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Camp tour: Packers' past (Favre) delays the future (Rodgers)
Mike Freeman Aug. 22, 2007
By Mike Freeman
CBSSports.com National Columnist
GREEN BAY, Wis. -– Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila has predicted Super Bowl glory before, but this time, the man has come stone cold unglued.
Following a dominating preseason win against Seattle -- and we all know how much preseason means -- Gbaja-Biamila did standing back-flips predicting the Packers were going to the championship game. Not sometime in the future. This freaking season.
"I really believe we're going all the way," he said. "We're going to the Super Bowl."
When a slightly amused reportorial crowd stepped away, I asked Gbaja-Biamila to expound, and he did not back down.
"We don't get a lot of respect from people and I think this team is being overlooked," he said. "Our defense is going to surprise people. You'll see. The whole league will see. I really believe this can be our year."
Alll-righhttty then, KGB. Love the enthusiasm, dude. But could we, oh, I don't know, maybe win more than seven or eight games before we go getting all Ocho Cinco on the world? What does KGB stand for anyway? Kinda' Getting Bold?
No, there is no Super Bowl in store for Green Bay this year. Just don't see the Packers getting by this little ol' team called the Chicago Bears.
There is still no better place to watch a football game than Lambeau Field. There is no greater NFL warrior in history than Brett Favre. There is no better fan base than the cheese heads. There is arguably no greater organization in the history of sports (and the Packers, unlike some other NFL franchises, continue to treat their fans with great respect).
Yet these are interesting -- if not troubling -- times for the Packers. Green Bay is a prototypical example of an organization stuck in temporal flux, caught in the middle of attempting to create a bold future while respecting its bold past, mainly a past named Favre.
This is an unspeakable truth in Green Bay, where it is God, country and Favre -- or is it Favre, God and country? -- but it is the truth nonetheless. The man who helped to almost single-handedly raise the Packers back to elite heights could be keeping it from progressing forward again.
Favre's defenders will say that while his legs are dead, his arm is still live, and his mind holds the knowledge of a thousand players. That is all true.
The problem remains Favre is no longer capable of greatness. He's old. He's human. He has slowed. It happens every day in this world. Favre isn't a member of the X-Men; his frame is not fused with adamantium.
Thus Favre holds on, an average quarterback with great heart, and the Packers still don't know if Aaron Rodgers can play or not. So when Favre leaves -- hell, the way things are going he might not do that until 2035 -- the team will likely be without a legitimate starter because they refused to throw Rodgers into the fire out of respect for Favre.
As long as Favre is the quarterback, Rodgers can never be, and as long as Rodgers sits on the bench, he remains one of the more wasted draft picks of the past 10 years. Rodgers is entering his third season and he has played just five games total. He could be the next Joe Montana or the next Tim Couch. No one knows.
All this time has passed and all Rodgers has excelled in is holding clipboards and star in preseason games.
"Aaron's at the point in his career he's ready to play," said Packers coach Mike McCarthy. "If you play behind Brett Favre, you don't get too many opportunities to play."
But Rodgers probably should. Favre's quarterback rating has gone from 85.6 in 2002 to 90.4, 92.4, 70.9 and 72.7 last season. The name on the shirt says Brett Favre but the play on the field says Brett Dean.
Johnny Unitas was traded by Baltimore to San Diego in 1973. It was a shocking move at the time but the right one.
Favre and Unitas are not exactly isomorphic but it's close. Should the Packers consider doing to Hall of Famer Favre what the Colts once did to Hall of Famer Unitas?
Or is Favre still the best option?
It's a topic that has been broached before, but now, more than ever, the Packers need to take a hard look at the direction of their team.
Before Rodgers starts collecting Social Security checks.
Mike Freeman Aug. 22, 2007
By Mike Freeman
CBSSports.com National Columnist
GREEN BAY, Wis. -– Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila has predicted Super Bowl glory before, but this time, the man has come stone cold unglued.
Following a dominating preseason win against Seattle -- and we all know how much preseason means -- Gbaja-Biamila did standing back-flips predicting the Packers were going to the championship game. Not sometime in the future. This freaking season.
"I really believe we're going all the way," he said. "We're going to the Super Bowl."
When a slightly amused reportorial crowd stepped away, I asked Gbaja-Biamila to expound, and he did not back down.
"We don't get a lot of respect from people and I think this team is being overlooked," he said. "Our defense is going to surprise people. You'll see. The whole league will see. I really believe this can be our year."
Alll-righhttty then, KGB. Love the enthusiasm, dude. But could we, oh, I don't know, maybe win more than seven or eight games before we go getting all Ocho Cinco on the world? What does KGB stand for anyway? Kinda' Getting Bold?
No, there is no Super Bowl in store for Green Bay this year. Just don't see the Packers getting by this little ol' team called the Chicago Bears.
There is still no better place to watch a football game than Lambeau Field. There is no greater NFL warrior in history than Brett Favre. There is no better fan base than the cheese heads. There is arguably no greater organization in the history of sports (and the Packers, unlike some other NFL franchises, continue to treat their fans with great respect).
Yet these are interesting -- if not troubling -- times for the Packers. Green Bay is a prototypical example of an organization stuck in temporal flux, caught in the middle of attempting to create a bold future while respecting its bold past, mainly a past named Favre.
This is an unspeakable truth in Green Bay, where it is God, country and Favre -- or is it Favre, God and country? -- but it is the truth nonetheless. The man who helped to almost single-handedly raise the Packers back to elite heights could be keeping it from progressing forward again.
Favre's defenders will say that while his legs are dead, his arm is still live, and his mind holds the knowledge of a thousand players. That is all true.
The problem remains Favre is no longer capable of greatness. He's old. He's human. He has slowed. It happens every day in this world. Favre isn't a member of the X-Men; his frame is not fused with adamantium.
Thus Favre holds on, an average quarterback with great heart, and the Packers still don't know if Aaron Rodgers can play or not. So when Favre leaves -- hell, the way things are going he might not do that until 2035 -- the team will likely be without a legitimate starter because they refused to throw Rodgers into the fire out of respect for Favre.
As long as Favre is the quarterback, Rodgers can never be, and as long as Rodgers sits on the bench, he remains one of the more wasted draft picks of the past 10 years. Rodgers is entering his third season and he has played just five games total. He could be the next Joe Montana or the next Tim Couch. No one knows.
All this time has passed and all Rodgers has excelled in is holding clipboards and star in preseason games.
"Aaron's at the point in his career he's ready to play," said Packers coach Mike McCarthy. "If you play behind Brett Favre, you don't get too many opportunities to play."
But Rodgers probably should. Favre's quarterback rating has gone from 85.6 in 2002 to 90.4, 92.4, 70.9 and 72.7 last season. The name on the shirt says Brett Favre but the play on the field says Brett Dean.
Johnny Unitas was traded by Baltimore to San Diego in 1973. It was a shocking move at the time but the right one.
Favre and Unitas are not exactly isomorphic but it's close. Should the Packers consider doing to Hall of Famer Favre what the Colts once did to Hall of Famer Unitas?
Or is Favre still the best option?
It's a topic that has been broached before, but now, more than ever, the Packers need to take a hard look at the direction of their team.
Before Rodgers starts collecting Social Security checks.
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