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Jackel On Sports
Friday November 6, 2009
Posted by: ggiesen at 8:30PM CST on November 6, 2009
OK, I understand that J.J. Hardy had worn out his welcome with the Milwaukee Brewers and had to go. I further understand that Mike Cameron will turn 37 in January and Brewers general manager Doug Melvin had to start thinking in terms of youth. But Carlos Gomez? I just don’t get that one. When the Brewers traded Hardy to the Minnesota Twins Friday for Gomez, they got rid of a headache and acquired a player who is nearly 13 years younger than Cameron. The problem is that Gomez is presumably going to play every day. In his three seasons with the Twins, Gomez had abysmal on-base averages of .288, .296 and .287. In other words, the man doesn’t get on base, which hinders the Brewers’ ability to score runs. And when you give up runs at the pace the Brewers’ pitching staff did last year, how is Gomez going to help? Melvin was quoted as saying Friday that, "Carlos brings to our club great speed, athleticism and energy at a position that we needed to fill." Yeah? So what? Carl Lewis had great speed and athleticism as well, but I sure wouldn’t want him playing center field for the Brewers. All we need to know about Gomez was that in 2008, when he appeared in 163 games and got 577 at-bats, he produced the grand total of seven home runs and 59 RBIs. But the clincher is that he struck out 142 times and walked just 25 times. I suppose there’s a reason Melvin is the general manager of a major league team and I am just a sportswriter. But if Gomez ends up being a productive player for the Brewers, I will be more than happy to put up another post a year from now proclaiming that I didn’t know what I was talking about. Monday August 10, 2009
Posted by: ggiesen at 11:37PM CST on August 10, 2009
By Peter Jackel Following the 2005 season, Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson decided that offensive line mainstays Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle would be too expensive to re-sign and opted to allow both to leave via the free-agent market. Packer fans were absolutely up in arms about this. Thompson should have simply opened the Packers’ vault and issued a blank check to both of these players, these fans were saying. And the "Ted-is-an-idiot" campaign started picking up steam. Let’s see now. Rivera signed with the Dallas Cowboys, missed the final two games of the 2005 season with a neck injury, made it through 2006 and then was released by the Cowboys because of recurring back problems. As for Wahle, he signed with the Carolina Panthers, made the Pro Bowl in 2005, played two more seasons with the Panthers, went on to sign with the Seattle Seahawks in 2008, missed the last six games of last season with a shoulder injury and recently retired at the age of 32. So, upon further review, should Thompson have written those checks for Rivera and Wahle? And then there’s the tiresome story of Brett Favre. One year ago at this time, all I was hearing was how the Packers squandered their only chance to win after Favre was "exiled" out of Green Bay by big, bad Ted. So what happens? Favre plays well during the warm part of the season with the New York Jets, just as he did in 2007 with the Packers, hurts his arm and then goes in the tank, bringing the Jets down with him. Considering Favre turned 39 last season, should it really be a surprise that all the years and all the hits finally caught up to him? The point is this: Maybe, just maybe, could Thompson have been right all along? As the man who is paid to constantly evaluate players and make tough decisions, as the man who has daily access to these players and can make judgments those on the outside cannot, could it be that maybe he has just a little more insight than the legion of fans who constantly criticize him? Has Thompson made his share of mistakes? Absolutely, he has. He made a terrible blunder last year, allowing himself to be talked into cutting punter Jon Ryan and putting the Packers into a revolving-door situation at that position again. And there’s little question that when he allowed Rivera and Wahle to walk, he initially fell short of providing adequate replacements. But, as a whole, Thompson has the Packers in position to win after a step backward last season. And maybe this will be the year he starts getting the respect he deserves. Wednesday July 29, 2009
Posted by: ggiesen at 6:26PM CST on July 29, 2009
Just after Brett Favre’s "retirement" from the New York Jets after last season, I wrote a column suggesting that he would go on to pull his usual offseason dramatics. I’ll be honest with you: After that story appeared, I started questioning myself, thinking that even Favre wasn’t going to come back after how much he struggled to throw passes late last season with his damaged arm. And then a month or so went by and ol’ Brett was at it again, as reliably as a sunrise. Now that Favre has informed Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress that this is finally the end, I still see him playing again this season. How can anyone rule that out based on this guy’s history this decade? Of course, only Favre knows how his arm truly feels. But from what I read about his summer practice sessions with kids down in Mississippi, it was still painful for anyone to catch the rockets he was launching. It sure seemed that there was plenty of juice let in his arm this summer. We’re talking about someone who openly admitted that his ideal world is to simply show up for games on Sundays and not have to be bothered by the endless meetings and film sessions all NFL quarterbacks must endure, let along the rigors of practice. Can anyone possibly dismiss the idea of Favre trying to ditch as much of the preseason as he can, hope that Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson fail to light up the Vikings (a distinct possibility) and wait for a distress signal to be sent from Childress? I wouldn’t even rule out the possibility, however remote as it may appear, that a private arrangement is already in place between Favre and Childress. And I certainly wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Favre surfacing during some point of the Vikings season or even next year, when his arm is presumably more healed and he’s endured a year of withdrawal in the shadows, away from his coveted limelight. Most of us work to support ourselves and our families. Those in Favre’s position are fueled more by their competitive fire. Favre simply wanted to play for the Vikings too badly and get back at Packers general manager Ted Thompson to quietly walk away. Maybe Favre really means it this time. But my money says you’ll be seeing him on Sunday afternoons once again. Besides, Favre just filmed a commercial for Sears Blue Electronic Crew that pokes fun at his indecisiveness. He had a reputation to uphold here. Thursday July 9, 2009
Posted by: ggiesen at 10:40PM CST on July 9, 2009
When the news about former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair was first announced, there were many people who believed the world had just lost one of the good guys. McNair, a tough football player, was noted for his performance on the field and his charitable work off it. It wasn’t long until the sorrow of a fallen legend turned into confusion and distaste after the sordid details of McNair’s personal life came to light. Outside of his football glory and community service projects, McNair was having an extra-marital affair for the last six months. McNair and Sahel Kazemi traveled together, he co-signed for her luxury car and McNair allegedly said he was going to divorce his wife for her. There was no record of divorce proceedings starting between McNair and his wife Mechelle. The sordid situation came to a climax Saturday when Kazemi shot McNair and took her own life. McNair isn’t the only athlete to have a secret life. From Kirby Puckett to O.J. Simpson to Kobe Bryant to Michael Vick, the heros of the athletic field sometimes have trouble measuring up off the field. While their actions are wrong, so are fans expectations. The standards we set for athletes — both on and off the field — are unrealistic. We worship these men and women. But fans need to understand that behind the public facade is a human being. This isn’t meant to give McNair a free pass —he was responsible for a lot of what happened. Instead, it’s a warning to sports fans. Outside of a players performance on the field, the feature stories you read and the orchestrated publicity appearances (whether for personal gain or charity), an athlete’s personal life is a mystery. For all John Q. Public knows Player A could be an abusive husband, he could be a kleptomaniac, he could sell exotic animals through the black market or he could be a Wheaties guy who drinks nothing stronger than a milkshake and is a true family man. The general public just isn’t privy to the private lives of the athletes they worship. So don’t get caught up in hype and hero worship because athletes have something in common with you — they are flawed human beings. Greg Giesen is the Online Sports Editor for The Journal Times. He can be reached at (262) 634-3322 ext. 245 or Wednesday May 6, 2009
Posted by: pjackel at 2:46PM CST on May 6, 2009
So Brett Favre apparently is warming up to play again, this time for the Minnesota Vikings. He didn’t actually say so just yet, but ’tis is the season when Brett’s massive ego needs to be stroked and what better way to do that than by keeping us on the edge of our seats for who knows how many months until he makes his big announcement? Don’t you just love this endless soap opera known as, "As The Favre Turns?" OK, Mr. Favre. It’s a free country. You can do whatever you want. But don’t you think you would be doing your diminishing legacy a favor if you would just find a hobby and go away? Come on, Brett. You’re going to be 40 in five months. You are coming off a serious arm injury. You have shown unmistakable signs of aging during the last several seasons, especially down the stretch. And you’re supposedly going to Minnesota to be the difference on a decent but certainly not exceptional team? Please. Say, Brett, instead of consuming yourself with getting back at the "evil" Ted Thompson for not catering to your every whim — and you had several whims —why don’t you read up on other former superstars who tried to squeeze a last few drops out of a bone-dry tank? You know, Johnny Unitas with the Chargers. Henry Aaron with the Brewers. O.J. Simpson with the 49ers. Michael Jordan with the Wizards. Warren Spahn with the Mets and Giants. Steve Carlton with the Twins. Joe Namath with the Rams. Emmitt Smith with the Cardinals. And on and on. Yes, I understand that the same competitive fire that drove these guys to greatness in the first place make it so difficult to concede to the passing of time. But it seems to me that not only is Favre apparently taking it one step beyond the unfortunate cases of the athletes I just mentioned, he’s damaging his reputation two-fold for the horrible way he has conducted himself since he played his last game for the Packers in January 2008. Maybe this will be one Favre rumor that proves to be unfounded. But history with this guy strongly suggests that that will not be the case. So, go ahead, Brett. Do your level best to get back at Ted this fall. I’ll be far more interested in watching a young Packers team built by a general manager who realized something you refuse to consider — that you are through. Friday May 1, 2009
Posted by: pjackel at 7:39PM CST on May 1, 2009
OK, I’m thoroughly confused. For about the ten-millionth time since last summer (forgive the hyperbole), I’ve read that a.) Ted Thompson has a huge ego and b.) he has no personality. Let’s talk about ego first. Don’t you want the man who is making the personnel decisions for your favorite football team to have a huge ego? Or would you prefer him to be a shrinking violet? For those of you who insist Thompson’s ego was so huge that he was going to prove he was bigger than Brett Favre, how about starting to deal with reality? For the umteenth time, the Packers gave Favre every opportunity to return after the 2007 season only to be subjected to the same old, "Should I stay or should I go?" act. What exactly was Thompson supposed to do? Reverse course after Favre unretired, pull the rug out from Aaron Rodgers — the same Aaron Rodgers who became the second quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 4,000 yards in his first season as a starter — and commit to a soon-to-be 39-year-old quarterback who did, indeed. break down, last season? Running a successful football operation requires making tough, hard decisions that are often unpopular with fans. And what’s this about Thompson’s personality? Would those of you making this complaint feel better if he gave a monologue and did a tap dance before granting interviews? From 1949 through 1964, the New York Yankees won nine World Series championships and 14 American League pennants. The man responsible for assembling the Yankees’ talent during that run was George Weiss, one of the most miserable, cold, unpleasant, calculating men you could possibly imagine. In other words, Thompson was Jay Leno by comparison. But Weiss got results. And I contend Thompson has gotten results since taking over a Packers operation that had been gutted by Mike Sherman’s deplorable drafts from 2001 through 2004. The Packers were one Favre interception from going to the Super Bowl after the 2007 season. How many teams in the NFL have achieved that plateau since Thompson took over the Packers in 2005? And even after the Favre circus of last summer, even with a new quarterback and key injuries, the Packers were two missed Mason Crosby field goals away from being 8-8. Want to get on Thompson for drafting Justin Harrell? Then get on Ron Wolf, perhaps the greatest judge of talent in NFL history, for drafting Terrell Buckley and John Michels in the first round, Fred Vinson in the second, Jonathan Brown and LeShon Johnson in the third and Roosevelt Blackmon in the fourth. I once asked Wolf about whether he considered the drafting of Michels his greatest mistake and he simply said, "Well, he got hurt." Was Thompson to know that Harrell wouldn't also get hurt? Here’s what I know about Thompson. He gave the Packers a franchise quarterback for the next 10 years and just ask the Bears how hard those are to come by. He drafted Nick Collins, Daryn Colledge, Greg Jennings, Jason Spitz, A.J. Hawk, Josh Sitton and a number of other players who just coming into their own. And last week, he got one of the best hauls in the draft with B.J. Raja and Clay Matthews. The Packers will have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL next season. There’s no reason why they won’t win at least 10 games. This team very much appears to be on the upswing after a setback last season. Come now. Does Thompson really deserve all this grief? Thursday April 30, 2009
Posted by: pjackel at 6:45PM CST on April 30, 2009
This subject would be too ridiculous to even mention if we weren’t talking about Brett Favre. But with Favre, anything that sounds plausible and reasonable immediately gets thrown out the window. And that’s why I’m convinced Favre is going to play football again, this time for the Minnesota Vikings. This is the team he originally wanted to go to last year and I’m not going to buy for a second that his competitive flame has forever been extinguished within the span of 12 months. Let’s put to rest once and for all this garbage about Favre blissfully riding his tractor into retirement back home in Mississippi. As enchanting as that sounds, riding a tractor gets old in about two days and the man riding it has been used to living in the limelight for the better part of the last 20 years. Plus, Favre has made it clear that he would love to stick it to Packers general manager Ted Thompson after last summer’s messy divorce. There’s also the issue of who is quarterbacking the Vikings. The combination of Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels doesn’t exactly made the splash of an Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler and Matthew Stafford, whom the Detroit Lions just made the first overall pick in the NFL draft. In fact, Jackson and Rosenfels barely made a ripple. Yes, Favre has an injured right arm, but injuries of that nature can heal without surgery. Now that Favre has officially been released by the Jets, I say he will be wearing No. 4 for the Vikings this season. |
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