http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Jamie-Dukes-says-Brett-Favre-is-the-victim-here?urn=nfl,169755Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:37 am EDT
Jamie Dukes says Brett Favre is the victim here
By MJD
I like Jamie Dukes, and I think he does a terrific job on the NFL Network, but the latest viewpoint that he voices on NFL.com, I find to be, well, let's say "novel."
Dukes is of the opinion that Brett Favre has been made a victim through his retirement, his unretirement, interception-fest with the Jets, retirement, and then likely unretirement again. Dukes is a former player, and I think a player is more likely to take Brett Favre's(notes) side than a regular joe, and that's completely understandable. I strongly disagree, though, and I'd like to go through Dukes' latest blog post line-by-line to demonstrate how.
Brett Favre would still be a Packer if the front office didn’t push him out the door.
I guess that could be true, depending on how you look at his departure from Green Bay. I wouldn't characterize it as "pushing [Favre] out the door," but we'll get to that in a second.
Did Packers general manager Ted Thompson force Favre to retire? No. But he made it clear enough to Favre that he wanted to get his guy, Aaron Rodgers(notes), who had waited three seasons for the job since he was a first-round pick in 2005, into the lineup.
Did he? Or did Thompson get tired of waiting for Favre to make up his mind every off-season, because if he was going to have to put Aaron Rodgers in the line-up, he had to know as soon as possible so they could rebuild the offense to suit him?
Or did Favre retire, essentially tell the Packers to move on without him, and then change his mind, and expect the Packers to undo everything they did and cater to his every whim?
I don't think the Packers got tired of having Brett Favre as their quarterback, I think they got tired of waiting and waiting and waiting for Favre to make up his mind so they could see who their quarterback was going to be every year.
So what was Favre to do? The fire was still in his belly, but the clock was working against him.
If the fire was in his belly, I wish he would have just let someone know, instead of saying for months on end, "You know, I can't really tell if this belly-fire is completely extinguished or not. I'll let you know when I know, which might be tomorrow, or it might be in the middle of training camp."
If Favre is guilty of anything, it’s having pride.
Or of being unable to make a decision.
His pride told him that he didn’t want to stay where he wasn’t wanted. It was 49ers coach Mike Singletary who said it best a few weeks ago: “Players want to feel wanted.” Favre felt Thompson wanted him gone.
Even if Thompson was absolutely hell-bent on getting Favre out of Green Bay (which I don't think he was), would that really be so terrible? Would Brett Favre be the first player in the history of the NFL to feel the sting of a team not wanting him anymore? He's a victim because he's gone through something that thousands and thousands of other players have gone through before him?
I don’t understand why it’s a big deal that Favre wants to play football again.
It's not a big deal that Favre wants to play football again. What is a big deal, though, is that he can't make up his mind this year, couldn't make it up last year, and even struggled the few years before that. If you were a general manager, would you appreciate having that uncertainty at your quarterback position every offseason until Favre felt like making a decision?
If you were the Jets, would you appreciate Favre saying that he wanted his release so he could retire a Packer, only for it to become obvious weeks later that he really just wanted to be a Viking?
He should be allowed to play as long as someone is willing to sign him.
He is. He just happens to be doing it very childishly and very annoyingly.
The way I see it, Favre has done nothing wrong.
Wanting to play another year in Minnesota, just so he can "stick it" to the Packers ... you're okay with that? You think that's a good reason to play football? You think the Minnesota Vikings should turn themselves into a vehicle for Brett Favre's childish revenge?
He still has it. Look at last season — he played fantastic until he hurt his arm late in the season.
That part still counts, though, right? The part where he cost the Jets a spot in the playoffs? The Jets don't still get playoff money just because Brett Favre was good before then, do they?
Look, I understand if you don’t want Favre on your team, but it’s hypocritical to say he should stop playing because you think it’s time for him to stop.
Again, I'm not saying he should stop playing. It's not for me to tell anyone else, in any profession, when they should retire. I don't do that. It would be nice, though, if Brett Favre could act like an adult, make a decision, and stick with it.
What if I were to tell you that you have worked at your job long enough and it’s my opinion that you should look for something else to do?
It would be a completely different situation than what we're talking about here. No one's mad at Brett Favre because they think he should retire. People are mad at Brett Favre because he's acting like a real child about it.
You would tell me where to go.
Probably.
Favre is entitled to the same liberties as anyone else.
True. Everyone's got the right to be an ass.
******************
My own opinion is that Terrible Ted Thompson is as nasty as they come.
But with Freak~Show~Favre, I have lost much respect for Brett too.
Thanks for the memories Brett, but you have UNclassed yourself in a huge way.
And *IF* you become a Viking, I can only hope that we kick you ass from here to eternity. (That is, providing you, your ego, and your shoulder are still in the game after Indianapolis, Kansas City, Houston, Dallas, Cleveland, Detroit, and San Francisco)...
XOXO
Me
GO PACK, GO!
XOXO
Me
Happy Saturday!
