Non-Favre news … mostly

by | Mar 7, 2008 | 2008 NFL Free Agency, NFL Breaking News

I was too broken up by Brett Favre’s retirement announcement Thursday to notice much of what else went on throughout the day. I still think he’s going to come back, but after the press conference, I feel somewhat less strongly about that opinion. He did look like someone who was just plain ready to move on with life. If that is the case more power to him. He had a fantastic career, was extremely entertaining in doing so, and he deserves most of the accolades he’s getting. He goes down, in my opinion, as not the best quarterback of all time (my vote is Joe Montana), but he’s certainly in that top echelon.

Onto other NFL news: Defensive tackle Warren Sapp officially announced his retirement as well. He’s been overrated for a few years now but certainly made an impact in his prime, helping Tampa Bay go from chump to champ. Punter Sean Landeta, who last played in 2005, hung up his single-bar facemask. And Steve Christie … think about it … yeah, the kicker from Buffalo that also hasn’t played in three seasons, also decided to hang it up, signing a one-day contract with his former team. What’s with these guys that have been out of the game forever – especially kickers – pretending anyone cares whether they have officially retired or not? (more…)

How to go 4-12 every year

by | Mar 5, 2008 | 2008 NFL Free Agency

The Oakland Raiders are conducting a clinic on how to build a losing franchise. Here are some of the lessons.

First, hire a new coach every other season.

Second, re-sign a good, not great, injury-prone defensive tackle (Tommy Kelly) to a $50 million, seven-year deal with $18 million guaranteed as he recovers from an ACL tear.

Third, sign a solid, but injury-prone safety (Gibril Wilson) to a six-year, $39 million deal with $16 million in guaranteed money.

Fourth, there’s the deal with the underachieving tackle from San Francisco (Kwame Harris), another $16 million over three years.

Finally, sign a wide receiver with multiple knee issues who caught seven passes in the last five games of the season last year after missing most of it due to the injury and who reportedly still might need microfracture surgery (Javon Walker) to a $55 million, six-year deal with $16 million guaranteed.

Any questions?

It’s almost as though the Raiders are trying to find as many injury prone dogs as possible to force Lane Kiffin into an unwinnable situation so they can replace him too. Hmmm.

No damn way!!!

by | Mar 4, 2008 | NFL Breaking News

After listening to the media coverage and thinking about it myself throughout the day I’ve decided I don’t believe Brett Favre is retiring. It’s just not going to happen.

First off, the team went 13-3 last year and, despite Favre, was the youngest team in the league. Few predicted such a run heading into the season and this team overachieved its way into the NFC Championship game. (more…)

Favre Media Circus Continues…

by | Mar 4, 2008 | NFL Breaking News

Well, the local sports radio guy who supposedly doesn’t even talk sports was all about Favre today, and I cringe to think what kind of a Favre love-fest ESPN is putting on right now (I’m guessing at least 2 of their channels are devoted to it already, and ESPN Classic is probably lining up the old tapes as we speak–the first time I’ve been glad that Comcast and DirecTV canned it), so why not have ZoneBlitz be All-Favre All Day too?

So here are my questions, some of which have been carried elsewhere, but if the world was all about original thought, Hollywood would have folded years ago:

1) Is Favre really retiring, or is this just a desperate plea for attention to whine about the Packers not getting Randy Moss (again)? And does that make sense? Seriously, Randy Moss couldn’t have caught that last pass against the Giants. As much as I don’t like Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and James Jones, I have to admit, it’s a pretty good trio.

2) What’s with Favre’s agent Bus Cook telling the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that Favre wanted to play another year? I know it comes off as Cook speculating:

“I think he wanted to play, I think he’s still got it. He knows he’s still got it. I think he felt he could play one more year. I don’t know if they told him they really wanted him to play. That’s just the feeling I got.”

But come on, like Favre hasn’t talked to Cook about his decision? His trusted agent? Hell, his office is in Mississippi.

“Nobody pushed Brett Favre out the door, but then nobody encouraged him not to go out that door, either,” Cook said by phone.

So what, after 3-4 years of the Packers being forced into an annual waiting game with Favre, they’re supposed to roll out the red carpet to Kiln, and beg for Brett to come back? Just check their self respect at the door?

What’s with Favre/Cook trying to make the Packers look like the bad guys here? Especially when you consider…

3) The Chris Mortenson voicemail, in which Favre says he’s simply worn out. So with the voicemail saying one thing, and Favre saying another, he’s already playing both sides of the fence here. Not sure where that leads.

4) Speaking of the voicemail, I have to wonder how his (former?) teammates would even feel about playing for him if he WERE to decide to come back at this point:

“…the only way for me to be successful would be to win a Super Bowl,” Favre said in the voicemail. “To go to the Super Bowl and lose, would almost be worse than anything else. Anything less than a Super Bowl win would be unsuccessful. I know it shouldn’t feel unsuccessful, but the only way to come back and make that be the right decision would be to come back and win a Super Bowl and honestly the odds of that, they’re tough. Those are big shoes for me to fill, and I guess it was a challenge I wasn’t up for. “

I wonder how his teammates feel, knowing that Favre is admitting that the odds are that long? I know that realisitically, the odds ARE long–1 in 32, to be technical. Especially at the time of year where all the records are cleared, and no one has even had a mini-camp yet. But don’t you think, especially coming off of a 13-3 season and a NFC Championship appearance that the leader of the Pack should have a little more confidence in the team than that? I’d kind of feel like Favre just threw me under the Bus…meaning the one that the Packer fans moon as it leaves the stadium, not the one that is Favre’s agent.

Favre to retire? For real?

by | Mar 4, 2008 | 2008 NFL Free Agency, Fantasy Football

For the first time since the third game of the 2002 season someone besides Brett Favre will quarterback the Green Bay Packers’ next game.

In a move that will have sportscasters from John Madden to Dan Dierdorf crying in their Wild Turkey ‘til training camp starts, Favre has informed the team that he’s hanging up his cleats after 17 seasons, 16 of which were with the Packers, according to FoxSports.com and the Biloxi Sun Herald.

No word yet on whether Madden will further discuss his man-crush on Favre. But Packers GM Ted Thompson, acknowledged Favre in a mid-morning statement at www.packers.com. “The Packers owe [Favre] a tremendous debt of gratitude,” he said. “He has given Packers fans 16 years of wonderful memories, a Super Bowl championship among them, that will live on forever. Brett’s many accomplishments on the field are legendary.”

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