Packers Fans Should Forget Favre

We're well on our way to the inevitable. As much as Green Bay Packer fans may not want to think about it, Brett Favre, their 16-year icon, appears destined to play for the division rival Minnesota Vikings. How do the fans feel? Well, there are some who appear to be sticking with the team no matter what, while others are talking about following Favre wherever he goes -- even if that's to Minnesota. Who's right? Both of them have their points, which Bruce Ciskie will lay out as he essentially debates himself.

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While it's still not a certainty, the reality of Brett Favre playing for the Vikings is causing a spike in Pepto Bismol sales all across Wisconsin.

Of course, it could be argued that a similar sales spike is occurring in Minnesota, and that's not because Viking fans can't handle the Super Bowl hype, or because there are hundreds of thousands of Packer fans who live in Minnesota.

Among Viking fans, this isn't the slam dunk that you might think it would be. I'm not sure if it's the media frenzy that follows Favre when he plays, his nine interceptions over the Jets' final five games last season, or the fact that he spent 16 years generally tormenting the Vikings twice a year as the Packers' starting quarterback. But for a lot of the folks who follow Minnesota, this doesn't quite feel right.

That's one reason why Packer fans should forget about Favre. If he's not going to be universally popular among Viking fans before he does anything wrong, than this is likely not going to go well for Favre.

There are plenty of other reasons for this, and all I ask is that you approach the following with an open mind.

Dude, He Wants to Play for the Vikings!

It is absolutely fair to say that Favre orchestrated his departure from Green Bay in 2008. While I don't believe he had anything sinister in mind when he decided to end his short retirement, it was clear from the start that he had no intention of staying in Green Bay if he wasn't going to be the announced starting quarterback. Instead of trying to beat his student for the job, Favre wanted to go somewhere else to play.

Since he was mad at Packers management for neither begging him to come back after he retired nor rolling out the red carpet for him when he wanted to come back after OTAs, he didn't feel it was necessary for him to hang around anymore.

We know now that Favre wanted to "stick it" to general manager Ted Thompson. He's the guy, of course, who dared draft a player at Favre's position back in 2005. What a notorious jerk he must be for doing something like that! It was obvious at the time that he wanted to play for Minnesota, but Thompson had Favre under contract, isn't a complete idiot, and wasn't going to allow it to happen.

Since Favre's interest in the Vikings is clear and admitted, and Packer fans despise the Vikings, this is ample reason to be upset with the ol' Gunslinger.


This Just Can't All Be Ted Thompson's Fault

Thompson hasn't been a roaring success since taking over after the Packers' latest home playoff flop in January of 2005. The team has posted records of 4-12, 8-8, 13-3, and 6-10 in his four seasons as general manager.

Considering the mess his predecessor, Mike Sherman, left him, Thompson has actually done a pretty good job. He may not have run the team the way Favre wanted it run, but Sherman basically gave Favre the green light to do as he pleased. That helped lead to the absolute worst season of Favre's career.

Thompson has positioned the team to sign some key players whose contracts are set to expire after the 2009 season, a list that includes Greg Jennings, Nick Collins, and Aaron Kampman. He rightfully rewarded new staring quarterback Aaron Rodgers with a big contract as he finished up a strong first season on the job.

According to those who know him, Thompson's honesty and straightforward nature are his two biggest traits. An example comes from last year's hand-wringing, as some fans argued that Thompson should have basically been begging Favre to play again.

As one of the sources said, Thompson sees things in very black and white terms and if he tells someone he'll meet them for lunch at noon or will lend them $50 or or will count every shot on the golf course, he's resolute about doing it. As a player, he fought every season to make the Houston Oilers roster and when his career was over it wasn't by his choice. In his mind, you either want to play or you don't.

Thompson has had a very hard time dealing with Favre's indecision over the past three years, in part because of his NFL background and in part because he doesn't think any one player should be held above the team. He has acknowledged that Favre deserves special consideration because of his status, but he refuses to bend too far for fear that the atmosphere will start to slide back to what it was under Mike Sherman when Favre basically had his way on everything.

To be honest, a lot of fans are tired of the pro-Favre crowd trying to pin all of this on Thompson. Yes, there are situations he could have handled differently, but there are no angels in this divorce.

Those who have accused Thompson of trying to push Favre out the door have nothing to go by, except Thompson drafting Rodgers in 2005 and Favre saying he was forced to make an early retirement decision in 2008.

In Thompson's defense, Rodgers was considered a candidate to go first overall, but had inexplicably lasted into the 20s. This was the mother of all obvious first-round moves, especially for a guy like Thompson who is notorious for trusting his draft board and taking the best player on it, regardless of position.

Furthermore, Favre may have felt pressured, but outside of "He's sabotaging the franchise", there isn't a single reason why Thompson would want Favre out after the fantastic 2007 season he and the team had. However, knowing how close they were to the Super Bowl, Thompson had every reason to not want Favre holding the franchise hostage for a third straight offseason. With his background and attitude about the game, Thompson was likely tired of the diva act.

Brett's Addicted to the Spotlight

If you don't believe Favre loves the attention, you're so delusional that you can't be convinced. He loves the attention more than he loves football.

By itself, there is nothing wrong with that. The problem with Favre is it seems to be affecting the way he approaches football.

He may act sheepish in front of the camera, but he is always managing to do or say things that attract media attention.

In all seriousness, Michael Irvin likely said it best.

"I don't mind that you still want to play football," Irvin said last week of Favre, "but do you want to play so much, and you want to get back at (Packers general manager) Ted Thompson so much, that you're willing to go back to Lambeau and hurt those fans that supported you for so long?"

To echo Thompson's stance last year, there are millions of people who would kill for the chance to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. If given the chance, these folks wouldn't haggle over contract terms, and they certainly wouldn't retire and unretire every year just to keep their name in the paper.

It's Not Just About Brett

Yes, the Packers went 6-10 in 2008, while Favre led the Jets to a 9-7 record.

But you're doing both Rodgers and the rest of the Jets a great disservice by blindly asserting that Favre was the reason for both teams' end result.

Green Bay was a miserable 1-8 last year in games decided by less than ten points. Conveniently, some have placed the blame on Rodgers, but the Packers proved in 2006 that they can lose with Favre under center, too. He threw 29 interceptions in a 4-12 campaign that included a 3-8 record in games decided by less than ten points.

Blaming Rodgers forgives the defense for allowing late scores in all eight of those games, after the Packers had either tied the game or taken the lead. Similarly, talking about Favre being great for the Jets until December unfairly absolves him of responsibility for the poor games he played before then, including an absolute stinker in Oakland.

Did I Mention He Wants to Play for the Vikings?

Yes, this matters. If Favre wanted to play for the Jets again, CBS stations across the upper Midwest would be arguing for the chance to air as many of their games as possible. Fans still buy the jersey, and they hope for success out of the Jets. The rest of us think this is cute behavior, but nothing divisive towards the current fanbase.

If/When Favre ends up with the Vikings, he immediately becomes dead to many loyal Packer fans. Brett Favre deliberately suiting up for the Vikings is akin to a knife in the back. While time will eventually heal the wound, it doesn't make things any easier now.

If he helps them win, it only goes deeper.

It's not something that Packer fans should ever have to deal with. If they lose a player to the Vikings, it had better be a player who didn't want to be in Green Bay, or a player who the team decides can no longer be productive for them.

You don't buy these arguments? Try these on for size, instead.