To Play Or Not To Play?

The Rant

A Note To Brett Favre: Please Stay Home

The Brett Favre saga continues as the once storied Green Bay Packer quarterback continues to make daily headlines about a possible return to the NFL. Will he return and quarterback the Minnesota Vikings? That remains to be seen, but should he? Absolutely not.

Brett Favre decided to retire, for the first time, in March 2008 as the NFL all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and most wins by a starting quarterback. Favre told the Packers he was mentally tired and would not make a return to the NFL unless he had a legitimate shot at winning another Super Bowl.

Favre-less months went by until June, when Favre admitted he had been guilty of retiring early and made it known he wanted to make a comeback. Under heavy public scrutiny general manager Ted Thompson and the Packers made it known they had moved on with former first-round pick Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback.

Favre acted in a childish and immature manner creating a circus and public standoff with his former employer and forcing his way onto the Packers roster by sending in his letter of reinstatement.

The Packers, rumored to have offered as much as $20 million to Favre to stay retired, did the only thing they could do and traded Favre to the Jets. During his only season with the Jets, Favre showed flashes of his old Packer form during the first few months of the seasons, but a torn bicep and four of five losses to end the season; Favre and the Jets were sent home packing costing head coach Eric Mangini his job.

The rumors continued to fly this offseason as the Jets released Favre from the reserve/retired list. Is Brett Favre really debating another comeback, but this time with the enemy?

It should be out of the question for Favre to want to return to the NFL again, especially with the Minnesota Vikings.

Brett Favre has been the heart and soul of the Green Bay Packers since his fourth game of the 1992 season when he became starting quarterback until he retired in 2008. Favres spectacular career included 10 trips to the Pro Bowl, three first team All-Pro selections, three MVP awards, and a Super Bowl championship while setting countless records all with the Packers.
     The fans have given Favre everything since his arrival; doesn’t he owe it to the city of Green Bay to not join the hated rival Vikings? How devastated would the fans of Green Bay be to have Favre return to Lambeau sporting the purple and white?

Brett Favre is synonymous with the Green Bay Packers and it should stay that way. Many times veterans feel they still have it and refuse to hang it up, joining team after team, hurting their legacies. For example, Jerry Rice is arguably the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, but he continued to play team after team until retiring with the Denver Broncos in training camp. Does Favre really want to go down the same road?

As much as NFL fans would love to see Favre back in the league, he needs to keep his legacy in tact and stay home. Fans should be talking about how Favre brought greatness back to a storied Green Bay Franchise, not how Favre let his ego get the best of him and hurt his legacy by playing injury ridden, sub-par season(s) with the Jets and possibly the Vikings.

Brett Favre will be praised as a Packer-great forever but if he is to walk into Green Bay on November 1 as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, it will be a sad and regretful day for NFL fans everywhere.

Long Island Sound

Packer, Jet or Hopefully Vikings: The NFL Wants Brett Favre

Luckily, the Brett Favre saga has not been covered as in depth as it was last summer, or the majority of the country would be praying to just see those priceless Wrangler commercials and that is all of Favre.  Whether you think of Favre’s antics over the off-season as annoying and monotonous, his presence is still needed in the NFL.

In the 2008 trade to the Jets, there was a unique clause embedded by the Packers stating that if the Jets traded him to the Vikings, they would hold the rights to three first round draft picks.

This stipulation held one of the only other possible suitors for Favre to virtually never land him. Until now.

Currently, the Vikings are communicating with Favre to rediscover any possible drive for the game, and to resolve the issue with his Bicep injury. Hopefully, this deal happens not only for the Vikings, but for the NFL as well.

First, the Vikings are an above average quarterback away from being a legitimate Super Bowl competitor.

The Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte Vikings were limited to either a completely inaccurate quarterback or an immobile statue that slams his head into a fractured neck.

For the Vikings, the signing of Favre would dramatically help that team for what it intends to do.

By having the best running back in the league in Adrian Peterson, many teams are compelled to put eight or even nine guys in the box to contain him, and with their mediocre options at quarterback teams were able to take that risk.

Also, neither of them could hurt you with the deep ball: Tarvaris is inaccurate and Gus just lacked the zip.

Now imagine the Vikes with Favre, a team puts nine guys in the box, and play action is the call.  With one Favre patented helmet tap for Berrian to do a fly, every team will quickly learn to respect the quarterback position of the Vikings.

That has not been a possibility since Culpepper and Moss, and if you Viking fans think Sage Rosenfells will be able to do that, NO!

Favre with is cannon will utilize the speed of that receiving core, which now has Percy Harvin.  Favre will no longer be the main component of an offense, so for him to be a compliment to the best running back in the NFL will combine for quite the duo.  Not only can the Vikings use Favre, but the NFL can as well.

Think of how story filled the NFC North could possibly be? Cutler to Bears. Rogers second season. Stafford begins. FAVRE TO VIKINGS. Favre gets to return to Lambeau and play the Packers.  How much fun would this be?? The possibilities would be endless and each divisional game can hold to two major headlines.

As sick as I was last summer about hearing about Favre, we all love to watch and see him play.  The offseason drama is fresh now, but when the whistle blows, every fan of the NFL would love to see No. 4 just one more time.