http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/09/30/mmqb/index.html
Deanna Favre leaned over the railing after her husband's very big day at the Metrodome and asked: "Do you still have an MVP vote?" "Yes," I said. "You might have to vote for Brett again,'' she said. No kidding. If Tom Brady and Peyton Manning weren't playing like Bird and Magic in their playoff prime every game, Brett Favre might actually be ahead in the MVP derby right now. And you could certainly make the case that Favre's the single-most important person to his team right now, because no 3-1 or 4-0 team has as pathetic a running game as Green Bay's. Which brings us to the amazing thing about Favre's 16th season in Green Bay: Every defense knows exactly what's coming. The Packers have the worst running game in football, easily the worst in Favre's 16 Green Bay seasons. All the defensive coordinators sitting in their batcaves Monday and Tuesday planning to face the Packers are saying: We don't have to load up against the run now, because we know Green Bay can't beat us unless Favre beats us.
In nine days, he turns 38. He's got a daughter who's a freshman in college. Still, he looks just like he looked when he was Mike Holmgren's Wild Child, doesn't he? Lifting receivers off the ground, throwing 101-mph fastballs that dislocate fingers, showing deft touch when needed. With one difference. "He's really playing within the system so well right now," coach Mike McCarthy told me Saturday night. "He's studying so much, giving me ideas. A lot of times I have to say no, but we're pretty much on the same page with things." In the past couple of weeks, people have taken the playing-within-the-system stuff to mean he's Mr. **** and Dunk. That's not totally true. He'll still throw the risky slant, and the long pass into traffic up the seam. It's just that he'll throw fewer of those, and more of the shorter stuff, getting the ball to his receivers and backs in space and letting them make the plays.
However he's doing it, we're witnessing something none of us could have foreseen a month ago. Comparing the average games during his three MVP seasons (he won the award outright in 1995 and 1996, then shared it with Barry Sanders in 1997) shows age is not his Kryptonite. It's early, obviously, and some of the weather games the Packers are sure to play late -- they're at Chicago and home to Oakland and Detroit in December -- will likely hurt his stats. I'll get into a few of my theories why this is happening in a story in Sports Illustrated this week. But a lot of it has to do with the stage Favre is at in life. Remember last year, after he dragged out his decision on whether to come back to play the 2006 season, he finally heard a voice from God -- who, in this case, masqueraded as Phil Simms on Sirius NFL radio -- saying if he were Favre, there's no way he'd retire now. Because he'd have 50 years to do whatever he wanted to after his career ended, but he'd never be able to go back to football once he retired. That was a bit of a lightning bolt to Favre, and it made tremendous sense.
So Favre's gotten in great shape in each of the last two years, listened to his coaches as much as or more than ever and studied his opposition more than he ever has. Used to be that quarterback coaches would have to wake Favre up during meetings once or twice a week, back in his partying days. No more. If this is it -- although those around think he'll keep playing after this year, though he hasn't made the decision -- he wants to make sure he doesn't take any shortcuts. I was surprised to hear the positive reaction in Minnesota to his record throw on Sunday. I guess it'd be something like Fenway fans cheering A-Rod if he hit his 500th home run in Boston. There's a great rivalry between the Vikes and Packers. But the Metrodome fans let the moment wash over them and appreciated it. The crowd was maybe 40 percent Green Bay fans. But they were joined in appreciation by people in purple, too.
When Favre left the field after the game, he stopped to hug the Vikings mascot, the stringy-bearded Ragnar. It was the 16th time Ragnar -- a Minnesotan named Joe Juranich -- had seen Favre come into the 'Dome, and the first time they hugged. Ragnar stands for all things Vikings. Favre has been the archrival. Juranich knows he should hate Favre, but he can't. When Favre had gone, Juranich said: "I went out into the parking lots today before the game, because I wanted to tell the fans, 'Don't you dare boo this man today. He's been through so much, and he's such a credit to the game. We should cheer him, and give him credit for being such a great player over the years.' You just have to admire him. I mean this: It's good to see him break it here." Need a feel-good story for your sports year? Fed up with Bonds, with asterisks, with Spygate, with dogfighting, with soccer goalies ripping other soccer goalies? With the effect money has on the games you love? Well, Favre's writing a pretty pure story in Green Bay. There might be more good chapters to it. Keep reading.
______________________________________________________________
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=669376
They Said It About Brett Favre--A selection of quotes congratulating Packers quarterback Brett Favre's record-setting career touchdown passes Sunday:
Dan Marino's videotaped message to Favre after touchdown pass 421:
"Hey Brett, it's Dan Marino. I'd like to take a minute to congratulate you on breaking one of the great records in sports. I loved holding the touchdown record for the past 13 years, but if someone was going to break it, I'm glad it was someone like you, who has always competed at the highest level and always played only to win. Over the past 17 years, you've been a credit to the Packers, and to the National Football League and to the sport that we all love so much. Brett, congratulations on touchdown 421!"
Bart Starr
"It's a remarkable accomplishment and richly deserved. Brett is a fabulous competitor and personifies leadership by example. I've never seen a more enthusiastic player and leader."
Mike Holmgren
"As proud and amazed as I am of what Brett is and has accomplished on the playing field, the thing that impresses me the most is what kind of a man and leader he has become off the field. I have taken great joy in watching him develop as a person and father over his career."
Joe Montana
"I honestly thought Danny's records might never be broken. What Brett has done is a tremendous accomplishment. Congratulations you old fart!"
______________________________________________________________
http://packerfansunited.blogspot.com/2007/10/football-folks-reflect-upon-favre.html
Football folks reflect upon Favre
Elsewhere, there were the comments on ESPN before the game. Mike Ditka had this to say: "One of the best things that happened to me, I got fired in 1992 and that's when he (Favre) started. But I'll give him the ultimate compliment, as far as I'm concerned. To me, that's a guy I would have loved to have played with. I would have loved to be in the huddle with that guy." You know, I think Brett probably would have enjoyed that, too. And Emmitt Smith added, ""What I love about Brett Favre, and I have never seen it in my years playing football and watching the game, I have never seen a quarterback enjoy his position, enjoy the game, as much as Brett Favre. I'll tell you. There are only two quarterbacks in the league who I would love to have played with, outside of my own Troy Aikman. Brett Favre is one. Dan Marino is the other." Coming from Mr. Smith, that's high praise indeed.
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http://blogs.jsonline.com/packers/a...spective-on-favre-from-a-hall-of-fame-qb.aspx
Another perspective on Favre from a Hall of Fame QB
Terry Bradshaw has never been shy about his admiration for Brett Favre. Bradshaw, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989, has gone on record several times as saying Favre is the best quarterback that he's ever seen. Ever. Following Favre's record-breaking touchdown pass Sunday, Bradshaw examines Favre's accomplishment from a quarterback's perspective. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the record, according to Bradshaw, is how Favre managed the feat without a stable set of receivers.
Says Bradshaw: "Look at Dan Marino with Mark Clayton and Mark Duper when he started. Look at me with Lynn Swann and John Stallworth and Montana with Jerry Rice, Dwight Clark and some of the others. Dan Fouts had great receivers in San Diego his entire career. All of them had a steady, very reliable complement of receivers. "But look at Favre. He's had to endure so much there. Antonio Freeman was a good receiver but wasn't in the same class as a Rice or a Swann or a Kellen Winslow. Now he has Donald Driver, and he's solid. But he also has a rookie receiver in James Jones and he might be good some day, but he's a rookie. Brett is doing so much just leading that team, and it just looks like he's playing so smart."
Deanna Favre leaned over the railing after her husband's very big day at the Metrodome and asked: "Do you still have an MVP vote?" "Yes," I said. "You might have to vote for Brett again,'' she said. No kidding. If Tom Brady and Peyton Manning weren't playing like Bird and Magic in their playoff prime every game, Brett Favre might actually be ahead in the MVP derby right now. And you could certainly make the case that Favre's the single-most important person to his team right now, because no 3-1 or 4-0 team has as pathetic a running game as Green Bay's. Which brings us to the amazing thing about Favre's 16th season in Green Bay: Every defense knows exactly what's coming. The Packers have the worst running game in football, easily the worst in Favre's 16 Green Bay seasons. All the defensive coordinators sitting in their batcaves Monday and Tuesday planning to face the Packers are saying: We don't have to load up against the run now, because we know Green Bay can't beat us unless Favre beats us.
In nine days, he turns 38. He's got a daughter who's a freshman in college. Still, he looks just like he looked when he was Mike Holmgren's Wild Child, doesn't he? Lifting receivers off the ground, throwing 101-mph fastballs that dislocate fingers, showing deft touch when needed. With one difference. "He's really playing within the system so well right now," coach Mike McCarthy told me Saturday night. "He's studying so much, giving me ideas. A lot of times I have to say no, but we're pretty much on the same page with things." In the past couple of weeks, people have taken the playing-within-the-system stuff to mean he's Mr. **** and Dunk. That's not totally true. He'll still throw the risky slant, and the long pass into traffic up the seam. It's just that he'll throw fewer of those, and more of the shorter stuff, getting the ball to his receivers and backs in space and letting them make the plays.
However he's doing it, we're witnessing something none of us could have foreseen a month ago. Comparing the average games during his three MVP seasons (he won the award outright in 1995 and 1996, then shared it with Barry Sanders in 1997) shows age is not his Kryptonite. It's early, obviously, and some of the weather games the Packers are sure to play late -- they're at Chicago and home to Oakland and Detroit in December -- will likely hurt his stats. I'll get into a few of my theories why this is happening in a story in Sports Illustrated this week. But a lot of it has to do with the stage Favre is at in life. Remember last year, after he dragged out his decision on whether to come back to play the 2006 season, he finally heard a voice from God -- who, in this case, masqueraded as Phil Simms on Sirius NFL radio -- saying if he were Favre, there's no way he'd retire now. Because he'd have 50 years to do whatever he wanted to after his career ended, but he'd never be able to go back to football once he retired. That was a bit of a lightning bolt to Favre, and it made tremendous sense.
So Favre's gotten in great shape in each of the last two years, listened to his coaches as much as or more than ever and studied his opposition more than he ever has. Used to be that quarterback coaches would have to wake Favre up during meetings once or twice a week, back in his partying days. No more. If this is it -- although those around think he'll keep playing after this year, though he hasn't made the decision -- he wants to make sure he doesn't take any shortcuts. I was surprised to hear the positive reaction in Minnesota to his record throw on Sunday. I guess it'd be something like Fenway fans cheering A-Rod if he hit his 500th home run in Boston. There's a great rivalry between the Vikes and Packers. But the Metrodome fans let the moment wash over them and appreciated it. The crowd was maybe 40 percent Green Bay fans. But they were joined in appreciation by people in purple, too.
When Favre left the field after the game, he stopped to hug the Vikings mascot, the stringy-bearded Ragnar. It was the 16th time Ragnar -- a Minnesotan named Joe Juranich -- had seen Favre come into the 'Dome, and the first time they hugged. Ragnar stands for all things Vikings. Favre has been the archrival. Juranich knows he should hate Favre, but he can't. When Favre had gone, Juranich said: "I went out into the parking lots today before the game, because I wanted to tell the fans, 'Don't you dare boo this man today. He's been through so much, and he's such a credit to the game. We should cheer him, and give him credit for being such a great player over the years.' You just have to admire him. I mean this: It's good to see him break it here." Need a feel-good story for your sports year? Fed up with Bonds, with asterisks, with Spygate, with dogfighting, with soccer goalies ripping other soccer goalies? With the effect money has on the games you love? Well, Favre's writing a pretty pure story in Green Bay. There might be more good chapters to it. Keep reading.
______________________________________________________________
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=669376
They Said It About Brett Favre--A selection of quotes congratulating Packers quarterback Brett Favre's record-setting career touchdown passes Sunday:
Dan Marino's videotaped message to Favre after touchdown pass 421:
"Hey Brett, it's Dan Marino. I'd like to take a minute to congratulate you on breaking one of the great records in sports. I loved holding the touchdown record for the past 13 years, but if someone was going to break it, I'm glad it was someone like you, who has always competed at the highest level and always played only to win. Over the past 17 years, you've been a credit to the Packers, and to the National Football League and to the sport that we all love so much. Brett, congratulations on touchdown 421!"
Bart Starr
"It's a remarkable accomplishment and richly deserved. Brett is a fabulous competitor and personifies leadership by example. I've never seen a more enthusiastic player and leader."
Mike Holmgren
"As proud and amazed as I am of what Brett is and has accomplished on the playing field, the thing that impresses me the most is what kind of a man and leader he has become off the field. I have taken great joy in watching him develop as a person and father over his career."
Joe Montana
"I honestly thought Danny's records might never be broken. What Brett has done is a tremendous accomplishment. Congratulations you old fart!"
______________________________________________________________
http://packerfansunited.blogspot.com/2007/10/football-folks-reflect-upon-favre.html
Football folks reflect upon Favre
Elsewhere, there were the comments on ESPN before the game. Mike Ditka had this to say: "One of the best things that happened to me, I got fired in 1992 and that's when he (Favre) started. But I'll give him the ultimate compliment, as far as I'm concerned. To me, that's a guy I would have loved to have played with. I would have loved to be in the huddle with that guy." You know, I think Brett probably would have enjoyed that, too. And Emmitt Smith added, ""What I love about Brett Favre, and I have never seen it in my years playing football and watching the game, I have never seen a quarterback enjoy his position, enjoy the game, as much as Brett Favre. I'll tell you. There are only two quarterbacks in the league who I would love to have played with, outside of my own Troy Aikman. Brett Favre is one. Dan Marino is the other." Coming from Mr. Smith, that's high praise indeed.
______________________________________________________________
http://blogs.jsonline.com/packers/a...spective-on-favre-from-a-hall-of-fame-qb.aspx
Another perspective on Favre from a Hall of Fame QB
Terry Bradshaw has never been shy about his admiration for Brett Favre. Bradshaw, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989, has gone on record several times as saying Favre is the best quarterback that he's ever seen. Ever. Following Favre's record-breaking touchdown pass Sunday, Bradshaw examines Favre's accomplishment from a quarterback's perspective. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the record, according to Bradshaw, is how Favre managed the feat without a stable set of receivers.
Says Bradshaw: "Look at Dan Marino with Mark Clayton and Mark Duper when he started. Look at me with Lynn Swann and John Stallworth and Montana with Jerry Rice, Dwight Clark and some of the others. Dan Fouts had great receivers in San Diego his entire career. All of them had a steady, very reliable complement of receivers. "But look at Favre. He's had to endure so much there. Antonio Freeman was a good receiver but wasn't in the same class as a Rice or a Swann or a Kellen Winslow. Now he has Donald Driver, and he's solid. But he also has a rookie receiver in James Jones and he might be good some day, but he's a rookie. Brett is doing so much just leading that team, and it just looks like he's playing so smart."
