Home > Furman Bisher > Archives > 2008 > August > 08 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USWho has the bigger ego: Favre or New York?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There before us, we see it happening. The strangest transition since that long-forgotten tennis player switched sexes, from Richard to Renee. Brett Favre from Packer to Jet. From Kiln, Miss., to Gotham, the center of the universe, in its own eyes. From blue jeans to Broadway.
One national publication had presumptuously positioned him back in Packer green, with this daring conclusion: “In the end, the Packers made the best decision. If Favre was going to play again, he was going to play for them.”
That would have been the popular evolvement, but off target. Mike McCarthy, the Packers coach, said, that in their final long, drawn-out visitation, Favre “never once said he wanted to play for Green Bay.” We must presume this is straightforward stuff, not the whine of a jilted suitor.
Then, there was the other emotional moment, when Favre was quoted as saying, “I’ll always be a Packer.” He’ll be wearing green, but it will be the Jets green. What kind of hell did he lead the Packers through during this emergence from his tearful retirement oath? Oh, it was poignant, sorrow etched under that scruffy beard. I don’t know that any of us out here doubted him for a moment. By gad, it just shows you: Never trust one of these “retiring” guys while his bruises are still fresh and the teardrops are falling.
Ego is ego, whether in Green Bay or New York. Or Kiln, Miss. (pop. 2,040). After all these years most of us had bought into Favre as the total Packer. He looked it, seemed to mean it, fell right in with these modest Midwesterners whose football team began in a meat-packing plant. Long way from the towers of Manhattan. A press conference in New York draws a thundering, blustering, elbowing herd. In Green Bay, it’s more like the weekly Rotary Club luncheon. A few cameras and a few Wisconsin reporters show up.
Maybe Favre exposed his inner self when he was told that the new “Favre 4” Jets game jersies were out and that 3,000 had already been sold, and he said, “Is that all?” I choose to believe that he was making a small joke.
Forgiveness in Green Bay will be a long time coming, if ever. Had Favre made his “retirement” from the Packers without a bucketful of tears, and all the typical sob stuff that goes with such fake farewells, most of the cheese-head nation might soften up to him. Not now. Favre has become the enemy. Go get the traitorous redneck. All the while, Aaron Rodgers has been twirling in the wind. Packers quarterback, or back to the clipboard and baseball cap one more year? All this precious time spent in suspense while Favre dallied with his old team. Even turned down a $20 million offer to do nothing but be Brett Favre, Packers ambassador to the world.
Well, now that he has made his bed with these erudite New Yorkers, maybe they’ll finally get his name properly pronounced. It doesn’t take a Cajun to to know it’s “Fov,” not “Farve,” but it should help. Anyone can see that the “v” comes before the “r.” A learned Cajun friend named Favre, who grew up in Bay St. Louis, has gone to great lengths to convert broadcasters to the “Fov” pronounciation, with corrective missles, both taped and written, and has come away discouraged. At this turn of affairs, he may have dismissed him as a misguided hick.
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Comments
By KIm
August 8, 2008 6:46 PM | Link to this
Gee a Favre basher as common as a Bush basher. I am over the Packers management they suck now worse than ever. Year after year they disappointed at draft, they let good players go. We shall see! Favre rocks 4 ever.
By Sonny Crockett
August 8, 2008 8:08 PM | Link to this
Furman you just don’t get it. Favre got screwed over by Green Bay management. He gave his heart and soul and left bits and pieces of himself all over that field in the process. If it wasn’t for Favre turning that team around, they NEVER would’ve gotten the money needed to refurbish Lambeau. Ask around in Green bay and see if I’m right. Favre was not totally blameless in all this but as Mike Ditka has said: “If Walter Payton retired and wanted to come back 6 weeks into the season; you take him back. Same with Favre.” Forgiveness in Green Bay will be a long time coming because I am a long time Packers fan (43 years) and along with a many others just like me, have lost respect for the organization thanks to the Three Stooges. I wish no injuries on anyone but hope they go 4-12 and someone gets fired because of what they did to Favre. They make me sick.
By WisconsinFan
August 8, 2008 8:49 PM | Link to this
Green Bay fans have nothing to forgive when it comes to Favre. He gave us his all, and never held back.
Watch and see how many fans in Lambeau Field will be wearing the Jets #4 jersey at the opener.
By TedsHugeEgo
August 8, 2008 9:01 PM | Link to this
Ted Thompson has always been in rebuild mode, purposely set his expectations low by never intending to get to the Super Bowl in 2005 or 2006. FACT
GB 2004 Record: 10-6 & Division Champion Winners Mike Sherman GM/Head Coach
GB 2005 Record: 4-12 Ted Thompson’s first season. Ted Thompson released Mike Sherman after the 4 -12 season. Yet, Ted Thompson refused to give Mike Sherman any talent to win in 2005 because he wanted MS gone and he wanted to rebuild. Brett Favre was already too old in Ted’s mind.
Why? Because Ted Thompson had a 3-5 year plan and wasn’t concerned about going to the Super Bowl in his first 2 years as GM. He was immediately in re-build mode in 2005 and wanted Mike Sherman and Brett out. He wants all the glory and is why he drafted a QB within the first few weeks of taking on the GM position when his current QB made the playoffs the previous year along with already haveing a good backup QB.
Ted Thompson destroyed the team from the beginning with intent - you’ll see.
By IsTedGay
August 8, 2008 9:22 PM | Link to this
Any truth to Ted being gay? Not that there is anything wrong with it, just that is the rumor going around WI media. Not sure.
By Joe Redneck
August 8, 2008 9:29 PM | Link to this
By gad, I always thought Steve Hummer was the worst.Go back and watch your Vick videos. Where is he now. Write about Bulldogs, by gad. Stay Positive,please. - Nov ‘04, Behind 2 scores to Vikings, late in game Farve thows incomplete and gets creamed at sideline- CREAMED. Favre goes back and wins the game - Another game, Behind in game,2nd down, have to score,Favre gets creamed,out of game 1 play,4th down, Fave pleads to go, Favre scores with fantastic throw. After, he doesn’t remember what happened, concussion. The next week was a bye. By gad.
By MissSherry
August 8, 2008 9:33 PM | Link to this
Why the snarky paragraph about how Favre pronounces his name? When people of French descent move from Louisiana to Mississippi, they pronounce their names like the locals do. In south Louisiana the name Oubre is pronounced Oob, in south Mississippi it becomes Oh-bree - Fahv becomes Farve - who cares? What a stupid column!
By Mark
August 8, 2008 9:48 PM | Link to this
Your opinion would carry more weight if you had gotten your facts straight. But you seem more interested in showing off your pronunciation skills than your football knowledge, so it probably doesn’t bother you much.
By BravesFan79
August 8, 2008 10:32 PM | Link to this
Well my 2nd favorite team behind the Falcons just went from being the Packers to the Jets! The Packers were wrong in how they handled the Farve thing just like the Dolphins were wrong for how they forced Marino out in favor of…. WHO??
I hope the Packers TANK this season for doing Farve wrong just like the Dolphins SUCKED the next year because they did Marino wrong!
Break a leg Packers new QB…no seriously… i hope you break your leg and the whole franchise looks like fools!
By Gman
August 8, 2008 10:39 PM | Link to this
TedsHugeEgo: Bingo!! You got that straight…. He has been in rebuilding mode and that’s why when Farve wanted to come back this year, early on his phone calls were not returned… But guess what, if #4 has a good year with the Jets and Aaron Rodgers has a crappy year, Ted will be looking for a new job!
Hey “Furmenator” how would you like it if we told you to retire from writing!!! ;) LOL
By tony
August 8, 2008 11:05 PM | Link to this
well all i can say is i will always brett frve fan no matter where he is at i hope he takes the jets all the way.but like he said this is business and in his heart he will always be a packer no matter where hes at the packers on the other hand have rodgers who gets hurt getting off the bench i hope and pray that they have the worst season ever and they fire ted,mike and mark.donald driver i wish you all the luck this season as you are a brett farve friend and i hope you wish he was playing with you instead of another teamdont ever forget your friend the best QB out there BRETT FARVE FOREVER
By jennifer
August 9, 2008 3:10 AM | Link to this
True Packer fans support the team, not just one player.
It’s embarrassing to see Packer fans and their children yelling obscenities and threats and taunts at Aaron Rodgers. True Packer fans hope Rodgers is fantastic.
Why don’t you folks who love Favre so much move to New York? And take your rude, obscenity spewing children with you. Or move to Kiln. I’m sure the Favre family would hire you to pick rocks on Brett’s estate for a couple of bucks an hour. There you can worship the ground he walks on.
By jennifer2
August 9, 2008 7:43 AM | Link to this
jennifer - you do realize you can be both a Packer fan and Favre fan at the same time? What’s unfortunate is that Thompson came in and destroyed the Division Champ momentum in 2004 in order to justify getting rid of Mike Sherman and Favre. Thompson didn’t want success in 2004 and 2005 - he wanted Favre gone. That’s why he used his first draft pick on a QB within weeks of being a the new GM. Favre already had 2 good healthy back up QB’s. Thompson wanting Favre gone is common knowledge in WI media. We’re still Packer fans, we are just shocked that Ted Thompson was given all the power to get rid of the one player that helped the GB Packers become must see TV. Thompson doesn’t belong in WI. He’s a recluse in both his professional and personal life. He rarely goes to the locker room and has very little interaction with the players. Which the players are thankful for, because he’s weird.
By THROWITDEEP
August 9, 2008 8:01 AM | Link to this
Hey Bisher,
If Favre wants to keep playing don’t you think he has earned the right to make that choice? Don’t bash a man for coming out of retirement to play the game he loves. I have a wonderful idea…why don’t you retire.
Thanks!
By THROWITDEEP
August 9, 2008 8:03 AM | Link to this
Hey Bisher,
If Favre wants to keep playing don’t you think he has earned the right to make that choice? Don’t bash a man for coming out of retirement to play the game he loves. I have a wonderful idea…why don’t you retire.
Thanks!
By Just An Observation...
August 9, 2008 8:44 AM | Link to this
At least neither the Packers nor the Jets fans had to put up with a inarticulate, unintelligent, felonious, dog-raping c00n like Mike Vick as the QB & Face of the Franchise or the legion of ignorant, booty-shaking ghetto trash who followed him turning their football stadiums into “Freaknik” each Sunday.
By Just An Observation...
August 9, 2008 8:53 AM | Link to this
CORRECTION:
At least neither the Packers nor the Jets fans had to put up with AN inarticulate, unintelligent, felonious, dog-raping c00n like Mike Vick as the QB & “Face of the Franchise” or the legion of ignorant, booty-shaking ghetto trash who followed him turning their football stadiums into “Freaknik” each Sunday.
By losers
August 9, 2008 8:59 AM | Link to this
Gee, what a bunch of losers. Favre is a dill-hole and just because he played for so long doesn’t give him a free pass to screw with his old team.
He retired so let it go. Stayed retired.
My message to Brett:
Stay home in Mississippi nub!
By Jerry L
August 9, 2008 11:39 AM | Link to this
Furman, I agree with your comments. Yes Brett won GB (1) Super Bowl in (16) years. But what has he done lately. He is over the hill and a waste of time talking about. He lied, changed his mind and acted more like a b**.
By Jerry L
August 9, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this
You are a redneck extreme. When did the NFL become a one race audience. ATL should cater to its population you fool. MV7 screwed up. Also read your history. Brett F. used to be a geeked up drug fiend himself. Don’t try to hide the facts. Brett screwed up and was not prosecuted for his mistakes.
By Najeh Davenpoop
August 9, 2008 3:39 PM | Link to this
I don’t often read or agree with Furman Bisher’ s columns, but this one is absolutely right. It is refreshing to see a member of the sports media who does not want to get on his knees and open his mouth wide in front of Brett Favre. Favre held his organization hostage with his retirement and un-retirement, not to mention his retirement talk the last couple of seasons. The Packers did the right thing by letting him go. The only thing they did wrong is failing to get more for him in a trade.
By AJC/DNC Management
August 9, 2008 5:50 PM | Link to this
Favre will be ineffective this year with any team, especially the Jets.
Old quarterbacks never retire, they just fade away…….
Favre is finished, and you all know it. Last year he was throwing all these miracle passes, and that’s the problem. They were miracles.
Then he bombed in the post season badly. It’s over. He’ll get sacked over and over and throw interceptions and fumble.
It’s over for Favre. Bet the farm on that one.
By Paul Bryant
August 9, 2008 6:22 PM | Link to this
Furman,
If anyone understands playing past your prime, it should be you. By the way, how’s the Saturday Evening Post doing these days?
By White Booty Shaking FALCONS Fan
August 9, 2008 7:19 PM | Link to this
Jerry L -
Just curious, where are all of Mike Vick’s followers posing as FALCONS & NFL “Fans” who packed and sold out the Dome in years past at now?
By Dave
August 9, 2008 8:45 PM | Link to this
You misread the situation, Bisher. Favre is still a fan fave. Ted Thompson and McCarthy are the villians. God help them if Aaron Rogers doesn’t lead them to the playoffs this year. What idiots.
By bbeen
August 10, 2008 2:14 AM | Link to this
Come on Packer fans! Give Rogers a break! Farve left the Pack on his own terms and then, when everyone had moved on, he decided to bring back his old self! He doesn’t have a new self, just the old one staying around too long.
By bull-gator
August 10, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this
Sounds like you’re a little too wrapped in this entertainment business known as professional sports. Who, other than the fans of the Packers and the Jets cares where Farve plays ball? It’s only a game and Brett will be permanently retired before the 2010 season. Who’s colors will he be wearing at his hall of fame induction?
By UGA'91
August 10, 2008 10:44 AM | Link to this
Sad day in America when redneck turns against redneck…I guess the chickens have come home to roost.
By Bryan
August 10, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this
If only the Packers management was in charge of the AJC. Something tells me they would have notified Furman they were moving on years ago.
Seriously Mr. Bisher, what did Favre do they has you questioning the size of his ego? I’m not saying Favre is totally innocent but his ego has nothing to do with not wanting to give up football. Could you give up writing? Please say yes.
By Blank Go Broke
August 10, 2008 2:29 PM | Link to this
RE: “Sad day in America when redneck turns against redneck…I guess the chickens have come home to roost.”
If the chickens come home to roost, the VICK FANZ will just steal them like they do with watermelons and iPods.
By Wow
August 11, 2008 9:16 AM | Link to this
Continued strong insight. Have you had any relevance since Bobby Jones?
By Tony
August 11, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this
Why can’t a big of a newspaper company like the AJC update the Nascar section…… it has had old news listed for months now…..Why?…..
By Die-Hard Packers Fan
August 11, 2008 3:07 PM | Link to this
I froze my rear off watching Brett end a great season in the NFC Championship. I forgive him for the pass at the end, but I am having a hard time forgiving him for annually jerking around the Packer nation, “am I gone, am I coming back?” Brett clearly had the chance to return and be a Packer, he chose not to. The Packers, and this fan, had to move on. I wish him well and I’ll be wearing my Packers No. 4 jersey when he is inducted into the Hall.
By Packer Fan
August 11, 2008 4:52 PM | Link to this
While I think both sides are behaving badly - egos are in the way as is often the case…Haven’t many other athletes retired and come back? Wayne Gretzky? Michael Jordan?
By John
August 11, 2008 7:05 PM | Link to this
I could not agree more, Brett Farve gave Green Bay everything he had everytime he walked on the field and the Jets will get that same number 4….Dikta was right on the money, Walter wants to come back, you take him back…and I wish we could see that one also…
By Stew
August 11, 2008 11:35 PM | Link to this
As always, people hate when good things happen to the NY JETS. The ATL Falcons dont have the guts to make such a move. Go JETS all the way to the Super Bowl!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Cecil34
August 12, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this
Brett was pressured out of Green Bay - thus why his “retirement” was so emotional. He was not ready - but tried to be.
For Ted Thompson.
But he wanted to play - I think all along - and all along Ted wanted Rodgers to play. Brett saw this.
Brett was done dirty by GB. Brett earned the right to come back and be the Packer’s starting QB. He earned it by putting in years and years in the frozen tundra.
Anyone who doesn’t think Brett gave his heart and soul to the Packers has not been observant.
The Packers and Thompson will rue the day they cast their lot in Rodgers corner.
Brett may have gotten himself in a mess now with the Jets, a perenially under-performing franchise.
All because of Ted Thompson and his ego. The Packer fans got screwed and are being sold a bill of goods on this Rodgers character, an unproven entity. Trust me, the chants of “Favre, Favre” will ring in his ears from game one.
Good luck, GB, you will need it.
By HOWARD LA PLANTE
February 11, 2009 7:27 PM | Link to this
Brett Favre gave his heart and sole to Green Bay. The man played and played well when he was hurt. Lets get off his back and thank him.
It’s Ted Thomson, who has to go. Brett Loves Green Bay and had his home here. All he asked for was cut me, trade me, or let me practice and try forthe quarterback job. Thomson wanted to keep him on a string all during the practice season, so Brett could not learn another teams system, but Brett fooled them and learned the Jet system in ne month and did well. We all owe Brett our thanks.