A Hawaiian Vacation, Not A Game

It’s only been almost a two-week vacation here at Packerville, U.S.A., but we thought we’d share some pages from the 2012 Pro Bowl game program — a game which kicks off in about a half-hour from when we’re posting this. Could anything be more meaningless than this game? It almost makes preseason games look like life-and-death situations. Oh well, the players get a free Hawaiian vacation and some recognition for their accomplishments through the season, and football fans get something in the off-week before the Super Bowl.

This article about QB backups has some Favre-Rodgers content worth a look.

Here’s a couple of pages devoted to the Packers’ all-star QB, Aaron Rodgers.

Poor FB John Kuhn... he finally makes a Pro Bowl, and he’s not able to go due to injury. Read more about that here.

WR Greg Jennings’ page in the game program.

C Scott Wells’ page in the game program.

NT B.J. Raji’s page.

LB Clay Matthews gets the full-page spotlight treatment.

CB Charles Woodson gets the same attention.

A full-page ad for N.F.L. fantasy football features the Saints-Packers line of scrimmage from 2011 Week 1 action. Doesn’t that seem like a long time ago?

Lastly, former Packers DE Reggie White is depicted in the all-time roster section.

We haven’t set a schedule for future posts here in Packerville, but we’ll try to post things semi-regularly so that if you come back now and then, you’ll see something new. Thanks to all for the kind posts and e-mails. It’s nice to know that there are many out there who enjoy the Packers’ history we share here.

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A Legend is Lost

In our off-time, Packers’ legendary broadcaster Jim Irwin (foreground) passed away, and we would be ashamed if we didn’t note it here for our readers. Irwin, 77, was the play-by-play announcer on Packers’ game broadcasts for 30 years on WTMJ-Milwaukee. He called 612 consecutive games, and was accompanied by legendary receiver Max McGee (behind Irwin, above) as his color commentator for the last 20 years of his career. The two made a great pair that took listeners through many horrible seasons before experiencing the rebirth of the team in the 1990’s, culminating in the Super Bowl XXXI victory. Two years later, the pair announced their retirement. McGee died in 2007 in an accident at his home.

Irwin also did University of Wisconsin football broadcasts for 22 years, UW basketball for five years, UW-Milwaukee basketball for two years, and Milwaukee Bucks games for 16 years. Irwin also handled the sports announcing duties on WTMJ's early morning show for more than 30 years. He continued in that role until July 1999.

Both of these men are missed dearly by those who grew up listening to them — in our case, because most Green Bay games weren’t on T.V. where we lived. We salute Jim Irwin for his decades of dedication to the team that we all love — the Green Bay Packers. There will never be another like him.

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That’s All Folks...

With the Packers’ sudden exit from the Playoffs after what should have been another glorious season, we are calling it a day here at the Packerville.U.S.A. blog — for the time being, at least. Readership will, as it did even with the team’s championship last year, drop significantly in the off-season. We will take this time off to reassess what we do here to determine if all the hours are worth it, and whether we’ll continue.

This loss hurts, and we fans who spend way more time on the team than is probably healthy need time to process it all. We will try, however, to maintain the Twitter feed and see how that goes. Thanks to our loyal readers and those who also have sent nice comments. Knowing that there are many out there who appreciate the things we share here has helped us continue when it seemed the late nights were getting to be too much. Until we come back with further word on the status of the blog for the future, take some time away from football in these months ahead.

UPDATE: Thanks for all of the positive comments to those who have done so. To respond to the comment about my being a “fair weather fan” (those are fighting words with me!), I have this to say: “Fair weather fan? I think not. I'll put my loyalty and time and money spent on the team (tickets, merchandise, and 1,872 miles of nine round trips between home and Green Bay) up against YOU or anyone, and will win hands- down. My break from the daily blog is to take a breather from the 300+ hours I've spent on it alone since the end of July. The end of the season, as frustrating as it was, is the perfect time to take a break since that is when all of the "fair weather fans" stop reading it anyway. Google's statistics prove that.

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A Rotten End — A Ruined Season

It’s going to take a long time to figure out why this happened, as no one associated with the team now will admit that they were rusty, overconfident, under-prepared, or whatever. But this loss will stick with the fans for eternity. A team that seemed destined to repeat as champions fell flat on their face with their pants around their ankles. From day one after the lockout, this team was the unanimous choice as the best in the league, the almost sure pick to play in and conquer Super Bowl XLVI. All season long, they piled up win after win after win, stumbling only in Kansas City. Securing the number one N.F.C. seed and the all-“important” home field advantage. The last football some of the team played was three weeks ago, on Christmas Day. No need to risk the starters to injury in the last game of the season, right? Let them lounge on the sidelines for another week. Then, the coveted “week off” — the reward for being such an awesome team. Now, when at last the whole team is on the field, at Lambeau Field because it’s such a huge advantage (another “reward” for being so awesome), they play like the Indianapolis Colts. The Packers, in front of the whole nation (who had to be laughing their rear ends off) played like the worst team in the N.F.L. for all four quarters, and were beaten soundly by the same team that last beat them in the playoffs at home. Their 15-1 season is just, to use a Ron Wolf quote about the ’97 team, “a fart in the wind.” That record means absolutely nothing except as a monument to the biggest choke in Packers’ history.

The window in which you have everything lined up just right to win a championship is incredibly narrow. You cannot squander that opportunity. To do so is inexcusable. How much this demoralizes the organization is yet to be seen. It could be disastrous.

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PACKERVILLE NEWS

• Game Story: Green Bay Press-Gazette
• Game Story: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

• Game Story: The New York Times

• Game Story: The New York Daily News

• Game Story: New York Newsday

• Game Story: The New York Post

• Game Story: Associated Press

• Game Story: Packers.com

• Game Story: Giants.com

• Official Statistics

• Official Box Score

• Official Play-By-Play Summary

• Scoring Summary

• Photo Galleries: Here, here, and here

• Game Notes

• Packers Insider

• Rants and Rants

*****

• Instant Reaction: 37-20 Loss to New York

• Defense can't stop Giants' big plays

• Sudden end to season 'a hard pill to swallow'

• Season ends with a rude surprise

• Reaction from the locker room

• So what happened?

• As Giants rise to occasion, Packers shrink

• Why the Packers lost

• Hail-Mary play was the game-changer

• Giants D gets after Packers’ Rodgers

• Momemtum shifts before halftime

• Giants postgame locker room quotes

• Defense does nothing to lift Packers

• As always, Eli plays it cool

• Philbin’s return brightens disappointing day

• Packers, Texans staffs to coach Pro Bowl

• Collins optimistic while pondering future

Coach Mike McCarthy tries to make sense of the loss here.

QB Aaron Rodgers meets with the media here.

Soundbites from around the locker room are here.

The game lowlights can be watched here, if desired.

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It’s Game Day in Green Bay

There’s not a whole lot that we need to say here, so we’ll let all the information below tell the story of the game coming up on Sunday afternoon. We’re fond of the logo for the game that we created (above), so we’re using it again, and we trust that we’ll be making one for the N.F.C. Championship game next Sunday as well. There’s plenty to read up on today, and we’ll update the blog and add more articles as the weekend goes on.

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PACKERVILLE NEWS

N.F.C. DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF GAME INFO:

• PACKERS-GIANTS DOPE SHEET

• PACKERS 2011 MEDIA GUIDE

• PACKERS TEAM REPORT

• PRESS BOX NOTES (NEW!)

• GAME INACTIVES (NEW!)

• GAME PREVIEW #1

• GAME PREVIEW #2

• GAME PREVIEW #3

• GAME PREVIEW #4 (NEW!)

• GAME PREVIEW #5 (NEW!)

• HOW THEY MATCH UP

• PACKERS-GIANTS MATCH-UPS

• TEN THINGS TO BEAT GIANTS

• FIVE KEY MATCH-UPS

• THREE KEYS TO THE GAME (NEW!)

• PACKERS 2011 ROSTER

• PACKERS 2011 DEPTH CHART

• GIANTS MEDIA GUIDE

• GIANTS TEAM REPORT

• GIANTS 2011 ROSTER

• GIANTS 2011 DEPTH CHART

• INJURY REPORT/GB vs. NY

• PLAYOFFS INJURY REPORT

• GREEN BAY WEATHER

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SUNDAY LINKS:

• Philbin to coach vs. Giants, CBS reports

• Game is a formula for offensive fireworks

• Team of the decade? Need a repeat

• Emlen Tunnell: The Giants’ Greatest Packer

• Packers put '08 loss out of their minds

• Brad Jones gets his chance

• Defense unlikely to shape up for playoffs

• 2011 — Packers’ best team?

• Packers’ worst decision in last 40 years?

• Frozen tundra, frozen toes

• Will familiarity with Packers help Giants?

• Fighting the weather calls for a game plan

• Rivalry frozen in time and space

• Quick cleanup: Green Bay knows snow

• $240,000 to watch Giants-Packers?

• Rodgers has made fans say "Brett Who?'

• 'Discount Double Take' trilogy complete

*****

SATURDAY LINKS:

• Rodgers' steady hand; Packers on track

• Hundreds show up to shovel at Lambeau

• Grant’s changing role, same attitude

• Packers Notebook

• Packers Insider

• Dotson, Kramer, and Curry to meet with fans

• Gameday reminders for fans on Sunday

• Rankings are meaningless now

• Is it Rodgers, or just the Packers’ system?

• Packers know what they must do

• Ring could lead to bigger things

• Cobb could be Packers' X-factor

• Defense must force Manning to move feet

• Friday practice report

• Time out for a funeral

• Giants burning to play physical

• Coughlin’s Corner: Playoff edition

• Packers can't really forget 2008

• Manning leads Giants into Lambeau again

• Rodgers hits moving targets all over field

• Green Bay’s only N.Y.-style pizzeria

• Tenderizing the Tundra with light and heat

• Are the Packers the worst stock in U.S.?

• Fields chief puts turf education to good use

• In bitter cold, passes are least of body’s worries

• Giants fans pack up and ship out to Green Bay

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OTHER N.F.L. NEWS:

• FCC considers ending the blackout rule

• NFL to mull coach-moves rule (NEW!)

The N.F.L. Network ’s Game Preview can be seen here.

Playbook: A Giant Chess Match is here.

Playbook: Packers’ Defense is here.

Coach McCarthy’s Friday press conference is here.

Soundbites from around the locker room are here.

Final touches to the frozen tundra can be watched here.

Keys To The Game: Packers vs. Giants is here.

The Almost Undefeated Season is here.

Tragedy in Green Bay is here.

LB Clay Matthews’ N.F.L. Network interview is here.

Playbook Green Room: Packers vs. Giants is here.

Final Thoughts on the N.F.C. Divisional Playoffs is here.

Weather Update: Giants vs. Packers is here.

Fans doing their part to clear Lambeau Field is here.

Giants’ coach Tom Coughlin’s Friday media visit is here.

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The Dawn of a New Era

We’re doing things backwards here on the blog… we featured the Spring ’93 issue of Packer Update a couple of days ago, but we should’ve posted this one before that. This issue is from the beginning of the Ron Wolf-Mike Holmgren era, before their team even hit the field. Wolf had been in his position a few months, had hired Holmgren, acquired Brett Favre, gone though ‘Plan B” free agency (remember that?) and the draft was yet to come. A lot of winning was yet to come as well.

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