Meet Your Neigbor

In an effort to better understand what makes Packer fans tick in our Packer Neighborhood, I have come up with a list of questions that, in my humble opinion, will tell you everything you’ll ever need to know about the people behind the scenes of the numerous and exceptional Packers’ blogs. These are the folks Robert and I read on a daily basis and you should too if you call yourself a fan.

Up next: Jayme Joers, die hard Packer fan, USC Trojan Fan, and Manchester United Supporter, from Random Musings on the World of Sports. In addition to her blog, Jayme is a contributor at BrentFavre.com, and a moderator at CheeseheadTV.com. Jayme crushed these questions much like Alex, Brian, and Aaron before her. It appears the Packers blogosphere is in good hands...as I'm sure you already knew.

1) If you woke up in the middle of the night, and Ted Thompson was standing over your bed watching you sleep, what would you offer him to drink? (that's the polite thing to do) Why? There’s always a glass of water next to my bed. I’m one of those middle of the night water drinkers. But he probably wouldn’t want it as he tends to like new things, not old (veteran) water. Therefore he’d have to settle with some Mad Housewife wine. Its delicious, has a great name and almost always in my fridge.

2) What's your favorite '80s hair band, and how do you relate them to the Packers? (This is relative. you may hate 80's hair bands, but if you had to choose one, who would it be) Does Journey count as a hair band? Cause they’re my favorite 80s band. And as someone who now has a long distance love affair with the packers, I think Faithfully was written for us. If Journey does not count as a hair band, then start counting them!

3) Which cheddar is beddar: mild, medium, or sharp? Subquestion: How the hell does California think they can make cheese? Sharp. Best, best, BEST grilled cheese sandwich is sharp cheddar on sourdough. California – once my home for some years – thinks it can make cheese because it thinks it can do anything regardless or not if it’s true.

4) If John Rambo, in his prime of First Blood Part II, played for the Packers, which position would he play? Is he Pro Bowl material, or just a serviceable player? Does it make me weird if the only Stallone movie I have ever seen is Copland? And let me just say, that I do not think Sheriff Heflin would make the Packers.

5) Ty Webb or Jeffrey Lebowski? That rug really tied the room together.

6) If you woke up tomorrow and the Packers ceased to exist and no one but you remembered them, how would you convince everyone they are the greatest organization in sports? I’m not sure if I’d want to live in that world. Would there be no ice cream or puppy dogs in this world too? Just take away all the good things. Anyways….I’m a very persuasive person. I would travel the land, much like Johnny Appleseed, and tell people of the magical day the Packers held Barry Sanders to negative one yards in a play off game (I’m assuming that the Lions still exist in this world as only good things have been taken away). If that doesn’t convince people then they don’t deserve to exist and I would banish them.

7) Don Hutson basically invented the receiver position, what's your favorite invention: the Cheesehead, the truck-bed tailgate, or the Green Bay Sweep? Tailgate. I don’t eat meat, but is there anything better than drinking outside? And at a sporting event? No. There’s not.

Some bonus questions as I'm sure inquiring minds want to know:

8) Who has better hair, you or Clay Matthews? That’s a tough one. We both have the golden locks that only the sun directly over USC can provide. I’m going to have to go with Clay. He doesn’t seem to get helmet/hat hair. And I do. Side note, while searching for pictures of Clay’s hair, I found an awesome picture, that I attached, cause I think its quite a gem.

9) What do you miss most about Wisconsin, other than the obvious of being able to watch the Packers on TV without ordering Sunday Ticket or going to a bar? (as transplant myself, I actually enjoy the necessity of going to a bar to watch the game on Sunday every now and then) I can’t think of just one thing that I miss the most so here’s my list: 1. Lake Michigan, 2. How drinking at anytime during the day is acceptable. 3. My sister. 4. Cheese Curds. 5. Bob Uecker.

Another side note. When I lived in San Francisco, we found this great sports bar called Old Pros in Palo Alto. The Owner/Manager loved the packers and always made sure that I had sound for the Packers games. He also gave me great drink specials and got me Ronnie Lott’s tickets to the SF/GB game that year. I liked that bar. Like I said, I am very persuasive.

10) A rumor was recently brought to our attention on the latest episode of Cheesehead Radio. The rumor insinuates that Robert and I are actually two nerdy teenagers blogging from our parents' basements. While I assure you this is not the case... and both of us do quite well with the ladies, thank you very much, we have data (largely anecdotal, but some quantitative) that indicates that some of our readers could use a little help in this department. What does it take to sweep a highly knowledgeable Packer fan off her feet.... other than raspberry kamis and PBR, of course? One of the most romantic things that ever happened to me: in 06 the Packers were playing the Vikings in a night game. The same night a man I was seeing was flying into Chicago and needed me to pick him up at the airport. It was toward the beginning of our relationship and he was not a big sports fan. We listened to the game on the radio for the drive home and arrived back at my place as GB was driving down field late in the game. Trying not to be a freak, I started to get ready to get out of the car, even though I didn’t think I’d make it up the stairs before the game ended. He put his arm out and said, “let’s wait and see what happens. Don’t want you to miss this.” I melted.

Excellent answers, Jayme.  And, no it doesn't make you weird that you haven't seen any Sly Stallone movies other than Copland. However, I would suggest taking this long holiday weekend and watching "Rocky 1-6" and "Rambo 1-4"...that should get you up to speed. For extra credit, check out "Over the Top", the 3rd best arm-wrestling movie of all time.

The old man said, "Take any rug in the house."

Thanks, Jayme.

Meet Your Neighbor

In an effort to better understand what makes Packer fans tick in our Packer Neighborhood, I have come up with a list of questions that, in my humble opinion, will tell you everything you’ll ever need to know about the people behind the scenes of the numerous and exceptional Packers’ blogs. These are the guys Robert and I read on a daily basis and you should too if you call yourself a fan.

Now up: the one and only Aaron Nagler from over at Cheesehead TV. Robert and I are honored that Aaron was able to take time from his prodigious tweeting, feeding the info-hungry Packer masses with new blog posts, and hob-nobbing with the NFL media-elite at the NFL Draft Combine to answer some questions. Aaron definitely kept up the high standard that Alex and Brian set before him.

1) If you woke up in the middle of the night, and Ted Thompson was standing over your bed watching you sleep, what would you offer him to drink? (that's the polite thing to do) Why? Definitely a Newcastle Brown Ale, because it’s all I’d have in the fridge other than approximately a thousand juice boxes. I’ve been told Ted doesn’t imbibe, but damn it, if he’s going to wake me up in the middle of the night, he’ll take what he’s given.

2) What's your favorite '80s hair band, and how do you relate them to the Packers? (this is relative, you may hate 80's hair bands, but if you had to choose one, who would it be) I do indeed, and did then, hate 80s hair bands. But the obvious answer here is…um…Ratt? Because the Packers make the world go…Round and Round?

3) Which cheddar is beddar: mild, medium, or sharp? Subquestion: How the hell does California think they can make cheese? Sharp by a mile. California thinks it can do a lot of things – and then realizes it has no money and has a faded action star as its Governor. Wisconsin, on the other hand, knows what it does well and sticks to that. Cheese, beer, brats and, of course, Packers football.

4) If John Rambo, in his prime of First Blood Part II, played for the Packers, which position would he play? Is he Pro Bowl material, or just a serviceable player? I’ll take the second part first – not only is he a perennial Pro Bowler, he’s a first Ballot Hall of Famer. Like Bart Starr, he was a nobody until he found someone who believed in him. For Starr it was Vince Lombardi, for Rambo it was Sam Trautman. As for what position he would play – very, very Strong Safety.

5) Ty Webb or Jeffrey Lebowski? I already know the answer to this, so who's your favorite subcharacter: Bunny, Jackie Treehorn, Brandt, Karl Hungus, Woo, Knox Harrington, or Larry Sellers? How do you leave Jesus Quintana off this list? 8 year olds dude. 8 year olds.

6) If you woke up tomorrow and the Packers ceased to exist and no one but you remembered them, how would you convince everyone they are the greatest organization in sports? I would tell them about the last time I ever saw my grandmother, my mother’s mother, Violet Rose Wilson. (Yes, Violet Rose) – I would tell them how the last time we ever had lunch together I learned more about her than I had ever known and all because we talked about the Packers. She told me the most amazing story of going to watch the Packers play back when they were still playing in a farmer’s field. Have you seen the opening scenes of Leatherheads, where George Clooney and the pro teams are playing ball with a bunch of cows watching while the college game is being played in a huge stadium? That was EXACTLY the picture she painted at that lunch. That conversation meant more to me than anything. It happened while I was still in college down in North Carolina, over Thanksgiving break and she had passed by the time Christmas came along. I will never forget how close we were that afternoon. And it never would have happened without the Packers.

7) Don Hutson basically invented the receiver position, what's your favorite invention: the Cheesehead, the truck-bed tailgate, or the Green Bay Sweep? While tailgating is fun and the Sweep is awe-inspiring, I have to go with the Cheesehead here, both for the obvious reason and because a Cheesehead once saved a man’s life in a plane crash. True story.

I added a few more questions since I feel that inquiring minds would want to know these things:

8) Corey seems to be a shadowy figure that appears during Cheesehead Nation broadcasts and then retreats to his lair, if you could compare the two of you to a Superhero duo, who would it be and why? Well, there’s nothing SuperHeroish about us. Not even remotely. I think we’re probably closer to Vladimir and Estragon. Only instead of waiting for a title character that never shows, we’re waiting hopelessly for the NFL Network to give us a ton of money to do our show.

9) Say the internet died tomorrow, I'm talking a gruesome, bloody death. What would you do with your spare time? (I think you may have a lot of it. Lol) Lol? Who are you, Nick Barnett? I’d probably get a lot more done.

10) Lombardi. You have expressed your and Corey's desire to be in the film, and seeing as how you made it to the NFL Combine, I have faith that you somehow will be. However, the only spot left in the film is playing a schlub being drilled by Ray Nitschke (who I personally think should be played by a bulked up Timothy Olyphant. Thoughts?). However, the take isn't going right, and it has to be done over and over and over and over... You don't get a stuntman, extra, how many hits could you take? First off, love the Olyphant idea. (Anything to get him out of a damn cowboy hat. Justified? Really?) As for the role and number of hits – Over/under is set at 2. I’ll let the readers take what they will.

11) Last but not least, other than Tim Tebow, what's the oddest thing you saw at the NFL combine? John Clayton's hair.

Fantastic answers, all of them. I would be completely and utterly convinced of the greatness of the Packers after hearing about the afternoon with your Grandmother. Great, and touching story.

Do you think Godot will ever show up? The waiting is the hardest part.

In my defense, Aaron, nobody f%&*s with the Jesus, and I always thought John Turturro turned him into a major character. But, yes, 8 year-olds, Dude.

Meet Your Neighbor

Won’t you be my neighbor? Hi, neighbor!

In an effort to better understand what makes Packer fans tick in our Packer Neighborhood, I have come up with a list of questions that, in my humble opinion, will tell you everything you’ll ever need to know about the people behind the scenes of the numerous and exceptional Packers’ blogs. These are the guys Robert and I read on a daily basis and you should too if you call yourself a fan.

Next up, I present Brian Carriveau, from Railbird Central. Much like Alex from over at Packers Lounge, Brian knocked these questions out of the freakin' park. Railbird Central is chock full of analysis, links to great Packer news and blogs, and Brian tops it all off with a great musical number each day. Without further ado, I give you the Packer Ranter Neighborhood Interview:

1) If you woke up in the middle of the night, and Ted Thompson was standing over your bed watching you sleep, what would you offer him to drink? (that's the polite thing to do) Why?
First I'd mix myself a whiskey old fashioned sweet with mushrooms and an olive for garnish. But Ted seems like a brandy kind of guy with a maraschino cherry and orange slice instead. I'd make him one of those. Nothing says Wisconsin like an old fashioned.

2) What's your favorite '80s hair band, and how do you relate them to the Packers? (this is relative, you may hate 80's hair bands, but if you had to choose one, who would it be)
I'm not a fan of '80s hair bands, but I always admired that the drummer from Def Leppard only had one arm, and he was pretty good. Likewise, although Spencer Havner is a beast of a football player with two arms, he would still be above average with only one. Just imagine if he had three arms. The Packers would be unstoppable.

3) Which cheddar is beddar: mild, medium, or sharp? Subquestion: How the hell does California think they can make cheese?
Mild cheddar is, without a doubt, the best. California is just a wanna-be state. I bet there's some farmer in California that grows potatoes and he thinks he's "all that." Just like Wisconsin, Idaho just laughs at him. And there's probably another farmer that grows some corn that he claims is the best in the world. And I'm sure Nebraska scoffs at him. Similarly, the Oakland Raiders have been a wanna-be team for decades. They're a laughingstock compared to the Packers, or any other NFL team for that matter.

4) If John Rambo, in his prime of First Blood Part II, played for the Packers, which position would he play? Is he Pro Bowl material, or just a serviceable player?
I'm not familiar with that particular Broadway musical.

5) Ty Webb or Jeffrey Lebowski?
Well sure, look at it! Young trophy wife, I mean, in the parlance of our times, owes money all over town, including to known pornographers--and that's cool, that's cool-- but I'm saying, she needs money, and of course they're gonna say they didn't get it 'cause she wants more, man, she's gotta feed the monkey, I mean--hasn't that ever occurred to you...? Sir?

6) If you woke up tomorrow and the Packers ceased to exist and no one but you remembered them, how would you convince everyone they are the greatest organization in sports?
My attempts at persuasion would probably be some asinine attempt to gain media attention through a hunger strike whereby I'd get my 15 minutes of fame, yet in the end convert no one. But that's okay. I know the Packers are the greatest organization in all of sports, and that's good enough for me.

7) Don Hutson basically invented the receiver position, what's your favorite invention: the Cheesehead, the truck-bed tailgate, or the Green Bay Sweep?
I'd have to go with a tailgate. There's not a environment I'd rather be in than a Sunday in a Green Bay parking lot with a tailgate decked out with a cheese and venison sausage platter, bratwursts and ice cold Spotted Cow.

Thank you, Brian, It's good to know you're out there keeping your fellow railbirds informed on all things Packers, and I completely agree on Spencer Havner...now I'm just imagining three-armed shoulder pads.

RE: Stallone's Broadway musical, if you want to talk about infiltrating Vietnamese P.O.W. camps sometime, I'm game.

Meet Your Neighbor

Won’t you be my neighbor? Hi, neighbor!

In an effort to better understand what makes Packers’ fans tick in our Packer Neighborhood, I have come up with a list of questions that, in my humble opinion, will tell you everything you’ll ever need to know about the people behind the scenes of the numerous and exceptional Packers’ blogs. These are the guys Robert and I read on a daily basis and you should too if you call yourself a fan.

First up, I present to you, Alex, from Packers Lounge. Good humor, a critical eye, and intense passion for all things Green Bay fuel this blog. Without further ado, I give you the Packer Ranter Neighborhood Interview:

1) If you woke up in the middle of the night, and Ted Thompson was standing over your bed watching you sleep, what would you offer him to drink? (that's the polite thing to do) Why?

First off, let me make it abundantly clear that I want Ted nowhere near my bed at anytime. Secondly, if he was watching me sleep it would be hard to offer him anything. This being said, I would approach the situation Santa Claus style by making sure to leave out something every night lest I miss him.

Instead of the traditional glass of milk, I think Ted would appreciate a bottle of True Blood. You know, the stuff the vampires drink in the HBO series. I don’t know if Ted is a vampire, but I do know the guy looks like something straight out of Revenge of the Zombies. Ted Thompson is the living dead at the very least. This is yet another reason for him to stay the hell out of my bedroom.

2) What's your favorite '80s hair band, and how do you relate them to the Packers? (this is relative, you may hate 80's hair bands, but if you had to choose one, who would it be)

Everybody knows that the greatest 80’s hair band is a tossup between Warrant and Winger. With classics like “She’s only Seventeen” and “The Down Boys” both bands reek of spandex and Aqua Net. Granted, Motley Crue, RATT, Tesla, Autograph, Cinderella, Fire House, Poison, Def Leppard, and Whitesnake all deserve high marks, Warrant and Winger simply are unmatched in their ultra lameness.

How does this relate to the Packers? How the hell is anyone supposed to answer that? If I had to take a stretch, Rick Allen, the drummer from Def Leppard had one arm. This immediately makes me think of Justin Harrell, except Rick Allen was good.

3) Which cheddar is beddar: mild, medium, or sharp? Subquestion: How the hell does California think they can make cheese?
Sharp cheddar is the best cheese there is. I should know I eat a ton of it. Little known fact, I drink two gallons of milk every week and eat a block of cheese. Milk is my favorite drink of all time. Being partial to that product, and its production in my home state of Wisconsin, California can take a flying $%^# at a rolling cheese log.
4) If John Rambo, in his prime of First Blood Part II, played for the Packers, which position would he play? Is he Pro Bowl material, or just a serviceable player?
Rambo would never make the Packers squad because he is not Packer people. I mean the guy is tough but he can’t take direction. I mean how many times did Rambo ignore orders from John Murdock? Ted Thompson would never have any of that, look at Anthony Smith. Rambo would most likely be in the secondary somewhere, but due to his height disadvantage he might only be a special teamer. Regardless, after he gutted out a couple players in week one with his big ass serrated Bowie knife, he would probably be cut.
5) Ty Webb or Jeffrey Lebowski?
Caddy Shack is classic of course, but basic cable is ruining the #$%& out of it. I like the dude in The Big Lebowski, but I think bowling is schwag. I will have to go with golf on this one.
6) If you woke up tomorrow and the Packers ceased to exist and no one but you remembered them, how would you convince everyone they are the greatest organization in sports?

If no one knew the Packers existed, they would also not know that I wasn’t President of the World. So, before I addressed the Packers I would make sure world domination was intact first. After that, I could pretty much tell people whatever I wanted as the sovereign leader. I wouldn’t have to do much convincing, but I would leave out the whole Joe Johnson part, and probably omit Favre for the addition that included the lengthy career of Don Majkowksi.


7) Don Hutson basically invented the receiver position, what's your favorite invention: the Cheesehead, the truck-bed tailgate, or the Green Bay Sweep?


For the record, I think Cheeseheads are lame as hell. Being from Wisconsin, whenever you go anywhere else all people do is identifying with that stupid orange foam atrocity. It’s a travesty. Who ever invented that S.O.B. should be tarred and feathered. Dumbass.
I’m not a big fan of the other two either. Best invention in my mind… the Packer Potato Head.


Wow, Alex, I don't know what I expected, but I have to admit you far exceeded any subconscious expectations I may have had in regards to your responses to these questions. It's good to know you're out there sharing your views on the Packers.
RE: the 80's hair band relation to the Packers, if you want to talk sometime about 80's hair bands, I would be more than willing to relate them to anything.