Mike McCarthy Interview in JSO

[Fritz]

I just finished reading the interview (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=791574) with Mike McCarthy.

I really, really like that guy. He called out Bob McGinn on two points, particularly, on which McGinn was deserving of being called out:

1. The zone scheme - McCarthy basically told McGinn, look, dude, you clearly don't understand our scheme. It's not just this zone scheme - there are variations. MM tried to explain to McGinn how it actually works.

2. My favorite part - McGinn says, okay, there's been a lot of hypotheticals about Brett Favre - if this, if that. Enough of that. Now reality is here..so tell me...blah blah blah....IF this happens, then how would you feel about...blah blah blah. And MM - correctly - said, basically, dude, you said enough hypotheticals - and then you asked me a hypothetical.

Man, I like MM. He's got this team focused. He did admit his biggest concern is the injury problem they've had the last few weeks. He points out that the offseason program participation was great, the continuity of systems, both offensive and defensive, is good (3 years in one and 4 in the other), and that he thinks this team is talented.

The guy seems to be a straight shooter and he seems also to know how to be a leader. I like him. I think he's a very good coach. Makes me feel better about this season.

[pbmax]

McCarthy's Season Opening Interview With McGinn

I liked the interview as well and thought McCarthy did very well. He clearly has come a long way from his first year in dealing with the media.

And I loved the exchange between the McGinn and McCarthy over the run scheme. It was just pointed enough of a question to get a direct response from the coach, rare in this day and age. M3 flat out told him what they were running instead of dancing around the issue and offering platitudes.

Good stuff. M3 also joked that McGinn was killing him with talk of the ZBS scheme. It seems our coach might be reading the paper. Bravo to both.

[mraynrand]

I read that exchange with the ZBS too. The underlying message was the comparison between ZBS and power running, which we've kicked around here quite a bit. McCarthy basically said they mixed in the power running and then said that they have some young guys so leave it at that. What I took from that is that they want to be able to run with more power in certain places and that they think their young guys will eventually get that done. I''m thinking Sitton and others. Colledge was supposed to be stronger this year as well. Spitz got pushed pretty good at LG, but maybe he's better at RG - but we may never see that with Wells' situation. In any case, McCarthy thinks they're gonna get better. I'm willing to believe he's right.

[Scott Campbell]

One impressive dude. Great hire.

[mraynrand]

One impressive dude. Great hire.

Agree. But I can't believe he works out 50 minutes 5 times a week. He would have to be a lot slimmer. Unless, he's growing like a crystal or by sucking in orbiting debris, like Denny Green.

[Scott Campbell]

Maybe he's just naturally husky. Fat and fit.

I dunno.

[Pugger]

I'm a big MM fan too. I'm glad he took the high road about Brett. I personally think it was McCarthy who wanted to move on with Rodgers more than TT. Remember, it was MM who talked to Brett for all of those hours and not TT. Because MM wasn't satisfied with some of Brett's responses during those marthon talks Brett is now playing in NJ. Don't the coaches have more control on who starts rather than the GM?

[pbmax]

I think the plan was eventually to do both this year with Barbre, or an improved Colledge. When Sitton came on, then I think light bulbs went on seeing the much stouter Spitz at Center with an even bigger Sitton at Guard. Too bad injuries have scrambled that plan.

I wouldn't be surprised to see that lineup again at some point this season (Clifton, Colledge/Barbre, Spitz, Sitton, Tauscher)

I read that exchange with the ZBS too. The underlying message was the comparison between ZBS and power running, which we've kicked around here quite a bit. McCarthy basically said they mixed in the power running and then said that they have some young guys so leave it at that. What I took from that is that they want to be able to run with more power in certain places and that they think their young guys will eventually get that done. I''m thinking Sitton and others. Colledge was supposed to be stronger this year as well. Spitz got pushed pretty good at LG, but maybe he's better at RG - but we may never see that with Wells' situation. In any case, McCarthy thinks they're gonna get better. I'm willing to believe he's right.

[RashanGary]

You can work out 5 days a week and if you're eating enough you'll still gain weight.

[The Gunshooter]

Maybe he's just naturally husky. Fat and fit.

I dunno.

Like Abe Gibron.

[boiga]

M3 has been doing all sorts of interviews lately.

Here's Glazer's phone chat with him: http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=...4-2b3bf4295c76

Also, GBPG has a looong interview here: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/...375/1954/PKR03

It's a good one though, with quality insight into our D, OL, and TE's. He also looks back to the NFCC:

Q: What about a situation or situations in the game that you'd like to have over?

McCarthy: "I know people were saying you should have called the timeout (before the game-winning field goal), but the information I had, what we do every game is to mark the wind, and I think he kicked it from the 31-yard line (actually the 29). He was right on the line of where we felt the max distance was, and he already missed two. I think it was Jeff Bergman, who was the (line judge), and I went right over and stood next to him. I told Joe Philbin on the headset to get the offense ready because he's not going to hit this. It's too far. I thought about calling the timeout, but my fear was that I'd call timeout and he'd miss it (and then he would get another attempt). As soon as the ball hit off his foot, I knew we were in trouble. Plays and decisions, any play caller goes through the game and says what about this and what about that. I thought our guys played well. I was pleased with the way they went after it. There were just some situations that we didn't do very a good job in. We didn't get off the field on third down. The punting, we never changed the field position. We were making the same mistakes, and the momentum shifts that you can't get back, those are the things that I've actually written down and learned from and said how do you change that? You have to get that field position changed because of the weather and the type of game we were in. But I have no regrets. Our team was prepared, played hard, but we didn't do the things we needed to do to win the game."

That also explain why Ryan was let go, doesn't it?

Edit: For another interview, here's his conference call transcript with the Minn reporters: http://www.packers.com/news/releases/2008/09/05/1/ Most of it is standard M3 BSing reporters, but he explained how Lumps impressed.

What do you think about the rookie running back (Kregg) Lumpkin?
Tough. Tough guy. Runs hard. (He's) another player who took advantage of his opportunities every time he went out there. He started the Family Night scrimmage and I was not very encouraged with some of the things he did in the early part of the scrimmage. As it went on, he made some plays that definitely got your attention. In Week 1 against Cincinnati, he did some things. In the second week at San Francisco, he ran harder and started picking up the blitz protection. He's a physical guy. I like his size and strength. He's done a very good job for a young guy, particularly on third down with pressure schemes and so forth from a pass-protection perspective. I think he's a young man with a bright future.

[bobblehead]

Again, if anyone could supply the exact quote...I can't find it, but this is why I love MM:

We'll play them in the parking lot, Dallas, Texas, it doesn't matter. I'm not concerned with that. (edited)
---after the loss to dallas last season.

[BallHawk]

JSO content removed

Great response by Mike. Gotta love his attitude.

[pbmax]

McCarthy Friday After Dallas Game 2007

(How do you think this group will respond to their first loss in a while?)
They're going to respond. I tell you what, I like our football team. I'll take this football team anywhere. I'm not concerned about what this game means, not at all. We'll play anybody, and I think we've proven that. I think we've proven that because of the way we play on the road. We'll play them in the parking lot, Dallas, Texas, it doesn't matter. I'm not concerned with that. I'm about one thing. We're about winning football games and improving, and that game last night, we had some things that jumped up and bit us, and we need to fix that, because we're too far in our season to have the mistakes that we made last night. Whether it's the big-time environment, maybe that was it, but I tell you what, we'll learn from it, and that's my job. We'll take Tuesday, we'll work on Dallas and do some self-scout things. We're going to treat this like a bye week, and we're going to clean some things up and get ready for the fourth quarter of our season.

[texaspackerbacker]

I guess the trend these days--a very good trend IMO, is to "dis" the media and challenge their credibility--in a lot of contexts. With all due modesty, I'd say I'm ahead of the curve on that.

As for McGinn, years ago, before I even started posting at JSOnline--when it was still just responding with emails, I expressed disgust for McGinn--style, substance (or lack of it) and attitude.

I just HATE--and always have--his "somebody else's dumbass scout says such and such about the Packers". And maybe we don't want ALL of our local media to be homers, but this fool, he shows NO ALLEGIANCE/NO CARING whatsoever about the Packers.

Give us objective facts! If you give us any opinions at all, they damn well better be from the Packer and Packer fan point of view.