Favre to go out with whimper not bang?

Looks like Brett Favre's NFL career may have actually ended on frozen Minnesota turf a couple of weeks ago. He's still not been medically cleared to play from the concussion he suffered against the Chicago Bears.

Of course, the Favre skeptic in me expects a dramatic last-minute change.

And, the real Favre skeptic wonders if he's egotistic enough to come back next year, even if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, along with the fine for Favre in the Jenn Sterger case, told Brett it would be nice not to see him and his Wranglers next year.

Hubris doesn't always get smacked down; life isn't always a Greek tragedy written by Euripedes. But, in this case, it just may be.

By the way he's handled his multiple retirement teases, Favre has lost chances for a farewell tour that he deserved and more.

Scoop Jackson, playing the race card again?

ESPN's resident raceologist claims that reaction to Brett Favre's repeated retirement dances has been nothing compared to fan reaction to LeBron James' "Decision."

Bull. Scoop occasionally has good things to opine, but, more and more, he seems to be playing a character with a shtick. Jason Whitlock has smacked him down far better than I could, but has probably gotten tired of it.

Fact is, Favre never strung Green Bay out the way James did Cleveland. The full-blown retirement dances only came later. Ditto on undercutting coaches.

Is there no racism involved with white reaction to James? Of course not. And, someone like Whitlock would say the same. But, is it the primary driver? No.

As for blacks rallying around James, that's another issue, and arguably a problem itself. Scoop, if you want to move above the dime-store level of sociology of racial issues, try tackling that.

Beyond that, if you'll pardon the pun, race issues in general aren't always black and white; they're certainly not in this case.

Vikings SCATter their offense – scatblogging

The Bleacher Report says the Minnesota Vikings, even with the addition of Brett Favre, weren't as successful as they could have been because they didn't properly use their running backs, especially their scatback-type runners.

Can we please blame some of this on Favre, just for the fun of it?

Why the Pack let Favre go

The New York Jets are 1-3 in the last month and in danger of missing the playoffs, after all the Brett Favre signing and early season hoopla, because, , as reported in the middle of yesterday’s game story, Favre has basically sucked the past month.

Nothing new, though. As Packers management, and astute Packers, not Favre fans, know, this is at least the third, if not foruth, season in a row for the late-season el foldo.

Favre is still more mobile than any other quarterback this side of John Elway with so many games under his belt, by far. But, his arm strength just isn’t there anymore, especially for later-season cold-weather, windy games.

But, the Jets are stuck with him another year.

Call the wahhmbulance for Brett Favre

And also for ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski who sounds more and more all the time like he has a marketing contract with Favre, Inc.

The idea that this is all the Pack’s fault is ridiculous. Brett was counting on the court of public relations to force the Pack to start him, Aaron Rodgers be damned.

Favre’s shaky 2005 and 2006 be damned.

Favre’s shaky final quarter of 2007 be damned.

(None of which has ever crossed Wojo’s lips or keyboard.)

Mike Silver, on the other hand, gets the story right.

And more right.

Brett Favre busted

The Packers are now REALLY playing hardball with Brett Favre, having just filed tampering charges with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell against the Minnesota Vikings, for what is, in reality, probably innocuous, but started by Favre.

The Vikings were informed late last week that the allegation is that Favre has had inappropriate dialogue with Minnesota offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, a close Favre friend and former assistant coach with the Packers. Favre has sought his release from Green Bay and several rumors have swirled that Minnesota is his targeted landing place, largely due to his relationship with Bevell.

In all likelihood, the Vikings didn’t do anything wrong.

The Packers aren’t really going after the Vikes.

This is a shot straight at Favre.

They’re telling him that if he talks to anybody, even a janitor, from another NFL team, they’re going to file a charge.

And, now that he’s on the record as having done that with the Vikings, other teams are going to stay away from him like the plague.

If Favre didn’t get before just how much Packer GM Ted Thompson was pissed at him, he should now.

Brett Favre: An owner’s perspective

Friday, I blogged about the Green Bay Packers, rightfully in my opinion, calling Brett Favre out on his “release me” bluff.

I also said I disagreed with ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski on Favre’s actual value as a quarterback.

But, that’s not the only value Favre has.

He puts keisters in seats.

To take one example. Wojo says Favre wouldn’t be much of an upgrade over Jon Kitna in Detroit. (That’s after insisting, with a straight face, that Favre would be much better than Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.)

But, he would be some sort of upgrade, right?

And the Lions play in a big barn stadium that they don’t always sell out.

Would Brett sell it out? Hells, yes.

And, in the friendly confines of an indoor stadium, he might not through quite so many INTs.

Or outdoors. Is he an upgrade over Rex the Wonder Dog Grossman or Brian “Oops, that was a stair” Griese?

Hello?

So, if I own a franchise with a potential for mediocrity or better, rather than the crapper, and don’t have an A-list QB, and don’t sell games out right now, don’t I have to look at No. 4?

Think of Hank Aaron ending his career with the Brewers.

Packers call Favre bluff — good

The Pack refuses to give the “retired” Brett Favre unconditional release.

Good. Favre can either say, “I’d like to play for the Pack again next year,” or he can say “trade me.”

Hey, Brett, get down off the cross. The Packers need the wood.

Besides, if he hasn’t been engaged in offseason minicamps, conditioning, skills work, etc., in Titletown, would he actually be better than Aaron Rodgers, anyway?

Over at ESPN, Gene Wojciechowski for some reason thinks Favre is better than Rodgers, but he’s deluded by the Favre of 10, or five, years ago, with a pinch of magic dust from the first three-quarters of 2008.

Gene, psst? Remember Favre in 2005? 2006? That air-ball turkey he threw up for interception against the Iggles in the playoffs a few years back? The intercepted turkey against the Giants in last year’s playoffs?

After that, how can you not list Eli Manning, along with Peyton, as being ahead of Favre? And, I would add other QBs as being at least rough equals of Favre of TODAY.

If you also think Wojo is an idiot, e-mail him.

For other teams, if Favre is as good as he still thinks he is, well, why wouldn’t the Pack want the Bucs, the Ravens or whomever else might be interested to pony up players, draft choices or both?

And if, like Wojo, they want to shell out for Favre the myth rather than Favre the reality, why shouldn’t the Pack prosper a bit?

Hey, Brett, this is the NFL, not charity, and you’re sure as hell not the beneficiary.