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Packers plan to wait a year or two before retiring…

quaximmiz — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:01:40 +0000

Reuters

No one will ever again wear No. 4 in a Green Bay Packers uniform, so for all intents and purposes Brett Favre’s number has been retired. But the Packers aren’t ready to retire Favre’s number formally just yet.

Packers President Mark Murphy told Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the Packers want to wait a year or two before they retire Favre’s number.

A ceremony at which a player’s number is retired is supposed to be a feel-good occasion and an opportunity for that player to soak up the cheers from the fans one more time. In the case of Favre in Green Bay, the problem is that there are a whole lot of fans who are in no mood to cheer Favre. The last time he played in Green Bay he was booed off the field, and a ceremony in Green Bay right now probably wouldn’t go well.

It’s a little sad that Favre — who was beloved by the local fans like few other athletes in sports history when he played for the Packers — is now so reviled in Green Bay that he’d hear a healthy dose of boos if the team tried to honor him at Lambeau Field right now. But Favre flip-flopped so many times in retirement that he has no one but himself to blame for that. (It also doesn’t help Favre that Aaron Rodgers has played so well that it’s easy for Packers fans to forget how special a player Favre was.)

Eventually, a time will come when Packers fans are ready to forget the way Favre handled his retirements and un-retirements and instead remember the way Favre won three MVPs and a Super Bowl in Green Bay, while setting every NFL passing record. But that time hasn’t come yet. And it will probably take more than a year or two.

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Report: RB Green Seeks Return To NFL

ErikStaryox — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:10:08 +0000

Related To Story

Mike Blake / Reuters

Ahman Green hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2009 season, but the former Green Bay Packers running back reportedly wants to make a comeback. The 35-year-old Green has kicked around in the UFL and CFL the past two seasons but apparently feels rejuvenated. “I’ve got at least five years left in me to play football,” Green told FoxSportsWisconsin.com. Green remains the Packers’ career rushing leader with 8,322 yards, but his last 1,000-yard season came in 2006. In the NFL, that’s an eternity for running backs. He said he’s willing to do anything to put on an NFL uniform again. “I came into the league in special teams and I’d have no problem doing that again,” Green said, according to FoxSportsWisconsin.com. “Playing special teams in kickoff coverage, punt coverage. Just put me anywhere. I’m a football player first. That’s something my dad always reminded me. ‘You’re a football player, not just a running back.’ “If a team wants to call me and show serious interest, I’ll be ready,” he said, according to FoxSportsWisconsin.com. Green left the Packers in 2007 after signing with Houston but was a disappointment in his two seasons with the Texans. He returned to Green Bay for one year. His most recent stops included Montreal of the CFL and Omaha of UFL. Green resides in Green Bay and would welcome a shot with the Packers again. “I know that I could help the team,” he said, according to FoxSportsWisconsin.com. “I’d be happy to play along with Aaron (Rodgers) a few more years and help those guys win another Super Bowl.”

What are your opinions.

Driver's tweet makes it appear he'll be…

fatzboy1 — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:40:24 +0000

MILWAUKEE –

A tweet from one of the Green Bay Packers stars has the sports world abuzz.

There’s a lot of talk about Donald Driver’s future with Green Bay.

After the Packers playoff loss in January, Donald Driver said he would be willing to restructure his contract to return to the Packers this season, but there has been a lot of speculation that the Packers would release their longtime star, especially after the team cut ties to veterans Chad Clifton and Nick Collins.

On Thursday, a tweet by Driver had a lot of people jumping to conclusions about his future.

Driver tweeted, “Hello everyone, I’m a Packer for life. It will never change. Go Pack Go.”

His agent, Jordan Woy, later sent an e-mail to ProFootballTalk.com saying, “The Packers have always wanted Donald back, and we have always planned on him playing there. He has been busy with the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ show, and the team knows that. I discussed deal structure with the team a while ago, and we will work out the details once Donald returns to Green Bay.”

WISN 12 Sports Director Dan Needles said the best way to read into that is that the Packers and Driver have reached an agreement that he will take a pay cut and return to play for the Packers this season. The team has not confirmed that.

That’s all the news for today.

Boom or Bust: Does Jerel Worthy Fit the Packers’…

Houmoubre — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:47:39 +0000

Jerel Worthy isn’t an ideal fit for the Packers’ defensive scheme, based on what he did in college. (Getty Images)

When Michigan State defensive lineman Jerel Worthy, a first-round pick in the eyes of many, slid all the way to No. 51 overall, the Green Bay Packers decided to go and get him. Green Bay shipped the 59th and 123rd overall picks in the 2012 draft to Philadelphia for the opportunity to select Worthy.

Worthy earned All-America honors in 2011 thanks to his disruptive play up front for the Spartans. He had 50 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in his junior season, plus blocked a field goal to give Michigan State an Outback Bowl victory.

Questions about his compete levels drove down his stock at the draft, though — the knocks on Worthy were that he didn’t give 100 percent each play and appeared to wear down over the course of games, especially in the rugged Big Ten.

Worthy’s size (6-foot-2 3/8, 308 pounds) and quickness made him an intriguing candidates for a lot of teams, despite those issues.

Michigan State utilizes a 4-3 defense, which means Worthy has to do some transitioning to Green Bay’s 3-4. He does not appear to be an ideal fit at nose tackle as a space-eater, meaning the Packers likely have him ticketed for one of their end spots. Ryan Pickett should get another crack as Green Bay’s left end, but the right side is up for grabs. Mike Neal is suspended for the first four games of the 2011 season, and Jarius Wynn, who started four games last season, is hardly irreplaceable.

It could take some time for Worthy to get acclimated in whatever role he winds up in, but it’s worth noting one specific feature of Green Bay’s defense that could play to his advantage.

Here’s the Packers’ traditional 3-4 look (although here, Pickett is inside where you’d expect to see the nose tackle, with Raji to his left. Normally, that’s reversed):

A majority of Green Bay’s backfield pressure comes not from its D-line, but from its linebackers. The Packers’ linebacking corps had 17.5 sacks last season; their defensive linemen had seven.

In that traditional 3-4 look, Worthy would normally slot in on the outside, though he could shift to the middle — as Pickett did on the play pictured above — to give the offensive line something else to deal with from time to time.

But Worthy might be of even more use, and may feel more comfortable, when the Packers turn to their unique nickel defense. That look employs five defensive backs (hence: nickel), but Green Bay puts its twist on it by using just two defensive linemen and four linebackers — almost every other “nickel” look would invert those numbers, with a four-man front, two linebackers manning the middle and the five DBs.

But since the Packers’ best pass-rushers are their outside linebackers, they slide Matthews and one other linebacker up where you’d expect to see two defensive ends, then place two linemen (with Raji usually filling one of the spots) on the interior.

The result is this look:

For Worthy, if he were to line up next to Raji in the Packers’ nickel, it would get him as close to his Michigan State duties as possible — in football terminology, Worthy’s ideal NFL fit going into the draft looked to be as “3-technique” lineman, which means he lines up over the outside shoulder of an offensive guard.

The 3-technique is what Warren Sapp so excelled at during his days in Tampa Bay, because it basically puts the defensive tackle in charge of one specific spot, the “B” gap between the guard and tackle, which allows him to go full-bore into that area. In the picture above the Packers’ two tackles are closer in on the center than that, but it’s a place Worthy may feel more comfortable.

Worthy will have to be more physical in Green Bay’s 3-4 base defense, because, as mentioned above, the line’s job there is to engage blockers while the linebackers swoop in for tackles.

There will be a steep learning curve for Worthy, there’s no question. Does he have the drive to make this match a successful one?

Best-case scenario: Worthy acclimates well to the 3-4, with his quick burst off the snap creating havoc for opposing guards and tackles. He shines in the Packers’ nickel defense, with his size and speed helping him get into the backfield on occasion and, at the very least, letting Green Bay’s linebackers fly past him on the outside. He takes over as a starter in camp, freeing up the Packers to cut Neal.

Worst-case scenario: Worthy proves that he’s more of a 4-3 DT than a 3-4 anything. He winds up being too slow and lethargic to make an impact on the outside in Green Bay’s base defense, and proves that he’s too small to play inside, either in the 3-4 or when the Packers go to their nickel package. He winds up playing just 10-15 snaps per game because of his conditioning.

2011 prediction: Except Worthy to fall somewhere in the middle of the dream and nightmare projections. Green Bay’s defensive linemen don’t put up big numbers regardless, so it’s hard to pinpoint a real statistical expectation. The prediction? Worthy starts 4-5 games, finishes with two sacks and 20 tackles and plays an average of about 20 snaps per week. Oh, and year two goes much more smoothly than year one.

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Green Bay Packers on the clock: Cleveland.com…

gatlomensa — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:48:13 +0000

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland Browns and NFL fans, who do you say the league’s teams should pick in the first round of the draft on Thursday?

So far, going into this poll for the Green Bay Packers’ selection, you have made 27 picks. Four more polls will go onto Cleveland.com today, Tuesday and Wednesday, completing the 32-pick first round.

Here’s who the fans have selected so far:

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

3: Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, Southern Cal

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, Louisiana State

6. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

9. Carolina Panthers: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

11. Kansas City Chiefs: David DeCastro, G, Stanford

12. Seattle Seahawks: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

13. Arizona Cardinals: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

14. Dallas Cowboys: Mark Barron, SS, Alabama

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

16. New York Jets: Courtney Upshaw, LB-DE, Alabama

17: Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

18. San Diego Chargers: Whitney Mercilus, DE-LB, Illinois

19. Chicago Bears: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

20. Tennessee Titans: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Cordy Glenn, OT-G, Georgia

22. Cleveland Browns: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

23. Detroit Lions: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama

25. Denver Broncos: Michael Brockers, DT, Louisiana State

26. Houston Texans: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

27. New England Patriots: Nick Perry, DE, Southern Cal

The 28th pick in the first round of the draft belongs to the Green Bay Packers. The Packers — the 2010 season Super Bowl champions – finished the 2011 season with a 15-1 record, before losing a divisional playoff game to the eventual champion New York Giants.

The Packers’ primary needs include defensive end, linebacker, the secondary, backup quarterback and maybe a running back.

Continue to check The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com for Browns and NFL coverage.

Green Bay Packers on the clock: Who should they draft with the 28th pick in the first round?

Gotta run!.

Green Bay Packers cut Chad Clifton, 12-year…

Pauline25Levine — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:39:06 +0000

MILWAUKEE – The Green Bay Packers released veteran left tackle Chad Clifton on Monday, April 23, saying goodbye to a player who anchored their pass protection for more than a decade.

Clifton has been the Packers’ primary left tackle since 2000, starting 160 games over 12 seasons with quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. He started only six games last season because of hamstring and back injuries.

It was not immediately clear whether Clifton will retire or try to play for another team.

“Chad is a great Packer and has been an integral part of our success over the past 12 seasons,” Packers general manager Ted Thompson said in a statement. “He was a member of some of the most prolific offenses in team history, but more importantly, he is a great person and teammate. We thank Chad for all that he has given the Packers on the field and in the community and wish him and his family well.”

Clifton played 165 career games for Green Bay and ranks second in franchise history for the most games played by an offensive tackle behind only Forrest Gregg, who played in 187. Clifton was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2007 and 2010.

Marshall Newhouse played well enough in Clifton’s absence last season that it wasn’t a sure thing that the veteran would get his job back when he returned near the end of the season. Clifton started the Packers’ playoff loss to the New York Giants but was replaced by Newhouse in the third quarter.

Speaking at NFL meetings last month,

Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters there was “definitely a possibility” that Clifton would stay with the team but said it ultimately would be a medical decision.

“He’s someone we’ll continue to talk about and get the reports,” McCarthy said at the time. “He’s down in Tennessee now, so we’ll see how he recovers.”

With Clifton gone, the Packers’ options at left tackle for next season include Newhouse and Derek Sherrod, last year’s first-round draft pick. Sherrod is recovering from a broken leg suffered in the Packers’ Dec. 18 loss at Kansas City.

The Packers also could consider moving Bryan Bulaga from right tackle.

With the draft set to begin with the first round Thursday night, Clifton’s future isn’t the only major decision facing the Packers this offseason. There also is uncertainty over the future of safety Nick Collins, who sustained a season-ending neck injury last year. It’s not clear if Collins will be able to return.

There also has been speculation that the team could part ways with veteran receiver Donald Driver, although McCarthy said at the league meetings that the Packers “absolutely” still had room for Driver.

“I thought Donald, the second half of the season, he played very well,” McCarthy said. “His role, as far as opportunities, was not as high as it’s been in the past, but I thought Donald was very consistent down the stretch.”

Feel free to leave your comments below.

Packers release veteran LT Chad Clifton

ArreravavergY — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:00:17 +0000

MILWAUKEE (AP) The Green Bay Packers released veteran left tackle Chad Clifton on Monday, saying goodbye to a player who anchored their pass protection for more than a decade.

Clifton has been the Packers‘ primary left tackle since 2000, starting 160 games over 12 seasons with quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. He started only six games last season because of hamstring and back injuries.

It was not immediately clear whether Clifton will retire or try to play for another team.

”Chad is a great Packer and has been an integral part of our success over the past 12 seasons,” Packers general manager Ted Thompson said in a statement. ”He was a member of some of the most prolific offenses in team history, but more importantly, he is a great person and teammate. We thank Chad for all that he has given the Packers on the field and in the community and wish him and his family well.”

ESPN reported the Packers’ plans to release Clifton earlier Monday.

Marshall Newhouse played well enough in Clifton’s absence last year that it wasn’t a sure thing that the veteran would get his job back when he returned near the end of the season. Clifton started the Packers’ playoff loss to the New York Giants but was replaced by Newhouse in the third quarter.

Speaking at NFL meetings last month, Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters there was ”definitely a possibility” that Clifton would stay with the team but said it ultimately would be a medical decision.

”He’s someone we’ll continue to talk about and get the reports,” McCarthy said at the time. ”He’s down in Tennessee now, so we’ll see how he recovers.”

The Packers also could consider moving Bryan Bulaga from right tackle.

There also has been speculation that the team could part ways with veteran receiver Donald Driver, although McCarthy said at the league meetings that the Packers ”absolutely” still had room for Driver.

”I thought Donald, the second half of the season, he played very well,” McCarthy said. ”His role, as far as opportunities, was not as high as it’s been in the past, but I thought Donald was very consistent down the stretch.”

There is the quick update of the day.

Green Bay Packers release veteran left tackle Chad…

jacycurgy — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:41:35 +0000

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Packers general manager Ted Thompson called Clifton an “integral part of our success over the past 12 seasons,” thanking him for his time with the team. It was not immediately clear whether Clifton will retire. ESPN reported the Packers’ plans to release Clifton earlier Monday.

Clifton has been the Packers’ primary left tackle since 2000, starting 160 regular-season games in 12 seasons. He played only six games last season with hamstring and back injuries, and backup Marshall Newhouse played fairly well in his place. Clifton also played in the Packers’ playoff loss to the New York Giants, but was replaced by Newhouse in the third quarter.

Editor’s note: Local sports fans will remember Clifton played high school football at Westview High School in Martin, Tennessee, and played college football for the University of Tennessee.

What are your opinions.

QB Harrell talks about long, strange trip to…

Mobile Phone Spy — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:10:00 +0000

Current Green Bay Packers and former Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell speaks at the 2012 Fellowship of Christian Athletes Victory Banquet at the Abilene Civic Center on Sunday.
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Photo by Greg Kendall-Ball

Greg Kendall-Ball/Reporter-News
Current Green Bay Packers and former Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell speaks at the 2012 Fellowship of Christian Athletes Victory Banquet at the Abilene Civic Center on Sunday.

It’s been a long, strange ride for Graham Harrell. The former Texas Tech quarterback has gone from wondering if he would ever get a chance to play in the NFL to playing two seasons with the Green Bay Packers and even winning a Super Bowl ring.

Now, Harrell will get a chance to serve as Aaron Rodgers backup with the Packers this season and learn the game from a coach and organization that has produced some great quarterbacks.

“It’s been a great place for me,” Harrell said. “I think I was so fortunate to end up there. The coaching staff is great, and I get to play under Aaron and learn for him. To get the help from those coaches and Aaron both, I’m so blessed and fortunate to be there.”

Harrell was in town Sunday to speak at the Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Victory Banquet at the Abilene Civic Center.

The 26-year-old Harrell was undrafted coming out of Tech in 2009. He participated in the Cleveland Browns rookie camp in May of 2009, but wasn’t signed by the Browns — or any NFL team. So he spent a year with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League, but never played because of an injury. He was still under contract with Saskatchewan when Cleveland came calling again in 2010. So Harrell got out of his contract with the Roughriders two days before the 2010 draft — and the Browns drafted former Jim Ned and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy that year.

Harrell said Cleveland coach Eric Mangini still encouraged him to participate in the rookie camp that year.

“He said, ‘Well, I still want you to come to camp. Numberwise, I don’t know what I’m going to do,’” Harrell said. “I’m thinking, ‘Man, I got out of my Canadian contract, and I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m about to be unemployed.’”

However, Harrell had a believer in Carl Smith, who was the quarterbacks coach with the Browns at the time.

“Coach Smith, whenever they let me go after that camp, he said, ‘I’m going to get you on somewhere,’” Harrell said. “That meant a lot to me, to have somebody in the NFL that was in my corner and encouraged me. He said. ‘You can play in this league. Don’t give up.’ I think God sends people like that, puts people in your life to say, ‘Hey, you’re on track. Just stay encouraged.”

Smith lined up six workouts for Harrell. Green Bay was the first team he worked out for, and it was the Packers who offered him a contract. He was actually cut by the Packers after that first camp, but signed to the practice squad. And he won a Super Bowl ring that season with Green Bay.

“It was an awesome flip there — from being so discouraged to getting to a high there,” he said. “It’s been a wild ride. But it’s all about keeping the dream alive and believing in yourself and believing in God and trusting Him that there is a plan, and good things will happen.”

Last year, he was again cut after camp, but signed to the practice squad. When the Packers realized backup quarterback Matt Flynn would likely seek a free-agent deal elsewhere in the offseason, the Packers signed Harrell and placed him on the active roster to keep other teams from signing him away. Flynn signed with the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason, leaving Harrell as the Packers No. 2 guy behind Rodgers.

What a turn of events for a guy who was wondering only a few years earlier if he would ever play in the NFL.

“There may have been some times when I began to wonder,” he said. “It’s always been a dream of mine, and I always had a faith and thought these things happen for a reason. If I’m supposed to play football, then I’m going to end up playing football.”

Now he has a chance to work with a head coach in Mike McCarthy and a Green Bay program that’s produced the likes of Brett Favre and Rodgers, plus given Flynn a chance to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.

“There were times when I was down on myself and wondered if I could do it and if I’m doing the right thing,” Harrell said. “Then I end up at Green Bay, the perfect place to be. I feel so blessed to be there. It’s an awesome place and the organization is great. It’s a great place to learn and develop as a quarterback. So the journey was tough, but it makes it that much sweeter.”

Harrell, who has only played in an NFL preseason game thus far, said Rodgers has been a great influence too.

“Rodgers was always so great about helping both me and Flynn out — whether it was in film, just giving us tips about when you see this, this is what a defense is going to do,” he said. “Or if it’s on the field and he takes a few minutes to talk about footwork and looks or whatever. I take a rep and come off the field and Aaron is standing right there, and he’s great about helping me. The great thing about Aaron is he’s basically a coach to me at times, but he’s going through the same things as me. So his experience is the same as mine. He can coach and relay that experience much better. It’s a great situation.”

So what was Plan B had Harrell never gotten a chance to make a living as a player?

“No matter how long I play in the NFL, I want to be a coach when I finish,” he said. “My dad and older brother is a coach. My grandfather was a coach. Everyone in my family was a coach. And like my father, I want to come back and coach in high school. That’s football at its purest.”

What do you guys think about this.

Team needs: Green Bay Packers

FroDelefber — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:40:35 +0000

Getty Images

The Super Bowl champs in 2010 and the top seed in the NFC after the 2011 regular season, the Packers are built to contend once again in 2012. Led by a G.M. who has little appetite for veteran free agency, it’s important that they keep making good decisions in the draft, in order to ensure that the team will continue to contend on a year-in, year-out basis. Especially since the Packers have a few glaring holes that need to be filled in the short term.

Defensive end: The Packers let Cullen Jenkins walk away in free agency last year, and they were never able to properly replace him. They need a so-called “five technique” lineman to help tie up blockers, which will make the linebackers look a lot better. Without a strong defensive line in 2011, the linebackers looked a lot worse.

Outside linebacker: Clay Matthews regressed last season, due in large part to the dip in the performance of the defensive line. He needs to turn it around, and the Packers still need an effective bookend, who will be able to help harass the likes of Matthew Stafford, Eli Manning, Drew Brees, and Jay Cutler.

Defensive back: Safety Nick Collins (neck) may be done, and cornerback Charles Woodson is getting closer and closer to the end of the line. The lack of a push from the front seven puts extra pressure on the secondary, highlighting whatever flaws may reside there. Though better play from the defensive line and linebackers will make the defensive backs automatically look better, picks still need to be invested at the cornerback/safety position, given that the Packers are dealing in their division with prolific passing attacks in Detroit and, with the arrival of Brandon Marshall, Chicago.

Offensive line: Jeff Saturday will serve as a finger-in-the-dike at the center position; the Packers need a long-term solution. They also need to feel more confident about their left tackle situation, a fairly critical spot for an offense with a right-handed quarterback.

Running back: The Packers currently have three running backs on the roster. James Starks, Brandon Saine, and Alex Green. Need I say more? (Maybe not, but I will anyway.) A mid-round choice and a late-round flier will beef up the depth chart, provide some special-teams help, create competition, and perhaps produce a workhorse, sooner or later.

Quarterback: What? A team with the reigning league MVP at the quarterback position needs a quarterback? With Matt Flynn gone and no veteran signed in free agency, the Packers need a No. 2 quarterback who hopefully can be groomed to do what Flynn, a seventh-rounder in 2008, did when called upon to play. And then the Packers need to hope that he’ll be called upon to play rarely.

Having a true franchise quarterback makes a team a contender, regardless of the quality of the rest of the roster. But the Packers learned the hard way in 2011 that the things that happen when the franchise quarterback isn’t on the field could prevent the team from getting to the Super Bowl. Only modest improvement of the Packers’ defense in 2012 will put Titletown’s team back in the title game — if the MVP keeps playing like one.

What are your opinions.

Photos: Former Green Bay Packers, NFL quarterback…

Obefeinteno — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:38:00 +0000

The day in photos: March 28, 2012

Milwaukee Bucks 108, Atlanta Hawks 101

Hortonville plays against Waupun in Varsity Baseball

Waupun Correctional Institution employees protest

Oshkosh North 5, Clintonville 0

Sheboygan Wind, Waves and Sun, March 27

Kansas City Royals 9, Milwaukee Brewers 7

Callista Gingrich speaks on UWSP camps

What are your opinions.

Saturday says he can provide veteran presence in…

ztsuabetplk — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 20:33:34 +0000

Once center Jeff Saturday agreed to join the Green Bay Packers last week, he knew the next thing on his to-do list was to make a possibly uncomfortable phone call.

Quarterback Peyton Manning, his Indianapolis Colts teammate for the entirety of his NFL career, pushed hard for Saturday to join him on the Denver Broncos, and Saturday knew a displeased Manning would be waiting for him on the other end of that phone call.

“Peyton is a close friend, and I loved playing with him,” Saturday told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I loved the time we spent together. It was the most difficult call I’ve ever made. I told him before anyone else that I was going to Green Bay.

“I told him I don’t think the Broncos wanted me as much as he did. They’ve got things going on that they’re happy with and are moving forward with, and I didn’t think it was an exact fit. I always felt like in Green Bay, I was their very first choice.”

Saturday, 36, has started 188 regular-season games in 13 NFL seasons, all with the Colts, and he told the Journal Sentinel he believes he can provide the Packers with a veteran presence on the offensive line.

“They have a great offensive line and some really good, young players,” said Saturday, whose two-year deal reportedly is worth several millions of dollars less per year than the four-year, $26 million contract that former Packers center Scott Wells signed with the St. Louis Rams. “They won 15 games last year; it’s not like I have to add a lot to it. But I think I can offer leadership, and being a veteran, I can help the offensive line blossom into players they want to be.”

Leave your comments on the news below.

Green Bay Packers Sign Jeff Saturday

anidayweigree — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:05:38 +0000

The Green Bay Packers have signed offensive lineman Jeff Saturday, according to ESPN. Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

Saturday had played a major role with the Indianapolis Colts since 1999, serving as the center for Peyton Manning. Today he became one of the many longtime Indianapolis stars to sign with another team this offseason, after Colts owner Jim Irsay made the move to make a top-to-bottom overhaul of the team following a 2-14 season.

The 36-year-old is expected to replace former Packers center Scott Wells. Wells recently signed with the St. Louis Rams.

Saturday played a major role with the NFLPA during the 2011 lockout.

Leave any suggestions in the comment box.

Isolated Storms

iggyyoraq — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:59:02 +0000

For the first time in program history, the Oshkosh Lourdes girls basketball team has made it to the WIAA State Tournament.

Their draw is not an easy one, however, as the 25-1 Knights will face 24-2 Regis, the defending Division 4 state champions, in Thursday’s semifinals at the Kohl Center in Madison.

The Ramblers feature Heather Bowe, a 6-foot Vanderbilt recruit who averaged nearly 21 points per game.

Lourdes, however, comes in confident, having lost just one game this season, to Division 1 power Nicolet in December.

Here is the full state tournament schedule.