Heroes rise - and fall. Get over it, Packers GM Ted Thompson.

I'm gonna be all over the place on this one, so bear with me. You've heard the expression, "worlds colliding"? Yeh - well if you're a Packer/Favre fan, they just did. Worlds colliding, that is.

All this talk about Brett Favre retiring in March, then thinking...wait, maybe I don't wanna retire. Then changing his mind that 'yes', he'll stay retired. And NOW saying he still wants to play - I understand it can be overwhelming, aggravating, disappointing and a distraction for everyone involved. The Packers. Favre. His family. His fans. The NFL. Non-fans. Etcetera.

To hear talk that Favre is tarnishing his image is ridiculous. You think Favre, in the end, cares what others think about him? No. So what is everyone clamoring about? Who are those people REALLY upset for - Favre or themselves? Sports heroes are easily raised on a pedestal and just as easily squashed by those who get a kick out of seeing the mighty fall. If Brett decides he doesn't want to stay retired - and believes he can still play (which he proved last year amid talk that his arm strength had diminished and that in the two previous years he had thrown too many INTs) - than that's HIS decision to make. If it's not an issue of whether or not Favre has the ability to lead the Packers into the playoffs again, what is it about? And who the hell are the Packers to cock-block Favre and say they won't release him so he can't play the game he loves? Because if they RELEASE him he can go ANYWHERE, including NFC North teams. What is the Packer organization - namely GM Ted Thompson - afraid of? They have their heir-apparent in QB Aaron Rogers in place. Why the hold up? If you're content on life without Brett Favre and all the plans you made since Brett announced his retirement, and you're bound and determined to go plod on with the future of the team in the hands of Rogers, AND you think Rogers is a better QB than Favre, then just release Favre. What does it matter?

So why exactly wouldn't the Packers allow Brett to come back and play? It's only been four months since he officially retired. The same amount of time that passes during any off-season, albeit Favre had retired. Brett led that team to the NFC Championship in a season that was one of his best in 17 years. "We (the Packers) have moved on". That's a bullshit excuse. It's not like it's two games into the season and the offense is really starting to click with Rogers. The only logical explanation - though I don't agree with it - is that the Packers feel they're better off this season with Aaron Rogers as their QB. Really? Why? Because they've had 4 months to watch him work out with the team in mini-camps? Because there are some on the Packers' receiving corps that said Rogers' arm is as strong as Brett's? Because Rogers had a great game (indoors) against the Dallas Cowboys and the other two games in played in relief of Favre he broke his ankle and pulled his groin? Because former President Bob Harlan and current President Mike Murphy said they really believed Brett when he (Brett) said that he was hanging it up for good in March? Because a "new offensive scheme" has been instituted since Rogers took over? Because Coach McCarthy and GM Thompson tried to persuade Favre NOT to retire prior to March AND also gave him the benefit of the doubt after March when Favre expressed an interest to come back?

Athletes, like any other person, make emotional decisions at emotional times. So Favre's teary retirement now comes off as less-than-sincere perhaps. Big deal. Do I think he meant it at the time? Course I do - and no less sincere. He truly believed that that was it. Was he supposed to not get emotional because - well, maybe he'd have second thoughts? Do I think he's had regrets? Sure - people do and you ask anyone in the NFL and they predicted Favre would have regrets. And Favre himself said he'd probably have regrets. Does that mean he should be punished for it? No. He just wants to play the game. That's all he's ever wanted to do.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm getting tired of people screaming that Favre waffled and is now coming off as wishy-washy as he has the past five seasons. The media started this entire "will he or won't he" retirement issue. And Favre went along with it saying, "I'm not getting any younger and certainly getting closer to retiring now than in past years".

Favre thought that this year more than any other the Packers weren't overly excited about him coming back. Yeh, I know the Pack said they asked him, but I'm gonna trust the instincts of a veteran, Hall of Fame QB over GM Ted Thompson, believe me. I'm not saying that Favre has to be coddled and kissed and begged to get him to realize that he's wanted...but we ALL like to be wanted. Who's got the bigger ego - Favre or the Packers? Who's more stubborn - Favre or the Packers? Who's the bigger control freak - Favre or the Packers? Maybe it's a toss-up. OK. It's time to put aside all that shit because you and I, in our own little microcosms, can be just as egomanical, just as stubborn and just as much of a control freak as BOTH Favre and the Packers, only our dirty laundry isn't aired out in front of million of fans on a weekly basis. Putting everything aside - including hindsight - it comes down to this: Favre has expressed the desire to play for the Green Bay Packers again.

Just got off the phone with my friends Donovan and Maria who live in Tujunga. Big Denver Bronco fans AND Packer fans secondly. Watched every Packer game at their house this past season. They are as true blue fans of GB and Favre as any hardcore Packer fan (I was just named Godfather to their as yet born daughter, Gwyneth). They are BESIDE THEMSELVES about this whole thing and agree that the Packers are making the biggest, dumbass mistake in the history of the franchise. They are flabbergasted. Dumbfounded. Beside themselves.

In the whole scheme of things, what have the Packers lost in the last 4 months? Are the Green Bay Packers, including GM Ted Thompson, going to just pack it in on Favre period or are the Green Bay Packers going to put aside all this "load talk" (that's Ircink slang for drunken bullshit) and think about what's best for the organization for the 2008-09 season (and not what's best for Thompson's ego and Packer management)? Who's the bigger man? Favre came to the Packers saying he wanted to play again. What are Teddy & Co. gonna do - tell Favre he can play with the Packers as Aaron Rogers' back-up? You gotta be shittin' me?

I will go to my grave believing this whole warped, fucked-up mess is, in the end, Ted Thompson's masturbatory urge to put HIS stamp on HIS team in spite of Brett and the fans AND it's his spite that is the driving force behind what is a terribly, big mistake by the Green Bay Packer organization.