20100811

"Finley our year," and hecklin' third-stringers

I finally got around to watching the family night scrimmage on my VCR the other night, and I gotta thank Cousin Walter for taping it. Much as I was looking forward to the scrimmage, the trout were biting and I couldn't bring myself in from the stream. And while it was nice to see the Pack in live action on the television set again, this preseason none-sense just makes me nuttier for the season opener.

The highlight of the night was obviously Jermichael Finley's dominating performance, capped with a nice touch-down and a Lambeau Leap - hopefully this is a sign of things to come in 2010. I tell you, dear readers, 88 looks like an unstoppable force out there, and the connection with Ronnie Rodgers is strong as a swift current chasing gravity down-hill. I might have to jump the gun and take both of these bang-tails in my fantasy football league a few spots 'too early', although that's easier said than done - everyone else in the league is Packers fans, too!

I keep thinking that this is 'Finley our Year', and I hope saying that catches on. Tell your friends. Maybe I'll get some bumper stickers made up. Yep, Finley our Year to win it all, folks. Pass it on.

So how are you going to welcome Coach Holmgren back to Lambeau on Saturday? I think I might cook up a walrus roast, with a spicy glaze. Nah, I've got nothing against the old coach or the Browns for that matter. Probably will just do a cook-out and have a few PBRs, and practice an old Union-family pre-season tradition started by my uncles a-way back when: Heckling the third-stringers on both teams. Any-time one of them rookies louses up we take a sip of PBR and say "That's it, buddy, you're CUT!" Then we laugh til the cats run up the walls. It's great fun. Or else we slap our knee and say, "Rookie, now WHAT in the HELL where you thinking?" Or: "Go back where you came from ya KNUCKLE-HEAD!" Or maybe you just give a little toot when someone drops an easy catch. Hilarious.

As you can see, folks, I don't take the pre-season very seriously. And that's good. The regular season ain't good for my old heart. The stress demons stay away until September, and that's fine with me. So long as Jermichael or the starters stay healthy, I'm a happy old fellow. And in the morning, it'll be time to put on the waders and go for a stroll in an ice-cold stream, looking for some brookies and relief from this mean ol' sun.

Until next time, then, stay cool,
FG