Ted Thompson and the Favre Situation

[Partial]

The team is good enough to play for today. Favre is the better option than A-Rod. If you want to play for two or three seasons from now, then go with A-Rod. In a situation like this though, playing for tomorrow is the kind of short-sighted thinking that has kept the Brewers out of the playoffs for 20 years.

[vince]

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080706/PKR07/807060623/1058/PKR01

Mike Vandermause column: Favre's circle targets Thompson as fall guy

Brett Favre's desire to return to the NFL has produced a new round of criticism directed at Green Bay Packers General Manager Ted Thompson.

The latest heat is coming from Favre family members and friends, who are suggesting the quarterback's retirement in March was not only welcomed, but encouraged.

"He has felt like that for the last couple of years, that the Packers didn't really want him back," his mother, Bonita Favre, told Milwaukee TV station WITI after it was reported Wednesday Favre was getting the itch to play again.

"But nothing has been said. You know it has just been bits and pieces throughout the last couple of years, things that would come up, and it just didn't seem like they went out of their way to keep him. It was kind of like, 'You're done.'"

Biloxi Sun Herald reporter Al Jones, a self-described friend of Favre's, added fuel to the fire in an interview on Milwaukee's WTMJ radio when he said Favre was forced into retirement by Thompson.

"It all comes down to Ted Thompson," Jones said. "The main thing is the man has shown no respect to perhaps the greatest quarterback in their franchise history. Brett's a little disappointed. He feels like he can still play. He knows he can still play."

Jones added that Favre has been working out, throwing passes every morning and doesn't want to play for any other team.

"When it's all said and done, Ted Thompson is the man to blame on all this," Jones said.

Thompson has been unavailable for comment since the latest Favre news broke. But in an interview before he left on vacation, I asked Thompson to respond to the perception the organization didn't do enough to talk Favre out of retiring.

"I never understood that, quite frankly," Thompson said. "We went about this offseason the way we have the last several, making sure Brett knew that Mike (McCarthy) and I both felt he's still a good player, can still play the game, can still win and that our team was going to be in a position to win.

"I think that's what a veteran looks for: Do we have a chance to win? And can I still play?

"Other than that, it's not my place to try to convince someone that they're making a bad decision or a good decision. It's my place to say, these are the facts as I see them, now it's up to you and Deanna to make your choice."

That suggests Thompson would have welcomed Favre back. Thus, it's puzzling that Bonita Favre and Jones are so critical of the Packers' general manager.

Was Thompson supposed to get down on his knees in March and beg Brett to return? That would be a ridiculous expectation.

Since when does a superstar quarterback need to be coddled? If Brett wanted to play but perceived he wasn't wanted, he should have drawn on his competitive nature to prove Thompson and the organization wrong.

It should be noted Favre went out of his way at his retirement press conference on March 6 to thank Thompson and absolve the Packers organization of playing a role in his departure.

"I know there's been comments and issues in the press lately about why I'm leaving," Favre said at the time, "whether or not the Packers did enough, whether or not Ted and Mike tried to convince me to stay. None of those things have anything to do with me retiring, and that's from the heart."

Jones admitted in his recent WTMJ interview that McCarthy tried to talk Favre into playing in March. So, if Favre had the full support of his coach, how can anyone make a credible claim that the organization forced the quarterback into retirement?

The landscape has changed over the past four months. After the Packers spent the offseason setting up their offense to highlight new starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers' strengths, it appears neither Thompson nor McCarthy is eager to see Favre return.

While we wait to see how this saga plays out, it's clear those closest to Favre are making Thompson out to be the fall guy. Whether Favre shares those sentiments remains to be seen.

Mike Vandermause is sports editor of the Press-Gazette.

[Bretsky]

Thanks for posting Vince; all interesting reads and nothing that should be surprising.

[vince]

Yeah B. Regardless of what happens, we'll all - well most of us - will be cheering on the Packers beginning in about a month.

[cpk1994]

BuBBLHEAD=HATER, Face it you don't like Favre, You have no sense of LOYALITY! What does a MAN who gave EVERTHING he had to give to a team, a city a state, have to prove anythng to a punk like you.

This is a TT thread, I was posting from that position. I wanted favre back and have said so, but now that he has missed OTA's, Minicamps, and announced his retirement I want him to stay that way. I wanted a COMMITTED BF back, not a wishy washy show up on sundays guy.

I have a huge sense of loyalty...to the packers. And I agree BF has absolutely NOTHING to prove to me, why would you even make that comment??

As far as you bursting out this way and calling me a punk and showing that you are reacting from emotion instead of logic I shouldn't have bothered responding, but since this is our first interaction I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. I think if you put down the redbull and just read my post from the point of view.....hey, what exactly happened in bobbleheads opinion.....you might not get so worked up.

Bobblehead, stop. You can't reason with the Favre loyalists. They will continue to call you names and not engage in civil discourse. I spent a whole thread proving that point.
Its just not worth it.

[MJZiggy]

I wonder what Lombardi would have done...

[Zool]

The team is good enough to play for today. Favre is the better option than A-Rod. If you want to play for two or three seasons from now, then go with A-Rod. In a situation like this though, playing for tomorrow is the kind of short-sighted thinking that has kept the Brewers out of the playoffs for 20 years.

Please dont. The Brewers were playing with a bottom 5th payroll in MLB for quite a few years. These 2 situations couldnt be any farther apart.

[Partial]

The team is good enough to play for today. Favre is the better option than A-Rod. If you want to play for two or three seasons from now, then go with A-Rod. In a situation like this though, playing for tomorrow is the kind of short-sighted thinking that has kept the Brewers out of the playoffs for 20 years.

Please dont. The Brewers were playing with a bottom 5th payroll in MLB for quite a few years. These 2 situations couldnt be any farther apart.

Thats fair. But the fact of the matter is this:

The window for the super bowl is small. We don't have a young super stud like Favre at QB, or a more recent example being McNabb to keep the window open longer.

In my opinion, we probably have two years. Do we think that A-Rod will be able to get us to the promise land in that time? I do not.

Favre gives us a much better chance at the title this year. You can worry about next year and the year after when it happens. I'd rather get a super bowl and go 2-14 next year than 10-6 both years and never get one.

Personally, I don't think the offense is very good without Favre. They'll have some talent definitely, but don't you think having the all-time best quarterback threading the needle and dictating a defense has a litlte something to do with it? I sure do.

Favre would have been the MVP last year if it was not for BB trying to stick it to the league and throwing for TDs when up by 30+ points. The MOST VALUABLE PLAYER in the league.

Many here seem bitter that he didn't play a great game against the Giants. Well, thats fair, but lets not forget that team went on and destroyed the all-time NFL greatest offense, and completely took two of the best offensive players in the league out of the game.

If A-Rod is going to bitch and moan about having Favre back, well then screw him. He's not mentally strong enough to handle being the QB in GB then.

[Partial]

I wonder what Lombardi would have done...

Are you F'ing kidding? He would have begged BF to come back, and sat A-Rod. He then would have told A-Rod to suck it up and ride the pine. He can play if he's better than Favre.

[Zool]

I agree that we'd prolly be better off with Brett this season, but this BS is getting tired year after year. My problem isn't with Brett's QB skills. This drama is getting old, and its really starting to seem like he enjoys it. If he had said in March that he was coming back, this wouldn't have happened.

Fuck it, what can ya do. Someone should make some sort of definitive public statement this week. You busy Tank?

[retailguy]

I wonder what Lombardi would have done...

Are you F'ing kidding? He would have begged BF to come back, and sat A-Rod. He then would have told A-Rod to suck it up and ride the pine. He can play if he's better than Favre.

The Lombardi that I know wouldn't have done any of this. Beg Favre to come back? NO CHANCE. You don't wanna play? He'd play someone who did want to play.

Without the desire to play, your other two points wouldn't have happened. Favre QUIT. He retired and walked away. He was done. Lombardi would have respected that, but not all the crap that's gone on since....

The drama is ridiculous & wrong. Thinking Vince would have participated in it is also incorrect. He wouldn't have. Even if it meant he'd have attained 1 win and the rest losses.

[The Shadow]

I wonder what Lombardi would have done...

Are you F'ing kidding? He would have begged BF to come back, and sat A-Rod. He then would have told A-Rod to suck it up and ride the pine. He can play if he's better than Favre.

Not the Vince Lombardi I remember - for sure!

[Partial]

Lombardi was a winner. You don't choose a soft boy over a proven, chiseled out of wood man. Lombardi isn't that stupid.

[Zool]

Lombardi was a winner. You don't choose a soft boy over a proven, chiseled out of wood man. Lombardi isn't that stupid.

Well this is just dumb. The teams and management had absolute control over a players destiny in the 60's. A player could either, play and shut up or quit.

[Patler]

Lombardi would have taken Favres call, put him on hold, then come back on the line and to tell him he'd been traded to Philadelphia!