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Packer Report Retweeted Don Majkowski

Help the Majik Man ...

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Aren’t there surveillance cameras in the hallways of hotels? Kinda funny they can’t figure out who did it or at least release the footage so the public can try figuring it out who the culprit is

Yup.

Every hotel I stay at---mid grade like Holiday Inn Express/Hampton Inn, all have cameras in every hallway.

Now, if it was the housekeeper....

I had no idea he was in the Packer HoF. I remember that one nice season in '89 but that team didn't even make the playoffs. He seemed like a nice guy and had some terrible luck but doesn't really fit in with the rest of the QBs in the hall. His biggest claim to fame seems to be losing his job to Favre.

Wally Pipp was a nice player but he didn't get into the Baseball HoF just because Lou Gehrig took his job.

Nothing against Majik, but he made the PHOF based largely on his 1989 season that included the infamous "Replay Game" vs the Bears. He did make the Pro Bowl that year, had 4,000+ yards passing, went 10-6 (credited with 5 come-from-behind wins, hence the "Majik Man" persona), and  created a LOT of excitement in Green Bay that had been missing for several years.

But that's about all he did. Was 22-26-1 over 6 years as a starter, missed the playoffs in '89 despite his great season, 1:1 TD/INT ratio....mediocre, at best.
Kind of like the Packers were in that era. 

Being young and relatively good-looking didn't hurt anything either, he has represented the Packers well after retirement, and remains a fan favorite.

Nailed it Timmy.

My cousin worked in Green Bay radio several years ago, knew Majik and brought him over at a pre-game event to introduce him to me and my brothers and sisters. Dude was genuinely the nicest guy you could ever meet.

For bringing the God-awful 80's to a close with a couple of fun season's puts him in my Hall of Fame.

Last edited by Blair Kiel

Few also know that Majik's ankle had become so bad, after multiple surgeries, that he actually seriously contemplated amputating it. He was in that much terrible pain. 

Talk about paying the price of playing in the NFL...

I think he deserves to be in the PHOF just for the replay game against the Bears and seeing Ditka going nuts.  After the miserable 80's against that team I loved seeing us finally sticking it to the freaking Bears.  

Goldie posted:

Dude was genuinely the nicest guy you could ever meet.  Always like to hear this about any Packer player.

I had a connecting flight from Atlanta back to Milwaukee back in 2001 and a guy got on and walked passed me that looked very familiar.  I realized moments later it was Don Majkowski.  I didn't walk up to him after the flight, but a few others did and he was friendly and handled himself well.  I think he was kind of happy that people still remembered him. 

DH13 posted:

They beat SF in SF in 89, the year SF won their 2nd SB in a row and went 14-2.  I remember that game.  

I sat in my kitchen table in the SW Chicago burbs listening to a static-y WTMJ, and it was a truly awesome game. 

Timmy! posted:

Nothing against Majik, but he made the PHOF based largely on his 1989 season that included the infamous "Replay Game" vs the Bears. He did make the Pro Bowl that year, had 4,000+ yards passing, went 10-6 (credited with 5 come-from-behind wins, hence the "Majik Man" persona), and  created a LOT of excitement in Green Bay that had been missing for several years.

But that's about all he did. Was 22-26-1 over 6 years as a starter, missed the playoffs in '89 despite his great season, 1:1 TD/INT ratio....mediocre, at best.
Kind of like the Packers were in that era. 

Being young and relatively good-looking didn't hurt anything either, he has represented the Packers well after retirement, and remains a fan favorite.

While you are technically correct, I think some context is needed. You're making it seem like Don Majkowski was a one year wonder, and then he just sucked afterwords. You're being just a tad disingenuous. He wasn't just good in 1989. He was the NFL MVP runner up. He played at an elite level on a pretty average team. The next season? Well, let's look back at what happened, shall we?

Majkowski ended a 45 day holdout on September 9th, but Anthony Dilweg started against, and beat a Rams team that would finish 5-11. Majkowski didn't get a single snap. He was going to be rusty after holding out (yes, he brought that on himself), but it explains why his play wasn't on par with the prior season. Anybody that had missed a month-and-a-half, not working with the first team offense, would be rusty. He appeared in only nine games, starting eight, and went 4-4.

Week 2, he lost to a Bears team that would end up 11-5. Majkowski played only the second half, so Dilweg was the QB of record. 

Week 3, he lost to a Chiefs team that would also end up 11-5.

Week 4, he beat a Lions team that would end up 6-10. He threw for 289 yards and 3 TD.

Week 5, he lost to the Bears again.

Week 6, he lost to a Buccaneers team that would go 6-10. He threw for 355 yards, but was intercepted five times. 

Week 7, he beat a Vikings team that would go 6-10.

Week 8, he lost to a 49ers team that would go 14-2, though throwing for 274 yards and 2 TD, with a 112.4 rating.

Week 9, he beat a Raiders team that would go 12-4, throwing for 195 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT, with a 94.2 rating.

Week 10, the Packers beat a Cardinals team that would go 5-11, but Majkowski came out with an injury after starting out 9-13 for 143 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT, with a 99.2 QB rating.

The injury was first thought to be a deep bruise. When it didn't heal, doctors found Majkowski had torn his rotator cuff. He had surgery on December 18th, and was told he'd be able to throw for 3 to 6 months. 

Majkowski was sacked 47 times in 1989 in 16 games. In 8 games worth of play in 1990, he got sacked a whopping 32 times. 

Point of fact, the schedule the first half of the 1990 season was pretty brutal. 

11-5 Bears

11-5 Chiefs

6-10 Lions

11-5 Bears

6-10 Buccaneers

6-10 Vikings

14-2 49ers

12-4 Raiders

5-11 Cardinals (did not finish)

The combined record of the teams he finished games against (counting the Bears twice), 77-51, or an average record of 10-6. 

The last three games he finished, the Packers were 2-1. He completed 49 of 81 passes (60.5%) for 672 yards, 4 TD and 1 INT, good for a 98.4 rating. The Vikings weren't good, but the 12-4 Raiders and 14-2 49ers sure as hell were, and he had a 104.4 rating against two teams that went a combined 26-6.

The guy was clearly never the same after tearing the rotator cuff. Then, in 1992, he tore a ligament in his ankle, making way for Brett Favre. He's had, from memory, about ten surgeries on the ankle, and at one point considered amputation because the pain was so bad.

To opine that the 1989 season was "all that he did" doesn't tell the whole story. The guy came back from not one, but two devastating injuries. Maybe he wasn't ever as good as he was in 1989 (though he certainly appeared to be back on track before his first major injury), but I give credit to the man for fighting through pain and being good enough to stay on as a backup for four years in the NFL after 1992. 

All fair and valid points, but we should also include the '87 and '88 seasons.

I'll largely give a pass to the '87 season because of the player's strike (one game cancelled, 3 games played with 'replacement' players) and it being his rookie year. He did start 5 games (went 2-2-1), and had 5 TDs/3 INTs.
It should be noted also that this was Gregg's last year as HC. 

The '88 season was not any better. He split starts with Randy Wright (who was even worse), went 3-6 in 9 starts, and had 9 TDs and 11 INTs. I'll also note this was Infante's first year as HC, the front office wasn't doing anybody any favors, and the team was a hot mess (both seasons).

So I don't think I'm being disingenuous by any means. I don't wish to seem disrespectful; as matter of fact, he remains one of my favorite players, and I still wear his jersey on game days as I have since 1989.
Who knows what could've been if not for injuries and other factors mentioned above, but the fact is he was an average QB at best. JMHO.

Lots of pretty average QB's had great stretches.  He reminds me of Scott Mitchell.  

Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the hell out of '89

Last edited by El-Ka-Bong

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