Oates on Favre :

WinnipegPackFan

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Oates: Favre era has feel of bad ending
TOM OATES
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As the national voices continue to squawk about how Brett Favre is holding the Green Bay Packers hostage, it is obvious they are watching Wisconsin's longest-running soap opera quite closely.

Just not close enough.

With a little more diligence, they would know that Favre isn't holding the Packers hostage because it has become even more apparent that general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy won't allow themselves to be held hostage by anyone, not even the greatest player in Packers history.

Favre has his wishes - to play a 15th season in Green Bay and do it for a Super Bowl contender - and Thompson and McCarthy have theirs - to rebuild the Packers from the ground up through the next couple of drafts.

With the new regime and the old quarterback pushing conflicting agendas, it has created the greatest stalemate in Green Bay since general manager Tom Braatz and coach Lindy Infante were given 50-50 say in all football decisions back in the 1980s.

Thompson and McCarthy seem like they don't care whether Favre retires or returns, but have made it clear through their actions - or lack thereof - that if he does return he's going to have to play on whatever team they put together.

Favre wants only to play on a team capable of contending after last year's 4-12 train wreck and is clearly trying to, uh, encourage Thompson and McCarthy to throw him a bone - or, more accurately, a starting guard or two.

The most telling comment from Favre's most recent non-press conference showed just how far apart he and the Packers brass are on their thinking about next season.

"I'm not the GM, I'm not the head coach," Favre said. "I don't make those decisions. Never asked to. But I know when we signed Reggie White (in 1993) we knew we were going to be better right away. I think people associated with the Packers said, 'Now there's a signing that will make us better.'

"I think that's what we have to do. We have to make a statement again. You have to stay up with the NFL and teams are making statements. Sometimes you hit on them, sometimes you don't. I think we have to do that."

Thompson and McCarthy obviously don't agree. If they really wanted to make a statement and placate Favre, free agent defensive players Charles Woodson and LaVar Arrington would be apartment hunting in Green Bay by now. The Packers would have already used some of their $19 million in salary cap room (second-most in the NFL) and given Woodson and Arrington the mega-contracts they are seeking.

Instead, the Packers are waiting for the price tag on one or both to come down before they write a check, an approach that will probably drive them to sign elsewhere.

With Favre admitting that the free-agency window is virtually closed and this year's draft picks won't make much of an impact until next season, there no longer seems to be any way Thompson and McCarthy can make their quarterback happy.

And since stalemates seldom end well, it is beginning to look like the Favre era in Green Bay is going to end badly - just like the Braatz-Infante era before it.
 

Leelee

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I agree with all of this. It's a shame though, because Aaron Rodgers with that offensive line? I feel for Brett. I wish he would consider another team that could win. True fans will cheer for him to go to the Super Bowl and be patient while we build in GB. But, that's not in his heart to do, he is a Packer. I wish he could have had an Elway send off!!!
 

DePack

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Leelee said:
I agree with all of this. It's a shame though, because Aaron Rodgers with that offensive line? I feel for Brett. I wish he would consider another team that could win. True fans will cheer for him to go to the Super Bowl and be patient while we build in GB. But, that's not in his heart to do, he is a Packer. I wish he could have had an Elway send off!!!

He could have...if TT would have gotten off his (the Packer's) fat wallet and signed a couple of free agents that will help immediately. I won't name names because this thread will immediately change directions. I'll only use initials....T.O.
 

bozz_2006

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I just can't believe Thompson right now. right now our pay-roll is $76 million, and that's assuming brett comes back. we are REQUIRED to have a MINIMUM of $85 million!!!!! there's a big difference between being careful with your money, and being Ebineezer Scrooge! Does TT know that you can't take it with you when you die?....

Oh ya can't get to heaven, with out a Superstar
Cuz 20 million won't take you that far
I ain't gonna mess with TT no more, I've been redeemed!
 

pyledriver80

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I love Favre to death but if Lavar and Woodson want to much money, let them go elsewhere. There is a reason Arrington is still floating around after visits with 7-8 other teams. Noone wants to pay his asking price.

If Arrington or Woodson were Reggie White I would say "Throw the bank at em'" but they are not. They come with question marks.

I wish we could address the OG situation as thats much more important right now. Unfortunately, the only way we could address it is after the first round of cuts or the draft.

Another possibility is on Draft day to use your picks as trade bait. Maybe possibly trade your pick to Cleveland for Jeff Faine. I don't know but TT better have some sort of plan.
 

Chamuko

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Well TT will get his team and I have a theory on why he let Longwell go to the queenies:

He will have his team, his team will suck and he will have his sorry butt kicked out of GB so he got rid of a good kicker and signed a bad one that way the kick wouldnt hurt that bad !!!

DePack I am also on the TO bandagon, take a big chance and you will get a big reward...
 

Since69

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I'm torn. I love Brett, but I also like what TT's doing. TT could have extended Brett the ultimate olive branch by signing Hutchinson to a huge contract, but paying a guard that kind of money isn't in the team's best interest. If it were, we would have just found a way to keep Wahle and maybe Rivera, too.

I have a couple of problems with that article. First, opinions are like f-holes: every violin's got a couple. The Favre retirement issue has been so overblown and so overanalyzed I could probably discuss it intelligently with one of my dogs. The problem is that so few people have any real info - everyone else is just giving their take on someone else's take.

Secondly, the article assumes that TT is cheap. He's not - he's frugal and there's a difference. Just because Woodson and Arrington left Green Bay without a deal doesn't mean they left without an offer. Pickett left too, and wound up coming back. The fact that those two aren't in the team photo yet just means that TT was smart enough to not blow them away with an offer that no one else could match. I really think that unless someone better comes along, one or both will be playing for us come September.
 

pyledriver80

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Yeah, well put Since69. To many people turn it into a Brett vs TT thing. One side supports Brett and one side supports TT. I support them both. I can see where Brett wants better players around him but I can see where TT does not want to overpay for them.

It's not as black and white as most people believe.
 

gopackgo4

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The whole Oline thing is such bulll. There was one guard out there who was really good and he was way overpayed. We had to take Og in the draft.
 
OP
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W

WinnipegPackFan

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bozz_2006 said:
I just can't believe Thompson right now. right now our pay-roll is $76 million, and that's assuming brett comes back. we are REQUIRED to have a MINIMUM of $85 million!!!!! there's a big difference between being careful with your money, and being Ebineezer Scrooge! Does TT know that you can't take it with you when you die?....

Oh ya can't get to heaven, with out a Superstar
Cuz 20 million won't take you that far
I ain't gonna mess with TT no more, I've been redeemed!

If those numbers are correct ( and I am sure they are ) then "careful" is a very polite word to describe how TT has approached this off season !!!
 

pyledriver80

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What an idiot. You might as well quit reading when the guy asks.....

But why did he need to hold a press conference just to draw more attention to the fact that he is thinking about retirement?


Brett holds one every year for his Golf Tournament and never did Brett announce he was going to make a decision.


Again just another journalists spewing bogusstuff to try to stir the pot. Not even worth the 20 seconds it took me to read it. Journalists are supposed to report facts not "what they think happened"
 

Anubis

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Chamuko said:
DePack I am also on the TO bandagon, take a big chance and you will get a big reward...

...or take a big chance and lose it all. T.O. is nothing but a cancer in the locker room and in the organization. He never was, nor will he ever be the answer to the problems in GB.

I agree however that TT's cheapness is a bit ridiculous. As posted above, he is going to be WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY under the cap if Favre retires. I understand the need to be frugal, but for god's sake that is ridiculous.

TT should pay Woodson what he is asking in an incentive-based contract and keep Carroll for depth. A solid D will go a long way to bringing Brett back, and TT can address the offense in the later stages of the draft, or next year if need be. Remember, our O sucked last year mostly due to injuries. With Green, Gado and Davenport in our running game (along with the "zone blocking" offense to help), we could have a potent offense that we simply could not field last year. The O-line is our biggest problem, but there is not much that can be done about that right now. Regardless, I for one, don't think this team is anywhere near as bad of shape as is being portrayed in the media, or on some of these forums. However, if Favre retires, all bets are off for this season.

GO PACK!!!

Robert C. Hedley
 

IPBprez

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pyledriver80 said:
Yeah, well put Since69. To many people turn it into a Brett vs TT thing. One side supports Brett and one side supports TT. I support them both. I can see where Brett wants better players around him but I can see where TT does not want to overpay for them.

It's not as black and white as most people believe.

Agreed - and according to the 4/11 Arrington Article, Lavar was wanting to speak to Favre about his coming back or not, as a lynch-pin to himself making a decision to play at Lambeau (for less money?).....

So, Favre could use a little PR muscle himself, as well in getting those higher caliber players to drive to Wisconsin. He had it easy with Reggie White coming here - Reggie made those calls to other players - this time, it should be his turn - and he's not really trying, as hard as he could.

I would bet he's not the first player to walk away because Favre was being so indecisive... Did Steve Hutchinson even bother tor return any calls to Green Bay, or what?
 

porky88

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IPBprez said:
pyledriver80 said:
Yeah, well put Since69. To many people turn it into a Brett vs TT thing. One side supports Brett and one side supports TT. I support them both. I can see where Brett wants better players around him but I can see where TT does not want to overpay for them.

It's not as black and white as most people believe.

Agreed - and according to the 4/11 Arrington Article, Lavar was wanting to speak to Favre about his coming back or not, as a lynch-pin to himself making a decision to play at Lambeau (for less money?).....

So, Favre could use a little PR muscle himself, as well in getting those higher caliber players to drive to Wisconsin. He had it easy with Reggie White coming here - Reggie made those calls to other players - this time, it should be his turn - and he's not really trying, as hard as he could.

I would bet he's not the first player to walk away because Favre was being so indecisive... Did Steve Hutchinson even bother tor return any calls to Green Bay, or what?

I'm with you guys as well. I support my QB no matter what he decides to do. I support my GM as well. I like the moves Thompson has made. I think we're a better team today than we were when the gun sounded at the end of the Seahawk game.
 

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