Packers take risk on Robinson for very little reward
Perhaps the best opening question in the history of sports press conferences was thrown directly at the head of Packers General Manager Ted Thompson on Monday as he stood next to Koren Robinson, the troubled former Vikings receiver who had just been signed by the embarrassingly desperate Packers.
"Ted, what if he kills somebody in this state? Driving drunk or speeding away from cops?" asked Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Cliff Christl.
Despite Robinson's history of alcohol-related problems, including an Aug. 15 arrest on charges that included drunken driving and felony fleeing at speeds well in excess of 100 miles per hour, Thompson never saw the question coming.
"Oh, I can't answer anything like that," Thompson said after a pause to gather himself. "... There's issues in his past that obviously he's made some mistakes, but most of those issues are covered under the confidentiality of the NFL and the NFLPA. There's programs set up and that sort of thing, and that's where that lies."
In his past? The hood of K-Rob's Beemer is still probably warm from the high-speed chase he led 12 police cars on down Hwy. 169 to Mankato. And he still faces court battles, possible jail time and a potential one-year suspension from the NFL.
The mess was enough to get Robinson released by the Vikings. But not enough for Thompson to resist the urge to reunite with a player he helped draft in the first round with Seattle.
"Whenever you get shut out for the first time in 233 straight games, like the Packers were on Sunday, you need some help," said former Green Bay and current Vikings safety Darren Sharper, referring to Chicago's 26-0 victory at Lambeau Field. "Koren is probably the best available receiver out there, so it kind of makes sense to them to sign him."
But Robinson isn't going to push the Packers over the top and into the playoffs. At most, he adds a victory or two. So, in other words, the Packers were willing to make themselves the butt of all these jokes for a guy who can help them still finish under .500 and miss the playoffs.
Sharper said he thought Christl's question was "extreme" in a press conference setting, "especially with Koren standing right there.
"But," Sharper added, "I guess a lot of those questions are going to come into play with his history."
Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell, the Packers' career scoring leader, didn't have a problem with the opening question.
"It's an honest question," Longwell said. "I think the reporters over there are concerned about the situation. Obviously, Koren's history is out there, so they have to be prepared to face those questions."
Mark Craig •
mcraig@startribune.com
Star Tribune
But what if he kills someone?
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