The Packer Pundit

Quirky Or Not,
Packers' Pre-Game Routines Serve A Purpose
By Mike Spofford
Packers.com / Posted 12/23/2006
Athletes in all sports have their ways of getting ready, and feeling ready, to compete. A lot of basketball players need to make their last shot in warm-ups before the game starts, even if it's a simple lay-up. Golfers hit so many balls on the range, and take a certain number of putts on the practice green, from specific distances, before they hit the course. Football players are no different, though sometimes their pre-game routines are a bit more drawn out and complex than your average athlete's regimen. From putting on all that equipment, to getting their ankles and wrists taped in the training room, to finding the right way to loosen up for 60 minutes of abusive physical conduct, the pre-game routines of football players can encompass several steps. In the Green Bay Packers' locker room, you won't find too many players whose routines are all that strange or bizarre. There aren't any Pedro Cerranos with voodoo dolls in their lockers, like the famous character from the baseball movie Major League. But the routines or rituals, call them what you will, all serve a purpose, both for the players and those around the players. They're about feeling comfortable, feeling ready, and feeling like there's something special about the day. Oh yeah, it's game day.

The battle armor
All the pads and equipment players wear make the process of getting dressed a routine in itself for some. Receiver Robert Ferguson is known to lay out his entire uniform in front of his locker, from head to toe, just like it will look on him before he starts to actually put it on. Some players seek out a specific member of the equipment staff help him put his pads on before a game. Offensive tackle Chad Clifton always has equipment assistant Tim Odea work with him, while defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila always has equipment manager Gordon "Red" Batty. "We have our time down," KGB said. "When I see Red, I know there's 20 minutes left before I go on the field for warm-ups, and it's not just any other day, it's game day. "I've had different guys for practice, but practice is just practice. I'm still focused, but it's not as intense as a game." The equipment staff always gives offensive tackle Mark Tauscher a new pair of gloves before a game, but he doesn't use them. He puts them in his locker, because those will be the gloves he wears, and breaks in, during practice the following week for the next game. "Everyone is different," Tauscher said. "You want something to feel comfortable in. You don't want to have to break something in because it's just something else to worry about." -- More




Which holes will Thompson plug in draft?
How about finding complements to Driver or Kampman?
By Rob Demovsky
greenbaypressgazette.com
With college football's bowl season under way, NFL teams' scouts are finishing their in-season player reports. Those reports will be modified following the all-star games, February's NFL scouting combine, individual workouts and one-on-one interviews. Nevertheless, enough is known about many of the top college prospects for teams to have educated opinions about the players they will consider selecting in April's draft. So, it's at this point that teams like the Green Bay Packers begin assessing not only their needs but what will be available to them before the draft, a la in free agency. Without knowing whether Ted Thompson, the Packers' normally conservative general manager, will take a more active approach to free agency in his third offseason running the team, it's safe to assume he again will rely heavily on the college draft to fill many of the glaring holes on his roster. In Thompson's first two drafts, he has selected a quarterback and a linebacker with his first-round picks. Those are probably the only positions — other than specialists — that Thompson is unlikely to consider with his first-round pick on April 28. The Packers appear stacked at linebacker with last year's No. 1 pick, A.J. Hawk, entrenched as a starter. The other two starters — Brady Poppinga and Nick Barnett — are under contract for next season, and there's another rookie, Abdul Hodge, who is viewed as an eventual starter. At quarterback, much hinges on whether Brett Favre returns next season. Not enough is known about Aaron Rodgers, the Packers' No. 1 pick in 2005, to determine whether or not he'll be a viable replacement. However, Thompson and first-year coach Mike McCarthy continually have praised Rodgers' development and appear committed to giving him the first shot at replacing Favre. The Packers are going to need a starting running back in the near future, even if they re-sign Ahman Green. Though Green has bounced back from a quadriceps tendon injury from 2005 and is on the cusp of another 1,000-yard season, he'll turn 30 on Feb. 16. However, with the new zone-blocking scheme, the Packers are of the belief they don't necessarily have to spend a high draft pick on a back. -- More




Learning process afoot for Rodgers
By Jason Wilde / wsj.com
It's a little touchy-feely, Aaron Rodgers will admit - especially when you're the heir apparent to the so-called toughest quarterback in the NFL. But during the five weeks since he suffered a season-ending broken left foot in a Nov. 19 loss to New England - a foot he was tough enough to play on for almost the entire second half - the Green Bay Packers' second-year quarterback has been keeping a journal. Go ahead, make your wisecracks - Is it pink? Does he do scrapbooking, too? - but it got him through the toughest time of his short NFL career. The 2005 first-round draft pick has gone from despondent and depressed to eager and enthusiastic as a result. "It's just (to) remember the kind of feelings I had during this time when I wasn't able to play," said Rodgers, adding that he spent the first week after the injury on his couch, doing nothing other than playing an occasional video game - and feeling sorry for himself. "I miss it. I miss the game, and when it's gone, I think you realize how much you care about it. And I think maybe I won't take it for granted as much. And it's also been a good time to do some personal reflection and figure out if I'm the kind of man, the kind of teammate, the kind of player I want to be, and analyze maybe some changes I need to make. I've been doing a lot of soul-searching, I guess." The fact that Rodgers is so self-aware doesn't guarantee he'll be able to be an instant success when he eventually takes over for the icon, Brett Favre - whenever that might be - but it does seem like a pretty good indicator of Rodgers' psychological makeup. He'll have to be rugged mentally to hack the burden of following a legend. -- More







Meet Dawn
Arizona Cardinals
Cheerleader

My name is Dawn and this is my 8th year on the squad!! It is hard to believe that it has actually been that many years; they have gone by so fast!!! I am 1 of 4 captains this year and I love doing that. I have so many great friends that I have met being a cheerleader. I am so blessed to know them. Every year I have had so many new experiences and opportunities, I feel so lucky to be a part of the Cardinals organization and this squad.

For those fans out there who have sat through the horrible heat of Sun Devil stadium you all know how lucky we are to have our beautiful new stadium. It is so nice this year to not have the sun beating down on us and dying of heat!! Everything is so detailed and thought out in there that it makes you proud to have been there the very first year!! It gave me goose bumps and tears in my eyes on that first game just to be a part of it. It is something that I will never forget. It is such a great feeling to see all of the Cardinals fans out there in the stands and the sea of RED!! The fans have always been so supportive of us, that is why we do what we do!!

The Cardinals is also a very big part of my personal life. My 2 biggest fans are my children. They have always known me to be a Cardinals Cheerleader since I started when my son couldn’t even walk yet. They love going to the games and they have been involved in many of my activities. They both love the Cardinals and my son always says that he is going to play for the team when he grows up. I could not have been able to be a cheerleader if it was not for my parents. They are so supportive and help me watch my kids when I have practice or appearances. They have been season ticket holders for all 8 years and have missed very few games. It is very nice to know that they are out there in the crowd for me.