SPORTS  KINGS

How can a situation so simple become such a headache for all those involved? I mean you have a Hall of Famer, argueably the greatest QB of all time in Brett Favre and Packer management would rather go with a 3 year QB who has only played in 3 games in his NFL career. I know it sounds borderline insane that the Packers are going to dump Brett Favre in favor of Aaron Rodgers. I can see it now, people in Wisconsin will be drinking straight moonshine with their cheese this season. Instead of the fine wine they could have been drinking with Favre as their QB at Dolphin Stadium on February 3rd 2009.

Remember last year the Packers were only one or two plays away from reaching the Super Bowl. Yes, I said it correctly one or two PLAYS away from reaching the Super Bowl a year ago. They are basically returning the same team and would be big time contenders with Brett Favre at the helm over Aaron Rodgers. This is not a knock on Rodgers its just that the Packers are being blinded by the fact that Rodgers is the future and his time is now. Green Bay won 13 games last year with Favre as the starter, and in the weak NFC North Division a repeat division title would definitely be in the cards if he remains the starter. Now by choosing to trade Favre to either Tampa or the Jets the Packers will be taking a major step backward in their quest for a return at the Super Bowl.

Remember life on top of the NFL mountain is always one that is short lived and I think both Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson need to really think this through before coming to this decision. You never know how good Rodgers will be as the starting QB for the Packers this year, whereas, Favre is a proven commoditiy who will easily lead this team to 11 victories and at least one home game in the postseason. Fever wants to compare this to the Brady vs Bledsoe saga we dealt with in New England in 2001. Sorry Fever but that was totally different as Drew Bledsoe didn’t fit in Bill Belichik’s future plans. Nor did he fit Charlie Weis’s offense because of his inability to throw a screen pass. There is no evidence to suggest that Favre doesn’t fit Mike McCarthy’s offense because the Packers won a franchise high 13 games with Favre under center a year ago. I think this is terrible and a damn shame because all the Packers are doing is hurting themselves. If they give Favre to Tampa then the Buccaneers will immediately jump over them as far as favorites to win the NFC. Finally, lets look at it like this. Who would you rather have on the road in Tampa Bay for a playoff game vs the Bucs? Aaron Rodgers going against Brett Favre? or Brett Favre going against Jeff Garcia? I think the answer is clear on that one and this is completely a one sided argument with only one solution. That solution is unfortunately something the fans of Green Bay will never see. I wish Aaron Rodgers the best of luck in his future with the Packers, but I also put blame on both McCarthy and Thompson for not making the right decision to solve this critical situation.

 

The Brain

For many days I have been observing the Brett Favre situation in Green Bay. Now I have always respected Favre because he has always been a player that you had to appreciate. He is a first ballot Hall of Famer with out even taking another snap. But through this saga I have sided with the Green Bay Packers organization. I think many people seem to forget sometimes that sports at the professional level is looked on as a “what have you done for me lately” view. The harsh reality is that Favre has not delivered a Super Bowl Title since 1996. In Green Bay that is unexceptable, and I have not heard anyone come out and say this publicly. Come on Green Bay where is the man that the NFL named the Super Bowl trophy after. This name dates back to when Vince Lombardi roamed the sidelines in the frozen tundra at Lambeau Field. So from the Packers perspective I do not blame them one bit if they feel that they have gotten all they can out of Brett Favre being their starting quarterback.

Now being from New England as I am I think I know a little bit about a QB getting a shot over a veteran quaterback. The circumstances were a little different with Brady and Bledsoe because an injury gave Brady his chance. Aaron Rodgers is perfectly healthy, but this situation is similar, because you have the grizzled veteran vs the young unproven backup. In the case of the Pats obviously they made the right decision as they decided on going with the results of the young quaterback. I think the Packer Organization is ready to see what their young quaterback is made of. They went to great lengths to keep Favre away, and last week they offered him twenty million dollars in endorsement money to stay retired. This shows how bad they do not want Favre as their starting QB for the upcoming ‘08 season. I think that is also spoke volumes for the confidence they have in Aaron Rodgers ability to lead the organization into this season and beyond. I will say that as a guy who supports the Packers stance on this quarterback situation I will always be a Brett Farve fan. He is an athlete that comes around once in a lifetime, but it is time for Green Bay to go in another direction and let Aaron rodgers get his long awaited shot at leading this team.

 

Fever