5 Reasons Brett Favre Should Retire and the Jets Should Want Him To December 29, 2008
Posted by Neil in : Uncategorized , 2commentsUsually when the 49ers are playing a home game on a Sunday afternoon, I am relegated to watching Mike Singletary and Co. and am barred from all other NFL action during that time because I don’t have Sunday NFL Ticket. However, yesterday was a different story. Thanks to Roger and the brass at the NFL offices getting together with CBS and Fox for the good of the game, CBS was able to bring me the compelling final saga in the AFC East 3 horse race. Thus, instead of being subjected to a largely meaningless game between Jim Zorn’s Redskins and the possibly resurgent Niners, I was able to immerse myself in the Jets-Dolphins battle.
I have written a fantasy column each week for the past couple of seasons on Gang Green. I was so excited when the Jets traded for Brett Favre before this season, because I finally had something exciting to write about instead of trying to describe in 16 different fashions throughout the season how Chad Pennington dinked and dunked his way to statistical mediocrity. I have watched the Jets with keen interest all season, and have viewed a majority of their games in their entirety.
I am disgusted with how a team that was 8-3 after road victories in New England and Nashville absolutely imploded and finished 1-4 down the stretch to miss the playoffs. While a lot of blame has to go on Eric Mangini (who deserved to get fired due to his shaky gameday decision-making and lack of charisma) and the defense struggling in the last 5 weeks, I maintain that Brett Favre is the guy who led this team into the ground. While I could spend countless hours professing why Favre should retire, here is my brief summary of 5 reasons why #4 should hang them up for good, and the Jets should be happy for him to do so:
1. Brett Favre sucks!
If any other QB in the league besides Favre, a Manning brother, or Tom Brady put up putrid statistics like Favre did this season (and has for a few seasons now), there is no chance that he would be in the league. Favre gets a pass from the media and from teams because he is charismatic, was successful in the past, and makes for a good story. However, any football expert (or fan) will admit that Favre is the most erratic QB in the NFL over the past decade plus. He is as likely to throw an INT as a TD, and is one of the worst decision-makers at the position in the game. His physical ability has always compensated for his egregious carelessness and wanton disregard for practicality. Now that his physical tools are markedly diminished, his failure to make even adequate decisions as a signal caller have led him to being one of the worst starting QB’s in the league. 22 INT’s this year. 2 TD’s and 9 INT’s in the Jets 1-4 horrific finish.
2. The Jets have a better QB on their roster
While I could go on for paragraphs about the fact that the Jets gave away Chad Pennington who will probably finish in the top 3 in the MVP voting for a below average QB in Favre, I would be a hypocrite if I scalded Mike Tannenbaum for that move. At the time, it was the right thing to do. Pennington has been injured often, and nobody (even Bill Parcells in South Beach) could have predicted the type of season that Pennington would have. However, I honestly believe that Kellen Clemens right now is probably a better QB than Favre. At least, he won’t kill you like Favre has done in each of the past 5 games.
3. Turn the Page
Now that the Jets have made the correct decision in firing Mangini, it is time for them to move in a different direction. With Miami and New England (especially with Brady back) and an improving Buffalo squad, the Jets might be the fourth best team in the AFC East as currently constituted. This is the time to move up and draft a Matthew Stafford or another QB in round 2 and allow Clemens to develop as the starting QB until the heir apparent is ready (only if you assume Clemens may not be). The Jets blew their golden chance at a division title with Brady out for the season. This is the time to rebuild behind the solid offensive line and Thomas Jones and get a QB who will not make such horrible mistakes.
4. Other Attractive Options
Favre was the sexy move of the 2008 NFL season. It wasn’t the best move, just the most noteworthy at the time. Michael Turner in Atlanta and Pennington in Miami are still playing in January. Last year Favre was the cougar who was recently divored from his long time mate (Green Bay) that the Jets and others couldn’t take their eyes off of. Now that he has been exposed as a geriatric instead of a still potent feline, and his carcass has been passed around by NFL defenses all season, I don’t believe he will be attractive to any NFL team (even Detroit who will probably draft Sam Bradford). The Jets are in a huge market. If they want to make a splash and really help their team possibly get into the postseason in 2009 then you throw all the money in the world at Matt Cassell, Donovan McNabb, or orchestrate something for Carson Palmer.
5. Favre’s Legacy
With apologies to those who believe that all legends should be able to go out as they wish, I don’t want Favre to come back next season because every time I have watched him play the last couple of weeks I have lost a little more respect for the man that was one of my heroes. It may be selfish, but I want to remember Favre as the kid with braces in Green Bay, jumping for joy when winning the Super Bowl in ‘Nawlins, and gunslinging balls to Antonio Freeman and others at frigid Lambeau Field. Now, the first thing that comes to mind about Favre is terrible INT’s and his absurd indecision about whether to retire or not. Everyone I know (except my co-host) was completely put off by Favre’s selfishness in his dealings with the Packers last offseason. Everytime I saw Favre I wanted to yell at the guy, “Make a F’ing decision already.” With his diminished physical skills and inability to play conscientious football, I think Favre would be a disaster next season. He never got used to the Jets system and WR’s this season, and I seriously question whether he will put in the Peyton Manning like work that would be required for him this offseason to get on the same page with his teammates. Next year would likely be a continuation of the disaster that was seen in December this year.
I wish you the best Brett. You are one of the greatest of all time. It is time for you to hang them up, unless Bill Cowher wants to coach the Jets and team with you for one last shot of glory. Just an idea for those out there who wouldn’t mind that reunion. If that were the case, you could disregard everything I wrote as that would be to interesting to pass on.
Favre to Packers’ Brass: “How Do You Like Me Now?” December 6, 2008
Posted by Paul in : Uncategorized , 4comments
To those of you that have listened to the radio show for any length of time, you know how I feel about Brett Favre. Yes, I would qualify as having a man-crush on the guy. Not only does he have a rocket arm, a youthful exuberance that won’t go away, and gun-slinging attitude. But he’s soulful, simple, humble, zen-like almost. And he’s got that Agassi-like capacity to connect with everyone. Do I own a pair of Wranglers? Not yet! But don’t put it past me to change my current jeans allegiances…
When we first went through the summer-long melodrama involving Brett and the Packers, I was leading the pack (note the lack of capitalization) in vehemently defending the Hall of Fame quarterback. Yes, he was undecided on his future. But, in my opinion, he had earned the right to come back at any time. Not only that, but I continued to believe–like some football pundits–that he was the better football option for the Packers under center, for the present. And in a “Win Now” league, Favre was the incumbent meriting re-election by management.
Fast-forward a few weeks, past the mid-way portion of the season. The other night, the Jets and Patriots face off at The Razor in a huge Thursday night match-up with the AFC East lead at stake. In a great contest, Favre shows that he’s capable to play careful football. I’m not calling it “cautious”, but “careful”. No hugely dangerous throws. No unnecessary chances taken. He didn’t simply “manage the game”. In a big-game, Favre understood the situation, took what the defense gave him, orchestrated a game winning drive, and made the big plays when his team needed him to do so…
And you thought there would be no encores. The Jets would certainly be sent packing, by the bruising Titans in Nashville. Tennessee was undefeated, after all. With their physical two-pronged running attack, and equally imposing rush defense, there was no way that the Jets could even dream of stopping the freight train that had built up such a head of steam. This is where Chris Berman inserts, “That’s why they play the games”. Not only did the Jets bring the Tennessee Express to a screeching halt, but they were able to bring the Titans down from the ranks of the undefeated. Two huge back-to-back statements on the road had this team flying high…
As of today, Green Bay stands at 5-7; trailing their Nordic counterparts and the Monster of the Midway by 2 and 1 games respectively. They’ve lost 2 straight games, and find themselves in a dogfight to even make the playoffs. And it doesn’t take a NFL prognosticator, or rocket scientist to tell you that the wild card teams from the NFC will most likely not come from the North. The South and East divisions have stronger candidates at this point in the race. Aaron Rodgers may have just inked a new long-term deal, but he hasn’t been able to come even close to replicating the success that Favre brought to the Pack last season.
By contrast, the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets now stand at 8-4 atop the AFC East, and are brimming with confidence, having won 5 out of their last 6. You add to that the boost they from winning on that Thursday night against the perennial team of the past few years, and from knocking off the AFC’s best in the Music City, and there’s reason to celebrate in New York. The Big Apple may well be a baseball town by nature, but the talk of the won has to be football, and most notably the Jets. No team, in recent memory, has had more benefit from the arrival of a star quarterback.
Here’s what he’s bringing to the table:
1) Moxie/Confidence: Anybody that watched the game last night could see that Favre brought an additional swagger sorely missing from the Jets in the past. In such a huge game on the road, a quarterback of his caliber was all New York needed to put them over the top. Much like a point guard on the basketball court, a quarterback’s job is to make his teammates better. Favre, by his very attitude, confidence adds to his teammates’ confidence level. Each player knows that if they complete their jobs, their signal-caller will be there to make the winning plays, in the clutch.
2) Credibility: Fireman Ed could tell you that spending the last few years cheering for the J-E-T-S had been a little rough. Under Eric Mangini, New York is a combined 22-22, with only 1 playoff appearance in 3 years at the helm. Not to mention, he’s a young guy; re-becoming the youngest coach in the NFL, when Lane Kiffin got removed from his post in Oakland. He’s actually more junior than his starting quarterback Brett Favre; who just turned 39 in October. Granted Mangini won AFC Coach of the Year, after he took the Jets into the playoffs, in his first season. But anybody will tell you that age, experience, and track record matter in getting you credibility in front of your players. Getting an elder statesman with the war scars and triumphs that Favre has, can only help a club in building up its own credibility, when picking a direction and executing on it. For a franchise that has always played second-fiddle to their Meadowlands co-habitants in New York, the Jets instantly put themselves on the NFL map, with the acquisition of #4.
3) Excitement: Chad Pennington, under center, was blue collar, workmanlike, and was going to middle-manage the game for you. He certainly wasn’t a rock star CEO, but could deliver you some solid victories given a decent running game, as he is now showing us in South Beach with the Dolphins. But for anyone to tell me that he made quarterbacking exciting is an outright lie. Pennington, under center, is bland; the Gerber baby food of QBs. Favre, conversely, is the salsa picante; equally able of threading the needle with a strike between defenders 25 yards down the field, and throwing it up for grabs for receiver and defensive backs alike. But he delivers thrills, and more often than not, victories.
4) Identity: Can you say Rich Kotite? A failed experiment with the now-prosperous, vibrant, collegiate Pete Carroll. The public embarrassment spawned by the last-minute resignation of Belichick. The Jets have been marred by histrionics at the top of their organization. If the head coach is supposed to be face of the organization (as Mike Nolan had no trouble reminding us when McCloughan was promoted to GM of the 49ers), then the Jets must feel like an invitee to a masquerade ball. Or better yet, John Travolta or Nick (Coppola) Cage in “Face Off”; switching identities like most of us change our pants. With Brett, you’re getting a confident southern boy, who knows who he is… He’s not afraid to tell you what he thinks, and he knows how to let it all hang out. He’s a calming and stabilizing influence in the huddle. Where others may have panicked, Brett is more likely to tell a joke, to generate some laughter, and keep everyone loose…
All of this to say: if one were to ask me what my religious beliefs were, I would most probably answer along the lines of what my Facebook profile states on that issue: “Think [George] Carlin/ [Bill] Maher”. But if there’s one thing that might have me believe in Pigskin Gods, this turn of events may well do it. Brett Favre, once brutally shunned by a team that had him for done, reemerges in the media capital of the world, and ignites a franchise that had fallen on mediocre times. Most often, when star athletes have left their long-term homes, they were on the down slopes of their careers, and were delusional on their abilities to write good latter chapters to their legacy. But once again, the gun-slinging maverick from Mississippi bucks the trend and surprises us all… Thank you, Brett.
Em”Burress”ing Behavior December 1, 2008
Posted by Neil in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farI am so proud that the New York Giants have been my favorite team since growing up as a child on Long Island in the 1980’s. They were never a dominating franchise like the 49ers of the 80’s and 90’s, the Cowboys of the 90’s, or the Patriots of the 00’s, but they have usually produced a very solid team in most years that provided a competitive football product well into late December if not January.
They produced tough hard-nosed football under Bill Parcells in the late 80’s with Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Gary Reasons and Co. leading one of the toughest defenses in the NFC. Phil Simms led them to a dominating Super Bowl triumph over John Elway in the Rose Bowl, and when Simms went down in 1990, Jeff Hostetler and OJ Anderson led the Giants to the most dramatic Super Bowl win in history (that is until the Giants recent triumph in Glendale) over the Bills when Scott Norwood missed wide right.
My devotion and passion for Big Blue continued even when the Giants suffered through some leaner years after Parcells moved on. I endured the days of subpar seasons in the late 90’s with occasional unspectacular playoff appearances sprinkled in. Kerry Collins led the Giants to the Super Bowl in the early part of this decade, but the G-Men were obviously outclassed and dominated by Ray Lewis and the Ravens defense.
While I have always been proud of my hometown team, I have been able to carry a little extra swagger over the past year or so. Tom Coughlin looked like he was going to get fired at this point last season, but that is when Eli Manning’s legacy and Giants football changed forever. The Giants were an afterthought entering December last year, and now they enter December 2008 as undoubtedly the best team in the NFC and most pundits would agree that the defending champs are the class of the entire NFL. While certainly a second straight Vince Lombardi (or even a trip to Tampa) is far from a sure thing, the Giants are poised to repeat.
While this should be the proudest moment in Giants history, sitting here on December 1, 2008 as the defending champion and 11-1 for the first time in franchise history, the only thing being bantered about is Plaxico Burress (or Harris Smith, which is the fake name he checked into the hospital as). While surely Burress is one of the top 10 WR’s in the game when mentally available, he is not worth the distraction and issues he has caused and continues to burden Giants management with, espcially since he signed a 5 year, $35 million dollar contract extension just hours before this season began.
The Giants 2008 season has been amazing. It is not a complete shock that they are 11-1, but with the brutal schedule they have played of late it is certainly incredible that they have won 7 straight. The truly impressive thing is that they have achieved such lofty heights without many of their starring cast from last season’s road warriors. Gone are Michael Strahan and Osi to retirement and injury. They still have that fearsome pass rush, but it is Tuck and Co. leading the charge instead.
Plaxico has been a distraction since he arrived from Pittsburgh. There are reports that he has been fined dozens of times by the Giants over the past couple of years. He was suspended for the Seattle game this year, and it appears that he will miss the rest of the season. His 35 catches for 454 yards and 4 TD’s as well as the double teams he draws freeing the rest of the Giants offensive arsenal just isn’t worth putting up with his childish behavior.
This team will miss him. He is Eli’s security blanket. While the Giants will continue to succeed because they have the best O-line in the NFL and one of the best D-lines, losing their best playmaker will hurt. They still have an amazing quartet of RB’s and adequate replacements at WR such as Hixon, but they are losing their top offensive talent not named Eli or Brandon. The Giants don’t win the Super Bowl if Plax wasn’t there last year. He had huge catches in the playoffs including the Super Bowl winning catch against New England.
While I want the Giants to repeat more than anyone, I want to remain a proud fan of Big Blue. While getting rid of Burress may limit the Giants chances of repeating, I think they must cut all ties with him as sson as possible. The Giants are the best organization in the NFL right now. They are the class of the league. They must act accordingly and end their relationship with a talented player who has likely ended his career by literally shooting himself in the foot (or leg).
