Less than 24 hours after we said there wouldn’t be many updates here until Training Camp, we find out that former Packers QB Brett Favre will be featured on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated. It’s the annual “Where Are They Now?” issue, which is always interesting to read. And it will be even more interesting to read this year!
This is the dead zone of the NFL football year, and so the updates will be few and far between as everyone gets away for a bit prior to Training Camp. We know for sure that the first big event we’ll cover will be the Brett Favre Packers Hall of Fame event at Lambeau Field on July 18th. Until then, our Packerville, U.S.A. control room (seen above) will be mostly empty — unless something really, really, really important happens.
As Andy Williams sang, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!,” except we’re not talking about Christmas. The new NFL preview magazines are coming out. If you’re lucky like us, you can purchase the versions that have Packers on the cover as we did at the Barnes & Noble in Green Bay this past Saturday.
Let’s go through each of them and see what they predict for the Packers in 2015. Athon Sports Pro Football (above), has the team winning the NFC North Division, beating Philadelphia in the Divisional Round, finally beating the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, and winning Super Bowl 50 over the Indianapolis Colts. Very nice.
Lindy’s Sports Pro Football also has the Packers winning the NFC North and beating Seattle in the NFC Championship game... but winning Super Bowl 50 over the Baltimore Ravens.
The Sporting News Pro Football joins the rest in picking the Packers to win the NFC North, but has them beating the New York Giants in the Divisional Round, before heading to Seattle to also beat the Seahawks in the NFC Championship. In Super Bowl 50, they predict that Green Bay will beat New England.
USA Today NFL 2015 has a panel of experts voting on their predictions for the coming season. All eight pick the Packers to win the NFC North, five of the eight have Green Bay winning the NFC Championship game, and five of eight have the Packers beating either Indianapolis (3 votes), New England (1 vote), or Denver (1 vote) in Super Bowl 50.
O.K., that’s not too much pressure on our team, is it?
As expected, the Green Bay Packers skipped a scheduled practice today and all went for a shooting excursion. You can read about it here.
“The Bart Starr family today issued the following update about the condition of Pro Football Hall of Famer Bart Starr:
“Following Bart’s strokes, our family began to investigate numerous therapy options. Several months ago we applied for and were accepted into a clinical trial using stem cells. Friday we safely returned home from the first of the two treatments.
“While we welcome everyone’s interest and support of Bart’s health, at this time, we’d like to allow him a chance to fully participate in the clinical trial and let the results, if any, to speak for themselves. At an appropriate time in the future, our family looks forward to sharing the details of Bart’s participation in this most important clinical exploration of what role stem cells may play in the treatment of stroke.
“Until then, we continue to thank you for all of your love and prayers. Your support has given us much strength over the past nine months. Bart joins me in sending our love and appreciation to all our special friends and fans. We are working hard toward the one goal he most cherishes: a return to Green Bay for a Packers game.”
50 years ago on this past June 1st, Green Bay Packers co-founder, head coach, and namesake of the team’s legendary stadium, Earl “Curly” Lambeau passed away from a heart attack. It was at this home in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin — in the Door County peninsula — that he expired while mowing a friend’s family’s lawn. Someday, a historical marker may be placed at the site, which is said to have been restored recently to the same look it had that summer day in 1965.
The third group of OTA’s (Organized Team Activities) wraps up this week, with Mini-Camp being held next week in Green Bay. We’re looking to get up there for at least a day of the three “open to the public” practices, but we’ll see. Today, from a 2012 auction, we’re showing a gallery of Packers helmets, most of which are from the mid-80’s to the mid-90’s, with a few exceptions. What is interesting is the variety of face masks used. Some are the same style, but the bars change in thickness. None of the helmets would be safe for use nowadays, what with all the focus on head injuries.
As part-time residents now, we spent the weekend at our place in Green Bay and enjoyed checking out a couple of new restaurants and just being in Titletown. Walking down by the Fox River on the City Deck Saturday night, we walked past the former Prange’s Department Store headquarters building (above), where Vince Lombardi was interviewed for the Packers’ head coaching job in 1959. It now contains condominiums.
Saturday evening sunset over the Fox River.
There is always history to learn wherever you turn.
The house seen above and below is where QB Bart Starr lived in the 1960’s.
Beautiful tulips adorn the drive in front of Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon.
The world’s largest hex nut, outside Packer Fastener along Ashland Avenue.
Two great street names.
And two more. Mike McCarthy way used to be Potts Avenue until last year.
