Must be something about teams named after cats but the Packers narrrowly escape with a 17-14 victory over the Panthers at Lambeau. The defense is starting to come around but there still are too many mental mistakes out there. On the final Carolina drive alone there were 2 penalties on 3rd and long that kept that drive alive. Thank Lombardi that kicker Shayne Graham pushed the attempt wide right. Coach Sherman really can't get on his team too badly because even he had a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the Bubba to Driver TD. If I'm not mistaken the Pack has over 20 penalties for about 200 yds in these last 2 games. This has got to stop!!! When you have teams like New England, Miami,Buffalo, and such, not to mention Da Bears twice to play you can't keep giving away chances like this. The team is starting to show signs of life. The defense racked up 4 sacks and forced 3 fumbles. It also shut down the running game for most of the day, but there is still too many missed tackles and bad coverages. Not as many as the first few games, but still too many for a play-off caliber team. The offense is looking good except for too many dropped passes again. Considering how depleted the receiving corps is because of injury, I guess one can't complain too loudly. How about the Bubba to Driver TD pass? Tom Rossley pulled a neat little trick play. So much for having a too conservative offensive coordinator. With the caliber of teams that I mentioned before coming up, this team MUST gel quickly and play as mistake-free as humanly possible or face the reality of being at home WATCHING the play-offs instead of participating. Unfortunately since I have to work 2nd shift next week, I am going to miss Da Bears game on Monday. I will be as close to a radio as I can to hear as much as possible. Cheer them on for me gang. I'll be there in spirit.

As for the second part of this article, all I can say is that when a Hall of Famer player like Mike Webster dies, and it becomes known that he was homeless and living out of his car. You have to ask yourself Where was The NFL? Where was the Players Association? How can a man like former teammate Terry Bradshaw profess his love for this man, and not even reach out and help him? In this day of multi-BILLION dollar TV contracts and multi- million player deals, how can the Players,owners ,and league officials let men who laid the foundation for all that money die in poverty like that? Former Packer Travis Williams was living out of a cardboard box when he died. Where were his former teammates? Granted not many of Williams' former teammates made a lot of money at that time but how about Bart Starr and Willie Davis? Each of them have made nice livings AFTER football and could have helped a former teammate out. I can only guess that part of the problem is pride. I mean who would want it known that after all the glory and high living of being a pro athlete, everything was gone. Webster sold all 4 of his Super Bowl rings to try to make ends meet instead of asking for a hand. Had Bradshaw had known, he might of helped him out. It is all up to those connected to pro sports to keep tabs on those who have helped elevate them to the status they now enjoy instead of just wondering about them.