FanHouse GreenBayPackers

If you're wondering how hard the battle lines are going to be drawn in the coming CBA negotiations between the NFL and its players, union, look no further than this spin-heavy news item. The Green Bay Packers released financial information that shows a $20.1 million profit for the fiscal year that ended March 31, and Packers CEO Mark Murphy used the occasion to cry poverty.

Players union head DeMaurice Smith has called on NFL owners to release audited financial statements to support their claim that they're struggling financially. The owners have so far refused, but the Packers, as a publicly owned franchise, are the one franchise that has no choice in the matter. Their financial information shows an increase in total revenue from $241 million to $247.9 million.

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Our annual Brett Favre fatigue is upon us. The once-beloved Green Bay Packers icon is dominating the sports news again, in the ponderous, mind-numbing way only he can, and if you're sick of the guy you're in good company.

But the blame is all misplaced. This isn't Favre's fault. It's our own fault, and we can fix it. At the end of this season, which it increasingly appears Favre will spend with the Minnesota Vikings, when it comes time to ask whether this is it -- whether he really, truly is retired this time -- we all need to stop, think and NOT ASK.

B.J. Raji, the Green Bay Packers' first-round draft pick and No. 9 pick overall, confirmed yesterday that he did indeed test positive for marijuana while a student at Boston College -- but not, as SI.com and others reported some weeks ago, at the NFL scouting combine. From the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

The distinction between the tests is important for a practical reason because if Raji had tested positive at the combine, he'd automatically be in the NFL's substance-abuse program and subject to a four-game suspension if he tested positive again. But because his only positive test was in college, he enters the NFL with a clean slate.

The distinction is important for other reasons, too.

Well, not really, but it felt that way during a two-hour conference call that NFL.com draft guru Mike Mayock held with members of the media this afternoon. I'm pretty sure every NFL writer and every college writer in the country was on the call, and that everyone got to ask a question. Mayock is, I am 100 percent certain, either a computer or the 21st-century version of the robot 2XL (without, of course, the 8-track tapes). Only one time in the entire two hours did he fail to answer a question, and that was because somebody asked about a kicker, and he admitted he didn't really look at kickers in the draft.

On the first day of the rest of his life -- and I dare say, the rest of his life -- Brett Favre got on his bulldozer and did some Mississippi-style man things. "I pushed up some downed trees and stuff,'' he said Wednesday night, sounding quite content about it. "I was doing a little bit of yardwork, too. I had my phone on me, but I didn't talk, even though it was non-stop buzzing all day.''

And what might he do today, on the second day of the rest of his life? "Well, deer season is about to wrap up,'' he said. "I'll put all my energy into that.''

Aaron Rodgers is smiling today. America's long lasting nightmare is finally over and Rodgers is basking in the reality that his unspoken dreams have finally come to fruition. Ole Grey Beard has packed his Red-man and his six shooter and is headed to, or should I say, has arrived in the Big Apple. Kudos to young Brown Beard for keeping his patience and composure considering how everything went down. Ironically, the gut reaction around the Fantasy realm has seemingly focused it's attention not on what this means for the Packers and Aaron Rodgers, but rather what the value of Brett Favre in Green and White will mean? Consider me curious as to why that's even on the general public suspicious minds.

OK, of course... I know why, because it's Brett Favre and really not much has changed in the life and times of Aaron Rodgers. He WAS the Green Bay starting QB before this whole ordeal ever began and his role hasn't changed in the least bit. However, most folks around the Fantasy circuit fail to even acknowledge the impact Aaron Rodgers could possibly have on this Fantasy Football season. Go ahead and mark me down as being in Camp Rodgers. I see something. What? I'm not quite sure, but I see the possibilities.

Read on for more on Rodgers versus Favre.

In a small way, former Florida State Seminole and Green Bay Packer defensive back LeRoy Butler lived that crazy, magical life, right down to the cumbersome leg braces that just had to break away and reveal a marvel of an athlete.

Ever hear LeRoy Butler's story? He grows up in Jacksonville, in a housing project that sees death on a daily basis. LeRoy has club feet, bad. Doctors have to break his legs and reset them while he's a toddler. When he's not confined to a wheelchair, he wears bulky braces on both legs. The only thing that gets him through the day is his infectious sense of humor, which causes the neighborhood to rally around him, to protect him. Everybody loves LeRoy.

So one day, his sister comes running downstairs in his house -- on her way to the prom, according to LeRoy -- and trips in her high heels. She knocks LeRoy over and breaks one of his leg braces. He stands up, mad as hell at his sibling, and stomps his other foot, which breaks his other brace. One of his brothers looks over and screams, "LeRoy! You're standing up!"

At which point, according to the legend, LeRoy looks down at his legs, looks up at his siblings, and barrels out the front door to join a kickball game in the street. He was eight years old, and it was the first time he ever ran anywhere.

He later was involved in the "puntrooskie", invented the "Lambeau Leap" and won a Super Bowl among many other things. Read the entire thing at Whit Watson's blog.

There are a lot of Packers fans -- hell, there are a lot of people on planet Earth -- who don't care much for the antics of Randy Moss. He doesn't give 100% unless the play is run for him (and sometimes, not even then), he's not the best locker room influence, and he's a walking public relations catastrophe. I understand. I get the gripes.

But still, the public complaints should be the absolute last thing on the mind of the Packers organization. I know that the team is publicly-held, but that doesn't matter. If you own a few shares of Exxon, it doesn't mean you get to set tomorrow's gas prices. Fans are fans, football people are football people, and one opinion is more qualified than another. To quote Marv Levy, "If you listen too much to the fans, you'll soon find yourself sitting with them."

And this is not a defense of Randy Moss ... if it was me, I wouldn't want him on my team. But my opinion and your opinion don't matter ... the point is that the organization, for their own good, has to ignore what the fans want, and they have to do what's best for the team.

Fans spend a few hours a week watching games, watching SportsCenter, listening to sports talk radio. The people in charge of making decisions for the Packers spend probably 60 hours a week observing and analyzing everything that relates to the success of the Green Bay Packers on the football field. They know the pulse and personality of their own team, they know everything there is to know about Randy Moss. This decision is best left up to them.

They have to be concerned with the Packers winning football games, not smiley or frowny faces on the people who adorn themselves with giant foam cheese wedges. Ultimately, winning is what makes everyone smile.