The Greg Jennings thread

[Mothman]

Wiederer: Greg Jennings' 'brainwashing' comment not worth all the fuss

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikin ... 45701.html

Worth a listen to the podcast (scroll down).

Thanks for the link. The interview with Wiederer was definitely worth listening to and I obviously share his disdain for the opportunistic "headline culture" that is constantly trying to manufacture controversies.

[Funkytown]

As long as he's still productive on the field, I have no problem with him.

I can get down with that. When--when--he is productive on the field (in that purple) then he can talk a bit. Our luck, he'll run his pie hole for a while and have some sort of injury and miss a ton of time (*knocks on wood*)...and then what? All this talk for nothing. I like Jennings. I really do. But less talk, more action! He's making everything about the Packers and himself!Packers, Packers, Packers. Gross. I don't get it either. He "wanted to move on" and "wanted a fresh start". Awesome. So take it, and leave the Packers in Green Bay!

[Eli]

Wiederer: Greg Jennings' 'brainwashing' comment not worth all the fuss

No it isn't, but what Wiederer doesn't get is the same thing that Jennings can't seem to get through his thick skull: Whatever he says about the Packers is going to be picked up by the media and sensationalized. No, it isn't fair (boo hoo), but if you're too godamned dumb to realize what you're doing, then you need to just completely shut the hell up and play football. Like what you're actually being paid to do.

Every time he opens his stupid mouth, I get a worse feeling for what we're going to see from Jennings in Minnesota. I sure hope I'm wrong, but he's getting off to a very bad start.

[Mothman]

No it isn't, but what Wiederer doesn't get is the same thing that Jennings can't seem to get through his thick skull: Whatever he says about the Packers is going to be picked up by the media and sensationalized. No, it isn't fair (boo hoo), but if you're too godamned dumb to realize what you're doing, then you need to just completely shut the hell up and play football. Like what you're actually being paid to do.

Every time he opens his stupid mouth, I get a worse feeling for what we're going to see from Jennings in Minnesota. I sure hope I'm wrong, but he's getting off to a very bad start.

A bad start? He's barely started at all. He's practicing well, he's reportedly getting along great with his team and helping his teammates and he hasn't played in a game yet. So far, his start seems just fine to me. He's a football player so football is what matters. Categorizing sensationalistic media-generated "controversies" over relatively innocuous comments as a bad start just lends credence to the nonsense shamelessly being peddled. You're making the mistake of attaching meaning to these silly controversies when they're meaningless. They have no bearing at all on Jennings' ability to perform and they won't influence the outcome of football games.

Jennings and Wiederer both get it. Neither one of them is dumb. Jennings just clearly doesn't care about the bull being shoveled around by journalistic hacks and Wiederer is annoyed by the behavior of those journalistic hacks.

[PurpleMustReign]

No it isn't, but what Wiederer doesn't get is the same thing that Jennings can't seem to get through his thick skull: Whatever he says about the Packers is going to be picked up by the media and sensationalized. No, it isn't fair (boo hoo), but if you're too godamned dumb to realize what you're doing, then you need to just completely shut the hell up and play football. Like what you're actually being paid to do.

I agree 100%. Just shut up about the Packers. If someone asks, just say "I am not answering questions about the Packers."

[headless_norseman]

You're wrong. Way wrong.

When a team grabs a player from a divisional rival, I don't want quiet. I want what's on his mind. Anyone else hear what Wes Welker had to say recently? Now THAT would make me cringe.

[Mothman]

I agree 100%. Just shut up about the Packers. If someone asks, just say "I am not answering questions about the Packers."

I guess I just have a hard time seeing why it matters. The comments themselves were harmless. If the media wants to indulge in obviously transparent nonsense, what difference does it make in the bigger picture? They want people to get upset about these "nontroversies" but there's really nothing to be upset about. This stuff doesn't hurt the Vikings. It doesn't impact the games. It's literally much ado about nothing. I'm sure Jennings is aware of that. Most of us are smart enough to be aware of it too.

I'd rather hear Jennings give an interesting interview like the one he gave yesterday and have all this idiotic fallout than have another intelligent player stifled into spouting nothing but clichés. The latter would inevitably bother the "that press conference was too boring" and "that was just coachspeak/playerspeak" crowd anyway.

These days, players and coaches can't win and fans make angry calls to sports talk radio stations and post expletive-filled rants at the drop of a proverbial hat.

I'll be glad when the regular season begins and we can focus on the games.

[hibbingviking]

I agree 100%. Just shut up about the Packers. If someone asks, just say "I am not answering questions about the Packers."

hope he doesn't have his mind on his former team like randy moss did. some need to just stfu.

[headless_norseman]

How about: The Society for Purple Idiots Society?

You may be on to something here. But instead of repeating 'Society' twice in a name, how 'bout we shorten it up to get the acronym P.I.S. ?

[Krulik]

Color me crazy but this is nothing compared to Favre's first year in Minnesota, and we all remember how the team played that year, especially against the Packers. Favre played pretty well amidst it all didnt he? I know Favre didn't talk about it like Jennings, but did it matter? No, the media had their way with it like they are now with Jennings, and I really don't think Jennings has been completely out of bounds with his words. He is a WR afterall.

If your worried about bulletin board material in the Packers locker room, don't be. They got other #### to worry about. Hell, we had bulletin board material in high school football. Did it make us play any better? I dont think so. That was the last thing we thought about during kickoff. It was just another game, just another team. We were focused on our gameplan and our responsibilities to the team, not what #45 said about our quarterback. If the Packers are going to be offended by Jennings, let them. If you think it will make them play different, let them. Let them focus on #15 near the sidelines when #28 runs right down their throat. As if the Packers didn't have enough bulletin board material the year they played against Favre, please.

This is the off season fellers. Did we forget that the power rankings have the media listed as #1 this offseason?

Headlines do not matter until September 8th. Don't you forget it

[NextQuestion]

Packer fans are for sure 100% delusional for sure. He's right

[Mothman]

You may be on to something here. But instead of repeating 'Society' twice in a name, how 'bout we shorten it up to get the acronym P.I.S. ?

Perfect!

[MikethePurple]

I think Wiederer makes a good point. In the headline and sound byte media culture we live in, its very difficult for anyone to place context unless you invest the time to actually listen/read/watch an entire piece. I don't think that the fact that Jennings makes these statements really matters other than that the media blows it out of proportion because they are basically looking to create story lines at this point in the season. If you listen to the entire interview I think the main problem was his use of the term "brainwashing." If you listen to the entire context I don't think brainwashing is the most appropriate term to what the larger spirit of his comments were. He's mainly discussing what he was told at Green Bay and as many posters pointed out, what team doesn't talk badly about the other team? Many times its nothing personal in the end, but its more of a morale and team boosting activity for said team. They're obviously preparing to play the other teams in the league so clearly they don't think that everyone else is a pushover and they are vastly superior to all other teams. In these teams sports you need to create that atmosphere of us against them (obviously within reason.

As far as locker room distractions its kind of hard for any of us to say its a "distraction in the locker room" because honestly, none of us are there so we don't really know. He could be getting slaps on the back from his new team mates for seemingly slagging the Packers in the media. Who knows? One thing I would say though is if Frazier tells him that he shouldn't be talking about the Packers to the media, don't do it. While, I'm not a fan of censorship or listening to cliched football interviews (honestly the reason why I rarely read player interviews is because of this reason) but in this case and with the media culture we live in I'd be inclined to listen to the coach rather than having to dissect and explain your words later. Keep those comments away from the reporters. But it would be nice if we could hear more players give candid interviews without the media circus fanning the flames of a nonexistent fire. I would actually listen to more player interviews if that was the case.

[The Breeze]

How about the Purple Idiots Society Society then?

[Demi]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... ings-gear/

Green Bay-area store gives away its Greg Jennings gear

Per Fox 11 in Green Bay, and via Paul Imig of FoxSportsWisconsin.com, The Jersey Store in Ashwaubenon — about a half-mile away from Lambeau Field — is giving away its Jennings-related merchandise, including jerseys.

The store’s manager, Mike Walters, told Fox 11 that the store’s owner was unhappy with Jennings’ most recent round of remarks about his old club.

“The owner is definitely very concerned,” Walters said, per Fox 11. “She feels like he really stepped over the line with the brainwashing comment.”

I guess something good came out of his buffoonish comments.

(Upset Packer fans...not free merchandise)