Rastak
04-16-2006, 08:50 AM
So, I thought I'd try and do a better job.....I was reading the NFL strories from papers around the contry this morning and there were about 4 Favre stories in different cities....anyway, this article from Orlando just ripped TT....and then a story from Chicago was mainly a smartass article, but had some funny lines anyway.
From Orlando Sentinal
Packers' game plan full of holes
Published April 16, 2006
If the Green Bay Packers have a turnaround plan, they're doing a wonderful job disguising it. That takes into account everyone associated with the franchise, from General Manager Ted Thompson to new Coach Mike McCarthy to team icon/quarterback Brett Favre.
The cheese in the cheeseheads is spoiling.
Let's start with the front office. In an offseason in which several teams went outside the box in hiring a coach, Thompson pegged underwhelming candidate McCarthy, 42, to take charge. Last season, McCarthy was offensive coordinator in San Francisco, where he oversaw the 32nd-ranked offense. Not that it was all his fault; the 49ers had one of the least-talented rosters in the league.
McCarthy broke into the league under Marty Schottenheimer in Kansas City (1993-98), then it was off to Green Bay ('99), New Orleans (2000-04) and then San Francisco ('05), serving as offensive coordinator for the past two teams. Forgive me if I don't recall a lot of fireworks from those Saints or 49ers (I do recall a lot of Aaron Brooks turnovers, though).
"I just think you've got to prepare for the unknown," McCarthy said of his introductory season.
He should consult Thompson on that subject, because Thompson surely doesn't seem to know where this club is headed -- though I have an idea.
Thompson's watch since taking over football operations has seen the 2004 NFC North champions -- built by demoted-then-fired coach Mike Sherman -- tumble to their worst record (4-12) since 1991. Thus far, Thompson's answer to upgrading the roster has been next to nothing on the free-agent front, with S Marquand Manuel (from Seattle) and DT Ryan Pickett (St. Louis) the big acquisitions.
Green Bay selects fifth in the draft, but reportedly has yet to invite any of the top five prospects not named Reggie Bush -- QBs Matt Leinart and Vince Young, OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson, DE Mario Williams or LB A.J. Hawk -- to town for interviews, a common protocol across the league. It makes you wonder whether Thompson, with a massive rebuilding project on his hands, is thinking of trading out of that high spot for more picks.
That brings us to Favre.
All he has done thus far is string along the team (and fan base) that has treated him like a deity. Favre, now 36 and coming off the worst season of his career (a league-high 29 interceptions), was expected to announce his plans at his charity golf tournament in Mississippi last weekend. Instead, he put off the decision -- with the Packers' blessing, no less.
Now, Favre has until July 27 -- the day before training camp opens -- to inform the club whether he intends to return for a 15th season with the team. That's when a $3 million roster bonus comes due for the three-time league MVP.
"I guess, ultimately, it comes down to just whether or not you want to play and run the risk of being 4-12 again," Favre said.
It's to the point where one of Favre's biggest fans, TV analyst/pending Hall of Fame coach John Madden, said last week that it was as though No. 4 was angling for a trade from the team he said he'd never leave.
"He would probably want to play, but he wants to play with a team that has a chance to win. The Packers really don't look like they are going in that direction right now, so maybe he's talking about another team," Madden said in an interview with the NFL Network. "There are a number of teams that could use him. . . . There are a lot of moving parts in this that could include the draft and could maybe include Brett Favre."
If we assume Favre's plan is to force his way out of Green Bay, we should assume it's the best plan going right now.
No one else appears to have one.
From Chicago Tribune (he takes a shot at the Bears at the end):
It's way past time for Favre to cut to chase
April 16, 2006
Brett Favre, the great procrastinator, still hasn't made up his mind on when he's going to make up his mind. This delay of game has loyal fans of the Green Bay Packers sitting on the edge of their tractors, but I'm here to calm their nerves.
It could be a lot worse. Instead of being the quarterback in limbo for a bad football team, what if Favre had a really important job? What if he were a surgeon on duty in a hospital when they wheeled in someone to the emergency room?
"Well," Dr. Favre might say, "this guy obviously has been in a serious car wreck. Almost as bad as the car wreck I was part of all last winter. But I can't quite decide whether to operate or not. Actually, I think it's up to him to get better before I operate. And I do know that if I do operate, it will be the last operation I ever take on.
"But I still can't decide whether, if I do operate, it will be good for me, and that's all that really matters. So I don't know why all you nurses came here, because I don't really have anything to tell you. I mean, if I don't cut this poor guy, what's he going to do, cut me?"
Now before all you cheeseheads get your flannel formalwear in a knot, understand that I am on your side. I think it's absurd how Favre is holding your village, your franchise and all of you hostage while he ponders whether to return for one final season. It's Easter, for goodness sake. It's been more than three months since Favre threw his 29th and last interception while leading the Pack to a 4-12 record.
That was the first losing season since Favre went to Green Bay in 1992, and he has a right to be frustrated. It's also his privilege to lean on general manager Ted Thompson to find some better players, or else. But enough already.
Favre owes it to his slobbering supporters to make up his mind before he drives all our northern neighbors to do what they do best. If he waits any longer, there won't be any beer left in the entire state of Wisconsin. They will start crossing the border to steal ours.
Favre is going to the Hall of Fame, but not by making decisions in the huddle the way he's handling this one. Of course, if you watched him force his passes while giving away a game to the Bears at Soldier Field last season, you suspect Favre's ego is already out of control. Can we send him to Venezuela to overthrow Hugo Chavez?
The Packers, contrary to Favre's orders, did not beef up during the free-agency period. By talking to LaVar Arrington now, they aren't likely to uproot Favre from the golf course. Maybe Favre will wait until the NFL draft. Or maybe he will wait until Roger Clemens decides whether he wants to pitch again. That's it. Maybe Favre and Clemens have a bet on who can go longer without providing a straight answer.
How many quarterbacks have the Bears had since Favre went to Green Bay, 82? Can you imagine if any of them threatened to sit out unless the McCaskeys bought some players? Even we would laugh, which is partly the point. If Favre were trying to pull this hissy fit in a major market like New York or Chicago, he would be slaughtered by the media and the public.
But Green Bay is different. Green Bay lives for the Packers, and Favre knows it. Nobody will cancel a season ticket up there if he double talks them until Christmas Eve, which isn't fair. But what does he care? The Packers have given him multiple deadlines and he has skirted all of them by tossing out a $10 million question: "If I don't tell them by (fill in date), what will they do, cut me?"
What if? The Packers can go 4-12 without a Hall of Fame quarterback. The Bears have been doing it for decades.
From Orlando Sentinal
Packers' game plan full of holes
Published April 16, 2006
If the Green Bay Packers have a turnaround plan, they're doing a wonderful job disguising it. That takes into account everyone associated with the franchise, from General Manager Ted Thompson to new Coach Mike McCarthy to team icon/quarterback Brett Favre.
The cheese in the cheeseheads is spoiling.
Let's start with the front office. In an offseason in which several teams went outside the box in hiring a coach, Thompson pegged underwhelming candidate McCarthy, 42, to take charge. Last season, McCarthy was offensive coordinator in San Francisco, where he oversaw the 32nd-ranked offense. Not that it was all his fault; the 49ers had one of the least-talented rosters in the league.
McCarthy broke into the league under Marty Schottenheimer in Kansas City (1993-98), then it was off to Green Bay ('99), New Orleans (2000-04) and then San Francisco ('05), serving as offensive coordinator for the past two teams. Forgive me if I don't recall a lot of fireworks from those Saints or 49ers (I do recall a lot of Aaron Brooks turnovers, though).
"I just think you've got to prepare for the unknown," McCarthy said of his introductory season.
He should consult Thompson on that subject, because Thompson surely doesn't seem to know where this club is headed -- though I have an idea.
Thompson's watch since taking over football operations has seen the 2004 NFC North champions -- built by demoted-then-fired coach Mike Sherman -- tumble to their worst record (4-12) since 1991. Thus far, Thompson's answer to upgrading the roster has been next to nothing on the free-agent front, with S Marquand Manuel (from Seattle) and DT Ryan Pickett (St. Louis) the big acquisitions.
Green Bay selects fifth in the draft, but reportedly has yet to invite any of the top five prospects not named Reggie Bush -- QBs Matt Leinart and Vince Young, OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson, DE Mario Williams or LB A.J. Hawk -- to town for interviews, a common protocol across the league. It makes you wonder whether Thompson, with a massive rebuilding project on his hands, is thinking of trading out of that high spot for more picks.
That brings us to Favre.
All he has done thus far is string along the team (and fan base) that has treated him like a deity. Favre, now 36 and coming off the worst season of his career (a league-high 29 interceptions), was expected to announce his plans at his charity golf tournament in Mississippi last weekend. Instead, he put off the decision -- with the Packers' blessing, no less.
Now, Favre has until July 27 -- the day before training camp opens -- to inform the club whether he intends to return for a 15th season with the team. That's when a $3 million roster bonus comes due for the three-time league MVP.
"I guess, ultimately, it comes down to just whether or not you want to play and run the risk of being 4-12 again," Favre said.
It's to the point where one of Favre's biggest fans, TV analyst/pending Hall of Fame coach John Madden, said last week that it was as though No. 4 was angling for a trade from the team he said he'd never leave.
"He would probably want to play, but he wants to play with a team that has a chance to win. The Packers really don't look like they are going in that direction right now, so maybe he's talking about another team," Madden said in an interview with the NFL Network. "There are a number of teams that could use him. . . . There are a lot of moving parts in this that could include the draft and could maybe include Brett Favre."
If we assume Favre's plan is to force his way out of Green Bay, we should assume it's the best plan going right now.
No one else appears to have one.
From Chicago Tribune (he takes a shot at the Bears at the end):
It's way past time for Favre to cut to chase
April 16, 2006
Brett Favre, the great procrastinator, still hasn't made up his mind on when he's going to make up his mind. This delay of game has loyal fans of the Green Bay Packers sitting on the edge of their tractors, but I'm here to calm their nerves.
It could be a lot worse. Instead of being the quarterback in limbo for a bad football team, what if Favre had a really important job? What if he were a surgeon on duty in a hospital when they wheeled in someone to the emergency room?
"Well," Dr. Favre might say, "this guy obviously has been in a serious car wreck. Almost as bad as the car wreck I was part of all last winter. But I can't quite decide whether to operate or not. Actually, I think it's up to him to get better before I operate. And I do know that if I do operate, it will be the last operation I ever take on.
"But I still can't decide whether, if I do operate, it will be good for me, and that's all that really matters. So I don't know why all you nurses came here, because I don't really have anything to tell you. I mean, if I don't cut this poor guy, what's he going to do, cut me?"
Now before all you cheeseheads get your flannel formalwear in a knot, understand that I am on your side. I think it's absurd how Favre is holding your village, your franchise and all of you hostage while he ponders whether to return for one final season. It's Easter, for goodness sake. It's been more than three months since Favre threw his 29th and last interception while leading the Pack to a 4-12 record.
That was the first losing season since Favre went to Green Bay in 1992, and he has a right to be frustrated. It's also his privilege to lean on general manager Ted Thompson to find some better players, or else. But enough already.
Favre owes it to his slobbering supporters to make up his mind before he drives all our northern neighbors to do what they do best. If he waits any longer, there won't be any beer left in the entire state of Wisconsin. They will start crossing the border to steal ours.
Favre is going to the Hall of Fame, but not by making decisions in the huddle the way he's handling this one. Of course, if you watched him force his passes while giving away a game to the Bears at Soldier Field last season, you suspect Favre's ego is already out of control. Can we send him to Venezuela to overthrow Hugo Chavez?
The Packers, contrary to Favre's orders, did not beef up during the free-agency period. By talking to LaVar Arrington now, they aren't likely to uproot Favre from the golf course. Maybe Favre will wait until the NFL draft. Or maybe he will wait until Roger Clemens decides whether he wants to pitch again. That's it. Maybe Favre and Clemens have a bet on who can go longer without providing a straight answer.
How many quarterbacks have the Bears had since Favre went to Green Bay, 82? Can you imagine if any of them threatened to sit out unless the McCaskeys bought some players? Even we would laugh, which is partly the point. If Favre were trying to pull this hissy fit in a major market like New York or Chicago, he would be slaughtered by the media and the public.
But Green Bay is different. Green Bay lives for the Packers, and Favre knows it. Nobody will cancel a season ticket up there if he double talks them until Christmas Eve, which isn't fair. But what does he care? The Packers have given him multiple deadlines and he has skirted all of them by tossing out a $10 million question: "If I don't tell them by (fill in date), what will they do, cut me?"
What if? The Packers can go 4-12 without a Hall of Fame quarterback. The Bears have been doing it for decades.