Packers Hire Smarmy White House Hack

Boy, this just gets more and more amusing: we are sent to a Fox Sports report from Jay Glazer that the Packers have hired former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer and his Fleischer Sports Communications to work with the players on handling the media, with some obvious attention being paid to the Brett Favre saga that just will not go away. (Hat tips to Pro Football Talk and the Big Lead.)

According to an Associated Press report, Fleischer met with Packers players Thursday, but the meeting was scheduled several weeks ago, before the Favre controversy flared up. The report also said while Fleischer didn’t focus on how players should handle the Favre situation, the topic was discussed.

“Obviously it’s a topic, and it wasn’t ignored,” Fleischer told the AP in a phone interview Thursday.

Unfortunately, this is a touch too late for damage control by the Packers organization. No one could have predicted the return of Favre and he is being hailed by Green Bay fans. Reports have Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy considering a preemptive strike against the Detroit Lions in order to distract from their handling of the unexpected attack by Favre. Plus, as Fleischer said later, “What the heck are we going to get out of invading Hattiesburg, Mississippi? There’s isn’t a damn thing there.”

(Invasions of Soldier Field and the Metrodome were considered, but decided against because the populations there and their defenders would be much more difficult to take down; management decided to wait until scheduled trips in the fall.)

However, if that is the case, we can universally assume that the up-ending of the Matt Millen regime by outside occupiers will be viewed as liberators, particularly the contingent prone to bringing “Fire Millen” signs to games and tailgates.

Packers hire Fleischer to consult on Favre saga [Fox Sports]
Packers Hire Ari Fleischer [Pro Football Talk]
Packers Hire Ari Fleischer – I’m Not Kidding [The Big Lead]