McCarthy hoping for an 'A' in chemistry

longtimefan

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McCarthy hoping for an 'A' in chemistry

By Mike Vandermause

PHOENIX — Maybe it's no big deal. Then again, maybe it's a stunning revelation of how the landscape is changing at Green Bay Packers headquarters.

Would you believe quarterback Brett Favre, before last year, never had ventured into the coaches' offices at the renovated Lambeau Field?

Packers coach Mike McCarthy revealed this shocking bit of information Wednesday morning at the NFL owners meeting.

McCarthy was talking about the importance of team chemistry. He wasn't trying to make a big splash. He wasn't trying to prop up his regime in comparison to the previous one in Green Bay. He merely was stating a fact in a casual, almost off-the-cuff manner.

The implications, however, are compelling.

It seems astounding that Favre, the face of the franchise and future Hall of Famer, didn't wander into the third-floor Atrium coaching offices for the first three seasons following the Lambeau renovation. It was only after the arrival of McCarthy he went up there.

"It's amazing," said McCarthy, speaking at the NFC coaches' breakfast with Wisconsin reporters. "Last year, going through, I've got Brett Favre that comes up in my office. He's walking around, and he goes, 'I've never been up here.' "
The anecdote was part of McCarthy's larger point that he wants to foster an atmosphere in which coaches and players freely interact.

"I want those guys up on that third floor," McCarthy said. "I want the interaction between the coaches and players. You talk about relationship building, you talk about group dynamics. That's a key component of it."

Before the renovation, the coaching offices were located in close proximity to the locker room. McCarthy, who served as the Packers' quarterback coach in 1999, remembers how easy it was to access the players.

"The old facility, you went down a flight of steps and you were right there," he said. "The dynamics of the building, the facility was more interactive. But just because you have to go up an elevator doesn't mean you can't have that."

The renovation placed the new coaching offices on the third floor and a considerable distance from the locker room. There was nothing stopping the coaches from going downstairs and interacting with players in meeting rooms, but the distance apparently discouraged many players from visiting coaches' offices.

McCarthy wants his players to feel free to hang out and talk with the coaches on the third floor.

"What I don't want is that mind-set of when they push No. 3 in the elevator is they go, 'Oh shoot, here I go up to the head coach's office for something negative.' That's part of it."

It would be easy to criticize former coach Mike Sherman, who was heavily involved in the design of the new stadium. Real or not, there's a perception Sherman created too much distance between his staff and the players.

In fairness, Sherman produced five winning records and three division championships during his six-year tenure in Green Bay. To say his methods were wrong would be simplistic. To say McCarthy, in his second year, has the correct approach would be premature.

But certainly it's not a bad thing to open the lines of communication as much as possible.


*** edit for title change*** some people think it was a bait topic, SORRY!!
 
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longtimefan

longtimefan

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Favre never seen Shermans office??

and yes I made sure to post

In fairness, Sherman produced five winning records and three division championships during his six-year tenure in Green Bay. To say his methods were wrong would be simplistic.
 
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longtimefan

longtimefan

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Re: Favre never seen Shermans office??

longtimefan said:
and yes I made sure to post

In fairness, Sherman produced five winning records and three division championships during his six-year tenure in Green Bay. To say his methods were wrong would be simplistic.


Yes and you also made sure to change the name of the article from

McCarthy hoping for an 'A' in chemistry

to

Favre never seen Shermans office??


Keep tossing the bait


As you said to cheesey

Don't put things in my, or any other posters mouth.

Dont ASSUME my thread was meant as a bait thread..
 

gopackgo

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Re: Favre never seen Shermans office??

I am really looking forward to next season to see how McCarthy does. I am liking his approach here to get the players and coaches talking more. The team really lacked a chemistry problem last year and I think this is a step in the right direction.

Oh, and you bet it was Arrow! I'll be at the monkey bars!
 

retiredgrampa

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Re: Favre never seen Shermans office??

Friendly relations are nice but do NOT translate into wins. I think this whole topic is over-hyped. Max McGee said it right...In a tough situation he'd take the whiskey drinkers over the milk drinkers every time. (paraphrased).
 

cheesey

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Re: Favre never seen Shermans office??

Friendly alone WON'T win games. But i feel that it's a VERY positive thing if the players feel like they can talk to their "bosses" anytime they need to, without feeling belittled.
Keep the lines of communication open, and you have much less of a chance of a gap building between you (coaches) and the players.
It nips small problems in the bud (thank you, Barney Fife!) before they become BIG problems.
Maybe J-Walk wouldn't have felt "dissed" and maybe would still be here had he been more able to keep the lines open.
Of course i don't know that for sure, but i think it COULD have averted the problem. By the time MM and TT got here, he obviously had a BIG bug up his butt.
 

Timmons

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McCarthy's method is better. Teamwork is built upon communication.

For those of you who have worked in both environments, which boss would you rather have? Maybe Sherman was accessible in other ways, I don't know. However, I think McCarthy is more of a player's coach than Sherman was.
 

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