Thursday, September 28, 2006

Henderson Getting Bumped?

Fan fave and long-time veteran FB William Henderson may be approaching the end of the line in terms of playing time and on-the-field productivity with the Packers. What leads one to this conclusion? The fact that the team yesterday promoted a fullback from the practice squad to the regular roster.

Brandon Miree, a second year player who played college ball at Alabama before transferring to Pittsburgh, was added to the practice squad after being released on the final cut by Denver. He had been drafted in the seventh round and spent one of his two years with Denver on injured reserve and the other on the practice squad. He also played in NFL Europe, where the Packers began to take note of him.

Given that Henderson is 35 and not as mobile as someone 10 years his junior, and that Henderson also had problems opening holes for Ahman Green last week, the coaching staff apparently felt it was time to take a look at what Miree can do.

The Pack (and fans) have always admired the character, professionalism, team spirit and leadership that Henderson has shown on and off the field. Other than Brett Favre, he is the longest-tenured Packer. It seems likely the team will allow Henderson to retain the starting role, but may also have Miree participate in the majority of plays...if he can do what the team expects him to do. The team began working Miree into the mix on Wednesday and it is likely he will see action against the Eagles on Monday night. No doubt Henderson will mentor this young player who, at least for this year, might provide the level of play needed to help make this offense click. It will be an interesting experiment...yes, another one.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

PACKERS WIN! PACKERS WIN! PACKERS WIN!

With just under 2 minutes to go, defensive tackle Corey Williams sacked Jon Kitna as the Lions were going for it on fourth down, trailing 31-24.

Unfortunately, as the Packers try to run the clock out, on third down, Ahman Green FUMBLES once again..this time at the Lions 32, giving the Lions one last shot with 54 seconds on the clock and no time outs.

UNBELIEVABLE. Well, no this is Green, fumble-boy himself. His fumble last week essentially was the key factor in the loss to the Saints and now this fumble...

It all came down to a fourth and one play with eight seconds to go. It didn't have to, didn't need to. Hail Mary pass to the endzone almost resulted in a deflected pass caught by the Lions. But not quite. And Nick Collins comes up gimpy on the play to boot.

Ahman...get a grip, man!!!

But, hey....so much for that 7 point favorites business. The Packers are now 1-2 and Coach McCarthy gets his first win. Congrats Coach. Let's keep it going.

End of 3rd Quarter: Packers 24 - Lions 21

The Pack's defense continues to blow coverages and imitate a sieve. But the offense is moving. As long as we can outgun the Lions and make fewer mistakes...15 minutes to go! Let us pray...

End of 1st Half: Packers 17 - Lions 14

Halftime score should be either 20-14 or 24-14 in favor of the Pack. Unfortunately, with under a minute to go and the Packers driving, Noah Herron -- in for Ahman Green who was getting a breather -- fumbles after taking a shovel pass and making a nice run down to near the 7-yard line. Did everything right except to hang on to the ball. Let's hope this doesn't come back to haunt them later...but these things usually do, right?

End of 1st Quarter: Packers 14 - Lions 14

Well, there was a great 75-yard pass play from Brett to Greg Jennings for the Pack's first score -- and Brett's 400th career touchdown pass, making him second all-time, only behind Dan Marino's 420. And there was a nice pass interception returned for a touchdown on tight coverage by Ahmad Carroll -- imagine! -- deflecting the ball to Marquand Manuel.

But...then there is the absolutely horrible defense being played by the Packers, particularly in the secondary. Receivers wide open...in the endzone. Blown coverages -- yes, again! Perhaps Bob McGinn's column in today's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel was right on the money after all. McGinn blasts the Pack's secondary coach, Kurt Schottenheimer, for executing a repeat of the disastrous 2004 performance. He also points the finger directly at new head coach Mike McCarthy for hiring his buddy, despite Schottenheimer's horrible record as a secondary coach. Why hire this guy? Looking at the performance of the secondary so far this season -- and this game -- you really have to wonder.

If the secondary doesn't shape up quickly -- like over the next three quarters -- they'll make Kitna look like the second coming of...Jason Garrett! Of course, the defensive line isn't doing much to put pressure on Kitna either. That would be nice. So would the linebackers covering those swing passes.

Lions by 7? No Respect!

That's the morning point spread, campers: Detroit favored by 7. Yikes! Three games into the season, the Pack is becoming the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFC North...maybe the league. No respect whatsoever. I even heard one former-player-turned-TV-babbler refer to the Packers as "1-AA," referring to college football's division 1-AA...not exactly the major programs, in other words.

Is this team really that bad? A lot of folks seem to think so. But bad enough to have Detroit favored by 7? Guess we'll get an indication of the way the rest of the season may head starting in a little over two hours.

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Green Questionable vs. Detroit

Just what you want going into the second "must win" game of the year: your starting running back coming up with a hamstring injury. Not! Ahman Green showed up on the Packers injury report yesterday as "questionable" for Sunday's game at Detroit.

If Green can't go, the Packers seem set to start newcomer Vernand Morency. The only other running back on the active roster is Noah Herron, who may be suitable as a situational back but not as a starter...unless things get really desperate...like last year. Hopefully, we're not at that point in the third game of the season.

It should be noted, however, that there is not even another running back on the practice squad. Arliss Beach is on injured reserve. But that's it. Refresh my memory: how many running backs did the Pack go through last year? OK, that was an aberration, granted. But when you have a starting 29-year-old running back, who has taken a lot of pounding in his nine years in the league, and who is also coming off a major leg injury, having an unknown second-year guy and another average player as the only backups...well...

The Packers like Morency, and at least a few scouts reportedly say he has the ability to become a starter. Let's just hope that if he gets that chance tomorrow, Morency does to the Lions what any number of unknown players have done to the Pack over the years: have the game of their lives. (Do the names Brad Hoover and Jason Garrett ring a bell?)

Friday, September 22, 2006

Dr. Detroit

According to early poll results in today's online Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Packer fans by nearly a two-out-of-three margin believe that the upcoming game at Detroit is just what the doctor ordered:

Against which of their next five opponents will the Packers pick up their first victory?
  • Detroit (65.1%)
  • Arizona (13.0%)
  • St. Louis (11.5%)
  • Miami (10.1%)
  • Philadelphia (0.3%)
Total votes: 355


You can vote add your own vote here.

Kampman Gets Respect

Also from today's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, a nice article about "nice guy" and "overachiever" and...what?...NFL sack leader Aaron Kampman. If only the rest of the team had a motor like this guy.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Oh-Oh...0-2

A bit of stat nerdiness for you: no team that has started the season 0-2 in the last two years has made the playoffs.

I guess Al Harris was right about that "must win" game thing, eh?

Addendum to game report post

Kudos to Donald Driver for an outstanding receiving game. He made some great catches, including one where he actually took away a probable interception from the defender. In total, Driver had eight catches for 153 yards. He also had one end-around rush for 16 yards. Not a bad day.

Ol' #4 also had a good day overall: 31 of 55 for 340 yards passing, with three touchdowns and one interception. Unfortunately, that was a costly interception in the endzone as the Pack was driving. Pass protection broke down -- as it did fairly often again today -- and Brett was hit just as he released the ball, causing it to flutter like a wounded duck for an easy pick. Ahman Green, on the other hand, did not follow up his good performance of last week, rushing 16 times for only 42 yards. Please. Toss in the fumble at the Packers' own 25-yard line at a critical point in the game, leading one play later to a Saints touchdown, and...not good. However, where the concentration last week was on rushing the ball, today the Packers rushed only 20 times out of 75 plays. Go figure.

Final Score: Saints 34 - Pack 27

The Pack made a valiant attempt at a comeback, scoring a touchdown and then holding the Saints to three and out to get the ball back with about 3 minutes to go. Started to move the ball, but could not convert on four downs, as pass plays to both Greg Jennings and Robert Ferguson seemed to be miscues in the hurry-up offense, with receivers turning inside and Brett throwing outside. Saints got the ball back with less than 2 minutes to go and the Pack with no timeouts. Take a few knees and that's all she wrote.

Pack: 0-2 to start the season, and 0-2 at home.

Next week at Detroit, also 0-2. Somebody's gotta win...right???

Just under 8 minutes to go...game over!

The Saints went ahead by two field goals to lead 20-13 in the third quarter. The Pack came back to tie it at 20-20. With about 10 minutes to go, the Saints go ahead on a 30+yard pass play -- the Pack was getting scorched all day on pass plays. Pack gets the ball back. Ahman Green proceeds to fumble near the Pack's own 25-yard line. First play for the Saints, a collective collapse on run defense leads to an easy run for a touchdown right through the line. Score with just under 8 minutes left: 34-20 Saints.

Stick a fork in it. Game is done. :-(

End of half: Saints 14 - Pack 13

What a great first quarter: three take-aways from the Saints converted into 13 points. End of the first quarter: Pack 13 - Saints 0.

But for whatever reason, momentum seemed to turn about midway into the second quarter. The Packers offense was misfiring again: dropped passes, failure to convert on third down. On defense, the Pack blew some coverages. With about a minute left to go in the first half, the Saints actually took the lead. Of course, this is also partially due to the fact that of the three turnovers the Packers were able to get, only one was converted into a touchdown. Points are points. But with two of the three turnovers occurring in Saints territory, the failure to convert these into two touchdowns is also a reason why the Pack is behind at half.

The best part of the first half...well, the first quarter...was the inspired play of the defense, especially DE Aaron Kampman.

The Packers need to get the running game going and sustain something on offense. After the first quarter, the passing game tailed off considerably. They also need to get back to pressuring Drew Brees.

Go Pack Go!!!

"Let it go."

On today's Fox NFL Sunday, the general consensus among Jimmy Johnson, Howie Long and even Terry Bradshaw was that Brett can still play, but probably shouldn't. At least, not with the Packers. Trade him someplace where he can finish out his career and at the same time give the Pack a chance to rebuild and see if Aaron Rodgers is the answer...which, again, this trio thought was not the case. The same general opinions were voiced on ESPN's Sunday Countdown. Mike Ditka opined that the problem was really the Packers' front office and that personnel problems with the team wouldn't clear up until that was taken care of...whatever that means. Ron Jaworski said he watched the game and the film and saw evidence that Brett doesn't have the same physical ability as he did even last year.

Basically, they all made the point that team management, coaches, fans and even Brett need to "let it go;" the Favre era is over and it's time to move on. Someone even pointed out that at the end of last week's game there were only about 15,000 fans left in the stadium. I recall late in the game seeing a TV shot of fans exiting the stadium en masse as if someone had just announced unlimited free beer and brats to the first 45,000 fans who showed up on Oneida Street before the end of the game. The TV boys today said that demonstrated that the fans have already let it go, now it was time for the team to make it official. Bradshaw was the only one among Fox's crew that felt that Brett would still be starting for the Pack at the end of the season. Jimmy Johnson -- or maybe it was his hair, I'm not sure -- declared, though, that the Packers would not be the one to sit Brett or trade him...he would have to ask for or accept these moves before the team would do either. Whatever.

Add to these discussions the fact that Al Harris apparently told someone that they see this as a "must win" game today. Game 2. Must win. Hmmmm...well, every game should be seen as "must win," right? But what this means in terms of team psyche if the Pack doesn't win today...and the Saints are 2-1/2 point favorites!...is critical. Either the team will start an early death spiral, apparently, or will stay on even keel and have a respectable season.

We'll know what happens starting in about 20 minutes.

Go Pack Go!!!

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Gado Gotta Go

Say it ain't so! Fan fave Samkon Gado is on his way to the Houston Texans. In exchange, the Packers get RB Vernand Morency, a second-year player out of Oklahoma State.

While he was the good-feel story of last season, Gado has had trouble this season adapting to the team's new zone blocking scheme, according to reports. Perhaps he'll have more luck reuniting with his old coach, Mike Sherman, in Houston. As for Morency...?

You can read the press release here.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Leach Removed

In order to make room for new WR and kick returner Koren Robinson on the roster, the Packers today released third-year fullback Vonta Leach.

This move signals at least two things. First, veteran FB William Henderson is ready to return to the field this Sunday and, second, the Pack would rather use one of their four tight ends occasionally at fullback rather than Leach.

Robinson Signing Gets Bad-Rapped Except by Most Fans

Monday's signing of troubled Pro Bowler Koren Robinson by the Packers seems to be generating criticism among sports pundits. Today's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article by Tom Silverstein cites Fox commentator and former NFL coach Jimmy Johnson's comments from Fox's website, "This Green Bay team looks terrible. Why sign a problem when you're a bad as the Packers? Sign a risk when you have a chance to get to the next level. You mean they want to sign Koren Robinson so they can win six games instead of four?" OK, Jimmy. Go spray your hair.

The Journal-Sentinel's own Cliff Christl ripped Ted Thompson and Packers' management for the signing in his column today. Comparing this move to some of those that took place in the 1980s when the Pack had problems with players on and off the field, Christl believes the Pack is jeopardizing the reputation of the franchise and all the good will that Ron Wolf and Bob Harlan built up during the 1990s. He poses the question, based upon Robinson's checkered past -- admittedly some of it taking place as recently as about a month ago -- thusly: "What happens if Koren Robinson kills somebody in Wisconsin driving drunk or fleeing the police?" Well, sure. That would not be a good thing, nor should the question be taken lightly. Given that Robinson has been charged with drunk driving and fleeing the police, it is a fair question to ask. Alcohol abuse and addiction can be difficult to overcome for many people, for many reasons. But one way or another it usually comes down to a person making a decision that enough is enough. They see two paths before them: one is a continued downward spiral, the other is a chance at redemption, whether professional, spiritual, or whatever.

According to Silverstein's article, Packers Chairman and CEO Bob Harlan "decided to put his trust in Thompson's judgment." Quoting Harlan, "He came in last week and went through the whole situation and his relationship with him in Seattle. Ted talked to several players on the team and asked their opinion on him. They were all in favor of it. Ted was confident he would do well. I asked him, 'Are we taking a chance or does he look at this as a final opportunity?' You hope he looks at it as a final opportunity because he doesn't have many chances left."

So, we can only hope that Robinson does in fact see the road he needs to travel. One where he refrains from imbibing -- I know, I know, that's almost sacrilegious to say in Packerland -- and one free from high speed chases. Robinson has stayed in the league because of his talent. But the Packers were the only team who brought him in after he was released by the ViQueens. That seems to have "last chance" written all over it. Ted Thompson may be, as Christl argues, risking not only his own professional reputation on this signing but perhaps that of the Packers as well. Let's hope Robinson understands that and makes good on the trust Thompson is placing in him.

And by the way, as of the time of this posting, those responding to the Journal-Sentinel poll about the signing favor it by a 55-45 percent margin. In another poll, when asked if Robinson's upside was worth the risk, respondents said "Yes" by a margin of 67-33 percent.

If nothing else, the controversy over Robinson's signing gives folks something to talk about other than...wait...was there a game last Sunday???

Monday, September 11, 2006

Packers Sign Koren Robinson

The little chit chat last week -- and yesterday's offensive and return game disasters -- have apparently led GM Ted Thompson to pull the trigger for the second time in his career and sign WR Koren Robinson to the team. Apparently, the Packers were either assured of Robinson's ability to avoid suspension under the NFL's substance abuse policy or structure his contract in such a way that they will not be on the hook if he doesn't.

No doubt that Robinson is a dynamic receiver and kick returner...either one would be a help right now.

Let's hope this works out and doesn't become just another sign of the apocalypse in Green Bay.

You can read more here.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Not So Good

OK...well...not a great start to the season. Especially getting shut out. And by Da Bearz no less. Beat in nearly every phase of the game. Although surprisingly, Ahman Green ran for more yards than the entire Bears offense; the first time he gained 100+ yards since a game against the ViQueens in 2004...so if you are looking for a positive to take out of this game, that might be it.

Other than that...not so good. Let's just leave it at that. Sports radio tonight and tomorrow and throughout the week will beat this to death, as will the sports blogosphere. It's pretty obvious to anyone remotely familiar with football where the problems were...heck, even someone who had never seen a game before would probably be able to point out some problems. But as one of my favorite guitarists of all time would say, "Move on."

So, let's let the coaches and players work on solving these problems. The Saints come to GB next weekend. And it's a chance for redemption. How appropriate: redemption courtesy of the Saints!

And, oh yeah, Da Bearz still suck!

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Favre Says He Could Go Elsewhere

OK, Packer fans, calm down. Brett isn't going anywhere. At least, not yet. But according to early reports that have been circulating for a few days now, Brett says in a segment airing tonight on HBO's "Costas Now" program (9 p.m. Central time) that he could imagine finishing out his career with a team other than the Packers. Favre says he would consider it if the Packers thought it would be best for the team: "I can't say it wouldn't happen...", Brett says. As Tony Kornheiser said on today's Pardon the Interruption, "If this is true, you gotta believe the phones are ringing off the hook." He pointed out that teams such as the Redskins and Raiders would certainly want to bring in Favre to finish out his career and give those teams a shot at the playoffs.

There are a lot of pundits -- and some fans too -- who look at the Packers and see a team in the rebuilding phase. And with 27 players on the current roster who have two years or less of NFL experience, I guess you'd have to agree. These same folks say it's time for Brett to move on so that the Pack can develop Aaron Rodgers as the QB of the future. OK. But what about the QB of the present? There is no one better with it all on the line than Brett. Barring injury, he will have more offensive weapons available to him than he did last year, including super-rookie WR Greg Jennings. The catch will be how well the offensive line holds up, especially given it's current lack of depth. The defense will hold its own.

I know I tend to see things through green 'n gold colored glasses. But I think this Packers team will be better than most people think. But it will only be better if Brett is at the helm. He is the difference maker. Take him out of the picture this year and the team would be lucky to go 4-12 again. With Brett? I still say the wild card slot isn't out of the picture. We'll only know for sure once the season moves along.

But Brett in another uniform to finish his career? Nope. What could another team offer in order to acquire a Hall of Famer? What would the Packers demand in compensation? Almost makes your head explode just thinking about it, doesn't it?

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Packers Make Cuts - Davenport Gone!

As has been speculated for some time now, four-year veteran RB Najeh Daveport was one of those cut by the Packers today in their roster reduction to the league-mandated 53-man squad. Other notable vets to hit the trail include WR Rod Gardner, DE Kenny Peterson and LB Roy Manning. The rookie of note to get the axe was disappointing fourth round draft pick WR Cory Rodgers.

Here is the official announcement from packers.com:

"The Green Bay Packers Saturday released 19 players and placed three on injured reserve. The transactions were announced by Ted Thompson, Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations.

Released Saturday were tight end Zac Alcorn, safety Atari Bigby, safety Tra Boger, wide receiver Carlton Brewster, fullback Ben Brown, kicker E.J. Cochrane, running back Najeh Davenport, cornerback Patrick Dendy, wide receiver Chris Francies, wide receiver Rod Gardner, linebacker Tim Goodwell, cornerback Antonio Malone, linebacker Roy Manning, safety Jeremy Modkins, guard Siitupe Peko, defensive end Kenny Peterson, wide receiver Cory Rodgers, defensive end Dave Tollefson and center Pete Traynor.

Placed on injured reserve Saturday were running back Arliss Beach, tackle Josh Bourke and cornerback Mike Hawkins.

Davenport rushed for 1,068 yards on 217 carries (4.9 avg.) with seven TDs in his four seasons with the Packers."

Jennings to Start! More Questions Re: Woodson

According to an article in today's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, rookie WR Greg Jennings has nabbed the starting position opposite Donald Driver, displacing Robert Ferguson. Apparently, Jennings was informed of this on Wednesday although no official announcement has come from the coaching staff. Jennings happened to mention this in a post-game interview yesterday in an almost off-the-cuff remark, according to the article. Check it out for yourself here.

On a less promising note, questions are being raised not only in Green Bay but elsewhere about Charles Woodson following his dismal performance against the Bengals. Woodson did not play in yesterday's game against the Titans so a fuller assessment can only come once the season starts. But this article from Yahoo Sports raises some disconcerting points. Again, check it out for yourself.

Friday, September 01, 2006

Pack vs. Titans - Final Report

Score: 35-21 Titans.

A few good things in the 4th quarter...
...start of quarter begins with a 47-yard pass play from Rodgers to Brewster...Ingle Martin came in at QB with about 12:45 to go...good runs by Noah Herron...the Pack gets their first third down conversion of the day -- go 2 for 12 (if I counted correctly)...a 13-yard TD run by Noah Herron with about 30 seconds to go.

Some bad things...ball went over on downs inside the 5 yard line...Martin overthrew a wide open Noah Herron and was intercepted, resulting several plays later in the Titans' last TD...special teams overall had 9 penalties for 75 yards -- not good, and especially not good when combined with porous kick/punt coverage to begin with.

Hey, at 1-3 not a great pre-season. But on the other hand, the Super Bowl Champion Steelers went 0-4. Am I comparing the two squads? Nope. Just making the point that you can't really make too many predictions based on pre-season results.

So how will the Pack do this season? If you know, tell me, would ya?

Pack vs. Titans - 3rd Quarter

Score: 28-7 Titans.

Titans first touchdown came on a 50+ yards crossing pattern over the middle with no one near the receiver. Was a pattern basically open all game so far.

Continuing disturbing trends: horrible punt coverage by the Packers; lack of 3rd down conversions by the Pack -- so far, 0 for 9 attempts...yep, ya read that right.

Jason Horton had a great opportunity for an interception with under 3 minutes to go in the quarter -- dropped it.

Also dropped: a punt by new Packer -- but only for 1 more day by the looks of it -- Carlton Brewster...recovered at the Packers' 17 by the Titans. Result: Rushing TD.

Brewster returns the kick from the goal line to the 30...nice effort. You fall off the horse, you get back on...or something like that...

Pack vs. Titans - Halftime Report

Score: 14-7 Titans.

Titans went ahead due to a fumble by QB Aaron Rodgers deep in Packers territory.

The rest of the 2nd quarter was fairly uneventful, except for the continuing trend -- albeit mostly by non-starters -- of lack of tackling, pass rush and pass coverage. A Titan tight end got waaaaaaay past Ahmad Carroll (shocking!) for a large gain. The Packers are having a hard time throughout the pre-season in stopping the opponents on 3rd down; announcers noted that opponents are converting about 60 percent of their 3rd downs against the Packers...a totally unacceptable percentage by all standards.

It should be noted, too, that neither Al Harris or Charles Woodson suited up for play today. No injuries, just resting up for Da Bearz.

Punter Jon Ryan was booming kicks with great hang times once again. The only problem was the coverage teams were, again, not tackling well thus negating some of that great punt yardage.

The Packers had the ball on offense for only 10 of the first 30 minutes of the game.

The halftime score could have and probably should been either 21-7 or 17-7 Titans. They had the ball well inside the Packers' red zone area and due to poor time management and the failure of a receiver to get out of bounds, they were unable to get their field goal team on in time for a kick. As Packers' radio announcer (and former center) Larry McCarren said as the teams went off the field, "Well, they have their issues and we have ours." Indeed.

Pack vs. Titans - End of 1st Quarter

End of quarter score: 7-7.

Rodgers in at QB...liberal sprinkling of back ups. Defensive lineman Kenny Peterson was hauled off on a cart...color him gone from the squad.

Pack vs. Titans - 1st Quarter

OK...how does two plays, 20 seconds, touchdown sound? No, not the Titans...the Packers!!!

Pack stops the Titans on their initial drive. Get the ball at the 8 yard line. First play: 89 yard pass from Brett to rookie WR Greg Jennings, who gets probably 60 yards or so of those 89 yards after the catch. Second play: handoff to Ahman Green and a 3 yard touchdown run.

Nice start. For the first 5 minutes of the game.

Want Packer Tix?

There is now supposedly a new way for Packers fans to get unused season ticket holder tickets at face value. Well, sorta.

Seems you have to first be a member of the Packers Partners Club of Champions. And not just the regular "Champion" membership ($50 annually), but rather the "Legend" membership which will cost you a C-note: $100 annually. Once you have purchased that membership, you can access the "fanTIXchange" website. Oh, there are of course service fees -- $15 for a regular seat and $25 for a club seat -- and sales tax, as well. But a portion of the service fee goes to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Green Bay so there is a bit of a good deed in there as well...a little somethin' for the effort, ya know?

But if you are a last minute type of person, fuhgetaboutit: the game has to be at least four days away for the transaction to take place. If you are interested in knowing more, check out the links above related to this ticket program. Even with the service charges and the membership fee, you still might wind up snagging tix for less than on eBay or via scalpers.

You can also pursue tickets through Packer Fan Tours or EventUSA, which is affiliated with Packer Fan Tours. Current price of tix for Da Bearz game start at $180 for endzone seats through this latter broker.

This public service has been brought to you by Packer Fans United!