Putrid Packer Poetry, Week 13

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:

The show's 'bout to start, gather 'round, folks,
For T.O. they'll hoot while Favre we'll coax,
Its Badger 'gainst Texan,
Cheesehead 'gainst Stetson,
The Thursday Night Showdown, Pack versus 'Pokes.

Read more at Brewster's 10-year archive of Putrid Packer Poetry.

Otherwise, check here each week for the latest installment.

Keith's latest forecast for tonight's game: Partly cloudy and mild. Kickoff temperature of 57 falling to 52. Wind outside the stadium, southeast at 10 mph.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Best Brett Favre column. Ever.

We have read a lot of columns about Brett Favre by national writers during his 17 seasons in Green Bay.

Most are dreadful, dredging up the usual cliches about Favre, the Packers and Green Bay.

But late last night -- and no disrespect intended toward Press-Gazette columnists present or past -- we read the best column ever written about Brett Favre.

It's by Chris Erskine of the Los Angeles Times. Some excerpts are below, but you really must go read the whole thing. It's terrific.

It starts with this:

NBC has "Bionic Woman." The NFL has Brett Favre, the bionic man. Guess which one is having the better season? I don't know what you're eating, Mr. Favre, but pass the candy dish.

And this is near the end:

Yep, you're us all right, and we couldn't be more thrilled. You don't like to miss work under any condition. It's just the way you were raised. A guy thing. You don't miss work. In almost 300 games, including two Super Bowls, you haven't missed a start. It is the sports stat of our time.

And we certainly don't mind your sense of craft, your safecracker's cool. One moment, you're zinging thunderbolts across the middle. The next you're looping 9-iron shots in the end zone. The laser bomb that beat the Broncos? Boom! Brilliant.

You're what we all hoped to become in the backyards of our youth. You play as if you're hanging with your pals, and the sun is setting and the moms are calling everyone home for supper. Come on, Brett, your buddies say. One more. One more series ...

Yeah, you really must go read the rest. (The link to the column has been fixed. One of the drawbacks to blogging late at night. Sorry about that.)

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Here are 2 more proud Packers dads

Yesterday, we wrote about a couple of former Packers players -- Willie Buchanon and Ken Stills -- whose sons are or were high school football stars in the San Diego area and who love watching high school football.

Add Sam Seale, the Packers' West Coast scout, to that list. He's out there with Buchanon and Stills, watching his son.

Ricky Seale, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound sophomore running back at Escondido High School, rushed for 1,227 yards on 155 carries and scored 13 touchdowns this season. His season is over, though. The Cougars went 2-7.

The reader who e-mailed us to gently remind us that we'd overlooked Seale said he's "a man among boys out here."

"Most sophomores have no idea what they're doing, but Ricky has a natural understanding of the game and what he can do. He's so smooth, with sprinter's speed," Escondido coach Paul Gomes told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

How fast is Seale? He went to the California state track meet last year as part of the Cougars' 400-meter relay team.

Seale also has an NFL pedigree. His dad played in the NFL for 10 years, as a cornerback for the Los Angeles Raiders, Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Chargers. The elder Seale, 44, has been a scout for the Packers for the past 12 years.

As long as we're talking about the sons of Packers scouts, junior quarterback A.J. Highsmith has led Hightower High School in Sugar Land, Texas, into the third round of the Texas 5A playoffs. He's the son of Southwest scout Alonzo Highsmith.

A.J., who's 5-11 and 175 pounds, is 139-of-245 passing for 1,992 yards and 21 touchdowns with just nine interceptions this season. He also has run for four touchdowns.

Another of Highsmith's sons, Alonzo Jr., is a 6-2, 190-pound senior linebacker for Fort Bend Elkins High School in Missouri City, Texas.

Both of the Highsmiths are college prospects. That's not surprising, considering their dad was an all-around athlete -- Florida high school defensive player of the year, played basketball, was a sprinter in track, starred as a running back at the University of Miami, played six seasons in the NFL, then was a heavyweight boxer for four years. He's scouted for the Packers for the past nine years.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Meet one of the newest Packers fans

Earlier this month, we shared the story of the boy who'll be raised a Packers fan because Dad -- a Broncos fan -- lost a bet.

Now we have visual proof.


Meet James, the Packers fan. He's being held by Scott, his dad, the Broncos fan from Colorado. James' mom, Kristin, who grew up a Packers fan in Stevens Point, moved to Colorado after she met Scott.

When the Packers beat the Broncos on Oct. 29, Scott lost a bet with Kristin's brother, Erik, and agreed to raise James -- who didn't arrive until later that week -- as a Packers fan. Had the Packers lost that game, James would have been raised a Broncos fan.

Aunt Katie, who also lives in Stevens Point, says Scott and Kristin "are settling into life as new parents and at least Kristin and James are enjoying the Packers' run this year."


Here's one more picture, with James wearing the cheesehead that Grandma and Grandpa brought for him from Stevens Point.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Escanaba station to get Packers-Dallas game, too

WJMN-TV, Channel 3, of Escanaba, Mich., will broadcast Thursday's Green Bay Packers-Dallas Cowboys game.

The NFL Network initially would not allow the station to broadcast the game through its Green Bay sister station WFRV, Channel 5.

On both stations, coverage starts with a 6:30 p.m. CST local pregame show followed by the game at 7 p.m. with NFL Network sportscasters.

The network is not carried on Time Warner Cable or Charter, although Comcast at Manitowoc offers the NFL Network on a pay tier.

The network is carried by satellite services DirecTV and Dish Network.

-- Warren Gerds, wgerds@greenbaypressgazette.com

Alumni update: Willie Buchanon, Ken Stills

You may remember Willie Buchanon and Ken Stills as defensive backs for the Packers. Today, they're simply high school football dads.

Buchanon's son, Will, is long out of high school, but the elder Buchanon still goes to high school games in the San Diego area.

"I have a group of guys I sit with at the games that I got to know from going to the games to see my son play," Buchanon, 57, told Tom Shanahan of voiceofsandiego.org. "John Lopez always brings a baloney sandwich for me on Friday nights."

Will Buchanon, 24, is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound receiver who starred at Oceanside High School -- like his dad -- and USC. He wasn't drafted, but played in one game with the Oakland Raiders last season. This season, he spent part of training camp with the New York Giants, then spent a month on the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad before being released.

Stills, however, still has a son in high school. Kenny Stills is a sophomore wide receiver for La Costa Canyon. The 6-0, 165-pounder has 25 catches for 555 yards, a 22.2-yard average, and plenty of speed.

Here's what Stills' quarterback, senior Jose Mohler, had to say about him: "He's a sophomore sensation with a great future. He's going to be one of those special kids that gets to choose his college. It's ridiculous how good he is."

The elder Stills, 44, who went to El Camino High School, is defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, so he's seen only his son's last two games in person.

The dads likely will be in the same place on Friday night, when eighth-ranked La Costa Canyon (7-3) plays at second-ranked Oceanside (9-1) in a sectional semifinal game in California's Division II playoffs.

Though they're friends, Buchanon and Stills never played together in Green Bay. Buchanon, a cornerback, played in 80 games for the Packers from 1972 to 1978. Stills, a safety from the University of Wisconsin, played in 65 games for the Packers from 1985 to 1989.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Will Bears fans back the Packers?

That's what Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Morrissey wondered earlier this week, given the Bears' poor performance this season. Here's how he started that column:

"Is it morally wrong to want to adopt the Green Bay Packers until Chicago gets its very own NFL franchise?"

Morrissey adds:

"I'm suggesting the Packers are what the Bears were supposed to be. So why not take it to the logical next step and appreciate what Favre and the Packers are doing this season?"

He wraps it up by saying:

"Look, Chicagoans own half the property in Wisconsin anyway. Why not a good football team too? Your Chicago Packers play in Dallas on Thursday in a matchup of 10-1 teams. Will you be there in spirit?"

To find out, you'll have to read Morrissey's column. Follow the link above.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

College pals' road trip leads to Lambeau

Dereyck Moore, Corey Evans and Roary Lee went to school together at Florida A&M.

Moore and Evans were drummers in the Marching 100 band, one of those great bands from historically black colleges. They once thought it couldn't get any better than that. Then they found out it could, and did.

In 2001, the trio of college pals from the Atlanta area started visiting football's greatest venues – Georgia’s Sanford Stadium, Texas Stadium, Michigan Stadium, the Los Angeles Coliseum.

In 2005, they made it Lambeau Field. Here’s what they told Michelle Hiskey of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about that trip.

"Everyone was so nice. I never knew people who knew that much about football, and they bought us brats. And we bought a cheesehead," Lee said.

"Green Bay beat the Saints something like 52-0 and no one left. Two old ladies near us told us everything we needed to know," Moore said.

(Moore's recollection is close enough. The final score was 52-3.)

If you check out the Atlanta paper's story, you'll see a picture of Moore with John O'Neill, better known to Packers fans as St. Vince.

They take one trip each year. Moore's job is to get the tickets and a hotel. Evans' job is to get the rental car – and always a better one than the year before. Lee's job is to line up the pregame and postgame meals and the tee times.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

TV update: Hawk is McCarren's guest tonight

Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk is the scheduled guest for the live broadcast of "Larry McCarren's Locker Room" from Lambeau Field tonight.

The show airs at 6:30 p.m. on WFRV (Channel 5, Green Bay) from the Legends Room on the fourth floor of the Lambeau Field atrium.

You don't need tickets, but here's how it works: The escalators to the fourth floor open at 4 p.m., with concession stands open while you wait. The doors to the show open at 5:45 p.m. Seating is on a first-come, served basis.

In other words, if you don't want to be disappointed, get there early.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Green's numbers add up for single mom

When running back Ahman Green left the Packers during the offseason and signed with the Houston Texans, he wanted to keep his No. 30.

Just one problem. Texans safety Jason Simmons already had it. He'd had it for five seasons.

Green was willing to pay for the number, but Simmons had another idea. He was willing to give up the number, but wanted to use Green's money to buy a home in Houston for a single parent who needed one.

So Green ponied up $20,000. Simmons tossed in $5,000. Texans owner Bob McNair matched their money.

It went to buy a house for Regina Foster, 37, a mortgage broker whose 7-year-old son, Reggie, is profoundly autistic.

For the rest of the story, read Greg Garber's column on ESPN.com, then watch his video report on "Sunday Countdown" at 10 a.m. Sunday on ESPN.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Dad played for Packers; he wants to be better

Martez Eastland is a promising running back for Ringgold High School in Ringgold, Ga. Just a sophomore, he gained 700 yards on 103 carries this season.

He's the son of Donnie Humphrey, a defensive end for the Packers from 1984 to 1986. Humphrey, who played at Auburn, was the Packers' third-round draft choice in 1984.

This is not one of those warm, feel-good stories, though.

Eastland is not close to his father, according to the Catoosa County News. Nor is Humphrey much involved in his son's life.

Eastland is tight with his mother, Mattie Ransom -- even though he played middle school football against her wishes.

Eastland is aware of what his father accomplished and has a few goals of his own.

"I would like to do what he did," he said of Humphrey. "I've read a lot about him. But I would like to be better than he was. ... I want him to read about me one day."

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Springs' inspiration springs from Favre

You know Packers quarterback Brett Favre played the night after his father's death in December 2003, starring in a memorable Monday night victory over the Raiders and winning over the often-rough Oakland crowd.

But did you know Washington cornerback Shawn Springs had a similar kind of experience when the Redskins played at Lambeau Field earlier this year?

On Oct. 12, two days before the game, Springs' father, former NFL player Ron Springs, had surgery in Dallas to remove a cyst from his arm. Something went wrong.

Ron Springs, 51, has been on life support ever since. He has brain damage. He's not likely to recover.

Here is the rest of the story about Shawn Springs' unforgettable game day, from Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post:

At 6 a.m. Sunday, seven hours before kickoff, Springs arose suddenly. He could smell his father, the scent unmistakable. "It was like my dad was lying in bed beside me," he recalled. "Then I looked up and all of a sudden the smell was gone."

Shaken, Springs was unable to get back to sleep.

It was the longest day of his 11-season career. During the national anthem, Springs could not concentrate on the game.

"Usually, when I play, during the game it's really easy to block everything out," Springs said. "That's in my personality, everything's so nonchalant and chill. That Sunday was the first time I was like, 'Damn, you never expect nothing like this.' One of the things that kept me going was just watching Brett Favre from across the field, and I remembered him throwing for all of those yards when his dad died. So I was like, 'This is the right thing to do. This is what my dad would want me to do.'"

Springs started for Washington that day, making three tackles against the Packers.

He's kept playing. For his dad.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

The third time is the charm

There is nothing quite like seeing a Packers game at Lambeau Field. You never forget your first, and even the third can be pretty exciting.

It was for Matt Wellens, who grew up in Winneconne and writes for the Dickinson Press in Dickinson, N.D. He shared the story of his homecoming with his readers.

Wellens and his dad went to Lambeau earlier this month to see the Packers beat the Vikings 34-0. He called it "the greatest day of my life."

But why Wellens felt the need to apologize for tailgating out of his dad's minivan and drinking Point Amber beer before 9 a.m. is beyond us. It sounds reasonable.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

A happy hometown Thanksgiving

To say Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings is loyal to his hometown of Kalamazoo, Mich., is perhaps an understatement.

Jennings met his wife, Nicole, when they were in grade school. He starred in football at Kalamazoo Central High School and Western Michigan University, the latter also in Kalamazoo.

So, for Thanksgiving, they donated more than 70 gift baskets of turkeys and groceries to people in need.

Jennings explained it to the Kalamazoo Gazette: "It's one of those things where we just wanted to help out those less fortunate in the community and make their Thanksgiving Day better and a little less stressful in terms of trying to get food. It was definitely my wife's idea, and it's a great idea.''

The baskets were handed out after Sunday's services at Progressive Deliverance Ministries, Church of God in Christ, where Jennings' father, Greg Sr., is pastor.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Jenkins brothers make 'Big Daddy' proud

You know Packers defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins is a big man. He goes 6-foot-2, 295 pounds.

His brother, Panthers defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, is an even bigger man. He goes 6-4, 335.

They get that from Dad. Darmone Jenkins is 6-3, 350.

The boys were toddlers when Darmone was granted custody of them in 1981. Living in the Detroit area the time, he handled the rough stuff for bailiffs who wanted to serve eviction notices on people who didn't want to come to the door.

After one such confrontation went bad – it was Jenkins and his partner vs. "10 big fellas … who said they weren't going anywhere" – he decided to get out of that business.

So, at 27, he took the two boys with him to college and became a teacher.

For more, read Pat Yasinskas’ story, which was published in the Charlotte Observer before Sunday’s Packers-Panthers game and in today's Packers Preview section in the Press-Gazette.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Alumni update: Bob Lord, Ruffin Hamilton

Bob Lord spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Packers in the mid-'70s.

Today, at 78, he's the oldest active high school coach in Georgia, according to the Walker County Messenger.

Lord has led Fellowship Christian School of Roswell, Ga., to the second round of the Georgia Class A playoffs. That's all the more remarkable when you consider the Paladins (10-1) have played football for only four years.

Lord was the special teams coach under Bart Starr in 1975 and 1976, then was running backs coach under Starr in 1977 and 1978. He spent 12 years in the NFL, 19 as a college coach and 18 as a high school coach.

His Paladins staff is full of NFL veterans, including defensive coordinator Ruffin Hamilton, who played five games at linebacker for the Packers in 1994.

His other assistants include former Broncos quarterback Ken Karcher as offensive coordinator, former Browns quarterback Terry Luck as receivers coach and former Jaguars cornerback Rashid Gayle as defensive backs coach.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

This wager's OK: Green Bay, Detroit mayors bet on Thursday's game

Here's one bet that the NFL shouldn't have to look into the legalities of:

Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick each bet their team will win Thursday's game. Seroogy's chocolates and Wisconsin cheese curds was bet by Schmitt, while Kilpatrick stands to lose a collection of Motown music and other Motor City memorabilia.

Schmitt and his family will attend the game with Kilpatrick at Kilpatrick's invitation.

The Schmitts also will follow their annual family tradition of serving a Thanksgiving meal at a community shelter and will attend the 81st Annual Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit.

The Packers are waiting for the NFL to determine whether to sanction the team or any players for violating the league's "bounty" rule regarding the Minnesota Vikings game.

-- Julie Riebe, jriebe@greenbaypressgazette.com

Cranberry cocktails go good with football

You often hear it called Packers Nation or Cheesehead Nation, but all those Packers fans across the nation and across the world are more like a big family.

Over the last week or so, we've been exchanging e-mails with another member of the Packers family, Sally Ann Shurmur. She's the daughter of "Fritz the Dad." You may remember him as Fritz Shurmur, the defensive coordinator on the Packers' Super Bowl teams of the '90s.

Sally Ann is the community news editor for the Casper Star-Tribune, the paper in Casper, Wyo. She recently shared some fond Thanksgiving memories with her readers:

I was still enjoying Thanksgivings at Nana's when I first experienced her cranberry "cocktails."

Every Thanksgiving now, I buy the ingredients. Usually, I'm the only one who partakes -- after the turkey is in, before the crisis begins.

Mix equal parts cranberry juice cocktail and lemon-lime pop and serve in beautiful, clear glasses. Bless Nana. She thought that her creation was very sophisticated. Actually, it's delicious, even though I now substitute diet or sugar-free for both ingredients. Perhaps that's why I'm the only one who partakes.

I think of these as Nana cocktails and always will. There were Thanksgivings at Nana's when we were little and Thanksgivings at Nana's when Fritz the Dad was with the Lions (in the late '70s). Nana did all of the cooking so Peggy Jane the Mom could go to the game and not worry about dinner.

Then we'd all head to Nana's after the game and sit at the huge table first Bapa and then Uncle John created by placing long sheets of plywood over the dining room table. Covered with Nana's best tablecloths, no one could ever tell.

By the time Sally Ann's dad got the job with the Packers in the '90s, she was all grown up, so she and her family drove from Casper to Green Bay for Thanksgiving. Cranberries again were at the heart of the trip.

Just outside Tomah, we saw the first signs from cranberry producers who grow for Ocean Spray. "Let's go pick some cranberries," I exclaimed. Funny how that car just kept moving.

I marveled at the quaint little towns with the 21 as their main street. We (I) shopped at the Farmer's Wife craft store in Omro and counted the signs advertising cheese curds in the convenience store windows. If it was early in the morning, we'd often see a fresh (deer) kill -- still dripping blood -- draped over a spare tire on the back of an SUV or a head sticking out of the bed of a pickup.

Brats, cheese, cranberries -- and the Packers. Now there's a winning combination.

I've changed juice brands now and look on the label to buy made in Wisconsin. Silly, but that's a connection I want to hold onto.

Sally Ann has a couple more Wisconsin connections she cherishes. "Peggy Jane the Mom" still lives in Suamico. Sally Ann's sister and her family live in Howard.

Needless to say, she's looking forward to another Thanksgiving with the Packers. Here are her plans for Thursday, a holiday spent at home in Casper.

We'll eat at 4 p.m. Mountain time, because I can't see the big screen from the kitchen, so I'm waiting until after the Packers beat the Lions to do that last-minute dinner stuff.

I have no idea why I don't just serve brats with sauerkraut and onions and beer DURING the game, but it will be the traditional meal we'll enjoy while we savor the Packers' win and remember with fondness our trips to Suamico for Thanksgiving with Peggy Jane the Mom and Fritz the Dad.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Putrid Packer Poetry, Week 12

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:

A fan may note, at the risk of some myopia,
That the Pack stands just one notch shy o' utopia,
And as you dine,
The team may shine,
And add another win to its cornucopia.

Read more at Brewster's 10-year archive of Putrid Packer Poetry.

Otherwise, check here each week for the latest installment.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Brought to you by the letter 'G'

Last week, the 4-year-old kindergarten students at St. Mary's Visitation School in Elm Grove were learning words that started with the letter "G".

Green Bay starts with "G."

And there's a "G" on the Packers' helmets.

That's why the kids made these cheeseheads, and why administrative assistant Barbara Tyler shared this photo with us.

"I don't think you have ever seen a cuter cheering section for the green and the gold," she said in her note.

Gee, she may be on to something there.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

TV update: Harris is McCarren's guest

Packers cornerback Al Harris is the scheduled guest for the live broadcast of "Larry McCarren's Locker Room" from Lambeau Field on Monday night.

The show airs at 6:30 p.m. on WFRV (Channel 5, Green Bay) from the Legends Room on the fourth floor of the Lambeau Field atrium.

You don't need tickets, but here's how it works: The escalators to the fourth floor open at 4 p.m., with concession stands open while you wait. The doors to the show open at 5:45 p.m. Seating is on a first-come, served basis.

In other words, if you don't want to be disappointed, get there early.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Putrid Packer Poetry, Week 11

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:

Northwoods anglers have ceased their casting,
While bears asnooze have begun their fasting,
For these are the Nor'vember days,
When fans will don the Green and Blaze,
Whether for Panther poaching or Bambi blasting.

Read more at Brewster's 10-year archive of Putrid Packer Poetry.

Otherwise, check here each week for the latest installment.

Keith's latest forecast for Sunday's game: Fair skies and chilly. Kickoff temperature of 40 on the way to a high of 44. Southeast winds at 5 to 10 mph.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

So Favre knows about hockey, too?

Ryan Suter is a better hockey player this season, and he has Brett Favre to thank for it.

A defenseman for the NHL's Nashville Predators, the 22-year-old Suter grew up in Madison and played one season at the University of Wisconsin (and briefly was on the Green Bay Gamblers' offseason roster in 2001 until he was snatched away by USA Hockey's National Development Program Team).

He'd been struggling with keeping his cool until he got a tip from his uncle, Gary Suter, another former UW and NHL player.

"I told him I was getting upset after games," Ryan Suter told the Nashville City Paper. "I was getting all worked up and I was just wasting the whole next day after a game because I would be so mad.

"We are both big Packer fans. Favre throws interceptions. But the next play, he comes back and throws a great pass or he scores a touchdown. My uncle told me I had to think the same way."

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

The kids are all right, Part II

Brandon Kiel's family also knows a little bit about quarterback. His dad, Blair, played in eight games for the Packers in the 1988, 1990 and 1991 seasons, starting two games.

Brandon is a senior quarterback for Hamilton Southeastern High School, which went 10-3 but lost in the Indiana regional championship game last week.

Blair, who runs the industrial division of an Indianapolis real estate company, coached Brandon through junior high school. Now, though, they'll watch a little video of the next opponent on the night before a game, and that's about it.

"We rarely talk about sports, ever," Blair told the Indianapolis Star.

"In some ways, he doesn't want to acknowledge I played in high school, college and the pros. He doesn't want to see me in that light. He wants to see me more as a dad. I respect him for that. He's a bright young man and wants to do a lot of different things outside sports."

When Blair retired after the 1991 season, Brandon was 3. His only memory of his dad's NFL career is seeing him get knocked out of a game with the Packers.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Favre leads fan voting for Pro Bowl

Quarterback Brett Favre proves he continues to be a fan favorite, leading the NFL All-Star balloting for the 2008 Prow Bow., NFL.com said Thursday.

Favre had 458,837 votes, leading the overall voting. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning had 441,852 votes, ranking second overall, while New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had 440,354 votes for third place, New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss ranked fourth overall with 342,250 votes and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo clocked in with 319,959 votes.

Voting will continue on NFL.com and on wireless phones with Sprint service through Tuesday, Dec. 11. Teams will be announced at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 18.

-- Julie Riebe, jriebe@greenbaypressgazette.com

The kids are all right, Part I

Brett Favre isn't the only quarterback named Favre who's having a big season.

His nephew, Dylan, a sophomore at St. Stanislaus High School in Bay St. Louis, Miss., completed 178 of 321 passes for 3,092 yards and 36 touchdowns this season, the latter both records for southern Mississippi passers. His passing yardage is ninth all-time in Mississippi and his TD total is 11th all time. He threw only 13 interceptions.

The Rock-A-Chaws went 8-3 but were eliminated from the playoffs last week, so Dylan is looking forward to baseball ... and spring football.

"I'm going to take time for my shoulder to heal up," the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Favre told the Biloxi Sun Herald. "I need to get bigger and stronger, and work with Coach Stu (Rayburn, the Rock-a-chaws offensive coordinator) on my mechanics."

Dylan comes from a family that knows a little about quarterbacking. His dad, Jeff, and two uncles, Brett and Scott, were quarterbacks at Hancock North Central High School. Dylan's late grandfather, Irvin, coached at Hancock North Central. Dylan lives with Scott Favre during the school year.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

The race goes through Lambeau Field

Chuck Woodworth is on the clock. He's in a race against time.

A musician, motorcycle enthusiast and car salesman from Pekin, Ill., he's also a passionate Packers fan.

He has glioblastoma, which he described as "a very aggressive, very fast-growing kind of brain tumor. They're never benign, they're always malignant."

It's rare. There's no cure, only surgery and treatment.

That's why Chuck, 53, and his wife, Ann, plan to be at Lambeau Field on Sunday to watch the Packers play the Carolina Panthers.

"We understand that our time is now limited," Chuck told the Pekin Times last month.

"And everybody's is. We just know it is now," Ann added. "That's the difference. It puts a clock on it. Everybody has a clock, you just don't always see it."

Someone who has such a tumor and has surgery and treatment usually has 12 to 15 months to live.

"There have been people that have lived two, three, five, seven, and even 10 years (after surgery)," Chuck said. "They're rare, but they are out there."

"He's not average either," Ann said.

Most Packers fans aren't.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

A wish comes true for New Jersey boy

Steven Lewza is 8. He lives in Roxbury, N.J. He's in the third grade.

He's had leukemia since he was in kindergarten.

He told the Make-A-Wish Foundation that he'd like to meet Packers quarterback Brett Favre.

That wish will come true on Friday, when Favre will welcome him to Lambeau Field.

Steven, his parents and his 17-year-old sister are flying to Green Bay today. They'll stay for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field, then will fly home on Tuesday.

It'll be the highlight of what has been a good year for Steven. After more than two years of chemotherapy, he got a clean bill of health in May, though he still must have regular checkups. He played nose guard for the Roxbury Colts this fall.

(If you're wondering, Steven's condition was serious enough to qualify him for a Make-A-Wish trip, and families granted such trips often wait until the patient is feeling good enough to participate, as in the Lewzas' case.)

Steven told the Morris County Daily Record he has a couple of questions for Favre: "What's it like to play for the Packers?" and "How hard is it, like, throwing all those long passes?"

So why is a nose guard interested in meeting Favre?

"He's cool, he's respectful, and that's it," he said.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

The downside to the Lambeau Leap

Someone grabbed Packers wide receiver Ruvell Martin in a place you don't want to be grabbed while he did a Lambeau Leap during Sunday's game against the Vikings.

Need we say more?

Even teammate Donald Driver said it "just ain't right."

WTMJ radio in Milwaukee has the picture and is looking for the culprit.

As you might expect, the folks at Deadspin have shared the story and its readers have weighed in with a bunch of comments -- some of them in questionable taste as usual.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Lombardi wasn't perfect; play isn't, either

The reviews are in for "Lombardi: The Only Thing," a Madison Repertory Theatre production that debuted last week at the Playhouse at the Overture Center on State Street in downtown Madison.

Those reviews are mixed, but generally complimentary.

Here's a sampling from four Madison newspapers and two others:

The Wisconsin State Journal: "'The Only Thing' shows Lombardi on the downside of his career, a Pepto-Bismol-guzzling autocrat struggling with fading success, hungry reporters and players demanding fat contracts. ... (A dream sequence set in the Milwaukee airport is) a cheap-trick play that undermines the building drama and transforms the proceedings into 'Lombardi: A Christmas Carol.'"

The Capital Times: "Despite a raft of conflicting behaviors, Lombardi himself does not seem complex, which makes playwright Eric Simonson's revelations about the Brooklyn, N.Y., native both frustrating and endearing. In the end, however, it's as close as any of us will ever get to understanding the humanity behind one of football's true heroes. For that achievement alone, the play succeeds."

Isthmus: "Simonson has constructed a fantasy around a series of conversations Lombardi has in his mind while suffering through a blackout caused by his ill health. ... At the play's conclusion, Lombardi's theatrical alter ego delivers a moving homily to the power of loving what is imperfect. From a man who could tolerate nothing less than perfection in anything or anyone, these are rare words. Simonson has found a way to make good on them."

The Daily Cardinal: "This is not a play about Lombardi, however, as a mythic football hero, the greatest coach in gridiron history whose quotations are constantly scratched on inspirational posters. This is a play about Lombardi, a complex and flawed man. He is a character like Willy Loman from 'Death of a Salesman,' or King Lear. He is remembered as football’s patron saint, but somewhere in all of that he was also a human being."

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Although Chicago actor Jeff Still doesn't have Lombardi's imposing physical bulk, he plays big, to borrow from basketball terminology. Still has captured the coach's abrupt speaking style, purposeful facial expression and organic gravitas. There is no doubt he is Vince Lombardi."

Chicago Tribune: " Stuck in Miami after losing the postseason 'toilet bowl,' a testy Lombardi is fighting off invasive reporters, needy players and the start of the intestinal troubles that would later kill him. ... Thanks to a gutsy, uncompromising performance from the relentless Chicago actor Jeff Still, we smell one of those tragic American colossi undermined by his own hubris and the niggling rules and regulations that are as much as a part of America -- and its gladiatorial sports -- as its heroes. ... Then after about a half-hour of this back-office realism, Simonson completely blows up the reality of his own play. The explosion doesn't work, but you admire it nonetheless. ... Like the film-obsessed Lombardi, Simonson should review the current footage and regroup."

Simonson -- a 1982 graduate of Lawrence University in Appleton -- based the play on David Maraniss' biography of Lombardi, "When Pride Still Mattered."

"Lombardi: The Only Thing" runs through Dec. 2. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $16 to $48. Information: (608) 258-4141, the Madison Repertory Theatre or the Overture Center.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Your Packers jacket is politically incorrect

If you live in Waldoboro, Maine, that is.

When the town's select board -- we'd call it a town board -- met the other night, it welcomed Bill Labombarde, the new police chief.

The folks in attendance gave him a polite round of applause, even though he was wearing a Packers jacket, according to the Lincoln County News.

That's when town resident Bill Branigan took off his cap, dropped a dollar bill into it and passed it around the room to raise money to buy a New England Patriots jacket for Labombarde.

By the time Branigan's cap had made the rounds, it was full of money.

Packers fans can only hope it wasn't enough to pay for a Patriots jacket.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Want to get to know Deanna Favre?

Then you should read Caroline Goyette's extensive profile of the wife of Packers quarterback Brett Favre in the current issue of Milwaukee magazine.

It's entitled "True Grit: How Deanna Favre overcame cancer, Brett's addiction and a marriage that almost failed."

Yeah, that about sums it up.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Alumni update: Billy Howton

We always hear this question: Why isn't Jerry Kramer in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

So why not this one: Why isn't Billy Howton in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

It was posed last week by Baltimore Examiner columnist Jim Henneman after Howton visited NFL alumni in that city on his way to Green Bay.

Did you know Howton held three NFL records when he retired in 1963?

As a rookie with the Packers in 1952, he had 13 touchdown catches in 12 games. That record stood until the Vikings' Randy Moss caught 17 in 1998, and he needed four more games to pass Howton.

Howton spent his first seven seasons with the Packers, then was traded to the Browns in 1959. He spent one season in Cleveland, then finished his career with four seasons with the Cowboys.

Howton retired with 503 receptions and 8,459 receiving yards, having surpassed Packers legend Don Hutson in both categories. Yet Howton's career marks stood for only one year, one reason he may not get consideration for the Hall of Fame. The Colts' Raymond Berry broke both of Howton's career records in 1964.

Henneman also suggests that Howton has been passed over for Hall of Fame consideration because he was active in the NFL Players Association when it was getting started.

Howton's banishment from Green Bay came about the time the NFL pension plan was created. Henneman suggests that may have been a factor in the trade. Other sources say new coach Vince Lombardi simply was acquiring his kind of players and ridding the Packers of their losing image. In any case, Howton was dealt to the Browns on April 24, 1959, for halfback Lew Carpenter and defensive end Bill Quinlan.

When Howton got to the Cowboys, they were an expansion team -- and perhaps a dumping ground for players active in the union.

"We had six player representatives on that first team in Dallas," said Dick Bielski, who was Howton's roommate for two years.

For the record, Howton has been in the Packers Hall of Fame since 1974. He still ranks 12th on the Packers' career receiving list, with 303 catches for 5,581 yards. That's an average of 18.4 yards per catch, putting him second among the top 20 players on the Packers' career list. Only Carroll Dale's 19.7-yard average was better.

Howton, now 77, lives in Spain. He's still pushing the NFL to give its retired players better benefits.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com

Rare autographed game ball donated to Hall of Fame

The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, Inc., said today that a very rare autographed game ball from the 1934-35 Green Bay Packers has been donated by James Miller in the name of his mother, Mayme Toule Miller.

In a press release, the Packers said the ball will be on display beginning today in the hall's section that features the early decades of the team.

According to the release:

"Mayme Toule Miller was the manager of the Astor Hotel from 1928 through 1938. The downtown Green Bay hotel, located on North Adams Street, was the "home away from home" during the season for many Packers.

"Miller befriended many players during that time, including Roger Grove (back, 1931-35). Grove presented the ball Miller sometime during the 1935 season as a token of their appreciation for the fine accommodations the players received at the hotel. Grove had Curly Lambeau and all the players sign the ball.

"Included on the ball are Pro Football Hall of Famers Lambeau, Arnie Herber, Clarke Hinkle, Don Hutson, Johnny "Blood" McNally, Mike Michalske and Cal Hubbard, with Hubbard also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame – the only player to be a member of both halls. Also an interesting note about the autographs: the players noted their college, an unusual method of signing that is rarely seen on such items.

She gave the ball to her son, James, in 1970. The ball is believed to have been used in one of the team's first night games ever played, which took place in Milwaukee at State Fair Park."

-- Julie Riebe, jriebe@greenbaypressgazette.com

If you didn't get your fill on Sunday ...

... you might want to head back out to Lambeau Field on Monday night for the live broadcast of "Larry McCarren's Locker Room."

Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings is the scheduled guest.

The show airs at 6:30 p.m. on WFRV (Channel 5, Green Bay) from the Legends Room on the fourth floor of the Lambeau Field atrium.

You don't need tickets, but here's how it works: The escalators to the fourth floor open at 4 p.m., with concession stands open while you wait. The doors to the show open at 5:45 p.m. Seating is on a first-come, served basis.

In other words, if you don't want to be disappointed, get there early.

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com