Farve Can’t Stay Away

Brett Lorenzo Favre…

Where do we start? Well let’s start with the obvious, Favre still wants to play, the Packers wanted Favre back but he changed his mind again and the Packers moved on. Ted Thompson has put together a championship caliber team with one unproven position player; the quarterback, and Aaron Rodgers is now that guy. Mike McCarthy is on-board publicly with Ted Thompson as well as the new president Mark Murphy. So these are facts that we would all agree upon, now is where it gets dicey, where speculation, innuendo, perceptions and personalities of all these parties have made this the best reality T.V. I’ve seen since the Real World 2 on MTV many years ago. 

Favre has waffled more on this issue than you can buy at The International House of Pancakes. Ole’ Teddy T. is ready for the band to have a new conductor, and his lack of back side kissing to Favre over the years has made that clear to Favre, from firing Mike Sherman the day after the Packer season ended in ’06, to blowing off the request to trade for Randy Moss last April. Favre read in between the lines and being the diva he is decided he had enough.

Three time MVP, Super Bowl Champion, record holder of all significant records for quarterback position in the history of the NFL…nothing left to do, but get on the tractor in Hattiesburg and call it a career. There’s only one problem with that, its that championship game, its that pass in overtime, its the whispers that he’s uncomfortable in the cold weather games. Then there’s the other problem, he could still play, had one of his best seasons of his career, and competitors never quit, they get it taken away from them.
 
Ted Thompson is screwed 6 ways to Sunday, only one way out, Aaron Rodgers NFL MVP and Packer Super Bowl champions, probability about the same as my skin color changing to that of Michael Jackson’s complexion… not gonna happen. So Teddy has to balance what is best for the Packers and his coach, these players and Ted Thompson. So here is my suggestion if you listen to my radio show, “That Being Said” on 540 ESPN (shameless plug) I’ve said all along the best way to address this situation is wait for the official request for reinstatement by Favre’s representation to the team, acknowledge it, remind Brett that training camp starts July twenty-whatever, and inform Brett Lorenzo Favre he is the back-up to Aaron Rodgers.

Here’s why this works; Favre’s ego and pride may not allow him to show up, if he does he’s banking on one of two things; Rodgers getting hurt which historically has happened to him, or ineffective play. Don’t worry about pressure, that was going to exist whether Favre is there or not, internal and external for the team and Rodgers, might as well have the 800 lb white elephant on the sideline in uniform instead of haunting the facility at 1265 Lombardi Avenue day in, day out.
  
From the Packers standpoint, its high risk, high reward. Rodgers gets his shot and you have one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game as a back up. As a Packer observer from a media perspective I could care less about anybody’s ego, feelings etc. As a fan, all parties need to understand that it is about winning first and foremost. The most dysfunctional team in the off season last year were the New York football Giants, look at what they did. It is possible, at the same time you could have the team implode around this whole issue if it hasn’t already. Favre could become the issue in the locker room that could splinter guys off into taking sides. Team chemistry is very important in locker rooms and clubhouses, respect if not love or like for one another is essential for team success, once the respect is lost you never can get it back.
 
Are we at that point already? We will find out soon enough, Favre is still on the schedule to induct his boy Frankie bag of doughnuts (Frank Winters) into the Packers Hall of Fame on July 19th. That will be a very revealing moment in this drama that gets more entertaining and complicated by the day. Stay tuned (like I had to tell you to do that).
 
I have to close with a special shout out to two of my colleagues who have pretty much nailed this whole thing down from that NFC Championship Game till now. Jason Wilde of The Wisconsin State Journal and Mark Chmura (Big Chewy) on 540espn have been on point with this Favre topic since it became a topic. I salute your candor, humor and insight of this whole topic, thanks for setting the tone its on us to keep up now.

Steve Haywood, Host of “That Being Said”
ESPN Radio 540 Milwaukee