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Posted from PACKERSNEWS PREMIUM
Posted Oct. 01, 2005
Mike Sherman
This team is solid, like a bridge
After analyzing a video of Carolina’s red-zone offense and defense on Wednesday night, I shut off my monitor and swung my chair around and looked out my office window onto Lombardi Avenue.
Not much traffic on this rainy evening, with the exception of an occasional car traveling east or westbound in front of Lambeau Field.
As I looked up off the street onto the skyline of west Green Bay, I couldn’t help but notice sets of lights moving in an irregular pattern through the sky near the mouth of the bay. The lights would trail off, only to have another set take its place.
It was an overcast night and difficult to see far in the darkness, yet these lights kept moving over the tree line and then disappearing, only to be replaced by another set of lights. It was somewhat disconcerting because I had never seen this phenomenon before.
Austin Straubel Airport was not in that vicinity, and these lights were too low to be airplanes. They were moving, so I knew they weren’t from any of the industrial towers in the area. I was stumped. After a short time, I realized that they were cars traveling over the Leo Frigo Bridge.
I couldn’t see the bridge because it was a dark and overcast night, but I knew it was in that vicinity. These were the headlights of cars passing from one side of the bridge to the other — even though an optical illusion might have suggested something else.
I also knew that when I came back to work in the morning, when the first daybreak hit, I’d see that bridge. It’s a bridge I’ve crossed many times, and even though I didn’t see it through the rain and darkness of the night, I trusted it was there.
When I look at our team, there have been some disconcerting and unexplainable events this season, as well. Much as I saw those unusual lights jetting across the tree tops, I see the unusual situation we are in this season.
But just as I trusted those lights were coming from traffic over a bridge I couldn’t see, so, too, do I trust the Green Bay Packers football team will resume its identity as a winning team — even though being winless causes great concern for our players, coaches and fans.
I’ve traveled over the Leo Frigo Bridge many times on my way to Door County, to go fishing, or to go on vacation with my family. I do not think twice while crossing it that it will get me safely to the other side. The foundation of that bridge is solid — built of steel, concrete footings and wire. It has a great history of transporting people from one side of Green Bay to the other.
This team also has a solid foundation. We have a group of men with great character and determination. We, much like that bridge, have a great history. I do not hesitate to think that we will win as we have in the past. I trust in that. I believe in that.
I know these can be difficult times. But these also are times of great challenge. My experience always has been that adversity can unite or divide. It can make you stronger or weaker. It creates an opportunity to show great or little character. It clearly separates the selfless from the selfish.
Just as those steel beams support the integrity of the bridge, so do the leaders of this football team support the integrity of this team.
As disconcerting as seeing those lights initially were to me, so, too, has this season been disconcerting.
But just as as I knew when I left the office that night that the sun would rise and we’d see the Leo Frigo Bridge and that would answer the question of the lights, so, too, will the sun eventually shine on this football team and show what its true character is and answer the question of this season.
Hopefully, when that time comes, we all will be pleased by what we see. I am counting on that.
Mike Sherman is the coach of the Green Bay Packers. His column appears in Packers Preview each week.
======================================
RAH RAH RAH ! ! ! Opnions, people!
Posted Oct. 01, 2005
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Mike Sherman
This team is solid, like a bridge
After analyzing a video of Carolina’s red-zone offense and defense on Wednesday night, I shut off my monitor and swung my chair around and looked out my office window onto Lombardi Avenue.
Not much traffic on this rainy evening, with the exception of an occasional car traveling east or westbound in front of Lambeau Field.
As I looked up off the street onto the skyline of west Green Bay, I couldn’t help but notice sets of lights moving in an irregular pattern through the sky near the mouth of the bay. The lights would trail off, only to have another set take its place.
It was an overcast night and difficult to see far in the darkness, yet these lights kept moving over the tree line and then disappearing, only to be replaced by another set of lights. It was somewhat disconcerting because I had never seen this phenomenon before.
Austin Straubel Airport was not in that vicinity, and these lights were too low to be airplanes. They were moving, so I knew they weren’t from any of the industrial towers in the area. I was stumped. After a short time, I realized that they were cars traveling over the Leo Frigo Bridge.
I couldn’t see the bridge because it was a dark and overcast night, but I knew it was in that vicinity. These were the headlights of cars passing from one side of the bridge to the other — even though an optical illusion might have suggested something else.
I also knew that when I came back to work in the morning, when the first daybreak hit, I’d see that bridge. It’s a bridge I’ve crossed many times, and even though I didn’t see it through the rain and darkness of the night, I trusted it was there.
When I look at our team, there have been some disconcerting and unexplainable events this season, as well. Much as I saw those unusual lights jetting across the tree tops, I see the unusual situation we are in this season.
But just as I trusted those lights were coming from traffic over a bridge I couldn’t see, so, too, do I trust the Green Bay Packers football team will resume its identity as a winning team — even though being winless causes great concern for our players, coaches and fans.
I’ve traveled over the Leo Frigo Bridge many times on my way to Door County, to go fishing, or to go on vacation with my family. I do not think twice while crossing it that it will get me safely to the other side. The foundation of that bridge is solid — built of steel, concrete footings and wire. It has a great history of transporting people from one side of Green Bay to the other.
This team also has a solid foundation. We have a group of men with great character and determination. We, much like that bridge, have a great history. I do not hesitate to think that we will win as we have in the past. I trust in that. I believe in that.
I know these can be difficult times. But these also are times of great challenge. My experience always has been that adversity can unite or divide. It can make you stronger or weaker. It creates an opportunity to show great or little character. It clearly separates the selfless from the selfish.
Just as those steel beams support the integrity of the bridge, so do the leaders of this football team support the integrity of this team.
As disconcerting as seeing those lights initially were to me, so, too, has this season been disconcerting.
But just as as I knew when I left the office that night that the sun would rise and we’d see the Leo Frigo Bridge and that would answer the question of the lights, so, too, will the sun eventually shine on this football team and show what its true character is and answer the question of this season.
Hopefully, when that time comes, we all will be pleased by what we see. I am counting on that.
Mike Sherman is the coach of the Green Bay Packers. His column appears in Packers Preview each week.
======================================
RAH RAH RAH ! ! ! Opnions, people!
