Why?
Why has it taken so long for Major League Baseball to recognize a safety issue and address it?
Granted, this is NOT mandated by MLB, but more and more ball clubs are extending the protective netting in front of fans. The Milwaukee Brewers among them.
Several years ago, MLB pushed it's members to extend the netting to include the dugouts. Now, many teams are taking that a step farther. Some have taken the netting all the way to the left- and right-field foul poles. Sounds like Milwaukee is following suit.
Early in the season, there were several fans injured by foul balls -- including children. Last year, a fan attending a Los Angeles Dodger game was killed. Seems like every season there's a number of fans struck, some injured seriously.
Any question WHY baseball needs to protect fans? You hear talk of "exit velocity" and "lift" along with more and more pitchers that can touch 98 to 100+ on the radar gun. Heck, Milwaukee's MVP Christian Yelich fouled a ball off his right kneecap and fractured it for a season-ending injury.
Let's face it, are the majority of those fans in the stands capable of reacting to a screaming foul ball? Probably not. At the games I've attended the last few years, especially so this season, there's a growing number of fans staring at their cell phones, not at the action on the field.
And please, please, please DON'T give me the "it takes away from the experience and the chance for a foul ball keepsake" -- or for pre-game autographs from players. If that's argument, I'm sure they can figure out a way to lower the screens early and raise them for the game. And the netting won't keep fans from chances at those pop-up foul balls.
I've read where, in Japan, the netting has extended to the foul poles for years. No problems or complaints there, where folks put the "fanatic" in fan.
I've sat down behind the screen a time or two at Miller Park. After the first couple of batters, didn't even take notice of the barrier. But was sure glad it was there to stop a screaming foul drive.
ATTENDANCE WAS UP for the Brewers by 72,458 from 2018. Sunday's home finale was the 20th sellout of the season (that's 24.69% of home games). The team finished with 2,923,333 fans for the season. An amazing total for a small market -- thanks to state-wide support AND that retractable roof.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Taking a shot at the NBA
When the starting players in the National Basketball Association take a night off for "load management" purposes, it's always a road game.
Never mind that this may be the only time that, say, LeBron James comes to town -- and his presence has sold a lot of tickets.
Nope. The hell with the fans. Super Star X ain't gonna play. If a marque player is injured, that's one thing. But taking the night off for load management is another.
Need a solution, NBA? Require those stars to play on the road IF it is the team's only appearance in a given city. Need a night off? Sit out at home...
Just food for thought as the NBA season nears.
Never mind that this may be the only time that, say, LeBron James comes to town -- and his presence has sold a lot of tickets.
Nope. The hell with the fans. Super Star X ain't gonna play. If a marque player is injured, that's one thing. But taking the night off for load management is another.
Need a solution, NBA? Require those stars to play on the road IF it is the team's only appearance in a given city. Need a night off? Sit out at home...
Just food for thought as the NBA season nears.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Brewers Winning At The Gate
While the Milwaukee Brewers continue to keep their playoff hopes alive, the team keeps winning at the gate.
Attendance, after 70 home games, stands at eighth in Major League Baseball. The Brewers have drawn 2,498,346 fans to Miller Park, averaging 35,690 fans per game. Should that average continue through the final 11 home games, the club would finish the year at 2,890,936 -- just over 109,000 shy of the three million mark.
That's better than their 2018 total, when 2,850,875 showed up (good for 10th in the MLB).
Let's put this season in perspective. The Tampa Bay Rays are currently locked into a wild card spot with an 82-59 record (trailing the front-running New York Yankees in the American League East by 9 1/2 games). The only team worse than Tampa? Those mighty Miami Marlins, averaging UNDER 10,000 a contest. Anyone out there want to question the logic of professional baseball in Florida?
Despite a winning record, the Rays are second-to last in MLB, averaging under 15,000 fans a game. On Tuesday, for example, they attracted just 6,844 bodies. Milwaukee, in comparison, had a crowd of 29,335.
You can bet that the next four games with the Chicago Cubs will bring attract 39,000+ each game. And the Brew Crew will need to win at least three of those to stay relevant and in the chase.
Attendance, after 70 home games, stands at eighth in Major League Baseball. The Brewers have drawn 2,498,346 fans to Miller Park, averaging 35,690 fans per game. Should that average continue through the final 11 home games, the club would finish the year at 2,890,936 -- just over 109,000 shy of the three million mark.
That's better than their 2018 total, when 2,850,875 showed up (good for 10th in the MLB).
Let's put this season in perspective. The Tampa Bay Rays are currently locked into a wild card spot with an 82-59 record (trailing the front-running New York Yankees in the American League East by 9 1/2 games). The only team worse than Tampa? Those mighty Miami Marlins, averaging UNDER 10,000 a contest. Anyone out there want to question the logic of professional baseball in Florida?
Despite a winning record, the Rays are second-to last in MLB, averaging under 15,000 fans a game. On Tuesday, for example, they attracted just 6,844 bodies. Milwaukee, in comparison, had a crowd of 29,335.
You can bet that the next four games with the Chicago Cubs will bring attract 39,000+ each game. And the Brew Crew will need to win at least three of those to stay relevant and in the chase.
Friday, August 23, 2019
There's Got To Be A Better Way For NFL Preseason Games
Come on and say it with me -- the NFL preseason/exhibition format sucks!
Many teams aren't playing their starters (see the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams for example), yet the owners still charge full-game prices to watch a bunch of players named "WhoDat".
Ridiculous.
And Thursday's Packers-Raiders game in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada -- a totally FUBARed situation -- only exasperates the situation. Playing on an 80-yard-long field? Seriously? Put the blame on the Raiders (they shopped around for a game site after stepping away from $500,000 to rent the Oakland Coliseum for the game) and the NFL itself for not stepping in earlier and making sure the field was up to their standards.
There has to be a better alternative, one which the players AND the owners can find middle ground and agree. The owners, bless their money-grubbing hearts, want to see an 18-game regular season. The players, concerned about player health, want to stay at 16 but probably wouldn't mind an extra off-week.
So here's what I'm proposing (in my role of NFL Commissioner For A Day)...
The Canadian Football League has been around for a long, long time. Known as the CFL since 1958, it's roots actually go back to the 1800's and rugby. But by 1909, our neighbors to the north had moved away from their rugby roots and more towards American football.
North of the border, the league plays two preseason games, 18 regular season games AND still gives teams three bye weeks during the course of the season. The season starts the end of May, finishes up Thanksgiving weekend. That's six months of play.
The NFL currently starts playing in August, wraps up the first weekend in February -- roughly six months. So, if the league would turn the last two preseason games into regular season tilts (still a home and away format), provide two to three bye weeks, doesn't it seem like a win-win.
I would take it a step farther and eliminate the pathetic Thursday night games. OR assure teams of a bye week going into that Thursday game, thus ensuring a better product on the field.
And here's something the NFL Players Association could go for -- expand game-day rosters from 52 to 58 and the practice squad from 10 to 15 players. That's more jobs, more NFLPA members (and dues) and a few more bodies for Special Teams, etc.
Got a better idea? I'm listening.
Many teams aren't playing their starters (see the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams for example), yet the owners still charge full-game prices to watch a bunch of players named "WhoDat".
Ridiculous.
And Thursday's Packers-Raiders game in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada -- a totally FUBARed situation -- only exasperates the situation. Playing on an 80-yard-long field? Seriously? Put the blame on the Raiders (they shopped around for a game site after stepping away from $500,000 to rent the Oakland Coliseum for the game) and the NFL itself for not stepping in earlier and making sure the field was up to their standards.
There has to be a better alternative, one which the players AND the owners can find middle ground and agree. The owners, bless their money-grubbing hearts, want to see an 18-game regular season. The players, concerned about player health, want to stay at 16 but probably wouldn't mind an extra off-week.
So here's what I'm proposing (in my role of NFL Commissioner For A Day)...
The Canadian Football League has been around for a long, long time. Known as the CFL since 1958, it's roots actually go back to the 1800's and rugby. But by 1909, our neighbors to the north had moved away from their rugby roots and more towards American football.
North of the border, the league plays two preseason games, 18 regular season games AND still gives teams three bye weeks during the course of the season. The season starts the end of May, finishes up Thanksgiving weekend. That's six months of play.
The NFL currently starts playing in August, wraps up the first weekend in February -- roughly six months. So, if the league would turn the last two preseason games into regular season tilts (still a home and away format), provide two to three bye weeks, doesn't it seem like a win-win.
I would take it a step farther and eliminate the pathetic Thursday night games. OR assure teams of a bye week going into that Thursday game, thus ensuring a better product on the field.
And here's something the NFL Players Association could go for -- expand game-day rosters from 52 to 58 and the practice squad from 10 to 15 players. That's more jobs, more NFLPA members (and dues) and a few more bodies for Special Teams, etc.
Got a better idea? I'm listening.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Who Gets The Heisman?
Once Upon A Time...
...the Heisman Trophy was presented to the "best" college football player in America. Not the winningest, not the one with the biggest media machine. But the best football player.
Maybe that's why, in 1956, Paul Hornung of Notre Dame won the Heisman -- despite a 2-8 record!
You read that right. As a senior, Hornung's Fighting Irish won just two games. Yet the versatile Hornung, the 'Golden Boy" who would go on to a Hall of Fame career with the Green Bay Packers, was named the best college football player in the country.
He completed 49 of 111 passes for 917 yards with three touchdowns and 13 interceptions; he ran 94 times for 420 yards (a 4.5 average) and six touchdowns; he caught three passes for 26 yards. Hornung was responsible for 45.86% of Notre Dame's offense that season.
Sadly, those days are done. College football has evolved. Today, the Heisman seems to go to the best QUARTERBACK in the college world, usually the one who has won a national title or put up amazing numbers. Of the last 19 Heisman's, 16 have gone to quarterbacks.
So that means that Wisconsin's junior running back, Jonathan Taylor (who in two years totaled 4,171 yards and 29 touchdowns, including 2,194 yards and 16 TDs last season) is probably a long-shot to win the Heisman. The odds are also pretty good that Taylor will declare for the NFL draft after his junior season.
...the Heisman Trophy was presented to the "best" college football player in America. Not the winningest, not the one with the biggest media machine. But the best football player.
Maybe that's why, in 1956, Paul Hornung of Notre Dame won the Heisman -- despite a 2-8 record!
You read that right. As a senior, Hornung's Fighting Irish won just two games. Yet the versatile Hornung, the 'Golden Boy" who would go on to a Hall of Fame career with the Green Bay Packers, was named the best college football player in the country.
He completed 49 of 111 passes for 917 yards with three touchdowns and 13 interceptions; he ran 94 times for 420 yards (a 4.5 average) and six touchdowns; he caught three passes for 26 yards. Hornung was responsible for 45.86% of Notre Dame's offense that season.
Sadly, those days are done. College football has evolved. Today, the Heisman seems to go to the best QUARTERBACK in the college world, usually the one who has won a national title or put up amazing numbers. Of the last 19 Heisman's, 16 have gone to quarterbacks.
So that means that Wisconsin's junior running back, Jonathan Taylor (who in two years totaled 4,171 yards and 29 touchdowns, including 2,194 yards and 16 TDs last season) is probably a long-shot to win the Heisman. The odds are also pretty good that Taylor will declare for the NFL draft after his junior season.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
'Bama Visiting Camp Randall Great For College Football
It's about damn time!
That's my first thought yesterday when the University of Wisconsin announced a home-and-home football series with the Crimson Tide of Alabama, set for 2024 and 2025.
Seems like forever since an SEC team visited Madison's Camp Randall. Well, not quite forever -- just since 1971 when LSU's Tigers came to town and won 38-28, then repeated that in 1972 at Baton Rouge.
Granted, the Badgers have played a couple games against SEC foes in recent memory -- against Alabama in 2015 and LSU in 2016 -- but both were those pesky "neutral sight" games. Alabama hosted at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and Wisconsin hosted at Green Bay's Lambeau Field. And Bucky will face Notre Dame in neutral sight games in 2020 (Lambeau Field) and 2021 (Soldier Field in Chicago).
So what's my point? That getting the Crimson Tide in a campus setting is HUGE! It's great for college football, and even more so for the home town fans. Most SEC teams just will not play non-conference games north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Granted, getting schedules to match up is hard. To book Alabama, for example, the Badgers shifted a home-and-home with Virginia Tech to 2031 and 2032. Seems a little odd, I'm sure, but that's a long way off. Other similar foes are Washington State (2022, 2023), Pittsburgh (2026, 2027) and UCLA (2029, 2030).
But going along with that is one question -- Will those teams be any good when Wisconsin plays them? And how good will the Badgers be? You hope that all involved will be competitive, but the fact remains it's a crap shoot.
I will go out on a limb here and state that Alabama will definitely be competitive. Will the Badgers be up to the task? We'll have to wait and see.
We do, after all, have the 2019 season to worry about first! More on that down the road.
That's my first thought yesterday when the University of Wisconsin announced a home-and-home football series with the Crimson Tide of Alabama, set for 2024 and 2025.
Seems like forever since an SEC team visited Madison's Camp Randall. Well, not quite forever -- just since 1971 when LSU's Tigers came to town and won 38-28, then repeated that in 1972 at Baton Rouge.
Granted, the Badgers have played a couple games against SEC foes in recent memory -- against Alabama in 2015 and LSU in 2016 -- but both were those pesky "neutral sight" games. Alabama hosted at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and Wisconsin hosted at Green Bay's Lambeau Field. And Bucky will face Notre Dame in neutral sight games in 2020 (Lambeau Field) and 2021 (Soldier Field in Chicago).
So what's my point? That getting the Crimson Tide in a campus setting is HUGE! It's great for college football, and even more so for the home town fans. Most SEC teams just will not play non-conference games north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Granted, getting schedules to match up is hard. To book Alabama, for example, the Badgers shifted a home-and-home with Virginia Tech to 2031 and 2032. Seems a little odd, I'm sure, but that's a long way off. Other similar foes are Washington State (2022, 2023), Pittsburgh (2026, 2027) and UCLA (2029, 2030).
But going along with that is one question -- Will those teams be any good when Wisconsin plays them? And how good will the Badgers be? You hope that all involved will be competitive, but the fact remains it's a crap shoot.
I will go out on a limb here and state that Alabama will definitely be competitive. Will the Badgers be up to the task? We'll have to wait and see.
We do, after all, have the 2019 season to worry about first! More on that down the road.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
State Roads Give Me An Axe To Grind
Veering off the sports road, I'm headed to a column on a topic that is driving me crazy.
The state, or lack thereof, of Wisconsin roads -- and the crap flowing from the powers-that-be as to how to pay for repairs.
One side says hey, let's charge MORE to state drivers via higher registration and titles. Seems to me that's a tax on Wisconsin citizens, hidden in the term "fees". And all the folks who come to enjoy our state don't pay a dime.
The other side says let's raise the gas tax, thereby having not only Wisconsin citizens, but those wonderful visitors from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota & Michigan help improve our infrastructure.
OH NO! says the other side, that's a tax and we can't raise taxes.
Seriously? It amounts to probably two bucks a week. That's pretty much the price of a cup of coffee...or a scratch-off card.
I think we could all absorb that.
The state, or lack thereof, of Wisconsin roads -- and the crap flowing from the powers-that-be as to how to pay for repairs.
One side says hey, let's charge MORE to state drivers via higher registration and titles. Seems to me that's a tax on Wisconsin citizens, hidden in the term "fees". And all the folks who come to enjoy our state don't pay a dime.
The other side says let's raise the gas tax, thereby having not only Wisconsin citizens, but those wonderful visitors from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota & Michigan help improve our infrastructure.
OH NO! says the other side, that's a tax and we can't raise taxes.
Seriously? It amounts to probably two bucks a week. That's pretty much the price of a cup of coffee...or a scratch-off card.
I think we could all absorb that.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
One-Third Of The Way Through Milwaukee's Season
I was at the health club the other morning (yes, it's true!) and as I paused during the workout, one of the guys who works there stopped by to chat.
Tony is built like an up-right freezer with legs -- not the look I'm shooting for but a nice guy none the less.
He stopped by the machine I was on, paused and said "So, what's wrong with the Brewers? I don't follow baseball much, but I see them losing a lot. You went to Opening Day, right? Thought I would ask you ..."
Well, Tony, Milwaukee is a a little over a third of the way through the season, posting a 38-28 record. That mark is good enough to put them in a tie for the Central Division lead with the hated Chicago Cubs.
That's not a bad record, all things considered. Being 10 games above .500 after the very tough opening schedule, one that featured a LOT of Cardinals, Cubs and Dodgers. I'm satisfied with that, despite the up-and-down pitching the team has shown.
Still, pitching seems to be a bit of a sore spot. Granted, most EVERY team wants better pitching. But Milwaukee needs better pitching. Beyond the surprising seasons that Brandon Woodruff (8-1, 3.87 ERA) and Zach Davies (7-0, 2.41 ERA), the staff has been a bit shaky. Jhoulys Chacin, currently on the Injured List, has struggled and while he was good over the weekend, Chase Anderson....yes, indeed...chase him off the mound and right out of Milwaukee.
Gio Gonzalaz was signed to eat up innings, but is on the IL as well. And Jimmy Nelson just returned to the mound after 21 months since his injury -- he's getting his sea legs again.
Milwaukee missed on free agents Craig Kimbrel (Chicago Cubs) and Dallas Keuchel (Atlanta Braves), but when you consider their price tags, it may have been a smart decision. The Cubs overpaid for save specialist Kimbrel (three years at $43 million) and Keuchel took a one-year deal with the Braves for $13 million.
The Brewers are already paying $120 million in salary this season. General Manager David Stearns is wise to bide his time and make a trade or two with teams like Toronto, Baltimore or Kansas City -- teams that may be looking for an influx of more young talent.
And, of course, Milwaukee could dangle Eric Thames as bait, since his numbers are more attractive now than struggling Jesus Aguilar.
Expect a move or two to strengthen the starting pitching and the bullpen. But all in all, this Brewer offense is good enough to take Milwaukee to another trip to the post-season.
Tony is built like an up-right freezer with legs -- not the look I'm shooting for but a nice guy none the less.
He stopped by the machine I was on, paused and said "So, what's wrong with the Brewers? I don't follow baseball much, but I see them losing a lot. You went to Opening Day, right? Thought I would ask you ..."
Well, Tony, Milwaukee is a a little over a third of the way through the season, posting a 38-28 record. That mark is good enough to put them in a tie for the Central Division lead with the hated Chicago Cubs.
That's not a bad record, all things considered. Being 10 games above .500 after the very tough opening schedule, one that featured a LOT of Cardinals, Cubs and Dodgers. I'm satisfied with that, despite the up-and-down pitching the team has shown.
Still, pitching seems to be a bit of a sore spot. Granted, most EVERY team wants better pitching. But Milwaukee needs better pitching. Beyond the surprising seasons that Brandon Woodruff (8-1, 3.87 ERA) and Zach Davies (7-0, 2.41 ERA), the staff has been a bit shaky. Jhoulys Chacin, currently on the Injured List, has struggled and while he was good over the weekend, Chase Anderson....yes, indeed...chase him off the mound and right out of Milwaukee.
Gio Gonzalaz was signed to eat up innings, but is on the IL as well. And Jimmy Nelson just returned to the mound after 21 months since his injury -- he's getting his sea legs again.
Milwaukee missed on free agents Craig Kimbrel (Chicago Cubs) and Dallas Keuchel (Atlanta Braves), but when you consider their price tags, it may have been a smart decision. The Cubs overpaid for save specialist Kimbrel (three years at $43 million) and Keuchel took a one-year deal with the Braves for $13 million.
The Brewers are already paying $120 million in salary this season. General Manager David Stearns is wise to bide his time and make a trade or two with teams like Toronto, Baltimore or Kansas City -- teams that may be looking for an influx of more young talent.
And, of course, Milwaukee could dangle Eric Thames as bait, since his numbers are more attractive now than struggling Jesus Aguilar.
Expect a move or two to strengthen the starting pitching and the bullpen. But all in all, this Brewer offense is good enough to take Milwaukee to another trip to the post-season.
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Hey Bucks Fans -- Focus On The Positives
It seems that, when it comes to the NBA playoffs, teams gotta learn to walk before they can run. After all, didn't Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls struggle for several seasons to get past the roadblock that the Detroit Pistons provided.
I think it worked out pretty well for Mike. Six titles (two threepeats there). He may well have had eight if he hadn't left to play baseball. Of course, that self-imposed exile is still a tad questionable...
So it's no surprise to me that the Milwaukee Bucks came up short of playing for the NBA championship this season. Yes, the Giannis Antetokounmpo-fueled squad won a league-best 60 games this season. And yes, they won topped Detroit and Boston in the playoffs. Still, there are those who are SEVERELY disappointed that the squad won't get a chance to take on the Golden State Warriors.
Seriously? To many Bucks fans, just getting a series win in the playoffs was great. Everything after that was house money.
When the Bucks, two years in existence, made the playoffs and lost in the conference finals (4-1 to the New York Knicks), they did so led by rookie hall-of-fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor).
Over the course of five Jabbar's five seasons (1970-1974), Milwaukee made the conference finals four times, won a title in 1971 and lost to the Boston Celtics in the 1974 finals (4-3).
After that season, the Bucks traded Jabbar -- who wanted out of the city -- to the Los Angeles Lakers for a boatload of draft picks and players.
While Milwaukee may or may not have that long a run with The Greek Freak, enjoy this season and those that follow.
The Bucks will need to make some difficult decisions in the coming weeks -- whether to resign Brooks Lopez, Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon for example. It's best to look at this with a practical eye, as Giannis will become a free agent in 2021.
giannis antetokounmpo
I think it worked out pretty well for Mike. Six titles (two threepeats there). He may well have had eight if he hadn't left to play baseball. Of course, that self-imposed exile is still a tad questionable...
So it's no surprise to me that the Milwaukee Bucks came up short of playing for the NBA championship this season. Yes, the Giannis Antetokounmpo-fueled squad won a league-best 60 games this season. And yes, they won topped Detroit and Boston in the playoffs. Still, there are those who are SEVERELY disappointed that the squad won't get a chance to take on the Golden State Warriors.
Seriously? To many Bucks fans, just getting a series win in the playoffs was great. Everything after that was house money.
When the Bucks, two years in existence, made the playoffs and lost in the conference finals (4-1 to the New York Knicks), they did so led by rookie hall-of-fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor).
Over the course of five Jabbar's five seasons (1970-1974), Milwaukee made the conference finals four times, won a title in 1971 and lost to the Boston Celtics in the 1974 finals (4-3).
After that season, the Bucks traded Jabbar -- who wanted out of the city -- to the Los Angeles Lakers for a boatload of draft picks and players.
While Milwaukee may or may not have that long a run with The Greek Freak, enjoy this season and those that follow.
The Bucks will need to make some difficult decisions in the coming weeks -- whether to resign Brooks Lopez, Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon for example. It's best to look at this with a practical eye, as Giannis will become a free agent in 2021.
giannis antetokounmpo
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Packers' Royalty Passes Away
With great sadness, I learned today of the passing of Bryan Bartlett Starr. Sad to think that this all-time great will never again get a chance to walk onto Lambeau Field.
Starr, the Hall of Fame quarterback who, like his peers, called his own plays and ran the offense his way -- after building that playbook with Lombardi. This wasn't the era of passers throwing for 4,000 yards a season. This was an era of game control; for Green Bay, that was Jimmy Taylor and Paul Hornung on the Packer Sweep, turning the corner behind guards Fuzzy Thurston and Jerry Kramer.
Starr and his wife of 65 years, Cherry, are probably the closest thing to royalty that Wisconsin has ever seen. The Starrs, in 1965, were involved in starting the Rawhide Boys Ranch to give back to the community. Based in New London, it continues today to offer at-risk youth programs, programs that help reshape lives and provide counseling services for boys, girls, adults and families.
For years, and on his own, Starr would call Green Bay draft picks and welcome them to the Packer family. Not even an ill-advised stint as head coach could dim the shine on this Starr. Without any coaching experience, he responded when the franchise asked him to come in as head coach -- because of the loyalty he felt to the Green Bay Packers. From 1975-83, he directed the Packers to a 53-77-3 record (he was 1-1 in the playoffs).
Despite that lack of success as a coach, Starr is beloved by Packer fans. Whenever he returned to Lambeau Field for Packer Alumni reunions, no one received a bigger ovation than Bart Starr, no matter who shared the field with him.
Remember when former persona non grata Brett Favre returned to be honored and mend fences, Packer faithful forgave him because Bart Starr, attending Favre's special evening despite health issues that included a couple of strokes.
RIP Bart. Gone, but never forgotten by Packer Nation.
Starr, the Hall of Fame quarterback who, like his peers, called his own plays and ran the offense his way -- after building that playbook with Lombardi. This wasn't the era of passers throwing for 4,000 yards a season. This was an era of game control; for Green Bay, that was Jimmy Taylor and Paul Hornung on the Packer Sweep, turning the corner behind guards Fuzzy Thurston and Jerry Kramer.
Starr and his wife of 65 years, Cherry, are probably the closest thing to royalty that Wisconsin has ever seen. The Starrs, in 1965, were involved in starting the Rawhide Boys Ranch to give back to the community. Based in New London, it continues today to offer at-risk youth programs, programs that help reshape lives and provide counseling services for boys, girls, adults and families.
For years, and on his own, Starr would call Green Bay draft picks and welcome them to the Packer family. Not even an ill-advised stint as head coach could dim the shine on this Starr. Without any coaching experience, he responded when the franchise asked him to come in as head coach -- because of the loyalty he felt to the Green Bay Packers. From 1975-83, he directed the Packers to a 53-77-3 record (he was 1-1 in the playoffs).
Despite that lack of success as a coach, Starr is beloved by Packer fans. Whenever he returned to Lambeau Field for Packer Alumni reunions, no one received a bigger ovation than Bart Starr, no matter who shared the field with him.
Remember when former persona non grata Brett Favre returned to be honored and mend fences, Packer faithful forgave him because Bart Starr, attending Favre's special evening despite health issues that included a couple of strokes.
RIP Bart. Gone, but never forgotten by Packer Nation.
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