Havel certainly took the low road in this trash piece – that shows how easy it is to manipulate information when taken out of context. Try reading Longwell’s answers to questions asked in a pretty standard interview for any big free agency signing.
BY BOB SANSEVERE
Pioneer Press
Here's Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell:
Every town in America has an Applebee's restaurant. In Green Bay, Applebee's was about as fancy as you got. When my wife, Sarah, and I would get a baby sitter, a nice date night was Applebee's. In Minnesota, I'm sure there will be plenty of options before Applebee's comes into the rotation.
I've always been curious how I would do kicking in a domed stadium. I know for a fact there are kicks I missed at Lambeau that I hit well and guessed wrong with the wind. Or there were kicks when I slipped on the field and missed. I'm curious like everyone else what I can do in the Metrodome. I'm looking forward to being able to swing away and know my foot is going to stick in the ground. And I don't have to play the wind.
Sarah and I both sat in with coach Brad Childress. She came out of the meeting and said: "That is an amazing man. A great, quality guy." I know he'll be a great head coach. We were in awe when we left. We felt it was just right.
The first thing we bought after I signed with the Vikings was a boat. We live in Orlando in the offseason, and the community is part of a chain of 12 lakes. We've been hemming and hawing about a boat the last year or so. We decided when we signed the contract we'd go ahead and get one. We got a 21-foot boat. It's less of a luxury boat and more of a hot rod. We can pull the kids in a tube with it.
My son, Reece, is 4, and my daughter, Shaye, is 3. You cannot get away with anything. Your kids are constantly observing and picking up what you say and do. You have to watch how you act.
We go out the back gate of the community we live in and we're 12 minutes from Disney World. We have season passes. The kids love it, and Sarah and I are big kids. We love it.
I play golf. I'm pretty good at it. I'm plus-1.7, which is on the other side of zero. I'm better than scratch. I won the club championship a couple of weeks ago.
I get up every morning at 6 o'clock and work out. I get to the driving range at 7:15, and I'm usually the first guy to tee off. The carts here go 20 miles an hour. I play nine holes in 50 minutes, 18 holes in an hour and 45 minutes. Usually, I'm back in the door about 9:30.
We live in Isleworth. This is where Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara also live. We're in the same community. We live off the fourth hole of the golf course.
There are guys I know who have just become Viking fans. I talked to Lee Janzen. He was born in Minnesota and was pretty happy about the whole thing. It's hard to get Tiger out of the Raider days. He grew up near them. He's dyed in the wool.
My favorite movie is "Top Gun." It was the first movie I saw that just kind of wowed me. It was the first movie I can remember seeing that had the great soundtrack and jets, and Kelly McGillis was cute at the time. I was about 11 when it came out. I wanted to be a fighter pilot in the Navy. When we travel on the road, "Top Gun" is in my envelope of DVDs.
My favorite TV show is "The Office." I cannot get enough of "The Office." I think it's the funniest show I've ever seen. I just roll when Dwight starts making some comments. It's cast so well.
I played soccer and baseball growing up. In seventh grade, I went out for football for the first time. I stayed with baseball and football all the way through my senior year of high school. I played quarterback, kicked and punted.
If a movie was made about my life, who would I want to play me? I think Tom Cruise.
If I could change anything about my life, I would give myself the ability to sing. You don't want to hear me sing. I've always watched "American Idol." Simon Cowell would say I would be a karaoke version of a bad pub singer in England.
The best advice I ever got was from my dad. From day one, he told me to always show class. I've lived my life that way. There's "please" and "thank you" and "do the right thing at the right time."
The worst advice I ever got was: "Why don't you just kick it in the end zone in December in Lambeau?" Not going to happen. It's impossible.
If I could trade places for a day with any celebrity, I'd probably pick Tiger Woods. I've played golf with him. I can hit the ball a long way — 290, 295 yards off the tee — and he's still 60 yards longer than me. I'd like to do what he can do for a day. He has another gear that's just incredible.
I want my epitaph to say, "Here lies Ryan Longwell, who lived his life with dignity and class."
=================================================================
He bought the boat for his Florida home -- the reference was to something he did with his bonus money.
"The first thing we bought after I signed with the Vikings was a boat. We live in Orlando in the offseason, and the community is part of a chain of 12 lakes. We've been hemming and hawing about a boat the last year or so. We decided when we signed the contract we'd go ahead and get one. We got a 21-foot boat. It's less of a luxury boat and more of a hot rod. We can pull the kids in a tube with it."
He did not disrespect the Packers organization in any way, shape, or form.
Ryan L. was a great citizen as a Packer and as a part of the community. No where in this article does he show a lack of class or take a single shot at the organization or the community.
You have to realize that there is an enormous difference between World Class restraunt choices in Minneapolis and the limited choices in Green Bay. Again if you read what he said:
"Every town in America has an Applebee's restaurant. In Green Bay, Applebee's was about as fancy as you got. When my wife, Sarah, and I would get a baby sitter, a nice date night was Applebee's. In Minnesota, I'm sure there will be plenty of options before Applebee's comes into the rotation."
Finally, I want my epitaph to say, "Here lies Ryan Longwell, who lived his life with dignity and class."
Not a single controversial statement in the whole interview.
I have never eaten in one (an Applebee/s) -- so don't know much about it. My impression is that it is a typical clean suburban restaurant with fairly typical up-to-date menu items presented in a pretty generic fashion.
Saying you are looking forward to the advantages of choice when comparing GB and Mpls in quality and variety off dining options seems pretty obvious to me. A single neighborhood in So Mpls with bury GB in choices and quality of restaurants.
How is it an insult to the organization or to the town?
Ryan Longwell was given many awards for his charitable giving and was named Green Bay’s Man of the Year in 2004 for his community involvement and leadership. Real classy responses guys – especially to an article you did not even bother to read
BY BOB SANSEVERE
Pioneer Press
Here's Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell:
Every town in America has an Applebee's restaurant. In Green Bay, Applebee's was about as fancy as you got. When my wife, Sarah, and I would get a baby sitter, a nice date night was Applebee's. In Minnesota, I'm sure there will be plenty of options before Applebee's comes into the rotation.
I've always been curious how I would do kicking in a domed stadium. I know for a fact there are kicks I missed at Lambeau that I hit well and guessed wrong with the wind. Or there were kicks when I slipped on the field and missed. I'm curious like everyone else what I can do in the Metrodome. I'm looking forward to being able to swing away and know my foot is going to stick in the ground. And I don't have to play the wind.
Sarah and I both sat in with coach Brad Childress. She came out of the meeting and said: "That is an amazing man. A great, quality guy." I know he'll be a great head coach. We were in awe when we left. We felt it was just right.
The first thing we bought after I signed with the Vikings was a boat. We live in Orlando in the offseason, and the community is part of a chain of 12 lakes. We've been hemming and hawing about a boat the last year or so. We decided when we signed the contract we'd go ahead and get one. We got a 21-foot boat. It's less of a luxury boat and more of a hot rod. We can pull the kids in a tube with it.
My son, Reece, is 4, and my daughter, Shaye, is 3. You cannot get away with anything. Your kids are constantly observing and picking up what you say and do. You have to watch how you act.
We go out the back gate of the community we live in and we're 12 minutes from Disney World. We have season passes. The kids love it, and Sarah and I are big kids. We love it.
I play golf. I'm pretty good at it. I'm plus-1.7, which is on the other side of zero. I'm better than scratch. I won the club championship a couple of weeks ago.
I get up every morning at 6 o'clock and work out. I get to the driving range at 7:15, and I'm usually the first guy to tee off. The carts here go 20 miles an hour. I play nine holes in 50 minutes, 18 holes in an hour and 45 minutes. Usually, I'm back in the door about 9:30.
We live in Isleworth. This is where Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara also live. We're in the same community. We live off the fourth hole of the golf course.
There are guys I know who have just become Viking fans. I talked to Lee Janzen. He was born in Minnesota and was pretty happy about the whole thing. It's hard to get Tiger out of the Raider days. He grew up near them. He's dyed in the wool.
My favorite movie is "Top Gun." It was the first movie I saw that just kind of wowed me. It was the first movie I can remember seeing that had the great soundtrack and jets, and Kelly McGillis was cute at the time. I was about 11 when it came out. I wanted to be a fighter pilot in the Navy. When we travel on the road, "Top Gun" is in my envelope of DVDs.
My favorite TV show is "The Office." I cannot get enough of "The Office." I think it's the funniest show I've ever seen. I just roll when Dwight starts making some comments. It's cast so well.
I played soccer and baseball growing up. In seventh grade, I went out for football for the first time. I stayed with baseball and football all the way through my senior year of high school. I played quarterback, kicked and punted.
If a movie was made about my life, who would I want to play me? I think Tom Cruise.
If I could change anything about my life, I would give myself the ability to sing. You don't want to hear me sing. I've always watched "American Idol." Simon Cowell would say I would be a karaoke version of a bad pub singer in England.
The best advice I ever got was from my dad. From day one, he told me to always show class. I've lived my life that way. There's "please" and "thank you" and "do the right thing at the right time."
The worst advice I ever got was: "Why don't you just kick it in the end zone in December in Lambeau?" Not going to happen. It's impossible.
If I could trade places for a day with any celebrity, I'd probably pick Tiger Woods. I've played golf with him. I can hit the ball a long way — 290, 295 yards off the tee — and he's still 60 yards longer than me. I'd like to do what he can do for a day. He has another gear that's just incredible.
I want my epitaph to say, "Here lies Ryan Longwell, who lived his life with dignity and class."
=================================================================
He bought the boat for his Florida home -- the reference was to something he did with his bonus money.
"The first thing we bought after I signed with the Vikings was a boat. We live in Orlando in the offseason, and the community is part of a chain of 12 lakes. We've been hemming and hawing about a boat the last year or so. We decided when we signed the contract we'd go ahead and get one. We got a 21-foot boat. It's less of a luxury boat and more of a hot rod. We can pull the kids in a tube with it."
He did not disrespect the Packers organization in any way, shape, or form.
Ryan L. was a great citizen as a Packer and as a part of the community. No where in this article does he show a lack of class or take a single shot at the organization or the community.
You have to realize that there is an enormous difference between World Class restraunt choices in Minneapolis and the limited choices in Green Bay. Again if you read what he said:
"Every town in America has an Applebee's restaurant. In Green Bay, Applebee's was about as fancy as you got. When my wife, Sarah, and I would get a baby sitter, a nice date night was Applebee's. In Minnesota, I'm sure there will be plenty of options before Applebee's comes into the rotation."
Finally, I want my epitaph to say, "Here lies Ryan Longwell, who lived his life with dignity and class."
Not a single controversial statement in the whole interview.
I have never eaten in one (an Applebee/s) -- so don't know much about it. My impression is that it is a typical clean suburban restaurant with fairly typical up-to-date menu items presented in a pretty generic fashion.
Saying you are looking forward to the advantages of choice when comparing GB and Mpls in quality and variety off dining options seems pretty obvious to me. A single neighborhood in So Mpls with bury GB in choices and quality of restaurants.
How is it an insult to the organization or to the town?
Ryan Longwell was given many awards for his charitable giving and was named Green Bay’s Man of the Year in 2004 for his community involvement and leadership. Real classy responses guys – especially to an article you did not even bother to read
tromadz said:I think his wife is gonna have an affair with Childress.
what a *****
wow, what a p.o.s.
He has made my "Top 10 Douches" list.[/
greenbegas said:What a dic*! There are plenty of nice places to eat in GB... You just need to know where to go... Best Burger: Kroll's, Best Chili: Chili John's, Best Fish Fry: Meriques, Best Fine Dining: Black and Tan
To diss the town that made him really ticks me off. Without GB he would be nothing more than a computer salesman. He lucked out and now he thinks he is awesome. I hope he breaks his leg.