Green Bay Press-Gazette from Green Bay, Wisconsin • 26

Sports C-2 Thursday, April 3, 2008 Green Bay Press-Gazette www.greenbaypressgazette.com PACKERS NOTEBOOK BLACK HAWKS 2, GAMBLERS 1 meetings debit active i The Gamblers' C.J. Lee sets up for a shot on goal after getting past Waterloo defenseman Chad Billins during the second period Wednesday at the Resch Center. H. Marc LarsonPress-Gazette urpsiy President speaks against re-seeding proposal, for coin-toss change BY ROB DEM0VSKY rdemovskgreenbaypressgazette.com PALM BEACH, Fla. It was his first NFL annual meeting, but that didn't stop Mark Murphy from taking an active role.

The Green Bay Packers' president spoke against the proposal to re-seed playoff teams and spoke in favor of a rule that will allow teams that win the coin toss to defer their decision until the second half. Both measures went the way Murphy and the Packers wanted. The playoff seeding proposal one in which a wildcard team with a better record than a division champ would receive a home game in the first round of the playoffs never made it to a vote. An informal show of hands revealed little support for the measure. "It would make winning your division less important," Murphy said.

"I talked about the importance to the league of division rivalries, and I thought this proposal would have devalued those." Part of the reason for the pro posal was to force teams to play to win in late-season games Packers. The Rams are exploring moving their camp in an effort to make it a better bonding experience. "We favored (the University of Wisconsin-) La Crosse because of their facility, but they're going through a renovation," Rams coach Scott Linehan said. "We looked at (TJW-) Whitewater, but apparently they've got a facility issue. We're looking at (UW-) Oshkosh, (UW-) Stevens Point and now some place near Madison." Linehan said a decision on a camp location is expected within the next week to 10 days.

Then, he would have to try to work out dates with the Packers. "We've talked to Kansas City (which trains at UW-River Falls)," Linehan said. "If we're close to them, we'd probably consider that, too. But if we're close to Green Bay, we'd like to do that." Rams wanted Chilian Linehan said the Rams tried to retain linebacker Brandon Chillar, who signed a two-year, $5.4 million contract with the Packers last month. "We wanted him back," Linehan said.

"Our only issue is that we put a lot of investment into our (middle) and (weak side) linebackers. The business side of it makes it difficult. You've got to let a few players go. He's versatile. He's got good coverage skills.

He can cover those tight ends." loss that otherwise might not have impacted the postseason. In that regard, commissioner Roger Goodell asked the teams to explore other alternatives. "How do we make the regular-season games as competitive as we can?" Goodell said. One suggestion was to schedule division games late in the season. "That's something I think they'll look at," Murphy said.

"You want to have those games have as much value as possible." Murphy, who played eight seasons with the Washington Redskins, offered some insight into the coin-toss deferral rule that mirrors the college football policy Murphy was athletic director at Northwestern before joining the Packers. "The vast majority of college teams defer," Murphy said. "The theory is, then you're getting that extra possession in the second half." The coin-toss rule passed by a vote of 28-4. A minimum of 24 votes is needed to change a rule. Additional rule changes that passed: Elimination of the force-out rule except if the player with the ball is held up and carried out of bounds.

The vote was 31-1. Elimination of the 5-yard facemask penalty There is no infraction for incidental grabbing of the facemask. The vote was 28-4. Allowing replay on field a negative." On how many times he said, "That should have been us beating the Patriots In the Super Bowl:" "It's natural. I don't dwell on it, but, Ted Thompson, we talked a number of times, and we felt we were on a collision course with the Patriots.

We played them the year before and they embarrassed us at home, so we would have liked to have had that opportunity." On how the offense will be different with Rodgers: "I think our offense will be very similar to last year's approach. When you look at the quarterbacks, both of them can make any throw in the book. I think Aaron has a top-level arm in the NFL. There's not a throw that I would not be comfortable with him making. From McCarthyHe thinks Favre content with decision goals, except if the ball goes over the uprights.

The vote was 32-0. Making a snap that does not touch the quarterback's hands a live ball. It had been a false start. Making a forward handoff behind the line of scrimmage a live ball if it hits the ground. Previously, it was an illegal forward pass and a 5-yard penalty plus loss of down.

No vote totals were given for the live-ball changes. No roster changes: No vote was taken on a proposal to increase the size of training camp rosters to 86. Teams had been allowed 80 spots, but that did not include players who had competed in the NFL's defunct Europe league. The league gave roster exemptions for those players until the final cuts were made. According to Packers General Manager Ted Thompson, the Packers carried 90, 91 and 91 players into the last three training camps, respectively.

It may come to a vote at the next NFL meetings in May. "That's something I've already looked at from a scheduling standpoint," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "We're going to have to make adjustments to our schedule if we go with the 80." Practice partner: If the St. Louis Rams decide to move their training camp to a site in Wisconsin, they might be interested in scrimmaging the that approach, it gives us the ability to be aggressive down-field, but the core philosophy of three-step, quarterback movement, all that will be intact. None of that will change.

I don't think you guys will see a big change in the offense." On where the Improvement is going to come from this season: "Once again, and you're going to get tired of hearing it, it's going to come from within. That's one thing you can guarantee. I had the conversation with Brett Favre last year. He was like, 'How are we going to get I said, 'The only thing I can promise you is that we're going to be better than we were last Now, I don't know how many games that equates to winning. We'll be a Prep Achievement Award Wisconsin State Wrestling Champion- Luxemburg THE 6:00 p.m.

7 :00 p.m. Donation: $50 Gold Package $400 Table ot Eight Professional FOR better football team going into this season than we were coming into the last one. I feel very strongly about that, because we have youth on our side. Our system of how we develop the players on a one-on-one basis in the offseason that works. We proved that last year.

Now, we need to do that again this year. That's my job, to make sure it gets done. I feel we have an opportunity once again to improve within." On Marquette coach Tom Crean leaving for Indiana: "I'm excited for him and (Crean's wife) Joani. I know it was a very hard decision for him. It was emotional for him.

Tom's a good friend of mine, and we talked during the process. Obviously, I wished him the best." s-J Casco High School stars in More online Go to this story at www. greenbaypressgazette.com for a link to a photo gallery from Wednesday's Gamblers game. After a tussle that resulted in Gamblers defenseman Cameron Burt getting ejected, Green Bay killed a 2-minute, 5-on-3 power play with less than 5 minutes remaining. When the Gamblers got back to even strength, the Black Hawks remained aggressive, though, and with a little more than a minute left in regulation, Brett Olson scored after a pass from Blake Kessel to give Waterloo (36-17-5) the win.

While the Gamblers killed eight power plays, the result remained the same. "We did a great job penalty killing," Insalaco said. "Our killers were exceptional. They've been very, very good all year. "It's unfortunate after killing those penalties off in an extended period of time that we did not get a point off of it.

It's disheartening, for sure, especially with it being our last home game. Not only do the Gamblers have the worst record in the USHL, attendance fell about 20 percent this season, from 101,703 in 2006-07 to 79,623. "I think a lot of it has to do with confidence," Insalaco said of the Gamblers' problems. "I'm not going to sit here and make excuses, because we do our very best to get ready for an opponent and we work hard at getting better each day It's just hasn't gone in that direction this year. We need to do the right things to get the right product out on the ice, and that's the step I'm going to take while I'm in this position.

It was a discouraging loss tonight." Waterloo 0 0 2-2 Green Bay 010-1 First period: No scoring. Second period: 1, GB, Mike Borisenok, 15 (unassisted), 16:19. Third period: Jordan Samuels-Thomas, 8 (Billy Maday, Brett Olson), 4:01 3, Olson, 1 5 (Kessel), 18:37. Shots on goal: 14-17-13 44; GB, 5-4-6 -15. Power-play opportunities: 0-for-8; GB, 0- for-2.

Penalties: W. 5-10: GB, 10-43. Goalies: Joe Howe 1 5 shots, 14 saves: GB, Neil Conway, 44 shots, 42 saves. Attendance: 2,003. is highlight renovation Bullfrogs' inaugural season last year.

The scoreboard project is the highlight of the latest phase of renovations, which also will include "speed-pitch" board in left-cen ter field, plus expanded concessions and entertainment offerings. The existing scoreboard in left field will remain in place and also will be used during Bullfrogs games, Royle said. Nicolet's president, Mike Daniels, and state Sen. David Hansen were present for the announcement. "It's so important to the com munity to have this kind of activity, great family enter tainment, and I'm proud to have Joannes Stadium and the Bullfrogs in my senate dis trict," said Hansen, who said he went to six or seven Bullfrogs game last season "Great, great activity, and I would welcome everybody to come out and see the great new scoreboard, and again Nicolet, thank you for doing that, and continue growing this product, because it has really been awesome.

Conway Goalie's 42 saves not enough to save home finale BY WESTON HODKIEWICZ whodkiewgreenbaypressgazette.com ASHWAUBENON It's just been that kind of season for the Green Bay Gamblers. In their home finale against Waterloo on Wednesday night, the Gamblers played some defense, at times they even played a little offense and goal-tender Neil Conway put together perhaps his finest outing of the season. But it wasn't enough to top the Black Hawks, who beat the Gamblers 2-1 in front of 2,003 fans in a United States Hockey League game at the Resch Center. Green Bay (13-39-6) held a 1-0 lead heading into the third period despite being outshot 31-9 in the first two but was unable to hold on for the win. The Gamblers had Conway, who stopped 42 of 44 shots, to thank for almost helping them pull out the win.

However, in the end, it was another long night in what has been a long season for the Gamblers. "I would like to say I'm pleased, but we didn't deserve to win that hockey game," interim coach Dave Insalaco said. "If it wasn't for Neil, it would've been an embarrassing game, in my opinion. We didn't come to play and didn't deserve to win that game." The Gamblers' opportunities were few and far between they were outshot 44-15. When opportunity came, though, they made it count.

After a scoreless first period, the team's most valuable player, forward Mike Borisenok, put the Gamblers on the board when he sliced through the defense and put the puck past goalie Joe Howe to give Green Bay a 1-0 advantage at 16:19 of the second period. Waterloo's first shot on goal in the third period was the first to get past Conway. Jordan Samuels-Thomas evened the game at 1 about 4 minutes into the third. BULLFROGS Scoreboard of Joannes BY TOM PELISSER0 tpeiisse3greenbaypressgaiette.com Green Bay Bullfrogs fans won't be able to miss the team's latest addition to Joannes Stadium. A new, 28-foot-wide scoreboard will be installed in right-center field before the season opener May 29, the team announced Wednesday.

The project is part of a partnership between the Bullfrogs and Nicolet National Bank. Bullfrogs owner Jeff Royle wouldn't say how much the bank contributed toward the cost of scoreboard but acknowledged it was a substantial amount. The board will include a 20-foot wide graphics display, among other features. "This scoreboard and its fan interaction features will no doubt take the experience of attending a Bullfrogs game to another level," Royle said in a prepared statement during a media conference at Nicolet. Royle estimated he spent $250,000 updating the 79-year-old ballpark before the Gamblers' From C-1 On the chance Favre could change his mind: "I don't think so.

Time will tell, but I don think so. He's content with his decision. I think he'll feel it about September, when opening day starts. That's when you have to worry about it. For 17 years in a row, his fall has always been around football." On when Favre will be missed the most: "It's going to be different for a lot of people.

Just when you walk through the locker room, you have this locker standing there and you're kind of laughing about it, like what are you going to do with it? You can't put anybody in it. So, there's definitely going to be an absence. There will be a number of different signs or symbolic situations that are going to remind you of Brett. I think those are all positives. I think it's a tribute to what he's accomplished.

I think it's a great example to our players. I don't look at it as NFL NOTEBOOK Birk won't get new deal soon, Childress says Press-Gazette wire services Matt Birk's long-term future with the Minnesota Vikings won't be decided any time soon, coach Brad Childress said Wednesday in speaking for the first time about Birk's decision to skip voluntary offseason workouts. Interviewed over breakfast on the final day of the NFL's annual meetings in Palm Beach, Childress questioned whether Birk's absence was right for the team. He said Birk will make "good money" in 2008, the final year of a contract he signed in September 2001 and said he wants to evaluate Birk's performance in training camp and perhaps beyond before determining whether to offer a contract extension. Birk is scheduled to make a base salary of $5.32 million and receive a $400,000 roster bonus this season.

Many NFL teams seek to extend proven veterans before they enter the final season under contract, but Childress said the Vikings "usually get into these things when we get into the (season)." Eagles: Tight end L.J. Smith signed the one-year contract he was tendered by Philadelphia when the team placed the franchise tag on him two months ago. Smith will make $4.5 million, the average of the top five salaries at his position. Smith had just 22 catches for 236 yards and one touchdown in only 10 games during an injury-plagued season last year. THURSDAY, APRIL 10TH SWAN CLUB IU DE FERE rSSds WILL HONOR: BIHJQUET Zac Cioula 4 Tune Achievement Award Collegiate Achievement Award Mark Tauscher Offensive lineman Green Bay PacJcers Distinguished Service Award Me McCarthy Head Coach Green Bay Packers TICKETS BY FIIONE; CALL (920) 33S-1531 St.

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