Packers-Seahawks 8-21-10

It was an inauspicious start for the Packer-Seahawks game as the tones of Curt Menafee and Warren Moon filtered out of the television. I feared the worst after being subjected to a winter of the NBA's local broadcast "talent" courtesy of DirecTV's League Pass package, . Thankfully, the M&M boys were competent at the very least, and Warren Moon's dead time filler was not strewn with "Cool Things I did in my Career" stories.

The Packers' kickoff coverage units did nothing to inspire confidence, although the company line was that Coach McCarthy was 'experimenting with different combinations of personnel,' apparently in an effort to find who NOT to put on the field. By this measure, the experiment was a resounding success.

One thing that should be made clear in preseason: IF YOU ARE ON THE FIELD IN THE SECOND HALF OF A PRE-FIRST-CUT PRESEASON GAME, YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS TAUNTING, TALKING TRASH, OR OTHERWISE DEMONSTRATING AFTER MAKING A ROUTINE PLAY AGAINST THE OTHER TEAM'S SECOND, THIRD, OR FOURTH STRING PLAYERS. There, I feel better now.

Back to the Packers, Sam Shields earned a "CUT HIS ASS!!!!" outburst from the room (I was the only one in the room) after his idiocy on a kickoff 'return' (he never actually got to return the ball, as he was watching it hit the ground and bounce a few times, but they call it a 'return' anyway). Later, he gets a Larry-Brown-Super-Bowl-XXX interception, which means we'll be subjected to Mr. August for another few weeks.

Jarrett Bush is definitely in mid-season form (multiple defensive penalties, and a handful of Ahmad Carroll-esque defensive plays) and Quinn Porter is a finalist in the JAG sweepstakes. Derrick Martin: Rent, don't buy.

Warren Moon just proclaimed that Graham Harrell is winning the battle for the 3rd quarterback slot although it is unclear who he is battling. It certainly isn't another quarterback. Speaking of Harrell, he wins the worst-fitting-jersey award for the evening. I think they gave him one of Justin Harrell's unis (who thought he'd be using it?) and just changed the number.

Quinn Johnson still can't catch, John Kuhn looks better at tailback than Quinn Porter, and do we have any running backs who can actually elude or run away from a defender? I still don't know which is the Austrailian punter, but I do know that Seahawks GM John Schneider sends Ted Thompson a basket of fruit every week for cutting Jon Ryan.

Next up: The Colts! Get your Curtis Painter jerseys now!


AB 8-23-10