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AtlPackFan
09-18-2007, 08:37 AM
Who the F is Patrick Hruby? Jeff George with better results???!!! He has got to be F-ing kidding me!!!

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/index
SPORTS WITHOUT GUILT #47
IT'S OK NOT TO CARE ABOUT BRETT FAVRE
--Patrick Hruby

Usually good. Sometimes great. Always plays. Loves football. Once upon a time – like, when Netscape Mosaic seemed destined to dominate the Internet browser market – Brett Favre even quarterbacked his team to a league championship, joining the immortal company of Earl Morrall, Mark Rypien and The Hoss.

Now the winningest signal-caller in NFL history, Favre has long been more myth than man. And a tedious myth at that. The Green Bay quarterback, we are told, is a symbol of rage against the dying of the light, a Wild West action movie gunslinging hero incarnate, jus' one of the good ol' boys in an era of creeping metrosexuality, a throwback reminder of the sporting glory that once was and can be again.

All of which is metaphorical claptrap.

In reality, Favre is an accomplished football-thrower, Jeff George with better results and a generous dollop of aw-shucks country charm (but not so charming that he can hawk jeans without the help of a Golden Retriever). Favre has enjoyed an indisputably long and successful career; he also is a guy who chucks scrambling, underhanded, over-the-scrimmage-line ducks into triple-coverage, offers unsolicited contract advice to teammates unlikely to earn a fraction of his net worth, cajoles the television audience to purchase lawn tractors, tooth desensitizers and heartburn medication, belly flops to facilitate bogus sack records and calls non-news conference after non-news conference to announce his non-retirement.

More to the point – and this is crucial – Favre is not the quarterback of your team, not unless you: (a) live in Green Bay; (b) are so old that you actually jumped on the national Packers bandwagon, which roughly corresponds with the heyday of the Gemini space program. Just because you love Football in America doesn't mean you have to love, like, care about or root for Favre. You can be indifferent. Jon Kitna can be your guy. No apologies necessary.

Oh, and still jonesing for a dose of inspiring mythology? Try reading a book. "The Iliad" is a good place to start. At least Achilles' tedious dithering involves fighting in a freaking war, as opposed to whether lobbing jump balls to Donald Driver for yet another season is worth the trouble.
--Patrick Hruby

The Leaper
09-18-2007, 08:46 AM
ESPN has long been proven to be devoid of any real sports knowledge. Yet another example to hammer the point home.

Jeff George and Brett Favre should never be mentioned in the same sentence by someone who has an IQ above 15.

ecwiscott
09-18-2007, 08:49 AM
All hail the newest bag of wind to write for ESPN.

It's also OK not to pay attention to anything ESPN people say.
Just last week we heard from Bristol that Eli Manning would be out a month! :roll:

Cheesehead Craig
09-18-2007, 08:51 AM
It's ok to not care about Patrick Hruby.

MJZiggy
09-18-2007, 08:52 AM
Nothing to see here, folks. Just another example of a no-name reporter using Brett Favre to bring a little attention onto himself. Say something controversial and start a national ruckus and someone might remember you for it.

run pMc
09-18-2007, 09:26 AM
I thought Hruby wrote about hockey for one of the sports mags. Whatever. He can have his opinion -- it's just meant to provoke a response and since it's Page2, it's meant to be either snide or funny.

Brett Favre is a better QB than Jeff George, without a doubt. You don't get the all time win record by being a strong-armed hack.

mraynrand
09-18-2007, 10:15 AM
"Oh, and still jonesing for a dose of inspiring mythology? Try reading a book. "The Iliad" is a good place to start. At least Achilles' tedious dithering involves fighting in a freaking war, as opposed to whether lobbing jump balls to Donald Driver for yet another season is worth the trouble."
--Patrick Hruby

By that criteria, none of us should be watching football, or any sports for that matter. OK, Pat, I get the hint. I'll cancel my subscription to ESPN The Magazine and go to the library. BTW, I cc'ed my cancellation notice, along with your highlighted quote, to your boss. Nice job.

Badgerinmaine
09-18-2007, 10:39 AM
Comparing Brett Favre to a coach-killing bundle of wasted potential like Jeff George is akin to saying something like "Babe Ruth is just Darryl Strawberry without the prison record". Aside from playing the same position in the same league, there's not much to link them at all.

Freak Out
09-18-2007, 11:46 AM
Who is Patrick Hruby? Just another schmuck.

VanPackFan
09-18-2007, 12:13 PM
The job of any columnist is to solicit a reaction to his work. And without seeing this guy's e-mail in-box, I'd say mission accomplished.
I'd suggest he's been deluged by pro-Farve feedback this morning and he's probably quite happy about it. If you're getting reaction, positive OR negative, it means your stuff is being read.
He comes off as a jackass who lacks sports knowledge, but my guess is it's calculated idiocy.

packinpatland
09-18-2007, 12:25 PM
If you scroll down you can actually see a photo of young Patrick. He looks to be twenty-something. And you can email him, which no doubt he is getting plenty.
What a shame these 'sports writers', hate using that description here, have to resort to articles like this to get their '15 minutes'. Blame it on immaturity and........

STUPIDITY!!!!!!

BallHawk
09-18-2007, 03:27 PM
I just sent him a jolly, heart-felt letter. He can add that to the ever growing pile that I'm sure he already has.

oregonpackfan
09-18-2007, 03:33 PM
He is an embarassment to all guys with the first name of Patrick!


Yeah, I am one of them.