Favreageddon: A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity We Get to Witness

There are few momentous sporting events that take place in our lifetime that we have the privilege to witness firsthand.

The Miami Dolphins completing their perfect season of 1972.

Mark McGwire and then Barry Bonds breaking the single season home run record (before we knew how they were able to).

Pretty much everything Michael Jordan ever did (except for his hall of fame speech).

This Sunday will see another of those as the Brett Favre, once the face and forever legend of the Green Bay Packers, returns to play his former team as a member of their most hated rival.

The events and backstories behind the scenes of this matchup are enough to create a Broadway show. Despite all that has been accomplished between Favre and the Pack, there are feelings of bitterness and resentment, as well as words being thrown back and forth then dismissed as out of context.

When asked about Favre’s motivation to come back, he gave the old political answer of just wanting to play and win a Super Bowl, but when a reporter asked why not just come back with the Jets, Favre didn’t have an excuse lined up, and merely said that it’s over with and to move on.

Now the teams have already played once this year, but in Minnesota. The Vikings stymied the Packers for a win, but Aaron Rodgers refused to go down without swinging. Even after being sacked and intercepted multiple times, he kept firing away. Maybe it’s a good thing these teams have played once already but not in Green Bay.

The feelings of Brett Favre’s return were at first mixed, but now after seeing him beat the Packers in a Vikings jersey, it is unanimous. And there is the burned and destroyed Favre memoribilia to prove it.

The team, organization, whole city and state, and Packer fans across the world are huddled for this game, an almost war if you will. The Vikings are in first place and up by two games. The Packers and specifically Aaron Rodgers NEED to win this game if nothing more than to justify the business move of not catering to Favre’s diva wishes to come back before training camp in 2008.

I think the pressure is more on the Packers than on Favre. Winning this game may be, er who am I kidding, IS more important than winning the Super Bowl, at least this year. Even if the Pack don’t make the playoffs and the Vikings win the Super Bowl, they could always brag that Favre couldn’t get it done IN Green Bay. But what if he does?

What if Brett Favre comes into the stadium he was worshipped in, wearing a Vikings jersey, throws for 300 yards, 4 touchdowns, does one of his celebratory knock down of players in an attempt to seem like he’s still young and cool, not to mention tries to throw a block on a Packers defender? Well, that isn’t as much of an issue if he is unable to beat the Packers IN Green Bay?

But how would the fans react? Unhappy is the least descriptive word. Can we expect beer bottles thrown onto the field ala the Cleveland Browns in 2001 on an unpopular call by the officials? What if it snows, and we could see snow balls hurled to the ground like in Giants Stadium back in 1995 (against the Chargers of all teams)?

However, one has to wonder, is this what Favre wanted all along? Even though we heard the almost as redundant statement “I’ve never taken steroids” that he was not interested in coming back again, the evidence tells a different story.

He booked several hotel rooms for this game back when he was still “retired.” He convinced the Jets to release him, which was the only way he’d get to play for any team in the NFC North (part of the clauses in the trade to the Jets).

Instead of signing with Minnesota right away, he manipulated the media as he has been doing into hyping it up. Then, waiting until after the Vikings actually play a preseason game, he decides to play for them. Therefore, other teams do not have as much time to study up on Favre as the Vikings quarterback and will not be as prepared for him.

Now other legendary players who left their original teams only to come back in another uniform have happened before. Alex Rodriguez was initially booed in Seattle with a Texas Rangers uniform on, but has since become an after thought. Mark Messier returned to New York as a member of the Canucks and was greeted with open arms. Michael Jordan, when he returned with the Washington Wizards, was not villified.

So why is this particular case of same guy, different shirt so emotionally different? Other than the whole reasoning of how this all happened (which really does play a hand in it), playing the position of quarterback in the NFL is different from any other position in any other sport.

What if John Elway came back to play in Denver wearing a Chiefs jersey? Or Peyton Manning playing in a Patriots jersey in Indianapolis?

I can only assume Favre will have extra security on hand. But since this is something he’s been planning since the summer of 2008, I’m sure he’s left no note unchecked.

Read more Minnesota Vikings news on BleacherReport.com

Brett Favre: The Best Thing that Could Happen for Tarvaris Jackson?

Favre From Home: The Adventures Of Yellow Quarterback

With Brett Favre leading the Jets to an 8-3 first place record, analyst and former “prime-time” Deion Sanders went on a rant against his former team, the Green Bay Packers.  The Pack, who were in the midst of struggling to a 6-10 record, had refused to take Favre back after he changed his mind about retiring. 

Neon Deion pointed out how the Packers were in the NFC Championship game the year before, while the Jets finished with a 4-12 record.  He did not take into account the fact that if the Packers took Favre back, they would be mortgaging their future by having him play just one more year. 

The Jets, on the other hand, were more than willing to do that, considering that not only had they had inconsistency at quarterback, but needed a commodity to compete with the defending Super Bowl Champion, not to mention the Jets’ landlord, New York Giants.

Perhaps Favre, bitter at Sanders for intercepting him many times, wanted to prove him wrong.  Because Favre absolutely collapsed at the end of the season, and the supposed Super Bowl bound Jets missed the playoffs.  Their coach was fired, and Favre retired—again.

Of course, the only one to recant on retirement more than Favre was Michael Jordan, hence there were rumored possibilities of returning again—but this time to the hated Minnesota Vikings. 

Why? 

Apparently Brett Favre has a score to settle with the team that made his career.  Let’s be honest.  If Favre had stayed with the Atlanta Falcons (the team that traded him to Green Bay), he would be as famous as Browning Nagle or Bobby Hebert.  There’s no way Favre could have handled the run and shoot and his development would have hindered.

What is Brett Favre so angry about?  What does he feel he has to prove?  That he WON’T choke at the end of the season like he did last?

I began to think Favre planned it all along just so he could get to experience life in New York.  But life in Minnesota can’t differ that much from Green Bay.  What else is there besides ice fishing

Now in its defense, which is actually its offense, Minnesota lost their playoff game against Philadelphia due to poor quarterback play.  The stage was set for incumbent Tarvaris Jackson to be challenged by newcomer Sage Rosenfels.  Somehow, the team had forgotten that it was journeyman Gus Frerotte who really was the one that guided them to the playoffs.  Sure, Adrian Peterson is one of if not the best running backs in the league.  But Frerotte brought stability to the position.

So let’s say Favre joins the Minnesota Vikings. 

Anything less than a Super Bowl would be a failure.  Why?  Because they’re basically pushing away their existing quarterbacks for just this one season.  Brett Favre will not play beyond one more season, if he even plays this season. 

And let’s say he doesn’t. 

After all this talk and hype about him, the missing link, the great white hope, coming to lead the Vikes to its first ever Super Bowl, if he doesn’t play, or even just doesn’t play up to form, it’ll be a disaster, and you can guarantee Brad Childress will suffer the same fate as Eric Mangini.  And there may not be a team as horrible as the Browns who are so desperate for a head coach to employ him.

Now I admit the possibility of seeing Brett Favre running out to Lambeau Field in a purple jersey would be an intriguing situation.  But other than shock value, this whole deal could end up hurting Minnesota more than it helps them. 

Just ask the New York Jets.