Sports Radio Service


		The Pack could be back By Scary Barry Rodriguez February 3, 2011

	( DALLAS )- Up early in the morning Scary Barry caught the 9:30 am bus from the downtown Sheraton hotel to the Omni Mandalay hotel located in Las Colnas. The media horde converged on the area where the Green Bay Packer coach Mike Mccarthy and a selected player would speak from the main podium. Security was tight. I chose to go to another area of the hotel set aside for player interviews. These areas were divided into a section for offensive players and a section for defensive players. I chose to stake out a table in the defensive player area. It was like mining for gold ! When the Green Bay Packer defensive player's enter the room the vibe was interesting . They weren't cocky like the much more experienced Pittsburg Steelers squad but quietly confident. Right then it seemed to me that the Super Bowl XLV might not follow the script that the Pittsburg Steelers wanted. The several tables in the room had player name cards on them. I put my gear down near the A.J Hawk table. Hawk is the mike linebacker for the Pack and makes the defensive calls. This is his fifth year in the NFL. Hawk came in and sat down. He seemed relaxed and we got down to business. I questioned him about the change in NFL policy in regards to hits to the head and helmet to helmet contact. James Harrison , also a linebacker on the squad has already been fined $ 100,000 for hits during the 2010 season. Hawk admitted that this new reality was on the back of his mind when he tackled somebody but as a professional he was prepared to make the necessary adjustment to avoid hurting his team. He wondered when the NFL would also fine offensive player's for making crack back blocks on defensive players. He emphasized that in the Super Bowl like any other game the Packer's defensive squad would stick to their foundation. The Steelers that they saw on film would be the Steelers they played. Both teams know each other's schemes well. In all Hawk was happy to be playing in a Super Bowl and humble. After shaking his hand I moved to Brandon Underwood's table for an interview. Brandon is a second year special team's conerback from Cincinnati ,Ohio . Brandon also played under Coach Kelly at the University of Cincinnati. He played in twelve regular season games. Like everyone else he watched game film and the coaching staff questioned and received input from him. This is what Green Bay requires from all their players. He said he felt blessed to be playing in the Super Bowl. Next I sat down at Atari Bigby's table. Atari proved to be a very interesting cat ! As a special team's safety he has the responsibility of being the last line of defense on kickoff and punt returns. When asked about being fined for a hit he stated " I ain't worried about nothing " ! Atari seemed laidback and is a lover of Reggae music. Yet behind the peaceful exterior was a determined player. He told me that he never forgot what his job was. we shared a mutual love of Reggae music. He said he listen to Reggae music for " peace of mind. I always put positive things in my ear". He had long dredlocks that have been growing for fourteen years ! Last but not least I interviewed the Dom Capers the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. If you have been hiding under a rock than you woudn't know that the Super Bowl defense of Dick LeBeau of the Pittsburgh Steelers and that of Dom Capers is a big topic for the media. They are both considered defensive coordinators at the top of their game. They are both associated with using different types of blitz packages. Capers is a very experienced defensive coach who has had stops along the way at the University of Hawaii, San Jose state University and the University of California . This is of interest to Hawaiian and Californian fans. Since the Scary one covers the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders I couldn't wait to get down to the interview. Dom talked about how injuries forced him to use young players like C.J. Wilson and Desmond Bishop. This hastened their developement by giving them experience and had the added benefit of giving more depth to the defensive squad. I asked him how he chose a player for the mike linebacker position and about A.J Hawk. He said that only a very confident player with leadership skills would fit the bill for the mike linebacker position. He said that he recognized in Hawk these qualities. He said that ten other players have to look at a guy and have that confidence in him. Caper's has a well organized manner of explaining himself to non players like Scary Barry. His qualities are reflected in the consistent comments his players made to me. To me the young Green Bay Packers resemble the 1981 San Francisco 49ers in the way they carry themselves and share a common mindset and told I him this. The Pack from the top down to the special team players appear to be a well organized , cohesive unit and their young. They could be good for many years. For this reason I favor them to win Super Bowl XLV. They are the quiet professionals to a man !