I’ve listened to many Packers podcasts, and over time I’ve winnowed them down to just a few that I actively listen to. This is not a podcast as we know them, but is composed of extracts from a radio show. As such, you get different personalities weighing in on different episodes. Yes, parts of it are flawed. I could certainly do without Chuck and Winkler and their sophomoric attempts at humor.
And yes, Clemens is repetitive and occasionally has some dumb takes. He always seems to be in an elevator with some big shot who has something hot to say. But he also brings some insight, so enjoy the first time you hear it, and endure the next several times that he tells the same story , with the same incredulous reactions. After all, it’s a radio show, and they need to fill time.
I love the spots with Gary Ellerson and LeRoy Butler, and Gary does game wrap-ups with Bill Michaels quite well. When they talk to former players, they provide a glimpse into a world that most of us will never know. I also love listening to the post game shows, at least until the callers become part of it.
Michaels is one of my favorite people on the show. Someone wrote a dismissive review saying that he was a former shock jock in Cincinnati, and because of that, apparently he’s no good. That’s nonsense. I’ve never heard him as a shock jock, nor do I care what he did in the past. We all have to work, and I don’t begrudge anyone for making a living. As a Packers analyst, he’s insightful and does his homework, and I look forward to his interviews with reporters, players, and people inside the league.
Those interviews are where the real value comes in. Michaels is the best, but Baby Tausch (okay, I guess you have to have a nickname in radio) is good at interviews, and even some guy named Sparky does well when the situation dictates that he not fall into saying the dumb stuff that Winkler can’t seem to help himself from saying even when he shouldn’t.
So overall, it’s a very good show to listen to, and I recommend it.
