Inbox: That's all the motivation you need

[Cheesehead]

Jon from Kingsford, MI


Is there a real reason why the ERFAs have not been signed?


There are no bonuses tied into exclusive-rights contracts, so signing the contract is mostly a formality. Unless the player is in the area and wants to get it over with, ERFAs won't sign until they report back for the offseason program.


Herb from Palm Desert, CA


Hi II, may I add one element to the appreciation of the speed of the professional game? When you're on the sidelines during a game, the violence of the collisions is frightening. Not only are players faster at the professional level, but they're also bigger and deliver car-crash impacts without touching the brakes. It isn't a game for the faint of heart.


It's been a good five years since the last time I was on the field during a game but that experience gave me a greater appreciation for quarterbacks – the good, the bad and the ugly. Every play, they're staring down some of the biggest, more intimidating human beings on earth. Oh, and if they pass that test, they still need to deliver the ball past some of the fastest, most athletic people on the planet. It's the hardest job in all of sports.


Jason from Woodbury, MN


Gentlemen, this question is only loosely related to football, so please feel free to skip. But I am genuinely curious. When did sensationalism become a widely accepted tactic both in the football journalism world and in the journalism profession at large, rather than being looked down upon by the majority? Sensationalism has been pervasive in nearly every article I have read for as long as I can remember, and the constancy of this sensationalism is disconcerting. Why and how did this happen?


Do yourself a favor and watch Paddy Chayefsky's "Network." It answers this question better than I ever could. It correctly predicted everything that's happened in television, and all forms of cable news, over the past 40 years.


Sam from Iowa City, IA


Is it true that Lex Luger was the last player to be issued No. 66?


That's correct. While he never played in a game, Luger (real name Larry Pfohl) was issued No. 66 during the 1982 season he spent on the Packers' injured reserve and during training camp in 1983. The number officially was retired in honor of Ray Nitschke on Dec. 4, 1983.


Sam from Iowa City, IA


Larry Pfohl/Lex Luger was in camp with the Pack twice in the early '80s. Steve "Mongo" McMichael and Reggie White both appeared in Wrestlemania XI after having recently completed seasons with the Pack. Which Packer of the last decade do you think would have the most to bring to pro wrestling? Please take into account athleticism, ability to cut a good promo, in-ring psychology, potential storylines and any other factor you see fit. Thanks for all the hard work!


You could also add Kevin Greene, Mojo Rawley (Dean Muhtadi) and Percy Watson (Nick McNeil) to that modern list of former Packers players/coaches who wrestled. Shout out to WWE official/former NWA champion/Packers shareholder Adam Pearce and Sho Funaki, who also are big fans. As far as which Packers player over the past decade would be the best pro-wrestling prospect, it's easily Jamaal Williams. He has the look, charisma, "promo" skills and all the athleticism in the world to do it.