motife
06-07-2006, 08:30 PM
McCarthy's new 'culture' cloaked in secrecy
Posted: June 7, 2006
Rick Braun
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Green Bay - For just a fleeting moment, the thought arose that the Green Bay Packers could be a bit better in 2006 than all the experts are projecting.
With the drafting of linebacker A.J. Hawk and the signings of defensive tackle Ryan Pickett, cornerback Charles Woodson and safety Marquand Manuel, the potential exists for a very strong defensive unit.
Then something happens that makes you wonder.
When the Packers opened up their series of organized team activities last Wednesday, new coach Mike McCarthy met with reporters on the side of the Clark Hinkle field after the practice, as is the custom.
And what he said made one wonder if he has a grasp on this thing at all.
When asked about the numerous absences, McCarthy had this to say:
"We're in the process of changing a culture as far as how off-seasons have gone here in the past."
Well, they sure are. The question is whether it's a positive changing of the culture.
Among the absent from the opening practice were seven players who are strongly written in as starters and one more who is expected to compete strongly for a starting job.
The seven were: Cornerbacks Al Harris and Woodson; safety Nick Collins; Hawk; Pickett; wide receiver Donald Driver; and tight end Bubba Franks. The one player not yet written in as a starter, but expected to compete for a starting job was defensive tackle Corey Williams.
Hawk is not allowed to attend the camp until classes are finished at Ohio State. There's nothing the Packers can do about that. It's a National Football League rule.
But where were the others?
Harris is absent in an apparent gesture of unhappiness over his contract. McCarthy said Woodson was out of the country. Williams was stranded when his flight out of Little Rock, Ark., was cancelled on Tuesday evening. And how about this one: Driver apparently misread his schedule and thought the camp started Thursday. With the fact that the remaining weeks of the OTAs include off days on Wednesday, we can cut Driver some slack. He's never been a problem man before and he was on the field and ready to go on Thursday.
But the rest of the absentees - Pickett, Collins and Franks - were what McCarthy described as "guys missing with personal matters."
With Harris and Woodson not in camp, third-year cornerback Ahmad Carroll would have gotten a lot of work. Problem is, he didn't arrive until Thursday and was gone by Friday. He wasn't back in camp on Monday, either.
McCarthy has scheduled the 14 organized team activities over 3½ weeks. To have perfect attendance for voluntary workouts from all his veterans over such a prolonged portion of the off-season simply isn't realistic. With training camp opening up in the last week of July, June is the one month players - especially players with kids of school age - can schedule such things as family vacations, charity events and the like.
Wide receiver Rod Gardner made his first appearance on Monday after having to miss the first three workouts while he completed the closing on the sale of 39 property lots.
Safety Mark Roman also made his first appearance on Monday, saying he made a commitment for the end of last week before the 2005 season had even ended.
Simply put, it's difficult to believe that all is well when so many players are in and out. McCarthy talked about changing a culture. But recall that two years ago it was a big deal when one player - Cletidus Hunt - wasn't in attendance.
Then there was the curious case of quarterback Brett Favre.
On Friday McCarthy said Favre would be at the workouts all of the following week. But there was no sign of Favre on Monday. He wasn't on the field, he wasn't in the locker room. He was said to be somewhere in the Lambeau Field complex, but no one was saying for sure.
McCarthy was not scheduled to meet with reporters after the Monday practice. When reporters requested that McCarthy at least address where Favre was on Monday, McCarthy eventually sent word that he would address the situation after the Tuesday morning practice.
Finally, late in the day the Packers informed the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Todd Rosiak that Favre spent the morning in a weight-room workout and was excused from practice. But why did getting that simple nugget of information take such pulling of teeth?
It's not like there was some strategic advantage to holding back such a simple bit of information.
Something seems amiss. And until the veil of unnecessary secrecy is lifted, it will be hard to convince anyone that all is well.
Posted: June 7, 2006
Rick Braun
Green Bay - For just a fleeting moment, the thought arose that the Green Bay Packers could be a bit better in 2006 than all the experts are projecting.
With the drafting of linebacker A.J. Hawk and the signings of defensive tackle Ryan Pickett, cornerback Charles Woodson and safety Marquand Manuel, the potential exists for a very strong defensive unit.
Then something happens that makes you wonder.
When the Packers opened up their series of organized team activities last Wednesday, new coach Mike McCarthy met with reporters on the side of the Clark Hinkle field after the practice, as is the custom.
And what he said made one wonder if he has a grasp on this thing at all.
When asked about the numerous absences, McCarthy had this to say:
"We're in the process of changing a culture as far as how off-seasons have gone here in the past."
Well, they sure are. The question is whether it's a positive changing of the culture.
Among the absent from the opening practice were seven players who are strongly written in as starters and one more who is expected to compete strongly for a starting job.
The seven were: Cornerbacks Al Harris and Woodson; safety Nick Collins; Hawk; Pickett; wide receiver Donald Driver; and tight end Bubba Franks. The one player not yet written in as a starter, but expected to compete for a starting job was defensive tackle Corey Williams.
Hawk is not allowed to attend the camp until classes are finished at Ohio State. There's nothing the Packers can do about that. It's a National Football League rule.
But where were the others?
Harris is absent in an apparent gesture of unhappiness over his contract. McCarthy said Woodson was out of the country. Williams was stranded when his flight out of Little Rock, Ark., was cancelled on Tuesday evening. And how about this one: Driver apparently misread his schedule and thought the camp started Thursday. With the fact that the remaining weeks of the OTAs include off days on Wednesday, we can cut Driver some slack. He's never been a problem man before and he was on the field and ready to go on Thursday.
But the rest of the absentees - Pickett, Collins and Franks - were what McCarthy described as "guys missing with personal matters."
With Harris and Woodson not in camp, third-year cornerback Ahmad Carroll would have gotten a lot of work. Problem is, he didn't arrive until Thursday and was gone by Friday. He wasn't back in camp on Monday, either.
McCarthy has scheduled the 14 organized team activities over 3½ weeks. To have perfect attendance for voluntary workouts from all his veterans over such a prolonged portion of the off-season simply isn't realistic. With training camp opening up in the last week of July, June is the one month players - especially players with kids of school age - can schedule such things as family vacations, charity events and the like.
Wide receiver Rod Gardner made his first appearance on Monday after having to miss the first three workouts while he completed the closing on the sale of 39 property lots.
Safety Mark Roman also made his first appearance on Monday, saying he made a commitment for the end of last week before the 2005 season had even ended.
Simply put, it's difficult to believe that all is well when so many players are in and out. McCarthy talked about changing a culture. But recall that two years ago it was a big deal when one player - Cletidus Hunt - wasn't in attendance.
Then there was the curious case of quarterback Brett Favre.
On Friday McCarthy said Favre would be at the workouts all of the following week. But there was no sign of Favre on Monday. He wasn't on the field, he wasn't in the locker room. He was said to be somewhere in the Lambeau Field complex, but no one was saying for sure.
McCarthy was not scheduled to meet with reporters after the Monday practice. When reporters requested that McCarthy at least address where Favre was on Monday, McCarthy eventually sent word that he would address the situation after the Tuesday morning practice.
Finally, late in the day the Packers informed the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Todd Rosiak that Favre spent the morning in a weight-room workout and was excused from practice. But why did getting that simple nugget of information take such pulling of teeth?
It's not like there was some strategic advantage to holding back such a simple bit of information.
Something seems amiss. And until the veil of unnecessary secrecy is lifted, it will be hard to convince anyone that all is well.