Packers Fan Journal

Happy Friday. Here’s some Packers news from around the web-ter-nets.

Grant’s Backups to Get More Carries?

According to PackersNews.com’s Insiders Blog, Joe Philbin wants the Packers to run more than they did last year. The Packers pounded the rock 43% of the time in 2008 and Ryan Grant had more carries than all but four other backs. So from whom will the Packers squeeze more carries? Those advocating a “two’back” system will be happy to read the following:

“Philbin was talking recently about his expectation that Ryan Grant would get the bulk of the carries this season. But then he added that if the Packers can run more often, then other backs on the team, such as Brandon Jackson, could see their share of carries go up as well.“

Personally, I’m not a big fan of the “two-back” system. If a guy can run, he can run. Sure, at times, RBs need “blow” on the sidelines, but if a guy isn’t good enough to be your starter, why would you put him on the field in critical third down situations? Doesn’t make sense to me. Anyway, check out the Insiders Blog here.

Stalk the Packers (And PFJ.com) on Facebook and Twitter

The Packers are officially on Facebook and Twitter, according to local Fox affiliate WLUK. And hey, so are we. So, Twitterati, mouse over there and follow!

• Packers on Facebook
• Packers on Twitter
• Packers Fan Journal on Twitter

Grant Learned Hard Work From Father

SI.com’s Andrew Lawrence tells us about growing up as Ryan Grant with a father determined to make his sons professional basketball players. What? Yeah. It’s kind of a shoot-for-the-moon-you’ll-land-among-the-stars story.

“When Ryan reached his current height (6-foot-1) at age 16, he decided football might be a better fit, so the old man went mining for new conditioning inspiration — and hit pay-dirt at the video store. The high school wrestling drama Vision Quest inspired him to send his boy running up the stadium steps at his high school — Don Bosco Prep, a private, all-boys Catholic school in New Jersey’s Bergen County — with a piece of lumber slung across his shoulders.“

Yikes. Read the rest here.

Retiring from Football Uncerimoniously?

Start a porn site with an unwilling model! Seriously though, you want to know more about Tony Manderich’s life after football? I know; who doesn’t, right? This time, Mandarich has permission CBSNews.com from rehash old demons on the internets. A word to the wise: If you ever find yourself writing about your controversial NFL-career-cum-12-step-program-cum-second-NFL-career-cum-life-after-football success story? Leave out the ex-wife porno site stuff. No one wants to read that and it would make you seem just as screwed up as you ever were. But, I digress.

There’s some Packers-related news here: Read about Mandrich’s NFL career and how he managed to survive retirement. I would’ve thought that would be the easy part for T-Mand.

“Many professional athletes have a hard time adjusting after retirement. We become spoiled by the attention and adoration from the fans, and don’t know where to get our self-worth when we are no longer in the limelight. After having been seen as such a ‘superior’ specimen, it is almost impossible for a former pro athlete to ask for help from anyone. We can’t bring ourselves to admit that we aren’t strong enough to be able to handle the extreme changes without help. After all, we have earned millions of dollars by being the strongest, the fastest, the best – who is out there that can help us? Or so the dysfunctional mindset goes.“

I guess it’s also hard for former professional athletes to ask their ex-wives to sign model release forms, too. Oh how hard the transitions must be. Read the rest here.

That’s it for Friday. Have a great weekend! I’ll be back on Monday. Or maybe sometime between now and then. We’ll see how it goes.