We here at PFB are still reeling from the attack by the rebel alliance that somehow found our single point of weakness which is no bigger than a wamp rat (left open due to an aesthetic choice by the architect). Don’t worry we shall return even stronger than we were before.
Oh, and I am your father. Just ask your mom about that one party in college. She’ll know what you’re talking about.
Speaking of parties in college, we are also reeling because there is a strange feeling when it comes to the stories in the NFL right now. A sense of déjà vu. Haven’t we been here before? In fact, yes we have.
So, to make Al Gore proud I have decided to invoke the 3 R’s – Reduce-Reuse-Recycle. The last week of no new posts would be the reduce. Today and tomorrow when we re-paste articles as relevant today as when they were first written a year ago is reusing. When Fox College Sports Atlantic finally re-shows some old FSU games I will recycle the same jokes from last year’s Gift From the Gods.
Anyway, below is an article written almost exactly a year ago. Yet, with the changing of a few names I could have written it today.
One of those guys
Remember parties in college? Toward the end of the evening, most of the people have gone home or moved on to the next party or a bar. Yet there are always a few people that stick around to the bitter end. There are usually a few men and women coupling off in the corners, the hosts starting to clean up the mess and then a few guys in the kitchen trying to pound away the last bit of alcohol.
Then there are always those guys that don’t really belong in any of the categories. Maybe they came with one of the guys that is hooking up. Maybe their ride gave someone a ride home and ‘will be right back’. Maybe they came alone and just have nowhere else to go. But regardless of why, they are now sort of aimlessly wandering the party and have no one to interact with.
The guy can stand in the kitchen and try to join the drunks killing the keg or sit awkwardly near the make-out sessions in the living room or follow the hosts around and help clean up. Regardless of what he does, the guy is just out of place.
Brett Favre is that guy.
The party is pretty much wrapped up, the hosts are trying to clean up and thinking about what they need to do tomorrow (i.e. Packers are getting their new starting quarterback up to speed), the others still at the party have coupled up (i.e. the other teams have drafted or traded to fill their quarterbacking needs, other than the Bears <<ED: Make that the Vikings>>) and Favre is wandering around in his Wranglers desperate for someone to hang out with.
It is pretty apparent that the Packers have moved on and there isn’t really a place for Brett Favre in Green Bay. The man is 39 years old. Even if he comes back for another season and we go through all of this again next spring <<ED: Ooh, spooky>> – to make it a solid half decade of Favre debating whether he should retire – the fact is the Packers will still need a new starting quarterback soon.
The argument has been made repeatedly that the Packers should let Favre come back yet again, because he instantly makes the Packers a better team and puts them on the short list of Super Bowl contenders. While I accept there will be a drop with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback in his first year (though he did play well at the Cowboys last year), the reality is that it is happening sooner or later. I think the Packers have decided this is that set-back year. <<ED: Just to help, for the rest of this please replace ‘Packers’ with Vikings; ‘Ryan Grant’ with Adrian Peterson; ‘Aaron Rodgers’ with Tarvaris Jackson and ‘Greg Jennings’ with Percy Harvin>>
I agree with this approach actually. Think about the other great players on the Packers: Greg Jennings (3rd year), Ryan Grant (2nd year), A.J. Hawk (2nd year). These guys are still young. They are only going to get better over the next few years. Do you really want them all to be in the prime of their career with a new quarterback under center? If I am GM Ted Thompson, I would prefer to have my quarterback grow with my players rather a new starting quarterback hold the team back when he starts for the first time in their 4th or 5th year in the league.
Let the whole team gel together, grow together. Heck, there aren’t a lot of great teams in the NFC North (or the whole NFC for that matter). Why not let Rodgers lead this team now when they can still win the division at 10-6? The only other competitive team in the NFC North is the Minnesota Vikings and they have Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback! The Packers with Aaron Rodgers aren’t at least competitive with that team? <<ED: As Willie Wonka said “Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it.”>>
Oh wait, the Vikings or Bears are suspects #1 and #2 to pick up Favre if the Packers release him. Really, those teams want to pin their hopes to a 39-year old quarterback who has to learn their offense for the first time and as league career interception record holder will never be labeled as a ‘game manager’ like fellow AARP members Brad Johnson and Vinnie Testaverde?
The Packers may be marginally better in the short term with Favre back at quarterback (except when he chucks the ball under hand to some grateful linebacker) but the team in the long term would be better off starting the Aaron Rodgers era now.
Not to mention that if they send Rodgers back to the clipboard this year, they have irrevocably crushed any ounce of confidence he has and if I am Rodgers, I demand a trade the moment Favre finishes his teary welcome back press conference – not to be confused with his many teary non-retirement/retirement press conferences over the years.
Brett, it is time to head home. If your ride hasn’t come back yet, we can call you a cab.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Great post!