From Kevin in Minneapolis, MN
This is the time of year where real Packers news is hard to come by. Being the offseason, no news usually is good news. Right now many of the articles you’ll see in our newsfeed have phrases like “is hopeful”, “could”, “may”, or “might” in the title. I tend to ignore all of those fluffy articles and only read the articles that have some real facts, so needless to say these days I’ve not been reading much Packer news. Right now the best we’ve got is the Hargrove suspension appeal, but seeing as how he hasn’t yet played a snap for the Packers and won’t count against the active roster until he is re-instated, I’m not tremendously invested in the resolution details.
That said, here are a few random thoughts to ponder while we wait for something real to be reported from Packerland.
With egg on the Commissioner’s face regarding the “bounty” scandal, should the NFL change how they deal with player disciplinary action? Should the NFL be structured like our government with separation of powers?
My answer is no. The NFL is a business, not a government. The leader of this business can operate it however he deems fit, and so long as he’s not breaking any laws, he is free to be the “judge, jury, and executioner” regarding disciplinary action of players if he wishes. He doesn’t even need to have an appeals process if they so choose. The NFL will operate how it wants, and if players have a problem with the rules, they can find employment elsewhere. That said, I do think the way this whole “bounty scandal” went down was completely mishandled by the commissioner. I’m guessing he’s wishing he’d done some things differently.
Do the Packers *need* a legitimate running game?
Legitimate, yes. Better than average? Not necessary. In 2011 I do think the Packers kept teams honest with their running game, but was really nothing special. That Packers’ offense was about as good as an offense can be all last season, and they did it without much of a running game at all. But with Green coming back from an injury and Starks continuing to get better, I think they will improve anyway, even without a single draft pick or free agency pickup at the position.
Packers defense will be exciting to watch
I’m really looking forward to seeing a real pass-rush this year. I think it will happen. Picking up defensive linemen in the draft really hasn’t worked out for the Packers in the past decade, so I’m all for the new “throw it against the wall and see what sticks” approach. Why not. I still think we will have some lingering Safety issues, but I’m excited about that defensive line. The preseason will be fun to watch to see who’s going to make it.
Can’t wait to see Peyton Manning play for the Broncos
The Broncos just seem like the perfect team for Peyton Manning, and with guidance from John Elway he should be back to form in no time. I’d especially like to see the Broncos and Jets play each other in the playoffs and smack Tim Tebow around a little (assuming he’ll get some playing time). Also, Brady v. Manning in week 5 should be a fun game to watch.
My theory on why Percy Harvin wants to leave the Minnesota Vikings
Ok, everyone already knows this: because the Vikings just plain suck, and he wants to get off the sinking ship. With 3 potential super bowl contenders in the division, the Vikings have virtually no hope of a winning record again this season. Christian Ponder has showed very little talent, unless you call holding onto the ball too long and getting knocked over all the time a talent. So that means it’s likely that they’ll have to start from ground zero and draft a high-pick quarterback AGAIN next year.
Shareholders meeting July 24th
I am excited to attend the shareholder’s meeting this year with all the rest of the owners! I expect that the stadium improvements will be world-class. I’m especially excited to hear the new sound system, because I remember how crappy the old one was. I know some people like to poke fun at those that actually spent their hard-earned money on a meaningless piece of paper that you can’t do a thing with other than frame it and put it on your wall, but I think it’s a neat piece of memorabilia that I’m very proud to have. And now I have a good reason to come back to Green Bay at least once a year.
Enjoy your summer, Packer fans!