The Much Maligned Decline of a Legend

As Brett Favre's career draws to a close, the media has provided a number of different opinions regarding his career and potential retirement. Now head coach Mike McCarthy suggests Brett will be a game manager. Brett responded in the media that he was not a game manager and would continue to be a playmaker.

Therein lies the biggest issue: those two are not necessary mutually exclusive. Many believe Joe Montana to be the greatest quarterback of all time. Montana certainly did not have the strongest arm in the league, nor did he take the most shots down the field. Montana managed the game. The best signal caller in the game today is a "game manager." There is not greater game manager, maybe ever, than Peyton Manning. The difference is Peyton Manning is a playmaker. It is the job of the quarterback to make plays and not make mistakes, regardless of his skill set. Any team who believes they have a quarterback who they'd just assume not have to throw at all, is in a tenuous position. The only reason a team like the Ravens at the turn of the century could do it is because they had an all-time great defense and a fantastic special teams.

Brett Favre is not, nor has he ever been, nor will be ever be a "game manager." Not in as much as you hand him the ball and say, "Just don't screw it up." That is not Brett Favre's game, it never has been. That is what made Brett one of the most feared playmakers in the league in his prime, a guy who could hurt you in so many ways. The only thing that seems to be lacking this year from any other Brett Favre Packer team is playmakers at the skill position. However, further review might prove otherwise.

Brett Favre won a Super Bowl and an MVP while throwing to Don Beebe and Andre Rison. Granted, Robert Brooks and Antonio Freemen started that year, but neither played 16 games, and Brooks didn't play in the post-season. The next year, an arguably better team, lost to the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, but John Elway's team was arguably superiorly equipped on offense. Elway had a 2,000 rusher in Terrell Davis. He had a future Hall of Famer in Rod Smith on one side, and one of the great possession receivers of the decade in Ed McCaffrey on the other side. If that weren't enough, he had arguably the greatest receiving tight end ever(At least at the time) in Shannon Sharpe.

Against an excellent Broncos defense Favre completed 25 out of 42 passes for 256 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 1 interception. Elway finished the game completing just 12 out of 22 pass completions, for 123 yards and 1 pick. Elway won the game...how can this be? Some lucky breaks and key defensive break downs allowed the Broncos to eek out a victory, in spite of Elway's effort, not because of it.

When "experts" list the greatest quarterbacks of all time Montana's name normally comes up with Elway's, Terry Bradshaw, Bart Starr and any number of other greats. Montana is perhaps the most overrated PLAYER and quarterback of all time. Cool under pressure, and a come back whiz, Montana was a surgeon on the football field, but if you wanted a quarterback to win you one game Montana's name is not at the top of the list. The same can be said for Bart Starr. Starr was meticulously accurate and efficient with the ball, a game manager before it became a derogative term. A quarterback's success is based on his ability to win games. Steve Young is the ultimate testament to Montana's ability. Young took a similar team running a similar offense and had similar success (At a time when the NFC was far more competitive). The leaves Elway and Favre.

Elway needed 14 seasons before he won a Super Bowl, and as mentioned, the team won the first for reasons not in Elway's direct control. Elway "lead" that team to a win only in as much as he was the quarterback. He played in 5 Super Bowls and holds the Super Bowl record with 8 throws to guys with the other color jersey (a record I was sure Jim Kelly would have held).
Elway did have the ability to make plays with his legs, probably the most effective run/pass QB of all time. He had a knack for making plays a way no one before him had.

UNTIL...

Brett Favre. Brett Favre makes plays that are unexplainable, unimaginable, and often indescribable. He is a coach's dream and a play by play announcer's nightmare. Brett Favre would win a game, or die trying and thats how he went about it every single week. If there was 1 game that needed to be won to save the planet from certain death, the man who would give the Earth the best shot to remain free would be Brett Favre.

Favre is on the verge of breaking almost every QB record he does not already hold, and will do it in less time than the current record holders. The only three-time league MVP in history never played with a Hall of Fame offensive player and while racking up 10 NFL records. Favre is second in 10 other categories and third in 3 more, with only a small chance he won't be first in the majority of those categories after the 2007 season barring injury.

While he never wracked up rushing yards, Brett had probably the best pocket presence and ability to improvise in the pocket ever. While players like Michael Vick had the ability to make people miss and turn sure sacks into big gains, or Elway could take off and turn 5 yards into 25 just as easily, Elway is the most sacked QB in history and Vick consistently threw picks and took bigger losses trying to turn a bad play into a big play.

I write this with the worry that I pull a Bill Simmons with David Ortiz(after he compared Ortiz to Larry Legend). Regardless of what happens this year however,(With the Pack probably not contending for a Super Bowl title) Favre is the greatest of all time, regardless of what "experts" say about guys named Montana, Elway, or Unitas.

Pre Season NFL Draft Top 5's (Defense)

	DE
1.)	Chris Long	6-3 266	Virginia
2.)	Tommy Blake	6-2 252	TCU
3.)	Calais Campbell	6-6 277	Miami
4.)	Kendall Langford	6-5 290	Hampton
5.)	Derrick Harvey	6-4 255	Florida State

	DT
1.)	Glen Dorsey	6-1 310	LSU
2.)	Sedrick Ellis	6-1 205	USC
3.)	Frank Okam	6-4 325	Texas
4.)	Jeff Owens	6-3 295	Georgia
5.)	Demario Pressley	6-4 290	NC State

	OLB
1.)	Dan Connor	6-3 228	Penn State
2.)	Keith Rivers	6-3 236	USC
3.)	Erin Henderson	6-2 240	Maryland
4.)	Xavier Adibi	6-2 219	Virginia Tech
5.)	Malik Jackson	6-2 221	Louisville

	ILB
1.)	Vincint Hall	5-11 236	Virginia Tech
2.)	James Laurinaitis	6-3 242	Ohio State
3.)	Jonathan Goff	6-2 236	Vanderbilt
4.)	Phillip Wheeler	6-2 234	Georgia Tech
5.)	Ray Maualuga	6-2 245	USC

	CB
1.)	Antoine Cason	6-0 190	Arizona
2.)	Malcom Jenkins	6-0 205	Ohio State
3.)	Justin King	6-0 186	Penn State
4.)	Dwight Lowery	6-0 185	San Jose State
5.)	DeJaun Tribble	5-9 190	Boston College

	S
1.)	Kenny Phillips	6-1 205	Miami (Fla.)
2.)	Quintin Demps	5-11 202	UTEP
3.)	Darien Williams	5-11 190	Oklahoma
4.)	Jonathan Hefney	5-8 180	Tennessee
5.)	Tom Zbikowski	5-11 207	Notre Dame

***Italics denotes underclassmen**

Pre-Season NFL Draft Rankings 2008 Offense

	QB
1.)	Brian Brohm	6-3 223	Louisville
2.)	John David Booty	6-2 210	USC
3.)	Chad Henne	6-2 225	Michigan
4.)	Andre Woodson	6-2 225	Kentucky
5.)	Colt Brennan	6-4 190	Hawaii

	RB
1.)	Mike Hart	5-9 200	Michigan
2.)	Darren McFadden	6-2 210	Arkansas
3.)	Steve Slaton	5-10 200	West Virginia
4.)	Ray Rice	5-9 193	Rutgers
5.)	Allen Patrick	6-0 195	Oklahoma

	WR
1.)	DeSean Jackson	5-11 180	Cal
2.)	Mario Manningham	6-0 188	Michigan
3.)	Early Doucet III	6-0 210	LSU
4.)	Limas Sweed	6-4 219	Texas
5.)	Adarius Bowman	6-3 225	Oklahoma State

	TE
1.)	Travis Beckum	6-4 225	Wisconsin
2.)	John Carlson	6-4 252	Notre Dame
3.)	Martellus Bennett	6-6 250	Texas A&M
4.)	Fred Davis	6-3 245	USC
5.)	Martin Rucker	6-4 245	Missouri

	T
1.)	Jake Long	6-7 309	Michigan
2.)	Sam Baker	6-5 312	USC
3.)	Barry Richardson	6-6 345	Clemson
4.)	Ryan Clady	6-5 318	Boise State
5.)	Gosder Cherilus	6-6 312	Boston College

			G 1.) Shannon Tavega 6-2 312 UCLA 2.) Jeremy Perry 6-2 317 Oregon State 3.) Adam Kraus 6-6 300 Michigan 4.) George Robinson 6-4 330 Oklahoma 5.) Jordan Grimes 6-3 325 Purdue

**Italics denotes underclassman**

Starting off

One of my favorite quotes is "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." While that may not be universally true, it is the reason we have the first amendment and the reason I can have this blog, to say whatever I want.

While a Voltaire reference may go over the head of most people, especially the sports fans I am attempting to reach, it is important to remember the only reason PTI and Around the Horn are successful is because society allows sports writers to be hypercritical even when writing "objectively." No one would ever allow a writer for the New York Times to show overt political bias in an article about Bush. That is the reason people view Fox News as a less than credible news source. Local sportswriters are the worst kind of hypocrites. They are masters at twisting words to achieve their own means.

While in the post game press conference for Brewers skipper Ned Yost, a local sports writer asked Yost about his starting pitcher Chris Capuano who had lost 10 straight decisions and 15 straight overall. That writer inquired as to how long Yost could stay with Cappy in the starting rotation. Not 5 minutes later that same writer was talking to that very pitcher. He had the nerve to say that SOMEONE in the press conference had brought up the issue of his spot in the rotation.

All the articles in the paper the next day were about the pitcher's precarious situation and the seemingly untenable position of Yost keeping Capuano in the line up. Certainly sports writers CAN say whatever they want. Yost did seem to hint that taking Capuano out of the rotation was a possibility, but sure enough that very next day Yost announced he would make his next start.

Sportswriters are the ultimate in applying the credo "Never let the facts get in the way of a good story." All you have to do is look at headlines. Most of verbiage is subjective language. This time of year with NFL training camps in full swing most of the football related articles are speculative evaluations of rookies and veterans alike.

Unfortunately for many, those are the only way the public can get that knowledge they seek. Everyone wants to know how their teams first round draft choice is doing. The Jaguars fans want desperately to learn that Reggie Nelson is ready to be the starting safety. Browns fans want Brady Quinn to be ready for September. The only way short of going to practice to find out if that is the case is to read local newspapers. The only problem is, no matter how many practices a sports writer has seen, he or she is still a sports WRITER, not a talent scout. It is a sports writers obligation to give the facts unless it is clear he or she is giving his or her opinion.

Now that I've gone on and on I will get to the point. This blog is my thoughts, my opinions, my feelings, as related to facts. I will do my best to research and present valid factual accounts of events, but the reason you have a blog is to give your opinion. If someone wants facts they read the Times (or a whatever your news source of choice may be)

Feel free to disagree with what I say; chances are, I'll disagree with you at some point. Let me know! Feedback, opinions, comments, they're always appreciated. We're started, let's roll