Pelletier's Perspective 07.24.08: The Favre Rules

Posted by Justin Pelletier on 07.24.2008

Here we are, nearing the end of July and the Perspective is ready to talk some football. It's not training camp that is on Justin's mind, however. Join Justin as he takes a look at the sports story which trumps all other sports stories in this week's Pelletier's Perspective.

In case you haven't heard, apparently, there is a recently retired quarterback who is interested in coming back to play in 2008. That's right American; Trent Dilfer may be under center in a city near you.

I kid, of course, but if you don't know already that I'm referring to Brett Favre than you need to get out of the fresh air and summer fun and start watching some TV.

As a man who burns easily, I avoid July's brutal rays and spend much of my day in front of the television. That means that I've seen Favre's hillbilly grin, roughly, 732,692 times in the last month.

Favre is a great, great quarterback. He's a, sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Famer and will undoubtedly go down as one of the 10 best to ever play the position but ENOUGH ALREADY!

Seriously, what has he done in the last 10 years to earn this kind of attention? No professional athlete, for that matter, deserves to hold a team, or a sport, hostage the way Favre is. Favre, however, acts like the Packers and the NFL owe him something. Neither entity owes him shit.

His 60,000 + yards are awesome and his near 500 touchdown passes are off the charts but he has exactly one Super Bowl championship, and that came over a decade ago. One Super Bowl is exactly as many as the aforementioned Dilfer, Jeff Hostetler and Brad Johnson, not exactly luminaries in professional football.

Favre has won one title and that alone deserves recognition. Instead, let's focus on his recent career which include a remarkable 2007 regular season. That recent history, however, also includes a reputation of throwing costly interceptions, time and time again. That reputation was brought to light as recently as this past NFC title game when it was number four's pick which, ultimately, led to New York's winning score.

So after that pick, Favre decided to hang ‘em up and he was treated like the hero he has been for over a decade. It took all of one-half an off season for Favre to now decide he wants back. Well guess what Brett, Green Bay has moved on.

Now don't get me wrong, the Green Bay higher ups have handled this just as poorly as Favre. Letting this story twist in the wind was the worst possible course of action. And, truth be told, Favre does give the franchise a better chance to win now. The Pack also has to answer to a rabid Favre fan base but the post Favre era has already begun. The die has been case and allowing Favre to stroll back into the locker room now could, potentially, disrupt the direction they are attempting to move.

So now Favre has put his team in a no-win situation. The Packers have three choices. They can, one, bring him back in the fold. That will surely help them win more games but DOES NOT guarantee a championship (I'm confident Favre would throw an interception to prevent that) and would run the risk of alienating half the roster.

Two; they could bring him back as a backup, which would ruin Aaron Rodgers career. Could you imagine that circus? Every time Rodgers threw an incomplete pass the camera would go to Favre on the sideline holding a clipboard. Fans would riot and Rodgers career would be over before it started.

Three; Green Bay can trade the greatest player in its history. This seems like the only real option and for a guy who was so concerned about his legacy; he doesn't seem worried that this option would tarnish whatever legacy he hasn't destroyed already.

The part about a trade that gets me the most is not that the Packers won't get half of what Favre is worth because the rest of the league knows he has them by the balls. No, the part that gets me is that people say things like "Favre won't want to go there."

Oh, well Brett doesn't want to go to a loser, tough shit. Brett shouldn't get to decide where he ends up. If he was so concerned about playing for a loser he should have stayed retired. What is Green Bay supposed to do? Trade him to Minnesota or Chicago? Even Tampa Bay hits too close to home. They'll trade him to an AFC team and the fact-of-the-matter is that most of the AFC contenders don't need a quarterback. If Favre doesn't like that fact, well he doesn't have to file reinstatement papers.

Personally, I've had about enough of this whole saga. Favre is an all-time great but, at this point of his career, it doesn't matter which team he plays for because that team won't be winning the Super Bowl. Green Bay was the best chance but now that has gone away. Gone away; exactly what I wish Favre would do.