Green Bay Update
by Jeff Ash, jeffash@netnet.net
Friday, November 10, 2000
"Green Bay update, Friday 11/10"
Greetings from Green Bay on a morning cold enough to require gloves and a
sweatshirt as I walk Evan to school and mosey on to McDonald's a block
beyond for breakfast.
While I have your attention, please note a change in my e-mail address.
Please use the new address -- jeffash@new.rr.com -- for your questions,
comments and other viewer mail. Thanks.
-- The Packers (4-5) play the Buccaneers (5-4) at 3:15 p.m. Sunday at
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. It'll be televised regionally on Fox,
with Sam Rosen and Bill Maas on the call. It'll also be on the Packer Radio
Network, with Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren on the call. This radio
coverage is available for free on the Internet, with the game broadcasts
offered via the Packers' web site (http://www.packers.com) and 3 hours each
of pregame and postgame programming offered via WTMJ radio in Milwaukee
(http://www.wtmj.com or 620wtmj.com).
Here's the early weather forecast from Keith, our longtime Update
meteorologist in Norman, Okla.: Scattered clouds and warm. High temperature
around 77. Light northeast wind. For updates, check Keith's web site
(http://www.galstar.com/~kbrews/packwx).
And here is Keith's so-called "putrid poetry" for the week:
P.T. Barnum, agrave, must be grinning,
>From the way the Pack went out winning,
With the ball somehow found,
By Freeman, aground,
While cups and plates he was spinning.
-- Of course, Keith is talking about the Packers' remarkable 26-20 overtime
win over the Vikings on Monday night at a rain-soaked Lambeau Field. This
game is going to become a classic, and not only for WR Antonio Freeman's
unbelievable bobbling, juggling catch while on the ground and subsequent TD
run away from a stunned Vikings CB Cris Dishman. There was bad weather,
national TV, plenty of lead changes, Vikings WR Randy Moss shut down, a
90-yard kickoff return by the Packers' Allen Rossum, the Vikings botched a
late FG attempt, the Packers botched a late trick punt, FS Darren Sharper's
2 interceptions, a great improvisational TD pass from QB Brett Favre to RB
Ahman Green and, as always, some chippy play.
ESPN's Ron Jaworski watched Freeman's catch over and over on Tuesday morning
at NFL Films in New Jersey. A quote from Jaworski: "I don't think there's
any doubt that it was one of the greatest game-ending plays in NFL history.
In overtime, the weather conditions like they were, a national audience,
Lambeau Field, the stage was set for something dramatic like that. I think
it caught everyone by surprise."
A quote from Freeman, who was carried off the field by his teammates: "Hey,
who said football was all skill? As I rolled back, I got an early Christmas
present."
The week's news and notes
-- The Packers will be making their stretch run without LB Brian Williams.
He needs surgery to drain an infection in his right knee and will miss the
rest of the season. That's the same knee on which he had 2 surgeries in the
last year. Williams surprised the Packers' coaches by coming to them a
couple of hours before Monday night's game and saying he couldn't go. Nate
Wayne will return as the starter at weak-side LB. Wayne sat out Thursday's
practice with blisters on bottom of his big toes, caused by wet socks
rubbing against his cleats on Monday night.
-- RB Dorsey Levens is out indefinitely, and his season also may be over
after arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday morning to remove scar tissue and
some loose material from his right knee. He will remain on the roster, but
is likely to miss several weeks. Ahman Green remains the starter, with
De'Mond Parker as the backup.
-- DE Vonnie Holliday also will miss Sunday's game with a high right ankle
sprain. Cletidus Hunt, who's having a nice season with 22 tackles and 4
sacks, again will start in his place.
-- WR Corey Bradford also likely is out of Sunday's game with a sprained
right knee. He says he took a cheap shot from an unidentified Vikings player
while playing on punt coverage. It happened on the play on which long
snapper Rob Davis recovered a fumble by Vikings returner David Palmer.
-- Backup CB Antuan Edwards has a bruised or broken rib on the bottom right
side of his rib cage, but probably will play against the Bucs unless it
keeps him out of today's practice.
-- TE Tyrone Davis has been having a dreadful season, and he didn't help
himself with another wide-open drop against the Vikings. If he weren't the
Packers' best blocking TE, he'd probably be benched. Look for more of rookie
TE Bubba Franks, who's still struggling with running the right routes, and
veteran Ryan Wetnight, a good receiver but not much of a blocker. Wetnight
got more work in practice this week.
-- With the short week after the Monday night game, coach Mike Sherman
adjusted Wednesday's practice, shortening it by 25 minutes to an hour, 20
minutes, and having the players work out without pads.
-- It will cost the Packers more to keep K Ryan Longwell, who's a free agent
after the season. He was delighted to see Colts K Mike Vanderjagt sign a
5-year, $7.75 million deal on Wednesday. Longwell makes $400,000 a year, and
will command a deal similar to Vanderjagt's. The Packers have said they want
to keep him, but haven't discussed a contract extension in more than a
month.
-- Though it rained Monday night, there were no problems with crowding in
the concourses underneath Lambeau Field as there had been in 1998. Even so,
it was one of the rowdiest games in recent memory, with more than 20 people
arrested and more than 40 ejected.
-- Favre and Freeman have tied the combination of QB Bart Starr and WR Boyd
Dowler for the most passes in a career in Packers history. Favre and Freeman
have connected on 336 passes for 5,309 yards. Starr and Dowler had 336
passes for 5,150 yards.
-- Voters in Brown County said Tuesday, by a 53-47 margin, that selling the
naming rights to Lambeau Field was fine with them. The Packers never took a
stand on the issue, but are delighted with the outcome. A quote from team
president Bob Harlan: "I'm much more comfortable with it now than I used to
be." The Packers and the city of Green Bay hope to split at least $120
million if the name is sold. Voters want such a deal because it will end the
0.5 percent sales tax being collected for the stadium renovation project at
least a year earlier than it would if there is no sale of naming rights.
-- Stadium update: The lead architect, Ellerbe Becket of Kansas City, picked
a local firm, Somerville Inc., as associate architect on the project. The
firm's founder, John Somerville, was 1 of the 2 primary designers of what
was then the new City Stadium in the mid-1950s. ... The city-county stadium
board picked another firm, HKS of Dallas, to review the feasibility of the
Packers' plans. HKS is the lead architect on Miller Park, the Milwaukee
Brewers' new stadium.
That's it.
The viewer mailbox is empty for the 3rd straight week. As always, your
questions and comments are welcome at the new address: jeffash@new.rr.com
Adventures with Evan: A big day after school on Thursday, when Evan's pals
Ryan and Alissa came over to play. They had so much fun that Evan was
verrrrrrry slow to get up this morning. ... On Tuesday, Evan cast his vote
at school, then joined us after school when we went to vote. Evan made his
decision on who looked nicer. So it goes when you are 5. He didn't make the
same choice as Mom or Dad, but we'll set him straight. ... Evan and I are
in a parent-child basketball class at the Y on Saturday mornings. Class lets
out before the pool opens for family swim, so we have a little time to kill.
We went exploring around the Y, where he discovered the glass-walled
racquetball courts. Great fun to go inside, close the door and shout at the
top of your lungs.
This week's sources: Green Bay Press-Gazette (http://www.packersnews.com or
greenbaypressgazette.com), Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
(http://www.jsonline.com/packer/news/) and Packers (http://www.packers.com)
web pages. Check the Packers' current roster at
packers.com
-- If you wish to show your appreciation for these Packers updates,
volunteer or make a donation to the charity of your choice. Thanks as always
to Janet for saving the papers and to Scott for providing the mail service
and the web space on South End Zone.
Thanks, Jeff
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