All Underrated Team: Three Packer Connections

[KYPack]

Hey, how about a post that ties it all together in one game. John Hadl, County Stadium, & the worst trade of all time?

Because as per usual, KY was there.

In October of '74, I went to Milwaukee with my crew of buddies to see the Pack play the LA rams. We all basically thought the Pack was gonna lose. The Rams were 12-2 the year before. One of their players I wanted to check-out was their QB, John Hadl. Hadl had been the NFC Most Valuable Player in '73. Hadl had also been a real big deal in the AFL for all those years, zinging long passes to Lance Alworth and those great Charger receivers. This shaped up to be a good ball game. It was a great game, but for the G&G, not the Lambs.

Hadl was impressive all right. He impressed me as a guy who was totally washed up. He looked shorter than he appeared in many highlight films of the past. He was stubby looking, short arms and legs. His passes were gross, his arm had apparently lost whatever zip it had once had. The Packer D was on fire, making 4 interceptions (3 by OLB Ted Hendricks). They added another TD on a punt return. The Rams benched Hadl in the 3rd quarter. He slumped on the bench and took off his Rams Horn blue helmet. He got lots of static for displaying his bald head while he was hunkered down on the Pine. The last pass he tossed would be the last ball he ever threw for the LA Rams. How Devine could make the trade he would pull 10 days later is beyond me. Five high draft picks over the next 3 years. 2 #1's, 2 # 2s, and a third. Ridiculous price for a has-been QB.


But Devine did have to do something. Packer QB Jerry Tagge was even worse. Tagge completed all of TWO passes. For a net yardage -1 yard. It remains today as the most pathetic display of QBing a team that I have ever seen. Tagge matched Hadl in another category. His last pass was the last one he ever threw for GB.

Tagge's trade value was zero. but so was Hadl. LA had one thing in it's favor. They had a pigeon in Dan Devine. And pluck their pigeon they did. Devine didn't care.

After the last game with Atlanta, pigeon Devine flew the coop for South Bend. He got the ND college job and never paid any attention to the carnage he caused in GB.

DD was a fool and an asshole.

[swede]

DD was a fool and an asshole.

...and his dog agrees.

[QBME]

Hey, how about a post that ties it all together in one game. John Hadl, County Stadium, & the worst trade of all time?

Because as per usual, KY was there.

In October of '74, I went to Milwaukee with my crew of buddies to see the Pack play the LA rams. We all basically thought the Pack was gonna lose. The Rams were 12-2 the year before. One of their players I wanted to check-out was their QB, John Hadl. Hadl had been the NFC Most Valuable Player in '73. Hadl had also been a real big deal in the AFL for all those years, zinging long passes to Lance Alworth and those great Charger receivers. This shaped up to be a good ball game. It was a great game, but for the G&G, not the Lambs.

Hadl was impressive all right. He impressed me as a guy who was totally washed up. He looked shorter than he appeared in many highlight films of the past. He was stubby looking, short arms and legs. His passes were gross, his arm had apparently lost whatever zip it had once had. The Packer D was on fire, making 4 interceptions (3 by OLB Ted Hendricks). They added another TD on a punt return. The Rams benched Hadl in the 3rd quarter. He slumped on the bench and took off his Rams Horn blue helmet. He got lots of static for displaying his bald head while he was hunkered down on the Pine. The last pass he tossed would be the last ball he ever threw for the LA Rams. How Devine could make the trade he would pull 10 days later is beyond me. Five high draft picks over the next 3 years. 2 #1's, 2 # 2s, and a third. Ridiculous price for a has-been QB.


But Devine did have to do something. Packer QB Jerry Tagge was even worse. Tagge completed all of TWO passes. For a net yardage -1 yard. It remains today as the most pathetic display of QBing a team that I have ever seen. Tagge matched Hadl in another category. His last pass was the last one he ever threw for GB.

Tagge's trade value was zero. but so was Hadl. LA had one thing in it's favor. They had a pigeon in Dan Devine. And pluck their pigeon they did. Devine didn't care.

After the last game with Atlanta, pigeon Devine flew the coop for South Bend. He got the ND college job and never paid any attention to the carnage he caused in GB.

DD was a fool and an asshole.

Hey KY, no shit, I was at that game. My first Packer game. Please let me know if my memory serves me correct - on one of the first snap's of the game the Rams quarterback bobbled the ball, picked it up and ran something like 44 yards for the TD. Either that or Hadl fumbled, the Rams picked it up and ran it back. Either way, the rout was on, but I held out hope, still being sealed in my plastic bag of innocence.

It was a nice, sunny, warm day. We were sitting along the first base line.

[KYPack]

Hey KY, no shit, I was at that game. My first Packer game. Please let me know if my memory serves me correct - on one of the first snap's of the game the Rams quarterback bobbled the ball, picked it up and ran something like 44 yards for the TD. Either that or Hadl fumbled, the Rams picked it up and ran it back. Either way, the rout was on, but I held out hope, still being sealed in my plastic bag of innocence.

It was a nice, sunny, warm day. We were sitting along the first base line.

Man, We were behind the Rams bench, that was way down the right field (1st base I guess). At the County, both teams benches were on the same side of the field. No Ram scored a TD that day. They were limited to 2 FG's. Some goofy shit happened in the Rams last drive, when James Harris took over for Hadl. I don't remember a QB fumble, but hell, it could've happened.

That was a weird game in several respects. Bad blood developed btw both teams. The Rams thought they had the game in the bag and weren't ready for the ferocity displayed by both Packer lines. The crowd got into it and the Rams got frustrated and pissed. Neither team could pass the ball. Hadl complete 6 passes and Tagge completed 2. Early on, Tagge threw a ridiculous pass that was underthrown by 10 yards or more. A Ram DB picked it up on the bounce and made a mock return with the ball, to the laughter of the Rams on the sideline. Hendricks, Freddy Carr and other Packers were up and screaming at the Rams. it was on. Both teams had to rely on running the ball bc of the inept play at QB. it was like a game from the 1920's.

I had a great time, it was probably the best game of a shit year for the Pack.

[esoxx]

Man, We were behind the Rams bench, that was way down the right field (1st base I guess). At the County, both teams benches were on the same side of the field. No Ram scored a TD that day. They were limited to 2 FG's. Some goofy shit happened in the Rams last drive, when James Harris took over for Hadl. I don't remember a QB fumble, but hell, it could've happened.

That was a weird game in several respects. Bad blood developed btw both teams. The Rams thought they had the game in the bag and weren't ready for the ferocity displayed by both Packer lines. The crowd got into it and the Rams got frustrated and pissed. Neither team could pass the ball. Hadl complete 6 passes and Tagge completed 2. Early on, Tagge threw a ridiculous pass that was underthrown by 10 yards or more. A Ram DB picked it up on the bounce and made a mock return with the ball, to the laughter of the Rams on the sideline. Hendricks, Freddy Carr and other Packers were up and screaming at the Rams. it was on. Both teams had to rely on running the ball bc of the inept play at QB. it was like a game from the 1920's.
I had a great time, it was probably the best game of a shit year for the Pack.

Good stuff KY. Go to about the 16:15 mark to check out the game highlights: