Wilbon: On Favre, Packers Can\'t Have It Both Ways

Tag : Sports Rug

Don't believe for a minute that the Packers will be better offwithout Favre, that Favre is now a villainous figure, unfairlypoaching what rightfully belongs to new quarterback Aaron Rodgers , or that the team needs days or perhaps even weeks to figure outwhat in the world to do.
Don't buy any of what the Green Bay executives and coaches areselling, because there's no dilemma at all for the Packers.
Since the Packers have made it clear, both publicly and to Favre indirect conversation, that they no longer want him as their starter,there's a simple solution here: trade him or cut him. It doesn'tmatter that anybody in his right mind knows Favre, even at 38 yearsold, is 100 times better than Rodgers. If Coach Mike McCarthy and his staff want Rodgers, fine. Start him. Play him until hisarm falls off. The Packers' GM, Ted Thompson , and McCarthy have been telling people it's Rodgers's time toplay, that they promised him the job in March and it would beunfair to him now to yank the rug from under him, blah, blah, blah.
Fine, if Rodgers is as much your guy as you claim publicly, thendump Favre.
If you don't want Favre, if you think he's washed up and ready tobe bronzed, then why would you care if he winds up with the Vikingsor Bears? If you don't want Favre, why would you care who he playsfor in the limited time he has left?
Because the Packers want it both ways, like every NFL team in history. Thompson thinks being an NFL team executive giveshim the inalienable right to be able to tell players what to do forthe rest of their natural lives. "I don't want you to play forme, but I'll do my best to prevent you from playing for anybodyelse." That's the NFL way.
And because the NFL is the unchallenged sports/entertainment leaderin America, most of the general public -- even in Wisconsin -- mostfolks in the media and most fans nationally think the poor Packersare somehow being put upon. This is yet another case of the NFLflexing its unequalled sense of entitlement and arrogance.
Thompson, who comes off looking like a sniveling twit in stakingout his position, reportedly told Favre he would perhaps be firedif Favre showed up at Packers training camp. (That alone should beenough to make Favre fire up the jet and get up to Wisconsin.)
Don't get me wrong, Favre isn't an innocent in all this. I've hadFavre fatigue for some time when it comes to "will he or won't he?"
Favre has been disingenuously hinting at retirement for what, threeor four years? This past March wasn't the first time the Packers'brass had talks with Favre about his plans for the next season.They put up with the back and forth because even after his badseasons, Favre was the best quarterback the Packers have ever had.He nearly got the Packers to the Super Bowl in February, remember.Presuming they settle this dispute before feelings becomepermanently hurt, a statue of Favre surely will be erected in frontof Lambeau Field someday.
So, it's not like the Packers pressured Favre to retire. Had hesaid in March he wanted to still play, chances are he'd be intraining camp now, instead of officially asking NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to reinstate him with the Packers, as Favre did in writingyesterday. It was Favre, remember, who held the teary newsconference to announce his farewell. It was Favre who said his wifeand kids wanted him to call it quits after all these years. So, itwas totally understandable that the Packers, having invested afirst-round draft pick in Rodgers four years ago, wanted to getRodgers ready to start the post-Favre era.
So they started that process and they don't want to turn their backon Rodgers. Good. Keep him atop the depth chart. Stand by your man.You told him he's your guy. Prove it. Keep your word. Stick withhim. Tell Favre to get lost and trade him. Get a second-round pickin next year's draft, somebody who can help Rodgers be great, ayoung lineman or a receiver. Do whatever you have to do to assistthe quarterback you believe is your best bet to win.
But don't tell me that in doing that you need to control what Favredoes next. If you want Favre, put him in a uniform and tell Rodgersthe two of them will compete for a job. If you don't want Favre,let him go. If the Packers choose to try and play both ends, thenone can only hope the circus surrounding the team brings the wholeseason crashing down. Usually when an NFL team squirms it's a goodthing, because it's usually brought on by its own greed or need toexert total control.
Because NFL teams are so powerful, especially in a tiny place likeGreen Bay, and because they're so able and smart about manipulatingpublic opinion, they'll probably get away with successfullypainting Favre as the bad guy in this episode. And if Favre thinksthe Packers will ultimately cut him and thereby grant him thefreedom to cut a deal with any team (the Vikings and/or Bearsincluded), the bet here is he'll be wrong.
Who knows where this is going next. Here's hoping Favre shows upfor training camp sometime this week and heads to his locker. Whatare the Packers going to do, have guards block his path to thedressing room?
The best way for Favre to get what he wants is to be asconfrontational as the Packers, to get right in their faces and saywith both actions and words, "I'm here. Play me, trade me, orsuffer the consequences."