packers11
08-28-2007, 01:58 PM
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20468491/
Favre, Packers GM locked in stare down
Quarterback won't retire, general manager won't trade him
By Bob Cook
Updated: 10:24 p.m. ET Aug 27, 2007
Brett Favre is a celebrated gunslinger. But before Favre lays down his weapon for good, he and Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson have to draw their pistols and end their High Noon staredown, which has lasted about 1,000 noons and turned the annual Brett Favre retirement watch into a farce.
On one side stands Favre, the townspeople still by his side despite his fading skills, reveling in the memory of his past blazes of glory, supporting his desperate hope that someone build him a posse worthy of one last Super Bowl run.
On the other stands Thompson, so bland he wouldn’t make a bold move changing fonts. He’s the black hat among the townspeople for standing idly be, so it would seem, as their Packers fade back into football Siberia without a fight, taking their hero Brett with them.
Since Thompson, the Packers’ player personnel director during Favre’s early career in Green Bay, rejoined the Packers as GM in 2005, he and Favre have made it obliquely clear the town is not big enough for the both of them.
Yet the bold Favre and the bland Thompson have one thing in common, the thing that keeps them tethered in unholy matrimony. Neither has the guts to take the other down, nor does either have the fortitude to lay down his weapon and walk away.
This offseason might have the closest at least one of them came to pulling the trigger on the other. Favre, who had doused retirement speculation sooner than usual by announcing in February he would be back for 2007, lashed out at Thompson for failing to land Oakland wide receiver Randy Moss, who was traded to New England. And, reportedly, then demanded a trade. A natural reaction, it would seem, by a soon-to-be-38-year-old quarterback 10 years removed from his last (and only) Super Bowl title.
But Favre denied he demanded a trade, then when given the chance to rip into Thompson again at a May 19 press conference, repeatedly said he was "fine" with Thompson. Repeatedly "fine." Five-times-in-90-seconds "fine." Favre’s clenched teeth about Thompson hasn’t been limited to that press conference. With injuries taking down Green Bay’s already limited receivers and running backs during the preseason, Favre has held his tongue.
So why doesn’t he rip into Thompson? Or threaten to retire again? Demand a trade, for real this time? After all, Favre is a Wisconsin icon who could get away with saying anything about Thompson, not beloved by Packers fans for his penny-pinching ways. Thompson had about $15 million in cap space, and spent $1 million of it on a backup cornerback. With that strategy, Thompson would be the perfect general manager -- for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
It goes back to that Wisconsin icon thing. Favre knows that any mistakes he makes will, in the end, be forgiven by the Packers faithful because of all he’s done for the franchise. But if he throws another 29 interceptions, as he did last year, for another team, Favre is Steve McNair with Baltimore, an over-the-hill gunslinger with a weapon with the accuracy and discernment of a drive-by. Would John Madden still rave about Brett Favre being the Brett Favre of Brett Favreness? Only Frank Caliendo knows for sure.
Favre literally has nothing to lose staying in Green Bay -- not his reputation, his legacy, and certainly not his money. Favre is barely halfway through the 10-year, $100 million "lifetime" deal he signed in 2001, one that does not have ridiculous, odd-year bonuses that would necessitate making him a salary-cap cut. Favre knows he can stay in his Green Bay, Gore-Tex-and-heavy-down cocoon with no reprisals. Why retire?
Why leave?
That leaves Thompson with no easy way to take down Favre, which he’s clearly wanted to do since California quarterback Aaron Rodgers fell into Thompson’s lap at No. 24 in the 2005 draft. (Brady Quinn is the Aaron Rodgers of draft-day quarterbacks, as Caliendo-as-Madden might put it.)
Thompson’s grand plan -- whatever it is -- does not include Favre.
Sometimes you can’t blame him, like when Favre rolls out and throws another rainbow across the middle of the field. Favre wants to win now, but Thompson appears to be patiently building for the long-term, at least the long-term building of a robust balance sheet.
But while Thompson wouldn’t stop Favre from walking out the door, he doesn’t want to be the man known as the Guy Who Pushed Out a Legend.
Like Penn State’s athletic director, Thompson realizes that removing the face of the franchise, no matter what his skills at this point, is a license to never go out in public again.
Instead of making a bold move he thinks is for the good of the franchise, Thompson clenches his own teeth and tolerates Favre and his retirement and/or trade threats. "I think Brett has earned the right to say what he wants to say," Thompson told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "and he does quite often."
It would be hard for Thompson to be less liked in Green Bay than he is already. So why not pull the trigger? Why not force Favre to make a decision on whether it’s time to go? Or just make him go? Maybe Thompson should, just to settle this annual Favre retirement talk once and for all. But Thompson is too worried about the backlash to make a move. A GM too worried about preserving the salary cap is hardly going to confront the team’s franchise face.
So there Favre and Thompson stand, facing each other, staring, squinting in the high noon, waiting for the other to make a move. The townspeople, who once shook in fear over the threat of what might happen, have resumed their business. They walk around the two nondueling duelists like they’re statues, no longer worrying about whether today is the day Favre might go down.
Bob Cook is a contributor to MSNBC.com and a freelance writer based in the Chicago area.
Favre, Packers GM locked in stare down
Quarterback won't retire, general manager won't trade him
By Bob Cook
Updated: 10:24 p.m. ET Aug 27, 2007
Brett Favre is a celebrated gunslinger. But before Favre lays down his weapon for good, he and Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson have to draw their pistols and end their High Noon staredown, which has lasted about 1,000 noons and turned the annual Brett Favre retirement watch into a farce.
On one side stands Favre, the townspeople still by his side despite his fading skills, reveling in the memory of his past blazes of glory, supporting his desperate hope that someone build him a posse worthy of one last Super Bowl run.
On the other stands Thompson, so bland he wouldn’t make a bold move changing fonts. He’s the black hat among the townspeople for standing idly be, so it would seem, as their Packers fade back into football Siberia without a fight, taking their hero Brett with them.
Since Thompson, the Packers’ player personnel director during Favre’s early career in Green Bay, rejoined the Packers as GM in 2005, he and Favre have made it obliquely clear the town is not big enough for the both of them.
Yet the bold Favre and the bland Thompson have one thing in common, the thing that keeps them tethered in unholy matrimony. Neither has the guts to take the other down, nor does either have the fortitude to lay down his weapon and walk away.
This offseason might have the closest at least one of them came to pulling the trigger on the other. Favre, who had doused retirement speculation sooner than usual by announcing in February he would be back for 2007, lashed out at Thompson for failing to land Oakland wide receiver Randy Moss, who was traded to New England. And, reportedly, then demanded a trade. A natural reaction, it would seem, by a soon-to-be-38-year-old quarterback 10 years removed from his last (and only) Super Bowl title.
But Favre denied he demanded a trade, then when given the chance to rip into Thompson again at a May 19 press conference, repeatedly said he was "fine" with Thompson. Repeatedly "fine." Five-times-in-90-seconds "fine." Favre’s clenched teeth about Thompson hasn’t been limited to that press conference. With injuries taking down Green Bay’s already limited receivers and running backs during the preseason, Favre has held his tongue.
So why doesn’t he rip into Thompson? Or threaten to retire again? Demand a trade, for real this time? After all, Favre is a Wisconsin icon who could get away with saying anything about Thompson, not beloved by Packers fans for his penny-pinching ways. Thompson had about $15 million in cap space, and spent $1 million of it on a backup cornerback. With that strategy, Thompson would be the perfect general manager -- for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
It goes back to that Wisconsin icon thing. Favre knows that any mistakes he makes will, in the end, be forgiven by the Packers faithful because of all he’s done for the franchise. But if he throws another 29 interceptions, as he did last year, for another team, Favre is Steve McNair with Baltimore, an over-the-hill gunslinger with a weapon with the accuracy and discernment of a drive-by. Would John Madden still rave about Brett Favre being the Brett Favre of Brett Favreness? Only Frank Caliendo knows for sure.
Favre literally has nothing to lose staying in Green Bay -- not his reputation, his legacy, and certainly not his money. Favre is barely halfway through the 10-year, $100 million "lifetime" deal he signed in 2001, one that does not have ridiculous, odd-year bonuses that would necessitate making him a salary-cap cut. Favre knows he can stay in his Green Bay, Gore-Tex-and-heavy-down cocoon with no reprisals. Why retire?
Why leave?
That leaves Thompson with no easy way to take down Favre, which he’s clearly wanted to do since California quarterback Aaron Rodgers fell into Thompson’s lap at No. 24 in the 2005 draft. (Brady Quinn is the Aaron Rodgers of draft-day quarterbacks, as Caliendo-as-Madden might put it.)
Thompson’s grand plan -- whatever it is -- does not include Favre.
Sometimes you can’t blame him, like when Favre rolls out and throws another rainbow across the middle of the field. Favre wants to win now, but Thompson appears to be patiently building for the long-term, at least the long-term building of a robust balance sheet.
But while Thompson wouldn’t stop Favre from walking out the door, he doesn’t want to be the man known as the Guy Who Pushed Out a Legend.
Like Penn State’s athletic director, Thompson realizes that removing the face of the franchise, no matter what his skills at this point, is a license to never go out in public again.
Instead of making a bold move he thinks is for the good of the franchise, Thompson clenches his own teeth and tolerates Favre and his retirement and/or trade threats. "I think Brett has earned the right to say what he wants to say," Thompson told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "and he does quite often."
It would be hard for Thompson to be less liked in Green Bay than he is already. So why not pull the trigger? Why not force Favre to make a decision on whether it’s time to go? Or just make him go? Maybe Thompson should, just to settle this annual Favre retirement talk once and for all. But Thompson is too worried about the backlash to make a move. A GM too worried about preserving the salary cap is hardly going to confront the team’s franchise face.
So there Favre and Thompson stand, facing each other, staring, squinting in the high noon, waiting for the other to make a move. The townspeople, who once shook in fear over the threat of what might happen, have resumed their business. They walk around the two nondueling duelists like they’re statues, no longer worrying about whether today is the day Favre might go down.
Bob Cook is a contributor to MSNBC.com and a freelance writer based in the Chicago area.