Among the first Packers to return to Lambeau Field Tuesday morning was Nick Barnett, but he might not be with the Packers for long.
Barnett was well aware that his fate in Green Bay would be determined shortly after the conclusion of the lockout. He and everybody else knew the handwriting was on the wall when both Desmond Bishop and Hawk received large, lucrative contract extensions in the last year.
Barnett did not wait long to find out what the team's plans were for him, being among the first to arrive when facilities opened at 9 A.M.
At that time he was keeping an open mind about his future in Green Bay.
"At this point, all I have heard has come from you guys and no one here. I'm sure they will talk to me or talk to my agent. I am just concentrating on being ready to play and not worry about rumors," he said before the meeting.
Less than an hour later, Barnett left. He did not stop to talk to reporters. He wrote on his Twitter account, "Just talked to Ted. Thanks for the great 8 years. Very blessed to be part of a great tradition and fans.
"Happy I was able to be here for the great (Super Bowl) XLV run. I will always keep a special place in my heart for this team and city."
Barnett says he was told the Packers will try to trade him, but if not, they will release him -- a move that will save the team about $5 million of salary cap space.
Nick Barnett is a class act, expressing thanks to the team and fans at what has to be a difficult time for him.
Packer fans owe Barnett thanks for his contributions to the team.
Folks, we're really sorry for this. We really are. But it's our duty to keep our Spidey-Senses up for NFL news, and we've caught wind of a … well, we're searching for the right word to describe it … rumor. Howard Eskin of 610 WIP Sports Radio in Philadelphia has it out there that the Eagles are interested in possibly procuring the services of ...
Br…
Bre…
Brett Fa…
Oh hell, we can't even write it.
...Right now, this is just Eskin's rumor, though he's fairly dialed in. The Eagles can't talk to free agents or draft picks, but there's nothing in the lockout rules we're aware of preventing them from talking to retired players. If Favre is interested in coming back to a team able to challenge for a Super Bowl, in a media hotbed, behind a vulnerable quarterback, which a staff he knows, and talented targets all over the place … well, there would be few better places for him to go.
Then, there's the intangible argument. The lockout has taken the attention of the NFL media through the spring and summer; very few people have made Favre the primary subject of their attention, and we all know how he reacts to that.
It's tempting to ask the owners and players to put some sort of "Anti-Favre" provision in the new CBA before the NFLPA signs off on it, but we suppose we'll have to see how this plays out.
...UPDATE: Here's Vick's take on the whole thing; he's pretty clearly setting the terms of such a deal by mentioning Favre as a 'backup.'
I can't wait for training camp to begin in Green Bay. I love the atmosphere.
I wonder if Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers would be "honored" to have Favre as his backup.
Rodgers was the lone Packer to win an award despite several players making the trip. Rodgers, Matthews, Greg Jennings, A.J. Hawk, Desmond Bishop and Tramon Williams were all filmed in the crowd.
Rodgers won the Best NFL Player award, but that was announced during the “pregame” show on the red carpet and was not shown on stage. The Super Bowl MVP was also nominated for Best Male Athlete, but was beaten by Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki.
Rodgers made his lone televised appearance on stage when he and entertainer Justin Timberlake, who made another Favre reference, to present the Best Male Collegiate Athlete award to BYU point guard Jimmer Fredette.
The Packers were also nominated for the Best Team honor, but were beaten out by the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks.
Singer Justin Timberlake (R) and Green Bay Packers NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers present an award at the 2011 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, California, July 13, 2011. (REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)
SETH MEYERS: The biggest story in football was the Green Bay Packers beating the Steelers 31-25 in the Super Bowl. The Green Bay Packers became the first team since 1962 to go an entire season without trailing more than 7 points, proving once and for all that not every statistic is interesting.
And finally, give it up for Aaron Rodgers!
Aaron Rodgers, who won the Super Bowl and finally got out of the shadow of Brett Favre, which we learned, thanks to cell phone technology, is not as big a shadow as we originally thought.
According to an unnamed prominent Green Bay-area business leader, Republican Wisconsin State Senator Rob Cowles was "threatened" by Gov. Scott Walker's office.
Cowles was told that if he didn't vote for the Budget Repair Bill, the administration would run a Tea Party candidate against him.
He tosses out charges against the Governor's office without naming the accuser.
Bice provides quotes from the "prominent business leader" that literally puts words in Cowles' mouth.
Bice makes the case that although he doesn't name the "prominent business leader," he's not anonymous.
The Green Bay-area business leader, who has not given campaign money to Democrats or Republicans, contacted No Quarter last week and spoke on background, meaning the paper knows the individual's identity. But the leader asked not to be identified by name in the Journal Sentinel because doing so would hurt the person's business and industry relationships.
Poor baby!
Being identified would hurt the leader's business and industry relationships.
Then why contact Bice?
The leader probably was confident that Bice would run the story that puts Walker's office in a negative light without expecting the leader to go on the record.
The Journal Sentinel knows the leader's identity.
So what?
Let the public know who is making the accusations or don't run the story. This is just gossip.
State Senator Rob Cowles is firing back at a story in the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel which alleges Governor Walker threatened to put up a Tea Party candidate against him, if he didn’t vote for Walker’s bill to limit public union bargaining.
"There was never any effort by the governor's office to intimidate any of us," the Allouez Republican says. "There were some aspects of the process that some of us didn't like, but there was never any effort to threaten us with any primaries, the whole story is a fabrication."
The paper says Cowles made the remark when he called a prominent Green Bay area business leader to seek support in his recall election next month.
Columnist Dan Bice said the business leader asked to stay anonymous. But the person quoted Cowles as saying “I didn’t like this bill, either … I didn’t like being put in this position … but the governor’s office told us if we didn’t give them our support, they would run a Tea Party candidate against us.”
...Cowles says it's an effort by national unions to smear him to try and defeat him in the August 9th recall election. He maintains his long-time support for the budget repair bill.
"When the private sector has been bludgeoned by this difficult recession, the public sector has to be part of the solution," Cowles says. "That bill brought some fairness between the government sector and the private sector."
Almost time to fire up Favre Watch 2011? On one hand, says NFL.com’s Gil Brandt, yes. Then again, Brandt says, NFL teams might not be all that interested.
When asked about a possible return of Brett Favre to Minnesota during his live chat Tuesday, Brandt indicated that he believes the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns is indeed getting back that itch. The only catch is that, while the Vikings put on the full-court press to have Favre return last summer, Brandt doesn’t see Minnesota or any other team sending its private jet down to Hattiesburg, Miss., this summer.
“I do think Favre would be interested in talking to a team about returning,” Brandt said. “But I don’t see a team out there right now that would bring him back as a starter.”
Brandt noted that the Vikings need to get first-round draft pick Christian Ponder in the starting lineup as soon as possible, and Favre isn’t the right QB to be grooming — and giving way to — a young player.
“Brett is still a good quarterback, but I’d consider him a descending quarterback,” Brandt said. “It’s awfully hard for him to go to a team and be a backup. The Vikings must start Christian Ponder this season to get him some experience. And they’re not going to get Favre in there to babysit Ponder.”
After Favre's meltdown last year, on and off the field, wouldn't you think the guy would finally want to step out of the spotlight and stay out?
Favre is a joke.
The "itchy" Favre has made such awful choices.
I hope the reigning Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers retire Super Bowl XLV MVP Aaron Rodgers' jersey before Favre gets that honor.
Yesterday, at a private ceremony in Green Bay, Governor Scott Walker made good on his promise to balance the budget, eliminating a $3.6 billion deficit without raising taxes.
It's not perfect. Nothing is. But it's good.
Of course, the Leftists are saying it's a disaster.
I think that's the clearest indication that the budget is good for the state, putting Wisconsin on a path to prosperity.
Gov. Scott Walker signed a two-year $66 billion budget Sunday that will cut nearly $800 million from public schools, expand taxpayer support for private voucher schools, cut taxes for investors and businesses, clamp down on property taxes and put the state's finances in better shape than they've been in for more than a decade.
Using the vast veto powers of Wisconsin governors, Walker struck out dozens of budget provisions, including one that would have allowed bail bondsmen in Wisconsin. He also used his veto pen to bar public employees from collecting pensions unless they work for a state or local government for five years or more, set up new possible limits on a family-planning program and allow state officials to do more no-bid contracts.
As previously announced, the GOP governor also vetoed a provision that would have allowed most fired Milwaukee police officers to continue to receive pay while they appealed their dismissals.
Walker's 50 vetoes were less extensive compared with those issued by previous governors, but that's due largely to the fact that Walker's fellow Republicans run both houses of the Legislature and worked closely with the governor in crafting the legislation. Walker has the broadest veto powers of any governor nationwide, allowing him to strike out entire provisions of the budget or rewrite sections by selectively crossing out words.
Wearing khakis, a blue shirt and no tie, Walker signed the budget Sunday afternoon before a crowd of about 100 at Fox Valley Metal-Tech - a site chosen to highlight a tax cut for manufacturers included in the budget.
...A few hundred protesters gathered outside Fox Valley Metal-Tech, chanting "Shame!" as Walker's guests drove into the parking lot. They held signs decrying budget cuts and chanted, "Recall Walker!"
The budget - Walker's first since taking office in January - closes a $3 billion shortfall over the next two years largely without relying on tax increases. It raises spending by $1.1 billion, or 1.8% over two years, and leaves the state with an estimated $300 million surplus in its main account by June 2013. Republicans in the Legislature passed the budget earlier this month on party-line votes.
"Our balanced budget makes tough choices while also providing a path to prosperity for our state and our people," Walker said in a 20-minute speech. "Through honest budgeting, we are providing an alternative to the reckless tricks and gimmicks of the past. To move forward together, we are acknowledging that we have to make sacrifices to protect the next generation by decreasing the serious debt that they would otherwise inherit."
"They wanted big and they wanted bling," Packers President Mark Murphy said. "We were successful in that."
Look, I don't know Tiffany the jeweler from Tiffany the singer, so I'll have to take Woodson's word for it when he said, "It's the best ring I've ever seen and I'm not saying it because it's our night. It's an incredible ring."
For the record, I'll quote from the Packers' official release on the monstrosity, even if it does read like a game-show announcer talking about what's behind Door No. 3.
"The crest of the ring features the Green Bay "G" logo crest in 18-karat yellow gold placed on a green stone tablet. Thirteen diamonds are embedded in the logo, each one representing the team's NFL-record 13 championships. The iconic logo is illuminated by round, brilliant-cut diamonds and four marquis-cut diamonds representing the Packers' four Super Bowl triumphs. Surrounding the crest are 92 diamonds which recognize the 92-year history of Green Bay Packers football."
...It's made of platinum, with 18-karat gold. It's got 3.35 carats of diamonds, for all you Kardashian followers out there.
As for the cost, the Packers are standing behind the company line: They say the NFL "pays for up to 150 rings at $5,000 per ring. Further information about the rings was not disclosed."
...[T]he players who got one had their names and numbers engraved. Their numbers were circled, just like on the Green Bay jerseys from the 1929 championship season. The ring also has an engraving of the Lombardi Trophy and Lambeau Field.
The ring has the scores of all four postseason games and the number "1" flanked by the words, "Mind, Goal, Purpose, Heart."
That's pretty cool, because those were Woodson's words to the team just before the Packers took the field against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game.
The Packers deserved to have those words inscribed as much as Woodson deserved to win his first championship.
"It's all about getting the ring," Woodson said. "This seals the deal."
Green Bay Packers' Donald Driver shows off his Super Bowl ring, Thursday, June. 16, 2011, after the Packers ring ceremony at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL Super Bowl football championship game Feb. 6. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
Parts of downtown Vancouver erupted in flames, explosive booms thundered through the air and looters smashed windows and ran amok inside department stores Wednesday after the city's Stanley Cup run ended in bitter defeat.
Weeks of well-behaved crowds watching the Vancouver Canucks march toward Game 7 of the NHL final ended abruptly in violence and vandalism that erupted even before the 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins was officially over.
Police said they had reports of four stabbings, though spokeswoman Const. Jana McGuinness said she couldn't confirm them.
The riot shattered the wholesome legacy of the nightly parties hosted on the same streets during the 2010 Olympics — an experience that had the city's mayor and police chief confidently proclaiming Vancouver had "matured" since similar riots in 1994.
"It's terrible," said Canucks captain Henrik Sedin, shaking his head, in an interview after the game.
"This city and province has a lot to be proud of, the team we have and the guys we have in here. It's too bad."
Police officers from around the region flooded into downtown and Mayor Gregor Robertson said things were getting under control, but the images and atmosphere that lingered late into the night suggested otherwise.
Robertson said there had been no fatalities, though he had to be asked the question twice.
Fights broke out and people were seen falling on broken glass.
At the flagship Bay store, looters jumped inside and were seen grabbing T-shirts and anything else they could get their hands on. Young women were seen escaping with MAC cosmetics. One girl carried out part of a mannequin.
The landmark building was filling with smoke as rioters, their faces covered in bandannas, continued the violence. Almost none were wearing hockey jerseys.
The looters turned their attention next on a Future Shop a few blocks away, smashing windows and flooding up the stairs to the second-floor store, only to turn around quickly. One witness said police were at the top of the stairs.
Sears and Chapters stores were also looted, their glass fronts smashed.
For many, the ugly chaos made the Cup loss an afterthought.
"Tonight, what I've seen is a complete disgrace," said Beth Hope, 28, who is originally from England but has lived in Vancouver for the past two years.
"I'm a Canucks fan but my jersey's in my bag — I'm ashamed to be a fan right now."
She said she saw a parkade on fire, cars ablaze.
"It's insane, it's absolutely insane. What's the point? Our team lost — why destroy your own city? I'm afraid."
It is insane.
I don't believe this sort of rioting is tied to the outcome of the sporting event at all. The rioters are just thugs looking for an excuse to do damage.
On Thursday afternoon, Aaron Rodgers went to Twitter to share his plans for Thursday evening:
Check me out on the mound tonight @millerpark and also support the crew
Here's Rodgers on the mound:
Green Bay Packers NFL football quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws out the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game between the New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, June 9, 2011, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Here's Rodgers and Ryan Braun during batting practice:
Green Bay Packers football quarterback Aaron Rodgers, left, and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun speak during batting practice before their baseball game against the New York Mets, Thursday, June 9, 2011, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Rodgers declined the opportunity to talk to reporters but did stop by the FS Wisconsin booth in the fourth inning. Brewers play-by-play announcer Brian Anderson asked whether or not Rodgers had any plans to organize team workouts during the ongoing NFL lockout.
"We're going to put something together here because it looks like it's going to go a little bit longer, so it's going to be important for us to get together," Rodgers told Anderson, adding that he would discuss the matter with teammate Charles Woodson at an upcoming charity event.
"If this lockout persists, we're going to get together. Guys have gotten some great work individually, some have gotten together in groups of two or three," Rodgers said. "There's a lot of guys kind of in the same area working out, but at some point we're going to have to get together."
His arm looked to be in good shape Thursday night, when he threw a strike to his good friend Ryan Braun, the Brewers’ all-star left fielder.
“I wanted to throw a four-seamer. When I pitched in high school, I threw a two-seamer. But I had a little too much movement,” Rodgers said. “I haven't pitched in forever, and I was super nervous. I didn't want to bounce it to Braun. He said he wasn't wearing a cup.”
Rodgers said he played a lot of baseball as a kid but didn’t play his first three years of high school before returning to the game as a senior.
“I was actually a pretty good pitcher for a while, then took a break my freshman, sophomore and junior year of high school and played football. That didn't work out, so I decided to play baseball my senior year and was a pitcher and a below-average hitter,” Rodgers said. “You never know about these (radar) guns, but I was told that I hit the low 90s, and I like to run with that. In about 10 years, I'll be saying 95.”
Rodgers said he and Braun became friends “a couple years ago” after he came to a game and met Braun.
“I'm a fan of Wisconsin sports. This is home for me nine months out of the year. I pull for the Brewers and Bucks and Marquette basketball and Wisconsin basketball and UWM basketball,” Rodgers said. “So it's been fun to pull for them and get to know Ryan. He's a California guy like myself. We're two weeks apart. He's two weeks older than I am, and we've really become good friends."
I like the loyalty to Wisconsin exhibited by both Rodgers and Braun.
Here's audio of Rodgers in the booth:
He was nervous to throw out the first pitch?
Super Bowl XLV MVP nervous?
Rodgers is so poised that it's hard to imagine him being nervous about anything, but I understand.
The agent for former Packers cornerback Al Harris confirmed Thursday night that Harris would receive a Super Bowl XLV ring.
Team president Mark Murphy, answering a question from a fan during a stop in Eau Claire on the team's Tailgate Tour, indicated Harris would get a ring, according to a report in the Green Bay Press-Gazette. But he did not elaborate and there was no official confirmation from the team.
However, Harris' agent, Jack Bechta said in a story on National Football Post, of which he is a founder, that Harris "has been told that he would get a ring."
Harris did not play for the Packers last year, but he was on the physically unable to perform list for nine weeks while trying to come back from a devastating knee injury suffered during the 2009 season. Harris was allowed to practice during the final three weeks before the team decided he was not ready to play.
…Soon after being released, Harris paid for an advertisement in the Journal Sentinel thanking fans for their support during his seven-plus seasons with the Packers.
…Many fans were wondering whether Harris would receive the ring he desperately wanted, but it wasn't until Thursday that Murphy let the cat out of the bag.
“I would expect nothing less of the Packers organization," Bechta said. "Al was one of their dedicated warriors for many years and over half of the Super Bowl season.”
The all-star outfielder still had four years remaining beyond the 2011 season on an eight-year, $45 million extension signed after his rookie season, so there certainly was no rush to do another deal. But when a 27-year-old player on Braun's career path says he wants to stay with the club into the next decade, you have to listen.
"Especially a player of his stature, and a player who grew up in southern California," said Attanasio. "It was a very big idea and an enormous commitment. We had to get our heads around that."
Both sides did so, leading to the announcement Thursday that Braun and the club had agreed to a five-year extension worth $105 million, a historic deal in many ways. The extension, which runs from 2016 though 2020, also includes a mutual option for 2021 worth up to $20 million with a $4 million buyout.
As further proof that Braun wants to be a career Brewer, a no-trade provision was included in the deal. To help the club stay competitive and have the financial wherewithal to sign other players, Braun agreed to defer an unspecified amount of the money.
...Braun, whose $45 million extension signed in 2008 already was the biggest contract in franchise history, said there were many reasons for wanting to make the commitment at this early stage of his career. Chief among them, he said, was the tremendous support of Brewers fans.
"I'm proud to be a Milwaukee Brewer, I really am," he said. "I'm going to be for the next 10 years. It's an exciting day for me, my family, the organization. It's like being part of a family.
"It's truly special to me to come to work here every day, and I'm excited about being able to do that for the next 10 years. Thanks to the fans - that was the single biggest reason I wanted to stay here. To be in one of the smallest media markets in baseball and to have 3 million people to come watch us every year is incredibly special.
"The more time we spend in other cities, the more we recognize how special it is here. The fans are the single biggest factor. I'm excited, man, truly excited to be able to say I'm a Milwaukee Brewer from this point forward."
Ryan Braun isn't the only athlete on a Wisconsin team wanting to make his career here.
