20100730

High Expectations in Packerland

All the draft picks and free agents have signed their contracts, and with training camp just around the corner and the gladiolas unfurling their magnificent flowers at the Union Homestead, summer-time stumbles on its last weary legs – the expectations for the 2010 campaign are the same throughout Packerland: Super Bowl or Bust!

It's been quite a while since I've sensed this unified level of anticipation, dear readers. We in the north are careful about excitement. We all know the awful darkness of winter is coming, oh yes, that summer won't last forever, so it's hard for us in Packerland to be overly optimistic, let alone share those lofty thoughts with our neighbors. But here and there we do. You can feel it in the air this summer. The tomato plants are big as barrels and you can't help but to peck at the roster and grin like a goose in a pond. Sure, I think the the Packers are gonna win every Sunday, and I always hope they'll win it all, but most Augusts I think in the back of my mind: Yeah, but the snow's a-comin, FG, and there's this weakness and that, and my goodness, let's be realistic. Let's stock that pantry fuller than full and put up the storm windows early, let's chop extra hard-woods, it's gonna be a nasty one this winter, better stock up on wool socks.

But not this August. Might as well make a rockin-chair outta my best shovel. The sun shines bright on us here in Packerland. The gladiolas will last all the way into October and I won't even have to mulch them bulbs.

My long-time readers will know I'm a believer in the omen-world. It's not just the young talent on the roster and the barometer going in the right direction, folks. The omens are all speaking to success for us this year.

Everything, and I mean Ever-E-Thing, is a Hum-dinger lately!

Example A: My buddy Chinwhisker Charles caught the biggest damned Northern Pike I've ever seen on our annual Canadian fishing trip this summer. I was there to net it and gawk at it's massive melon, take some pictures and then watch it swim away with a mighty coil and pulse of it's enormous tail. 

Example B: Different boat, different lake, different month. Another guy I know catches his personal best muskie. Catches it on the exact same lure - same flavor even!* Biggest muskie I've ever seen caught, and I was there to net it and gawk at it's massive gut, take some pictures and watch it chug back to the depths.

And both fish spoke to me in perfect English: The Packers will win it all, FG!**

Hum-Dingers! What do you call that? It's beyond dumb luck, dear readers, and I do know a thing or three about dumb luck. And it's only been the tip of the omen-ice-berg this summer.

You'll notice I haven't really gotten into specifics regarding the team. Well no shit, Sherlock.*** Training camp hasn't even begun yet, let alone pre-season. I'm not gonna just make stuff up. There are plenty of speculators out there on the tubes if you want a big pile of baloney fed to you on a ghost platter. All I know is the general out-look is lookin pretty damned good, and what more can you say on a humid August day? Nothing much, if you're honest about it.

But I do appreciate you stopping by. It may not pay the bills but even when there's nothing much to talk about I still like to yap and yap about the Packers. Real soon here we'll have some-thing of substance on the plate and the sooner still we'll be looking at September and - whoa baby - then it'll be time for some real hum-dingers! Yes, sir. Yes, ma'am.

Keep your'selves cool, dear readers, and keep looking for them omens.
Until next time, then, 
FG

* - No, I will not reveal the lure, you nosy sonuvaguns!
** - OK, I made that last part up. The fish were speaking Escoid, of course.
*** - My apologies for the profanity. My blood got riled for a moment.