Larry Brown Sports

At some point everyone will look back on Brett Favre’s career in Green Bay and be amazed at what he was able to accomplish. Some are already able to do that, but there are plenty of Packers fans out there who are still upset over the way Favre’s career in Green Bay came to a bitter end. From the moment the Packers decided Aaron Rodgers was their guy, it felt like everything Favre did was to spite his former team. That is why the team has decided to wait a while before retiring his jersey.

As Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel pointed out, Packers president Mark Murphy recently said that the team will wait a year or two before officially retiring No. 4. Considering the way some fans feel about him and the feelings Favre still has toward the organization, that’s probably best for everyone.

Fans love to be a part of feel-good moments, so whenever the Packers do decide to give Favre the honor I’m sure it will be a special day. Regardless of how it ended, Favre spent the majority of his Hall of Fame career in Green Bay and brought the Lombardi Trophy back to Lambeau. While Green Bay belongs to Rodgers now, Packers fans will look past all the retirement flip-flopping and remember the Favre that played through a number of gruesome injuries on his way to every NFL passing record.

H/T Pro Football Talk

One of the alarming details from the Saints bounty program that got Jonathan Vilma into trouble involves Kurt Warner. The NFL says their investigation revealed that Vilma, who has been suspended for the entire 2012 season, pledged $10,000 to any teammate who knocked Warner out during a 2009 playoff game between the Cardinals and the Saints. During an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show Thursday, Warner said he felt as though he took some high hits during the 2009 playoffs, but not from the Saints.

“There was actually a game, it might have even been the week earlier, against the Packers where I really felt like I was getting a lot of hits to the head,” Warner said. “That’s just one game that I remember and it might have just been my thought process, but I felt like there were a lot of shots going toward my head in that game.

“I played in a lot of games where (teams) were really trying to take me out. When I went back and looked at that game (against the Saints) … I don’t ever remember thinking it was anything more than a tough playoff game. I don’t remember anything that was beyond the whistle. Even the big hit was legal.”

The “big hit” that Warner is referring to was one he took after throwing an interception against the Saints in the divisional round of the playoffs in 2009. He says the NFL did not ask him about that game and that he is “surprised” by the length of Vilma’s suspension.

Warner’s point was not to say the NFL should look into a possible Packers bounty program, but rather that quarterbacks are targeted all the time. From Warner’s perspective, the way he was being hit by the Saints is not much different from the way other NFL teams hit him throughout his career.

H/T Pro Football Talk
Photo credit: John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE

The Green Bay Packers went 15-1 in the regular season last year and, after clinching the top seed in the NFC, sat many of their starters for Week 17′s contest against the Lions. That meant many of the Packers players, including Aaron Rodgers, went two weeks between playing games thanks to their first-round bye. The Packers were sloppy in their Divisional Round playoff loss to the Giants committing four turnovers and dropping around seven passes. Though many people believe the time off affected their play, Packers coach Mike McCarthy says he would do the same thing over again.

“I’ll share this with the team first, there is something I’ll change if we’re in that position again from my perspective. But as far as sitting players, I wouldn’t change that at all,” McCarthy told the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “A fresh team is the best team because you can accomplish the things you need to accomplish leading up to that game if you go about it the right way.”

McCarthy also doesn’t think quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who wasn’t as brilliant as usual, was the problem.

“If you want to talk specifically about Aaron, I thought Aaron played very well in the game,” McCarthy said. “I mean he had what, seven dropped balls? We dropped the football, we turned it over, we didn’t tackle very well.”

McCarthy also told the Press-Gazette that the defense was disappointing last season. He said the team needs to improve its pass rush, pass coverage, and tackling. Few people would disagree with that assessment of the defense, but I’m starting to believe that having players play all their games is the right way to go. Even though playing presents an injury risk — think Wes Welker injuring his knee Week 17 against the Texans in the 2009 season — it seems to keep teams hungrier and sharper headed into the postseason.

The turnover battle is an underrated aspect of football games, but those who watched the Divisional Round of the playoffs saw its importance. The Packers and Saints, two teams expected to advance to the NFC Championship Game, were killed by turnovers and ended up losing their games. In the AFC playoffs, the Texans got crushed on the turnover front and also lost.

Ready for a stat that will blow your mind? The four teams that won in the Divisional Round combined for 4 turnovers. The four losing teams combined for 14. Here’s the breakdown:

• Packers 4 (1 INT, 3 FUM); Giants 1 (INT) – Packers lost 37-20
• Texans 4 (3 INT, 1 FUM); Ravens 0 – Texans lost 20-13
• Saints 5 (2 INT, 3 FUM); 49ers 1 (FUM) – Saints lost 36-32
• Patriots 2 (1 INT, 1 FUM); Broncos 1 (FUM) – Pats won 45-10

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It can’t be playoff football unless it’s freeze-your-snots cold up in Green Bay.  If global warming exists and it ever gets to a point where there is no snow and ice in Wisconsin in the month of January, we might as well just cancel the NFL season or move the Packers to Antarctica. Fear not, old time football fans.  There is snow currently sitting in the stands at Lambeau Field.  With a Sunday afternoon game against the Giants quickly approaching, the Packers are looking for snow shovelers. This from the Green Bay Press Gazette before more than four inches of snow fell on Thursday.

They’ve put out the call for 450 shovelers, who are asked to report to the Fleet Farm Gate at 10 a.m. Shovelers must be 15. The Packers will provide shovels.

The Packers will pay $10 an hour, which is up from $8 an hour in previous years. Shovelers will be paid when the work is done.

There you have it.  As you can see from the picture above, the line is growing fast.  Just bring yourself and a winter coat and you can make some extra cash while also helping the Packers work toward a Super Bowl repeat.  If you aren’t from Green Bay and couldn’t care less about this announcement, we apologize.  With the economy in the type of shape it’s in, we’re just doing our best to inform everyone of job openings in their area.

H/T to Pro Football Talk for the story
Picture via Green Bay Packers on Twitter

With only one game on Sunday that featured the Bears and Packers in prime time at Lambeau Field, can you think of a better Christmas gift to give a Packers fan than a couple of tickets? I’m sure there were a number of people who gave Green Bay tickets to their loved ones on Sunday, but a certain sign reminded us that not everyone wound up on the “nice” list and got to enjoy Aaron Rodgers five-touchdown performance in person. Check out this fan poster that LBS reader Ed Kenneweg shared with us on Facebook:

If I was single I’d so be trying to locate her. If that isn’t swagger then I don’t know what is. This girl’s boyfriend cheated on her, and instead of sitting home pouting about it, she spent her Sunday night watching the Packers dismantle the Bears and embarrassing her ex with a hilarious sign.  Of all the funny posters we’ve featured here at LBS, this is easily one of the best.

If you had the Packers losing to the Chiefs, you’re likely lying. Green Bay was 13-0, and hadn’t lost since December 19th, 2010 until falling in Kansas City 19-14 Sunday. They had won 19 straight games. They had scored 35-or-more points in seven of their 13 games this season. And they were defeated by a team that had lost five of its last six games, and that had scored only three touchdowns in its past six games. Yes, the Packers lost to that team.

For the first time all season, Green Bay was held under 24 points. It was the first time all season they were shutout in the first half. It was also the first time all season Aaron Rodgers played a less-than-excellent game.

Maybe losing this game is a good thing for the Packers. The pressure for the undefeated season is off, and they can focus solely on winning the Super Bowl. But there are a few issues that should concern them.

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