The Milwaukee Post

June 21, 2013 • Milwaukee Post • 11 Bishop's release from Packers not surprising The Packers released veteran linebacker Desmond Bishop this week. No one should be surprised with any move the Packers make regarding Desmond Bishop. They never liked him as much as the consensus of fans and analysts of the team. It started from the beginning of his career when he played well, but the Packers decided he was not worthy of being a starter. It didn't make any sense because he seemed to play so well when he got on the field. Then he became a starter and played well enough to confirm the belief that he should have been a starter earlier in his career. He made plays. He added a toughness to a defense that has always needed a little more "crazy" under Dom Capers. He didn't play last season because of a ruptured hamstring. It's reasonable to believe that the defense missed Bishop. The Packers are wondering why they didn't create more fumbles last season, and the simple answer might be the absence of Desmond Bishop. If the fumbling angle is a bit of a reach, any analysis of the 2012 Packers' defense still included some improvement because of the return of Bishop. The Packers apparently have decided that Brad Jones is simply a better choice at inside linebacker than Bishop. I haven't checked the tapes like the Packers coaching staff, but I didn't see anything special from Jones. A website, profootballfocus.com, which studies tape and produces rating of all players, believes that Jones played significantly better than Bishop and was one of the top free agents before resigning with the Packers. So, it could be more about the potential of Jones than lack of belief in Bishop, but it's still the latest chapter in the "why-don't-the-Packers-realize-the-value-ofDesmond-Bishop" book. An additional factor with Bishop might be Green Bay's disgust with injuries in the past few seasons. It's only a theory but I , think the Packers have decided that they do not want to limit their dependence on players who might be injury risks. Charles Woodson is gone. D.J. Smith was released. Greg Jennings didn't get any love before signing as a free agent with the Vikings. All three players would have returned to the Packers with some concern about past injuries. Even though Bishop has stated that he is 100 percent, he would be coming back after a season lost because of serious hamstring injury . Again, it's just a theory but it could be , that the Packers are over-reacting to past problems with injured players. They can live with new injuries to players who have been healthy in the past, but they will not be held hostage by depending on players who have been hurt recently or consistently in the past. Coach Mike McCarthy has talked repeatedly about the inability to have great practices during the season because of all the injuries. Such practice problems still might happen this season, but it won't be the result of a lack of attention by the Packers to the issue. The "sick-of-injured-players" theory also explains why the Packers selected two outstanding running backs in the NFL draft. James Starks' first name should be Injured because he's almost always referred to as the injured James Starks. Alex Green tore his ACL in 2011 and was less than impressive last season. The theory says Starks won't make the team, and Green will be quickly replaced and disappear if his knee problems surface again or limit production. DuJuan Harris and the rookies give the "HOMER" on SPORTS STEVE "The HOMER" TRUE Packers three healthy options at running back. If the theory is accurate, it's also a message to the rest of the team that an injury might mean loss of a starting position. As stated in a previous column, the Packers will always be more of a smart team than a tough team under Mike McCarthy It does. n't, however, prevent him from being tougher on injuries. (Steve "The Homer" True, host of "Homer and Thunder Show," heard from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays on 540 ESPN, can be reached at homer@espnmilwaukee.com) Notoriety for J.J.Watt soars after receiving honor By DANIEL MIKE Conley News Service PEWAUKEE – J.J. Watt might have underestimated his own fame. Watt traveled to Ireland for a 10-day vacation in March, hoping the trip would be a nice escape after the grueling NFL season. The 6-foot-5, 295pound defensive end for the Houston Texans found it difficult, however, to be completely incognito. "Every year I try to take one trip where I relax, go somewhere where people don't know who I am," Watt Watt said. "I got noticed a lot more than I thought I would, which was pretty cool. To be so far away from home in another country, to have people notice me was a neat feeling." Less than three months later, Watt's fame was on display as Nike released its Free Trainer 5.0 "Megawatt" shoe June 1. It sold out online in less than two minutes. "I've had a deal with Nike for a couple years, they created that shoe over the offseason and fans went crazy for them," Watt said. "It was awesome to see that response from the fans. I still have hundreds of people asking where they can get them and how. There might be more in the future, because I think Nike underestimated our fans. "We don't know what we're doing for sure, but we know there's plenty of interest." Winning the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award after a season during which he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated added to his fame. But even Watt admits the shoe sales were a shock. "Especially being a defensive lineman, it's not a position where you get your own shoe," Watt said. "For it to sell out so quickly ... we have the best fans in the world. I can't thank them enough. "The people at Nike, I don't think they saw it coming. It's a testament to the people who support me." Watt is no longer awestruck by his fame and said it's a lot of fun. He works hard to make sure the feeling doesn't go away. One of the most dedicated workers in the NFL, Watt wants to ride his wave of fame as long as he can. "For me, it all comes back to work," Watt said. "I make sure to get my work in and continue to work. It can all go away as quickly as it came." That also drives Watt to give back whenever he can. His Justin J. Watt Foundation helps raise money for youth sports programs, he's gone on USO tours to visit with troops and he is one of the most prominent athletes when it comes to visiting with fans. But it's stuff that doesn't appear on television that gives Watt the most joy. "My favorite thing to do is the random acts of kindness, the stuff nobody is expecting and hopefully nobody finds out about," Watt said. "I love doing stuff the media doesn't pick up on, like random drop-ins at a school, a fire station or stopping in to see a fan. "I try to do random things and other fun things. To me, that's the best. It's real, not fabricated, there's no cameras and there's a fun interaction." Watt's foundation will hold its third annual J.J. Watt 5K run/walk Saturday at Waukesha County Technical College. The event has grown each year, and Watt enjoys the opportunity to come home while raising money for his foundation. "For me, I'm trying to keep it big because the longer I'm out of Wisconsin, the less recognition I may have there," he said. "It's cool to see the fans back home support me and my foundation. Even though I'm in Houston, I have so much love for Wisconsin." Watt doesn't get home as often as he'd like, as the life of one of the most prominent NFL players makes that difficult. Watt tries to get to Wisconsin as often as he can, but he was unable to see younger brother T.J. win the WIAA Division 2 state shot put title. "I really wanted to be there," Watt said. "I looked into every avenue, but I just couldn't make it work because I had events in the same time period." Watt, who did see his brother graduate from Pewaukee High School, had his school record in the shot put broken by T.J. this season, but the sibling rivalry comes through when the older brother talks about the mark. "He had a lot more practice than I did," J.J. said. "I did shot put one year, and he did it for four. He had a lot more practice and barely beat me. "I'm proud of him, but the competitive brother in me says with four years of practice I would have done better." T.J. was the third Watt brother to win a state shot put title, as J.J. won it as a senior and their brother, Derek, won it as a senior. T.J. has made the move to Madison and will be a freshman tight end for the University of Wisconsin football team this fall. Derek was the Badgers' starting fullback last season. While the younger brothers are making their own way at Wisconsin, J.J. is preparing for his third season in the NFL. He was on the all-rookie team two seasons ago. "I'm just going out there and trying to do better than last year," Watt said. "I'm putting in the work, running more, getting bigger, faster, stronger. I'm trying to go out there and do even better. "I'm always my harshest critic." Watt knows one way he can top last season: help his team win Super Bowl XLVIII. "Every team has that goal in their minds," Watt said. "We just need to finish this season better. Last season didn't finish the way we wanted it to, and this year we want to finish it out."

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