Twitter Gate may be case closed as far as Packers coach Mike McCarthy is concerned, but linebacker Clay Matthews said he and his teammates plan on razzing the 15 injured reserve players when they arrive in the Dallas area tomorrow for the Packers' team picture planned Friday. Matthews said the ribbing is all part of business as usual -- part of the breathable fabric that bonds the Packers as a close-knit team in contrast to what many questioned as a possible distraction for a team with only two veterans who had ever played in a Super Bowl. The Twitter-driven controversy erupted last week when linebacker Nick Barnett and tight end Jermichael Finley complained via their Twitter accounts that they along with 13 other injured Packers players were being left out of the team Super Bowl week photo, typically snapped on Tuesday's media day. The back-and-forth resulted in McCarthy deciding to re-schedule the photo until Friday so that all players could be included. "Even issues like that, we're going to have a fun time with it,'' Matthews told USA TODAY Wednesday. "We're probably going to joke with them and give them a hard time. We're a young team who loves the company of one another. "We've got great young talent on this team. We're real close. I'm close and a lot of defensive guys are close with our offensive guys and Aaron Rodgers. We know everybody's strengths and weaknesses, playing off each other and understanding what needs to be accomplished.'' Rodgers, who was criticized last week by Barnett before the two teammates spoke and smoothed things over, is one of team leaders who has gone out of his way during the past three seasons to arrange nights when players get together to play cards and play guitar to promote the bonding that has gone on, resulting in their arrival on the Super Bowl XLV stage. "This is a special team,'' Rodgers said. "The character of the men we have is incredible, a lot of resolve in that locker room….That's made this journey that much more special, that's it's high-character men, a lot of guys who have been playing with a chip on their shoulders.'' Source: USA Today
