First of all, I am a huge fan of Brett Favre. I dont think I am one of the many rats following the Pied Piper, but I do believe he was almost the best thing to happen to Wisconsin since dairy farms became popular.

But that being said: Why in the heck do almost all the media-hounds seem to be taking sides in support of Brett Favre during this whole unsightly fiasco...that he started?

My gosh, if you look back on things, the guy has made one poor/bad decision after another beginning with the terrible choice to throw that predictable OTM pass to DD in the NFC Championship Game.

Then he retires out of spite because TT fails to land Randy Moss.
Then he wants to unretire in March, then again in April and May and June.
Then he welcomes TT to his home in April and refuses to ask if he can come back and chooses to get upset because TT did not ask him to return to play.
Then he lets his family and friend leak info that he 'has the itch'.
Then he asks for his release knowing it would not be granted..."but we had to start somewhere" is what he said.
Then he conducts that lame interview on FOX.
Then he accused the Packers of dishonesty while he chooses to talk to the Vikings.
Then he asks to be traded within the NFC so he can beat the Packers.
Then his agent says they may not file a reinstatement letter until the 6th week of the season.
Then he agrees to meet with MM2 and says he is considering their $25 mil retirement plan.
Then he announces he is upset the Packers tried to buy him off.
Then he gases up his private jet, but never leaves Mississippi.
Then he delays filing his reinstatement letter.
Then he files his letter, but lets the Commish take 2-3 days to approve it.
Then he comes to Green Bay knowing "it was just a formality".
Then he goes to Lambeau Field on Family Night and gets miffed because the Packers dont show him a warm welcome..never mind the scrimmage was going on.
Then he meets with MM and decides to leak their some of their discussions to ESPN.
Then with MM he decides to talk more about his desire to carry a grudge rather than bury the hatchet and remain with the Packers and carry the football.
Then he agrees to talk trade.
Then he decides to accept a trade to the NYJs, where is he quickly becoming a marketing gimmick, where he has to re-learn almost everything in less than 4 weeks and where he is in a bigger fishbowl than Green Bay.
Then he announces to the world "I always wanted to be a Packer, and I always will be a Packer".
Then he claims not to be a "traitor".
Then he says his 9 year old daughter is the most excited person in their family about his playing for the NYJs.
Then states he was "vindictive"...which probably a mistake.
Then he says "there are no guarantees" and wonders if he "made the right choice".
Then he starts off on the wrong foot with his #1WR on the NYJs.
Then he lets us all know he is 38 and feeling it all the way.

What's next for him to say or do? Maybe win games or sell more jerseys for the NYJs.

Brett has always been real honest. Which is good and bad. But us Wisconsinites loved him for it. It wont be the same in NYC.

So, why are none of the talking-heads on ESPN, NFLN or FOX criticizing Brett for any or all of these bad choices. Some have made direct or indirect comments. But most are on the bandwagon.

Still we hear it is the Packers who have dropped the ball. The Packers kicked him out. The Packers should have taken back Favre and rolled out the red carpet. The Packers were very vague in their press conferences. etc., etc.

Truth is Brett Favre started this whole thing. Got backed into a corner and forced the Packers to make decision they most likely never expected they would have to make. And Favre ended up choosing an option he never dreamed he would have to choose. "Be careful what you wish for"...aimed at both sides.

I am not saying the Packers are not without blame. Surely they are at fault as they all have admitted. But Favre seems to be getting a greenlight from almost everyone and I am not so sure why.

Of course Mort and his ilk are going to side with Favre. With Favre in New York they something to do, something to talk about. The have nothing if Favre is sitting on his tractor or up in his tree stand down in Mississippi. So they continue to stroke his ego waiting for the crumbs Favre throws them, gobbling them up like starving sparrows. The writers and talking heads created this monster, now they have to keep it alive to keep themselves alive.

I still don't understand why people get there shorts in a bunch on either side. I understand where Favre was coming from and I understand why the Packers did what they did and hold no ill-will toward either and still feel neither side hurt the other.

quote:

Originally posted by TimthePackerFan:
I still don't understand why people get there shorts in a bunch on either side. I understand where Favre was coming from and I understand why the Packers did what they did and hold no ill-will toward either and still feel neither side hurt the other.

I think that is a very astute statement.

Not looking for an arguement, but I really would like to hear a rational reason why the Packers are to blame.

What exactly did they do that was incorrect in this whole affair?

Personally, I think Favre made the decision to quit, or retire if you like, three weeks later, changed his mind, told the Packers, and then changed it again. Considering that this routine has been ongoing for at least the past 4 or 5 offseasons, what should the team have done? On top of that, it was reported that two years ago, when questioned about whether or not his indecision was making things difficult for the team, Favre responded with something like, 'well, yea, but hey, what are they going to do, cut me?'

The only fault I can find with the team is the "PR" offer to Favre. Not that it was a bribe, I just don't like the whole idea of paying this guy 20 mil to sign a few autographs, sign 300 pieces of Favre memorabilia per year, and to go hunting or golfing with the executive committee each summer or fall.

But then, that' s just me. I'm in agreement with the article written by the Palontonio character earier this year. I think the second half of Favre's career has been vastly over hyped and overrated. His games against the Cowboys, the Bears and the Giants made me want him to retire even before he did. I was happy the guy had called it quits. I mean 21 yards passing in the entire second half of the Giants game with two interceptions? That's certainly not much to write home about and had he not retired, I'm not sure I would have been too excited about the team's prospects in 2008. Despite "global warming", it's still the upper midwest and chances are that games in December and January will be played in the cold.

Long and short is that Favre get's a pass from the media because the media has a lot invested in his hype, no matter how long ago Favre's really great years were. Favre got a pass from the media for all his horrible playoff performances the last decade and he will continue to get a pass, no matter what he does, how he plays, or what ridiculous things he says.

quote:

Why is Brett Favre Getting a "Pass" On His Recent Actions?

Besides having such funk?

quote:

Why is Brett Favre Getting a "Pass" On His Recent Actions?

That way he is not getting intercepted.

I think the Packers are to blame for the process of how this ugly affair unfolded more than perhaps their reasoning.

TT admitted that communication breakdowns were a major part of the problem. I think the Packers failed to look into the future and visualize what an enormous issue this could turn out to be. Although I think there is no one on this planet that thought the Favre Saga would have turned out to be as captivating as it was.

Lastly, most people are blaming TT for the decision to let Favre go. But as I thought about it, I think MM is maybe behind it even more. Obviously if MM truly believed Brett Favre could really help the Packers, he would say to TT that they needed to give Favre one more shot with the team. I think MM feels that Favre was not in good condition physically, mentally and psychologically to help the Packers through an entire season.

Maybe Favre proves them wrong this season. Maybe not.

I don't think he's getting so much of a pass from most of the informed "fans in the street". Yes there are a certain percentage who have studied the issue seriously and still think Favre's in the right on it all, but there are a lot who just don't know, don't follow it all, just go with their emotions, and put on their blinders and say, "Brett Favre, right or wrong." Most of that variety that I've heard from though, like my dear mother, aren't following all the ins and outs, just saying as she says, "I like Brett Favre better than Ted Thompson, so it's easy to say whose side I'm on, right? Besides, this scruffy guy on TV who said he was Brett's friend from Kiln said..."

The media talking heads though have given him more of a pass, and I think it's because he sells, and y'know, they may wind up working with the guy someday...

quote:

Originally posted by GBP1:
I think the Packers are to blame for the process of how this ugly affair unfolded more than perhaps their reasoning.

TT admitted that communication breakdowns were a major part of the problem. I think the Packers failed to look into the future and visualize what an enormous issue this could turn out to be. Although I think there is no one on this planet that thought the Favre Saga would have turned out to be as captivating as it was.

Lastly, most people are blaming TT for the decision to let Favre go. But as I thought about it, I think MM is maybe behind it even more. Obviously if MM truly believed Brett Favre could really help the Packers, he would say to TT that they needed to give Favre one more shot with the team. I think MM feels that Favre was not in good condition physically, mentally and psychologically to help the Packers through an entire season.

Maybe Favre proves them wrong this season. Maybe not.

Thanks for that answer.

I know Thompson mentioned "communication faiulre", but wasn't that just throwing a bone to all the emotional cripples out there? I mean, what exactly was the communication error? It seems that Favre has built up a lot of antagonism and anger towards Thompson and the organization, but for what, I can't fathom. Is Favre really that delusional that he thinks he should have a say in who the HC is, or for which players the Packers trade or cut?

The only communication failure I can see is that somebody didn't tell him to stfu a lot sooner than they did. I don't think it was until McCarthy and Favre had their marathon session together that somebody really told him that he was full of himself, that the team didn't want him back, that he wanted back for all the wrong reasons, and that the team wasn't going to release him or trade him to Minnesota. It was probably the first time since Favre was an adolescent that somebody actually told him something he didnt' want to hear and then actually had the nerve to tell him "no".

I really believe that Favre feels that he does not owe anybody anything, that he did not owe the organization a decision, or that he should have to stick to his own decisions.

I think the error on the organization's part was trying to be too nice to a guy who wasn't about to give them any consideration whatsoever.

I think in the Sherman era, Brett got a lot of "passes" on things when the other players didn't. When the new regime came in, they wanted things more egalitarian. To them it was being fair. To Brett, I'm guessing that it seemed more like punishing him or taking things away from him because they didn't like him. So he got colder and more closed off from them, degree by degree, and when they didn't take his advice, it got worse and he saw them, probably, as cold-blooded executives behind a door saying, "Talk to the hand," when he felt he was out there "giving it his all." That's my take on how the chasm most likely started.

quote:

Originally posted by GBP1:

I am not saying the Packers are not without blame. Surely they are at fault as they all have admitted. But Favre seems to be getting a greenlight from almost everyone and I am not so sure why.

There are some people who put on the Favre blinders and say he can do no wrong. I think most people agree that is not true. Favre didn't make a couple of bad decisions this off-season, he made a LOT of them. But he gets the greenlight because he is still one of the top QB's in the game and many many franchises have waited 30+ years for even ONE decent QB. For the Packers to not find a way to make it work with a guy who loves the team and the city he played for seems like a crazy thing to the fans of those teams. If this was Green Bay of 1990 and we had never had a player like Favre, we'd have been questioning the franchise that let Favre go too.

In the end, football is a business of: can the guy play or not? Favre can still play - and he can play better than 2/3 of the league's QBs even without an off-season program. IMO, that is the primary reason the Packers have been questioned so.

There are at least two distinct views on this issue

One camp says:

" he can still play and is better than most NFL QBs- and they are correct

Another camp says: " He isn't good enough anymore to win a championship without a full commitment and full effort starting in January- and they are correct too

Some fans are happy winning some games and enjoying the fun of Favre on Sunday. Brett is entertaining and they want to be entertained, thats why they watch and that is great

Others are more focused on winning a Title and are not content with fun on Sundays and 'only" winning a bunch of games.

Neither is better or worse, neither is right or wrong

They just want different things from their QB, and that's fine too.

But the NFL Championship is a cruel mistress and in the history of the game, the football Gods do not allow half measures, indecision, waffles and wavers to achieve the Ultimate Win.

It doesn't work that way, no matter who you are or who you think you are, or what you have done or who you know

You must make the sacrifice if you want to reap the Glories of an NFL Championship.

That's how it works for everybody, no matter what name is on the back or front of the jersey.

Those are the House Rules in the NFL

quote:

Originally posted by Satori:
There are at least two distinct views on this issue

One camp says:

" he can still play and is better than most NFL QBs- and they are correct

Another camp says: " He isn't good enough anymore to win a championship without a full commitment and full effort starting in January- and they are correct too

Some fans are happy winning some games and enjoying the fun of Favre on Sunday. Brett is entertaining and they want to be entertained, thats why they watch and that is great

Others are more focused on winning a Title and are not content with fun on Sundays and 'only" winning a bunch of games.

I not only think that Favre was the best guy to help us win more games during the regular season, I also think that he was also our best chance for a Championship. I realize that people disagree with that opinion, but I simply can't pin our final loss last season solely on Favre. If our OL hadn't been owned by the Giants DL (in our OL's defense, the Giants DL also owned the Pats OL in the Super Bowl) or if we had ANY semblance of a running game or even if Bush remembers to secure the fumbled punt before running with it, we probably win the game. The final INT occured after all of that stuff.

Anyway, it's a mute issue. Favre is a Jet.

quote:

Originally posted by CJS:...I not only think that Favre was the best guy to help us win more games during the regular season, I also think that he was also our best chance for a Championship. I realize that people disagree with that opinion, but I simply can't pin our final loss last season solely on Favre. If our OL hadn't been owned by the Giants DL (in our OL's defense, the Giants DL also owned the Pats OL in the Super Bowl) or if we had ANY semblance of a running game or even if Bush remembers to secure the fumbled punt before running with it, we probably win the game. The final INT occured after all of that stuff.

Anyway, it's a mute issue. Favre is a Jet.

If we can't pin the loss to the Giants solely on Favre, how can we say he is the "best guy to help us win more games..." and "he is the best chance for a Championshiop"? I thought the TEAM wins (or loses) regular season games and Championships.

There isn't any evidence to support the notion that Favre gives you the best chance to win a Super Bowl

Faith and hope for sure, but actual evidence and facts and history suggest otherwise.

I am not pinning the Giants loss on Favre, but I am holding him accountable for his performance and if others would do the same, they might see it differently

His performance in the cold, performance in Dallas, and in playoff crunch time suggest he is mortal

That may be the hardest part to digest and accept.

It's a team sport, but one SB win in 16 years MIGHT suggest Favre is mortal.

And Tom Coughlin was almost fired prior to winning the Super Bowl last year. Turns out he just needed a better team to get it done. Favre needed more around him too.

It's very simple for me. Rodgers is not as good as Favre - that is a fact. Maybe in 2 or 3 years that will reverse as Favre's play deteriorates further with age, but today, Favre is the better QB. Therefore, the next logical thought in that progression is that Favre would have given the Packers the best chance to win a Super Bowl because he quite simply is the better player.

The people who are paid to evaluate football talent came to a different conclusion

They felt his liabilities out- weighed his assets ( thanks slayer)

Why do you presume to know better than the people who do this for a living ?

Brett may be a better QB in September 08, but September 08 doesn't matter.

December/January/February are the ones that do matter and in that scenario the football people were in agreement that Favre isn't the better choice

And their decision was based on facts, film review, and their professional experiences in the League

Faith, hope, history, idol worship, fan favorite, media darling, great guy, HOF credentials- none of that is part of the decision.

For if it were, Brett would be a Packer today

And he isn't . Why do you suppose that is the case ?

Why would the Packers front office stick with a very unpopular decision, when the easy way out was to acquiesce and let him come back ?

quote:

Originally posted by CJS:
It's very simple for me. Rodgers is not as good as Favre - that is a fact. Maybe in 2 or 3 years that will reverse as Favre's play deteriorates further with age, but today, Favre is the better QB.

I'm going to reserve my view of which is better after we see a season of Rodgers.

To be fair I think people should compare 2008 Rodgers to 1993 Favre. Do that and see who is better. In 1993 Holmgren was ready to bench Favre in favor of Brunell and Mariucci had to talk him out of it.

Jason Wilde spent much of practice the other day talking with Ron Wolf. They discussed the irony of Favre with the Jets now and how Wolf wanted to draft him way back when as the Jets personal guy. Wilde commented how it actually worked out good for Wolf since if Favre had become a Jet back then Wolf wouldn't have acquired him from ATL for the Packers. Wilde said people might not consider you such a genius... Wolf responded, they'd still think i was a genius, I had Brunell. Point is back then Wolf and Holmgren thought as much of Brunell as they did of Favre.

quote:

Originally posted by Hungry5:

quote:

Originally posted by CJS:
It's very simple for me. Rodgers is not as good as Favre - that is a fact. Maybe in 2 or 3 years that will reverse as Favre's play deteriorates further with age, but today, Favre is the better QB.

I'm going to reserve my view of which is better after we see a season of Rodgers.

To be fair I think people should compare 2008 Rodgers to 1993 Favre. Do that and see who is better. In 1993 Holmgren was ready to bench Favre in favor of Brunell and Mariucci had to talk him out of it.

If the goal of the 2008 season is to win the Super Bowl, it doesn't matter if Rodgers is better than Favre in 2010 or even 2009. The Packers team is good NOW. The time is now to try and win it. The Packers have key players who are all aging. Clifton, Tauscher, Woodson, Harris - are all on the wrong side of 30. We have no one to replace them. The time is now. Or was, I should say.

quote:

Wolf responded, they'd still think i was a genius, I had Brunell. Point is back then Wolf and Holmgren thought as much of Brunell as they did of Favre.

And they were wrong, weren't they? Brunell wasn't as good as Favre. Brunell will not enter the Hall of Fame except as a visitor.