The Packer Page - Favrelous
July 18th, 2008
Written by: Alex Tallitsch
Welcome back Packer fans, we have made it to the end of what could be described as an agonizing week at best. Today, I aim to fill you in a bit on the tampering situation in Minnesota, I will pass along what the reporters in Green Bay are saying about the Favre situation, and since it’s Friday, we also present this weeks “Girl in Green and Gold.” Hold on, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Oh yeah, the video vault is back as well.
Those Clever Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have declined to comment on the current allegation brought against them by the Green Bay Packers. The Packers argue that Darrell Bevell, current Viking assistant couch and former Packer quarterback coach, had inappropriate conversations with Brett Favre. The spokesperson for the Vikings, Bob Hagan, said the Vikings “are not commenting on the situation.”
The Packers believe that the Vikings talked to Favre in an effort to cause problems for the Packer’s organization. What strikes me as the most interesting thing, is that a Packer coach may be the root of the whole allegation proceedings.
According to Packer Update, James Campen, an assistant coach for the past five years, is right smack dab in the middle of the teams decision to file charges against the Vikings. The Packer Report claims that Favre told Campen he was interested in playing for the Vikings and that Ted Thompson had known about it for weeks. As soon as Favre requested his release, the Packers pulled the trigger.
Every year the NFL receives a few complaints about tampering, and most of the time the NFL doesn’t have enough proof to penalize anyone. I personally think that Ted Thompson filed these charges to scare the pants off the Vikings, and any other team that might have some interest in Favre as well.
I am really starting to think that Brett Favre wanted to play for the Vikings from the get-go. This sounds like a bad thing, but if you stop and think about it, it could be a blessing in disguise. If Brett indeed wanted to play for the Vikings all along, perhaps these tampering charges will leave the Vikings a little jaded, thus taking away the one team Brett really wanted to play on. If that turns out to be the case, staying on the ranch in Mississippi might sound to start a little more appealing to Mr. Favre. On the flip side, if you’re the Vikings and are found guilty, perhaps the circus that has ensued isn’t such a bad way to spend a late round draft pick.
Chat with Reporters
As always I participated in a chat with reporters from the Green Bay Press-Gazette. The questions were almost exclusively Favre related, but there was some other talk to be had, including the arrest of DT Johnny Jolly last week in Houston. This week’s questions were fielded by Packer reporter Pete Dougherty. Here is what Pete had to say.
Q: Assuming he is found guilty, what kind of punishment could Johnny Jolly expect to receive from the league?
A: If I understand this correctly, the commissioner determines the suspension if a player violates the personal-conduct policy (this is different than the substance-abuse policy). So any suspension or fine or whatever would be determined by the commissioner based on his evaluation of the circumstances. I don’t know what he’d do in Jolly’s case, but a suspension of a few games certainly is a possibility.
Q: I was wondering when training camp starts what position battles will you be keeping your eye on?
A: I will be watching the LG between Colledge and Barbre, safety with Rouse-Bigby-Collins, Harrell at DT, No. 3 receiver with Jones and Nelson.
Q: Can you please explain these items and why reporters can’t get them right, or am I just off base? My question is about the offensive line. People go in either direction here. First, I’ve read several times that the Packer’s line is one of the best in the league. I’ve also read articles that specifically praise the play of Colledge. Since I think Barbe almost certainly will be a starter once the season rolls around, I’m shocked. How can they have the best line when one, maybe two, players will lose their jobs in training camp?
A: You just have to take a lot of those analyses by national reporters with a big grain of salt. They can’t know a lot about every team, it’s impossible. I also was surprised to see some say the Packers have one of the best O-lines in the league. Maybe it will be really good, and there is the makings for a good line now that it’s worked together in the same system for three years and the young guys are developing, but that remains to be seen.
Q: Was Brian Brohm was drafted because the Packers don’t have trust in Rodgers? Do you think Rodgers will be looking over his shoulder? Why is the media always making a big deal of this?
A: I guess with Rodgers-Brohm, they’re just going by appearances, making their best guess. Some of the national reporters are great at breaking news, and some do a good job of analysis if they talk to enough guys, but you have to not take most of those seriously.
Then came the Favre questions, I have tried to weed them out a little bit.
Q: My guess is that Favre will be traded to a team like Baltimore or Tampa. What’s to stop them from trading him to the Vikings or Bears?
A: Yeah, they could come to an agreement with a team such as Baltimore or Tampa Bay that they can’t trade him to an NFC North team.
Q: When the fans wondered about Favre not filing his retirement papers, we were told by the local media not to worry about, it’ll get done. We’re always given the same story regarding Grant’s contract. Will dealing with the whole Favre fiasco prevent Thompson from getting Grant and other rookies signed for camp?
A: You bring up a good point, but they’re still two completely different situations, two different players, two different circumstances. I have trouble seeing the Grant negotiations not working out. They need Grant and according to Grant’s agent are willing to talk long-term deal because of Grant’s unusual circumstances (25 years old, three years out of college even though he just finished his first year in the NFL). Grant’s agent also has acknowledged that he will have to compromise. That looks to me like a deal that will get done. Maybe you’re right to fret about it, but I wouldn’t if I were a Packers fan.
Q: Why do you think the Packers aren’t allowing Brett to be the starter this year? Has his ability slipped? Are they not wanting to upset Rodgers? Is it too hard to retool the offense this late?
A: It appears to me that the biggest thing that McCarthy and Thompson have established a mind-set with the team all offseason that Favre is gone and it’s Rodgers’ team, and to go back on that would undermine the offseason work. There’s definitely some merit to that, though reasonable people can disagree about whether it’s the best thing to do. I’d have to think tweaking the offense back to having Favre would be relatively easy despite what they’re saying publicly. But they’ve established a mind-set for the team and don’t want to go back on that. I’m sure there’s some disagreement among members of the scouting and coaching staffs about whether the team is better off this year with Favre or Rodgers, another area where experts can reasonably disagree. They also appear to be very concerned about Rodgers, for good reason, and how a demotion at this stage would affect him. At that point he might just give up on this franchise, you certainly couldn’t blame him if he did.
Thanks for clearing up some tough questions Pete. Once again, kudos to you and everyone at the Gazette. If any of you readers out there have questions, don’t hesitate to send me an email on our contact page. I am always happy to field questions, and if you want my take on things, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Girls in Green and Gold
One of my favorite things about Friday is that we get to introduce the next “Girl in Green and Gold.” The Packer Page searches the globe for the most dedicated female Packer fans. Last week, right before the Favre fiasco, we introduced the world to Brenda, a twenty-five year old wife and mother from Wisconsin. If you missed it, you can find Brenda here.
This week I am proud to introduce Melissa from Wisconsin.
Melissa
Hi, I’m Melissa. I’m a 34-year-old mother of two, and I bleed green & gold. I wish I could say I have been a Packer fan all my life. But I was raised by a mother who hates football, which led me to believe that all girls were supposed to hate football. And any attempts to understand the game by asking my Dad questions were met with grunts and one-word answers. (I now realize that is because it’s annoying when people talk to you during the game!)
My Packer obsession started when my college boyfriend introduced me to the Packers. He explained the basic rules of the game, and I found I could follow along easily. Something about the sound of helmets cracking together sucked me in, and I soon found myself scheduling my social life around Packer games. My first Lambeau Field experience was on December 31, 1994 during the Wild Card playoff game against the Lions, when we held Barry Sanders to -1 yards rushing. Being at Lambeau Field and seeing legends like Brett Favre and Reggie White play the game was magical.
My husband Shawn is a former high school football player, so he’s been able to explain the game to me in much more detail. Thanks to Shawn, I now understand things like the difference between off-sides and false start, and I can spot holding a mile away. He probably regrets teaching me so well, because now I easily school him in fantasy football every year.
But being a girl Packer fan does have its challenges. Whenever we go to a Packer party, it seems the other women automatically gather in the kitchen or watch the kids, while the men gather around the TV. Even though it may not be socially acceptable, I stay with the men around the TV. Sure, my kids are swinging from the drapes, but c’mon people! The game’s on!
Also, when hanging out with my girlfriends who are more casual Packer fans, I sometimes involuntarily let loose a long verbal rant about something football related that causes them to look at me with blank stares. The other night one of my friends asked why Ted Thompson was making such a big deal about letting Favre play, and I unleashed a 10-minute rant about the importance grooming quarterbacks and the future of the Packers franchise. By the time I was done, the girls were looking at me like I had two heads.
That said, I’m proud to be a female Packer fan. I no longer believe that girls can’t be football fans. When the game is on, I can (and do) yell and curse just as loud as the boys!
Go Pack!
Once again, a fantastic job. Nothing wrong with hanging out with the boys. Thanks for sounding off. Keep those profiles coming ladies, it’s as easy as sending me an e-mail here. Melissa, you rule.
The Packer Page Video Vault
A faithful reader from Louisville, named Clayton, pointed out that I had been neglecting the video vault as of late. Clayton you are right, and I thank you for reminding me how much some people appreciate it. With that said, here we go.
To Favre or not to Favre
It is apparent that sides have already been taken.
What Favre was saying before Mini-Camp
Who knew what would come a few weeks later.
Greta van Susteran on Favre
The debate rages on.
Marshall…Marshall…Marshall
This is one of the few former players who had this take.
There’s debate on the FM dial.
Can’t we all just get along?
Girls, Girls, Girls
Sometimes presentation is everything.
That’s all I have for today people. I feel re-newed and back in the groove. I once again will try and take the weekend off, but you never know what might happen tomorrow. I wish you all a great weekend, and come back soon.
Due to recent developments, there will be no further videos for the Purple. Nice try, and thanks in advance for the draft picks.
Instead …
Here is a bunny with a pancake on its head.
(Stay Tuned)
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IronMan said:
TGIF Well done Melissa. Packer girls rule.
July 18th, 2008 at 5:30 am #
John R said:
Clayton’s right. The video vault is one of the many things that separates this from other blogs. I like YouTubing and I never find this stuff. It usually gives me a good laugh, especially when you end on the purple.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:01 am #
Paul said:
Haha I’m liking the replacement for the Purple vid. You should see what vids the Bears and Lions have, maybe some vintage Barry Sanders
I really hope Jolly can avoid these charges, he was looking like a stud before he got injured last year.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:52 pm #
PackOne said:
Thanks guys. I thought about some vintage Barry but all they have is college highlights.
I wish well for Jolly too. Luckily for him, his name has been kept out of the news more than it would have been.
Okay, you guys talked me into it. The Video Vault stays, but I get an editorial once a week. Win, win.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:25 pm #