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The rivalry between the Packers and the Bears dates back to the
days when Johnny (Blood) McNally faced Red Grange, but never in
75 years had harsher words—or cheaper shots—been exchanged. In
May, Packers defensive end Reggie White scrapped with former
Bears defensive tackle Steve (Mongo) McMichael in the World
Championship Wrestling Slamboree. Mongo kicked White in the
groin, and while the referee wasn't looking—why do they always
get distracted at the most critical time in the match?—he
smacked the rasslin' reverend upside the noggin, then pinned
him. Boasted the victor: "A Green Bay Packer cheesehead ain't no
match for a Monster of the Midway."
Maybe not in the ring. But last year it became abundantly clear
that there ain't no match for the Packers anywhere in the NFL.
Green Bay scored the most points in the league—and allowed the
fewest—in its 13-3 regular season. The Pack then rolled through
the playoffs, winning its first Super Bowl in 29 years.
So, Ron Wolf, what have you done in the off-season? Dipped into
your coffers and gone after a few big-name free agents? "We
haven't done anything," said the Packers' G.M. "I've got other
things on my mind besides free agency. We feel like we have a
good team."
That explains why Green Bay re-upped center Frank Winters, wide
receiver Don Beebe and defensive tackle Gilbert Brown, and then,
in a surprise move, re-signed linebacker Wayne Simmons, who had
seemed to have both feet out the door. Simmons has a reputation
as a locker room distraction, and his March DUI arrest didn't
make him any more attractive.
But Simmons was just as offensive to other teams. He reportedly
uttered the hated phrase "Show me the money" to two teams he
visited, prompting one coach to tell him to "call Jerry Maguire"
before stomping out of the room. In May he signed a one-year,
$1.3 million deal with Green Bay, a price so cheap that the
Packers were willing to overlook his surliness—which some think
the team actually needs. "Honestly, they don't have a mean
sucker on their front seven other than Wayne," said one NFL
scout. "I don't think there's anybody on their defense who
intimidates the way he does." Safety LeRoy Butler dismissed the
Simmons-as-troublemaker talk, saying the Packers follow
Simmons's lead in one place: "On the field, not in the locker
room. He'll go over and just grab the tight end and maul him,
throw him on the ground. We see that and say, 'Well, maybe we
need to do the same thing.'"
The only significant defensive loss is end Sean Jones, who, at
34, retired to become a TV broadcaster. He'll be replaced by
fourth-year man Gabe Wilkins, a 26-year-old who weighs 300
pounds and runs a 4.9 40.
The Packers' offense also returns largely intact. Receivers
Andre Rison and Desmond Howard were free-agency departures, but
they will hardly be missed, although Howard did return four
punts and one kickoff for touchdowns last year (including the
postseason). Newly signed Qadry Ismail is expected to take over
as the return man and compete for a receiver spot. Robert
Brooks, who had 23 catches for 344 yards before going down in
last year's seventh game with a serious knee injury, is back. He
will team with Antonio Freeman, who developed into a big-play
receiver in Brooks's absence, grabbing 56 catches for 933 yards.
With two-time MVP Brett Favre, tight end Mark Chmura and the
one-two punch of Dorsey Levens and Edgar Bennett in the
backfield, the Packers are set at the skill positions. The
offensive line is solid across the board.
The only hitch in Titletown in the past year occurred when the
team tried to have its ring ceremony without inviting
Simmons—who at the time appeared bound for another team—and
departed players Rison, Howard and kicker Chris Jacke. The
outcry from Green Bay fans forced the team to reconsider, and
Wolf, coach Mike Holmgren and president Bob Harlan all ended up
with egg on their faces. "You would think it's the only thing
going on in the world," Harlan said. "Being 4-12 was easier."
When the Packers finally got their rings, no one was happier
than White, who had waited 12 years for the moment. "It's
probably more exciting to get it than to win it," he said. "This
is something to cherish, and it's something you want to do
again. We want to make a habit of winning championships. There's
nothing like it."
Now if he could just get those darn wrestling referees to pay
attention.
—by Mark Bechtel
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