net
Cheesehead
I wrote a letter to Tom Silverstein this morning at the Journal-Sentinel.
First the story...
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The Push for Bush
The teams in the running for the top pick in the NFL draft. Southern California running back Reggie Bush is expected to be the first player chosen:
Team W-L
Texans 1-12
49ers 2-11
Saints 3-10
Jets 3-10
Packers 3-10
Green Bay - Mark the date: Dec. 11, 2005.
It could become as infamous in Green Bay Packers history as Dec. 18, 1988.
That fateful day 17 years ago was when the Packers beat the Phoenix Cardinals, 26-17, thus relinquishing the first pick in the National Football League draft to the Dallas Cowboys on the final day of the season.
All it cost the Packers was future Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who went first to the Cowboys, leaving the Packers to make their ill-fated choice of offensive lineman Tony Mandarich with the No. 2 pick.
On Sunday, the Packers beat the Detroit Lions, 16-13, thanks in part to an unusual call that wiped out a fourth-quarter safety and allowed the Packers to force overtime. As a result of the victory, the Packers improved to 3-10 and delivered a serious blow to their chances at the No. 1 pick in the April draft.
The prize for finishing with the worst record in the NFL figures to be Heisman Trophy-winning running back Reggie Bush, so the victory "cost" the Packers a lot. Whether it turns out to be as devastating as the 1988 turn of events is something history will have to decide.
"Winning is always good," general manager Ted Thompson said. "I think it's good for this team. Those were difficult conditions and to win a game in a sort of slugging match, that requires some character. I think it's always better to win. It's good for the players and it's good for the organization."
It is not, however, good for your draft standing.
Thanks to blowing a game they easily could have won for a third consecutive week, the Houston Texans fell to 1-12 and took command of the Bush sweepstakes. Next in line is San Francisco at 2-11 and New Orleans, the New York Jets and Green Bay, all at 3-10.
As a result of their victory, the Packers fell from the No. 2 slot in the Bush race to No. 5 with three games to go. Had they lost they would have had a tie-breaker edge over the 49ers based on weakness of schedule (Green Bay's opponents are 112-94: San Francisco's are 114-94) and thus been No. 2 behind Houston.
What's more, the Texans have winnable games against Arizona (4-9) and San Francisco in the next three weeks while the Packers play at Baltimore (4-9), Chicago (9-4) and Seattle (11-2). The Packers clearly would still have been in the Bush running had they lost to the Lions.
The Packers still have a pretty good shot at having a top-five pick for the first time since 1992, but the tie-breakers won't be decided until the last day of the season. Each opponent's final record is taken into account, so there's no way of knowing exactly how the weakness-of-schedule tie-breaker will play out until after the season.
Here are the current opponent records for the five teams vying for the top pick (ranked weakest schedule to strongest): New York Jets, 107-99, New Orleans, 109-97, Houston, 112-96; Green Bay, 112-94; San Francisco, 114-94.
"I don't take a whole lot of stock in that stuff, really," Thompson said. "It changes weekly and it will change up until the last game, that last Monday of the last day of the regular season. I don't even worry about that. It will work itself out and we'll make our pick wherever we select."
Asked if there was reason to feel bad that the Packers probably wouldn't have a shot at Bush, the USC junior running back who is expected to turn pro, Thompson said he hadn't even given it any thought and wasn't allowed to talk about Bush anyway.
"It doesn't matter," Thompson said. "The team who is in the No. 1 spot will try to take the best player they can and you hope it works out. Sometimes that player is by far and away the best player in the entire draft and oftentimes he's not. You never know. Sometimes the player picked at 23rd or 30th or even the 38th spot turns out to be the best player in the draft. So I don't get all worked up about it."
Either way, fate will certainly have played a part in the Packers' draft position.
Referee Mike Carey's decision to reverse an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone called against running back Samkon Gado, and the subsequent ruling that a holding penalty against tackle Mark Tauscher did not take place in the end zone, both bailed out the Packers. Had either penalty stood, the Packers would have suffered a safety, trailed by 15-13 and been forced to play defense again with 7 minutes left.
The Lions had plenty to be angry about afterward, although league spokesman Michael Signora said Carey's meeting with his officiating crew after the announcement of the grounding penalty was normal procedure. He also said Gado was not guilty of an intentional forward fumble because there is no such rule.
If Gado had been across the line of scrimmage, he would have been penalized for an illegal forward pass, Signora said. Replays seemed to indicate that the ball that Gado pitched forward as he was about to go down in the end zone did not reach the line of scrimmage. For an intentional grounding call to be made, the ball must reach the line of scrimmage.
Signora said the rule states that the pass must be "in the vicinity of the neutral zone," which means it doesn't have to reach the line of scrimmage.
Tauscher's penalty, meanwhile, was a judgment call and it was up to Carey to determine whether it took place in the end zone. Signora said Lions coach **** Jauron was not allowed to challenge that call under the rules of instant replay.
Thus, the Packers dodged catastrophe and thanks mostly to the running of Gado, who set a Packers rookie record with 171 yards rushing, won the game in overtime. If there is any consolation to losing out on Bush, it's that Gado took considerable strides in making the Packers feel better about the future of their running game.
There are no guarantees that Gado will make people forget about Bush. But as Thompson pointed out, Kansas City's Priest Holmes, one of the NFL's top rushers over the past five seasons, was an undrafted free agent and needed only a chance to make his mark in the NFL.
Despite not making an active roster until Oct. 29 and playing in only seven games this season, Gado has three 100-yard rushing games, ranks third among all NFL rookie rushers and ranks tied for 13th in rushing touchdowns. The Packers are 2-1 in games in which he has rushed for 100 or more yards.
"I think we're starting to know about him," Thompson said. "He wants to be good and has a passion for the game, which leads you to believe he can be a good player. He's taken this opportunity and he's done a fine job. He doesn't have the pedigree of coming from the University of Notre Dame, but he wants to do well and the Good Lord has blessed him with talent. That bodes well for him."
Thompson would not say what priority the Packers would put on drafting a running back, but he said Gado's performance the rest of the year would impact how the team views its needs.
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Now my letter:
Dear Tom,
At first I thought the talk at the J-S about the Packers losing to get the draft pick was funny. "How could anyone around professional sports think like that?", I thought. The article today proves that as much as you should have a pulse of what is going on, apparently you(and some of your co-workers) don't have a clue.
1)These athletes are paid to do a job. So are you. Would you and your co-workers tank to gain some journalistic advantage? Would you? Would you cover a sales event as a legit news story? You are a professional paid to do your job. So are the professional athletes and coaches you cover. Have you forgotten that?
2)Everyone knows the Packers are having a lousy season...so they LOSE TO THEIR DIVISION RIVALS ON PURPOSE to gain a draft pick? Wasn't Ryan Leaf a can't lose? Jamal Reynolds? High draft picks don't always pan out, no matter the hype. So you would lose on purpose for the chance to spend millions of dollars on ONE PLAYER who might not work out? Look Brett Favre in the eyes and ask him to tank so they can get a draft pick. Go ahead...I dare ya.
The implication that somehow by winning the Packers are stupid tops the cake. I've disagreed with stories before but this one takes the cake. Never have I seen anything this dumb come from a beat reporter, and not just you, your pals have implied this, too.
Are all of you drinking spiked egg nog?
---------
Too much.
First the story...
--------------
The Push for Bush
The teams in the running for the top pick in the NFL draft. Southern California running back Reggie Bush is expected to be the first player chosen:
Team W-L
Texans 1-12
49ers 2-11
Saints 3-10
Jets 3-10
Packers 3-10
Green Bay - Mark the date: Dec. 11, 2005.
It could become as infamous in Green Bay Packers history as Dec. 18, 1988.
That fateful day 17 years ago was when the Packers beat the Phoenix Cardinals, 26-17, thus relinquishing the first pick in the National Football League draft to the Dallas Cowboys on the final day of the season.
All it cost the Packers was future Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who went first to the Cowboys, leaving the Packers to make their ill-fated choice of offensive lineman Tony Mandarich with the No. 2 pick.
On Sunday, the Packers beat the Detroit Lions, 16-13, thanks in part to an unusual call that wiped out a fourth-quarter safety and allowed the Packers to force overtime. As a result of the victory, the Packers improved to 3-10 and delivered a serious blow to their chances at the No. 1 pick in the April draft.
The prize for finishing with the worst record in the NFL figures to be Heisman Trophy-winning running back Reggie Bush, so the victory "cost" the Packers a lot. Whether it turns out to be as devastating as the 1988 turn of events is something history will have to decide.
"Winning is always good," general manager Ted Thompson said. "I think it's good for this team. Those were difficult conditions and to win a game in a sort of slugging match, that requires some character. I think it's always better to win. It's good for the players and it's good for the organization."
It is not, however, good for your draft standing.
Thanks to blowing a game they easily could have won for a third consecutive week, the Houston Texans fell to 1-12 and took command of the Bush sweepstakes. Next in line is San Francisco at 2-11 and New Orleans, the New York Jets and Green Bay, all at 3-10.
As a result of their victory, the Packers fell from the No. 2 slot in the Bush race to No. 5 with three games to go. Had they lost they would have had a tie-breaker edge over the 49ers based on weakness of schedule (Green Bay's opponents are 112-94: San Francisco's are 114-94) and thus been No. 2 behind Houston.
What's more, the Texans have winnable games against Arizona (4-9) and San Francisco in the next three weeks while the Packers play at Baltimore (4-9), Chicago (9-4) and Seattle (11-2). The Packers clearly would still have been in the Bush running had they lost to the Lions.
The Packers still have a pretty good shot at having a top-five pick for the first time since 1992, but the tie-breakers won't be decided until the last day of the season. Each opponent's final record is taken into account, so there's no way of knowing exactly how the weakness-of-schedule tie-breaker will play out until after the season.
Here are the current opponent records for the five teams vying for the top pick (ranked weakest schedule to strongest): New York Jets, 107-99, New Orleans, 109-97, Houston, 112-96; Green Bay, 112-94; San Francisco, 114-94.
"I don't take a whole lot of stock in that stuff, really," Thompson said. "It changes weekly and it will change up until the last game, that last Monday of the last day of the regular season. I don't even worry about that. It will work itself out and we'll make our pick wherever we select."
Asked if there was reason to feel bad that the Packers probably wouldn't have a shot at Bush, the USC junior running back who is expected to turn pro, Thompson said he hadn't even given it any thought and wasn't allowed to talk about Bush anyway.
"It doesn't matter," Thompson said. "The team who is in the No. 1 spot will try to take the best player they can and you hope it works out. Sometimes that player is by far and away the best player in the entire draft and oftentimes he's not. You never know. Sometimes the player picked at 23rd or 30th or even the 38th spot turns out to be the best player in the draft. So I don't get all worked up about it."
Either way, fate will certainly have played a part in the Packers' draft position.
Referee Mike Carey's decision to reverse an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone called against running back Samkon Gado, and the subsequent ruling that a holding penalty against tackle Mark Tauscher did not take place in the end zone, both bailed out the Packers. Had either penalty stood, the Packers would have suffered a safety, trailed by 15-13 and been forced to play defense again with 7 minutes left.
The Lions had plenty to be angry about afterward, although league spokesman Michael Signora said Carey's meeting with his officiating crew after the announcement of the grounding penalty was normal procedure. He also said Gado was not guilty of an intentional forward fumble because there is no such rule.
If Gado had been across the line of scrimmage, he would have been penalized for an illegal forward pass, Signora said. Replays seemed to indicate that the ball that Gado pitched forward as he was about to go down in the end zone did not reach the line of scrimmage. For an intentional grounding call to be made, the ball must reach the line of scrimmage.
Signora said the rule states that the pass must be "in the vicinity of the neutral zone," which means it doesn't have to reach the line of scrimmage.
Tauscher's penalty, meanwhile, was a judgment call and it was up to Carey to determine whether it took place in the end zone. Signora said Lions coach **** Jauron was not allowed to challenge that call under the rules of instant replay.
Thus, the Packers dodged catastrophe and thanks mostly to the running of Gado, who set a Packers rookie record with 171 yards rushing, won the game in overtime. If there is any consolation to losing out on Bush, it's that Gado took considerable strides in making the Packers feel better about the future of their running game.
There are no guarantees that Gado will make people forget about Bush. But as Thompson pointed out, Kansas City's Priest Holmes, one of the NFL's top rushers over the past five seasons, was an undrafted free agent and needed only a chance to make his mark in the NFL.
Despite not making an active roster until Oct. 29 and playing in only seven games this season, Gado has three 100-yard rushing games, ranks third among all NFL rookie rushers and ranks tied for 13th in rushing touchdowns. The Packers are 2-1 in games in which he has rushed for 100 or more yards.
"I think we're starting to know about him," Thompson said. "He wants to be good and has a passion for the game, which leads you to believe he can be a good player. He's taken this opportunity and he's done a fine job. He doesn't have the pedigree of coming from the University of Notre Dame, but he wants to do well and the Good Lord has blessed him with talent. That bodes well for him."
Thompson would not say what priority the Packers would put on drafting a running back, but he said Gado's performance the rest of the year would impact how the team views its needs.
------
Now my letter:
Dear Tom,
At first I thought the talk at the J-S about the Packers losing to get the draft pick was funny. "How could anyone around professional sports think like that?", I thought. The article today proves that as much as you should have a pulse of what is going on, apparently you(and some of your co-workers) don't have a clue.
1)These athletes are paid to do a job. So are you. Would you and your co-workers tank to gain some journalistic advantage? Would you? Would you cover a sales event as a legit news story? You are a professional paid to do your job. So are the professional athletes and coaches you cover. Have you forgotten that?
2)Everyone knows the Packers are having a lousy season...so they LOSE TO THEIR DIVISION RIVALS ON PURPOSE to gain a draft pick? Wasn't Ryan Leaf a can't lose? Jamal Reynolds? High draft picks don't always pan out, no matter the hype. So you would lose on purpose for the chance to spend millions of dollars on ONE PLAYER who might not work out? Look Brett Favre in the eyes and ask him to tank so they can get a draft pick. Go ahead...I dare ya.
The implication that somehow by winning the Packers are stupid tops the cake. I've disagreed with stories before but this one takes the cake. Never have I seen anything this dumb come from a beat reporter, and not just you, your pals have implied this, too.
Are all of you drinking spiked egg nog?
---------
Too much.
