Poor Zack Greinke. Suddenly, the guy has no choice in the matter. He simply must lead the Brewers to that World Series crown.
How else can the man make up for this travesty of all travesties? Asked his thoughts about the Super Bowl, Greinke spoke four words of pure blasphemy.
“I like the Steelers.”
That he was merely booed as opposed to drawn and quartered at Sunday’s Brewers On Deck event is testament to how much Milwaukee already loves him. And, for that matter, needs him.
Few public figures could get away with such honesty in the city these days. My unscientific research of the local sporting scene has concluded that, as of this week, you’re either a Packers fan or you’re toe jam, only without as many redeeming qualities.
Zack Greinke, of course, excepted.
It’s no surprise. We’ve arrived at the moment of truth, and such moments leave no room for equivocation. You’re with us or against us, Packers fans have declared. And if you’re against, they’re aghast.
It’s the law of the land when you’re in the throes of obsession, and Green Bay’s improbable Super Bowl run long ago passed the obsession exit.
How else do you explain something as routine as a team photo morphing into a weeklong national scandal? It was a donnybrook complete with New York Times coverage of Nick Barnett’s Twitter account. Yep, of all the things to test a team’s character during Super Bowl week – from game plan decisions to media responsibilities to ticket allotments – the one that got the Packers was a Kodak moment.
It’s as if the Packers did all that hard work to get to the Super Bowl, then turned the keys over to George Costanza. Is it any surprise the Steelers were laughing at the drama?
How could a franchise that does so many things right end up getting something so simple so wrong? The only rational explanation is that such things don’t happen during periods of normalcy, and there’s nothing normal about living in Packer Nation right now. Or, for that matter, about leaving it behind.
There was so much hoopla surrounding the Packers’ airplane landing in Dallas that I started looking for Brad Childress in a chauffer’s hat. Even the media busses got police escorts. And for an extra dose of surreal, their motorcade drove right by the infamous grassy knoll.
At least the Packers contingent wasn’t greeted by a mob of Cowboys fans spoiling for a fight. The locals saved that bit of fun for Steelers fans, so I guess that means Cowboys fans will be cheering for Green Bay.
Well, maybe not.
It might be a crazy week, but even crazy has its limits.
NUTSHELLS
-Four reasons I think the Packers will win the Super Bowl.
1) I can’t get away with pulling a Greinke.
OK, but even if I could, I’d still be picking the Packers. In fact, the last game I thought they’d lose was against New England. Just don’t go wagering anything valuable based on my hunch, because I also expected those Patriots to be here for a Super Bowl rematch,
2) The Packers defense really is that good. And it will only get better facing a Steelers offensive line that won’t have starting center Maurkice Pouncey. Nobody notices centers until there’s a reason to do so. Pittsburgh’s backup is due for a lot of notice. And if the Packers don’t pull down at least two interceptions, I’ll be stunned.
3) Aaron Rodgers owns a passer rating of 111.5 in the 12 times he’s played in a dome. And unless the Texas winds get real gusty this week, Cowboys Stadium will still have a roof come Sunday. If Rodgers gets enough time, he could have a night to remember, and the Steelers know they should be concerned.
4) So many things have had to go right for Green Bay to get here that it’s hard to bet against the trend. You can come up with 100 reasons why the Packers should be playing golf right now, but they’re still playing football. Is there really something to that “team of destiny” talk? Maybe we’re about to find out.
–The most telling moment from the Brewers On Deck event, which drew a record crowd of 11,299, wasn’t Greinke picking the Steelers. Nor was it the moment when fellow pitching newcomer Shaun Marcum, upon seeing Greinke get flooded with boos, quickly announced his support for the Packers.
It was when a nice lady in the crowd gave voice to what so many Brewers fans so clearly believe.
“We’re looking to you as life-savers,” she told Greinke and Marcum, and she wasn’t kidding around.
Yes, in the eyes of the fans, these two arms couldn’t bear more pressure if they belonged to Atlas himself.
Of course, Atlas only had to hold up the heavens. Greinke and Marcum, meanwhile, have to hold up hope.
You tell me what the tougher duty is.
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