I hate to do a sports topic two days in a row--but I just have to weigh in on the Brett Favre situation.
His change of heart should come as no surprise--as the guy isn't so much a quarterback as he is a soap opera character. If he does come back, the Packers should put "Erica Kane" on the back of the number four jersey instead of "Favre". The only thing that surprises me is that the "comeback" talk didn't start the day after the "emotional" retirement ceremony. Maybe he thought it would be more "dramatic" if he waited until the team drafted two quarterbacks in April. Or maybe that's when Brett realized the team really was moving on without him. Sort of like the guy who dumps a woman--then wants her back after he sees her out with another guy.
Favre could have joined a very exclusive group in the Football Hall of Fame: "The Guys Who Might Have Quit Too Early". Right now, the membership is pretty much limited to Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns, Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions and Head Coach John Madden of the Oakland Raiders. Those are the few guys who were willing to walk away from the game knowing they could still play (or coach)--but choose to not to hang on too long.
In coming back--and possibly going to another team--Favre will join the other wing of the hall: "The Irrelevant End To an Otherwise Great Career". Some of the busts in that area include Johnny Unitas of the San Diego Chargers, Joe Namath of the Los Angeles Rams, Joe Montana of the Kansas City Chiefs, Jerry Rice of the Seattle Seahawks and Emmitt Smith of the Arizona Cardinals. Thank goodness for NFL Films so we have footage of those all-time greats stumbling to the end of their careers.
I see Packers General Manager Ted Thompson having three options to deal with Favre. 1--Allow his agent to work out a trade to another team. That should serve as a real eye-opener for Number Four--as Bus Cook finds out no one wants to offer more than a fourth or fifth round pick for his client's services next year. The second option: Allow Favre to comeback--start--and basically play himself out of the league. Maybe the team could end up with a better draft choice by missing the playoffs due to poor play at QB. The third option--and the one I support the most: Welcome Brett back to the team--limit his playing time in training camp (claiming to be "keeping him fresh for the regular season")--then cutting him in the week after the final pre-season game. That would make him almost useless to any other team. Sure it might hurt the salary cap for a season--but sometimes making a clean break hurts. Besides, it's better this way for everyone.
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You forgot option number four: just give him his unconditional release and be done with it.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the stuff happening behind closed doors includes the Packers trying to talk him out of it. He is not in their plans anymore. Planning for 2008 started the day after they lost to the Giants, and really picked up steam when Brett retired. They had a new QB, with new dynamics, and they began tailoring their team to Aaron Rodgers.
Brett has been out of the picture since March. Do you know how much planning has ocurred since then? Further, he missed two minicamps and all of the OTAs. That's about a month's worth of practice. Now he wants back? I'm sorry, the NFL just doesn't work that way.
I love Brett Favre more than anyone, and cheered harder for him than anyone else. But he retired, and now that Packers are taking a different road. Training camp starts in three weeks. There is no way, after all of the preparation that has been done in the off season without him, that he should look for a roster spot in Green Bay.
The mere fact that Brett is even causing this commotion diminishes his accomplishments in my book. Just a few months ago, he left with grace and dignity, after a stellar career. I thought to myself "this guy IS the class act he has portrayed all these years!" He walked away at the top. Memorabilia was sold, tears were shed. Now it's no different than when Michael Jordan retired. Alot of hoopla, then he "unretired" and came back and played for another team in a mediocre fashion. Sad and pathetic.
ReplyDeleteBrett could have free reign: sports analyst, coach, whatever. But he needs to give his ego a rest and rethink this before he becomes just a shadow of his former self and joke fodder for late night TV. The media will eat him alive, and rightly so.
Please do not mention Favre in the same breath as MJ. MJ was the greatest of all-time and has multiple championship rings. Favre has one title and a long list of playoff implosions on his record. Favre was an ironman. MJ was the greatest ever. Favre may be the greatest drama queen of all-time though.
ReplyDeleteI stand corrected. The point I was trying to make was that coming out of retirement is never a graceful...or good, idea.
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