Packer Talk for your 4th of July Picnic
Sometimes picnics with your family and friends can become a bit awkward. There’s always an encounter with a family member that gets under your skin for various reasons or a random family friend that bends your ear about their life and all you can do is smile and nod politely.
These are the situations that we all try to avoid each and every year, but somehow always manage to find ourselves ensnared by these awkward encounters. Well, let this year be the year that you change all of that. This year, find a family member or friend at your picnic who can help you avoid all of those awkward encounters and talk about things that you have in common, like football and the season that is upcoming.
You would be surprised at how many football fans are intrigued by the Green Bay Packers, seriously. Anytime that I get in a football related conversation here in New Jersey and tell people that I write for Packerstalk, one of two things are guaranteed to happen; either they will ask me how I became a Packers fan living on the east coast, or they will try and get all of the inside scoops on the Packers roster and outlook for the season.
Even though one could say that I am being used for sports betting and fantasy football advice, I don’t mind it at all because it saves me from unpleasant fourth of July picnic conversations.
If this strategy can work for me all the way out here in New Jersey, I am sure that it can do wonders for all of you out in the Midwest. So let me just provide you all with a few intriguing Packer conversation points that will save you from awkward conversations from unwanted picnic guests.
1. Aaron Rodgers:
Everyone who is even an average football fan pays attention when Aaron Rodgers name is mentioned. You can talk about a variety of things from when his contract will get signed, to how many touchdown passes the revenge tour 2018 will see, to whether he and Danica Patrick will last the year.
2. The NFC North:
This is another potentially fun topic to discuss with Packer fans, or any fans of NFC North teams for that matter because after you make your win predictions and handicap how far or short of a run the Packers and Vikings will make, you can always revert back to trading insults about the Vikings Superbowl futility. (Which is always a fun past time)
3. Packers That Will Make an Impact on Your Fantasy Football Team This Season:
Fantasy football is always a conversation that can last at least half an hour if you’re with one friend, and over an hour and a half if you’re with a group of friends. This could be a crucial component of avoiding that hour-long conversation with your mom’s 75-year-old second cousin about her life story.
Fantasy football brings out the inner GM in all of us and makes us think that we are smarter than Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill in the movie, Moneyball. We all have our own formula for success that is better than everyone else’s, even if we haven’t quite won three fantasy football championships in four years. At any rate, I digress and will bring it back to which Packers could be difference makers for your fantasy football teams this season.
Obviously, we have Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers who will be a solid quarterback to wide receiver connection as well as Jimmy Graham who I look to return to “the old school” Jimmy Graham, as Tony Romo mentioned last week. Graham could be a good mid-round play at a tight end or flex position.
I also love the Packers running backs as late round steals for this season. I think Aaron Jones will have a breakout season and rush for over 1,000 yards and Jamaal Williams could finish off some short-yardage touchdowns in goal line formations. Randall Cobb, despite his early injury, could be another solid late-round option at flex receiver as well.
4. The 53 Man Roster:
This is probably the most serious picnic conversation point, of the list that I would use because it is probably, the most intriguing. The Packers did a good job of putting a lot of talent on the roster that will make for some interesting position battles in training camp. There will be a lot of tough decisions to make when filling out the 53 man roster in early September and I know that I am happy that I am not responsible for making these decisions.
Two positions that I will be looking at closely will be the wide receiver position along with the battle in the secondary. There could be possible position changes with talk of Rollins possibly moving to safety, which could affect the roster, along with whether the Packers could make a late play for a veteran receiver and which rookie wide receivers will be up for grabs before clearing waivers and arriving on the practice squad.
I realize that this may have been a long advice column on how to avoid awkward encounters at your 4th of July gatherings but I hope that the advice and conversation points will serve you well during this holiday week. I hope that you all have a safe and relaxing time with friends and family and reflect upon the sacrifices that were made to keep our nation free.
Happy Fourth of July!!!
