Holmgren now part of Packers Hall of Fame

Last night in Green Bay, Packers alumni and fans turned out for the annual Packers Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony. This was the 42nd such event, as a matter of fact. And the person being inducted was none other than former Packers head coach, Mike Holmgren, now President of the Cleveland Browns. (Our sympathies to you, Mike.)

Many fans, including this one, weren't too happy when Holmgren left Green Bay for Seattle. We didn't begrudge him the chance to be both head coach and general manager. We just felt that perhaps that was a bit more on his mind than it should have been as he led his team to its second consecutive Super Bowl after the 1997 season, where the Packers were the prohibitive favorites. Some even felt, in some convoluted way, that might have helped contribute to the loss against the Denver Broncos. Whatever.

All is forgiven now. We have perspective.

Who better to help give us some of that perspective than the person who hired the relatively unknown Holmgren in 1992 to his first head coaching position, then-GM Ron Wolf. "I mean, for 24 years after Lombardi left," Wolf told reporters, "there were four winning seasons here. And one of those seasons shouldn't even count; it was the strike year. So just think about that, 24 years, they had three winning seasons. He comes here and never has a losing season." And as Wolf also pointed out in his interviews with media, a lot of the players on those teams weren't exactly blue chippers, so to speak. Great coaching can take a so-so team and make them a winner. That's what Holmgren did. Not just once, but every year he was the coach. Remarkable. He deserves his place in the Packers Hall of Fame. For what he did as coach, and the legacy he left which still resounds and is at work nearly 20 years later.

I could write more here about this occasion and Holmgren but Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has done an excellent job doing just that. Why reinvent the wheel? Read her story here. The Packers official website also has its take on things here, plus photos from the ceremony itself.

Say it with me: it's great to be a Packers fan!

Levens and Freeman get the nod

Two Packers from the great '90s teams are going to be the latest players enshrined in the Packers Hall of Fame. Running back Dorsey Levens and wide receiver Antonio Freeman will be officially inducted next July.

Both Levens and Freeman played huge roles in the Packers Super Bowl runs in 1996 and 1997. With 3,937 yards rushing from 1994-2001, Levens is the all-time fifth-best rusher in Packers history. He also had 271 receptions for 2,079 yards. Freeman is the Packers' all-time sixth-best receiver. He racked up 6,651 yards on 431 receptions from 1995-2001 and 2003. His 57 touchdowns rank him third most in team history for receivers.

You can read more about both players here. Congrats to both for their well-deserved honor.

Will Winters be left in the cold by Brett?

One of the many intriguing subplots of this whole Favre-will-he-won't-he mess is this coming Saturday night's Packers Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Certainly, Brett will have his own induction one day, not only in the Packers Hall of Fame but the NFL's as well, of course. But this weekend's ceremony will see the induction of Al Treml, the Packers' video director from 1967 to 2001, Gilbert Brown, "The Gravedigger" ('nuff said), and Frank Winters, center extraordinaire for 11 years with the Pack. Bart Starr is presenting Treml, Santana Dotson is presenting Gilbert, and -- get ready for it! -- Brett Favre is presenting Frank Winters. Or at least was scheduled to present Frank Winters. As of the time of this blog post, there's no report one way or the other whether Brett will in fact show up to present his old center for induction.

It is a sad note to what should be a real moment in the sun for these inductees that the spotlight will likely not be on them as it should be this weekend, but will instead be on Brett and his drama. If Brett shows up, the story will be about him. If Brett doesn't show up, the story will be about him.

Treml, Gilbert and Winters deserve their honors and they deserve the focus to be on them. Let's hope that the Favre situation somehow moves to a resolution this week so that the new Packers Hall of Famers get their due.

For more on the Packers Hall of Fame Induction, click here.

Jolly Busted
Overlooked for the most part this last week was the news that defensive lineman Johnny Jolly was busted in Houston July 8 on felony charges of possessing at least 200 grams of codeine. According to the Houston Chronicle report, Jolly is scheduled to appear in court on July 22.

Jolly was lost for most of last season with a rotator cuff injury and was being counted on this season to take up some of the slack in the loss of Corey Williams to the Browns. Now? Maybe not. According to reports, he could be suspended by the NFL just for the arrest alone. Not good.

The Packers released this statement on the matter: "The Packers are aware of the report involving Johnny Jolly. This is a legal matter and we still are in the process of gathering information. We have no further comment at this time."

You can read the Houston Chronicle story here.

Bits & Pieces

Nothing of major importance to report today. Just bits and pieces...this and that...miscellaneous stuff...you get the idea.

Brooks & Butler in PHoF
Packer greats Robert Brooks and LeRoy Butler took their place alongside other Packer luminaries when they were formally inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame on Saturday evening. Both earned their spots with years of dedication to the team, on and off the field, and exceptional play. (Despite rumors to the contrary, Butler did not earn his place in the Hall for inventing "The Lambeau Leap.") You can read a nice article about Butler here.

Training Camp at "City Stadium"
For the first time in nearly 50 years, the Packers will practice at "City Stadium," the team's former home from 1925 through 1956, when they take to the field on Tuesday, July 31. The last time the team practiced there was Aug. 5, 1961, when the team held an intra-squad scrimmage. City Stadium is now the home football field for Green Bay East High School. But once upon a time, it saw the likes of such legendary Packer players as Don Hutson, Curly Lambeau, Arnie Herber, Tony Canadeo and Clarke Hinkle, among others. One hopes the young Packer players of today will appreciate and sense the history that surrounds them on that old field. It is anticipated that there will be a large crowd on hand for this historic one-of-a-kind practice session. You can read more here.

New Charity Cap Campaign
For the last few years, the Packers have teamed up with American Family Insurance in the creation of a special cap design from which a portion of the proceeds goes toward a designated charity. Over the last two years, the cap campaigns have raised nearly $1.5 million for charities fighting breast cancer and heart disease. This year, the goal is to raise money to support service men and women, veterans and their families. Cost of the cap -- a very nice black washed cotton design -- is $15, with $5 from each sale going towards the charity effort. You can learn more about the cap campaign here. Or if you just want to cut to the chase and order your cap now, go here.

That's all for now. Over and out...

Sir William: Adieu

As expected -- and stated several days ago by himself -- Packers fullback William Henderson was released today by the Packers after 12 years of outstanding performance. Other than Brett Favre, Bart Starr and Ray Nitschke, no other player in team history has played more games that Henderson. He was -- is -- one of the good guys. And as stated here previously, if the league had more players of the caliber of William Henderson not only would the league be better, but all the communities which host NFL teams would also benefit from their community spirit.

William: thank you. You will be missed. See you in the Packers Hall of Fame. Long live #33!

Here is the official announcement from the Packers.

Henderson Says He'll Be Released by Tuesday

A report from WBAY-TV in Green Bay says that veteran fullback and fan favorite William Henderson will be released by the Packers as early as Tuesday. The news comes from none other than Henderson himself.

The Packers have been bringing in new fullbacks for perhaps the last four years or so in an effort to replace Henderson. Last year, the Pack brought in Brandon Miree who was the nominal starter until he got injured. In the end, Henderson remained the starter. The ultimate team player, he always acted in the best interests of the team. If only the league had more players like Henderson. Durability and work ethic meant that Henderson missed just four games in his career. He ranks third all-time in games played for the Packers. With his departure, Brett Favre will be the only remaining member of the mid-90's Super Bowl teams. An under-appreciated fullback on the national scene, look for Henderson being inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame one of these days.

Henderson passed along this statement through WBAY: "I want to express my 100% gratitude to the fans for their support both on and off the field, and not just MNKO (WBAY-TV's Monday Night Kick-Off program that he co-hosted). It was an honor to be associated with the Packers. It is humbling to leave such a great organization, but I will always be grateful for my time in Green Bay." Class. All the way. With the exception of Favre, I can't imagine the team, the community or the fans missing any player more than William Henderson.

You can read the full story here.