As Total Packers transitions to new ownership, we ought to take a moment and consider the “legacy” of Monty’s enterprise. Yes, there’s a very definite legacy. Beyond the outrageousness and profaneness, an overwhelming theme emerges.
I can only speak to the last three years or so, but the rumble of the site throughout that time was unmistakable: Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy had outlived their usefulness and had to go. Mission accomplished! (Throw in Dom Capers too, if you’d like.)
Of all the critics, no one more passionately, more resolutely, and more repetitiously sounded the alarm, and pleaded with management, to get a new GM and head coach. The clamor was well underway by the 2015 season, and it ramped up over the ensuing three years of futility – by which point even the most supportive fans had a good idea of where the Pack was headed. Six, nine, and one probably would not have been the team’s low point had McCarthy stayed on. I think it’s all up from here.
How big a role did TP play in these better-late-than-never sackings can be debated. Most TP postings are viewed by from about 1,000 to 5,000 fans. Though not a huge number compared to some other media sources, the relentlessness of TP’s calls for action took hold. Almost every week, TP and its pack of rabid readers cited the awful decisions, and inactions, being made by MM and TT.
Our leader and his little band of zealots of course proved to be right! Too bad fans had to unnecessarily suffer through two losing seasons – and third place finishes in a four-team division. And by the way, were it not for the weakness of the NFC North Division, the long slow decline of the team would have been more evident to those not as observant as Monty. Such is life.
Now, TP’s advocacy is considered the conventional wisdom, but that wasn’t the case until recently. Yeah, we were telling it like it was when most others were either still in denial or were just starting to nibble at the edges of reality.
The rest of the media and blogosphere are only now pontificating about how McCarthy had “lost the team”, how the offense needed to be brought into the twenty-first century, and how the young studs like Sean McVay and Matt Nagy had left Big Mike in the dust. But TP had been singing that tune for a good 36 months.
Similarly, after treating him as an icon for years, much of the media suddenly began writing that Ted Thompson was an anachronism, that he finally had lost his touch on draft days, that we needed a GM who actually was open to signing free agents, that TT didn’t value athleticism, and so on. TP had been saying that, in no uncertain terms, going back to at least 2015.
And what did Monty get for his troubles? In 2016, the team’s attorneys filed suit to put him out of business.
(https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=D2016-1455). Once again, Monty proved to be right, and the corporate and establishment guys proved to be wrong.
Welcome aboard to the rest of you media – wish you had joined us a few years ago. And take a bow, all you TP commenters who beat the drum along with Monty.
Ain’t no doubt: things are looking up in Green Bay in large part due to the foresight and determination of one superfan, Montgomery McMahon!
Seriously?
The weak North division.
The past 13 years EVERY team in the North has made the playoffs 2 0r more times.
Let’s compare that to that mighty AFC East where the juggernot Patriots reside.
The Dolphins 3 times, twice with Mark Sanchez as their qb and The Bills once, 2 tears ago, 9-7, they then blew up the team.
Now who playes in the weaker division?
“Of all the critics, no one more passionately, more resolutely, and more repetitiously sounded the alarm, and pleaded with management, to get a new GM and head coach.”
Really? No one huh?
I’m almost speechless Rob. With no thought at all, I can name off a handful of people here doing it easily longer than three years with more passion.
Normally i wouldn’t say anything and let you praise your boy. But way too many times this site has taken credit for things that have actually came from the people commenting in here. Plus the fact that those of us who have been calling out this teams fault, have taken a lot of shit from the sheep in here. Then look years later….the sheep are all on board.
Excuse me that i have to call that out, but i operate in a no bullshit tolerance zone and this website should as well.
Hey, I pointed out I only go back three years as a TP reader, but I gave full credit to all TP commenters who beat the same drum. Monty, however did far more than spew criticisms. He provided a forum for critics to address an audience of thousands of diehard Packers fans. He put forth incredible effort and commitment behind the scenes. He hardly took more than a day off in all those years – if he didn’t personally post anything on a given day, he was always there reviewing and publishing the thoughts of others. Not only did he create the forum, and deal with frequent technical issues that arose, he even put up his personal assets to overcome a legal challenge to deep-pocket people wanting to shut the site down. Monty’s passion can hardly be questioned, nor can his resoluteness. You shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you.
The wolves will howl no matter whose in charge.
Rob…news flash, no one was questioning Monty’s passion. You want passion? Go back past 3 years and read the comments.They call it research.
Yes Rob, he created the forum, for which i and others have stated appreciation to him in the past. But creating a forum, or how many days he took off wasn’t the narrative in your article was it?
The narrative was that “no one” was more passionate, more resolute, and more repetitious. I take exception to that, it’s a slap in the face to your commenters. BTW, the decline of this team was observed by many, before 2015.
Monty did write attacking articles, he would call the coach names like McGravy, Gravyboat. etc. point out stupid ass mistakes he made, etc. Same with TED…or Ginger Gap tooth.
But i have a pretty good memory. and i don’t remember many articles calling for their removal from the staff besides Bonham once or twice. What i can recall is hundreds of post, calling for their removal (along with intelligent reasons explaining why) through the years by commenters in here.
MMSUCKS led the fire McCarthy campaign as long as i can remember, he was campaigning that even before i, or anyone else was for that matter.
I have a post from late 2011 when i first started laying into Capers. Then after…. started laying into McCarthy for….doing nothing with him.
PF4L
12/20/2011 at 7:31 pm
I agree Cuban….We’re the S B Champs…Like other teams haven’t studied our defensive scheme’s…they have, they’ve adjusted…Capers is sitting on his ass still enjoying last years success as the 5th ranked defense….Do ANY of you guys know, we give up 90 yards a game more than we did last year. That stat alone makes me wanna puke. We gave up 240 points last year, were on pace to give up a 100 more this season, were already at 297 pts allowed. Does TT or McCarthy go up to Capers and say…”hey..What the fuck are we doing?”
Even before the Seattle debacle,Ted Thompson campaign was going mostly by me and a few others, and the McCarthy campaign got seriously stronger after that game. But a handful were already on board, guys like RebelGB, Packattack, MMSUCKS, and some others.
At the end of the day Rob, give credit for what someone did, starting up and provide the forum, criticizing the personnel, etc.
You shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you….i couldn’t agree more Rob, and without us commenting, this site isn’t worth a cup of coffee.
Have a nice day.
Thank you PF4L for the mention. You have been spot on with much of your predictions and disdain for over-rated coaching as well.
No thanks needed. As always, i call it how i see it.
I just remember that time when P4FL got butthurt about something someone said on here and resolutely stated he’d never post again. See how well that worked? Listen big boy, all you do is bitch about this site, it’s writers, it’s stories… go somewhere else. You won’t be missed.
I remember the last 6 times you posted that. What i can’t remember is you ever writing anything football related.
Go away little man.
“And by the way, were it not for the weakness of the NFC North Division, the long slow decline of the team would have been more evident to those not as observant as Monty. Such is life.”
JFC Rob, i posted that numerous times 4,5 years ago.
Fuck it…lol….carry on. Write whatever fiction you want.
I guess you could start by revisiting how Jeff Janis could be the next Julio Jones, if McCarthy and Rodgers would just give him a chance.
SMFH
I still believe that Janis was not given enough opportunity to grow. Sadly, at this point, just water under the bridge.
Well…just as in life, opportunity is earned.
In the landscape of the NFL there are variable factors involved, such as raw talent, mental capabilities, being coached, how high your ceiling is,,,,etc.There are only so many snaps, so many balls to go around in this new age of CBA rules where practicing and developing players are against the rules.
Davante Adams was given a lot of opportunity. Too much i read as some of the writers and commenters here called for him to be benched or cut. (it’s easy to do a simple search to verify).
I said at the time they must see something in him that they are giving him so many balls.
We aren’t there, so sometimes you just have to trust the people that do it for a living, even if you don’t like them.
John Dorsey signed him, looked at him for 5 months and released him. If that doesn’t say it all, i don’t know what does.
Spt on, pf4l…. so sick of the Jeff Janis pipe dream
Whenever I hear/see the name Montgomery I can only think of Montgomery Burns. C.Montgomery Burns actually. Now I’m saying “Smithers” in my best Mr. Burns voice. I’ll bet Monty was never called Mr. Burns by the mean kids though.
Well said Rob. Cheers to Monty! The true driving force behind Total Packers! We salute you!
Gee, I don’t have such a good memmory.
I can’t remember when it was being the first to call them the three Stooges or gave the link to Alfred E. Newman.
I do remember calling Zook the stupid looking brother of Carrol pretty much early in his first season :)
But I know that a soon as I discovered this site it was the only Packers site I visited since. Every day.
I think it was great Monty withstanding the attack on his site and letting me continuing to read all the contributers artikels and comments.
Well almost all :)
And finaly, glad to see the Robster back.
Funny how after the Packers lose the suit they filed, they start a video segment called Total Packers on their website which really has no rhyme or reason to be called Total Packers. It’s just Larry McCarren interviewing players or staff like he’s done with plenty of segments before except they had different titles. Maybe the Packers are looking for a different angle to use if they try to bring this to court and claim that it’s too confusing or infringement because it’s the same exact title, which is bullshit because they clearly did it after they lost their suit.
I didn’t see you posted about that too Cheese, sorry. It was clearly stolen from this site though, no doubt. I would sue the hell out of them.
Did Monty ever consider suing the Packers for calling one of their weeknight shows, “Total Packers,” that is on ABC affiliates in WI during the season?
This one made me laugh: “How big a role did TP play in these better-late-than-never sackings can be debated.” I suppose, if you like debating the value of absolute zero.
Followed by this one: “Though not a huge number compared to some other media sources, the relentlessness of TP’s calls for action took hold.” You can’t make up delusional shit any funnier than this.
#packerssaviors
Y’all give yourselves a hearty round of applause, because no one else is. Then tear each other up over who was the first or the loudest to piss and moan about every decision the Packers ever made; but always after the fact.
TOTALPACKERS – Taking Monday Morning Quarterbacking To New Lows Since 2008.
Yea, i think Savage is right, i turned it into a pissing match. My apologies to Rob, Monty, the readers, and Jason. As some of you know, sometimes my passion impedes my brain functionality.
But…i will give myself a round of applause, as well as a segment of you fervent Packer fans (you know who you are) who possessed the football acumen to see the road this team was going down years ago. Most of us have warned others of the path this team was headed years ago. But only recently,do the rest of the fans, nation, talking heads and media finally get on board.
Thank you Savage for bringing my fault to the surface, my bad.
Also i want to thank you for your comments Savage. The 3 or 4 comments you post annually that actually involve this football team, are much appreciated.
SAVAGE, many posters on here were ABSOLUTELY CORRECT in their assessments of the brain trust at 1265 Lombardi. Why beef about something that actually hold water?
How dare you write an article about fan pessimism on this site and not credit PF4L by name.
Well thank you good Sir.
I owe my insight to posters like yourself.
I learned so much from the last intelligent football post you wrote, you remember that one, back in the fall of 2013.
This ^^^
Maybe Jason could change the name of this site to “Pretentious Packers” because you damn well know the powers that be wouldn’t touch that with a 10 foot pole. Unless they were going to sue the site for like slander or something. As much as I love the Packers, they’ve kind of turned into pretentious assholes once Murphy, Thompson, McCarthy took the reins. Like with the censorship on the official site and having to protect the ego of the recent former head coach by removing the fan element from his weekly show.
The only one whose objective enough that I would trust his opinion on where the Packers failures are is Bob Harlan. Even Ron Wolf I don’t feel can be objective because of his son. I think maybe some things were promised to Wolf junior that Wolf senior felt the Packers reneged on when it was all said and done.
Welcome back Rob.
welcome back Rob!
I think Thompson had some exceptionally weak drafts for a few years in there and McCarthy had to go, but I don’t think all these changes will mean anything.
We’re coming up to year 3 of a 10-20 year playoff drought.
In two years I suspect most of the guys (I’m assuming all of you are guys), will be calling for Murphy’s head as the Packers suffer two more mediocre seasons. Then when the Packers release Rodgers most of the folks on this board will be following the Browns.