Sports Commentary
By now, you’re sick and tired of this Brett Favre business. You’ve had it up to here with Brett-said, Ted-said. You couldn’t care less whether Favre plays again or rides off into a Mississippi sunset on his trusty tractor.
When Brett Favre tearfully announced his retirement in March, speculation began that it wasn't really the end. The doubters might be right, as the future Hall of Famer seems to be itching to continue his great career.
Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images
Favre began his career in Atlanta, drafted in the second round in the 1991 NFL Draft. He was then traded to Green Bay in 1992 for a first-round draft choice.
Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images
Favre has started every game for the Packers since September 27, 1992, a string of 275 games including the playoffs. He shattered the old mark of 116, held by Ron Jaworski.
Tom G. Lynn, Time Life Pictures / Getty Images
Favre was named NFL MVP in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and remains the only three-time winner of the award.
Jed Jacobsohn, Allsport / Getty Images
The highlight of Favre's career was a win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI, where the Packers ended a 29-year title drought with the win.
Doug Mills, AP
Favre and the Packers returned to the Super Bowl the following year, but couldn't repeat as Denver beat Green Bay 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII.
Doug Mills, AP
One day after the death of his father in 2003, Favre threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns as the Packers demolished the Raiders 41-7 in a rout on 'Monday Night Football.'
Jim Gund, Getty Images
On September 23, Favre tied Dan Marino's mark of 420 career touchdown passes with a pass to Greg Jennings. The veteran broke that record a week later against Minnesota.
Allen Fredrickson, Reuters
After two sub-par seasons and a media push for his retirement, Favre rebounded in the 2007 season for one of his best seasons. That led to Sports Illustrated selecting him as Sportsman of the Year.
Sports Illustrated / AP
Favre led the Packers to the NFC Championship Game in January, but he did not play well in a loss to the Giants. It turns out that might not be his final game.
Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images
Fine. I hear you. It’s getting old rehashing the rhetoric and soaking in the spin. So let’s not go there anymore. Let’s take Favre out of the equation. Let’s move on, like the Packers want to do.
Or not.
Quick, Packer Nation, while there still may be time: Bring back Brett!
The problem with life after a Hall of Fame quarterback is that it’s seldom as pleasant as life with him. And the irony is, if any team should know, it’s the Packers.
Does anyone remember how wretched they were before Favre put the franchise back on the map? Their general manager, Ted Thompson, apparently doesn’t, so let me refresh his memory.
Another Hall of Fame quarterback, Bart Starr, retired before the 1972 season. In the 20 years that followed before Favre’s arrival, the Packers had four winning seasons. Four. In one five-year stretch, they finished 5-7-2, 6-8, 4-10, 5-9 and 4-10. In another five-year span, they finished 4-12, 5-9-1, 4-12, 10-6 and 6-10.
No, you haven’t stumbled across the Tampa Bay Bucs’ team page. That’s how sorry the Packers were in the post-Starr era. They couldn’t find a quarterback who could sustain any success, so they did the next-best thing: They hired Starr as head coach. Trouble was, he was too old to take any snaps.
When it comes to replacing Hall of Fame quarterbacks, the Packers’ experience is more the rule than the exception. Several other teams have struggled for years, if not decades, after losing icon QBs.
Take the case of the Kansas City Chiefs. Hall of Famer Len Dawson retired after the 1975 season. In the next five years, the Chiefs reeled off records of 5-9, 2-12, 4-12, 7-9 and 8-8. More than 25 years have passed since those days and still the Chiefs haven’t found a long-term solution to their quarterback problem.
They’ve tried everything. They’ve tried trades (Trent Green and Joe Montana), aging superstars (Montana and Warren Moon), stopgaps (Damon Huard and Dave Krieg) and draft choices (Todd Blackledge and Brodie Croyle). They even tried Elvis (Grbac). Each either failed to find success or didn’t stick around long enough to sustain it.
Or how about the Miami Dolphins? Talk about musical quarterbacks. They’ve had 11 different starters since Dan Marino’s retirement after the 1999 season. The best of the bunch? Green, the Chiefs’ best quarterback of the post-Dawson era, who was damaged goods by the time he arrived in Miami. Same with Daunte Culpepper.
The San Diego Chargers don’t have any issues at quarterback. Their starter, Philip Rivers, could be on the verge of stardom. Trouble is, it took them almost 20 years to find him. The Chargers after Hall of Famer Dan Fouts’ retirement went through quarterbacks like A-Rod goes through hanging curveballs.
The names Stan Humphries and Babe Laufenberg ring a bell? Or how about Jim McMahon or John Friesz or Mark Malone? The Bolts tried them all and many more after Fouts walked away, but none got it done.
Marino, of course, was a member of the storied Quarterback Class of ’83. So were two other Hall of Famers, John Elway and Jim Kelly. Have you noticed what has happened to their teams since they left? The Buffalo Bills have tried everyone from Doug Flutie to Drew Bledsoe to J.P. Losman, but still haven’t found a long-term answer at quarterback.
The Denver Broncos? They had won back-to-back Super Bowls when Elway retired after the 1998 season. They’ve had one playoff win since then, putting Mike Shanahan’s own Hall of Fame candidacy in question.
Shanahan hasn’t been able to win the big one, or many smaller ones, since Elway retired. And the Packers aren’t going to skip a beat with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback instead of Favre? They may think they’re not going to miss Favre, but history couldn’t disagree more.
Here’s the thing about Hall of Fame quarterbacks: They lull teams into a false sense of security. They make front offices and coaching staffs and fan bases believe they can be just as successful without them as they were with them. Trouble is, it was the Hall of Fame quarterback who was most responsible for that success. And when he’s gone, it’s virtually impossible to duplicate it until the next star quarterback arrives.
Which brings us back to Favre’s spat with the Packers’ front office. Memo to Packer fans near and far who wish Favre would just go away: Be careful what you ask for.
MAILBAG
Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dontmissjim@aol.com. A few random excerpts from recent e-mails ...
Jim, Calling the U.S. Olympic hoops team Phi Slama Uncle Sama? That’s why readers love you, Jim. You are atop the sports writers food chain.
— Dan Merlin,
COCOA, FL
Actually, I’m third behind Rick Reilly and Rick Reilly’s bartender.
Your ID won the 1,000,000.00 GBP from the annual draw. Contact lindahills.hills69@googlemail.com for details.
— goldiep@on.aibn.com
Great. I won 1,000,000.00 GBP. How many gallons of gas will that buy me?
Jim Armstrong, I’ve been waiting for you to come back on Around the Horn and explain why you haven’t admitted you were wrong about the Celtics being no match for the Lakers. When do you plan on admitting you were wrong?
— matthewsj7@aol.com
Either the 11th or the 12th of Never. I haven’t decided yet. As for my latest fearless prediction, we’ll have a new president next year and the First Lady will change the wallpaper in the White House.
Jim, As a former resident of Milwaukee, I couldn’t agree with you more. CC Sabathia should put down roots and forget Chicago, New York or L.A. Great town, great people.
— CGBEHYMER@aol.com
And great brats. Who knew sausage could be an art form?
Great article on Javon Walker. It sends a much needed message. When will athletes and people in general wake up! This is an insane world.
— CMGINC49@aol.com
And it becomes even more insane when it’s 2 in the morning and champagne is flying around the room.
If Walker were a white athlete, would you have written as you wrote about him in your column?
— Odezni@aol.com
Yes, and thanks for asking.
Gas prices getting you down?
— CBP
No, I love stopping at the pump and dropping my daughter’s college fund. You figure I could talk her into a nice technical school?
Hi Jim, So what does the NL in N.L. West stand for? Ninety losses.
— honey1994@aol.com
Only 90 losses? At the rate those teams are going, that could win the division.
Jim Armstrong is a sports columnist for The Denver Post.
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