National Football Post: Randy Moss and the Green Bay Packers

[pbmax]

Reading the stuff Aaron Rodgers is putting out there RE: a possible acquisition of Bills RB, Marshawn Lynch:

Makes me want to unload my true feeling RE: the botched, yet very possible and affordable Randy Moss acqisition for our 2007 season.

It seems that if Aaron didn't learn alot from Brett Favre under his tutilege. Aaron learned that it is OK to speak your mind to the press Re: matters that are (according to certain members of PackerRats) the exclusive ordain of the teams GM to deal with.

I wonder if Aaron Rodgers will be advised to keep his feelings to himself RE: such matters concerning player movement and aquisitions and media questions in regards to these matters?

Will MM and / or TT be advising Aaron to make the Ole ' no comment response ' to such questions in the future? I'm thinking of the shit that sort of thing got Brett Favre into.

GO PACKERS!

If Rodgers goes on National TV to complain he expects to be listened to and is disappointed he wasn't, then I think he would get the same advice.

When he offers an endorsement of a former teammate in response to a hypothetical question from the Packer front office, then the QB is on different ground. If he appears on The View to complain, then the advice might change.

[RashanGary]

We knew a lot of that stuff. Nothing here shocks me.

The thing that's nice to read is that Brandt seems to think Brett was furious that they didn't acquire the players Brett wanted, so he was furious. With that, to me, it further shows that Ted made the right decision. Brett's attitude was becoming toxic.

[sharpe1027]

Reading the stuff Aaron Rodgers is putting out there RE: a possible acquisition of Bills RB, Marshawn Lynch:

Makes me want to unload my true feeling RE: the botched, yet very possible and affordable Randy Moss acqisition for our 2007 season.

It seems that if Aaron didn't learn alot from Brett Favre under his tutilege. Aaron learned that it is OK to speak your mind to the press Re: matters that are (according to certain members of PackerRats) the exclusive ordain of the teams GM to deal with.

I wonder if Aaron Rodgers will be advised to keep his feelings to himself RE: such matters concerning player movement and aquisitions and media questions in regards to these matters?

Will MM and / or TT be advising Aaron to make the Ole ' no comment response ' to such questions in the future? I'm thinking of the shit that sort of thing got Brett Favre into.

GO PACKERS!

I think that the comparison is a bit off. Now, if A Rod gets pissed after M. Lynch is not signed and then tries to force his way out, you might have a decent comparison.

[bobblehead]

Reading the stuff Aaron Rodgers is putting out there RE: a possible acquisition of Bills RB, Marshawn Lynch:

Makes me want to unload my true feeling RE: the botched, yet very possible and affordable Randy Moss acqisition for our 2007 season.

It seems that if Aaron didn't learn alot from Brett Favre under his tutilege. Aaron learned that it is OK to speak your mind to the press Re: matters that are (according to certain members of PackerRats) the exclusive ordain of the teams GM to deal with.

I wonder if Aaron Rodgers will be advised to keep his feelings to himself RE: such matters concerning player movement and aquisitions and media questions in regards to these matters?

Will MM and / or TT be advising Aaron to make the Ole ' no comment response ' to such questions in the future? I'm thinking of the shit that sort of thing got Brett Favre into.

GO PACKERS!

In your mind I'm sure the situations are identical.

[Lurker64]

We knew a lot of that stuff. Nothing here shocks me.

The thing that's nice to read is that Brandt seems to think Brett was furious that they didn't acquire the players Brett wanted, so he was furious. With that, to me, it further shows that Ted made the right decision. Brett's attitude was becoming toxic.

It's certainly not a good idea to let players have significant input on a GM's decisions. Whether that player is the quarterback or the longsnapper, or whatever. Just like a GM shouldn't advise a QB on passing mechanics because the GM is not an expert, the QB shouldn't advise the GM on personnel decisions because the QB is not an expert.

The extent of player input on potential personnel decisions should be if the GM or coach feels the need to ask a player "would you be okay with bringing in [whoever]?", in cases where the answer is not obviously yes, since locker room harmony is one of the things a GM has to juggle. But players are a only resource for the GM when it comes to making personnel decisions ("you played with this guy at [place], anything you want me to know about him?"), they shouldn't actually have any input on the final decision.

[mngolf19]

So.... he's clearly going to be a viking again?

no...he's going to the highest bidder.

That could still end up the Vikes. Wilf was pissed when McCombs traded him just before the sale of the team. They had a verbal agreement he wouldn't. So MN would welcome him back.

[Fritz]

We knew a lot of that stuff. Nothing here shocks me.

The thing that's nice to read is that Brandt seems to think Brett was furious that they didn't acquire the players Brett wanted, so he was furious. With that, to me, it further shows that Ted made the right decision. Brett's attitude was becoming toxic.

It's certainly not a good idea to let players have significant input on a GM's decisions. Whether that player is the quarterback or the longsnapper, or whatever. Just like a GM shouldn't advise a QB on passing mechanics because the GM is not an expert, the QB shouldn't advise the GM on personnel decisions because the QB is not an expert.

The extent of player input on potential personnel decisions should be if the GM or coach feels the need to ask a player "would you be okay with bringing in [whoever]?", in cases where the answer is not obviously yes, since locker room harmony is one of the things a GM has to juggle. But players are a only resource for the GM when it comes to making personnel decisions ("you played with this guy at [place], anything you want me to know about him?"), they shouldn't actually have any input on the final decision.

Here's where I have an issue - not with this post or with Lurk, but with the paradoxical nature of fan expectations. While I agree with Lurker in terms of the boldfaced type, you also hear lots of fans and media yapping that a guy's not a real superstar until he wins a SB. Or that if he's the team's MVP/best player part of his "leadership" role is to pressure the front office to bring in the right players.

It was the big complaint in Detroit about Barry Sanders: he wasn't a true "superstar" because he didn't lead the team. How did he fail to lead? He never went into the GM's office to tell them they needed to go out and get pieces X and Y to get the team to the SB.

I fervently disagree with that thinking. I don't think that if a player is a superstar he has any obligation to be a team leader, especially when that's supposed to include going to the GM with your suggestions and bitches.

So to the extent that there might be pressure on "superstars" to prove their ultimate worth by winning what is a team title (thus feeling responsible for a GM's moves), I can be sympathetic to Favre.

[Cheesehead Craig]

It's good to see the myth of TT going to bed thinking he had a deal only to lose the player over a draft pick get debunked.

Nothing was botched on this deal, the Packers actually tried to lock him in for a longer term deal.

[Pugger]

Just as I suspected, Favre became unhappy in GB after Sherman left. Sherman treated him like royalty. I laugh when folks suggest Favre left GB because he wanted to 'win now' when you consider the team TT assembled played in the conference championship game in Jan. 2008. You could have knocked me over with a feather when #4 "retired" that March. Why would a player want to leave a team just weeks after playing for the Super Bowl? After reading Brandt's article it is clear to me that indeed Favre was unhappy because he no longer had the ear of the GM and wanted to go to a team like the Vikes that would cater to his every whim.

[MJZiggy]

Just as I suspected, Favre became unhappy in GB after Sherman left. Sherman treated him like royalty. I laugh when folks suggest Favre left GB because he wanted to 'win now' when you consider the team TT assembled played in the conference championship game in Jan. 2008. You could have knocked me over with a feather when #4 "retired" that March. Why would a player want to leave a team just weeks after playing for the Super Bowl? After reading Brandt's article it is clear to me that indeed Favre was unhappy because he no longer had the ear of the GM and wanted to go to a team like the Vikes that would cater to his every whim.

And cater they do...

[MichiganPackerFan]

I like Brandt's writing more each time I read one of his articles. He provides a behind the scenes look at the administrative operations of a football team. Are there any writers that break down the X's & O's in a manner that would help me better understand the plays ON the field?

My biggest complaint about Sherman (the GM) was that he paid big dollars for players with little to no upside, so the team never had a chance to improve or remain competitive. TT contrarily has been responsible for keeping a competitive team on the field by skillfully assessing the salary cap (when in place) and the potential for team growth. I hope the fruits of the labor arrive soon!