A Favrelous Pursuit - Part 1: The Snake

In the 1984 movie, 'The Natural,' the New York Knights baseball manager Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley) lamented, "the day that snake 'The Judge' (General Manager type/co-owner) walked into the park (was) one of the darkest days of his life."

And in a case of life imitating art, an accomplished Super Bowl champion, Brett Favre undoubtedly had the same lamentations during his final three years (2005-2007) with the Green Packers, in which Ted Thompson served as the team's general manager.

Just as the New York Knights were squeezed and Pop complained about being with "dead from the neck up" players, so did Favre suddenly find himself on a last place 4-12 team that had refused to resign key players from their 2004 team that finished 10-6 and won the NFC North division title.

It would be the only losing season in Brett Favre's illustreous career. Believing that the 4-12 season was not head coach, Mike Sherman's fault, Favre told Thompson that if he fired Sherman he would retire.

The very next day, Sherman, whom Thompson had replaced as general manager, was fired. Thompson was a rookie general manager but he was also a cunning opportunist. Favre did not fit into Thompson's vision to rebuild the team. But he knew that he could not cut or trade away the greatest player in Packer history.

Thompson, ever the great egoist was undoubtedly giving himself a pat on the back. This would be his team now without any more interference from Favre. Thompson would not have to operate in the shadow of the only three time MVP in the league to that point. Or so he thought.





Picture 1: Sports Illustrated saw great things from Favre, predicting the Packers to win the 1995 Super Bowl. Favre's Packers instead won the Super Bowl in 1996.

Picture 2: Robert Redford's character, Roy Hobbs was told he was too old to play. But he did play and here he is shown running the bases following his dramatic Pennant winning home run. Favre seeks to imitate art. Now at 40 and on the Minnesota Vikings he seeks to silence the critics that say he is too old to compete at the highest level. Currently his Vikings are 5-0.