Favre - stay or go?

Third.

 

He's making the last seasons of Willie Mays and Hank Aaron seem like MVP years... go, before you're benched.

 

Anyone for him going to Seattle? Holmgren got the most out of him. Or the Raiders. They do like old, washed up QBs there.

 

I guess a lot of folks are taking my earlier advice where I said, "Don't let the facts get in the way."

Trust me, folks, Peyton Manning wouldn't look very good on this team.

 

Agreed. Not sure why everyone thinks Favre was so decrepit yesterday, as mentioned earlier, his two picks were when the Packers were down 26-0.

The Packers team? Decrepit as hell.

On the other hand, I can't disagree with a Favre comparison to the end of Unitas' career. It is sad, but Packer fans wanted Favre to end his career in green & gold, and that dynamic has a significant role in this.

Be careful what we wish for (I say, "we" because as a Packer fan it would have sucked for me to see him in a different uniform too).

As a native Wisconsinite, the Favre thing is part a loyalty streak among state fans that is productive, charming and enviable most of the time, but works in reverse in situations like this.

Robin Yount's career ended similarly with the Brewers. After his MVP 1989 season, he was a free agent, and he was signed to a deal which hamstrung the always-cash-strapped Brewers. One of the justifications was that Brewers fans would revolt (many similar comparisons are made with Favre) if Yount wasn't retained.

Yount's career declined from that day forward, and when the Brewers needed to sign a player who really did have a lot left in the tank (Molitor) ... they couldn't, the fans got disillusioned anyway, and the franchise hasn't recovered since.

Packers got caught in the same trap. Packer fans WOULD have revolted, but unfortunately, it would have been emotion talking, not logic.

 

That's just it. Knowing the team is so bad, why bother coming back? Is it ego or stupidity?

 

Fascinating stat from Elias:

It was the first time in Brett Favre's 222 regular-season starts that the Packers failed to score. That had been the most starts in NFL history by a QB who had never been shut out, a distinction that reverts to Steve DeBerg (140 starts).

 

Yes, because we all know how it's stupid to make several million dollars while honoring a contract.

Favre could be halfway decent still... Unfortunately, his offensive line gave him zero protection yesterday. It's not Favre's fault the O-line can't block. He just has to deal with it.

 

He signed a 10-year contract three or four years ago. Are you suggesting he honor the entire thing?

 

Nope, but if the money is there, I can't fault him for taking it. And I don't think that makes him stupid or egocentric for doing so. At least, not any more than your average professional athlete.

 

Favre's 10-year deal was signed in spring of 2001 and he is now in the sixth year of it.

I don't think he's playing for the money, but I do think he's playing because he's come to a few realizations.

One is that he took Phil Simms' advice and realizes that he has all of his life to be retired. As much as it's a wasted for someone to play too long, it's also a waste for someone to quit too soon.

Favre may do the former. A lot of guys do. But to compare him with what John Unitas was is ludicrous.

Jim Brown did the latter. Some may put Sandy Koufax in that category, too, but his was a pain-related decision.

I believe only Michael Jordan did both.

 

I, too, grew up in Wisconsin, and here's all you need to know.

My Mom, who doesn't swear often, but while watching Packers games is one of those times, was asking me for my thoughts on her big-money survival pool for this week.

One of her candidates was New Orleans over the Packers at Lambeau.

She said she wasn't ready to do that, but the fact it even crossed her mind said a lot.