Evening star., 1963-01-08
SEGH AT LARGE
Those Packers
Play For Keeps
By MORRIS SIEGEL


Packers not represented in force at the NFL Players
Association aboree here but with characteristic thought
funess they represented forcefuly Ray NtSchke is
around to supply the world with what little information
about the champions that isn't already public knowledge
Nitschke is brute just what one would expect in a
middle nebacker for the Packers Even in breakfast
conversation NtSchke talks violently discussing his mobs
delight in violence.
NitSchke, 25-year-od college teammate Of Bobby
Mitchels at Illinois, probably is Green Bays principal
practitioner in the Vince lombard art of legal mayhem
Listening to NtSchke describe Packer session is like
listening to a historian describe a Ghenghis Khan
campaign
yeah, Coach Lombardi is mean, he's tough he's
arrogant and he's everything you writer's think he s"
Ntschke growled, but love him. He puts money in my
pocket So long he does that he be tough as
he wants to me-"
LIKE ALL THE PACKERS, Nitschke himself is tough
cookie rugged he almost deprived Green Bay Center
Jim Ringo of the privilege of appearing in the Yankee
Stadium abattor for the mopup of the Giants couple
of Sundays ago.
The conformation between Mtschke and Ringo came
only days before the freezeba final with the Giants
Rngo came out of the exercise with severely pnched
neck muscle which made his availability for the payoff
hoedown doubtful as late as the morning of the game
II popped him" Nitschke boasted, land popped him
good"
The incident wherein Ringo was almost decaptated
in fun game lombard devised to abide the 10
below weather in Green Bay. 1t was Commute scrm-
mage complete with Dress only So hours before the
kickoff.
Nitschke was reminded that such practices most
unusual in commercial football But not with Lombard
he said. HE to get his moneys worth out Of
those shoulder pads and headgears he bought Any time
he gets mad we butt heads"
AND so 1T WAS THAT DAY when lombard ordered
a modified game-type symposium. "You defensive men,
lombard shouted ht those guys like they the Giants
Nitschke, holding blocking dummy to cushion the
block Rngo to throw him. met Ringo head-on just
after the center had snapped the ball to Bart Starr His
head was coming at my gut and that's when popped
him." Nitschke repeated recalling the assault with undis
guised delight I couldn't Ringo there at all He was
Ray Wietecha, the Giants center That's why busted
him good"
Lombard an acknowledged tyrant, was displeased
with the for their showing in the last five games
of the year Following their 400 kayo Of the Eagles in
Philadelphia they Stacked off They squeaked by Balt-
by only points, lost to Detroit socked Los Angeles
easily then reapsed and forced to rally to win from
San Francisco and the Rams again in their final two
games
"Mr lombard" Nitschke said with emphasis on the
Mister" part, doesn't believe in losing"
Even yesterday, 10 days after Armageddon, NtSchke
continued to refer to the Green Bay master coach
Mister" "You don't call him anything else and that goes
for the assistant coaches well the players Nschke
pointed out. Hes got all on different pateaus Some
are high some low But he's way up here" NSchke
demonstrated holding one arm high and the other much
lower to illustrate Lombardis seimposed segregation
system
THE PACKERS DON'T GO IN for the fancy stuff Just
fundamental football IF we had guy like UnitaS or
Title that guy you got in Washington, Snead, we d
win every game by So to o." Nitschke volunteered But
what's Bart Starr? Nothing but robot. Coach Lom-
bard lets him do what he wants to do until we get down
around the 25yard line. Then the coach takes over
OF all the hard rocks the hard-rocked Packer
assembly Ntschke points to Fulback Jim Taylor as the
chief bread and butter Hornung good He gets
lots of publicity, but he's good. So are lot Of others
We don't have any bad football players Coach Lombardi
has got no place for them But Taylor our real horse
He carries about 20 times game gets us the yardage
when we need it and he's not fumbler You don't see
Taylor coughing up that football and nobody gets racked
any harder than he does. He's our man."
The inevitable comparison between Taylor and Cleve-
lands Jimmy Brown arose. Brown" Ntschke snarled,
almost in contempt The way he plays today he couldn't
make our team. He doesn't block Everybody blocks on
our team Take Hornung he's the best blocking haoack
in football Even Elijah Pitts our thrd-string haoack
blocks.
For Mr.. lombard, just running and catching isn't
good enough gotta bust somebody too He plays 1t
different He plays only to win."