Friday Cheese Curds: Packers take mentoring seriously
If there's a theme for today's Cheese Curds, it's 'mentoring.' The Green Bay Packers have established a robust mentoring program for fledgling businesses in the Fox Valley area and throughout Wisconsin, and this week they celebrated some of the successes of that program with an awards ceremony.
Yet another brainchild of team president Mark Murphy, this program is doing some great things for small businesses in the community, particularly those with diverse ownership. It's just another way that the Packers as an organization are giving back to the city and the state that they call home, and it's a model program that other organizations could aspire to.
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Meanwhile, the team's head coach served as more of a direct mentor for someone who used to play for him. Sean Mannion went to LaFleur for advice a while back when looking to get into coaching, in large part because LaFleur was his offensive coordinator for a year with the Los Angeles Rams. A few years later, Mannion is now working for LaFleur, achieving a quick rise to become the Packers' quarterbacks coach.
We at APC encourage you to take some lessons from today's curds with you and lend a helping hand to someone who's working hard to advance in some way. It will help them, and it will probably help you as well in the long run.
Packers recognize Mentor-Protégé Program participants | Packers.com
This program "matches established mentor companies ... with protégés that are seeking to improve their competitive standing," focusing on groups that are owned by women, veterans, or minorities for the learners. The program has helped create more than 400 jobs in 46 different communities across Wisconsin in 14 years.
From NFL backup to Packers QB coach in a year, Sean Mannion is filling big shoes - The Athletic ($)
Mannion's dad was a football coach, so when he saw his playing career was likely coming to an end, he got an early start on preparing for life as a coach. With Matt LaFleur giving him advice as a bit of a mentor figure, Mannion almost got a job with the Bears, but LaFleur convinced him to come to Green Bay instead.
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NFL says Tomlin was factor in Steelers' schedule, not Rodgers - ESPN
The league's main schedule-maker said they don't have any inside information on whether Rodgers will sign with Pittsburgh, but they admitted that they did put Packers-Steelers on Sunday Night Football in part because of the potential for a Rodgers vs. Packers matchup.
Ravens LB Roquan Smith eager to face Bills in Week 1: 'Revenge is best served as a cold dish' | NFL.com
Oh, Roquan. He almost got the quote from Star Trek II correct, but it's actually "revenge is a dish that is best served cold.'
Nasal tanning sprays warning issued by Trading Standards | BBC
I'm sorry, people are spray-tanning their nasal passages now?
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