One of my favorite things about running a blog is that it's a great chance to go back and forth with others about our differing opinions, on something we both follow. Normally, when people do attack my opinions or believes, I respond in kind within the comments of an original post. It's something I encourage, and dealing with differing opinions is something I can take, unlike some people. But I thought I'd give my response to 'antonio' it's own post.Here's what I said in this week's Bucky Five:
Oh, Aaron. I still love you. Actually, Rodgers didn't even play that bad. He threw for almost 300 yards, and didn't turn the ball over. But not all of his passes were on target, and his only touchdown was on a one yard sneak that was for the most part uncontested. He didn't look like the same quarterback that he was in the previous two games, and he struggled when he had to rollout to his left.
I then went on to say if the Packers did still have Favre, the Packers would more likely be 1-2 right now than 2-1. What I failed to say is that where Rodgers took some sacks, Favre would have likely heaved those up for interceptions. I only say this because that is what we've seen before. Here's antonio's reply:
Um, did you you see the same game I did? Rodgers was consistently overthrowing receivers basically the entire 2nd half. That "almost 300 yards" came in at garbage time.
Did Favre not sign an autograph of yours or something? You do not know how Favre would look with the receivers on this team vs. who the Jets have. Oh, actually you do, career best year last year. You just want him to suck, so, bad. Every post is the same. Rodgers is great, Favre sucks...blah, blah, blah. Sixteen years he fought his a-- off for the team. Keep drinking the kool-aid, Winks, it will sustain you through the Neil O'Donnell era here.
Pretty strong words from a guy who I'm guessing was either wearing a Favre Jets jersey or a Brett the Jet shirt at the time. Pretty strong words from a guy who's likely to be that annoying fan at your favorite bar tonight every time the cameras land on Brett Favre.
To respond, you're damn right I'm drinking the Kool-Aid on the Aaron Rodgers era. But it's not because I blindly following whatever Ted Thompson does, it's because I honestly feel Rodgers is a very capable, and very good quarterback in the league.
If you've watched the same games that I've had, there's no doubting that Rodgers was near flawless in his first two games, but did struggle against a tougher defense on Monday night. I have all the confidence in the world in Aaron Rodgers, and judging my his poise, his confidence, and his play, there is no one else I'd rather have following the footsteps of Brett Favre.
As for Brett Favre, I will admit that I am rooting against him. I'm sorry, I don't want him to make the playoffs, even if it gives the Packers a better draft pick. I want Favre to go to New York and realized he made a mistake, and then come back to Green Bay and be welcomed with open arms when the Packers invite all the alumni back like they did last night.
Why do I feel this way? It's quite simple, Favre held the Packers hostage year after year, and eventually became bigger than the team. At some point, as it is with any relationship, you have to decide if the negatives outweigh the positives. In this case, Ted felt like Favre's melodrama was becoming a distraction, and therefore shipped him out of town to the Jets.
Yes, he did work his ass off for this team for 16 years, but that doesn't give you immunity to do anything you want to in this league. That's the most absurd argument I've heard through this entire thing. As a general manager, you do whatever you can for your team to put them into a position to win. In this case, that was promoting Aaron Rodgers to be the Packers starter. So far, I'd say it hasn't been a bad move at all.
And to answer your question, I met Brett Favre when I was twelve years old. Not only did he sign an autograph for me, he signed two of them (you were only supposed to get one, but I wanted one for my brother). He was very nice and gracious, and I'll always look at my one-time hero in a positive light.
With the exception of this year, of course.
(p.s. Neil O'Donnell's career stats include a Pro Bowl selection, a Super Bowl appearance, and the lowest interception percentage in the history of the league. Just saying.)
6 comments:
at first i was not going to respond in the comments to antonio. then i was just going to point out neil o'donnel's career passer rating of 81.8, which isn't bad.
now that you've made a new post about that comment, im just going to point out that even if favre is better than rodgers this year and next (which he isnt), rodgers is young as hell, so i would gladly take a slight drop off for a couple years when i know this guys going to be around a helluva lot longer (and has yet to try and play gm!).
you always hear that football is a business. well this is a business move. thanks for what you've done, favre, besides not doing anything meaningful in the playoffs since 97, but its time in the best interest of the packers to move the fuck on.
these idiot fans need to stop drinking greta van susterans kool aid.
and antonio was bitching about rodgers yards not mattering...
Ok, I came on a little strong in my first comment here apparently, and touched a lot of nerves. I know that this is an obviously contentious issue and that I have never commented on this blog before. I am honestly not trying to be a troll and apologize for the length of the following.
Let's say that your theory is correct. He was a terrible cancer in the locker room and there was much gnashing of teeth and pain besides TT's ego. Why not just let him go? If Favre was not good enough to even compete for the Pack, but too good to play for the Vikes, it seems contradictory. The $20 mil. bribe to stay retired? Really. It never seemed that Favre had an issue with his teammates, though. Confusing.
Philly doesn't show half the rancor for T.O. that some packer fans have for Favre and those fans(Eagles) are total douches. Why? We are not even ever going to be playing the Jets when Favre is there. Why so serious? Every single post regarding the Packers on this here blog references Favre in some way. All negative. "The Pack did this....Favre sucks because he did this and he is a drama queen...." What? I read this blog several times daily and enjoy it for the fact that it is well written and quite informative for Wisconsin sports. If Rodgers is who you love and root for, Favre should not concern you. At all. He does not me as a fellow Packer fan. It is over, he is gone, you guys won. I am resigned to Rogers and wherever we go with him. It just seems you really, really want to reassure and reinforce to yourself that yes, the right decision was made, and it doesn't backfire. Subsequently it seems you must denigrate Favre at every opportunity.
I love the Packers. I really do. I hope that AR is the answer (God this is long). But coronating him after having him play two teams that had, in their pass defenses, admittedly a J.V. team at best is hardly resounding in it's success. While I will readily admit the Dallas game was lost by both line units AR only had 160 yards passing until it was out of reach. The Neil O'Donnell reference in accordance with AR seems that he holds onto the ball way too long, especially in the red zone. That is so.....effecient. Just do something, we have great weapons. Unfortunately that results in a lot of sacks and field goals rather than touchdowns. Exciting. But you know that usually does not win games.
So yeah, you are all real Packer fans, as the definition of that is obviously, my country right or wrong. And I guess that makes me a Favre fan and a traitor, because I want the best team on the field possible. No, you cannot compare the roster of the Jets to that of the Pack. You just can't. I believe in this league with a hard cap there is only a small window in which an exceptionally talented team is allowed to stay together. Which is why this makes it sadder. Do you people really believe (yes, even the genius who called me a choad, brilliant btw) that Ron Wolf would not have found some way to make this somehow work out? To have Favre continue to be here and not signal to him for the last three years that he was not welcome. I don't know, I guess I like my G.M.'s with a little less Jerry Krause in them. You know, the kind that don't turn it into their own little drama sessions fed by an unwarranted ego.
So yes I believe Favre earned the right to come back, or as you put it so subtly, hold the team hostage. I just don't believe AR is the better QB yet and that is what should matter, not emotional sentiments of being shunned for prom by the star QB once again, sigh.
But again, let me profess that I love this blog. Other than your horrible weekly picks :). I love that someone has the joy and work ethic to keep doing it every day and causes jackasses and choads like me to read and find something interesting enough to comment on. I am a lurker and as you see I would not have a life for a Job, Fiance', or any Friends as I would spend all of my time writing War and Peace on Regional blogs. Except much more rambling and disjointed than Tolstoy.
/Dick Joke/
Oh yeah, one more thing. To wish horrible luck and or injury? Man, thats just cold........
Antonio, the first thing you should know in any of this is it's because of people like you that I write this blog.
I have my opinions, and while I agree, some of them are a little extreme ( I don't want Favre to actually be injured, but I am rooting against him), they are my opinions. If everyone that read this blog agreed with me, it would be no fun. It's discussions like this that make writing worthwhile, and I appreciate every visit of you give us here at The Bucky Channel.
Both sides have their points, both in the Favre camp, in the Rodgers camp, even those undecided. And while I responded to your comment with it's own post, I did so just to re-confirm my opinion, not to personally attack you in anyway.
I appreciate your comments today, and I hope you continue to be an active reader, and commentor, to this blog.
That being said Favre looked pretty bad tonight!
So many people are just so quick to say TT's ego this and ego that, and maybe he has an ego... good! He should. He's a helluva GM and has built an excellent young team.
Along those same lines, Packer fans are too quick to ignore Favre's ego. Once he retired he knew the tough spot he was putting us in if he would come back. That said, we were willing to take him back early on, but when he finally decided he for sure wanted back there really was no going back without losing Rodgers for good--and Rodgers will be a good QB for a long time in this league.
Bottom line is a lot of the anti Favre sentiment isn't even toward Favre, although he tried to play GM often and burned every bridge on his way out of Green Bay, but it's toward the fans who are ignorantly calling for Thompson's head because the QB that took us to a Super Bowl 11 years ago is old.
Thompson's the reigning GM of the year for a reason, so lets just let this thing play out and see that TT was right to stick with Rodgers in the end.
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