Revenge is bittersweet. Separated, it’s very sweet for some, yet very bitter for others. Karma is real, and after Sunday’s 38-26 loss at the hands of the Brett Favre led Minnesota Vikings, the Ted Thompson managed Green Bay Packers are swallowing sour grapes.
The Vikings have now swept the Packers this season, and hold a two and a half game lead in the NFC “black& blue” North division heading into the by week. It may as well be three and a half games since Minnesota now owns the tie-breaker over Green Bay.
When Favre ran out of the visiting tunnel Sunday at Lambeau Field, now donning the purple horned helmet, 75 percent of the fan-base that adored him for 16 years now booed him. Favre smirked at the situation, and went on to prove that he made the right decision to come back for a 19th NFL season.
Packers GM, Ted Thompson, experienced his worst nightmare becoming reality Sunday night, as a division foe led by “Ironman” Brett Favre proved his former team mediocre at best without him.
When Packers brass traded Favre to the New York Jets in August 2008, they included a clause in the contract that would force the Jets to give Green Bay three first-round draft-picks if they traded him back to their division. When the Jets released Favre before this year’s draft that contract became null and void, giving Favre the opportunity to play anywhere he saw fit.
The Minnesota Vikings are the perfect fit.
What I still don’t understand to this day is, why do the Packers care where Favre goes if they think he’s washed up? Why would it matter? They have “golden boy” Aaron Rodgers under center, they’re Super Bowl bound right?
Wrong.
The Packers offensive line has caught a lot of criticism for not protecting Rodgers, but I see a nervous kid that won’t get rid of the ball to save his life. The line isn’t great sure, but on numerous occasions Rodgers had ample time to at least throw the ball away.
You think you can replace a Hall of Fame quarterback with an injury prone, unproven prospect and expect good things? Good luck.
Look at recent history; Jim Kelly’s Bills, Dan Marino’s Dolphins, Troy Aikman’s Cowboys, the list goes on and on, are ALL still trying to put the pieces back together after the retirement of a Hall of Fame quarterback. You can say that Joe Montana’s 49ers are the exception that proves the rule. Steve Young came in and won a Super Bowl in San Francisco, but Rodgers is no Steve Young.
I understand the Packers getting sick of the annual off-season circus that comes along with Favre, but they acted in spite, and now have to live with the decision, and its consequences.
After Vince Lombardi’s Packers won Super Bowl II, Green Bay only had one playoff win until Brett Favre came to town.
Along with Reggie White, Favre brought respect, fear, and most important, Super Bowls back to Green Bay. Then they acted like this never happened as they bid Favre good riddance.
Payback was eminent.
Low and behold, the team that Favre hated for so many years were the ones who ended up showing him more respect than the team that he put his neck out for the previous decade and a half. The Vikings brass were on the losing end of Favre’s magic for years and understood what he brings to a team.
They told Favre, “no rush, take your time,” and really made him feel wanted. That’s all a player wants out of his own team.
In his two match-ups against his former team this season, Favre’s put up 7 TD’s, 0 interceptions on 41 of 59 completions for 515 yards in the air. That sounds washed up to me.
Favre may have been on the road, but he looked more at home than any player on the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers may have made the right decision for the future, but unfortunately “4” them, the NFL is a win now league.
Chris Willis, a Western Herald sports writer, is a junior majoring in communication and can be reached at christion.a.wills@wmich.edu
Nice read Chris,
It will be interesting to see how the Packers fare the rest of the season, there are a few tough games down the road.
I hope Winfield will be back after the Vike’s bye week, Favre could have possibly stuck it to the Packers worse if the pro bowl CB was healthy.
Great article. But just to point out a mistake you’d want to take note of, in the third paragraph, you use the word “dawning” a purple horned helmet. The correct spelling is actually “donning”. Just a tip. But you really are a very good writer.
EDITORS NOTE: Thanks for the catch. Error fixed.
As a Packer fan for life and a 4-ever Farve fan, I was so happy to see the Vikings and Farve stick it to Ted Thompson and our studdering coach McCarthy. Shame on them for telling Farve you’re not wanted. As for Mr. Rogers; good luck in the NFL.
Great stuff, Chris. I wonder how different things would have ended had the Packers not drafted Aaron Rodgers.
No “real” Packer fan would ever, EVER, be happy about the Minnesota Vikings beating the Packers – you are a Brett Favre fan if you feel that way. And what is with you people anyways, including the guy who wrote this? Do any of you remember that rather insignificant (apparently) moment in March of 2008 when Brett Favre stepped up to the podium in Green Bay and announced he was retiring, saying
“I’ve given everything I possibly can give to this organization, to the game of football, and I don’t think I’ve got anything left to give, and that’s it. I know I can play, but I don’t think I want to. ”
Remember that?? Apparently not – the man RETIRED! Then about 3 weeks later had the itch to play again – and just when the team was going to make it official – he changed his mind AGAIN. Remember that? Of course not – you people only remember the hornets nest that began later that summer when Favre tried to push his way back onto a team that he had just told 4 months earlier he had nothing left to give.
Respect? You make it sound like the Vikings were the only team to give the man respect. Give me a break. Following the 2005 and 2006 seasons, Favre held the entire organization – heck the entire state of WI – in limbo as he deliberated his decision to play again. The team gave him that time – if not for any other reason than just simply because he had earned it. So don’t try and spin no BS making it seem like the Packers never showed the man any respect. But after those two years, plus the retirement and final assurance that he was staying retired, that the team finally had enough.
And the Jets did not simply “release” Favre. He “retired” – again – do you remember that one either? The demanded his unconditional release. Now why would the team need to release him if he had no intentions of playing again? He simply “retired” again so he could resume his spiteful and bitter ploy to “stick it to” the Packers.
Lastly, as a real Packer fan, I root for my team first and would NEVER, EVER root for anyone wearing those God-awful horns to beat my team , no matter who they are. Favre deserved every boo he got at Lambeau. Then makes the statement he wasn’t trying to throw daggers yet walks off the field with his arms raised in triumph. The only one he is “sticking it to” are the fans who adored the man for 16 years, that stuck with the man through thick and thin. Ted Thompson will not care 10 years from now, after he has moved on, that Favre proved he can still play. But the fans will always remember.
I just hope the pound of flesh he extracted was worth the sacrifice of his legacy in Green Bay.