Post Game Chat With Cleft Crusty

[Cleft Crusty]

Hi Packer fans. Your pal Cleft Crusty will be here after the game to take your questions. Even though it's after my bedtime, I'll stay up for at least an hour to answer your questions following the Packers - Eagles Monday Night Football game. As ususal, all questions are fair play, but recall, I especially like to field questions concerning whether or not I'm a fan of the Packers, my emotional involvement in the game, and Matt Millen's exceptional run as a GM. Comments praising me and my work at the paper to remain unnamed are always answered first. I especially like when people reference the book "Mudbaths and Bloodbaths," which will break 1,000,000th in ranking at amazon.com just as soon as someone buys a copy. I'll hold out here in the depths of Lincoln Financial Field to answer questions as long as my heart medicine allows.

[ahaha]

I'll start off with a pre-game question. Thanks for taking it Christl, I mean Crusty.

"Does it hurt when you pull your head out of your ass to brush your teeth?"

[Bretsky]

Should be interesting to see what the Happy Packer Fan has to say after this game.

B

[Fosco33]

Q: How's Millen handling all the success for the Lions this year? Seriously though, how'd you rank the 2ndry performance for the Packers tonight? This is in advance of my expectations - which are not high.

[Bretsky]

Dear Cliff,

What actually makes you qualified to be an expert on the Green Bay Packers ? Does your distaste for them slant you to the negative on a consistent basis ?

[Partial]

Cleft, any pregame predictions!?!?!

[TravisWilliams23]

Cleft, Your knowledge of the game is beyond reproach.
With that in mind, if you had to choose a QB in fantasy football
between Favre or McNabb, who would you pick tonight?
Thank's O Great One!

[Cleft Crusty]

Q: How's Millen handling all the success for the Lions this year? Seriously though, how'd you rank the 2ndry performance for the Packers tonight? This is in advance of my expectations - which are not high.

I think Millen is doing a fine job with the Lions. They've just had some bad breaks. Did you see how many points they ran up on the Rams in their house with an average QB? That's getting value with your FA moves.


ABout the secondary. It's what I expected, except for the good performance in the first half. This unit is poor with Woodson in, and atrocious with Carroll.

[Partial]

Cleft, Can we expect to see a greatly revamped secondary next season? It is apparent that a change is needed, and I don't believe it is merely coaching. Ahmad Carroll looks like he'll never be a shut down corner, Al Harris looks like his days are behind him, and Woodson was benched behind these two underachievers for 10 million this year. Realistically, I cannot see a single one in a packer uniform next summer. Thoughts?

[Cleft Crusty]

Dear Cliff,

What actually makes you qualified to be an expert on the Green Bay Packers ? Does your distaste for them slant you to the negative on a consistent basis ?

I don't like or dislike the Packers. I'm just doing my job as a newspaperman. I love that part of the job - making deadlines, smelling the fresh print of the newspaper, punching out your city desk editor when he ruins your story. All that romance is lost in this computerized society. I would think that you know nothings would rather drown your sorrows with other Packer fans than write to a fossilized collumnist after a loss.

[b bulldog]

Do you think that Harris will be able to get a refund on his tickets purchased to Hawaii when he thought he would make the probowl?

[OS PA]

Q - What did Favre pull in his shoulder? Or did he tear something?

[Cleft Crusty]

Cleft, Can we expect to see a greatly revamped secondary next season? It is apparent that a change is needed, and I don't believe it is merely coaching. Ahmad Carroll looks like he'll never be a shut down corner, Al Harris looks like his days are behind him, and Woodson was benched behind these two underachievers for 10 million this year. Realistically, I cannot see a single one in a packer uniform next summer. Thoughts?

They looked pretty bad for a stretch with Woodson on the bench. Carroll has to stop grabbing if he wants to remain in football. But before you place the blame entirely on those three, ask yourself how often the Eagles safties were in the picture on deep passes versus Collins. Carroll was left in single coverage an awful lot. Isn't that a bad move considering his past history?

[Partial]

follow up question to that last one,

Isn't it true our safeties are supposed to be playing center field? If they are not playing center field or impacting the running game, then where are they? I have yet to see Marquad Manual do a single positive thing this season.

[Cleft Crusty]

Q - What did Favre pull in his shoulder? Or did he tear something?

I just have the initial report - that he suffered a minor concussion. It appeared to me that the initial hit was on his tricep of his throwing arm and possible on the ribcage. The blow came from underneath, so there could be some shoulder damage there. He also twisted his neck hitting clifton on the way down. But the real question is this: Why was he still in the game at 31-9. Reminds me of the time Lynn Dickey was seriously injured in a blowout loss, just because Bart Starr had too much pride to pull him. I didn't think McCarthy had as much of his ego tied up into meaningless points at the end of a blowout, but perhaps he's as big a fool as Starr was.