The Brett Favre Saga

[TheWatcher]

I'd take Favre over the other options the Vikings have. I'm not convinced Brett can duplicate the season he just had however.

My reasons for wanting to see Brett go have nothing to do with this game. I just can't stand him and he's become a bad example for the league in terms of how a QB should carry himself as the leader of a team.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by Scottdau

To be honest with you INT happen all the time to end games, sure it was the worst time for it. But I had fun watching Brett win games this season. Some really good Sundays for me this year. With a hard one yesterday, but Brett got us there and I can't complain about that. I will take the good with the bad with Brett just like I would take the good with the bad with AD. You know yeah he threw the INT in many playoff games, but I bet you Brett play is what kept teams in the games to begin with.

For the football lover in me, I would prefer to go to the big dance instead of losing the game on a gut wrenching Int with the game on the line. It's not the fact that Brett has thrown Int's in playoff games, three NFC Conference Championships were on the line that Brett has thrown an Int when the game was on the line. I can't think of another HOF QB who has performed results under those same circumstances.

I didn't get over the two he had with the Packers for awhile. I don't know how anyone can look at a silver lining with one game away from the SB and say, well, he brought us there and we had a great season.

A chance to go to the SB comes every so often. It's not like the dynasty era of the 70 and 80's.

The drama has already began with Favre telling Werder from ESPN it's highly unlikely he will return.

[mvb34]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

For the football lover in me, I would prefer to go to the big dance instead of losing the game on a gut wrenching Int with the game on the line. It's not the fact that Brett has thrown Int's in playoff games, three NFC Conference Championships were on the line that Brett has thrown an Int when the game was on the line. I can't think of another HOF QB who has performed results under those same circumstances. I didn't get over the two he had with the Packers for awhile. I don't know how anyone can look at a silver lining with one game away from the SB and say, well, he brought us there and we had a great season. A chance to go to the SB comes every so often. It's not like the dynasty era of the 70 and 80's. The drama has already began with Favre telling Werder from ESPN it's highly unlikely he will return.

Exactly!!! The Vikings have had awesome regular season before. I want to see the Vikings finish the deal and thats making and winning the Superbowl. Brett Farve failed me as a Vikings fan..

[elgreazy1]

As much as I hate the Favre love fest by the media I simply love the man as a player. Without a doubt he is one of the most dynamic players I have ever seen play any sport because he plays it with a lot of fire & competitiveness. It's not about Favre "having fun", "playing backyard football", or any of those cliches it's about a man who simply knows that it will not last forever.

Who're we to tell someone he can't continue to participate in a sport he's played since he was a child? The man has known football more than almost anything else in his life including his wife, kids, hobbies, etc. It is his passion. When you hang up the cleats it's over. There is no coming back. This isn't baseball where you can be a DH or basketball where you can come in for 5 minutes off the bench... this is football and once the body is done it's over. You could see it in his face in the post-game press conference; the guy look like he'd been in a war with a bruised up face, taped up ankle, and red eyes from the tears he fought back. Reality is sinking more and more in with him.

Watching Favre you see a man possessed. What has always made him great was his willingness to take chances because without the moxie to do so he'd never be the player he became. I overheard Tom Jackson talking about Favre the other day and I agreed with alot of what he said, and the most important thing stated was a paraphrase from a Michael Jordan quote in that, "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." If you're afraid to be great then you simply will never attain greatness. I'd rather have a guy who wants the ball at the end, win or lose, than a guy who's too scared to even try.

Once this guy is gone people will genuinely miss him. He's one of the rare greats who defines a sport and a person who most people can associate with even if he is on a "godly" level to some.

[Scottdau]

Quote: Originally Posted by mvb34

Exactly!!! The Vikings have had awesome regular season before. I want to see the Vikings finish the deal and thats making and winning the Superbowl. Brett Farve failed me as a Vikings fan..

Do you know how hard it is to win a Super Bowl? It takes all the right pieces to fall into place for that too happen. Do you know how hard it is to make the playoffs and better yet the NFC Championship? Plus it was in New Orleans that right was going to make it very hard. I think some times fan should be happy for making the playoffs. There are a lot of teams every year that don't even do that.

[wwharton]

Quote: Originally Posted by elgreazy1

As much as I hate the Favre love fest by the media I simply love the man as a player. Without a doubt he is one of the most dynamic players I have ever seen play any sport because he plays it with a lot of fire & competitiveness. It's not about Favre "having fun", "playing backyard football", or any of those cliches it's about a man who simply knows that it will not last forever. Who're we to tell someone he can't continue to participate in a sport he's played since he was a child? The man has known football more than almost anything else in his life including his wife, kids, hobbies, etc. It is his passion. When you hang up the cleats it's over. There is no coming back. This isn't baseball where you can be a DH or basketball where you can come in for 5 minutes off the bench... this is football and once the body is done it's over. You could see it in his face in the post-game press conference; the guy look like he'd been in a war with a bruised up face, taped up ankle, and red eyes from the tears he fought back. Reality is sinking more and more in with him. Watching Favre you see a man possessed. What has always made him great was his willingness to take chances because without the moxie to do so he'd never be the player he became. I overheard Tom Jackson talking about Favre the other day and I agreed with alot of what he said, and the most important thing stated was a paraphrase from a Michael Jordan quote in that, "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." If you're afraid to be great then you simply will never attain greatness. I'd rather have a guy who wants the ball at the end, win or lose, than a guy who's too scared to even try. Once this guy is gone people will genuinely miss him. He's one of the rare greats who defines a sport and a person who most people can associate with even if he is on a "godly" level to some.

Favre is a first ballot HOFer and should get tons of praise for his career, this year included (and maybe even highlighted).

But, I don't think anyone has a problem with the man wanting to play until his arm falls off. Rice, Emmitt, Montana... many greats held on past their expected times. The issue is the feeling that you're above the rules of the game and the context of the team. It's not even much a matter of if he's at the retirement point in his life. It's a problem with announcing retirement when it's clear that you just don't want to go to camp. Watching your team struggle with the idea of drafting or picking up an available veteran QB so they can continue to try to be successful, while you continue your charade. Watching your team try to build an offense around a young QB, knowing that in a week or two you're going to come in and have them blow all that up.

Not many believe he went to the Jets bc he wanted to keep playing. His bluff was called and he went there to save face and try to make the Packers look wrong. Conveniently, he also used it to get on the Vikings where he always wanted to go anyway (which he said in TV interviews... Vikings first, then another team in the division so he could beat the Packers twice).

The same goes for the Jordan quote... there's a fine line. If Jordan was triple teamed and forced up a shot while Hodges, Kerr or Paxson were wide open on the wing he would've been criticized for it being blocked or stolen. You can't just step up to make the big play. You also have to be man enough to know when the situation is there for you to dial it back. Jordan talks about the shots he missed but he has 6 rings and shot 52% for his career, which is insane for a SG/SF who took that many shots. If we were to apply that quote to Brett we'd have to ignore that he's only won 1 championship in his 18 year career and owns the INT record. The guy is most definitely a HOFer and one of the all time greats at his position, but that doesn't mean everything else should be ignored (imo).

[metallicatz]

I like Tom jackson and all.....but i'd take what he's saying with a few hundred grains of salt. He was the one who was BY FAR the most vocal in opposition of Favre coming back this year. I remember him being pretty ornery about it the day Favre signed with the Vikes and did his presser.

It's not a matter of the Vikings taking Favre back. He's signed for another year anyway. It's obvious Favre can say JUMP and the Vikings will say HOW HIGH. I think Favre will be back next year, but I very much doubt he will have another year like this one. He's not going to have such a cupcake schedule next year beating up on the worst teams in the league like this year. The Packers will be improved in the division.....and they were only defensively inferior to the Vikings this year. That will be remedied over the offseason. I expect a tight division race all the way to the end. It's also hard to imagine the Bears and Jay Cutler being that bad again next year.....although they did beat the Vikings as they were. Peyton Manning was never able to match the success of his big year when he broke the TD record. Brady and the Patriots have looked nothing like the 07 team. And Favre will be equally as unlikely to match his best year at 41 years old.

The Vikings should draft a QB in this draft OR trade for a promising young backup with another team (a guy like Colt Brennan comes to mind). You have to prepare now while you have a 1 year grace period with Favre.....he will be back for one more. You absolutely cannot pin your franchise's future in a QB-driven league on the whims of a 41 year old and then find out a week before pre-season that he isn't coming back. The Packers refused to and now they're set for the long term with one of the best QB's in the league who has alot of football in front of him. I think we can all agree that Tarvaris Jackson and a journeyman like Sage Rosenfels is not a prudent answer for the future of a franchsie.......especially when the owner is threatening to move the team. You're not going to put butts in seats with either of those two.

[roadman]

Quote: Originally Posted by Scottdau

Do you know how hard it is to win a Super Bowl? It takes all the right pieces to fall into place for that too happen. Do you know how hard it is to make the playoffs and better yet the NFC Championship? Plus it was in New Orleans that right was going to make it very hard. I think some times fan should be happy for making the playoffs. There are a lot of teams every year that don't even do that.

In school, did you want to settle for a C and be happy with it or did you want to accomplish an A grade?