I remember something Lombardi said, about Hornung. "The guy practices like he don't know what a football is. But when the game starts, he's one of the best players on the field."
That statement plays both ways. In the process, we can't call anyone a bust over a few practices, even a few preseason games, and even a single season of play as a starter. The whole package, of who a player becomes, develops over a period of time.
Bart Starr sat, and learned. Lombardi had a difficult choice. He said so. Would he choose McCann, or Starr? He chose Starr because he thought he was a better student of the game. Today's game, Gary. He looked like a stumble bum for over a year, then the lights came on, and he understood the NFL game, and his role in it. What he showed last year "could be," there's no guarantees, the beginning of a career where he becomes an outstanding player.
I'm not impressed by Love, but more than willing to give him a chance at the job, if Rodgers doesn't return.
I worked with people in the real world who left their jobs for greener pastures. Some left happily, others not so much. But, they did leave. Some were sent packing. I left. Once I was sent packing. It's all part of work.
Tomorrow, the sun comes up, and the Packers will have some new names on the roster. I've been watching this happen for about 70 years, and you can only guess how many players I've seen come in as young players, and leave. Some were good, some weren't, and some leave you with lasting memories, whether they're good or bad. But above all, the faces change, but the team is still the Green Bay Packers, and every year, they field a team. I root for that team. But I reserve the right to complain about the product I buy, the same as I would about a bad bottle of milk, or a moldy loaf of bread.
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