Guest blog: The View from Green Bay

January

And here we have some more insight into the mind of Brett Favre from guest blogger Rob Demovsky in Green Bay. His blog is here (http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/ic/blogs/insider/index.shtml).

So Peter King thinks Brett Favre is learning toward retirement, huh?

Well, King knows Favre perhaps as well as anyone in the media, and the Sports Illustrated scribe may very well be correct. But one thing to consider when it comes to all things Favre is he tends to do the unexpected.

Think back to 2006 – a year that sums up Favre perfectly.

First, he deliberates for nearly four months before finally announcing on April 26 that he’s going to return. He simply calls the Packers and says, “I’m in.” Then, after an up-and-down season under first-year coach Mike McCarthy in which the Packers start 4-8 but finish 8-8, Favre gives a tearful interview on the field following the season finale at Chicago, and he looks and sounds all but retired. He even gathers with his offensive linemen on the field to take what looks like a farewell photo.

We all know that Favre returned for the 2007 season and went on to have one of his best years, leading the Packers to a 13-3 record and a berth in the NFC championship game. If ever it looked like a sure thing that Favre would return, seemingly it was then. But low and behold, on March 4, 2008, he tells the Packers he’s done. Now for their part, the Packers didn’t do much to try to convince him to reconsider, and there are many in Favre’s camp who believe he could have been talked into returning to Green Bay with a little prodding. Nevertheless, Favre was done – or so it seemed.

So what does that mean for Favre possibly returning to the Jets in 2009? Here are a few things to consider:
—Favre hates surgery and if he has to have a procedure on his arm or shoulder – even if it’s just arthroscopic – he might just say forget it. For several years in Green Bay, he was told he needed surgery to remove bone chips from his ankle, a procedure he first had in 1996. He finally had the surgery before the 2007 season, but Favre put it off for as long as he could probably because he didn’t want to go through months of rehab in the offseason. The guy likes his time off in the offseason.
—Favre is incredibly prideful and probably doesn’t want to end his career on the Jets’ late-season slide.
—Favre tends to change his mind a lot – in case you hadn’t noticed. So just because he’s talking retirement now doesn’t mean that will stick. And it sounds like the Jets are going to give him some time to decide.

One more thing to consider, Favre still might try to work his way out of New York to try to end up with the Minnesota Vikings – the team he wanted to play for all along last summer. The Vikings probably would be willing to throw multiple high draft picks at the Jets to acquire Favre, and that would offset any penalty the Jets might have to pay the Packers for trading him to another team (if such a clause in the original trade even still is binding).
—Rob Demovsky, rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com

This entry was posted on Monday, January 5th, 2009 at 4:34 pm by Jane McManus.
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20 Responses to “Guest blog: The View from Green Bay”

Dan January 5th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
This article is just another reporter who does not know any more or less than you and I.Brett will take time and decide on his future like any other player would do.I would like
to read Demovsky blog on how great the Packers season was
since they were 13-3 last year and posted a 6-10 this year.
I now see how much of a better team the Packers have become
since they threw Brett under the bus.Must be many jobs available in Packer Nation today.McCarthy and Thompson must be proud of now having the record of biggest slide from one year to the next in Packer history.The choo choo is really going now !Shame
Erik Sec.309 January 5th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Brett thrown under the bus?.......What he did to the Packers organization wasn’t right. The packers had planned for Aaron Rodgers and were all set to go when Favre became a huge distraction. That being said, I was happy he ended up with the Jets, but you cannot characterize the Packers front office as villains.
AOLSTBO January 5th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Why would Minnesota throw multiple high picks at the Jets for a 40 yr-old qb who may hang it up after a season? I’m sorry but I don’t see that happening.
Josey January 5th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
I do agree with Dan, and if you had spent anytime at all on the Packers News website, you’d see why. These Gazette reporters have been back and forth all year. Sometimes cheering for Ted Thompson and McCarthy’s choices, and then at times being very critical of them.

What Brett Favre did, even though it may not have been “right” was not unheard of. Many great NFL players have changed their minds after announcing retirement. Reggie White comes to mind, as well as Culpepper this year. I’m sure there are others but my point is, the Packers Organization reacted as though this was a mortal sin, and treated Brett as the enemy. Locking him out of Lambeau. Bringing in security and trying to erase all memory of him by tearing out his locker and rushing to retire his number 4 during the home opener.

Even though I agree that Rodgers ( or any decent QB) is the future of the Packers, I believe ( as many Packer fans do) that this was handled extremely poor. It divided a fan base like you wouldn’t believe, and Ted Thompson went to many lenghts to create false accusations about Favre in regards to tampering with the Vikings and the Lions.

Bottom line, I feel that if Thompson and McCarthy firmly believed that Brett Favre was washed up and no longer had any talent left in his arm, then why not let him go to the Vikings or even Tampa Bay?

I’ll tell you why. Because they know that the old guy still has what it takes to turn a team into a winning organization ( look at the Jets compared to last year’s record). They did not want to face him twice with MN or even once with Tampa.

I wouldn’t put much into what Demovsky says. These reporters up there need to make nice with Ted Thompson in order to maintain their locker room access.

I also doubt that the Vikings will throw caution to the wind to get Favre. Then again, the Vikings really hate us Packers so I could see them doing it just to stick it to the Pack.
Erik Sec.309 January 5th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Josey,
You say that we can’t make Favre the sole reason for the ultimate failure of the Jets. You can’t make him the sole reason for the Jets improvement. They brought in some other nice free agents this off season.

Why would Jet fans go on the Packer News Website?????

HI DAN!!!
jonathan Swift January 5th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Brett is just old…If the Vikes get Brett, they would dismiss – Jackson, which is no great problem..but why would he want to subject himself to more of this
Josey January 5th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Erik,
Not making him the sole reason for the Jets improvement, simply stating that he brought some excitement to the team. I’m on a Jets site because a former Packer was playing for them. Say what you want about me or Dan or anyone else who posts on here, but your site moderator is the one putting up a Guest Blog by a Green Bay reporter. Why? Because they all know that people are interested in reading about Brett, watching him play, and commenting about him.

Erik – Did I answer enough of your questions?

Jonathan, I agree. The Vikings will not want Brett either. As much as I have enjoyed watching him play yet again this year, he should not subject himself to anymore of this.
joe b January 5th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Why are we talking about the Packers. This is a JETS site. Dan, Dorothy and Josey are Packer fans calling us (the Jet fans) losers. Kindly do not respond to anymore of their posts’. Let them just go away. They weren’t here all year. They came on after ther Seattle game 12/23. Please, I repeat, Please do not reply to their post. I am through with these 3 Cheeseheads. I hope the rest of you are too. All they want to talk about is Favre. As Dan said “he is my Idol”
Dan January 6th, 2009 at 12:36 am
While Brett is a Jet I am a Jet fan.The next few weeks will be a critical time for the Jets.The question is who will be the next head coach?It would make sense to go all out now
and try to win this coming year.I say this with all the money the team has paid this year,I do not believe they want to start all over and be competitive in three and four years.It would be a gamble but is one worth taking.With the
new stadium it would be great to move in with a team that went deep into the playoffs the previous year.The Giants success has brought pressure on the Jets front office to
win now.
Josey January 6th, 2009 at 1:08 am
joe b you don’t have to worry about me, as I’ve pretty much lost interest in the Jets. But just for the record, A) I have NEVER called the Jets or their fans “losers”. And B)If you are tired of talking about the Packers and Brett Favre, then ask that question to Jane McManus. Why did she print a Guest Blog from a Packer Reporter on a Jets site?

Perhaps to stir up the replies on this blog, is my guess.

one more thing joe. Never have I been disrespectful to you and stooped to name calling. Too bad I cannot say the same thing for you, erik and jonathan.
Erik Sec. 309 January 6th, 2009 at 6:35 am
Sorry Joe – One last time

If you would like to go look at previous blogs, Jet fans were attacked by “fans for a year” when the criticized Favre. The fans from the north love to deflect all blame when it comes to this argument.

I must defend Jane. I She did what a reporter is supposed to do. Even though I, along with many other JET fans may be sick of it, she talked about a controversial topic. If you don’t like her style – just leave.
Dan January 6th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Some Jets fans on this blog act as if the Jets were a good team prior to this team.When in fact the Jets were garbage and the laughing stock of the NFL.Finally going in right direction after forty years and now they try to tear apart
the fans that are thinking positive for the Jets.Instead of
chanting J-E-T-S you should chant I-AM-DUMB…..........
Frustration mounting January 6th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Lets not forget that 2 years ago. this was a 10-6 team. WITHOUT BRETT.

Getting Brett, wass like the Yankee’s getting Barry Bonds…he was great, but he can’t play anymore, and should find the pine.

We need Brett as much as we need John Elway, or Warren Moon.

Players get old. its exciting to see if he can still do it, but I don’t want him on my team. Let him create a seniors circuit, like Golf and tennis have.

I’d love to watch him throw a ball to Mark Chmura…once he gets out of Prison…haha
Dan January 6th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
In the last two years Brett’s record 13-3 and 9-7.If 22-10
record is too old then a lot of QB’s can’t wait to get old.
He is number 2 of all QB’s in wins behind Payton Manning in last two years,but Brett has won more poastseason wins than
Payton in last two years.Payton has no wins.So don’t bring up old it means nothing.
Dan January 6th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
If you take Pennington’s best two years of his entire career as a Jet or a Dolphin his wins total are still below what Brett has done in his last two years.So give Brett some slack and for Jets sake hope he decides to wear Jets jersey in 2009.
Frustration mounting January 6th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
DAn..

So what you’re saying is, Brett Favre is currently the best QB in the league, and every other team in the NFL should be scrambling to get him?
This is based on the record of the teams he played on for the last 2 years?
John Ellway has won 2 superbowls, since Favre won his…so I guess we should be going after him? (What is he?? 49??Age doesn’t mean a thing)
some QB’s that have won the same # of Superbowls as Brett:Trent Dilfer – Brad Johnson-Mark Rypien-jeff hostetler..
Does a team need an over the hill;cranky;arrogant;innacurate; unsociable; non-practicing; celebrity on its team??
Frustration mounting January 6th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
The titans were 13-3 this year, and 10-6 last year
thats 23-9…..so, I guess I’d rather have Vince Young/Kerry Collins tandem then either Peyton or Brett.

Would you rather be a perennial play-off team?(like the colts??

Green Bay:
2006 – 8-8 No playoffs
2005 -4-12 no playoffs
2004 10-6 lose wildcard to Minnesota

I can see why you don’t want to go back more than 2 years..
Dan January 6th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
No we need an idiot like you who puts down anything and has no idea what would make this team better.Billionaire Woody
is all wrong and he knows nothing about running a business.
Well who the f&&K should he bring in that would for sure have a winning season and make money for the team.Brett Favre is the one.If you don’t think so buy the team and
make your own decisions.It must be easy to put down the player who holds more individual and team records than anyone else
who ever played the game.So just sit back and see how the cards will be played out.
Erik Sec.309 January 6th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Nobody ever stated that we didn’t want Brett (except Joe B.). But to say that he wasn’t a disapointment would be a lie. We thank him for his year of service. Good luck in retirement or whatever he decides to do. Does that make the Cheeseheads happy?
frustration maximized January 6th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Reggie Jackson holds many records(including most career strike outs a record you must cherish, as its similar to INT’s) The Yankee’s should go get him now..he’s only 60.

Woody Johnson inherited a huge business, and like Hal Steinbrenner, hasn’t blown it.
He may know the Band-aid business, but what exactly shows you that he knows football?
Hiring Herm Edwards? Kotite??
I wanted Brett when in the pre-season, and I wanted him all the way up to the point where I realized he can’t play a full season, and he looked incredibly old for the last 4 seasons.
I wanted him, until he put his personal string of starts record ahead of the team, knowing full well he was injured.

Mike Mussina knew when to retire, and his last season was great.. Brett is just not smart enough

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