PackFaninBucLand
Cheesehead
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- Aug 14, 2005
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I'm a Favre fan but, frankly, I'm getting sick of the annual Favre Fest. I think this article from ProFootballTalk.com is spot-on. I realize that the Packers will be a better team with Favre next year, but will they be a better team in three years by having Favre next year?
Haven't posted in awhile but I stop in occasionally for a look.
LORD FAVRE SHOULD KEEP HIS THOUGHTS TO HIMSELF
We mean no disrespect to Packers quarterback Brett Favre. But if someone is ever writing a book on how to properly walk away from a high-end career in professional sports, Favre should be consulted for the chapter on how not to do it.
The whole "will he or won't he?" thing has become an annual issue for several years now -- primarily because Brett himself began publicly musing about his future more than three years ago. Our research reveals that the issue first came up in September 2002, when Favre opened up to Peter King of Sports Illustrated: "I think about retirement a heck of a lot more than I used to. . . . I miss home. I know it's nuts but Mike Sherman told us today that he was giving us Saturday and Sunday off this week, and the guys were all excited. All I could think was, I wish I could be on my lawn mower back home."
Let's put this in perspective. In September 2002, Favre was only 32. No one had any reason to suspect that Favre's career could be winding down. Quarterbacks can play at a high level past age 35. In 2005, Minnesota's Brad Johnson looked great at 37.
Since then, the story won't go away -- primarily since Favre won't quit talking about it. We can't recall any other NFL star allowing himself to get sucked into an ongoing dialogue regarding the date, time, and place of his retirement, primarily because most past NFL stars have operated under the unwavering presumption that they will continue to play until they announce that it's time to leave.
Dan Marino, to our recollection, didn't toy with the media for a year or longer before he packed it in. Ditto for Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, and Steve Young.
The only guy who allowed himself to be pulled into a discussion as to whether he'd be back for another go was John Elway, who pondered the possibility of going out on top after beating Favre's Packers in the Super Bowl eight years ago -- and who then said early in the offseason that he's coming back for another year. And who then won another championship before riding off into the sunset.
For Favre, the tease continues. Days after G.M. Ted Thompson and new coach Mike McCarthy went to Mississippi to kiss Favre's ring (and his tractor-riding ***), he tells ESPN's Chris Mortensen that, if a decision were required today, Favre wouldn't be back.
But since a decision isn't required today, why is Favre flapping his fangs about it? What benefit is gained by floating the idea that he won't be back at a time weeks before a final decision is due? Hell, why even give the interview so early in the offseason, when memories of a 4-12 record and his worst season as a starter are still raw and fresh?
We sure hope that Favre's agent, Bus Cook, didn't cajole Brett into granting the interview request from Mortensen in light of Mort's glowing article regarding Cook's next Favre, Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt. We're not suggesting that Mort skewed his item in favor of Cutler in order to gain access to Favre, but we wouldn't be surprised to learn that Cook nudged Favre to sit down with Mortensen because Cook felt like he "owed one" to Mort.
Regardless of the motivation, we think that Favre's best bet is to say nothing at all about his plans until it's time to announce them. And even though Brett doesn't come off as a guy who craves attention, it's hard not to conclude that lurking at the heart of this daytime drama is a healthy dose of good old-fashioned vanity.
Haven't posted in awhile but I stop in occasionally for a look.
LORD FAVRE SHOULD KEEP HIS THOUGHTS TO HIMSELF
We mean no disrespect to Packers quarterback Brett Favre. But if someone is ever writing a book on how to properly walk away from a high-end career in professional sports, Favre should be consulted for the chapter on how not to do it.
The whole "will he or won't he?" thing has become an annual issue for several years now -- primarily because Brett himself began publicly musing about his future more than three years ago. Our research reveals that the issue first came up in September 2002, when Favre opened up to Peter King of Sports Illustrated: "I think about retirement a heck of a lot more than I used to. . . . I miss home. I know it's nuts but Mike Sherman told us today that he was giving us Saturday and Sunday off this week, and the guys were all excited. All I could think was, I wish I could be on my lawn mower back home."
Let's put this in perspective. In September 2002, Favre was only 32. No one had any reason to suspect that Favre's career could be winding down. Quarterbacks can play at a high level past age 35. In 2005, Minnesota's Brad Johnson looked great at 37.
Since then, the story won't go away -- primarily since Favre won't quit talking about it. We can't recall any other NFL star allowing himself to get sucked into an ongoing dialogue regarding the date, time, and place of his retirement, primarily because most past NFL stars have operated under the unwavering presumption that they will continue to play until they announce that it's time to leave.
Dan Marino, to our recollection, didn't toy with the media for a year or longer before he packed it in. Ditto for Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, and Steve Young.
The only guy who allowed himself to be pulled into a discussion as to whether he'd be back for another go was John Elway, who pondered the possibility of going out on top after beating Favre's Packers in the Super Bowl eight years ago -- and who then said early in the offseason that he's coming back for another year. And who then won another championship before riding off into the sunset.
For Favre, the tease continues. Days after G.M. Ted Thompson and new coach Mike McCarthy went to Mississippi to kiss Favre's ring (and his tractor-riding ***), he tells ESPN's Chris Mortensen that, if a decision were required today, Favre wouldn't be back.
But since a decision isn't required today, why is Favre flapping his fangs about it? What benefit is gained by floating the idea that he won't be back at a time weeks before a final decision is due? Hell, why even give the interview so early in the offseason, when memories of a 4-12 record and his worst season as a starter are still raw and fresh?
We sure hope that Favre's agent, Bus Cook, didn't cajole Brett into granting the interview request from Mortensen in light of Mort's glowing article regarding Cook's next Favre, Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt. We're not suggesting that Mort skewed his item in favor of Cutler in order to gain access to Favre, but we wouldn't be surprised to learn that Cook nudged Favre to sit down with Mortensen because Cook felt like he "owed one" to Mort.
Regardless of the motivation, we think that Favre's best bet is to say nothing at all about his plans until it's time to announce them. And even though Brett doesn't come off as a guy who craves attention, it's hard not to conclude that lurking at the heart of this daytime drama is a healthy dose of good old-fashioned vanity.