Packers: Jclombardi’s News Links

Jclombardi reviews Packers headlines.

Training Camp Previews: “Can Packers turn youth into championships?” NBC Sports presents an overall preview of the Packers training camp with these good points: The linebackers must improve.  Breakout player: B.J. Raji, NT.  Bottom Line: This team isn’t loaded with difference-makers, but the offense is one of the best in the NFL and the defense has a shot at being solid. If McCarthy can shore up the special teams and back up his offensive tackles, the Packers should have what it takes to compete for an NFC championship.

Favre Watch: “Favre’s right, just ignore NFL training camps.” vs. “If this is to be Favre’s last season, he needs to lead the right way.”   “Favre talks about losing weight and Bus Cook’s comments: Favre also tried to explain that the harsh comments Cook made to Men’s Journal were taken out of context, and that Cook was ‘joking around’ when he called Favre a ‘drama queen.’ “

Scout: “The Countdown–Roster Rankings: Part 8 and Part 9.”  Read with skepticism.

Rookie DE Neal’ s Qs & As: “Getting To Know a Draft Pick–Mike Neal.”

DEs Need To Mature: Packer update focuses upon the need for our young DEs to show their “potential development” quickly in this key Packers season.

Sports Athletes & Women Subculture: An insider’s sports view by Vanessa Guillemette, the daughter of “Pigskin” Paul Guillemette, about the hidden subculture of women who prey on sports athletes.  The perceptive piece’s highlights: “I’ve seen girls with team rosters in their cell phones scrolling through to find out which player is standing across the club from them.  I’ve met girls who know every player’s name, age, weight, birthday, how many kids they have, where they went to college, what position they play.”  We prefer the blunt truth about this subculture given in the Woods’ expose: “This is the world of high-end nightclub VIP treatment, where velvet ropes guard comfy, cloistered areas with leathery couches and bottles of Grey Goose, everything catered to the wishes of the professional athlete clientele.  And that means loading their velvet-roped stable with fake-boobied ponies to screw.”

QB Rodgers, ESPN cover stud:  Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is on the cover of the latest edition of ESPN the magazine.  Rodgers is the only player in NFL history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in his first two seasons as a starter. He is both accurate (his career completion percentage is nearly 64%, not counting practice) and athletic (316 rushing yards in 2009).

Packers Hall of Famer Fleming:  “Marv Fleming wins way into Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.”  We agree with their point, “As the starting tight end during the Packers’ three consecutive championships from 1965 to 1967 under Vince Lombardi, Fleming was the consummate team player.”

Kramer & Hall of Fame: Sabol lists five-time All-Pro selection Packers guard Jerry Kramer as the best player not in the Hall of Fame.  He is the only member of the NFL’s 50th Anniversary All-Time team that isn’t in Canton.   We agree.