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First and foremost I understand in today's game preseason is all about evaluating younger players so the score really doesn't matter. Keeping that in mind, our QB3 looks pretty solid. Kylin Hill looks like a steal. Amari Rodgers looks confused and slow showing little game-breaking ability against 2nd and 3rd stringers. Special teams continue to look like LaFleur gives it little attention in practice. And, my nickname for the backup linebackers and DBs against the pass is "dazed and confused". They did make some nice plays, but many times they were out of position and seriously confused. Let's hope all these concerns quickly fade away when the season starts! GO PACK GO!
On behalf of all the misguided fans and sports reporters, I'd like to apologize to Gutey for all the negativity thrown his way regarding Aaron Rodger's unhappiness with the organization. In his short time as Packer's GM, he's hired an excellent new head coach and assembled one of the most talented teams in the NFL going 13-3 the past two seasons. Gutey is also a class act taking the heat for the poor culture and player disrespect being talked about by Rodgers with NEVER throwing his boss, Mark Murphy under the bus.
If people would listen more closely to Aaron Rodgers discuss his frustration with the culture and player disrespect they'd hear he's been seeing this for many years. Gutey's only been in the job for 3 years! Who's the only member of "management" that's been in power with total control over morale, culture, and player respect since Rodger's has been here? Mark Murphy. Murphy is the president and all-powerful when it comes to these areas. If at any time he didn't like what was going on with culture or lack of player respect he could have changed it. He did nothing. The problems that Rodger's so eloquently talked about are 100% on Murphy.
While Gutey's silence taking the heat for Murphy should be respected, Murphy's silence allowing Gutey to take the heat is inexcusable and unprofessional!! If Murphy had the same class as Gutey he would have held a press conference right after Rodger's accepting the blame and promising to make changes to correct the problems. His silence speaks volumes about his lack of interest in correcting the real issues.
I said it before I'll say it again. Murphy needs to immediately give Gutey a promotion to COO of football operations with full GM responsibilities. Russ Ball and Matt LaFleur should report to Gutey. If Murphy is unwilling to do this the Executive Committee needs to relieve him of his duties and do it themselves. Then hire Andrew Brandt to replace Murphy. As the saying goes, it's nothing personal, it's business. I'm sure Murphy's said this to many veteran players over the years.
What Rodgers wants is what any of us want in our jobs. Respect and a positive culture and work environment. Seems pretty clear Murphy has failed big time regarding the football side of the organization. It's an easy fix. Is he professional enough to do it? As it stands right now Rodger's isn't convinced because he knows as long as Murphy is in total control nothing will change.
Fans and press, please let Rodger's comments and my thoughts sink in. Get off Gutey's back and give him the respect he deserves. Put the heat on the right "management" aka Mark Murphy to clean up his mess.
Here's a little something for Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Za'Darious Smith, Mark Murphy, and members of the Executive Committee:
Sometime when you are feeling important,
Sometime when your ego is in bloom,
Sometime when you take it for granted you’re the best qualified in the room.
Sometime when you feel your going would leave an unfillable hole
Just follow these simple instructions and see how it humbles your soul.
Take a bucket and fill it with water, put your hand in it up to the wrist,
Pull it out and the hole that remains is the measure of how indispensable you are.
You may splash all you please when you enter, you can stir up the water galore
but stop and you’ll see in a minute that it looks quite the same as before.
The moral of this quaint example is to do the best that you can, be proud of yourself, but remember: There is no indispensable man!
I believe it's past time that Bob Harlan calls a special session of the Executive Committee to immediately replace Mark Murphy. While he's done an outstanding job making the Packers financially strong, he's proven to be inept when it comes to creating a positive trusting culture, a strong united management team on the football side of the organization, and is a poor public relations frontman. He can be easily replaced with Andrew Brandt as President. Brandt can hire or promote a new CFO. Brian Gutenkunst can be promoted to COO of the football side of the organization while retaining his GM duties. Russ Ball and Matt LaFleur would report directly to Gutey. If Gutey and LaFleur want to acquire a new player or extend a player's contract it's up to Ball to get the job done. Any problems Brandt gets involved. If Ball doesn't like the structure he can leave as well. I'm sure Brandt again can promote or hire someone new. The embarrassment of the organization must end now. Bob, you saved us once. It's time to do it again. Packer Nation and the players are waiting for a positive change of culture! The NFL and the media are watching and laughing. Enough already. A Lombardi Trophy is waiting for us!
Here's a scoop for tomorrow's shows!
Great game by the Bucks, especially Giannis. Has anyone heard if coach Bud is ok? I heard he got run over by a bus last night and that Giannis is the one who threw him under it! Seriously, I saw Giannis on ESPN this morning commenting in his post game press conference. When asked how it felt for him to dominate in the paint as he did last night. Wait for it…his reply “I been waiting to do this for a long time”. Gee Bud, who the hell has been playing him at the top of the key and telling him to keep chucking up threes? If Bud recovers from being thrown under the bus I hope Giannis’ comments finally get Bud to scrap his plan to make Giannis into a guard and play him EVERY game in the paint where Giannis proved last night he is pretty much unstoppable. That was fun to watch him play his natural position, dominate, have fun and win!!!
Here is an article that is 100% spot on. It's time for Murphy to resign or be fired.
I found the interview by Kenny Mayne with Aaron Rodgers was very eye opening. The best part was learning once again that the “experts” were 100% wrong when they kept spewing that Rodgers was upset because of the Jordan love draft pick. Rodgers clearly debunked that.
What will be interesting now is will the “experts” learn anything from Rodger’s statements that the problem is the “culture”. I have no doubt that they will jump on this and attack their favorite villain Brian Gutekunst'. If they do, they’ll be 100% wrong once again.
If the experts would do their homework, they’d see Rodger’s problems with the Packers started about two years ago. Yes, that’s when they drafted Love. But what else changed that changed that negatively affected the culture? Mark Murphy named himself the dictator of the Packers as he restructured the organization. Everything goes through him. Everything. LaFleur, Ball and Gutey all now report to Murphy. None of them have the power to set the culture of the “organization”. That is 100% on Murphy. LaFleur can set the culture of the team. Gutey can set the culture of the player personnel. But Murphy and most likely Ball set the tone and culture of the organization. Both are driven to make money and they’re great at it. Both have failed to notice or solve the “team’s” personnel issues from McCarthy/Thompson meltdown to the now Rodgers/organization disconnect.
Murphy was too busy making money to see the “silos” that embarrassed the organization and turned the team into a laughingstock. Murphy created the new organization where money is more important than people, which created the unhappiness of Rodgers. The lack of involvement by the Executive Committee is inexcusable. Murphy’s lack of attention to culture throughout the business side AND team has embarrassed the organization two times in just a few years. It’s time for the Committee to see the light and immediately fire Murphy and replace him with Andrew Brandt.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, resigning Aaron Rodgers to a long contract extension is not an easy decision. Here are a few takes:
1) People say the Packers don't give him enough help. The facts:
A) The Packers played in and lost 4 NFC championship games in the last 7 years. You don't get to that level of achievement with no talent.
B)If Rodgers had made MVP-type plays against the Bucs they would have played in the Super Bowl. Others made mistakes, but he had many opportunities to win the game.
C) In the 4 losses the Packer's high-powered offense was shut down scoring an average of 22.3 points. Aaron Rodgers threw eight touchdown passes and six interceptions, took 11 sacks and had a passer rating of 88.9 in those 4 losses. The Packers defenses were dominated giving up an average of 35 points.
D) Before this past season Rodgers play did show signs of decline and the Packers didn't have a quality back up. Drafting Jordan Love made great sense to solve both issues.
E) If the Packers do sign Rodgers to a long-term contract which one will they get? The one that showed signs of decline? The motivated MVP? The disgruntled one that is getting married and might want to take time away from greatness to host Jeopardy?
Should the Packers give Rodgers the extension and he does decline they could set themselves back big time. Even if he plays great, will he again play subpar in the Championship game? To those who think it's an easy decision by the Packers are ignorant or refuse to look at the past and the big picture. If possible I still trade him for Russell Wilson.
Have any of you heard anything if the Executive Committee is meeting with Mark Murphy to ask him how in the hell did his new organizational chart based on improving communications fail so miserably to communicate with their MVP quarterback? The severity and organizational embarrassment for a second time call for a change at the top. Time to hire Andrew Brandt, who is the perfect fit for now and the future. DO YOUR JOB Executive Committee. GO PACK GO!!
