Green Bay Update
by Jeff Ash, jeffash@netnet.net
Friday, November 17, 2000
"Green Bay update, Friday 11/17"
Greetings from Green Bay, which already looks like a Christmas card after a
couple of inches of snow and a light coating of ice.
-- The Packers (4-6) play the Colts (7-3) at noon Sunday at Lambeau Field.
It'll be televised regionally on CBS, with Ian Eagle and Mark May 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.: Cloudy and cold with a chance of snow
showers or flurries. High temperature in the upper 20s. Chance of snow: 40
percent. Southwest wind, 10 mph. For updates, check Keith's web site
(http://www.galstar.com/~kbrews/packwx).
If you're going to the game, get to your seats early. The University of
Wisconsin band is playing the national anthem, performing at halftime and
will do its famous Fifth Quarter show after the game. The Packers will close
the concourse in the south end zone for a few minutes at 11:40 a.m. so the
band can march onto the field.
And here is Keith's view of the game:
On pain and guts he seems to thrive,
After hits and dings he does survive,
Until one fateful sack,
Bent his ankle out of whack,
Ending Brett's streak at one-thirty-five.
Well, that might be a tad premature. Even though the Bucs beat the Packers
20-15 last Sunday, and Bucs DT Warren Sapp knocked QB Brett Favre out of the
game in the 3rd quarter with a badly sprained left foot ...
-- Favre practiced Thursday and pronounced himself ready to start as usual
on Sunday. Tests earlier in the week shows no broken bones or torn
ligaments, but it is swollen, leaving him with black-and-blue toes. Favre
wasn't moving smoothly at practice, but he threw fine. The sprained foot is
his front foot, not the one he plants and pushes off of to throw. His
sprained foot was heavily taped, and he wore a size 15 high-top shoe on that
foot. He usually wears a size 14 low-top shoe. A quote from Favre: "It's a
lot better than I thought it was going to be. ... "You can see it doesn't
look real good. But it could have been a lot worse." A quote from offensive
coordinator Tom Rossley: (He made) limpy drops, but the ball came out. The
ball came out sharp. You think just planting your feet and pushing and
making the throws and accuracy, he was right on the money. He threw well."
-- Even so, Matt Hasselbeck ran the No. 1 offense at Wednesday's practice
and got a few more snaps than usual on Thursday. He'll be ready to go if
Favre can't. A quote from Hasselbeck: "It's going to be a little bit tougher
for me if I do have to play now because instead of 3 days of good work, I
got 1 day, But that's OK. One day is better than the zero days I usually
get."
-- LB Na'il Diggs and CB Mike McKenzie haven't practiced all week and are
iffy for Sunday's game. Diggs has a high ankle sprain, but a better chance
of playing. McKenzie sprained his left knee, the same one he hurt earlier
this season. If they can't go, look for K.D. Williams and Tod McBride to
take their places.
-- DE Vonnie Holliday and DT Santana Dotson are slowed by sprained right
ankles, but both are expected to play Sunday. Dotson hasn't practiced all
week.
-- WR Corey Bradford remains out with a sprained patellar tendon in his
right knee.
-- LB Brian Williams is being treated with antibiotics to try to clear up
the abscess in his right knee. If it works, he might be back next month. If
he needs surgery to clear it up, he'll miss the rest of the season. The
Packers hope to know by the end of next week.
-- RB Dorsey Levens, who had arthroscopic surgery to clean out his right
knee, isn't expected back this season unless the Packers make a playoff run.
-- Since the game-winning catch against the Vikings, it has been another bad
couple of weeks for WR Antonio Freeman. He was fined $10,000 by the NFL for
slapping the ball out of an official's hand during the Bucs game. Freeman
says it was inadvertent. Coach Mike Sherman isn't saying whether he's buying
the story. A quote from Sherman: "I don't know what his intent was." Earlier
this month, Freeman was fined $458 and had his driver's license suspended
for 15 days after he didn't show up in Sheboygan for a court hearing on a
speeding ticket. He got caught doing 102 mph on southbound Interstate 43 in
Sheboygan County on Oct. 2. Freeman insisted he had the wrong date. As
always, you be the judge.
-- Unless RT Earl Dotson has his contract redone, it seems unlikely he'll be
back with the Packers next season. He's scheduled to make $1.9 million and
will count $3.55 million against the salary cap, both way too high for a
30-year-old with a history of back problems. Dotson would like to stay in
Green Bay, but says he'll continue his career elsewhere if need be.
-- TE Tyrone Davis will need surgery after the season to repair a torn
rotator cuff in his right shoulder. A quote from him: "Sometimes, depending
on how I hit somebody, it will go dead and numb for, like, 2 minutes." Davis
has struggled because of the injury, but the Packers apparently want to
bring him back next season. He's a free agent after the season.
-- The Packers brought in free-agent P Leo Araguz for a tryout last week.
They apparently are either trying to light a fire under Josh Bidwell, who
has been inconsistent over the last month, or find some insurance just in
case. Bidwell averages 38.7 yards per punt, 3rd to last in the NFL, and just
36.3 yards over the last 5 games. Araguz played for the Raiders from 1996 to
1999, averaging 40.1 yards last season, 2nd to last in the AFC.
-- K Ryan Longwell kicked his 100th career FG against the Bucs, putting him
atop the NFL career leader board. He's 101-for-119, or 84.9 percent. He
passed the Dolphins' Olindo Mare, who was at 83.2 percent.
-- If you're looking for a detailed analysis of how the Packers do in each
game, check out Bob McGinn's commentaries on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
web site. They usually appear 2 days after a game (Tuesday for Sunday,
Wednesday for Monday). They're at jsonline.com
-- As many as 20 of the proposals for NFL realignment have the Vikings
moving out of the new 4-team NFC Central. Then again, as many proposals have
them staying in the Central. The Vikings are having problems getting a new
stadium, and thus may be a candidate to move, possibly to San Antonio or Los
Angeles. The NFL doesn't want to leave them in the Central, then have to
reshuffle if they move. Even Packers president Bob Harlan agrees with this
strategy. If the Vikings would leave the Central, the Rams seem the most
likely addition. For detailed reports, check the Vikings area of the
Minneapolis Star Tribune's web site (http://www.startribune.com) or Don
Banks' column on the CNN/SI web site
(http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/don_banks/news/2000/11/15/bank
s_insider_nov15/)
That's it.
And now, the viewer mail, full of little mysteries this week:
-- Pete asks: "When did the Packers start putting glitter in their
helmets?" I'm not aware they've done so. When I suggested it may have been
the reflection of rain or lights on TV, Pete said, "That's what I thought at
first, but I've looked closely at all the close-up shots in the games since
Detroit, and lo and behold, they sparkle and glitter just like Dorothy's
ruby slippers. It doesn't matter if it's indoors or out." Anyone else care
to weigh in on that?
-- Chuck in Duluth is curious about the celebration being done by the
Packers' defensive players after a good play. They put their hands to the
sides of their helmets, extend their fingers upward and stalk around in a
crouched position. Chuck wonders what it means. Well, we're wondering, too.
Any ideas?
-- Bob in Rockford, Ill., files this report on the Monday night game against
the Vikings: "I would say there were at least 10,000 Vikings
fans in attendance. I would also have to say that in the 25-plus years I
have been attending games in green Bay it was the loudest I ever heard
Lambeau."
-- Tony in Superior sends this gentle reminder, after reading of the rowdy
crowd at the Vikings game and remembering how badly Packers fans are treated
at the Metrodome (even worse than in Dallas, he says): "While there is no
love lost between both teams and their fans, a reminder needs to be sent to
Green Bay fans not to treat visiting fans the way they treat us. That sets
Green Bay apart."
As always, your questions and comments are welcome at the new address:
jeffash@new.rr.com
Adventures with Evan, who has the day off from school and wants Dad to get
off the computer so he can play. Standing here in his pajamas, Evan dictated
this week's report and typed the periods on all the sentences: "I was
working in school on animals of Wisconsin. Tiger." Tiger? "Come on, you
silly, just write it. I have basketball class. I have recess. This is kind
of like daily news. I like to play with Alyson, Alissa, Christina and Ethan
at recess. We like to play tag. Are you finished now? Let's go to
trains.com. I want to look at the trains." (Evan's grandfather and
great-grandfather were railroad men, so it's natural that we like trains.
We've found a 24-hour webcam at a busy crossing in Rochelle, Ill., and Evan
loves to check it out. If you're curious, it's at
trainsmag.com
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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