Yes, he drove up with the top down
If you've ever driven along Interstate 43 near Clinton in southern Wisconsin and seen the pickup truck in the tree, you have an idea of the way Mark Madson's mind works. He put that pickup in the tree, and he also drove to Sunday's Packers-Lions game in his Packer Mobile -- a convertible with no top, according to the Beloit Daily News. Madson took a 1978 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, cut off the roof, put in heated front seats, filled in the back seat -- "The reason a convertible is so cold is because the cold air comes in from the back seat," he told the Beloit paper -- and topped it off with a surfboard. He also decorated it in Packers colors and with Packers memorabilia. OK, so how's the ride in a convertible in December? "We didn't get cold at all," Madson insisted. "We didn't even have our jacket buttons up half the time. We were warm as toast the whole time." Be sure to follow the link to get a look at the Packer Mobile ... and the pickup in the tree. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Alumni update: Steve Duich
A while back, we noted that Steve Duich, an offensive tackle from San Diego State who was the Packers' fifth-round draft pick in 1968, was inducted into the university's Aztec Hall of Fame. We said he never played in the NFL, and we were wrong. The Packers traded Duich to Atlanta during training camp, and he played in 12 games for the Falcons. He finished a two-year NFL career by playing in 11 games under Vince Lombardi with the Washington Redskins in 1969. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Alumni update: Jerry Holmes
Jerry Holmes, who finished a 10-year NFL career with the Packers in 1990 and 1991, will be introduced Thursday as head football coach at Hampton University, according to the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press. He succeeds Joe Taylor, who left Hampton after 16 years to become coach at Florida A&M. Holmes, 50, was Hampton's defensive coordinator under Taylor for the last three seasons. He also was an assistant coach for the Pirates from 1992 to 1994, then returned in 2004. Holmes' 16 seasons of coaching experience include six seasons as a defensive backs coach in the NFL. Holmes started at cornerback during his two seasons in Green Bay. He shared the team lead with three interceptions in 1990. He also played for the New York Jets and Detroit Lions. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
TV update: Ice Bowl special airs locally Friday
Packers great Bart Starr will discuss his historic touchdown sneak in the 1967 NFL championship game during "The Ice Bowl 40th Anniversary Special," which airs at 7:30 p.m. Friday on WFRV, Channel 5 in Green Bay. In that game, the Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 to advance to Super Bowl II. WFRV sports director Larry McCarren co-hosts the program with Jessie Garcia of WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee. The special follows "Inside Lambeau" at 7 p.m. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Putrid Packer Poetry, Week 17
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 Lion of Oz, he went to the Wizard,
Courage he craved, deep to the gizzard,
Something the Pack might seek,
In a year or a week,
Whenever next facing a blizzard.Read more at Brewster's 10-year archive of Putrid Packer Poetry. Otherwise, check here each week for the latest installment. Keith's early forecast for Sunday's game: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow flurries. Kickoff temperature of 27 on the way to a high of 30. South winds at 5-10 mph. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Illinois police help Packers out of traffic jam
If you were in the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the northbound Kennedy Expressway Sunday in Chicago and happened to see four chartered buses cruise past with police escort, it was just the Packers trying to get home after the crushing 35-7 loss. According to a story posted on the Chicago Sun-Times' Web site on Christmas Day, the team was heading to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport for their flight back to Green Bay. An Illinois State Police officer said a longstanding NFL agreement has the opposing teams hire off-duty officers to escort team buses. -- Julie Riebe, jriebe@greenbaypressgazette.com
Favre named USSA male athlete of year
Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre has been named the 2007 male athlete of the year by the United States Sports Academy. The Academy Athlete of the Year is presented by msnbc.com and USATODAY.com and is the culmination of the yearlong Athlete of the Month program, which recognizes the accomplishments of men and women in sports around the globe. In his 16th season with the Packers, Favre was named to his ninth Pro Bowl last week and has broken numerous records this season. He has thrown for more touchdown passes and more yards than anyone else at quarterback. He also has more victories at quarterback than anyone else. Belgian tennis star Justin Henin was named the female athlete of the year. Voting was online from Dec. 1-25. Golfer Tiger Woods finished second to Favre; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady finished in third place. For the women, tennis star Venus Williams took second, just ahead of swimmer Natalie Coughlin. -- Julie Riebe, jriebe@greenbaypressgazette.com
The inside story: Jennings and Favre
Seth Wickersham of ESPN The Magazine has a good piece on how long it took Packers receiver Greg Jennings to get comfortable with quarterback Brett Favre ... and vice versa. It's long, but worth your time. Read it here. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
TV update: McCarren's show is Wednesday night
Packers running back Ryan Grant is the scheduled guest for the live broadcast of "Larry McCarren's Locker Room" from Lambeau Field on Wednesday night. The show usually airs on Monday night, but is being pushed back because of Christmas. It airs at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on WFRV (Channel 5, Green Bay) from the Legends Room on the fourth floor of the Lambeau Field atrium. You don't need tickets to be in the audience, 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
Alumni update: James Franklin
James Franklin, who was the Packers' wide receivers coach on Mike Sherman's last staff in 2005, continues to move up in the college ranks. He's accepted a job as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Maryland, where he was wide receivers coach from 2000 to 2004. Since leaving the Packers, he's been offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Kansas State. Franklin, 35, is considered one of the top offensive minds in college football. According to the Washington Post, he'll call the plays for the Terrapins. He's also seen as a possible successor to Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, who's 60. "It would give him the ability to grow and learn and I think you look at my age, I'm not going to be around forever. Maybe this puts him in position to be head coach, whether it's at Maryland or somewhere else," Friedgen told the Post. Friedgen has been his own offensive coordinator for the past two years, but found it took him away from other duties. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Putrid Packer Poetry, Week 16
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 Packers, a team that's really rocking,
On the Bears' den, 'ere they come a-knocking,
For Hester their dasher,
And de-fender Vasher,
To leave some coal in their stocking.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: Partly cloudy, windy and cold, with a 20 percent of snow flurries. Kickoff temperature of 22, holding steady. West winds at 20-25 mph, putting the wind chill in the single digits. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Alumni update: Craig Newsome
A decade after he played on the team that won Super Bowl XXXI, former Packers cornerback Craig Newsome is looking for another chance in football. This time, however, as a coach. Newsome, 36, who lives in Holmen, near La Crosse, told the Onalaska Life newspaper that he's had some offers and may take a college coaching job next year. Until then, Newsome is doing a little informal coaching by speaking at schools. His advice for fifth-graders at Irving Pertzsch Elementary School in Onalaska: "Work hard, stay focused and stay out of trouble." He also said success depends on setting high goals and making wise choices. In 2000, Newsome coached the La Crosse River Rats of the Indoor Football League. The team and the league folded after that season. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Alumni update: Al Treml
 Al Treml works in the Packers' film library in May 1973.
Press-Gazette archives
When longtime Packers video director goes into the Packers Hall of Fame next summer, he'll be presented for induction by another Packers legend -- Bart Starr. Treml, 71, is retired and living in Florida these days, and he talked with the local paper -- The Villages' Daily Sun -- about how he came to spend 37 years with the Packers, videotaping practices and games. It's a good behind-the scenes story. Packers coach Vince Lombardi hired Treml from WBAY-TV, where his weekly show was taped. Here's what Treml had to say about working for Lombardi: "Lombardi respected my work. I was intent on not giving any reason for him to yell at me. There were very few people that Lombardi didn't know what their work entailed. He said to me, 'I don't know how you're doing it, but keep doing it.'" Treml and Starr became friends when Starr was still a player. Starr told the Daily Sun he's been lobbying for Treml's induction for some time, calling it "long overdue." -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
You don't have to hand it to them
Part of the hype leading up to last Sunday's Patriots-Jets game was the anticipation of continued animosity between Patriots coach Bill Belichick and Jets coach Eric Mangini. The Boston Globe's Jim McCabe put together a list of 10 memorable instances in which football players and coaches expressed their disdain for traditional pregame or postgame handshakes. The Packers figure in three of the 10 items. Imagine that.
7. Close encounter. Postgame handshake? Heck, head coaches Mike Ditka of the Bears and Forrest Gregg of the Packers nearly came to blows beneath the stands of Milwaukee County Stadium in 1984 -- and that was in an exhibition game. 8. Bear necessity. Someone once asked the Packers' Gary Knafelc if Vince Lombardi shook hands with George Halas and encouraged his players to do so at the end of a game. "Hell, no, you didn't do that kind of stuff. They were Bears. We hated them." 9. Punch lines. Asked if he ever shook George Halas's hand after a game, Green Bay coach Curly Lambeau bristled. "If I lost, I wanted to punch Halas in the nose. If he lost, Halas wanted to punch me."
Good stuff, but we must set the record straight. 
See? Lombardi and Halas did shake hands, although seemingly somewhat grudgingly, after the Packers' 24-0 victory over the Bears at City Stadium on Oct. 1, 1961. It was the Packers’ first shutout of the Bears since 1935. It's one of the pictures from today's gallery of historic Packers photos. All week, you'll see pictures from memorable Packers-Bears games.
-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Favre has a fan in Chicago
Dan Pompei, who covers the NFL for the Chicago Tribune, has some nice things to say about Packers quarterback Brett Favre in his NFL-year-in-review story. Pompei's favorite story of the year? "Brett Favre represents everything that is good and right about the NFL, and it was wonderful to see him revitalized in his 17th NFL season." His favorite road trip of the year? "On Sept. 23, I drove to Green Bay on a perfect autumn day to watch the Packers play the Chargers. What made it special was taking my wife and two sons. I told my boys that if they make it to 70, they will be able to tell their grandkids about the time they saw Favre play. And play he did. Favre threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-21 Packers victory." Welcome to the club, Dan. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Their interest in the Packers isn't flagging
Minnesota has 10,000 lakes, and seemingly as many Packers flags. Here's another of those stories. Kenn Beckwith writes from Anoka, Minn., to say: "I live in a northern suburb of the Twin Cities and both my neighbor Brian and I are Packer fans. We have a planter between our two driveways in which I installed a flag pole many years ago. During the season, we fly Brian's 'Super Bowl Champion' flag from '96-97.
"Brian is a big guy -- a former football player and power weightlifter.
"One day, he was working in the yard and a guy walking past looked at the flag and commented: 'It must (stink) to live next to a Packer fan.'
"Brian stood up, looked him in the eye and said, 'It's my flag.' End of discussion!
"We usually only fly it on game day, but this year, it stays up all season!" This season, that means well into January. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
They wore Packers colors to his funeral
Sally Ann Shurmur of the Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune recently shared with us the story of a man who loved the Packers and overcame many challenges in his life. She says: "Dan Creger, 47, was handicapped since birth with a severe congenital limb malformation. He had been a huge Packer fan since age 3, never wavering in the tough years.
"Last year, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer (the same thing that killed my beloved dad, [former Packers defensive coordinator] Fritz Shurmur).
"So Dan's mom, Carolyn, wrote the Packers a note early this summer, asking if they might be able to send a used pair of practice shoes for Dan to wear "in the next life," so he could run and jump. Almost immediately upon receipt, the Packers sent a pair of Chad Clifton's old, muddy shoes; an autographed football and a note scrawled by Brett (Favre).
"Dan died Oct. 26. Everyone who attended his memorial service was asked to wear Green Bay Packers clothing. He wore a Packers sweatshirt and the shoes were placed on the casket at the visitation.
"The Packers indeed reach beyond Wisconsin." Follow this link to read the rest of the story. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Putrid Packer Poetry, Week 15
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: In Ryan Grant they've found,
A running back who's sound;
In the rain, snow or dome,
The Pack'll bring it home,
Either through the air or on the ground.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
'Crazy' Packers fan in photo identified
 THIS JUST IN! John Allen of Des Moines, Iowa, called the Press-Gazette today to say he's the man holding the sign in one of the reader-submitted fan photos (at right) from Sunday's game at Lambeau Field. Nick Pitrone of Detroit e-mailed the photo saying "I thought this guy was pretty crazy," Pitrone said. Allen said he picked up an aunt in St. Paul and came over to Green Bay for the game. View the complete gallery.You can see all the fan galleries here. Just scroll down to Fan Galleries and click on the gallery of choice. The deadline each week for submitting photos (e-mail jriebe@greenbaypressgazette.com) is noon Wednesday. The gallery appears on the Web site late Thursday or early Friday. -- Julie Riebe, jriebe@greenbaypressgazette.com
The Packers play at ... Lombard Field?
Hey, when did John Kerry go to work for the San Jose Sharks' public relations staff? The NHL team posted a feature story on its Web site about playing hockey outside, in anticipation of the league's second outdoor game, with the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 1 in Orchard Park, N.Y. The story included this quote from Sharks center Joe Pavelski: "It was on Lombard Field, we had 40,000 people and it was awesome. It was a different feeling because the ice isn't that good but it was fun. All the fans were out in the football stadium field. It was different but it was a great experience." Don't blame Pavelski. We know he knows it's Lambeau Field. First, he grew up in Plover. Second, he played for the University of Wisconsin team when it hosted Ohio State in the Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic at Lambeau Field in February 2006. So it must be the Sharks' PR writer who misheard "Lambeau Field" as "Lombard Field." Either that, or Kerry has come up with a new twist on "Lambert Field." That's how he referred to the Packers' stadium while campaigning for president in August 2004. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Your Packers jacket is still politically incorrect
A month ago, we wrote about the Maine police chief whose Packers jacket prompted folks to take up a collection to buy him a New England Patriots jacket. Bill Labombarde, the chief in Waldoboro, Maine, got his Patriots jacket late last month. He took it in stride, according to the Lincoln County News. Waldoboro businessman Bill Branigan, who passed the hat on Labombarde's behalf, presented the new jacket to the chief, saying, "he is a Green Bay Packers fan, but you have to face reality." Labombarde laughed and received a round of applause from the members of the Waldoboro Business Association. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
What would Vince say?
If you drive toward New York City on the New Jersey Turnpike, the northernmost rest stop is the Vince Lombardi Service Area. It's one of several rest stops on the Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway that are named for famous people from New Jersey. Now, however, the state wants to sell naming rights to the rest stops, according to Paul Brubaker of the North Jersey Herald News of Passaic, N.J. At the Lombardi Service Area between Exit 18 and the George Washington Bridge, a plaque cites Lombardi as coach of the world champion Green Bay Packers and as a Latin and science teacher and football coach at St. Cecilia's High School in Englewood, N.J., where he started his coaching career. Brubaker's story ends with this: "Perhaps ... officials working to restore the state's finances can take heart in some of Lombardi's words of wisdom. 'Success is like anything worthwhile. It has a price.'" Perhaps, but the Morris County (N.J.) Daily Record thinks it's a bad idea. Its editorial says: "Admittedly, we do not know how many people ponder the exploits of Lombardi's Green Bay Packers ... during a repast in their Turnpike travel. At the same time, naming rest areas after famous people seems much better to us than naming them after the highest bidder, which may soon happen."
As always, you be the judge. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Another Packers fan in Vikings territory
After we wrote about the guy with the Packers garage in Mankato, Minn., we heard from another Green Bay native about life in the land of the Vikings. Patrick O'Connor lives in Lino Lakes, Minn., north of the Twin Cities. He shares this story: "Thought you might like to hear about a little side bet my Vikings fan neighbor, Ted, came up with this year.
"We always fly our team flags on the front of our houses on game day. He's right across the street. So it's a statement of loyalty and pride for both of us through thick and thin.
"Ted thought this was going to be the year for his team. So he proposed that whichever team won, the other guy would have to fly the winning opposition's flag on their house for the entire week after the game. Actually, he started it about five years ago, whenever the Vikes would beat my Packers. And he figured that for sure he'd get his flag on my house at least once. I mean, the Packers surely wouldn't sweep his team again this year.
"And you should see how nice that Packer flag looked on his house. Ted didn't seem to have much of a sense of humor about it, though. I didn't pick on him, but would just chuckle to myself every time I saw it.
"But Jeff next door, who is also a Packer fan, took the time to call Ted and compliment him on his new flag.
"Jeff told me that Ted didn't think it was all that funny." Can't imagine why. Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
The garage? That's his room
Linda Leech wanted to give her husband -- a Packers fan -- something special for his birthday, so her three children painted the inside of their garage green and put a big gold "G" on the wall. That doesn't seem so unusual until you consider they live in Mankato, Minn., the summer home of the Minnesota Vikings. "It is quite an obnoxious representation of (my husband's) obsession," Leech told the Mankato Free Press. "My husband was born and raised in Green Bay during the Lombardi era. He is quite an obsessed Packer fan."
Leech concedes it's not for everyone, but says those who see it come away "impressed by the sheer magnitude of the artwork and how professional it looks."
-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Just in time for your holiday shopping
It should come as no surprise that the Packers Pro Shop had NFC North championship caps and T-shirts available the moment today's 38-7 victory over the Oakland Raiders went final. Here's a quick look at the stuff.  The white cap worn by the players after the game.  A pink cap, perhaps inspired by the popular pink "G" caps for women available a couple of years ago.  And, of course, a T-shirt. If you live outside Green Bay, the stuff is available online from the Packers Pro Shop. As always, be a smart shopper. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
How a Californian sees 'this snowy hamlet'
Gary Peterson of the Contra Costa Times is in town for today's Packers-Raiders game, but finds it a little different from the last time he visited. Sampling the downtown nightlife, Peterson laments the loss of Glory Years Bar and Grill. He writes: The delightfully casual, raucous downtown sports bar, which occupied the one-time location of the Green Bay Packers corporate headquarters, has been reincarnated as an Italian restaurant. That may be a culinary upgrade, but it is a huge cultural loss. How can you beat the Packers memorabilia, the walls reeking of history, the opportunity to enjoy a burger and a beer in what used to be Vince Lombardi's office? We'll save you the trouble: You can't.
Peterson then proclaims Coaches Corner "the next best thing" for capturing the essence of Green Bay. And, yes, Peterson did refer to Green Bay as "this snowy hamlet." -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
No. 4 is No. 5 in jersey sales
Brett Favre is having a big year on the field, and his jersey is flying off store shelves off the field. According to Reebok, the NFL's official outfitter, sales of his No. 4 jersey have almost doubled from last year to this year -- up 96 percent. By comparison, sales of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's jersey are up 57 percent and those of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's jersey are up 29 percent. Favre's No. 4 ranks fifth on Reebok's list of the 10 top-selling NFL jerseys. The top 10, from top to bottom: San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush, Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, Manning, Favre, Brady, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Patriots receiver Randy Moss. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Putrid Packer Poetry, Week 14
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: For so many games Brett was unsinkable,
Now his elbow's aswell and unkinkable;
With the Raiders enroute,
Will he sit this one out?,
No way! To do so would be unthinkable!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: Cloudy in the morning with some clearing possible by afternoon. Cold with a kickoff temperature of 20 on the way to a high of 23. A 20 percent chance of snow showers during the game. North winds at 15 to 20 mph. That will put the wind chill in the single digits, so dress accordingly. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Autographs, autographs, autographs
In addition to the Paul Hornung book signing noted in the post below, there are some other Packers-related autograph opportunities coming up in the next few days. -- 3-5 p.m. today: Cliff Christl and Dale Hofmann will sign copies of their new book, "The 25 Greatest Moments in Lambeau Field History" from at the Packers Pro Shop at Lambeau Field. The book includes images from the Green Bay Press-Gazette's archive of historic Packers photos. Christl is a former Press-Gazette sports editor; he and Hofmann are former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnists. The 180-page hardcover book costs $24.95. -- 12:30-2:30 p.m. Saturday: Former Packers wide receivers Antonio Freeman and Robert Brooks will sign autographs for a fee at Into the Woods, a print and framing shop at East Towne Mall in Madison. For information, call (608) 301-9874. -- 5:30-6:15 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. Monday: Former Packers safety LeRoy Butler will sign autographs as he accepts donations for his LeRoy Butler Foundation, which helps women with breast cancer, at Christmas in the Air at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh. The free event, which includes Christmas music, children's shows and a visit from Santa, is from 2:30 to 8 p.m. -- 6 p.m. Tuesday: Packers wide receiver James Jones and running back Ryan Grant will sign autographs for a fee at Into the Woods, a print and framing shop at East Towne Mall in Madison. For information, call (608) 301-9874. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Going to Sunday's game?
If you're headed to Sunday's game between the Packers and the Oakland Raiders at Lambeau Field, you also may wish to know ... -- U.S. Marines will be at all the gates starting at 8 a.m. to collect new, unwrapped toys and cash donations for the annual Toys for Tots campaign. The toys go to needy children in the Green Bay area. -- Garrett Wang, who played Ensign Harry Kim on "Star Trek: Voyager," will be at the game. He'll also be at Curly's Pub in the Lambeau Field atrium, where there just happens to be a Star Trek: Voyager video game with his image on it. An e-mail from his PR representative insists Kim "lives and breathes Packers." -- Packers great Paul Hornung will autograph copies of his book, "Lombardi and Me: Players, Coaches and Colleagues Talk About the Man and the Myth," from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Sunday in the Lombardi area of the Packers Hall of Fame. However, you have to pay to meet Hornung. Admission to the hall is $10 for ages 12 and up, $8 for seniors 62 and older and military people with a valid military ID and $5 for children ages 6 to 11. Autographed books are $40. For information, check out the hall's new Web site. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Alumni update: Charles Lee
The news is not good about former Packers wide receiver Charles Lee. He was arrested Wednesday in Orlando, Fla., for violating his probation, allegedly by robbing someone at gunpoint at a housing complex for University of Central Florida students on Nov. 28. Lee, 30, was on 36 months' probation for another armed robbery. He also was arrested in February on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and carrying a concealed weapon, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Lee played in 22 games for the Packers in 2000 and 2001, catching 13 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals and the Arena League's Orlando Predators. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Favre honored for making wishes come true
Packers quarterback Brett Favre today was honored today by the Make-A-Wish Foundation for his work with children with life-threatening illnesses. He was presented with the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award at a press conference at Lambeau Field. Favre and the Packers work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin. Since 1990, the Packers have granted more than 90 such wishes, with almost 65 children from Wisconsin and 25 other states meeting Favre. One such child, Anna Walentowski of Neenah, who met Favre three years ago, joined him at today's press conference. Others receiving the award: the rock band My Chemical Romance, illusionist Criss Angel, VHI fashion maven Mary Alice Stephenson, film producer Ian Bryce, NASCAR Foundation executive director Sandy Marshall, the cast and crew of "Law & Order: SVU" and ESPN. The award is named for the 7-year-old boy who in 1980 inspired a group of volunteers to fulfill his wish to be a police officer. That led to the creation of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
The face of the Super Bowl?
The NFL wants you to vote on which player will appear in its Super Bowl commercial. Voting for the NFC North is under way. Your Packers choices are punter Jon Ryan or defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. The deadline is Dec. 12. Ryan talks about how his ailing father -- "a lifetime Packers fan" -- saw him play at Lambeau Field last October, and how he played after his father died of cancer last December. KGB -- who's called "Kabeer Biamila-Gbaja" on his video -- talks about how he knew he'd made the team as a rookie in 2000. Cast your vote here. You must register and provide an e-mail address before you can vote. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Soup's on!
We haven't written about the Click for Cans contest for a while because, frankly, there's no point. With 10 days of voting remaining, the Packers are so far ahead in the standings that they seem to be a lock to win the contest for the sixth consecutive year. At mid-morning Thursday, the Packers had more than 2.28 million votes from fans. The second-place Indianapolis Colts had 828,000 votes. The last-place Atlanta Falcons had 13,000 votes. The winning team gets the team's weight in Campbell's Chunky Soup for distribution to food pantries. If you feel inclined to pile on, cast your vote here. Voting ends Dec. 15. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
From the Packers back to college
By now, you know that former Packers coach Mike Sherman has gone back to college as coach at Texas A&M. (By the way, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News had a nice profile of Sherman in Sunday's paper.) And you probably know former Packers assistant Bo Pelini, who was Sherman's linebackers coach for three seasons (2000-02), has been named coach at Nebraska. Here's another, a name you may not remember. Trent Miles, who was an offensive quality-control assistant on Sherman's first Packers staff in 2000, today was named coach at Indiana State. He is a former player and graduate assistant for the Sycamores. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Want to shovel out Lambeau Field?
 Every once in a while, Green Bay gets hit with enough snow during the football season to force the Packers to put out a call for help. So if you want to say you helped dig out Lambeau Field, head over to the stadium on Wednesday. They need a little help getting it ready for Sunday's noon game against the Oakland Raiders. All you need do is show up at the Fleet Farm gate at the southwest corner of stadium. Work starts at 8 a.m. and likely will continue all day. You have to be 15 or older. The Packers will pay $8 an hour and will provide shovels. You get paid right after you're done shoveling. In past years, people have driven to Green Bay from throughout Wisconsin, just to say they shoveled snow out of the seats at Lambeau Field. The Packers last called for help in January 2005, before their NFC wild-card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings. A word to the wise, though: This is not going to be an easy gig. The snow was wet and heavy when it fell Saturday, and it's since been cold enough to turn some of it to ice. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
Packers at Cowboys: The last roundup
There were plenty of good stories about Packers fans in the week leading up to Thursday night's showdown in Dallas, which the Cowboys won 37-27. Here are three more. -- Joyce Haines doesn't get the NFL Network in Longview, Texas, and was willing to go to extremes to watch the game. "I'm 83, so I don't really want to go to a bar, but I just love the Cowboys," she told the Longview News-Journal.But when Lewis Miller, a 60-year-old Packers fan who grew up in Milwaukee but now lives in Longview, read that in the local paper, he said to himself, " Man, I can't have her sitting at a bar." So he got in touch with Haines through the paper and invited her to his house to watch the game.
How did it go? "He's from Wisconsin, but we're doing great," Haines said.
-- Alfredo Contreras was born in Mexico and as a boy was a migrant worker in Wisconsin, living with 40 miles of Green Bay. Now 40, he lives in San Benito, Texas, and drives a shrine to the Packers. He also says his house is painted "yellow, like the cheese," he told the Brownsville Herald. His truck, green with gold trim, has the Packers "G" logo with the words "Favre 4 Ever" on the tailgate. He designed it in 2001 and had it painted in Mexico. So how did Contreras get to be such a big Packers fan? When he was 11, "I was barely learning to read English when I picked up books on the history of the NFL and the Super Bowl. I noticed Green Bay Packers were always there," he told the Brownsville paper.
-- Bev Airhart of Huntington Beach, Calif., told the Orange County Register she's a "crazed" Packers fan. She loves Brett Favre ,and she and her husband take a trip to watch the Packers once a year. Her daughter, Mallory, 22, is a nursing student and a Cowboys fan, so she invited herself along to the game in Dallas. "I raised this wonderful, beautiful girl, so smart and caring, whom I am so proud of ... and yet I don't understand why she likes Dallas so much and why she hates the Packers and anything about Brett Favre. What's a mother to do?" Airhart said.
-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
From one legend to another, perhaps
Retired Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman may be a legend, but that doesn't mean he isn't star-struck. Freeman was in Jacksonville, Fla., on Friday, representing his alma mater, Virginia Tech, at an Atlantic Coast Conference banquet before Saturday's ACC title game between Tech and Boston College. Freeman, honored Friday as an ACC legend, nevertheless asked BC quarterback Matt Ryan, the ACC's player of the year for an autograph. “That was definitely one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” a surprised Ryan told the Boston Herald, smiling and shaking his head. -- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com
|
|
|
