Icness/Risdon Thread

[Kerb Hohl]

We appreciate your writing. You used to be very active on this board.

Obviously you're not going to satisfy every fanbase with their pitchforks, but can you give us some transparency on your Packer musings in the "10 cents" articles the past few weeks?

[ReasonablySober]

McGinn is the man. Here's all the info you need to know regarding whether or not Finley is exclusively a WR:

Breakdown on Jermichael Finley's big day in Chicago. Played 55 snaps, with 32 (58.1%) lined up either as a WR alone to a side or in slot.

[Kerb Hohl]

That's fine.

He also said Rodgers is a not-very-likeable personality and that Thompson botches first round picks.

Just wondering where he comes up with this stuff and why he has disappeared.

[ReasonablySober]

The Rodgers thing struck me as really weird because of all the big time QBs in the NFL, has there been even one in recent memory that gets slammed less than Rodgers? I've actually thought about this multiple times in the last year. Romo, the Mannings, Vick, McNabb, Favre, Ryan, Brady...they get absolutely crushed by various fan bases if they do virtually anything on or off the field. Rodgers on the other hand? Around the net and in the media at least he seems like a made guy. He's sort of the QB you just sort of begrudgingly have to like and respect.

At least that's how I've perceived other fan bases and media's perception of him.

[James1980]

There was that whole never won a playoff/big game thing after losing to Vikings with Favre and Cardinals in playoffs while Matt Ryan was Matty Ice and also didn't win a playoff game. The report that he snubbed a cancer fan looking for an autograph when he didn't see her. Both were b.s.

[an_also]

The Rodgers thing struck me as really weird because of all the big time QBs in the NFL, has there been even one in recent memory that gets slammed less than Rodgers? I've actually thought about this multiple times in the last year. Romo, the Mannings, Vick, McNabb, Favre, Ryan, Brady...they get absolutely crushed by various fan bases if they do virtually anything on or off the field. Rodgers on the other hand? Around the net and in the media at least he seems like a made guy. He's sort of the QB you just sort of begrudgingly have to like and respect.

At least that's how I've perceived other fan bases and media's perception of him.

Thats the exact feeling I get. Rodgers and Brees seem to be universally respected.

[ReasonablySober]

You're right. Brees is the other one.

[Icness]

Thanks for tipping me off to the thread. I'll try to get in here more, I enjoy y'all very much. Honesttly I do.

On Rodgers:
The comment about his personality actually came from Dino Costa on Mad Dog radio on Sirius. He was lathered up about the holding call and then brought up Rodgers shusshing the Soldier Field crowd and laughing at Idonije on a play where Izzy thought he had him and Rodgers got away. I didn't see that particular play but I did see the shusshing thing. And there was quite a bit of blowback about how flippant he handled the offseason workout issue. And I can go back to his draft year, and one of the reasons he fell (though not the main one) is that he just rubbed people the wrong way. I was in Carolina at the time and they had him in for a visit, and their impression of him was that he was too big for his own britches nd they weren't sure he was open to being coached or being told he was not perfect. I even wrote a piece around that draft time about the irony of him going to where Favre was, because Favre had the same perceived issues pre-draft. So that's where I'm coming from on that. And like I said, I don't think it's a bad thing at all. On the contrary, I think it gives the team an edge against a hangover and complacency. I liken it to Gilbert Arenas and how he enjoyed stirring pots, some of it good-natured and in fun but also to keep himself hyped up. Here in Houston people are longing for Matt Schaub to show anything close to that sort of character, same in Baltimore with Flacco too. I like a little spice, but then again I was a Jim McMahon fan back in his heyday when I was in middle school even though I hated those Bears teams.

I forgot to add this above, but I know the main radio personality in Michigan (The Huge Show, and please don't listen and encourage his ratings because his show is AWFUL) once had a blah interview with Rodgers where Rodgers basically used very short answers and couldn't seem less interested and Huge has always ripped him ever since. Actually ripped is the wrong word. It's more like, "God I wish he wasn't so good because I really don't like him but I can't deny him". I think you know the tone I'm talking about, it's the way most people view James Harrison.

On Finley:
I don't get the luxury of watching every snap of every game on Sunday. I wind up seeing almost every game by the next week, but it's just not possible to chart personnel groupings on every team on every play. Every tie I watchd the Packers, I saw Finley split in the slot or lined up outside, except one play where he motioned in tight and another where he stayed in (a Starks run IIRC). There is absolutely dramatic effect involved on my part, and apparently it worked

But I do think that overall he is more of a supersized wideout than a tight end, and IMO the Pack are missing out by constraining him inside. My initial projections on his catch total was based on them keeping him in more, but by using him as a wideout more, they are creating more opportunities for him to shine, and he takes full advantage. When they line him tight it lends to over/under coverage and chips that don't let him get clean early. I saw that in the Saints game once they started giving Harper some help; the room inside just wasn't there anymore and he basically disappeared.

Outside there isn't a corner ever that can handle his size and burst with his strength, and becuase that generally pushes a talented WR inside, it means safety help is going to be late if it can come at all. I give credit to McCarthy and Rodgers for recognizing how to make him a better mismatch. I never said Finley wasn't talented, I merely wondered if he was going to be fully healthy again and how they would reintegrate him into an already-stacked passing game. And I'll still argue that there are many tight ends today that command the kind of attention he gets from defenses, which seemed to be a point of contention when we were having that discussion.

And just so y'all don't thnk I'm ducking or hiding, I will not be online at all from this Friday night until the following Sunday (the 9th I think) except to check emails. And I do find it interesting how some of you act on here and then act when you send me an email. I'm sure the board would find it very interesting as well.

[ReasonablySober]

Rodgers makes an appearance on Rome every once in a while, and it's inevitable that the clones will write in, slamming Rodgers for being a boring interview. Rome defends him, but it's true that Aaron just doesn't give much more than stock, from-the-book, no soundbite answers.

[emunney]

Weird threat at the end there. What are you guys emailing him about? No dick pix I hope.

[Mags FTW]

You're right. Brees is the other one.

Minus his spat with Cutler, Rivers doesn't get much criticism either.

[Icness]

You're right. Brees is the other one.

Minus his spat with Cutler, Rivers doesn't get much criticism either.

I'd like to see Rivers get more criticism because I know a lot of people in the league really dislike him.

And I'd like to see him win a few more playoff games before people anoint him to the level he's at too. Not saying he's not very talented, but his level of accomplishment should have him in Romo/Cutler turf, not Brees/Rodgers turf. And I'm probably guilty of it too, but not anymore.

[Bucksfans1and2]

If you're talking about me with that email comment, I'm not sure what you mean.

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Today Rodgers quickly realized the Bears had no answer for Jermichael Finley, and he threw to his giant wideout (Finley has not lined up as a tight end all season despite his positional designation) for three touchdowns and several other chain movers.

Read more: http://football.realgm.com/src_encroach ... z1ZBjocjXg

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He is kind of hard to like unless you are a Packers fan

Read more: http://football.realgm.com/src_encroach ... z1ZBk2Q733

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G. Interesting how Packers GM Ted Thompson botches so many first round picks but strikes so much gold later in drafts. His undrafted players are vastly better than his first rounders, just bizarre

Read more: http://football.realgm.com/src_encroach ... 11_edition)/#ixzz1ZBkfYQg9

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At this point you're just trolling, having the Packers draft another Tackle, right?

Well, yeah, it's not like we have any idea what is going to happen during this NFL season and this college season. Just an early stab at who will wind up in the first round and a thought on where teams might be leaning come April. I do think they need another tackle though; IMO Bulaga is an NFL guard, Clifton will be gone, and they don't have any other tackles but Sherrod on the roster that belong. Do I think they'll take another 1st round tackle? No.

I think people have a legitimate beef with all 4 of these comments.

Comment 1 is just stating something as fact that isn't true. You're looked at as a professional writer and football expert around here and when you state something as fact that is not true you're going to get called on it. That's part of being a journalist.

Comment 3 is either terrible wording, or you're just wrong. You've admitted to both being true. You're a professional writer you're held to a higher standard than some guy on an internet forum.

Comment 4 is just weird. Bulaga was coming off a very good playoffs. A rookie who had a great postseason is very rarely moved to a position of less importance. I know he went to Iowa but he's not Robert Gallery.

Comment 2 is strange as well. Maybe it's different in NFL circles but I haven't seen fans of other teams have much to say about him as a person. (Maybe you mean people inside the NFL but it sounds like you mean fans of other teams.) They think he's a great QB but don't have much to say about him as a person. Another thing that writers very rarely do is tell readers how they feel. It doesn't really end well when it's done. Even political writers don't write about how people feel without a "_____________'s approval rating is __%" statement to back up their point.

[Icness]

Dude, sorry but you lost me a little there.

I explained the Rodgers comment above.

Not sure I get what you are asking/saying on the others. I said above I used dramatic effect with Finley...quite effectively judging by the reaction here. Just in the last 24 hours I have heard/read the following gross inaccuracies:
--Colin Cowherd stating Matt Stafford has been sacked just once all year (The Vikings got him for 5)
--Jim Rome stating Tom Brady threw six INTs all of last year (it was 4)
--Tim Brando vehemently arguing that Cedric Benson was not arrested, even though he served jail time. Kind of hard to go to jail without committing a crime, no?
--Skip Bayless talking about just about anything, ditto Stephen A$$mith
If you want to bust balls over every little inaccuracy you encounter in life, you're just not going to be happy reading about sports. Sports writers do stuff like this all the time. Bill Simmons was so notorious about it that ESPN actually had to change his job title. It's just what it is

And I do still believe Bulaga is a better NFL guard than tackle. Said so leading into the draft and I still think so. Just because he's been adequate (and improving) at tackle doesn't mean he wouldn't be better at guard. I think he can be a decent starting tackle but he could be a Pro Bowl right guard.

[chuckleslove]

First of all, we don't have nearly the open line of communication to those other guys as we do you.

Secondly Cowherd and Bayless are both tools.

Thirdly, mixing up 6 interceptions for 4 interceptions is a pretty small mistake compared to some of the gaffe's you have been called out on here.

That is all really. We talk about the stupid stuff other national people write all the time, the one this week is all of the national media making a big deal about the holding call on the fake punt return when there is clear video evidence there is a hold and they are all either ignorant to it or intentionally ignoring it to try and stir up controversy.

[Flames24Rulz]

The only important thing to add is that I'd much rather be a Texans fan.

[zmanishere11]

See my sig.

Ic is a pretty decent writer, he's just a raging Lions fan and it comes across in his opinion / commentary on the Packers. Nothing wrong with that - I'd probably do the same thing. It's gotta be tough / impossible to be impartial in your writings if you're a big fan of one particular team.

[paulpressey25]

You're a professional writer you're held to a higher standard than some guy on an internet forum.

The American media has changed drastically in the last ten years with the internet. And at an accelerating pace the past two years. I'm not sure any of these writers can hold their own anymore against the collective that is Bucks/Packers board RealGM.

We've got so many die hards on here that follow things inside and out 24 hours a day that a national commentator has a hard time NOT making some faux pas on specific things simply because they can't devote the time to the local team like this collective does here.

I'm not apologizing for this particular writer, but noting that anyone who does a national beat is not able to keep up with the inner workings of each team like these boards now do. It is what it is.

[Bucksfans1and2]

You're a professional writer you're held to a higher standard than some guy on an internet forum.

The American media has changed drastically in the last ten years with the internet. And at an accelerating pace the past two years. I'm not sure any of these writers can hold their own anymore against the collective that is Bucks/Packers board RealGM.

We've got so many die hards on here that follow things inside and out 24 hours a day that a national commentator has a hard time NOT making some faux pas on specific things simply because they can't devote the time to the local team like this collective does here.

I'm not apologizing for this particular writer, but noting that anyone who does a national beat is not able to keep up with the inner workings of each team like these boards now do. It is what it is.

Except it wasn't a specific thing. If it was something incorrect about the DT alignment in the Packers Eagle package, that would be one thing. You can google Ted Thompson draft History and you get a list of his picks by year.

[paulpressey25]

Except it wasn't a specific thing. If it was something incorrect about the DT alignment in the Packers Eagle package, that would be one thing. You can google Ted Thompson draft History and you get a list of his picks by year.

Yeah he made a mistake there. But again he's got to write about all the teams in the league and make some observations. The comment comes after a game where a lot of TT draft picks looked all world while Sherrod is sitting on the bench. I'd guess his comment was more directed to TT's genius in the late rounds than emphasizing some type of incompetence in round one. He's not going to have the time to research every single opinion he tosses out.

Again, I'm not letting him off the hook. Just pointing out that it is very difficult for national commentary guys to keep track of all this stuff. This is a very, very unique board. It is far more intellectually stimulating here than most national writers and talk radio. That said, you almost have to be an SEC lawyer in your posts because if you forget to elaborate or clarify one aspect of a point you are making, there are ten guys waiting to take you down. At times you have to add about ten footnotes to every opinion posted on here.

The writer in question has taken some hits here. Let's see what he is able to do to step up his game in the future.