This year's model is special. It's being called historic because Colts Coach Tony Dungy and Bears Coach Lovie Smith are African-Americans.
Good luck to both of them.
Since we're talking history and football coaches, let's go back to the beginning.
Generally speaking, I don't think the first one is necessarily the best, but it always does have a special significance, by virtue of the fact that it is the first.
On January 15, 1967, the Green Bay Packers won the first Super Bowl, beating the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10.
The Green Bay Dynasty also took home the Super Bowl II title. After winning their third consecutive NFL Championship, the Pack defeated the Oakland Raiders, 33-14, on January 14, 1968.
Super Bowl II was Vince Lombardi's last game as the head coach of the Packers. It was the last time his players carried him off the field, victorious.
In his nine years at Green Bay, the Glory Years, Coach Lombardi won six Western Conference championships, five NFL championships, and two Super Bowls.
Likable Ray "Scooter" McLean moved up from being an outstanding assistant coach to guide the destiny of the Packers for 1958. McLean resigned in December after a 1-10-1 record, the worst in Packer history in his lone season as head coach.
The Packers took their time after McLean's resignation. [Jack] Vainisi conducted Phase II of the '59 draft by himself, as the team debated whether to hire a general manager as well as a coach, or one person for both positions. The search spanned from the CFL to the college ranks, and even included a GM application from Curly Lambeau.
On. Jan. 28, when team president Dominic Olejniczak recommended to the committee a little-known Giants assistant, longtime committee member John Torinus replied, "Who the hell is Vince Lombardi?"
The committee, and the world, quickly found out. Within hours after his arrival on Feb. 2, Lombardi told the committee, "I want it understood that I am in complete command here." Two days later the Packers officially gave Lombardi both titles.
I've always considered it to be an especially fitting tribute to Vince Lombardi that the Super Bowl trophy bears his name.
The Lombardi Trophy, the NFL's most prestigious award, signifies hard work, strong will, character, pride, and dedication to excellence. It embodies not only the skills but also the values that Coach Lombardi instilled in his players.
As Coach Lombardi said, "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."
As he did so often, he wasn't just talking about football; he was talking about life.
In perhaps his most famous speech, Coach Lombardi's eloquence goes far beyond the typical rhetoric used to encourage a football team to win a game.
It speaks to the possibilities within every person, encouraging one to strive to achieve and live to the fullest.
Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.
There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that's first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don't ever want to finish second again. There is a second place bowl game, but it is a game for losers played by losers. It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win.
Every time a football player goes to play his trade he's got to play from the ground up -- from the soles of his feet right up to his head. Every inch of him has to play. Some guys play with their heads. That's O.K. You've got to be smart to be number one in any business. But more importantly, you've got to play with your heart, with every fiber of your body. If you're lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he's never going to come off the field second.
Running a football team is no different than running any other kind of organization -- an army, a political party or a business. The principles are the same. The object is to win -- to beat the other guy. Maybe that sounds hard or cruel. I don't think it is.
It is a reality of life that men are competitive and the most competitive games draw the most competitive men. That's why they are there -- to compete. To know the rules and objectives when they get in the game. The object is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules -- but to win.
And in truth, I've never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn't appreciate the grind, the discipline. There is something in good men that really yearns for discipline and the harsh reality of head to head combat.
I don't say these things because I believe in the "brute" nature of man or that men must be brutalized to be combative. I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle -- victorious.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre will return for the 2007 season, he told the Sun Herald in an exclusive interview this morning.
"I am so excited about coming back," he said. "We have a good nucleus of young players. We were 8-8 last year and that's encouraging.
"My offensive line looks good, the defense played good down the stretch. I'm excited about playing for a talented young football team."
...He needs one more victory to tie John Elway for most as a quarterback. Favre has completed more passes (5,021) than anyone in NFL history and needs seven touchdown passes to pass Dan Marino's record of 420.
...Favre's streak of 237 consecutive regular-season games started has been compared to Cal Ripken's record in baseball, and his three NFL Most Valuable Player awards put him in elite company.
In 1996, Favre was the guiding force to the Packers' first NFL championship in nearly 30 years. Green Bay beat the New England Patriots 35-21 in the Louisiana Superdome, just an hour's drive or so from his home in Hancock County.
"It's a great feeling," Favre said after the game. "The fans have been great and my hometown has been wonderful. It would be great anywhere, but it adds a little bit to it, doing it here, so close to home."
Warning: For those with a strict adherence to the separation of church and groundhog, the following could be disturbing.
Why We Celebrate Groundhog Day
Although most of us are entering the heart of winter, the start of spring could be "just around the corner - that is, according to the legend of Groundhog Day. While there is no meteorological truth to Groundhog Day, there is fun in the legend of it all. Each year on February 2, we wait in great anticipation for Phil to issue his latest Groundhog`s proclamation.
Bill Murray made Punxsutawney Phil a household name in 1993, when he starred in the movie Groundhog Day, but the people of Punxsutawney have been celebrating this day since 1886. The tradition of Groundhog Day began as the Germans who settled Pennsylvania celebrated Candlemas Day.
Candlemas commemorates the presentation of the Christ-child in the temple. Early Christians commemorated this holy day by blessing and lighting candles and interpreted the weather conditions on that day as a sign of some sort. As the Romans conquered Europe and spread Christianity, the German people adopted Candlemas and believed that if the sun shone that morning such that a hedgehog could see its shadow, they would experience a "Second Winter" lasting about six weeks.
As the Germans settled in Pennsylvania, they were amazed by the number of groundhogs that inhabited the area. Because the groundhog closely resembled the hedgehog, they decided that they made for a suitable replacement as the prognosticator on Candlemas.
The first official Groundhog Day was celebrated on February 2, 1886, though it wasn`t until 1887 that the local newspaper, The Punxsutawney Spirit, began its tradition of recording Phil`s outcome each year.
So Groundhog Day is rooted in a Christian celebration.
This quaint February ritual is actually tied to the presentation of Jesus Christ in the temple.
Amazing.
Who knew that Punxsutawney Phil is playing a role in a religious observance?
I guess you learn something new everyday.
"That's what Groundhog Day is all about, Charlie Brown."
There's a report of more Doyle administration corruption.
Wow.
That's so out of character.
I didn't see that coming.
Madison -- Two of Gov. Jim Doyle's appointees told a Department of Transportation attorney to delay the release of a politically damaging 2004 report - in apparent violation of the state open records law - the attorney testified Thursday.
Attorney Jim Thiel said he was told to not release the report until after he got a copy of a Department of Administration rebuttal that questioned the DOT's finding that state engineers cost 18% less than consultants. The conclusion that state employees cost less conflicted with Doyle's platform of trimming state jobs.
Thiel said the order came from Randy Romanski, a top aide to Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi. Employment Relations Director Karen Timberlake also described the strategy to Thiel, he said.
...Doyle spokesman Matt Canter told the Journal Sentinel on Thursday that the governor's office played no role in delaying the release of the DOT report.
Now I did see that coming.
Doyle's office played no role in the matter.
Of course not.
Doyle never knows what's going on. His hands are always clean.
Are we supposed to just not care about this never-ending stream of corruption oozing out of Madison?
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Editorial Board has weighed in on the basketball game attendance ban that MPS enacted after the brawl that sent 50 police squads streaming to Bradley Tech High School on Tuesday night.
The Board is on board with the ban, sort of.
How long to prohibit all students at the affected schools from attending games? Andrekopoulos is pondering whether to keep the prohibition in force beyond this week. Mayor Tom Barrett is pushing for a season-long ban. Our advice: As a rule, keep the prohibition in effect for two games per team the first time and for the rest of the season if there's a second time.
With all due respect, I must say that advice is extremely ill-advised.
The Milwaukee police sergeant who called for a citywide assist during a post-basketball game melee at Bradley Tech High School described a crowded, chaotic scene where several youths tossed chairs at officers inside the school's gymnasium and others hurled chunks of ice at officers outside the building.
"Officers used a great deal of restraint in an out-of-control situation," 2nd District Sgt. Geoffry Keen said at a news conference at the south side station Thursday afternoon.
Keen said he called for the response after Tuesday night's game because of the large number of people in the gym and his concern that children attending the game might get trampled.
From 56 to 75 officers were sent to the school, 700 S. 4th St., after an overtime victory by Tech over Bay View High School.
During a victory celebration that erupted when fans poured onto the court, several fights broke out in the stands on the Bay View side of the gym and spread to the court, Keen said.
"From there it just escalated," Keen said.
...Officer Cory Harris, who was among about a dozen police officers monitoring the game, said the "pockets" of trouble kept getting larger and larger and officers were getting separated from each other.
...Harris said he fractured an ankle a short time later at a nearby McDonald's, where a fight broke out among youths who went there after the game.
He said he fractured the ankle when he and other officers took down an unruly youth who refused to leave the restaurant.
This was not a minor incident.
Question: What has changed since Tuesday?
What makes the Board members think that a fitting penalty for the brawl would be to prohibit Tech and Bay View students from attending only the next TWO games?
Why would that little slap on the wrist give anyone confidence that the violence is over?
Furthermore, why would the Board recommend that the prohibition should be extended "for the rest of the season if there's a second time"?
"A SECOND TIME"?
That's nuts!
I think a preemptive strategy is in order.
How many broken bones and arrests are the Board willing to tolerate? Obviously, too many.
There are cases when a second chance is reasonable.
This isn't one of them.
In defense of Tech and Bay View, the editorial points out that violence isn't something exclusive to MPS.
A fight broke out at the Jewish Community Center Saturday night between students at rival Whitefish Bay and Nicolet high schools. Police said several youths sought medical attention, and three were cited for underage drinking.
Give me a break!
Was it necessary for dozens of police officers to respond to break up that fight?
Were FIFTY squads called?
Those details are relevant when determining the need for the prohibition and its length.
I do feel sorry for the Tech and Bay View girls' teams. It's a shame that they're being penalized as well. It's a shame that some of their classmates are thugs, but they are.
I don't believe the ban is "heavy-handed."
I believe that the sort of wimpy two game prohibition that the Editorial Board calls for is why there is such chaos at MPS in the first place.
Discipline and real consequences for the inappropriate, antisocial behavior is the answer.
There's no need to wait for a repeat of Tuesday's brawl to address the violence.
Peter Berdovsky and Sean Stevens are, to borrow a phrase used by President Bush during the 2000 campaign, MAJOR LEAGUE A**HOLES.
BOSTON -- Two men who authorities say placed electronic advertising devices around the city were released from jail Thursday, apparently amused with the publicity stunt that stirred fears of terrorism and shut down parts of the city.
Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, were released on $2,500 cash bond after each pleaded not guilty to placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct for a device found Wednesday at a subway station. They waved and smiled as they greeted people in court.
Outside, they met reporters and television cameras and launched into a nonsensical discussion of hair styles of the 1970s. "What we really want to talk about today — it's kind of important to some people — it's haircuts of the 1970s," Berdovsky said.
But as he walked off, Berdovsky gave a more serious comment.
"We need some time to really sort things out and, you know, figure out our response to this situation in other ways than talking about hair," Berdovsky said. "So if you could just give us some privacy for a little bit. ... I will be trying to make sense of all it real soon."
...Berdovsky, an artist, told The Boston Globe he was hired by a marketing company and said he was "kind of freaked out" by the furor.
"I find it kind of ridiculous that they're making these statements on TV that we must not be safe from terrorism, because they were up there for three weeks and no one noticed. It's pretty commonsensical to look at them and say this is a piece of art and installation," he said.
Fans of the show mocked authorities for what they called an overreaction.
About a dozen fans gathered outside Charlestown District Court on Thursday morning with signs saying "1-31-07 Never Forget" and "Free Peter."
I am completely disgusted by those serving as apologists for Berdovsky and Stevens.
I am completely disgusted by their incredibly irresponsible and dangerous behavior.
I am completely disgusted by those whining about Boston overreacting to the "prank."
I am completely disgusted by those incapable of grasping the nature of the post-9/11 world.
This photo provided by Todd Vanderlin shows an electronic device that was removed from where it had been hanging beneath an overpass in Boston, Monday Jan. 15, 2007. The device consists of light emitting diodes on a circuit board forming the shape of a gesturing character which is part of a promotion for the TV show 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force,' a surreal series about a talking milkshake, a box of fries and a meatball, according to Turner Broadcasting, a division of Time Warner Inc. and parent of Cartoon Network. (AP Photo/Todd Vanderlin)
Last night at the Washington-Rufus King High School basketball game, there wasn't a brawl!
No injuries!
No arrests!
What a proud moment for the Milwaukee Public Schools!
Of course, security was tight.
There were least four uniformed police officers in the gym. Who knows how many were in plain clothes?
There were also as many officers in squads patrolling outside the school.
Another official was at the game -- Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. No doubt he had plenty of security with him.
Was it a photo-op?
I don't know.
It's was a smart move to get his face on the news and give the appearance that he's engaged in dealing with the crisis.
I think that it may be unfair to accuse Barrett of showing up at Wednesday night's game just to present himself as taking a tough, hands on approach when it comes to the MPS violence problem.
By attending the game, Barrett gave the message that the unacceptable behavior that occurred at the Bradley Tech-Bay View game on Tuesday night will not be tolerated. He's making an effort at showing some leadership. That's good.
I do think he's sincere in wanting to get the public schools under control.
Wanting to do something and being able to achieve it are two totally different things.
Does Barrett intend to make appearances at high school basketball games a priority now?
Is that supposed to be the solution?
It's not a solution.
And where's Governor Jim Doyle? MIA.
I think Milwaukee needs some emergency funds so the police department can establish a special unit to patrol public high school sports.
That won't happen, at least not until Doyle is up for reelection again.
It's easy to lose track of the good news - and there is good news within every school. Large numbers of kids go to school every day, a lot of them are good kids and some of them are doing well in school. The system is under stresses of many kinds, but it is still functioning.
...There have been major improvements in the last decade in some indicators for MPS, such as graduation rates - although some suggest graduating has become easier.
The JS also points out that Milwaukee isn't alone in its public school struggle.
The 90,000-student MPS system remains the largest single venue for educating children in Wisconsin. It serves a far disproportionate share of Wisconsin's struggling learners, the low-income and minority children who present such intractable challenges to the education system here, as they do elsewhere in America.
Elsewhere in America is irrelevant.
Doyle and Barrett and city leaders aren't dealing with America's schools. They are responsible for managing Milwaukee's crisis situation.
WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT ACADEMICS HERE!
ALL THIS ENERGY IS BEING SPENT ON HANDLING EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
It's a mess.
Maybe Barrett should attend some MPS classes as well as basketball games.
Will that help student performance in the classroom?
As for all the whining about students from Bradley Tech and Bay View not being allowed to attend their sporting events, I think it's misdirected.
The student athletes, their families, and the good kids have a right to be disturbed about the restrictions. They should be angry, but not at school officials.
They should be angry at the thugs.
They're responsible for taking away the excitement and fun offered by high school sports. They ruined it.
It's unfortunate that the good people have to suffer, but actions have consequences.
