Strive not for success, but for dominance.
Getting to the playoffs regularly to me IMO is a finesse, beancounter approach. I want a take-no-prisoners approach.
I don't expect superbowl victory every year. Sometimes you lose games, that's the way of life. But, and people have heard me say this before, I want a team that strives to and has the capacity to dominate every game. A team whose B- game requires the other team to play an A+ game to beat them. And a team whose A- game cannot be stayed in the game with.
IMO what separated the great teams from the merely successful was the will to dominate.
IMO for the last half of 2010 and most of 2011, the Packers had that will. IMO I haven't seen it since. THey are good, but aside from a few like Rodgers, they haven't had that extra oomph.
It's not about whether they "go for greatness" or not. It is about the strength of their will, about their refusal to NOT be great.
I don't claim to know what it takes. I'm honest to admit that I've not got *it*, whatever it is.
But I haven't seen it recently from the Packers. Lombardi and the Starr/Nitschke/Robinson/Davis/Gregg Packers had it. Holmgren IMO never had it, though the White/Favre/Butler Packers managed to have it for awhile despite that partly because Wolf had it. As, I said, the Packers had it for awhile under McCarthy and THompson with Rodgers/Woodson leading the way.
But I haven't seen it since.
Playoff contenders. Best team in division. Yes, both of those.
But dominance and will. No.
Dominant. Will.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)