Fast facts for Packer fans

The 2008 NFL Kickoff Information Guide contains very few references to New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre because it was prepared and printed before Favre decided to come back to play at least another year of pro football.

Typically, Favre commands at least a few pages in the Guide because of all the career passing records he holds.

But that omission aside, the latest edition is full of fun nuggets, statistical and otherwise, relating to the Green Bay Packers. Some we mined:

• The Packers were one of six NFL playoff teams in 2007 that were not in the playoffs the previous season. For 12 consecutive seasons at least five teams have made the playoffs after not making the playoffs the previous season.

• The Packers have the fifth-best record (48-36-3) and winning percentage (.571) in season openers in the NFC, behind Dallas (32-15-1), Chicago (49-34-5), New York (46-32-5) and Minnesota (27-19-1).
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• The most recent role for actress Tracy Phillips, daughter of Dallas coach Wade Phillips, was as a belly dancer in the film “Charlie Wilson’s War.” All right, that’s not really related to the Packers. Let’s make a connection. The Cowboys play the Packers on Sept. 21 at Lambeau. There’s your connection.

• Packers coach Mike McCarthy said so far so good in terms of the new NFL rule that allows one defensive player on the field with a radio in his helmet so coaches can communicate with defenses better. “We’ve used it throughout (practices), and it’s really gone very smooth,” McCarthy said. Quarterbacks have had radios in their helmets since 1994.

• The Packers are tied with Denver for the third-best record in the NFL regular season over the last 10 seasons (97-63), behind New England (108-52) and Indianapolis (105-55).

• In the last year, an ESPN Sports Poll asked fans what team’s logo they have on their clothing. The Packers finished third (7.0%), behind Dallas (10.1%) and Pittsburgh (8.1%). Green Bay finished ahead of the New York Yankees (6.4%) and Boston Red Sox (5.1%).

• Former Packers and University of Wisconsin guard/center Jeff Dellenbach is the head coach at North Broward Prep high school near Miami.

• The father of actor Matthew McConaughey, James McConaughey, was an end drafted by the Packers in the 27th round in 1953, 319th overall, out the University of Houston. He did not play in the NFL.

• When the Chicago Bears play the Packers on Nov. 16 at Lambeau, it will mark the 175th time the two teams have played, the most regular-season games ever between two NFL teams.

• Last season, seven quarterbacks threw for at least 4,000 yards, the most ever in a single season: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Favre, Jon Kitna, Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer and Tony Romo.

• Before he was drafted by the Packers, tackle Breno Giacomini had a job as hot dog vendor at Fenway Park.

• Cornerback Al Harris and running backs Ryan Grant and Vernand Morency all chose Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor as the most undervalued player in the NFL.

• Packers assistant head coach Winston Moss is one of 28 minority NFL coaches with the title of head coach, assistant head coach or coordinator this season. Moss coaches the linebackers.
And in conclusion

The Milwaukee TV rating for the closing ceremony Sunday for the Summer Olympics in Beijing tied for 36th among 56 metered markets.

The show had a 15.7 rating on WTMJ-TV (Channel 4), or an estimated 139,887 households in this market. The Birmingham, Ala., and Boston markets also had 15.7 ratings.

Baltimore, the home town of swimmer Michael Phelps, had the highest rating for the closing ceremony (22.6), nearly double the audience it delivered for the same event in 2004 in Athens (11.6).

Other top markets for the closing were Nashville (22.0), San Diego (21.2), Denver (20.3) and Portland (20.2).

The lowest rating for the closing ceremony among the 56 top markets in the United States was delivered by Dallas/Fort Worth (12.3), followed by Houston (13.1), and Philadelphia and New Orleans (both 13.2).

Call SportsDay at (414) 223-5531 or send e-mail to bwolfley@journalsentinel.com