I'm not disagreeing with you, TJV; especially on TT.
Here's some of the points for me in regards to our lightning rod GM. Basically for anyone here, especially the most vehement TT supporters.
-I'll point to McGinn's article last week. The guy has brought in what, a dozen or so 2nd/3rd tier minor free agents in 11 years? Eleven years. We went 3 years where the only signing was...Frank Walker.Even his 2 big name guys- Woodson and Peppers- were not obtained in bidding wars from the first second of free agency.
- If it were TT instead of Wolf hired to run the team in '92, do you think we'd have won a SB and went to two? That run and title depended on getting Favre and White; both, not either or, or there'd be no title. Who honestly believes TT would trade a first rounder for a guy who was a second round pick the year before, a bench warmer regarded as more likely to party himself out of the league than end up one of it's all time greats. Or get in a bidding war with the big boys for the services of a 30 year old DE? Judging by his time here, my money would go all in on 'no freaking way'.
- Forget the names "TT' or "Packers". If in any job/profession I told you that someone had 3 main tools to use to maximize their performance/product, but basically only utilized 1, what would you call that?
How about "negligence"? In the real world, you get fired for that.
- I'm thinking the guy has peaked or whatever word you want to use. He can't or won't dare to go for the 'get over the hump' move. Oh, if you're an aging team in need of a roster makeover and someone to fix your cap because it's a mess, he's your guy. But where's the bold and daring "Hey, we need one more ingredient here, one trade or signing that would put us over the top" type of move. Schneider, Dorsey, McLoughan and others are like that, Wolf was. And yes, because of that, I'd rather have any of them then TT.
-B-b-but 2010!! That's nice, but it gets further in the rear view mirror every year. What happened before or since? Take '07. Nice run, but a fluke. TT's answer- stand pat, and come back with pretty much the same roster minus Favre. Last year, oooh thisclose. Outside of the draft, do nothing. How's that working out. Why does it take 2-3 years to do anything about positions of weakness? I don't believe 201o was a fluke; I don't think it's possible for winning a title to be a fluke. But that team basically captured lightning in a bottle for six weeks, needed help just to get in the playoffs, and had to hang on for dear life at the end of 3 of 4 games after blowing big early leads.
-To continue from above. If I told you- again, without the word "Packers" inserted- that nearly 1/3 of a team's roster was comprised of undrafted free agents, would your first thought be "that's a SB contender", or "that's a team in rebuild mode?" You've got Mr. All Universe and his ginormous financial commitment at QB, and you put a bunch of mid round picks, undrafted free agents and projects in front of him? Coach 'em up only goes so far.
- Ah, and now my favorite TT line of defense. "We're more successful than most of the rest of the teams in the league" or variations of that theme. I don't give a flying **** about other teams. What's the point? We're more successful at being unsuccessful than anyone else?We're better at not achieving the ultimate goal than everybody else?And make no mistake gang; the SB is the ultimate goal. Maybe if TT wasn't so risk averse there'd be one or two more Lombardi's at 1265 over the last decade.
-I've said before, no team or fan base talks about SB's more than this one. There's been one title in the last 19 years, 2 in the last 47. Do those of us who point to that have expectations that are too high? I don't believe so. Those expectations have been put there by TT, MM and the organization as a whole. I don't think it's being 'spoiled' to think we should have more than 2 titles in 47 years. For those of you happy with being 'in the mix' every year, good for you. I think we got sold a bill of goods this year.
- It's easier and easier to get the perception that double digit wins , make the playoffs and win the division are good enough in Green Bay if not goal #1. Except this year, we didn't win the division and barely got double digit wins. We've been passed up now by the Cards , Panthers, Seahawks and Vikings. Who next year, the Lions? Because if this off season is more of the same business as usual followed by the same platitudes, then I won't be surprised if double digit wins and making the playoffs join division champions in the crossed off the list section.
To sum up, am I a TT hater? No. Do I think he's a good GM? Yes, overall I think he's done a fine job. But are we true top tier SB contenders or just frauds and also rans? But to stand pat is to fall behind, and if TT refuses to step out of his comfort zone and do everything and and anything to get this team over the hump to a title, then we'll continue deeper into being pretenders, not contenders, and also rans.
And if that's how things are to be done, and enough people are happy with that, then maybe that sign leading into Green Bay saying "Titletown USA" should be changed to "Good Enough Town USA".