Gunslinger Favre and Packers Mosey into Dallas for Shootout!

Everyone's been waiting for this showdown on Thursday - a possible NFC Championship in Dallas. Ha...can't believe I'm saying this. Pack 10-1??? Course, I knew they were better than all the naysayers but this is nuts. Whoo! Great season thus far.

So Dallas. Hmmm. My gut tells me that they really think they're already going to the Super Bowl. Which is fine...to be confident. That should be the goal of every NFL team. But I also believe the Packers have been underestimated all season, reaching 10-1 with very little respect. Before the season started we were maybe predicted to go 8-8 or 9-7, with 50-1 odds of going to the Super Bowl (with perhaps our strong 4-0 finish at the end of the year influencing those odds). Before the season started, we were slated to play a schedule with 7 teams having 8-8 or better records. As it turns out, through 11 games we've played three teams that are winning. That's not our fault. And everyone said, 'the NFC North sucks' and 'the NFC sucks'. Look at the Patriots - with 11 games played, their division consists of teams with 5-6, 2-9 and 0-11 records. That's handing New England 38% of the wins. No one is squawking about that.

Hell, and the Packers are playing with a "walking dead" QB so why would anyone take us seriously? If it weren't for Brady's performance, Favre would certainly be a shoo-in for his 4th MVP. Just my take. Dallas may have an edge on us in a number of categories. We are young and inexperienced - save Favre. They have a number of great receivers, included Terrell Owens. We'll send out Driver and 4 other receivers at any given time. Our rushing has been coming along. There's the Favre-factor. And the Favre-Romo thing (Favre was one of Romo's idols growing up).

Did I ever mention Romo is from Burlington, WI - my high school rival? Yeh. Neat story. My brother - who is in Houston on business and will be forced to watch the game in a bar with Houston/Dallas fans - says this Favre-Romo thingy is a psychological advantage for the Pack, as there is no way Romo could beat up on his childhood idol. Silly? Maybe. I don't know what I'm worried more about - the Pack winning or Jason in a potentially-filled powder keg atmosphere.

Um...what else? GB hasn't won in Dallas (Dallas hasn't won in GB either). If we win Thursday, what are the odds of beating a team twice? Dome and turf versus outdoors on grass. One game will not define the Packers' season, but it would be nice IF we get deep into the playoffs to host Dallas for the NFC Championship in a rematch of the famous Ice Bowl AT home - AT Lambeau. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Check out this ESPN story on the recent Packer success - this from a sports columnist that, along with the rest of the world, thought Favre should've retired last year.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=3123660

Basically a lot of bull is being thrown around by the media leading up to this game. For all the hype, funny thing is there are a ton of people who can't watch it at home if they don't have the NFL Network channel. That sucks - for a potential NFC Championship look-see. I've watched a few games on this channel and the quality is shit. And no HD (for those who feel that's a big deal). Personally, I think it's gonna be close but who knows? No one. I'm ready to just watch it. You?