Favre Special!
By Sean Ryan | July 16, 2008
Here, as a special to VikeVision, my take on the status of the Favre drama:
After all the back and forth with Brett Favre, Ted Thompson, Brett’s Mom, Fox News, Mike McCarthy, and Drunken ‘Sconnies… we now know 4 things:
- Brett Favre wants out of Green Bay.
- Green Bay brass wants Favre out.
- Brett Favre wants to play in Minnesota
- Green Bay brass does not want Brett anywhere near the NFC
The commencing points 1 and 2 would prove to be fairly easy. However, points 3 and 4 muddy the waters, badly.
The background: What’s making things so murky?
The biggest problem is that pesky three years left on Favre’s contract with the Packers. It means the Packers have the rights to their biggest problem. If Favre ‘retired’ and his contract had expired – he’d be a free agent and this wouldn’t bean issue. He could have ‘retired’ then un-retired and go wherever he wanted to go.
The problem is now Favre doesn’t want to go the Green Bay… they team who has his rights for the next three years. Favre was forced to make a decision back in March about whether or not he’d want to return for another year. While he wanted to play – he says he wasn’t 100% committed. Given that feeling and having his hand forced by the Packers, who needed to decide how they would build for the future, Favre decided to retire. As he has admitted, he made that decision prematurely and now he wants to come back.
Favre was then forced to ask for his release form the Packers. Why the release? According to Favre, he was told by coach Mike McCarthy that the team had decided to “Move on” when the two talked on June 20th. The packers went so far as to send a player down to Mississippi to tell Farve to stay retired.
Understanding the situation, Favre knew Green Bay was not for him. But again, we run into the problem of that pesky three year contract.
It’s a contract that wouldn’t be so pesky – and the Packers would easily release him- if, say, the best team without a quarterback were in the AFC. The problem has everything to do with one of the fiercest rivalries in the NFL: Minnesota/ Green Bay.
The Green Bay brass knows the best team that could pick up Favre would be Minnesota, a division rival and a team they face two times every year (if not a third time in the play-offs). The Green Bay brass knows it’s simply business to keep Favre from their division rival. Thus they have to hold onto the rights of the Hall of Fame quarterback, and possibly not even start him. Why not start him? They risk losing the quarterback they’ve spent 3 years training under Favre in Aaron Rodgers if they bring in #4 to start.
This is a PR nightmare for Ted Thompson. Say he starts Rodgers with Favre on the bench: Fans boo and chant Favre at the first incomplete pass. It goes visa-versa if he starts Favre. They simply can’t bring Favre back. Favre realizes this and knows he must go elsewhere.
This would all be fine and dandy… but remember that contract? Green Bay can do 2 things if they don’t take him back: Release him (which gives Favre the option to go to Minnesota) or Trade him (where they can trade him out of the conference). Problem here is there isn’t much interest in the AFC for Favre.
In talking with Al Jones – long time friend of Favre’s and sports editor in the Biloxi Sun Herald (Favre’s old hometown paper) – I been told in no uncertain terms that Favre is interested in playing in Minnesota. I’ve also had sources with the Vikings – including Play-by-play announcer Paul Allen – confirm that they too have sources very close to Favre saying he does in fact want to play in Minnesota.
Favre in Purple is a LONG shot – but it’s certainly something that could happen. If the Packers release Favre unconditionally, get ready to buy your #4 Purple Jersey (note: it won’t labeled “Booty”). But that happening is a pipe-dream. The only likely way Favre ends up in Minnesota is if the Packers trade him to an AFC team for say a 3rd or 4th round pick, and then that team turns around and gives him to Minnesota for a 2nd rounder. I’ve been told it’s unlikely - but a possibility.
Should Favre become available, through trade or free agency, should the Vikings bite?
In my opinion: Absolutely. I understand Viking fans are leary of the old foe – but he would most certainly put the Vikings in a prime position to win the NFC. Travaris Jackson could have a year or two tutelage under Favre as he continues to grow in the system. Also, Vikings coach Brad Childress gave a less than glowing evaluation of Jackson last Sunday on Rosen’s Sports Sunday. When asked about Jackson’s progress in relation to the Favre speculation, Chilly simply said Jackson is progressing and should be expected to play like a 3rd year quarterback. Instead of saying flat-out: Jackson is our man, Chilly waffled. It’s something to keep in mind as we approach camp.
Finally, on a personal note, I would like nothing better than to see Brett Favre run out of the tunnel at Lambeau on September 8th as a Minnesota Viking. This would only add to the lore of the Minnesota/Green Bay Rivalry, and essentially put it up there with the likes of the Yanks/Red Sox. That would simply be awesome theater.
-Sean Ryan, Channel 12 News
A Special to Vike Vision
Topics: Coaching Staff and Ownership, NFC North, Vikings | No Comments »
Outbreak of the Favre-Virus
By Viking Visionary | July 11, 2008
While I was listening to the local sports radio yesterday, a report surfaced that Brett Favre was now telling people that he specifically wants to play for a team no other than, you guessed it, the Minnesota Vikings. Because the report has not surfaced elsewhere on the internet, its validity has to be called into question. However, it still got me thinking, “What would this do to our locker room chemistry if this were true?”
Some people might assume that because the quarterback position is really the only major question mark on an otherwise Super-Bowl-ready team, the Vikings would pick up Brett Favre in a heartbeat and watch the rest of the league cower in fear. But aren’t the Packers in a very similar position to the Vikings? Both teams are moving into the 2008 season with their offense built around a young quarterback, and have invested a lot of effort into getting everyone on that bandwagon.
For the Packers, Favre was a god for the last 17 years. But now he has made himself into a dangerous virus that is even now spreading through their locker room, front office, and fan base, eating away at their morale and causing dissension in the ranks. Not at all a bad thing from the Vikings’ perspective - Favre is actually helping us by weakening our biggest competitor for the Division crown.
The last thing we want as Vikings fans is to have the same problem on our hands. It would actually be a very intelligent act of skulduggery on the Packers part if they were to plant these rumors that Favre was “itching” to play for the Vikings, even if they never would allow him to actually cross the border. It would essentially make their problem ours, passing on a crippling virus and effectively leveling the playing field. Jackson might start to fret about his job security, his teammates and the front office would be forced to deal with the pressure of potentially either adding or rejecting one of the most storied quarterbacks to ever play the game, and we the fans would likely be split 50-50 (just like the Packer-backers) on whether to welcome Favre with a parade or slam the door in his face.
You can probably tell where we at VikeVision stand on the issue - Let’s keep the outbreak of the Favre-virus quarantined within the boarders of Wisconsin.
UPDATE: ESPN is now reporting that Brett Favre has written the Packers organization and requested that they release him outright, effectively freeing him to play elsewhere. This takes the Favre-talk to a whole new level. Here is what this means:
- Favre is very serious about returning, and it appears he does not want to play for the Packers, or at least he is convinced that they will not let him play for them.
- Favre is trying to use his popularity and past accomplishments as leverage to force the Packers into giving him his freedom rather than trying to control which team he goes to via a trade. This ups the pressure on the Packers’ front office, essentially ensuring that they are going to have to make a very unpopular decision one way or another.
- Favre’s insistence on being allowed to go play where he wants actually increases the probability that the Vikings are his destination of choice. He knows the Packers would never trade him to their division rivals, whereas he would have no problem getting traded to, say, the Ravens.
- We won’t have to witness a post-retirement Favre love fest on the Vikings’ Monday Night opener against the Packers. I am sure we’ll still hear his name quite a few times, but it won’t be nearly as bad as if they were retiring his number.
I still don’t see Favre coming to play for the Vikings. The only way Favre could grab an oar and not rock the boat too much is if he was willing to come in as the backup to Tarvaris Jackson, be his mentor, take his time learning the offense and be ready to step in if Jackson chokes or gets injured. First off, Favre will not accept a backup position. Secondly, I doubt Childress would want to put that kind of pressure on Jackson. It would be hard to turn Brett Favre away, but it would be just as hard to bring him in. It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out. In the meantime, let’s enjoy watching the Packers organization tear itself to bits.
Topics: NFC North, Vikings | 2 Comments »
Vikes picked to win the Super Bowl?
By Viking Visionary | June 20, 2008
Wow. The big off-season for the Minnesota Vikings was sure to lead to some increased publicity, but just as obvious was the inevitable criticism of Tarvaris Jackson and talk about how he will hold the team back. Well, one fairly well-respected sports writer came out today with the Vikings as his pick to win the super bowl. Dr. Z wrote about the Vikings as if they are primed to be the next feel-good story in the NFL, the next golden team, the next Patriots…but without all the cheating. And not only did he defy the popular trend of bashing T-Jack, Dr. Z seems to think that the Childress-Jackson combo will actually be a strength this year! I’m not sure what to think of this yet, but I am curious to get your reactions.
Topics: Purple Predictions, Vikings | 4 Comments »