Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Move along, Favre, move along

Brett Favre, let it go.
You're already all too close to becoming Roger Clemens with this year-in, year-out retirement ludicrousness.
It hasn't ended too well for Clemens.
And neither will it for Brett Favre.
Walk away at the top of your game while you still can and have some of your dignity. Don't be Evander Holyfield, Joe Namath or Willie Mays and stay in too long.
NFL fans have been captivated by you and your boy-ish excitement for the game. Then, for seemingly the last five years, Packer fans had to deal with your off-season child-like behavior as No. 4 couldn't make up his mind whether or not to retire.
Because of this, you forced your franchise to prepare for your inevitable departure. They did this, and have three young, promising signal-callers ready, including Aaron Rogers, who has been patiently waiting for three years since he was a first-round draft pick to get this shot.
The future of the team is Aaron Rodgers, not Favre. They may be able to coax one more solid effort out of No. 4 -- but that could easily come at a cost of driving away their future franchise quarterback.
This is a very awkward situation for both the franchise and Rodgers, who has handled it with much tact and maturity.
Unlike someone.
This is getting as ridiculous as the moronic proceedings of Rich Rodriguez trying to get out of paying up to get out of his West Virginia contract to bail for Michigan.
At least Rodriguez knew when to give up.
Despite what you think, the Packers hold all the cards in this.
They can activate you, sit you on the bench and ask you to relay calls to Rodgers as the most expensive clipboard holder in the NFL.
Then, all you can do is wait for an injury or try to tear the team apart from within. It's your call.
You aren't getting traded. Just give that pipe dream up and accept that you are a lifelong Packer. You are a God in Wisconsin, but that reputation will assuredly take a massive hit if you force a trade or continue with this impetuous tirade of yours. You are a sure-fire Hall of Famer; don't sully that with one mediocre year in Baltimore or Tampa Bay.
There are very few teams out there close to being able to win it all that don't already have an established quarterback, so there's no better situation than the one you bailed out of on March 3.
And none of those other teams are going to offer much to rent an aging quarterback whose desire to play can change from day to day.
In the 2005 and 2006 campaigns, you threw 47 interceptions to just 38 touchdowns. Then, last year, it suddenly bumps up to 28 TDs and 15 picks.
Did you suddenly get better in your late 30s? No. The team around you was better because GM Ted Thompson has drafted exceptionally well, to the point where the Packers signed only one free agent this season -- a backup linebacker -- because they're deep enough that they didn't need to.
Thompson has built a solid all-around team that can win without you.
You retired. The Packers moved on.
Move along, Brett. Go gracefully and sell jeans.

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