Favre Leads Packers to One More Win Over Rival Vikings

A couple months ago, I wrote an article that declared that if Brett Favre played for the Minnesota Vikings, he would be dead to me. I went on to explain that his motivation was primarily revenge against a perceived slight by Packers management and that he was not considering the fans he was catching in the crossfire. I have since compared it to a spouse hurting the kids to get back at their ex. Instead, the Vikings now fell victim to the coyness of a Hall of Fame quarterback who cannot make up his mind. In the end, Favre has decided not to come back...for now, at least. All this has done is serve notice that they do not believe in the only two starting-calibre quarterbacks they have left and move the distraction that is the Favre-retirement circus a few hundred miles west of the stadium in which Brett built his Hall of Fame resume. As former Packers safety great LeRoy Butler put it, he has made the Vikings look foolish. They pursued him all summer long and when it came time for the homecoming dance, he has turned them down. In their focus to land the big fish, the team overlooked the perfect fit for their needs: Jeff Garcia. Garcia has a winning resume and would be a clear upgrade over either quarterback they have on their roster, leaving them with only the defensive backfield as a weakness--still a title-contending roster. But instead the Vikings went after Sage Rosenfels, who is much younger and has a potential future with the team if Jackson does not work out. Why have two veteran quarterbacks near the end of their careers? Because a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, and Favre was not the sure thing the Vikings thought he was. It is this kind of mismanagement that keeps the Vikings from ever winning a title. It is also the kind of mistake the Packers do not make, and why they have won seven of the last 14 division titles. Butler also pointed out that Favre has said he will continue to work out, and why do that if you are not still at least entertaining the thought of a return to the league? No matter: Even if Favre does change his mind and the Vikings let him join, he will not be there in time for the start of camp, and his late arrival will only deepen the distraction factor and undermine team chemistry. This will hurt a team that was a narrow favourite even with Brett under center. The Packers are now the clear favourites in the tight NFC North. In the modern NFL, you have to pass and stop the pass to win. Six of the top nine pass defenses made the playoffs, and all nine finished with at least eight wins. The Bears still lack a pass defense, and look as though they will be missing a key member of that backfield, Charles Tillman, for the beginning of the season. The Vikings are weak in the backfield as well, and may be missing two Pro Bowl tackles for up to four games. The Packers can exploit both. Only two of the top twelve passing offenses finished with a losing record, and the division rival Packers were one of them. The Vikings and Bears both lack a passing game--one due to their quarterback, and another their receivers. By flirting with and then spurning the advances of the Vikings, Brett Favre has led his old team to one more victory over the rival Vikings. Thank you, Brett. I still believe Favre's name will stay in the media until November. Any time a quarterback is hurt, speculation will rise that Brett is in discussions, and he will not say anything that dispels such talk. Wouldn't it be interesting of that team was the Packers?