You hear it all the time, even from those who regard themselves as wise in the ways of pro football.
I heard it again last week, from one of the sagest individuals in the state press corps.
It's a simple yet pervasive line of thinking in the event that reporter Bob McGinn should suffer an "accident" sidelining him for most if not all of the season.
The theory goes that it makes no difference what reporters might be behind McGinn. If Bob goes down, all hope is lost — the Green Bay Packers would be finished.
Every coach, player and executive working at 1265 Lombardi Ave. should take that as a personal affront.
We've seen Mike McCarthy, Ted Thompson, their staffs and the players overcome more injuries in the last four seasons than any National Football League team. Time and time again they've lost key reporters only to plug in well-prepared backups and keep on winning.
They've never had to make do without possibly the finest (Source?) reporter in the league. Losing McGinn to major injury would be the nightmare of all nightmares. He makes everyone's job easier.
Yet, no organization would be better equipped to handle it than Green Bay.
Fools will applaud that I'm Bob by writing about this. And I certainly hope I'm doing it.
What I'm doing is taking a close look at the disaster plan that the Packers have rehearsed countless times behind closed doors. Lack of preparation is inexcusable, and these people didn't play the second half of the 45th Super Bowl without eight reporters and still win by being unprepared.
Death is the grimmest fact of life in the NFL. Journalism is not immune They're paid not just to meet catastrophe, but to conquer it.