Will you stand by your man regardless of the season results?

[Bretsky]

The only way I will ever agree with this decision is if Arod is GB's QB for at least 6 years and leads the team to the playoffs and superbowl. If he is around for a couple of years and washes out, we robbed ourselves of probably 2 years of the best player most of us will see!

you set the bar awfully high for the rod man.

We lost 2 years of FAvre in his final, declining years, is the most likely outcome. I honestly doubt Favre will be as good this year as he was last. But we'll see.

he won't be as good this year. It's not logical to think he can step in to an inferior offense with less weapons and be as good.

But he might have been just as good in Green Bay.

I'm kind of sick of the topics; I"m sure everybody is. But it's not going away; people's views are divided enough in here and enough mud has been sling by both sides that these comparisons will probably occur the whole season.

[Bretsky]

I've been on the TT train since its inception and have defended him lustily against all comers. I was skeptical of MM's hiring, being a fan of the Master of Bates, but I have seen that TT was correct.

TT has made mistakes. He handled the guard situation poorly, and Justin Harrell is looking more and more like the second coming of Jamaal Reynolds. I think he also lost his cool a little bit for about a month's period of time in the Favre circus. He said more than he usually does, and although I see he was trying to get the Packers' side out, it didn't work. However, all humans in all professions make mistakes, and on the whole TT has done an excellent, excellent job.

I think, given the difficulty of the Favre situation and the fact that Tampa was basically offering nothing from what I gather, that TT did well to get what - barring injury - will likely be a third round pick.

I still maintain that if TT and MM had let Favre come back at the last minute after having said the team had "moved on," it would have spelled the beginning of the end of the TT regime. The team - the organization - would have lost all credibility with the players.

I was very, very pleased at MM's presser last week in which he respectfully but firmly laid down the law about Favre not being committed to coming back by letting go of the hurt feelings. So I think MM has gained points, probably in the locker room, and I again feel that this can be a playoff year, and - depending on injuries - a year that finds the Pack still in the playoffs after round one.

So I stand by them both, TT and MM. I won't say what record they "need" to have, because that's too subjective. But if the team plays hard all season long and plays disciplined, I'll probably be good with it all.

TT's great behind the scenes and has did a solid job building this team throught he draft to the point that we should not be good with "just playing hard" IMO. I do really like MM.

All this TB was not in the game is bunk

[pbmax]

How anyone can say we lost two years of Favre is beyond me. He might not even know if he plays another year, yet somehow we consult a magic eight ball and divine the answer. And this does not even address his age.

We won't have an answer about Rodgers for at least two years, his first year starting plus one year to adjust and grow. I trust the Packer Org's decision that Favre could not have led them to another championship. That was my impression as well.

At 38, it is becoming increasingly likely that Favre declines or gets injured. I don't think the playoff slump is a factor of small sample size or weak teams. This was the only logical move, if you believe he was in decline.

It used to be accepted wisdom in the days of actual football dynasties that it was better to replace a player one year too early than too late. This is even more true in the days of salary cap football.

[Harlan Huckleby]

he won't be as good this year. It's not logical to think he can step in to an inferior offense with less weapons and be as good.

But he might have been just as good in Green Bay.

All I've been reading about is how revamped the JEts offense is. Maybe a better offensive line than the Packers. Good wide receivers & TE. Thomas Jones. In fact, the offensive personnel is given as reason why Favre was sold on the Jets. (This could be all east coast media hype, I don't know.)

It seems like a lot of people are setting the bar this way: If Favre has a good season, its proof that TT really screwed up. If Favre bombs, well, that doesn't mean anything, except maybe that TT screwed Favre.

[Harlan Huckleby]

How anyone can say we lost two years of Favre is beyond me. He might not even know if he plays another year, yet somehow we consult a magic eight ball and divine the answer. And this does not even address his age.

ya, the situation is SO unpredictable, both with Rodgers & Favre.

A lot of people think there are right and wrong answers to these decisions, but its really a matter of probabilities, and hoping you weighed the factors correctly. More intuition than science.

[pbmax]

There are the usual "Ifs" that go with a team that heavily invested in FA Huck.

Faneca is probably a lock to be good if the system and his strengths aren't ill fitted. But Damien Woody has been declining. He may be better than the option a year ago at RT for the Jets, but its not a lock he lasts the season. He also used to be athletic for a center, not sure if the same goes for tackle.

You can say the same for Thomas Jones, the ex-Bear RB, who was more productive than Benson but also nicked up quite a bit.

he won't be as good this year. It's not logical to think he can step in to an inferior offense with less weapons and be as good.

But he might have been just as good in Green Bay.

All I've been reading about is how revamped the JEts offense is. Maybe a better offensive line than the Packers. Good wide receivers & TE. Thomas Jones. In fact, the offensive personnel is given as reason why Favre was sold on the Jets. (This could be all east coast media hype, I don't know.)

It seems like a lot of people are setting the bar this way: If Favre has a good season, its proof that TT really screwed up. If Favre bombs, well, that doesn't mean anything, except maybe that TT screwed Favre.

[Fritz]

I've been on the TT train since its inception and have defended him lustily against all comers. I was skeptical of MM's hiring, being a fan of the Master of Bates, but I have seen that TT was correct.

TT has made mistakes. He handled the guard situation poorly, and Justin Harrell is looking more and more like the second coming of Jamaal Reynolds. I think he also lost his cool a little bit for about a month's period of time in the Favre circus. He said more than he usually does, and although I see he was trying to get the Packers' side out, it didn't work. However, all humans in all professions make mistakes, and on the whole TT has done an excellent, excellent job.

I think, given the difficulty of the Favre situation and the fact that Tampa was basically offering nothing from what I gather, that TT did well to get what - barring injury - will likely be a third round pick.

I still maintain that if TT and MM had let Favre come back at the last minute after having said the team had "moved on," it would have spelled the beginning of the end of the TT regime. The team - the organization - would have lost all credibility with the players.

I was very, very pleased at MM's presser last week in which he respectfully but firmly laid down the law about Favre not being committed to coming back by letting go of the hurt feelings. So I think MM has gained points, probably in the locker room, and I again feel that this can be a playoff year, and - depending on injuries - a year that finds the Pack still in the playoffs after round one.

So I stand by them both, TT and MM. I won't say what record they "need" to have, because that's too subjective. But if the team plays hard all season long and plays disciplined, I'll probably be good with it all.

TT's great behind the scenes and has did a solid job building this team throught he draft to the point that we should not be good with "just playing hard" IMO. I do really like MM.

All this TB was not in the game is bunk

About the boldfaced points, Bretsky:

I used the phrase "playing hard" because you just don't know what's going to happen, injury-wise. If they lose four or five of their best players to injury and a host of backups early on, you can hardly expect a big playoff run. Yet, if they continue to play hard, I'll be okay. I felt this way with Shermy's 4-12 team. They were decimated by injury but they kept playing hard, and based on that, at the time I thought Shermy deserved another year as the head coach.

As for the Tampa Bay involvement, it's just that I've read in a couple of places that they were only willing to give up a lame-o pick based on Favre playing two years. Maybe that's not true. But it's what I'd read.

[LEWCWA]

The only way I will ever agree with this decision is if Arod is GB's QB for at least 6 years and leads the team to the playoffs and superbowl. If he is around for a couple of years and washes out, we robbed ourselves of probably 2 years of the best player most of us will see!

you set the bar awfully high for the rod man.

We lost 2 years of FAvre in his final, declining years, is the most likely outcome. I honestly doubt Favre will be as good this year as he was last. But we'll see.

We will never know , now.

[LEWCWA]

What if he leads us to the playoffs for 10 years and no SuperBowl?

If Rodgers is our starting QB for 10 years, they made the right decision, as hard as that is for me to say. I don't thinke there is much chance of that though.(and it doesn't have to be 10 years exactly for all you nitpickers around here)

[LEWCWA]

We expect the Packers to be better than 10-6, if not, it would be a letdown.

It wouldn't be for me--even with Brett Favre. 10-6 gets you in the playoffs. Just like the 2005 team wasn't 4-12 bad, the 2007 team wasn't 13-3 good. We got some breaks, few injuries, and a soft schedule. This team wasn't nearly as good as the 1996 team, but finished with the same record.

I agree, thats why I just say Rodgers has to win with this team as Favre did. w/l records are fickle things year to year, but Favre proved he could win with this sqaud. Arod's turn...

[Harlan Huckleby]

What if he leads us to the playoffs for 10 years and no SuperBowl?

If Rodgers is our starting QB for 10 years, they made the right decision, as hard as that is for me to say. I don't thinke there is much chance of that though.(and it doesn't have to be 10 years exactly for all you nitpickers around here)

Lewcwa, you really aren't making sense. You are putting way too high of a value on Favre's services, he is near the end of his career. TT is playing the probabilities as he evaluates all the factors. Maybe TT will be wrong. But if Rodger merely matches Favre for one year, it was a great move, because you've nurtured Rodgers along on a potential upside.

[GrnBay007]

Lewcwa, you really aren't making sense. You are putting way too high of a value on Favre's services, he is near the end of his career.

Who are you to say what the value is on Favre's services near the end of his career? Last year was most certainly near the end of his career and he looked pretty damned good.

[VegasPackFan]

I'm sure that there would be posters on here screaming bloody hell if we "dropped" to 11-5. Nothing is going to change people's opinions, because from what I have seen, not many people around here are objective. They interpret everything through their lense of perception and nothing changes for them.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Lewcwa, you really aren't making sense. You are putting way too high of a value on Favre's services, he is near the end of his career.

Who are you to say what the value is on Favre's services near the end of his career? Last year was most certainly near the end of his career and he looked pretty damned good.

Who are YOU to speculate on Favre's value?

Favre showed signs of losing intensity in big games last season. Now he is another year older.

Nobody has a hotline to the truth, its an educated guessing game. I trust TT's education. If Rodgers can be a good player this season, it is a smart move, even if Favre is also good for the Jets.