Ted Thompson Inducted into Packers HOF

[Favre>Rodgers259]

Thompson: "I'm just a scout."

Murphy(Should have):

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[Dantés]

The cowardly and dishonorable way he handled the Favre situation brought shame to the franchise. It literally irreparably destroyed a large part of what made Green Bay special in the NFL. The only thing salvaging anything from his tenure is the way the team caught lightning in a bottle and won a Super Bowl after fluking into the playoffs. Otherwise they have been a team of underachievers failing to rise to the occasion in big games choking in spectacular fashion as befitting his lack of character. Winning a lot of regular season games has come to pass as “special” in Green Bay now... sad. Sad that he’ll be ushered in to stand unworthy among the truly great... but the illusion will satisfy many. Ball don’t lie...

The "luck" argument is utter trash. TT had one of the best draft records in the NFL for a long period of time. Teams don't fall backwards into drafting well.

 

[Dantés]

There's luck involved, as I said. No getting around it.
But if you wait to go after free agents after everyone else has had their pick, you're relying on luck that a bargain will fall to you. That's not a bad strategy necessarily, we got one Super Bowl out of it, but it's not being proactive (which is making your own luck, essentially).

If a team rushes out and signs a premium FA on day one of the league year, I can just say it was "lucky" that said player was available in the first place. If a team sits back and signs someone after the first couple waves, I can say they were "lucky" that said player was still there.

TT apparently was "lucky" that Rodgers fell to #24. The Patriots were "lucky" that Brady fell to #199. TT was "lucky" that more teams weren't in on Charles Woodson. BB was "Lucky" that more teams weren't in on Rodney Harrison.

See what I mean? By your definition, I can stick that word on almost any decision and it fits.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

TT belongs in the Packers HoF, that's pretty much indisputable. His greatest skill was identifying front office talent and building an amazing team that allowed him to eschew free agency and focus almost entirely on the draft. Having what, three future NFL GMs in the front office is a pretty amazing feat (especially when two of those three are really good and the third was good but put in a terrible spot). However, while he was great at building that team it was apparent that he wasn't able to adjust to NOT having that front office help and that's when the talent level on the team started to fall off.

Forgot to mention, his greatest attribute was having the cojones to draft Rodgers in the first round when he had Favre at QB; not many GMs would make that move.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

It was nice too see TT looking pretty good Saturday night, from all the stuff I was reading I was expecting more like picture #2.

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[rmontro]

See what I mean? By your definition, I can stick that word on almost any decision and it fits.

You're stretching my definition quite a bit, but I SAID there's always some luck involved. And I also SAID that Thompson deserves credit for taking the opportunities that fell to him.

But there is NO question in my mind that the Packers were lucky that Rodgers fell to #24, and they were also lucky that more teams weren't interested in Charles Woodson early. And yes, any other team would be lucky also.

 

[rmontro]

I could be wrong, but in regard to the 2011 campaign.. when your team outscores it’s opponents so much so that FOX network programming switches the game altogether to another markets football game mid-3rd quarter? (this happened to me several times on FOX and worse yet after my football package had blacked out the Game because it was showing in the local market!). That’s a setup for lots of garbage time and lots of “prevent D” being played regardless of the scheme or team.

In other words, the 2011 season was a statisticians anomaly of sorts and probably the one year I wouldn’t put so much stake in Defensive stats.

That's a good point.

I have a hard time thinking that the 2011 team was one of the worst of all time at anything when they finished 15-1 and were the defending Super Bowl champs.

 

[weeds]

Ted gets credit for picking Rodgers when he had the chance, but he was still lucky that he fell.
He was also lucky that there weren't more teams interested in Charles Woodson, or he never would have been able to sign him.
y.

What if he built another Super Bowl team BEFORE he came back to Green Bay? Yeah, he did it in Seattle too ...and, he was integral in rebuilding the Pack in the run up to '96 - granted, Wolf gets all the back slaps but Holmgren made Thompson his choice.

Ron gets annointed and Ted gets blasted. They each had only one Lombardi.

 

[Dantés]

You're stretching my definition quite a bit, but I SAID there's always some luck involved. And I also SAID that Thompson deserves credit for taking the opportunities that fell to him.

But there is NO question in my mind that the Packers were lucky that Rodgers fell to #24, and they were also lucky that more teams weren't interested in Charles Woodson early. And yes, any other team would be lucky also.

How am I stretching your definition?

 

[AmishMafia]

The cowardly and dishonorable way he handled the Favre situation brought shame to the franchise. It literally irreparably destroyed a large part of what made Green Bay special in the NFL. The only thing salvaging anything from his tenure is the way the team caught lightning in a bottle and won a Super Bowl after fluking into the playoffs. Otherwise they have been a team of underachievers failing to rise to the occasion in big games choking in spectacular fashion as befitting his lack of character. Winning a lot of regular season games has come to pass as “special” in Green Bay now... sad. Sad that he’ll be ushered in to stand unworthy among the truly great... but the illusion will satisfy many. Ball don’t lie...

Favre was a complete *******. On Favres best day he is a fraction of the man that Ted Thompson is.

 

[AmishMafia]

You're stretching my definition quite a bit, but I SAID there's always some luck involved. And I also SAID that Thompson deserves credit for taking the opportunities that fell to him.

But there is NO question in my mind that the Packers were lucky that Rodgers fell to #24, and they were also lucky that more teams weren't interested in Charles Woodson early. And yes, any other team would be lucky also.

And Belichick is lucky that Brady fell to him. Otherwise he would have zero SBs and would have been fired years ago.

 

[rmontro]

How am I stretching your definition?

I'm saying that the less proactive you are, the more luck factors into the equation. Even though yes, luck will always play a part.

And Belichick is lucky that Brady fell to him. Otherwise he would have zero SBs and would have been fired years ago.

Getting Brady in the sixth round has to be the luckiest draft pick ever. They're a lucky pairing actually. Would Brady be Brady without Belichick? Would Bart Starr have been what he was without Lombardi? In each case, I very much doubt it.

 

[AKCheese]

Favre is/was a jock. He got paid to perform on the field (and he did it very very well). Thompson was a manager, he got paid to manage the Favre situation and he did it very very poorly. The league had to step in to basically save Thompson and the Packers from themselves. In 2010 Green Bay backed into the playoffs courtesy of a missed 39/40 yard field goal if memory serves me correctly, got hot in the playoffs and won it all.... great story. Since then “great great maybe THE greatest QB” “Fabulous Head Coach”.... and of course a “HOF Assembler of talent TT as GM” ..... and.... *Drum roll please*.... lotta regular season wins and NFC North Titles .... missed the playoffs the year he got fired.... and the year after...something not adding up there fellas. If that FG get’s made in (was it Philly?) Ted’s legacy is pathetic underachievement instead of just plain old underachievement. Any GM that gets a Lombardi gets in their teams HOF... that’s what this is... nothing more... nothing less.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I have a hard time thinking that the 2011 team was one of the worst of all time at anything when they finished 15-1 and were the defending Super Bowl champs.

The Packers pass defense definitely wasn't any good during the 2011 season.

In 2010 Green Bay backed into the playoffs courtesy of a missed 39/40 yard field goal if memory serves me correctly, got hot in the playoffs and won it all.... great story.

Actually the Packers were in control of their own destiny with two games left in the 2010 regular season. It's sad to see that it seems you can't enjoy the team having won the Super Bowl that year because they made the playoffs as a wild card.

 

[Dantés]

Favre is/was a jock. He got paid to perform on the field (and he did it very very well). Thompson was a manager, he got paid to manage the Favre situation and he did it very very poorly. The league had to step in to basically save Thompson and the Packers from themselves. In 2010 Green Bay backed into the playoffs courtesy of a missed 39/40 yard field goal if memory serves me correctly, got hot in the playoffs and won it all.... great story. Since then “great great maybe THE greatest QB” “Fabulous Head Coach”.... and of course a “HOF Assembler of talent TT as GM” ..... and.... *Drum roll please*.... lotta regular season wins and NFC North Titles .... missed the playoffs the year he got fired.... and the year after...something not adding up there fellas. If that FG get’s made in (was it Philly?) Ted’s legacy is pathetic underachievement instead of just plain old underachievement. Any GM that gets a Lombardi gets in their teams HOF... that’s what this is... nothing more... nothing less.

This is so easily refutable...

 

[Mondio]

This is so easily refutable...

but some people go so far one way there's little reason to even address it

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

but some people go so far one way there's little reason to even address it

Yup and.....

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[Mondio]

they hate us cause they ****

 

[Ogsponge]

In the name of all that is holy can we stop *****ing about Favre, I personally question the character of anyone that constantly says mean degrading things on the internet about anyone they don’t know whether that is Favre, Thompson or whoever

 

[HardRightEdge]

McCarthy did seem to have a gift for developing quarterbacks, when he had a talented team, and before they changed the CBA (which reduced the amount of time he was able to spend with them). I have no problem recognizing McCarthy as a QB guru of sorts under the old rules.

There's more to it than the 2010 CBA and the end of the "QB Camp". Consider the players frequently cited in McCarthy's record as a QB developer when he was a QB coach or OC:

KC, QB Coach, 1995-1998:

Steve Bono, 1995 - 1996: A journeyman QB in his 10th. season, he went 13-3 and made the Pro Bowl as Montana's replacement. He was not exactly chopped liver to start with, going 5-1 as a starter in 1991 in relief of Steve Young and 7-4 for his career to that point with PIT (strike replacement), SF and KC. 1995 was a one-hit wonder. He was 8-5 as a starter in 1996, was benched at the end of the season, refused to re-sign with KC in 1997, went to GB and back to journeyman status.

Elvis Grbak, 1997 - 1998: Bono's replacement as the starter in 1997 going 8-2. Also not exactly chopped liver to start with, having gone 6-4 as a backup starter in SF over 3 years. In 1997, Grbak was injured and replaced by Steve Gannon who went 5-0 in relief creating a QB controversy heading into the playoffs. In 1998, Grbak was injured again, came back and went 0-4, and was again replaced by Gannon, with Grbak finishing the season 2-4 as a starter. Grbak went on to start 3 more years with KC and BALT, compiling a 24-21 record in those years.

Rich Gannon, 1995-1998: Gannon was 11-8 in his starts with KC. Once again, this is a player that was not exactly chopped liver to start. He was 7 years in the league before coming under McCarthy's coaching, logging a 20-19 record as a starter with MIN and WASH. His greatest success came in Oakland with Gurden: 4 Pro Bowls, 2 All Pros, and a Super Bowl appearance in the 1999-2002 period.

These guys were veterans with some modest success when they came under McCarthy's tutelage, with 2 seasons of notable success among them under McCarthy, and not much to show for it afterward except for Gannon. The irony is that if Bono's and Grbak's brief success is to be attributed to McCarthy, then Gannon's success should be attributed to Gruden under very similar circumstances.

GB, QB Coach, 1999:

Favre was already Favre.

Matt Hasselbeck, 1999: It was his second season, throwing 10 balls, after having spent 1998 on the practice squad. He spent one more year on the bench in Green Bay after McCarthy's depature before being traded to Seattle in 2000. Under Holmgren in Seattle, his first two years show a 10-12 record as a starter before his breakout year in 2003.

Holmgren was in GB during Hasselbeck's rookie year before trading for him. Like Gannon under Gruden, his breakout is more rightly attributed to Holmgren, which was a couple of years in the making, rather than his one year in GB.

NO, Offensive Coordinator, 2000 - 2004

Aaron Brooks, 2000 - 2004

Brooks was McCarthy's first notable extended project with a young QB. Brooks was the third stringer in GB in 1999 with McCarthy as QB coach. This situation was very similar to Holmgren/Hasselbeck in acquiring an unproven QB in trade with whom there was prior experience.

Brooks went on to start 69 of 80 games in the 5 years Brooks and McCarthy were together, compiling a 35-34 record.

In 2000, he came off the bench for an injured Jeff Blake, went 3-2 as a starter, and took the Saints to their first playoff appearance in 8 years winning in the Wild Card round. Brooks as a pretty decent QB over those 5 years, and once McCarthy left for SF he played only two more seasons going 3-18 as a starter for NO and OAK.

Marc Bulger, 2000 - 2001: He was a 6th. round pick in 2000 who did not play in 2000-2001 before moving on to the Rams where he was 18-4 as a starter in his first two seasons, making the Pro Bowl in 2003 and again in 2006. He was a good QB over that 5 year run. Bulger slumped to 5-30 as a starter in 2007-2009 and then was out of the league.

J.T. O'Sullivan: A 6th. round pick in 2002 who spent 4 years in the league with a 2-6 record as a starter.

SF, Offensive Coordiantor, 2005

McCarthy's one-year tenure in SF is best remembered for his preference for Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers in the draft, followed by one of the largest chips on a shoulder in NFL history.

GB, Head Coach, 2006 - 2018

Favre's agent Buss Cook suggested his client would prefer Mariucci, not an endorsement from a guy often included in the list of McCarthy's mentorees during 1999, a silly inclusion in the list to start with.

Other than Rodgers, there wasn't much GB QB development going on before or after the 2010 CBA. That's understandable given a head oach has much more divided attention. Matt Flynn as a credible backup leads the list, a guy who was reportedly more interested in playing ping pong than studying the playbook during his excrutiatingly short stay in Seattle. Flynn evidently did not go to Seattle with much "doing it the right way" training.

Other drafted QBs during the McCarthy GB era were Ingle Martin, Brian Brohm, B.J. Coleman and Brent Hundley. There was also the acquisition of Kizer who McCarthy referred to as a first round talent.

Looking at McCarthy's record in its totality, the only 2 young QBs who achieved success under both his development and coaching were Brooks (modest success) and Rodgers (great success).

What we hear from his ex-QBs and other observers from McCarthy's QB Coach/OC years is a dedication to hard work and long hours and an attention to detail and process. This showed up in his ability to get guys ready to play who had little experience or coming off the bench. But the only real standout in the development and on-going coaching years is Rodgers. Otherwise, the successes were modest, brief, or came later under other coaches.

McCarthy as some kind of QB Yoda gained a lot more traction after Rodgers than it had before.

 

[rmontro]

It's sad to see that it seems you can't enjoy the team having won the Super Bowl that year because they made the playoffs as a wild card.

Besides, the 2007-2008 New York Giants were a wild card team, and they beat us in a year that we hosted the NFC Championship Game. What comes around, goes around. If they can do it, we can do it. As far as I'm concerned, the league owed us one.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

As far as I'm concerned, the league owed us one.

That's not how it works in my opinion. The point I was trying to make is that I don't care about the Packers having been a wild card in 2010 and I definitely wouldn't in the future as long as the team ends up hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

 

[Mondio]

I finally watched the induction, and I just hope the future is kind to Ted. I don't think anyone deserves what looks like is coming. I'm hoping for the best, despite what some might feel, the city and the organization owe a lot to this man.

 

[PackerDNA]

I give two thumbs up, a standing ovation, and many warm wishes and thanks to Ted for what he did here. In addition to turning a hot mess into a perrenial contender, his gutsy moves in drafting Rodgers and trading Favre, and bringing a Lombardi to Green Bay, there is something more for me.
Ted represented this organization and it's fans with class and dignity.
Bravo, sir, and congratulations on a well earned and deserved honor.

 

[longtimefan]

From a statement from Ted

https://www.packersnews.com/story/s...veals-diagnosis-autonomic-disorder/1132079001

“I have been diagnosed with an autonomic disorder,” Thompson said in the statement.”I feel that it’s important to mention that based on the test results and opinions of medical specialists, they feel that I do not fit the profile of someone suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

Late in the 2017 season, (president) Mark Murphy and I had a conversation about my health and future with the Packers,” Thompson said. “At that time, we mutually agreed that it was in the best interests of myself and the organization to step away from my role as general manager