The Silver Haired Teddy Bear Deserves A Snuggle

[cpk1994]

cpk1994 wrote:

Lurker64 wrote:
We're 7-1, why are we arguing about the GM now?

Either Thompson is responsible for shaping the roster to get us to 7-1, or he didn't mess it up enough to prevent us from going 7-1. Either way, the man deserves some credit doesn't he?

NO one is arguing except Merlin. Why? Becuase Merlin keeps failing in his arguments and is grasping at straws while choking on the fact that the Packers are 7-1 and TT's getting credit. He tried picking Rodgers - Failed. Then he moved on to Mason Crosby; failed again. So now he is trying to kick at TT again and is failing again. Same old boring routine. But still fun to laugh at. Incidently, Woodbuck seems to be very quiet these days. He and Merlin must be cuddling together as the only two left in the TT Haters clubhouse.

If you think I am the only person who doesn't like the way Thompson is going about things, there is your first reality check. If you think I am failing at my arguments and grasping at straws then why do you have to make things up in order to get your point across? Reality Check number two. Tried "picking" on Rodgers? No "try" about it, in my opinion the guy doesn't have it. My stance has not changed nor will it until he proves me wrong, that's reality check number three. "moved to Mason Crosby", and I did this when? Oh I see, you can make shit up but I can't have a concern about the performance he had in the one game. And you make that "going after", nice way to read into air. I never went after Crosby, not once...Reality check four and counting. "'Kick at TT again", wtf you mean "again". When have I stopped? Despite the fact I have gotten the point across several times for those that can read that if 3T deserves credit for the good things then he deserves equal credit for the bad things, something of which only idiot bias supporters like yourself (hypocrites) don't seem to comprehend. Oh yeah, it does require a 3rd grade education so I guess that leaves you out. Reality check 5.

Never let reality interfere with your logic my friend, you are the ruler of your world.

Making it up? You are the only one in this thread aguing against TT. You were the one went on and on about how you weren't coinvinced that Crosby was the right kicker to keep. Against KC Crosby kicked four FG in a hostile environment. Rayner's only noticible play was kicking one out of bounds. As for Rodgers he has improved from year to year which shows that has a very good chance to solid. You are the one to needs a reality check.

[son of a vic]

Question for Merlin, " What is needed for you to put aside your hate, and be happy with the 2007 season. 10-6?, 11-5? 12-4?, 15-1?, Lombardi Trophy?" What will convince you that this is a pretty good team?

I will wait in earnest for your rational response.

[mmmdk]

Question for Merlin, " What is needed for you to put aside your hate, and be happy with the 2007 season. 10-6?, 11-5? 12-4?, 15-1?, Lombardi Trophy?" What will convince you that this is a pretty good team?

I will wait in earnest for your rational response.

...I think I'll take the Lombardi Trophy...what? Who says I can't!?

[MJZiggy]

Question for Merlin, " What is needed for you to put aside your hate, and be happy with the 2007 season. 10-6?, 11-5? 12-4?, 15-1?, Lombardi Trophy?" What will convince you that this is a pretty good team?

I will wait in earnest for your rational response.

I've said it before in jest, but I seriously think that we could win the Super Bowl and Merlin'd be pissed because we don't have a good enough runningback.

[esoxx]

Surely you jest.

[MJZiggy]

I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.

[cheesner]

Question for Merlin, " What is needed for you to put aside your hate, and be happy with the 2007 season. 10-6?, 11-5? 12-4?, 15-1?, Lombardi Trophy?" What will convince you that this is a pretty good team?

I will wait in earnest for your rational response.

I suspect it doesn't matter how the Packers do. If TT had spent all the cap money on a couple of big name FAs, thereby 'doing his job' in his eyes, he would be happy.

[woodbuck27]

Too bad so sad for you that I am not eating crow. In fact, I am laughing at everyone bashing the very players Thompson gave us for poor performances. Yes, we are 7-1, and yes Thompson had a little to do with it. You can argue to whatever degree you want to but the FACT remains, Thompson has very little to do with the success. He doesn't coach, he doesn't play, he doesn't design plays. Sure, he hired McCarthy, but then again, he isn't coaching and has little control over what McCarthy does with plays. He gets people and the Packers have had some lucky breaks that have been missing the past two seasons go their way. If it were not for old #4, the Packers wouldn't be close to 7-1. Remember, when you bash a player that Thompson brought in but you refuse to bash Thompson for bringing him in, then you are nothing more the a hypocrite. you can't give all the credit to the GM for everything good and then forget that he exists when a player doesn't perform. Which is it? Either Thompson gets the good with the bad or else nothing at all. If you can't bring yourself to do that then I am afraid you are a bandwagon fan with no sense of reality.

The next time you go to bash a player since it's obvious without Thompson the Packers could never dream of being 7-1 (or 8-8 or 4-12) without him, remember to bring in the fact that Thompson brought the player in so therefore he deserves equal blame. Can't be so? Why not? If Thompson is the reason for all of the success then he is also the reason for every weakness, including our #32 ranked running game. The running game he hasn't addressed successfully IN THREE YEARS. Jackson = Bust, Wynn = Bust, Harrell = Bust, Colledge = Bust, Moll = Bust, Bush = Bust. Those are just some of the names you "Thompson" appeasers have thrown under the bus. But that isn't Thompson's fault, he only wins games.

Get a grip, get a life, and take a step down off of that horse before you fall. Reality sucks when it interferes with your logic doesn't it?

Right BANG on.

and what Poster's disappeared because we are 7-1 to date?

Get REAL TT LOVER's. he has done little to help us to this incredible record so far in 2007.

To suggest that any Packer fan is hopeing for the team to crash to make any point against TT is just corrupt BS. Another word is EVIL.

TT did little in this off season and the credit for 7-1 must go to Favre and MM and the rest of the coaching staff that work their tails off as have our players since early in the off season.

TT hasn't done anything for our 'O' except draft two WR's that are helping Favre and added kicker Mason Crosby and punter Jon Ryan.Our running game sucks to no end due to the failure of the ZBS and adequate run protection.

Chuck Woodson was a decent FA signing.

A Barry Sanders couldn't run behind our OL. it is primarily adequate in pass protection alone.

[VegasPackFan]

TT did little in this off season and the credit for 7-1 must go to Favre and MM and the rest of the coaching staff that work their tails off as have our players since early in the off season.

TT hasn't done anything for our 'O' except draft two WR's that are helping Favre and added kicker Mason Crosby and punter Jon Ryan.Our running game sucks to no end due to the failure of the ZBS and adequate run protection

You contradict yourself....
MM installed the ZBS system, not TT. So you praise MM and staff for their hard work and then you lay blame for the ZBS (installed by MM) on TT for the failings of the offense.

But he "only" drafted two very good WR's that are contributing today to the offense, signed a great CB to complement Al HArris (to make up the very best CB tandem in the league) and improved the special teams in a big way. "Only".

[Carolina_Packer]

Too bad so sad for you that I am not eating crow. In fact, I am laughing at everyone bashing the very players Thompson gave us for poor performances. Yes, we are 7-1, and yes Thompson had a little to do with it. You can argue to whatever degree you want to but the FACT remains, Thompson has very little to do with the success. He doesn't coach, he doesn't play, he doesn't design plays. Sure, he hired McCarthy, but then again, he isn't coaching and has little control over what McCarthy does with plays. He gets people and the Packers have had some lucky breaks that have been missing the past two seasons go their way. If it were not for old #4, the Packers wouldn't be close to 7-1. Remember, when you bash a player that Thompson brought in but you refuse to bash Thompson for bringing him in, then you are nothing more the a hypocrite. you can't give all the credit to the GM for everything good and then forget that he exists when a player doesn't perform. Which is it? Either Thompson gets the good with the bad or else nothing at all. If you can't bring yourself to do that then I am afraid you are a bandwagon fan with no sense of reality.

The next time you go to bash a player since it's obvious without Thompson the Packers could never dream of being 7-1 (or 8-8 or 4-12) without him, remember to bring in the fact that Thompson brought the player in so therefore he deserves equal blame. Can't be so? Why not? If Thompson is the reason for all of the success then he is also the reason for every weakness, including our #32 ranked running game. The running game he hasn't addressed successfully IN THREE YEARS. Jackson = Bust, Wynn = Bust, Harrell = Bust, Colledge = Bust, Moll = Bust, Bush = Bust. Those are just some of the names you "Thompson" appeasers have thrown under the bus. But that isn't Thompson's fault, he only wins games.

Get a grip, get a life, and take a step down off of that horse before you fall. Reality sucks when it interferes with your logic doesn't it?

Right BANG on.

and what Poster's disappeared because we are 7-1 to date?

Get REAL TT LOVER's. he has done little to help us to this incredible record so far in 2007.

To suggest that any Packer fan is hopeing for the team to crash to make any point against TT is just corrupt BS. Another word is EVIL.

TT did little in this off season and the credit for 7-1 must go to Favre and MM and the rest of the coaching staff that work their tails off as have our players since early in the off season.

TT hasn't done anything for our 'O' except draft two WR's that are helping Favre and added kicker Mason Crosby and punter Jon Ryan.Our running game sucks to no end due to the failure of the ZBS and adequate run protection.

Chuck Woodson was a decent FA signing.

A Barry Sanders couldn't run behind our OL. it is primarily adequate in pass protection alone.

That can be the downside of youth; inconsistency. This is a good coaching staff, so they can get them squared.

Woodbuck and other TT naysayers, I don't know what you thought about Cliff Christl, but here is an answer to a question that he gave regarding TT in his recent chat on Packer Insider this week:

Q: Mike Gisel of Davenport, IA - Cliff, The regression of our young linemen this year is very discouraging. Is it still too early to judge whether Colledge, Spitz, & Moll have what it takes to be solid players? Also you have to give TT credit, he has put together quite a team, and he did it the right way.

A: Cliff Christl - The play of the line hasn't been what was expected, but sometimes it takes time at that position. Mike Wahle, Marco Rivera weren't overnight sensations. So time will tell. As for Ted Thompson, I agree. I couldn't believe the criticism he was getting last off-season. People criticized him for drafting Justin Harrell. Those people had to be clueless. I don't know if Harrell will be a player. There's risk with every draft pick. But criticizing someone for taking a big defensive linemen, especially on a team that's facing the prospect of Brett Favre retiring sometime soon? That's one of the most critical positions in football. You could never have enough good ones. And if you're ever going to win a Super Bowl with defense, you're going to have to have a great defensive line. Plus, don't those people realize that just drafting Harrell probably put a bur up some of those other linemen's butts and got them worried about their own jobs and created competition. And criticizing Thompson for letting Ahman Green go? The guy had been in deline for three years. He was an injury waiting to happen. He rushed for 1,059 yards last year. He was 19th in the league in rushing. He was a pedestrian back. What kind of loss was that? One of the things I heard GMs, scouts, etc., repeat time after time was that you have to m move on. Well, it was time for the Packers to move on at running back, whether they had someone to replace Green or not. The only mistake I thought Thompson made was not getting the deal done for Randy Moss.

[Merlin]

Question for Merlin, " What is needed for you to put aside your hate, and be happy with the 2007 season. 10-6?, 11-5? 12-4?, 15-1?, Lombardi Trophy?" What will convince you that this is a pretty good team?

I will wait in earnest for your rational response.

I suspect it doesn't matter how the Packers do. If TT had spent all the cap money on a couple of big name FAs, thereby 'doing his job' in his eyes, he would be happy.

First of all let's put aside a few misnomers:

1) I do not HATE Ted Thompson. I HATE the way he is not giving us any depth, a chance to run the ball, veteran depth and entering the past two seasons with money in his pocket that could have gone to HELPING this team in these areas. Youth is all fine and good and it's great we have some good young talent on this team. BUT, outside of the starters and the defensive line, there is zero depth on this team. Maybe now at WR since Robinson returned but that remains to be seen.

2) Can anyone show me where I said we weren't a pretty good team? I believe our defense has not been playing up to it's full potential although the past two weeks they have stepped up when they needed to, I believe our offense is waiting for the wheels to fall off the bus because we cannot run the ball effectively enough to control the clock and put teams away. Does that mean they aren't pretty good? No, it means the team has some legitimate concerns that are were not being addressed by Thompson, the very person everyone is calling a mastermind for a 7-1 start. I think we have just enough good players to be good this season, I think we have had (and will have) enough breaks go our way (a large part of successful seasons for teams not blowing people out) for us to be successful. Not to take everything into consideration before crowning Ted Thompson the second coming of Christ is definitely blind faith.

3) I am happy we are 7-1, I look forward to being in the playoffs and making a run at it. That doesn't mean that I am not concerned about Ted Thompson's missteps the past THREE YEARS that are our glaring weaknesses that he has not addressed. If and when he decides to actually TRY and produce a running game, provides real VETERAN depth and uses everything at his disposal to help this team win (i.e. all of the cap money for the season) then I will change my tune. Even if he brings in some players that don't work out. He isn't even doing that, not giving anyone a shot a running back but Grant, offensive guard accept the players we have. It is those very things that Ted Thompson appeasers forget when they go giving him the keys to the world.

Face it, this team is 7-1 because of the play of #4, the timely defensive turnovers and the breaks that have gone our way. It isn't because we are dominating every one like the Patriots, Cowboys, Colts and now apparently the Steelers. There are only two games remaining on our schedule that any true Packer Fan should think are a lock, Oakland and St Louis. Other then that the other 6 games are all games we could lose and finish 9-7. If we were a great team with plenty of depth, a rushing attack, a consistent shutdown defense then I am sure none of you would ever question us winning any of our remaining games. BUT, a lot of people are questioning if we can and those very same people are praising Ted Thompson for where we are at but not asking themselves WHY they have concerns about the remaining schedule. Are we a pretty good team? Hell yeah, are we a great team? Hell no. Why not? When you can answer that and not involved Ted Thompson's decision making let me know.

[swede]

2) Can anyone show me where I said we weren't a pretty good team?

1) I do not HATE Ted Thompson. I HATE the way he is not giving us any depth, a chance to run the ball, veteran depth and entering the past two seasons with money in his pocket that could have gone to HELPING this team in these areas. Youth is all fine and good and it's great we have some good young talent on this team. BUT, outside of the starters and the defensive line, there is zero depth on this team. Maybe now at WR since Robinson returned but that remains to be seen.

Just messin' with you man.



From where I'm sitting, all is happy in 7-1 land.

[RashanGary]

From bottom 5 team to top 5 team in two years. I'm satisfied with Ted Thompsons work.

Let's see how it's sustained over the next 5-8 years and let's see if he can put them over the top in one or two of them. It looks to me like Ted Thompson is buying himself another 5 year deal, so I'm sure we'll have the next decade or so to judge his work.

Can he get them over the top? We'll find out. Right now, all we know is that it's going in the right direction. We don't know if it will get there or when. He has a chance.

[Carolina_Packer]

From bottom 5 team to top 5 team in two years. I'm satisfied with Ted Thompsons work.

Let's see how it's sustained over the next 5-8 years and let's see if he can put them over the top in one or two of them. It looks to me like Ted Thompson is buying himself another 5 year deal, so I'm sure we'll have the next decade or so to judge his work.

Can he get them over the top? We'll find out. Right now, all we know is that it's going in the right direction. We don't know if it will get there or when. He has a chance.

Good points. Merlin, I don't know that Thompson is looking for veteran depth as you suggest; I'm thinking that if he was, we'd have some. The way the NFL is setup now, there are always guys who are cap casualties or just a little past their prime in terms of production to earnings. You may prescribe veteran depth, but that's just your opinion. You're calling it a must have. Thompson sees it another way. He sees football as a young man's sport, with the exception of established veterans.

I think everyone agrees that they don't like the running game as it is. Who would? The line looked like they were coming together toward the end of last year. But, with young talent, you can't count on consistency. The glass half full theory says, we're 7-1 despite our deficiencies. The glass half-empty crowd would say, I'm happy to be 7-1, but when it is all going to come tumbling down because we can't run the ball?

I had some posts where I got on TT for not doing more with the running game in the offseason, but I think it was Harvey who said, and who would you have gotten? The more you think about it, he's right. Travis Henry is not durable. Neither is Chris Brown. Jamal Lewis isn't, but I don't know if he was traded or was a FA. Reuben Droughns anyone? No way we were going to match the offer that Ahman got from Houston. How's that working out for them, BTW? Their QB situation is in flux. At long last, you realize, there weren't a lot of great options. My only conclusion looking back over TT's tenure is that he should have realized AG was in decline after those great years and should have gone after a top-tier running back in either or both of his first two drafts. The only two names I can think of are Frank Gore who was the beginning of the third round in 2005 and Jerious Norwood from 2006. That would have possibly given us a better chance at a more established running game by this point. He thought it was enough to have Morency, Jackson, Wynn, P.J. Pope, Arliss Beach, and company, but he turned out to be wrong because of injuries and lack of development. The only think he can do is learn from it now. You can sit and beat him up over it, but we are where we are. I'm not giving him conditional support, but full support. Not because I agree with everything he does, because as you can see by what I just wrote, I thought he should have stocked up on RB's from his first draft to succeed AG. He didn't, and we're scrambling now. Do you think he knows it was a calculated risk? I think he does now! He's human; he's a work in progress like all of us. He has done good things. Gotta shake your head and smile sometimes at how fortunate we are to be 7-1 without an effective running game. But, here we are going forward.

There are always going to be areas that need improvement. Right now they just have to improve on the fly and try and coach/play their way out of the defficiencies. What else can they do at this point? I'm sure it feels a little helpless when you think you've got enough personnel and then it turns out what you have underperforms. That's the point where you have to show patience and coach 'em up (especially when they are young), or decide to go in a different direction (assuming you have anyone else who can fill in). Again, wow, 7-1...just incredible and fun. I'm enjoying it like crazy. Who'da thunk it?

[Merlin]

Thanks for the rational rebutle. We as a fan base need to keep our feet planted on the ground. It's great to be 7-1. There is always that "but" that a lot of fans seem to be ignoring and I find it laughable that those that are all over 3T like he is god then bash the very players 3T gave us. I "support" the Packers and 3T is a part of that. I personally would not extend his contract beyond 3 years. If anything this team saved his ass in order to get another contract at all, not the other way around. I am willing to wait another 1-2 seasons with 3T if the success keeps coming and the Packers become a dominating team. Once the Packers cease to be dominant or don't make significant strides towards that next season, he needs to go because his plan although good on paper isn't working.