Because I got fired up and went long on a couple of different points in the Green Bay Packers links and non-Packers links sections of this week’s Surviving Sunday, I’ll spare you the long, drawn-out intro and get right to it:
Packers News, Notes and Links
- Folks were all up in arms earlier this week when a report was released highlighting how NFL teams, including the Packers, have received taxpayer dollars from the Department of Defense for various military marketing programs. The original report was light on details, and, in my opinion, reeked of a news outlet trying its hardest to cash in on the OUTRAGE culture that grips a certain segment of folks. The Journal-Sentinel did a little more digging for the Packers’ side of the story. Sounds like most of the funding went toward traditional marketing activities for the military, not “honor our troops” type of ceremonies that every team coordinates. I always find it baffling when we demand that our government behave more like the private sector, then when it does, we get angry. The private sector spends money on marketing and advertising. Our all-volunteer military has to market and advertise to help with recruitment, retention and general goodwill. Marketing and advertising costs money. A lot of it, especially when you’re partnering with the NFL. Yeah, it makes me squirm a bit to think about the Packers not doing “honor the troops” types of activities strictly out of the goodness of their hearts. But it sounds like the vast majority of the dollars were not dedicated to those types of activities. If that’s the case, this story is nothing to get OUTRAGED over.
- Aaron Rodgers: Packers quarterback, NFL MVP, Super Bowl winner, Celebrity Jeopardy champion.
- As the years have gone on, it’s kind of become cool to like Jarrett Bush. The guy works his ass off and goes all out on special teams. We still cringed whenever he lined up at defensive back, but we came to appreciate his attitude and take-no-prisoners approach to the game. If Bush is, indeed, done in Green Bay, I’ll miss him. Even though on several occasions I have unleashed a string of profanity that would make Andrew Dice Clay blush following a Bush blown coverage, I grew to respect him and appreciate what he did for the Packers when put into the proper role.
- Brett Favre doesn’t think Tom Brady was cheating. Never mind that he also said he hasn’t been paying attention to the issue. That hasn’t stopped any red-blooded American from having an opinion before, so have at it, Brett!
- Luther Robinson will forever be known as the dude who tipped that pass that led to that really awesome Julius Peppers pick-six against the Vikings on a random Thursday night.
Non Packers links and other Nonsense
- I hate how whenever something like Deflategate happens, there’s a sector of people who try too hard to be contrarians or find some type of gray area on the issue. I’m a gray area guy myself. Most things aren’t black and white, but I think Deflategate is about as clear cut as you can get. The evidence overwhelmingly shows that Brady cheated. Four games is perfectly reasonable for what the evidence overwhelmingly shows Brady did. It doesn’t matter how much you hate Roger Goodell. It doesn’t matter how Goodell has handled past issues of discipline. It doesn’t matter if you think every team cheats and Brady was the unfortunate soul who got caught. It doesn’t matter if you had issues with the NFL’s reasoning for suspending Brady beyond the mere fact that he cheated. It doesn’t matter if you think deflating the football isn’t a big deal and didn’t give Brady any type of advantage. There’s overwhelming evidence that Brady broke the rules and a four-game suspension is more than justified. Period. Don’t overthink it. Leave the overthinking to lawyers.
- That said, I laughed hard as I was reading this.
- I just learned that Ric Flair has a podcast this week. WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME ABOUT THIS BEFORE?!?!?!?! Whooooooo!
- I can’t say enough good things about Dave Koch Sports and his tremendous lineup of Action PC sports management games. If you’re a giant nerd like me, check them out and support a Wisconsin resident and fellow Packers fan.
- Now what the hell am I going to do at the county fair that I can’t look at the chickens? Seriously, though. This bird-flu thing is a mess. My thoughts go out to the farmers dealing with it. Here’s hoping it gets cleared up soon.
- \m/ New song from Lamb of God \m/
Adam Czech is a a freelance sports reporter living in the Twin Cities and a proud supporter of American corn farmers. When not working, Adam is usually writing about, thinking about or worrying about the Packers. Follow Adam on Twitter. Twitter .
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Secretary of State John Kerry, who I went to grammar school with back in 1958, said only losers join the military. With that kind of encouragement from the Obama administration is it any wonder the Armed Services have to spend lots of money to recruit.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1729062/posts
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/15499174/ns/politics/t/uproar-over-kerry-iraq-remarks/#.VViW0nnbLcs
Kerry was referring to being stuck in Iraq because of all the lies and bullish*t that Bush told in his stupid war…WMD?? How many killed because of Bush and Iraq is nothing but a horrible mess right now because of him and his lies…Kerry was right to say that at the time in 2006…Obama wasn’t the president in the time frame he was talking about get your facts straight wing nut and also Kerry is a vet are you?
I was told by someone who I shall not name to not involve politics here so I am paying it forward.
Ted
Lol, I’m pretty sure a off the cuff comment made almost 10 years ago is not the reason why the army has to spend lots of money to recruit. I would guess the possibility of getting shipped to a desert to protect oil fields for billionaires would have more to do with it.
That was a prevalent attitude at the time, one that I suspect Kerry never lost. Long story short, my eldest sister who was sent to public schools had friends who were drafted and went to Viet Nam. My other sister was sent to parochial school, and she had very few friends who served. That may have had a lot to do with class, and my sisters’ differences in their choices of friends. The ‘loser’ lesson was not lost on me, even as an eleven year old, although in my household, given that my father was a WWII veteran, the lesson he tried to convey was that if you don’t do well enough in school, you don’t earn the choice of whether to serve, not that one was a loser if one served. It took me longer to realize the distinction, until my best friend in high school enlisted and rose to be a Lt. Commander and my best friend since then actually served during Viet Nam.
In regards to the song….WOW!!!
I’ll leave the interpretation of WOW to you and others but it’s certainly the epitome of the “To each his own” belief.
Is Cannibal Corpse more your style than Lamb of God, Taryn?
If you’re inferring either have ‘style’ then neither would be mine as it would be very clear I have none and musically impaired to think I can acquire it. 🙂
Agree with most of what Czech had to say except the first portion regarding the Packers taking money to “honor the troops”.
It stinks to high heaven for Murphy to make money to recognize the people who keep us safe and free. He should be be beating on their doors just to have the privilege to perform that function. I greatly admire those men and women who have engaged in combat to defeat those who would like to slit the throat of every American.
Big difference between Bob Harlan and Mark Murphy.
The military paid the Packers $600,000 for marketing. That’s not a very large payment in the grand scheme of things considering the military pays ESPN $397,000 for every 30-second commercial broadcast during Monday Night Football. A large portion of the military budget is for recruitment. Not every cent goes to buying aircraft carriers, tanks, and bombs.
I agree. I remember vividly the tons of army, air force and marine commercials in the 70’s and 80’s during the Packers game. “Be All You Can Be” was a constant. Advertising is advertising and the U.S. Government needs a constant supply of recruits to fight and die in their never ending battles. They even asked John Wayne to make the movie “Sands of Iwo Jima” after recruiting was down after WWII. Enlistment went thru the roof after the movie. Same with Tom Cruise and Top Gun. Whatever form of media it takes they will use it.. TV and movies are very good at times.
Ted
You don’t really think that the military paying for advertising during pre-game festivities at NFL games is a new thing, or a Mark Murphy thing, do you?
This is simply a case in which we, the ignorant public, first got a glimpse behind the PR machine most of us didn’t even realized existed.
It was a pretty good campaign, too. How many of us looked at those pre-game ‘honor the troops’ spots as though it was the outpouring of grateful civilians who wanted to show their support, when in reality, it was the US Government artificially stirring up those emotions with the express intent to recruit young people to join the military.
It is nothing new, it was just exceptionally well done. Back in the 40’s and 50’s military advertising was simply far more blatant. Nothing has changed except the advertising is far more subtle on the surface and far more complex in its under workings, while the public is apparently not nearly has keen to see through the veil.
If Brett Favre doesn’t think Tom Brady was cheating than that should end the debate once and for all and Brady’s charges and fines should be dropped. Brett Favre might have possibly accidently sent a photo of his thing to a younger looking version of his wife (Jen Sterger) but damnit, he never cheated. Last but not least he also didn’t think calling up Matt Millen and discussing all the Packers plays and how to beat the Packers was cheating. Brett Favre for President in 2016!! He’s definitely qualified!!
Ted
His thing? You mean his crocs?
He has two crocs? That should be easy to spot in a lineup. Correct me if I am wrong but didn’t Brett Favre have to stand in a police lineup with about 7 other guys and pull down his pants while Jen Sterger tried to identify the correct crock behind dark hidden glass? Did she ever identify it? It said in the video the Favre did get fined 50,000.00 by the NFL for not cooperating. I wonder how much Deanna fined him. I’m pretty sure we all know what her penalty was. lol
Ted
1) Actually, Luther Robinson will probably not be remembered for anything at all.
2) Yup, the military ….. ADVERTISES. ***GASP*** I, for one, am appalled and horrified!! Wait… no I’m not.
3) Brady is guilty!? No, no, my friend. Didn’t you hear that “The Deflator” was just a big, fat guy who’s trying to lose weight? See? It really was a gigantic, nation-wide conspiracy against that lovable Tom Brady all along! Never mind the 11 flabby footballs, haters gonna hate Tommy cuz he’s GOOD, dammit!
“There’s overwhelming evidence that Brady broke the rules and a four-game suspension is more than justified.”
This is one of the rare times when a team was overtly thumbing its nose at the written rules (and was caught). There was a discussion this last week on integrity (NFL vs. Pats), but to me this is where the rubber hits the road. The punishment needed to be inconsistent with the crime in terms of its severity so that even when it is reduced on appeal it still has a chance to create a sense of fear in others.
Adam, couldn’t agree more about the “OUTRAGE culture” so many participate in. It’s very disturbing and I’m surprised their isn’t more talk about how it has pervaded our lives.