Green Bay Packers: Is 2013 a magical season?
Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports photograph
Could 2013 be a magical season for the Green Bay Packers? The way things are going, magic might be what the Packers need.
In 2010, Steve “Sparky” Fifer of 1250 WSSP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin coined the Green Bay Packers run to Super Bowl XLV the “Magic Carpet Ride.” A team decimated by injury, caught fire at the end of the regular season and rode that emotion to a Super Bowl victory. The 2010 season had drama, suspense, heart break, heroes and villains.
It had all the makings of a legendary team.
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The 2013 Green Bay Packers,week-by-week, are pulling us into their drama. That being a team strapped with injuries, a star player with career in the balance, cool hand mega-star quarterback, recovering drug addict anchoring the defense – all the makings for a blockbuster.
Looking back on that 2010 season, Fifer was right; once that magic carpet got moving it swept us all up with it. Though it didn’t always look like a championship team. That team had 8-8 written all over it. Something inspired that team, when the weather got cold they caught hold of the magic. They peaked at the right time. And before we knew, Packers Nation was exploding in bars and living rooms around the globe.
We were feeling so fly like a cheesehead.
I’ll be straight; it’s a bit too early to call the 2013 Packers a “Team of Destiny.” It has qualities that make for a team of intrigue – the injuries, grinding victories, star power in key positions. Their modest schedule going forward and the so far weak NFC North offer the Packers a distinct opportunity at entry into the second season.
From the outside looking in it seems this team is tight. It appears they want to win and they want to see one another perform well. They say the right things, like “make the best of opportunities.” When peppered with questions this week about former Packers receiver and now part of this Sunday’s opposition, Greg Jennings and his insulting remarks in the offseason, Packer players toed the company line. No shots across the bow, no bulletin board material. That is good, because Jennings’ remarks don’t matter – after all, he was just joking, razzing the guys a bit.
Something tells me he wouldn’t be playing the funny man card if the Minnesota Vikings weren’t on their third starting quarterback and getting their jocks handed to them on a weekly basis. But I’m off topic and that is another blog all together.
What I was getting at before I distracted myself with Jennings smelf, is I believe this Packers team is a winner. It has become accustomed to dealing with adversity. The next
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports photograph
man up attitude is fully engrained into the culture of the team. You’ve got to think that Jarrett Boykin catching eight passes for 103 yards and a TD irritates Jennings. Playing with three incompetent quarterbacks in Minnesota probably makes Jennings rethink how important Aaron Rodgers was to his career.
It’s clear – I can’t help but want to take jabs at Greg Jennings, but hey, I’m only joking.
There is an uneasy excitement brewing about the 2013 Green Bay Packers. The genie is still in the bottle, but the carpet is unrolled and Steppenwolf is tuning up. This could be a lot of fun.
In addition to blogging about the Green Bay Packers for Lombardiave.com, Patrick Hughes blogs about gardening at wheelandbarrowlandscape.com, running and the Portland Trailblazers at Oregon Sports News, and artisans and the connection economy at phughespdx.com.