Regardless of where one sits on the relevance of the Brett Favre career calculations, his long overdue departure set in motion a series of noteworthy discussions. Among them:
1. Is Favre the best QB ever?
2. Is Favre one of the best QB's ever?
3. Is Favre the best Packer QB ever?
4. Was this year the "right" year for #4 to retire?
They're all great questions, but it merits mention that one must first define "greatness" before even entering the discussion.
1&2.
If you love stats, there's no question Favre is one of the best ever. He stands atop a class including Moon, Marino, Fouts, Kelly and a handful of others who piled up great regular season records/stats in a game more defensively hamstrung with every passing year.
It's kind of ironic for me though, that Favre reminds me of my favorite and the original GOB, Gunslinger QB, Terry Bradshaw though. Actually, it just makes me wonder how Bradshaw would have performed under the same rule set.
But if one cares about winning, the real winning, Brett Favre has more in common with Trent Dilfer than Joe Montana. That's why it's hard for me to even consider him an elite, top ten performer. The rush by the media to anoint Favre as the King of QB's is about as undeserved as as awarding the Nobel Prize in Physics for the Clapper.
Bradshaw even went on record as saying his greatest accomplishment was that her never lost a SB.
But doubtlessly, there are some greats that have lost a championship. The one that most comes to mind is the phenomenal Otto Graham. 10 Championship game appearances in ten years, and seven championships.
No one even mentions Otto Graham. Even though he played in a era where defenders abused receivers and QB's like they were inmates at Alcatraz, and Graham was the poster boy for developing the face mask after a blow to the jaw left him with 15 stitches.
Ten years, 7 Championships, 86.6 passer rating, 105-17-4 record and 88 TD's.
Now tell me that Favre compares to that? Or even try to extrapolate what Graham would have done under the NFL-lite PI, IC and Roughing rules in place today.
When you consider what Graham did, it's hard to imagine that any of the talking heads have even as much of a clue about NFL history. Or even recent history.
Don't even get me started about Johnny U.
Bradshaw is on TV every Sunday. He won 4 SB's in six years. Montana is hardly an afterthought, with the highest QB rating ever in the post season, over 100. Aikman, yeah he shows up every so often.
And what About 3-1 Tom Brady?
So until we have a stats bowl to decide the best of the best every season, Favre is a very good, but not elite QB.
The sad fact is though, we'll never be able to compare these guys side by side. So the question borders on moot.
3. Bart Starr won 5 Championships. Favre won one. So this question is a joke too.
4. No. He didn't pick the right year, he should have retired four or five years ago after that six-pick with a pick-six, meltdown in the post season. The sad fact is, ever since Favre lost his babysitters, Mariucci, Gruden and Holmgren, he's been a pressure point disaster. He's the guy you can count on to make the worst possible play when it's all on the line. Once Holmgren left, and he had left before the Packers even blew that SB to the Ponies, Favre was cursed by his own hoopla. I honestly think he started buying into the hype.
Heck, Bradshaw had Noll, Montana had Walsh, Starr had Lombardi and Graham had Brown, who did Favre end up with? Yes, the Legendary Mike Sherman. What did we expect?
Don't get me wrong kids, I had to love Favre, if only for the literally challenged mis-pronunciation of Farvruh. But include him in the elite, much less anoint him the best? Come on.
All the hoopla tells me is how sorry the state of QB'ing has become since coaches took the game from the QB's hands and the NFL rule softeners made even the Kordell Stewart experience an option.
Favre was clearly an exceptional and durable athlete, and definitely an exceptional talent. But his career numbers, however inflated, do the talking. 17 years, one trophy.
I keep this short so you can understand it...you're an ####. TEAMS win superbowls...saying someone is a better QB based on SB wins is just plain stupid. To determine best Qb you look at individual stats...based on that Brett Favre is, handsdown, the best QB ever to date. There is no QB stat for "Super Bowl Wins"...
Additionally, you atate that he should have quit 4-5 years ago??? Have you not watched him play the past 4-5 years? Perhaps you should just continue to cheer the lackluster Steelers from here forward...stick with what you know.
Last edited by smitty63 on March 10th at 10:28 AM.
When did you get out or the pen? You've been gone for about the standard 'white collar sentence.'
As for Favre, it's all about how well the team does together. If it was all about the great QB, Fran Tarkenton would have 3 Super Bowl rings himself. The Bills had good enough AFC teams, yet played in a period of NFC dominance. Sometimes it's all about the team.
Here are my answers to your 4 questions.
1. no
2. yes (begrudgingly), but he's not in the top 5
3. I'd take Bart Starr, but he's a very close 2nd
4. Yes, because I'm sick of hearing about him, even though I'm sure he'll be talked about all throughout this season and probably after that too
Favre is not even close to the best QB ever. And you left out the fact that he has the career interception record. He's in the top 10 QB list, but barely.
Chris' Ross
Where the hell have you been man ? I've seen nothing of you over the past few months. I can only assume you were let out of the Witness Protection Program or perhaps you were undercover doing something in the nation's interest ?
I'm still here opining away on a number of subjects. But as of late I've ran afoul of the Fox hierarchy . They shut down my primary site under the tophatal guise. So I'm now using the rampant' persona to do all of my pieces within the forum. So come on over if you're interested. As you're more than welcome.
As for the furore over Favre and his retirement. It's of no great loss to the league as they'll survive. They've still got Brady and now both Mannings to gloat over.
See my latest posts and let me know what you think as to their merits.
She Woke Up This Morning And Couldn't Make Up Her Mind Celtics Or Spurs ?
If A Number Of Trees Fall In The Woods Do We Really Care ?
I'll look forward to reading your comments.
I guess Aikmen was a god to you.
The one great thing about Favre was that He loved the game, and He played. Then ask youself how many HOF players game from GB during his reign? 1 That I can think of... And that guy was on Defense. The Minister of Defense Reggie White. But then you have to ask, "How many nobodys received careers under Favre?" I can count about 20. Here's some name: Hasselbeck, Gato, Driver, Timberman... That's a short list of just the Offense. I do respect that this write up is you opinion, as long as you respect my opinion of your opinion.
Ok, let's talk about interceptions. If you look at the number of pass attempts to interceptions,Favre Has a lower PA/Int ratio than Bradshaw, and 90% or the others you would put on the list. Beats Aikmen hands down. The piont is that if you have no rushing game, you relay on the passing game. GB has been a passing team since about the early 80's, Favre is a passing QB. It worked out very nicely. He owns all the records right?
Number of rings is just nonsense to judge a QB on.
no favre is not the greatest quarterback ever, but he is one of the best of all time. the super bowl stat is irrelevant tho but a superbowl win is a team effort and some aspects that the quarterback can't control such as defense.
I guess you're counting 1991 with the Falcons. That's funny.
Favre was a solid quarterback. How many teams can go that long never having to wonder about a position in the draft?
He's not the best playing right now so his place in history isn't really that high. Cases can be made for a few guys who played while he was on the field being better than him.
However, I think he had a losing record once(?) if I'm not mistaken. A lot of those seasons (1999-2006) he didn't have much help from the defense yet still mustered up 4 playoff appearances. Time will tell if Tom is so "terrific" once their defense "retires" and it won't be long. By 2010 he'll be Favre II.
No doubt Bret is one of the best ever but as a woman I was utterly embarrassed at his blubbering and crying throughout the news conference! I understand his emotions getting the best of him but cmon guy, if I have to listen to anymore testerone driven antics from another male athlete I'll be sick. So to all the TO's and Farve's I respectfully say, "quit cryin' and take it like a man"!!!
Last edited by Ftxblogger on March 10th at 6:41 PM.
Witty retort. Favre was more than just an underperformer in the SB, he stunk it up in the playoffs, and in regular season games too. Try to read more carefully. I said Favre was a pressure point disaster, not just a SB nobody.
Never has a QB done less in a decade and gotten more press, except maybe the pre-prison Mike Vick.
Get over him, or get yourself a crying towel. If John Madden hasn't bought them all out from under you, that is.
Just took some time off, got divorced, the usual stuff . . .
Yes it is all about how the team does together, but the QB has to make the plays. No player is more important to a team's success or failure. That's why all the truly great teams have one thing in common, great QB's.
I'm not so worried about the number of picks as when he threw them. In the last 6 or seven years, it was almost a given that Favre would blow a tight game with a clutch pick.
Favre is one of the best of all time. So is Bert Jones. And let's not forget Joe Ferguson. Put any of them in Favre's NFL-lite and John Madden would have priapism.
Well, does any other player get a year of their career subtracted because they didn't start?
Almost every great team has gotten a break or two on the road to glory. I didn't like the tuck call either. I had no doubt my Steelers would crush your Raiders that year.
But your analysis of Brady is tinged black and silver. The guy's a winner, plain and simple. The defense was good, but Brady delivered on his side too.
98% of America (the 98% that was sick of Belicheat and his arrogance) was ####in' their pants when the Pats got the ball back at the end of this year's SB. There's a reason for that. There's a reason Brady has three Rings. It's Brady.
Last edited by ChristopherRoss on March 11th at 3:50 PM.
Nah, when Brady was the one they relied on to win the Super Bowl what happened? They scored 14 points and lost. He even made fun of Plax saying they'd score 17 before game.
If he didn't have Vinatieri he is probably sitting on one ring. Or if that #### Carolina coach knew when not to go for 2.
Spygate makes the Tuck nonsense even worse. Look, it's Oakland's fault because they lost at HOME to Arizona that year or they'd have hosted New England. Still, it sucked because I'd have been able to see PIT@Oak with my brother who is a Steeler fan. Would have been a good one.
I think Brady is a great quarterback, just not the god he is made out to be and this latest Super Bowl and his playoff debacle in Denver showed it.
