A Letter to Kirk

Dear Kirk

This is a link to the only thing that has come close to a locker room analysis in the aftermath of our third consecutive loss.

I don't know what's wrong and neither does the media. I'm pretty sure it's in their fucking minds, though. Maybe McCarthy is too soft-spoken to be a real leader. I know its unfair to compare him to Vince Lombardi, but fuckin' A. Sports, like life, requires passion. Thompson is always going to be detached, always going to be zen. Fuck, Kirk, he reminds me of you, which is why I trust him. But Thompson is a general manager. McCarthy's a coach and a coach can't be detached. It's the same as being a teacher. You have to evoke passion in your players. You have to do what they cannot—force them to draw on that reserve or embrace higher discipline or do whatever unnatural, counterintuitive act they need to win—a coach has to motivate. You can't do that with distance and reserve. They have to know that they're not alone, because they can't make it on their own. They need leadership.

I'm wondering if McCarthy's the problem. You can't be "just a manager" as a coach. I dunno, Kirk. All I know is that they suck and they shouldn't. They're better than this.

Favre may have meant a lot to them. I don't see why, though. None of these guys were there for the glory days, except Donald Driver. In 2005 we saw that Favre is only as good as the rest of the team. He isn 't a magician. They can win without him. People said that Favre led the team to 13-3 last year, but I think that's bullshit. We had Favre in 2005 and we sucked. Last year, the team gave Favre the opportunity to win.

I'm proud of Rodgers. If this is Favritis, I don't understand why they aren't proud of Rodgers. He was beautiful today. I was so proud of him. Rodgers is giving from his very soul. I don't see why that's not inspiring enough for anyone. It inspires me.

Damn it, he's the hungriest guy on the team. I just don't get why the rest of them aren't hungry. This team has the potential to be great. I don't know why they can't find it in themselves to believe in themselves.

I mean, I'm fucking ninth year graduate student with lesions in his brain. I'm not giving up. And I'm not going to win the Lombardi Trophy—that's obvious now. I'm no fool. It's enough for me to get a paying job as a teacher. But they can win. They can still go all the way to the Super Bowl. It pisses me off that they don't care enough to at least try to comport themselves with dignity, the fucking tattered bit of cloth that's survived the ruin of all of my dreams—to show that they have some self-respect.

This is Week 5. Who the fuck gives up the ship in Week 5?

Your pal,

Talal