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Dr. Elliot Pellman's research is at the center of the NFL Concussion legal battle.

As I sat down at my computer this week with some desperately needed free time on my hands, I was all set to begin an article depicting the NFL as a gigantic scapegoat in the recent concussion lawsuits being filed against them. It just didn’t make sense to me. These players knowingly and willingly participated in a contact sport where injuries occurred on a regular basis. Not only that, they reveled in delivering big hits on their opponents.

Should they not bear the responsibility of their actions? After all, if a knee injury could leave a lasting effect on your life, it would only make sense that repeated trauma to the head (and brain) could do the same thing. It would be like a boxer suing someone else for injuries they sustained in the ring. They made their choice.

Then I started do my research. I knew I didn’t have the whole story, and my better judgment told me I should at least understand exactly what the former players were charging the NFL with.  Read more... (1346 words + 1 image, estimated 5:23 mins reading time)

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Jerry Kramer leading the famous "Packers Sweep"

It’s one of the biggest travesties ever committed against a member of the Green Bay Packers.

For a player who was a foundational part of the “Packers Sweep,” a play that revolutionized the running game in the NFL, I can think of no greater offense given to him.  As a key player in the great Packers teams of the 1960s, not giving him his proper due is an insult to all those already in the Hall of Fame who have played against him.

I’m talking about the former Packer great and guard Jerry Kramer.  If you’re reading this, chances are you are a Packers fan and by default are already knowledgeable in Packers history.  You know how much Kramer has meant and still means to this franchise, the greatest in all of professional sports.

The fact that he is not included in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio is utterly insane.  In fact, I’d even argue it stains the reputation of the Selection Committee itself.  Read more... (884 words + 1 image, estimated 3:32 mins reading time)

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Jerry Kramer Belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Jerry Kramer is the best football player on the planet not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And it’s not just my opinion, although I’ve written about Jery Kramer and the Hall of Fame before. Far more qualified observers than I, such as opposing players and NFL Films president and football historian Steve Sabol, have named Kramer as the best player not in the Hall. From my post above:

Jerry Kramer is a 10-time Hall of Fame finalist and thus, the only player named 10 times or more that has not been inducted. Many former teammates and competitors have come out and accused the voting writers of being jealous of Kramer’s success as an author. Joe Horrigan, Hall of Fame Vice President has said that 25% of the mail that the Hall receives on a daily basis is about Jerry Kramer. Steve Sabol, legendary President of NFL Films, named Kramer as his choice for the best player not in the Hall of Fame. Clearly, it seems that almost everyone except the Hall of Fame voters recognize that Jerry Kramer belongs. It’s beyond ironic that Kramer has earned so much fame, yet can’t get acknowledged by the Hall of Fame. The Seniors committee needs to nominate Kramer every year until all of the Hall of Fame voters come to their senses and this wrong is righted.  Read more... (478 words + 1 image, estimated 1:55 mins reading time)

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Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is the NFC North's, and probably the NFL's, best draft choice since 2005.Introduction

Introduction
As Packers fans, we hear a lot about building through the draft and developing young players. I thought it would be interesting to examine each team in the NFC North to get a better idea of how drafted players impact current rosters.

So as baseball season gets underway, I decided to celebrate by writing over 2,000 words about the NFL draft.

I came up with a baseball theme (sort of) to accomplish this task. I break down each team’s drafts from 2005-11 by putting draftees in the below categories. I chose 2005-11 because it encompasses Ted Thompson’s time as Packers general manager. Here are the categories and an explanation of each:

Current Starters
This one should be obvious. Which players drafted from 2005-11 are current-day starters with the team that drafted them?

Home Runs
Players who have turned into pro-bowl caliber players or superstars.  Read more... (2235 words + 1 image, estimated 8:56 mins reading time)

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It’s not exactly the hair of the dog that bit you, but maybe a jog down memory lane will help us cure our “Super Bowl expectations that feel short” hangover that we have all been experiencing since the Green Bay Packers’ season ended three weeks ago.

There have been a lot of memorable moments in the five Super Bowls the Packers have played in, so narrowing the list to five moments was a daunting task.  This is by no means a definitive list, so you may have something else in mind. That’s fine. This was meant to be a fun post, not necessarily one for totally serious debate.

Keep in mind I am 28, so Super Bowls XXXI and XLV will be fresh in my head.  I have seen highlights of the first two Super Bowls but never viewed them in their entirety.

That said, here’s my top five:

5. Max McGee’s performance in Super Bowl I

Paul Hornung went down and McGee came in. Problem is McGee was hungover.

Thinking he wasn’t going to play much, McGee skipped curfew the night before the game and went out drinking. Personally, I would not have between so stupid with Lombardi around but it is what it is I guess.  Read more... (736 words, estimated 2:57 mins reading time)

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For a younger generation of Green Bay Packers fans, Wayne Larrivee is the only man they know as the voice of Packers.

For everyone else, Jim Irwin is the play-by-play broadcaster who, from 1969 to 1998, helped place the Packers Radio Network among the best in the NFL.

And after a year-long battle with kidney cancer, the Hall of Fame announcer died Sunday at the age of 77.

His voice extended throughout Wisconsin, as Irwin was also the play-by-play for University of Wisconsin football and Milwaukee Bucks basketball.  But it was the voice he provided for Packers games that will be forever remembered for generations of Packers fans, both in good times and bad.

Irwin became the Packers play-by-play man after six years as a color commentator. From 1975 to ’98, Irwin became the voice that Packers fans routinely chose over television broadcasts. Teamed with personalties such as Lionel Aldridge, Max McGee and Larry McCarren, Irwin was the man that called so many memorable moments in Wisconsin history before retiring in 1998.

He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2003.

Here is his Super Bowl XXXI call of Brett Favre’s first touchdown pass to Andre Rison:  Read more... (284 words + 1 image, estimated 1:08 mins reading time)

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Post-Victory. What a Christmas gift!

If there is one thing I have learned growing up in Wisconsin, it’s that when someone offers you a free ticket to a Green Bay Packers game you must say yes or face terrible consequences.

Even on Christmas Day.

First a little background: I work two jobs, both in retail. Obviously the arrival of Christmas was a big relief to me as it’s the sign that the craziness that began the day after Thanksgiving was finally coming to an end.  With both employers being closed, I was looking forward to the day off and quiet time with family and watching Packers vs. Bears on TV before going back in at 5:30 am on the 26^th.

Then the phone rang at about 9 am.

You don’t expect too many phone calls Christmas Day aside from relatives outside the area calling to say “Merry Christmas.” This one, however, was a very different (and honestly a much better) phone call.

It was cousin, ironically from Illinois but a Packers season ticket holder. He had a spare ticket to the game Sunday night and asked if I wanted to go along, no charge at all.  If ever there was a stupid question, this is it.  Read more... (1639 words + 1 image, estimated 6:33 mins reading time)

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