Nice to see at least one (former) player not sugar coat it or dance around it and say it like it should be said.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_...?urn=nfl,166234

Fran who?


Just kidding. I agree with what he says about playing for the Vikings but Im not going to put that whole Giants game on him. Eli Manning had all day to sit there and complete passes. That was a team loss.

Well that is the 2nd hall of fame player to come out and slam Mr. Favre.
This paragraph pretty much sums up how I feel. The relationship goes both ways.This was prett harsh for Tarkenton to say. However slowly great past players are coming out against Brett.

“I think it’s despicable. What he put the Packers through last year was not good. Here’s an organization that was loyal to him for 17, 18 years, provided stability of organization, provided players. It just wasn’t about Brett Favre. In this day and time, we have glorified the Brett Favre’s of the world so much, they think it’s about them

Though Tarkenton should thank Favre for becoming the number one INT king of all time now people will think of Favre instead of Tarkenton when they talk about the person who has thrown the most INT's.

Fran not liking Favre is about as shocking as John and Kate having problems in their marriage Wonder what Fran really thinks about his Super Bowl stats I bet in his mind those losses were not HIS fault

While I don't disagree with much of the content of what Fran had to say, there is a reason he (Tarkenton) is one of the least liked NFL greats by most eX NFL players and people associated with the game.

Favre has not handled things well for sometime, but being insulted by a 'jerk' like Fran Tarkenton is too much like pot calling the kettle black IMO

Yep Tarkentons Super Bowl stats were what legnads are made of

Sour grapes(purple) by Fran. Imo. Interesting article though.

Scott Hunter is the first GBP QB i can remember watching. I along with many suffered many dismal seasons until Brett Favre arrived. I understand that time marches on and every great QB gets replaced eventually. unlike some small minded posters I do not begrudge Favre for playing in New York or possiblly Minn.

Weather he won or lost he has always been entertaining. I never watched a game that he didn't try to do everything he could to help our packers win. He fell short 95 times but he got it right 160 times the 16 seasons before he got here GB went 103-142-3 thats 57 more times I got to enjoy a packer win.

Throw him under the bus if you must, but remember he is second to only Curly Lambeau when it come to contributing wins for the packers. Yes he is the Lambeau ledgend and he always will be. My memory of the 20yrs before Farve make it easy for me to overlook all the BS that surrounds him. I see Farve for his contributions to the game not the overhyped media garbage that is used to sell papers and TV ads or spewed by over the hill 0-3 superbowl QB.

If Brett Farve is mad at TT so what, it was Brett Farve's body that was getting the stuffins kick out of it when TT let both guards go and all the WR got hurt leaving a punt returner as our #2 wr and practice squad guys as the#3,4,5. The following yr all the RBs fell apart and the WR position and OL were still pretty bad. TT third yr Farve leads the Packers to a 8-1 record before any sembelance of a running game shows up.

He deserves better than what he gets, if he wants to play for anybody in the NFL and they want him. Then I say great for him he's earned it. If he stays home on his tractor I've got a life time of memories to thank him for. The small minded people need to get a life because these thing (working for a compeditor) happen in the real world all the time

He deserves exactly what he gets.

exactlly he made his own bed let him lie in it.

Yawn... you hate Favre, we get it...

Right there with ya, Bruce.

I'd be interested in hearing what some of Fran' ex-teammates would have to say about him. I doubt it'd be a glowing review by any stretch.

Let's not forget it wasn't all Favre who brought the Pack back to glory. Ron Wolf brought in some great players during his tenure to turn this team into a winner. Reggie White to me was as important a piece of the puzzle for a Super Bowl win than Favre was. Don't overlook that the year the Packers won the Super Bowl they had the #1 ranked defense in the NFL that gave up 13.1 PPG. That is fewer points than this years Pittsburgh Steelers defense. Who many claim was as good as those great Steeler defenses of the 1970s. Favre certainly deserves his credit for the Packers success during his career as a Packer but it really agitates me when some people try to paint this picture that Favre did it all himself. It also agitates me that there are still some crazed lunatics out there that think this team owes something to Favre or that we are still better off with Favre. The bottom line is Favre made plenty of money playing for the Packers and they simply made a business decision to move on and trade him to another team. I don't see what the Packers did to him that was so awful. The guy will be 40 in October. Life goes on. Unfortunately great players don't last forever and there is a documented trend that Favre has literally fallen apart in the last month of the last 5 seasons. He just doesn't have it anymore.

I don't hate Favre. I hate what he has become.

What a paragraph:Let's not forget it wasn't all Favre who brought the Pack back to glory.

"there is a documented trend that Favre has literally fallen apart in the last month of the last 5 seasons. He just doesn't have it anymore."

None of the credit, but all of the blame.

Like I said I see Farve for his contributions to the game not the overhyped media garbage that is used to sell papers and TV ads or spewed by over the hill 0-3 superbowl QB.

Should have opened your eyes sooner. This isn't much different than what he's always been. He's always been a fierce competitor, he's always been stubborn as a mule and he's always been a guy who hasn't made the wisest decisions both on- and off the field. Why is this such a surprise to everyone?

I must be small minded because I do begrudge him playing for the Vikings, if he chooses to do that. I have no problem with the Jets thing, I really wished him well there, but the Vikings are different.


Out side of the occasional Frankie Neil or Brent Fullwood, almost every Packer I can remember tried to do everything they could to help the team win. Brett was one of the greatest QB's of all time but he was also a part of some very good teams. Those 57 extra wins are the result of a lot of great plays by Favre and dozens of other Packers as well.


If you are referring to posters who try to say he was washed up as a Packer, then I agree but being critical of the way he is acting now is not throwing him under the bus. I have never tried to diminish how great of a player he was but that doesn't mean I have to like how he is acting now.


I don't care if Favre is mad at Thompson or not. I do care if he manipulates situations in order to go to the Packers main rival in an attempt to get even with Thompson. I do think that you description of events is pretty one sided, Thompson has made mistakes and may well be gone after this year, but just like I do not like heaping all of the blame on Favre - you shouldn't heap all of the blame on Thompson.


The NFL is not the real world. Regular people are not drafted by their employers, most are not payed huge salaries, they are not icons in their communities, they do not get traded to other companies. He does deserve thanks for everything he has done for Green Bay and Wisconsin just as the city and state deserve his thanks for everything they have done for him. While I will always appreciate his play as a Packer, if he signs with the Vikings then Bret Favre the person will be greatly diminished for me.

I think it is a surprise because I , like many others, naively believed that Favre's relationship with Green Bay was special. It has been a bitter pill to swallow that it is just ordinary and like every other player that's played here.

Fran spoke his mind, Brett has not. We've heard nothing directly from Brett. Until he comes forward and honestly describes his situation, what Fran said offers more clarity. I agree that Brett gave a lot to the Packers, but now he appears to be attempting to take something back and it seems like vengeance rather than a love for the game. If he indeed cares at all about the Green Bay Packers and their fans, he'll stay retired.

IMO Brett has spoken his mind too often, and that is the biggest part of the problem.

He hides away and tries to do some soul searching and fans and media scream he should say something. He says how he is thinking and feeling in the moment and a segment of the media and fans latch on and scream bloody murder. He vacillates and says how what he thinking and feeling at a different point and he is accused of being a dishonest liar -- when the reality is he would be better off being dishonest sometimes.

Favre shares too much of his primary process thinking, which is not a good thing for people who want black and white answers to what for Brett is a roller-coaster ride of emotions.

I understand that people don't like that about Brett -- but being an emotion driven guy played a big part in his greatness as well as his shadow as a player.

Fran is a bitter jerk, who offered nothing but his 2 cents on a situation that has nothing to do with him with great bitterness and ill will. I can understand an emotional fan feeling betrayed, but for Franny to pipe up is pathetic IMO

Thing is Coco, I DO believe that relationship was special. But this isn't about you and me -- the fans. This isn't about the team. This is quite simply, Favre VS. Thompson. He's pissed and he wants to stick it to Ted. Do I like it? Of course not. But he's simply displaying (because he's in the public eye) the same human emotion that every single one of us at one point or another have been equally as guilty of -- revenge.

He wants it. And because he's been one of the fiercest competitors, because he's stubborn and won't turn back and because he's open to people like Bus Cook feeding him turd sandwiches of information on a daily basis, it's created the perfect Molotov cocktail of a situation.

Add one part Ted, one part Brett and watch the fireworks.

It is what it is.

I still remember Brett for that special bond he had with the city and with the team, and I appreciate him for all the games he played and the ferocity in which he played with. It's just unfortunate that same ferocity has translated to off-the-field situations like this... But, I can't say I'm surprised.

I havent seen Ted Thompson get in the mix of things at all. He has been professional through this whole thing.

That game has been talked about alot, with Al Harris and Favre being the players blamed the most for the loss, which I agree with if you want to go in that direction.

I think what Tarkenton was pointing out is that a great quarterback doesn't make bad plays at such a crucial time in a game, and Favre made a habit of it.

Those are the facts whether you like them or not.

Again Fran needs to look in the mirror before casing stones. His record and stats in big games are steller

Being in, "the mix" doesn't mean he's not being professional. He's treated this whole situation like a business transaction. It's cold. It rubbed some people the wrong way (me included) but it was done in a professional manner..there's no question about that. But, he IS in the mix. If anything, because Favre has made him part of it. That's the only person Favre wants to get back at, because he feels Thompson is the one who betrayed him. This has nothing to do with the fans or the players. I think people need to take a step back, take the emotion out of it and realize that.

This will have to do with the fans and players if he follows through with this apparent attempt to sign with the rival Vikings. I think Favre needs to take a step back, take the emotion out of it and realize that.

Hey, I agree with you. But you're asking the impossible here LambeauLeap...We're talking about Brett friggin' Favre here... the undisputed King of emotion.

I've been trying forever to get fans to realize that even if he does go play for the Vikes (which I don't think he's going to) it's not THAT big of a deal. It's just football. And he played a lot of good football for us for many years. He's pissed at Thompson, we all know that. It's not cool with us, but I say if he feels a burning desire so hot that he feels he needs to play for a rival for one year to spite Thompson -- hey, bring it on, Brett. But after that, he'll still be #4 for the Pack in my book. But maybe I'm being too forgiving..

Wow!!! You clearly didn't read my entire post. I simply said Favre doesn't deserve "all" the credit for bringing the Packers back to glory but at the same time said he deserves his part of the credit. I didn't say Favre had nothing to do with the Packers success. Don't put words into my mouth. You can disagree or get irritated if you would like but please don't say I wrote things that I didn't. Not everybody on this planet has the same view of Brett Favre.

I don't see how saying Favre has literally fallen apart in the last month of the last 5 seasons is blaming him for anything. He has just struggled to finish seasons in recent years. Way to jump to conclusions there Grantland. This is a well documented fact. The numbers don't lie.

I think the truth usually falls in between. The fact is Favre was a great player but there will always be those who hate on him and those that think he can do no wrong. I try my hardest to be in between. It is an emotional debate though. Favre owns all the passing record in the NFL. Clearly he had a great career. On the other hand, he hasn't been a very successful playoff QB in the last half of his career. He has been one of the most turnover prone playoff QBs in NFL history. Sorry but the facts don't lie. He is one of only 3 QBs to have 6 turnovers in a playoff game and is the only QB to have thrown an OT INT in two playoff games. He threw nearly 30 INTs in 22 playoff games. His career INT% is 3.3% which is respectable but in the playoffs it jumps up to nearly 4%. Again, the numbers don't lie. I worshipped Favre for most of my life but in recent years he has simply disappointed in the playoffs. If this offends anybody I apologize but this is the way I feel. I believe that for a QB as highly regarded as Favre is, he made a lot of unacceptable mistakes that were costly to the Packers in the playoffs. I don't believe that a single player wins or loses games on their own though.

No, Im not going in that direction.

If you want to go in the direction of that then feel free but I wont blame Favre or Harris for no pressure on the offensive line. I also wont blame them for Ryan Grant racking up a measly 29 yards rushing or Tramon Williams getting 1 yard on 2 punt returns, or their DBs pretty much shutting down our WRs or Bush not falling on a loose ball.

But you go ahead and do that. Ill take the high road and drop the loss on the whole team.

As far as Brett making a habit of it...?

I dont know how to find the post but a few months ago I went through every playoff game Brett had from 99 on. You may want to go back and look them up. Fans MIGHT be able to lay 2 of those games at his feet for the blame and thats stretching it. Other then that his stats ranged from average to damn good.

"The Facts" that term cracks me up! If your going to blame all the losses on Favre and I can deal with that. Than Favre gets ALL the credit for ALL the wins as well. You all are establishing the logic that's used, so those are the FACTS.

Personally for Me, I really need to give a rats pituty about the person giving the opinion. Francis Tarkington who ran around like a scared little girl when protection broke down, I could care less about. How many rings does he have? NONE! How many passing records? NONE ! Get a grip Francis

Did anyone else notice the little swipe he took at Eli Manning also while bashing Brett?


He’s playing against Eli Manning(notes), I love Eli Manning, but he’s still not a great quarterback. He’s not Peyton yet, or Tom Brady(notes). He’s just a guy



I mean cmon. I think he forgot the little fact that Eli Manning has a Super Bowl ring and he blew it on 3 different occasions.

Fran Tarkentons post season stats BTW:

149 completions, 292 attempts, 1,803 yards, 11 touchdowns, 17 picks, and a 58.6 QB rating


Frank Tarkenton SB stats:

46-for-89 with 489 yards, one touchdown pass, six picks, and a QB rating of 43.7.


The more I think about it the more Fran should STFU.

What??? I'm shocked!!! Franny T lecturing others about QB's blowing playoff games should always be prefaced with:

"And believe me, no one knows about blowing big game playoff games by poor performances and untimely interceptions like me (Fran Tarkenton)..."

Then and only then, could the man speak with any credibility.

Nice career change you've got going there Fran, you may just make it as a Don Rickles type comedian after all.

Tarkenton does sounds like a tool, but I don't think Eli is an elite QB either. He probably more than "just a guy", but he's not as good as Petyon Manning or Tom Brady. He's right about that.

It is the other sour grape stuff that is pathetic.

He should get some mentorship from a more mature guy like...

Aaron Rodgers:

“When things don’t go the way you want them to go, step up and be the first one to say it was my fault,” he said. “I have no problem doing that. I like to do that. It takes pressure off the other guys. But also a lot of times, it was my fault. There’s no point in trying to point the blame at somebody else when you’ve got to look in the mirror and be honest with yourself about the way you played.”

Sage words from a guy less than half his age.

Look, if some a-hole calls someone else an a-hole, it doesn't make the first a-hole wrong about the other guy being an a-hole, just because he's an a-hole too.

If anything Tarkenton is most suited to recognizing Brett for the a-hole that he is; it's what he sees in the mirror every day when he wakes up.

LOL That was a damn good post!!

Yes WB with plenty of Verb and pen-ash damn fine writing.

Ditto Bruce

Rpiotr is right. Tarkenton's performance levels have no relevance in terms of his credibility. If he is a pot calling the kettle black, then the kettle is still black and since we don't care about the pot, we're still stuck with the kettle. There is no logic that challenges viewing Brett and black and white terms but condones seeing Tarkenton is black and white terms.

I never even played in a playoff game, never mind having decent stats. So this means I can't comment on Brett's playoff performances? Or that I have no right and no credibility? I don't think so.

Character assassinations against Tarkenton have absolutely no relevance whatsoever. He said what he said - the only question is whether his remarks were justified or not; whether the remarks were accurate or not.

yup!!!

Very good Terry and right on the mark.

Actually they do.

Fans sitting around and critiquing players level of preformance is our job. Its what makes the world turn in sports.

If Tarkenton would of come out and said he thought Brett was a ___________ for being the way he is and doing the things he did then most of us would of been fine with it but criticizing a fellow athelete for blowing it in big games when his track record was WORSE makes his opinion not very valid.

Very good Luvda and right on the mark.

Funny...always has been.

Someone....like Tarkenton....comes out and makes comments about Brett that some Favre fans...#'s diminishing daily...need to throw water on so they bring up the author's credential's as a player, which have no relevance whatsoever. They hope that will steer people away from reading the actual thrust of the article and protect their image of Brett.

How unfortunate....Brett is turning out to be not the 'darling' everyone thought he was....including me.

Again, it does have relevance.

It would be like Terrell Owens criticizing someone for dropping balls. Or Ryan Leaf criticzing someone for being mentally unstable. Or Ahman Green criticizing someone for fumbling the ball.

If Fran wanted to tell Favre to get over and go away like most of us had then so be it. He has every right to. But its hypocricy at its finest for him to criticize Bretts postseason preformances.

That's the real point though. Tarkenton's comments can be valid, but still reflect negatively on Tarkenton's character.

They reflect negatively on his character because they seem overly harsh as he could do no better. His comments would be more acceptable if he commented on his own failings as well. His comments make him look like a man blind to his own failings.

I think to many people are slaming Trakenton while ignoring the fact everything he said is true.

He deserves to be slammed. As another poster said if he would have admitted his failing and slammed Favre I have no issues with it.

And you know this how ? Except the world acording to GBP4EVER