From JSonline.com:
Mike Wood can't remember the last time he watched a Green Bay Packers home game on television.
For at least 22 years, Wood has worked on game days at Lambeau Field as a part-timer with the stadium's maintenance staff.
It was a job he loved because it meant working for a franchise he loves.
That relationship is over. Wood, 53, was fired Nov. 1, the day the Packers lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 38-26.
APMike McCarthy
He says it had something to do with a comment he made to head coach Mike McCarthy on the Thursday before the game.
Wood was initially reluctant to tell his version of what happened but then he agreed to speak to a reporter. His friends say Wood, known as Woody, deserves better.
Wood said he was sitting in a maintenance cart in a stadium tunnel when McCarthy was talking with members of the grounds crew.
With the season's most-hyped game only three days away, Wood said he yelled to McCarthy, "Hey coach, let's get the boys ready to kick some butt this weekend."
Wood says that's all he said.
The next day, a Friday, Wood came back to Lambeau Field to work. "Nothing was said," he said.
But on Sunday, Wood arrived at the stadium about 11:30 a.m. and immediately began his regular routine. There were nets to hang, and the field had to be cleared of debris, he said.
Wood said Allen Johnson, the team's fields manager, approached him. "What did you say to McCarthy?" he asked.
Wood said he repeated what he had told McCarthy. Wood said he was told that McCarthy thought he heard him make a comment along the lines of "don't lay an egg" in the game.
"I'm telling you, I had no knowledge of that," Wood said he told Johnson.
Moments later, Wood said Ted Eisenreich, the team's director of facility operations, approached him.
"If you didn't say it, who did?" Eisenreich asked Wood.
"I said I didn't know," Wood answered.
The next thing Wood knew he was being escorted from Lambeau Field and told he was out of a job. "Allen said to me, 'Woody, we can't have that stuff. We have to let you go.' "
Wood said he shook Johnson's hand and left.
Reached for comment, the Packers released a statement: "The organization has standards of conduct that apply to all employees, full-time and part-time, in order to maintain a respectful workplace. Mr. Wood's supervisors determined he made an inappropriate comment, and he was relieved of his duties."
Wood said he cried when he realized what had happened. He went to the Stadium View bar to watch the game, still bewildered by his firing.
"This was going to be my last year," said Wood, who said he had been working for the Packers for at least 22 years and as many as 25. "The truth is it was starting to get to me, the cold weather and so on," he said.
On Thursday, Wood, who has worked for the City of Green Bay for 34 years as a truck driver, insisted he had no idea what McCarthy thought he heard.
"I will die in my grave knowing that I didn't say anything about laying an egg," he said. "I was shook up."
Wood says he's not even sure it's worth going back.
"I don't want to go back and be scrutinized," Wood said. "It's not the way I wanted to go out. But I know it didn't happen the way they said it did."
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The guy got fired for telling the truth! They DID lay an egg !!!
I'd be embarrassed to be a fan of this team....
McCarthy looks more and more like a slightly better version of Mangini. He can't change game plans, he won't adjust protection assignments, and he has an ego the size of TO's. Sad and stupid. I am embarassed to see this.
Well, McCarthy sure did lay an egg that Sunday, and then the following one against Tampa he decided to take a police horse-caliber dump in the middle of the locker room in order to demonstrate to his team what type of performance would be necessary to guarantee a loss vs. the Bucs. What a sad, sad story he has become. I guess once the ship begins to sink, it sinks fast.
Anyway, like many GB fans I've given up on the Thompson-McCarthy regime and from here on out will only make fun of them and hope that the team loses every stinking game until the two happy cellmates are gone. When you look on with detachment, McCarthy's fat face on the sideline is good for a laugh or two.
Hey, Mike, why don't you and Ted hold hands at midfield on Sunday, crouch and try to lay eggs at the same time? Then maybe you can tell the fans, like the drivel you drool after every game, that you'll "get it fixed" while in reality the new groundskeeper will have to "clean it up."
McCarthy gets a guy fired with 22 years on the job for a comment made about a struggling team. Even if he did say "don't lay an egg' who cares McCarthy. He should be more concerned abou t his job future with the packers ......maybe some new protection scemes for our offensive line or a pass rush for our defense. Things in titletown are getting worse each week they take the field(Sunday is going to get ugly in hurry). Ted fire McCarthy before you lose your job too. Or maybe just do nothing? Which would be par for the course.
Well, on the surface this appears to be a pretty gutless move by the organization. During times of adversity you really find out what kind of character individuals have. Should this employee have made a comment to McCarthy good or bad, most certainly not...However, it appears they are making this guy the scapegoat for the general crummy malaise in the organization.
Someone at the Packers should step up and take the high road here. This is a Grade A embarrassment.
Thompson, McCarthy and Murphy look more and more pathetic by the day............send them all packing so we can clean up their mess.........Go Pack Go.....beat the Cowboys!!!
"Wood, who said he had been working for the Packers for at least 22 years and as many as 25."
Something is fishy about that comment. He doesn't know? And it's a job he loved? Clearly there's more to the story.
@Lance
I noticed that, too. What a weird way of putting it. There's a three year gap he's not sure about? Bizarre.
As a shareholder and long time fan of the Green Bay Packers I am INCENSED over this firing!!! Clearly Mike McCarthy has lost his composure and has lost this team. Mike McCarthy is the one that needs to be FIRED and FIRED IMMEDIATELY!!! No one in a position of power should EVER act like McCarthy did, the only thing worse is how the Green Bay Packer organization responded. I'm ashamed of all of them!!!
I think Green Bay needs to change its logo to a hammer & sickle . Maybe change their colors from green & yellow to red & yellow . Are there bears in Wisconsin ? Maybe a bear can be your new mascot . Instead of cheese heads I think you should wear Russian raccoon commie pelts on your heads . You people have lost more than Brett Favre . You have lost your freedom . Green Bay = Siberia !
Been a truck driver in Green Bay for 34 years, working for the Packers for somewhere between 22 and 25+ (seriously, he doesn't know?!?) and just NOW the cold winters are starting to get to him?!?
Also funny how the article lists Ted Eisenreich and Allen Johnson as the people most likely to have been involved in his dismissal, yet the commenters never mention them, laying the blame at the feet of Thompson, McCarthy, and Murphy. In most organizations, those decisions hardly ever come from that high up, especially pertaining to a "part-timer with the stadium's maintenance staff".
And does anybody else find it weird that this guy yelled whatever he said, to McCarthy who was talking with a bunch of other grounds people at the time, and none of his grounds crew coworkers seem to have stuck up for him? If he didn't say something bad, he would have had tons of his coworkers to vouch for him.
As a shareholder and long time fan of the Green Bay Packers I am INCENSED over this firing!!! Clearly Mike McCarthy has lost his composure and has lost this team. Mike McCarthy is the one that needs to be FIRED and FIRED IMMEDIATELY!!! No one in a position of power should EVER act like McCarthy did, the only thing worse is how the Green Bay Packer organization responded. I'm ashamed of all of them!!!
Been a truck driver in Green Bay for 34 years, working for the Packers for somewhere between 22 and 25+ (seriously, he doesn't know?!?) and just NOW the cold winters are starting to get to him?!?
Also funny how the article lists Ted Eisenreich and Allen Johnson as the people most likely to have been involved in his dismissal, yet the commenters never mention them, laying the blame at the feet of Thompson, McCarthy, and Murphy. In most organizations, those decisions hardly ever come from that high up, especially pertaining to a "part-timer with the stadium's maintenance staff".
And does anybody else find it weird that this guy yelled whatever he said, to McCarthy who was talking with a bunch of other grounds people at the time, and none of his grounds crew coworkers seem to have stuck up for him? If he didn't say something bad, he would have had tons of his coworkers to vouch for him.
Been a truck driver in Green Bay for 34 years, working for the Packers for somewhere between 22 and 25+ (seriously, he doesn't know?!?) and just NOW the cold winters are starting to get to him?!?
Also funny how the article lists Ted Eisenreich and Allen Johnson as the people most likely to have been involved in his dismissal, yet the commenters never mention them, laying the blame at the feet of Thompson, McCarthy, and Murphy. In most organizations, those decisions hardly ever come from that high up, especially pertaining to a "part-timer with the stadium's maintenance staff".
And does anybody else find it weird that this guy yelled whatever he said, to McCarthy who was talking with a bunch of other grounds people at the time, and none of his grounds crew coworkers seem to have stuck up for him? If he didn't say something bad, he would have had tons of his coworkers to vouch for him.
It's easy (and fair game) to pile onto management and coaches when little is going right. I'm one to pile on as well. I can tell you, I've been a manager of anywhere from 45 - 185 staff over the course of 10 years and it's heart breaking anytime you release somebody, even when they deserve it. It's funny how many times I've released a staff member and they lie through their teeth as to WHY they were dismissed and I, as a manager, need to maintain confidentiality on the termination and can't even defend myself and tell the world they are being outright dishonest or ommitting important information about their terminiation.
Not saying the Packers are right on this one, but it's fair to question if Mr. Wood is enjoying the crucifixtion complex and not being entirely honest about what he said. But hey, this is a witch hunt so let's just assume it's the Packers and managment, burn em.....(cue sarcasim)
Jerry,
You have not a clue as to what you are talking about. Regardless of what was or was not said NO ONE else would dare come to another's defense for fear they would also be fired. I have witnessed this too many times to count and also unhappily have first hand experience. CYA and save your job trump all - even real or supposed friendships. It is obvious such fear should and does exist in this "fine" organization. A deceit of culture and totalitarianism begins at the TOP and works its way down and that includes HR who must be involved in any firing decision so the orders did come from the top. Sad story and so, so sad how far it this organization has fallen. And for some others - who the hell cares if it was 22 or 25 years - what relevance does that have to the issue at hand - cowardness, pettiness and power-mongering. Bosses lead by fear Leaders by respect. What do we have here?
Simple....The Packers have just laid one big egg! The attention this issue has gotten is not good for the image of the Packers. I find it ironic a groundskeeper can make an off the cuff remark, not derogatory in any way, and be fired because the "coach" was offended (?). Johnny Jolly can head butt an opposing player and get no punishment at all and this felllow gets fired? For what? And, for Mike McCarthy to say he did not read or know of this is so blatantly fudging the truth he deserves some form of discipline! I for one am appauled and feel this man is owed one HUGE apology!
What a joke. Way to pick on an employee for trying to support his team. How exactly was his comment inappropriate? He was just hoping, like the rest of us, the Packers would play up to their potential. It's not like he swore at McCarthy. Did Mike really have to worry about some inconsequential comment an employee said? What a whiny jerk. Murphy should do the right thing and get the guy hired back with a pay raise as an apology. No way does what he said constitute a firing. I can't wait for McCarthy to get fired now.
Of all the things the Packers management has to worry about, this is the equivalent of a mosquito bite on an elephant's ass but yet look what it has done. We have the 'Boys coming in (how we wish they had to come to Lambeau in the '90's rather than the nighmares in Dallas) and what will McCarthy be hassled about-what did he know and when did he know it! My guess is that some middling manager, hoping to make brownie points with the guys upstairs, exercised some really bad judgement here and now senior management has a problem on their hands.
Micmac,
Your paranoia and jadedness are amazing. Have a little faith in humanity. You think everyone is going to sit silent because they don't want to protect their coworkers? Maybe you need some better friends and coworkers and employers in your life.
The issue of his tenure is quite relevant. If the guy doesn't even bother to figure out a VERY SIMPLE fact about his own life before talking to the media, how are we supposed to approach the other "facts" he's saying?
McCarthy is a big baby. Maybe the comment struck close to home, and the realization that he can't get the packers to win a big game in the "farve-less" era is finally starting to sink in...Mike McCarthy will no doubt feel the same way when he is ultimately fired for taking the packers back to where they were before Farve ever slipped on that uniform
Jerry,
Probably was a bit harsh by specifying you.
If you have seen what corporate Americam Management and HR does to their employees the way I have you also would be "jaded." Forget me - I have seen friends lie and falsify documents to support the firing of others - never mind speak up on their behalf. I have seen and know of so many unethical and cowardly firings I can't count them. I have seen HR knowingly rely upon false information and falsified documents and themselves forge documents and withhold documents and informaiton to support their wrongful positions and firings. When "friends" lie and falsify documents to protect their job at the bequest of HR/Management or simply on their own I assure "friends" they will not voluntarily speak up to protect somebody elses job especially if they are aware of the culture they work in. Corporate America/HR/Management - for the most part in most companies - are arrogant, unethical, deceitful and self serving with little true regard for "their most valuable assets" their employees. If you have not experienced or witnesed this then you have lived a blessed life.
I'm not a huge Mike McCarthy fan, but this story seems too pat. The Little Napoleon coach takes umbrage because one of the little people" shouts out words of encouragement? Maybe, but it sounds to me like a story with more to it.
First of all, I wonder what was actually said. If you work at a Vegas casino, I'm sure you can safely say hello to Wayne Newton as he passes you on his way to the stage, or even wish him luck. However, if you admonish him to avoid "laying an egg," you might justifiably be escorted out to the Boulevard. Demanding respect from employees is not demanding much. Entertainers and athletes get enough guff from the media; they don't need to hear it from stagehands and restroom attendants.
Secondly, I wonder if Woody has had some previous problems. Often, when somebody gets canned, it is the last in a sequence of problems. And third, as others have pointed out, Woody's story is a bit leaky.
People reflexively sympathize with the Little Guy in a Big Guy vs Little Guy story, but sometimes the Little Guy is at fault.
Classless Move on the Packers part and even more so on Mike McCarthy's part. One of best things that the Saints ever did was firing Mike McCarthy as O-Coordinator!!!!!
CLASSLESS.
Classless Move on the Packers part and even more so on Mike McCarthy's part. One of best things that the Saints ever did was firing Mike McCarthy as O-Coordinator!!!!!
CLASSLESS.
Wow he Mike needs to go!! That guy is a Green Bay resident that should say enough. Mike should be worried about his special team breakdowns and his offensive line. Way to go TT for ingnoring the offensive line since you got here. I bet Brett is happy he is not with the packers after watching rodgers get killed by that offensive line protection he knew what they did to GB.
I quit being a fan when they let the one person that could keep them playing at a high level. I am now an official Viking fan and this is another good reason why.
regardless of what happened ... this tarnishes the organization ... it was petty and heavy handed ... where is mr. murphy
and don't disgrace the organization further, by calling in ari fleischer, the former press secretary of the most disgusting, lying, SOB president this country was ever saddled with, for a consultation on how to spin the problem, as was done with bert.
it's time for an adult to regain control of the Green Bay Packers.
McCarthy is trying to say he had nothing to do with this firing but, if he didnt why a couple of days later did it surface to the head ground crew personnel about the shout-
out. I was a very strong supporter of McCarthy and Thompson until the last three weeks.
There is a total lack of discipline on the team. Everything you hear from him is about
taking care of the players. This is well and good, but sometimes you cant worry about them being tired and push them. Thbis is why they are not a tough physical team and
inccur too many penalties. If Thomson does fire him, then Murphy needs to fire both of them. Pathetic at best right now.
Maybe Head Coach Fred Flintstone was a bit tense and thought he heard something that wasn't said. Stupid thing to do to a long-time employee.
These guys won't outlast the hall of fame quarterback they pushed out of town. Nice job Ted. Hey Mike can you get a kid at McDonalds fired for me?
Thom, you're free to root against the team you claim to be a fan of, that's your choice. But save the bit where you try to lump the rest of us Packer fans in with you. I'm not going to root against my team for one second - maybe you've lost track of what "being a fan" means.
We should have kept Favre and Woods and fired Murphy, Thompson and McCarthy!!!!! Rodgers is a very good quarterback but isn't close to being the leader that Favre was and is!!! So what if he told the coach not to lay an egg. How thin skinned can you get? He gets fired for that? I guess he would fire every fan too! 'cause that is what Woods really is - a fan! Well its time the fans fired the three jerks in the front office!
Mike McCarthy is a small, petty man trapped in a big, useless body. Sad. GO COWBOYS!
I agree with everything Paul Kittson had to say. Truly a gutless move for the organization, and once again, it shows how the mighty have fallen.
PACKER STOCKHOLDERS NEED TO CLEAN HOUSE IN GREENBAY THIS BUNCH RUNNING THE ORGANIZATION HAS PROVEN THEY ARE A COMPLETE JOKE.THEY PROBABLY COULD NOT RUN THE GARBAGE DEPARTMENT WHERE THIS MAN WORKED.FAVRE-4-EVER
As a lifetime fan of the green bay packers I think its quite embarrasing, this team and franchise how they are performing. This team has more talent than alot of the teams which we were competitive with Favre. I think if management would pay less attention to stupid things llike a maintenence man and be more concerned with getting an o-line or stressing to Rodgers he needs to get rid of the ball we might be better off. To Mr. Thompson it was priceless to see your face twice this year as the guy you ran out of town kicked your tail!!!!!! Go Pack Go but I tell ya its getting harder and harder to say.
Maybe McCarthey should get out from underneath Ted Thompson's Desk and do his real job of coaching the Packer.
What a stupid thing for MM and Packers organization to do. What did the man say that was so bad and couldn't be tolerated? Even if he said "Don't lay an egg", what is so bad about that? It's nothing personal. Did insult MM's wife? mother perhaps? or maybe his religion?
MM is acting as if that guy slept with daughter or something.
None of the other grounds crew spoke up because they knew it would be an escorted walk out of the park. This is pathetic! Hurt the little man because he has no way to defend himself, typical tyrant! There is no reason a packer employee should not say "Hey let's kick some but this week!" or any comment along those lines. It shows support for the team and the management. even if he said "Don't lay an egg this weekend!" which I find hard to believe, it should be a reprimand/warning at the very most. Stepping on a little guys neck is the sign of a MAJOR LOSER! You should be ashamed to show your face in public after revealing your inner self and showing the world you are lacking the basic qualities of a human being!
None of the other grounds crew spoke up because they knew it would be an escorted walk out of the park. This is pathetic! Hurt the little man because he has no way to defend himself, typical tyrant! There is no reason a packer employee should not say "Hey let's kick some but this week!" or any comment along those lines. It shows support for the team and the management. even if he said "Don't lay an egg this weekend!" which I find hard to believe, it should be a reprimand/warning at the very most. Stepping on a little guys neck is the sign of a MAJOR LOSER! You should be ashamed to show your face in public after revealing your inner self and showing the world you are lacking the basic qualities of a human being!
McCarthy is an arrogant idiot. He knows football, now he should take 'Life101'. I agree with an earlier comment that he is the best thing to Mangini.
Give him the same boot he gave the fired maintenance worker!!
Nothing to see here. A frustrated Packers fan, and also stadium janitor, says something along the lines of, "you can't prepare your players for games", in a sarcastic tone to the Head Coach. He probably even said it under his breath to make it worse. I don't see the story in this one.
Oh, how the scorned Brett fans easily jump on the side of whatever anti-TT/MM rumors out there. I can't say I agree with thier every move either, but the pure ignorance that is spewed in some of these forums is rediculous.
What do we know? Wood, states he told MM something along the lines of "Let's get the boys ready to kick some 'butts'".
MM, who is binded from telling the whole story by some employement laws, is most likely paraphrasing when he gives us the "Don't lay an egg" comment. Because he can't tell his side or chooses not to, he obviously looks like the bad guy.
The truth is probably somewhere in between...
Wood most likely said either "Lets kick some 'arse'", or "Don't get your 'arse' kicked". The latter make perfect sense as to why MM would be upset about and gave us "don't lay an egg", it would also explain how easily Wood could turn it into I said, "kicked butt", not "butt kicked" So Wood is either lying, or MM misunderstood him.
It's all he said, he said... but the most important fact in all of this is that Woods bosses felt enough for him to be let go. I highly doubt MM would go as low to have arranged for his firing.
"Mike, we've moved on."
You Brett people need to move on....Your guy is playing well for a divisional foe of the Pack. Good for you, go buy your Viking gear. MM and TT made the correct call for the long term health of OUR team. And based on the last three games they look like they have OUR team on track for this year. So whine all you want they aren't going anywhere this year.
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Nov 13, 2009
09:24 AM
McCarthy looks more and more like a slightly better version of Mangini. He can't change game plans, he won't adjust protection assignments, and he has an ego the size of TO's. Sad and stupid. I am embarassed to see this.