Q&A w/TT---McGinn kicks him in the balls over & over

[The Leaper]

Since when do we talk incessantly about John Jones??? And why McGinn ask TT about Jones??? Jones is Harlan's responsibility, and TT has little or nothing to do with it.

Not John Jones...James Jones.

As for your contention that McGinn didn't go after Sherman - that's a load of crap. When the Packers were 10-6 I saw them as a 6-10 team, or worse... so did McGinn. He wrote some scathing articles about Sherman and his moves.

I don't recall him discussing the potential "lack of wisdom" in Sherman's braintrust. Face it Wist, McGinn went off the deep end here. He certainly made his share of "tongue-in-cheek" commentary during Sherman's tenure...but he never went after his throat like he did here with Thompson.

Despite the holes on this team, the depth and growth is going to become evident during this season and the next. There are far too many young players who could easily develop into something we aren't expecting. I think it is way too early to start making over-the-top judgment calls like McGinn is here. Has Thompson made some questionable moves? Yes. However the team IS improving, although how much is yet to be seen.

McGinn knows football... he's easily the best Packers beat writer.

Sure he is...not tough to do considering his competition. I'm not questioning McGinn's football knowledge. He does have a good understanding there. The problem is that is a pathetic journalist. Perhaps he should stick to reviewing what happens on the field, because he made little sense in this article...even when I know what he is trying to get at.

For instance, he kicks TT in the nuts for not making "bold moves" and going after Moss, who is a known character risk because of attitude. Then he chides Thompson for signing character risks who have drug/alcohol problems. So why is one character risk OK, and the other one not?

Then, he notes that Thompson's free agency moves last year were basically what helped pull the defense together. Then he basically pounds Thompson over the head repeatedly regarding whether or not he can make a bold decision. Hello, McFly...you just admitted he did as much last year!

Sorry. McGinn made little sense, and fewer friends, in this interview.

[Merlin]

Anyone catch how 3T went from using "I" to "We" whenever a tough question was asked or it was something he didn't want to talk about? This just displays the ego this guy has. His overall "we like the guys we have" attitude are direct contradictions of these statements "Well, we would like to win this season", "Why I suppose then you'd move on", "Depends on if some other team is looking to do something", "There's still a lot of unknowns".

Basically, he won't go out on a limb or take any responsibility for his ineptness. I know there are a lot of 3T supporters here. The only question I have for you:

Do you really support a guy who is so sure he's doing the job right but unsure about winning, whether players will work out and bases signing a player off of what another team does?

Let's get real here folks, 3T is a joke.

[The Leaper]

Basically, he won't go out on a limb or take any responsibility for his ineptness.

Signing Charles Woodson was inept?

Drafting Hawk, Jennings, Colledge, Collins, Harrell is inept?

Sure, Thompson has made errors. Thinking he could easily replace Wahle and Rivera was a major blunder...and Thompson quickly addressed that the next year by drafting 3 promising OL players.

I'm not too scared about our RBs. None of the FAs thrown about as a potential replacement really excited me...and the OL will mean more to the run game's success than who our RB is.

TE is a disaster...Thompson should be held accountable for that. However, we haven't had a good WCO TE since Holmgren left. Bubba has never been a threat between the 20s.

What do you want? Thompson to come out like Favre every year and say we are going to win it all? Do you simply like having someone to pat your rear end and tell you everything is going to be alright?

I think Thompson is being honest when he says "we'll see"...he is hoping the gained experience from the 2nd and 3rd year guys starts paying off, but what evidence do you have of that before camp even starts? It is likely that some players will take a step forward...but it is anyone's guess who that will be right now. Besides, player development ISN'T THOMPSON JOB...McCarthy is the one who oversees how these players develop.

[wist43]

I think one of things about TT that frustrates fans so much is that he really doesn't set out to solve problems, i.e. needs.

My idea of a "bold" move would have been to swing a deal for Michael Turner - RB problem solved; or, at least a much better chance of being solved than going with the, "throw a dart (or 5 darts) at the wall, and hope one sticks" approach.

If Jackson, Morency, Wynn, or Pope doesn't turn out to be "the guy", then TT not only wasted those picks, he wasted time - another hole that goes another year w/o getting fixed. Add to that, the fact that other holes will soon be cropping up due to age, FA, retirement, etc.

By the time he solves the RB problem, he'll spring a major leak at CB, or OT, or DT, or where ever etc... at some point, all of the problems have to be solved at the same time in order to make a run.

The NFL is basically a 4-5 year cycle league... TT's cycle is more like 8-10 years. That's bound to draw some fire.

[PackerBlues]

An ambush? Give me a break. So Thompson was finally asked questions that many of us would like the answer to. Good! While so many of you talk about giving Thompson a "fair chance" to improve this team, he is over half way done with his five year contract. In that time, this team is 12-20. Pretty easy for Thompson supporters to claim that the team will get better this year...... it certainly couldnt get much worse.

As for those of you whining because you dont think that McGinn ever asked Sherman tough questions in such a manner........ Sherman put together winning teams and he was humble about it. There was no need to ask him questions such as the ones asked of Thompson. Thompson hasnt done shit, and yet his ego suggests that he has accomplished something. As a matter of fact, it would be much to nice to simply suggest that Thompson has not done shit, when in fact, he has taken a winning organization and turned it into what we have today, and anyone who would suggest that where we are now is ok, has a freakin screw loose!

Keep bragging about how Thompson got us Hawk, Jennings, and Harrell. It only took 20 embarrasing loses to get us those great pick ups. This is the season to see improvement, and if not....... nobody wants to hear about how much better Thompson is going to make this team in the future. That crap is over. Time for results.

[The Leaper]

I think one of things about TT that frustrates fans so much is that he really doesn't set out to solve problems, i.e. needs.

My idea of a "bold" move would have been to swing a deal for Michael Turner - RB problem solved; or, at least a much better chance of being solved than going with the, "throw a dart (or 5 darts) at the wall, and hope one sticks" approach.

I agree with you on that...although he did do quite a bit last offseason. That is what frustrates me. Perhaps he is trying to wait out teams until cap space starts getting tight again?

Defensively, this team is set up well for the future. The only real concern in the next 5 years is the eventual decline of the CBs. To me, Thompson is a genius in terms of evaluating defensive talent for the most part...which is why I think Harrell may be a real steal.

Offensively, there is a lot to fix. In some ways, Favre IS holding us back. If you fix things toward Favre's strengths now...it may not be what you need for whoever replaces him in the near future. IMO, Thompson doesn't have much of a clue on the offensive side of the ball. That is where you see his hesitation and mistakes. He did find Jennings, and did OK on the OL picks last year...but he hasn't found a TE, WR depth is pathetic, and he screwed up very early with the OL vets.

However, there is a lot of youth there too. Jennings, Jones, Jackson, Morency, Colledge, Spitz, Wells, Moll, Miree...all those guys are likely to be key contributors going forward, and all have very little experience. You can't simply keep throwing soon-to-be washed up vets at the problems created by inexperience.

My point is that I don't feel Thompson has been nearly as bad as McGinn's interview would seem to indicate. The team is improving...just not as fast as some might want it to. Let's not kid ourselves...it isn't easy to turn things around overnight. Ron Wolf needed 4-5 years to build the team...and that was with getting the extreme benefit of adding two of the best players in NFL history years to his team during that timeframe.

Year one was a disaster for Thompson. Year two was a modest success.

We are just starting year three. For McGinn to go off the deep end and start criticizing the "wisdom" of Thompson's team is ludicrous IMO. I'm willing to give Thompson's roster a chance this year. Personally, I'm not that upset about most spots outside of TE and WR. I wish those positions had far more proven talent, but so be it.

In the end, it will be the OL that will decide Thompson's fate. If they succeed, they can cover a lot of other talent poor areas by giving Favre time to work. Considering we had 3 rookies starting last year in a system pretty much new to all of them, I expected the disaster we witnessed. There is no reason to feel things won't take a sizeable step forward in 2007 with added experience in both the league and the system.

[The Leaper]

As for those of you whining because you dont think that McGinn ever asked Sherman tough questions in such a manner........ Sherman put together winning teams and he was humble about it.

Sherman was handed winning teams by the Vikings every year. The NFC North in Sherman's tenure was quite possibly the weakest division the NFL has ever seen. Just having Favre on the roster was good enough to practically guarantee the division...and Sherman still needed other teams to hand it to him most of the time.

There was no need to ask him questions such as the ones asked of Thompson.

So throwing away draft picks to acquire guys like Sander, Peterson, Truluck, etc. isn't worthy of being questioned?

Handing out ridiculous, cap-destroying contracts to guys like KGB and Hunt isn't worthy of being questioned?

Sorry...Sherman was much more a failure as GM than Thompson is. The rest of the NFL clearly acknowledges it...because despite numerous openings for GM and head coaching positions in the last 2 years, Shermy is still an assistant in Houston.

[PackerBlues]

Sherman was handed winning teams by the Vikings every year. The NFC North in Sherman's tenure was quite possibly the weakest division the NFL has ever seen. Just having Favre on the roster was good enough to practically guarantee the division...and Sherman still needed other teams to hand it to him most of the time.

Where is my #1 favorite fact checker "SC" at when there is some real BS being unloaded? This is all speculation and warped opinion.

So throwing away draft picks to acquire guys like Sander, Peterson, Truluck, etc. isn't worthy of being questioned?

To be fair, our team didnt have the holes in it that it does now, thanks in huge part to Thompsons mismanagement of the team. If you want to cry about wasted draft picks, think about Aaron Rodgers, if that wasnt a wasted pick, then what in the hell would qualify?

Handing out ridiculous, cap-destroying contracts to guys like KGB and Hunt isn't worthy of being questioned?

Sure it should have been questioned....... maybe since Sherman was producing winning records, it didnt seem as important. Perhaps someday Teddy will have one of those......you know......a winning record. Ha Ha Ha

Sorry...Sherman was much more a failure as GM than Thompson is. The rest of the NFL clearly acknowledges it...because despite numerous openings for GM and head coaching positions in the last 2 years, Shermy is still an assistant in Houston.

LOL, way to funny. I will tell you whats clear, its clear that Thompsons teams are 12-20 over his first two years. Clearly, he has a long way to go before he ever fills Shermans Shoes.

[Zool]

Sherman was handed winning teams by the Vikings every year. The NFC North in Sherman's tenure was quite possibly the weakest division the NFL has ever seen. Just having Favre on the roster was good enough to practically guarantee the division...and Sherman still needed other teams to hand it to him most of the time.

Where is my #1 favorite fact checker "SC" at when there is some real BS being unloaded? This is all speculation and warped opinion.

So throwing away draft picks to acquire guys like Sander, Peterson, Truluck, etc. isn't worthy of being questioned?

To be fair, our team didnt have the holes in it that it does now, thanks in huge part to Thompsons mismanagement of the team. If you want to cry about wasted draft picks, think about Aaron Rodgers, if that wasnt a wasted pick, then what in the hell would qualify?

Handing out ridiculous, cap-destroying contracts to guys like KGB and Hunt isn't worthy of being questioned?

Sure it should have been questioned....... maybe since Sherman was producing winning records, it didnt seem as important. Perhaps someday Teddy will have one of those......you know......a winning record. Ha Ha Ha

Sorry...Sherman was much more a failure as GM than Thompson is. The rest of the NFL clearly acknowledges it...because despite numerous openings for GM and head coaching positions in the last 2 years, Shermy is still an assistant in Houston.

LOL, way to funny. I will tell you whats clear, its clear that Thompsons teams are 12-20 over his first two years. Clearly, he has a long way to go before he ever fills Shermans Shoes.

I've never seen pear shaped shoes.

[PackerBlues]

In the end, it will be the OL that will decide Thompson's fate. If they succeed, they can cover a lot of other talent poor areas by giving Favre time to work. Considering we had 3 rookies starting last year in a system pretty much new to all of them, I expected the disaster we witnessed. There is no reason to feel things won't take a sizeable step forward in 2007 with added experience in both the league and the system.

No, the O-line will be part of what decides Thompsons fate. Here are a few other things to take into consideration.


Teddy really started his tenure off incredibly full of himself. Dismantling the O-line and filling the holes with his rookie picks wasnt nearly enough. He also traded off Javon Walker. Maybe Ted just didnt like to see evidence that Sherman could pick better talent than him in the draft. Irregardless, Thompson has not replaced that talent yet. Jennings is good, but he is nowhere near the threat that Walker was. It was so easy for Teddy to get rid of Walker, you would think that the way so many people worship Teddy, and his awesome ability to find talent......that he would have been able to replace Walker by now.


Something that many of you are not going to take serious, but should be considered. The Texans have picked up quite a few of Teds "cast offs". Considering how questionable our running game is, going into the season, if by some chance, Shermans running game in Texas ends up looking better than ours in GB..........then


Another team to watch that may help decide Shermans fate, will be the Patriots. Guess what happens if we continue to have problems scoring in the red zone, AND Randy Moss ends up having a break out year......again,

[Packnut]

Plan

For the life of me, I just can't fathom how Teddy's plan up to date sparks confidence in even his most blind followers. I mean he's having a difficult time just getting together a play-off team. No one in their right mind can really think we're anywhere near a SB team.

No TE, no proven #2 or #3 WR. (please save me the Jennings comments. Yes more tha likely he will be a good #2, but let's see a COMPLETE season before just assuming). DD has may-be 2 great seasons left and then we have no #1 WR. I believe Jones will turn out to be a very good #3 but that is just my opinion and again, he need's to show us.

We have a defense that I believe will be very good. However by the time Teddy does get some kind of offense going, we lose our CB tandem and now you have more holes to fill.

This slow methodical turtle like approach will NEVER NEVER work in today's NFL. It's imperative to use FA EACH and EVERY year to plug holes and aquire depth.

He did a FANTASTIC job with Woodson. What I find funny there is that most here who have a low opinion of FA thought Woodson cost to much. Boy, that opinion could'nt have been more WRONG and you guys know who I speak off. If you look back I have never really criticized the Manuel signing. Hell, he took a shot and missed, at least he tried.

I hope and pray more reporters and fans turn the heat up. Teddy need's to realize this approach while sound and solid years ago is out-dated in today's quick turn around NFL. If you need 6-7 years to build a winner, then IMO you've failed................

[The Leaper]

This is all speculation and warped opinion.

Is Sherman's playoff record speculation?

To be fair, our team didnt have the holes in it that it does now

So that is a reason to throw away draft picks foolishly on huge gambles?

[Zool]

Does the team have the hole now because of the wasted picks?

[cheesner]

An ambush? Give me a break. So Thompson was finally asked questions that many of us would like the answer to. Good! While so many of you talk about giving Thompson a "fair chance" to improve this team, he is over half way done with his five year contract. In that time, this team is 12-20. Pretty easy for Thompson supporters to claim that the team will get better this year...... it certainly couldnt get much worse.

As for those of you whining because you dont think that McGinn ever asked Sherman tough questions in such a manner........ Sherman put together winning teams and he was humble about it. There was no need to ask him questions such as the ones asked of Thompson. Thompson hasnt done shit, and yet his ego suggests that he has accomplished something. As a matter of fact, it would be much to nice to simply suggest that Thompson has not done shit, when in fact, he has taken a winning organization and turned it into what we have today, and anyone who would suggest that where we are now is ok, has a freakin screw loose!

Keep bragging about how Thompson got us Hawk, Jennings, and Harrell. It only took 20 embarrasing loses to get us those great pick ups. This is the season to see improvement, and if not....... nobody wants to hear about how much better Thompson is going to make this team in the future. That crap is over. Time for results.

I wouldn't call it 'ambush' journalism, I do have trouble calling it journalism however. McGinn obviously had an agenda and an opinion. Good journalism is unbiased and clearly reported information, allowing the reader to understand the facts and form opinions. This interview was a bunch of crap. His condescension towards TT was blatant and very unprofessional. Hard questions are great, I am all for them, but it isn't the 'hard' questions that makes this McGinn piece a amateurish journalistic effort.

[Merlin]

Basically, he won't go out on a limb or take any responsibility for his ineptness.

Signing Charles Woodson was inept?

Drafting Hawk, Jennings, Colledge, Collins, Harrell is inept?

Sure, Thompson has made errors. Thinking he could easily replace Wahle and Rivera was a major blunder...and Thompson quickly addressed that the next year by drafting 3 promising OL players.

I'm not too scared about our RBs. None of the FAs thrown about as a potential replacement really excited me...and the OL will mean more to the run game's success than who our RB is.

TE is a disaster...Thompson should be held accountable for that. However, we haven't had a good WCO TE since Holmgren left. Bubba has never been a threat between the 20s.

What do you want? Thompson to come out like Favre every year and say we are going to win it all? Do you simply like having someone to pat your rear end and tell you everything is going to be alright?

I think Thompson is being honest when he says "we'll see"...he is hoping the gained experience from the 2nd and 3rd year guys starts paying off, but what evidence do you have of that before camp even starts? It is likely that some players will take a step forward...but it is anyone's guess who that will be right now. Besides, player development ISN'T THOMPSON JOB...McCarthy is the one who oversees how these players develop.

We don't need someone who attains talent based on a "we'll see" attitude. The only thing he is confident in is his ego. Outside of that, he doesn't have a clue. Two draft choices have made an immediate impact for the Packers: Hawk and Collins. Jennings was out with an injury and although he started on fire, he didn't look all that great in the end. Maybe he will be very good, maybe not "we'll see". Otherwise, Colledge and Harrell? Sure, Colledge is better then the veterans he brought in 2005, but he is far from being a star right now. Harrell hasn't even played a down and has a long history of injuries. Nothing like jumping on the bandwagon of "we'll see". Siging Charles Woodson was not inept but it wasn't a great move at the time given his past few seasons of mediocrity. Think abou when the decision are made, Woodson could have been a huge flop. 3T got lucky, he didn't know one way or the other "we'll see". Marquand Manual? 3T has a woody for him and he is still defending a guy who is nothing more than a serviceable backup.

If you can't see the guy has a problem taking blame, being a leader and acting responsible, even after the interview, then there is no hope for you. Maybe there is "we'll see"...