And, no, I hadn’t had anything to drink. I am just naturally like that about the Pack.Â
No Pro Bowl
1 comment January 19th, 2008
Charles Woodson didn’t get an invite to this year’s Pro Bowl. It’s too bad. He deserved a bid. The corner says he isn’t bothered by it. I believe him. I am glad he came to Green Bay. I know he wasn’t so sure.
Lambeau Field advantage
1 comment January 19th, 2008
Normally, you’d think Green Bay’s biggest cold-weather advantage would be when the Packers played dome teams like the Colts or warm-weather teams like the Bucs and Cowboys. The Giants would have to rank with the Bears — how did that cold-weather game turn out this year? — and Bills as teams with the least advantage because of their own cold weather. No stadium gets worse swirling winds than the Meadowlands, now that Candlestick Park is gone in San Francisco. But Eli Manning hasn’t handled the cold particularly well, and these Giants aren’t the Giants of Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor — although those Giants did handle the cold well in Chicago 22 years ago (then again, they couldn’t have stood up to the 1985 Bears on any field). The main reason, a frigid Lambeau should be help a Packers team that doesn’t need any help — all eight ESPN experts are picking Green Bay to win — is because bad footing especially neutralizes pass rushers. The strength of the Giants is on their great defensive line, particularly Michael Strahan and the other pass-rushing ends. The Giants have the best defensive line in football. But it’s easy to steer pass rushers wide when the footing is slippery, and tough to change direction. Seattle’s All-Pro end Patrick Kearney didn’t make a single tackle last week. If Strahan and Co. can’t get to Favre, the Giants don’t stand a chance. And while the Giants’ pass rushers should struggle with the cold, Favre excels in bad weather. He had the highest playoff passer rating of his career in last week’s snow storm that dumped six inches of snow on Green Bay. — Matt Trowbridge
Machine v. man
Add comment January 19th, 2008
The Oklahoman’s Mike Sherman (yeah, I did a double take on that name, too) is getting on the Packer and Brett Favre bandwagon.
His newsroom has been debating who’s better: Tom Brady or Brett Favre. That was the wrong focus.
Instead, he now asks what’s more important: The machine (Brady) or the man (Favre)? The pursuit of perfection (Brady) or overcoming imperfection (Favre)?
You know my answers.
Tell No. 4’s story
Add comment January 19th, 2008
The New York Times’ Greg Bishop asks you to write Brett Favre’s story. Worried that you don’t have the chops? Well, he gives you a story skeleton to help you along. A few have already commented with their versions.
