Future of the Packer nation

[wizard 87]

I just posted this on my blog over at TSN..thought I would share it here.
Over the past 3-4 months all you see and read is that Packer fans are upset...some are leaving. The Packer forums and blogs have been trolled and attacked by a small group of fans that say "the future of the franchise is bleak"
'Where going back to the 70's and 80's". I will now respond by saying there full of horse hooey!
I have been watching 5-6 forums and posting in about 4. I even started my own small forum so that a small group of die hard sports fanatics like my self could post and talk sports freely. During that. time I have seen and talked with an amazing group of fans around the country and the world. I keep reading with amazement the blogs of young fans on TSN such as tiem09 who are very passionate about the Packers....no folks are young fans are going to be with us for along time.
I read in amazement daily on Packer forums when fans and moderators with names like IronMan,PackOne,JustJeff,gopakgo,wischeez,mnkcarp and oceandan fight scratch and claw for there beloved packers.
Anyone who watched the Packers pre-season should have seen that full stadium until double 00 was on the clock filled with kids and teens of all ages and just as many girls as boys mind you. So no folks the rabid packer nation isn't going any where any time soon it's safe and sound. Where revved up and ready to cheer on our Pack...rain or snow..Hot or Cold Win or Lose...it's always GO PACK GO !

 

[IronMan]

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[pseudocide]

this whole drama has only made me a bigger packer fan, i can't wait for my green bay packers to start playing football and start proving the nattering nabobs of negativism wrong

 

[PackAttackUK]

this whole drama has only made me a bigger packer fan, i can't wait for my green bay packers to start playing football and start proving the nattering nabobs of negativism wrong

That's exactly how I feel. I can't wait for the Pack to shut up all the doubters and nay-sayers!

 

[dhazer]

Ok i would like to know just because i think we are going back to the 70's and 80's does this make me a bad fan. Maybe us that are saying it actually lived and cheered for the Packers through those years. I see alot of posters on the few sites i goto and this includes Mods that get mad when i say this but then again they aren't old enough to remember those bleak years. We used to be happy just beating the bears that would make our whole year. Most of you posters are spoiled with all the winning we have done since 92. So don't try and say we are less of fans than you because we say this i actually IMO think it makes us better fans we have been through the good and the bad.

 

[wizard 87]

Sorry but I am not one of those young bucks...40 years old and remember the 70's and eighties very well. As I said in my post that thinking is horse hooey ....one man can't make a team.
If your fans then cheer for the team regardless of record or personal..... per Coach Mac get on the Train or stand on the tracks !

 

[Packerlifer]

The whole unbelievable Favre fiasco this summer has divided and upset Packers fandom and it'll take awhile for the dust to settle. But winning is the thing that will reunite the faithful.
I've been an avid - no, rabid - Packers fan since I was old enough to know about football; which was back in the great days of Lombardi. So I've been on the ride with our unique & storied franchise for nearly half its history now.
Many people, though, got on board the bandwagon in the '90's with the Super Bowl teams and the Favre MVP seasons and never had any experience or knowledge of the Packers before. As far as they're concerned the franchise started and ended with Brett.
That drives home just how long and how impactful the Favre era was. Brett was always the identity of the club to these folks and was our security blanket for such a long time.
Now the club is starting a new chapter in its history and hasn't yet forged the new identity it will have or developed the sense of confidence and trust we had for the past 16 years. But that will come.
Just watch the ethusiasm of the packed house at Lambeau tomorrow night and you'll see that PackerNation is alive and well as is our team.

 

[dhazer]

Oh we will always have the fan base (the best fan base) but i still think we are going back to mediocre. We have a very unproven qb that in my mind way to many people are over hyped about (i cannot stand his arrogance and will never forget his SI comments). We have a weak o-line and d-line. LOL sorry i have to laugh just think in the 80's we had great wrs and a #12 at qb. remember james lofton and john jefferson with paul coffman at Te. and of course Lynn you may beat our packers but you won't lick our ****ey (I'll never forget that banner at the best Monday Night Football game ever Washington vs Packers i think the final score was 49-48 and Mark Mosely missed a FG at the gun. Maybe this year we can say you may beat our packers but you won't lick our A-rod (man i hate that name) If i see KGB on the sidelines eating hotdogs i will know we have gone back to the 80's (ezra Johnson used to do that all the time)

I see a long season just based on our schedule but of course i'll be trying to watch every game. Tomorrow i'll be going to work with my Driver jersey on and my cheesehead and as soon as i get home the beer brats are going on the grill and cranking on the packer tunes.

 

[Packerlifer]

Why we won't repeat the '70's & '80's.

I keep hearing people say that but it doesn't seem any who do were around then to know what really happened with the Packers after Lombardi.
One and the most compelling reason we won't repeat the '70's & '80's is because we now have Ted Thompson as GM and Mike McCarthy as HC. Two professional, proven organizational leaders. That was lacking in those "dark ages" when the head coach was also the general manager and the guys in charge were Phil Bengsten, Dan Devine, Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg.
Second, the Packers team was old and on the decline at the end of the '60's but it's a young and rising bunch in 2008. The "core" is just starting out.
Third, the Packers in the '70's & '80's did some very poor drafting, and made some bad trades; most notably the deal with the Rams for overage qb John Hadl in '74. The decisions on who to draft or trade for and the scouting done on prospects was in almost complete disarray. Since Bob Harlan and Ron Wolf the Packers' scouting department has been one of the better ones in the business and Ted Thompson has shown himself in his years as a Packers assistant, Seattle personnel director and Packers GM to be one of the best for evaluating talent and running a good draft year after year.
And finally, we won't be going back to the '70's & '80's because of the long successful run we've had the past 16 years. The fans won't stand for it, the board of directors won't stand for it, the front office won't stand for it, and the players won't stand for it. There's too much pride and confidence built up in the Green Bay franchise and its fans now to let things go to seed like that again. We know we can be elite. We believe. That wasn't the spirit in the '70's or '80's.

 

[wizard 87]

Oh we will always have the fan base (the best fan base) but i still think we are going back to mediocre. We have a very unproven qb that in my mind way to many people are over hyped about (i cannot stand his arrogance and will never forget his SI comments). We have a weak o-line and d-line. LOL sorry i have to laugh just think in the 80's we had great wrs and a #12 at qb. remember james lofton and john jefferson with paul coffman at Te. and of course Lynn you may beat our packers but you won't lick our ****ey (I'll never forget that banner at the best Monday Night Football game ever Washington vs Packers i think the final score was 49-48 and Mark Mosely missed a FG at the gun. Maybe this year we can say you may beat our packers but you won't lick our A-rod (man i hate that name) If i see KGB on the sidelines eating hotdogs i will know we have gone back to the 80's (ezra Johnson used to do that all the time)

I see a long season just based on our schedule but of course i'll be trying to watch every game. Tomorrow I'll be going to work with my Driver jersey on and my cheesehead and as soon as i get home the beer brats are going on the grill and cranking on the packer tunes.

I remember that Monday night game well....who could forget all the Lynn ****ey jokes or how about Randy Wrong LOL ! I was a huge John Jefferson fan... your bringing back some very good memories. I also have some brats for my grill.....rock on fellow packerbacker. Time to adjust some Viking attitude !

 

[dhazer]

To be honest with you i think back in those days we had a better fan base because our teams sucked and we worried more about having fun with our fellow fans. Oh how about this one the days of going to the packer bear games and using the sledge hammer on the fridge people would bring. But then again i think all of football was fun back then, now the nfl stands for the no fun league . My all time fav was billy white shoes and his crazy legs or the redskins and the fun bunch. I live out here in Pa and in the middle of steeler country and it is amazing how many of their fans would love to just once goto lambeau for a game. That says something right there we are both known for our fans.

 

[mike bat]

i just wanna chime in here ... i dont think the packer nation has really changed much ,, other than being devided over some of the choices made by managment ... im not sure how many here on the fourm are from green bay ??? i went out to eat this morning at the bay city smoke house ,, they have a great sunday brunch over there ... anyway with out a doubt the majority of jerseys worn were number 4 ... people were out and about ,, some even tailgaiting .... i will also add more than half of the number 4 jerseys were jetts jerseys ,, thats right being worn in lambeau fields shadow ... im not sure if fans are wearing these jerseys to support brett or they just dont want to buy a new Rodgers jersey ??? after we ate we headed across the road the the jersey shopp ... again while in there all number 4s minus the 2 queen jerseys .... as i walked out i over hear the sails clerk tell a customer we cant keep the jetts 4 in at all ... all we have are a few in small and large ... the town is lacking that electric feel it normally has around this time of year ... my wife said ,, it just doest have the feel it used to the day before the game does it ... the whole time i was thinking the same thing in my head ... dont get me wrong the people were out ,, but the town is still missing that excitment ... i really cant say what is going on here in green bay ,, but its just not the same ... the whole feel has changed ... that being said the packer fans are still here ... the nation isnt as strong as it was a year ago .... i believe the nation is devided ,, there is no doubt it is ... there for how strong can it be ??? united we stand devided we ,, i dont even have to fisnish this ... the point i think alot of fans miss here is what has happened with the whole brett thing ,, really messed with the whole lambeau image and mystic ... we here in little green bay WI ,, have done alot of things other teams wish they could do ... i shouldent even have to list them .... so the fans are here ready to cheer on the pack ... i do believe we all want the pack to do great ... so i wont ever question any fan ... i just hope Rodger will get out there and winn some games ,, get the fans behind him ... we need to get this town electric again ... never since i have lived in green bay have i seen it so blah .... never ... green bay has this electric feel in the air ... i cant even decribe it to you ,,, but there is no doubt it has changed ... so im not bashing at all ,, i am a packers fan to the end ... but i will say i feel the nation as whole is devided ... i also think the nation has issues that they need resolved ... in short the green bay packers need to win some games now ... Rodgers needs to have a great game and prove him self to the fans ... i myself believe he will do ok ... i wasnt so sure in the preseason ,, but he has since changed my mind ... after we can win a few games im sure the whole feel of this town will be back in a big way ... this is my report from the front lines ...

 

[PackOne]

If there is no electricity in the air that's Green Bays fault. An hour or so to the West there was plenty excitement for Packer football and there will be tomorrow.

The Green Bay Packers rule, they did before Brett and they will after. I tomorrow will be rooting twice as hard as I ever have before.

I'm watching the Bears school the Colts right now, that's how ridiculous all the speculation really is. I can't wait for tomorrow, if nothing else to end all this anti-Packer rhetoric.

 

[mike bat]

God, you spent how long on that post? If there is no electricity in the air that's Green Bays fault. An hour or so to the West there was plenty excitement for Packer football and there will be tomorrow.

This Favre thing is so old and worn down its pathetic. You know what's killing the excitment, this kind of garbage.

The Green Bay Packers rule, they did before Brett and they will after. I tomorrow will be rooting twice as hard as I ever have before.

I'm watching the Bears school the Colts right now, that's how ridiculous all the speculation really is.

i was just stating what i saw ... maybe i did draw it out a bit but i have never seen the town like this ... its just strange to me ... im not saying the fans arent out ,, they are ... and im sure we will all stand behind the pack to the bitter end ,, we always have ... but it is different ,, night and day vs last season ... i olny see one major change ...

 

[PackOne]

I'm sure you are right, it's called anticipation.

 

[mike bat]

I'm sure you are right, it's called anticipation.

thats more than likely it ... i sure hope we kick the vikes in the @ss monday night ,, i bet that would get the ol town buzzing ..

 

[pack4life]

Ok i would like to know just because i think we are going back to the 70's and 80's does this make me a bad fan. Maybe us that are saying it actually lived and cheered for the Packers through those years. I see alot of posters on the few sites i goto and this includes Mods that get mad when i say this but then again they aren't old enough to remember those bleak years. We used to be happy just beating the bears that would make our whole year. Most of you posters are spoiled with all the winning we have done since 92. So don't try and say we are less of fans than you because we say this i actually IMO think it makes us better fans we have been through the good and the bad.

No it doesn't make you a bad fan. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, just because you think we are going back to the 70's and 80's, doesn't make you less of a fan. The question is, do you still support the Packers day in and day out? If we have a losing season, will you still be watching them come week 17?

I don't have a problem with other's opinions on how the Pack will do this season. I am a fan who only knew Favre, I'm 23 and the only football i remember is with Favre leading the way. In spite of that, i'm incredibly excited to start a new era, this will be my first time ever seeing someone other than #4 under the center.

Here's where my problems lie, i feel everyone is entitled to their opinion on how this offseason played out. I personally put a lot of blame on Favre, i think he let this drag on, he retired, let us go through the offseason preparing without him, drafting 2 qb's, told us he would come back to change his mind later, i think he let his feelings get the best of him and couldn't get past it in the end and that's why he's in a different green jersey this year. That's my opinion, i don't hate those who feel our front office was at fault, that's their opinion.

What I do hate are those fans who turned on the Packers because of this. The fans that say they will now root for the Jets and no longer root for the Packers because of this. The fans who say they won't watch this season because they don't want to see us go back to the 80's. That's what I hate. If anything, i think this whole offseason fiasco will only help us weed out the true Packers fans and now we can start anew and root for the team we love and grew up watching. Go Pack Go!

And in no way am I a Favre hater, I've loved watching him playing since the day i started watching the Packers in Wisconsin. I just don't agree with how he handled this situation, my personal opinion

 

[Pugger]

I am sorry to see fans in Green Bay gobbling up Jets #4 jerseys. I'm originally from GB, a Packer stockholder and season ticket owner. There is no way in h3ll I'd ever purchase and wear a jersey from another team no matter who's name and number is on it. I have a feeling after Brett retires for good a lot of folks who call themselves Packer fans who purchased those jerseys are gonna look in their closets and wonder out loud to themselves "why in the h3ll did I pay all that money for that ???"

 

[pack4life]

There is no way in h3ll I'd ever purchase and wear a jersey from another team no matter who's name and number is on it. I have a feeling after Brett retires for good a lot of folks who call themselves Packer fans who purchased those jerseys are gonna look in their closets and wonder out loud to themselves "why in the h3ll did I pay all that money for that ???"

lol, i didn't think about that until now but you're absolutely right....good call

 

[lambeaulambo]

Well...since the fanbase is now divided again, time to discuss again...

 

[G0P4ckG0]

Most fans who have been watching the team since Favre or earlier will likely side with the team. It is 50/50 for everyone else but that would be the case for fans of all teams. I'm worried about championships rather than what our fan base thinks, and I believe the front office feels the same way

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Most fans who have been watching the team since Favre or earlier will likely side with the team. It is 50/50 for everyone else but that would be the case for fans of all teams. I'm worried about championships rather than what our fan base thinks, and I believe the front office feels the same way

If the front office would be mostly worried about championships they wouldn't have drafted Love in the first round last season or allowed the situation with Rodgers get that complicated.

 

[G0P4ckG0]

If the front office would be mostly worried about championships they wouldn't have drafted Love in the first round last season or allowed the situation with Rodgers get that complicated.

Why did they need to get help for Rodgers if he is worth $45 million per year? You would think someone asking that kind of money would be able to carry a team so that the front office can begin building for the future. Or am I wrong?

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Why did they need to get help for Rodgers if he is worth $45 million per year? You would think someone asking that kind of money would be able to carry a team so that the front office can begin building for the future. Or am I wrong?

Yes, you're completely wrong if you truly believe that a quarterback can carry a team to a Super Bowl title all by himself.

In addition Rodgers doesn't get paid anywhere close to $45 million a year.

 

[tynimiller]

Yes, you're completely wrong if you truly believe that a quarterback can carry a team to a Super Bowl title all by himself.

In addition Rodgers doesn't get paid anywhere close to $45 million a year.

I mean close is a relative term when speaking in the multi-millions no? LOL