2019 Week 13

Packers 8 Santa Clara 37 

“The gap is…not ability, it’s not talent, it’s execution. On paper and lining up we feel really good about our squad against anybody. But execution is the main divider”- Aaron Rodgers on where the Packers stand after the SF blowout
“Offensively I’ve gotta take the lead and get hot in December here”-Rodgers on the remaining Five games
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and to the Entire World! It’s again that great time of the year when the holidays are upon us. Family, feasts, fun. We all have blessings and things to be most thankful for. That includes Packers football as well as Packer Nation. I have so many reasons to give thanks that I could write about them for a week. But none of us have that kind of time or the inclination…
So let’s stick to our context: I’m thankful to be (8-3) and atop the NFC North division, albeit by a thread, wing, and a prayer. I’m thankful for a relatively healthy team roster at this point in the season, a positive which I personally can’t recall having over the last, oh, say five seasons or so. I’m thankful that things have worked out so well for our club and its new home at Spare Time…

And at the moment, I’m thankful I don’t ever again have to watch the Packers game at Santa Clara last Sunday night. Ever. Like the Chargers game a few weeks ago. A total failure on all fronts: Preparation, coaching, and attitude were all completely lacking. Then we turn to the actual offense, defense, and special teams play on the field, and internally it’s like a sick concoction which somewhat resembles The Seven Stages of Grief. I don’t know if I’m at “Denial” or “Anger” or both(?) I’m frankly confused by what happened, which defied all conventional wisdom and logic. I do know for sure that I am not at “Acceptance…”
Before the Packers detonated in the biggest game of the season, we had everything going for us that the experts find relevant: Coming off a bye week, a healthy team, a revised itinerary for travelling out west after the Chargers debacle, and a team with its eyes on the prize, motivated to take on one of the few other heavyweights in the conference.
The fumble at the two-yard line to light the fuse of the impending explosion was the worst possible start, and it obviously got worse from there. Beat like we stole something. We all saw it, and if you’re like me, you’ve also read enough about it enough that you feel more stuffed than the bird you just help demolish. As such, I see no need to regurgitate that steaming mess of turkeyshit any further. Agreed? The “Yays” clearly outweighing the “Nays,” we will pitch that corpse over the side in a duct-taped industrial-strength garbage bag weighted down by cinder blocks chained around the body. Gone forever, “Bye-Bye…”
The Season is long and always filled with highs and lows. The swings can be tough to handle on everyone concerned. That includes the players. Even the undefeated 1972 Dolphins had incredible setbacks and drama. But I will tap into the words of The Old Watash: “It is never as good as it seems, and it is never as bad as it seems.” In the same vein, one day you’re flush, the next you’re bust. It’s a gambler’s credo yet seems to apply to our situation. After the chaos subsides, I’m looking into my crystal ball and seeing a final record of (13-3) or (12-4).


Of course, and those of you “in the know” know, I’m drinking my spiked Kool-Aid the whole time. I believe in this team. Much like (our) children: (We) love everything about them, but sometimes they make silly mistakes, bad decisions, and (each of mine) get in fender-benders. They make you want to pull your hair out, make you want to scream, and even make you briefly fantasize about choking someone out (or maybe even to death). They make Vikings fans do what they do best: Whine, bitch, cry, slap their spouses around, and look for safe spaces…
It’s all part of the Cycle of Life. And the Cycle of Football Season. That’s why it’s referred to as a “campaign.” Highs. Lows. Up. Down. Overreact either way. Rinse and repeat…
Good, bad, ugly, and beautiful(?) I’m thinking “Beautiful” is in the future for this team. As far as the warts and the bumps on our collective body, remember that even The Four Seasons has to crack some beautiful farm-fresh-organic-locally-raised-low carbon footprint eggs to make one of their chef’s $119 omelets…
For Packer Nation, it is still a time to be thankful for so much. Thank God or whoever in the manner you choose, but thank someone (or something?)...“Give Thanks and Praise to Jah” like the immortal Burning Spear offers. Reach out to estranged or forgotten relatives or friends, the “Zippys” in your world, and give them a hug, whether in-person or virtually/electronically. Tell the people that matter to you that you love them. Do it. Like, now. Get some perspective on how it all flows and fits. Try to look up, to smile inside and out…
Then, get ready to punish New York next game so we can all resume giving thanks for something we all take for granted: The Pack winning another of many games to come… 
Go, Pack, GO!!!
(Kraig Pringle)

Just Sayin’

 West Coast Offense. That is EXACTLY what the Packers DO NOT have. If you look at the last 2 losses, they were both played on the West Coast and the offense sucked. As a matter of fact, and as stupid as this sounds, the offense has struggled since Davante Adams has returned. Everything was humming along; Rodgers was looking for the open guy, and spreading the ball around. Now, he is back to holding onto the ball longer than he was when DA17 was out. It’s almost like he is thinking “let me dance around back here till Tae gets open”, and now the sacks are starting to pile up again and 3rd down failure is commonplace with the Packers offense. And the offense in general is sputtering again, in 2 of the last 3 games, like it was early in the season. As I peered at the rest of the schedule, I don’t think there are any more Boza brothers left to play against. So, there’s one good thing about the rest of the regular season. And when the 49ers offense came on the field, and TE Greg Kittle was playing, the writing was on the wall. The Packers have not had success covering a good TE in many years. I suspect LB will be a need during the offseason, seeing as it has been ignored for what seems like an eternity by the previous regime. I know I have brought that character up several times this season, but he left the Packers roster depleted of NFL talent in so many areas. His lack of quality drafts, in my opinion, was as bad as the John Hadl trade by Dan Devine.

For all you youngsters out there, in 1974, the Packers came oh so close to acquiring Archie Manning. Manning was a pretty darn good QB who was only 25 years old and stuck on the Saints, who were horrible. He had been benched for backup Bobby Scott. The Packers had a personnel guy down in Atlanta ready to finalize the trade. Well, against the Falcons, Scott injured his knee. With Scott hurt, the Saints decided not to trade Manning. So, Dan Devine panicked and sent the Rams 2 1st round draft choices, 2 2nd round choices and a 3rd round choice for a 34 year old QB, way past his prime. (Editor’s note: Know as the Lawrence Welk Trade; A one and a two and a one two three…)  That trade bit the Packers for years. Now, Turd Thompson’s bad drafts over the years are having the same effect, in a different way. While we now have a good QB, we haven’t had a TE worth a hooey, except for 1 Jared Cook year, in about a decade. Along with no TE, the linebacking corps was ignored as well.

Oh well, it is what it is. We now go play the Giants and then host the Redskins. Those are definitely 2 winnable games to get the ship righted.
Personally, I think all the off-season chatter about Rodgers and LeFleur not going to be able to get along, was speculation. It was wrong. Here is some more speculation; I think the passing game needs to revert to how it was running when Adams was out. And if LeFleur insists on that, then there may be some conflict. Rodgers is too fixated on Adams right now. He has quit throwing to the RBs like he was. He’s back looking for the long ball instead of moving the chains.
And while I was all for retaining Mike Pettine as defensive coordinator, I am now having my doubts. I would have taken absolutely anyone over Dom Capers, but this defense has got to start playing better and making some stops. The defense started out against the Bears as a kind of “stuff ‘em” defense. From there, they progressed  to a “bend but don’t break” defense. Now they are about to hit the “bend, then snap” defense.
(Biker Jimmy 220)

GPB In Our SPARE TIME


50 Packer backers gathered at Spare Time to cheer on our team.  And we cheered and we pulled and we encouraged, but alas, they couldn’t hear us all the way in Cali-forn-I-A.  We met a visitor, originally from Greenville, who now makes his home in Green Bay.  And the club is back on track with 3 new members joining Sunday night.  Please make sure you say hello and welcome to:
566 Brittney Tomlin
567 Steven Clancey
568 Matthew Fletcher.
Our mic man for the evening, 120 Neil Petersen, announced that our Monday night game against the Queenies was going to be designated a pajama party.  So to prepare 323 Celie Schilz and 568 Matthew Fletcher chose flannel sleep pants when their numbers were called for a door prize.  Shirts were chosen by 292 Joe Valitchka and 532 John Blanda.  324 Larry Schilz will be wearing a warm stocking cap, and 120 Neil Petersen chose a baseball cap which he promptly presented to fellow member 542 Kathie Mervyn.  537 Wayne Boyd chose a trailer hitch.  123 Kraig Pringle will be sipping (or maybe guzzling? 😊) from his set of pint glasses.
The $1 football pool winners were 542 Kathie Mervyn, 242 Christina Harrison, 537 Wayne Boyd, and 287 Perri Bressman.  532 John Blando correctly answered the trivia question of the night.  He won a $25 gift card from our friends at Spare Time. 
On Sunday we are FINALLY back to a 1:00 game.  YAY!!  I hope to see the house filled again like we did at the start of the season.  Let’s all meet up and cheer for our guys as they take on the Giants.  Remember, it’s through thick and thin…See you Sunday    
Marge 328

Packer’s       vs.       NJ Giants

 In order for us to look ahead to the NJ Giants, we need to take a look at where we’ve been.  This week all I heard, regarding the Santa Clara game was ‘what the **** happened to the Packers?’  I am not disputing it was a bad game and the whole “West Coast” experience has been anything but enjoyable, but their tone seems to indicate our season is over; far from it I say.  We have 3 losses folks!  Almost everyone thought at the be-ginning of the season that 8-3 in week 11 would have been very good, spot on even, yet some feel it’s a major let down.  Perhaps it is in those 3 losses, E-gull, LaVolts & Santa Clara, we has looked bad and the soft underbelly of our team was exposed.  This on top of the fact the viqueens now have the same record as us and some feel we are in a tailspin.
We are in in the season of Thanksgiving and as such, let’s take a look at three of the positives.  Number 1, we are still in 1st place by virtue of tie-breakers holding both the head to head (1-0) and division record (3-0 to 1-2) over the lavender lads.  Of course the season is not over, but this forces the queenies to end up a game ahead of us.  Number 2, the next three weeks, we play New Jersey (2 wins) on the road then host the Skins (2 wins) and duh bears (5 wins) whereas the viqueens play the Seahags (9 wins) and LaVolts (4 wins) on the coast and host the lyins (3 wins). There is a good chance in three weeks we will be two games up on them with 2 weeks to go. And number 3, we still have Rodgers!  The problem right now is getting him to play like the Rodgers of old.
Now that brings us to this week’s preview, the once mighty Giants.  If the present trend continues, this will be the first time in the Rodgers era that Manning will not be their QB; Daniel Jones is the man now, a man who in the last three games has accounted for one INT and 6 fumbles, losing 4 of them.  In fact, he has at least one turnover in every game he has started (18 total in 9 games). I wouldn’t be surprised to see them dust off Manning for one last go around.  With a total of 33 sacks in those 9 games, the Smith Brothers are foregoing their Turkey feast to make room for desert, Daniel Jones.  To take the pressure off Jones, they have Saquon Barkley, a bruiser of a back at 233 lbs.  He started out the year with two 100+ games, then was hurt for 4½ games and has not had more than 75 yards in a game since, with the Jets holding him to 1 yard on 13 carries.  Still, when they play this Sunday, he will be attacking the soft underbelly of our defense, the run game.  Put too much focus on taking Jones down and Barkley could re-start his career against us.

That takes us to the Jekyll & Hyde of the Pack, the red hot, ice cold offense.  The talk at the water coolers is “what’s wrong with Rodgers?’  He has not had a good game since the radars game in week seven. How much does the offense change when Adams is playing and is it for the better?  I mention a lot about A.A.A. (Aaron R., Aaron J. & Adams) and in the beginning of the season this seemed to click.  In the four games Adams was out, Jones had 30 receptions, in the last three of Adams return, Jones has one.  Jimmy makes a good observation between Aaron and Adams and one I agree with.  Is Air-ron too fixated on Adams?  Is the balance of the A’s off?  Is Adams Air-rons’ only read?  Does he really have faith in his other receivers?  Will our first draft pick be a receiver or a run stopper? 
So many questions, so few games left.  Getting the balance back, maybe adding the 4th A, Allison could be the secret to the season.  Air-ron has always been most effective when he spreads the ball around, something he has gotten away from lately.  Maybe this could be Air-ron’s new rally cry,
B-A-L-A-N-C-E!
The next two weeks seems almost like two bye weeks, but there is danger in thinking that.  Last week was a tough loss to take but it was against a very good team and in their back yard.  Matt LaFleur is at an early crossroad in his career; will he be defined by last week’s loss or will he be known for the way he learned and bounced back, starting with this game against the Jersey Boys.  My money is on Matt having GB+ blood and if he needs a transfusion, I know of a fan club in South Carolina willing to give blood because everyone knows we all 
Bleed Green My Friends!
(Packer John)

 PACKER BACKER SHOUT OUTS!


Just a big Happy Thanksgiving Shout Out for all of us at the Packer Backer Bits to all of you.  Be thankful for God, Family and the Green Bay Packers.
For all of those who haven’t sent in your birthdays, anni-versaries, or other shout outs please email them to: 
heatherbailey80@gmail.com

And now a Word From Our Sponsor

 My fellow Greenville Packer Backers: for the last several weeks I have been thinking about how thankful I am for the membership of the club, and wanted to take a moment to pass it along. I can think of a few items I am thankful for. 1. You as fans and now Friends. 2. The blessings I have to be able to host you and improve our service.
Fans and Friends: From the first time Lewis, Clark, (Kraig & Neil), and I met I thought this is going to be a lot of fun. We have grown together over the last 12 weeks, through some rough moments and some great moments. In week 2 I was truly floored by the turnout of fans and members as we had almost 200 Packer Fans come for the Minnesota game. That day took me back home, it made me feel for the first time in a long time that I may have finally found a place to call home. You may not know but my family and I have moved a lot over the last 8 years. In fact, we moved every year from 2013-2018, when we landed in Greenville. In the weeks that followed our relationships continued to grow, with many of us sharing Wisconsin roots each week I was taken back home for the brief time we were together for the game. We shared our love for certain Wisconsinite items and places, and of course, our passion for the Green and Gold. So thank you for being amazing fans, and for many of you now being friends that I look forward to seeing each week. 
I feel truly blessed to be in a position where I am able to host you as the general manager of Spare Time. You have been great guests, my team now comes to me each week asking, can I work the Packers group next week? Some of them have had the opportunity and some have excelled at their service during the games, others have let you down. I can say we are always working on our service, and when you have disappointment in it, please let us know. The only way we can get better is if you let us know where we are missing. Also if you have a teammate that you really enjoy let them know they did a great job, and never hesitate to let one of my other managers know. Especially as we head into December where my teammates are working longer hours with the influx of a lot of holiday business. I appreciate each of you as guests and your feedback to our service. 
I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy times with Friends and Family. I won't be able to be at the game on December 1st, but I look forward to the following week that I will be there, back with some of the most amazing Guests, Fans, and Friends.
Thank you again
for everything! 
Go Pack Go!!
#1 Steve Klotz