On the first Saturday of every month, Mark will write about a topic of interest to Packers fans and the organization, and then answer five fan questions. Fans are encouraged to email Mark with their name and hometown at:
While the real test of a draft class is two to three years down the road, we were very pleased with last week's draft (by the way, I think the media grading each team's draft, and each pick, is ridiculous). I always take it as a good sign when both our scouts and coaches are excited about our picks. Most importantly, we were able to address most of our needs. We entered the draft with 11 picks, which gave us the ability to move up the draft board for players we had targeted. Having four picks in the first two rounds was particularly helpful. The last time we had that many picks in the first two rounds was 1967.
I give Brian Gutekunst and his staff a lot of credit. They work year-round in preparing for the draft and it is impressive to see all their work come together during the three days of the draft. Our draftees, undrafted free agents who have signed, and tryout players all came into Green Bay on Thursday for our rookie minicamp. The minicamp wrapped up this afternoon. It's an exciting time not only for the rookies, but for our coaches and scouts.
Now, on to your questions.
A question from Audrey
Mike Murphy please bring Paul McCartney back to LAMBEAU, it was the best concert ever. Please please please!
I must agree with you, Audrey. The Paul McCartney concert was terrific. It was a great honor to meet Paul. I invited him to come back for a Packers game that year, but he declined because he said it would be too cold! We try to have one non-Packers event at Lambeau Field each year. We realize how impactful these events are for the community. We were unable to host any events the past two years due to the pandemic, so we were excited when we were able to secure the soccer friendly between Bayern Munich and Manchester City on July 23 this summer. We hope to host a concert next summer and are looking forward to the Wisconsin-Notre Dame game in 2026. Also, please stop calling me Mike.
Matt from Peachtree City, GA (formerly Waukesha, WI)
Hi Mr. Murphy, hope you are well. I know you just did your "take 5" segment, so hopefully you can cover this question next month. I am anxious to take my father-in-law up to Green Bay this summer as the two of us are freshly minted shareholders. When do you plan to hold the shareholder event this year? Are you planning any other events as part of the weekend? We are anxious to take in the Green Bay experience as longtime fans and former Wisconsin residents. Thanks in advance.
First, Matt, thanks to both you and your father-in-law for supporting the Packers through the recent stock sale. We will not set the date for the shareholder meeting (or the training camp schedule) until after the NFL schedule is announced next week. The meeting will most likely be the week of July 25. I suggest you consider going to the soccer friendly on July 23. Between the soccer friendly and the shareholder meeting, there will be many people in the community as we head into the start of training camp. It will be an exciting time for Packers fans.
A question from Marilyn, a longtime Packer fan and shareholder
Out of the 11 players drafted by the Packers in the 2022 NFL Draft none are white. I also looked at the first two rounds of 64 and found that only 11 players drafted by all the teams were white. When I Googled the question of how many white overall were drafted, Google wouldn't answer it. I wonder why. I sure hope we aren't going to have to hear all the whining about equity, justice and all the markings on hats and shoes and all else. I suggest the NFL is actually racist for always choosing and highlighting black players. I am sure that is why you chose Love for a QB when he never should have been chosen. I hope the Packers will play the National Anthem and fly the flag high with the planes going over as they always have. Anyone who doesn't respect and honor our flag and our military heroes does not belong on the Packer roster. So for the 2022-2023 season, let's just play football and leave all the politics and racism out of the stadium.
Marilyn, I can assure you that the NFL and particularly the Packers are not racist when it comes to drafting players. Our draft decisions are based solely on the players' abilities and whether we think they can help our team. In case you haven't noticed, approximately 80% of the players in the league are Black, and it has been that way for many years. There was a time, though, many years ago when teams were reluctant to draft Black players. Vince Lombardi, who was discriminated against because he was Italian, helped change things when he came to Green Bay and built the Packers into a dynasty by focusing on bringing in Black players. I am very proud of our players, both Black and white, when they speak out on social justice and equity issues. They are in a privileged position as NFL players and can help others who are not so fortunate.
Joshua from Appleton, WI
Hello, I have really enjoyed what has been added to Titletown so far and the events that are held there. What are the plans for future expansion? Also, how much is the success of Titletown tied to the Packers staying in Green Bay? Thank you for your time and the amazing job you do.
Thanks, Joshua. We've been very pleased with the development of Titletown. The three anchors (Hinterland, Lodge Kohler and the Bellin Health Sports Medicine Clinic) along with the public spaces, helped us get off to a great start. The next phase includes residential buildings and an office tower. The residential buildings are coming along well, with many people now living in Titletown. So far, we've sold just over 21 townhouses and rented out a third of the apartment complex. The office building, the U.S. Venture Center, is 80% leased. We do have some space remaining and are studying the best mix of amenities to add to Titletown. With regard to your second question, one of the reasons for moving forward with Titletown was to help ensure that the team stays in Green Bay. Our thought was that if Green Bay becomes more attractive to companies and young professionals, our population will increase, and it will help support an NFL team long-term. TitletownTech, with its investment in start-up companies in the area, can be very helpful in this regard.
Tom from Anchorage, AK
I was not aware until I was watching some of Mr. Watson's film that North Dakota State's football team plays in a dome. I have not seen anyone in the media speak to that either. Maybe I am mistaken but it looked like they were inside for games in Fargo, ND. My question is if I am right and the team does have a dome, was it turf or natural grass the team played on? How much did the scouts factor that into their evaluation of the young man? Thank you if you decide to answer these questions. I think Brian's team of people and all the coaches did a great job for the draft. Oh, one more question, is the field big enough to play a soccer game on?
Yes, Christian Watson did play his home games in a dome at North Dakota State. The Fargo Dome is well known in FCS football. North Dakota State has been dominant over the years in the dome. My alma mater, Colgate, played there in 2018 in the second round of the FCS playoffs and it didn't go well. I really don't think our scouts factor in whether a player plays on turf or natural grass in their evaluation of players. Christian played many away games on grass. He also participated in the combine, and a key factor was the time that he posted on the turf field at Indianapolis. I'm glad you mentioned Christian. It will be interesting to follow his career and to see how he develops. His father, Tim, was drafted by the Packers in 1993 (and was only on the roster for one game due to an injury) and ended up playing as a safety for three other teams in the league. Christian was a late bloomer in high school in the Tampa area and North Dakota State was his only scholarship offer. It is a tribute to him that he ended up having such a great college career and being selected with the 34th pick in the draft. Finally, yes, Lambeau Field meets FIFA standards. The corner kicks will be interesting, though.
