Packers fans own their team, but Favre or the management will have the power

Brett Favre unretirement coverage

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Packers fans own their team, but Favre or the management will have the power

Green Bay may take pride in being the only city that owns their team but do they really own their team or have they just made it so that the Packers can’t be shipped out to Los Angeles in a backdoor move in the middle of the night? Certainly the management does not fall under the guidance of their ownership like with other teams. Packers fans should read my article on Drew Carey, part owner of the Seattle Storm. Carey plans on giving the fans the power to vote out general managers who don’t perform to their expectations.

Brett Favre’s brilliance landed their head coach, Mike McCarthy a five-year contract extension and solidified Ted Thompson as the general manager for at least another season. Favre’s brilliance over the last decade has saved a lot of front office jobs. Following the 2005 season when an injury riddled Packer team went 4-12, the Packers fired general manager, Mike Sherman even though he had signed a contract extension earlier in the season.

Without, Favre’s brilliance last season, when the team played the first half of the season without a legitimate running back, the Packers may have very well went 4-12 and Thompson would be gone. Instead Favre had a masterful season and the Pack went 13-3.

If the people of Green Bay really had the power, the egg heads that run the Packers would be holding a meeting reminiscent of the meeting held in Blazing Saddles. They would be saying men we have to let Brett Favre play. “We must protect our phony bologna jobs…Protect, protect; Harumph Harumph.” Instead of protecting their jobs, they are carrying out their egg head designs.

There is a misnomer that the Green Bay Packers management feel like Aaron Rogers can do just as good of a job or better than Favre. The management undoubtedly does feel that is a possibility. But what they really see is the value of having Rogers and not Favre. Rodgers reportedly makes $1.7 million and if Favre comes back the Packers would take about an $39 million over the next three yearts. I won’t go all Mel Kiper on you, but the Packers could fill some big holes with that money.

Irregardless of who the management thinks is better, Favre or Rodgers; management did see Rodgers impressive performance in three quarters of a loss against the Cowboys. The management thinks they have an Eli Manning or Tony Romo in the making and they do not want a frustrated Rodgers leaving after the 2009 season.

I do believe Rodgers could be that good. But the problem is that as long as Brett Favre can play at a high level he is the heart and soul of the team. He has earned it by breaking about every record a quarterback could want and leading the Packers back to the promised land that had been missing since the Lombardi days.

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The team management did not push Favre out the door, but they had no problem turning out the lights and turning the thermostat up to make Favre feel like fresh air would be a good idea.

It worked. Favre said that management gave him no indication that they wanted him back even though he had turned the Packers into championship contenders again.

Favre made the mistake of caring about what the egg heads think of him. He was too modest to believe the Packers are his team as long as he is performing.

The management knew it was Favre's team too. They were not going to tell the most fabled player in NFL history that he could not come back after coming off a stellar season. Favre held the cards and he has to play his hand right, but he holds the cards now.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated is reporting that Favre will let the Packers know in writing in the coming days that he plans to play. With that the Packers have to take him back or release him.

The management would never cut Favre. That would be career suicide. But if for some fascinating reason, Ted Thompson does believe that highly in Aaron Rogers and would cut Favre, then he better be prepared to go 10-4 in his 14 game schedule next year because a vexed Favre may go to the Vikings who are just a quarterback away from being better than the Packers.

Favre is unquestionably better than the Vikings current starting quarterback, Tavaris Jackson, who looks like he is playing on ice states at times. Favre would take the solid Minnesota defense and the best player in the game, running back Adrian Peterson and show no mercy on Thompson in sweeping the season series.

Then to add insult to injury, Favre could very well take the Packers’ hated rival, the Vikings to their first championship in team history while the people of Wisconsin do what they do better than anyone in the United States; drown their sorrows in beer and cheese.

Favre has no reason to show any love to Thompson. Favre was trying to leave the window to play cracked open. He hoped for encouragement to return from management and it never came.

Favre said he might get the “itch” to play again at his retirement press conference. Favre indicated on Letterman that he may want to come back. Favre has been leaking it to the media that he wants to come back.

Thompson has done everything to slam Favre's fingers in that window. The Packers announced the retirement ceremony of Favre’s jersey on the first game of the season, five minutes after Favre signed his retirement papers. The Packers drafted two quarterbacks high in the draft.

In recent days, unidentified Packers’ sources have been putting words in Favre’s mouth saying they believe he intends to stay retired. If that’s not sending a message that they do not want him back then I do not know what is.

Thompson has shown his stripes too, making himself unavailable for comment while he’s on “vacation.”

The Packers say they have moved forward. You do not move forward without a Brett Favre, who is playing at a Pro Bowl level still. Sorry Mr. Rodgers, you are a great talent, but just as the arguably better Steve Young had to toil in Joe Montana's shadow, so is that your lot.

Mr. Thompson, Favre is not the type of player you side step. Or you can, but Favre is ready to let you cower in your corners while he takes his team back. He is getting ready to take a page from Aaron Rodgers’s book. He’s coming back, the management can get on board or keep their mouths shut.