In 1996 I lived and went to school in London, England. One of the best times of my life and believe it or not, the Packers were part of it.

As is the case in the US, there are a few bars/clubs that show American football games..digital packages. The bar that we would go to was in Piccadilly Circus (and there is no way I could remember the name of it...to much Guinness). We would go there every other week or so to watch the Pack play. Games would start at 8 PM (for a noon start back home).

There were always plenty of ex-pats there to watch the game, but there were also a lot of Londoners who loved the game. Now, I believe that the first NFL game played in London was in 1983, but the first regular season game was in 2007. There has always been interest in England for American football. I think as long as there is beer at the game and gambling involved, those Englanders will love any sport.

Do I think that American football will ever really catch on overseas. Yea, I think it will. There is currently the EFL (European Football League). The World League of American Football lasted from 1991 to 2007. It produced a few NFL stars and I think that was the main point of it, a minor league of football. Eventually, as the world's global economy becomes smaller and smaller, sports will begin to be shared more and more. Look at soccer in the US...it's fairly new in the current professional state it is in. Everything catches on eventually as long as someone can make money off of it.

So, as most of us know, there are Packer fans everywhere...including non-US citizens. When I moved to Oregon, I was amazed at the amount of Packer fans here. Most of them say that they are fans because their dad was a fan. Makes sense, think about the days when many people, who didn't have a football team in their home market, were either Packer or Cowboy...those were the powerhouses. Yes, unfortanetly there are just as many Cowboy fans out here for exactly the same reason. That's poor raising of your kids!

The regular season is right around the corner, but Green Bay has tough decisions already in front of them. It starts with decision the 53-man roster. Here's my take after watching the Packers this preseason....

My Packers Roster Predictions
(Joe Arrigo)

I have to admit, I am HORRIBLE at predicting the Packers roster. I have not got one right ever, but yet I get asked to try and do it every year. Well I will, yet again, attempt to nail down the final 53 men who will start the season for the 2010 Green Bay Packers.

QB's (2):
Aaron Rodgers (QB)
Matt Flynn (QB)

RB's (3):
Ryan Grant (RB)
Brandon Jackson (RB)
Kregg Lumpkin (RB)

FB's (3):
John Kuhn (FB/HB)
Quinn Johnson (FB)
Kory Hall (FB)

WR's (5):
Greg Jennings (WR)
Donald Driver (WR)
James Jones (WR)
Jordy Nelson (WR)
Jason Cherry (WR)

TE's (4):
Jermichael Finley (TE)
Spencer Havner (TE)
Andrew Quarless (TE)
Tom Crabtree (TE)

OL (9):
Chad Clifton (OT)
Daryn Colledge (OG)
Scot Wells (C)
Josh Sitton (OG)
Mark Tauscher (OT)
Brian Bulaga (OT)
Jason Spitz (OG/C)
T.J. Lang (OG/OT)
Marshall Newhouse (OT)


DL (6):
Ryan Pickett (DE/NT)
B.J. Raji (NT)
Cullen Jenkins (DE)
Mike Neal (DE)
Jarius Wynn (DE)
C.J. Wilson (DE/NT)


OLB's (8):
Clay Matthews III (OLB)
Nick Barnett (ILB)
AJ Hawk (ILB)
Brad Jones (OLB)
Brandon Chillar (OLB/ILB)
Desmond Bishop (ILB)
Brady Poppinga (OLB)
Frank Zombo (OLB)

DB's (10):
Charles Woodson (CB)
Al Harris (CB)
Nick Collins (S)
Morgan Burnett (S)
Tramon Williams (CB)
Sam Shields (CB)
Pat Lee (CB)
Brandon Underwood (CB)
Will Blackmon (S/KR/PR)
Derrick Martin (S)

ST's (3):
Mason Crosby (K)
Brett Goode (LS)
Tim Masthay (P)


P.U.P. List:
Atari Bigby (S)
James Starks (RB)


Injured Reserve:
Quinn Porter (RB)
Josh Bell (CB)


Practice Squad:
Graham Harrell (QB)
Evan Dietrich-Smith (C)
Anthony Levine (S)
Alex Joseph (MLB)
D.J. Clark (CB)
Patrick Williams (WR)
Chris Campbell (OT)

I struggled with keeping 3 fullbacks (cutting Johnson or Hall) and 9 offensive linemen (Dietrich-Smith being the odd man out), but I think Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy like Quin Johnson as a lead blocker and Kory Hall's special teams ability. While Dierich-Smith adds versatility to the line (G/C), unless Jason Spitz is dealt, he could be the odd man out on the OL.

On the defensive side of the ball, I had to cut Justin Harrell. I think that C.J. Wilson won't clear waivers and the coaches think he has a huge upside while Harrell's injury history and effort (at times) make him a huge risk. Charlie Peprah was the other hard player to cut. Unless Brandon Underwood's shoulder requires surgery (which is a possibility), Peprah looks to be the odd man out. I think it is a shame because his special teams ability could be used.

On special teams I have Masthay beating out Ryan based of the past few days and the Colts game. He has out kicked him, but with the final pre-season game remaining, a strong showing from Ryan could swing the punting competition back to the Aussie.

I do think Donald Lee is traded. The Packers have a surplus of Tight End talent and all have more upside then Lee. Havner can play multiple positions (on offense and defense) and had more TD catches last year then Lee, while Quarless has big time potential and Crabtree is an outstanding blocker. Lee dropped to many passes last year in big time games (at Minnesota and the playoff game) and is not the blocker Crabtree is.

Jason Cherry is my "surprise pick" to make the team. While Chastin West and Patrick Williams are better receivers now, Cherry's speed and return ability would add another dimension to the Packers special teams and gives him an edge. I think Brett Swain's injury history is a concern to the Packers coaching staff and front office.

When it is all said and done I know Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy will put the best 53 men on the Packers roster to try and bring the Lombardi Trophy home to Green Bay. But the Packer shave so much talent that another NFL team is going to land a very good player, but that's what happens when a team drafts talented players and also signs talented players (as undrafted rookie free agents).

Well, it's been awhile since I last wrote about my Packer memories and it's hard to get into the football mood when the temperature here in Central Oregon has been around 100. But, it's right around the corner...the beginning of the season. Exciting times.

So, here's a blast from my past as I've heard the stories of the 1967 Ice Bowl from my dad and uncles so many times I'm not even sure what is real or stories that change after a few beers. Here's what I remember about their stories.

They (my dad, 2 of my uncles and a friend of theirs) loaded up their car (the color changes every time they tell the story) the morning of the game. Most of the gear was blankets, beer and whisky...what more do you need to battle a cold Wisconsin winter. They traveled the old highway to Green Bay (no interstates at that time). Many stops had to be made to clear off the windshield as the heat of the car wasn't enough to keep it clear from ice in the 13 below temperature. If I remember correctly, a few bars were stopped at along the way in order to 'warm-up'. Sounds like what any reasonable Packer fan would do.

Things get a little blurry in the story at this point as my dad and uncles didn't expand on where they parked or getting into the game (they had tickets, but no mention of details of seats, etc). The one part of the story that remains the same every time it is told is about how cold it was. The windchill hovered around 30 below. The only thing they really saw during the game was the actual plays from scrimmage. Reason being, they had blankets draped over their faces in between plays...it was just too cold. When Starr said 'hike', the blankets came down. After 3 yards and a cloud of dust (or ice), the blankets went back up. Everything in the stadium was quiet because of the cold and people huddling behind blankets...thus, everything could be heard on the field perfectly. My dad said that they had to slam beers before they froze and the whisky was bordering on freezing too.

Of course, we all know about Starr's sneak and the Packers winning their third consecutive NFL title. Welcome to the frozen tundra!

There is no mention of the ride home or how many bars were stopped at along the way...I'm sure a few. You can't stop in a bar to pee and not have a beer. That just wouldn't be polite!

Moral of the story, Packer history can be told in many different ways. Sometimes it is over a few beers and the memories come back (even if they aren't totally accurate). Packer history is like the Roman empire. We may forget some of the details, but the remains are all around us...we never forget.

Here's a link I found on the Internet of some video of the game:


Wow, it feels like the temperature just dropped 20 degrees here in Oregon. Good story to tell to remember those Wisconsin winters.

Something we had a lot of problems with last year were drops.

Our receiving group was credited with 46 of them. 2nd came the Chiefs with 45. The closest team to that didn't even reach 40 drops.

So it's nearly as bad as our sack problem.

I was pretty sure that most of these would be on Donald Lee. Balls seemed to be bouncing out of his hands left and right, from what I could remember.

And although he did drop quite a few, he isn't the one who's getting this dubious honor bestowed on him.

I was unpleasantly surprised by who is.

Wide Receivers

James Jones - 9
Donald Driver - 8
Greg Jennings - 4
Jordy Nelson - 3

Tight Ends

Donald Lee - 6
Jermichael Finley - 4

Running Backs

Ryan Grant - 3
DeShawn Wynn - 3
Brandon Jackson - 2
Quinn Johnson (FB) - 2
Korey Hall (FB) - 1
Ahman Green - 1

Jones' numbers are pretty alarming. He made just 32 receptions on the year, yet, managed to drop 9 balls.

And that's without the wild card game in the mix, where he caught 3 passes, but dropped 1 more.

But what this really is is another showing of mental mistakes and lapses in concentration.

We've seen Jones play his rookie year. He made some nice catches and had pretty sure hands.

We've seen Lee play his best football in 2007, when he dropped only one ball, and had a more productive year last year when he dropped "just" four.

These Packers teams under McCarthy seem to be plagued with unnecessary penalties and mistakes. It ranges from false starts to missed assignments to, now, dropped balls.

Maybe it just comes with being one of the youngest teams in the league year in, year out. Maybe it's that Rodgers just can't give the offense that veteran leadership that it appears to need, yet. Or maybe it's McCarthy who can't lead and inspire the team.
Whatever it is, I'm hoping to see it fixed this year. When the Packers get running on all cylinders, the sky's the limit for this team.


Most stats used came from http://www.profootballfocus.com

One of the things I've heard Packers fans complain most about after this years draft is that we didn’t select a cornerback.

Now, with Woodson and Harris aging and Bush having to play as our nickel corner last year, it does look like it's a position of need.

If you ask me, though, it really isn't.

At least, not past round one.

Let's see who we have on the roster right now, in alphabetical order.

Josh Bell, Will Blackmon, Jarrett Bush, D.J. Clark, Trevor Ford, Al Harris, Pat Lee, Brandon Underwood, Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson.

That's 10 CBs on our roster, already.

Let's start with the obvious starters on this list. Charles Woodson and Al Harris. Both are getting up there in age, but they still form one of the best corner tandems in the league.

Then we have the man who filled in very well for Harris when he went down these last two seasons and might even start the first few weeks this season. Tramon Williams. He's our only "young" CB who looks like he can really take over the Nr. 2 CB spot when either Harris or Woodson calls it quits.

Al Harris and Charles Woodson

After that, it gets a little more clouded.

I think that Brandon Underwood might be our dime back next year. If he bulks up a little he has a chance to be a very good CB. Starting material, even.

Will Blackmon and Pat Lee should be pushing for that spot, as well, though.

After those spots, you pretty much make the roster on ST abilities alone. This means that Bush will most likely be back.

Bell, Lee, Ford and Clark will all be fighting for a roster spot in training camp.

So where exactly would that 2nd – 7th round rookie fit in here? You have as much potential as you could want behind our starting 3 "veterans". Underwood has too much upside and potential to cut. Blackmon and Bush should survive on STs skills. That already leaves you with 6 corners on your roster, with Bush being a hybrid CB/S on paper.

We might add one more, but I imagine it would be Lee, to give him a chance to prove himself after getting injured early last year.

Now, a 1st rounder could make an instant impact. Or be an immediate upgrade over one of these players, but rookie past the 1st round will warrant enough value to start cutting in that group of names.

The situation is not as dire as some fans make it out to be. The only reason that Bush had to play in the nickel last year was injuries. And a lot of them. There's no unit in the league that can take injuries to their starting, dime and 5th CB and still field a group that can stop everything.

Considering that Blackmon, Lee and Harris were out, we actually looked quite good.

The present looks amazing and the future doesn't look too bad. I don't think that the Packers have as much to fear as many analysts, fans and experts want to make you believe. This CB group could be something very, very special.

Who I Think & Want The Packers Will Draft
(Joe Arrigo)

As the NFL draft approaches everyone has their own thoughts on who Packers GM Ted Thompson will draft, myself included.

I have done 21 mock drafts and I tried to "think like Thompson" and not use my own feelings when it comes to the pick. But in this blog I will reveal who I want the Packers to draft with their first pick in the 2010 draft.

As I look at the Packers roster I know all about the offensive tackle need, I know about the corner back need, I also know about the outside linebacker need and the return man need. But I think the strong safety need is just as important.

When I think of a strong safety I think of a punishing hitter that can strike the fear of god into offensive players coming across the middle. Is there such a guy in this draft and will he be available when the Packers are up? Yes, and he should be.

That person is Taylor Mays from USC. I know, I can already hear it..."Joe, you are such a homer!" You know what, I am, so what! I think Mays has the type of ability to change a defense if he used the right way and I think Dom Capers and Darren Perry will use his strengths with-in the confines of the Packers defense. I also think Perry will help transform him into a better coverage guy then people think.

There are other safeties that I like a lot and will still be on the board when the Packers pick like, Morgan Burnett from Georgia Tech and Chad Scott of LSU to name a few, but Mays is something special to me.

His size, speed combo are off the charts. He is a physical freak, we all know this. But this kids attitude and work ethic set him apart from some of the other safeties, no, some of the other players in this draft class. He will not let anyone out work him and will continue to try and prove draft pundits wrong about his coverage skills. He will come into the NFL with a chip on his shoulder, and that is not a good thing for the 31 other teams in the NFL.

If they did draft Mays it would push Atari Bigby and make him put up or shut up. Yeah he can be a big hitter, but he has also been hurt almost as much as he has been on the field. With Charles Woodson, Nick Collins, Al Harris, Tramon Williams, Bigby, Mays, Underwood, Martin, Blackmon and another rookie that we all assume the Packers will draft at some point this weekend the Packers will have a very good and deep secondary.

I know the Packers need top find Chad Clifton's heir apparent. But I think that if the Packers draft a Charles Brown or Bruce Campbell at pick #23, it would be a reach. Unless Kyle Wilson falls, I would wait to draft the corner. I think you can get a good corner in the 2nd or 3rd round. Plus, any offensive tackle taken in round 1 will be "red shirted". This team is on the cusp of a title run, I feel that they need to add a difference maker or a player that will play now rather then a player that will have to wait to get on the field.

But any way that's who is I WANT the Packers to draft, Taylor Mays. Who will they draft? I have NO CLUE. I think Ted Thompson wants to add a difference maker on either side of the ball.

I will say this, I wouldn't be upset if they drafted C.J. Spiller, Jahvid Best, Dez Bryant or Kyle Wilson. Not in the least bit would I be upset. I trust Ted Thompson's drafting ability.

Who ever the Packers pick will have my full support as long as they are on the Packers. The will be welcomed into the Packer family with open arms. But If I were calling the shots on draft day you would hear Roger Goodell say "with the 23rd pick in round 1 of the NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers select, Taylor Mays, Safety, USC."