By Chris Havel
Ron Wolf's success as a talent scout was fueled by an uncanny ability to project a player's potential to excel in the National Football League.
His foresight included an acute understanding of human nature.
An ignoramus can draw reasonably accurate conclusions from 40-yard dash times, agility drills and strength tests, but only an insightful soul can fairly gauge the intangibles that separate champions and chumps.
Wolf possessed such intuition, and it wasn't limited to football.
When the Green Bay Packers were at their zenith in the 1990s, the former general manager offered a sobering prediction. He predicted the day would come when the Packers would fall, and a lengthy line would form merely for the pleasure of kicking the team while it was down.
There is evidence to suggest that day has arrived.
The Packers' 26-0 loss to Chicago in the season opener — on the heels of a shabby, injury-riddled 4-12 season in 2005 — has the buzzards circling and the wolves howling with delight.
The Packers have been at or near the top since the early 1990s. For years, the Packers were THE feel-good story of the league. Now, they are the target of unrelenting criticism and routinely joyful derision.
Win or lose, the Packers have the ability to make people feel good. Some revel in the team's success. Others delight in its misfortune.
Andrew Brandt, the team's vice-president of player finance, described the ridicule by some fans and media as "slings and arrows" being aimed at 1265 Lombardi Avenue. Brandt's reaction, which is similar to General Manager Ted Thompson's and coach Mike McCarthy's, is to offer a simple, straightforward request: Withhold condemnation until the season plays out, if not for 16 games, at least beyond the season opener.
The calls for Thompson's firing and McCarthy's dismissal aren't just premature. They are laughable.
Thompson accepted considerable risk by signing receiver-return specialist Koren Robinson. The GM's reputation is at stake, and he will be held accountable for the manner in which this acquisition plays out.
But to suggest Thompson inappropriately put the storied franchise's reputation and history at risk is to grossly overstate the transaction. Robinson's conduct from this day forward, good or bad, is a direct reflection on the player, the coach and the GM. If Robinson screws up, McCarthy and Thompson screwed up, but the Packers' proud tradition will endure.
McCarthy's debut left much to be desired, and the 42-year-old coach would be the first to admit it. What matters is how he proceeds. Will he learn from his mistakes? Will he make his team see its shortcomings? Will he correct yesterday's mistakes in order to improve tomorrow's performance?
Those questions remain to be answered.
Meantime, the Packers' every move will be subject to the scrutiny, criticism and praise that goes with the turf. Some will choose to kick the Packers while they are down, which is every ticket-paying, banner-waving, second-guessing fan's right.
The Packers' mission is to remain unfazed, and to win games, starting Sunday against the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field.