FAVRE'S A BUM, IT'S ALL HIS FAULT.............RIGHT?
If you've been here since last spring, you'll know my feelings about Brett Favre. If you care to read what I've written about him, just check in the archives for 2009, say April to August. I got to the point I wouldn't participate in the ridiculous "Favre Watch" many media outlets & bloggers were spinning daily. If you recall it got to the point of TMZ & The National Enquirer staking out Paris Hilton's house. I was tired of reading & hearing about it & certainly tired of writing about it too. So basically I didn't until he signed with Minnesota.
I was tired of his selfishness, the daily "will he or won't he" but I was also tired of the 'Favre haters' & there are legions in this camp ranging from media members down to the guy sitting at the end of the bar at the American Legion. I don't consider myself a Favre hater, I used to love the guy, but the year in New York, that departure & then the soap opera that ran thru the entire off-season last year soured me on Brett Favre. I barely watched the Vikings this season & I have 5 screens with NFL Sunday ticket so we see a lot of football. I'd flip over to the Vikings' game if it was in doubt, like any curious fan or semi-responsible blogger would, but I never turned their games on at kickoff & left them on for the duration.
Getting back to the 'Favre haters'. I've never understood why so many people hate this guy, he played 309 straight games, an NFL record by a large margin & for a QB, it's simply unheard of right? He owns virtually every single NFL passing record in existence, that can't be it. His detractors are quick to point out Favre's thrown more interceptions than any QB in history. That's correct, he played in more games than any other QB, he threw way more touchdowns than any other QB too. He led the Vikings to the Championship game at age 40, the oldest QB to ever do so. At age 40, Favre arguably had the best year of his career. He won a Super Bowl & played in another, narrowly losing. He wasn't exactly surrounded by Hall of Fame talent, oh yeah, they had Pro Bowl talent, but were they Pro Bowl talent because Favre made them better than they really were? Did people hate him for winning the NFC North Division year after year? Did they hate him for having a gorgeous wife who battled breast cancer successfully? Did they hate him for playing the day after his father died suddenly on that Monday Night game when he threw 4 touchdown passes? Until the Packers made the decision to let him retire/wander around the league/begin whining, I had zero problem with Brett Favre, but I heard many voices to the contrary, many just didn't like him & much of their criticism was unfounded & childish. Maybe it was his "ah shucks" Mississippi personality. Maybe he wasn't cool enough like Joe Montana(who was blessed with the greatest receiver of all time, Jerry Rice) or Dan Marino(getting him to retire was just as tough as Favre & what did Marino ever win?) For me, Brett Favre is in the top-5 quarterbacks of all-time with Elway, Montana, Unitas & P. Manning. No Tom Brady, I know, but Brady as great as he is, played with the largest number of pro-bowl players of these quarterbacks, giving him a leg up to begin with. I'd probably make it Montana 5A & Brady 5B.
The Favre Haters are out in force, reveling in his 4th quarter interception last night. It was a pass he simply can't throw anymore, he doesn't have the arm strength to even attempt it. Elway used to throw this pass a lot, got away with some, some he didn't, just like Favre. After the brain dead mistake on the Vikings' sideline the play before when they got called for 12 men in the huddle, the ball was placed at the 38-yardline, which is a 55 or 56-yard field goal attempt if the pass falls incomplete. The longest kick Ryan Longwell had made was 52 yards & he kicks in a dome. But even if he had gotten the chance to kick a 56-yard FG & missed, they still would have found a way to hang the loss on Favre. On 1st & 2nd down, the Vikings ran the ball for no gain. They drew the 5-yard penalty & then the interception occurred. Had Favre ran 3-4 yards, it would have improved Longwell's chances to make a game-winning kick. If the pass is complete, the field goal attempt is now less than 45 yards, certainly a makable distance. How quickly we forget the pass he completed to Sidney Rice to get into Saints territory. He had a tiny window to hit a streaking receiver & he put the ball exactly where it had to be. Unfortunately, people take throws like that for granted, throws only a handful of QB's can complete consistently.
Thru all this 'hating', I've heard or read very little about the Vikings' offensive line, quite simply, they were terrible, Favre was lucky to be on his feet at the end of the game. Adrian Peterson continued his fumbling, putting 3 on the ground, losing one. Bernard Berrian also fumbled in the redzone. Percy Harvin lost a fumble as well & it was turned into 7 points by Reggie Bush. And don't get me started on the coaching screwup that allowed 12 men in the huddle when your team is on the very fringe of field goal range & it's 3rd & 10 with :19 left in the game.
But in the end it's all Brett Favre's fault, he was brought in to win the Super Bowl & he didn't accomplish that task. His interception robbed the Vikings of a 56-yard field goal attempt. None of the fumbles had anything to do with the loss, nor the 12-man penalty & certainly not Pro Bowl defensive linemen Jared Allen & Kevin Williams, who combined for 4 tackles & zero sacks. Let's not forget Darius Reynaud fielding a punt at his own 1-yardline, returning it to the nine, c'mon Darius, you know the drill. Put your feet on the 10-yardline & don't retreat to field the punt, never. Minnesota's Steve Hutchinson called the overtime coin toss & lost, probably Favre's fault as well. Those two favorable reviews & questionable pass interference penalty on what appeared to be an uncatchable ball in the Saints' overtime drive had nothing to do with the loss. Nope it was Brett Favre's fault. In the end, nearly all close football losses are dumped at the feet of head coaches & quarterbacks, that's the way it is, whether it's right or not, that's the way it is.
I hope Favre retires without a news conference, without fanfare of any kind, it only fuels the fire from the haters brigade. But I guess if he doesn't have a news conference he'll be labeled as "too scared to face the media" or "so selfish he doesn't care about the fans". Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Favre could catch a break very soon, if the Colts don't win the Super Bowl, they'll hang the loss on Peyton Manning & Favre will be old news.
What did Brett Favre accomplish by playing in Minnesota this year besides padding his stats & breaking the existing playoff records? He gave the Minnesota Vikings' fans hope. Hope they wouldn't have had with Tavaris Jackson as their quarterback. He gave the players added confidence, Both Sidney Rice & Visanthe Shiancoe had career years catching the ball from Favre. Rice improved 68 catches & 4 touchdowns, that's unheard of & Shiancoe boosted his production by 14 catches & 4 touchdowns. Say what you want about Favre, just like all the truly great QB's, he makes those around him better. His history proves that, like him or not. I just hope he goes away so we don't have to keep hearing about what a horrible failure he is, because losing that game last night was his fault, it always is.
I was tired of his selfishness, the daily "will he or won't he" but I was also tired of the 'Favre haters' & there are legions in this camp ranging from media members down to the guy sitting at the end of the bar at the American Legion. I don't consider myself a Favre hater, I used to love the guy, but the year in New York, that departure & then the soap opera that ran thru the entire off-season last year soured me on Brett Favre. I barely watched the Vikings this season & I have 5 screens with NFL Sunday ticket so we see a lot of football. I'd flip over to the Vikings' game if it was in doubt, like any curious fan or semi-responsible blogger would, but I never turned their games on at kickoff & left them on for the duration.
Getting back to the 'Favre haters'. I've never understood why so many people hate this guy, he played 309 straight games, an NFL record by a large margin & for a QB, it's simply unheard of right? He owns virtually every single NFL passing record in existence, that can't be it. His detractors are quick to point out Favre's thrown more interceptions than any QB in history. That's correct, he played in more games than any other QB, he threw way more touchdowns than any other QB too. He led the Vikings to the Championship game at age 40, the oldest QB to ever do so. At age 40, Favre arguably had the best year of his career. He won a Super Bowl & played in another, narrowly losing. He wasn't exactly surrounded by Hall of Fame talent, oh yeah, they had Pro Bowl talent, but were they Pro Bowl talent because Favre made them better than they really were? Did people hate him for winning the NFC North Division year after year? Did they hate him for having a gorgeous wife who battled breast cancer successfully? Did they hate him for playing the day after his father died suddenly on that Monday Night game when he threw 4 touchdown passes? Until the Packers made the decision to let him retire/wander around the league/begin whining, I had zero problem with Brett Favre, but I heard many voices to the contrary, many just didn't like him & much of their criticism was unfounded & childish. Maybe it was his "ah shucks" Mississippi personality. Maybe he wasn't cool enough like Joe Montana(who was blessed with the greatest receiver of all time, Jerry Rice) or Dan Marino(getting him to retire was just as tough as Favre & what did Marino ever win?) For me, Brett Favre is in the top-5 quarterbacks of all-time with Elway, Montana, Unitas & P. Manning. No Tom Brady, I know, but Brady as great as he is, played with the largest number of pro-bowl players of these quarterbacks, giving him a leg up to begin with. I'd probably make it Montana 5A & Brady 5B.
The Favre Haters are out in force, reveling in his 4th quarter interception last night. It was a pass he simply can't throw anymore, he doesn't have the arm strength to even attempt it. Elway used to throw this pass a lot, got away with some, some he didn't, just like Favre. After the brain dead mistake on the Vikings' sideline the play before when they got called for 12 men in the huddle, the ball was placed at the 38-yardline, which is a 55 or 56-yard field goal attempt if the pass falls incomplete. The longest kick Ryan Longwell had made was 52 yards & he kicks in a dome. But even if he had gotten the chance to kick a 56-yard FG & missed, they still would have found a way to hang the loss on Favre. On 1st & 2nd down, the Vikings ran the ball for no gain. They drew the 5-yard penalty & then the interception occurred. Had Favre ran 3-4 yards, it would have improved Longwell's chances to make a game-winning kick. If the pass is complete, the field goal attempt is now less than 45 yards, certainly a makable distance. How quickly we forget the pass he completed to Sidney Rice to get into Saints territory. He had a tiny window to hit a streaking receiver & he put the ball exactly where it had to be. Unfortunately, people take throws like that for granted, throws only a handful of QB's can complete consistently.
Thru all this 'hating', I've heard or read very little about the Vikings' offensive line, quite simply, they were terrible, Favre was lucky to be on his feet at the end of the game. Adrian Peterson continued his fumbling, putting 3 on the ground, losing one. Bernard Berrian also fumbled in the redzone. Percy Harvin lost a fumble as well & it was turned into 7 points by Reggie Bush. And don't get me started on the coaching screwup that allowed 12 men in the huddle when your team is on the very fringe of field goal range & it's 3rd & 10 with :19 left in the game.
But in the end it's all Brett Favre's fault, he was brought in to win the Super Bowl & he didn't accomplish that task. His interception robbed the Vikings of a 56-yard field goal attempt. None of the fumbles had anything to do with the loss, nor the 12-man penalty & certainly not Pro Bowl defensive linemen Jared Allen & Kevin Williams, who combined for 4 tackles & zero sacks. Let's not forget Darius Reynaud fielding a punt at his own 1-yardline, returning it to the nine, c'mon Darius, you know the drill. Put your feet on the 10-yardline & don't retreat to field the punt, never. Minnesota's Steve Hutchinson called the overtime coin toss & lost, probably Favre's fault as well. Those two favorable reviews & questionable pass interference penalty on what appeared to be an uncatchable ball in the Saints' overtime drive had nothing to do with the loss. Nope it was Brett Favre's fault. In the end, nearly all close football losses are dumped at the feet of head coaches & quarterbacks, that's the way it is, whether it's right or not, that's the way it is.
I hope Favre retires without a news conference, without fanfare of any kind, it only fuels the fire from the haters brigade. But I guess if he doesn't have a news conference he'll be labeled as "too scared to face the media" or "so selfish he doesn't care about the fans". Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Favre could catch a break very soon, if the Colts don't win the Super Bowl, they'll hang the loss on Peyton Manning & Favre will be old news.
What did Brett Favre accomplish by playing in Minnesota this year besides padding his stats & breaking the existing playoff records? He gave the Minnesota Vikings' fans hope. Hope they wouldn't have had with Tavaris Jackson as their quarterback. He gave the players added confidence, Both Sidney Rice & Visanthe Shiancoe had career years catching the ball from Favre. Rice improved 68 catches & 4 touchdowns, that's unheard of & Shiancoe boosted his production by 14 catches & 4 touchdowns. Say what you want about Favre, just like all the truly great QB's, he makes those around him better. His history proves that, like him or not. I just hope he goes away so we don't have to keep hearing about what a horrible failure he is, because losing that game last night was his fault, it always is.
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