#410 Packers Unscripted: Loss of a legend

of Fame quarterback, former Packers head coach. And if there's a Hall of Fame for human beings, he would certainly be in it, and a first ballot Hall of Famer, I think in that respect. Just your reflections on the new was regarding Bart Starr and any interactions you may or may not have had with him over the years. Yeah, you know. It's so it's interesting, Michael. I woke up on Sunday morning and got the news through our message

and channels that Bart had passed. And it's difficult because, I mean, everyone knows what Bart was dealing with the last four four and a half years. He really fought, He fought every single day, He fought to get back for Brett Farve's Jersey retirement. He fought to be able to be here for the fiftieth anniversary of the Ice Bowl, and every single day it was about, you know, his passion for life helping. It really strikes you, and it

caused me to do a lot of reflection. We we got a Cliff Crystals wonderful oh Bit, which is on Packers dot Com right now, got sent through and our boss, Duke Boberum said, you know, headline, subhead We do that for every story to much and you mentioned legend at the beginning. We're always so very careful to use that term. But as I was trying to figure out exactly what the title should be for that oh bit, nothing else really seemed sufficient. It just seemed like he was one

of those people there were that term fit. He was everything he did as he was a Hall of Fame quarterback, As I said, he was a legendary leader. Everything him and his wife Cherry did, they did together. And I don't know, Michael, it was one of those deals where he's gone, but the impact that he has now, the lives that he's touched a few people in the world, they are able to ever accomplish that Bart Star was

truly somebody special. Yeah, I mean, and just reading as you put together over the weekend the excuse me Insider Inbox column for Monday morning, where you gave a few thoughts and just kind of stepped aside. And I'm sure there were a lot of missions to the inbox to sift through, but you just posted a lot of people's reflections and some of the stories in there of you know, and their stories that a lot of people have heard.

But the thing is, you know, for each individual who you know encountered that you know, well, no, I'm not going to sign an autograph on a cocktail napkin. Give me your name and address, and you know, next week I'll mail you an autograph picture. Bart did that for countless Packers fans. And one of the things I do know about him too from people that I've talked to, is that he personalized every single autograph. He would put your name on it, you know, and and then obviously

signed it. He did that for a couple of reasons. One because that's partly his personality. He wanted to get to know and he would try to remember anybody's name that that he would meet, along the way. But it was also his way of saying, I'm not giving you this autograph so that you can just go sell it on eBay as a Bart Star autograph. He personalized every autographed because it was for that individual and for that person.

And those are just a couple of things. Those are just the little things when when you read through, if you have a chance to read through Monday's Insider inbox, com a lot of really great reflections from from fans there um and uh, a lot of really just really touching stories of small but meaningful interactions with an individual like Bart Star. And that's the thing at Bottoms. Any interaction you had with the guy, he made it meaningful, he did. I really enjoyed your talking about how he

personalized everything. There was one comment or uh in the inbox that had mentioned that he had written him about this group of friends that he had uh and and was you know, basically just kind of making small chat, you know, just typically like you'd send a letter to someone you idolize, especially way back when when you didn't have those social media era and Star wrote back, and I think he was He signed football cards for each one of the kids, even though it was just the

one kid. He had personalized footpunk for every single child. And the other thing that really struck me. And I don't know how much you know obviously with the men Memorial Day Week and how much you're on social media, but the amount of people Michael that tweeted out photos with Star when they were children. Uh, you know, Steve Mariucci had a wonderful tribute. I don't know if you caught that on NFL network and a photo of him

actually at a Packers training camp. I think it was in X three or something like that, because you know his family, they weren't able to afford to go to Packer games, so their big trip was going down for training camp and then lo and behold, Steve Miriuchi becomes the quarterbacks coach for Brett farven Is. Suddenly, you know,

right there having conversations with bart stars childhood idol. I think it's really important for people to really you don't really have to be a professional athlete to be able to appreciate this, but it's about doing things for people, no matter how small. You don't know who that kid that's four or five, six years old is gonna end up being. I think it was it was a Zion Williams.

Is that that the duke basketball Williamson Williamson. Sorry, I'm not a big basketball fan, but he had mentioned a couple of weeks ago too, he signs an autograph for every kid he comes across because he was that kid, and he had professional athletes turned him down. There are so many people, Michael, in that simple gesture of star doing that that became better children, better husband's, better wives, better human beings. If we had more bart stars in

this world. It's a cliche, but it truly would be a better place. And what him and Cherry did in their extensive efforts in Green Bay, he did a lot of great things with Vincelentbardi. You don't take any of those away, but it's what he did afterwards that made him the ambassador that he was and truly made him, Uh, as you said, a Hall of Fame human being. Yeah, it's just it's emotional. It's emotional. Think about it. Yeah. Absolutely.

In your sports writing career, did you ever have an opportunity to interact with Never interviewed him, but a very good friend of mine. You know, here's the thing, is I got onto the beat um part already was starting to there was some rumblings with some of the health issues he was already sharing with two thousand and fourteen. Obviously has a stroke and and and whatnot. But Mike vander Moss, my mentor, uh, someone I hold in really high regard. He interviewed Star a lot, and I heard

a lot of the stories through him. It's it's so funny. I mean, it's just hearing it through my grandfather and in his experience as him a player and talking to guys like Mike who interacted with him. And the other thing is too. I remember when Pete Doherty, my former colleague at the Press Becauette, went down an interview him. I think, honestly it was probably one of his last interviews that he conducted, maybe the last down in Alabama. Sat down with him, and just the way that that

operation was run. He had a secretary and it was it was just like a small business that they had there. I mean, you just called that up. Okay, here's Bart Star and he set it up. He went down and interviewed him, and just the humility that he showed, the graciousness. There are a lot of people that reached down inbox too. Saying, you know, they interviewed him as a young radio personality or a writer, and just how gracious he was in

those settings when he did not have to be. Yeah, Bart start once he was, once he made it, he didn't have to do all that stuff. I think that's my biggest takeaway from this is that he had this great line about how the true mark of a man, the true mark of a human being, is how you treat people when they can do nothing for you, and Bart stars somebody that really gave back in that way. Yeah. Well, fortunately I did have an opportunity to interview him two

times over the phone. I did meet him once in person as well later on. But when I met him, or when I came about him, um, I met him, he was he came to Green Bay and I'm trying to remember exactly what it was. It was. It was for some sort of a street naming type of thing that was that was going on, And I just I had interviewed him on the phone a couple of times in a couple of years prior, and he didn't necessarily remember me, and that was okay, But he didn't remember

Mike Spofford well. But having had an opportunity to talk to him on the phone. I wanted to. I wanted to just introduce myself for a brief moment. But it's interesting because the first time I did get a chance to interview him on the phone, I felt really horrible about it because what it was. It was after his Hall of Fame center, Jim Ringo had died and uh no, it's two thousand seven. Actually it was two thousand and seven. It was my second year here with Packers dot Com

and Lo and Behold. I actually, and very unfortunately, ended up being the one who informed him that Jim Ringo had died. He didn't know, and I was making some phone calls to write a story reflecting on Ringo's career in his life and all that, and I felt really really bad about it. He was as expected, He was extremely gracious about it. But what I remember the most is that after our brief conversation, I didn't want to hold him up on the phone too long. I just

wanted a couple of thoughts on Ringo's career. But I could tell that as I was getting ready to say goodbye and hang up the phone own he was getting ready with his whole list of phone calls that he was going to make so that none of his other former teammates were going to find out about Ringo the way he just did, you know what, you know what I'm saying, Yeah, like he he was. He felt badly that that the news hadn't maybe spread as quickly as

it should have about a Hall of Fame teammate. And as I said, I felt badly about about being the one to tell him the good news. Is then later that season, I got another chance to call him, and it was when he was going to be coming up to Green Bay to be the honorary captain for the two thousand seven NFC Championship game, you know, the second Ice Bowl, so to speak, against the New York Giants.

And what I remember most about that conversation, aside from the fact that Bart was absolutely totally convinced the Packers were going to the Super Bowl and there was no way the Giants were going to come into a freezing cold lambeau Field and beat the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately

it didn't work out that way. But what I took away the most from that conversation is how much he was absolutely relishing in the team's success and that there was again this sort of mini revival of the team after some down years and the coaching change to to Mike McCarthy and Mike McCarthy and Brett Farve. We're, you know, we're we're pushing the Packers back into prominence once again. And he was absolutely loving every minute of it. He

really really enjoyed it. And it wouldn't have mattered if it was going to be twenty degrees or negative twenty degrees that day to be able to walk out for the coin toss for the NFC Championship game for his Green Bay Packers at lambeau Field. He was really looking forward to, you know, coming up from Alabama that day to do that. That's why I wrote an inbox. I

think it was in the Tuesday one. A lot of things happened this weekend um that to me, for my money, him and Jerry Kramer are the greatest ambassadors of Packers football. I couldn't again. I would love to get Cliffs perspective on that. But the reason I said it as a thirty something now is the fact that Star and c are the ones that tied generations together. It wasn't just about what they did in the sixties or their Hall

of Fame careers or anything of that sort. It was the fact that you know, I'm sure your son knows about him. My son is going to know about him. There are so many people that have been touched by him in the spans of generations. Grandfather's father's son, daughters.

I mean, it's just it's incredible, Michael, when you think about that, because sometimes we lose history, right, But there was something about bart Star and the fact that he had that appreciation for Packer's history and what it stood for and what this organization meant that it made it really easy for anybody, regardless of your age, to just respect what that man was all about. His legacy didn't get lost in the time in which he played. It's

something that endures forever. Yeah, well, it's I tell you, it's been something these last nine months that Jim Taylor, Forest, Greg Now, Bart Star, all between October and now unfortunately have left us. Yeah, that's right. Bob Scernsky another one who is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, although bart Star, Bart started him in there, would say Bob Scarnzi, Bob Scronsky does deserve to be in the profo.

I'm gonna put that out there too. I mean, Bart Starr is one of the most mild mannered gentleman that you've ever seen. I'm gonna put this out there because now part second that man got is fired up? Is I think you ever saw him get fired up when it came to Bob Scorns. Yeah, he was convinced he should be in the Hall of Fame. Yeah, completely felt he felt he was maybe the most overlooked player of a of a great era Packer football. Throw that in there,

Yeah for sure. Well West, the Green Bay Packers get ready for game day with the powerful noise canceling technology of Bo's Quiet Comfort thirty five headphones. To learn more at www dot bos dot com, Slash Packers Bows, the official headphones of the Green Bay Packers, and at Homer Here in the stands, we all know that Green Bay fans give it their all and that takes a lot of energy. So grab a warm bowl of Campbell's Chunky Soup. It's meaty goodness fuels the greatness of Packers fans everywhere.

Try the delicious classic chicken noodle soup. Just visit your local supermarket and ask for Campbell's Chunky Soup official sup partner of the Green Bay Packers. Okay, moving on to some of the here and now with regards to the Packers. We are beginning week two of O T A S. And one topic from last week I wanted to revisit here you and I will get a chance to see another practice and interview players in the locker room again on Wednesday this week. But one leftover talk from last week.

I thought it was interesting to me how Matt Lafleur talked about the building of a wide receiver corps for his offense. And what I'm talking about specifically is he said he kind of wants to get to know these guys and figure out what what area of expertise each of his receivers has, and then he says, then it's up to us as coaches to take those area as of expertise and use them in the best possible way

within the offense. And now my biggest takeaway from that is that for all of the angst and discussion and questions about, well, how are the Packers going to replace Randall Cobb in the slot, departed free agent signed with the Dallas Cowboys, had a great Packers careeries no longer. Here I took away from that West that there may not be when it's all said and done, in the fifty three man roster is selected at the end of training camp, there may not be anybody who's going to

get the label of slot receiver in this offense. Do you think that's an accurate read on I think that's an accurate read. I thought your story really outlined that well to kind of looking at the skill sets of these players and also how the offensive game has changed a little bit. I go back to two thousand fourteen when you think about when Julie's Peppers signed. Do you remember the angst among Packers fans at the time about Hey, this guy's pounds, how does he fit? How is it

gonna be an outside lineback? And then dom and when we started talking to the coaches, they talked about elephant rushers and things that sort. Let's be honest here, he was Julius Peppers. He was going to get sacks, he was going to be successful in the defense because news flash, he was Julius Peppers. Now, I'm not trying to compare any of these young men to Julius Peppers, but I think sometimes we get so pigeon held into thinking, Okay, you need someone that is five ft eleven weighs a

hundred and nine pounds. That's the only way you're gonna be able to replace Randall Cop. It's not like that Randall Cop had injuries in the past, Jordy Nelson had to play the slot. Davante Adams has played the slot. I think there is a level of multiplicity to this defense that I think some people outside looking in casually haven't quite been able to pick up yet. Slot receiver

is a valuable position in this league. It's the way things are now, with eleven personnel and with how spread out the game is getting, you need to have difference makers inside. I think we are starting to realize you don't need to have a certain height requirement or size requirement to play there. You need to have quick twitch, you need to be smart, and you need to be able to catch the football and traffic. But beyond that, what's the difference if it's Randall Cobb or Jimmy Graham.

Nobody seemed to be putting up any gripes when Jimmy Graham was lining up in the slot last season. So my challenge is is to understand the big picture here and the fact that guys are going to be moving around, and the more that you can have those guys playing different positions, the more complex it ends up being for the defense. Yeah, the way la Fleur talked about it, he talked about it in terms of responsibility on a

given play. Now, the players they have to learn the formations first where they line up, but then it's about responsibility. And the way he put it is, you may have somebody lining up in the slot position and he may have what's called a choice route or an option route, which is where you have to read the defense and

you have say a two way ago. Maybe you're supposed to break to the left or you're supposed to break to the right, and you have to make that choice based on the leverage of the defender in front of you. And the quarterback has to read the defense and see it the same way as the receiver. That's where the whole being on the same page line comes from. So

that's one thing. But Matt Lafleur also might have a guy line up in the slot position, but he might run a go route to occupy the safety to maybe open something up on the other side of the field because the safety has to worry about this guy running right up the hash mark all the way down the field. Now, slot receivers don't run go routes. But the only thing about slot receiver in this instance is where he lined up. What matters is the job that he's given on a

particular play. And you know what Matt Lafleur is gonna do. He's gonna put the best guy at running the go route in that position to do that, to occupy the defense the way he wants the defense occupied. Right, exactly, Slot receivers don't run go routes. You never played me and Madden, I was all the way slot receivers go routes. But to your original point, yeah, that's that's exactly right. I mean, that isn't typically something you see. You see a lot of slants, you see a lot of crosses.

The thing that's been exciting, and it's hard to really lay out all the things that they're doing so far through the mandatory or excuse me, the voluntary minicamp that we saw and then the one o t A practice. But I don't know how you feel about this. It is you're seeing different routes. You're seeing different patterns, you're seeing different emphasis ease of what these guys are stressing. I don't know how much I can get into all that with some of the liberties that you have to,

you know, take with being allowed to watch practice. But it does look different and what these guys are being asked to do as receivers is going to be different than in the past. And I think that's exciting because if you can, if you can only go off of what you've seen, with what Matt Lafleur and Sean McVeigh have put on film, it is interesting to watch. It is exciting, and it does move the football down field. Now you have to make sure that Geronimo Allison, these

young receivers, all those guys can handle it. But when you're talking about a slot receiver running a go route, if you're getting some of these guys like MVS, let's say he's lining up there, that's four three seven speed you're looking at in the middle of the field. All things that your defense, your secondary have to take into account. To me, that's exciting because you really don't know where

all these pieces are gonna fit. And that's the thing too, is we're going to go into training camp and as we watch O T A s here, I don't know exactly how many receivers are on the roster, but it's a lot. Right when things get paired down at the end of the preseason, you're gonna have I mean, we'll see maybe five receivers on the roster, maybe six, will see how that shakes out. So at the end of the day, the guys who are the most well rounded, you know, he said he's looking for areas of expertise.

He wants to know what each guy does best. But then after the thing you do best, those guys with the more well rounded games are the ones who are going to make the fifty three man roster. And then there may be there may be one or two of those guys further down the depth chart that have that one that one really really special skill that he may try to utilize in certain ways, but then also developed that player to be more well rounded down the road. That's just kind of how I see this playing out

in a very in a very abstract way right now. Actually, Michael, at least during over the last fifteen years, the best example of that is Davante Adams Davante Adams is very specialized during his rookie season and what he could do and what they were asking him to do. You flash forward five years later now in the player that he's become. That's what they're looking for from these young receivers on this roster. All right, Well, with that, we will call

it a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team and of this week's open O, t A and locker room session on packers dot com. Be sure to subscribe to us and like us on iTunes and other podcast services if you are so inclined as a podcast listener. On Twitter, he's at west Hot. I'm at Mike Spofford at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody, See you next time.