Despite what he says, it’s more than just another game. Andrew Brandt
Vikings quarterback Brett Favre says this weekend's game against the Packers will be no different from any other game. In a conference call with Wisconsin reporters Thursday, Brett said, “This game is no different than the fourth game I played in last year.”
Ok, well, whatever. Brett was refreshingly honest with the media in his time in Green Bay. His weekly press conferences were among the most interesting in football, with most full of platitudes about getting better, working hard, etc. He actually said things that were interesting, although hedging, as he usually does, along the way. For that reason, and his value to the franchise and impact on Packer nation, the media was extremely friendly to Brett in Wisconsin, often overlooking flaws on the field or not following up his hedging with more pointed questions.
The kind treatment from the local press corps became more apparent last year when Brett walked into the hornet's nest of the New York media market. All of a sudden, some of the things that were accepted and ignored in Green Bay -- changing in a different locker room (his locker was next to mine), spending little time around teammates, etc. -- were a big deal with the Jets. The goodwill built up over 16 years in Green Bay didn’t help him in New York.
Now, as Brett spoke Thursday to that familiar group of Wisconsin journalists, the warmth and respect from years past were not there. Perhaps it’s similar to his present relationship with Packers fans after the events of the recent past.
It’s a bit sad. Brett was everything in Green Bay 18 months ago. Packer nation grieved with Brett after the loss of his father, empathized with Brett and Deanna when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and cried with Brett when he tearfully announced his retirement in March 2008. At that moment, his popularity was off the charts.
What Packer nation didn't know at the time was that Brett didn't want to retire. He wasn't told to retire by the Packers, but their lack of any scintilla of courtship -- as was done in previous years -- spoke volumes to him. It was also no coincidence that the day he retired was the day after Randy Moss re-signed with the Patriots after another flirtation with the Packers. He never let go of not getting his friend Moss.
I can understand Brett not wanting to revisit the drama of a year ago or dredge up the hurt he felt when coach Mike McCarthy told him those three words on June 20, 2008, after Brett formally asked for his job back: "We've moved on." The fact, though, is that there were not only hurt feelings, but true anger and venom from him and his family toward an organization for whom he had become the signature player. From that point, there were irreconcilable differences leading to eventual divorce.
That said, Brett should have been honest with the Wisconsin media. They weren’t the ones who told him the team had moved on. They were friends to Favre for many years.
This game means a lot to Brett and his family. It’s OK to admit that.
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Hype? I'm afraid we "ain't seen nothin' yet." Wait until the game at Lambeau. That one will be worse.
I like the part where AB said "...he wasn't told to retire by the Packers, but a lack of any scintilla of courtship..." See, to me, what this says is basically that Favre was upset because the team didn't kiss his XXX any more. And this is my biggest problem with the guy. He has to be catered to. He has to take as long as he wants to make any decision about a return. He has to skip minicamps. He has to skip training camps. To me, he's in Minnesota because they got in line to kiss his XXX, and he just loves it.
For a minute I thought NFP was trying to stay above the fray. I was hoping for an article, especially from you Andrew.
"just another game" As dishonest as you can get. Everyone in the country has opinions on Mr. Farve. As a devout Packer fan, he was my hero. We stood by him through drugs, deaths, cancer and interceptions. There are those who maintain that football is just a business, therefore, Farve's move to the Vikings should just be accepted since the man was simply doing what he had to do to make a living. I think not.
While true, Football is a business, it is not like buying a washing machine. It's entertainment, and entertainment relys on fans. Especially the publicly owned Packers. Attachments are formed which naturally trangress simple "business". The Packers plucked Farve from obscurity, made him a star, and paid him millions. Had Farve gone to any other team with the exception of the Bears, the fans would wish him every luck. He beelined, engineered, lied and mislead his way to the Vikings from a point that PRECEDED his trip to GB last summer. Not a first or second thought was to his fans. Farve never tested the market or sought offers from any other team. The Jets were just a ways and mean stopover. Let's not kid ourselves about Farve or this "only a business" stuff. It is a highly emotional battle, and fans are allowed to expect a modicum of loyalty. Farve owed this to fans, not Thompson. I totally agree with the former Packer greats interviewed. Going to the Vikings was not acceptable.
That said, it will be great entertainment, lol.
C'mon, how many players get picked up by the head coach? How many players can call the coach by his first name and nick names while addressing the public? The man is special and green bay fans are just going to have to understand that. He owed you nothing. He is simply trying to feed his family. When he get inducted into the HOF I hope he's elects to wear purple.
Favre didn't need the team to beg him.
He needed to know that the moron, Ted Thompson was going to commit to doing what it takes to win as GM, and not build a team of his own to assuage his EGO.
In short, Thompson is an idiot, and Favre knew he wouldn't change.
C'mon, how many players get picked up by the head coach? How many players can call the coach by his first name and nick names while addressing the public? The man is special and green bay fans are just going to have to understand that. He owed you nothing. He is simply trying to feed his family. When he get inducted into the HOF I hope he's elects to wear purple.
Trying to feed his family? Marcopo, do you have any concept at all of how much money the man is worth?? He could buy his family ten pounds of caviar, three meals a day, every day for the rest of their lives and still have enough to retire on. Or, he could give ESPN $1,000 for every ridiculously fawning article they write about him and still be more than financially solvent in his 80s, assuming their current rate of 5.2 fawning articles/day stays constant. (Kidding. But you get the idea.)
(Because I am a geek and actually did the math, that works out reasonably well. I'm not actually sure how much money he's worth straight up, but the bill for forty years comes out to around $76 million, give or take a few hundred thousand dollars. I'm not sure how much money he's earned from his contracts, but he was in a five-year contract for $19 million (in early 1990s money) and then signed his famous 10-year, $100 million extension. I have no idea how much of that is guaranteed, but let's call it $30 million. Assume he earned another $20 million in bonuses. Add $10 for the original contract and we've got around $60 million, just sitting.
Plus he's making money off of his steakhouse and advertising deals for Sensodyne toothpaste, Wrangler jeans, Sears and just about anyone who'll let him advertise with them. Over the past 18 years, he's probably accumulated-eh, let's give a conservative estimate. $25 million. Actually, that's way too low. Aw, screw it. Point is, he'd be in very good financial health no matter what he decided to do. And he could handle giving all that money to ESPN without breaking any kind of a sweat.
Actually, Andrew, I can think of no one outside of Favre himself (or Deanna, who probably balances the family checkbooks. Or his coterie or agent, but that's beside the point) who would know better how much Favre is currently worth. Could that be worth writing an article about?)
There was a point to this, Marcopo, and I was going to go on and rip you for suggesting that Favre is Lord and King of any football castle he wants instead of just one more player with a bloated ego, but my heart's no longer in it. Nevermind.
Yes, marcopo44, he is simply trying to feed his family. They must be starving. He is simply trying to feed his ego, but that is one hunger that ain't going away.
It's sad there are those who would dare say anything less than positive towards Brett Favre...shame on you.
Has anyone ever gone beyond the extra distance, shown up to work week in & week out, even in pain & felt they would like their employer to appreciate what they have done for the company? If you say no...you'd be a fool &...you'd be lying.
Of course Brett Favre has to think this game is just like the rest. That's how he must function rather than place too much emotion on it which then the media would fly with in all directions as a distraction. The media can be & is....very tained when they want to spin something.
Brett Favre is ONE of the greatest football players to every play the game.
Even when it looks like there is very slim chances to pull out a game....he can still do it from time to time.
I enjoy watching Brett Favre play...he's good for the game.
Shame on anyone who looks to tarnish anyone elses reputation.
When the teams hit the field each game... may the best team prepared to play...win.
Isn't that what it's all about?
This game isn't "hype" exactly. It's the real deal, no matter how things play out.
It's an old story. An aging super-star gets angry and wounded when the game starts to pass him by. He can't accept it, and he fights for all he's worth to hold off time and the young kids who are trying to dislodge him and take his job. So, against the young guns, the old guy fights and claws, trying to fill the gap in his eroding skills with bitterness and resentment and courage and guts and anything else he can muster, hoping to get one more win through grit and sheer will. Can he do it? We won't know until they lace up the cleats and step out onto the field to find out who's the best.
Favre is both a proud warrior and a tragic figure at the same time. Rodgers is both gallant hero and heartless villain.
Again, this is not hype. It's the real deal.
What this game will do for Aaron, win or lose, as long as he plays his heart out - will stamp the Packers as his team. Favre or no Favre.
marcopo44
You don't wear colors into the HOF. You get a bust and you wear a blazer.
Go to ebay and look up all the Jets #4 jerseys that are on there. Thats where most
of the #4 Viking jerseys will be by the end of 2010
And shame on you for shaming me, and on and on. It's ok to like Brett. It's ok to think he's a great football player. It's ok to enjoy watching him. It's also ok to be critical of the way he behaved. And it's ok to be emotional about an emotional issue and disappointed about being lied to.
favre got paid millions by the packers to show up to work. the organization picked him up off the falcon's dung heap when he was nothing but a boozing, philandering, pill hound. they stood by him as he matured from an interception machine into a great qb. favre forgets that he is not bigger than the team, despite the aw shucks swill he dishes out to the media and those blinded by his stats. he's a winner on the field and a manipulating liar off it.
and pack 66, favre said the team that thompson put together for the 2007 sb run, derailed by favre's interception, was the most talented team he'd ever played on. not sure how that makes thompson an idiot.
Great insight Andrew. These articles are why I read the Post. That being said, maybe someday you'll provide details about your departure from Green Bay. My theory involves home-grown talent rising through the administrative ranks.
Journeyman: Talking of concepts, do you have any of sarcasm? My remarks were designed to be ridiculous.
I'm with Andrew from one of his previous articles - Favre is a truely flawed but truely good person. Those trashing him as some egotistical maniac and heartless jerk should take a few minutes to think about all the charity work he and Deanna did throughout their time in GB. He went far and away beyond what he had to do to help folks in WI off the field and that should NEVER be forgotten.
I don't think the team should've kissed his butt however if they didn't want to keep him, they should've had the courtesy to just cut him loose outright. Yes, he would've ended up going straight to Minny but as we all now know, he did anyways.
I think this game is going to be an eye opener for a lot of people - the Vikes are clearly overrated, the Packers have clearly been underachieving. I expect a close game but wouldn't be surprised at all if the Packers come out of this with a solid win. Both teams strengths match-up directly with the other's weakness. Agreat runner against a questionable run D; an excellent passing game and receivers against a questionable passing D. Brett's desire to prove something is a very dangerous mix with Woodson and Collins on the other side.
Craig, Farve said numerous times over the years that the reason that he never missed practices or games is that he understood that in the NFL someone is always right behind you waiting to step into your job, just as Favre stepped into Majkowski's starting QB job. But after the 13-3 season, after Favre retired -- twice -- in March, he didn't do any off season training, didn't attend OTAs and mini-camps. Lo and behold, the Packers had a quality player to step into Favre's shoes, and MM and TT opted for the player who had done the work that offseason. Favre Wally Pipped himself. After years of work, Favre apparently decided he could coast and ride his past accomplishments. That wasn't satisfactory for MM; apparently it's okay for Brad Childress.
I was a huge Favre fan for 16 seasons and defended him early and later in his career when he was chucking bad interceptions all over the field. I enjoyed how he played the game. After these past few years, however, I just find Favre's constant, unending craving for adulation to be distasteful. The Packers were ready to announce Favre's return in March 2008 when Favre "retired" a second time that month. Favre was angry and hurt in July that year when the Packers didn't swoon when Favre requested to return to the team. Favre found his adoring suitors in the Vikings, riding to the rescue in the owner's plane and chauffeurred to practice by the coach. Had Favre played anywhere else this year, I'd wish him well. Since he plays for the Vikings, I don't wish him injury, just that he plays poorly, like the rest of that team.
how, exactly, is rodgers a heartless villain? let's not make this into some sort of epic greek tragedy. favre's an aging football player who decided to spend his last hurrah with a bitter rival of his old team, a team that refused to be held hostage by his wavering and insecurity. favre's a liar and a manipulator who has tarnished his legacy with a fan base who adored him, despite his many flaws. the fact that he does not seem to care is truly is the only thing that's tragic.
The bigger story here may be the performance of Aaron Rodgers. Can anyone imagine the pressure? Or, unfortunately the pressure of the Vikings DL against a decimated Packer OL.
I have religiously defended Ted Thompson for doing what he thought had to be done in respect to the Almighty Farve. He should be commended for standing fast and not allowing the tail to wag the dog. However, his job in other areas leaves something to be desired. MM's and TT's job concerning the OL in close to criminal. How can you not have a competent backup tackle, especially when Clifton is aging. How can you have two offensive linemen on the roster who apparently can not play even in backup situations? How can you take risks like this and fail to protect a franchaise quarterback? Finally, how can they not see that OL coach Campen has not cut it? Please, please, someone help me understand.
The insight into McCarthy wanting #4 to retire makes sense for 2 very good reasons - the cold weather Bears game and the loss to the Giants at Lambeau.
#4 was terrible in both games - cold, tired & old looking.
But who could bench him? He was a legend. Nobody could take him out of a game - even when they should have.
I'm sure #4's phony retirement (complete with tears) was a sigh of relief for McCarthy and his staff. Subsequently #4 dragged the organization through hell with his 'will he, won't he' routine.
#4 often criticized others for not living up to their contract.
This long range plan to get to the viQueens is exactly the opposite of that commitment to your word. #4 could do us no harm in NY, so the trade made good sense for the Pack.
Now that he might do us harm, he is a year older.
I do not wish #4 well - after 16 years of loving his play and making excuses for his blunders.
I hope he looks very old Monday night.
"He wasn't told to retire by the Packers, but their lack of any scintilla of courtship -- as was done in previous years -- spoke volumes to him."
That's baloney Andrew. The first Scintilla of courtship is the $12 million dollars they were willing to pick up on his contract. That's the #1 most important thing in a pro football courtship and you should know it.
The second was Thompson and McCarthy wanting to fly down to his house to put the next season together. Instead, FAVRE told them not to come cause he was still cooking Waffles.
Never before has any professional athlete so demanded that his teams management hold his little hand and kiss his big hairy ass. Favre has become a parody of himself. He is footballs version of the heavy metal band Spinal Tap.
Marcopo: Well, sorry to jump on you if that's the case, but this is the Internet. It's hard to convey sarcasm with only text, especially when there's a lot of people that actually believe what you were saying.
Journeyman: You are right. Sarcasm is difficult and my ridiculous is someone else's folly, lol. Take the fellow that shamed anyone critical of the great one.
I find the "change in a separate locker room" stuff strange.
Pretty much everyone I know who has played sports cites "locker room camaraderie" as one of sports biggest benefits. It's a blast really.
Why would anyone want to distance themselves from their teammates?
How many teams, when a player retires, are supposed to wait just in case that player changed their mind? Exactly, Brent retired so GB moved on and that's how it's supposed to happen. If Brent was mad that they didn't change their mind and made him the #1 QB, that's his fault unless he didn't know the definition of the word "retiring." I'm 100% happy the way GB handled the situation, ESPECIALLY Aaron Rodgers. You couldn't ask him to handle the situation any better.
When I heard a few things that went on in the locker room, like Brent not dressing w/the team, for example, I had lost a bit of respect for him. I was happy he retired because frankly I was sick of him being so wishy washy it reminded of Kerry Collins (I think he's the QB), who told his coach he didn't want to be the starter anymore. During the season, how can the players respect him when he hasn't been sure if he even wanted to play for the past 2-3 years? It just got to a point where I thought, "Just retire so I don't have to see or hear him all of the time", even though know matter where he went the media would keep asking him the same dumb questions day after day.I used to be a huge Brent fan until the 2nd time he asked GB to give him time to think about it and skipping thru yet even more practices. I understand that a player in their later years will probably need a little more time time off but it was ridiculous. All that I know is that he's overdue for an injury that will keep him from starting the game after this Monday nighter.
Go GB!
/I liked Dan's post, reminds me when Brent faced Holmgren for the 1st time and he had an AWFUL game and GB lost 7-27.
To Mark F: The answer may be obvious. Unfortunately, Mr. Farve may not be as blessed as the other locker room guys.
I think over Brett's last two years in Green Bay, the Wisconsin media began to slowly change. I'm not sure of the cause and effect, but it seemed that there was increased criticism of his annual Hamlet-like decision-making process over whether to return the following year, particularly in light of the impact it had on drafting and free agency decisions. At the same time, during that period - even in 2007, when the Packers had their best season in years - you saw fewer of those meandering press conferences and direct stories with members of the Wisconsin press. They still protected him - I never knew that he dressed in a different locker room or that he was anything but a model teammate - but started to report on the big picture, namely that the team needed to be bigger than him. During the 2008 and 2009 unretirement soap operas, Favre didn't give the time of day to the Wisconsin media. He gave interviews and leaked information only to national sources like ESPN and Fox (Greta Von Sustern, for crying out loud), or his buddy Al Jones in Gulfport, all of whom generally gave him the fawning treatment that he used to get locally. So it shouldn't have been terribly surprising that the Wisconsin media wasn't going to let him off lightly in this week's press conference, since it was the first chance they had since his "original" retirement in March '08 to put him on the spot. And they did a good job. And a large number of them commented afterwards how they had never seen him so defensive in a press conference. I suspect that like the Wisconsin media, the fan base isn't inclined to give him a free pass anymore either.
Andrew,
This is such an enlightening article. From the UK - where I am - I didn't know know about Brett having his own locker room etc.
Brett is a great player, but he needs to remember how well he was thought of in Green Bay, and to not disrespect those Packers fans. They are the greatest sports fans in the world, and one of the reason I chose to follow Green Bay (since 1986) from the UK.
TT will be in a tough spot after Monday night. While Favre messed up royally by thinking he could just come back, the Packers were guilty of enabling this to occur in the first instance. With the precedent of letting him wait year after year to decide whether he would come back, the Packers created the very situation that blew up in their face.
"When I heard a few things that went on in the locker room, like Brent not dressing w/the team, for example, I had lost a bit of respect for him."
Get his name right. Brett. Did you get a good look, Costanza?
Your correct about one thing, marcopo44. As a life-long Packers fan, I also hope Favre goes into the Hall wearing purple. He fits in perfectly with the low-life Vikings organization. He had us all fooled for years. Definitely not up to packers standards of human decency.
Brett looked great tonight - must have annoyed some people in doing so - especially the ones that think he is all washed up. Rogers also looked great tonight - too bad he has a GM that doesn't believe in having experience on his offensive line. Kinda reminds me of when old Brett asked him to resign Wahle and Rivera or at least one of them and of course Thompson knew better and the O-Line has been crapola ever since.
Johnny Jolly poster I know you aren't a TT fan and he has done plenty wrong. However, Jolly was a draft pick of TT. Not sure if you knew that or not.
@Sunflower100 - Just checked back on this and saw your comment. Yes I am aware that TT drafted Johnny Jolly. I use his name as a moniker because I really like Johnny as a person. He went out of his way one day after a training camp practice to sign autographs and pose for some pictures with a large group of kids I was with when some other players just walked away. Also, I am not a TT hater - just frustrated with his approach some times.
I have heard that Super Fly will be flying out to San Francisco once released from the old folks home in New York to meet with Hammer, they will be starting a new sports agency and Parker is already onboard.
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Oct 02, 2009
07:21 PM
I don't know if it can live up to the hype, but most likely Favre will not be the difference in the game. Rodgers is clearly a better QB at this time. Favre can't hold up for a whole season, the only question is when will he wear out and get sloppy? It is inevitable, he has done it every year for the last seven years. He WILL get weary and start throwing the ball up for grabs. It is hard-wired into his DNA.