Flynn Lives (And So Do the Packers' Playoff Hopes, Barely)

Not much to celebrate in Packerland these days. At least they didn't lose this one, but a tie isn't exactly a win.

Interesting to see quarterback Matt Flynn back in green and gold again. He did a fantastic job filling in under center in 2010, but couldn't put the Packers over the top in this one.

Again, the most important player on the Packers' roster was wearing the wrong team gear:

Speaking of sideline gear, I did like the jackets the cheerleaders were sporting:

We Needed Him Wearing White, Not Green

Yesterday, I got to watch one of the few Packer games on New York free television. Unfortunately, it was an ugly loss to the Giants.

The uniform matchup was pretty good; the Giants have one of the best looks in the sport (or did, before they started messing up the smaller details.

Of course, for Packer fans, the real shame was the uniform Aaron Rodgers was wearing:

That just ain't right.

Giving Thanks for New Merchandise

The Packers' players will apparently be wearing these special caps on the sidelines during the Thanksgiving game at Detroit.

It's available now at the Packers Pro Shop, along with a gold-crowned version for the coaches:

There are actually two Gs in 'Thanksgiving', but whatever.

The Packers have played on Thanksgiving before, of course, including throwback events in 2001 and 2003, but this is the first time they've had special sideline merchandise to celebrate the occassion.

Auction Gold from Heritage

Heritage Auctions has a fantastic auction ending this weekend, inclding some amazing Packers artifacts.

First and foremost is this incredibly rare, game-worn 1940s helmet, worn by Packer Hall of Famer Charley Brock.

From the second era of Glory Days, this flag flew over Lambeau Field in the 1960s:

The 1962 Packer squad is widely regarded as one of the best teams in sports history, let alone the NFL. This ball was signed by the entire squad:

Turning to sideline gear, Mary Jane Sorgel occupies a unique place in Packer history. During the Vince Lombardi era, she was the Lumberjack Band's majorette and romantically involved with team founder and former coach Curly Lambeau. This is the outfit she wore as the "Golden Girl" in those days:

There's something from every era in Green Bay's glorious gridiron history. I love this 1989-90 Tony Mandarich game-worn jersey, one of the last before the NFL added its logo to the collar:

I'm also partial to this 1980s helmet worn by Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud. Single-bar facemask cool! It's signed by Stenerud and others such as Bart Starr, Paul Hornung and Ray Nitschke.

This lot of ticket and two buttons from the first Super Bowl at the LA Coliseum show us that the nickname "Super Bowl" was applied to the game from the start, even if it didn't become official for a couple years:

They also have programs from many championship games - the 1962 World Championship against the Giants in Yankee Stadium, 1965 World Championship Game against Cleveland at Lambeau Field, the 1966 NFL Championship in Dallas and the Ice Bowl, as well as Super Bowls I and II.

This just scratches the surface of Heritage's amazing offerings - check out the whole assortment here. Bid early, bid often!