I've always felt if the right player was there you go get him. I felt it with Randy Moss and Jason Taylor actually as well. Now I accepted that Thompson didn't go get Moss and I obviously didn't call for his head because of that. The Packers ended up doing very well. I was dissapointed, but not ridiculous like some harsh critics are.
That was then.
Now I believe the same as a lot more people do and that's go into free agency. Time to take a risk. It's not like Charles Woodson was a safe signing. I recall a lot of people and I was one of them being very critical of Woodson when he was signed.
This year I've said in multiple threads about where we should spend $$$ on and that's the offensive and defensive line. I also think we should use the early draft picks on those positions. If the Packers don't then my opinion of this football team will probably be harsher than it was in quite a while. We'll see though, as Pack I believe said, we're so used to nothing happening in free agency, that by July we're all optimistic.
"porky88" wrote:
Over at packerchatters, they went on for over 90 pages on the Randy Moss deal. I didn't post a single opinion, as the subject seemed so divisive. :icon_smile: I didn't realize at the time that it was just practice for what was to come. At the time, I was rather lukewarm on the idea of Randy Moss...frankly, I was leaning towards not wanting him, due to work ethic issues, and I thought he had lost a step. I think it fair to say that (and NO, I am NOT reopening that debate) Ted Thompson had enough legitimate reasons to not go crazy in an attempt to secure his services. I hate it when those with a continued agenda look back at signings and non-signings made by TT. To be clear, I am not in any way casting this upon you, Porky...I suspect you and I run very similar in our perspectives. I find your posts well-reasoned, cogent, and entertaining to read...like mine ... :thumbleft: :thumbleft:
Along comes the Favre fiasco. This will be the great polarizing issue all will refer to when discussing anything of controversy regarding the Pack.
I pointed out to my dad once that he was in the minority on the one true deciding factor in what kind of person you really are. You see, my dad is a stander. I'm a runner. When a bee or a mess of bees come around, what do you do? Many runners think they can be quasi-standers, and will ignore the bees, as best as possible, but if the bees "press", they will crack under the pressure and roll out and away. Not my dad and his fellow standers...they will stay in ignore mode, and be none the worse for wear. Now a stander can't run, and a runner can't stand, or they will be stung by those bees. Why draw this analogy? A- because I just like it, and B-because it is reflective of the polarization between the Ted Thompson supporting crowd as regards "the decision", and the Brett supporting crowd.
I am a staunch Ted Thompson supporter in the "decision". I will not change, and am fully cognizant and understanding of those that are on the other side of the equation. This now goes back to my bee analogy. I do not like or trust a Brett supporter of the decision when they enter into the fray as regards decisions made by TT... It equates to a runner attempting to temporarily stand amongst the bees. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I know that many former Brett Favre crotch-sniffers have ostensibly moved on, and I know I shouldn't hold that position held against fellow posters...but I do.
I also feel a sense of entitlement in the criticism department when it comes to TT, for having given him my support, and further I am one hell of a lot more interested in the critique of Ted Thompson by those that held firm in their support of him during the debate. I could go into the whys..but my fellow supporters allready know them, because they are smart. :thumbleft:
Ted Thompson doesn't deserve much blame for the Randy Moss thing. Nor for the The Gonzales thing. One that pissed me off, seemed to fly below the radar of most Ted Thompson haters, and that was a failure (at least to my knowledge) of any attempt to secure the services of Alan Faneca. That one still pisses me off, and it further pisses me off that I had to remain mostly silent about it because I didn't feel like giving the crotch-sniffers ammunition.
As I have said...well, I've said what you said. As I quoted from a fellow poster from Packerchatters...Forgot the quote, but here's the gist... Ted has done an excellent job in securing a multitude of 2- 3 year project talent players to rebuild this team. This luxury no longer exists, and he must now start to secure players that will make more of an immediate impact. If he doesn't do that, the debate will rage here and elsewhere, my prediction being that from a personal standpoint, I will argue aggressively with those that supported Ted Thompson in the fiasco, and either completely ignore or flame those that I have come to know as BF crotch-sniffers.
Build the lines, Ted... that's what I started out to say. :thumbleft: