20081212

On the hunt for some wins

Maybe we can beat the Jaguars, one of a few teams that seems less interested in winning than the Packers these days. Now that the Bears won on Thursday, the chances for the NFC north title is all but out of reach, barring a miracle. Some of my buddies hope for a lousy finish which will get us a better draft pick. No matter who wins the north, they say, it will be one and done in the playoffs. Well I can't think that way. I still want 8 wins. Win number 6 has been a tricky one to get, though, and we need to start there.

Let's fire up the Union Gatling Gun

• Mark Tauscher wins the Packer of the Week award. The offensive line hasn't been all that great in run or pass blocking this year, but Tauscher has been an asset up front for years now. A devastating knee injury suffered last week has ended Tausch's season, and he probably won't resign with the team during the off-season now that he's a free agent. So long, big feller.
• Everyone should try ice fishing once this winter. It's good for the soul.
• How about that new punter? Talk about big feller... He's got a bigger gut than me! But boy he sure can boom that ball a mile. We need to think up a clever nickname for him.
• Fantasy Football league is officially over for yours truly. I needed a big night from the Tampa defense to squeek into the playoffs and I got a huge night from the Panther run game instead. Oh well, it was fun and I learned a lot about the other teams in the league. I can't wait for next year. The Fantasy G. Unions will prevail!
• Buffalo playing in Toronto? In a dome? And that's a home game? What a pile of turds. I would be upset if I was a Buffalo fan. Luckily, my team now plays all of their home games at Lambeau Field. The NFL needs to knock it off with these regular season games in strange lands.
• Like the Packers, I need to stick with the column through the rest of the season and work on some improvements for season number four next year. Hard to believe I started this little project three years ago. Stay tuned for some new features and improvements to the site in the coming months...

Even in his first year as coach, McCarthy found a way to get the team to finish strongly, and I expect he'll do that again. We can surely beat the Jaguars and the Bears, but I think the new highlight of the season will probably be handing the Lions their 16th straight loss. I am planning a big party for that occasion. I think it could actually happen. Even on a down year, you've got to find ways to stay excited and this history-making opportunity might be the most memorable event in quite a few years. We'll see.

Happy Perigee Full Moon. It's the closest the moon will get to the earth all year! Let's get this thing back on track! Mark it folks, Packers 27, Jaguars 20. Howllllll!