It Ends with a Thud

The old, larger-than-life coaches out front - Vince and Curly - are talking this morning about the game and the too-soon finish for the men dressed in green and gold.

Curly Lambeau, the team's creator and long-time coach, no doubt would have been ready for a running quarterback as that is what the NFL mostly was before Arnie Herber and Don Hutson popularized the forward pass for the Packers.  Surely he would have been able to come with some way to bring a fleet-footed quarterback to a stop.

Vince Lombardi, the iconic symbol of the franchise and the man who directed to the team to five NFL titles, would have gotten Ray, Dave, Willie (Davis), Herb, or Willie (Wood) to somehow clog the running lanes and steamroll those 49ers into tackling dummies.

Alas, neither was available for consultation last night by Mike or Dom - and I'm sure they would have welcomed some advice.  The outcome, a not-as-close-as-it sounds 45 - 31 loss at the hands of San Francisco.  

The NFL season has a wonderful rhythm for fans - the pre and post draft camps, optional workouts, and then training camp starting in late July or early August.  Opening day comes the weekend after Labor Day and the sixteen games unfold over seventeen weeks.

Each week's game becomes do - or - die for fans.

Win, and no doubt this is the best team of all-time and will never see another defeat this season.

Lose, and fans quickly conclude that the worst of times are upon us.

Like life, of course, neither conclusion is correct - and that's the beauty and sorrow of a season like this one just concluded.

Green Bay lost its opener at home to San Francisco - fought to a win in game two over the Bears - then had the 'Fail Mary' defeat at the hands of replacement refs and the Seahawks.  A win at home over New Orleans, a loss at the Colts, then good times prevailed until week 12 when the Giants cleaned our clocks.  Four more wins and then a loss under artificial skies in Minneapolis to end the season at 11 - 5.

Hope springs eternal and as a fan you just have to believe better days are coming.  The promise of the playoffs and the idea that with Aaron, Clay, and some more healthy players that we could spend the first weekend in February enjoying the sights and sounds of Bourbon Street.

The first round went so well - some fans started laying down their cash for SB47 tickets - and it looked good.  To me. To many of the NFL experts. To the team.

But the 49ers missed the memo and dashed our dreams last night with a punch to the gut.

It's over.

I would have enjoyed another two games to watch my Pack play, but as the pain subsides I'll enjoy the ride that was 2012, and look ahead.

The 2013 draft is only a few months away!

Go, Pack, Go!