Sorry for the extended absence, my otherwise not-so-exciting life got a little overwhelming with the Wisconsin State Journal's annual NFL season preview magazine (available in your Sunday edition) and my brother's nuptials (congrats, Kid) the past two weeks.
But now that the regular season is here, we're back with a three-times-a-week schedule, which -- believe me -- is more than enough Wilde for you. So without further ado ...
Mark it down: Greg Jennings is going to become the sixth rookie wide receiver since 1990 to catch 1,000 yards worth of passes in his first season. He'll be more productive than the three receivers taken in front of him in the draft -- Ohio State's Santonio Holmes (Pittsburgh, 25th overall), Florida's Chad Jackson (New England, 36th) and Miami (Fla.)'s Sinorice Moss (New York Giants, 44th) -- in part because he's the only rookie receiver in the NFL expected to start this weekend.
Care to guess five of the 546 wide receivers drafted from 1990 through 2005 have had 1,000-yard seasons as rookies? (Cue Alex Trebek and the final "Jeopardy!" theme.) Joey Galloway (1995), Terry Glenn (1996), Randy Moss (1998), Anquan Boldin (2003) and Michael Clayton (2004).
It is painfully obvious how much Charles Woodson hates the exhibition season. When I asked him Thursday if he was excited about returning punts, he replied, "I'm just excited to get to a (real) game. That's the main thing.'' Maybe his horrendous performance against Cincinnati in the penultimate preseason game was caused more by disinterest than anything. But for $10 million this year, the guy had better be light-years better than he was in the games that didn't count.
I must admit, though, that I'm anxious to see what Woodson, who returned 36 punts for 301 yards -- including a 78-yard touchdown against Ohio State -- during his Heisman Trophy-winning season of 1997, does on punt returns. I know a lot of fans didn't like diminutive Antonio Chatman because he didn't create many big plays, but the guy also didn't muff any balls, either. He never lost a fumble as the Packers' punt returner, and after seeing what a joke fourth-round pick Cory Rodgers was -- he looked like one of those fans who tries to catch the ball off the Juggs machine in that Lambeau pregame contest -- you appreciate how important ball security is...
What did you think of the much-ballyhooed Brett Favre interview with Bob Costas on HBO, during which Favre left the door slightly ajar for playing elsewhere in 2007 if the Packers want to continue rebuilding without him and he believes he can still play? Here's what my gut tells me: It's the first step in what will be a long process, ending in Favre finishing his career in another uniform, just like Montana, Namath, Unitas, et al.
Here's why I think that. Last year, Favre told me the story of watching a washed-up Kenny Stabler playing for the New Orleans Saints. Favre, 14 at the time, was in the Louisiana Superdome stands with his father, Irvin, and older brother, Scott. "And I couldn't wait to see Kenny Stabler come out of the locker room,'' Favre remembered. "He came out and his hair was all long, his uniform was hanging off of him -- his better days were behind him. I just remember, to the fans, he was just the savior. Boy, once they got him in New Orleans, he was going to turn them around. Well, that didn't happen.
"I'd hate to go somewhere else and have everybody say, 'Hey, we've got Brett.' I mean, too many great things have happened for me here. And if it ends tomorrow, it ends tomorrow. But, I don't need to go somewhere else and prove anything.
"I don't see myself like a Kenny Stabler. No offense to him, he had a great career and he was a great quarterback. But I see myself as a Packer, and that's it. I don't ever see myself in another uniform."
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's different than what Favre told Costas ("I can't say it wouldn't happen.'') and what he said in his bi-weekly press conference Wednesday ("Would I consider playing for someone else? I guess I would. Do I think that'll happen? I'm 99.9 percent sure that that won't happen.'')
The thing I don't see is how each side is going to avoid being the bad guy if Favre indeed plays elsewhere. It's going to be awkward, no matter what. General manager Ted Thompson isn't going to want to be the guy who pushed out Favre, and Favre doesn't want to squander his god-like status in Wisconsin by pushing to leave.
To me, the ideal solution is simple: Favre cuts his 36 turnovers (29 interceptions, seven lost fumbles) from last year in half and stays healthy and productive, the Packers go a surprising 7-9, 8-8 or, miraculously, 9-7, and Favre gets his chance to go out on top in 2007 -- "pulling an Elway'' as he calls it -- without having to leave Green Bay to do so.
Jason Wilde covers the Packers for the Wisconsin State Journal. You can read his stories at the newspaper Web site -- www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports. Wilde also talks about the Packers each morning on "The D-List" and each afternoon on "The World's Greatest Sports Talk Show," on Milwaukee's ESPN Radio 1510 Days / 1290 Nights and Madison's Fox Sports Radio (100.5 FM).
But now that the regular season is here, we're back with a three-times-a-week schedule, which -- believe me -- is more than enough Wilde for you. So without further ado ...
Mark it down: Greg Jennings is going to become the sixth rookie wide receiver since 1990 to catch 1,000 yards worth of passes in his first season. He'll be more productive than the three receivers taken in front of him in the draft -- Ohio State's Santonio Holmes (Pittsburgh, 25th overall), Florida's Chad Jackson (New England, 36th) and Miami (Fla.)'s Sinorice Moss (New York Giants, 44th) -- in part because he's the only rookie receiver in the NFL expected to start this weekend.
Care to guess five of the 546 wide receivers drafted from 1990 through 2005 have had 1,000-yard seasons as rookies? (Cue Alex Trebek and the final "Jeopardy!" theme.) Joey Galloway (1995), Terry Glenn (1996), Randy Moss (1998), Anquan Boldin (2003) and Michael Clayton (2004).
It is painfully obvious how much Charles Woodson hates the exhibition season. When I asked him Thursday if he was excited about returning punts, he replied, "I'm just excited to get to a (real) game. That's the main thing.'' Maybe his horrendous performance against Cincinnati in the penultimate preseason game was caused more by disinterest than anything. But for $10 million this year, the guy had better be light-years better than he was in the games that didn't count.
I must admit, though, that I'm anxious to see what Woodson, who returned 36 punts for 301 yards -- including a 78-yard touchdown against Ohio State -- during his Heisman Trophy-winning season of 1997, does on punt returns. I know a lot of fans didn't like diminutive Antonio Chatman because he didn't create many big plays, but the guy also didn't muff any balls, either. He never lost a fumble as the Packers' punt returner, and after seeing what a joke fourth-round pick Cory Rodgers was -- he looked like one of those fans who tries to catch the ball off the Juggs machine in that Lambeau pregame contest -- you appreciate how important ball security is...
What did you think of the much-ballyhooed Brett Favre interview with Bob Costas on HBO, during which Favre left the door slightly ajar for playing elsewhere in 2007 if the Packers want to continue rebuilding without him and he believes he can still play? Here's what my gut tells me: It's the first step in what will be a long process, ending in Favre finishing his career in another uniform, just like Montana, Namath, Unitas, et al.
Here's why I think that. Last year, Favre told me the story of watching a washed-up Kenny Stabler playing for the New Orleans Saints. Favre, 14 at the time, was in the Louisiana Superdome stands with his father, Irvin, and older brother, Scott. "And I couldn't wait to see Kenny Stabler come out of the locker room,'' Favre remembered. "He came out and his hair was all long, his uniform was hanging off of him -- his better days were behind him. I just remember, to the fans, he was just the savior. Boy, once they got him in New Orleans, he was going to turn them around. Well, that didn't happen.
"I'd hate to go somewhere else and have everybody say, 'Hey, we've got Brett.' I mean, too many great things have happened for me here. And if it ends tomorrow, it ends tomorrow. But, I don't need to go somewhere else and prove anything.
"I don't see myself like a Kenny Stabler. No offense to him, he had a great career and he was a great quarterback. But I see myself as a Packer, and that's it. I don't ever see myself in another uniform."
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's different than what Favre told Costas ("I can't say it wouldn't happen.'') and what he said in his bi-weekly press conference Wednesday ("Would I consider playing for someone else? I guess I would. Do I think that'll happen? I'm 99.9 percent sure that that won't happen.'')
The thing I don't see is how each side is going to avoid being the bad guy if Favre indeed plays elsewhere. It's going to be awkward, no matter what. General manager Ted Thompson isn't going to want to be the guy who pushed out Favre, and Favre doesn't want to squander his god-like status in Wisconsin by pushing to leave.
To me, the ideal solution is simple: Favre cuts his 36 turnovers (29 interceptions, seven lost fumbles) from last year in half and stays healthy and productive, the Packers go a surprising 7-9, 8-8 or, miraculously, 9-7, and Favre gets his chance to go out on top in 2007 -- "pulling an Elway'' as he calls it -- without having to leave Green Bay to do so.
Jason Wilde covers the Packers for the Wisconsin State Journal. You can read his stories at the newspaper Web site -- www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports. Wilde also talks about the Packers each morning on "The D-List" and each afternoon on "The World's Greatest Sports Talk Show," on Milwaukee's ESPN Radio 1510 Days / 1290 Nights and Madison's Fox Sports Radio (100.5 FM).
Jason Wilde, a Milwaukee native who graduated from Greendale Martin Luther High School and the University of Wisconsin, is a two-time Associated Press Sports Editors award winner and a Wisconsin Newspaper Association award winner.
His daily coverage can be found on the State Journal's Web site and through his Packers blog on madison.com.
