It may be like trying to piece together a train wreck you’d much rather not watch again, but given the Packers’ run to Super Bowl XLV, I think we fans can revisit this without cringing too much.
It’s time once again to look at the disgraceful downfall of one Brett Lorenzo Favre. Yes, everyone has beaten the topic to death the past few years but one thing that has not truly been discussed was the exact moment when Favre’s downfall began. Some say it was in 2005 with the hiring of Ted Thompson. Others argue it happened with the firing of Mike Sherman in 2006.
I’d have to partially agree with those who mention Sherman, except they have it backwards. I’d argue Favre’s meltdown began when Sherman was HIRED in 2000.
Wind the clock back to that year if you will: Ray Rhodes had just been fired and Favre was coming off a 22 TD pass to 23 interceptions season after battling a bad thumb all season. Keep in mind this was two years removed from the Packers trip to Super Bowl XXXII against the Broncos. Favre experienced his first non-winning season of his career as well.
More than that, players and coaches from the Super Bowl teams had begun to move on. Mike Holmgren was in Seattle, Reggie White was in Carolina for one last season and best bud former tight end Mark Chmura was on trial for sexual assault. Favre’s mentors and best friend were all gone.
Enter Mike Sherman. He came in talking about the great history and tradition of the Packers and wanted to make sure his teams were established in the same mold. This was a theme Sherman constantly revisited during his time in Green Bay.
He also talked about Favre as one of the greatest ever and a true legend despite the quarterback barely being over the age of 30. The overstuffing of Favre’s ego had begun. Instead of saying that yes, he is great but he still needs to be smart like Mike McCarthy later did, Sherman only praised his quarterback and when question about Favre’s faults (like those interceptions), he just basically shrugged them off as “That’s just Brett.”
The seeds were planted.
The first few years of the Sherman era were productive with the Packers making the playoffs in 2001 after a two year absence and they won the NFC North in 2002.
Then came 2003 and the death of Favre’s father Irvin. The game against the Raiders on Monday night will forever live on in Packer lore as it rightfully should, but perhaps that game and Favre’s performance was the end of a happy era and the beginning of a rapid acceleration into darkness for Favre.
Favre’s personality and playing style is like that of a wild dog. Unless you have someone very strong holding the leash who knows when to let the dog go and when to pull back, the animal could kill you. Essentially, that’s what happened with Favre. It seems now in retrospect that Sherman was so “ga-ga” over coaching the great Brett Favre that he actually took Favre off the leash and let the dog go wild. Is it any coincidence many of Favre’s most boneheaded plays came during the Sherman regime?
Want proof? Take a look at Sherman’s record in the playoffs. At least one of his teams should have won a Super Bowl, but they never even made it to the NFC Championship.
While Favre was going wild on the field, he was becoming more distant off of it. Later we found out Favre was dressing separately from the locker room where most of his teammates were. His press conferences were held in the media auditorium instead of at his locker (a trend Aaron Rodgers thankfully has reversed unless it’s a ‘special’ media session) and he was spending less time with his teammates. Perhaps some of this is due to the fact that Favre was older than a fair amount of his teammates, but most is due to an ego that was inflating so fast no one saw it coming.
Another cause perhaps was the lack of a true father figure for the first time in his life. Gone was Big Irv and Holmgren was long gone in Seattle. Not soon after Irvin Favre died, Reggie White passed away unexpectedly. I will even go so far as to argue that if any of these people had either been alive or in Green Bay during the final years of Favre’s time in Titletown, his career in Green Bay would have ended on a much sweeter note instead of the chaos that marked Favre’s constant waffling over retirement.
In 2006, Sherman was fired and McCarthy was brought on board. Then came the first truly long offseason of the “will he or won’t he?” game Favre made a summer tradition of the past five years. Finally, Favre decided to give it a shot under McCarthy and the two enjoyed what appeared to be a solid working relationship with Favre putting up MVP-like numbers in 2007.
One reason was that McCarthy put the leash back on his quarterback. The dog was back under control. Unfortunately for Brad Childress and Eric Mangini, they took the leash off and suffered the same fate as Sherman
At this point sadly, gone was the humble hillbilly of years past and here now was a full blown egotistical superstar putting himself above the team. Many fans at the time of Favre’s departure in 2008 were perhaps too much in denial of Favre playing for a team other than the Packers, but now after the quarterback’s antics with the Jets and Vikings finally see that Favre has become a mere shell of the human being he used to be.
It was a tragic downfall for the man we all use to call our hero. It’s an episode in Packer history that never should have happened, but one that perhaps helped lead to the Packers’ current success. Rodgers did learn a lot from Favre but perhaps he learned more of what NOT to do than what was the proper thing to do. The learning curve swings both ways.
Thanks to the superb play of Rodgers this past season and offseason, the book on Favre in Green Bay has forever been shut and stored on the shelf in Packers history. Still, it had a final chapter that bears revisiting once in a while so that the stars of today (including Rodgers) can learn that fame can be a good thing but it can come back to bite you if you raise yourself above others.
Perhaps one day a new epilogue will be written when Favre is once again embraced by the Packer faithful.
Until that time comes, all we are left to do is shake our heads and wonder what the hell happened to Brett Favre.
——————Kris Burke is a sports writer covering the Green Bay Packers for AllGreenBayPackers.com and WTMJ in Milwaukee. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) and his work has been linked to by sites such as National Football Post and CBSSports.com. Follow @KrisLBurke
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Spot on, and 100% truth. Nice job.
Thanks, I appreciate that. All this has been coming to me recently, especially with those whispers about Brett throwing again.
Good article.
I was always dumbfounded that ‘4’ continued to insist on following his own program when the best years he had toward the end of his tenure in Green Bay came because McCarthy insisted on him participating in at least a portion of the Packers offseason schedule.
The fact that ‘4’ himself couldn’t see that serves as proof of an ego out of control.
Agreed. Unfortunately, the fans (including me) were totally blind to the effect this had until Favre left the Packers.
Trying to piece together a train wreck.
Sounds like a pilot for a CSI:Green Bay show but,this forensic mess won’t be solved in one show.
Herm Edwards on Mike&Mike stated that a new coach needs to start with a new QB.Because of what was written here as with the Sherman fiasco,it appears that TT knew this also but,unfortunatly he had no one but,fortunately he knew who he wanted in that position(Rodgers) and the coach who would make it work in short order(2-3) years and start the new train on the tracks of victory.
Even though the Packers got to the NFCCG and lost and even if we got to the SB,Farve was done in Green Bay either way.
How would Farve responded to Woodsons’ speech of “ONE goal,mind,purpose,heart”?
We’ll never know as he most likely would not have been in the locker room anyway,then or this past year.
I think it’s obvious now TT knew he had something special in Rodgers and so did McCarthy. Even if the Packers beat the Giants, I still think Favre would have waffled on retirement. “Can I do it again?” would have been too tempting for #4.
As for Woodson’s speech, if Favre were still here I don’t think the Packers would have gotten that far so that speech would never have happened.
I think you 100% correct. The downfall was when Sherman was hired. Favre did whatever he wanted and was never made accountable for some of most stupid decisions I have ever seen a football field. Like a lot of people I worshiped him as well. He was an unbelievable player. It’s such a shame they didn’t have the dicipline in place to keep him in check and possibly get him another ring.
Favre was just a mad dog who needed someone to keep him on a leash. Rhodes and Sherman took the leash off completely and by the time McCarthy arrived, the damage was done. Yes, there was 2007 but Favre obviously was privately steamed at McCarthy for not letting him do his thing.
You are right about Favre’s decline into mere gunslingery beginning with the Sherman hire, unless it started even earlier with Rhodes (remember, we still had Hasselbeck in 2000. It would have been at keast *possible* to substitute Hass in the 4th quarter of one of Bret’s INT-fest, if for no other reason than to demonstrate the coach was still in control.
But I think the 2007 NFCC game was the period at the end of the sentence — the ‘wild dog’ as you call him broke his leash and tossed away a playoff game. At that point TT and M3 have to be sure that Favre’s time is done and they will go see what they have in Rodgers. We fans maybe didn’t yet see the same badness, but the GM and Coach knew.
Have you guys ever watched the “NFL’s Greatest Games” from that Giants-Packers?
The Giants’ defenders consistantly say that their goal was to shut down the running game, because Favre wasn’t going to beat them.
Then, as the game went on and the offense was struggling, the Giants’ players could sense that Favre was getting antsy, and there’s even sound of MM talking multiple times with Favre saying “Be Patient! Be Patient!”. Then Favre throws the first pick (that Grant forced a fumble and was recovered) and MM starts screaming “What the hell is he doing?!”.
Hindsight, you could tell right then MM decided to go with Aaron. He was tired of having a guy who would implode in a pressure moment.
Scot Tani, I couldn’t agree more. I think you could even see it in his body language.
Yep. Gone was the fiery passion that marked the Packers glory years.
With Sherman it seemed like you were just waiting for Favre to lose the game, instead of waiting for him to win it. Good article. It does sting a lot less thinking about those seasons now that the packers have another trophy.
Even during the years they went 12-4, you knew they wouldn’t get to the Super Bowl. You just had too much of an impending sense of doom whenever Favre dropped back to pass.
That’s what I love about Aaron Rodgers–not having a heart attack every time he drops back or rolls out of the pocket.
I started doing TV (the Favre interviews and locker room) at the games during the early
Sherman years. When I saw that Favre had a separate locker room from the rest of the team it was clear to me things were not right. It IS a team sport and he was above the team. For me the end was predictable. Now it is hard for me to see a really happy ending.
I was only in my late teens/early 20s for the Sherman era, so maybe I missed it but when did the news about Favre having a separate locker come out?
It’s obvious Brett saw himself on the same level as a god. He could do no wrong. Well, as he found out, there comes a time when even gods must die.
I’ve felt the same way, that Sherman was not the disciplinarian that Farve needed as a coach to thrive. Holmgren and McCarthy kept a firm grip on Farve and he excelled in those situations. Does anybody remember how during the Sherman era, our running game was so good and Farve was off so much that teams were “daring Brett” to beat them. It was often a good strategy. Favre lacked the discipline that he needed to be a great QB under Sherman.
Well, Favre did have some statistically strong seasons under Sherman. The problem was he would be out of control in big games and had a knack for the backbreaking interception.
Favre did have some decent seasons with Sherman/McCarthy, but his QB rating from about week 4 of the ’98 season thru the end of his Packer tenure is nearly exactly what it was his first three seasons as a Packer, 82.969. And I’m sure everyone recalls just how poor he was over that time span. The Packers as a whole simply were a better team most of those years, until Sherman staggered the team so grossly in favor of the offense that the team was pretty shaky in 2004, and when Green and Walker went out in ’05, it was all she wrote.
Favre’s legacy seems destined to be written by the string about half way through 1995 on through to the first few weeks of ’98. It was an extraordinary run, for both Favre AND the team. But Favre got all the credit for the run, and from there, he got the credit when things went good, and the rest of the team took the blame if things went wrong.
Way to cherrypick your stats.
As for the rest of the team actually carrying Favre, well, that wasn’t the opinion of the people who actually, you know, know a thing or two.
I guess some people will never accept that Favre was a great QB.
And I find your statement that Favre took the credit and the others the blame quite ridiculous.Favre was being criticized all the time, in no small part for those interceptions.
Very interesting article. I guess I had some of these thoughts along the way (in particular the loss of his father – who presumably would have told him at various points to “knock it off”), but I never put it all together. Well done.
So,once again,some blogger thinks himself allowed to make grand moral judgments on a man he knows as much as Michael Ignatieff.
I mean,seriously.This is quite a parade of clichés on the “good Brett” vs the “bad Brett”.
As we are told,Favre,being a “wild dog”,needed to be kept under control by a strong coach,a role filled by Holmgren but not by Sherman.His ego was left to “inflate” and his play worsened,especially in critical moments.
You say that Sherman praised Favre too loudly while at the same time “father figures” were leaving our hero’s life.
Thus is the relative fall in the Packers’ and Favre’s fortunes after their heydays of 1995-98 to be explained.
I disagree with that assessment.
Your description of Favre “turning wrong” illustrates more a fan’s obsession with the franchise’s figurehead(and his persona)than the complex realities of the sport.
The talent on the team wasn’t sustained and the Packers were done as an NFL powerhouse,there wasn’t much that Brett could do about it.
Obviously they were still pretty good for a couple years under Sherman which undermines your thesis.Nevermind, you brush it off(I’m being generous, I could say that you ignore it).
That idea of Favre having turned undisciplined with time is wrong itself but what gives me a hard time, I must say, is this pseudo-psycological fantasia, for which you so not have any serious basis.This has much to do with you(and so many others) idolizing Favre and linking whatever struggles he might go through to him having lost his way.
Your describing of events is quite incoherent.After saying that the “disgraceful downfall” began with Sherman’s hiring in 2000 you barely acknowledge some success up to 2003 when the decline really begins(2004 has gone by the water-closet apparently).Happily, Super-Mac comes in and restores order in the House of Lambeau,disciplining naughty Brett for his own good.But then the bad Brett is back in a vengeance, puts chaos in the world to satisfy his hubris, before finally falling in a rightful Doomsday.
I am afraid the part played by the lack of a “father figure” has more to do with your imagination.From what I know about Brett in the 90’s he wasn’t an angel then and he didn’t become an evil megalomaniac when he began acting contrary to your wishes(“the humble hillbilly of years past”pick me up or I’m gonna die on the floor I’m laughing so hard).
I could not finish without mentioning your conviction that “at least” one of Sherman’s teams should have won it all.So apparently you are truly convinced that they were that good, I guess that’s an excuse(though the placing of it in the “want proof” rubric takes a bit off of that).
To conclude,you take yourself way too seriously bloke.
I mean,please,please ,please,please,please avoid such sentences:
“Favre has become a mere shell of the human being he used to be”
I mean, it’s “man”, not “human being”!Let’s not surrender to PC!
“The talent on the team wasn’t sustained and the Packers were done as an NFL powerhouse,there wasn’t much that Brett could do about it.”
Not throwing backbreaking interceptions for one. He could’ve done that.
As for Favre being under control, watch the game I said, the NFL’s Greatest Games 2007 NFCC Giants-Packers.
Listen to McCarthy yell when Favre is making dumb decisions and then tell me with a straight face that Favre wasn’t being reckless…
You bring up an interesting point with that game(I haven’t watch the highlights you’re talking about).But it still doesn’t make Favre responsible for most of the Packers’ woes during those years, neither does it render that theory about his “fall” true.
Anyway, my main point is about this ridiculous scenario of him turning into an uncontrollable a§§hole,with the loss of close friends and family members(who supposedly would have held him in check) accompanying that descent.
I am especially offended by the moralizing and assured tone of the author, talking about people he has apparently deluded himself into thinking he knows and attributing them thoughts that have, in my opinion, more to do with his own exaggerations of a link between Favre’s supposed moral flaws and his performances.
I think you are mistaking the tone of the article. He doesn’t portrait it like you are saying AT ALL. In fact, the article does state that it was a snowball effect. He never said Favre jumped from saint to devil in a minute (he did say about his own perception, but that’s it).
While the article is well written it plays a bit like a plot to a Disney movie. After reading some of the comments it’s clear that the author is youngish and clearly doesn’t remember the early years of Favre in Green Bay, or chose to ignore those years. Brett started off extremely undisciplined, which accounts for why Atlanta let us have him. His rise to success came on the heels of Majik’s injury and was partial due to very shrewd player moves and luck. If Sterling Sharpe stays healthy, Brett continues to fire ball after ball to him, keeping a very one-dimensional offense intact. Everyone knows about the free agency moves, minimal as always with the Pack, but quality over quantity. no? Brett simply became a victim of his own success, and let’s face it as Packer fans we all played a part.
I remember the end of the 2006 season as becoming aware of his aloofness and really poor attitude. While the defense played well down the stretch with newcomers Woodson, Pickett, Hawk etc. and they won some games to come back to 8-8 favre was awful. He looked then like he wanted to be anywhere else. Others have mentioned the off-season attendance and personal trainer prior to the 07 season and I think McCarthy did lay down the law a bit. But it was obvious in 06 to me that Brett was not going to provide a positive leadership role to his new younger team.
The worst was the Jan 2002 playoff game with the Rams. Favre threw six picks (two returned for touchdowns) in one of the most abysmal performances in NFL history. All I heard from the Zombies around me watching the game was a torrent of excuses such as, “Brett’s just tries to carry the team, because nobody else is any good”, or “He’s got no one to throw to” or “That’s Brett just being Brett.” I refrained from commenting, because I knew many Packer fans had been drinking the Kool-Aid that had been poured for them by the local and national media; that Brent could do no wrong. He was clearly the media darling and the locals just ate it up.
Why was I the only one who could see the total recklessness and lack of remorse for foolishly trashing another season by Brent? It was later on blogs like this, that I noticed others had been witnessing the same things. While Brent helped win many regular season games, when the stakes were higher and the opponents got better during the playoffs, Brent could not curtail the inclination to take chances when he shouldn’t. To win the three or four playoff games needed to prevail in a Super Bowl, Favre would need scale back the attempted heroics, much like he did during the 2007 regular season. However, the same “What the hell, close your eyes and chuck-it up there”, attitude that made him an early fan favorite, worked against him when the caliber of completion got better.
About the worst thing a coach could do is what Sherman and Rhodes did, and that is let him take over the team. By the late ‘90’s Favre had begun to believe the hype surrounding him and instead of critically assessing his faults and trying to improve, he adhered to his “take or leave it” philosophy. Backed by sycophants in the media and on the team, Brent, and his massive ego, refused to reel in his destructive tendencies. The second half of his GB career was predictable (to me at least). A fading star, bent on getting his way, regardless of who he takes down with him.
Ride off Dongslinger, on your tractor, all the while spouting-off to the Bubbas nearby, about how you were railroaded by the evil TT and MM. True Packer fans would support you, you claimed. Little did you know that true Packer fans will always support the Green and Gold over one inflated, overhyped, traitorous, season ending douchebag .
Mojo – I agree with your general point, but what was the alternative once things started to turn sour in the Rams game? Run the ball and have 0% chance to come back and win? I think the decision to let ‘er rip, while doomed, maybe at least provided a 5% chance to come back and was therefore the right decision. That was my position at the time (http://wcoffensive.blogspot.com/2002/01/thud.html) and I still feel the same way today.
Hey Tom, I just noticed your web-site “West Coast Offense’. I’ll try and get over there and read it sometimes.
Right, once they got behind in the Rams game they needed to continue passing. But as long as your D holds up, the West Coast(mostly shorter) passing game, combined with runs that exploit pass rushing, such as draws or counter plays, could have been used. They were behind, but not out of the game in the third quarter. Instead, Brent kept heaving the ball downfield and after the subsequent interception return, putting the Pack further behind.
Here is some of what Pete Dougherty wrote after the game: “The result was an unspeakably awful day for quarterback Brett Favre in which he threw six interceptions, including three that were returned for touchdowns, and the worst margin of defeat in the Packers’ distinguished playoff history.” “On a day when the 10-point underdog Packers needed a superlative game from their franchise player, he instead delivered what might have been his worst — 26-of-44 passing, 281 yards, 53.5 passer rating — when the stage of his career and the magnitude of the game are taken into account.”
“I’m sure it’s in the top three,” Favre said. “But I haven’t had time to reflect on the other two. It’s not one of my best days.”
I guess I was wrong in my original comment. I thought he threw two pick-sixes, but it was actually three.
***While Brent helped win many regular season games, when the stakes were higher and the opponents got better during the playoffs, Brent could not curtail the inclination to take chances when he shouldn’t.***
From 1998-2007, the Packers had a .500 record against NFC playoff caliber teams, the best “own conference playoff teams” record in the NFL. In the seasons the Pack made the playoffs in those 10 years (’98,’01,’02,’03,’04,’07) the Pack had a .600 winning % against NFC playoff teams. In the seasons ’01,’02,’03,’04,’07, the Pack had a .647 winning % against NFC playoff caliber teams, and Favre had a 91 QB rating in those games.
Yet in the post season, the Pack went 3-5 from ’01-’07, and Favre had a 64 QB rating in those 5 losses.
It had nothing to do with the talent getting harder. Favre simply couldn’t handle the pressure and he didn’t have the necessary confidence in the team and had too much confidence in himself.
The Packers had the best overall record in the NFC from ’98-’07, had a great record against the NFC playoff caliber teams in the regular season. Favre simply would have his INT’s per attempt skyrocket and the season would be over.
Also, the nonsense that the Packers didn’t have talent, Ahman Green is the Packers all time leading rusher, Driver became the all time leading receiver in receptions, the O-line was superior, and Bubba Franks was a 3X probowler. The Packers were more than good enough to have the track record cited above, yet Favre would throw an average of three picks per playoff exit game, and the rest was history.
To begin with a 64 QB rating is nothing dishonorable in a loss and neither is a 3-5 record.Most teams lose in the playoffs.
As for the packers record against playoffs teams it doesn’t mean as much as you would have it.In the playoffs the going gets tougher and it takes a more complete team to win.
As for the Packers’ talent, the offensive line was very good but by no means superior and Donald Driver isn’t an elite receiver.They don’t look like a championship team to me.
Making Favre the scapegoat for our playoffs losses may be tempting but your favorite team doesn’t win championships because it is pretty good.
No matter when things began to go this way or that way,his aloofness,lack of respect for fellow players and desire to be elsewhere those last few years was verified when after finally getting to his newly beloved Viqueen squad and never before winners,proudly stated this was the best team and group of guys he had been given the honor to play with and for.
Even discounting the two SB teams,the total disregard for the 2007-08 team played their asses off to help get him another ring,which “he threw away”,adds more paint to the picture of him many find hard to believe,do believe,yet much less wanting to buy either way.
Until Favre himself stands at the easel with the paint and brush of truth,this is the portrait of his legacy.
What allows you to say that he had a “total disregard” for the ’07 team? Or that they played “their asses off to help get him another ring”?
“Until Favre himself stands at the easel…”
Way to admit that you’re ready to abandon your hatred and embrace him again.
Favre’s downfall as a player was due to a string of playoff failures as his cap salary ballooned under the “lifetime” contract. He was sucking up 1/7th-1/9th of the total salary paid and in the mid-2000’s over 65% of the payroll was going toward the offense and another 5% was going toward the special teams (two punters – anyone still puzzled why Sherman was relieved of his GM duties?). Favre was taking a huge amount of the payroll and expected all his offensive wishes be fulfilled by Sherman, yet blew a string of post seasons. The formula just wasn’t good. Under Thompson, the lion’s share of the cap (if there was one) is going to the defense.
As for a popular fan favorite downfall, it wasn’t until he went to the Vikings, divebombed another playoff, played “I’ll show you mine if you’ll just respond to me” with Sterger, and being an all around icehole. The fans didn’t care that the Pack had already descended back into the 70’s/80’s with Favre/Sherman, chewing up massive amounts of payroll, and tossing season ending INT’s. All they saw was the Gunslinger. When he turned his back on them, crossed the Mississippi and burned the bridge, that was about it for him.
Amazing. You have a SB team and a QB who’s being touted as a SURE Canton inductee and here you are typing long replies to the latest edition of “Bad Brett”. Jeez, you can’t get over him can you, and why even mention his name? The truth is y’all doth protest too much. If by some Byzantine machinations he WERE to return, you’d follow his every move but pretend otherwise.
You make me laugh.
We follow the moves of all the Packer players McGregor. That is what being a fan is all about.
You don’t follow every Packer player with the same emotion, albeit negative. Even that paragon of perfection and goodness, Rodgers, never inspires true fervor. Sure, you’re delighted to have him and that mantra is chanted ad nauseam, as if you feel the need to constantly comvince yourselves.
Odd to say the least.
Finally, I see some fans seeing the light of day. But I wonder if it took the Packers winning it all in 2011 for this to happen. For me, I wanted Brett to be gone in 2002/2003. The Philadelphia playoff game was the nail in the coffin for me…how he just turned around and saw 3 defensive guys in his face and threw that sucker almost straight up in the air (hey somebody will catch it).The Media love affair with BF was sickening.Later Brett said it was not his job to coach Arron Rogers. A lot of you mention many other reasons too. I,for one, never wanted a gunslinger for a QB.It was very early in the 2000s that I said ” please get him out of there.” And yes I did see the ego really really getting in the way of his work. It always upset me that he was never benched for bad play. (If someone can correct me please do.) It may have done wonders for his thinking on the field.
It has always been funny to talk to people about all this and all I’d get was “He won you a SB!!… He is one of the greatest QBs since SLICED BREAD!!” Funny how people will say something like that and not use the same logic that BF must have been the reason for the following SB loss.
When BF threw that interception in that 2007 Giants game I thought to myself ” man I know now that the packer HQ must now know what must happen.”
I remember seeing an Arron Rogers interview for the first time and how level headed and mature he was. I was thinking “yep, this is the right guy.”
Favre’s move to seperate dressing quarters was not a case of his ego growing to large and his heart growing too distant from his team mates as you purport…
Ask anyone who has been unfortunate enough to view Favre’s Croc Shots that his move to private dressing quarters was clearly motivated by modesty.
Hey, someone had to lighten it up in here.
ROFL…
Well said Don.
And BTW, despite my criticism of Brent, I always supported him during his career as a Packer. I would have loved it if we could have stolen the 2008 SB. But when he maneuvered his way onto the roster of the Packs biggest rival, with the intent to “stick to TT” (and by extension us fans), all gloves came off. He deserves whatever ill will comes his way from “true Packer fans.”
Hey Mojo,
I find your last comment interesting in that you see an almost precise moment in “taking your gloves off” as certainly a hundred thousand other Packer fans do.He certainly greatly helped the team during his career but hurt them in many other ways.I was certainly always happy when he threw a late TD but was increasingly becoming disillusioned with him also and I was no longer seeing the benefits of his “talent.” Remember: 16 years: 1 SB. Reggie White is too much overlooked here, and of course other GREAT players.BF’s opinion of himself (which equated to on field actions) hurt the team and by extension the fans. Earlier on I was confident(mostly)/ok with him in the lead role. But as time went by I found it hard to “support” him.
If I’m missing something here, feel free to enlighten me. I’m listening.
I guess what I mean is, despite what I too saw as diminishing value in Brent over the years, as long as he wore the green & gold I would support him. I often expressed my disappointment in how a season would end up in the crapper after one of Brents “aw shucks” moments, but it fell upon deaf ears. It was when he went over to the enemy that I really let him have it (I have a funny Thanksgiving story about how I was literally encircled by delusional family and friends when I let my feelings known).
Also, if Rodgers or any other Packer takes the same path as the Dongslinger, I will not spare the rod(gers).
I understand what your saying.
Clever: not spare the ROD.
I wonder how much of the ‘not benching BF’ was due to a fear of Gate receipts backlash and/or TV $.
I do not think we will have to worry about Arron going sour on us too much as I think he clearly sees the ‘behavioral yardstick’ analogy and which end will be socially rewarding for all.Hey , come to think of it, did not Vince L. (according to some of the 60s players; Jerry K. : Instant Replay) tie football with life in general?…That the things one learns on the football field will greatly help one in living out his life; perseverance,dedication, etc.(Its been a while since I’ve read Instant Replay).Ex : BF should have dedicated himself more to his other teammates by practicing with them.This is common courtesy.
I didn’t have time to read through all the comments. Did anyone mention Frank Winters? He retired in 2002 and was Favre’s buddy. W/ all the other friends/mentors gone, Winters may have been the last person who could hold him accountable til TT/MM arrived.