More Stats for the Unstat-Loving Favre Fans

43 come from behind wins. 43 we're led to believe. That's a staggering number. I say: "Let's put that in perspective, shall we?" Kind of like trying to fathom all the cows it takes to make billions and billions served. With 272 starts (273 games), that's about one in every six. That's three times a year with playoffs in there, every year for his whole career. A 75% clip in that 4-12 year, which is a pretty crazy feat, and if you believe it, you ARE a true Favre fan.

OK, so I'm averaging, but you get the point. It ain't true, no matter how you slice it. And to get to that number, you have to slice it pretty thin. Razor thin. I'd love to have conjured the will to sift through all that mind-illuminating Favrian data, but David Fleming at the four-letter did it for me. Thank God. I would have careened unceremoniously off a ledge in an endeavor like that.

Don't read this article if you love your Legend and his game-winning Deitiness.

LINK the LEGEND

How Long Before the Lunacy Starts?

And by lunacy I mean the mainstream media starting to float Favre's name for MVP. Oh, come on. Like it would be some kind of unbelievable phenomenon? It happened last year, albeit a few additional weeks down the road, but I have absolutely no doubt it will happen again this year, especially if (more like when) the Vikings beat the Packers on Monday Night and Favre sets the standard by which everyone will forever codify him: beating every team in the league.

Let's take a look behind the numbers and see if there's a case to be made.

Through three weeks, The Legend has 3 wins. So does Favre's rookie replacement in New York. So does Joe Flacco in Baltimore, and so does Kyle freaking Orton in Denver. Denver, for God's sake. So does Peyton Manning, Eli Manning and Drew Brees. In TDs, he's a respectable 6th with 5 scores. In terms of QB rating, he's number 8 ... right behind his replacement in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers. In completions he's 12th, attempts 16th. In yards he's a woeful 25th. 

But none of that matters. Not one iota. Not one hill of billies. It will begin in earnest because something, anything has to be a story in this non-story season thus far, and the mainstream media's collective imagination is a deep sucking black hole. Favre isn't even the best player on his own team. This should all tick Purple Jesus off toot sweet. And, of course, Favre will aw shucks his way back into our stone cold dark hearts the way an abusive spouse soothingly says "it won't happen again." But we know better, and we've got a little Farah Fawcett in us, don't we?

Brett Favre is no more an MVP candidate than I am at this point in the season. But he's Brett Favre and Brett Favre's stats are like dog years.

Credit Where Credit's Due - Still, Advantage Rodgers

Favre gets credit for one helluva throw, Lewis gets credit for one helluva catch and Dre Bly gets credit for dropping the pick-6 we would have been talking about the series before when Favre went ... well, Favre and put one right in the DB's mitts that would have sealed the deal the other way, and The Legend would have been having a much much different press conference.

Alas, this is Brett Favre and next Monday's game is set up to be the most watched Monday Nighter in the franchise's history.

I give Rodgers the week, because he was better statistically speaking. No matter what Favre's fans say, his rating was still an abyssmal 78 and change, he threw his first pick of the season, and if not for Bly dropping a sure TD the other way, most of those yards are moot. The Legend threw for something like 150 yards in the last few series of the 4th quarter alone. Both QBs got the win in games they were picked to win, but Rodgers did more with his feet (38 yards rushing and a TD) and finished with a very respectable 126.9 QB rating.

I will say this, though, if the Packers don't find a way to miraculously turn that O line around and start running the ball and protecting Rodgers, the Packers lose on Monday night by two TDs. Pre-season I picked this game as a loss for the Packers and I'm sticking with that prediction. But you never know. Maybe the emotional high from the 49er win gives the Vikings false belief in themselves as a Super Bowl contender.

Which they are not, Purple Jesus or no Purple Jesus.

(PHOTO: ESPN)

This Week's Sign the Apocalypse Is Upon Us

This one needs no exposition. Just click the link, please.

Maybe he should call in sick

Favre Wins Week 2

Objectivity sucks, but Brett Favre was the better quarterback in week 2 with a 115 QB rating. For the a-holes who are piling on that Rodgers lost to the Bengals, remember that the LIONS had the Vikes in a 10-0 hole until they decided to wake up from their slumber. Not exactly the Steelers. Still, credit where credit's due. Guess now that elephant in the room is looking really large if the Vikes happen to fall to the lowly Packers AT HOME in week 4. Can't wait to hear the excuses flow the week leading up to that tilt.

Impressive to consider, though, when was the last time Favre went consecutive weeks without throwing an interception? He must be serious about sticking it to Ted Thompson, but I'm only partially convinced there isn't a green pod somewhere in the Vikings locker room where THIS Brett Favre emerged covered in goo and speaking monotonously.

Oh yes, and he has officially now started every NFL game since the Big Bang. Good for you, Brett. Only one more record to go and then you can officially hold all of them, that is until Peyton Manning breaks all of yours. At which point we should expect a comeback of epic proportions in, oh say 2018.

Brett Who?

Man, this is fun to watch. Choke on it, myopians. Favre hasn't thrown a pass this far since he was overthrowing high school kids back in Mississippi in July. And listen to that crowd, the same crowd that booed loudly when Favre's mug showed up on the jumbotron for the highlights of earlier in the day.

"When Things Go Bad, It's Everyone Else's Fault"

So says Rodney Harrison. I have to admit, I used to hate Rodney Harrison, but I think I just misunderstood him. Because if he hates Brett Favre, then he's OK with me. This is the second run at Favre by Harrison, which makes him doubly OK in my book. He's effectively leapfrogged Fran Tarketon at the top of my list, but only because he used the most criminally under-untilized word in the English language - crap - twice in one paragraph.

Deuce in the hole

(PHOTO: Boston Herald)

The Mouth Costs the J-E-T-S $125K

Brett Favre got the gas can out and lit a "fahr" on Mangini and the Jets last week. Today, that little brush fire turned into a full-fledged blaze when the NFL dropped a $125K fine on Mangini and the Jets. I'm not sure if there's an actuary working for Bus Cook, but ol' Number Four should borrow him for a bit to keep track of all the literal and figurative credits and debits his piehole is running up.

Hell, Brett Favre still owes John David Booty $10K for stealing his jersey number. Point being, Brett Favre costs people money just by opening his mouth, not being able to make decisions, and generally being an "aw shucks" hillbilly assclown.

More importantly, what was Favre's motive? Personally, I think Favre just can't get out of his own way. I think he lets his emotions get the better of him and he thinks about ways to air his conscience when he has an opportunity. He probably thinks it comes off as being genuine and open when to the trained ear it's sophomoric and filled with childishness. Moreover, that legacy he claims not to be worried about gets a good deal of backroom attention, methinks. Why else would Favre talk about last year AGAIN? It's like he feels he didn't set himself up for failure enough and when he eventually did fail, it ate at him. It ate at him to the point that he felt like he had to bring it up again at some point down the road to explain it away, only he did so by blaming someone else. Big man.

Need more proof? He talked smack against the Packers when he was with the Jets. Not just right after the smarting early on, but late into the season. When he should have been concentrating on playing football for his new team, he was openly sharing thoughts about his former team. He even went out of his way to contact the Lions (see post waaaay below) the week they were playing the Packers when he was employed by the Jets. Are we seeing a trend here?

What? The? Frack?

People who say there are no guarantees in the world don't know or have never had experience with Brett Favre, because Brett Favre is guaranteed to throw your ass under the bus if he feels like it will fulfill his agenda.

Git R Done!

Havner > Favre

To the gentleman I failed to snap a pic of this weekend at the Packer/Bear game: I applaud your artistic dismantling of your former Favre jersey. Its newfound, duct-taped glory bearing Spencer Havner's number and name honors the Legend appropriately yet subtly, and so I give you four words to honor His Legendariness.

Master. Stroke. Of. Genius.

At the same time I thought I'd steal your idea and post it for the world to see. Genius shouldn't be bottled up, man. Quit being such a greedy SOB! ;-)

Can You Say Parody of Himself? I Knew You Could

I have to admit this is pretty funny on its face. I'm not completely humorless. But deeper than the "poking fun at himself" good-natured Favre is something that feels scripted, even nefarious. After all, weren't we always led to believe the ol' boy wasn't about the money. I heard a myopian say this weekend that "Favre would do this all for free if he had to." Buuuut since he's being paid $1 million to do it, he doesn't HAVE to?

I have no problem with him hawking Prilosec or Wranglers or Cialis or local car dealerships' steel. Hell, if I was able to make easy money I wouldn't be slogging a 9-5 for the man. But I have to admit casting a hairy eyeball at stuff like this self-parodying when he's earning large cash to do it. And if you look closely, I think there's a blood stain on his sleeve where he wears his heart on gameday.

Two for Flinching

Was it just me or did Brett Favre remind you of Lynn Dickey this Sunday against the vaunted Cleveland Browns' pass rush. I saw him turtle up on a couple of occasions and just give himself up to the sack than show us a little bit of the ol' gunslinger mentality. Maybe he's saving it all for the Monday niter against the Packers.

Or maybe he's just THAT old.

And was it just me or was it the Favre lovers who pointed to the Browns being "just the Browns" when Aaron Rodgers lit them up this preseason? But that was just preseason, right? No more vanilla Oreos, now. These babies are the full-fledged chocolate, regular season variety. Teams scheme, they gameplan, they have to account for starters now. And that all makes Favre's win superior to Rodgers. I'll give the lovers that the win actually counts, even with the pedestrian statistics.

Pathetic, Especially Coming from New York

Brett Favre had little to do with the Vikings win on Sunday, except if you consider the fact that he didn't LOSE the game for them by throwing the ball all over the field. So it comes as no surprise whatsoever that a news outlet would credit him with something he deserves no credit for: namely the win against the Browns. What does surprise me is the fact that it would be a New York news outlet.

I may even cut them a little slack if they'd have had the good sense to put Adrian Peterson's name first. The guy is the best player in football. HE is the Vikings leader. HE put in the work in the offseason, yet HE's taking a  backseat to a prima donna hillbilly that threw for just more than 100 yards.

Short memories do us no good

(PHOTO: Duncan/AP)

Advantage Rodgers

I'm clearly biased. Blinded by proof, I'd like to call it, but whatever. Let's set that aside for a minute and consider yesterday's tale-of-the-tape between Rodgers and Favre. Statistically speaking, it's a toss-up. Favre had the higher QB rating, but Rodgers had better yardage and made all the throws. Neither threw an INT and both threw a TD. And both got the almighty W. The stats shaped up thusly:

Favre
14/21 - 110 yds - 1 TD - 0 INTs
QB rating: 95.34

Rodgers
17/28 - 184 yds -1 TD - 0 INTs
QB rating: 91.96

The question for all the myopes is a simple one ... What was more impressive? Favre's miraculous doppleganger act as a game manager? Seriously, did someone check the locker room for a slimy pod? What dude wearing that #4 jersey decided he was going to throw the ball no longer than seven yards and did his best Lynn Dickey impersonation at the first sight of a defender in the backfield? Or was it Rodgers' first come-from-behind win that vaulted him over the top?

Of course it's Rodgers. He had the tougher opponent, and while Favre had the game's best running back explode for a near 200-yd, 3 TD performance, Rodgers had to make due with a running game that offered him 76 yards assistance, seven of which were his own. And Rodgers played the game without a right guard. Allen Barbre's impersonation of a tackle on the right side of the Packers linefooled no one. He looked like a personal usher for Adewale Ogunleye, showing him to Rodgers' seat on several occasions. Not like Favre's got a bang-up line working for his pass protection, either. But Chicago's defense is miles better than Cleveland's.

Advantage Rodgers.

Favre's stats
Rodgers' stats

Some Vikings Writers Just Don't Like the Taste of Purple Kool-Aid

Great risk can lead to great reward. That's what Brad Childress and Darrell Bevell are hoping for this season as the maestros of the Favre-to-Minnesota deal. The hardware is out there for them to go get. If the blathering of so many media outlets aping each other will attest to: the Vikings will meet the Patriots in Miami in February. Great risk can also lead to whatever untimely demise is at the end of the string: injured old QB, sub .500 record, copious additions to a 300+ interceptions record, firing, etc.

Some of the local writers think the Favre risk is doomed for failure for all of the reasons that should be fairly obvious, but to which no one without friendly ties to Favre can bring themselves to sneak a peek at: he's old, injured, and a failed "game manager." Does anyone honestly believe this guy will be content to hand the ball off to the best running back in the game when the game is on the line and he believes he's the greatest bleeding heart on the field?

Experiments are dangerous; ask Mangini

(PHOTO: ESPN)

The Trend Spirals Downward

Though loathe to admit it, Favre and his dwindling platoon of "4-ever" fans must see statistics like these and hesitate for a moment. OK, that's not true, no Favre fan will ever hesitate to defend the Legendary One, even if the truth clearly tells a different tale.

"Favre led the Packers to playoff victories over Seattle after the 2003 and 2007 seasons. He was 44-for-61 with four touchdowns and no interceptions. His other five playoff games were losses: at St. Louis and Philadelphia and in Lambeau Field against the Falcons, the Vikings and the Giants. He was 102-for-182 with eight touchdowns and 15 interceptions."

Yes, you read that correctly. Favre was at the helm of the only home playoff losses in Packer history. Three of them, to be exact.

It's unfathomable that Ted Thompson is considered a traitor for thinking about the future of the Packer organization when he both selected Rodgers and then gave him the reins to lead this team. Any other GM would have done the same in the face of these statistics, and they probably wouldn't have gone to the lengths Thompson did to try and give Favre an opportunity to compete for the job the myopians tell us should have been his without a competition. We'll see who the better quarterback is in two head-to-head games this year, and who performs better over the course of the season.

Last year, it was Rodgers - statistically speaking. I bet it will be the same this year, as well. Only this year the gap will be wider and will continue to grow wider over time until Favre decides it is truly time to give it up for good.

Favre = postseason agony

(PHOTO: Tom Richmond, Star Tribune)

Why Bother?

We know what Brett Favre says is not genuine. It's been proven time and time and time again. He didn't talk to the Vikings, he didn't talk to the Lions, he didn't ask for his Jets release (twice), he's really REALLY retired this time. For good, really. So why is the NFL jumping all over the comments The Lengendary One made yesterday concerning his injured arm? I'm sure they'll uncover a whole bunch of stuff that won't make a hill of beans difference, like the tampering charges against the Vikings last year when they were wooing Favre to come to the Mini Apple.

Or, more likey, they'll find something they don't like: Favre is a liar and his Wranglers are ablaze. I will bet good money nothing comes of this but a small slap on the wrist at best to the New York Jets.

And maybe Favre will consider giving John David Booty some loot for the number he stole off his back or the job he stole form him. I won't hold my breath. But he's a great guy and an all-around fantastic teammate.

Whatever

(PHOTO: Disney)

The Mangini on Favre's Finger-Pointing

Eric Mangini lost his job because Brett Favre played the entire season in New York with one foot in Minnesota. I think at this point - to everyone who is thinking and seeing things clearly - that much is crystal. So what did Mangini say when asked about Favre's back-pedal on his failure in New York as due to injury that the staff knew about?

"I don't think any of us played as well as we could have," Mangini said.  "What I do think is, I could have done a better job coaching.  I think the staff could have done a better job coaching.  I never look at success or failure as an individual thing. It was cumulative thing. We won games together. We lost games together. There were things that we could improve during that stretch that would have really helped us.""

Professional. Non-inflammatory. TAKING BLAME where it's warranted. God, I would love to be a fly on the wall when Mangini reflects on middle-naming his son "Brett." 

Read it for yourself

(PHOTO: LA Times)

The Guy Is a Charlatan

Judd Zulgad covered the Favre-led Green Bay Packers for two years and even he can't get past the stars in his eyes now that the Legend has brought his Barnumesque show to the Mini Apple. My questions after reading Zulgad's piece today about how Favre enamored all his new teammates with a very heartfelt speech about not coming back to beat the Packers were threefold: what happened to the "there is no schism in this locker room" claptrap that was widely denied last week that made this speech necessary at all, why didn't Favre feel compelled to do something similar to this last year when he ousted Pennington from the Jets and wound up alienating some of his new teammates over there, and finally if he's not back to stick it to the Packers why admit as much after the Jets stint?

But like the history that we're all doomed to repeat: whatever Favre feels like giving, the media will suck up like so many remoras in shark-infested waters.

So glad he's not our problem anymore - Zulgad

Team Guy All the Way

When will this continued setup for failure end? Lets' face it, no matter what the national media says, Minnesota winning the Super Bowl will require some good fortune, as it does with many talented and aspiring teams. But the expectations are well-documented. Trouble is, Favre has shown time and again over the course of 16 years that he does not perform well under the pressure of expectations. We've heard a myriad of excuses thus far: not enough practice time, potentially cracked rib, it was basically his daughter that talked him into coming back, he's old, he has a torn rotator cuff. Weary. Favre's act is old, tired, cliched and weary. I especially adore the part where Favre insists that he would have sat out after he injured his arm in the stretch run last year.

Retort: Snowball's chance in hell.

This guy will throw anyone under the bus he can to relieve himself of failure. I'd love to hear Mangini come out and corroborate this nonsense.

I Am Ironman

(PHOTO: cover - The Boy Who Cried Wolf, by B.G. Hennessy and Boris Kulikov)

Just Another "Favre Touch" Exaggeration

Once again, when it comes to Brett Favre, something someone claims is absolutely spot-on genuine hillbilly gold turns out to be not so much. Weren't we led to believe the New York Jets made enough money selling Favre jerseys to replicate Manhattan in Watts? And didn't Brett Favre sell enough tickets in the first few days after his signing with the Vikings to create a season ticket waiting list like the Packers?

Funny thing is, none of that should matter. The folks who point to these marketing numbers will also say the money's well spent, because the only thing that counts are wins. Turns out it's pretty much like everything else we've been led to believe about Favre: a fabrication. When compared to the cost of bringing Favre in, it seems the ends don't justify the means on the field. Do I honestly care if Lorenzo sells a handful of jerseys or a few seat licenses? As a Viking fan (which I'm clearly not), I think I would care less. Prove it on the field, buddy. Trouble is, he's been playing for a long time and put up some gawdy numbers on both the plus and minus side of the ball, but he only has one ring. So does Trent Dilfer, for goodness sake. And Jeff Hostetler, Mark Rypien and Brad Johnson (ooooh, low blow, I know, MN fan).

It is still true, however, that The Legendary One single-handedly completed the renovation of Lambeau Field after practice one night using only a pair of pliers, a blowtorch and a portion of Mount Everest.

Not a cost-effective decision

Definition of Corporate Doublespeak

What is it about the backtracking folks have to do when they're associated with this guy?

I know. I know. It's just rumor and speculation about Spielman's real feelings until he's pressed in public, and then he's a fully-committed company guy.

Smoke, meet fire.

Vikings VP of player personnel 100% behind Favre decision

(PHOTO: AP file)

Though Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Record

Let's face it, Brett Favre will play until he's 842 or until he owns every single NFL record. That's right George Blanda, he's coming for you after he gets finished with that pansy, Jim Marshall. Oh wait ...

Jim Marshall would never wear green and gold

Oh Ditka!

Love him or hate him, Mike Ditka comes with an impressive resume': won a Super Bowl as a player, an assistant and a head coach, and he tends to be a world class a-hole when his dander is up. But he speaks his mind and bleeds black and orange, which makes it all the more interesting that he thinks the Vikings are stupid for bringing the Legend in and that the green and gold, not the purple and puke will win the NFC North.

DITKA! 

Maybe That Cash for Clunkers Thing Had Merit After All

I honestly think Favre isn't going to play tomorrow nite because Brad Childress is terrified of what a poor performance could have on both the confidence of Favre and the psyche of his locker room. The LAST thing "Chilly" wants is some sort of quarterback controversy. But that's precisely what he's going to have if Jackson plays well again. He played better than favre did against the Chiefs, albeit compared to Favre's limited (and early) play with the team. But why not compare the two? Favre made a conscious decision not to attend training camp. In fact, he came in the day it ended. Coincidence?

The crazy thing about the folks who claim to think it's fine that he missed camp - the "he's a veteran who could write a book about the west coast offense, what more does he need to prove?" harpies - would be the first to decry guys holding out. I'd give you a sampling of all the reasons I think it's significant Favre missed camp, but Scout.com did it for me.

Scout via FOXSports 

Rodney Harrison Is a Thug, But He's Right

Rodney Harrison thinks Brett Favre sabotaged the Vikings' locker room, and on cue the Favre fans jumped all over Harrison this morning for not having won an MVP, for being a thug, an idiot, etc.

How many people need to say it for it to be accepted as a possibility? Where there's smoke there's fire with Favre. We've seen it time and time again. Something comes out in the media (last week's 'schism' flap at the four-letter), Favre and his entourage deny it, then later it's proven true and Favre or his ilk come out with some sort of recantation, a hedging of their previous commentary or an excuse as to why they fibbed.

I wonder if the Packers media relations department breathed a sigh of relief to see this guy go, considering how much stamina it must have taken to build up this media darling out of hillbilly clay and keep that meme fresh and real when it was about as genuine as synthetic leather.

Sabotage

(PHOTO: AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Crackbacks Are Still Illegal Even If You're Brett Favre

Memo to the Legendary One: if you intend to hit someone below the waist from behind, you should expect a fine and - potentially - payback. You're not above the rules and you're not above retribution.

You make the call. Illegal or just "youthful exuberance?"