It's so hard to believe the summer has flown on past. But-now comes the BEST time of the year-NFL season. Questions abound this season--Will the 3-4 work in Green Bay? CAn Aaron Rodgers learn to win the close ones? Will Brett be the answer in Minnesota? Can the fans overcome 16 years of hatred if he does??
It'll be fun---Stay tuned !!
         

IN WHAT SEEMS TO BE NO TIME AT ALL
ANOTHER YEAR HAS SPRINTED PAST
NOW IT'S TIME ONCE AGAIN FOR FOOTBALL
AS ALL WE FANS SIGH AND SAY "AT LAST"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE VIKINGS WON THE NORTH DIVISION
ALTHOUGH THAT WASN'T A LOT TO BRAG ABOUT
AND WENT DOWN IN FLAMES IN THEIR PLAYOFF GAME
AS THE EAGLES BEAT THEM IN A ROUT

THAT GAME WAS REPRESENATIVE OF THEIR SEASON
FOR EACH STEP FORWARD CAME TWO STEPS BACK
FORTUNATELY FOR THE VIKINGS TEAM
ADRIAN PETERSON PROVIDES AN INPRESSIVE GROUND ATTACK

TARVARIS JACKSON STARTED AT NUMBER ONE
BUT HE NEVER COULD GET HOT
AND SO HE WOUND UP ON THE BENCH
REPLACED BY THE AGING GUS FERROTTE

GUS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY
LEADING THE VIKES TO A RECORD OF EIGHT AND THREE
BUT ANOTHER SEASON IN MINNESOTA FOR HIM
WAS SOMETHING NOT MEANT TO BE

SO AFTER A BRIEF FLIRTATION WITH SAGE ROSENFELDS
THE VIKINGS DRAGGED BRETT FAVRE ONTO THEIR TEAM
A MOVE THAT HAS POLARIZED VIKING NATION
AS FANS EITHER PRAISE THE MOVE OR SCREAM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE VIKINGS DRAFTED PERCY HARVIN
IN HOPES OF SPICING UP THEIR RECEIVER CORPS
PERHAPS HIS SPEED AND ABILITY
CAN OPEN BERRIAN UP JUST A LITTLE MORE

"AD" IS AS ALWAYS THE TEAMS BIG GUN
AND WILL DRAW OPPOSING DEFENSE'S ATTENTION
THAT COMBINED WITH BRETT'S ARM AND WILES
COULD TAKE THE VIKINGS AIR GAME TO A NEW DIMENSION

THE DEFENSE IS CONSIDERED AMONG THE BEST
THOUGH THE TERM 'OVERRATED' SOMETIMES COMES TO MIND
LAST YEAR THEY TRADED FOR JARED ALLEN
WHO HAS PROVED TO BE QUITE THE FIND

THE LINEBACKERS AND DEFENSIVE LINE
AND THE SECONDARY GUYS AS WELL
HAVE THE ABILITY TO AT TIMES CONTROL THE FIELD
AND OPPONENST LIVES A LIVING HELL

THE VIKINGS OPEN AGANST THE CLEVELAND BROWNS
WHO'LL BE STARTING JAMAL LEWIS AND BRADY QUINN
NO MATTER WHAT THIS TEAM TRIES TO DO
IT'S A TOSSUP IF THEY'LL EVER MANAGE TO WIN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AARON RODGERS STARTED LAST FOOTBALL SEASON
KNOW THAT HE HAD A LOT OF THINGS TO DO
NOT ONLY DID HE HAVE TO PLAY WELL
HE HAD TO AVOID TRYING TO FILL HIS PREDECESOR'S SHOES

OVERALL LAST YEAR HE PLAYED QUITE WELL
ESPECIALLY STEPPED UP FOR EVERY START
AND HE PLAYED THROUGH SOME STRUGGLES AND INJURIES
THAT SHOWED HE HAS A WARRIOR'S HEART

BUT FOR SOME REASON THE MAGIC WASN'T THERE
AND THE PACKERS STUGGLED LATE IN GAMES
WHETHER THE FAULT OF OFFENSE OR THE DEFENSE
ULTIMATELY THE RESULT WAS THE SAME

THE DEFENSE'S FLAWS WERE MORE OBVIOUS
SO THE DEFENSIVE STAFF WAS SHOWN TO THE DOOR
AND A NEW STAFF WAS QUICKLY ASSEMBLED
LED BY DOM CAPERS, A GURU OF THE 'THREE-FOUR'

THE DRAFT PROVIDED SOME PLAYERS WHO SHOULD FIT IN
AND THOUGH SOME OF THE VETERANS' ROLES HAVE CHANGED
ATTITUDE AND TALENT WILL SHINE THROUGH
NO MATTER HOW THEIR POSITIONS HAVE BEEN REARRANGED

ON OFFENSE THE PACKERS MAINLY STOOD PAT
OTHER THAN SOME CHANGES ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE
THIS IS THE SPOT WHERE FINGERS ARE CROSSED
WITH FANS HOPING THAT THINGS TURN OUT JUST FINE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IN FITTING BEGINNING FOR THIS FOOTBALL SEASON
THE LEAGUES OLDEST RIVALRY WILL BE RENWED
AS CHICAGO'S BEARS PROWL INTO LAMBEAU
HOPING TO SHOW THE THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO

THE BEARS MADE A HUGE MOVE THIS OFFSEASON
TRADING FOR JAY CUTLER, A TALENTED QUARTERBACK
THEY'RE HOPING THAT ADDED TO THE THEIR RUNNING GAME
CUTLER'S ARM GIVES THEM A CHANCE TO GET ON TRACK

MATT FORTE WAS A ROOKIE SENSATION LAST YEAR
AND THIS YEAR HE'LL NEED TO AVOID THE SOHPOMORE SLUMP
THE BEARS' LACK OF QUALITY RECEIVERS THOUGH
COULD KEEP THE BEARS' FANS FEELINGS IN THE DUMPS

THE PACKERS LIKE A JUGGERNAUGHT THIS PRESEASON
AND WHILE THE TRANSLATION MAY NOT BE COMPLETE
RODGERS ARM HAS BEEN NEARLY UNERRING
WHILE THE WIDEOUTS ENSURE MOST PASSES ARE COMPLETE

THE PACKERS DEFENSE HAS BEEN IMPRESSIVE
WHILE THE BEARS' GROUP IS BEATEN UP AND TATTERED
BUT SUNDAY NIGHT WILL TELL THE TALE
OF WHETHER THEY COULD STEP UP WHEN IT MATTERED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CLEVELANDS BROWNS WILL FALL TO THE VIKES
EVEN IS THEY START YOUNG STAR BRADY QUINN
WHILE THE PACKERS WILL PROVE UNGRACIOUS HOSTS
AND WILL POUND THE BEARS FOR AN EARLY WIN

                  Carl "Gator" Nelson
Packers 'verses' Vikings: A Poetic Perspective
       www.PackersversesVikings.com