A Few Words About Favre

Who is Ted Thompson? A probable answer to a future Jeopardy question that would read: Idiotic Green Bay Packers General Manager who traded away Brett Favre for a fourth round draft pick in August of 2008, and in the process, destroying the team and organization for years to come.

I always thought that professional football teams had a goal of winning as many games as they can and continue on to and win the Superbowl. However, the Green Bay Packers decided to do the opposite. They traded away their best shot at winning. The Packers were destined for obscurity last season with the Bears coming off a Superbowl appearance and the Vikings getting one heck of a running back in Adrian Peterson. Yet the Packers had an ace up their sleeve that no one saw coming, Brett Favre. He had a career best season at age 38 and locked up the all time touchdown mark for the time being. He led a young and hungry Packers team to the NFC championship before a predictable interception dashed any Superbowl dreams. Still, it was proven the man could play.

After that, everything else happened. Favre retired, unretired, got the shaft, and then was traded to the J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets! of New York City even though they play in New Jersey. But why? Why did the Packers get rid of their best player when they were on the verge of a championship season? That’s the question. The answer? The Packers are a selfish organization that would rather start an unproven four year old first round draft pick on the verge the final years of his contract than keep intact a major aspect of your fanchise's legacy.

If it was about egos then that’s one thing, but the fact is that this is the NFL. This is a league where winning is everything, but with a three year back up with only one professional career touchdown? Even worse, when Rogers struggles, Packers fan will be calling for his head, and making him the fall guy instead of a stubborn general manager or a bumbling head coach. Rogers is done if he can’t win in Green Bay. Done faster than Cedric Benson after his second DUI. Struggling is not an option for the Green Bay Packers now because the team just said, without inherently stating, that they could win more games with Aaron Rogers at the helm than future hall of famer Brett Favre. Here are a couple of guarantees: The Packers won’t win more than eight games this year, and the new QB controversy in Wisconsin will be Aaron Rogers or Brian Brohm. Still I can’t think of anything more ironic than both being duds and the Packers have to use the pick from the Jets to draft another quarterback.

This may seem bias, but let’s point out that this is coming from a Bears fan. For years, Favre has derailed the Bears, and finally he goes to the AFC right when Lovie Smith starts getting the best of him. Yet as a fan of football, I’m excited not only for the future of the Jets, but for ol’ man Favre as well. He may be a bit of an egomaniac, but Favre will bring that Mississippi swagger to the Jets that for the longest time have been a franchise without a face. Now not only do they have a face, they have a legitimate player for go toe-to-toe with Tom Brady.

The only concern is Favre crumbling under the pressure. New York is known for eating athletes alive with the constant media scrutiny. But Favre will be able to survive anywhere having survived the last couple of months. Favre is still a football player, and all he wants to do is to play. So good luck to Brett Favre and the new look New York Jets, and funeral services for the Green Bay Packers will be held in December.