The long wait begins, but the result will be the same: another season. Andrew Brandt
The last drive in regulation Sunday was, in many ways, a microcosm of Brett Favre’s career.
It featured a magnificent pass to Sidney Rice, a Favre-ian laser threaded in the only place it could have been put, thrown by an injured and battered warrior showing toughness that has long been his trademark. With a kind of John Wayne/John Elway limp/walk, he was poised to take his team to the promised land. But then there was the catastrophic event, the pass where coaches, teammates, fans and media all yell “No!” -- the dreaded throw that Brett had managed to avoid for all but a few plays this entire season.
Brett did not lose that game, but that pass will live on as the one two years ago against the Giants has. He spent a career throwing bullet passes that only a handful of quarterbacks could throw and played through incomparable pain and injury (his pristine joints are phenomenons in the world of sports medicine), but also has in his history some of these maddening flings.
What now?
So now Brett has fired up the plane from the frigid midwest to take him to his refuge in southern Mississippi, an end of season egress he has made many times before, just now with the outbound a little west of Green Bay.
He will spend time on the tractor, hunting deer and ignoring calls and texts until he decides not to. He will say he’s deciding whether to play again but will only think about it when the Vikings call to ask if he’s made up his mind. He will continue to be a prankster, exchanging barbs with friends, family and agent Bus Cook. He will say that the records and the legacy are not important to him, and some people will actually believe him.
Worth it?
Was the signing of Brett Favre by the Vikings a success? My answer would be, even as a rival of the Vikings for many years, an unqualified yes. We can all wax on about Brett Favre coming into Ragnarland and riding into the sunset with a Super Bowl trophy, but how many of us really thought that would happen?
Although the Vikings franchise appears no closer to its revenue-generating objective of having public funding for a new stadium (one of the reasons for signing Favre), the Vikings became significant in 2009-2010. With essentially the same team in 2008, except for the quarterback position, they were a mildly interesting and successful team, but not embedded in the national consciousness as this team had become.
In a landscape of sports and teams all competing for a slice of pertinence, Brett Favre made the Vikings relevant on and off the field. We were blessed in Green Bay for many years with his presence that national – and international – audiences found compelling. And on the field, simply by the fact we could carry two quarterbacks and save a roster spot (we probably could have carried just one) was an advantage in itself.
Brett and Deanna felt comfortable in Minnesota, back in his adopted home of the midwest, away from the ill-suited life he led in northern New Jersey last year, and he was a genuinely popular teammate despite missing the offseason and displacing two quarterbacks.
Will he or won’t he?
I think Brett will be back, but I have always thought he would come back year after year. One thing about Brett: He’s easily bored, which is one reason he hates the tedium of the offseason and training camp.
Brett loves the games and the competition. He enjoys the banter in the facility, especially with the “back-room guys” – trainers, equipment men and security guards. He’s the ultimate prankster, snapping towels and passing gas through the locker room. Those gags are fairly incomplete away from the team setting. He’ll miss that, and his teammates will miss him. And of course, the $13 million waiting for him doesn’t hurt, even though Brett will say he doesn’t know what he makes and may ask to borrow $20 from you.
The question for the Vikings is whether they’ll allow Brett to show up when the lights come on while the rest of team goes through its offseason regimen. My sense is that the Vikings will allow it, with some modest requirements, and Brett will be back. Yes, he’s 40, but he’ll be retired the rest of his life whenever he stops playing.
So the inexorable Favre watch begins again, but there’s no need for us to engage in it, just as Brett won’t engage in any of it for a while. At some point, he’ll probably be back and the Vikings will welcome him with open arms. As a couple of senior team officials told me, Brett had a fantastic impact on their organization that will carry forward long after he’s gone, whenever that time is.
Brett was good for the Vikings and the Vikings were good for Brett, a welcome refuge from a messy divorce across state lines. They probably deserve another year together to continue their drive for a new stadium, a Super Bowl and a ride off into the sunset.
Follow me on Twitter: adbrandt
I am a Packer fan. My only problem with Brett retiring or not was that he coudn't make up his mind before the draft. But as we've seen that really was not a problem after A. Rodgers fell so far in the first round the year the Packers drafted him. 2 years after that it seems the Packers management felt he could do the job and could thus initiate the Favre divorce. It would have been interesting to see how this would have all gone if it had been A. Smith who fell to the Packers in the draft or if the Packers had not drafted a QB at all in the early rounds. If the Vikings had a top 15 pick instead of #30 in the next draft I bet they'd be a little more anxious to know what Favre was going to do. If Favre doesn't decide before the draft I say the Viking draft a QB or 2 even in the draft probably one in round 2 even. Round 1 for the Vikings can be used to shore up a position that needs it (other than at QB).
I am a Packer fan. My only problem with Brett retiring or not was that he coudn't make up his mind before the draft. But as we've seen that really was not a problem after A. Rodgers fell so far in the first round the year the Packers drafted him. 2 years after that it seems the Packers management felt he could do the job and could thus initiate the Favre divorce. It would have been interesting to see how this would have all gone if it had been A. Smith who fell to the Packers in the draft or if the Packers had not drafted a QB at all in the early rounds. If the Vikings had a top 15 pick instead of #30 in the next draft I bet they'd be a little more anxious to know what Favre was going to do. If Favre doesn't decide before the draft I say the Viking draft a QB or 2 even in the draft probably one in round 2 even. Round 1 for the Vikings can be used to shore up a position that needs it (other than at QB).
Brett's legacy will stay in tact. Great regular season. Terrible decsions at the worst time that will cost a team a playoff game. Everyone will make excuses. Brett is a great QB but you must win in the playoffs. We are not talking about a QB that played on bad teams that did not have enough talent. He has made so many bone headed plays in the playoffs that you must question why bring him back. Was anyone surpised at the pick? Did most people feel it coming? Yes, the Queens lost as a team as the Pack did. Yet, there was Brett at the end of the game throwing a terrible pick. I am not a basher of Brett as he has done great things. However, you can not overlook the pattern.
Brett is not sole reason for the loss...
He had a hand in the loss just as every player does, but the main thing is this.
He was brought in to get them to the SB..He was brought in to MAKE THAT THROW
He was paid to MAKE THAT THROW
Do I wish him back even though I am a Packer fan? Yes I do..I want to beat the Vikings with him at q/b..
and no matter what people think my thoughts are...I do respect him as PLAYER and what he brings to the league. and for the most part he is fun to watch.
The whole argument being forwarded by posters (Green Bay Fans) that Favre will always make a mistake and cost his team a playoff game, and that the Packers were somehow prescient in getting rid of him is STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!! Every QB can be accused of making stupid mistakes that cost his team the Superbowl, until he doesn't make a mistake. This same accusation was lobbed at Manning (both Mannings) until they won their Superbowl. The same accusation can be lobbed at Tom Brady now, because you know that he made mistakes that prevented the Patriots from winning. If he had only played perfectly, things would be different.
Yes, it will always be possible to say Favre made some mistake that cost his team the Superbowl, until it doesn't happen. Ridiculously stupid argument.
And so Favrewatch 2010 begins...
Minnesota was the perfect place for Mr.Manning to try a final journey as an NFL quarterback. Perhaps Brett can invite him to a talk over on the tractor, sometime after this Super Bowl. Bring those pass happy kids you raised along, if they're not too busy...
A record everyone is missing is the oldest QB to lose a playoff game. In 18 years he only won a single championship (Howard was the actual star of that game) Rogers record as a second year starter is substantially better the queengod.
The worst job in football is the GM on whatever team Farve is on, how do you plan when super ego does not make up his mind until Septrmber
I hope he comes back, I want the Packers to have aother shot at him with the Vikings.
@Brad Larson - the Packers did not initiate the divorce, Favre retired.
A record everyone is missing is the oldest QB to lose a playoff game. In 18 years he only won a single championship (Howard was the actual star of that game) Rogers record as a second year starter is substantially better the queengod.
The worst job in football is the GM on whatever team Farve is on, how do you plan when super ego does not make up his mind until Septrmber
Scot: Next time you open your pie hole, try to have a clue as to what you're talking about.
I borrowed this timeline from another fan,.... thanks to him for compiling.
Jan. 20, 2002
The storyline: The 12-4 Packers have a shot to reach the conference championship game for first time since the 1997 season if they beat 14-2 Rams in the divisional round.
The result: BrettFavre throws 6 picks – tying the single-game NFL record for postseason picks last matched by a passer back in 1955.
Jan. 4, 2003
The storyline: The 12-4 Packers were one of the best teams in football, playing at home against the tepid 9-6-1 Falcons.
The result: Brett Favre sinks like a lead weight, reserving one of his worst performances of the year (20 of 42, 47.6%, 247 yards, 5.9 YPA, 1 TD, 2 INT, 54.4 rating) for when it matters most in a 27-7 loss. It was Green Bay's lowest offensive output of the season. The Packers suffered their first-ever home playoff loss in franchise history.
Jan. 11, 2004
The storyline: The Packers need to produce just one drive in overtime to beat the Eagles and then battle the Panthers for a chance to go to Super Bowl XXXVIII.
The result: On Green Bay's first play of overtime, Brett Favre tossed a bad pass into the hands of Eagles defender Brian Dawkins. Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb quickly drove his offense into easy field goal range for the victory. Brett Favre passed for 180 yards, one of his lowest outputs of the year.
Jan. 9, 2005
The storyline: The 10-6 Packers draw a gimme, landing the 8-8 Vikings at home in the wildcard round of the NFC playoffs.
The result: Favre turns out a gruesomely disfiguring playoff performance (22 of 33, 66.7%, 216 yards, 6.5 YPA, 1 TD, 4 INT, 55.4 rating), as Packers suffer a humiliating 31-17 loss to one of the worst teams ever to reach the playoffs. Had the Seahawks not lost to the Rams just one day earlier, Favre would have been the first quarterback in history to lose a playoff game to a .500 team.
Jan. 20, 2008
The storyline: Brett Favre’s 13-3 Packers were favored at home against the 10-6 Giants on one of the coldest nights in Lambeau Field history.
The result: Brett Favre, and the Packers offense, suffered one of the most colossal collapses in history. In the fourth quarter and overtime, Favre completed 4 of 10 passes for 32 yards with 2 INTs. Green Bay’s final four drives, with a Super Bowl appearance easily within their grasp, went for 0, 7, 0 and 2 yards.
Favre’s final pick, on the second play of overtime, led directly to the Giants’ game-winning field goal.
The 2008 season
The storyline: Brett Favre moves to a new team and leads the Jets to an AFC East-best 8-3 record through 11 games.
The result: Brett Favre was dreadful during the team’s stretch-run collapse, throwing 2 TDs against 9 picks. INTs lead directly to losses, and the Jets went 1-4 over the final five games, and missed the playoffs despite their hot 8-3 start.
Jan. 24, 2010
The storyline: Br
I am so tired of people--most notably football writers--dumping on BF.
Let us not forget that this is entertainment, and who is more entertaining to watch than him? I hope and pray that he plays next year although I am a Bucs fan.
He made the Vikings competitive and kept them in the game. How can there be so much bitching about the interception. We have no idea what he was thinking. What I don't hear from him is excuses.
Why were there 12 men in the huddle? Is that his fault? Who should not have been in there? It had to be either Peterson or Taylor. I don't see anybody criticizing him.
The experts, who probably never played the game in their lives, say he should have run. You must be kidding! He could barely walk. What concerns me is the call to have him roll out.
I don't see the experts talking about his courage after the pummeling he took, the worst of which was the low two on one hit. Overall, the officiating was brutal.
Why do the experts have it out for this man? Is there something bad about him that they don't have the guts to write?
I could go on, but I am so angry. NO did not deserve to win.
Can somebody write something positive about what he did in the game?
I
I find Scot's "until it doesn't happen" statement confusing but I will try to put my own spin on the Favre issue. I am of course a Packer fan and have followed his career for many years. The pattern of his interceptions in the playoffs is somewhat ambiguous. Case in point: his 6 interceptions against the Rams were in a game where the Packers were hopelessly outmatched and after the second interception it was moot point. The interception against the Eagles in overtime was after the Packer defense failed to hold the Eagles on 4th and 27 in regulation. I will put the Giants loss on Favre's arm, but in reality the Giants had two easy chances at ending the game on a field goal before the Favre pick. Finally, am I the only one who can fault the Vikings staff for allowing this interception scenario to take place? Twelve men in the huddle after a timeout? Come on!!! Run the ball up the middle, call timeout, and put the game on Longwell. Chances are at least 50-50 the kick is good from 50yds. out and we are spared the whole interception thing. As fate will have it, Favre was again given the ball with a chance to win and made the wrong decision. Believe me when I tell you that this situation was fairly common the last 5 years that he was in Green Bay. I was there to see it first hand.
I find Scot's "until it doesn't happen" statement confusing but I will try to put my own spin on the Favre issue. I am of course a Packer fan and have followed his career for many years. The pattern of his interceptions in the playoffs is somewhat ambiguous. Case in point: his 6 interceptions against the Rams were in a game where the Packers were hopelessly outmatched and after the second interception it was moot point. The interception against the Eagles in overtime was after the Packer defense failed to hold the Eagles on 4th and 27 in regulation. I will put the Giants loss on Favre's arm, but in reality the Giants had two easy chances at ending the game on a field goal before the Favre pick. Finally, am I the only one who can fault the Vikings staff for allowing this interception scenario to take place? Twelve men in the huddle after a timeout? Come on!!! Run the ball up the middle, call timeout, and put the game on Longwell. Chances are at least 50-50 the kick is good from 50yds. out and we are spared the whole interception thing. As fate will have it, Favre was again given the ball with a chance to win and made the wrong decision. Believe me when I tell you that this situation was fairly common the last 5 years that he was in Green Bay. I was there to see it first hand.
Snake;
My point is that you could put together a similarly gruesome timeline for almost any good QB in the NFL, by selectively choosing your data points. For every NFC Championship "meltdown" by Favre, there must be at least one playoff victory that he orchestrated. The guy has already proven that he can win the Superbowl, so your "point" that he will inevitably meltdown down is untenable from the get go.
We will see how Aaron Rodgers career goes. He performed admirably in the Arizona game, but he has proven to be a little bit of a choker in big games during the regular season. Green Bay fans crack me up. They act like the decision to run Favre out of town was some well-reasoned decision based upon his crucial interceptions in big games. Whatever - they are trying to rationalize away their heartbreak. But its laughable to pretend that the Packers were actually better the last two years than they would have been if Favre had stayed. You guys would give your eyeteeth to be in the same situation as the Vikings right now.
I hope he comes back for the Vikings. A team that talented is too liable to win a superbowl with anyone else at quarterback. As long as Favre is there, we know what the result will be ... a facsimile of last weekend's game.
I know Childress is dumb, but unfortunately he's not that dumb. He'll recognize this reality and the second year of Favre's contract will be torn up and the Vikings will pay him what he is owed. I would expect Brett to continue his tour through the NFL and suit up for the Raiders next season. If he's finally had enough of playing after that' he'll be a qb's coach somewhere. The guy is addicted to competition.
Scot: We are in the same situation as the Vikings... out of the playoffs.
Don't rewrite history. Favre ran himself out of town by not showing up like EVERY OTHER PLAYER AND QB IN THE NFL!
But Favre and his sycophant rump-swabbies think he's above practice. He's the white Allen Iverson.
Every Packer fan with some football smarts knows one thing. If Favre had ever been able to play smart football, he would own 2 or 3 more Super Bowl rings. Instead the "entertaining gunslinger" blows yet another opportunity throwing a pick more appropriate for a rookie. His inability to address the mental part of his game make his legacy wanting. His playoff record in this decade is right there in my last post and it SUCKS.
And you better check back on the 1996 Super Bowl. Desmond Howard was the MVP
Scot, the jury is still out whether Thompson ran Favre out of Green Bay or Favre orchestrated his return. Ask most Viking fans and they will tell you Favre wanted back into football, just not with Green Bay. It is this that most Packer fans have trouble accepting. Would Green Bay have a better record with Favre as their qb? For arguments sake, let us just say yes. But where would we be right now? It is a certainty, according to Aaron Rodgers agent, that Rodgers would no longer be in GB. Given ARods upside I am more than willing to move on. And even though it might seem petty, 90% of the Packer fans were vindicated with the pick Favre threw last Sun. I for one am hopeful that Favre returns. Despite losing to the Vikes twice this season, it was FUN and one of the most interesting seasons that I can ever remember. Bring it on in 2010!!
Scot says:
"You guys would give your eyeteeth to be in the same situation as the Vikings right now".
I don't think any Packers fan is envious of the situation the Vikings are in. We both made the playoffs, us with a 26 year old QB on the rise...the Vikings with a 40 year old QB that had the best year of his career (and it still wasn't good enough to win it). And now we are both out of the playoff, us with the youngest team in the league and a top 3 QB (did I mention he's 26) and the Vikings with a window that is closing fast.
Would I rather have Brett the last 2 years or Aaron and Clay Matthews for the next 10. Not a hard decision. We got Clay (I believe) with the pick from the Jets.
If anything, Sunday's game vindicated Ted's decision to call Brett on his retired and not game. Brett was pounded and bad. He made bad decisions. On a team with a ton more talent than Green Bay, he couldn't get it done.
Now put Brett behind our O-line this year. Watch that pounding for 16 games. Wanna bet Brett's in a wheelchair and not the Championship game? It wasn't going to happen in GB for either side. I am and I think most PACKER fans are ok with that.
So glad the will he/won't he watch is the Vikings' problem now.
btw, the one aspect of that game that I haven't seen anyone talking about is AP's unbelievable effort to recover that one fumble when it looked for SURE that the Saints would get it, but AP jumped up like he was shot out of a cannon and dove on it. That was one of the most athletic plays I've ever seen. And, in the past after AP has put the ball on the ground, he's come out afterwards with one of those superhuman "put the team on his shoulders" performances that win the game in the end. But, with Favre on the team, the Vikes left him on the bench this time because [they thought] they had a better option with Brett. Y'know, a team just can't have two alpha dogs. It's not possible. As long as this is Brett's team, it can't be AP's team. And, given the place each of them is at in their respective careers, you gotta' ask if it's a good thing to have Brett overshadowing AP the way he is. Is Brett a better quarterback than Tarvaris? Of course. But is he a better fit for the team? That question I'm not so sure about.
Scot, your comment about an opinion being wrong is off base. I am a huge Brett fan. I always felt he was the best qb I have ever seen play. I have seen every snap of his in a Packer uniform. You are right that football is the ultimate team game and to put the blame on one play or one person is unfair. Yet, the common denomominator in some big loses with different teams are bone headed mistakes by Brett at the worst possible time. Does that mean he choked, unlucky, not good, too cocky? I have no idea. However, whatever contributed to the situation, good or bad, his legacy is a guy that made a mistake at the worst time. While I think he is a better qb than Brady, his legacy will not be the same. Fair or unfair. This has nothing to do with Rodgers. It is the bed he made by making the mistake at a key moment. I struggle finidng a another player in any sport that has had so many high profile boneheaded failures at key moments of big games as Brett.
Absolutely the Vikings and The Ego deserve each other. The greatest choking team in the NFL history--is there ANY dispute about that?--with the Great Interception waiting to happen.
I hand it to #4, he played a great regular season. He even had a nice playoff season going, until the 'ol gun slinger showed up again. I could feel this interception coming a quarter away. I'd seen it before, and before, and before as Snake documents above.
Was he responsible for 12 men in the huddle after a time out? Well, I'm not about to defend Chilly, Bevell and their lack of game sense (How long was that extension? Sweet!). But I do know that savvy QBs will quickly step out of a huddle and wait for substitutions to move in and out before rehuddling. The referee routinely let's that go as long as the QB recognizes it immediately, steps back, directs players off the field, and then regroups. If you watch the game tape, you'll see that Brees must have performed that dance a dozen ties with all the Saints subs. Warner does a particularly exaggerated version of the step out-and-back.
But even if he was completely blameless for every mistake in the game up to that fateful play, every knowledgeable football fan couldn't help but gasp when he began his throw. It was, indisputably, vintage #4.
I hope he plays for the Vikes for another two years... until they all ride off into the sunset of the shiny new stadium they are building in LA.
Absolutely the Vikings and The Ego deserve each other. The greatest choking team in the NFL history--is there ANY dispute about that?--with the Great Interception waiting to happen.
I hand it to #4, he played a great regular season. He even had a nice playoff season going, until the 'ol gun slinger showed up again. I could feel this interception coming a quarter away. I'd seen it before, and before, and before as Snake documents above.
Was he responsible for 12 men in the huddle after a time out? Well, I'm not about to defend Chilly, Bevell and their lack of game sense (How long was that extension? Sweet!). But I do know that savvy QBs will quickly step out of a huddle and wait for substitutions to move in and out before rehuddling. The referee routinely let's that go as long as the QB recognizes it immediately, steps back, directs players off the field, and then regroups. If you watch the game tape, you'll see that Brees must have performed that dance a dozen ties with all the Saints subs. Warner does a particularly exaggerated version of the step out-and-back.
But even if he was completely blameless for every mistake in the game up to that fateful play, every knowledgeable football fan couldn't help but gasp when he began his throw. It was, indisputably, vintage #4.
I hope he plays for the Vikes for another two years... until they all ride off into the sunset of the shiny new stadium they are building in LA.
The problem is that its disingenuous to argue that Favre interception at the end of regulation cost the Vikings the game. A 55 yard field goal (if the pass is incomplete) is no chip shot, and his attempt to complete the ball to Rice was the only throw available to him that fit the situation of giving the Vikings a legitimate high percentage chance to kick the winner. Was it a high percentage play? No, of course not. But it was probably the best option he had given the play call and the way coverage evolved. The Saints didn't score on the resulting drive, so the entire premise that his "gunslinger" ways somehow cost his team the game is a figment of the Favre haters imagination.
So Scot - how did the INT HELP his team?
Brent DIDN'T lose the game?
Coulda sworn that was him in dat #4 jersey!
Actually the Sains kicked Brent's butt and stole the ball from the Queens like it was lunch money. Looked like a bunch of schoolyard bullies out there.
I hope The Traitor does come back for another season so we can throw him around like the Saints did.
Yeah he does deserve another season as he played so well for the year and did elevate his team.
But.... for the first time since he came to the Packers and actually started to click - I don't care.
He had his revenge and he had his chance at the brass ring. He was successful beating the Packers but reverted to form in the big moment.
Teams are fluid from year to year. Just because you had a great year one season means that it will continue exactly the same the following year. The Vikings have been good on the O-line and defensive front for some time now. Eventually you reach dimininishing marginal returns and don't dominate on every play like you used to. The Vikings will have a tough schedule Also, who knows what the impact of a capless year will be. The Vikings don't have the revenue sources that many of their peers do. I am going to assume that the woeful stadium concession deal they have is still in place. They were ranked 31st in the league in terms of revenue with the Lions ahead at 28 , the Packers at 17 and the Bears at 9.
Dan, AP did make a tremendous effort to race upfield to recover his own fumble. What surprised me was the New Orleans defender letting AP go, rather than holding him down and letting his Saints teammates downfield easily get the ball. Any player who can't reach the fumble should simple tackle the closest opponent to deny that player a chance.
Scot, you are right. Yet, Brett is ALWAYS doing this. How can you deny? I am not saying it is fair..just reality. His legacy is blowing it.
None of the other Vikings gaffes in that game were as bad as that pick for one reason: the situation in which it occurred. Up to the point he threw it, none of the other things mattered. As long as the score was tied with 19 seconds left, what did a 2nd quarter fumble or two matter? Either way, the situation "was what it was" and Favre did a bonehead move. It is an undeniable fact that Favre's INT erased the absolute BEST possible chance the Vikings had to win, which is trotting Longwell out for a 48-52 yd FG (depending on how far Favre would have gotten if he ran it) with basically no time left. It's certainly not a guarantee that he makes it, but it would have been the best possible chance they had to go to the Super Bowl.
And you can analyze every single close loss in history and come up with 3 or 4 events from the first half that happened and try to blame those events. But all those events occurred with a LOT of football remaining to be played, so they are far less significant.
Favre's legacy will be his heart, and possibly the fact that the media in general worshipped him like no other athlete. He'll be back next year.
If I recall correctly, Longwell was 8 - 8 at 50+ yards last 2 years, although he told coaches that he felt 53 was his limit then.
Bottom line - coaching choke with the 12th man issue, coupled with bad play calling & then poor execution choosing the 4th option on that play...Favre was simply being true to his nature - freezing up as it hits the fan & trying to be the hero.
Also Snake, idk who you got that info from, but they took a word-for-word copy & paste of a CHFF article from this week...don't get me wrong, its accurate & completely true. In fact, I was going to post the link...
Look at the bright side, after Favre finally goes, at least there's Cutler to carry on the highly over-rated gunslinger award...
Very good article.
Thanks
Wow. Lots of chatter here about Brett and even ARodg.
Just going to point out the obvious...
Both Brett AND Aaron's seasons ended on a turnover....
And yes, I am a Packer fan.
Andrew:
"He’s the ultimate prankster, snapping towels and passing gas through the locker room."
Prankster?!? Sounds like a moron to me. Nothing is funnier than having getting snapped in the rear by towels and nothing is more hilarious than a 40 year-old-man's flatulence.
"So the inexorable Favre watch begins again, but there’s no need for us to engage in it, just as Brett won’t engage in any of it for a while. At some point, he’ll probably be back and the Vikings will welcome him with open arms."
That's it; encourage his megalomania.
I ask you this, do you consider him your friend? Because it sounds like you might have an enormous bias towards Favre in all your articles. I have a newsflash for you:
Favre is your friend so long as you call it the way he wants you to. You tell it like it really is, and he'll throw you under the bus faster than you can say, "season-ending interception".
Andrew:
"He’s the ultimate prankster, snapping towels and passing gas through the locker room."
Prankster?!? Sounds like a moron to me. Nothing is funnier than having getting snapped in the rear by towels and nothing is more hilarious than a 40 year-old-man's flatulence.
"So the inexorable Favre watch begins again, but there’s no need for us to engage in it, just as Brett won’t engage in any of it for a while. At some point, he’ll probably be back and the Vikings will welcome him with open arms."
That's it; encourage his megalomania.
I ask you this, do you consider him your friend? Because it sounds like you might have an enormous bias towards Favre in all your articles. I have a newsflash for you:
Favre is your friend so long as you call it the way he wants you to. You tell it like it really is, and he'll throw you under the bus faster than you can say, "season-ending interception".
Once a team like the Saints has come up with a blueprint to beat you, in the NFL, every team will copy it. For that reason, I hope Favre comes back.
The gameplan against Favre?
Beat him up at every turn.
I can guarantee you all of the NFC contenders took notice and will be employing the exact same strategy next season.
Make Favre pay for every throw. If you are penalized, so be it. In his old age, and he is ancient, Favre has lost any and all ability to avoid the rush, or the post handoff knockdown.
Please come back, as I have never been more entertained then I was on Sunday, watching you getting all heck beaten out of you.
You're right about one thing - Favre and the Vikings deserve each other. How great was it to see Favre flush an entire season down the toilet with one throw. How great was it to see the Vikings and their puppet coach go down one more season, their "season of destiny", still with no trophies to show for it. Yes, they deserve each other. The picture of Deanna's face in the crowd when he threw that last pick was priceless. Yes, the Favres got everything they deserved, and so did the Vikings. I sure hope he comes back.
I think the whole thing is gonna blow up in the Vikings faces. This season that they had this season was an aberration. If Favre comes back for next season(I hope not) Minnesota will not do as well as it did this season. So what happens to the Vikings when Favre then does decide to finally retire once and for all? They're stuck as a team thats only a QB away. Minnesota should just move on from Favre the same way Green Bay did. But the Vikings only have D. Jack and Sage on the roster not Arron Rodgers to move on to.
You know, I've been a Packer fan for over 30 years, since the days of Lynn Dickey and even before. But I am quickly reaching my limit for the smack talk that so many Packer "fans" indulge in on the internet dissing Brett Favre. It's becoming downright embarrassing to admit I'm a Packer fan.
The man makes mistakes. The man is not perfect. But the man is a warrior, whom no one can question the commitment of once he stepped on the field. The man has problems making up his mind off the field, but that was not what we paid him for. The man deserves our respect and admiration, and our thanks, for rescuing our little northern outpost of the NFL from permanently becoming the "Siberia of the NFL" (any Packer fan pre-Wolf should know what I am talking about). The man should be left alone, and should be permitted to continue his life however he sees fit after we decided we did not want him any more. The man should not be dissed by armchair-GM wannabees hiding behind interent keyboards, intnetionally getting his first name wrong. It's your own punkish ingrate attitudes that you are revealing to the world with that, not the character or lefgacy of Brett Favre.
I pray to god that this man, who has given us so much, does not end up so disgusted by how so many young Packer punks turned on him that he never comes back to Green Bay again after he retires.
Andrew-
Thanks for your opinion, but I must disagree with you. Watching Deanna in the crowd as Favre was getting hit over and over, and almost (with the ankle shot) not getting up, I think there's no way she (and even the rest of the "yes-men and yes-women" Favre family) let him come back. I think she saw her life of pushing him around in a wheelchair flash before her eyes and I bet, regardless of the outcome, that she couldn't wait for the game to end. He's done... because his wife will tell him he's done. To an earlier poster's point, everyone in the league right now is thinking, "man, that looked pretty fun smacking everyone's BF around... I'd take 15 yards and a $10K fine to get my piece of that sweet action." Trust me, Sharper's going to be playing his hit on a DVD reel in his living room for the next twenty years.
"Mark"
I have been a Packer fan for 44 years and I have seen the good and the bad also.
Most don't question his toughness, skill, or desire but he has other qualities that
he has shown in the last couple of years: deception, duplicity and an inability to
man up and share equal blame for his departure. He engineered it waited the Packers out
and was caught off guard when he was sent to the Jets. I believe what Aikman said that Favre
actually wanted to move on. He put the Packers in a bad situation (that they did not handle well)so Thompson would be the villian.
To me, they both got ultimately what they wanted - Thompson: a new "franchise" QB Favre: a fabulous shot at another SuperBowl. Favre played it great right up until the INT. Call it bad luck, mismanagement or karma, that last play will be burned into memory if he leaves. That is why I think he will come back to erase that last play. Times change however and so do teams so it will only get more difficult with a tougher schedule, no salary cap and the Vikings being a low revenue club.
If he comes back is up to him. they should invite him back often and welcome him like the prodigal son that he is - warmly and openly - but don't give him $20 mil to stay involved. Give him what Starr gets - no more,no less. He is a Packer but he is not first among equals in a roster of great stars of the past.
Mark:
Favre didn't save "our little outpost in the NFL".
In fact, HE was saved, as well.
Ron Wolf brought in Favre, who, at the time, was an outcast in his own Atlanta lockerroom. He was a drunk, and he weighed-in at 280lbs. After Holmgren gave him exactly what he needed to hear, he began to get his rear in gear.
Wolf brought in:
1.) Holmgren, who brought in: Gruden, Reid, Mariucci, Rhodes, Lewis, Shurmur, etc.
2.) White, Favre, Howard, Brown, Timmerman, Simmons, Freeman, etc.
3.) Brandt, etc.
Get your facts straight; without The Packers, and Wolf, Favre may not have ever made anything of himself.
Farve is worst then a woman with her period. He thinks hes bigger then the team. Pulls the same crap every year. He will say hes retiring until training camp starts and then like herpies he always shows up. Loved the beating he took last week.
Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings deserve each other. Not much else needs to be said.
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Jan 26, 2010
12:57 PM
Does his decision rely partly on the rest of the team and the questions there?
With the spectre of drug suspensions hanging over their two star DT's (and retirement over one) does he feel that the team can get through that period and then still compete for a superbowl spot?