Stuporbowl
January 30,2010
Having listened to but not watched the last game of the playoffs while driving north from San Francisco, I had made a bet with my buddy George after watching the first quarter of the Viking-Saint game. I bet him that in his desire to be “the Man”, “the Hero”, and to have his gunslinger reputation put to rest permanently, Brett Favre would do something so insanely stupid that everyone from the casual fan to the most hardened critic (including Favre backers), would know that there isn’t room in the NFL anymore for egos as big as his. Not at quarterback anyway. He took my bet and today owes me a nice bottle of scotch.
He gave that game away. Gave it away because he needed to make a play that justified all his stupid plays in years past. He needed to complete that pass or make that first down at whatever the cost (hello, twelve men in the huddle with the game on the line???!!!) to his team. He is the consummate pro, don’t get me wrong, but when the game is on the line, he might not even be in the top ten quarterbacks I would choose to have under center in a big game.
I’m not bashing Favre but I hate what he stands for and what he is playing for now that he is out of Green Bay. He wants another ring to cement his status as the greatest ever. I can’t fault him for that, but holding teams hostage to deal with his inability to decide if he wants to play another season is insane. The Packers made the right call in letting him walk, and today are laughing all the way to the pro bowl as Aaron Rodgers has done a more than capable job of filling Brett’s shoes. What happens if no contending team wants him and only the Raiders, Bucs, and Seachickens want to sign him? Does he sign? HELL NO. Will he sign to be a backup? HELL NO.
Brett is as selfish as it gets, and in that respect he is a lot like a Major League baseball player, going to the highest bidder for their services for one year in the hopes that they have a career year and take that team to the promised land. Well, I can tell you right now, that Favre’s best year was the one he just had. Seven interceptions? Unheard of, and if he doesn’t get hurt the poor coach who has him has to play the guy just because he is a Hall of Famer.
If he was smart and willing to do the right thing, because even he knows he can’t have this kind of year again, he would tell Childress he is retiring as soon as possible so the Vikings can get on with their lives and start digging through the scrap heap of the NFL’s unwanted to find next year’s quarterback. Hey, Michael Vick, need a job?
But, because Favre is who he is, he’ll keep everyone waiting, hoping, watching, so that he can make his big announcement when the timing is right, and when the media need a story. Selfish. I’m truly sorry to all those Viking fans out there (Scotty, you listening? Riley, you too?) who have to put up with this.
And in a related story, Adrian Peterson, the greatest runner in the game today, contacts Lester ‘the molester” Hayes and wonders if he can borrow some stickum for next year.
