Why I like Sherman

[Beab66]

If nothing else this should spark discussion.

1. Sherman is a tireless worker. One reason Ron Wolf gave him the job was his attention to detail. Many may disagree, but people within the organization say that Sherman is meticulous in his preparation for practice as well as games.

2. I like it when he stuck up for Clifton against Warren Sapp. Legal or not it was a cheap shot and Sapp really showed his class during the post game confrontation.

3. Sherman gives a s**t about Green Bay. Even though I idolize Lombardi and respect Holmgren, both coaches were from the coast and took the first flight out when things turned sour. Green Bay was really never home to them. It has been said that both Vince and Mike H. had an elitist attiude in GB towards midwesterners. I have never seen or heard of that attitude with Mike S.

4. If he's OK with Brett, he's OK with me. Some people think Sherman should periodically kick Brett's butt. Really people, only Brett kicks Brett's butt. I bet he does it everytime he watches game film with every mistake he makes. Brett doesn't go easy on Brett! This is only a guess but if Mike goes, Brett goes! In that case I stay with Mike!

I don't agree with all he has done. I can't forget 4th and 1 in Philly. If GB makes a 1st we never see 4th and 26 and the infamous interception. Finally, I know things are tough this year and I'm about to be bombarded on all sides by Sherman bashers,(Pack 66 and I are obviously not related), but hey, tickets are sure cheaper and easier to get this year AND IT'S STILL LAMBEAU FIELD!!!

 

[ricky]

Beab66 (this already makes me nervous, since "Beab" is only one letter away from "Bear". If you're expecting a rant, relax. Generally speaking, I don't do that. However, your defense of Sherman is wrong- headed. Comparing him Lombardi and Holmgren (the Packers only two Super Bowl coaches) is ludicrous. Your "coastal mentality" is seriously askew. Lombardi left because he knew the Packers were in decline, and left Bengtston with the (empty) bag, so to speak. Holmgren was power hungry, and wanted to be HC/GM. So what do the Packers do? Hire Rhodes (for PC reasons), then make Sherman HC/GM. A really bad move (especially on the GM front) in my opinion. You say he's a "tireless worker". I'd prefer a more efficient, effective worker. Lastly, you refer to Favre, saying, "If he's OK with Brett, he's OK with me." Good grief- that is why his record is as good as it is-FAVRE. Without Favre, he'd be Ray Rhodes Jr. Sherman could very well be an able and effective OC. As a head coach, he lacks the skill to motivate his players. As GM, he is almost toally clueless. Good grief, expect Sherman to be jettisoned as soon as Favre decides to retire. To me, the only reason the Packers are employing Sherman is because Favre doesn't like change.

 

[musccy]

If MS lacks the skills to motivate his players, how did the team turn around a 1-4 season? How did the team win the division after being 4-5 games(?) behind MN in '03.

I disagree w/ what you say about Brett, Beab66. Nobody should be above the team, and that is how MS and his staff, maybe even the organization, treat him. Yes he's great, but the team is first, not Brett or anyone else for that matter.

 

[digsthepack]

Look, Sherman has a lot of nice qualities, but his weaknesses, such as: cronyism; poor clock management; lack of trust in his team (running all day long against the Eagles, and we don't go on 4th and 1); indecision at critical moments; passivity (the league has gotten aggressive, we run passive offense); inability to adjust ("hey, that's not what I saw on film all week...what the fudge"); not playing to the strengths of his QB...they are collectively killers. The guy works hard, truly loves the team/city/tradition of GB, but the bottom line is this guy has ben flatlining for several years with rapid decline now setting in. Let us not forget the team, every year under Sherman, failing to even show up against terribly inferior opponents..leading to critical losses.

Regardless of how this season turns out, I think change is in the air.

 

[DePack]

Great post Beab....I had the privilege to meet Sherman very briefly and you could tell he was a great man right away, but I'm afraid you are wasting your time sticking up for him. The hatred .....yes hatred......shown to him on this board is nauseating. For those of you bashers that say "I don't hate him....read your post". Only pack66 is man enough to admit that it IS personal....he hates him.

 

[digsthepack]

DePack, there is no hate, just a very CRITICAL analysis of how the team has performed under his leadership over the last 3 years of his tenure. The bottom line is nice don't cut it in the NFL, the job is to win, and MS is not getting the job done, hasn't for some time now. We have blown it on bad game management more in the last 2 or 3 years than I care to remember. If you cannot even enter that discussion with all the evidence that exists, then you are drinking from the punch bowl. As much as I respect your opinions, we just happen not to agree on this major issue.

Does that make me a bad man?!? LOL..c'mon, throwin me in with 66s hatefest..that's just cruel, man!!

 

[DePack]

This is deja vu...all over again. We had this conversation on a thread a month or so ago. I know I have green and gold colored glasses on and I have no problem with people speaking out against Sherman. You are not one that I speak of when I say Sherman hater. Your arguments for getting rid of him do not include personal attacks. They are well thought out criticism of his performance. The "hate" people are the one's that come on and say "he's a lard-***"...post unflattering pictures of him...call him names such as "*******"....general **** like that.

That being said I don't consider myself "drinking from the punch bowl" for supporting the man. I see a team that is not quiting despite dire circumstances. I see a team that has had everything go against them the last 4 weeks including an incredible minus 9 or 10 in the turnover column yet lose by 2, 1 and 3 points the past 3 weeks including an inspiring fourth quarter comeback attempt on the road against what many consider a Super Bowl calibre team. The injuries, penalties and turnovers have killed this team early on. I choose to believe that these things will even out over the course of the season and as long as Sherman keeps the guys fighting I think they will be there at the end. If the team quits on Sherman then I will join you in your call to oust him. But to this point they clearly have not.

If that's "drinking from the punchbowl", bring it on.....fill it up again...I'll keep proudly drinking........(however, if we keep losing I reserve the right to add a little grain alcohol to the punch!)

 

[digsthepack]

Would you prefer grape or wild berry flavor...hell, you can't taste ***** over the moonshine anyway. Drank some home-cooked with some of the Kilnbillies when I was down for the SB...that stuff is just plain mean..stomach took a week to fully recover.

 

[digsthepack]

musccy..perhaps it is because he has been blessed with a roster of predominately prideful players who will not lay down. Better yet, explain how, every year, MS teams fail to show up against terribly inferior teams and we are all stunned (well, perhaps not anymore) by the losses. How aboutthe coast jobs he pulls when he getsa lead instead of stepping harder on their throats (KC 2 years ago). That, sadly, comes from the top.

 

[musccy]

digs...in reference to the coast jobs...MS went for the throat v. the eagles in the playoffs in his first 4th and 1, yet he was criticized for that.

As for losing to lesser teams...he's not the only one...NE v. Miami last year, Pack v. Colts in '96? St. Louis v. San Fran this year....it happens to everyone...hence my least fav. word...parity.

The problem w/ the MS argument, is it seems like a lot of the arguments are subjective...how do you PROVE that it was playcalling vs. execution? How do you PROVE that the Packers would have been better off going for the 2nd 4th and 1 v. the eagles?!? I don't think you can, (but then isn't that the point of these message boards...hmmm, what the hell is my point then ).

Anyway, although I disagree w/ you, I certainly respect your opinion (a lot more so than someone else on the board who shares your views), and like DePack said...if it turns out that the team abandons MS, then at that point, I will agree that he needs to be fired (although I still have a hard time faulting him (at least to the degree that he has been) for much of what has occurred).

 

[Packman4Favre]

Look, Sherman has a lot of nice qualities, but his weaknesses, such as: cronyism; poor clock management; lack of trust in his team (running all day long against the Eagles, and we don't go on 4th and 1); indecision at critical moments; passivity (the league has gotten aggressive, we run passive offense); inability to adjust ("hey, that's not what I saw on film all week...what the fudge"); not playing to the strengths of his QB...they are collectively killers. The guy works hard, truly loves the team/city/tradition of GB, but the bottom line is this guy has ben flatlining for several years with rapid decline now setting in. Let us not forget the team, every year under Sherman, failing to even show up against terribly inferior opponents..leading to critical losses.

Regardless of how this season turns out, I think change is in the air.

Amen to the entire statement Digs !

Nobody is doubting Sherman's character or desire, we are questioning his ability to be the Head Coach of the finest organization/team in professional sports!

The fact is that his teams always underachieve.

 

[TOPackerFan]

I don't think his teams always underachieve, but Mike Sherman clearly has shortcomings as a head coach. The problem is, I'm not sure who would be a better coach should he be let go.

 

[Beab66]

You guys are great!!!! Allow me to react. I agrre with all the Favre comments so far except for the above the team one. Right now he IS the team. (we could do Brett bashing on another thread) I also agree with clock management (musccy) and cronyism (to a point). As Warren G. Harding said, "My enemies I can handle. It's my friends who are keeping me up nights." DePack, never met Sherman, but a friend of mine snuck into the players suite in Jacksonville the night before a Sun. nite game. As they were about to kick my friends butt out, Sherman intervened and had his picture taken with my friend and his wife. He has the photo on his desk as proof. As to 4th & goal and 4th &1. Lombardi,(may I speak his name in the same Paragraph as MS), learned his lesson in the same town in 1960. Take the points! And if you are going to run, don't pull a guard on the goal line! 4th & 1 in the 4th quarter, refer to Bob McGinns' column and Andy Reids' quote. McGinn received a sports writers award on the article questioning the call and Andy Reid said he called 2 timeouts just to rest his defeated D line. Reid said he also depended on Sherman's conservatism to bail the Eagles out. Last of all, Lombardi and Holmgren leaving. Don't get me wrong, they were both smart to do so. Read "When Pride Still Mattered." I met Vince's back door neighbor at a preseason game 3 years ago. He said his wife and Marie Lombardi were great friends. We talked for quite a while on just that topic. Then he sold me 4 tickets together for $5 over face and donates the profit to St. Norberts, his old alma mater. I guess the proof of Sherman's worth will be who takes him on if/when GB lets him go. Vikings fans can't believe Denny Green is still in the league! When Sherman is gone we can all send our resume' to: Bob Harlen 1265 Lombardi Ave. Green Bay, Wi. 54304

 

[Sterling]

Amen on Sherman. He is a man of integrity and class but sadly, he is just way to conservative to coach in this day and age. As to who would be better, well, that is up to someone who makes a whole lot more than I do to decide.
I just hope I'm not a full-blown alcoholic before this season ends. Monday night was bad and Tuesday morning, even worse.
Please, Packers, beat the Saints!