MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Associated Press sports writer Chris Jenkins says grabbing a microphone and bellowing "I told you so" to his critics would be out of character for Ted Thompson, the Green Bay Packers' quiet man.
Which is fine, because the 4-0 team he has assembled is doing it for him.
In an AP sports column, Jenkins notes that since taking over as Packers' general manager in 2005, Thompson has been treated harshly by fans who consider him a conservative cheapskate, unwilling to spend a salary cap surplus on big-name players.
However, Thompson quietly ignored the hub-bub and stuck to his plan: building through the draft and keeping key players happy with contract extensions.
Now Thompson and the unknown first-time head coach he hired, Mike McCarthy, have delivered a team that so far has been the most pleasant surprise of the NFL season.
Packers chairman Bob Harlan says Thompson reads fans' critical letters and emails like anyone else, but never lets it sway him.
Thompson's Packers can take control of the NFC North when they play the Chicago Bears Sunday night.
