It is no secret that ShotsHeard has been completely and utterly critical of the Packers management for shoving Favre out the proverbial door. Favre has been the Green Bay Packers for 18 years and by all rights he is good enough to make that an even 20.
ShotsHeard has not came down on Aaron Rodgers as not having significant potential. However potential does not trump current greatness. Rogers and his reasonable $1.7 million contract would command a solid return on the trading block. Though ShotsHeard is more in favor of keeping two solid quarterbacks as the 49ers did with Joe Montana and Steve Young.
But despite all the deserved blame that has been cast on the Packers management, it can be said that Brett Favre sealed his own fate. He had all the control and even after he relinquished some of it by retiring, he still had the upper hand and flailed away his chance to take the team back.
The Packers brass put up a unified front against his comeback. The coach, general manager and president all came out against the idea of Favre coming back. Undoubtedly, that would play against anyone's emotions.
It was emotions that clouded Favre's judgement. Nobody ever said that Favre could not be the man, because everyone knew that was a lie. Instead management cleverly said they "moved forward."
Favre's attitude should have simply been, yea that's great but I'm here to take my team back and if anyone says otherwise then there's going to be a shootout. Afterall it was that type intensity on the field that Favre thirsted for. What he failed to realize is that he would have to have the same intensity to take his job back. Instead he worried about whether or not the Packers were going to accept him back with open arms.Nobody is saying Favre was not disrespected by the Packers organization, even up to the end. Look at how the Packers lied and said Rodgers was the starting quarterback and that if Favre came back it would be in "some other role." Though when Favre was coming back, all of the sudden a competition was the talk. And by competition what was really meant was taht Favre just needed to go through one more hoop before resuming his role as leader of the team.
Although in a recent press conferenece, Mike McCarthy said there was never going to be a competition until Favre was reinstated and 100 percent indicated his desire to compete for the starting position. There would be no competition talk until Favre was "one of the eighty." Until then McCarthy would not deal in "hypotheticals."
It is that kind of talk that shows how the Packers were willing to treat Favre like an outsider to the end.
The Packers were willing to discredit Favre's ability to lead the team to the end. McCarthy said Favre was not in "the proper mindset." It was clarified by McCarthy that Favre was in the proper mindset to be a quarterback for another team but not for the Green Bay Packers. That is a reflection on the Packers, not on Favre.
McCarthy also eluded to the fact that Favre's emotions was part of that mindset. Of course emotions is part of it. One offseason removed from leading his team to a 13-3 record, Favre was being told by McCarthy that he did not think he would play this year.
What kind of "proper mindset" would be expected. If the Packers treated Favre with respect and said that if he performed up to last year's standards he would be the starting quarterback, there would be no mindset issue to speak of.
McCarthy also clarified that Favre was not an elitist and did not expect his job back, that Favre was willing to fight for it. Though that should have never been an issue. If his job was not in doubt last year, then why would that be a factor this year? There was no doubt that it would be Favre's job if he was a Packer on opening day.
McCarthy points to the moving forward and preparing Aaron Rodgers to be the quarterback. That just does not wash. Favre is their quarterback and he is plenty prepared. It is the Packers who are not in the proper mindset to take Favre back. The finest beauracrats would be proud of the Packers ability to make it appear the other way.
Should Favre be blamed for not being the starting quarterback still? Certainly all his missteps are what cost him his livelihood as the leader of the Packers. But the kid from Mississippi obviously was not in the "proper mindset" to deal with the cunning of executives and coaches who he probably figured were on his side.
Favre just did not put up the solid front he needed to. He cared about how manangement would accept him back. Instead of just coming back, he slowly leaked it.
When it was clear his ultimate desire to come back as the Packers starting quarterback, he still "mulled over" a marketing deal (or payoff) to stay retired. Favre may have looked at it like buying time to straighten things out, but he did not care about money or staying away and should have automatically said no to such things without hesitation.
So blame Favre for letting emotions get the best of him in prematurely retiring and not being able to stand up to the fire of the suits and their minions. Blame Favre for not making a complete stand on his website even (Yea most of us did not know he even had a website). But it really appears that for all his fire on the field, Favre is just too much dignity off the field to engage in vehement public relations warfare.
But before that blame the fans for not rallying to Favre's support as public pressure would have made the management take Favre back. And of course, what has been stated at nauseum is that the management are the ones that failed in getting Favre back.
We can only hope we see Favre in NFC Central jersey so that this thing can get settled on the field. If we see Favre in Bucaneers jersey, it would just be the Packers' way of adding insult to injury.
Brett Favre unretirement coverage
The Packers management soured a legacy but Favre sealed his fate
Packers' brass group-think on Favre goes up the ladder
Green Bay fans: Split on whether Favre should return but Thompson begins to give ground
Ted Thompson: The Green Bay Packers GM's dealings with Brett Favre has been classless
Packers fans own their team, but Favre or the management will have the power
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