So in case anyone else out there is twiddling their thumbs like I am today, here is all of his dances from this season, thanks to the ABC YouTube page.

First Dance: Cha Cha

Second Dance: Quick Step

Third Dance: Ramba

Fourth Dance: Paso Doble

Fifth Dance: Argentine Tango

Sixth Dance: Fox Trot

Seventh Dance: Viennese Waltz

Eighth Dance: Tango

Ninth Dance: Jive

Tenth Dance: Waltz

Eleventh Dance: Samba

Twelfth Dance: Argentine Tango

Thirteenth Dance: Freestyle

Tune in to ABC tonight to see the fourteenth and final dance of the season.

In similar fashion, a Q&A session was conducted after the film debuted in Minnesota on April 29, with Neelsen, Johnson, former Green Bay reporter and current Senior Editor at ESPN 1500 Tom Pelissero, and Cheesehead TV’s own Max Ginsberg answering questions from the audience of Packers and Vikings fans.

Both Q&A sessions offer great insight into the events over the tumultuous 3 year period from 2008-2010 from those directly involved.

Check out the Madison Q&A session here

And the Minneapolis session here

http://nfl.packers.com/fan_zone/contests/Win-the-Chance-to-Purchase-Green-Bay-Packers-Exclusive-NIKE-Shoes/

Seriously, who is in charge of marketing at the Packers?

Probably the same group that let this whoopsie leak out to the public in late 2011.

Love the team, but shake my head at some of the marketing decisions they make

According to league sources, the NFL is considering suspending this season’s Pro Bowl and beyond, much to the chagrin of counteless fans across the globe. The game, which has struggled for years to maintain a competitive edge (not to mention fill the stands) has become the butt of jokes due to its apparent lack of interest by players involved and fans alike. It is the NFL’s white elephant.

In some respects, it will be sad to see the NFL continue without some type of all star game. All of the other major sports have one at some point during their schedule, so it is obvious that the most popular sport should also have one. However, one only needs to revisit what Aaron Rodgers had to say after this year’s 59-41 slugfest to find out what the issue really is:

I’ll be honest with you, I was a little bit disappointed. I felt like some of the guys on the NFC side embarrassed themselves….I was just surprised that some of the guys either didn’t want to play or when they were in there didn’t put any effort into it…

Without directly saying it, Rodgers told the world “this game sucks”. If the MVP of the league, one of the faces of the league and certainly one of its most marketable is saying this, it has to be listened to by Roger Goodell, at least somewhat. And listened he must have.

Don’t even get me started on the voting process for the game.  It’s just plain dumb. Fans are allowed to vote, but their vote is only 1/3 of the total. Players get the majority 2/3 vote. Seems democratic for an all star game.

The Pro Bowl conceptually is a great idea. Get all the best players together for a final hurrah to end the season, and a thanks to the fans kind of approach to the game. But NFL games aren’t supposed to be 59-41 scoreboard breaking, real life Madden ecapades. Tackling is usually expected during a football game, but is generally hard to find during the Pro Bowl. Finally, players that are voted to play in the game should actually be (get ready for an earth shattering idea) expected to play in the game that they were voted to play in. I know its a stretch to expect this, but actually seeing the guys I vote for would be nice.

Bon voyage Pro Bowl. You won’t be missed, at least by this fan.

The Packers official website is currently featuring a short video narrated by Kramer himself, talking about the Lombardi Era, his place during it, and what being part of a “team” means to him.

Check out the video here.

Be sure and visit jerrykramer4hof.com and support the campaign to get Jerry Kramer into the Hall of Fame

So in case you missed twitter, or the press conference and want keen and reflective insights into the Packers draft ideology, I submit to you, BREAKING NEWS!

Ted walks in the room…

BREAKING NEWS: Ted Thompson owns a pair of jeans

Has Ted lost weight?

BREAKING NEWS: Ted Thompson’s shirt is making me dizzy. Stylin with the stripes, but too busy

BREAKING NEWS: Ted Thompson is not going to answer any direct questions about the draft

BREAKING NEWS: Ted Thompson just smiled. I’m not joking.

BREAKING NEWS: Ted Thompson is not a robot; drinks water in front of crowd.

BREAKING NEWS: This is the same pre draft press conf Ted Thompson has held since 2005

Am I the only one enthralled by TT’s hand motions?

BREAKING NEWS: I literally just dozed off for a minute during this press conf

BREAKING NEWS: Ted Thompson made a joke. And then announced it was a joke. “i’m just kidding about that.” possible second smile.

BREAKING NEWS: Ted Thompson does not hate Juniors. But he doesn’t like them either

BREAKING NEWS: Ted just told a funny story that wasn’t his story.

BREAKING NEWS: Ted Thompson, “Size does matter.”

BREAKING NEWS: Ted Thompson likes the word quality

BREAKING NEWS: Ted Thompson had an itch on the side of his face. He has scratched it.

BREAKING NEWS: Packers do a pre-draft check to make sure players weren’t in car wreck

BREAKING NEWS: Ted Thompson wants you to have a good day

And thus was the press conference.

Hope you enjoyed it, and learned as much as we did.

So without regard for the upcoming draft, OTAs, Training Camp, players signed, players cut, injuries, trades, weather or anything else that could impact the games, here’s the guaranteed earliest 2012 season prediction for the Packers.

Week 1-No way the Packers start the season with a loss (1-0)

Week 2-The Bears suck. Nuf said (2-0)

Week 3-Sorry Matt, your former teammates are not going to let you win this one (3-0)

Week 4-Best way to beat a bully is punch them in the mouth. Figuratively of course. (4-0)

Week 5-Sorry Andrew or RG III, but you’ll be playing for one of the worst teams in the NFL and facing one of the best. (5-0)

Week 6-This hurts, but I think this is where the Packers lose their first. (5-1)

Week 7-This one will be tough, but Packers get back on the winning program (6-1)

Week 8-It’s Jacksonville. Do I need to go on? (7-1)

Week 9-If this game was in Arizona, I’d pick the Cardinals. Since it’s in Lambeau, I’ll say the Packers head into the bye with a win (8-1)

Week 10-Time for a nap (bye week, 8-1)

Week 11-Another tough game on the road. I’ll say a win, but its going to be tough (9-1)

Week 12-I hate the Giants. This game doesn’t help me hate them any less (9-2)

Week 13-Vikings will not be as easy of an opponent this year, but the Packers will win handily (10-2)

Week 14-Lions become kitties at Lambeau in December (11-2)

Week 15-I can’t pinpoint why I think the Packers will lose in Chicago, but I think it could happen. Which pisses me off. (11-3)

Week 16-Packers finish their home schedule with a win. (12-3)

Week 17-Heading strong into the playoffs (13-3)

I’m not going to predict the playoffs, since that’s impossible at this point. But a return trip to the Super Bowl is definitely achievable in 2012.

Wouldn’t winning 2 out of 3 Super Bowls be fabulous?

GO PACK GO!

The 2011 Green Bay Packers.

While it’s true this franchise best 15-1 team fell short in the playoffs, there is no denying that they were one hell of an exciting team to watch. Every week, were were glued to our TV’s, computers, and radios, waiting to find out what theatrics they would put on display for their fans. The offense, led by NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, was an unstoppable machine, rolling up 560 points during the season, second most all time.

The defense…well, lets not go there.

I was thrilled to find this video, spotlighting some of the remarkable plays of the past season. It reminded me just how good this team was.

So sit back, and enjoy 15 minutes of highlights of the 2011 season.

Go Pack Go!

I hate the waiting around for Packers news. I hate waiting for mini camps to begin. I hate waiting for training camp to start. Basically, I hate being bored.

There is the NFL Draft in a few weeks, which should help placate my needing Packers info in my life. Unfortunately, I am the furthest thing from a draftnik. It is almost impossible for me to get into the events which lead up to the draft, and mock drafting is most definitely not my forte. The only thing about the draft I am certain of about the draft is Ted Thompson is certain not to do what we think he should do (see all the trade scenarios which will not happen on draft days), and will give us at least one head scratcher of a pick. As a result, while others are glued to the TV for all 238 hours of the draft, I pay attention only when the Packers draft.

Because of the self imposed time I have during the off season, I have a lot of time to think. And over coffee this morning, I started to think about the Packers.

While I do not consider myself to be “old” I am also not that young anymore. There are things that I would like to accomplish before my time on this planet comes to an end. So I thought to myself: what do I want to see Packers related during my life? A Packers bucket list. So without further adieu, here are the 5 items I would most like to experience as it relates to the Packers.

5: Attend the NFL Draft. Maybe if I attend the draft, I’ll “get it” more. Watching it on TV probably does not do justice to the atmosphere inside inside Radio City Music Hall. The swirling emotions of the players waiting to be drafted, the teams trying to determine the best players to add to help them, and the crazy fans doing their best to prove their team is the best there is. Maybe if I see this up close, I’ll develop a new sub-obsession in the draft which goes hand in hand with my obsession with the Packers.

4: See the Packers play on the road anywhere but Chicago. I’ve seen the Packers play at Soldier Field. It sucked. Beyond getting beer dumped on me and every profanity thrown my way, I watched the Packers lose to the Bears in 1988 along the Lake Michigan lakefront. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to venture into enemy territory, dressed head to toe in green and gold, and cheer for the Pack. As much as I would want it to be a cold weather city, I would not be opposed to a trip to California or Florida during the winter months. One addendum to this item: no domes. Real football teams play outside, in the elements. Being inside in 68 degree comfort watching football when its single digits just isn’t right.

3: Witness a record setting performance. I could have gone to the Matt Flynn game this past January. I wish I had. Games like the one he had this day do not happen often. You have to get lucky and happen to be in the stands when games like this take place. Flynn was a machine this day. To set a record for most touchdown passes and passing yards in his second career start is incredible. To have done it for a team as rich in history as the Packers is even more astounding. Much like a no hitter in baseball, you have to have great luck to witness a rarity in sports like the day Flynn had in January. I hope I am lucky some day.

2: Attend the jersey retirement for Brett Favre. One of the biggest sports related regrets I have is I never got to see Favre play in person-for any team. As someone who was part of my life for almost half of it, I feel that this would be a nice, personal tribute to the man. If I could not see him play, the least I could do is watch his number be retired in honor of what he did on the field. That will be a truly special day.

1: Witness a playoff victory at Lambeau Field. I thought for sure I would have been able to take this one off the list this year. Unfortunately, we all know ended. To say it was tough to sit in the stands and watch the unstoppable machine that was the 2011 Packers season come to an end is an understatement. So I can only imagine what the vibe would be inside Lambeau during and after a playoff win there. It must be surreal. If a regular season win can evoke the pure joy from fans as they exit the stadium, it must be amplified many times over. That is something I have to experience in my life.

Now I know what some of you are thinking-what about seeing the Packers win a Super Bowl. Is this something I want to see? Most definitely. It is the dream of all Packers fans. But the cost of attending the game is ridiculous. If anyone wants to supply me with the funds to experience this, I will gladly accept it, and cross this off the list on your tab.

There you have it, my Packers bucket list. I hope to start scratching off some of these items soon. I bet most everyone who reads this has their own Packers bucket list as well.

A perported “leaked” schedule for the 2012 season made its way aound the interwebs last night. The schedule is complete for every team in the NFL, from Week 1 all the way through Week 17. The Packers leaked schedule looks like this:

Week 1 Monday 9/10/2012 Packers @ Lions ESPN 7:00 PM

Week 2 Sunday 9/16/2012 Packers @ Texans FOX 4:05 PM

Week 3 Sunday 9/23/2012 Jaguars @ Packers CBS 1:00 PM

Week 4 Sunday 9/30/2012 Packers @ Colts FOX 1:00 PM

Week 5 Sunday 10/7/2012 Cardinals @ Packers FOX 4:05 PM

Week 6 Sunday 10/14/2012 Saints @ Packers NBC 8:20 PM

Week 7 Thursday 10/18/2012 Vikings @ Packers NFLN 8:20 PM

Week 8 Bye

Week 9 Sunday 11/4/2012 Titans @ Packers CBS 1:00 PM

Week 10 Sunday 11/11/2012 Packers @ Seahawks NBC 8:20 PM

Week 11 Monday 11/19/2012 Packers @ Rams ESPN 8:30 PM

This story continues to evolve, the latest report being that Gregg Williams instructed Saints players to injure opposing 49ers players before last year’s Wild Card playoff game. The audio states that Williams was encouraging his players to take out members of the 49ers, using a stream of profanity and graphic description of how to injure the opponent.

As horrible as these accusations are, I am here to tell you that Williams is not alone in using these tactics to motivate players. I was personally involved in something similar, only when I was part of it, I was not in the NFL. I wasn’t even in college or high school yet. Nope, for me, we have to go back to grade school, where I first learned how to play the game of football.

I first started playing football in 5th grade. As a pre-pubescent athlete, I was awkward at best. The team was coached by a trio, all of whom were coaching or had coached in high school at some point. Seeing as I was not very athletic, and sadly not very good, the coaches tended to pay more attention to the starters (mostly 6th graders, as the team was a 5th and 6th grade mix), hoping they would lead them to championship glory. In fact, my 5th grade team lost the championship by 3 feet, failing to score a touchdown as the clock expired which would have won the game. I remember getting that feeling of getting so close, but falling  just short. I never wanted to feel that again.

Things would be different two years later. Very different indeed.

By the time I was in 7th grade, I was ready. Having grown taller and stronger, I was ready to show that I belonged on the field with the starters, the seemingly invincible 8th graders. I was fortunate enough to win a starting spot on the defensive line as a nose tackle (yes, I was a nose tackle) as a 7th grader. I played with reckless abandonment, part of it due to my blossoming athletic ability, and part of it due to the coaching I received.  At the time I thought the coaching is what made the difference. As time as gone on, I have realized the coaching was not only wrong, but disgusting, especially when it was being taught to a child.

Imagine being 13 years old, and making a mistake on the football field. Now imagine your coach grabbing you by the facemask and screaming in your face, using every profanity available to describe how much you screwed up on that play. That was a fairly common occurrence in my world as a 13 year old. If you made enough mistakes, you got to do leg lifts for 10 minutes at a time, holding your legs in place 6 inches off the ground. I understand the coach was merely trying to motivate his players to do better, but as a 13 year old, the only thing it really did was put the fear of God into me not to make a mistake. As an adult, I might be able to  handle it. As a kid, not so much.

One of the ways this same coach tried to make me better was to show me some of the tricks of the trade of playing football, at least the way he wanted it to be played. I can still remember him telling me that if an offensive lineman tried to take out my knees, I had to throw him to the ground and stomp on him. “Aim for the back of his neck” was the direction I was given. And if I couldn’t get him on the neck, “Try to break his hand” was my secondary target. I was 13, and being told by a coach to try and break someone’s neck or hand. It is disgusting to think about this in retrospect, and I am thankful I never participated in these actions. We did win the championship when I was in 7th grade, but in looking back at how it was won, I cannot believe we actually celebrated the spread of unsportsmanlike conduct.

Gregg Williams is paying the price for his actions. Suspended indefinitely by the NFL, he should never be allowed to coach again. But it is not just him who believes that administering pain in an already violent sport is not only allowed, but encouraged. Coaches who think that this is an acceptable should be removed forever to prevent spreading the infection of unsportsmanlike behavior. My coach never coached again after his son graduated from grade school. I wonder if it had something to do with the way he coached. I certainly hope so.

Everyone alright still? Anyone get their panties in a bunch because I said his name? OK, now that that’s out of the way, I’ll proceed.

In a recent post at Cheesehead TV, CD Angeli discusses his own personal “Last Day at Lambeau”, a reference to the soon to be released film of the same name which discusses the divorce of Brett Favre and the Packers. While the film focuses on the actions of Favre from 2008-2010, Angeli’s post instead focuses on fan’s perspective of seeing Favre play his final game at Lambeau Field. This personal story spans the entire range of his career, starting in 1992 and concluding in his final game at Lambeau as a member of the Vikings in 2010. It is a great read, giving incredible insight into the impact Favre had on the author.

As with any post, there is a place for comments. And Favre’s name is a guarantee to generate comments from the Packer faithful. The unfortunate thing is that some of the comments that are left are so incredibly short minded and naive that they actually cause me (and others) to shake our heads and ask ourselves, “Are people really this dumb?”

Case in point:

Can we Get over this Favre thing, do you realize the PACKERS are almost 100 yrs old?
He was a great player, not a great PACKER!!!!!!
Just sayin!
I’d really like to see articals about great PACKERS!!!!

Really?

Or how about this nugget of wisdom:

You’d better plan on a pretty big mountain if you expect to get the cell phone man a very good seat. As only the third best modern era QB, at present, for this storied franchise I don’t figure Favre is a lock even for the HOF either the one in Canton or the one that counts!

Now I may not know much about anything, but I do know a few things about football. Let’s run through them, for S’s and G’s:

• 61,000+ passing yards for Favre as a Packer. I’d say that’s pretty good
• 400+ TD’s for Favre as a Packer. Yep, still pretty good.
• Won a Super Bowl. OK, I’ll add that to the list of pretty good things about Favre.
• Won 3 MVPs. Ok, now I’m just pushing it I guess.

Based on stats alone, this humble blogger thinks that Favre will probably make the Packer Hall of Fame. Hell, if he plays his cards right, he could even be inducted into Canton. But what do I know, I’m just a blogger.

Just to prove that I have an open mind, I’ll try to balance out what seems to be a complete love fest for Favre:

• Did Favre act like a complete douche waffle in the Summer of 2008? Most assuredly. And for the record, the Packers could have done things a hell of a lot better as well that Summer.
• Did Favre going to the Vikings sting? Absolutely
• Did I cheer when the Vikings lost the NFC Championship Game with Favre as QB? Damn right I did (although in light of BountyGate, I’m not sure I would have wanted either team to win)

The point I am attempting to make is although CD mentions Favre in his article, the post is not about Favre. It is about his impact on a fan, and the desire of a fan to get one final look at an all time great player. One of the regrets I have is that I never got to see Favre play in person, much less as a member of the Packers, and would have loved to see his “last day at Lambeau” once, let alone five seperate times. But because the post mentions Favre, the haters have to come out, complete with their ridiculous comments questioning whether he is an all time great. I can sum it up in one sentence:

Brett Favre was one of the greatest players in the history of the Green Bay Packers and National Football League, who had the messiest divorce in the history of pro sports, which unfortunately led to his ending his career with another team.

There you have it. Clear, concise, and to the point. I said it, and I will say that until the day I leave this planet. But questioning whether he was a great player is beyond dumb. Saying he is not hall of fame worthy is even dumber. It smacks of bitterness, and I’m done with it.

It has been four years since Favre left Green Bay. Four years. It’s time to get over it already and move on. You cannot hold on to bitterness forever, no matter what the topic is. Bitterness will leave you lonely and miserable. At some point, you have to accept the past, and try to find a silver lining. In the case of Favre, my silver lining is the pure joy (and occasional streaming profanity he caused me to hurl his way) he brought me for 16 years. Did the last few years of his career suck? Of course they did. But did he bring a Super Bowl title to Minnesota? He did not. Did the Packers win one the very next year? Yes they did-and that is why I have moved on. He cannot hurt us anymore.

So to the haters out there, go ahead, keep hating. If nothing else, you make for good topics to write about. And heaven knows us bloggers need topics to write about.

I do not like the Lambeau Field seating expansion that is currently taking place.

Now before anyone thinks I am a non supporting hater of the Packers for saying that, please allow me to explain:

Last week, I wanted to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather the Midwest is experiencing, and decided to take a drive to Green Bay. My intention was simply to visit the Pro Shop, take in lunch at Krolls (which was fabulous, as always) and bum around the stadium area before heading home. A short day trip before going back to the grind the following day.

After walking through the Pro Shop and walking through the Hall of Fame, I felt the need to go on the Lambeau Field stadium tour. It had never occurred to me until this day that for as many times as I had been in the stadium, I had never gone on the tour around the stadium. Being 65 degrees in March, it seemed like a perfect day for than a walk around Lambeau Field, including a trip to the sidelines at field level. Perhaps more importantly, I was interested to see the construction of the new seating area.

My first impression of the new bleachers is that they are going to be tall. I mean reaaaallllllyyy tall. The frame of the bleachers is all that is in place at the moment, but I could start to see exactly how high these new seats are going to be. Sketch photos of what the finished product will look like do not do justice.

Perhaps more importantly, the new seats will take away from closeness to the field that Lambeau is known for, putting some 6,600 fans in the sky, minus the boxes.

The thought that I kept having was how these seats reminded me of the old upper deck at US Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox. I had the unfortunate opportunity to sit in these seats for a game many years ago, and while I do not have a picture of just how truly scary these seats were to share, I can sum up the experience in words: imagine sitting many hundred feet above the ground in a seat which is pitching forward, and you have the ultimate sense of vertigo running through every fiber of your body, all the while trying to enjoy a game while enjoying a few ballpark snacks and beverages.

While I am confident that the new seats will not be as gravity defying as the ones at The Cell were, I do think that they are going to be far too high to enjoy the experience that goes along with seeing a game at Lambeau. The closeness to your neighboring fans is one of the unique features of Lambeau, yet it seems like these 6,600 fans will be in their own zip code with how far up they are going to be. Away from the rest of the bowl, these fans will get less than a birds eye view of the field during a game.

Now don’t get me wrong, IF I am ever fortunate enough to move ahead of the 79,000 plus currently in front of me on the season ticket waiting list for two of these seats, I will happily accept them. There is nothing better than seeing a game at Lambeau Field. I’ll just have to load up on Dramimine before heading into the sky to watch a game in these new seats.

Packers.com has provided a photo gallery of the construction process as of March 17.

If not, I would strongly recommend that you get with the program and join ASAP.

I could tell you that it is the best way to get breaking news on anything that interests you, but I won’t.

I could tell you that it is a great way to interact with others who have the same interests as you, but I won’t.

What I will tell you is that if you are not on Twitter, you are missing out on classic one liners being dished out by two of your Green Bay Packers, and it is hysterical.

The banter between Josh Sitton and TJ Lang reminds me of arguing with my brothers when I was growing up, and the good natured ribbing that brothers do to each other. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Please, allow me:

From Sitton’s twitter feed:

I hope Jeff Saturday is not a super d bag like @TJLang70

@JoshElkin: @TJLang70@jsitton71 according to wikipedia you both weigh the same at 318 haha”unlike chubby

“@sfeder9: @jsitton71 who’s the scariest guy on the team? Be honest, aside from yourself!”ummmm. @TJLang70 is the scariest looking!

@TJLang70: @jsitton71 @borchardtkyle josh is bursting out of his pod..”there’s no pod in the world big enough for TJ s head

@GonzoDrunkbeer: @jsitton71 hey can you tell @TJLang70 to stop stealing my Snickers?”he’s so chubby

Not to be outdone, Lang had a few comebacks of his own:

No matter who we sign @jsitton71 is still the chubbiest linemen the pack has and will ever have

Ask @jsitton71 about his onesie jersey with the diaper.. see what he says

@jsitton71: “@JoshElkin: ”well I actually lost weight this offseason” I thought you already beat your anorexia?? Someone fell off the wagon

@emiarnowski: If @jsitton71 and @TJLang70 change to Friday & Sunday,” Josh gets Monday.. nobody likes monday

Seriously, these guys need their own show. So get on Twitter and tell them that. You might even see me on the tweeter occasionally. If you’re lucky.

Or at least that’s the person I play on twitter. Under no circumstances do I want Tim Tebow to come near the Green Bay Packers locker room. For some reason, Tim Tebow is the person that you can’t like or dislike for justifiable reasons. You either love him because he’s a great person or you hate him because of his persona; he’s more polarizing than a presidential race. “You’re either with us or against us.”

I admit though, I am the type of person who sometimes gets a kick out of disliking something simply because it feels like the rest of the world got together and decided to love it. So in the spirit of full disclosure, my number one reason for not wanting the Packers to even think about bringing Tim Tebow in, even if it’s to sell popcorn in the stands, did start for my blind decision to dislike.

But, and maybe this is where I lose some people, I am able to think outside my bitter box. I have read the well-reasoned blogs from Thad (over at Pocket Doppler) and my co-pilot here John, and I admit they have some points. Tebow appears to be “Packer People”, McCarthy’s quarterback school might finally be the place where Tebow can learn and Green Bay is the least circus welcoming town in the NFL. It all could fit together nicely.

But the problem is the Packers and Tebow are two pieces to different puzzles. For as much as I hound on Tebow for having poor mechanics and his unwillingness/inability to change those, the man does win games. Why? Not because he’s mastered a pro-style offence, not even because he’s getting better at it. But because he falls back on the things that made him the Heisman winning college quarterback. “His intangibles”.

I don’t like that word. And I think it’s silly how frequently it is used in the NFL for Tebow. (I’d much prefer measurables like arm length), but like it or not, the kid has them and that is when he thrives.

Think back to Florida. After they lost to Ole Miss in 2008, Tim Tebow “put the team on his back” and delivered a promise to his teammates and Florida fans. That promise has been made into a plaque (I’m not kidding).

Florida went on to win the rest of their games that season, including the BCS National Championship game. Why? Not because Tebow is the best quarterback any of us have ever seen play, but because he is a leader. He is a fighter. When down and out, he’s the guy people want in their corner. He galvanizes players, fans, and people on the street. He makes people win for him. He leads.

You can see the trend continue into the NFL. In his two training camps with the Broncos he entered the season listed as the third string quarterback, behind Orton and Quinn. He couldn’t beat out Brady Quinn. I argue because who needs a leader at practices. When his back’s not against the wall, he doesn’t play as well. When he’s a cog in the machine, he doesn’t perform as well.

Last year, after taking over the starting job for the Broncos people joked that Tebow only plays in the fourth quarter. That joke is partially true. When you break down his completion percentage and quarter back rating by quarters, Tebow shines in the fourth quarter and darn near radiates in overtime. In the 4th quarter he completed nearly 52% of his passes for a rating of 81.3. In overtime he competed 62.5 percent with a rating of 145.8. When you need someone to get your team together and lead them into battle, he’s seems to be your guy.

That is not what the Packers are looking for. The Packers are in the market for a backup quarterback. One to compete with Graham Harrell, one to learn from Rodgers and McCarthy and one who most likely (God willing) won’t step foot on field at all next season. This is not a situation where Tebow thrives. That is the type of situation where he flounders.

Maybe he does need a great teacher like McCarthy, but I’ve never known Ted Thompson to go after a player for what they need. It’s what the Packers need. And they don’t need another leader and game changer. They need someone who will learn their system, someone who is content – for now – with a clipboard role. And that is not Tim Tebow.