On this day in 1997, the Green Bay Packers accomplished something that all of Packers Nation had waited decades to see – bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Titletown.

It was this day that would belong to the fleet feet of Desmond Howard, though Packers quarterback Brett Favre and defensive end Reggie White would also contribute solid performances in helping the Packers to the NFL championship, 35-21, over the Bill Parcells-coached New England Patriots.

Starting with Favre’s TD bomb to Andre Rison and ending with White’s three sacks of QB Drew Bledsoe, the Packers won this game when Howard returned a kickoff for a touchdown that turned the tide in the second half.

It was a great, great day for Packers fans … you want to remember? Check the video below.

Lindy Infante

If there was one good thing about Lindy Infante, is that his public relations skills were top-notch. The press loved him.

As you can tell by the posting below from the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, he was always good for a quote and a one-liner.

Check it out. It will surely make you smile.

Lindy Infante Knocks ‘Em Dead at Packers Press Conference

August 8, 1988 – Lindy Infante’s first preseason game with the Green Bay Packers may not have gone as planned, but the first-year head coach maintains his sense of humor when facing the media the Monday following the 34-3 loss to the New York Giants. “Anybody got the autopsy back,” Infante asks reporters at the start of his press conference. “I expected to see the coroner out here instead of you guys.” Turning serious, Infante declares: “It’s still too early to proclaim us dead.” Green Bay opens the 1988 season with five straight losses before Infante secures his first regular-season win, a 45-3 dismantling of the New England Patriots.

Ryan Grant is most likely moving on to another team, but has yet to be signed. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Ryan Grant, the former number one running back with the Green Bay Packers, has fallen off not only the Packers’ radar, but everyone else’s – or so it seems.

But in an interview recently with the National Football Post, Grant’s agent, Alan Herman, said. In fact, that Grant will be playing for a National Football League team before it’s said and done – but it most likely won’t be for the Packers.

The Packers’ leading rusher before his season-ending injury in 2010, Grant made a comeback last year and played side-by-side with fellow running back James Starks. In fact, running as a tandem for the team, Starks and Grant put up nearly identical numbers – Grant had 559 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 134 carries, while Starks had 578 and two touchdowns on one less rushing attempt before ending his year with a knee injury against Tampa Bay.

The Packers also lost last year’s rookie Alex Green midway through the year to a knee injury and ended the year playing Grant and rookie Brandon Saine.

Considered the best free agent running back available, Grant’s agent has said there have been some offers, but they haven’t been attractive enough for him. One of the teams interested is the Detroit Lions, but others mentioned have been the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts and even his former team, the New York Giants.

Whomever takes a chance on Grant will get a 29-year-old running back who doesn’t have a lot of mileage on his legs. In my estimation, Grant has at least a couple more seasons in the tank. He can be a value to both the running game and the passing attack.

However, for the Packers, they must feel confident in moving ahead with Starks and Green, with Saine also in the mix – and because the role of the running back is becoming somewhat diminished in today’s pass-first offenses, re-signing a premier running back hasn’t become a priority for many teams.

But for Grant and his agent, they aren’t worried.

“He’s not upset. He’s not nervous,” Herman said. “We’re going to be patient and wait for the right opportunity.”

Dec 21, 2008; Foxboro, MA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Junior Seau (55) warms up before the start of the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

What a day in the National Football League.

One of its biggest stars becomes the eighth member of the 1994 San Diego Chargers Super Bowl team to die. Junior Seau, who spent 13 seasons with the Chargers, died in what is being called a suicide gunshot wound to the chest. The shooting is much like that of Dave Duerson who also committed suicide.

Also on this momentous day, National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell announced the suspension of four New Orleans Saints players for their role in bountygate. While linebacker Jonathan Vilma was suspended for the 2012 season, the Packers newest defensive lineman, Anthony Hargrove, was suspended for eight games next season for his role when he was a member of the Saints.

While the Saints’ players punishments are big news around the league, it pales in comparison to the loss of Seau.

For years, his energy, power and personality was the face of the San Diego Chargers, something he later took to the New England Patriots.

Up until this week, those closest to him didn’t see any signs that Seau was emotionally distraught and no indications that he would be ending his life.

The 43-year-old, if indeed his situation was so dire, could be added to the list of many players who have suffered from the loss of the game … but more importantly from the rigors of the game that may have led to this day.

There are no indications that Seau was depressed or suffered from any symptoms of head injury … though the way he died was eerily similar to Duerson’s death. The former Bears player shot himself in the chest so that his brain could be used for research into head injuries.

Seau left no suicide notes and was found by his girlfriend.

But in the end, the suspensions of the Saints players for their role in the bounties look pretty weak when compared to Seau.

Life in the NFL will continue on beyond today.

Unfortunately, we can’t say that about Junior Seau. He will be missed.

Casey Hayward is a playmaking defensive back taken at the back end of the second round, trading up with New England to take him with the 62nd pick.Don McPeak-US PRESSWIRE

The Green Bay Packers traded up to snare Vanderbilt defensive back Casey Hayward, a player that NFL.com’s Mike Mayock called “instinctive” and said he “loved” this pick. He was the 62nd pick overall and came through a trade with the New England Patriots.

That makes the Packers’ third pick and second of the second round, was for a defensive player.

Here is some film on the new Packer.

Enjoy …

http://yfrog.com/0w9moqj

Could Randy Moss be headed to Chicago? We hope not. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Word has it that the Chicago Bears have expressed an interest in signing former Minnesota Viking, former New England Patriot, Former Minnesota Viking and former Tennessee Titan Randy Moss.

What could be better for the Bears, that classy organization out of Chi-town, than to sign the sometimes he plays, sometimes he doesn’t, moon man? In keeping with their high standards for choosing the best wide receivers to join their team (think Roy Williams), Moss would be the perfect fit.

God only hopes that the new regime overseeing Coach Lovie Smith’s on field efforts don’t go this route.

Clearly I don’t like the Bears. As a Packers fan, I never have and never will. However, I would hate to see a division rival go the route of buying into the old routine of bringing in an old, worn out, washed up and insincere player. The Bears are better than that.

Let’s hope the rumor is just that … a rumor.

In Green Bay, we want a Chicago Bears team that will compete. By going the route of bringing in an overpriced and arrogant player like Randy Moss, it wouldn’t happen.

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Why would any team in the NFL want to bring Randy Moss back? Raymond T. Rivard photograph

How many times have we come to see National Football League stars make attempts at comebacks or decide to hang on for another year, moving to teams that are looking for that flicker of talent the player once showed?

Well, here we go again. This time it’s Randy Moss.

He announced via a video on UStream last month that he was ready to play again after sitting out last year completely and catching just 28 passes for three different teams in 2010.

Today an unnamed source told National Football Post that three teams have expressed an interest in signing Moss. It would probably be a safe bet that none of those teams would be New England, Minnesota or Tennessee – the last three teams Moss made home in 2010. Of course, the source wouldn’t release the names of those three interested teams.

Moss was much more popular retired than he ever was when he was a player.

Our advice to Mr. Moss should he decide to accept It?

Stay retired, live off your millions and don’t come back and embarrass yourself.

Of course, we don’t expect him to adhere to our suggestions, but we can probably guarantee that our prediction will be spot on.

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New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) and New York Giants strong safety Kenny Phillips (21) and strong safety Deon Grant (34) go up for a hail mary pass as time expires in Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium. Richard Mackson

Can the Super Bowl get any better?

This year’s edition played up to all of the hype with both teams’ defenses showing up when they had to … and the offenses making just enough plays to send the game right down to the last play.

But it was the New York Giants who held the Super Bowl XLVI Lombardi Trophy aloft after Tom Brady’s last-second heave into the end zone fell harmlessly to the Lucas Oil Stadium turf just beyond the outstretched arms of Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

In a game filled with huge plays, it was Mario Manninham’s sideline-tip-toeing catch on the Giants final offensive drive of the game that was the Patriot-killer. On first down from inside their own 10-yard line, Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning lofted a sideline pass to Manningham who was triple-c0vered but somehow caught the pass that set the Giants up at the 50-yard line on their way to a final touchdown that gave them a 21-17 win.

From there, the Giants moved the ball down the field to a first and goal. Despite running back Ahmad Bradshaw’s attempt to sit down at the one yard line failed, he fell into the end zone with just under one minute left, which unwisely gave Tom Brady and the Patriots time to take the ball down for the winning score.

The attempt by Brady at the end was valiant, but fell short when his Hail Mary fell incomplete.

When the Giants jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first quarter on the arm of Eli Manning and the unusual safety caused by Tom Brady’s heave to nobody down the  middle of the field it looked like it could be a runaway Giants train.

Not to be … not with Tom Brady on the field.

Starting at his own four yard line – then being pushed back to the two yard line on a penalty – Brady manufactured a 98-yard drive at the end of the first half to take a 10-9 halftime lead. Ironically, it was the Giants that had dominated the game up to that point, only to fall behind because of Brady.

In the second half, the defenses again dominated the field as Brady and Manning were both harassed and field position came to the forefront.

Heading into the fourth quarter nursing a 17-15 lead, Brady started with the ball inside his own 10 when he hit Danny Woodhead on a huge third down play for a first down as the clock wound down under eight minutes.

Wes Welker took an end around for 11 yards to move the ball to the 46 yard line which was followed by a run for 1 yard on first down, and a pass for six to Gronkowski. On third and three, Brady hit Aaron Herndandez for a first down to extend the drive with under five minutes left.

With the Patriots attempting to milk the play clock, Chris Canty stuffed the run on first down for a loss of one. On second downBrady missed a wide open Welker down the left seam and then on third down and 11 Brady, with all kinds of time, threw incomplete to Deon Branch to force a punt that was fair caught by Will Blackmon at the 13 yard line.

That’s when Manning and the Giants took the field with 3:46 left … and on the first play of their possession, Manning hit Manningham for 38 yards that was challenged by Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick. The replay showed Manningham taking the hit, but maintaining control of the ball and getting both feet down before being pushed out of bounds.

With 3:38 left, Manning threw incomplete on first down from the 50, but on second and 10, he hit Manningham again down to the 34 yard line for another first down.

With the ball within field goal range, Manning threw complete for two yards on first down, and  then hit Hakeem Nicks on a quick slant down to the 18 as the clock wound down to the two-minute warning.

A big run for nine by Ahmad Bradshaw and a first down pass to Hakeem Nicks set the Giants up inside the 10-yard line with a  first and goal.

The Patriots then let Bradshaw run through a huge hole up the middle for the score, but  just as he got to the one yard line Bradshaw attempted to sit down without scoring, but couldn’t and fell into the end zone with 57 seconds left in the game.

The Giants two point attempt failed and they held what was to be their game-winning four point lead

Brady did all he could with the clock inside one minute. His first down pass to a wide open Branch was tipped and the receiver couldn’t hang on. On second down, Hernandez just couldn’t hang on to a Brady pass to set up third down when  Justin Tuck rushed up the middle for a huge sack on Brady.

The Patriots face fourth and 16 with no timeouts.

Brady, escaping the Giants fierce rush threw 18 yards to Branch who was able to get out of bounds for the first down.

Another first down pass we t to Hernandez to the 44 and a penalty on the Giants for 12 men on the field moved the ball to midfield.

However, there were only nine seconds left and when Brady threw incomplete to Branch there were just five seconds left.

On the last play of the game, Brady again avoided the rush and got of the Hail Mary pass that was tipped and nearly caught by Gronkowki. After the ball hit the turf, the Giants’ celebration began.

When it comes to championship games, it always comes down to the team that plays the best defense – even in this day and age of the quarterback. Just ask Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

That’s why I have to go with the New York Giants over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XVLI.

Final score: Giants 33 Patriots 28

Here’s why: Though the Patriots are the sexier pick as Belichick and Brady go for their fourth ring together and the team is trying to play off the emotion surrounding Robert Kraft losing his wife, the Giants are the better team all-around. They have a running game, dynamite receivers, a top 5 quarterback AND a defense. Matchups make the difference is championship games and the Giants clearly have the upper hand in all categories.

Don’t get me wrong, the Patriots will make a game of it and it could come down to the final two possessions, but the Giants will come up with enough pressure on Brady to turn the tables. Throw in the fact that tight end Rob Gronkowski’s injury will put a dent in the Patriots’ offense and you have enough to give the Giants the edge in this one.

It should be a great game. That’s why everyone is split pretty much down the middle on predicting its outcome.

In fact, here’s the best prediction I could find:

Greg Easterbrook on ESPN.com has this prediction – Confusion about the new playoff overtime format reigns when the Giants onside kick to start overtime and the Patriots recover but run the wrong way. Final score: Giants 2 Patriots 0

After the jump, take a look at some of the picks by the experts … and take the time for a click over to Lombardiave.com on Facebook, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

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Giants? Patriots? ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ …

Let’s talk about what the Super Bowl means to the greater majority of those fans who don’t care who wins … like us Packers fans.

Commercials.

Midwest Sports Fans posted this nice list of the top 10 Super Bowl commercials of all time.

Enjoy … and then Like Lombardiave.com on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Clipped from: www.midwestsportsfans.com (share this clip)

The stories coming out of those two championship games were many, but there were really some interesting tidbits that emerged.

Take the poll below and tell us what you think:

Not all NFL cheerleaders are supermodels; Check out the video slideshow after the jump. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

OK, color me surprised – Darren Rovell of NBC’s SportsBiz, recently released his list of the NFL’s top 10 best cheerleading squads and nowhere on that list was the squad that works their butts off at every home Green Bay Packers game.

Check out Rovell’s list … it’s eye candy to the max.

But my argument is that these gals (no, I didn’t see a single dude) are not cheerleaders – they are dancers. No doubt they are skilled dancers. They can shake with the best of them and to watch their synchronization is well worth the time. Not only do these “cheerleaders” entertain the crowds across the league during halftimes, time outs, and probably before and after each game, but they have their own websites, swimsuit photo shoots, personal trainers and many other marketing ventures that make them well-known within their cities and football communities.

And to become a member of these groups is indeed a highly competitive venture. Have you ever seen the reruns of the programs about some of these units on the NFL Network? They are broadcast seemingly nonstop throughout the offseason when most dudes are back into baseball mode.

Anyway, my point here is that while this is a great list put together by Rovell, nowhere mentioned are the “real” cheerleaders that represent the Green Bay Packers.

We know why.

See the video slideshow after the jump and while you’re at it Like Lombardiave.com on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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It was 10 years ago today that he hit Tom Brady on a snow-covered field in Foxboro Stadium, causing the New England Patriot quarterback to fumble the football. What ensued was the recovery of the ball by Woodson’s teammate, Greg Biekert, which seemingly put the Oakland Raiders in a position to run out the clock and give them a win in the playoff game.

That was before the game’s referee, Walt Coleman, went under the instant replay hood and came back to overturn the decision on the field utilizing a little known rule, the tuck rule, to give the ball back to the Patriots. New England went on to tie the score on a field goal by Adam Vinatieri and later won the game in overtime with another kick by Vinatieri.

How many times the rule has been used since then couldn’t be counted but it’s become one of the most well-known, and most misunderstood rules in the books.

Since that day, Woodson has gone on to win a world championship with the 2010 Green Bay Packers and that particular day is a distant memory for him.

Here is how the rule reads:

NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2. When [an offensive] player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body. Also, if the player has tucked the ball into his body and then loses possession, it is a fumble.

According to Wikipedia, the rule isn’t appreciated by all. Here’s an excerpt:

While the NFL has defended the call, not everybody has agreed. Bruce Allen, who ran the front office for the Raiders at the time of the game, still believes it was a fumble. “The rule itself doesn’t bother me,” he said. “But the way the rule is written, it was a fumble.” Nevertheless, when the NFL’s Competition Committee re-examined the rule after the 2001-2002 season, they made no changes to the rule; Mike Pereira, the former director of officiating of the NFL, notes that attempts have been made to revise the rule, but such revisions have always proven to be more difficult to enforce than the current rule.

In honor of that particular day, here is a video from the day.