Linemen spar over heavyweight belt
GREEN BAY – Before the Green Bay Packers reported for training camp, their best offensive lineman and defensive lineman conspired to start what could be a monthlong battle.
It started with a picture David Bakhtiari sent through text message this off-season. The Packers left tackle had just bought a customized heavyweight championship belt. Fitting for a team with Aaron Rodgers, owner of the titlebelt celebration, but Bakhtiari’s new toy wasn’t for his quarterback.
He texted the picture to Mike Daniels.
The black belt has a golden plating speckled with red gems, the words “World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion” on top and “Packers” on bottom. Bakhtiari’s message to Daniels was clear: bring your intensity to training camp.
Each day, starting with Saturday’s first padded practice, the belt goes to whichever line wins more run drills.
“I was bored in my offseason,” Bakhtiari said, “so I bought a WWE heavyweight championship belt just to have a little more fun in the runblocking stations. I know it’s fun for the fans and everyone else to watch us hit in pads, but it sucks.
“So this just kind of helps us take our mind off it, and add a little more competition.”
The leaders of the Packers’ two lines were far from lethargic Saturday.
Bakhtiari and Daniels, two of the bigger men and personalities in the Packers’ locker room, traded barbs on Twitter in the past week. On Saturday, their trash talk spilled onto Ray Nitschke Field.
Daniels’ not-safe-forwork outbursts are a common soundtrack at practice. Bakhtiari, usually unable to muffle a smile, was all too happy to antagonize his defensive tackle. Between team reps, Bakhtiari often offered a quip or two while Daniels’ white-hot intensity vented.
Those words might become fists eventually – if not between Bakhtiari and Daniels, then perhaps their followers on each line. In summer’s heat, it doesn’t take much for tempers to flare.
Fighting is just fine, Daniels said, so long as it stays on the field.
“You can have three brawls,” Daniels said, “and then the same guys that were fighting will come in here and eat lunch and joke about it, and that’s just how it’s supposed to be. You’re supposed to leave all the aggression and intensity on the field.”
Bakhtiari and Daniels are unnatural nemeses. As an interior defensive lineman, Daniels almost never rushes against an offensive tackle on the edge. They aren’t matched together in oneon-one rush drills.
What makes their friendly rivalry work is personality. Both have loud, carrying voices with little filter and no hesitation to use them. In Daniels’ terminology, both could be called alpha males.
Daniels said what brings them together is similar paths their careers took. Both were afterthoughts in the draft who earned big second contracts.
“We love to rib each other on social media,” Daniels said, “and talk a little bit of smack on the field, but David and I understand it. We understand each other.
“He (Bakhtiari) just brings a certain type of humility and mentality and attitude.”
There was no humility when discussing the belt’s rightful owner, however.
“If Mike Daniels can win it – if – then he can walk it back (from practice) and have it in his locker,” Bakhtiari said, “but so far he’s 0-1.”
Therein lies a potential problem. Neither Bakhtiari nor Daniels could identify a single arbitrator. Without a third party to identify the belt’s rightful owner, any losing candidate should welcome protest.
“He’s just trying to bring the best out of everybody,” Daniels said. “Dave had a lot of success last year – Pro Bowler, all-pro. Finally getting the recognition for being one of the best left tackles in football – which he is – and one of the best offensive linemen in football, which he is.
“Now, he wants to bring everybody else along with him.”