After playing 16 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and then being faced with riding the bench in favor of a lesser light (backup "rookie" quarterback Aaron Rogers), Brett Favre chose to do what he does best, act like a winner about to win again.
Favre (pronounced Farve) forced Green Bay to trade him, and he ended up as a New York Jet. Favre was "family" in Green Bay, a small metro-market town compared to the glare and lights of the Big Apple. In New York, Favre will be roasted, toasted and filleted by the media pundits and fans, who are not patient and not happy most of the time.
As a Green Bay Packer stockholder, I did not agree with the management decision to let Favre go. I understand that Favre will not play at his normal level forever, and that Aaron Rogers has spent 4 years as Favre's backup (I hope Rogers was paying attention).
However, Favre is a gamer. He passes the test on every measurement you cannot make-courage, heart, determination, inventiveness and guts. Moreover, he owns nearly every NFL career record you can measure that is worth talking about-most touchdown passes (442), completions (5,377), attempts (8,758), yards gained (61,655), QB wins (160) and consecutive starts (275 including playoffs). Yes, he is durable.
Did I mention that he is a 9-time Pro Bowl selection and the NFL's only 3-time Associated Press Most Valuable Player? There are probably 100 more impressive things that could be said about Favre, all of which left Green Bay's management and coach unimpressed and still looking at Aaron Rogers. Is it possible that they simply did not like Favre?
Green Bay's loss is the New York Jets gain. Favre's new Jets jersey went on sale the day after he signed a one-year contract for $12 million, approximately the same amount he would have received in Green Bay. Once Favre was a Jet, his new jersey began selling at a record pace--3 shirts every two minutes.
You may not know that Favre's No. 4 Green Bay Packer jersey is the best-selling jersey in NFL history. The arrival of Favre will help the Jets convince season ticket holders to pony up $300 million in seat-license revenue in connection with their move to a new stadium.
New York is on the rise. The Jets dropped $140 million revamping their roster after last season's poor 4-12 showing, they dropped another $75 million on a state-of-the-art practice facility in New Jersey, and look to build a $1.6 billion new stadium.
So how will Favre do as a Jet? He is not the first current or future Hall of Fame quarterback to switch teams at the end of his career. Broadway Joe Namath went from the New York Jets to the Los Angeles Rams, and Joe Montana went from the San Francisco 49ers to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Namath made no impact in Los Angeles, but Montana was huge in Kansas City. He led the Chiefs to an 11-5 record and the playoffs his first year. Montana led a 27-24 come-from-behind victory over the Steelers in the AFC wild card game, and led the Chiefs past Houston 28-20 on the road. Kansas City ended up in the AFC championship game but lost to Buffalo 30-13.
A year later the Chiefs were playoff bound for the 5th straight year after compiling a 9-7 mark, only to be eliminated by the Miami Dolphins 27-17 in their first playoff game. I think Favre will do well as long as he is healthy. Everyone loves a winner, and Favre is a winner.
Whatever happens, Favre will not take New York like the stage play "West Side Story", wherein the song proclaims "When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way, from your first cigarette to your last dying day."
In Favre's case, I think not. His 16 seasons in Green Bay has made him a living legend. He will go into the NFL Hall of Fame as a Packer, not as a Jet.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
Read my complete 2008 NCAA March Madness coverage, including:
"First 2 Rounds in 2008 NCAA Tournament Produce 1 Major Upset in Every 6 Games"
"The Final 4 for the 2008 NCAA Tournament: North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA and Kansas"
"For Kansas Coach Bill Self, the Long Wait Is Over as His Jayhawks Outlast Memphis"
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