Milwaukee is a fine place to live, but it’s easy to envy people who live in central, northern and western Wisconsin for the things they have:
The lush countryside.
Affordable housing.
Low crime rates.
No traffic jams.
Manageable property taxes.
And, thanks to the war between cable companies and the National Football League, they didn't have to suffer through the Packers’ 9-7 victory over Minnesota on Thursday night.
OK, we don't really mean that. Believe it or not, the victory kept the Packers’ playoff hopes alive. They're on life support, but they're alive.
Despite a few fumbles by play by play announcer Bryant Gumbel and wretched performances by both offenses, the broadcast was entertaining. In a season marked by ups, downs and in-betweens, Dave Rayner’s 44-yard field goal with 1 minute 34 seconds left will go down as a memorable highlight in a game that will be forgettable, provided Brett Favre comes back for another season..
Some observations from the night:
Because most reasonable fans had a hard time envisioning the Packers or Vikings as playoff contenders, the NFL Network focused on Favre’s future early and often in the run-up to the game. The first chance he got, analyst Cris Collinsworth, one of the best in the booth, rained on that parade.
"I think anything is possible and I would love to build the drama here a little bit, but if you are asking me to honest, I'd say no," Collinsworth told Gumbel. "I think he is coming back, I really do."
I generally agree with Collinsworth on this front, but I'm starting to have some doubts. The last two victories couldn't have been very satisfying for Favre because he didn't play well. (The first of his two interceptions Thursday, which Fred Smoot returned for a touchdown, appeared to be Greg Jennings' fault. The second, which came on the next pass, was a hideous decision that appeared to be a case of Favre trying to compensate).
We may be headed for another few months of turmoil, because even Favre probably doesn't know how long he wants to play.
The Vikings have one of the best run defenses the NFL has seen in more than 50 years. But three first downs on offense isn't going to get it done. Rookie Tarvaius Jackson showed potential, but the Vikings will be looking for a quarterback soon.
The NFL Network brought some interesting wrinkles to the broadcast. The drive graphic in the score box was cool and it they used a cool scroll on the player graphics when introducing the starters. They also put a microphone on Favre, but the results weren't as interesting as hoped.
Does anybody like those new referee uniforms? There is nothing wrong with comfort, but those pants look like something you'd see at Satriale’s pork store in New Jersey.
How many Packers fans watched the first six games of the season and thought that Charles Woodson was a gamer and one of the more valuable players on the team? How many think so now?
Collinsworth was on the money when he said that tight end is major need for the Packers heading into the off-season. Players go through slumps all the time, but Bubba Franks is finished. He’s dropped about a dozen passes this season and his fumble and holding penalty on Thursday were both hideous.
Packers cornerback Al Harris wants a raise. He probably deserves one, but he shouldn't get it before Cullen Jenkins gets his. The guy looks like he could be a force next season.
Remember when Gumbel blasted NFL players union chief Gene Upshaw? Specifically, he told new commissioner Roger Goodell to "have Paul Tagliabue show you where he keeps Gene Upshaw's leash. By making the docile head of the players union his personal pet, your predecessor has kept the peace without giving players the kind of guarantees other pros take for granted. Try to make sure no one competent ever replaces Upshaw on your watch."
Gumbel got away with that comment, so he probably didn't feel bad in the second half when he proclaimed: "(This) has been kind of an ugly ball game," Gumbel said. "There is no way to dress it up."
The off-field action was as interesting as what happened between the lines. Fans outside the Milwaukee and Green Bay TV markets were livid about the game being restricted to the NFL Network, not available on most cable systems. The cable companies sniped at the NFL, which has been going on all year. The NFL Network fired back with a statement before kickoff:
"The arrangements for the cable telecasts of our games have been the same since they were instituted in 1987," read the statement by Seth Palansky, communications director for the NFL Network. "Nothing has changed today, this week, or this year in regards to this policy and the plans for televising tonight’s Packers-Vikings game.
"The comment by Charter Cable suggesting that we changed our plans at the last minute is completely inaccurate and simply an attempt to turn attention away from the fact that Charter is denying its customers tonight’s Packers game and other NFL games. As we communicated earlier in the year to Charter and others, WFRV in Green Bay and WITI in Milwaukee will carry tonight’s Packers-Vikings game under the policy that has been in place since 1987. NFL Network will carry the game nationally. This is the same procedure used when an NFL game is on ESPN. Over-the-air stations in the participating team cities carry the game in addition to ESPN."
The other interesting off-field development came when NFL Network reporter Adam Schefter quoted "a reliable source" and reported that the Raiders will fire coach Art Shell after the season. The Raiders promptly issued a statement blasting Schefter, who covered the Broncos for 15 years and wrote a book with their coach, Mike Shanahan.
"Adam Schefter has always been a false rumor monger with respect to the Raiders and anti-Raider based upon his relationship with Denver and Mike Shanahan," the statement read. "No decisions have been made relative to the 2007 Oakland Raiders nor will they be made for some time. Adam Schefter could not have gotten his information from a reliable source because there is only one reliable source and he doesn't trust Adam."
The "one reliable source" is, of course, Al Davis.
We're not sure if Thursday marked Favre’s last game (or that of Franks, William Henderson, Harris or Ahman Green), but it was the finale for Packers President Bob Harlan, who turns over the reigns to John Jones next year. Harlan has been one of the better executives in the history of Wisconsin sports and deserves a lot of credit for helping transform the Packers from a laughingstock to a successful business.
For many Packers fans, it's going to seem strange to see all the other teams playing on Christmas Eve. You wonder how many will pull out a tape of Yancey Thigpen's drop, just for old time's sake.
The lush countryside.
Affordable housing.
Low crime rates.
No traffic jams.
Manageable property taxes.
And, thanks to the war between cable companies and the National Football League, they didn't have to suffer through the Packers’ 9-7 victory over Minnesota on Thursday night.
OK, we don't really mean that. Believe it or not, the victory kept the Packers’ playoff hopes alive. They're on life support, but they're alive.
Despite a few fumbles by play by play announcer Bryant Gumbel and wretched performances by both offenses, the broadcast was entertaining. In a season marked by ups, downs and in-betweens, Dave Rayner’s 44-yard field goal with 1 minute 34 seconds left will go down as a memorable highlight in a game that will be forgettable, provided Brett Favre comes back for another season..
Some observations from the night:
Because most reasonable fans had a hard time envisioning the Packers or Vikings as playoff contenders, the NFL Network focused on Favre’s future early and often in the run-up to the game. The first chance he got, analyst Cris Collinsworth, one of the best in the booth, rained on that parade.
"I think anything is possible and I would love to build the drama here a little bit, but if you are asking me to honest, I'd say no," Collinsworth told Gumbel. "I think he is coming back, I really do."
I generally agree with Collinsworth on this front, but I'm starting to have some doubts. The last two victories couldn't have been very satisfying for Favre because he didn't play well. (The first of his two interceptions Thursday, which Fred Smoot returned for a touchdown, appeared to be Greg Jennings' fault. The second, which came on the next pass, was a hideous decision that appeared to be a case of Favre trying to compensate).
We may be headed for another few months of turmoil, because even Favre probably doesn't know how long he wants to play.
The Vikings have one of the best run defenses the NFL has seen in more than 50 years. But three first downs on offense isn't going to get it done. Rookie Tarvaius Jackson showed potential, but the Vikings will be looking for a quarterback soon.
The NFL Network brought some interesting wrinkles to the broadcast. The drive graphic in the score box was cool and it they used a cool scroll on the player graphics when introducing the starters. They also put a microphone on Favre, but the results weren't as interesting as hoped.
Does anybody like those new referee uniforms? There is nothing wrong with comfort, but those pants look like something you'd see at Satriale’s pork store in New Jersey.
How many Packers fans watched the first six games of the season and thought that Charles Woodson was a gamer and one of the more valuable players on the team? How many think so now?
Collinsworth was on the money when he said that tight end is major need for the Packers heading into the off-season. Players go through slumps all the time, but Bubba Franks is finished. He’s dropped about a dozen passes this season and his fumble and holding penalty on Thursday were both hideous.
Packers cornerback Al Harris wants a raise. He probably deserves one, but he shouldn't get it before Cullen Jenkins gets his. The guy looks like he could be a force next season.
Remember when Gumbel blasted NFL players union chief Gene Upshaw? Specifically, he told new commissioner Roger Goodell to "have Paul Tagliabue show you where he keeps Gene Upshaw's leash. By making the docile head of the players union his personal pet, your predecessor has kept the peace without giving players the kind of guarantees other pros take for granted. Try to make sure no one competent ever replaces Upshaw on your watch."
Gumbel got away with that comment, so he probably didn't feel bad in the second half when he proclaimed: "(This) has been kind of an ugly ball game," Gumbel said. "There is no way to dress it up."
The off-field action was as interesting as what happened between the lines. Fans outside the Milwaukee and Green Bay TV markets were livid about the game being restricted to the NFL Network, not available on most cable systems. The cable companies sniped at the NFL, which has been going on all year. The NFL Network fired back with a statement before kickoff:
"The arrangements for the cable telecasts of our games have been the same since they were instituted in 1987," read the statement by Seth Palansky, communications director for the NFL Network. "Nothing has changed today, this week, or this year in regards to this policy and the plans for televising tonight’s Packers-Vikings game.
"The comment by Charter Cable suggesting that we changed our plans at the last minute is completely inaccurate and simply an attempt to turn attention away from the fact that Charter is denying its customers tonight’s Packers game and other NFL games. As we communicated earlier in the year to Charter and others, WFRV in Green Bay and WITI in Milwaukee will carry tonight’s Packers-Vikings game under the policy that has been in place since 1987. NFL Network will carry the game nationally. This is the same procedure used when an NFL game is on ESPN. Over-the-air stations in the participating team cities carry the game in addition to ESPN."
The other interesting off-field development came when NFL Network reporter Adam Schefter quoted "a reliable source" and reported that the Raiders will fire coach Art Shell after the season. The Raiders promptly issued a statement blasting Schefter, who covered the Broncos for 15 years and wrote a book with their coach, Mike Shanahan.
"Adam Schefter has always been a false rumor monger with respect to the Raiders and anti-Raider based upon his relationship with Denver and Mike Shanahan," the statement read. "No decisions have been made relative to the 2007 Oakland Raiders nor will they be made for some time. Adam Schefter could not have gotten his information from a reliable source because there is only one reliable source and he doesn't trust Adam."
The "one reliable source" is, of course, Al Davis.
We're not sure if Thursday marked Favre’s last game (or that of Franks, William Henderson, Harris or Ahman Green), but it was the finale for Packers President Bob Harlan, who turns over the reigns to John Jones next year. Harlan has been one of the better executives in the history of Wisconsin sports and deserves a lot of credit for helping transform the Packers from a laughingstock to a successful business.
For many Packers fans, it's going to seem strange to see all the other teams playing on Christmas Eve. You wonder how many will pull out a tape of Yancey Thigpen's drop, just for old time's sake.
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
