Wednesday, September 05, 2007

I have no idea what I am doing.

So here's a funny little anecdote for ya. Last Sunday when I was flipping through the paper for transactions (I know, luddite) I saw that the Packers had kept Mason Crosby and cut Dave Rayner. I did a fist pump. Seriously. Fist pump.

This was immediately followed by my wife asking why I was "cheering" the transactions. I tried to explain. Then I realized that I didn't really know why I was happy about the decision. I had no idea. I just sort of clammed up and pretended to play with the dog after that. I'm cagey like that.

So what are my reasons for the fist pump? It's not like I read a sweet Get Fuzzy strip and high five myself. Because I don't. I don't even let out a "whoo hoo" when going through the piddly stocks that I have, and those things can actually earn me money. So what gives?

Rayner kicked pretty well for us last year. Certainly well enough to stick around. He drilled a game winner against the Vikings on a cold and crappy night. He boomed some kickoffs (which was a nice change from limp-ankled Longwell). He had a good pre-season. And yet I was happy he was cut.

I'm trying to determine if it's just the hope that a rookie can bring. Maybe we're looking at the dawn of a new age of kickers. Maybe it's the name. "Mason Crosby" sounds like the name of a lawyer in the Atticus Finch mold, a good southerner. I think we can all agree that's entertaining. Maybe I just didn't want the team to waste a pick on a kicker. True, just a 6th rounder, but after the trauma of Mike Sherman's draft day deals I'm twitchy.

Some might even suggest that it's a way for me to be a quiet apologist for Teddy T. A subtle way to say "see, he made a good pick!" That's possible. At any rate, I'm pretty pleased with the whole thing. Hopefully that fist pump won't turn into a forehead slap after the rookie pushes a chippie wide right. We shall see.

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