We haven’t done one of these in a while, but it’s time for a Strange Brew book report. Not a big deal but I was a book report MASTER back in the 90’s. Proof:
The Counterfeit Tackle. A Matt Christopher classic! Live look at my 4th grade teacher after seeing that visual aid:
Anyway, I just wrapped up this bad boy the other week while I was in COVID health and safety protocol:
It was really good. I think for someone my age (37 going on 14), it was just a fun nostalgia trip. I grew up on the Ron Wolf/Mike Holmgren/Brett Favre Packers. I was 8 years old at the beginning of the renaissance (1992-ish), so most of my life has been decorated with winning football on Sunday’s, playoff runs, division titles, NFC Championship games, and a few Super Bowls. So to be able to relive that whole process brought back a TON of great memories.
Some things I learned:
- Before Bob Harlan took over and gave Ron Wolf complete control over personnel decisions, the coach and GM each had a 50/50 say in what to do with the roster. And if there was a split opinion on who to draft/trade? The president of the board of directors got the tie-breaking vote. Which was generally some kind of business leader in Green Bay with no football background. That’s how Tony Mandarich got drafted. NUTS! Bob Harlan really did save the franchise from itself.
- Ron Wolf originally interviewed for the GM gig in 1987, but because of the aforementioned power struggle, he turned the job down. Again: Bob Harlan saved the franchise.
- Bill Parcells really did almost become the head coach in Green Bay.
- Wolf was hired in November of 1991 so he could get a lay of the land before making franchise altering decisions that spring. I feel pretty comfortable in saying that hiring a new GM in-season is not something we’ll see again. But it makes perfect sense if your team is staring down the barrel of a 4-win season, which the Packers were.
Anyway, it was a really fun, quick read. Highly recommend for any Packer fan in your life*.
* You know what dawned on me while I was on my nostalgia trip reading this? If you’re an up-and-coming diehard Packer fan, 10 years old or 14 years old or whatever, this is all ancient history to you. That really gave me a moment of pause when I thought about it. ‘This book is literally a history book for younger Packer fans. They weren’t alive for any of this! They never even saw Brett Favre take a snap in a Packer jersey!’ So if you are a younger Packer fan, this book breaks down in great detail the resurrection of the franchise in the early 90’s.
PS: This day (January 12th) in history in 1997:
One of my favorite memories of growing up with the Packers was watching this game. The culmination of the franchise’s turnaround. I remember my Mom putting out a TON of snacks, putting my cheesehead on, filling my Packer icey mug with Gatorade, and just drinking the whole day in. The Packers won and we all went to dinner with my grandma at Klemme’s Wagon Wheel in Howards Grove that night to celebrate the holidays/Packer win. If I could relive a day, that would be on the short list.
