Mike McCarthy’s new contract extension

Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson will be joined at the hip for the next five years at least. Last week, Mark Murphy, the Packers President, announced that the Packers and Ted Thompson agreed to a three-year contract extension. It has been revealed that Ted Thompson will make 2.5 million per year under his new contract.

 According to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, sources have revealed that Mike McCarthy will receive a three-year contract extension where he will earn approximately five million per year, which will last until the 2015 season. It’s a rather surprising move by Mike McCarthy as he still has two years remaining on his extension that was issued back in 2008. Typically, head coaches are awarded extensions in the last few months or year of their contract. The contract has not been finalized yet as Mark Murphy is still trying to iron out a few wrinkles before making the contract official. The new contract extension will put Mike McCarthy in the top 10 for highest paid coaches. In my opinion, that is highway robbery. You look at some of the prime time athletes in the NFL and they are getting paid twice that. I realize that these NFL players are putting their life on the line and should be getting paid more than the people in club box. However, what NFL team would not want to have the two-headed monster of Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy running their organization?

On top of that, it seems as though Thompson and McCarthy genuinely enjoy each other’s company. What other NFL team has that? Where a GM and a head coach can collaborate diplomatically and share ideas to come to a common conclusion?

 McCarthy has been the head coach for the Packers for five years now. He has compiled a record of 53-34, which includes four post-season wins, and a Super Bowl Championship. The pieces are set for the Packers to make a legitimate run as this decade’s NFL dynasty.

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TT signs multi-year extension

I would have commented on this signing immediately had I been near a computer. You all know Ted is my boy! Unfortunately, I was out-of-town, and no-where near a computer. So, it’s been a few days since the Ted Thompson signing, and I am sure everyone has their own opinions, but I suspect that most of the Packer fans are supporting this long-term extension.

 The deal was made on Dec.13^th, but Mark Murphy decided to wait until after the season to announce the extension of Ted Thompson. The extension leaked out on Friday, and then was made official on Saturday. Thompson had two years remaining on his original five-year contract he signed in 2007, and even though we are not exactly sure how long the extension is, the feeling is that it will be three years so Thompson is locked in for another five years. This is his second extension since taking over the general manager position in 2005.

 I think the remarkable thing is that Murphy was in the works of a long-term contract extension with Ted even when the Packers were fighting for a wild card spot. I love the confidence that the Green Bay Packers embody. The contract extension talk in December is just like Mike McCarthy having his players sized for rings the day before the Super Bowl. Murphy knows what kind of GM Ted Thompson is. McCarthy knows what kind of team he has. GO PACK GO!

 I mentioned in my ‘Super Bowl’ post about how this year’s Packers are in a totally different position than the last Super Bowl Champion Packers team was in 1997. What’s happening now in Green Bay should have happened in 1997. It never should have been one and done for Super Bowl Championships with Wolf, Holmgren, and Favre, but it was. Even though the Packers remained competitive, they never could get to the Super Bowl until now. The issue with the 1997 was ego and control. Holmgren wanted to be GM, and Wolf didn’t want to give it up just yet, and on top of that they had a power-hungry control freak in the making with Brett Favre. There’s a different tune in Green Bay as there is no ego power struggle in Green Bay. Been there done that.

 The Packers are set up for a good run of success now that Thompson has been inked for a number of years, McCarthy will be, and so will Aaron Rodgers. It’s scary to imagine the paths of Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson and how similar they are. However, Thompson found his level-headed head coach in Mike McCarthy and his cool, calm, and collected quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. It’s a tri-lateral bond that not many organizations have. The 1997 Packers were great. The 2011 Packers are better. Harlan, Wolf, Holmgren, and Favre had a beautiful legacy together that shoveled the Packers out of two decades of miserable football. However, Holmgren and Favre put themselves above the organization. It’s sad, but it’s true. The 2011 Packers had to shovel themselves out of Favre’s shadow, the Favre backer/ Thompson haters clan, and all of the insurmountable injuries this year, but it just doesn’t end in 2011. Thompson, McCarthy, and Rodgers are here to stay for a long time, and hopefully with a few more Super Bowl championships.

 The Green Bay Packers team and organization embodies what the city is all about: hard-working, a tight-knit community, and abundant success. A lot of owners should remove their ego and take a look at what the personnel department of the Green Bay Packers has done, if they would, there probably wouldn’t be a potential ‘lockout’ looming.

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What was the biggest moment this season for the Packers?

Before I address the topic, I wanted to clarify a huge mistake I posted in the recent post, “What will happen to the free agent class of 2011?” The correction I need to address is that I mentioned Donald Driver considering retirement. While that is true, it is not true for the upcoming future. To elaborate, Donald Driver is due 4.8 million this year and is due 4.8 million in 2012. He signed a two-year contract extension back in August of 2010. Driver has mentioned that he wants to fulfill his contract. So, I apologize for mentioning that he is considering retirement this year when it seems as though he plans on retiring after his contract has ended.

I was listening to ESPN Milwaukee radio and the topic was, “what was the biggest moment this season for the Packers in 2010-2011?” A few callers called in and one said that the NFC Championship win at Soldier Field was the highlight of the season. Another caller called in and said that Matt Flynn and the Packers going toe-to-toe with the New England Patriots was the highlight of the season. So, while I was listening to these callers explain their biggest moment, I started to reflect on what was, in my opinion, the biggest moment this season for the Green Bay Packers? Besides the Super Bowl obviously, there are two significant moments that come to mind.

These two moments probably are not on a lot of people’s radar as ‘the biggest moment’ of the season, but without these moments the Packers’ Super Bowl Championship would have never happened. Many forget that the Packers barely made the playoffs, can you believe that? After winning the Super Bowl, upon reflection, it’s hard to imagine that the Packers came so close to not even playing in the post-season. The first biggest moment was in Week 15 when the Detroit Lions traveled to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers. The Lions had not won a road game since 2007, and were facing a Buccaneers team poised to make the playoffs. The Lions upset the Buccaneers 23-20 in overtime, and destroyed whatever playoff hopes were left for the Buccaneers as they fell to 8-6 and finished the regular season 10-6 ( same record the Packers had). If the Lions had not beaten the Buccaneers, the Packers would not have made the playoffs, the Buccaneers would have.

The second biggest moment was when the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New York Giants, also in week 15. The Eagles trailed 31-10 in the 4th quarter. On the last play of the game, Giants punter Matt Dodge was instructed to punt the ball out-of-bounds, fortunately, he did not, and DeSean Jackson even though fumbled the initial catch, took the punt 65 yards for a touchdown as time ran out to catapult the Eagles to an improbable come from behind win against the Giants. The Eagles scored four unanswered touchdowns in the final 8 minutes to defeat the Giants 38-31.

 On top of the Eagles come from behind win, the Packers controlled their own destiny after the Lions beat the Bucs. The Giants fell to 9-5. The Packers were 8-6, all they had to do was beat the Giants the following week and beat the Bears in week 17 to make the playoffs. The Super Bowl never would have been a possibility had the Lions and the Eagles not defeated the Bucs and the Giants.

There are a lot of memories throughout the season. It was a roller coaster ride and after the Lions beat the Packers in Detroit, the season began to look rather grim. However, just as the Packers handled adversity game-in and game-out they were provided some much-needed help by other teams to grant them the opportunity to prolong their season in the playoffs. It’s interesting to ponder if the Packers had not been 8-6 and had been 12-2 or 11-3, and not been in playoff mode since week 15, would they have been clicking on all cylinders in the playoffs? I guess everything happens for a reason, and all those heart-breaking losses the Packers endured throughout the season were actually a blessing in disguise.

What was your biggest moment this season for the Packers?

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What will happen to the Free Agent class of 2011?

The Packers just won the Super Bowl. Rather than talk about the NFL Lockout that is possibly approaching in March, I want to focus on the Green Bay Packers and what their future looks like.

History and tradition are huge assets to football teams. Luckily for us, it personifies the Green Bay Packers. That’s how the team has been built, and what it exemplifies. After the Packers won the Super Bowl in ’96, they followed up another Super Bowl run that fell short when the

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We are the Champions of the World!

It happened. Pinch yo’ self! It’s real. The Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl last night defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25. Even when the Packers jumped out to a 21-3 lead, they had to make it interesting by leaving the back door just a little cracked to give the Steelers a chance to rally. Have no fear! In vintage Packers fashion, the Packers jumped out to an early lead, let the Steelers crawl back in, and then held on for the victory. To be quite honest, I am still in a state of shock. It’s been 14 years since the Packers last won a Super Bowl, and with the messy Favre divorce, and all the injuries that were suffered this year (including Woodson, Shields, and Driver in the Super Bowl); it’s absolutely amazing the Packers have brought the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay. Assuming that a new CBA will pass and allow the 2011 season to happen, the Packers are in great position to continue to hold onto the Lombardi Trophy for a few more years. I smell a dynasty in the making.

 Play of the Game:

There’s a few of them, but one sticks out above the rest: the Rashard Mendenhall fumble. In the 4^th Quarter, the Packers were holding onto a 21-17 lead, and it looked like the Steelers were threatening to take their first lead of the game. After the Packers punted for the fourth consecutive time, the Steelers were on the Packers’ 33 yard line facing a 3^rd down and 2, when Mendenhall was stuffed at the line of scrimmage by Ryan Pickett and Clay Matthews. Matthews speared Mendenhall’s right arm, and the ball came loose. Desmond Bishop scooped up the loose fumble and was brought down a few yards later.

“Before the play, Clay and I were talking about how it was coming that way,” Bishop said. “I was just there to do what I needed to do and scoop the ball up. I saw it hit the ground, and I just wanted to grab it and score.”

After the fumble recovery, the Packers drove 55 yards before Aaron Rodgers connected with Greg Jennings for an 8 yard touchdown that gave the Packers a 28-17 lead.  

 1265’s Super Bowl MVP:

 No questions here. The Super Bowl committee got it right, and 1265 will follow suit as Aaron Rodgers is the clear-cut Super Bowl MVP. Besides a couple of anxious moments by Aaron Rodgers, he put on an absolute clinic last night, compiling 304 passing yards and three touchdowns. You could even inflate his stats a little more had there not been at least seven dropped passes by the Packer receiving corps. Rodgers was on ‘The Herd’ this morning and this is what he had to say when asked about his receivers dropping passes.

 “Those types of plays are going to happen. You got to keep feeding the ball to them, because they are talented. It’s the mental mistakes to me that are inexcusable. Because that means there is a lack of mental preparation or a lack of dedication. You got to keep rolling, stay positive, and keep feeding those guys the ball.”

 Case in point, Jordy Nelson dropped a huge pass up the middle in the 4^th quarter, but later converted a 38 yard catch and run on a 3^rd down and 10 that kept the play alive, and ended up putting another three points on the board with a 23 yard field goal by Crosby to give the Packers a 31-25 lead and eventual win.

 Also, Colin asked Rodgers, “the Packers have an incredibly young team, and it looks like the Packers could go on a 5 year run. Does it feel like that to you? Rodgers replied, “it really does, we have a great window here, lot of guys signed, I really feel like we are really going to re-load. We’re going to have, in my opinion, the best tight end in the league in Jermichael Finley back, and bringing back Ryan Grant who has been a solid contributor. The personnel have done a great job of signing people, and bringing people in off the streets to fill positions, we have to sign these guys.”

Brian Billick, former head coach of the Baltimore Ravens said it best on ESPN Radio. “Just imagine what the Packers will be when they get Jermichael Finley back, or when the re-load on depth at the draft. I think we’re looking at a team that has just scratched the surface of their potential. I think we’re seeing a juggernaut dynasty in the making.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. The Packers have a strong nucleus of young, smart playmakers on top of a top-tier personnel team lead by Mark Murphy and Ted Thompson. The sky is the limit for our Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.

 I also wanted to mention that I appreciate everyone that has taken the time to follow the 1265 blog, post comments, and share in the joy that is the Green Bay Packers. Since I am shocked with how much daily traffic this site gets, I’ll be changing the domain name to give a more permanent texture to this blog. Like I said, I’m just a man that loves his Packers, and it means a lot to know that there are people out there that love the Packers as much as I do. I hope you have enjoyed reading the posts as I have enjoyed writing them. Thank you for being a part of such an incredible year for the Green Bay Packers. As Aaron Rodgers said, “Let’s win another one.”  GO SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS GO!

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Super Bowl or Bust? Part Two.

It’s kind of funny that my first ever post for 1265 was titled, “Super Bowl or Bust?” I described that the Packers needed to win a playoff game before prognosticators label the Packers as this year’s Super Bowl favorite. Well, roughly six months later and the Packers are in the Super Bowl. So, it’s only fitting that this is ‘part two’ of the Super Bowl or Bust? discussion. I’m so pumped that the Packers are playing the Steelers in the Super Bowl and in Dallas nonetheless. The Packers have the most titles in NFL history. The Steelers have the most Super Bowl wins, and the team that plays in Dallas has made the most Super Bowl appearances. The ironic thing about the Packers and Steelers is in all actuality they are lucky to be in the Super Bowl. Who would have thought at the beginning of the year that Charlie Batch saved the Steelers season by going 3-1 in Roethlisberger’s absence due to suspension? And if DeSean Jackson doesn’t return a punt return for a touchdown in the final seconds against the Giants in week 14, the Giants would have made the playoffs not the Packers. However, the Packers and Steelers persevered, and one of these teams is 4 quarters away from being Super Bowl Champions.

A friend asked me yesterday if I wanted to get together for a drink before the Packer game to break down our own perspectives. Unfortunately, I had to decline, since I work until 3 today. However, luckily for my friend and for the rest of my faithful followers, this post is going to be like we are sitting at a bar stool and have just ordered a drink.

Hey, Brice, so who do you think is going to win the game today?

My response is: Naturally, the Packers.

Aren’t you concerned about the Steelers success in the post-season and experience in the Super Bowl?

Why? Yes, I am, but experience isn’t everything. Last year, the Saints making its first ever Super Bowl appearance upset an “experienced” Colts team. In Super Bowl XLII, the Giants with very little Super Bowl experience stunned the undefeated New England Patriots, which had won three Super Bowls prior. So experience is arbitrary, it’s the journey to the Super Bowl that I believe makes the difference. Both teams have endured injuries this year, but if you look at the playoffs, the Steelers and the Packers are two entirely different teams. The Steelers in both of their home games in the playoffs were a play or two from being eliminated. While the same could be said for the Packers against the Eagles and the Bears, the Packers have established from the get-go who is the better team.

Who are you most concerned about on the Steelers?

Well, there’s Ben Roethlisberger who torched the Packers back in Dec. 2009. He’s one of the NFL’s most clutch quarterbacks in history. He’s 10-2 all time as a starting quarterback in the post-season with two championship rings. He’s tough to bring down and surprisingly elusive. Also, the Packers have issues with running backs. Rashard Mendenhall isn’t flashy, but he has the power to gain yards at crucial points of the game to extend drives.

But it’s the defense that worries me, especially Troy Polamalu, this year’s Defensive of the Year. Bruce Arians, the defensive coordinator for the Steelers, mentioned game planning for Ed Reed who is just as dominant as Polamalu. “When we play Ed Reed, we do not throw a football not knowing where he’s at. But every now and then you can move them with your eyes,” What Arians describes, is exactly what Aaron Rodgers will have to accomplish. Rodgers is well aware that Polamalu will be watching his eyes. It’s up to Rodgers to look him off while dealing with the Steelers rush.

“Wherever the ball is, Polamalu is,” said wide receiver James Jones. “You can get him. Playmakers sometimes guess, and they guess wrong sometimes. We’ve got to account for him, but he’s got to worry about us, too.”

So, what will the Packers have to do to win the Super Bowl?

From USATODAY.com, former Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, who lost to the Steelers 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII, recommends that the Packers utilize the spread offense and quick-fire passing game to negate the Steelers defense. Warner said that by using this style of offense, it helped the Cardinals take the lead in the 4^th quarter against the Steelers.

That’s exactly what the Packers have to do. Besides the Jets, I don’t think that there’s a team that can go toe-to-toe with the Packers spread offense. They can score and they score fast. The question is can they score consistently throughout all 4 quarters? The thing that scares me about the Packers is besides the Falcons game, the Eagles and the Bears had a chance to win the game. The Packers let both of those teams back in the game. That cannot happen with a talented team like the Steelers.

Personally, the game is in Aaron Rodgers’ hands. His 111.5 passer rating indoors, which includes the playoffs, is number one in the NFL since 2008. Aaron Rodgers will see an assortment of defensive formations that he has never seen before. The Steelers will try to confuse Rodgers with blitz packages and different line formations, but there’s one gaping flaw with the Steelers and that is their secondary. Besides Polamalu, their secondary is mediocre at best. If Rodgers can maintain poise in the pocket and the offensive line can establish protection, he will pick apart the Steelers. Besides Rodgers, what I am hoping for is that Mike McCarthy has a few tricks up his sleeve that the Steelers are unaware of. Most of the followers of 1265 know my animosity towards McCarthy. I think he is a great offensive mind, but lacks game management and the ability to call decisive plays in crucial points of the game. The interesting thing is that in the Steelers win over the Jets, the Steelers instead of running the ball on 3^rd down with 50 some seconds left in the game to run as much time off the clock as possible, Tomlin called a passing play to put the nail in the coffin. That is what distinguishes Tomlin and McCarthy. Knowing McCarthy he would have ran the ball, and prayed that the defense would hold onto the victory. McCarthy cannot resort to being comfortable at all in his play calling today. No team has beaten the Packers yet this year. The Packers have beaten themselves in all of their six losses. The Steelers are a great team. I just think the Packers are a better team. So, here’s hoping the Packers are the better team today! GO PACK GO!!!!

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The Power of Cheese

There’s one thing that I love more than the Packers, and that my friends, is cheese. Well, maybe I don’t love cheese more than the Packers, but it’s definitely a symbiotic relationship. Doctors recommend keeping the cheese intake at a minimum, suggesting low-fat cheeses like parmesan or mozzarella, but ‘low-fat’ cheese is like ‘fat-free’ ranch. It doesn’t make sense. I’m here to shed some light on my one true love that has insulated me through bitter winters, mended my broken heart, and cured hunger at late hours of the night (late night cheese).

Before/During/After the Super Bowl, many fans will be running to grab a celebratory beer, adult beverage, or what-have-you, but I’ll be running to grab some delicious cheese. Maybe some sharp cheddar or melted brie? The possibilities are endless!Regardless, after I grab that cheese, I will be celebrating. My girlfriend on occasion has found me ‘asleep’ on the couch with a couple of wedges in hand, and perhaps even some dried nacho cheese on my chin (depending if it is Fiesta day). Fiesta Day is when I honor the queso south of the border. Ole!

Besides the tastiness of cheese, it’s all inclusive, unless it’s California cheese. California may have happier cows based on its sunny environment, but Wisconsin has better cheese.  By inclusive, I mean I’ve partied with gouda (France), mozzarella (Italy), feta (Greece), and Swiss (Switzerland). And guess what? They all love each other. There’s no segregation when it comes to the democracy of cheese.

While everyone gets caught up in the realm that is the Super Bowl, I’m trying to remain level-headed and breathe. It’s tough. Throughout the week, I’ve sustained a couple of cardiac arrests, light headedness, and some bouts of indigestion all just reading the Journal Sentinel on the Packers or watching Packer highlights on Youtube. But you know what cures all of those temporary ailments? Yep, it’s cheese: the nectar of the cows. So, while all you “Cheeseheads” are cheering on the Packers in the Super Bowl, try to pay tribute to what makes the Green Bay Packers special. It’s not Curly Lambeau, Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr, That dude that won three MVP’s, Reggie White, and etc. It’s you, the fan. Without us fans, it would just be guys playing pick-up football on Sundays. Only a Packer fan, would demolish a couch cushion, burn holes in it, spray paint it yellow, and wear it on his head to commemorate his love for the Packers or even cheese? True Packer fans have been there for their beloved Green Bay Packers. I know I have. You know what has been there for me? Cheese.

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Ted Thompson: Ron Wolf Incarnate?

About a week ago, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote a piece about Ron Wolf being impressed with the job that Ted Thompson has done since becoming the general manager in 2005. On top of being impressed with Thompson, the similarities between Wolf and Thompson are striking….not to mention freaky.

November 1991, Ron Wolf became the general manager of the Green Bay Packers. His first three big moves were firing Lindy Infante, hiring Mike Holmgren, and trading a 1^st round pick (19^th pick in the following year) for Brett Favre. After he assembled his nucleus, on April 6^th of 1993, Reggie White signed a 4 year 17 million dollar contract with the Packers.

Jan. 14, 2005, Ted Thompson became the general manager of the Green Pay Packers. His first three big moves were firing Mike Sherman, hiring Mike McCarty, and then drafting Aaron Rodgers with his first round pick in the 2005 draft. Just like Wolf, after Thompson built his foundation, on April 27^th of 2006, free agent Charles Woodson signed a 7 year 52 million dollar deal.

Ron Wolf said that the general rule to build a Super Bowl caliber team was that at least a third of the team had to be impact players. He mentioned that 18-20 players needed to contribute in order to win a Super Bowl. Wolf used a ‘color system’ to identify impact players. Players that are labeled ‘blue’ are Hall of Fame type players, players that are labeled ‘red’ are perennial Pro Bowl type players, and players labeled ‘gold plus’ are starters with Pro Bowl type potential.
So, taking Ron Wolf’s advice, I decided to make a 1265 list of Wolf’s color system. For players that fall in the ‘blue’ criterion, I wanted to be extra careful because actually becoming a Hall of Fame player requires consistent stats over a period of years and a certain bill of health.

Blue:

Charles Woodson, Aaron Rodgers *, and Clay Matthews *

Asterix means that they are on their way to becoming Hall of Fame type players they just need to consistently produce and above all stay healthy.

 

Red:

Chad Clifton, Greg Jennings *, Tramon Williams, Desmond Bishop, Ryan Pickett, Nick Collins, B. J Raji, Josh Sitton, and Cullen Jenkins.

Gold Plus:

Bryan Bulaga, Sam Shields, Scott Wells, and Donald Driver

The list consists of 16 players that fall in Wolf’s color system. Also, the Packers suffered an abundant amount of injuries. Of the players that are injured, there are six players that need to be recognized:

Red:

Jermichael Finley, Nick Barnett, Ryan Grant, Mark Tauscher, Mike Neal *, and Morgan Burnett *.

Asterix means that I have only seen a small sample size of Neal and Burnett, but they are tremendously talented, and should be impact players if they can stay healthy.

Out of the list that I supplied, Wolf identified Sitton, Shields, Jenkins, and Raji as players that have pushed their talent over the top, especially in the playoffs. He compared the aforementioned players to Adam Timmerman, Santana Dotson, and Brian Williams of the 1997 Super Bowl winning team that helped the Packers.

Wolf said, “When you look at what you have to do to be successful, just look at what Ted did when he came in there. He built that team up.” It’s pretty interesting to see Wolf and Thompson’s timelines coincide with each other. When Wolf took over as GM, he was scrutinized with his instant makeover, he also was slaughtered by the Packer media for his inability to draft well. Wolf also wasn’t afraid to spend money. Well, Thompson has obviously been scrutinized. He took a tougher road. He stuck to his philosophy of finding players in the draft rather than over paying for free agents. Wolf took over for the Packers in 1991, it took him 5 ½ years to win the Super Bowl with a 27 year old quarterback in Brett Favre. Thompson took over in 2005, it has taken him 6 years to get to the Super Bowl with a 27 year old quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. The Road to the Super Bowl for Wolf and Thompson are strikingly similar. The only thing that is missing is a Super Bowl win for Ted Thompson.

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