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Packnic

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interesting point of view.

its almost eery how the situation in New England resembles what we have here now. and kind of exciting... well to most of us at least.


Favre opens mouth, inserts footposted: Monday, May 14, 2007 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: NFL

Look, I understand both sides. I understand why Brett Favre is upset with the Packers for not acquiring Randy Moss. To Favre, a vet like Moss might be the difference between last year's eight-win Packers and a 10- or 11-win '07 squad. After all, the position he's in is similar to John Elway's in the early 90s: He's got a good defense but doesn't have as much talent on offense to help out. If you're going to pay me $11 million a year, Favre says, invest in some talent around me to help out.
I understand what Packers GM Ted Thompson is doing, too. You can't build a team around a quarterback entering his 17th year who openly wonders if the next season is his last, and who in '06 had a worse TD:INT ratio than Rex Grossman, Michael Vick, Eli Manning, Steve McNair and J.P. Losman, among others. While Thompson says all the right things publicly, his actions speak clearly: If Green Bay is going to win a Super Bowl, it's more likely that Aaron Rodgers will be the quarterback than Favre.

But the two sides are stuck with each other for '07, despite the report over the weekend from Fox Sports that Favre asked to be traded after the draft and ignored coach Mike McCarthy's calls for a week. And they're stuck with each other despite Favre's statements to local reporters at his golf tournament:

"I just want to win; maybe I see things the wrong way. I don't want to ruffle any feathers and I want people to respect me. Sometimes I think it's hard for them to let Brett go. They might think that we pay him a lot of money, but he still gives us the best chance to win. I've never been told that, but there are times when I wonder if I'm the odd man out here and they just don't know how to tell me. Right now, it's hard to be optimistic. I'm not getting any younger and I think everyone knows that. I don't have five years to rebuild. No one in Green Bay is saying rebuild but it's hard to look at where we are going and say, 'How can they not be rebuilding?' I don't know if I've lost faith, and I think everyone in the organization wants to win. I just don't know if it includes me. If it's going to be five years from now, I'm not going to be here. This is 17 years for me and I want to win."


After the Packers whiffed at Moss, everyone suspected this was how Favre felt. Now we know. And now that we know, he's put himself in an impossible position heading into this season. Favre isn't optimistic that this team can win. How in the world is he supposed to step into the huddle and get any of these guys, save Donald Driver, to follow him? How is he supposed to inspire his teammates now that they know that they don't inspire him?

Don't worry, they'll say all the right things publicly. After Favre has one of his Hall of Fame outings, every teammate will say that he's "still Brett Favre," which means that he's still a great player and unquestioned leader of this team. But once Favre retires (or leaves the Packers for another team) the truth will come out. After all, Favre can't unsay what he said. A franchise quarterback can say almost anything without it coming back to bite him; diss your teammates and you can't take it back. Just ask Peyton Manning, who was torn apart for saying, "I'm trying to be a good teammate here" after the Colts lost to the Steelers in the '05 playoffs. Manning's comments are nothing compared to what Favre just leveled.

If I'm Aaron Rodgers, I'm working my tail off after-hours to become the leader of the young guys, exactly how Tom Brady did during his first year in New England. While every fan railed at how the Patriots were isolating Drew Bledsoe with lousy talent, Brady stayed late at the facility working with the late-rounders and undrafted free agents. They became a team within a team. When Brady took over as the starter, he believed the Pats could win with those guys. Guess what? They did.

It would be wise for Rodgers to think along those lines. After all, it's obvious that Favre doesn't.



this article is dead on to me. I think Brett can come back and be the leader and be the guy hes always been. i dont think this has to be a death sentence for his last years. i hope it can even eleviate some of the pressure. but as far as what he said... no matter whos fault the situation is, Brett shouldnt have said it.
 

Pack93z

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It is more speculation to me... one could say, how do we know that a Driver isn't thinking the same things... like help take some coverage off me... but is to leveraged not to say anything.

There was all kinds of phone calls made last night I am sure.. asking Favre to pull some of this heat back. And yes that is speculation too :)
 

Timmons

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Good article and interesting point of view. The Packers will be better off without Favre, but they won't be as exciting to watch.
 

Bertram

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the packers are exciting to watch because they are the packers, not because they have favre
 

Zero2Cool

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They were exciting because Favre can pull some miracles out of his *** with a little help from his team. That's why they are the Packers and exciting.
 

Bertram

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no the Packers aren't the Packers because of Brett Favre, contrary to popular belief.
 

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