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An open letter to Brett Farve
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Brett Farve, I’m tired of you.
Granted, it’s not as if I was ever a big booster of yours; quite the opposite, actually. Normally I couldn’t have cared less about you. I don’t really follow the Packers, or any of the NFC North teams. I watched your last game, yes, but before that I can’t remember the last one of yours I watched.
So what? I can’t remember the last Tampa Bay I’ve watched, either. But it’s not the team you play for, Farve – I’d feel the same way if you played for the Steelers, the Raiders or the Toronto Argonauts.
See, the reason I’m so tired of you is that I’ve heard all this before, and it’s getting dumber and stupider and it keeps getting worse, much like Waynes brothers movie.
A couple years ago, when you cried on national TV, I assumed that was it. Here is his farewell tour, a chance to say goodbye to an icon of the 90s. I was okay with that, even if it was a bit trite.
But then you came back. Again, fine – a year of farewells, capped off with a dramatic overtime loss to the Giants in the snow. Not the best way to go out, sure, but a memorable one.
But now you want to come back once more, for the third time, by my count. You saw how close you were to another title, you saw how the only difference between you and the Lombardi trophy was the foot of Lawrence Tynes, splitting the uprights in a freezing cold Green Bay night. So close you could almost feel the trophy, couldn’t you.
Hate to burst your bubble, Brett, but that isn’t how it went down and that’s not likely to happen again.
If it wasn’t for a memorable catch, the one where David Tyree held the ball to his head, the Giants wouldn’t have won that game. They basically lucked out in that bowl. I’m not sure you would have.
The Packers are a team in transition. They’re moving on, rebuilding, and they don’t look to compete like they did last season.
But then again, Brett, I hear you don’t want to play for the Packers anymore. The Vikings, maybe. Or the Jets. Perhaps the Buccaneers. Makes no difference.
The Vikings are a possible threat: a weak division, an okay defence (20th overall, but first in the league against the run) and a great running back. You could work there. They wouldn’t need you to pass too often, just hand the pig to Purple Jesus. But would the Packers trade you to a division rival? I doubt it.
How about the Jets? Rumors had you going there for a while, although they’ve seemed to quiet down a little. But they’re a bad team, worst of the bunch. They already have two good quarterbacks and you don’t want to be a backup. If you think this is drama, Brett, just try this act with the New York press.
That leaves the Buccaneers. Like the Vikings, they’re a team built around a running back: in this case, Cadillac Williams. But he’s hurt and on the comeback trail. It’s a team where you’d have to throw the ball a lot, maybe take a few hits – Garcia was sacked 19 times last year while splitting duties. That’s as many sacks as the Packers took last year as a team.
Maybe that $20 million to retire was a pretty sweet deal after all.
Look Brett, I’m nobody to tell you if you should or shouldn’t come back. It doesn’t really matter to me. Frankly, I couldn’t care less. But I don’t want to see you tarnish your image either. That’s what all these comebacks can do.
Ali couldn’t pull off the comeback and he was the greatest. Magic Johnson was just a shadow of his former self the second time around. Roger Clemens’ comebacks – one or two, depends on how you count them, with the Astros and one with the Yankees – helped to ruin his image.
Just be careful Brett.
