NFL offseason II

[dornish prince]

is that even legal???

paying brett to stay away, that is. that's gotta be the easiest money anyone could ever freakin' make.

[Slurktan]

I think it's awesome that he turned it down. Makes the Packers brass look like absolute gibbering fools. Seriously why would they ever think he would take that offer? Considering that if he plays out his contract he will make more money than that and thats not counting endorsements and such. Despite Favre's wishy-washyness he looks so much better to the public then these idiots. If they were going to offer him money, why not offer it before there was more news coverage than there is for the Iraq situation around?

I think it's fairly obvious Favre will either be traded to the Vikes or Bears by tomorrow or released outright.

[Rockroi]

[quote]Makes the Packers brass look like absolute gibbering fools... Despite Favre's wishy-washyness he looks so much better to the public then these idiots. If they were going to offer him money, why not offer it before there was more news coverage than there is for the Iraq situation around?

I think it's fairly obvious Favre will either be traded to the Vikes or Bears by tomorrow or released outright.[/quote]

I don't see what the Pack could possibly do differently. Favre retired and in March, when he started to mumble that he may want to come back, the Packers had a jet ready to fly to Favre's home to talk to him. Favre then verified that he wnated to come back to the Packers brass. The Packers were prepared to get to the bottom of things. Favre then called them back and said that after talking with his wife, he decided to stay retired, and the Packers were sure he meant it.

Now, they have Rogers. What are they supoosed to do? Favre is retiering (for real) at some point in the next 0-3 years. Do they shit-can Rogers (who they love) and get Favre to play? He won't go to a desperate team with no chance of winning; he cannot be traded to a division rival (its lunacy to suggest he's going to Chicago or Minnesoda; the Packers WOULD be fools to do that). If they release him, that would make him available to anyone, even teams that the Pack compete against (see Chicago and Minnesoda).

I think the Pack are doomed ebcause Favre will not stay retired and would be a class-1 cancer if he stayed the #2 in GB. They need to tarde him, but don't have a lot of takers. They have been put in an impossible situation, and are doing the best they can.

I still predict he will be tarded to Tampa Bay, but barring that maybe the Sox can get him for Manny.

[Space Bandito]

*sigh*

Why the fuck would Minn or anyone trade for him? One, he only wants to play for certain teams. Two, he will either be on the Packers bench or be released soon anyway. I again point to what the Patriots did with Drew Bledsoe. Make the tough choice and screw the fans.

[DanteGabriel]

[quote name='Slurktan' post='1463594' date='Jul 31 2008, 09.34']I think it's awesome that he turned it down. Makes the Packers brass look like absolute gibbering fools. Seriously why would they ever think he would take that offer? Considering that if he plays out his contract he will make more money than that and thats not counting endorsements and such. Despite Favre's wishy-washyness he looks so much better to the public then these idiots. If they were going to offer him money, why not offer it before there was more news coverage than there is for the Iraq situation around?

I think it's fairly obvious Favre will either be traded to the Vikes or Bears by tomorrow or released outright.[/quote]
I disagree entirely. Favre put the Packers in a shitty position with his drama queen will-he-or-won't-he act for the last several years. I can understand how he might regret having decided to retire, but not every athlete who thinks he retired prematurely is so much of a massive, ego-driven baby as to hold his team hostage and make a big fucking stink of it. Is this the same Brett Favre that was telling Javon Walker a few years ago that he should shut his mouth, stop yapping about his contract, and think of the team? The Packers have bent every which way possible for their hayseed prima donna and he's still whining like an aggrieved child.

Brett Favre's ballwashers in the press have gotten to his head. He seems to truly believe he can do no wrong and that he's bigger than the team and he gives these "aw shucks I just wanna sling it around on Sunday again, I just love the game that much" horseshit interviews. Well, fuck him. I wish the Packers and especially Aaron Rodgers a great, Favre-free year, and I hope Favre ends up having a shitty season somewhere on a losing team just so he can regain a sense of perspective and get the fuck over himself.

[Mexal]

[quote name='DanteGabriel' post='1463655' date='Jul 31 2008, 10.19']I disagree entirely. Favre put the Packers in a shitty position with his drama queen will-he-or-won't-he act for the last several years. I can understand how he might regret having decided to retire, but not every athlete who thinks he retired prematurely is so much of a massive, ego-driven baby as to hold his team hostage and make a big fucking stink of it. Is this the same Brett Favre that was telling Javon Walker a few years ago that he should shut his mouth, stop yapping about his contract, and think of the team? The Packers have bent every which way possible for their hayseed prima donna and he's still whining like an aggrieved child.

Brett Favre's ballwashers in the press have gotten to his head. He seems to truly believe he can do no wrong and that he's bigger than the team and he gives these "aw shucks I just wanna sling it around on Sunday again, I just love the game that much" horseshit interviews. Well, fuck him. I wish the Packers and especially Aaron Rodgers a great, Favre-free year, and I hope Favre ends up having a shitty season somewhere on a losing team just so he can regain a sense of perspective and get the fuck over himself.[/quote]

Fuck Brett Favre and fuck the Packers. This whole shit takes away from good quality training camp football.

On a side note, if it was me and my team was telling me they wouldn't trade me, wouldn't release me and wouldn't even let me fight for the starting spot even though I was the best chance for the team to win, I would make a big deal out of it too.

[14th Dragon]

[quote name='Slurktan' post='1463594' date='Jul 31 2008, 09.34']I think it's awesome that he turned it down. Makes the Packers brass look like absolute gibbering fools. Seriously why would they ever think he would take that offer? Considering that if he plays out his contract he will make more money than that and thats not counting endorsements and such. Despite Favre's wishy-washyness he looks so much better to the public then these idiots. If they were going to offer him money, why not offer it before there was more news coverage than there is for the Iraq situation around?

I think it's fairly obvious Favre will either be traded to the Vikes or Bears by tomorrow or released outright.[/quote]

That is the thing. If Farve would accept a trade to any other team other then those two, then the deal would be done. If he would accept a trade to Tampa, Carolina, Jets, Miami, then the deal would be done today. The packers would take a condintional 6th rounder at this point from those teams. This is why the situation is so strange.

[Starkess]

[quote name='DanteGabriel' post='1463655' date='Jul 31 2008, 10.19']...Favre's an idiot...[/quote]

:agree:

I'm really sick of the Favre drama. There are actually important things that could be happening in the world right now, like how Bryant is faring in training camp or if Peyton could fall down some stairs and break lots of bones.

[Trebla]

I think the Pack could have done A LOT differently. Ted "I'm the New Bill Parcells/Jerry Krause" Thompson has made a total mess of this. Has Favre been wishy washy. To a point but I believe it's because he's not telling the whole story. Reports have already have come out about the rocky relationship over the last few years...

- Asking management to make runs at players and having token or NO actual attempts being made. Now I wonder if there were ultimatums made to him that he comes back and JUST play quarterback and lets BIG Ted run the team. And before anybody starts saying "well, players should just play" then I guess John Elway, Troy Aikman, and Tom Brady should have kept their yaps shut, too.

-Asking management to keep some key players like guards Marco Rivera and Marck Wahle. Ted assured Brett that they would keep at least one. Both left via free agency the next day.

-Asking management to TALK to Steve Marriuci about the open position a few years ago. Ted said he would talk to Steve but had alread hired Mike McCarthy the day before and did not reveal that.


Now with this all going on, it's turned into an ego war. a polite one, but one nonetheless. First they respct Favre's retirement, then they would welcome him back in "a different role" now they want to PAY him $20 million dollars to stay away. All to avoid facing him the 1st weekend of the season since they are COMMITTED to Aaron Rodgers. Because I do believe he does want to play in Minnesota.

However, note there has yet to have been anything about those tampering charges? I read a Q and A today that suggested that it might have been possible that Green Bay fabricated those charges and a pre-emptive strike to cross Minnesota off Favre's list and to get Goodell involved ASAP in this fiasco. Now THAT would be worthy of losing some draft picks!!!

[Jaxom 1974]

[quote name='Mexal' post='1463668' date='Jul 31 2008, 09.24']Fuck Brett Favre and fuck the Packers. This whole shit takes away from good quality training camp football.

On a side note, if it was me and my team was telling me they wouldn't trade me, wouldn't release me and wouldn't even let me fight for the starting spot even though I was the best chance for the team to win, I would make a big deal out of it too.[/quote]

The only way I'd agree with this completely is if he'd never signed the papers that put him into retirement. If he'd never said he was retiring (forced or no), then he'd be an active player who'd have a legit beef.

That being said, the Packers are dumb. Farve has become a pain in the ass.

There's no way Farve is released by the Packers. If they're forced, they'll send him to Chicago or Minnesota to at least get something in return, minimal though it might be. And they'll take it because they have to. Now, here's hoping that lowly seventh round pick eventually becomes a great star...

[Rhaco]

[quote name='Slurktan' post='1463594' date='Jul 31 2008, 08.34']Despite Favre's wishy-washyness he looks so much better to the public then these idiots.[/quote]
Agreed.

There were no bad guys at first in this whole thing, but the last week or so has seen a decided swing in Favre's favor, IMO.

It was merely ridiculous. Yeah, they're justifiably pretty damned irritated with Favre, but at the end of the day they have one of the best QBs to ever play the game, who is uninjured and coming off one of his best seasons, and they don't want him? They'd rather go with a totally unproven QB? Ridiculous, but merely ridiculous.

Now, though, with the Packers saying if he shows up he'll be restricted to individual drills for the entirety of camp, saying he won't be allowed to compete for the starting job, and even attempting to bribe him to stay away from the game it's gone way beyond ridiculous. It's entered the realm of the disgusting, offensive and insulting. If they don't want him, fine. At least show him the same respect they showed White and others and release him.

This is coming from someone who is in no way, shape or form a Favre fan. I've disliked both him and the Packers since they won the Super Bowl -- one of the linemen was from my hometown and for weeks the downtown was painted green and gold and suddenly everyone was a freaking Packers fan. I took great joy in the Broncos victory the following year.

At this point I really hope Favre ends up with the Vikings, and the Vikings destroy the Packers each and every time they play.

[davos]

Trebla-I can see that interpretation of things. I'm not sure I agree with it. I've been a fan of Favre for as long as he's been with the team but frankly after several years of a several months of retirement drama after the end of each season it started to get old. It must have been even more frustrating for the team management than the fans since they were in the position of having to plan for the future without knowing if their legendary and still great quarterback who also was by far their biggiest salary cap hit was going to be coming back or not. Your left tackle or your free safety quible about retirement, its a problem but one you can work around. Your record setting QB that has been the heart of the team for 17 years quibbles about retirement for extended periods it causes you some rather large problems. So when he retired this spring the team was finally able to move on. I'm sure they would have loved to have him back but at the same time they were finally able to look to the future.

I don't know if we will ever really know the honest story about everything that has gone on between the team and Favre these past few years, particularily this one. Its certainly possible that the team has done some less than honorable things in their dealings with him. I'm certainly not exactly happy with what is publically known with a good degree of certainty to have been done from their end. On the same token I think that Favre has not respected the needs of the team like he should have in handling his end of things. I don't think either party is coming out of this smelling very good.

The media has not exactly helped matters any. They have jumped on every rumor, every subtly of what Favre and various representatives of the Packers organization have said and blown them into major events. They have done everything they can to pump up the level of drama as high as they can and in doing so have made it very hard for the fans to really be able to detangle what is really going on from the hype. So much has been tossed out as having happen and then denied by those involved, so much speculation presented as fact that its difficult, if not impossible to shift through it all for much that one can settle on as real hard truth.

I would love to see Farve play for the packers again. I really would. Last year he was still one of the best quarterbacks in the league and if he feels he can still preform at that level it would be a joy to see him in uniform again. I don't know if thats possible any more. The team had certainly moved on after the retirment announcement, as had many Packer fans. What I do hate seeing is the damage this has caused to one of the most storied team-player relationships in American sports history.

I'm not sure how this will play out. I think the team will do everything in its power to keep Brett from playing for Minnesota or Chicago. Honestlly I think that is not unreasonable of them. Beyond that there are only so many teams that have reasonably good prospects for this coming year that don't already have their quarterback situation resolved. For a team to pick up Favre they would not only need to compensate the Packers but also be willing and able to pay him the kind of salary that is comenserate with who he is. I just don't see a good way out of this that would work reasonably well for both the team and for Favre. Its a sad situation.

[DeliriousEdd]

[quote name='DanteGabriel' post='1463655' date='Jul 31 2008, 09.19']I disagree entirely. Favre put the Packers in a shitty position with his drama queen will-he-or-won't-he act for the last several years. I can understand how he might regret having decided to retire, but not every athlete who thinks he retired prematurely is so much of a massive, ego-driven baby as to hold his team hostage and make a big fucking stink of it. Is this the same Brett Favre that was telling Javon Walker a few years ago that he should shut his mouth, stop yapping about his contract, and think of the team? The Packers have bent every which way possible for their hayseed prima donna and he's still whining like an aggrieved child.

Brett Favre's ballwashers in the press have gotten to his head. He seems to truly believe he can do no wrong and that he's bigger than the team and he gives these "aw shucks I just wanna sling it around on Sunday again, I just love the game that much" horseshit interviews. Well, fuck him. I wish the Packers and especially Aaron Rodgers a great, Favre-free year, and I hope Favre ends up having a shitty season somewhere on a losing team just so he can regain a sense of perspective and get the fuck over himself.[/quote]

That's beautiful work right there. My thoughts exactly. Is that too long to sig?

I wish they'd just send him to the Cardinals and be done with it. I've really tried to cut back on watching Sportscenter the last few weeks but I have one observation: Brett has played for what 26 years or so, can they not find more than just the same 4 clips to play every single time they cover the story?

[Slurktan]

Space Bandito,

Bledsoe was traded inside the division the very next offseason after he lost his starting job due to injury. So you are saying that the Packers should have just traded Favre to the Vikings or Bears earlier?

Dante Gabriel and Delirious Edd,

Favre did put the Packers in a bad situation. They have made it 4000% worse by being complete idiots. They cannot keep him on the team particularly with veterans such as Donald Driver already having said it would be great to have him back and throwing balls. If he comes back, Rodgers will not be on Green Bay in two years guaranteed and then what? They can now either trade Favre for low end picks inside the division or they can release him. They have no other choice because of their idiotic handling of the situation.

14th Dragon,

Favre holds the cards now because the team has tried to buy him off, they know how much shit they are in. Every other team knows it now too. At best you'll get a 5th rounder with maybe an escalation clause but the Packers can't just send him to say the Cardinals, because Favre will refuse to play and the Cardinals will just cut him, which then allows him to sign with Minnesota or Chicago. Thats what will happen with any team that "trades for him" now I'd guess that isn't one of the ones he wants to go to.

[DanteGabriel]

[quote name='Slurktan' post='1464060' date='Jul 31 2008, 13.58']Favre did put the Packers in a bad situation. They have made it 4000% worse by being complete idiots.[/quote]
So what would have been a smart way to handle it? Multiple team executives made pilgrimmages to Mississippi every time it seemed like he was looking for another ego stroke. What other teams do that for their star players? He threw a monkeywrench into their plans anyway. The Packers are being held hostage by the Legend of Brett Favre and his water carriers in the sporting press.

[Slurktan]

[quote name='DanteGabriel' post='1464073' date='Jul 31 2008, 14.07']So what would have been a smart way to handle it? Multiple team executives made pilgrimmages to Mississippi every time it seemed like he was looking for another ego stroke. What other teams do that for their star players? He threw a monkeywrench into their plans anyway. The Packers are being held hostage by the Legend of Brett Favre and his water carriers in the sporting press.[/quote]

Two people did on two seperate trips. One of those trips involved a $20 million dollar "please please please we need you to stay away" offer. Neither trip was done by the GM or the Coach. The GM in fact refused to return calls.

Quite bluntly if you are prepared to make a retarded money offer for a player to stay home do it when he calls to tell you he is thinking about playing again a month and a half before a mess ensues. That would be my first step. Actually no, talking to the player in question would have been.

Edit: Keep in mind this isn't just any player. Has Favre been a wishy washy prick the last few years? Yep. He also had his second or third best year in a unanimous first ballot hall of fame career. He is the player that fans see who brought the Packers back to goodness after 25 years of utter shit.

[DanteGabriel]

[quote name='Slurktan' post='1464083' date='Jul 31 2008, 14.14']Two people did on two seperate trips. One of those trips involved a $20 million dollar "please please please we need you to stay away" offer. Neither trip was done by the GM or the Coach. The GM in fact refused to return calls.

Quite bluntly if you are prepared to make a retarded money offer for a player to stay home do it when he calls to tell you he is thinking about playing again a month and a half before a mess ensues. That would be my first step. Actually no, talking to the player in question would have been.[/quote]
Brett Favre fucked this situation long before that stupid (yes it was stupid) $20 million offer.

Seriously. Pretend you're running the Packers. You've got a first-round pick who you were LUCKY to get that late in the round who's been dutifully holding a clipboard and preparing for this, and has endured the yearly Favre retirement drama admirably. Rodgers has done his job, kept his mouth shut, made all the right noises in public, and by all accounts the Packers are happy with his performance and are ready to hand him the starting job. If Favre yanks the rug out from under him this year, Rodgers (whose contract is up soon) walks from Green Bay as soon a he can and goes to find a team that can give him a legit shot and isn't held prisoner by its retired star.

So Favre retired in March, and you're finally ready to turn the team over to the kid, who's got his whole career in front of him. Favre can give you maybe one or two more good years before you have to scout, draft, and train another replacement QB. Favre's got enough in him to make your life really miserable for a year or two if he ends up with either of your biggest divisional competitors and make your name into a laughingstock of epic proportions. He's fixing to make you this century's version of the guy who traded Babe Ruth. He's also [i]demanding[/i] that you trade him to a contender or release him to do whatever he wants. Strangely enough, he fails to see the irony of his contract demands after bitching out a younger player, not as financially set, who was unsatisfied with his own contract. But Favre has made it clear that he wants to go play for your division rivals because he want to rub your face in how much of a bad-ass he is and how much you need him.

What do you do? How do you resolve this situation that's so much smarter than what the Packers have done?

[Slurktan]

[quote name='DanteGabriel' post='1464089' date='Jul 31 2008, 14.21']Brett Favre fucked this situation long before that stupid (yes it was stupid) $20 million offer.

Seriously. Pretend you're running the Packers. You've got a first-round pick who you were LUCKY to get that late in the round who's been dutifully holding a clipboard and preparing for this, and has endured the yearly Favre retirement drama admirably. Rodgers has done his job, kept his mouth shut, made all the right noises in public, and by all accounts the Packers are happy with his performance and are ready to hand him the starting job. If Favre yanks the rug out from under him this year, Rodgers (whose contract is up soon) walks from Green Bay as soon a he can and goes to find a team that can give him a legit shot and isn't held prisoner by its retired star.

So Favre retired in March, and you're finally ready to turn the team over to the kid, who's got his whole career in front of him. Favre can give you maybe one or two more good years before you have to scout, draft, and train another replacement QB. Favre's got enough in him to make your life really miserable for a year or two if he ends up with either of your biggest divisional competitors and make your name into a laughingstock of epic proportions. He's fixing to make you this century's version of the guy who traded Babe Ruth. He's also [i]demanding[/i] that you trade him to a contender or release him to do whatever he wants. Strangely enough, he fails to see the irony of his contract demands after bitching out a younger player, not as financially set, who was unsatisfied with his own contract. But Favre has made it clear that he wants to go play for your division rivals because he want to rub your face in how much of a bad-ass he is and how much you need him.

What do you do? How do you resolve this situation that's so much smarter than what the Packers have done?[/quote]

You cut him or trade him to Minnesota or Chicago a month and a half ago. Thats how this situation was always going to be resolved given that Favre does want to play again. There are no other choices and they should have collectively got their heads out of their asses. You make yourself and company look like the good guy in a PR move. Or you can make your own organization look absolutely retarded and try and be "tough" as they chose to.

This isn't the Eagles and Terrell Owens, or the Bengals this year with Chad Johnson. This is Brett Favre. Whether you in particular want to admit it or not Dante Gabriel, there is a huge fucking difference there.

[Trebla]

[quote name='DanteGabriel' post='1464089' date='Jul 31 2008, 13.21']Brett Favre fucked this situation long before that stupid (yes it was stupid) $20 million offer.

Seriously. Pretend you're running the Packers. You've got a first-round pick who you were LUCKY to get that late in the round who's been dutifully holding a clipboard and preparing for this, and has endured the yearly Favre retirement drama admirably. Rodgers has done his job, kept his mouth shut, made all the right noises in public, and by all accounts the Packers are happy with his performance and are ready to hand him the starting job. If Favre yanks the rug out from under him this year, Rodgers (whose contract is up soon) walks from Green Bay as soon a he can and goes to find a team that can give him a legit shot and isn't held prisoner by its retired star.

So Favre retired in March, and you're finally ready to turn the team over to the kid, who's got his whole career in front of him. Favre can give you maybe one or two more good years before you have to scout, draft, and train another replacement QB. Favre's got enough in him to make your life really miserable for a year or two if he ends up with either of your biggest divisional competitors and make your name into a laughingstock of epic proportions. He's fixing to make you this century's version of the guy who traded Babe Ruth. He's also [i]demanding[/i] that you trade him to a contender or release him to do whatever he wants. Strangely enough, he fails to see the irony of his contract demands after bitching out a younger player, not as financially set, who was unsatisfied with his own contract. But Favre has made it clear that he wants to go play for your division rivals because he want to rub your face in how much of a bad-ass he is and how much you need him.

What do you do? How do you resolve this situation that's so much smarter than what the Packers have done?[/quote]


yeah because those 1st round draft choices ALWAYS pan out. Rodgers is automatically going to be a star. And do you know how long QB's like Danny White, Mark Rypien, hell even Steve Young sat? While on the other hand, you have the guy who carried the team on his back weanting to come back. Bah to those who say, "well if you do it for him you'll have to do it for KGB or Donald Driver". There is no comparison. There are good players and there are HOF players.

and im no BALLWASHER. Ive rooted for Favre's cheesy pummeling for years. Im a Dallas Cowboys fan. He is one of the great enemies. And I sure as HELL don't want to see him throwing screens to Adrian Petersen in Minnesota ( I have nightmares of the ones he used to throw to Dorsey Levens) but I'm just calling it like I'm seeing it. Packer management is handling it like the Bulls manaegement pushed out Jordan and Pippen. They want to prove they are BIGGER than Favre and can win without him.

Fine...let him go and prove it. Quit yanking his chain.

[DanteGabriel]

[quote name='Slurktan' post='1464111' date='Jul 31 2008, 14.32']You cut him or trade him to Minnesota or Chicago a month and a half ago. Thats how this situation was always going to be resolved given that Favre does want to play again. There are no other choices and they should have collectively got their heads out of their asses. You make yourself and company look like the good guy in a PR move. Or you can make your own organization look absolutely retarded and try and be "tough" as they chose to.[/quote]
And if the team had simply acquiesced with his demands, how popular do you think Packers management would be with their shareholders for trading Favre to their division rivals? If Favre's last good year leads the Vikings to a division title and a deep march into the playoffs, how many effigies of Ted Thompson would be burned in the streets of Green Bay? How much of a rift does that cause in the Green Bay locker room? How bad does it get for Aaron Rodgers, the guy they "dumped" Favre for?

[quote name='Slurktan' post='1464111' date='Jul 31 2008, 14.32']This isn't the Eagles and Terrell Owens, or the Bengals this year with Chad Johnson. This is Brett Favre. Whether you in particular want to admit it or not Dante Gabriel, there is a huge fucking difference there.[/quote]
There's a difference, all right, but where is the line? How "legendary" does a player have to be to get the kind of unreasoning devotion that Favre seems to demand? How many touchdowns do you have to throw before it becomes okay to spend four or five years causing drama with your retirement watch, tearfully retire, and then unretire with a demand to be released to your division rivals?