First, I must preface that this post has a lot of passion behind it. It's the fanstastic part of football, that release of emotion, great highs and stunning lows. However, I am going to do my best to separate as much emotion from this as I can.
Unbiasness I cannot guarantee, but this is my blog. So I can write what I want, as skewed as it may be.
Now you might suggest this would have a different tune if Brett Favre (please note, henceforth referred to as The Former) and the J-E-T-S were playoff bound. Not at all. My points would be the same, but I wouldn't be able to say I TOLD YOU SO! You may have a better record, but your stats pale compared to Aaron Rodgers.
Okay, now I have all my prologue points out of the way.
The 2007 off season The Former proved me wrong about this and that. Hey, no hard feelings. Actually, I have no problem that The Former changed his mind. There have been many Packer greats (that have left the team either through retirement or free agency) to go on to play or coach for other organizations. Robert Brooks, Antonio Freeman, Ahman Green, Ryan Longwell, Craig Hendrich, Reggie White, Travis Jervey ... oh yeah, and Vince Lombardi ... just to name a few.
Okay, so TJ isn't apples to apples. But Reggie is a Legend. Robert and Free were the best wide receivers of the Super Bowl teams. And Ryan and Craig are in the top tier of players at their position.
So, as my mom said, "Why didn't you disown TJ like you are [The Former]?"
It's not because he un-retired. It's how he did it.
First we must remember the six year debate. Every December, could this be his last game? Every off season, playing with the media. And in recent years, waiting until just before the draft to make the come-back decision.
Finally the other cleat dropped. March 4, 2008. Then his tearful goodbye. If nothing else, I've just expended way too much emotion on him, that I just have no more warm and fuzzies for him left in me.
Shortly after the 2008 draft, rumors start floating around that he wanted to come back. Here's when it starts turning sour. He denies some and is ambiguous with others. Then he announces he never wanted to retire and the Packers forced him out.
Packers tell him in no uncertain terms that he cannot just come back and be the starting quarterback. It's now July and the team has moved on. August: Family Night comes and he returns to Green Bay with his wife and watches the scrimmage from a sky box.
And he's all like "What? I'm [The Former] I'll come and be your QB, because, do you know who I am? Awe shucks, I'm a good ole' country boy wearing wrangers." (okay...the unbiased field lapsed there, all systems restored)
This is the epitome of the true void of class he showed during the situation. Instead of keeping it in-house, he made a spectacle. The team paid him obscene amounts of money and love during his career. And he showed the organization, players and fans no respect.
He went to the playground and started slinging mud.
I get that he still has that passion and abitlity to play. Either don't retire or work with the Packers for a trade. If they play hardball take it to the Players Association or the Commish himself. Don't whine to the media you childish asshole.
That's right, I said it.
I always revered The Former for his child-like passion for the game. But off the field matters are business. This is not a family--which is what we all forgot.
I have lost respect for him as a person and professional. I have a hard time respecting people who preach and live by one set of standards but then abandon these "values" and "character" when the chips are down. It reveals a very different person... like the situations with Desmond Howard, Mike Holmgren and Dorsey Levens. All disowned in my eyes. But with time the disdain has decreased and I know it'll be the same with The Former.
I never would have admited it while he was here, but the distance allowed me to see what everyone was saying: The Former held the Packers hostage. That is, until Ted Thompson had the balls to say you're done. We've moved on. To a younger, shinier, hotter model.
And boy did that piss The Former off.
I wish I could attribute this thought. It was either Dan Patrick or Mike Turico. When the Packers said (hell) no, we don't want you back, The Former came back to prove the Packers needed him more than he needed the Packers. Well you may have a better record, but we're both watching Wild Card Weekend at Home. (and may I point out the new shiny model's stats again?)
I've always acknowledged The Former's faults (and I love pointing them out more now Mr. Leads the League in Interceptions). I accepted them because it was a part of the package: the anguish, the excitement. What I was going to miss the most was that special spark on the field. But hot damn, the kid has it too! Packer fans we're in good hands.
To The Former: Good luck and thank you. But go away.
To all you so-called-Packer fans buying jerseys and the god-damned television stations being the "official" station of an AFC TEAM in the fucking NFC NORTH ....
I respect you even less than I do The Former.
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