The Other Side
By PackerAaron
Yes, I've been pretty critical of Favre. He deserves it in my opinion. He's acting like a spoiled brat when he should be acting like a man.
However.
One thing I've started thinking about this morning while reading untold amounts of Favre/Packer coverage is something that I wrote about last season, and I'd be surprised if Favre didn't point it out either publicly or the next time he speaks to Thompson and McCarthy (if he ever does).
Both Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy now have a great deal of security in their respective roles within the Packers' organization. And Favre is probably more responsible for that job security than any other person with the team, either in the front office or on the field. The story has been told how both McCarthy and even Thompson lobbied Favre two years ago to come back. He really had no reason to at that point. But he did, and gave McCarthy better than a fighting chance to put a respectable offense on the field. Imagine who would have been the opening day starter had he not returned. Rodgers, with one year under his belt, with a rookie head coach and no offensive line. Undoubtedly, it would have been a disaster, and Thomson would have been three years into a five year deal with very little to show for his time in charge. Instead, Favre did come back, bought into McCarthy and his system, and helped turn around what had become a pretty horrible team under Sherman. As the team got better, the wins started to pile up and both Thompson and McCarthy were rewarded with big contact extensions.
It no doubt seems to Favre that now, having secured their jobs for the foreseeable future in Green Bay, both Thompson and McCarthy are trying to usher him out the door without so much as a 'thank you'. And I can't say I'm not sympathetic to that viewpoint...
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Comments (5)
July 15, 2008 at 03:20 pm
I agree that viewpoint is sympathetic. However, I don't see this as TT or MM trying to usher him out the door without so much as a thank you. He made his decision, when he wanted to come back they were willing to welcome him back until he changed his mind. They have/had a huge celebration planned to retire his number the first game of the season and they yet to really say anything negative about him.
And I think you can argue that both sides helped each other. Would Favre have done as well in 2007 without MM trying to take pressure off him or TT getting Greg Jennings, James Jones, Ryan Grant, etc? Yes Favre helped TT and MM, but MM and TT also helped Favre. Yet Favre has thrown them under the bus.
PackerAaron
July 15, 2008 at 03:43 pm
Like I said - he's acting like a spoiled brat. Just trying to look at it from all angles (hard though Brett is making it...)
coreyb
July 15, 2008 at 03:58 pm
wait. I didn't see the hattip: Corey - Packer World for the Tundra Vision find.
interesting...
PackerAaron
July 15, 2008 at 04:15 pm
Wait - now I have to hattip our own site? The rules of blogging grow stranger by the day...
July 15, 2008 at 04:42 pm
One thing I am sick and tired of hearing is that he had his chance to comeback, he said no, so we're done. Is there any rules that says if you say "No" too many times, it's over? I'll give it to you that it is annoying... but again, justified to keep him out?
If the guy had sucked last year, this discussion wouldn't even happen. The problem is that he didn't suck. Actually, he got one of his best season ever. And this year, this team could go at least as far as last year with him. The only thing I can do is hope TT is right and wish Rodgers luck this year. We'll see at the end if TT is a hero or not.
Also, talking about retiring his number... doesn't it look suspicious that once he announced his retirement, they plan to retire his number the first chance they have? Why so fast? Maybe because they knew he might change is mind?