"The Voice of the New Due Process Army" ————– Musings on Events in U.S. Immigration Court, Immigration Law, Sports, and Other Random Topics by Retired United States Immigration Judge (Arlington, Virginia) and former Chairman of the Board of Immigration Appeals Paul Wickham Schmidt. To see my complete professional bio, just click on the link below.
🏈❤️ COURTSIDE SPORTS: GOTTA LOVE THAT COMEBACK — JLove Leads Q4 Surge As Pack Down Saints 18-17 In Epic Home Opener @ Lambeau!
Jordan Love Quarterback Green Bay Packers PHOTO” Packer website
Paul Wickham Schmidt
Courtside Sports Exclusive
September 24, 2023
Last week, the Packers took a 12 point lead into the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons. They came up short, as the defense allowed three scores, the Jordan Love led offense whiffed big time on all their possessions, and the Falcons won 25-24.
For three quarters, the funk continued as Green Bay hurt themselves with penalties, while the visiting New Orleans Saints held a commanding 17-0 lead in the fourth quarter. At that point, the Pack had been outscored 30-0 over four quarters.
Then, with about 12 minutes left in the game, Love and the Packer offense came alive, scoring a field goal, and two touchdowns on their next three possessions to lead 18-17. Following the field goal, Love (22-44-259-1-1) ran for his first Lambeau touchdown, topped by a laser to Samori Toure for a huge two-point conversion that turned out to be the difference maker. On the Packers’ next possession, Love hit Romeo Doubs on an 8-yard TD pass with the kick by Anders Carlson giving the Pack their first and only lead of the afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Pack defense, led by Rashan Gary (3 sacks), pitched a second half shutout. Their cause was helped when Saints QB Derek Carr (13-18-1-0) left the game with an apparent shoulder injury in the third quarter following a Gary sack. His replacement Jameis Winston was largely ineffective.
However, after Green Bay took the lead, Winston did rally his troops into position for a potential lead-retaking field goal with a little over a minute remaining in the game. But, Blake Grupe’s kick drifted wide right, and the Pack went into victory formation.
The Pack overcame a 17-point halftime deficit for only the second time in team history. Apparently, it’s only they third time in the last three decades that an NFL team has erased a deficit of that magnitude in the fourth quarter.
New Orleans (2-1) suffered its first defeat of the season. The Pack meanwhile improved to 2-1 with the Detroit Lions, also 2-1 and victors over the Falcons Sunday, up next on Thursday night at Lambeau.
Jordan Love Quarterback Green Bay Packers PHOTO” Packer website
🏈😎 COURTSIDE SPORTS: JORDAN GETS OFF TO LOVELY START AGAINST BEARS, AS PACK PREVAILS38-20 — So Far, So Good, As QB Throws 3 TDs, Converts 3rd Downs, No Errors, Shows Poise!
By Paul Wickham Schmidt
Courtside Sports Exclusive
September 10, 2023
For the first time in three decades, someone other than Brett Farve or Aaron Rodgers started at quarterback for the Packers in the NFL’s longest rivalry. The results were the same as the Pack downed “da Bears” for the ninth straight time, at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Sunday.
After three years as Rodgers’s understudy, Jordan Love (15-27-245-3-0, rating 123.2) looked much better than someone who had started only one previous NFL game (a loss vs the Chiefs). He threw three TDs, calmly converted key third and fourth downs, committed no turnovers, and looked like a poised veteran in every way.
After a slow start that saw the Pack with a 10-6 halftime lead, Green Bay running back Aaron Jones dominated the third quarter with 105 running and receiving yards and a touchdown that essentially established the visitor’s control of the game. In a cautionary note for the green and gold, however, he left the game with an apparent hamstring injury.
At least in the first game, the oft-maligned Packer defense performed like a unit that justified the large investment of draft picks over the past several years. The highlight was a 37-yard pick 6 by linebacker Quay Walker in the fourth quarter that put the game out of reach. (Walker, however, may have sustained a concussion while crossing the goal line for he score.) They basically neutralized Chicago’s athletic quarterback Justin Fields and his supposedly improved offense until the game was all but over.
It’s only one game, and, with due respect, “it’s only the Bears” who appear to be nearly as bad as last year’s league-worst team. But, a W is a W in the standings. Next up for the Pack: the Falcons, 24-10 winners over Carolina, at Atlanta.
🏈☹️ SPORTS: FICKELL’S “AIR RAID” CRASHES & BURNS IN PULLMAN, AS COUGARS MAUL BADGERS 31-22! — New Look, Same Problems!
By Paul Wickham Schmidt
Special To Courtside
September 10, 2023
Last year, the Washington State Cougars 17-14 upset of the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall in Madison was the beginning of the end for then-coach Paul Chryst. This year, with new head coach Luke Fickell (previously Cincinnati) and a revamped passing-oriented offense, Badger fans were confident of a different result.
Alas, the over-ranked #19 Badgers’ visit to the unfriendly Cougar’s den in Pullman, Washington ended in another disaster, a 31-22 loss to the “Rump PAC-12 orphan.” (Viewers must have seen the extreme irony in ABC’s insistence on flashing the soon to-be-defunct conference’s bogus “Conference of Champions” logo during commercial breaks!)
The look might be new, but the glaring problems that plagued the Badgers last season, leading to the demise of both Chryst and his interim replacement Jim Leonhard, remained. Underperforming running game (97 yards), lousy line play, inconsistent quarterbacking, turnovers, failure to produce them, and dumb penalties were all on full display for the visitors at Martin Stadium.
New Badger QB Tanner Mordecai, a transfer from SMU, might have looked good on paper (25-40-278-1-0, 129.1 rating). But, what the stats don’t show is two key fumbles lost, one givingWSU a gift touchdown. Also, they mask a bunch of overthrows on potential TD passes or at least big gainers in a game where every yard was precious. His offense settled for three consecutive field goals when touchdowns were needed.
Perhaps jet-lagged, the bewildered Badgers sleep-walked through the first half, trailing 24-9 at the break. Then, in the third quarter, the Badgers dominated, pulling within a missed two-point conversion of tying the game, 24-22.
The Badger defense also rose to the occasion, pinning the Cougars’ offense and their elusive QB Cam Ward back near their goal line. What appeared to be a clear game-tying safety was wiped out on a bad call that somehow passed replay. But, with the Cougars punting from the back of their end-zone, Chimere Dike’s return apparently set Wisconsin up on the State 35 with a great chance to take a lead. But, a dumb personal foul away from the ball moved them back near midfield.
Several plays thereafter, the normally sure-handed Badger running back, Chez Mellusi (12-49) fumbled the ball back to the Cougars. Again, the call on the field and the video replay were questionable, as Mellusi’s elbow appeared to be down before the ball began to come loose. Nevertheless, it was a “one-handed carry” where two hands on the ball were clearly necessary.
Still, all was not lost for Fickell’s team. The defense forced a key 3rd and 6 in Cougar territory. But, they inexcusably allowed Ward to hit Lincoln Victor for a first down at the Badger 45. That reawakened Ward and the Cougar offense who marched down the field for a touchdown that put the game out of reach, 31-22. Several Mordecai overthrows sealed the deal for the Cougs.
Washington State portrayed this matchup is an “audition” for a place in one of the so-called “power conferences,” as the PAC-12 (“the Conference of Champions”) ingloriously dissolves at the end of this season. Good luck with that. They and their fellow “orphans” at Oregon State appear to be victims of negligible media markets, modest alumni bases, and undersized stadiums.
Power conference decisions these days are driven by media markets and greed, not athletic competition. That’s why the ACC recently snapped up Pac-12 football fumblers Cal and Stanford (7 total FB victories last year) over Washington State and Oregon State (17 total FB victories last year). The Cougars and Beavers likely are headed to the American Athletic Conference or some other “mid-major” refuge. Ironically, the good news is that Fickell showed the potential of good football at any level during his Cincinnati tenure when he led the AAC Bearcats to an appearance in the FBS playoffs, something that neither Wisconsin nor Washington State has ever achieved.
Badger fans’ hopes for an immediate turnaround under Fickell were dealt a stunning setback. It’s still a work in progress, with more consistent quarterback play, better play from both the O and D lines, and better production from the running backs a necessity. In particular, the “no-show” performance of highly touted junior running back Braylon Allen was highly disappointing. Coming off a141 yard, two touchdown performance against an admittedly overmatched Buffalo Bulls defense, he managed only 20 yards on seven carries against the more competent Cougar defenders.
The Badgers dominated the third quarter, giving a glimpse of what this team’s potential might be. Yet, as Fickell well knows, building championship teams takes dominance of games, not just quarters.
Fortuitously, the Badgers have only one currently-ranked opponent (Ohio State) on their remaining schedule. The Bloated-10 Conference, in its wisdom, has stuffed all three of its national contenders, Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State, into its artificially-created Eastern Division. This essentially guarantees that the euphemistically-named “Big Ten Championship Game” will not be a matchup of the two best teams in the conference. Therefore, the Badgers probably have as good a chance as anyone of “winning the West” and being sacrificed to one of these three in what is likely to be a highly lopsidedfinale.
Next up for the Badgers, things could get easier with Georgia Southern (2-0) from the Sun Belt East visiting Camp Randall next Saturday. That will be Wisconsin’s last “warmup” before opening the Big-10 season against Purdue, last year’s West champs, at West Lafayette on Friday, September 22.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Their season ended in January with a frail whimper and the sour departure of a quarterback both legendary and malcontent. They handed their offense to a passer whose last victory as a starter came in 2019 over New Mexico. Their wide receivers room could be confused for a day care. The Green Bay Packers possess the outward signs of a franchise in reset. Internally, they dismiss a rebuild as preposterous, not even an option. They do not play in Future Championship Equity City. Lambeau Field resides in Titletown.
“All people see is the ‘G’ on the helmet, and they expect you to win,” Coach Matt LaFleur said. “That’s the reality of this league. You can either run from it, or you embrace it.”
LaFleur spoke sitting on a couch in his new office inside the new wing of the Packers’ facility, so fresh you can still smell the construction while walking the halls. It is an apt setting from which to launch Green Bay’s first season in three decades with a quarterback other than Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers, two men now facing the roughly equivalent challenges of beating a lawsuit in Mississippi and trying to win with the New York Jets.
The Packers are running toward Year 1 of the Jordan Love era anticipating immediate results — a hope that is more realistic than outlandish. Rodgers’s exit cast a long shadow, but the shade has obscured a roster with requisite talent to win an unsettled division in the weaker conference.
“There are a lot of unknowns with our team, but I think that’s also exciting,” LaFleur said. “With no expectations, there’s no limitations.”
The Packers have a defense stocked with eight first-round draft picks, unapologetic belief in Love and a collective desire to prove there is life after Rodgers, whose age-related decline, cantankerousness and thumb injury last year leave Love a lower bar to clear than Rodgers’s résumé would suggest — a mandate that comes from their home city.
. . . .
*******************
Read the full report at the above link.
Only time will tell. JLove just hasn’t had enough meaningful snaps to have a good handle on what he can do over a full season.
He has a good arm and runs much better than Rodgers did at the end of his Packer career. But, we can all think of QBs with those qualities and stellar collegiate careers who never made much of a mark at the next level. Also, as a cautionary note, NFL QBs who try to do too much with their feet often end up with careers shortened by debilitating injuries (“RGIII” of Washington is a recent example who comes to mind).
Also, success ultimately depends on the team. Last year, in addition to Rodgers’s sometimes struggles, there were plenty of dropped balls, inability to get separation, failure to open holes, sacks allowed, lousy tackling, and defensive lapses at particularly inopportune times.
My favorite line in Kilgore’s article described former Packer great QBs Brett Farve and Aaron Rodgers, respectively, as “two men now facing the roughly equivalent challenges of beating a lawsuit in Mississippi and trying to win with the New York Jets.”
Tea Ivanovic Co-Founder Immigrant Food PHOTO: VA Tech
TÉA IVANOVIC ’14
Co-Founder, Immigrant Food
I’m a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Immigrant Food, a Washington D.C.-based restaurant startup that ‘marries’ innovative gastronomy with social advocacy. Immigrant Food currently has three locations in the D.C. area, and has received notable recognitions (Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas 2019, Ayuda’s Advocate of Change Award 2022, etc) for its innovative cause-casual model of integrating a social justice component into the business model since inception. I also moonlight as a commentator at Altamar, a well-respected independent international affairs podcast.
Where you’ve been in your career and where you are going…
My professional career includes creating and implementing strategic communications for international policy and politics at a Washington D.C. think tank, and global financial matters at a financial public and media relations firm. I was the first Washington Correspondent for Oslobodjenje, one of the oldest and most prominent news outlets in the Balkans. I was born in Belgium to parents from the former Yugoslavia and recruited to the United States by Virginia Tech’s Division 1 Varsity tennis team. I graduated with a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). In 2022, I was named on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 List, Washington Business Journal’s 25 Women Who Mean Business, FSR’s 40 Restaurant Stars on the Rise, and DC Fray’s 8 Trailblazing Women in Hospitality.
How would you capture the essence of your work in a newspaper headline…
Disruptive Food Startup Incorporates Gastronomy and Advocacy
How Virginia Tech equipped me for the ‘real world’…
The experience of having met people from around the world (and around the U.S.) who were fellow students, and having played tennis on a competitive varsity team dealing with the ups and downs of winning and losing, gave me a taste of the complexities of the real world. I’m so grateful for that.
A key habit, practice, or skill that’s worth the effort…
Waking up early and visualizing your day. Preparation is a huge part of getting things done, and keep going.
Biggest misconception about my job or industry…
I think the hospitality industry often gets a reputation of hard work for minimal pay – and many people almost look down upon servers or line cooks. In fact, the restaurant workers are some of the most resilient, intelligent and dynamic people out there!
My favorite quote…
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” — Mary Engelbreit
My hidden talent…
Remembering people’s birthdays
The work project/initiative you’re most excited about…
Immigrant Food is my passion project, and I’m excited to see where we go from having grown to three locations in Washington, D.C. during the pandemic. We opened in November 2019, just mere months before the pandemic hit. Through hard work and dedication we managed to expand, and we are looking to continue growing in the years ahead.
Fondest Virginia Tech memory or tradition…
Jumping at Enter Sandman, duh!
Best part of being a Virginia Tech alum…
The vast alumni network, and always being able to call Blacksburg home!
Words of encouragement to a current Virginia Tech student…
Virginia Tech is a special place. Cherish the experiences, challenge yourself, and expand your network. The moments don’t last forever, but you’ll always look back at the memories you made and the lessons you learned.
A cause I’m most passionate about…
Immigration, of course. It’s the reason I’m here, and it’s the reason America is one of the greatest countries in the world.
Last book I read…
Adultery, Paulo Coelho
If I had a superpower, it would be…
Being invisible. Not because I want to hide – just imagine all the awesome places I could witness!
The most formative experience I’ve had…
Dealing with people who don’t believe in me. You think about the mentors in your life, the advisors and the incredible people who have shaped you. But I’m also grateful to those who have challenged me, who didn’t believe in me, who may have even tried to tear me down. I’m so much stronger because of them. I may not have realized it at the time, but those experiences are some of the most formative of my entire life.
DULUTH, Minn. – The Wisconsin women’s hockey team claimed its record-breaking seventh NCAA title thanks to a thrilling 1-0 win over Ohio State on Sunday afternoon at AMSOIL Arena.Kirsten Simms scored the lone goal for the Badgers (29-10-3) as they upset the No. 1 Buckeyes (33-6-2) in the 2023 NCAA National Championship game.
Simms struck first for the Badgers just 6:32 into the first period for her 16th goal of the season thanks to an assist from fellow freshman Claire Enright.
The Badgers had several great chances in the second period, outshooting OSU 11-6, but neither team was able to light the lamp.
After a scoreless third period, the Badgers were named the 2023 NCAA National Champions!
Cami Kronish stopped all 31 shots she faced to shutout the top-ranked Buckeyes.
Notes of the Game
Wisconsin now holds the most national titles (7) in all of NCAA women’s ice hockey. UW was previously tied with Minnesota with six titles.
This marks the first time a team has been shutout in a national championship game since the Badgers shutout Minnesota 2-0 in the 2019 NCAA Championship in Hamden, Conn.
Goalie Cami Kronish was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four following her shutout.
Straight from the Rink:
Head Coach Mark Johnson
On the importance of team chemistry for this team:
“The best chance you can give yourself to win these things is to get everybody on the same page. We started in September and we had nine and 10 different players that weren’t on the team last year, with the freshmen coming in and the kids coming back that were part of the national team. You want to be in the same boat pushing in the same direction. If you’re willing to do that, you have a chance. No guarantee at the end of the day, but you have to give yourself the best opportunity.”
On getting a rematch against Ohio State:
“Part of the process is having some bumps along the way. The last time we played against Ohio, we lost the game in the last three and a half minutes. They found a way to beat us but again, you put it in the back of your mind and that scenario presents itself, how are you going to react? At the media timeout, I pulled out the chalkboard and said hey, if they pulled a goalie, here’s what we need to do, can we execute it and learn from last time.”
Senior Cami Kronish
On earning her third national title:
“I cannot believe this is my life right now. I think about the past five years and the people I’ve played with Kristen Campbell, Kennedy Blair, all of my goalie partners that helped make me play the way I do today and the person I am today. I am just so thankful for everyone and everything that’s been a part of my journey. I’m just in disbelief.”
Freshman Kirsten Simms
On winning a national title as a freshman:
“It’s cool to be a freshman in this moment, but we couldn’t have done it without our upperclassmen. They really took us under their wing the second we walked into Wisconsin. They showed us the way, how to be great teammates and how to look up to everyone. It got us to where we are now.”
Up Next: UW will host a Welcome Home Event on Monday, March 20 at LaBahn Arena. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the program to follow at 6 p.m.
A new era for the four-time MVP will begin in New York soon.
Rodgers confirmed it all Wednesday on “The Pat McAfee Show,” telling the host that after long contemplation and a meeting with Jets officials last week, he decided on Friday “to play and to play for the New York Jets.”
However, Rodgers said that no deal has been made and that the Packers are the ones holding up a trade and not him as has been speculated on social media and some news reports. He said he is ready to get back to playing football but remains in limbo until the trade goes through.
“I haven’t been holding things up at this point, it’s been compensation that the Packers are trying to get for me and are kind of digging their heels in,” Rodgers said. “So, I would just think it is interesting at this point. The whole picture.”
Rodgers went on to say he is coming to grips with the fact that his 18 years with the Packers franchise is coming to an end and that it is because the Packers want to move on without him. He said he won’t be bitter about the way things were handled, but he can’t completely move on because the trade has not been made.
. . . .
“You know, my side, love and appreciation and gratitude for everything that Green Bay has done for me. Love, so much love and gratitude and just heart open for the Packer fans and what it meant to be their quarterback, and also the reality of the situation,” he said. “Like, it is what it is; Packers would like to move on.”
. . . .
Rodgers said he went into his four-day darkness retreat 90% sure he would retire, but upon completion he heard the Packers were shopping him in trade talk. He said he was told after the season to take his time to make a decision whether he wants to play and wished the Packers had told him they didn’t want him anymore and wanted Jordan Love to be their quarterback.
He said he would have been happy with that.
“They’re ready to move on,” Rodgers said. “Jordan is going to be a great player. He’s a great kid. He’s got a bright future. I have so many great friends on that team and will be friends with. Fact of the matter is you have an aging face of the franchise that it’s time to do right by.”
. . . .
Packers’ trade of another future Hall of Fame quarterback harkens back to 2008
Three years after Rodgers was drafted in the first round of the 2005 draft, the Packers made their plans to succeed the retired Brett Favre with the guy they had been grooming for the job. When Favre decided he didn’t want to retire, the Packers stood with their decision to move on to Rodgers and traded Favre to the Jets.
Now, it’s Rodgers’ turn to leave the smallest market in the NFL for its biggest.
The Packers, according to multiple sources, were ready to move on from Rodgers as early as the end of last season when they felt they underachieved offensively. Rodgers failed to throw for a 300-yard game all season and couldn’t will the team into the playoffs despite needing only a victory at home against Detroit in Week 18.
The Packers had gone all in on 2022, setting an NFL record by guaranteeing all $150 million of Rodgers’ three-year contract extension, betting on him returning to the form that had earned him MVP honors in ’20 and ’21.
But the Packers finished 8-9 and general manager Brian Gutekunst saw enough improvement from Love in practice and a relief appearance against the Philadelphia Eagles to think he was ready to replace Rodgers.
Transitioning to Jordan Love may not go smoothly
The Packers were 6-10 when Rodgers took over in ’08. However, they made the postseason the following year and won the Super Bowl in ’10.
Love is entering his fourth season and the Packers now have every reason to exercise his fifth-year option before the May deadline. It will guarantee Love $20.2 million in ’24, but this season he will play for the $2,298,652 base salary in his rookie contract.
Though Love has three years under his belt, he has started only one game, played 157 snaps and thrown 83 passes. The Packers aren’t expecting him to win an MVP in his first year as a starter and know there may be growing pains.
“I think the one thing you see in this league, it’s very rarely are guys shot out of a cannon winning-wise,” Gutekunst said during the week of the NFL scouting combine. “There’s some great play, there’s instances you see flashes, but I think it takes most of these quarterbacks a little time to learn how to win.
“And it’s one thing to play well and make throws and, make plays, but then it’s another thing to lead your team to wins. And I think that takes time, but you don’t get a lot of that in this league. But certainly with any new quarterback that’s playing for the first time you’re gonna need some of that.”
**********************
Read the complete article at the link.
“AR” gave us Packer fans lots of thrills (and a few chills) over 15 years. I was fortunate enough to see him play three times in person at Lambeau! It seemed that things just were’t “clicking” for the Pack and Rodgers last year. Also, they can’t keep Love on the bench forever. And, AR’s “off the field antics” had become somewhat distracting. So, the move isn’t surprising.
We’ll see if AR has another Super Bowl season in him with the somewhat hapless Jets, who haven’t been there since they won with Joe Namath when I was in college.
Meanwhile we’ll also see whether Jordan Love can follow in the footsteps of Hall of Famers Bart Starr, Brett Farve, and AR. Big shoes to fill, for sure!
Lindsay Toczylowski Executive Director, Immigrant Defenders “ I always tell the new immigration attorneys at Immigrant Defenders Law Center to never forget just how stacked against our clients the odds are in immigration court.”
I always tell the new immigration attorneys at Immigrant Defenders Law Center to never forget just how stacked against our clients the odds are in immigration court. Today was a classic example.
Went in with a case that we have spent weeks on end prepping for, seeking asylum protection for our client. We extensively argued our case. Govt attorney waived arguments & had no filings for today, last filing they made in case was in 2020. Yet the judge found that despite a finding of past persecution the govt had rebutted the presumption of a well-founded fear of future persecution.
So the govt atty who didn’t make an argument, who didn’t file anything was found to have successfully rebutted our claims. We plan to appeal, but the imbalance of power in an immigration courtroom, even when someone has an attorney, is profound. Without an attorney it is inhumane.
At the end of the hearing the judge excused the ICE attorney so he did not have to stay through the oral decision. So we sat there, with our client wiping tears from his eyes, and received the decision. We took notes on its mistakes. We reserved the right to appeal.
And I felt this pit in my stomach knowing that my client was seeing his life flash before his eyes, knowing this put him in grave danger. And yet the ICE atty, one of the principal ppl responsible for putting him at risk, couldn’t even bother to stay to the end of the hearing.
Picture of the mural that sits across from one of the immigration courts in DTLA, which seems so fitting on today and so many days.
Mural
Grateful to my colleague Alvaro M. Huerta who was an incredible advocate for our client today.
************************
A very sad commentary on the “culture of denial” still prevalent at EOIR and Garland’s failure to address it head on. Seems like the ACC knew how the judge would rule in advance.
I actually remember a long-ago time at the USDOJ when a “win” was “when justice was done” not just “another denial and deportation notched.” As a few “old timers” might remember, I actually incorporated it into my “welcoming speech” to new INS trial counsel when I was the Deputy General Counsel/sometimes Acting GC at the “Legacy INS.” In a GOP Administration, no less!
Times have changed, I guess, to where a Dem Administration and a Dem AG function “below the Reagan line!” Interesting, yet depressing!
The IJ “excusing” the ACC from the oral decision — at least a violation of judicial etiquette, disrespectful, and unprofessional, if not marginally unethical — shows just where things stand in a system run by a former Federal Judge who has forgotten what justice and public service are all about — at least when it comes to those stuck in his dysfunctional and unprofessional “courts!”
I always insisted that both counsel be present for the delivery of an oral decision. If that were impossible, because of time constraints or a legitimate personal emergency, then the obvious solution was to either 1) issue a written decision, or 2) invite the parties to return another day to listen to the oral decision. A third option was to record it “in chambers,” and have a JLC or intern transcribe and edit it for issuance as a written decision. I actually noticed when the INS ACC was working on the files for the next case or “secretly” looking at an i-phone under counsel table while I was dictating the oral decision. While I didn’t mention it, it did “inform” my opinion of them as attorneys.
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t count on Garland’s Trump holdover BIA to correct the egregious injustices on the merits of this case. The appeals system is also “programmed to deny and deport” — just as Sessions and Barr constructed it!
One might have thought that a Dem Administration and a former Federal Judge would be interested in bringing due process, fundamental fairness, and decisional excellence to one of the most important Federal “Court” Systems — one they totally control! Not so! This is most disappointing and enraging, particularly for those practicing in the “skewed against the individual” mess that Garland tolerates and enables!
And, folks, these examples, including the outrageous miscarriage of justice and impartial judging described by Lindsay above, just cover a period since January 27, 2023, a mere 16 days ago — basically just the “tip of Garland’s deadly iceberg of injustice at EOIR!”
While numerous examples of unfairness and unprofessionalism at Garland’s dystopian EOIR have surfaced, they are “just the tip of the iceberg” masking the huge disaster lurking below where Garland and his lieutenants fear to go! Created by Uwe Kils (iceberg) and User:Wiska Bodo (sky). Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
The unprofessional, disgraceful performance of EOIR described above, and the inexcusable failure to “clean house,” bring in qualified expert judges and professional judicial administrators, and support and institutionalize competent expert judging at EOIR, as represented by Judge Burgie and some others, would be disgraceful in ANY Administration! Coming during a Democratic Administration that RAN ON A PLATFORM of ending xenophobic, extralegal, nativist-motivated abuses directed at asylum seekers (often of color), immigrants, and their courageous, dedicated attorneys is totally unacceptable!
Yet, Senate Dems have failed to haul Garland and his lieutenants before the Senate Judiciary Committee to be confronted by those abused on their watch and to answer for their abject failure to bring due process, fundamental fairness, best practices, and competent, expert judicial decision making to EOIR’s dystopian, dysfunctional, and outrageously unfair “faux courts!”
As Lindsay says, “I always tell the new immigration attorneys at Immigrant Defenders Law Center to never forget just how stacked against our clients the odds are in immigration court.” It does NOT have to be this way!
These are NOT life-tenured Article III judges! They are, as the DOJ is constantly reminding them, “DOJ attorneys.” GOP Administrations have demonstrated time and again the recognition that they have the power to “purge” judges who stand up for immigrants’ rights and due process and to “stack” the Immigration Courts against asylum seekers andimmigrants.
Garland has the power to do the opposite: “unstack” EOIR, bring in qualified judges and administrators who are recognized, respected experts in immigration law, human rights, and due process, and create a “model Federal Judiciary” and a source for future experienced, well-qualified Article III appointments.
In nearly two years of inept and dilatory “administration” of EOIR, Garland has failed to achieve, or indeed even attempt, these essential, long-overdue reforms. Indeed, so poorly has he performed on immigration, human rights, equal justice, and racial equity, that many dedicated immigration practitioners tell me that things are markedly worse now for due process and fair judging at EOIR than at the end of the Trump Administration.See, e.g.,https://immigrationcourtside.com/2022/09/21/-outrage-boils-over-at-merrick-garlands-milleresque-war-on-due-process-at-eoir-his-grotesque-mismanagement-of-immigration-courts-garland-might/, (Quoting Jason “The Asylumist” Dzubow: “But as it turns out, President Biden’s EOIR is far worse than President Trump’s. Indeed, the current level of callousness would make even Stephen Miller blush.”)
As Jason Dzubow would say, “It didn’t have to be this way!” But, sadly, and outrageously, it IS this way! Eventually, that’s something that the Democratic Party will have to answer for! Unfortunately, some of their “victims” are likely to be in their graves by then!☠️⚰️🤮
President Biden often correctly says that our democracy is in peril! Yet, one of the main places where it is most imperiled and disrespected is in HIS OWN Immigration Courts at EOIR. Why hasn’t the President led the “defense of democracy” by cleaning up the mess in his own house? Inexplicable!
Bill Russell of the Celtics guards Wilt Chamberlain of the 76ers in a 1966 game. PUBLIC DOMAIN
By Paul Wickham Schmidt
Special to Courtside
August 1, 2022
The 1950s. Black and white TVs. NBA coverage more or less an afterthought on winter weekend afternoons when nothing else was on. The eight team NBA, comprised of teams representing the East and Upper Midwest only — including such major Metropoli as Syracuse, Rochester, and Ft. Wayne. Even the introduction of the “shot clock” in 1954 failed to “jazz up” the game.
Mostly, it was played by a bunch of White guys named Clyde, Bob, George, Dolph, Paul, Dick, Easy Ed, Red, Carl, Cliff, and Larry. They were talented athletes, to be sure. But, mostly what they did was dribble and shoot. Some launched two-handed “set shots” — hard to fathom in 2022! Defense and athletic moves were an afterthought, at best. Competent, but fundamentally boring. Something you watched if you were stuck at your Grandmother’s or maiden aunt’s apartment in Milwaukee after lunch.
The major problem, of course, was integration — or more accurately the lack thereof! Although Alexandria, VA native Earl Lloyd had become the first African American to play in the NBA in the 1950, and helped the Syracuse Nationals win the NBA championship in 1955, Blacks remained woefully under-represented in terms of their talent. Indeed, many of the best African-American players chose to play with the “barnstorming” Harlem Globetrotters because of the ingrained racism of the NBA.
That changed in 1956 when future Hall of Fame Coach Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics convinced his team to draft and sign Bill Russell, who had just won two NCAA Championships with the San Francisco Dons (they reached the “Final Four” only once since, in 1957) and an Olympic Gold. Suddenly, the distinctive parquet floor of the Boston Garden took life. Blocked shots, rebounds, and passes to teammates in green, as well as some close in hook shooting by the athletic 6-10 center became the “norm.”
The Celtics quickly became my favorite NBA team. The short-lived Milwaukee Hawks had decamped to St. Louis some years earlier. The Milwaukee Bucks of Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Oscar “Big O” Robertson were many years in the future. Interestingly, 6’8” Milwaukee Braves pitcher “Big Gene” Conley was a backup for the first few years of Russell’s Celtic career.
Behind Russell, the Celtics dominated the NBA for the next 13 years, winning championships in 11 of those seasons. He was the player-coach during the last three seasons of this run, becoming the first African American coach in the NBA.
In 1960, Russell’s “Modern Big Man” rival, Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain moved from the Globetrotters to the Philadelphia Warriors of the NBA. This set up one of the greatest individual matchups in American sports history. Although Wilt won many of the individual “statistical” battles, Russell won the “war” hands down. A Wilt-led team bested the Celtics only once for the NBA Championship during the Russell era — in 1967 when Wilt’s Philadelphia 76ers won it all. (Wilt would go on to win another ring with the LA Lakers in 1972, after Russell’s retirement).
Great as he was on the court, Russell’s impact was even bigger off it. At a time when the White sports ownership system wanted their “carefully metered” Black stars to win games, fill seats, smile, sign autographs, and remain silent about systemic racism in American society, Russell took a big “pass” on the last three! He recognized that true greatness wasn’t measured by willingness to “go along to get along!”
For that reason, out of the countless tributes to Russell published over the past two days, I have selected this one as most representative of the greatness and impact of this American hero: “Bill Russell, Activist For The Ages,” by Martenzie Johnson in “Andscape:”
Far right activist 5th Circuit Judges reacting to colleagues who followed law and ruled in favor of immigrants. PHOTO: Creative Commons.
The issue is whether an in absentia removal order can be based on a statutorily defective notice. The panel followed the Supreme’s decision in Niz-Chavez and rejected the BIA’s conflicting decision in Matter of Laparra. In other words, the panel required the Government to follow the statute, a process known as “complying with the law.” This sent some of this most conservative circuit’s most far-right judges over the edge. Here’s the en banc decision:
Credit Dan Kowalski over at LexisNexis for the “food fight” characterization.
The scofflaw GOP dissenters cited “deference” to the Executive, something they have pointedly refused to apply to Biden Administration precedents and policies favoring migrants.
The majority says: “[The BIA] flies in the face of the Supreme Court’s Pereira decision, which Laparra ignored.”
Incredibly, Garland is on the “wrong side” of this controversy, defending the legally incorrect misinterpretation of his “Trump holdover” BIA!
The statutory requirement at issue: That a “Notice to Appear” before the Immigration Court inform the individual of the time and place of the hearing. How difficult does that sound? Not very, unless you are bumbling bureaucrat at DHS and EOIR who chose, even after the Supremes’ initial decision, toviolate that decision and the statute in almost 100% of the cases instituted before the Immigration Courts!
Kudos to the 3 Trump appointees and one Bush II appointee who joined 3 Obama appointees and 2 Clinton appointees to uphold the rule of law and thwart their GOP scofflaw colleagues.
Interestingly, and perhaps mildly encouraging, the “Trump appointees” split 3-3 on this one.
Apparently nothing drives a wedge between conservative judges like the scary prospect of following the law when it gives immigrants a win!
Future ambitious academic study: How much of the current out of control backlog can be traced to the Government’s, and particularly the BIA’s, inept handling of straightforward notice requirements set forth in the statute?
There’s a reason why I keep referring to Garland’s out of control EOIR backlogs as “largely self-created,” albeit in fairness not exclusively by him. The Trump Administration, and to a lesser extent the Obama Administration, also “excelled” at “Aimless Docket Reshuffling” driven by “prioritizing” improper political goals over due process, fundamental fairness, quality, and practical scholarship in the Immigration Courts.
The Wisconsin Badgers went down to a determined Iowa State Cyclones team in Milwaukee Sunday night in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Tournament. Freshman point guard Chucky Hepburn left the game with a bad ankle injury injury in the first half.
After that, the Badgers looked totally discombobulated! They played hard, but the disorganized offense was totally inept, bricking shot after shot to kill any comeback chances. The Badgers were truly horrible on threes (2-22), and Iowa State’s smothering defense thwarted any semblance of a consistent inside game. That proved a deadly, season-ending combination for Bucky.
The 49 points was the Badgers’ lowest total of the season. They also committed a season-high 17 turnovers.
Big-10 Player of the Year sophomore Johnny Davis, in what likely was his final game in a Badger uniform, finished with a team-high 17 points on 4-16 shooting and 0-7 on threes. Frankly, he looked like a guy who needs another year of college competition before heading for NBA “prime time.” The rather thin Badger bench was truly horrible, save for senior center Chris Vogt.
The Badgers finish 26-8, far exceeding preseason expectations. But, their end of season slump, losing 3 of their last 4, plus the departure of their second leading scorer, “super senior” Brad Davison and the likely departure of Davis leave next season’s prospects in doubt.
Meanwhile, the Cyclones continued their own dream season by upping their record to 22-12 and moving on to the “Sweet 16” for the first time since 2015. Last year, they won only two games! Many congrats to Iowa State and their coach T.J. Otzelberger, a Wisconsin native. And good luck in the Sweet 16!
Meanwhile thanks to Coach Greg Gard and the Badgers for an exciting season! Also, many thanks to Brad Davison for six great years and Johnny Davis for a season of unexpected thrills.
Etan Thomas Etan Thomas played in the NBA from 2000 through 2011. He is a published poet, activist and motivational speakerGregg Popovich NBA Head Coach San Antonio Spurs, 1996 ——
In 2017, Popovich spoke at length at Spurs media day about systemic racism and politics, saying the country under Trump had become “an embarrassment to the world”: “Obviously, race is the elephant in the room and we all understand that. Unless it is talked about constantly, it’s not going to get better. Why do we have to talk about that?’ Well, because it’s uncomfortable. There has to be an uncomfortable element in the discourse for anything to change.
“The disgusting tenure and tone and all the comments … have been xenophobic, homophobic, racist, misogynistic. I live in a country where half the people ignored that to elect someone.”
“It seems like a lot of roll back in that regard, especially as we look at the race situation in our country. Everybody wants to forget about it but it should be there, front and center, constantly,” Popovich said.
“Race is still the unanswered dilemma that everyone continues to ignore. Dr. King did not ignore it, and it’s a big fear now that we have a group in power that is very willing to ignore it. It’s not just with their words, but their actions prove it, and that is scary.”
Now. Coach Popovich wasn’t the first and definitely won’t be the last in sports to verbally spank the former US president or call out the blatant and the prevailing racism and bigotry that is currently running rampant not only throughout the Republican Party but America as a whole, yet he’s certainly one of the most important and unique for a number of reasons:
1) Coach Popovich is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and works in a military town.
2) The aforementioned standard that he and the Spurs organization has set would appear to be in direct opposition to his public chastisement of the America.
3) Coach Popovich was making these statements in the ultra-red state of Texas, arguably the most conservative of the conservative states based on the state legislature and the congressional delegation, one that has voted Republican in 10 straight presidential elections and saw 52.6% of voters punch for Trump.
. . . .
Coach Popovich said that it’s up to white people to call out racism no matter what the consequences and didn’t even really receive any backlash for his comments, not even in an ultra-conservative place like Texas. And that’s what makes him unique and special. Yes, Popovich’s coaching milestone is historic and worthy of celebration, but his activism off the court will endure longer as the standard for all white people who truly want to be allies in this fight against racism and white supremacy.
*********************
Read the full article at the link.
Many congrats to Coach Popovich on his coaching milestone! He did it all with one team, the San Antonio Spurs, making him the longest-tenured Head Coach not only in the NBA but in contemporary American sports!
Preseason “experts” predicted that the Wisconsin Badgers, returning only one starter (G, Brad Davison), would finish well down in the Big-10 — 10th place, or even 12th out of 14 squads. Last night, Coach Greg Gard’s gang proved the doubters wrong with a stirring, hard-fought70-67 win over the #8 Purdue Boilermakers (24-6, 13-6)before a capacity home crowd at the Kohl Center!
Wisconsin led for most of the game. But, behind stars Jadon Ivey (22-5-5) and Zach Edey (17-9-0), the Boilers went on a 14-2 run to take a one-point lead with 7:42 left. The Badgers rallied and appeared to have things in hand when Brad Davison (7-4-0) was fouled with 16 seconds to go and the Badgers up 67-64. Davison, the B-10’s best free-throw shooter (88.2%), had hit 25 in a row, and was in position to make it a two-score game.
But, shockingly, he missed the front-end of a one-and-one. Edey rebounded and when Ivey hit a tough 3-point shot to tie it at 67 with 11 seconds to go, overtime looked to be in the offing. But, freshman guard Hepburn (17-0-2, 0 turnovers) wasn’t having it. When his 3-pointer hit the glass and banked in with 1.5 to go, the game effectively was over. A last second desperation pass by Purdue was intercepted by forward Tyler Wahl (19-2-2) to seal the deal, as the crowd stormed the court and Gard prepared to cut down the net.
Johnny Davis Guard-Forward Wisconsin Badgers PHOTO: Wikipedia
In addition to Hepburn’s heroics, likely B-10 player of the year Johnny Davis (16-8-1) was key in the second half, although he couldn’t match his previous 37-point performance against the Boilers.
Wahl continues to be one of the most under-rated players in the conference if not in the country. He led the Badgers with 19 points, adding two rebounds, two assists, five steals, and two blocked shots. Again, he was consistently able to “post-up” the taller Edey and Purdue and made clutch shots in the paint. He plays like he’s 6-11, not 6-7. He’s also a great defender and perfectly ready to hit the floor to get after loose balls.
Wisconsin has now won 15 games in a row that were decided by 6 points or fewer. With a victory over Nebraska (9-21, 3-16) in Lincoln on Sunday, the #10 Badgers (24-5,15-4) will be the outright conference champs for the first time since 2015. While that might not seem like a difficult task, the last place Huskers are not necessarily an “easy out.” They have won their last two, including a 78-70 victory over #23 Ohio State last night.
Greg Gard Coach Wisconsin Badgers PHOTO: Twitter
No matter how it comes out, Gard should be the B-10 Coach of the Year for the job he has done with a team that everyone predicted was “bound for nowhere!”
Juwan Howard Michigan Head Men’s BB Coach PHOTO: https://www.marc-gregor.com/Main Creative Commons License “Coach Howard is getting some time off to work on his ‘courtside manner.’”
By Paul Wickham Schmidt
Courtside Sports
Feb. 22, 2022
Michigan Head Basketball Coach Juwan Howard was suspended Monday for the balance of the regular season (five games) and fined $40,000 for delivering a bizarre “head slap” to Wisconsin Assistant Coach Joe Krabbenhoft following the conclusion of the Badgers dominating 77-63 victory over the Wolverines Sunday afternoon in Madison. The penalty was imposed by the Big-10 Conference.
Wisconsin Coach Greg Gard was fined $10,000 by the Big-10 for an apparent “illegal touching” of Howard, while two Michigan players and Wisconsin reserve guard Jahcobi Neath were suspended for one game for throwing punches in the televised melee that followed Howard’s assault on Krabbenhoft.
Howard, a former star at Michigan and in the NBA, delivered a “rote apology” for his actions following the suspension. This was after lamely appearing to defend his conduct at the postgame press conference.
Howard’s claim that he was outraged by a timeout call by Gard with 15 seconds left and that he felt “threatened” in the “handshake line” (which he initially tried to avoid) after being touched on the arm by the 52-year-old, full-head-shorter Gard, who has never “gone after” anyone, failed to pass the “straight face test,” although many members of the media and commentators appeared to accept it at face value. This is the second major “out of control” incident for Howard, who was ejected from a game last season after threatening then Maryland Head Coach Mark Turgeon.
Howard’s childish conduct gained instant national media coverage, overshadowing what should have been the real story: a near perfect second half coached by Gard and executed by his Badger squad. Led by breakout sophomore sensation guard Johnny Davis, who scored 11 straight at one point, the home team broke open a game that had been tied at the half.
Davis finished with 25 points, 6 rebounds, an assist, and 3 blocked shots on defense. Perhaps, Howard’s frustration with being out-coached by Gard and his team seriously outplayed by Davis and his Badger mates was what really was behind the unusual and uncalled-for outburst.
Coach Gard’s Badgers have been one of the better stories in NCAA Men’s hoops. Unranked preseason and picked to finish in the “lower bracket” of the 14-team Big-10, Bucky is now 21-5, ranked 13th nationally, 12-4 conference, and tied with Illinois for second place, just one-half game behind Purdue for the league lead! The Badgers beat the Boilermakers earlier on the road on a night featuring another dominating 37-point performance from Davis.
Davis has been the pleasantly unexpected difference. As a freshman “off the bench” last season, he averaged 7 points and 4 rebounds per game. His “high game” was 17 points. He was a solid, but hardly awe-inspiring, presence.
This season he averages more than 20 and leads the team in scoring, rebounds, and assists while playing tough defense. He is a serious contender for national player of the year. Davis gets lots of help from his friends: scrappy senior forward Brad Davison, highly skilled junior post forward Tyler Wahl, 7-foot inside-outside threat sophomore center Steven Crowl, and calm, cool, and collected freshman floor leader and point guard Chucky Hepburn.
While many expect Davis to be off to the NBA after his breakout season, the Badger faithful are savoring every moment of his extraordinary play. He has developed a “step back, off balance, fade away” jump shot that is basically un-defendable, as the Wolverines learned on Sunday.
As for Howard, with the loss, his Wolverines find themselves in jeopardy of missing the “Big Dance,” with a lackluster 14-11 record (8-7, B10). Perhaps, that will give Howard a little more “time off” to work on his anger management and “role model” skills. They certainly need to improve, and fast, if he is to have a future in college coaching. Assistant Coach Phil Martelli, previously the long-time Head Coach at St. Joseph’s, will take the Wolverines’ helm during Howard’s suspension.
☹️🏈 THUD! — Cold, Snowy 13-10 Loss To 49ers Ends Pack’s Super Bowl Quest, Possibly Closing “Rodgers’ Era” In GB!
By Paul Wickham Schmidt
Courtside Exclusive
Jan. 23, 2022
The #1 seed Green Bay Packers (13-5) laid another playoff egg before stunned fans at frigid, snowy (0 degree wind chill) Lambeau Field Saturday night. The Pack lost to the underdog San Francisco 49ers (11-7) and their much maligned quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, 13-10 on a “walk off” 45 yard field goal by Robbie Gould, who remained perfect in playoffs.
This deflating loss comes in a post-season where the Pack was one of the odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl. It could be the “swan song” in green and gold for future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his sidekick, superstar wide receiver Devonte Adams.
The Packers got the opening kickoff and went on an impressive 69 yard drive, ending with running back A.J. Dillon plowing six yards into the end zone taking more than five minutes off the clock. Sadly, however, for Packer fans, their team was unable to repeat that success.
Basically, Rodgers and the offense took the rest of the night off, mustering only three more points on a field goal. Another field goal try was blocked at the end of the first half.
That left the Pack’s fate in the hands of a defense that was somewhat inconsistent over the regular season. This time, they showed up and almost pulled it off, holding Garopollo and his offense out of the end zone.
Unfortunately, however, the Green Bay “D” fell victim to the offense’s anemia, compounded by more chronically lousy special teams play, an Achilles heel for the team during the season. After the offense failed to move, deep in Packer territory, a blocked punt was scooped up by SF and run into the end zone for a then-tying touchdown.
On the ensuing possession, needing a sustained drive resulting in points to clinch a trip to the Conference finals for the second straight season, Rodgers and the “O” fired a blank — big time! Following a quick and inept three and out, consisting of poorly conceived plays without realistic probability of success, they punted the ball back to the 9ers, thus giving them a shot at winning a game in which they had never led.
Everybody in the stadium knew that SF was likely to lean primarily on its running game, rather than put the game solely in Garopollo’s hands, particularly since he had already thrown one ridiculously bad interception to kill a drive in the red zone.
This time, the worn-down Packer defense could not get the 49ers off the field. The killer came on third and seven on the Green Bay 38, about a minute left in the game, and the Pack out of time outs. SF faced a possible dilemma. If the Pack could hold them to no gain, Gould would have had to attempt a 55 yard field goal in the freezing cold and swirling snow. A miss would have given Rodgers the ball near midfield with about half a minute on the clock. Even a make would have given Rodgers two or three plays after the kickoff to get into field goal position.
But, that moment of truth never came. The Packers let SF all-purpose star Deebo Samuel run for nine yards and a first down at the GB 29. The 49ers then ran the clock down and called on the reliable Gould for the 45 yard game-winner as time expired and the Lambeau faithful looked on in shock.
So, despite a league-best 39 wins over Coach Matt LaFleur’s first three seasons, most in Packer history, the Pack again find themselves as Super Bowl spectators for the 11th consecutive year since winning it all in 2011.
It’s also quite likely the end of the road for the Pack and Rodgers, who almost refused to play this season. And, if Rodgers goes, his friend and All-Pro wide receiver Davonte Adams, who will be a free agent, is likely going with him.
If AR does reach his second Super Bowl, it will probably be in a different uniform. Tennessee, Indianapolis, and Cleveland seem like logical possibilities. All have strong running games and basically are “a quarterback away” from championship contention.
Another intriguing possibility is the Washington Football Team. Rodgers, Adams, paired with existing receiver Terry McLaurin, healthy tight end Logan Thomas, and a revived defense with Chase Young back would be a formidable combination.
The Pack is likely to go into “modified rebuild mode” behind quarterback Jordan Love who will be entering his third season. Love seems like a nice young man with some arm strength. But, frankly, I don’t see him making fans forget Rodgers or getting very deep into the playoffs.
Case in point, Rodgers threw 531 passes this year with 4 interceptions and 0 lost fumbles. Love threw 62 passes with 3 interceptions and 1 fumble lost.
Indeed, Packer fans might well find themselves spared the suspense and disappointment of season-ending playoff losses for some years to come in the “Post-Rodgers Era.” I’m among those “die-hards” to remember the very gloomy quarter-century hiatus between the “glory days” of Lombardi and Starr and the arrival of Holmgren and Farve and a long-awaited return to relevance for the NFL’s oldest franchise.
Perhaps, the strongest factor favoring the Packers’ future playoff chances is that they play in the NFC North. Their divisional competition, Chicago, Minnesota, and Detroit are among the most inept franchises in football these days, with all of one Super Bowl victory among them (Chicago — 1986 ) in the “modern age” of the NFL.
With the Packers off the field until next fall, the “action” is likely to shift to the “off-season drama” between Rodgers and the Green Bay front office.
“Who is Aaron Rodgers?” Maybe, the “answer” will be: “Former Packer quarterback who was both a contestant and a guest host of Jeopardy.”
