Is Brett Favre disrespecting not only the Packers but Packer fans?

Front Page

We backed him for 17 years. Through drug addictions, his partying lifestyle, family deaths, his wifes ailments, countless INTS in close games, and now he wants to go to a hated rival just to stick it to the org.

You can't defend that anymore.

Funny, I thought "On the Streets" was the place for polls?????

Thanks Vinnie.

how could favre possibly be disrespecting the packers or packers fans when he has categorically denied wanting to play for anyone, let alone the vikings?

a better poll question would be "is the news media attempting to create a story where there isn't one, and in the process causing gullible packers fans to lose respect for one of their all-time greatest players?"

yeah all this stuff has absolutly no backing? To think favre didn't even contact the vikings is delusional.

Favre could just come out and say that he is retired and that he is miffed by all this non-sense. Since he has never done that for the 2nd offseason in a row then the writing is on the wall. All he has to do is shut this crap down do you really believe this is all media? Also Favre has already admitted wanting to play for the Vikings.

There has to be a Polish joke in there somewhere.

@ Exit Here: If the fans were right to back him/defend him for all those things for 17 years, then it would be right to defend him for the same things now. People should not betray history because it suits them over some current problem. On the other hand, if fans were wrong to defend him for all those things, then he cannot be faulted because one day the fans wake up and are filled with rage that they were wrong - Brett cannot be held responsible for our self-hatred.

@ RealityBytes: I don't want to be in the position of defending the writers and announcers for the media, since I'm as critical of journalism as it is possible to be. But it is incorrect to say that the media created this story. They are doing exactly what we ask of them. There's no question that they could and perhaps should handle it differently, but that's a very different statement than saying they created the story.

I'm not suggesting that they do not create stories. They certainly create the angles by which we perceive many newsworthy stories. But Brett Favre is not really news, not until definitive actions are taken at least. Between those actions, the only "news" out there is effectively gossip and that's what we want them to publish during those dry times. We actually want the distraction.

I think many Packer fans are being quite a bit more disrespectful than Favre at this point. This is his livelihood and his life, and way too many fans are getting personal about it. I've seen Brett called petty and selfish over and over again, but isn't it significantly more petty and selfish for fans to get worked up about his decisions? We don't want his image tarnished in OUR minds, so we bitch and moan about what he's doing. I honestly don't know anyone who is a bigger football fan than I am, and I gave up emotional involvement in this story long ago. I follow it as a curiousity, but it certainly doesn't affect my life. The fact that this story continues to divide Packer fans, and that we continue to try to denigrate Favre over it is simply sickening in my mind. Discussion is one thing (and perfectly fine IMO) but the inflammatory rhetoric from both sides of this debate makes no sense to me.

i honestly could not have said it better myself. why should any packers fan get all worked up over whether brett favre wants to play football again? it is his life, not theirs. as long as he performs well enough to be one of the top 32 quarterbacks in the nfl, he really should pursue that endeavor.

I agree. Well said.

Any alligance Favre owed the Packers, stopped when the train left the station and the Packers moved on without Brett.
So if Farve ever plays again it will be for a team that really wants him. We sure didn't!








Never Forget

Well put, and I agree. Thats all.

If he really wants to play for the love of the game or another shot at a Super Bowl, than go for it - no disrespect in that. If he is coming back to stick it to Thompson, well, that is just stupid and juvenile.

His livelihood and his way of life? The man has made more money then his great grandkids will probaly be able to spend. He does not need the money anymore. It is not like he is doing this to provide for his family. We know the real reason he is considering it.

His money and what he does with that money if of no concern to anyone else. It's his career, and possibly his last chance to play a game he loves. And how do we "know the real reason"? From media reports that change by the day? Whatever they might be, the reasons still shouldn't be our concern either. The obsession needs to end. As Packer fans, we should be a lot more concerned with our sieve-like OL, our thin DL, and various other team related issues. Why do we continue to obsess and complain about Brett? To what end?

I agree, revenge may harm Favre more than TT

Who knows what Evil lurks in the hearts of man, The shadow knows! oh yea and GBP4EVER

Terry, I agree with most of what you say here, but the media is doing more than just "what we ask of them." They are trying to protect their livelihood; this is about perseverance.

It is no real secret that this is a tumultuous and dynamic time of adaptation in journalism's history. The press has traditionally been known as "the fourth estate," but with the advent of the Internet and, more recently, Web 2.0 applications that turn us--the average Joe (or Jane)--into active producers rather than passive consumers, the press is losing clout and relevance by the day. Blogs and the like now allow us to have agency in the way information is disseminated. Others (i.e., not paid professionals) are beginning to report the news--of their own volition, no less.

Consequently, what was considered "news" has drastically changed; as you say, much news is now essentially "gossip." These are stories that, before the Internet, would not be considered news. But now, it is. Part of it, as you imply, is that we want this gossip: "we want them to publish during [these] dry times." Moreover, if they didn't compose these reports--both orally and textually--then someone elsewhere would.

Credibility is thus an important component in this entire phenomenon, but the general public, for the most part, has difficulty discerning what is credible. That, or we really don't take the time to vet what we read. After all, that is the best part about the Internet, isn't it? We can procure almost any bit of information we want, and all it costs is a few simple mouse clicks and keyboard strokes.

**

As for Favre, my frustration stems from how easily he could make clear the ambiguity that surrounds this entire "story." Favre is not a sheltered individual; he knows that the media follows his every move, how they are ready to pounce on his every word. Yet despite this, he sits back and says nothing. He sends vague text messages rather than address the situation.

This is all he needs to say: "Listen guys, I love football. I've always loved football. And I cannot deny that some part of me still wants to play professionally in 2009. At the same time, I know I'm not a spring chicken, and I know the true extent of this shoulder injury will play a large role in determining if I am healthy enough to play at the level I'm accustomed to. As for possible teams, the Vikings make the most sense. It isn't about playing the Packers twice a year or trying to 'stick it' to Ted. Rather, they are a team that is posed to make a run that has an opening at QB. They have a great running game and a solid defense. It is also an ideal fit for me because of my relationship with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevel. Thus, at this time, it really is a waiting game. I have to wait and see if I really do get the fire to play, and if so, whether my body, my shoulder, is equally up to the task."

And all of that makes sense--it's also probably true. More importantly, it puts an end to this story--at least for the time being. It really makes it a non-issue for the next two months until he makes a decision. Yes, the media could then speculate on his forthcoming decision, make educated guesses as to whether he may regain the fire or whether his shoulder may heal in time, but in the end, Favre's words would remind us that this is still a waiting game, and until he says anything else, the only thing we know is that he, like us, is still waiting.

The fact that he has not spoken candidly about the situation suggests, at least to me, one of two things: (1) he genuinely enjoys the attention and revels in his name incessantly being a focal point in the news, or (2) he is more concerned about his legacy than any of us know, and this is a way for him to gauge how a return to the NFL and, more specifically, the Vikings would go over with fans.

Either way, this is becoming very old hat. And right now, I don't really care if he comes back.

I don't think the Vikings will win the division with or without Favre, so in the end, I think it's moot.

Yes he should, but coming back for the wrong reasons is not a reason enough to play. He'll be 40. I don't know how much he thinks he has left.

Very much valid concerns, but those are concerns for HIM to consider. As Packer fans, we shouldn't care less about his reasoning or thought process. We should freely contemplate how he might impact our season if he were to play for a division rival, but the rest of the nonsense being beaten to death is none of our business, and it seems that more and more fans show allegiance to their agendas and own opinions more than their team. I'd rather be a happy Packer fan who is wrong about things from time to time than a guy who would rather piss and moan constantly just to try to prove that I'm right about a given topic that is long since played out. I am certainly not directing this diatribe at you, rather the state of sports and fandom in general these days.