THE
POST
PATTERN
Published by the Impeccables since 1975 / Rebooted in 2022
Week 5 is Upon Us
It's amazing that we're already 1/4 of the way through the season. Well, not exactly, this whole 17 game schedule might be nice for the NFL pocket books, but it wreaks havoc on fractions. When will we be at the "halfway point" of the season now? Do we stop at halftime in the 8th game to pause and reflect on the first half of the season?
We start off this week's edition with an update on our picking competition. Through 4 weeks of picking we have very tight races across the board.
In our trip to the Vault this week, we get a letter to the editor from Uncle Boobie that will require some help from our Hall of Famers to decipher. We also are provided a glimpse into the state of NFL cheerleading (from a 1979 perspective).
For the second time this season the Post Pattern sent our beat writer to a game, this time to observe the Packers / Lions contest. As the new Post Pattern has grown with the times, this week we also dabble in the world of fashion.
Finally in the Buboltz Sports Kids review, we are rapidly approaching the post season for our athletes so we'll take some time to recap their season to date.
6 Pickers tied for 1st
With four weeks in the books, our picking season is off to a great competitive start. We have 6 people all tied for first overall. In the Hall of Fame division, Steve and Doug share the lead, while in Packer Nation Noah, Madelyn, and Tracy lead the group. In the Juniors division, Blake enjoys a 1 pick lead over cousins Griffin, Silas, and Natalie. In the Impeccables group, Bryce and Nick are tied (1 pick behind the overall leaders).
A whopping SEVENTEEN pickers are currently within 2 picks of the lead and many more are very close as well. Noah Vanderhoof has posted the best single week so far (13-4 in Week 3). We have yet to see a perfect week in the rebooted era...who will be the first?
Mama Told Me There'd Be Days (Seasons) Like This
With the departure of Aaron Charles Rodgers in the offseason, most Packers fans expected the '23 campaign to be an exercise in patience. In preparation for the season, fans would have been wise to visit Great America or Disney World to develop their rollercoaster stomachs for what promised to be an "up and down" season. Through 4 games that assessment has been spot on.
With the youngest team in the league (which has gotten younger as some rookies have replaced injured veterans), the Packers have been a case study on inconsistency so far. After a Bears beatdown, the Packers next 2 games were a perfect example. Holding a 12 point lead heading into the 4th quarter vs the Falcons, GB's offense disappeared and the defense suddenly couldn't get a stop in route to a 25-24 loss. The hangover from that loss seemed to extend through the 3rd quarter next week as the Pack spotted the Saints a 17 point lead. However, Jordan Love was unflappable as he lead his team to a remarkable comeback and the 18-17 win.
To continue this perfect inconsistency, it almost seems appropriate that the final game of our first quarter was then a blowout in the other direction as the Packers looked completely overwhelmed in a 14 point loss to the Lions that felt worse. At one point in the game, the Lions had outgained the Packers by a tally of 199 yards to 1. Just as he had the week before, Love rallied his team to make it a game but this time the hole was too deep to recover from.
All of this leads to a 2-2 record and reasons for both the optimists and pessimists amongst us to argue their case. By most accounts Jordan Love has shown he has all the traits required to be a successful QB in the NFL. Unfortunately for him, his offensive line has been lackluster at best (especially in the run game). What once looked like a strength of this team has now become an area of concern. The WR corp has stepped up as rookies like Reed and Wicks have shown they can play at the next level. Musgrave has also shown flashes of being a special player. On the defensive side of the ball, injuries have taken their toll as the secondary and LB corp have been banged up early in the season. That still doesn't explain GB's inability to stop the run though. Joe Barry and his staff hopefully have spent their "mini-bye" cooking up a better scheme than we've seen so far.
What can we expect the rest of the season? With one of the league's "easiest" schedules, GB should be a contender the rest of the way. If the young players can develop as the season goes on this team could look stronger as the year goes on.
Heard in the Crowd
The Taylor Swift / Travis Kelce romance is threatening to destroy the NFL as we know it.
The tailgate Thursday night was one of the smallest I can recall. Hoofer, Rick, BJ, Collin, and Nick enjoyed the St Marks parking lot (great location!)
Lots of people questioning MLF's decision to bring back Joe Barry this year. Andy Herman addressed that topic this week in a fair manner.
Rumor has it the cousins will be getting together for a tailgate in early November. Stay tuned for more info.
Through 4 games, the Jets haven't run a single offensive play while holding the lead. Who could have predicted that a month ago?
Quay giveth and Quay taketh away.
Fundamentals...important topic for any team, especially key for a young team trying to build their identity. Former Packer offensive lineman Mike Wahle went through the Detroit game to explain how GB can improve, and also provides his thoughts on opportunites GB has against the Raiders on Monday Night Football.
Taking in the Game(s)
When you answer the call to become a WELS pastor, getting time to attend a football game on a Sunday can be a bit of a challenge. About 20 years ago, Collin received news that his name had come up on the Packers season ticket list. He knew it would be tough to attend many games given his profession. As a result, he asked if our editor would be willing to step in and "take care" of his seats in his absence. Over the years he and I have sat in those seats together just a handful of times. This past Thursday was fortunately one of those times.
Meeting at a park and ride in Fond du Lac, we drove the rest of the way together. With the smell of white chicken chilli as a backdrop, we enjoyed catching up all the things we enjoy. We hit topics like the state of the Packers, the breaking news that Damian Lillard was traded to the Bucks, and several others. As a side-note, our reporter signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement prior to this trip so any commentary on the state of Pastor Vanderhoof's call to serve a new mission in the Wasuau area will have to wait until after the announcement.
Once we parked at St Marks we met up with Rick, Jay, and BJ to enjoy some much needed pre-game analysis. One thing everyone seemed to agree upon was that this year's team, while inconsistent, has been entertaining! After we had our fill of sloppy joes and chili, we made our way into the stadium. Collin noticed how much has changed around and within Lambeau. We got to our seats, were greeted by all the regulars who sit around us, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves for the next three hours. Whether it was in-game observations (seriously, only 2 DL in goal line situations?) or just catching up on our family happenings, it was a great evening.
Just a few days later, Collin and I once again got to take in a Wisconsin sports event, this time to watch the Brewers in Game 1 of the NL Wildcard series at American Family Field (cough, cough, Miller Park). With first pitch happening near sunset, we had a beautiful backdrop for another evening of sports and great discussion.
The results of these contests didn't go our way. The Packers looked weak; the Brewers blew a golden opportunity. A few years ago this likely would have bothered us a lot more than it did these evenings. Yes, winning matters. Yes, the competitors in us wanted to see our teams win. But looking through our now 45 year old lenses, those two nights were absolutely perfect.
One final note, while sworn to the NDA, the Post Pattern will attempt to get some quotes on the record from Paster Vanderhoof once his decision has been announced...stay tuned!
Fashion Week at the PP (AKA "Homecoming")
While we haven't combed through ALL of the Post Pattern archives, our writers suspect this is the first time in Post Pattern history we've included an article on fashion. Homecoming was celebrated at Lakeside Lutheran, Brillion, Kettle Moraine Lutheran, and Deforest High Schools over the past week. The Buboltz group showed out in FORCE, demonstrating a sophistication in style and grace that the world has not experienced in ages.
Noelle Vanderhoof, lovely in lavender, added in some sneakers for a trendy touch. Ella Kuchenbecker, radiant in her fuscia dress, showed she's just as comfortable in a dress as a jersey. Grace Vanderhoof showed up rocking a black dress and balanced her look with a beautiful bouquet. Gwen Simmons made her dance debut sporting a pretty emerald dress.
As all of these ladies have the Buboltz genes, we will NOT be sharing any of their dance videos at this time.
Noelle
Ella
Grace
Gwen
Letters to the Editor
A whole lot of nothing here. You're all getting Augsberger sent to you. Either that, or this column will turn into a Taylor Swift gossip column.
