Views on News, wispundits • November 26th, 2008

Random bits

by Chris Lato

With the holidays right around the corner, this l’il blog will be going dark for a few days as I venture off to spend some quality time with the family.

But before I go, a couple little tidbits…

I’m late to the party on this one, but holy cow. The stuff being unearthed about spending at MPS will make your head hurt.  It makes one wonder how, in difficult economic times and with Milwaukee Democrats shut out of legislative leadership positions, whether this is going to be a real showdown in Madison in the coming weeks. I don’t know exactly how MPS can spin its way out of the massive pile of bad press it’s been getting. Something’s gotta give.

Man, the Cap Times has it in for Wisconsin’s newest Supreme Court Justice. The author seems to forget that when it comes to McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, groups on both sides of the political aisle were not fans of the law.

Was letting Brett Favre go to the Jets a mistake? After how things played out this week for the Pack and the Jets, it’s getting harder to argue that it wasn’t…despite the fact that Favre’s conduct surrounding the whole will-he-stay-or-will-he-go mess was thoroughly unbecoming.

Still, wins are wins. It is up to Packers management to make decisions that will win games. And right now, things aren’t looking promising for the Pack.

And, last but certainly not least, a colleague has a baby daughter hospitalized and struggling right now. Our thoughts are with him and his family – you can read more about it here.

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Views on News • August 4th, 2008

Fleischer joins the fight over #4

by Chris Lato

Did the Packers take my advice?

OK, probably not – but they did finally wise up and bring in a PR pro, and a heavy hitter no less. Their pick is none other than former Bush administration press secretary Ari Fleischer.

Is it too little, too late? After all, some of us saw this coming months ago. It seems Fleischer will play a behind-the-scenes role, which is probably for the best. Heaven forbid this whole flap takes on a political, anti-Bush angle as well.

The way the press is breathlessly reporting every teeny weeny advance in the story suggests it’s never too late to bring in the big PR guns, but the Packers could have been in a far better position if they had taken the PR offensive a long time ago. They let it hang out there for too long, allowing Team Favre to shape the story and make team leaders look like the bad guys – although Favre’s next job after football ought to be opening a chain of Waffle Houses. His image is tarnished as well. It is starting to feel like the only way to mend fences would be for Favre to lead a stellar season with a trip to the Super Bowl.

By the way, speaking of the press coverage, holy cow. I don’t know that ‘going overboard’ begins to describe it. By the time I heard a local reporter comparing the landing of Favre’s plane yesterday to the Beatles arriving in the US in 1964 - well, let’s just say that comment buried the needle on the ol’ B.S. detector. The station I watched must have shown the same shot of Favre getting off the plane at least 6 times in the first five minutes of their 10PM newscast. It’s rather disheartening to see TV news going this crazy, especially when it was obvious there wasn’t that much news to report on the Favre front.

However, as I wrote before, fingers can be pointed all over the place in this situation, but the bottom line is that the Packers need to do what it takes to win. That’s why having Aaron Rodgers compete against Favre is the wisest move. Early indications are that Rodgers is a bit shaky, and Favre is a three-time MVP with the experience needed to go up against Rodgers…but let’s see how it goes. Who knows what kind of shape Favre is in, or whether the team even plans to give Favre a fair shake.

One can’t help but feel sorry for Rodgers - but hey, it’s just a game, right?

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Views on News • July 15th, 2008

The fight over 4

by Chris Lato

Ah, Brett Favre. There was a bit of buzz from a couple co-workers when I mentioned I might take on this whole Favre flap.

First, some caveats: I am by no means an obsessive follower of professional sports. This column may offer a fresh perspective, or you may take it as a load of hooey from someone who doesn’t know any better. All I can do is process what I’ve observed.

Second: Brett Favre is an outstanding athlete – without question, one of the best pro quarterbacks of all time. His spot in history is assured.

But for crying out loud, how much more of this do we have to endure?

From a PR perspective, Favre has built up an outrageous amount of goodwill in Wisconsin. We’ve been willing to overlook a lot – the tantrum-like off-season ‘will he or won’t he return’ stuff in particular – because we love watching the guy play his heart out on behalf of the Pack.

But Favre is spending a lot of that goodwill now with a divisive and very public battle with the Packers brass. The worm is turning. I’m starting to think fans wouldn’t mind seeing Favre in another jersey (as long as it’s not the Bears or Vikings).

The team has to do what is best for the Packers, not what is best for the ever-changing whims of Brett Favre. As painful as it may be to admit, Favre announced his retirement and the team moved on. The Pack is rebuilding with a new quarterback in place. The preseason is right around the corner.

Could the team have a winning season with Favre? How about without him? That is up to the Packers brass to determine - and fans and management cannot let their judgment be clouded by nostalgia or sentimentality. Favre gave the Pack 100% but times change and the team cannot just sit idly by while Favre works out his personal conflict over whether or not to keep playing.

I’m sure it’s tough for a guy like Favre, who has known nothing but football for decades, to walk away from the sport. But that doesn’t mean the whole franchise has to suffer as a result of his inner turmoil.

For the Packers’ part, it appears GM Ted Thompson isn’t blameless, either, if you believe some of Favre’s allegations. But again, how much of this is petulance and sour grapes on Favre’s part?

This is a no-win situation for the Pack, whose best hope at this point in battling back on the PR front is to aggressively take ownership of its position and articulate it to anyone and everyone who will listen. Explain why the team is doing what it is doing with Favre, and come clean with your own clear statements in response to Favre’s allegations of mistreatment or slighting.

One other thing: the Journal Sentinel wrote about the Greta Van Susteren interview with Favre on Fox. Favre mentioned three personnel decisions he pushed for with Thompson that didn’t go Favre’s way.

Favre is still a player. Favre’s opinion should be respected and considered, but he’s paid to be the quarterback, not the manager. If it didn’t go his way - for whatever reason - too bad.

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Views on News • April 28th, 2008

The Brett ‘n’ Dave Show

by Chris Lato

OK, it’s Friday, so let’s have a little fun.

I watched this last night in its entirety, and I felt a little uncomfortable. It seemed like Favre didn’t really want to be there. But, after watching it in bits and pieces, there were some low-key gems in there. Favre earned a couple of laughs.

But, holy cow, Favre is worse than Tommy Thompson with all this teasing about whether he’s really in or out. Remember the endless speculation about whether TT was going to run for another term for governor, or another, or another? Seems to me like Favre is playing the same game and that he really doesn’t want it to be over. He sure stumbled when asked about his QB heir apparent, Aaron Rodgers.

And why would the makers of the Madden video game put a retired player on the cover of the newest edition? Conspiracy theories abound. It Does Not Make Sense.

It’s fun to speculate on where things are going from here for Favre. I really have zero special insight, but after last night’s little display on national TV, it sure seemed to me like Favre would have no trouble with sweeping back into the fray at the last minute to try and return the Pack to glory.

However, if Favre really is out and wants a job as a broadcaster, he might have to turn up the energy level a tad. The whole ‘quiet folksy’ thing won’t read well on Sunday Night Football.

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Events, Views on News, public relations • March 4th, 2008

A Packer Nation in mourning?

by Chris Lato

This is a bit off-topic for our blog, but FoxSports.com is reporting that Brett Favre is retiring. We’ll see if the story is confirmed, either by the Pack or Favre himself, anytime soon.

Few things in Wisconsin are as successful at holding the news media’s attention than the Packers in general, and Favre in particular. The green-and-gold really has the press wrapped around their finger.

I’m no hardcore sports fan, but even casual fans know Favre is one of the greatest to ever play pro football. His place in history is assured.

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