[How quickly they forget...]
As someone who didn't believe for a second that Brett Favre's retirement would stick, I have been pretty shocked and disappointed by the level of venom spewed over his decision to come back.
I mean, I don't know the guy...at all...and I knew he was coming back. This, of course, makes the fact that those who do know him - the Packers organization, for example - were caught so off-guard by his decision to return.
Oblivious much?
Even more surprising is the stance the Packers' front office has taken. Their treatment of Favre has shown a complete lack of respect for the future Hall of Famer. Imagine if Michael Jordan had announced his decision to come out of retirement and the Bulls had said "No Thanks". Unimaginable, right? Exactly.
Fox writer and resident horse's ass Mark Kriegel, who is no doubt paid to stir things up, has taken the level of disrespect one step further with his
recent column.
Kriegel attempts to draw attention to Favre's supposed lack of class, but succeeds only in revealing himself as one of the least classy guys in sports commentary. It isn't that calling Favre a "Redneck Hamlet" is the worst sin ever committed; it's that Kriegel sees everything Kavre has done as selfish and that he doesn't care about the Packers.
Um, Mark, hi, how ya doin'? I hate to break it to you, but Favre wanted to come back to the Packers. The Packers have all but literally slammed the door in his face. Not once, but repeatedly.
If the Packers were a woman, they'd be a psycho chick.
BRETT: I wanna come back and play football.
PSYCHO CHICK: YOU WANNA BE WITH SOMEONE ELSE?!?! HUH?!?! DO YA?!?! OVER MY DEAD BODY!!!
BRETT: No, I wanna play with the Packers.
PSYCHO CHICK: UH-UH, NOT INTERESTED!! FUCK YOU!!! I'VE MOVED ON!!!
The strange thing is there are people who should know better that don't see it that way. Writes Kriegel, "He's gone from being an icon to just another superstar, another guy who, despite the most earnest proclamations, puts himself above the team."
Uh, what?
Okay, Kriegel's an idiot. He's probably never liked Favre and has an ax to grind, or, at the very least, a job to keep so he rocks the boat to maintain readership.
What about the fans? The Packer faithful who've elevated Favre to iconic status? You'd think they'd be excited by the prospect of his return, right? You'd think they'd be up-in-arms over the treatment Favre has received from Packer execs, right?
Not so much.
Sure, there are those faithful fans who are excited about Favre's return, but the fact that more than a few Packer diehards have so willingly towed the "We've moved on" party line is yet another sign that the masses are asses. The Packers have been adamant about their decision to move forward with QB Aaron Rodgers and they've succeeded in convincing the Packer Nation that Favre's return throws a gigantic monkey wrench into their current plans.
When (notice that I didn't say "if") the Minnesota Vikings knock Rodgers and the Pack on their collective ass on September 8th, mark my words, cheeseheads en masse will begin demanding the heads of coach Mike McCarthy and CEO Mark Murphy on a platter.
The truth is that Rodgers is not capable of having the kind of season necessary to quiet the naysayers. Of course, the scrutiny his performance will receive is not at all fair, but it's unavoidable at this point. And, while McCarthy and Murphy deserve the backlash that's waiting for them just around the corner, Rodgers doesn't.
The only logical resolution to this whole debacle rests on Rodgers shoulders. Before today's scheduled news conference, he should walk into McCarthy's office, close the door behind him, and demand to be traded.
He won't, of course, and will therefore join the list of losers in this scenario, none of which have the last name of Favre.
.
