OK, this is getting ridiculous
Wonder what the folks at Campbell's Chunky Soup think about the Click for Cans contest now. Wonder whether they might like someone else to win for a change. The Packers have won the online voting in each of the last five years -- ensuring lots of free cans of soup for Wisconsin food pantries -- and are running away with this year's voting. It's nice to help those in need, but come on, Packers fans. Aren't you getting a wee bit obsessive about it all? Tuesday was the day when one click for the Packers was worth 10 votes. They started the day with more than 735,000 votes. As the day wound to a close, they had more than 1 million votes. That's more than the Packers had last year in winning the Click for Cans contest. Early Tuesday, the second-place Indianapolis Colts trailed the Packers by almost 400,000 votes. Now the Colts trail by almost 650,000 votes. And there's still six weeks of voting left. The contest ends Dec. 15. Vote here. Check the standings here. You can vote once a day, and you can play "Kick for Cans," an online game at the voting site, to earn more votes for the team of your choice. We've heard of occasional problems in entering a vote. Be sure you enter the code correctly when you verify your vote. The NFL team with the most clicks will earn donations of that brand of soup to food banks of the team's choice. Campbell will donate one can for each pound of the winning team's total weight. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Alumni update: Billy Lyon, Mike Bartrum
Two former Packers, defensive lineman Billy Lyon and tight end Mike Bartrum, were inducted into the Marshall University Hall of Fame over the weekend. Lyon, 33, played for the Packers from 1998 to 2002, mostly as a backup. He also played one more season for the Minnesota Vikings. Bartrum, 37, played briefly for the Packers in 1995. He spent most of his NFL career as a long snapper, retiring earlier this year after stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. He lives in Pomeroy, Ohio. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Today's the day to stuff the ballot box
After the Packers beat the Broncos in overtime on Monday night, some fans' thoughts immediately turned to the next challenge. We received a couple of e-mails telling us that today -- Tuesday -- is the day the Packers get 10 votes for every one cast in the annual Click for Cans contest sponsored by the folks at Campbell's Chunky Soup. Truth be told, that's a little like piling on. Packers fans have seen to it that their team is running away with this year's Click for Cans competition. Green Bay has more than twice as many votes as the second-place Indianapolis Colts -- more than 735,000 early today to more than 348,000 for the Colts. There's a long way to go, though. Voting ends Dec. 15. Vote here. Check the standings here. You can vote once a day, and you can play "Kick for Cans," an online game at the voting site, to earn more votes for the team of your choice. We've heard of occasional problems in entering a vote. Be sure you enter the code correctly when you verify your vote. The NFL team with the most clicks will earn donations of that brand of soup to food banks of the team's choice. Campbell will donate one can for each pound of the winning team's total weight. Packers fans have made the Packers -- and Wisconsin food banks -- the winners for the last five years. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
One last thought on Max McGee
In all the coverage of Max McGee's death, this was mentioned quietly, if at all: He had Alzheimer's disease. For some, it is easier to not talk about Alzheimer's than it is to talk about it. You may not have known, but McGee's former Packers teammates knew about his memory problems for some time. Paul Hornung last year mentioned his best friend's Alzheimer's diagnosis into his book, "Me and Lombardi." At the time, Hornung said, McGee was taking medication for it and doing all right. However, McGee had started to slip over the past couple of months, former Packers Jim Temp and Bob Skoronski told the Press-Gazette's Mike Vandermause. In fact, McGee was struggling just to get by from day to day, Skoronski told Rob Zaleski of the Capital Times newspaper of Madison. Former Packers tight end Ron Kramer, who often partied with McGee and Hornung when they played, hinted at McGee's plight. "He wasn't supposed to go up on the roof and fell off and died," he told Detroit News columnist Jerry Green. McGee's widow, Denise, was forthright about it at Sunday's memorial service: "With the inevitable advancement of his Alzheimer's disease, we knew he would have never wanted to be taken care of. I just have to believe that God has a plan for him." McGee did lots of good work on behalf of juvenile diabetes research. His 18-year-old son, Dallas, has the disease. It's a worthy cause. As is Alzheimer's research. In the days to come, McGee's family and friends ought to put Alzheimer's right up there with juvenile diabetes as a foe to be fought. Not only for McGee, but for Willie Wood and Jim Ringo, two more former Packers who have Alzheimer's. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Where the stars stay in Denver
The Packers, who stayed at the Westin Tabor Center on their trip to Denver, were in some pretty good company over the weekend. According to Denver Post columnist Penny Parker, the World Series champion Boston Red Sox and the NHL's Minnesota Wild stayed at the elegant downtown hotel, too. The Wild played the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday afternoon. Not sure whether anyone noticed, though. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Roomies bet beer on tonight's game
U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Appleton, has a bet on tonight's Packers-Broncos game with his Washington, D.C., roommate, U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, a Democrat from the Denver suburb of Golden, Colo. If the Packers win, Kagen's staff gets a case of Coors beer. If the Broncos win, Perlmutter's staff gets a case of Miller beer. Just wondering: Kagen couldn't find a case of beer brewed in his district? We can think of a couple. It may be a moot point, however, if Perlmutter's luck continues. On Sunday night, he and the rest of Colorado's congressional delegation lost a bet with the Massachusetts delegation over the outcome of the World Series. With the Colorado Rockies' loss to the Boston Red Sox, they owe steaks, green chili and ... a case of Coors. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Favre's team in the Series: The Rockies
The Colorado Rockies, down 3-0 in the World Series, hope they can pull off a comeback like those engineered by Packers quarterback Brett Favre. If it helps, he's in their corner. Dick Monfort, one of the Rockies' owners, is one of Favre's business partners. He put up the money for the Brett Favre's Steakhouses in Ashwaubenon and Milwaukee. They met in a bar in Kansas City in 1995, according to the Denver Post. Also in the bar that night: Frank Winters, the Packers' center at the time, and former major-league pitcher Rick Sutcliffe.
"We were all there and we all just hit it off. And we've been friends ever since," Favre told the Post.
Monfort was in Kansas City that night to pick up the Packers' Reggie White, who had agreed to attend a birthday party for Monfort's 4-year-old son. Promised a ride back to Green Bay, Favre tagged along.
First, though, the plane went to Greeley, Colo., for the party.
"We're flying over Kansas and Brett said, 'Geez, it is flat down there,"' Monfort told the Post. "And I said, 'Yeah. Kansas is flat.' He said, 'What the hell are we doing going over Kansas?"' He thought I said we were going to Greenleaf first."
-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
The next-door neighbor remembers Max
Georges Yared usually writes about investing at Blogging Stocks. Today, he writes about Max McGee, the former Packers receiver and broadcaster who died a week ago: "What I want to share, as his next-door neighbor, is the stuff of real legend -- the private Max McGee, the extremely generous Max McGee. "Max's first success after his football life was to marry a wonderful woman named Denise. He and Denise have two sons, both beautiful and charming in their own ways. Max Jr. is 21 years old and has Down Syndrome. Max Jr. is the life of any party, and one of the nicest, sweetest human beings put on this earth. Max Jr. graduated from Minnetonka High School, a huge public school in suburban Minneapolis. Max Jr.'s popularity and kindness was acknowledged by his fellow classmates when they voted him king of the homecoming court. Max Sr., whom I saw a few days after the vote, had a hard time containing his tears and pride for his son. The tenderness between Max Sr. and Max Jr. should be the standard for every father-son relationship. "Dallas McGee, 18, is a freshman in college. Dallas did not play football, but rather became a very skilled skateboarder. Believe me, I have seen him a thousand times, as my driveway served as an up-ramp! When Dallas was 2 years old, he was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. Max and Denise immersed themselves in both knowledge of this disease and ways to raise huge sums of money to help with its research. Max McGee employed his competitive skills along with Denise's coaching, and the result was the opening in 1999 of the Max McGee National Research Center for Juvenile Diabetes at the Children's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Millions of dollars have been raised to help fight this horrible disease. Max and Denise have informed, educated and comforted more families who have a child suffering from diabetes. "One precious memory I have is of my then 10-year-old son playing catch with his idol. Another precious memory is of my 80-year-old father-in-law, Ken, a die-hard Packers fan, who could not believe my next-door neighbor was the great Max McGee. When I told Max of Ken's passion, Max made it a point to stop by when my in-laws were visiting and regaled him with 45 minutes of Packers stories. My father-in-law was in tears having met one of his football idols. "Max McGee was a fit and vibrant man and belied his 75 years of age. He will be remembered for the love he showered on his family, his work for juvenile diabetes, his generous philanthropy, the good will he spread about the Green Bay Packers ... and, oh yeah, he played some football, too ..." For more of our coverage of the life and times of Max McGee, go to our special section at PackersNews.com
-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Putrid Packer Poetry, Week 8
Putrid Packer Poetry has been written for the last decade by Keith Brewster. He's a Packers fan from Norman, Okla., His day job is as a senior research scientist and an adjunct associate professor at the University of Oklahoma's Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms. This week's offering: That big round moon risin' in the sky,
Tells us that Halloween is nigh,
So carve up your pumpkin,
To Favre's dinkin' and dunkin,'
And the night may end on a Rocky Mountain high.Read more at Brewster's 10-year archive of Putrid Packer Poetry. Otherwise, check here each week for the latest installment. Keith also mentions that the Packers' 1984 game at Denver -- played in a blizzard on "Monday Night Football" -- is in his NFL Weather Hall of Fame. The Packers lost 17-14. The Oct. 14 storm dropped 6 inches of snow on Denver. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Alumni update: Greg Feasel
When Greg Feasel played for the Packers in 1986, they were nowhere near the top of the sports world. They went 4-12. The 6-foot-7 Feasel played in 15 games as a backup offensive tackle for the Packers. He wore No. 77. He also played for the San Diego Chargers and the USFL's Denver Gold. Today, however, his team is on top of the sports world. Feasel, 48, works for the National League champion Colorado Rockies, and he's more or less the host for Denver's first World Series game tonight. Here's how he described what he does as the Rockies' senior vice president/business operations for his hometown newspaper, the Desert Dispatch of Barstow, Calif. "I handle the tickets, the broadcasting, all of the business stuff. With the World Series, we're so busy preparing. I've got to make sure all the wireless networks are in place, work with the Denver police, make sure the park is clean, buy Hebrew National hot dogs, Coke and Coors and make sure the park is clean. The number of press is huge. They're coming from all over the world. We've lost parking due to trucks and communications trailers.
"We have to coordinate the pregame ceremonies and make sure all the electronics in the park are set up. Arrange for someone to sing the national anthem and 'God Bless America.'
"There's just so many more people involved. You work with Major League Baseball throughout the season, but not to the extent that we do now. We're talking 15 to 20 times a day plus e-mails. It doesn't work like that in the regular season. It’s all Fox people announcing. It’s not our announcers. There’s a lot more press in the park that we don't know. Usually we know the press people and they know us. We don’t know anybody now. The numbers have just changed." Feasel also spoke with SportsBusiness Journal and was asked what he wanted fans to take away from the World Series games at Coors Field: "That people walk out of our facility and say it was a great experience. It may sound corny, but we want people walking into the restrooms and see that they’re clean and there's paper towels and so forth. We want people to find that the hot dogs are warm, that they enjoy the music and atmosphere and the weather, that people enjoy downtown Denver, where the ballpark is situated, what the area has to offer." Feasel has been with the Rockies since 1996. Before that, he was a divisional sales and marketing director for Coca-Cola, and the Rockies were among his clients. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Alumni update: Jim Jensen
Jim Jensen, who played in 23 games for the Packers in 1981 and 1982, was Iowa's honorary captain for today's game against Michigan State. The 6-foot-4 Jensen was a 222-pound backup running back for the Packers. He wore No. 33. He was a second-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1976 NFL draft, then was traded to the Denver Broncos in 1977. He ended his NFL career with the Packers. Jensen, 53, still ranks 15th on Iowa's career rushing list with 1,661 yards in four seasons. He also was a hurdler on the Hawkeyes' track team. He lives in the Denver area, where he works in marketing. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Anyone for a Kettle of Fish?
If you're in New York, where do you go to watch the Packers? You head to 59 Christopher St. in Greenwich Village and find a little place called Kettle of Fish, according to Andrea Clurfeld, the food editor for the Asbury Park Press, the newspaper in nearby Asbury Park, N.J. Clurfeld says she's a Packers fan, as is fellow Press reporter Joe Sapia, who pointed her toward Kettle of Fish. Clurfeld writes:"I've been there and can testify that it's a surreal experience for a Packers fan, complete with brats and the nicest fans in the gridiron universe. Music plays and songs are sung when the Pack scores. If (Brett) Favre throws one of his infamous interceptions, there's not talk of a mob action, but usually a round of 'Aw, shucks. We'll do better next time.' Win or lose, these folks are positive and pleasant. Joe, who went to college in the Midwest, says this is pretty typical of Packer people." Kettle of Fish, owned by a former Milwaukee guy, was so popular, so crowded earlier this season that Sapia had to find another place to watch the Packers. Here's how Clurfeld found one such place: "I followed a car with the N.J. plates GB PKRZ down Rumson Road into Little Silver one evening and learned from its very delightful driver (a Packers fan who easily proved his devotion by whipping out Brett Favre's rookie year card showing a 0.00 QB rating) that Kubel's down on Long Beach Island (N.J.) hosts Cheeseheads on game days." And, she adds, "Joe heard Scooter's in Howell (N.J.) is Packers, too." It is, but it also draws expatriate Steelers fans. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Alumni update: Virgil Robinson
You're forgiven if you don't remember Virgil Robinson. A running back from Grambling, he was the Packers' second-round draft pick in 1971, the 46th player taken in the NFL draft that year -- and he was cut before the season. None of the Packers' other first-day picks drafted since Robinson has been released so quickly. Don't feel bad for Robinson. His success off the field has far overshadowed his modest football career, which included stints with the New Orleans Saints and the Shreveport Steamers of the old World Football League. Tonight, he's one of 12 people being inducted into the Grambling University Alumni Hall of Fame, according to the News-Star of Monroe, La. Robinson earned a business degree from Grambling and is retired after 32 years as a banker. He's a consultant to an investment company he started. He sits on the Louisiana Board of Regents, which oversees that state's colleges and universities. He's long been active with community groups in his native New Orleans. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
They may be distracted in Denver
The Denver Post's Bill Williamson, writing today in his All Things Broncos blog, reminds Broncos fans that Packers fans likely will be out in force for Monday night's game in Denver. The item is headlined "Look out, Packer Nation invades!" Williamson -- who calls Packers fans "fabulous," writes: "Here's a warning to Broncos season ticket holders who may want to turn a quick buck instead of going to Monday night's game, in order to watch the Rockies in the World Series: Know who you're selling your tickets to. "Otherwise, Invesco Field at Mile High will turn into a dairy." If so, Packers fans will milk it for all it's worth.
-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Mike McCarthy's excellent weekend
Packers coach Mike McCarthy had a busy but delightful day on Saturday, when he was inducted into the Baker University Athletic Hall of Fame in Baldwin City, Kan., during the Packers' bye weekend. There was lunch, the induction ceremony, a press conference, a visit to the renovated Liston Stadium, an autograph session, another press conference with Baker students, a pregame speech to the Baker Wildcats and time spent watching Baker's 13-7 win over Central Methodist. Before the game, though, McCarthy stopped at the home of Baker athletics director Dan Harris, who was an assistant coach at Baker when McCarthy was a tight end for the Wildcats in 1985 and 1986. "He came over to the deck of my house and we had 15 or 20 of the old players over there," Harris told the Baldwin City Signal. "We sat around and told old stories. That was one of the most fun parts of events like that. "Mike himself even said one of the most enjoyable parts was just relaxing with the guys on my deck." -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Lombardi's in some elite company
They've started a hall of fame for New Jersey natives, and former Packers coach Vince Lombardi is among its charter members. Lombardi, who was from Englewood, N.J., is one of 15 legends who'll go into the New Jersey Hall of Fame next year. The first class was chosen in an online vote that ended last spring. Joining Lombardi in the hall: astronaut Buzz Aldrin, American Red Cross founder Clara Barton, baseball star Yogi Berra, basketball star and senator Bill Bradley, inventor Thomas Edison, physicist Albert Einstein, publisher Malcolm Forbes, philanthropist Robert Wood Johnson II, writer Toni Morrison, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, singer Frank Sinatra, singer Bruce Springsteen, actor Meryl Streep and freedom worker Harriet Tubman. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
McGee's funeral: 3 p.m. Sunday
Funeral services for Max McGee, the former Packers receiver and broadcaster who died Saturday, will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minn. The church, at 9301 Eden Prairie Road in that Minneapolis suburb, is one of the largest in the Twin Cities. Its sanctuary seats more than 4,000 people. That's a good thing, because a "very, very large crowd" is expected, funeral director Wally Gelecinskyj told the Star Tribune newspaper of Minneapolis. There's no word on how the Packers of the past and present will be represented at the funeral. The Packers are scheduled to leave Green Bay early Sunday afternoon to fly to Monday night's game in Denver. In lieu of flowers, McGee's family prefers memorials to the Max McGee National Research Center for Juvenile Diabetes c/o Children's Hospital Foundation, M.S. 3050, P.O. Box 1997, Milwaukee, WI 53201. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
An old foe remembers McGee
The last time Willie Mitchell saw Max McGee, the Packers receiver had just gotten finished burning him throughout the course of Super Bowl I in January 1967. Mitchell was a 26-year-old cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs when they lost 35-10 to the Packers in the first NFL-AFL championship game. "I told him, 'Good game,' and that was about it," Mitchell told David Flores of the San Antonio Express-News. "I wish we could have sat down and talked for a while later on down the road."
That wish became all the more poignant after McGee's death on Saturday. When Mitchell heard the news, he felt like he'd lost a friend."I paused and said a prayer for Max. You never lose respect for the teams and the individuals you played against," said Mitchell, 67, who's a building contractor in San Antonio .
Mitchell certainly respected McGee, even after being torched for seven catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns by an aging -- and perhaps hung-over -- backup eight years his senior.
"Look, Max McGee had a terrific game that day," Mitchell told Flores. "And by him having a terrific game, and the highlights on TV every year, that keeps me identified with pro football forever."
Mitchell's friends still chide him about being burned by McGee, but he's cool with it.
"Yes, we lost," Mitchell told Flores. "But being in that light with Max McGee has been a blessing for me."
-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Tritons' Nowak is Packers' prep coach of week
John Nowak, who has led Green Bay Notre Dame to six straight wins and a berth in the second round of the WIAA Division 3 playoffs after an 0-4 start, has been named the Packers' state high school football coach of the week. The Tritons defeated West De Pere 34-27 on Tuesday night. Nowak has coached at the school since 1971, when it was known as Premontre High School. He started as freshman head coach/defensive assistant and defensive coordinator, took a year off in 1985, then returned as head coach. A 1966 Premontre graduate, he also played quarterback and defensive back for the Cadets under coach Ted Fritsch Sr. If that name is familiar, it ought to be. Fritsch played for the Packers from 1942 to 1950. Nowak also was a safety and cornerback at St. Norbert College, graduating in 1971. Nowak's assistants are Mike Rader, Eric Mahlik, Ken Flaten, Bill Harrington, Jeff Harrill, Shawn Nowak and Tony Giovanette. The Notre Dame football program will receive a $1,000 donation from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL. It also will be recognized on www.NFLHS.com, the NFL's high school football Web site. Nominations for the weekly award are due by 9 a.m. every Monday to Tim Schroeder, the Packers' community outreach coordinator. E-mail him at coachoftheweek@packers.com or fax to(920) 569-7302. Include the nominee's name, address, school, phone number, and reason he or she deserves the award. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Extra points? No, turning points
Our friends at Uni Watch, one of our favorite sports blogs, today mentioned that every page of the Packers yearbooks from 1960 to 1967 can be seen online. It's part of the Wisconsin Historical Society's collection, and it's just the tip of the iceberg. Also online as part of the society's "Turning Points in Wisconsin History" project: -- A photo of a jersey worn by quarterback Brett Favre in the 2005 season finale against the Chicago Bears. -- Packers game programs from 1939 to 1965. -- A yearbook-style publication commemorating the Vince Lombardi era, issued in 1968. -- The 1967 Packers media guide. -- A collection of 14 pieces of Packers memorabilia from 1944 to 1968. -- A gallery of 14 Packers photos from 1952 to 1979. To find it all, follow the above link to the Turning Points web page, type "Green Bay Packers" into the search box and press the "Go" button. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Alumni update: Jeff Dellenbach
You can add Jeff Dellenbach to the growing list of former Packers players who have become high school coaches. Dellenbach, 44, is the coach at North Broward Prep School in Coconut Creek, Fla., near Miami. The Eagles are 1-6, but that doesn't bother him. "It's not always about winning or me and my ego," Dellenbach told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I felt I had something to offer these kids. I've been around this game my whole life and when you see kids that maybe haven't been given full advantage of everything out there, and you're able to point them in the right direction, it feels good. I'm loving it." One of Dellenbach's players, running back Jonathan Campbell, looked him up on the Internet. "After I researched him, I couldn't believe the kind of quality coach we were getting," Campbell told the Sun-Sentinel. "It was so exciting. I've been in school for four years now and we've never had a coach like him. He just brings quality to everything he does." Dellenbach is a former Wausau East High School and University of Wisconsin star. He played in 33 games at center and guard for the Packers from 1996 to 1998. He also was a volunteer assistant coach for the Miami Dolphins and for Archbishop McCarthy High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla,. before becoming an athletic trainer. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
How will Packers honor McGee?
The Packers haven't made any announcement about how, when -- or even whether, for that matter -- they'll pay tribute to Max McGee, the former player and broadcaster who died Saturday. You'd think the most likely honor would be a No. 85 helmet decal, much like the No. 3 worn for the last six games of the 2003 season after Tony Canadeo died in November of that year, and the No. 92 worn for the rest of the 2004 season after Reggie White died in December of that year. We were e-mailed this interesting notion for a tribute to Max McGee: "Greg Jennings would endear himself to Cheeseheads everywhere if he would change the name on his jersey to 'McGee' for just one game: the next one at Lambeau." Jennings, of course, wears No. 85 for the Packers, as did McGee. However, when McGee played, there were no names on the backs of the players' jerseys. Perhaps a more appropriate tribute would be for Jennings to play the next home game with no name on the back of his jersey. First, it would be historically accurate. Second, you could see it as the football equivalent of a missing-man formation -- 10 players with names on their jerseys, and one without. Another idea from an e-mailer: Sell a special No. 85 jersey with McGee's name on the back at the Packers Pro Shop, with proceeds going to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, where he established the Max McGee National Research Center for Juvenile Diabetes. Still another idea from another e-mailer: Name the Lambeau Field radio booth for McGee. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
OSU's No. 1 with Hawk, Pickett
You can't keep those Ohio State alums away from the football field, especially when the Buckeyes are the top-ranked team in the nation. Home for a visit during bye week, Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk visited Ohio State's practice on Wednesday. Packers defensive tackle Ryan Pickett will be the Buckeyes' honorary captain for Saturday's game against Michigan State at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Pickett starred for Ohio State from 1998 to 2000. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
During bye, McCarthy will enter Hall of Fame
Packers coach Mike McCarthy will be inducted in the Baker University Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon in Baldwin City, Kan. McCarthy was a tight end for the Wildcats in 1985 and 1986. He graduated from Baker in 1987 with a business administration degree. They're thrilled about it at the school, which also will salute McCarthy at halftime of Saturday night's game against Central Methodist. "To have a Baker University's athletic alumnus make it to the pinnacle of coaching as a head coach of an NFL team is just unimaginable," athletics director Dan Harris told the Baldwin City Signal. Harris was an assistant football coach at Baker when McCarthy was a player. Baker coach Mike Grossner played with McCarthy at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona. They also were graduate assistants together at Fort Hays State in Kansas. He's looking forward to seeing his old pal. "He's excited about coming back with his parents and his daughter. He can get away from the pressure of the NFL for a week and get back to his roots and just watch and enjoy a football game," Grossner told the Topeka Capital-Journal. "He's going to speak to our team and hopefully he can get us motivated because I haven't found the secret against Central Methodist. I need some help." -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
More on the $4 Favre bill
It didn't take long and my e-mail box started filling up with e-mails from Packers fans giving me more information about the $4 Brett Favre bill blogged about on Thursday. Central Florida Packer Backers member Brian OHalloran says his fan club, which now has 1,600 members, started the bills years ago. The original denomination was the $1 Vince (Lombardi) buck, and OHalloran said the club uses the bills as business cards ("we have the only business cards that people actually pick off the ground!"), with information about the club on the back. In addition to the Vince and Favre bills, the club has created a $15 Bart Starr bill, a $66 Ray Nitschke bill and a $5 Paul Hornung bill. (See end of this post for images sent to me by OHalloran.) -- andert2 said he got his bill several years ago and pointed out that the serial name (on the image posted on Thursday) is Favre's birthdate. Others responded, saying they bought their $4 bills in stores in a number of cities in Wisconsin and other states. Thanks to e-mails from Nic, an Orlando, Fla., Packers fan; Bryan Lewis of De Pere; Dave and Collen Chartier; jer-sal (who got the bill during the Super Bowl years); Jeff Babcock; and packergary. -- Julie Riebe, jriebe@greenbaypressgazette.com     
We've made it into the movies
You know about movies that spoof other movies -- "Airplane," "Hot Shots" and "Scary Movie" among them Now there's a movie that spoofs sports movies. Perhaps you've seen the ads or the trailers for "The Comebacks," which hits theaters today. Here's how the film is described on its Web site: "As Coach Lambeau Fields puts together Heartland State's new football team, he and his misfit squad manage to mock every sports movie of the last couple(of) decades. As they hit the field on the way to the championship game, they take on the likes of "Rocky," "Field of Dreams," "Seabiscuit," "Blue Crush," "Stick It" and "The Longest Yard," among countless others." Lambeau Fields is played by David Koechner, whom you may remember as the sportscaster Champ Kind in "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy." Here's how Koechner's character is described in a story in Excalibur Online, the student newspaper at York University in Canada: "Coach Lambeau Fields (which is an allusion to the legendary stadium in Green Bay) has the distinction of being the worst coach in the history of sports. However, like in any inspirational sports film, his character is given a second chance for glory. "Predictably, the character is saddled with a team of misfits, leery townsfolk and a set of stereotypical dilemmas that he must overcome. The film pokes fun at the clichés and conventions of other films in the genre and, of course, ends with a final showdown where the best team is triumphant." As always, you be the judge -- thumbs up or thumbs down. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
The Onion has its say on Favre's record
No, not the NFL career record for touchdown passes. Rather, the NFL career record for interceptions. The folks at The Onion have poked some gentle fun at Packers quarterback Brett Favre in a mock story headlined "Dan Marino Hosts Hour-Long HBO Special Celebrating Favre's Interceptions."Truth be told, the satirical piece says more about Marino's ego than it does Favre's record. An excerpt: "Marino began work on Mr. 278 late in the 2006 season, when it became apparent that Favre was on pace to break Blanda's interception record, as well as Marino's for touchdown passes, sometime in the 2007 season. When HBO producers balked at the idea of expanding their original planned 30-second supporting segment, Marino offered to work the show without pay and secured advertising commitments from NutriSystem, Papa John's Pizza, and Isotoner gloves." -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Alumni update: Syd Kitson, Alan Veingrad
A couple of former Packers linemen were out and about at tailgate parties before Sunday's game against Washington at Lambeau Field. Bob writes from the Twin Cities: "We got to tailgate with a Packer alumni from the early 80’s. ... Syd Kitson works with a friend of a friend, and he was in town for a game at Lambeau for the first time since he left the Packers. Was a lot of fun. Terrific guy. He roomed with Larry McCarren. He had some terrific stories (about) Bart Starr."  That's Kitson on the left, standing with Mike Steffen, the president of Bob's group -- the Grassy Knoll Tailgators Association. The group has a bunch of folks from the Wausau area and some Wisconsin expatriates. Kitson, 49, a real estate developer in Florida, played in 49 games for the Packers from 1980 to 1984. Bob also says: "His best story of the day was about draft day back when he was selected (in 1980). Three players at Wake Forest were expected to go pretty high in the draft. It wasn’t like it is now with all of the ESPN TV coverage. They were in a room at Wake Forest, and Syd was expected to go the first day. They had no idea of where the draft picks were at the time. One of his buddies called the room and claimed to be Chuck Noll, from Pittsburgh, said a few things and then burst out laughing. A while later, he got another call claiming to be another coach -- same thing. Finally, when the real deal came -- Bart Starr -- Syd had to be convinced to take the call, that it really was Coach Starr. It turns out that Syd grew up in New Jersey and was always a Packers fan. He also calls Bart Starr the finest human being he’s ever met." Also in town: Alan Veingrad, who co-hosted a tailgate party for a group of 10 Orthodox Jews and their sons. They dined on kosher meats and said morning prayers, then most of them went to the game.  Veingrad, 44, lives in Florida and spends some of his time speaking about his faith. That's Veingrad at the center of this photo, which was posted at Chabad.org News. Veingrad played in 59 games for the Packers from 1986 to 1990. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
How about a $4 bill honoring Favre?
 How many of you have seen the above image floating around on the Internet? I hadn't until frequent reader Dan DeBroux sent it to Press-Gazette editorial cartoonist Joe Heller, who passed it along to me. The mock $4 bill honors none other than Packers quarterback Brett Favre, with a photo that appears to be from his earlier playing days with the team. Across the top of the bill are the words "The Bears Still Suck" and a Packers helmet and Lambeau Field insignia also are on the bill. The reader who passed it along wasn't sure where the image came from, and a quick search of the Internet didn't yield anything. One thought, in noticing the bill's Series date, which is 1996, that is it started circulating during the Super Bowl years. If you've got any insight on where the bill originated, I'd like to hear from you. E-mail me at jriebe@greenbaypressgazette.com or leave your comments on this post. -- Julie Riebe, jriebe@greenbaypressgazette.com
Chippewa Falls coach get weekly honors
Charles Raykovich, head coach at Chippewa Falls High School, has been named Green Bay Packers Coach of the Week, the Packers said today. According to a release by the Packers, Raykovich has headed up the Chippewa Falls program since 1987 and oversees a high school program of 132 players. He is assisted by Ed Watkins, Bart Olson, Mike Thompson, Jon Sylte, Tim Leis, Barret Brenner, Tim Pomietlo, Chad Burger, Dan Loomis, Nick Gagnon, Brian Stegner and Jim Vangorden. Tonight, Chippewa Falls hosts Eau Claire Memorial with a shot at its first outright Big Rivers Conference title since 1999. They clinched at least a share of the conference title when they beat Menomonie last week, snapping the Indians' 47-game conference winning streak. -- Julie Riebe, jriebe@greenbaypressgazette.com
Parody: Favre outlasts 'em all
A parody on Thursday's Web site for campus newspaper The Lakeland College Mirror, pokes fun at quarterback Brett Favre's durability, painting a humorous picture of Favre's enshrinement in the NFL Hall of Fame -- in 2052, four years after he stops playing for the Packers. Says writer Beau Markut: "Although he was blind, paralyzed, and somewhat crazy from the many sacks over the years taken under shoddy offensive lines, the 84-year-old Favre seemed as alive as any other senior citizen. The commissioner of football (the 24th Brett has seen as the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers) took the microphone and started the legendary quarterback's praises: "This heroic man has broken the records for: passing touchdowns, passing yards, completions, games played, games started, snaps accepted, and Wrangler commercials. Although he has also broken the records for most: incompletions, interceptions, fumbles lost, sacks, and wide receivers decapitated, we are willing to forgive him." Markut ends the humor-packed story by quoting a wheelchair-bound, wheezing Favre stating "I truly enjoyed the 60-some years I played for the Green Bay Packers, but I wish I would have beat the Chicago Bears more often." Funny, column to be sure. And I'm betting there are some Packers fans out there who wish Favre might play for 60 years. Read Markut's full story. -- Julie Riebe, jriebe@greenbaypressgazette.com
Alumni update: Willie Wood
You keep hoping for good news about Willie Wood, the great Packers safety of the 1960s, but his struggles continue. It started with knee, back and hip ailments. Now it's Alzheimer's disease. According to a front-page column by Greg Johnson in today's Los Angeles Times, it's clear Wood, 70, is slipping away. Last month, former Packers cornerback Herb Adderley joined Wood at an autograph session. "There were times that he forgot how to spell his name, and had to be told," Adderley told the Times. "After signing about 10 items, he had to take a break, and he would fall asleep in between signing." Wood's friends and former teammates, including Adderley, have made sure Wood is taken care of financially. Wood lives in an assisted living facility near his home in Washington, D.C. Bob Schmidt, who played at USC with Wood, has become his legal guardian. Schmidt recalled a recent conversation with Wood: "He asked me, 'Bob, where am I?' He said that, for a minute, he thought he was at St. Norbert College, in northern Wisconsin, where the Packers practiced. I told him that we're in Washington, D.C., on Thomas Circle. And, after a while, he said, 'Oh, OK.'" That pains Willie Davis, another of the Packers' great defensive players of the '60s. "Almost everything about Willie's situation today is difficult for me," Davis told the Times. "It's heartbreaking ... Willie, to this day, is a very independent guy. He would probably be the last one to ask for something. And yet he would give you anything that he could afford to give. To see him suffer is very devastating to me." -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Waiting for tickets, by the numbers
Ben Voelkel is No. 68,784 on the waiting list for Packers season tickets. Writing in the Badger Herald student newspaper, the University of Wisconsin junior figures it'll take him 76.43 years to get his tickets. Those are pretty big numbers, but Voelkel has another number that's more manageable: "1 -- Number of women with ties to season tickets I would date. Why only one? Because that's all it would take. ... Why not take the short cut if possible. Considering season ticket holders can will them down through family, why not find a nice girl whose family happens to have some tickets for the Green and Gold and set up shop? Just kidding. Partially. Maybe." Sounds reasonable enough. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Kenseth: Going to Lambeau is 'pretty cool'
We told you Sunday that NASCAR drivers Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were on hand to watch the Packers' 17-14 victory over Washington at Lambeau Field. On Tuesday, Nate Ryan of USA Today asked Kenseth -- a native of Cambridge in southern Wisconsin -- about that. Here's that portion of their question-and-answer session, which also touched on NASCAR issues. Q: So the Packers game was the highlight of the weekend?
A: That was a good time. Dale Jr. is a big 'Skins fan, I'm a big Packers fan, so we flew up there and got to meet (Packers quarterback) Brett (Favre) before the game and see the coach for a minute. I've got a lot of friends in the organization so I got to see all those guys and go out on the field. There's nothing like watching a game at Lambeau Field. Q: How did Junior handle the Redskins losing?
A: He was pretty quiet. But I told him to be ready for it. Q: Do you have a good feeling this year about the Packers getting to the Super Bowl?
A: I don't know if I'd go that far yet, but it certainly is a good thing when they find ways to win. There's been years where they've had better teams than they have right now but they'd lose real close games or a turnover would cost them and they wouldn't be able to win. Now their defense is really playing, their special teams is playing, their offense is coming around. I feel pretty good about it. It's pretty cool. They're 5-1 going into the bye week. That's pretty darn exciting. Q: When was your first trip to Lambeau?
A: I don't know. I went one time in the early '90s before they redid the stadium. The time after that was the day after we won the championship in '03. I got to exchange helmets with Favre, stood on the sidelines and hung out for a Monday night game up there against Philadelphia. Q: Is it a magical feeling when you go?
A: It's pretty cool. I can't think of anything else I'd rather do on a nice fall day than to be up there and watch a game at Lambeau. It's a pretty cool atmosphere. All the fans are really awesome up there. They're really nice and very passionate about the Packers and it's just a pretty cool place. Q: Is it comparable to any racetracks like Indianapolis as far as the history and heritage?
A: Not really, it's just so different. If you've never been there, it's hard to appreciate. It's up in the middle of a pretty small town but the city and the community own the team and the stadium, so that's different than any other franchise. It's all driven by the fans. It's a real normal, blue-collar, working society up there. It doesn't look like a place you'd have an NFL team and know that it's been there for 80 years or however long it's been. It's just pretty cool.
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