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The Green Bay Packers’ Best Running Back Is Not Who You Think… (The Bleacher Report)

The Whitewashing of the Indiana Pacers (Fan Addict)

What If America Had Won The Confed Cup? (Pacman Jonesin’)

Recap of the Weekend’s Royals Related News Items (Kings of Kauffman)

Santonio Holmes Really Misses Michael Jackson (Nice Pick, Cowher)

Logano Makes Magic, History At Loudon (Stock Car Spin)

Michael Jackson And Sports: An Incredible Combo (Predominantly Orange)

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As part of the extension, Jennings was given $16.25 million in guaranteed money, including an $11.25 million signing bonus, which he received immediately. In addition, his 2009 base salary of $5 million is guaranteed.

Jennings base salaries for the next four years:

2009: $5 million
2010: $1.85 million
2011: $2.7 million
2012: $3.885 million
Signing bonus: $11.25 million

For a young wide receiver, that is a lot of cash.  Thompson structured the deal so that it’s frontloaded, meaning that the end of the contract is worth less than the first part, helping the cap.  Jennings has more opportunities to make more money through bonuses:

In ‘10-’12 , he can earn up to $400,000 through a roster bonus tied to the number of games in which he is on the 45-man game day roster. He gets $25,000 for every game in which he appears. He also has $300,000 workout bonuses each of the next three off-seasons.

Finally, he can earn $2.95 million over the final three years of the deal through escalators tied to playing time and team performance. He can earn a maximum of $700,000 in 2010, $1 million in ‘11 and $1.25 million in ‘12.

Jennings, like Rodgers, now has a huge contract on his head to live up to.  I don’t doubt he will be able to, as he has been a gamer in his first few years in the league.  As he enters his prime, he gets a contract he deserves and sets himself up for an even bigger one once he becomes a free agent at age 29.

No.

Brett Favre.

I was doing some investigating for a Jackson tribute post comparing Jackson’s song titles to players and teams in the NFL. For example, the song “Bad” was matched up with the Detroit Lions because the Lions were, well, bad (”horrendous” is my word choice, but MJ doesn’t have a song called “Horrendous”). Favre was on that list in it’s infancy under the song “Circus Girl” (more on that later). I was looking for more songs. And every song I looked at reminded me of Favre. Am I serious? Yes, I am. Favre parallels the Jackson song titles quite well. Almost too well…

“Bad” - Originally for the Lions, this aptly describes Favre play for the New York Jets down the stretch in 2008. And hopefully it will describe is play in 2009 for the Minnesota Vikings.
“Circus Girl” - The circus follows Favre everywhere. Originally this was usually applied to ESPN’s tendency to be on their knees 24/7 for Favre, but the circus tent has gotten bigger as NFL Network has joined in (Scott Hanson staking out Favre’s plane was just too much). Also, many people think Favre is a girl. Something that his intense waffling and teary-eyed “retirement press conference” exuded.

“Cry” - Just watch this video. Self-explanatory.

“Dangerous” - Favre with the ball. He’d burn the defense deep or burn his offense with a pick. Either way, danger was imminent.

“Dirty Diana” - For all intensive purposes, I’m calling this one “Dirty Deanna” as it has been suggested that Deanna Favre is the one that has a problem with Ted Thompson and that she is the one driving him to come back.

“Don’t Walk Away” - What legions of fans told Favre to do.

“Fly Away” - I feel this one suits Brett the Jet. He flew away to the Big Apple, but as the season ended, I think all he wanted to do was “Fly Away.”

“For All Time” - Favre is an all-time quarterback. He’ll still be a Packer for all-time in most people’s eyes.

“Give In To Me” - Favre wanted the Packers to give in to him and give him his job back last summer. Thompson didn’t blink and Aaron Rodgers is the Packers new franchise quarterback.

“History” - So much history around Favre in all his records. Touchdowns, yards, interceptions, it’s all there. Not to mention he played on the hallowed tundra of Lambeau Field.

“Invincible” - Favre thought he was indeed invincible and his play showed it. Consecutive games streak. You need to be nearly invincible to do that.

“Money” - According to multiple sources, money and a contract is the only thing between Favre and Minnesota purple.

“Morphine” - A low blow here, but we all know how much Favre loved his painkillers…

“Never Can Say Goodbye” - I don’t think he will ever be able to say goodbye to the game. He’ll be on the sidelines in a hospital bed asking Brad Childress to put him in.

“One More Chance” - For Brett, one more chance to play in New York has turned into one more chance to play in Minnesota. God only knows how many chances he’ll have before he’s done.

“They Don’t Care About Us” - I’d guess that’s how Brett and Deanna felt after supposedly being forced out of Green Bay by Ted Thompson. Of course Brett, the whole world’s against you.

“Thriller” - I’m sure most of you scrolled down to this one on the list first. Favre was an entertainer. He was a thriller. His game was to thrill you with the touchdowns and then kill you with the interceptions. But damn, watching some of those games were some of the most thrilling experiences a fan could have watching football. It’s one of the reasons that people still want to watch him. He’s a thriller, hands down.

So what do you all out there have? Comment with your Favre connections to MJ songs. 80 points for whoever can come up with one for “Superfly Sister.”

The Packers have reportedly signed star wide receiver Greg Jennings to a three-year contract extension through the 2012 season.  Jennings’ current rookie contract was set to expire after the 2009 season, making his re-signing a priority to the offense.  Although the details aren’t out there in the clear, Greg A. Bedard reported that it will pay Jennings upwards of $8 million per year, making him the second-highest paid player on the team behind quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

“I’m grateful and I understand that I’m blessed,” Jennings said today. “Just to know I’m going to have that financial stability for not only myself but for my family, my children, it’s an exciting feeling. It really hasn’t hit me yet — probably (not) until I get that first check. I’m sure it will sink in sometime soon.

“Talking to (Packers contract negotiator Russ Ball) yesterday, I was very appreciative that they signed me to this extension not only because of what I did on the field but it just says a lot about the way they feel about myself, not only as a player but my character, my personlity, who I am as a man.”

The contract means that the Packers will be in the same situation they were this season again after the 2012 season with an expiring contract for Rodgers’ favorite target.  But this means that the Packers have Rodgers and Jennings together for another four years, which I feel is great for the offense.

I’m glad Thompson actually took care of this without having it deteriorate into some situation with an 11th-hour extension right before the start of free agency.  It leaves more time to get to the other people that need extensions which is a rather large number: Nick Collins, Aaron Kampman, Atari Bigby, Ryan Pickett, Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Chad Clifton, Johnny Jolly, Tony Moll, and Will Blackmon.

With most of the defensive players (Collins, Kampman, Bigby, Pickett, Jolly, Blackmon), it has to be seen whether or not they can adjust to the 3-4 scheme.  If they can  and they do it well (and happily), they can be re-signed rather easily, I’d say.  But if they don’t, then they could be gone.  Collins has threatened to holdout of training camp without a new deal, as he missed most of the OTAs with personal issues.  Collins was absolutely stellar last season in the secondary and it would be lovely to see him back in green and gold, but his adjustment to the 3-4 remains to be seen.

Also, the Packers still have five un-signed draft picks, including first rounders B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews.

Thompson, Mike McCarthy, and Ball have some work to do.

After a monologue by Buck and some small-talk between the two of them, Buck gets started right of the bat:

Buck: Do you plan on playing in the NFL next year?

“Um, maybe. (audience laughs and claps.) I am considering it.”

Well that’s everything we already knew.  For the last five-to-eight years, Favre’s whole career has been one big “maybe.”  Are you returning next year?  “Maybe.”  Are you retired?  “Maybe.”  It’s a word we’re all used to hearing coming out of his mouth.  But for those of you who would lost interest right away, Favre does not do a good job of keeping that maybe fresh in your mind.

Buck: You’ll have in Minnesota something you haven’t had in your career, a running back that’s a superstar? Great defense, a line, a lot to like with the Vikings.

“…But in that situation, knowing what is expected of you, knowing your team, knowing as long as we can run the ball, and complete passes when needed, we should be pretty good.”

The maybe is now nullified.  He’s coming back people.  The kicker is that he uses the pronoun “we.”  He’s not even part of the team yet and he’s already talking as if he’s on the team.  If there’s some Packers fans who have their heads so far up where the sun don’t shine, they need to take them out and look and believe: Favre will be a Viking.  It’s not what Packers fans want, but it’s what’s happening, and the Packers defense will have to gameplan accordingly.  Right here, the interview could be over as what we expected him to avoid, is right out there in the open now.

But he still had some more things to talk about during the 10-minute interview.  He talked his arm, the golden chariot of his career.  The main thing that has to be 100% for him to come back is that arm.  If the surgery works and he feels good, he’ll suit up in purple and gold next year.  If it doesn’t, he won’t.  Or at least that’s what he says.  I’d say that even if he doesn’t feel 100%, he still gives it a go.  That’s been his attitude his whole career and I don’t see him changing it now for one or two more years.  Additionally, Favre said that Vikings coach Brad Childress did not impose a deadline on Favre to attend OTAs.  Gotta love ESPN right there.  Favre said that Childress wanted him up there to be with the team and check out the team at OTAs and not participate, but Favre declined, citing a media circus as the main reason he didn’t attend.  Hmm.  I thought he loved those.

Next, Buck brought up Fran Tarkenton’s recent comments on Favre before dropping the question a lot of people had bouncing around in their heads:

Buck: Do you worry about tarnishing your legacy in the league by retiring twice and coming back twice?

“I think the 16 years I spent in Green Bay speaks for itself.”

“I’m trying my best not to fuel the fire, even though I am. This is the first time I’ve spoken…”

“I’ve had so many people tell me, one in particular, Coach [John] Madden, that, it’s simple yet true: When you’re gone and you’re away from this game, you can’t go back. Maybe as a coach you can, but you just can’t go back.”

That’s the response we were pretty much expecting.  To me, his legacy is tarnished as I will never think about him in the same way again.  Instead of Super Bowl XXXI coming to mind, seeing him on NFL Network arriving in Green Bay and New York will stand out.  And obviously him in purple will standout as well.  I’m sure time will change some of that, but for now, it’s safe to say his legacy is tarnished in the fact it will be hard for people to think the same way about him again.  But as a player, it’s still there.  He’s got the touchdown passes.  He’s got the yards.  He’s got those interceptions too.  The last quote confuses me a bit, but I feel like he’s saying he never really walked away from the game, even though he “walked away” twice, one time tearfully, one time not so tearfully.  So if he never actually left, is he still coming back?

Now he goes for somewhat of a jugular on Packers fans:

Buck: Your legacy in Green Bay? Run on to field in Lambeau with a purple 4 on your chest. That’s a knee to the gut of the people of Green Bay.

“I don’t know what to tell them. Vince Lombardi went to the Washington Redskins when he left. And his name’s on the trophy. We give that trophy out every year. I don’t hear too many people say, ‘That damn traitor. He went to Washington.’”

JSOnline writer Greg Bedard fired back for all Packers fans via Twitter (@Greg_A_Bedard):

Favre invoked Lombardi going to the Redskins to explain how he’s not tarnishing his legacy in GB. Uh, that ain’t the Vikings.
about 13 hours ago from TweetDeck

And there it is.  Big difference in going to Washington instead of Minnesota.  The Redskins at that time were not on the cusp of a Super Bowl.  It was more of a rebuilding project than anything for Lombardi.  It wasn’t, “I’m going to go win a Super Bowl and stick it to Green Bay.”  It was more, “I’ve accomplished everything I need to here, time to move on.”  Totally different from Favre, in my view.

And their final exchange:

Buck said there was time for one more question. Something about the fishbowl of Green Bay compared to living in New York  … ?

“As I got older I cared a lot less about what was going on outside of football. I went to meetings. I went to practice, I came home, me and my youngest daughter, we’d go over to the stadium in Green Bay, we’d ride scooters around the concourse and no one was there. It was great. I would go huntin’ come back, go to the stadium. I mean, I’d do it all over again.”

“And I’m at a place where I’m at peace.”

I want to ride a scooter around Lambeau Field.  But that’s besides the point.  Favre sounds serious about what he’s going to do and what he wants to do, and he’s going to do it.  It’s time to start looking at him like Brett Favre, opponent, not Brett Favre, back-stabbing ex-quarterback.  And when November 1 rolls around, we’ll be ready to boo.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert has his five questions he would ask Favre at the interview.  The highlight (or the “bomb” question as we like to call it):

A conspiracy theorist could conclude you’re at the end of a remarkable manipulation to get from Green Bay to Minnesota against the Packers’ wishes and despite a “poison pill” inserted into trade language last summer. The plan would include announcing your retirement in February and then quietly asking for your release after the New York Jets drafted your replacement. Try talking us out of that one.

Seifert opened up the comments for the readers to give some of their questions.  And there are some good ones.

From melliot74:

Would you please just go away?

JamesIII012:

6. Why do i read about you?
7. What are the chances of you having a good second half of the season?
8. Are [you] certified to fit me for a pair of Wranglers?
9. Do you care that you have permanently tarnished you legacy?
10. Not a question but you will get pwned this year and i gurantee it

cranksandbeans:

1) Will you be chartering a sex boat to win over your new team mates?

2) How many more playoff intecep… uh, I mean runs do you think you have left in you?

pjacobsen699:

3. Is the high you are feeling from the constant manipulation of your idolators on par with 3 Budweisers and 1 Vicodin, or more like 3 Vics and a 12-pack?

I think it’s safe to say that the masses are through with this story and just want it to end.  Unfortunately, it’ll just keep going.  Now, the five questions I would ask Favre:

1. What is going through your head with all of this?

2. Do you feel a team is stronger if they have a great back like Adrian Peterson and (less than) decent wide receivers like Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice?  Or do you feel that a team is stronger with great wide receivers like Donald Driver and Greg Jennings and a decent running back like Ryan Grant was during the 2007 season?

3. What is the exact source of your ill-will towards Ted Thompson?  The drafting of Aaron Rodgers to be your successor?  Not acquiring Randy Moss?  Or what?

4. What are your thoughts on Aaron Rodgers, NFL quarterback, not Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre’s successor?

5. If you run out onto Lambeau Field on Sunday, November 1, 2009 as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, what thoughts will be running through your mind?  What will your feelings towards the fans of Green Bay be?

Bonus question: What if this doesn’t work out?  At all?

There we have my questions.  Feel free to chime in with your own.

Again on JSOnline, Michael Hunt has a great piece highlighting the last year and how Favre’s actions this year have made him look like one of the most egotistical athletes of all time.

Remember how he flew into Green Bay last summer in one of the most egocentric stunts ever pulled by a professional athlete. Remember how it was his intention all along to play for the Vikings after his first retirement. And remember how he began to distance himself from his teammates by dressing in a private chamber, away from the locker room.

If Favre wants to play for the Vikings because they have a scary good defense and a freak-of-nature running back, and if he truly believes he can somehow stay within himself to become that final piece to get them to the Super Bowl, then more power to him.

But if his driving motivation is to stick it to Ted Thompson, such an impulse would be misplaced and pathetic beyond reason, sort of like the way Warren Spahn ended his Hall of Fame career in New York and San Francisco.

Either way, should Favre decide to further risk his dignity and legacy by dragging himself back on the field with Minnesota, he would do so without the heroic illusions that accompanied his 16 seasons in Green Bay. And there would be the good in crossing over, because if anyone didn’t know it by now, these are just guys, most of whom don’t play for altruistic reasons.

It’s a great piece.  Head on over to read the whole thing.

Because of instantaneous new media, such as Twitter, we’re able to get a constant view on things that are going on.  Take NFL Networks Scott Hanson’s (@hansonscott) latest tweets from today:

Back in good ol Hattiesburg. Might have a Brett Favre update later. To quote [Brad] Childress, “stay tuned”…
about 8 hours ago from mobile web

Waiting at the airport for Favre to take a private jet to NY for his Joe Buck interview. If we catch his departure, you’ll c on NFLN.
about 6 hours ago from web

They are fueling up the jet we think Favre will be on. First video of Brett post-op soon… we hope.
about 4 hours ago from web

Jet has been fired up on for over an hour… no Favre. (maybe changed mind?) ha - that would re-define irony.
about 2 hours ago from mobile web

And we have a Favre sighting. Got in the jet and just took off 10 sec ago. How’d he look?
27 minutes ago from mobile web

how’d he look? watch NFL Network and find out. (and check out his right hand/arm.)
24 minutes ago from mobile web

In my humble opinion, this is just insane.  Of course, we all want to know what is going on with Favre as soon as we can, but putting the “Favre-arazzi” out there to Tweet is every move is a little over the top.  I feel NFL Network is so much stronger than ESPN, but this is an ESPN-like move right here, to film the flight’s departure from Hattiesburg.  And it’s not even like he’s going to Minnesota to meet with Childress and Zygi Wilf.  He’s meeting with Joe Buck.

The Joe Buck angle is another interesting aspect of this scenario.  How will Buck interview him?  According to sources, the interview is supposed to “revolve around the celebrity status of pro athletes.”  I doubt that will last.  I have never seen Buck give a one-on-one interview such as this, so I have no idea how he will deal with Favre.  If definitely will not be like Favre and Greta Van Susteren last year, and I doubt it will approach the Alex Rodriguez and Peter Gammons lovefest that came after the New York Yankees star’s steroid admittance.  If it was an ESPN interview, we would definitely expect that, as all the ESPN personalities have reputations for being on their knees for Favre making any interview on ESPN for Favre impossible to take seriously.  But for Buck, this is different.  If he conducts a smooth interview and does not cater to Favre’s ego and asks Favre the tough questions, I will have a whole new respect for him.  If he peters out as the interview continues, he will fall down the list of my respected broadcasters.  Buck’s reputation could be as much as stake as Favre’s.  After all, he will have to broadcast a Packers-Vikings game this year for Fox.

So there we have.  Five hours and twenty minutes until interview time.  Let’s see what happens.

Favre would be right at home under the big top right now.  By himself with all the attention, of course.

Thompson is a big man at 6-4, 270, good size for the outside linebacker position.  The only problem for him was that his speed wasn’t up to par with what the position requires.  So he changed his workout pattern:

This offseason, Thompson changed his workout regimen to make himself into a pseudo linebacker for the new 3-4 defense. That included changing the pace at which he lifted weights and adding hip work between lifts.

He lifted the same amount of weight for the same repetitions but instead of resting between lifts, he did more situps and abdominal work or active stretching.

“A lot of the stretches I was doing worked on my hip flexibility, swiveling my hips back and forth for flexibility just so I’m a more fluid athlete,” Thompson said.

With that, Thompson has moved into the starting lineup of the defense this offseason.  He has seen most or all of the reps opposite Aaron Kampman and the two have developed a rapport that will be vital for the defense to succeed.  The combination of size and speed is important for an outside linebacker in the 3-4, as they have to rush, cover, and take on blockers.  It seems Thompson can do all three.

If I were a coach, I’d want 11 Jeremy Thompsons on my defense.  The Wake Forest product has impressed nearly everyone he has worked with.

“It definitely wasn’t easy, the whole defense being new, plus a new position. It definitely wasn’t easy,” Thompson said. “Whatever we went through during the day I studied that night. So I would study an hour every night.”

Thompson has done so well he has drawn rare praise from coaches on the field for dropping back into coverage. Coach Mike McCarthy also sees potential for Thompson in disrupting the quarterback.

“He’s a natural pass rusher,” McCarthy said. “His experience playing defensive end really will help him this year as it carries over to the outside linebacker position. He’s as natural of an athlete that you’ll see out there at that position as far as dropping and doing all the different things. I know our defensive staff, particularly Kevin Greene and Dom Capers, are very excited.”

One of the best things this does for the Packers defense is create competition and flexibility on the defense.  Thompson’s improvement will push Matthews to get better, giving the Packers two outstanding possibilities for the defense.  It also gives the Packers choices on which athlete they want in the game in different scenarios, giving the opposing offenses more things to gameplan for and more things to think about in the line.  It’ll be a blessing for the defense.

Still, Thompson comes off as a guy you can’t hate, someone that you just want to root for:

“Anytime you work with the ones, it’s an opportunity,” Thompson said. “I’m just trying to be the best I can be. If he comes back and he’s better than me and he can help the team, I mean, I’m not going to be content. But I’m going to have to know my role. But I’m going to do the best I can. If it is being starter, I’m going to try to take off and be the best starter in the league.”

Maybe we’ll see him rolling off of a battered Brett Favre at some point this year.

First, in early May, running back Kevin Smith wrote that the Lions will be in the playoffs. Wow.

I won’t make a prediction about how many games we’re going to win, but I will say this: We will definitely make the playoffs this season.

Believe it or not we weren’t far off last year. Almost every game we could have won, we were one play or one player short. Except for Tennessee on Thanksgiving, they just came out and beat us to sleep. They manhandled us, but nobody else did.

Okay, now get all that laughter out.

I’m not totally sure what to think about this.  Part of me likes it.  It’s confidence and a little swagger on a team that had neither last season.  On the other hand, it is rather ridiculous to say that an 0-16 team that has an innumerable amount of weaknesses will turn around and be playing in January 2010.  I just don’t really see it happening.

There is hope for the Lions though.  The 2008 season saw the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and Baltimore Ravens all get into the playoffs, showing extreme improvements from dismal 2007 seasons.  This leaves hope for the Lions, especially the fact that Miami came off of a 1-15 season.  However, I see that type of improvement coming more from the Kansas City Chiefs of Seattle Seahawks than the Detroit Lions.

Cliff Avril was a little more judicious in his prediction for the 2009 season.

As for us making the playoffs, I think that is very, very possible. I’m definitely right with Kevin, we have a good enough team. Now it’s all about getting out there and proving it.

Our defense has a lot of new guys like Julian Peterson and Larry Foote, guys who have been in the playoffs and won Super Bowls and know how to win. Larry hasn’t brought out his Super Bowl ring yet, hopefully he’ll do it sometime during the season and we’ll get a few wins.

That sounds more like a guy who knows what’s up.  A “few wins” is a lot more realistic than the playoffs right now.  As for the Lions having a “good enough team,” I don’t think I can roll with that.  Daunte Culpepper is serviceable at best, and it’s hard to tell if he’s even serviceable anymore.  Matthew Stafford has all the potential and Mel Kiper, Jr. hair-grease all over him, but he’s a rookie quarterback, and rookie quarterbacks don’t typically come in and play well.  Some might point to Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan from last year, but they both had great situations.  Flacco had a great defense that didn’t make him do too much on offense and Ryan had a strong running game with Michael Turner, which took a lot of the pressure off of him as well.  Stafford has Smith.  Much work to be done.

It’s nice to see some swagger and confidence in Detroit after watching last year’s pitiful 0-16 season, but I’m still predicting a Packers sweep when the season gets started.

Pittsburgh Steelers Hand Out The Bling (Nice Pick, Cowher)

Day One Draft Review (SoDo Mojo)

Rapid Fire Thoughts: Magic Outlast Lakers (Lake Show Life)

Are The New Brett Favre Reports Part of A Vikings Smokescreen? (The Viking Age)

Pippen Ain’t Easy NBA Mock Draft (Pippen Ain’t Easy)

Hossa, or Hossa-less? (Sabre Noise)

Chad Ochocinco Gets Tattoo On His Face (Fan Addict)

Dumb NBA Quotes As Told By Photoshop (Fan Addict)

I’ll be back with some original content tomorrow.

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