Fans Have Many Reasons To Be Thankful
By Chris Havel
As Packers fans prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving it is only proper that they remember to give thanks for such a mesmerizing season.
The Packers are off to their best start since 1962. It doesn’t get much better than that. The fact that their 9-1 win-loss record exceeds expectations makes it all the sweeter.
Based on conversations with listeners during my afternoon radio show and at the Packer Fan Tours’ MVP parties, I get the feeling fans are thankful…
- That Brett Favre loves to play the game as much as they love to watch him. Favre, at 38, owns every significant NFL passing record. He is the greatest quarterback in league history, and he is Green Bay’s for all time.
- That Ryan Grant wasn’t good enough to crack the New York Giants’ depth chart at running back, a circumstance that enabled the Packers to acquire him. Grant is one of those rare finds that makes everyone in the organization look good.
- That general manager Ted Thompson appears (blessed, focused, obsessed) with doing what it takes to build a Super Bowl contender. Thompson’s apparent lack of ego is overshadowed only by his unwavering work ethic. The next time Thompson drafts a linebacker from Boise State, an allegedly slow-footed receiver from San Jose State or an injury-prone defensive tackle from Tennessee, give him the benefit of the doubt.
I get the feeling Packers fans are thankful…
- That Rex Grossman continues to be in the Bears’ quarterback rotation.
- That the Vikings’ front office wisely elected to hire coach Brad Childress before he left to meet with Packers officials.
- That cornerback Charles Woodson has been the rare high-profile free agent that actually exceeded expectations. Woodson has four interceptions in the past five games with no letup. He also is an adept punt return specialist.
I get the feeling Packers fans are thankful…
- That there is still a chance Will Blackmon’s foot will heal in time for him to take over the punt-return duties from Woodson. Blackmon’s pretty good and every time Woodson fields a punt it makes fans cringe.
- That Donald Driver endures as one of the NFL’s most explosive and most underrated receivers. Driver has been a playmaker and a leader for what otherwise is a very talented but vastly inexperienced receiving unit.
- That coach Mike McCarthy is developing into one of the finest young head coaches in the game. McCarthy, like Thompson, keeps his ego on a short leash. He cares more about putting his players in position to succeed than anything else.
- I get the feeling Packers fans are thankful…
- That their team still has the Chicago Bears on the schedule.
- That Koren Robinson has been so diligent in trying to overcome his off-the-field problems. Robinson’s talent is obvious. So is his desire to contribute.
- That Greg Jennings and James Jones don’t act like they know it all. They merely play that way.
I get the feeling Packers fans are thankful…
- That kick-coverage team cares enough to dance and sing together even if the NFL may ask them to cease and desist.
- That the Packers matched the Vikings’ offer to defensive end Aaron Kampman, that Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila has embraced his role as a pass-rush specialist, and that Ryan Pickett and Corey Williams are among the league’s top tackle tandems.
- That they aren’t Vikings, Bears or Lions fans.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Chris Havel is a freelance writer, best-selling author and host of northeast Wisconsin’s top-rated sports radio talk show, Sports Line, heard Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sports Radio 107.5 FM and 1400 AM THE FAN. He writes a weekly column exclusively for Packers Fan Tours’ Website throughout the 2007 season.
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