Lambeau Field

I would like to congratulate Chicago Bear President Ted Phillips for deciding against selling the naming rights to Soldier Field. It takes guts to forgo a $300-million check, but in an era of stadiums with names generic (Hello, PNC Park!), obsolete (Greetings, Pro Player Stadium!), and just plain silly (How are you, Tropicana Field? Do you realize you don't actually have a "field"?), it gives me hope that I will continue to be able to watch games from places named Soldier Field, Lambeau Field, Fenway Park and Dodger Stadium until well after the Washington Redskins rename their stadium for the 45th time.

The Denver Broncos signed kicker Scott Bentley on Saturday to back up ailing Jason Elam, who is recovering from two broken bones in his lower back. Denver Coach Mike Shanahan said there is still a chance Elam will play today against the Cleveland Browns, but NFL rules required the Broncos to set their roster by 1 p.m. PDT Saturday. To make room for Bentley on the 53-man roster, the Broncos waived offensive lineman Melvin Tuten.

For fans of the Green Bay Packers, it will be remembered as the fairy tale of two cities, an incredible story that required a victory by the Packers in Green Bay and a minor miracle in Tempe, Ariz., to deliver one of the most improbable playoff berths in the team's 83-year history. In front of a Lambeau Field crowd of 70,299, the Packers took care of their end Sunday, defeating the visiting Denver Broncos, 31-3, to finish their regular season with a 10-6 record. But that alone was not enough to send Green Bay into the playoffs.

Green Bay Packers assistant Coach Virgil Knight was given a municipal citation after a fan said Knight punched him in the nose during a halftime altercation at Lambeau Field, police said today. Deputy Police Chief Thomas Hinz said Knight, 41, was ordered to appear in Municipal Court on Sept. 20 on the battery charge and could face a fine of $625. Knight is accused of punching Michael J. Leuthner, 27, of Green Bay just before halftime Sunday of the Packers' game against Tampa Bay.

The last of 500 tons of new Kentucky bluegrass rolled onto Lambeau Field despite a daylong storm with driving winds that dumped an additional two to three inches of snow on Green Bay, Wis. "We took on a very big project and I think we are very lucky to get it done," Lambeau Field supervisor Todd Edlebeck said. "It is great to be at this point."

Coach Chuck Knox said Thursday he would start tailback Cleveland Gary on Sunday in Green Bay, a week after Gary fumbled for the seventh and eighth times this season. But Knox also acknowledged that Anthony Thompson and David Lang have been getting extra snaps at tailback this week and will probably play Sunday, in weather that is expected to be sub-freezing. Gary needs 19 yards to become the first Ram since Greg Bell in 1989 to gain 1,000 yards in a season.

It's Showtime vs. Snowtime. Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick, the most dynamic player in the NFL, takes on the Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre ... and the elements at Lambeau Field. Ordinarily, a stadium wouldn't be a factor. But when you're talking about a January game in Lambeau Field it's impossible to ignore. There's a reason the Packers have not lost a playoff game there, and those reasons are much more likely to be found on the Weather Channel than on ESPN.

Green Bay Packer rapper-receiver Robert Brooks followed his own advice one week after giving President Clinton his debut CD titled "Jump Into The Stands." Brooks caught five passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns as the Packers routed the dazed and outmatched Philadelphia Eagles, 39-13, in the first Monday Night Football game at Lambeau Field in 10 years.

Tampa Bay Buccaneer defensive lineman Warren Sapp had a great game Sunday, getting three of his team's four sacks and seven tackles. Sapp also forced two Green Bay fumbles and recovered one of them. But perhaps the most entertaining game Sapp played was the mind game he waged against Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Favre, constantly peppering Favre with a verbal assault. When asked what was said, Favre told reporters, "I could get in about three words you could use."