President Barack Obama will host the Packers on Friday, Aug. 12 to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl XLV victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Packers announced.
“I’m really excited that we were able to find a date to visit the White House,” said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. “The labor situation this spring made it a little challenging for us to set up a visit, but I think it is going to work out great. We’re very appreciative that President Obama invited us, and I’m thrilled that our players and coaches will get to enjoy this unique opportunity.”
I hope this invitation to the White House is followed by another one, after the Packers' Super Bowl XLVI victory.
President Obama to Honor Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers at the White House
WASHINGTON--On Friday, August 12, President Obama will welcome the Super Bowl XLV Champion Green Bay Packers to the White House to honor the team and their Super Bowl victory. The President will also continue his tradition of honoring sports teams for their efforts both on and off the field by recognizing the efforts by the Packers to give back to their community as part of their visit.
Among the first Packers to return to Lambeau Field Tuesday morning was Nick Barnett, but he might not be with the Packers for long.
Barnett was well aware that his fate in Green Bay would be determined shortly after the conclusion of the lockout. He and everybody else knew the handwriting was on the wall when both Desmond Bishop and Hawk received large, lucrative contract extensions in the last year.
Barnett did not wait long to find out what the team's plans were for him, being among the first to arrive when facilities opened at 9 A.M.
At that time he was keeping an open mind about his future in Green Bay.
"At this point, all I have heard has come from you guys and no one here. I'm sure they will talk to me or talk to my agent. I am just concentrating on being ready to play and not worry about rumors," he said before the meeting.
Less than an hour later, Barnett left. He did not stop to talk to reporters. He wrote on his Twitter account, "Just talked to Ted. Thanks for the great 8 years. Very blessed to be part of a great tradition and fans.
"Happy I was able to be here for the great (Super Bowl) XLV run. I will always keep a special place in my heart for this team and city."
Barnett says he was told the Packers will try to trade him, but if not, they will release him -- a move that will save the team about $5 million of salary cap space.
Nick Barnett is a class act, expressing thanks to the team and fans at what has to be a difficult time for him.
Packer fans owe Barnett thanks for his contributions to the team.
Folks, we're really sorry for this. We really are. But it's our duty to keep our Spidey-Senses up for NFL news, and we've caught wind of a … well, we're searching for the right word to describe it … rumor. Howard Eskin of 610 WIP Sports Radio in Philadelphia has it out there that the Eagles are interested in possibly procuring the services of ...
Br…
Bre…
Brett Fa…
Oh hell, we can't even write it.
...Right now, this is just Eskin's rumor, though he's fairly dialed in. The Eagles can't talk to free agents or draft picks, but there's nothing in the lockout rules we're aware of preventing them from talking to retired players. If Favre is interested in coming back to a team able to challenge for a Super Bowl, in a media hotbed, behind a vulnerable quarterback, which a staff he knows, and talented targets all over the place … well, there would be few better places for him to go.
Then, there's the intangible argument. The lockout has taken the attention of the NFL media through the spring and summer; very few people have made Favre the primary subject of their attention, and we all know how he reacts to that.
It's tempting to ask the owners and players to put some sort of "Anti-Favre" provision in the new CBA before the NFLPA signs off on it, but we suppose we'll have to see how this plays out.
...UPDATE: Here's Vick's take on the whole thing; he's pretty clearly setting the terms of such a deal by mentioning Favre as a 'backup.'
I can't wait for training camp to begin in Green Bay. I love the atmosphere.
I wonder if Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers would be "honored" to have Favre as his backup.
Rodgers was the lone Packer to win an award despite several players making the trip. Rodgers, Matthews, Greg Jennings, A.J. Hawk, Desmond Bishop and Tramon Williams were all filmed in the crowd.
Rodgers won the Best NFL Player award, but that was announced during the “pregame” show on the red carpet and was not shown on stage. The Super Bowl MVP was also nominated for Best Male Athlete, but was beaten by Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki.
Rodgers made his lone televised appearance on stage when he and entertainer Justin Timberlake, who made another Favre reference, to present the Best Male Collegiate Athlete award to BYU point guard Jimmer Fredette.
The Packers were also nominated for the Best Team honor, but were beaten out by the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks.
Singer Justin Timberlake (R) and Green Bay Packers NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers present an award at the 2011 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, California, July 13, 2011. (REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)
SETH MEYERS: The biggest story in football was the Green Bay Packers beating the Steelers 31-25 in the Super Bowl. The Green Bay Packers became the first team since 1962 to go an entire season without trailing more than 7 points, proving once and for all that not every statistic is interesting.
And finally, give it up for Aaron Rodgers!
Aaron Rodgers, who won the Super Bowl and finally got out of the shadow of Brett Favre, which we learned, thanks to cell phone technology, is not as big a shadow as we originally thought.
"They wanted big and they wanted bling," Packers President Mark Murphy said. "We were successful in that."
Look, I don't know Tiffany the jeweler from Tiffany the singer, so I'll have to take Woodson's word for it when he said, "It's the best ring I've ever seen and I'm not saying it because it's our night. It's an incredible ring."
For the record, I'll quote from the Packers' official release on the monstrosity, even if it does read like a game-show announcer talking about what's behind Door No. 3.
"The crest of the ring features the Green Bay "G" logo crest in 18-karat yellow gold placed on a green stone tablet. Thirteen diamonds are embedded in the logo, each one representing the team's NFL-record 13 championships. The iconic logo is illuminated by round, brilliant-cut diamonds and four marquis-cut diamonds representing the Packers' four Super Bowl triumphs. Surrounding the crest are 92 diamonds which recognize the 92-year history of Green Bay Packers football."
...It's made of platinum, with 18-karat gold. It's got 3.35 carats of diamonds, for all you Kardashian followers out there.
As for the cost, the Packers are standing behind the company line: They say the NFL "pays for up to 150 rings at $5,000 per ring. Further information about the rings was not disclosed."
...[T]he players who got one had their names and numbers engraved. Their numbers were circled, just like on the Green Bay jerseys from the 1929 championship season. The ring also has an engraving of the Lombardi Trophy and Lambeau Field.
The ring has the scores of all four postseason games and the number "1" flanked by the words, "Mind, Goal, Purpose, Heart."
That's pretty cool, because those were Woodson's words to the team just before the Packers took the field against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game.
The Packers deserved to have those words inscribed as much as Woodson deserved to win his first championship.
"It's all about getting the ring," Woodson said. "This seals the deal."
Green Bay Packers' Donald Driver shows off his Super Bowl ring, Thursday, June. 16, 2011, after the Packers ring ceremony at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL Super Bowl football championship game Feb. 6. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
Parts of downtown Vancouver erupted in flames, explosive booms thundered through the air and looters smashed windows and ran amok inside department stores Wednesday after the city's Stanley Cup run ended in bitter defeat.
Weeks of well-behaved crowds watching the Vancouver Canucks march toward Game 7 of the NHL final ended abruptly in violence and vandalism that erupted even before the 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins was officially over.
Police said they had reports of four stabbings, though spokeswoman Const. Jana McGuinness said she couldn't confirm them.
The riot shattered the wholesome legacy of the nightly parties hosted on the same streets during the 2010 Olympics — an experience that had the city's mayor and police chief confidently proclaiming Vancouver had "matured" since similar riots in 1994.
"It's terrible," said Canucks captain Henrik Sedin, shaking his head, in an interview after the game.
"This city and province has a lot to be proud of, the team we have and the guys we have in here. It's too bad."
Police officers from around the region flooded into downtown and Mayor Gregor Robertson said things were getting under control, but the images and atmosphere that lingered late into the night suggested otherwise.
Robertson said there had been no fatalities, though he had to be asked the question twice.
Fights broke out and people were seen falling on broken glass.
At the flagship Bay store, looters jumped inside and were seen grabbing T-shirts and anything else they could get their hands on. Young women were seen escaping with MAC cosmetics. One girl carried out part of a mannequin.
The landmark building was filling with smoke as rioters, their faces covered in bandannas, continued the violence. Almost none were wearing hockey jerseys.
The looters turned their attention next on a Future Shop a few blocks away, smashing windows and flooding up the stairs to the second-floor store, only to turn around quickly. One witness said police were at the top of the stairs.
Sears and Chapters stores were also looted, their glass fronts smashed.
For many, the ugly chaos made the Cup loss an afterthought.
"Tonight, what I've seen is a complete disgrace," said Beth Hope, 28, who is originally from England but has lived in Vancouver for the past two years.
"I'm a Canucks fan but my jersey's in my bag — I'm ashamed to be a fan right now."
She said she saw a parkade on fire, cars ablaze.
"It's insane, it's absolutely insane. What's the point? Our team lost — why destroy your own city? I'm afraid."
It is insane.
I don't believe this sort of rioting is tied to the outcome of the sporting event at all. The rioters are just thugs looking for an excuse to do damage.
