Aug 16, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Adonis Thomas (35) loses his helmet after getting tackled by Green Bay Packers cornerback Brandian Ross (39) in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … 

That’s what we have to keep repeating.

It doesn’t count in the record books and thank God that’s the reality. But we still have to look at the 35-10 shellacking the Packers took from the Cleveland Browns Thursday night as disconcerting.

It is only the second time the Packers have started 0-2 in preseason during the Mike McCarthy regime … it’s very uncharacteristic for a McCarthy-coached team to look this bad.

Yeah, you can point to the injuries; you can point to the fact that most of the game was played by second-, third- and fourth-stringers; you can point to the fact that everyone made a mistake in this one – even McCarthy who was flagged 15 yards for throwing the challenge flag at the wrong time.

Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson (87) celebrates. Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

Aside from the Aaron Rodgers-to-Jordy-Nelson connection for a touchdown in the first quarter, there wasn’t a whole lot to shout about. Though it’s a loss, again, it doesn’t count.

What we should be worried about is that it was a loss to the Cleveland Browns – yes, that same Browns team that has stunk up the league for the past decade. The question we must ask this morning is this: Are the Browns that good or are the Packers sinking to Cleveland’s level of badness?

What’s going to happen when the Packers play a really good team, like next week against the Bengals? Or when they open the season against the 49ers and then have to host the Bears?

Well, here are a few initial thoughts I’ve had this morning as I feel bad:

• Graham Harrell isn’t an NFL quarterback and Ted Thompson should have Mike Holmgren and Colt McCoy on speed dial;

• The running game, especially Alex Green, didn’t look all that bad last night;

• D.J. Smith is going to be an unsung hero for the Packers this year;

• Jordy Nelson is going to again lead the Packers in receiving this year;

• The second string offensive line is just that – offensive;

• The young players the Packers have in the secondary are energetic, talented and getting ready for prime time. However, they are very green;

• I can’t wait to see what Cedric Benson can do in this offense;

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb had a rough night.Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

• Randall Cobb isn’t standing out like everyone said he would be and his fumble in the first quarter was inexcusable;

• Charles Woodson is again going to be a huge factor for the defense;

• Where was Nick Perry?; and

Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason …

Headed to Lambeau Field tonight? Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

Interested in watching tonight’s preseason game?

Well, if you don’t have tickets to Lambeau Field for 2012s first game at the iconic stadium, here’s a primer for what you may want to know.

The weather

August 3, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers fans hold up signs during the Family Night scrimmage at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

But if you are going, you might want to check out the weather conditions first: In fact, if you’re heading to the stadium very early – like this morning or early afternoon – you might want to bring an umbrella. And then don’t forget to pack a Packers sweatshirt or sweater because by game time it looks like it will be a bit chilly.

For more information on the weather, check it out here.

Also check out Packers.com game day information – they have everything you need to know

On the road

And did you know there is construction on Hwy. 41. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has provided the following nicely put together list for those who may be on the road to Green Bay tonight. Check it out:

Packer travel advisory

Road construction update in Northeast Wisconsin

(Green Bay) The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Northeast Region is reminding motorists heading to Lambeau Field on Thursday, August 16 for the Green Bay Packers / Cleveland Browns football game that the road construction season continues on most major roads in Northeast Wisconsin. While most projects will stop and two lanes of traffic will be open, drivers might still encounter road conditions in the work zones that could cause backups.

WisDOT strongly recommends motorists allow themselves additional time to reach their destinations.

Here is a list of the major roads in northeast Wisconsin most Packers fans will be traveling and the road conditions they should anticipate:

US 41

·        Brown County – drivers will encounter 11-foot travel lanes and reduced shoulders in multiple locations along a 10-mile segment of highway. The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph from just south of Scheuring Road to Memorial Drive.

·        Winnebago County – a majority of 12 miles of highway, from 9th Avenue to Breezewood Lane, has restricted shoulders, 11-foot travel lanes and reduced speed limits in both directions.

WIS 29

·        Brown County – motorists traveling on WIS 29 will have to drive on 11-foot traffic lanes with reduced shoulders on five miles of highway from County FF to US 41. These restrictions affect both eastbound and westbound traffic lanes.

WIS 54

·        Brown County – the WIS 54 and Seminary Road intersection has been reconfigured during roundabout construction that could slow traffic and cause backups at this location.

I-43/Leo Frigo Bridge

·        Brown County – traffic on I-43 at the Leo Frigo Bridge is reduced to a single lane with speeds reduced to 55 mph in both directions over a 3.5-mile segment of the highway.

Radio stations

Boise, Idaho

• KJOT/105.1 FM [4]
• KQXR/100.3 FM [5]
• KRVB/94.9 FM [6]
• KTHI/107.1 FM [7]

Knoxville, Tennessee

• WCYQ/93.1 FM [8]
• WKHT/104.5 FM [9]
• WKTI/1040 AM [10]
• WWST/102.1 FM [11]

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

• WLWK/94.5 FM [12]
• WTMJ/620 AM [13]

Omaha, Nebraska

• KEZO/92.3 FM [14]
• KKCD/105.9 FM [15]
• KQCH/94/1 FM [16]
• KSRZ/104.5 FM [17]
• KXSP/590 AM [18]

Springfield, Missouri

• KSGF/1260 AM, 104.1 FM [19]
• KSPW/96.5 FM [20]
• KTTS-FM/94.7 FM [21]
• KZRQ/106.7 FM [22]

Tucson, Arizona

• KFFN/1490 AM
• KTGV/106.3 FM [23]
• KMXZ/94.9 FM [24]
• KQTH/104.1 FM [25]

Tulsa, Oklahoma

• KFAQ/1170 AM [26]
• KVOO-FM/98.5 FM [27]
• KXBL/99.5 FM [28]
• KHTT/106.9 FM [29]
• KBEZ/92.9 FM [30]

Wichita, Kansas

• KFDI-FM/101.3 FM [31]
• KLIO/1070 AM [32]
• KFXJ/104.5 FM [33]
• KICT-FM/95.1 FM [34]
• KFTI-FM/92.3 FM [35]
• KYQQ/106.5 FM

This past April, former Packer great Leroy Butler walked onto the stage at Radio City Music Hall and announced the selection of the future of the Packers defense: Jerel Worthy.

The Packers took Worthy with the 51st pick of the draft, which raised eyebrows in Packer Nation. Worthy came with a lot of baggage, the same type of baggage from which Ted Thompson normally avoids. While playing at Michigan State, the defensive end developed a reputation for being lazy and taking plays off.

After being drafted Worthy embraced his reputation by saying “I take plays off just like everyone else,” which made many cringe. There were also criticisms of his play. Many scouts said Worthy didn’t possess the ability to shed the offensive lineman and work in space. But with the right coaching staff I feel all of this can be fixed.

Through training camp I haven’t heard much from Worthy other than that he is a high energy player who has treated every play like it was an in-game situation. That last sentence signifies that the man has started to change his ways.

I think that Worthy is the key to getting this defense back into championship  form. I’ll even go out on a limb and say Worthy is the next great Packer defensive lineman.

Worthy plays with a mean streak, and this is what this defense has been missing. If Worthy can put his energy and attitude into playing football then I believe he will fill the hole left by Cullen Jenkins.

In college, Worthy took on a lot double teams. This allowed his defensive mates to take advantage and penetrate the backfield. This fact alone should bring a smile to Clay Matthews and BJ Raji’s faces.

He doesn’t need to be an immediate All-Pro defensive end this season, he just needs to have enough of an impact to make his defensive mates better. Worthy possesses something that CJ Wilson, Mike Neal, and Jarius Wynn don’t seem to have: aggressiveness.

Worthy will get his chances to show his abilities with Anthony Hargrove serving an eight game suspension. If he stays healthy he could start making his impact in week 1.

During Thursday’s preseason game against the Browns, and the remaining two games,  keep your eye on #99 as he starts to get acclimated to the game.

Dec 24, 2011; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32) runs during the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-US PRESSWIRE

This was recorded this morning and is presented here courtesy of the Green Bay Press Gazette.

Cedric Benson worked out for the first time with the Packers this morning and this very short video clip shows him going through running back drills with coach Mike McCarthy giving directions.

No doubt, the team will be seeing more of this as Benson goes through the mandatory acclimation process that requires a new player to ease into a team’s routine over the course of the first three days. That means that it is highly unlikely that Benson will be a part of the Packers game plan when they host the Cleveland Browns Thursday, Aug. 16, at Lambeau.

Enjoy.

Packers rookie Jerel Worthy is just one of several rookies, especially on defense, being eyed as cogs to an improved 2012 Packers team. Dan Hogan photograph

It’s been a pretty eventful few days for The Green Bay Packers, the coaches, and their fans.

The Packers look bad in dropping their first exhibition game at San Diego, they lose one of their best defensive players probably for the season and another promising defender for at least a couple of weeks. The team is decimated by injuries, the offensive line is in a shambles and then Ted Thompson continues with his trend of consistent inconsistency by signing Cedric Benson – a talented running back with a tainted history.

And that’s just the past four days. Now the Packers have to get ready to play the Cleveland Browns Thursday night at Lambeau Field, try to get some players patched up and get Benson acclimated to the Packer way and Packers Nation.

It should be fun.

In that spirit, I thought I would bring you some of the more interesting posts I’ve come across the past couple of days as we head into a new week.

Enjoy and don’t forget to keep on coming back to Lombardiave.com for all the Packers news you might find somewhere else, but with its own blend and twist – also, our Facebook page is a hoot and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

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August 9, 2012, San Diego, CA: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers (12) calls an audible in the first quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jody Gomez-US PRESSWIRE

Turnovers, Injuries, dropped passes, a poor running game and just general inconsistency plagued the Packers in their preseason opener against the San Diego Chargers Thursday night on national television.

It’s not an uncommon scene and certainly not something that should concern Packers fans too much. There is never much one can take away from that first game of the year – other than the fact that, thankfully, it doesn’t count.

But there are some things for certain – the Packers have to get healthy and they have to show vast improvement in consistency next time out.

When Nick Perry opened the game with a sack on Philip Rivers, Packers fans cheered. But when the flag came out for unsportsmanlike conduct because of his post-sack enthusiasm, Packers Nation could only grow. I guess it was the harbinger of the the night.

The Packers gave up a 23-yard touchdown to Antonio Gates after fumbling the ball away on their first drive of the night. Another fumble on the ensuing kickoff only spelled out what type of night it would be. Though the defense held its own throughout the game and Graham Harrell finally led the Packers to a score just before halftime and another touchdown at the beginning of the fourth quarter, it wasn’t enough.

Aug 9, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop (55) is tended to by members of the Packers

But Donald Driver said patience is required, especially at this time of year. “That was the whole thing,” Driver said. “You have to get the rust off, and then you start playing ball. You see exactly what he can do. Right before half, he drives the ball right down there and scores. That was big for us. He has the confidence that he can play on this level, and he’s proven it.”

To his credit, Harrell didn’t get down. He kept working and the coaching staff showed their confidence and stuck with him.

“That’s kind of the attitude and mentality I try to bring in every day,” Harrell said. He who finished 15 of 27 passing for 135 yards and a TD. His passer rating was 81.6. “Whatever just happened, whether it was great or whether it was really bad, let’s play the next one and see what happens.”

The game ended after the Chargers had scored a late touchdown to give them a 21-13 lead. Rookie B.J. Coleman was then thrust into the lineup to lead the Packers on a last ditch attempt to try to score. On the last play of the game, Coleman completed a pass to rookie RB Marc Tyler who was stripped of the ball by former Packer Ricky Elmore.

It was a fitting end to a game where inconsistence ruled the day.

Aug 9, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk (50) yells out defensive calls before the snap against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

Positives that came out of the game? Randall Cobb, Tim Masthay, D.J. Smith, Davon House, Tramon Williams, and even Harrell once he got his legs under him. One could also include the play of Tyler, but his fumble to end the game put a damper on that.

Negatives: Injuries to House and Desmond Bishop. Bishop’s could be serious and would be an extreme blow to the Packers middle defense. House is to have X-rays to see the extent of the damage.

The Packers have a week of practice ahead of them where one hopes the coaching staff stresses ball security. They are in action again Thursday, Aug. 16, when they host the Cleveland Browns at Lambeau Field.

Here’s the list of changes as provided by the Packers public relations department:

PACKERS ANNOUNCE CHANGES TO TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE

The Green Bay Packers have announced changes to their training camp schedule for Aug. 12-14.

The Packers’ two practices on Aug. 12-13 that were originally scheduled for 7 p.m. at Ray Nitschke Field have been moved to 11:15 a.m. Practice on Aug. 14 has been shifted from 3:30 p.m. to 11:15 a.m.

TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE FOR AUG. 11-30 (REVISED TIMES IN BOLD/ITALICS)

Saturday, Aug. 11                                     7 p.m. (Pads)

Sunday, Aug. 12                                      11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Monday, Aug. 13                                     11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Tuesday, Aug. 14                                    11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Wednesday, Aug. 15                                No practice

Thursday, Aug. 16                                    Preseason game vs. Cleveland Browns, 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 17                                         No practice

Saturday, Aug. 18                                     No practice

Sunday, Aug. 19                                       11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Monday, Aug. 20                                      11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Tuesday, Aug. 21                                      11 a.m. (Helmets)

Wednesday, Aug. 22                                No practice

Thursday, Aug. 23                                    Preseason game at Cincinnati Bengals, 6 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 24                                         No practice

Saturday, Aug. 25                                     No practice

Sunday, Aug. 26                                       11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Monday, Aug. 27                                      11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Tuesday, Aug. 28                                      11 a.m. (Helmets)

Wednesday, Aug. 29                                No practice

Thursday, Aug. 30                                    Preseason game vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 6 p.m.

* All practice dates, locations, times and dress are subject to change. All times CDT.

Who will hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February 2012? Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Yesterday, July 26, everyone was pretty giddy with the start of NFL training camps across the league.

The focus here, of course, was Green Bay. But it didn’t matter whether you were – Chicago, New Orleans, New York or San Francisco – the talk was all the same.

“Guys are flying’ around;” “Great to be back;” “Ready to get going;” “Super Bowl.”

Everyone is going to the Super Bowl, if you believe what players and coaches were spouting yesterday. Well, of course it’s great to hear that all are optimistic about going to and winning a Super Bowl. That’s the way it should be on the first day of training camp.

But now that the first day is gone, let’s get real. Let’s stop the talk and let’s just get down to brass tacks. Jacksonville is not going to the Super Bowl. Tennessee is not going to the Super Bowl. Cleveland is not going to the Super Bowl. St. Louis is not going to the Super Bowl.

To get to the Super Bowl may never happen for some teams in the NFL, such as Cleveland and Jacksonville, but I guess it’s OK to have goals and the set the bar high.

But let’s move on now. Let’s start talking about the nuts and bolts – the competitions within each camp where players are fighting for that 53-man final roster spot. Yes, let’s get real.

While the Chicago Bears have as good a shot at reaching the Super Bowl as just about anyone in the League, at least Brandon Marshall hit the nail on the head in his interview yesterday when asked about the words “Super Bowl.” Almost in awe, he said, “It’s real.”

Will Marshall, Cutler and company make it real? Well, they have to get by the Packers, Lions and Vikings to do it. Is that “real?” I can’t say yet.

All I can say at this point is that it truly is time to get real.

The Packers will face Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens next year, as well as all the teams from the AFC North. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

While it’s not a good thing to look too far ahead when it comes to the National Football League, we caught this quick snippet on CheeseheadTV – the home and away schedule for 2013.

I’m saying it right now – the Packers better make hay this year because when they enter the 2013 regular season, they will be playing a schedule that will be be tough – very tough.

The Packers will be facing teams from two of the roughest divisions in the entire league – the AFC North and the NFC East. In addition to that, they will play opponents from the NFC South and NFC West with similar records from 2012 – those opponents are to be determined.

Throw in the North Division opponents, Bears, Vikings, and Lions – well, you can see where I’m going.

Here’s the home and away schedule:

Home

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Redskins

Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers

NFC South opponent

Away

Dallas Cowboys

New York Giants

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

NFC West opponent

We all know what the NFC brings, but even tougher still will be the opponents from the NFC North – Pittsburgh and Baltimore play a style of game that’s both brutal and just plain mean. Throw into the mix a much-improving Cincinnati Bengals squad and the who-knows-what-team’s-going-to-show-up Cleveland Browns and we see contests where the Packers will have to bring their A-game week-in and week-out.

In addition, having to face the NFC East Eagles, Giants, Cowboys and Redskins will make for an interesting season. IMO, there isn’t a weak opponent anywhere in sight.

But that’s next year. We all know that it’s the now and present that is important as training camp is a mere four days away. The team’s focus is on opening day against the San Francisco 49ers, followed four days later by a tilt with the Chicago Bears – that’s a pretty brutal start to a season right there.

We’ll worry about 2013 next year. I just thought I would throw it out there for you.

Trade talks swirling about James Jones should come to an end. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

The rumors that Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver James Jones is going to be traded just keep on swirling. The latest non-story came Sunday via profootballtalk.com when they reiterated the Cleveland Browns were not interested in trading for Jones, who is in the second year of a three-year pact he signed last just prior to the start of last season’s training camp after nobody showed interest in him during free agency.

So, why would the Browns be any different? Though the bait for Jones would be quarterback Colt McCoy, one must consider the other side of the table in this potential deal. The Packers have no interest in McCoy and a trade of Jones for McCoy would be a lopsided toward Cleveland. They would be getting a receiver who is listed as fourth on the team’s depth chart – a player who caught 38 balls for nearly 635 yards. As a member of the Browns, he would become a star, but the Packers are not in need of another quarterback.

They think they have a pretty good backup quarterback in Graham Harrell and spent a seventh round pick in the most recent draft for B.J. Coleman. If they didn’t have confidence in Harrell’s abilities, they would have made a trade with the Browns during the draft.

So, let the rumors continue to swirl. Jones will continue to contribute as a member of one of the deepest receiving corps in the entire National Football League. There will be no trade anytime soon … and it certainly won’t be to Cleveland for Colt McCoy.

Lionel Aldridge's story is that of a spiraling demise and rise back.

Brain injuries caused by persistent blows to the head is the topic of the times. Dozens of former NFL players have filed a lawsuit against the league for not helping them understand and deal with these injuries.

However, for one former player, the late great Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Lionel Aldridge, his suffering was brain-related, but not football-related.

Aldridge began suffering from the effects of  paranoid schizophrenia in his early 30s, a chronic mental illness that would eventually cause him to spiral into despair and a life on the streets. He lost everything, his family, his money and even his Super Bowl ring.

But his life didn’t end tragically. He eventually got the diagnosis and help he needed to turn his life around. When he died at age 54 in Shorewood, Wisconsin in 1998, he had come full circle and was helping others.

The story of his life was chronicled on the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame website by Scott Schalin, who gives an honest recounting of the man known as a giant teddy bear. Read it here or below.

The Mad Ride of Packers Hall of Famer Lionel Aldridge

Sometimes you have to go through hell to get to heaven. In the case of Lionel Aldridge, he took the reverse path.

Aldridge was born on February 14, 1941, in Evergreen, Louisiana, and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1963 draft after a standout college career at Utah State.

While Packers coach Vince Lombardi was always wary of starting rookies, Aldridge cracked the vaunted Green Bay lineup in his first professional year. He quickly became a cornerstone of the staunch and stingy defenses of the 1960s playing right defensive end opposite fellow Louisiana native and future Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Davis.

Although the NFL didn’t log official stats for tackles during Aldridge’s era, he was renowned throughout the league as a solid tackler that helped anchor that stout Packers’ defensive line.

With the Packers, he played prominent roles in three straight NFL championships with wins over Cleveland in 1965, and Dallas both in 1966 and ’67. Perhaps it was that 23-12 victory in the 1965 title game that epitomized the smothering Green Bay defense of the era, as the Packers held legendary Browns’ running back Jim Brown to just 50 yards rushing in what would be the future Hall of Famer’s final game.

Aldridge continued contributing to the team’s historical run of championships, helping Green Bay to victories in Super Bowl I (a 35-10 dismantling of the Kansas City Chiefs) and Super Bowl II (a 33-14 shellacking of the Oakland Raiders).

Aldridge enjoyed an 11-year pro career, playing his first nine seasons in Green Bay and his final two with the San Diego Chargers. The six-foot-three, 255-pound beast was named an All Pro in 1964 and was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1988.

Still, even a physical shell as imposing as Aldridge’s could not protect life’s most fragile wonder: the brain.

After retiring in 1973, Aldridge turned to broadcasting. He became an analyst for the Packers and then for NBC, where he would work Super Bowl VII following the 1973 season.

Things were seemingly going as well off the field as they had on it.

But then, something changed. Something suddenly didn’t seem right.

His longtime friend Jim Irwin, who had broadcast Packers games for 29 years before retiring after the 1998 season, told the New York Times, “Lionel was a terrific success story that had some holes in it. He was a big, friendly teddy bear,” who experienced mood swings as a player. “He’d be ‘up’ one day and then the next day he’d snap at everybody.”

Irwin recounted an instance after Aldridge retired and was doing the color commentary on a Packers’ broadcast. “I asked him the first question of the day, and he stared straight ahead,” Irwin recalled. “He never took his eyes off the 50-yard line for the next three and a half hours and never said another word.”

Unbeknownst to Aldridge, his family or his friends, the former defensive star for the Packers was experiencing the beginning phases of paranoid schizophrenia. The Mayo Clinic describes paranoid schizophrenia (PS) as a chronic mental illness in which a person loses touch with reality.

The most prominent PS symptom is auditory hallucinations or “hearing voices” along with severe delusional behavior, the fear of persecution and sensing usually irrational things that others don’t. There is no specific cause as to what triggers PS in adults, but both genetics and environment likely play roles. Football has never been blamed for Aldridge’s PS.

PS symptoms are more common and severe primarily because they attack a person in the later years of life, usually after the age of 30.

Aldridge was barely into his mid-30s when the episodes began. By the early 1970s, he began to hallucinate. Then, the voices started echoing through his brain.

On the website Guideposts (www.guideposts.org) Aldridge wrote frankly and frighteningly of his illness.

One of the most frightening signs that there was something seriously wrong with me was the voices I began hearing in 1974.

At first, they were just stray, nagging worries that dogged me through the day; self-doubts that we all have from time to time. They seemed to rise up out of nowhere—vague thoughts with an accusing edge, ‘You really don’t work very hard, do you?’

The voices were very scary and confusing. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want anyone to find out the terrible things happening inside my head. As an athlete, I’d been trained to be tough; it was not my nature to seek help. I wanted to be strong.

At first I tried to ignore them. But the voices grew more belittling and threatening; more real. I’d be standing in front of the mirror shaving when I’d hear from the next room, ‘You don’t take very good care of your family.’ “That’s bull!” I’d shout. I’d search the house for my tormentor. I’d mutter, as my wife, Vicki, shook her head in dismay. There never was any intruder.

His marriage, which had produced two daughters, Michelle and Angela, collapsed. So did his job. Quickly the situation grew worse.

Aldridge chronicled the events on Guideposts.

Rumors flew around town that I was on drugs. That was completely false, but I was in no shape to prove otherwise. I was getting worse.

Soon that feeling of being watched wouldn’t let up, even on the air. Looking into the camera, I could barely hold my composure as I reported the nightly sports scores. The wide camera lens zooming in on me was a glistening, all-seeing eye that could plumb the farthest, most hidden reaches of my soul. Everyone who was watching on their TV sets, I was convinced, could see right inside my brain, where laid bare for all to look on in disgust were the grimmest secrets of my life.

I was sure there was a far-flung conspiracy to destroy me. I fought with total strangers on the street. I lost my job, (my family) and my friends. There was nothing left but the voices shouting in my head, as real to me as an opposing 260-pound pulling guard on a goal line stand back in my playing days.

My life spun out of control.

Aldridge was convinced by voices that he needed to leave his Milwaukee home.

He crisscrossed the country in an unruly wilderness of twisted interstates, sleeping in hotels and ultimately seedy flophouses. Once his savings were mostly exhausted, he started living in his car. In Florida, he ditched the car for a $100 and hit the streets with nothing more than a battered satchel on his shoulder.

Occasionally I hung around a town for a while doing odd jobs, living on the streets and eating at soup kitchens. Quite naturally, people would stare at me, and that would only make my delusions of persecution worse. I never held a job for long… I’d become one of those lost, devastated souls. There were a lot of them out there with me, crippled by mental illness, but as I wandered the country I was only aware of my own haunted, unhappy world a million miles from the life I once had.

One night I slept in a field off an interstate near the Great Salt Lake. I didn’t notice when I woke up, but, while I was sleeping, my jewel-encrusted Super Bowl ring must have slipped off. Those rings are not easy to come by, and I’d hung on to mine as a kind of symbol of who I’d once been.

When I discovered the ring missing, it was as if I’d been stripped of one final link with my past. I sat in the middle of a sidewalk and wept into my hands.

‘Help me!’ I cried out. The sweat and tears streaked my dust-caked face. ‘Help! I’ll accept help from anyone.’

Turning to a well-worn Bible for guidance, he found the strength and courage to return to Milwaukee where, while still living on the streets, he was brought back into contact with old friends. He was, not without difficulty, committed to a hospital where he was diagnosed with PS.

“Slowly the doctors hit upon some drugs that helped,” he rejoiced. “Little by little my condition improved, and the voices gradually subsided. At first it was horrifying. It was an awful thing to face, like seeing a crazy man on the street and suddenly realizing that you are looking into a mirror.”

Although there is no cure for PS, Aldridge was able to recover and learn to live with the debilitating disease.

“I did recover,” he admitted. “Not without setbacks and relapses, not without moments when I thought I could never again face life, but I did get well with the help of friends, doctors who found the right medication to help me and the voice of a loving God.”

He discovered new strategies to cope with the world, including turning the voices around and convincing himself that, instead of negative things, the voices were actually preaching positive attributes about him. “I figured, maybe they’re saying good things like, ‘Hey, there’s Lionel Aldridge. He used to play for the Packers and then he got sick. Look how good he’s doing now.’ ”

In time, the voices went away thanks to medication and his faith in God’s master plan. He began traveling the country speaking to groups about mental illness and recovery. “It’s vital,” he said, “for patients, families and even doctors to see someone who has actually made it back.”

In January 1985 — the 18th anniversary of the Packers’ first Super Bowl win – Lionel received yet another gift. A group of his old teammates had commissioned an exact replica of the Super Bowl victory ring that Aldridge had lost.

“I knew that day that I had returned,” he surmised. “Even when you think you’ve lost everything in your life, there is always hope of finding a way back, sometimes to an even better place.”

Aldridge passed away on February 12, 1998, in Shorewood, Wisconsin, of congestive heart failure at the age of 56.

After a meteoric rise to fame and glory, and then a whiplashing plummet into darkness and despair, this gentleman of the game and Packers’ legend can now, finally, rest in peace.

Scott Schalin is the former editor of PackersHallofFame.com and is currently writing a book with NFL on FOX insider Jay Glazer.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace (6) looks to throw during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Steelers won 13-9. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

Not every team in the NFL has a franchise quarterback.

Ok, MOST NFL teams don’t have a franchise quarterback.

They’re difficult to find and even more difficult to develop. Just ask the Minnesota Vikings, the Washington Redskins, the Oakland Raiders, and the Kansas City Chiefs, to name only a few.

Another team one could add to the list is the Cleveland Browns. Not only has this team never made it to the Super Bowl (though they have been close, right, John Elway?), this team has been void of a quarterback who had any chance of leading the Browns to the promised land.

With last night’s announcement that the Washington Redskins had given away the farm to trade for this year’s first round second pick that once was the St. Louis Rams’ there were many fans in the league whose hearts sunk and minds raged.

What you will see below is one of those fans. His rant speaks for itself and should be viewed, if not for the entertainment value, but to understand what it might be like if your favorite team probably had a shot at pulling off what the Redskins did last night.

Packers fans who live with the security of a healthy Aaron Rodgers and years of success into the future have a difficult time understanding. But remember, we have also gone through the decades of failure brought on by a trade that involved John Hadl; we have played on through the years that included Scott Hunter, Jerry Tagge, David Whitehurst, Anthony Dilweg, and Blair Kiel.

So, yeah, many of us can understand.

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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will lead the Packers again next year. Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

The Packers have been tabbed as the team with the best chance of winning next year’s Super Bowl. Not that we put much credence into the oddsmakers, it’s nice they think highly enough of the Packers to place them in that spot.

But let’s take a look at the other end of the spectrum. While the Packers are 6-1 odds to win the big game, at the other end are the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars sitting at 100-1. Not far behind are the Minnesota Vikings at 75-1 odds.

Think about all the teams that have gone from worst to first. Think about the New York Giants and the fact they at one point stood 7-7 near the end of last season and ended up winning it all. It happens. Think about the Packers who came out of nowhere to win the Super Bowl in 2010.

So, if you were to pick a longshot team to win next year’s Super Bowl … who would it be?

Take today’s poll and let us know.

Former Head Coach Mike Holmgren will be inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame this summer.

It was announced just this morning that Packers former Head Coach Mike Holmgren, who is now the head man of football operations for the Cleveland Browns, will be inducted into The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame this coming summer.

The 42nd Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will be held Saturday, July 21, in the Lambeau Field Atrium.

We all know what Coach Holmgren brought to the City of Green Bay, the state of Wisconsin and all of Packers Nation. In addition to coaches Vince Lombardi, Curly Lambeau, and current Head Coach Mike McCarthy, Holmgren took the Packers to many NFL Playoff games, including two straight Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XXXI.

The press release issued by the Packers Hall of Fame this morning offers this description of Holmgren:

Holmgren joined the Green Bay Packers in 1992 and enjoyed a spectacular run as head coach through the 1998 season, including a victory in Super Bowl XXXI following the 1996 campaign. Launching his success with a 9-7 record in ’92, a five-game improvement from the year before, Holmgren led the team to a 84-42 overall record (75-37 regular season; 9-5 postseason); seven consecutive winning seasons, the first such skein since the 1960s; a club-record six consecutive playoff berths; a 47-5 record, including playoffs, in Lambeau Field; a club-record 25 consecutive home-field victories, the second-longest such streak in NFL history; 13 regular-season wins in consecutive years (1996-97) for the first time in team history; three straight NFC Championship Game appearances (1995-97), including back-to-back wins (1996-97); and back-to-back Super Bowl appearances (1996-97), the last such feat by an NFC team.

His overall win total, 84, is the third most in franchise history, trailing only Curly Lambeau, 212, and Vince Lombardi, 98. His winning percentage, .667, is tied with Lambeau for the second best in team history, behind only the .766 mark of Lombardi. With at least one postseason win in five consecutive seasons (1993-97), Holmgren is one of only three coaches in NFL history to have achieved the mark, along with John Madden (Oakland, 1973-77) and Bill Belichick (New England, 2003-07).

His 1996 Super Bowl championship team led the league in both points scored (456) and points allowed (210), becoming one of only 12 teams in NFL history to accomplish the feat and the first since 1972.

Tickets for the banquet, which begins with the doors opening at 4:30 p.m. with a cash bar, and dinner and program to follow at 7 p.m., are $135 each. Tables of 10 also are available for $1,300 and are assigned in the order in which they are purchased. Early reservations are recommended. To purchase tickets, call Gwen Borga at (920) 965-6984, or e-mail her at gwenb@packershalloffame.com.

No refunds are available 30 days prior to the event.

Lombardiave.com offers our congratulations to Coach Holmgren and his family. We also welcome him back to Green Bay as a permanent member of the franchise’s family.

Al Harris spent 8 years with the Packers.

One of toughest players ever to don a Green Bay Packers uniform has called it quits.

Al Harris, the Packers cornerback who beat up receivers for eight years while in Green Bay, was injured in November while playing with the St. Lois Rams against the Cleveland Browns.

The Rams announced today that Harris would be retiring because of the injury. Harris confirmed that announcement when talking to the press.

“That’s just God’s way of telling me it’s time for me to turn the page,” Harris said. “I had an awesome time. I thank God for Spags giving me the opportunity to come out and I hope I left a positive impression on everybody.”

Harris had 12 tackles in nine games for the Rams this season. For his career, Harris played in 194 games and picked off 21 passes.

Harris was named second team All-Pro in 2007 and made the Pro Bowl in 2007 and 2008 while with the Packers.

He played for Green Bay from 2003-10, but was cut last November after coming off the PUP list.

He came to Green Bay from the Eagles, but also played for the Buccaneers and Dolphins.

In addition to teaming at cornerback with the likes of Mike McKenzie and Charles Woodson, Harris was known for his aggressive style, his ability to jam receivers at the line and play bump and run.

For several years, he was generally assigned to cover the opposing team’s best receiver and had many memorable games.

Probably his worst performance came in the NFC Championship against the Giants in 2007 when he was scorched by Plaxico Burress in the overtime loss.

His most memorable game also came in a playoff game. It was his pick-six off quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in the famous “we want the ball and we’re gonna score” game against the Seahawks that cemented him in Packers lore and helped make him one of the most popular players of that era.

With his flowing dreads and his flashing smile, Harris was always a positive influence in the locker room and among the public.

A class act, Harris was thought of so highly among the Packers coaches and administrators that they presented him with a Super Bowl ring last spring.

Another Al Harris may not come along in quite some time. He will be missed but has also left us with many memories.

Thanks, Al

So, will Aaron Rodgers and the Packers notch win #14 easily in Kansas City Sunday or will the Chiefs give the Packers their best shot?

OK, so it’s that time of the week when we hear from the opposing camp about this week’s Packers vs. Chiefs game.

With just three weeks remaining in the NFL regular season, we asked Patrick Allen, the bigwig over at Arrowhead Addict, what is thoughts are heading into Sunday’s Packers vs. Chiefs match-up. He was so kind to take some time to answer our questions.

Enjoy! He’s brutally honest.

And don’t forget to Like Lombardiave.com on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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Brandon Jackson, seen here celebrating a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in 2010, is one of several players the Packers have parted ways with the past few months.

This is the second in a three-part series about “The ones Ted Thompson didn’t want.”

The NFL’s week seven was probably the worst week to head over to my friend’s place to watch the NFL Network’s addicting whip-around coverage known as the Red Zone channel. There were some awful match-ups: Seahawks/Browns, Redskins/Panthers, Broncos/Dolphins.

It got so bad that I found myself watching as the Steelers backed the Cardinals offense up on their own five-yard line.

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We begin with this video … a funny one at that … posted by a Cleveland Browns fan. With regards to Mike Holmgren who we still believe will build a winning program there, we post this YouTube video from a devoted fan who, though he doesn’t like the way things are going, still loves his team.

That’s the way it should be and the reason why we are all fans of the NFL … and the reason why we are thankful to be fans of the Green Bay Packers.

The tandem of Rodgers and McCarthy will provide leadership and smarts to a team seeking to repeat as league champions. The team's quest continues this weekend when they take on the Arizona Cardinals in the second of four preseason games. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

How much should we take from the Packers first exhibition game Saturday night in Cleveland?

Well other than a 27-17 loss, there were probably more question marks, especially with the play of Packers cornerbacks Pat Lee and Jarrett Bush in the first couple of series, than exclamation points. However, if one is going to point to a positive, it’s got to be the initial look at second round pick Randall Cobb.

When he touched the ball heads turned and he made an immediate impact.

He will make the team, there’s no question about it. The question is how quickly Coach Mike McCarthy will implement him into the game plan when the regular season starts.

Cobb started the game with a kickoff return straight up the middle without hesitation and with courage for 32 yards.

His other return was similar, this time gaining him 26 yards. And while he showed his sure-handedness and his ability to catch the ball under pressure on his lone punt return, he also showed quickness of feet in eluding the initial tackler … that’s something Packers fans haven’t seen on special teams since Travis Williams and Willie Wood, and it’s a sure sign that the team should show improvement in special teams play over their dismal numbers last year.

Green Bay ranked 22nd in punt-return average and 26th in kickoff-return average last season.

On the offensive side of the ball, it wasn’t until the backups behind quarterback Matt Flynn hit the field that Cobb began to shine.

He made an impressive diving catch for 13 yards in tight coverage and then later in the first half caught a pass for 19 yards.

On the next play, Cobb caught another ball on a short route and then turned it impressively into a gain of 28. (more…) ]]> http://lombardiave.com/2011/08/14/cobb-shows-the-burst-of-a-star-in-the-making-for-the-packers/feed/ 0