Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008

All Favred Up

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For those who may not have heard, over the past few weeks there has been some kind of controversy going on between the Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre, one of the greatest quarterbacks in football history.

It seems that Favre, who led the Packers to a stunning 13-3 record last year and came within a game of taking the team to the Super Bowl, was threatening to come back to try to do it again.

Ordinarily, any professional football team would be overjoyed to have a great quarterback decide not to retire and instead attempt to lead them to another championship. But in the case of the Green Bay Packers, it messed up all their plans.

See, the Packers had a terrific idea to replace Favre, one of the most durable players in football, with unproven backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers, one of the most fragile.

Because Favre was busy setting football’s all-time record for consecutive starts by a quarterback, Rodgers seldom got any chances to play, but pretty much every time he did, he got hurt.

Well, when you have an opportunity to replace someone who never gets hurt with someone who gets hurt tying his shoes, you can see how that would make the game a lot more exciting.

Also, Packers General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy had been planning to surround Rodgers with improved players at other positions to make the novice quarterback look good. If a Hall of Fame quarterback like Favre were leading the team, he would get all the credit instead of Thompson and McCarthy.

Since neither Thompson nor McCarthy was around when Favre was rising to greatness in Green Bay, they have always been in Favre’s shadow. That’s what was really behind Favre’s public ambivalence in recent years about whether he would play or retire.

Favre tried to use his popularity to prod Thompson into surrounding him with better players. Favre would hold off announcing whether he would return to try to pressure Thompson into going after top-of the-line veterans.

When the great receiver Randy Moss became available, Favre went even further. He personally reached out to Moss and offered to restructure his own salary to make money available to bring Moss to Green Bay.

Thompson basically snubbed them both. As general manager of the Packers, Thompson wasn’t about to let a couple of Hall of Fame football players tell him how to do his job. The next time you hear sports talk shows ranting about Favre’s ego, consider the enormous, self-defeating ego it takes for a general manager to turn down the kind of spectacular passing combination Tom Brady and Moss put together for the New England Patriots last year.

Why Turn Against Favre?

That explains why Thompson wasn’t thrilled to have one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time decide to return to Green Bay. But it’s harder to explain why so many sports reporters and even some fans turned against Favre during the recent unpleasantness. It’s true many sportswriters take their cues from management. Sports reporters these days often try to prove their independence and professionalism by attacking the players they cover.

That’s been of great assistance to millionaire owners whenever they want to collude to hold down salaries or unilaterally institute drug tests and other changes in working conditions without going through all the bother of negotiating with tough unions.

Oh, sure. You’ll get your predictable “Fire Ned Yost” blather, but top management really has to run a sports franchise into the ground as the Selig family did before you’ll hear a word of criticism.

But why did so much of the sports press and sports talk radio join Thompson in reacting negatively to Favre coming back to Green Bay? Could they really be concerned about shattering the team’s “plans” of moving forward with a mediocre work-in progress who could well be injured shortly after the season starts? Local sportswriters in Green Bay, Milwaukee and every other state media have never been particularly close to Favre.

Whenever Favre wants to put something out, he talks to ESPN, Sports Illustrated or his old friend Al Jones at the Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss. That should give the state press the luxury of being more objective. But, objectively, there’s little question which quarterback gives the Packers the best chance of winning this season, despite all of Thompson’s beau tiful plans for moving on. As sportswriter Michael Wilbon of The Washington Post wrote last week, “Anybody in his right mind knows Favre, even at 38 years old, is 100 times better than Rodgers.”

At this writing, Favre is expected to be in Green Bay, competing for the starting quarterback job. It’s unbelievable sports reporters would consider that a problem for Green Bay. Not having Favre would be a problem.

What’s your take? Write: editor@shepex.com or comment on this story online at www.expressmilwaukee.com.

08.06.2008 at 01:47

anonymous

I loved this article. Thank you. The whole situation is absolutely insane and I've been ready to cry about it, and I'm not even a guy! By now you know it looks like Brett will be traded. They say he won't play in Green Bay again. That's not true; he'll play in Green Bay alright, and kick the Packers' behinds. This goes against what every fan I know wants, and probably against what the players (except Aaron Rodgers) want.

08.06.2008 at 09:59

My take is that I'm a Packers fan. Favre was one of the many players that I supported while he was a Packer, but I never thought he should be above the team. Both sides handled this quite poorly. But to be honest, I think it is time to move on, just as the team management does. I find it funny that so many feel that his return automatically returns the team to the Super Bowl. We haven't been there in over a decade, so that strikes me as odd logic. They got close last year, granted. But, with Favre at the helm, the team is 3-7 in their last 10 playoff games. Also, did you see him in the cold weather games? Did you hear him in his "retirement" presser state that he wasn't sure he wanted the ball in pressure situations? Have you seen him play in Minnesota or in Dallas? Add all that up and tell me that you feel confident in his ability to lead this team in the playoffs. The odds are high that he would face pressure situations and may have to play in cold weather, in MInnesota or in Dallas. Can Aaron Rodgers possibly be a better option at this point? I'm willing to find out. I feel for Rodgers more than anyone. 2 freak injuries...don't forget, he PLAYED on that broken foot, and he's labled as "soft". Wow, a football player getting hurt? Shocking. How about supporting him and his effort to take over for a legend. How about supporting the team to build a winner and not continue to be forced to massage the oversized ego of their indecive, soon-to-be-39-years-old quarterback. MIke Sherman's not here anymore to let Brett run the asylum. Now, it seems there's accountability for playing poorly or sounding indesicive. That sounds like the type of management I want for my favorite NFL team. I love Brett and I wish him well. But, it's time for us to break up.

For me, it isn't about going to the superbowl (I'm the girl from comment below). It is about a man who in some way represents us all, a seemingly truly decent guy who may be flawed (some ego going on here), but he's one of us. His dad died, his wife had cancer, his brother in law, etc... Everyone can relate to something he has experienced. Through all of his hardships, he played his heart out. He never struck me as a prima donna like so many other pro players. So he's a little wishy washy? You know, if that's the worst thing you can say about him, that's not so bad. He's tired, but he loves the game. You know, I hope Aaron Rodgers does well. Not necessarily because I need us to go to Superbowl, that's never a consideration for me, since we rarely make it. I hope he does well so he can get the H out of town, go anywhere he wants when his contract is up. What a mess he's got now. None of it is his fault. If he stays, fine, but it'd be great for him to have options at the end of the season.

08.07.2008 at 03:15

Thank you Joel McNally, for putting together such a great article about this whole situation. As a bartender in this city, this subject is almost as dangerous as talking religion or politics in a bar. I will have your article in my back pocket for the next few weeks. NFL management candidates will learn about Ted Thompson much like law students are taught about Marcia Clark from the OJ trial. This was just a bone-headed play by the Packers organization. As of now Favre is traded away to the Jets, for basically nothing. I am a Packer fan finding real difficult to respect a team(management) that treated Favre like this after all he has contributed to the organization. I don't understand the rush to desperately start an unproven, injury prone, meager novice over a seasoned veteran and champion. I wouldn't be saying this if the 38-year old Brett didn't just have the season of his career just last year with a 13-3 record, defying all predictions, and coming an overtime away from the super bowl losing to the 2008 champions. All this with the youngest team. So he proved himself and he's been doing it consistently for 17 years. This is a hard pill for all us Packer fans to swallow. I will enjoy watching Brett create more fans, wide receivers, and magic this year from a completely bizarre standpoint. I will also enjoy watching the Packers coaching staff and management explain loss after loss, constantly being asked if they regret not having Brett Favre. Unless Aaron Rodgers is better than Brett Favre like everyone is saying he is... We'll just have to see i guess.

08.13.2008 at 12:48

ort11

OMG, someone writing a sports col that has 1/2 (or greater) brain. Right Dead On. It was clear from the beginning of this it was management's ego, nothing else. not caring about the outcome. I have seen this before and it lead to a 14Billiion Dollar company going under. I don't think it will happen here, but there is no accountability if things go wrong. The solution was simple. Play Farve, when he messes up play Rodgers, when he fouls up play Farve. In their rush to gain control, they have put themselves in an impossible position. If they don't have a spectacular season, it is simply their fault.

All Favred Up

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