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I like what he says about how fast opinions can change about coaches and teams. I really like what he says about Jason Garrett:
Doubter may have to eat his words
By Bob Ford
Inquirer Columnist
Way up there in Green Bay, where the wind goes whistling through whatever it damn well pleases, the good citizens have short summers and long memories.
They also have access to e-mail, which is undoubtedly useful when sending a message to the next-door neighbor asking whether he can see the tops of your bungalow windows above the snow yet.
It is also handy for reminding out-of-town smart alecks they were slightly off-base in assessing the Packers this season. So many people are staying home to write this week, there must be no lines at the Piggly Wiggly and no reason to bribe the maitre d' at Denny's.
The Eagles began their fabulous 2007 season at Lambeau Field and gave the Packers 10 points on the way to the 16-13 opening loss. That was the famous game in which Andy Reid arrived at the field and said, "Holy Moley, I forgot to put a punt returner on the roster. My bad."
Despite the Eagles' problems that day - all harbingers of the season - it still took a 42-yard field goal with two seconds remaining to beat them. The Packers, coming off an 8-8 season, with Methuselah at quarterback and absolutely no one running the ball, didn't seem like much of an opponent. Who knew that staying within three points of Green Bay eventually would be viewed as a season highlight?
Apparently, everyone in the 920 area code knew. At least they burned up the phone lines and jammed the Internet server when some bright guy in Philadelphia wrote that the Eagles lost "to a team that could barely get out of its own way."
"The Eagles' defense was good, the offense was mediocre, and the special teams were hideous," Bright Boy continued. "Even the Packers, heading toward an 8-8 season at best, can win a game if the opponent is determined to give it away."
Perhaps that assessment of the Packers was based too much on the previous season, when the Eagles beat them, 31-9, at Lincoln Financial Field. Perhaps it was figuring that the teams couldn't have traded places so quickly. Whatever it was, it didn't turn out to be terribly accurate (not counting the parts about the Eagles, of course).
The Packers managed to lose twice to the Bears and once to the Cowboys, in what everyone assumed was a conference championship preview, but otherwise there was nothing but wins along the way. Favre kept defying time, Ryan Grant became a running back, and the defense got pretty good, particularly against the pass. They finished 13-3, took a week off, and then the snowball rolled faster downhill when Seattle got Lambeaued in that well-timed blizzard.
Fortunately, the nice folks up there in Wisconsin haven't forgotten the first team that put them on this roll, or the snotty Philadelphians who didn't think much of the Packers.
"Eight and eight at best? How do those words taste now, you stinking loser?" read one joshing e-mail. "Why don't you get cancer and die?" joked another.
Ah, well. They should be feeling good right now. The Packers are home against the Giants this week instead of traveling to Dallas. The forecast Sunday calls for a high temperature in single-digit degrees, with snow flurries possible. When they predict "flurries" for Green Bay, that is like hearing the first note of the shark music in Jaws.
The original prediction for last Sunday's game called for flurries, and the last thing anyone could see, the snow had piled up on the bill of Mike Holmgren's hat until his neck could barely keep his head upright. He may still be out there, waiting to give the headset to Tom Coughlin.
Up in New York, nearly exhausted from publishing Eli-Comes-Of-Age stories, the newspapers have turned to Eli-In-The-Cold stories, analyzing his play in various temperatures. It turns out that quarterback Eli Manning is pretty good above 40 degrees and very reliable in domes. Unfortunately for the Giants, the likelihood of Lambeau being domed by Sunday isn't that high.
Things happen quickly in the NFL but not that quickly. Just last week, every member of the Dallas coaching staff was a genius
, and even the crash against New York didn't keep Tony Sparano from getting the head coaching job in Miami or offensive coordinator Jason Garrett from being courted for both the Baltimore and Atlanta jobs. 
Garrett was such a genius against the Giants that when New York cornerback Aaron Ross left the game in the third quarter, forcing the Giants to use Geoffrey Pope, a rookie from Howard University who was on the practice squad all season and hadn't played a professional down, the Cowboys didn't throw a single pass in his direction.
Outcomes make geniuses, and the Packers have made a genius out of Mike McCarthy this season and something less out of those who doubted the team way back in September.
I'd take it back, but I still don't think all would be forgiven. Have to check the e-mail and see.
Doubter may have to eat his words
By Bob Ford
Inquirer Columnist
Way up there in Green Bay, where the wind goes whistling through whatever it damn well pleases, the good citizens have short summers and long memories.
They also have access to e-mail, which is undoubtedly useful when sending a message to the next-door neighbor asking whether he can see the tops of your bungalow windows above the snow yet.
It is also handy for reminding out-of-town smart alecks they were slightly off-base in assessing the Packers this season. So many people are staying home to write this week, there must be no lines at the Piggly Wiggly and no reason to bribe the maitre d' at Denny's.
The Eagles began their fabulous 2007 season at Lambeau Field and gave the Packers 10 points on the way to the 16-13 opening loss. That was the famous game in which Andy Reid arrived at the field and said, "Holy Moley, I forgot to put a punt returner on the roster. My bad."
Despite the Eagles' problems that day - all harbingers of the season - it still took a 42-yard field goal with two seconds remaining to beat them. The Packers, coming off an 8-8 season, with Methuselah at quarterback and absolutely no one running the ball, didn't seem like much of an opponent. Who knew that staying within three points of Green Bay eventually would be viewed as a season highlight?
Apparently, everyone in the 920 area code knew. At least they burned up the phone lines and jammed the Internet server when some bright guy in Philadelphia wrote that the Eagles lost "to a team that could barely get out of its own way."
"The Eagles' defense was good, the offense was mediocre, and the special teams were hideous," Bright Boy continued. "Even the Packers, heading toward an 8-8 season at best, can win a game if the opponent is determined to give it away."
Perhaps that assessment of the Packers was based too much on the previous season, when the Eagles beat them, 31-9, at Lincoln Financial Field. Perhaps it was figuring that the teams couldn't have traded places so quickly. Whatever it was, it didn't turn out to be terribly accurate (not counting the parts about the Eagles, of course).
The Packers managed to lose twice to the Bears and once to the Cowboys, in what everyone assumed was a conference championship preview, but otherwise there was nothing but wins along the way. Favre kept defying time, Ryan Grant became a running back, and the defense got pretty good, particularly against the pass. They finished 13-3, took a week off, and then the snowball rolled faster downhill when Seattle got Lambeaued in that well-timed blizzard.
Fortunately, the nice folks up there in Wisconsin haven't forgotten the first team that put them on this roll, or the snotty Philadelphians who didn't think much of the Packers.
"Eight and eight at best? How do those words taste now, you stinking loser?" read one joshing e-mail. "Why don't you get cancer and die?" joked another.
Ah, well. They should be feeling good right now. The Packers are home against the Giants this week instead of traveling to Dallas. The forecast Sunday calls for a high temperature in single-digit degrees, with snow flurries possible. When they predict "flurries" for Green Bay, that is like hearing the first note of the shark music in Jaws.
The original prediction for last Sunday's game called for flurries, and the last thing anyone could see, the snow had piled up on the bill of Mike Holmgren's hat until his neck could barely keep his head upright. He may still be out there, waiting to give the headset to Tom Coughlin.
Up in New York, nearly exhausted from publishing Eli-Comes-Of-Age stories, the newspapers have turned to Eli-In-The-Cold stories, analyzing his play in various temperatures. It turns out that quarterback Eli Manning is pretty good above 40 degrees and very reliable in domes. Unfortunately for the Giants, the likelihood of Lambeau being domed by Sunday isn't that high.
Things happen quickly in the NFL but not that quickly. Just last week, every member of the Dallas coaching staff was a genius
, and even the crash against New York didn't keep Tony Sparano from getting the head coaching job in Miami or offensive coordinator Jason Garrett from being courted for both the Baltimore and Atlanta jobs. Garrett was such a genius against the Giants that when New York cornerback Aaron Ross left the game in the third quarter, forcing the Giants to use Geoffrey Pope, a rookie from Howard University who was on the practice squad all season and hadn't played a professional down, the Cowboys didn't throw a single pass in his direction.
Outcomes make geniuses, and the Packers have made a genius out of Mike McCarthy this season and something less out of those who doubted the team way back in September.
I'd take it back, but I still don't think all would be forgiven. Have to check the e-mail and see.
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