Brat Favre

It wasn't too long ago that Brett Favre was slinging the ball around for the Green Bay Packers in that green number four jersey. It's truly amazing how quickly things can change. I think we all believed that Favre would retire as a Packer, we all believed we knew him. As it turns out, we were all dead wrong.

After holding the Packers hostage last off season, Favre had an uneventful year as a member of the New York Jets. Just when we thought it was all over, the cycle started again, this time landing Favre on the Vikings, a long time divisional rival of the Packers. Much like steroids in baseball, we've become immune to the off season shenanigans of Favre. When news broke that Favre changed his mind once again, and would be joining the Vikings, it wasn't much of a surprise to anyone.

I've never been a Packers fan, or even a Brett Favre fan. I'll leave that up to John Madden. I did however respect the man for his contributions to the game, along with his dedication, toughness, and will to win. Sadly, I've lost a lot of respect for Favre over the past two seasons. My problem with Favre is not that he went on to play for other teams, but the way in which he did it. He put himself above the organization, above his teammates, and above the game of football. He held the Packers organization hostage, and not just once. While other players were battling for starting jobs, Favre stole the spotlight from his couch, contemplating whether or not to return. Many say that the Packers mistreated Favre, and should not have let him go. I believe it was the complete opposite. The Packers extended an open hand to Favre at the end of every season, and at some point, the offer is no longer there. When there's a weekly sale at your favorite store, you don't go in a month later demanding the sale price that ended weeks ago. You don't cut in front of other customers just because you're a regular at the store.

It is true that the Packers refused to release Favre, mainly because he was planning on joining the Vikings. When looking at the larger picture, the NFL is a business, as is each individual organization. Favre's indecisiveness was ultimately a strain on the organization as well as the developing players. I cannot deny that Favre played like a true professional, with as much heart as anybody who ever played the game. However off the field he was and still is as unprofessional as you can get. If the man could just make up his mind in a reasonable amount of time without going back on his word, the situation of whether or not to release Favre would not have been an issue.

After all the Favre drama, I've given him a new nickname, "Brat Favre". That's right, a brat, which is precisely what he is. He reminds me of a little kid that kicks and screams until he gets what he wants. Let's face it, at the end of the day, Brett Favre only cares about one thing, and one thing only, himself.

The Vikings are now the new Favre doormat. It's clear that they've bowed to the power of Favre, and enjoy letting him walk all over them. While Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels showed up to camp to battle it out for the starting job, Brett Favre sat at home planning his last minute return. Favre believes he's too good for training camp, or perhaps too old. Honestly, if you lead the league in interceptions the previous season and are joining a new team, perhaps you should show up for camp and learn the system, or at least get to know your teammates. It shouldn't matter how similar the offense in Minnesota is to that of Green Bay, and it certainly shouldn't matter what name is on the back of the jersey. As the Vikings training camp came to an end, Favre suddenly change his mind. At least that's what he'd like us to think. He was coming back all along, and anyone who begs to differ is fooling themselves. I guess I can add "liar" to the list of words that describe Favre.

I am highly critical of the Vikings organization, for they too lied. They lied to their players, the ones who showed up day in and day out, fighting for a roster spot. Signing a man who is nearly 40 years old, along with a bum shoulder isn't the answer. It appears that the Vikings are trying to catch lightning in a bottle, but there's only one problem, there isn't a cloud in the sky. Even if Favre's shoulder holds up and he plays the entire season, I'm not at all convinced that the Vikings become a contender. At the end of the season, the Vikings will have more Favre drama as the cycle starts all over again. They'll have a roster full of players who don't trust the organization, and a recipe for disaster. There's already reports of a split locker room, and lack of team support for Favre. One, I'm not surprised, and two, I don't feel bad for Favre. It doesn't matter how much talent you have, or had. It doesn't matter how popular you are, or were. You can only walk all over people for so long, and as human beings there comes a point where we won't put up with it anymore. There's a point where we draw the line, and Favre has not only crossed that line, but has completely wore it out.