Preseason Game #3: Canada is a Joke

[Dantés]

This is ********.

 

[Sanguine camper]

Who's idea was it to play on a CFL field? This has all the makings of another Roger Goodell debacle.

 

[TDF]

Who's idea was it to play on a CFL field? This has all the makings of another Roger Goodell debacle.

The preseason games are negotiated by the home teams. This is the fault of the Raiders!

 

[TDF]

Should make for an interesting Hardknocks episode next Tuesday

 

[rmontro]

Should make for an interesting Hardknocks episode next Tuesday

I haven't watched the game yet, I'm taping a replay. But I saw Gruden comment on TV that he and the Raiders liked the field, and to ask Green Bay about any complaints. I feel like I should be ticked off about that remark, but I really think it's kind of funny.

 

[Mondio]

I haven't watched the game yet, I'm taping a replay. But I saw Gruden comment on TV that he and the Raiders liked the field, and to ask Green Bay about any complaints. I feel like I should be ticked off about that remark, but I really think it's kind of funny.

They asked LaFleur too, he said it was a non-issue as far as he was concerned.

Personally, I got sick of hearing about it. Our preseason announcers are a B-league as you can get. I swear one of them called Kuhn, john Gruden. Let it go man, let it go. We would have played football on a 10 yard square if it was available. **** up and play already. It was decided they could play, the game didn't count, just play. They did, but the announcers sounded like jilted lovers with trouble letting go.

Ohhhh lawwwd the field isn't pristine and perfect, They can't play on that, it's a travesty. Let's make that the heart of our coverage all night long....

it's not as if they haven't had the endzone need to be stitched in any other big important games in the US or have played on less than stellar field conditions. It's like they can't find a way to talk about players trying to make the team so they focus on something they can pound a drum about and make it controversial.

 

[Poppa San]

Soldier Field practice? That place isn't any better after midseason.

 

[Mondio]

Soldier Field practice? That place isn't any better after midseason.

I was going to say, it was just preparing them for their season opener

 

[rmontro]

Soldier Field practice? That place isn't any better after midseason.

Maybe the Bears will have to play on an 80 yard field lol.

 

[GBkrzygrl]

I agree that the field looked terrible. I'm just hoping that no one was seriously hurt.


I also thought that Boyle got a slow start but was better as the game went on.


Davis played out of his mind.

 

[KelliParkins]

First Post from a long time reader.

Here is the True Story of what happened in Canada yesterday. I am a packers fan who lives in Kenora, ONT and was at the game.


I stayed at the same hotel as the team (not knowingly). Yesterday morning approx 10am I was at the private lounge for guests only. Aaron Rodgers and few players were sitting relaxing, broadcasters, other team staff, and the GM. About 6-7 of them got up and went over to the stadium. The players were not permitted to visit the field for the game. About 4 hrs later I returned to the hotel and the staff returned from the stadium. I overheard conversations that they are getting together shortly after in a private room.

Where I was for the 4 hrs they were away I visited some downtown attractions and a well known area was called 'THE FORKS'. Which blew me away and would make most cities jealous that they had such an attraction. Its not just built but it's an attraction that mixes hundreds of years history which basically formed the city as a gathering place which now is a huge space of land in the heart of downtown with restaurants, shops, parks, river boat rides,etc. I met tons of Packers and Raiders there and they were having a great time.

A side story. I met few Packers players that brought their families with them as this was a great opportunity for them to visit another country. I won't mention his name but he is a RB brought his mom - sister, and were having the time of their life. Sadly he never saw the field lol but we know he is going to be great!

Continuing....... As I was walking back from ' The Forks' I met up with few of the broadcasters. Spoke about conversation I overheard in the lounge about it being important and I just asked ''what was the worry about that the team staff had to go over to the stadium?'' He told me ''field conditions'' I was shocked. My first reaction was all the money I spent on my vacation and it was going to be cancelled.

So when I arrived at the hotel around 2:30 I made my way down to the lounge and sure enough I bumped into the same broadcaster and few other Packers staff. I brought up the status of the field and they told me '' The raiders approved the field at noon, the nfl said it was great, our guys are going over again at 4 to check'' So I was pleased with the response and I got ready for the game as usual.

At approximately 3:15 I made my way down to the lobby and was standing waiting for autographs or photos of players/coaches. At 3:30 all the Packers staff and broadcasters left for the stadium. The players left shortly after. Aaron Rodgers was not friendly at all to the fans, not even a wave. So I took that as he was prepping for the game and was getting into his zone. I thought great 'aarong is starting'.

At 4:30 I left to the stadium and I turned on the local radio and the field conditions were being discussed. They had their own pre-game show on the local sports station which was fun. They also have tons of radio access to our rivals the Minnesota Vikings. Nothing from Green Bay comes up to Manitoba. I get to the stadium which is a beautiful stadium and if you added another concourse on top it would rival any NFL stadium in size/beauty. For a 33k seat facility I have been there for a Blue Bomber game and know how loud it gets its one of the nicest stadiums in the world. Just beautiful. I walk down to our seats and I notice the field spots in the endzone. It was dark in color and notice nothing much of an issue.

The strangest part of this entire mess was that both the Raiders and Packers were running and catching balls over the spot hundreds of times in warm-ups. Never an issue.

Then the game started and the fans were told about the field adjustments. Not cool.

At half-time I walked down to the field for pictures and sure enough one of the team staff members I visited at the hotel was on the field. He came over, we spoke for a while, and he told me something that has not been discussed at all regarding the field conditions.

He told ''The Raiders and the NFL felt the field was perfect but our GM and President would not budge'' I asked him ''why?'' He told me something I never heard of as a Packers fan which brings us back to the Hall of Fame game.

According to him the Packers are operated differently as a NFL franchise and are not protected under the same laws operating in Wisconsin due to not having a private ownership group in nature, but having incorporated company with public shareholders operating outside of Wisconsin the Packers can not put their employees at risk of known risk of work place injury.

If a player tears his ACL playing Football it falls under the NFL-NFLPA CBA regarding insurance,etc. But if it happens due to a known risk such as a playing surface, they are not protected under the agreement the same as other teams.

I have sent a message over to the broadcaster I met and hopefully he responds and would be great for someone in journalism in Wisconsin to do a story on this as it would be more responsible for the Green Bay Packers to explain themselves other than just letting everyone guess on why the Packers feel differently than the Oakland Raiders.

Jon Gruden post-game knew about this and was clearly not impressed and left the Packers to explain it for themselves.

Other than that. It was a great time. I get to continue on with my vacation and going over to Lake Winnipeg and then Falcon Lake for the weekend. Going to watch the Blue Bombers game tonight and enjoy the rest of my vacation.


Go Packers!

 

[GBkrzygrl]

Thanks for sharing that information. It sounds like you are having a fun vacation. Weird that the Packers don't share that information.

I hope our players were not seriously hurt.

 

[El Guapo]

Welcome KelliParkins.

Great info. I'm even more impressed how well you were able to schmooze with the Packers staff and broadcasters. Sometimes its those random conversations that turn into vacation-changers.

 

[Heyjoe4]

They asked LaFleur too, he said it was a non-issue as far as he was concerned.

Personally, I got sick of hearing about it. Our preseason announcers are a B-league as you can get. I swear one of them called Kuhn, john Gruden. Let it go man, let it go. We would have played football on a 10 yard square if it was available. **** up and play already. It was decided they could play, the game didn't count, just play. They did, but the announcers sounded like jilted lovers with trouble letting go.

Ohhhh lawwwd the field isn't pristine and perfect, They can't play on that, it's a travesty. Let's make that the heart of our coverage all night long....

it's not as if they haven't had the endzone need to be stitched in any other big important games in the US or have played on less than stellar field conditions. It's like they can't find a way to talk about players trying to make the team so they focus on something they can pound a drum about and make it controversial.

The pre-season announcers are AWFUL! And the camera work is about as bad.