Selfish Favre Can’t Be Given A Pass On This One

Summer, 2003. The Red Wings, fresh off a first-round playoff defeat at the hands of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, were presented with a quandary. Their former no. 1 goalie, a certain Hall of Famer, decided that he had enough of reitrement after one season and wanted his old job back. And the Red Wings, with a very expensive replacement, himself a maybe Hall of Famer, were in a sticky situation.

Bring Dominik Hasek back, or let him sign with another team? Hasek made it clear that he wanted back into the NHL, with the Red Wings or anyone who’d have him. And the replacement, Curtis Joseph, wasn’t exactly chopped liver. And he for sure wasn’t the reason the Ducks beat the Wings — that could be blamed on the super-human play of Anaheim goalie J-S Giguere.

General manager Ken Holland told me, back in early 2006 during an interview, that Red Wings brass was very afraid that Hasek was going to sign elsewhere — specifically, Colorado. The Avs were rumored to have interest in Hasek, to replace the retired Patrick Roy. And the idea of Hasek, dressed in Avs maroon and blue, beating them in the playoffs in the spring of 2004 was simply too ghoulish to monkey with, according to Holland. So Hasek returned to the Red Wings, disharmony in the locker room ensued as the two high-priced netminders never got along. And the Wings were blasted out in the second round of the ’04 playoffs, Hasek never coming close to playing in the post-season due to one of his many groin injuries. But the damage had been done.

The Green Bay Packers are in a similar situation this morning, though the replacement in their case is hardly a Hall of Famer. In fact, he’s never started an NFL game.

It used to not be fashionable to diss Brett Favre — at least not for anything off the field. While he may have been prone to the occasional ill-timed interception (what QB isn’t, really?), there wasn’t really anything to criticize him about as far as his work ethic, character, or his being a good teammate.

But now it is time to question Favre — mainly his selfishness.

I have done the same in the past about Hasek — maintaining that his damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead mentality when it came to returning to the NHL was overriding what was best for Curtis Joseph and the Detroit Red Wings. And, in essence, that made his selfishness less than admirable. “I’m coming back, so get the hell out of my way,” in other words.

Kind of like what Brett Favre told the Packers, coming out of retirement with all the finesse of a bull in a china shop.

Favre has reported to the Packers, and just because he didn’t do it wearing a mask and brandishing a gun doesn’t mean it didn’t have the same heavy-handedness.

Poor Aaron Rodgers. On the precipice of finally taking over the reins at QB in Green Bay, after three seasons of clipboard holding and baseball cap wearing. Now here comes Favre, five months after his retirement announcement, in camp and “competing” for the starter’s job.

Poor Mark Murphy, the Pack’s president. It would seem that he took the path of least resistance by allowing Favre to report, as opposed to trying to trade him, or fighting his return. But there was really no path of least resistance here, because with Favre in camp, the circus-like atmosphere around Packers camp is only going to get goofier.

Poor Mike McCarthy, the Packers coach. He had, for months, formulated plans that included Rodgers as his quarterback. Just as when Favre was the starter, McCarthy figured on no quarterback controversy — Rodgers was clearly the no. 1 guy. Now the coach has to juggle — an appropriate word because of the big top covering Packers camp right now.

Ahh, but no one is saying poor Brett Favre, and nor should they, for he is the one who has caused all the upheaval. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: is this how it will be every year? Brett Favre calls the shots, and retires/un-retires, depending on his mood? And the Packers are to hold the starting QB job open for him, even during the first week of training camp? When does it end? How can the Packers believe him, the next time Favre “retires”?

Favre clearly cares about no one other than Brett Favre, at least in this instance. There’s no question that HE believes firmly that he gives the Packers the best chance to win, as opposed to Rodgers. From a purely football perspective, he might be right; it’s not like Favre fell off the map in 2007. His performance was outstanding for a man of his age. But this isn’t about just what goes on between the sidelines; it’s about other people, other feelings, other intangibles. And all are being disrupted while Favre un-retires. Yet Favre doesn’t seem to care about that. All he cares about is what’s good for Brett Favre. And what’s good for Favre isn’t necessarily what’s good for the Packers — either now or in the long run.

Favre Saga Unlikely To End Happily

Brett Favre can’t be trusted. But then again, if you’ve watched him play the Lions for the past 16 years, especially in Wisconsin, you already knew that. You knew that he couldn’t be trusted to do anything but beat them consistently. You couldn’t trust him if he had a poor first half, or a poor 3/4 of a game. Chances would be, at the end, he’d walk off victorious.

So no wonder that Favre can now not be trusted with his words, either.

As you know, the maybe-erstwhile QB of the Green Bay Packers is trying to “unretire”, some four months after telling the Pack and the football world that he was hanging them up after 16 wonderful seasons, a stretch during which he never missed a start. And the Packers aren’t making it easy for him, figuring that there’s the small matter of having already told Favre’s heir, Aaron Rodgers, that he’s the guy, starting in 2008.

“We’re prepared to move on,” has been the paraphrased sentiment of the Packers’ hierarchy.

Not without me, Favre says. Or else, release me and I’ll play for someone who wants me.

Nuh-uh, the Pack said to Favre’s requested release.

At first blush, I was seeing Favre’s side of the story. How much different is it now, really, than it was four months ago, in Green Bay? How far along could the team have possibly moved with Rodgers in such a short time? What was the big deal if Favre came back for another run? The Packers fielded a surprisingly strong team in 2007; who says Favre couldn’t nudge them further in 2008?

Of course, it might be bad form to mention at this juncture that it was Favre’s gaffe that probably cost the Packers their playoff game — at home — last January.

But after further review, as they say in the NFL, I see where the Packers front office is coming from.

How can they trust Favre anymore? How do they know when he’s really retiring? How many “comebacks” does he have in him? Is this the only one?

The question of whether Favre will return for the next NFL season has been asked for several springs now — and recently, during the ongoing campaign. It can’t possibly NOT have been a distraction. And Favre has been taking longer and longer to make his decision. This time, he decided — or so we thought — in early March.

So is this how it works? Favre can string the Packers along yearly, and they’ll acquiesce to him?

Retire? Sure! Oh, come back, you say? Sure! We’ll just tell Mr. Rodgers to sit tight and that he’ll get his chance…someday.

Not the way to run a business.

But Favre has placed the Packers in a tough spot. Internet polls (and probably sports talk radio sentiment) have Favre in a big lead over Rodgers as far as who folks would like to see as the Green Bay QB in 2008. He’s making team management out as the villain here. The media seems willing to go along with that portrayal.

Favre wants to play so badly, apparently, that he’s willing to be released so he can play with another NFL team. I wonder if just ANY NFL team will do. I wonder if he’d play for a sad sack team? Or does he want to win? And which contending teams are able to fit a Brett Favre under their salary cap at the expense of their probably already-expensive signal caller? How much contract would have to be devoured and digested to bring Favre in?

Ahh, but what if, you might ask, Barry Sanders had pulled the same switcheroo back in 1999?

A fair question.

First, running back isn’t the same as QB, in terms of importance to the team. In other words, it’s a lot easier to bring in a new starting RB than to have invested all that time and teaching into a new quarterback, only to shove him aside. Second, Sanders didn’t have an heir apparent, mainly because no one truly thought he was on the brink of retirement. His announcement on the eve of training camp — that was different, too — caught a lot of folks off guard, even though in retrospect it shouldn’t have, necessarily. There was no one waiting in the wings — not that you can replace someone like Sanders, anyway.

So what should the Packers do? They’ve offered to let Favre return — but as the backup. That’s quite a gesture, I think — for even though Favre himself has been durable, that’s not really the norm. Rodgers could go down — it’s quite feasible.

But think about Rodgers for a second. How terrible would it be for him as a rookie QB to play with Brett Favre over his shoulder, and with public sentiment wanting Favre to start? As if being a first-year QB in the NFL isn’t hard enough…

It’s hard to imagine this saga ending any way other than badly. But the “bad guys” aren’t the ones who created this mess. Brett Favre did, public sentiment be damned.

Lions Created A Monster When Favre Found Sharpe

As long as Brett Favre got to play the Lions twice every season, I’d have thought he would never retire. So it’s not surprising, to me, that his announcement earlier in the year that he was hanging up his spikes and putting his golden arm in storage is now appearing to be premature.

I think it’s rather amusing, actually, that Favre – the Green Bay Packers quarterback since 1992 without interruption – is making news by talking about coming out of “retirement”.
First of all, it’s not really retirement until you’ve actually, you know, MISSED some games. How can Favre be coming out of retirement when there haven’t been any games to be played since his announcement?

But I digress.

The National Football League’s own TV network occasionally airs what are, in their minds anyway, some of the greatest games in league history. At least the ones to which they have access to the game footage.

I was watching one of these airings the other night, and the soup du jour involved our very own Detroit Lions.

It was the 1993 season’s Wild Card game, played in early January, 1994 in the Pontiac Silverdome. Or, as it’s known around these parts, “The Sterling Bleeping Sharpe Game.”
But it was really Brett Favre’s game. Those who should know said so, time and again for the NFL Network’s cameras.

I was impressed, really, that that game – a 28-24 Packers win – should be considered among the best in recent times. And I was even more impressed that so many key participants could recall so much about it, some 14 years later.

Here’s Chris Spielman, the Lions middle linebacker at the time.

“I think that game was Brett’s launching pad game. And I’m glad to have been a part of launching him into stardom,” Spielman said with a chuckle.

Spielman can chuckle now. But there wasn’t any of that at the time. I know I didn’t chuckle one bit.

Favre himself had crystal clear recollection of the game, as did Green Bay coach Mike Holmgren, and Lions quarterback Erik Kramer. Everyone pretty much agreed: that game – the Packers’ first playoff win in years – was Favre’s first real defining moment in the NFL. The first of many, of course. Leave it to the Lions to have created that monster.

The Lions had the jitterbug running back Barry Sanders, and Kramer – who wasn’t brilliant but who was capable – and some nifty receivers like Brett Perriman and Herman Moore. What they didn’t have, however, was the same level of talent on the defensive side of the ball – and certainly not in the backfield, which Favre exposed quite nicely, thank you.

But it was a Packers defender who triggered the change of momentum that would eventually lead to Favre’s coming out party.

The Lions were leading, 17-14, and driving late in the third quarter. Sanders was running around, through, and past the Packers. Kramer was finding Perriman, especially, in the underbelly of the Packers’ defense. The famed, frenetic Run-n-Shoot offense – with one running back and four receivers splayed across the field – was giving the Packers fits. A ten-point lead looked inevitable as Kramer and Perriman and Sanders picked the Green Bay defense apart.

Then came one of those signature plays – the kind the Lions are famous for being involved in, and always on the wrong side.

Inside the five yard line, Kramer eschewed the wizardry of Sanders and opted for another pass. But despite having a receiver open (tight end Ty Hallock), Kramer’s toss was on the wrong side of Hallock, and rookie George Teague intercepted it and returned it for a touchdown – 101 yards away. Instead of leading 24-14, the Lions were suddenly down 21-17. It was a change that they’d never truly recover from.

But they did go back in front, and that’s where they were in the closing minutes of the game – leading the Pack, 24-21. Time for another signature play – a dagger that Lions fans to this day talk about. I imagine it’s much like when the Lions blew a game in Green Bay back in 1962 – a game that may have eventually cost them the division championship – and folks talked about it for years. Some say the ’62 debacle sent the franchise spinning into an irreversible nosedive.

So Favre got the Packers to the Lions 40, thanks to a strong kickoff return. The time was whittled away, to about one minute remaining. The Silverdome crowd was roaring. A date in San Francisco one week later in the conference semi-final for their team was oh, so close. Then Favre went back to pass.

He ran around in the backfield – and by his own admission it wasn’t really necessary that he scrambled, but he did so anyway. He ran to his left, drawing lots of attention. Then, in an instant, Favre stopped, looked to his right, saw something he liked, and heaved the ball. And I mean, heaved.

Floating beneath the heave was Sterling Bleeping Sharpe – who had already caught two touchdown passes in the game. And he was as open as a 24-hour diner.

Kevin Scott was the rookie cornerback assigned to Sharpe on the play, and replays show that, once Favre engaged in his needless scrambling, young Scott stopped covering and started watching. And that’s what caught Favre’s eye when he stopped for that moment and looked to his right.

The ball came to rest in Sharpe’s belly toward the back of the end zone, and 75,000 fans in the Silverdome wheezed, the air knocked out of them. There were but 55 seconds left. There would be no trip to San Francisco after all. Packers 28, Lions 24.

The Packers lost the next week in Dallas, but that game in Detroit gave them confidence and affirmed Brett Favre as a QB who could rally a team in the late stages. And they rode that confidence, built on it, and three years later, Green Bay was league champion. Favre never did stop beating the Lions, either, when you really think about it. He’s perfect against them at home, and does OK in Detroit nowadays, too.

So it doesn’t surprise me that Favre is re-considering his short-lived “retirement” – not when you have the Lions twice on your schedule every year. They helped create him, after all.