Cause for Optimism

The Green Bay Packers were 11-5 last season, and they very easily could have ended up 13-3. Two late game losses, one being a near miracle pass by the now infamous Ben Roethlisberger, were the only reasons Mike McCarthy and company did not finish with 13 wins. With everyone returning and a couple newly added pieces, there is no reason not to believe the Packers will be a better team in 2010.

When someone gives me a present, I don't look them in the eye and say "what a terrible gift!" No, when you are given a gift without having to pay back anything in return, you accept it gladly.

That's how I view this draft/offseason. Every significant piece of this team is back, and the newly added additions can only make them better. Green Bay might not have won the Powerball Jackpot, but that 500 bucks from the local lottery will still help in the long run.

I think the defense will be just fine, so long as they continue to force turnovers. And we all know how deadly the offense already is. Aaron Rodgers will be an MVP candidate this year, and JerMichael Finley, Greg Jennings and Donald Driver should be absolutely electric once again. Oh yeah, and their 1250+ yard, 11 touchdown running back, Ryan Grant, he's returning as well.

If the team that went 11-5 last season and lost an overtime heart breaker in the playoffs is still intact, then the offseason acquisitions are a welcomed gratuity. It might not be a shiny new car, but that scooter can still be put to profitable use. Yes, there is definitely cause to be optimistic as a Packer fan.

Sweatpants...Great Invention, or Greatest?

An interesting question is raised here. Are sweatpants one of the greatest, if not the greatest, inventions of all time? You say the wheel, electricity, or the Internet, but I say a good 'ol pair of sweats.

Whether heading to class, work, a sporting event, or simply to bed, sweatpants provide maximum comfort. While their are factors such as weather that must be taken into account, the answer is obvious. If it's too hot, roll them up. If it's too cold, roll them down. Can you roll your shorts down? No, you have to take the time to change into jeans. Jeans equal wasted time.

Another important issue is eating. The primary reason I bring this up is because holidays are times when we eat, usually overeat. The guilt of loosening your belt a notch or popping a button can cripple anyones' self-esteem. With sweatpants however, the waist band magically expands. Undeterred, we can now all attack that holiday buffet with no regard to our own expanding waistline.

Lastly, what exactly are "sweat-pants"? After countless hours of research, I think I may have pinpointed the perfect explanation.

Sweatpants are an informal variety of trousers intended for comfort or athletic purposes. Many jails or juvenile institutions use sweatpants for their main uniform because of comfort, loose fitting, and ease of washing. In the United Kingdom they are varyingly known as track suit bottoms or the more informal jogging bottoms. In Australia and New Zealand they are know as track pants or "trakky daks". Also they can, in Ireland, be known as 'Fatman Trousers'.

That settles the debate. Sweats are in fact the greatest creation by man to this point in time. What the future holds I do not know. For now though, you keep your gizmos and gadgets and please, just hand me a pair of trakky daks.