Last night, I had a dream that an incredibly old man was run over by a car. It was a strange dream but what was really odd was that I wasn’t the least bit sad. I just woke up, washed my face, looked in the mirror and said, “WHO DAT?”
Then it hit me. IT’S FOOTBALL SEASON!
I clearly had that dream because the Saints are going to run over the Vikings tonight, to open the best season of the year…IT’S FOOTBALL SEASON!
The reason I wasn’t sad, when the old man was run over by the car, was because that old man was obviously, Brett Favre! No, I don’t want to see Favre die, but I knew that man in my dream wasn’t dead, because as we all know, it just isn’t that easy to get rid of Brett Favre!
We should be so lucky...his "career" would finally be over- everyone knows the Oakland is where football players go to die. (Sorry, Jason Campbell but you had to know it was coming after your stellar 4-12 season!)
Tonight the Vikings take on the Saints in the Super Dome and finally...IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON!!!
Many football fans (including myself), thought Brett Favre should have retired as a Packer…let’s face it, he is old, he’s a cry baby and did I mention he was old (40 is like 200 in football years). I couldn’t figure out why he kept coming back, but on Monday when Favre announced (for the third freakin’ time) that he was not likely to return next season, it suddenly became clear…
The man just wants to leave a legacy…and now he has…
If you watched the game on Sunday Night, the score teetered back and forth between the Saints and the Vikings, the majority spent locked in a tie. For each touchdown scored, the other team would answer. But of course, the only thing the announcer talked about was Brett Favre (by the way, does anyone else hate when Troy Aikman announces a game as much as I do? When Reggie Bush fumbled a punt return, he spent 10 minutes discussing whether Reggie ever had possession. NEWS FLASH TROY: he didn’t need to have possession, it was a PUNT!).
Anyway, all they talked about was Favre. So, you want to talk about Favre? How about the 5 turnovers the Vikings had? How about the way Brett spent 20 minutes crying about his leg after throwing his first pick of the game? (Man up, old man! You are 40 years old and have thrown a record number of interceptions…we know it is you and not the ankle. You aren’t fooling anyone!)
How about we talk about Favre's crowning moment? The moment when he decided the fate of his team, the moment when he laid it all on the line…and threw an interception…
Or how about we let this guy do it… (if you reading this in your email, you need to go to the actual site and listen to the announcing in Minnesota of the final pass by Favre)
As they would say in New Orleans “déjà vu.” With the score tired at 28 all, the Vikings were marching down field with just seconds on the clock and were within field goal range, when Favre scrambled out, saw a hole and instead of running, he went for the legacy and threw the ball straight into the hands of New Orleans Saint, Tracy Porter, who ran up field with it and sending the game into OT. That would be Favre’s last play of the season and the Saints would win the toss in over time and end the game with a field goal, to send the Saints to their, first ever, Super Bowl.
So, do you see the legacy yet? Brett Favre is not only the only football player to retire from the NFL a record THREE times, but he ended each one of those “careers” with an interception. (That takes REAL skill)
That’s right, in the 2007 NFC Championship game, (once again in overtime) Packers won the overtime coin toss, but on the second play from scrimmage, Favre was picked off by the Giants' Cory Webster, and the Giants ended the game and Favre’s career as a Packer with a 20-23 win. (They would go on to be the WORLD CHAMPION NEW YORK GIANTS)
Again, in 2008, down 24-17 to the Dolphins in a “must win” game, deciding who would go to the playoffs,then Jets quarterback, Brett Favre threw an interception on Miami's 25-yard line with five minutes remaining and seal the fate of the New York Jets, who would be heading home to watch the playoffs on tv. Remember, how sweet it was to see Chad Pennington, who the Jets released for Favre, take the Dolphins to the playoffs with a final win over the team that released him for the old guy? I loved it and later, Favre would eventually retire…again.
Then we saw Sunday night, as the pressure was on and the game was on the line…Super Bowl or home…Brett Favre’s final play would be, once again, an interception. On Monday he announced it would likely be his last game, but he would let his team know sooner than last time. (Gee, thanks Favre!)
We can only hope that he means last game ever and not last game as a Viking!
How much more embarrassment can these ladies take? (yup, that is Brett's mom, wife and daughter)
But that is not all…
Brett Favre’s two interceptions took over the record for the most interceptions by a QB in postseason history with 30. (YAY, FAVRE!)
So in honor of Fav-ruh’s making of history, I thought that I would recap some of his other career highlights. Those that make Favre a QB we will remember, forever.
January 20th, 2002 (back before the retiring, crying, unretiring,crying, retiring, crying, unretiring…) in the NCF Divisional playoff game, Brett Favre threw six interceptions, 3 of them returned for 6 points by the Rams (Remember when you could say Rams and playoffs in the same sentence and it wasn’t followed by laughter?). 28 of the Rams 45 points were due to Brett Favre himself. (I know 3 TD’s is 21 points, but another was returned to the 4 and the Rams scored on the next play…still Favre’s fault!) Great game, Favre!
In 2003, the Atlanta Falcons lead by Michael Vick (hey, another name that is no longer associated with quality football), visited the icy Lambeau Field where the Pack were undefeated in the freezing weather, for the NFC Wildcard. Apparently, Favre wanted to break that record also…the second half started with a 24-0 lead by the Falcons. Most teams would say, with an entire half to play, the game could still be turned around. And it might be true…if your QB isn’t Brett Favre. The only "come back" in Favre’s mind was “come back home and watch the playoffs from the couch!” He managed one TD, but on their next six possessions, an interception and a lost fumble by Favre would add to the 4 turnovers (in just those 6 possessions) that would send the Pack packing! But that wasn’t the end of Favre…
Again, in 2004, once again an NFC Divisional Playoff game, this time in Filthadelphia and with the game in Brett Favre’s favorite choke position…OT. (Maybe he gets tired by then.) The Eagle’s failed on their first OT possession (I can hear the gasps of surprise everywhere!), but what happened next is what sealed the Eagle’s fate. Brett Favre, pulled back the arm he so much loves to show off and aired out a beautifl, high flying, bomb of a pass, to a wide open…Brian Dawkins (yeah, he was an Eagle). One field goal later, “bye bye Packers.” Another Brett Favre classic!
In 2006, the Packers met Rex Grossman (who??) and the Chicago Bears in Green Bay’s home opener and Brett’s final season as a Packer (we can only hope!) Apparently, Brett wanted to go out in style, and that style was scoreless. A shut out, at home. The cause of this shut out? Well, let’s just say Brett Favre’s continuous hurling of the ball toward no one (maybe that’s where Grossman learned it), except the 2 fourth quarter completions to THE OTHER TEAM, didn’t help matters. But I am sure that ESPN found a way to blame some one else.
We all know how the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons ended…interceptions (followed by retirement and then unretirement).
So, I hope that Favre has set his records and made his legacy as interception king and can finally do us all a FARVO (or favor, in English) and GO AWAY! (I should probably specify “and not come back” because it isn’t the going away he has trouble with, it is the staying away).
God help us all, if it true goal is to blew a season for EVERY NFL team by throwing a game losing interception. Think of all the retiring, tears, unretiring, tears, we’d have ahead. (UGH!)
I know a lot of people are looking to see what I say about the Jets-Colts game, too, but did anyone, besides Rex Ryan, seriously think that the Jets were going to the Super Bowl? Seriously? Did you think that Braylon Edward was suddenly going to turn the team into Super Bowl Champions? Haha. That is sad enough, I don’t need to poke fun at those poor people.
"We’ve got Cowboys and Falcons and Seahawks…oh my!"
No Wizard in Oz or Eagle in Philly is going to want a piece of this Defense! The only time these guys are going to see any competition, is with each other!
The G-men have stacked their already stacked defense this week with 3 free agents. Chris Canty, Michael Boley and Rocky Bernard join the Giants D, already comprised of, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, Dave Tollefson, Fred Robbins, Barry Cofield and Jay Alford.
Do we really need that many men on Defense? Probably not. Far be it for me to question the genius, that is the New York Giants decision making team, but then why on Earth would we acquire so many players for the same unopen positions?
Well, perhaps it is because Osi’s coming back from a knee injury, which limited his 5 Hour energy shots (he did the commercials, remember?) to pacing the sidelines and we are unsure of his ability this season. Maybe it is because, in all honesty, I have no clue who Dave Tollefson is and that guys job is in jeopardy. (the new standard for whether you are making it in the NFL, should be whether I recognize your name or not. If don’t know who you are, don’t spend your last paycheck, quite yet!).
Eli, are you suggesting that these talented men are simply a pawn in our scheme to replace Plaxico with a receiver who is “lighter on his feet” (or just that one foot)?
Well, that is what the Giants are denying, and therefore most likely to be true.
Hoz…Houzma…Houzmen…Houshmemama……Houshmandzadeh. That’s right! I may need to brush up on my spelling of this ridiculously long last name, or maybe I will just call him T.J. because rumor has it, Mr. Houshmandzadeh (yeah, I am cutting and pasting that) wants to be a New York freakin’ Giant. Who knew a man who spent so much time with Ocho Cinco (there’s one I won’t misspell) could be so smart. All smart men want to be G-men! The real question is, do the Giants want you, T.J.?
I hear, the Giants really want, Michael Crabtree. He has a, corner end zone, grab like Plaxico, but without all the sirens and flashing lights. Just what my boy, Eli, needs!
The problem is, who doesn’t want Michael Crabtree?
“Out of bounds? Who needs out of bounds? I’ll just make this awesome grab in the corner with 8 seconds and run it in! “
Anyone who watches College Football, especially those tired of seeing that little number 1 next to the name Texas, has seen this first hand:
Now, we all know that the G-men gave a performance this past season, just riveting enough to keep them out of reach of a quality draft pick. So what are the Giants willing to give for the “best wide receiver in college football?”
Rumor in the Northeast is (and we all know, Yankees know best…kidding, as I alienate half of my audience) 3 picks! Yup, you heard me! THREE PICKS! This years first round, this years second round and next years first round.
I have to ask, with guys like Boldin and Houshmandzadeh out there, is he worth three picks? Maybe. But my concern is the Giants will force him the ball, even when he isn’t open, to get these 3 picks worth. When he doesn’t perform under those conditions, they will trade him away, only to see his stellar performance on another team. (Look at Shockey! Ok, you are right, bad example! ) UPDATE: T.J. Houzmenzadah (or whatever) is now a Seattle Seahawk. This stuff happens faster than I can type it. 5 years. $40 million. Not bad.
In other news, you can hang on to your 27 jerseys, Giants fans, but your 34’s are no good in New York. Brandon Jacobs has signed a 4 year, $25 million contract with the Giants, but Derrick Ward will be joining the Bucs for a measly 4 years worth $17 million (and thus the end of Earth, Wind and Fire).
Not so GIANTS news:
The Titans are inking a 2 year contract with my very favorite, Penn State alum, ex-NY Giant, alcoholic, quarterback Kerri Collins, worth 15 million and 8.5 million guaranteed. Not bad for a 36 year old man. That’s what happens when you finish the regular season, 13-3 with a first round bye in the play-offs, FAVRE!
There’s trouble brewing in Denver. I thought getting rid of Shanahan was a dumb move on the Broncos part, but can we all see it now? McDaniels and his peeps, put their quarter back and my favorite, elimination bowl blowing, QB on the trading block; only to lose the trade bid and the trust of his quarterback. Good freakin' luck! Jay Cutler lost to the Chiefs and the Raiders this season, to destroy my elimination bowl picks (Stoopid, Jay Cutler!) and I didn’t piss him off...actually I am pretty sure that he loooves me!
Who were the Broncos offering poor Jay Cutler (yup, I always refer to him by his full name) for? Mr. Matt Cassel, of course. We talked earlier in the season, during my “fantasy draft” about him being a ‘wanted man.’
It appears that the Chiefs wanted him most. Cassel will be playing for a comfortable 14 million for one year in Kansas City. The funny part? The headlines read, ‘Cassel ready to compete for Starting Job with Chiefs.” I am sorry, but who is he competing with? Are the chiefs having another “Quaterback for a Day” raffle? They had 2 wins last season, and one was against the Oakland Raiders (that doesn’t count!). So, I would say, Chief fans, it is safe to go ahead and pre-order your Cassel jerseys!
Still out there…. Ray Lewis and Kurt Warner. My guess, they aren’t going too far. Ravens and Cards, respectively.
