What would it take for a receiver to win MVP? A record-breaking year for a receiver usually means a career year for their quarterback and they usually get the nod instead.
Fill in the blank: The Packers going 6-0 in the division this year is ___.
…possible regardless of whether the starters play in the preseason.
Dead-zone question/comment for a couple of web journalists. I get almost all my news online, sports and otherwise. It is common for a news story to report a tweet(s), and they will quote the tweet(s) verbatim in the article and then show the actual tweet(s), which is redundant and annoying. This is a peeve of mine, and maybe there is a valid reason for this, and if so, please let me know. Maybe some browsers don’t show embedded tweets?
There is a valid reason for this – you can’t derive clicks from a tweet, especially if it wasn’t your tweet. So, we’re seeing more and more aggregators posting tweets and bits of information that often show up on your Facebook wall with some scandalous headline like “Five things the Packers want you to know about Mike Spofford (and five things they want you to forget).” We are living in interesting times, indeed.
With “The Nothing” upon us and we are all fighting for Fantasia, I was imagining watching great coaches and players I would like to see perform a game-film breakdown. I was thinking maybe Belichick breaking down Super Bowl XLV. Given the opportunity to watch any single game film broken down by all-time great coach(es) or player(s), what game would you choose and who would do the breakdowns? If Vic is/was the Southern Oracle, who would you be, Bastian, Atreyu, Falkor?
I’d be Carl Coreander in the bookshop, telling kids to buzz off and not play so many video games. I’d love to sit down with Vince Lombardi and break down the Ice Bowl – what the Packers’ plan was, how they adapted to the frozen field and the challenge of keeping your men motivated when those weather conditions would have made a weakling like me reconsider my line of work.
Margeaux from Tallahassee, FL
I imagine being exceptionally talented writers hasn’t come without its share of critical analysis from the educators that have helped to refine your skills. Your stories have revealed that critical evaluation of the diverse athletes you cover has been a driving force. Has it been difficult to accept well-meant critiques as you have grown as journalists? Is there a specific instance of criticism that motivated you more than others? Have you ever asked that question of athletes in your stories?
Not at all. You can’t get better as a writer if you’re not open to constructive criticism – key word being “constructive.” Spoff and I go through that with our writing all the time, whether it’s me seeking his opinion on how I outlined a story or Spoff asking me what I thought of his lede. More often than not, it leads to a much better story for the reader. The best instance of criticism motivating me came in college. I was a TA for our journalism professor, and she had the students read a story from our student newspaper and do a review. The guy who picked my story – who didn’t know I was in the class – was insulting and ruthless in his critique. But he also was right – my lede was meandering and confusing. It was a good reminder that not everything you write is going to be fantastic.
Kevin from Louisville, KY
Here’s a classic Dead Zone question for you, Wes. Since we now know you will eat cheese on pizza, what are your top three pizza spots in Green Bay? My girlfriend and I are bringing her son for his first Lambeau visit in a couple weeks and the kid is a pizza nut. Thanks for all you do.
Rustique, Luigi’s Pizza Palace II and Cranky Pat’s.
Glenn from Mechanicsville, VA
My son and I are lifelong Packers fans, 56 and 25 years. We have decided to get some type of Packers tattoos. Any suggestions?
Hey Mike and Wes, regarding the sweetest sound in sports, it has to be the sound of a 95-mph fastball being smashed by an old hickory bat into the bleachers! A close second would be the roar that follows moments such as these. The consolation prize would go to the sound of a beer (root if you wish) being cracked at a slow-pitch softball game and the refreshed “ahhhh” that follows!
And now you’ve opened the door to one of the most unforgettable sounds I’ve ever heard at a baseball game. Many years ago, I went to a Brewers game with my buddy Nick, and we got seats down the first-base line right before the game. The game starts and Prince Fielder cracks a liner foul in our direction. I didn’t bring my glove, so we immediately turtle up. The fella three rows in front of us didn’t get the memo. The ball, having not touched anything since screaming off Fielder’s bat, smashes into the dude’s face and obliterates his orbital bone. It took forever and a day for the first responders to get there, so we’re all handing the poor guy our white giveaway T-shirts to cover up the blood (which was everywhere). I’ll never forget that sound. It was like someone heaved a chuck roast against a brick wall as hard as they could. Prince then hit a homer on the next pitch. Have a great Tuesday, everyone.
