6/19/2009

Why I Still Love Brett Favre

It's been a long time...but I'm back! At least for this post. I think it is very important. It probably isn't but I don't care. I want to write about Brett Favre. Obviously, as this blog is called "Rooting 4 Favre...." I am a fan of Favre. But many Packers fans are turning away from him in this time of "disloyalty" by our #1 guy (or #4). Before I begin, I have to admit this was inspired by a paragraph written by my favorite writer and blogger Joe Posnanski. The paragraph is as follows...
So how about this: Brett Favre does indeed seem to be leaning toward playing for the Minnesota Vikings. I know that most people who study the situation believe Favre to be an attention hog … someone who desperately longs for the spotlight, which is why he keep retiring and unretiring, keeps saying he’s done with football and then keeps (very publicly) getting back in. I don’t know enough about Favre or the situation to disagree entirely: But I do think it’s at least possible that that guy is just splashing around for answers. I think it’s possible that he WANTS to retire, leave the stage with dignity, but he also WANTS to play and cannot even stand to think of a fall without pro football. And because he’s BRETT FAVRE it turns into these intolerable public free-for-alls.

And this got me thinking...Now I want to start by saying that I never turned my back on Brett. When he was in limbo about coming back after he retired (the first time) I supported him and I was pissed at the Packers organization for not wanting him on the team. I mean there was no reason to not let the guy keep playing the game he loves, for the team he loved, for the fans he loved...When he went to the Jets, I stayed true to him. I bought a Jets cap and wore it. But I was still a Packers fan. I learned from Lions fans that it IS possible to love a team and hate the management - I figured if they can do it, certainly I can! And of course it was disappointing to see him struggle in the later part of the season. I want him to stay retired now, just as I wanted it a year ago. But this time, it's different. He wants to come back and play for the VIKINGS. Of all teams, the one that, at my age, is my most hated team. I certainly will NOT go out and buy a Vikings cap! And I will not root for Favre if he plays for them. In fact, I probably will not watch a game of football because that's not the way I want to remember it. I don't want to sound like I agree with every little thing this guy says, but another quote from Posnanski sums up how I feel about Favre's return.
“Until they tear the uniform off my back.” Funny, we tend to admire people who say that, but we don’t REALLY admire people who stick around until someone comes to tear the uniform off their back. Think about Brett Favre. How many times have you thought in the last couple of years, “Damn, Brett, walk away already. Geez, this is getting embarrassing. You’re ruining your legacy.” And yet, isn’t this EXACTLY what made Brett Favre in the first place? His whole game was built around his passion for football, his love for competition, the fact that he really was an overgrown kid, the high school quarterback who never quite grew up. Well, why would that go away just because he got old? How can we blame Brett Favre for being Brett Favre?

Okay, so basically I love Favre and won't let anything get in the way of that. Now back to the original quote...

This quote really struck me because all along I've thought that the Favre drama was not entirely Favre's fault but a lot of it was brought on by him. The constant waffling and limited media interviews left me in shock. Most of the time I would think that the media would overanalyze a situation and exaggerate but then it would come true a day or two later and I just couldn't believe it. But I really started to think about things more after I read that quote.
Imagine this: July 2008. Media reports Brett Favre is considering a comeback. We hear nothing else until August when, suddenly, the Packers trade Favre to the Jets. Why? Who cares? The Packers got ripped off! Ted Thompson is an idiot! Why would he keep a guy who never started a game over a 3-time MVP/career TD leader/best QB ever? Doesn't make sense. Media can't make sense of it either. But they don't delve down into it. The story is set that the Packers just thought Favre was too old and didn't want him but Favre being Favre still wanted to play. So they traded him. That's it. Nothing about Favre wanting revenge at Thompson. Nobody knows Thompson and McCarthy basically pushed Favre out. None of that is known to the public....

...But it is. Why? Because the media forced us to endure an ENTIRE summer of Favre drama. Every day it was something new. It's like the reporters got million dollar bonuses for new information regarding Favre. They worked their asses off to get us the latest updates. Because they were infatuated with the player and person that is Brett Favre, they (the media) NEVER got sick of reporting. They were fascinated by the whole thing. Of course, as the public, we all got sick after about 30 seconds. But that wasn't Favre's fault. It's not his fault that the way he played gathered so much media attention and love that his every move is tracked more in depth than the government has tracked Osama bin Laden. Let's face it, if bin Laden was Favre, we'd have caught him September 12, 2001.

Why was it Favre's fault he was cricized for taking his time to decide his return year after year? The Packers didn't give him a timetable! I know me, and I know a lot of people are like me. If you have a paper due but the instructor didn't give you a due date, you DON'T DO IT until a deadline is set. So Favre, being like most of us would, took all the time they would give him.

Why was it Favre's fault that he was shunned by Thompson and the Packers organization? He was the greatest quarterback in franchise history! Certainly he should not have to battle for the starting spot. Was this not the same quarterback who led his team to overtime in the NFC Championship game the year before?

Why was it Favre's fault that he was criticized, as Joe Posnanski puts it, for wanting to play until we rip the jersey off his back? It's the same reason he's always played the game. He isn't trying to add to or destroy his legacy. He doesn't care. He just wants to have fun like the rest of us.

Why is it Favre's fault that Packers fans are now questioning if they can remain loyal as he ponders a return to the Vikings? I realize that he may want to "stick it" to Ted. But after a whole year? That just sounds un-Favre-ish. Maybe he does though, I'm not one to say. Even so, he's already come out and said that the Vikings are the only team that are interested. I don't know about anyone else, but if there was something I loved SO MUCH that being away from it is as hard as it seems it is for Favre, and I was offered a chance to stick with it even if let a few people down, I would probably choose to come back. I really can't blame him.

I can, however, blame the media. They have blown this entire situation so far out of proportion that I really have become more upset at them than at Ted Thompson - which says A LOT. The thing is, they have taken a man and an athlete that was one of the most lovable characters in the sport, and turned him into somebody that everybody loves to hate. All because they loved him so much to begin with! Doesn't make much sense to me why you would destroy the character and integrity of somebody who did absolutely nothing wrong -somebody who was held on a level above all others by many who follow the sport. And that, more than anything else angers me.

So go ahead Brett. Come back. Why not? You love the sport. You love the game. It really isn't your fault if fans choose to hate you because you don the purple and yellow. You can rest assured that you will always have at least one loyal fan who cares enough to write a meaningless blog post to nobody about how much I will forever love you...

9/19/2008

N8Dogg's Week 3 Power Rankings

2008 NFL Season
LW = Last Week

The Elite:
1. (1 - LW) Dallas Cowboys (2-0)
2. (2) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0)
3. (3) New York Giants (2-0)
4. (4) New England Patriots (2-0)
5. (6) Green Bay Packers (2-0)
6. (5) Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)
7. (7) Tennessee Titans (2-0)
8. (9) Buffalo Bills (2-0)
9. (11) Carolina Panthers (2-0)
10. (14) Denver Broncos (2-0)
Not much changes up here. Dallas maintains first with a great win over Philly. They are tested again Sunday vs Green Bay so if they get out of this mess 3-0, they more than deserve the top spot. The Patriots are still 4th after another win. They play Miami so 2-1 is unlikely for the Pats, but week 4 comes a tough matchup with Indianapolis. The Eagles are still elite, when 2 top teams play, one has to lose. And besides Arizona and Baltimore, that does it for undefeated teams. Baltimore, of course, having played just one game is still untested, and how hard is it to beat Miami and San Francisco? That's why neither deserves elite status...

The Hopefuls:
11. (15) Indianapolis Colts (1-1)
12. (18) Arizona Cardinals (2-0)
13.
(8) New Orleans Saints (1-1)
14.
(10) Chicago Bears (1-1)
15. (17) Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
16. (12) San Diego Chargers (0-2)
17. (13) New York Jets (1-1)
18. (20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)
19. (24) Washington Redskins (1-1)
20. (16) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)
21. (19) Minnesota Vikings (0-2)
22. (23) Atlanta Falcons (1-1)
It's safe to say that Indianapolis is more than just a "hopeful," but i can only put 10 in the top 10. The game against Minnesota should be the turning point of their season and get them back up to the top 5. Is it safe to say that San Diego is the unluckiest team in the league? Is it even arguable? Ed Hochuli may have knocked out both the Chargers and himself from the playoffs with one call. But moving on...When I got to the 20's I tried to convince myself to extend the Wannabes section because all these teams suck, but I decided against it. Maybe I'll regret it later. Maybe it's the Hochuli call of my power ranking season. Ok, thats enough, I have to stop...

The Wannabes:
23. (30) San Francisco (1-1)
24. (22) Cleveland Browns (0-2)
25. (31) Oakland Raiders (1-1)
26. (21) Seattle Seahawks (0-2)
27. (25) Houston Texans (0-1)
28. (26) Cincinnati Bengals (0-2)
29. (27) Miami Dolphins (0-2)
30. (28) Detroit Lions (0-2)
31. (29) Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)
32. (32) St. Louis Rams (0-2)
Can the season get any worse for Seattle? So many receivers are injured that Hasselbeck is throwing to his linemen. I feel bad for the refs always having to announce which men report eligible... So that whole "preseason doesn't matter" thing? Well if you don't belive Robert Green, perhaps you can invite Rod Marinelli over for dinner. By the way, this year's Kitna-meter: 0 wins.

Steepest Climb: 7 - San Francisco (30 to 23)
Furthest Fall: 5 - New Orleans (8 to 13) and Seattle (21 to 26)

9/12/2008

N8Dogg's Week 2 Power Rankings

2008 NFL Season
LW = Last Week

The Elite:
1. (3 - LW) Dallas Cowboys (1-0)
2. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
3. (10) New York Giants (1-0)
4. (1) New England Patriots (1-0)
5. (9) Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
6. (8) Green Bay Packers (1-0)
7. (13) Tennessee Titans (1-0)
8. (14) New Orleans Saints (1-0)
9. (19) Buffalo Bills (1-0)
10. (25) Chicago Bears (1-0)
Whew! What a wild week 1. Brady out. Merriman out. And only 2 of last week's top 5 remain on the throne. The Cowboys take over number one because they are healthy and completely dominated last week. The Steelers are now the team to beat in the AFC. The Giants finally pass the team they beat in the Super Bowl because, lets face it, without Brady the Patriots, well, they are beatable. They still have a GREAT team and just like how the Packers get by without Favre, the Pats can get by without Brady. The Eagles round out the top 5 meaning the teams to beat this year come from the NFC East, the Beast. The Packers sit at 6 after a convincing win. The Bills and Bears both make the top 10 due to a complete manhandling of elite teams in week 1.

The Hopefuls:
11. (17) Carolina Panthers (1-0)
12. (2) San Diego Chargers (0-1)
13. (18) New York Jets (1-0)
14. (22) Denver Broncos (1-0)
15. (5) Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
16. (4) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
17. (26) Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
18. (21) Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
19. (11) Minnesota Vikings (0-1)
20. (12) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)
21. (7) Seattle Seahawks (0-1)
22. (15) Cleveland Browns (0-1)
This part is such a muddled mess. Carolina squeaks over San Diego because, hey, they beat them! Who knows who will stay here next week, it could be just as jumbled if not worse. The Colts are above the Jags even though last week I had them opposite. Jacksonville looked bad and Indy looked, well, not terrible at least. Any of these teams could fit in front or behind any other team in the middle here. So it's really just a crapshoot which teams I put where... almost.

The Wannabes:
23. (32) Atlanta Falcons (1-0)
24. (16) Washington Redskins (0-1)
25. (20) Houston Texans (0-1)
26. (24) Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)
27. (29) Miami Dolphins (0-1)
28. (23) Detroit Lions (0-1)
29. (30) Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
30. (27) San Francisco 49ers (0-1)
31. (28) Oakland Raiders (0-1)
32. (31) St. Louis Rams (0-1)
A winning team in the Wannabes!? Yeah, the Falcons...does anyone really think they are for real? I mean they beat Detroit... Other than that, not many surprises here. All the bad teams lost. Go figure. Did you notice that Kansas City rose? (no) Would you have noticed if they had beat New England? (oh yes!) I mean, Miami rose too, but they almost beat the Bretts. I mean Jets...

Steepest Climb: 15 - Chicago (25 to 10)
Furthest Fall: 14 - Seattle (21 to 7)

9/05/2008

N8Dogg's Week 1 Power Rankings

2008 NFL Season
*week 1 rankings reflect those made on 9/3/2008 before any NFL games were played

The Elite:
1. New England (0-0)
2. San Diego (0-0)
3. Dallas (0-0)
4. Jacksonville (0-0)
5. Indianapolis (0-0)
6. Pittsburgh (0-0)
7. Seattle (0-0)
8. Green Bay (0-0)
9. Philadelphia (0-0)
10. NY Giants (0-0)
I always hate doing the rankings in the first 4 weeks or so. They get so jumbled and the final result is so different. But it's still fun so here they are! New England is still #1. If you go back and replay the Super Bowl over and over, the Pats would win the next 2,000 times. There is no way the Giants win that game again. Therefore, the Patriots are still the best. This s finally the year that Jacksonville overtakes Indy. Indy has a lot of injuries. They did last year too, but this year it bites them. Green Bay is still a playoff team. Brett Favre did a LOT last year, but he had way too much help for the Packers to not come out strong again.

The Hopefuls:
11. Minnesota (0-0)
12. Tampa Bay (0-0)
13. Tennessee (0-0)
14. New Orleans (0-0)
15. Cleveland (0-0)
16. Washington (0-0)
17. Carolina (0-0)
18. NY Jets (0-0)
19. Buffalo (0-0)
20. Houston (0-0)
21. Arizona (0-0)
22. Denver (0-0)
Usually the talent level of this section drops off around 16 or 17. But this is the beginning of the year, and any of these teams can find themselves in the elite this season. Some too will fall to the wannabes. I can too easily see Minnesota in the top 5 if AP stays healthy and they sort out trouble at QB. New Orleans is a team to watch as well as the Jets. Both have top NFL quarterbacks and both of those guys can and have performed greatly. I want to bring up Houston. They will (probably) take last in their division, but they are not a bad team. They can't beat Indy, Jacksonville and Tennessee, however.

The Wannabes:
23. Detroit (0-0)
24. Cincinnati (0-0)
25. Chicago (0-0)
26. Baltimore (0-0)
27. San Francisco (0-0)
28. Oakland (0-0)
29. Miami (0-0)
30. Kansas City (0-0)
31. St. Louis (0-0)
32. Atlanta (0-0)
This part is the hardest for me. I probably relied on last year too much when ranking these teams. Someone will step up and most of these teams should rise at least a bit by the end of the year. I noticed that a big problem for the wannabes is lack of quarterbacks. The top 10 has guys like Brady, Romo, Manning(x2), Hasselbeck, etc. You know, top tier QBs. But the bottom here finds guys like Orton, Flacco, O'Sullivan, Russell, Pennington, Croyle, Ryan, etc. You know, Guys who suck, or at least are unproven. Teams like Kansas City or Atlanta are in rebuilding years and a rise would be surprising if not improbable. One team to watch here is St. Louis. With a healthier team and a new contract for Steven Jackson, they might manage a few more than 3 wins!

I made picks but I won't have them posted for this week. Look for them coming in week 2!

7/15/2008

On Pace: All-Star Break

If all teams keep up their current pace, this is what the season will pan out to look like:

Current Standings

American League
East
Boston* - 96-66
Tampa Bay* - 92-70
New York - 85-77
Toronto - 82-80
Baltimore - 79-83

Central
Chicago* - 94-68
Minnesota - 88-74
Detroit - 81-81
Cleveland - 76-86
Kansas City - 72-90

West
Los Angeles* - 92-70
Oakland - 90-72
Texas - 82-80
Seattle - 66-96


National League
East
Philadelphia* - 90-72
New York - 87-75
Florida - 82-80
Atlanta - 81-81
Washington - 61-101

Central
Chicago* - 98-64
St. Louis* - 88-74
Milwaukee - 86-76
Cincinnati - 75-87
Houston - 74-88
Pittsburgh - 74-88

West
Arizona* - 81-81
Los Angeles - 80-82
San Francisco - 69-93
Colorado - 66-96
San Diego - 64-98

* Denotes Playoff Teams
^Wins may not total 2430 (30*162/2) due to rounding
^^Projections based on current record as well as Bill James' Pythagorean Expectation

6/23/2008

Eric Gagne Reluctantly Changes His Walk Out Music

For a while, Eric Gagne had used "Game Over" by Lil Flip as his walk out song when he came in to close. That was back when he was lights out with the Dodgers and every time he came in, the game was literally over. Now he is a washed up closer who can't save a game. Ever since May 21, Gagne has found himself sitting on the disabled list with rotator cuff tendinitis while Salomon Torres steals his job. During this time, between May 21 and June 23, the Brewers have posted the best record in baseball (21-10) and Torres leads the National League in saves (11).

Usually, teams and stadiums allow each individual player to choose whatever song they want to be played (within reason) as a walk out or at-bat song. But the Brewers organization have taken executive action for Gagne's possible return on Friday. Instead of "Game Over" or any other song Gagne might plead for, Miller Park will play "
Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson.

"Rooting 4 Favre's" southern Mississippi reporter made it to Atlanta on Monday to cover the game and talk to Melvin and Gagne.
"Right now we are winning. Whether or not it is attributed to Gagne or even (Russell) Branyan's call-up, I'm not postive," said Doug Melvin, Brewers GM. "I'm concerned for the team. We have been performing well in Gagne's absense. We feel by playing this song, it will reassure the team that we are not going to take a bad performance by our pitchers."
Gagne had his own words to add.
"I don't deserve to choose my own song right now. It's very simple. It's embarrassing."
Indeed. Anyone who has to use Kelly Clarkson as their walk out music should be shunned by the fans. In fact, I believe Gagne is very close* to that point...or so he was last year and probably is again by most Brewers fans after blowing 8 of 18 saves. One thing is for sure: when Gagne doesn't pitch, teams tend to win more.**

*Warning! Link contains strong language


**Gagne did pitch a perfect 9th inning in Game 1 of the 2007 World Series.
The Sox won 13-1. However, hee came in with the game tied at 6-6 in Game 2 of the 2007 ALCS. The Sox lost 13-6...

6/10/2008

On Pace: 100 Games Remaining

If all teams keep up their current pace, this is what the season will pan out to look like:

Current Standings

American League
East
(1-previous)Boston - 96-66 (+2)
(2)Tampa Bay - 90-72 (+0)
(4)New York - 85-77 (+4)
(3)Toronto - 83-79 (-3)
(5)Baltimore - 79-83 (+0)

Central
(1)Chicago - 93-69 (-5)
(2)Cleveland - 82-80 (+4)
(4)Detroit - 77-85 (+4)
(3)Minnesota - 76-86 (+0)
(5)Kansas City - 66-96 (+3)

West
(1)Oakland - 93-69 (+2)
(2)Los Angeles - 88-74 (-2)
(3)Texas - 78-84 (+0)
(4)Seattle - 61-101 (-1)


National League
East
(1)Philadelphia - 97-65 (-1)
(2)Atlanta - 85-77 (-3)
(3)Florida - 83-79 (-1)
(4)New York - 81-81 (+1)
(5)Washington - 64-98 (+3)

Central
(1)Chicago - 104-58 (+2)
(2)St. Louis - 91-71 (+0)
(3)Milwaukee - 81-81 (-1)
(6)Pittsburgh - 77-85 (+1)
(4)Houston - 75-87 (-4)
(5)Cincinnati - 74-88 (-2)

West
(1)Arizona - 86-76 (-3)
(2)Los Angeles - 77-85 (-5)
(3)San Francisco - 70-92 (-3)
(4)San Diego - 69-93 (+2)
(5)Colorado - 66-96 (+3)

Biggest Movers:
Up - New York (+4), Cleveland (+4), Detroit (+4)
Down - Chicago (-5), Loss Angeles (-5), Houston (-4)
No Change - Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Minnesota, Texas, St. Louis

*Wins may not total 2430 (30*162/2) due to rounding
**Projections based on current record as well as Bill James' Pythagorean Expectation