It is time to recap the past month, a tragedy of errors that is Brett Favre.  Not being from Wisconsin, not working for ESPN and owning a modicum of common sense qualifies me to weigh in on the subject in an objective manner.  You may not agree with my thoughts, which is fine, but Brett needs a wakeup call.

Retired, Retired, Retired – In the real world, you retire once.  You accept your gold watch and pension and find something else you are passionate about.  Something you want to spend the rest of your life doing.   Brett apparently likes the act of retiring because he seems to be spending the rest of MY life doing that exact thing.  In the real world, no one wants a guy that quits every year. Maybe that is one reason you are not welcome back.

Throwing Management Under the Bus - I have seen other great athletes retire multiple times.  It’s nothing new.  But Brett seems to want to throw the team ownership and management under the bus before each retirement, stating the ownership is not doing enough to make the Packers winners.  Last time I checked, there are only two individuals who touch the ball every offensive snap and only one of them gets decide how the play is run.  That is why the Quarterback is the highest paid position in the league.  The Quarterback determines to a great extent how successful the team is.  One Super Bowl win in his career with the talent that Brett was surrounded by?  I don’t recall Brett holding press conferences to retire because he failed to do enough to help the team win.  (When you tell the world the management is not doing enough to help the team win (See Javon Walker Last year) by extension, you are telling your team mates they are not good enough to win, which leads to my next point on leadership). In the real world, blaming others for your failures causes them to not welcome you back.

Brett Lacks Leadership – Leadership is not having a great arm. Leadership is not reading defenses.  Leadership is not defined in times of success.  Leadership is the character you display when things are tough and people look to you.  Thank god Brett the warrior did not choose to go into the military.  He would have quit the minute the first sign of difficulty started.  Leaders don’t talk about their team as thought they are not capable of winning, leaders encourage and coach to get the most of their team mates. In the real world, when you malign the quality of your teammates you are usually not welcomed back.

Brett Initiates Tampering - Brett initiated the conversations with the Minnesota Vikings, ostensibly only to discuss his retirement with an old friend.  I have a few problems with a guy who initiates a conversation with his chief competitors, then after several weeks of discussion about his return, says he wants to be traded but will only talk with the same team he initiated contact with.  Not only does he not want to talk with teams other than the Vikings, he also defended the Vikings against his current team on the Tampering Charges.  Would Brett have defended the Vikings had they spoken with Reggie White or Antonio Freeman and those individuals stated they wanted to leave the Packers to go to Minnesota? 

Loyalty is a two way street.  Don't malign your team publicly, quit when you dont feel like they are showing you the love and loyalty you deserve and then seek out the competition. Where is the loyalty in that.  In the real world, when you call on a competitor, leverage your relationship with the competitor against your own company and then defend the competitor against your company, you are usually not welcome back.

Brett’s Threats – When you want to threaten you team, you use threats like holding out, (Steven Jackson) going on the IR (Chad Johnson), will not give 100% (Randy Moss),  retiring (Brett Favre, Brett Favre, Brett Favre). 

Threatening your team with returning should not be considered a threat.  When you believe that you are threatening your team with returning, you are acknowledging that you are the problem. You are willing to subject your teammates to that distraction for your own personal reasons.  You are threatening the team with your presence.  Is that the quality of a leader you are looking for?

Brett may be right when his mom said that the Packers made it clear they did not want him back.  Lack of Leadership, Quitter Mentality, Publicly disparaging your team, management and ownership, Petulant tantrums because people are not begging him to come back are all reasons that maybe you are not welcome back. 

Football is a business. It was a business decision to not bring Brett back. Brett retired.  The company needed to move on. Like any good company, GB was developing a young player to step in and take over. GB took care of business.  Every company loses personnel.  Good companies are prepared  for the loses.  In the real world, bringing back a problem is never in any companies best interest.  

How big a problem is Brett?  What is it worth to not have Brett Back?

$20 Million to $1 you get the answer right.

$20 Million to $1 Brett gets it wrong. 

John Clayton of ESPN reports that a trade involving Brett Farve to the Minnesota Vikings was completed late Thursday evening.  As part of the agreement, the packers agreed to pick up 5 Million of Brett’s salary this year in exchange for a 9th and a 10th round draft choice in 2015.

Within minutes of signing a new contract with the Vikings, Brett immediately retired stating he did not have the emotional will to come back for another season. 

While Brett did not call a press conference to make a formal announcement, his decision was conveyed through his mommy and his brother.  Brad Childress was apparently the most stunned by this announcement especially when one considers the Brads role in Tampering coaxing Brett out of retirement.  (By the way, did anyone notice that Brett defended the Vikings on tampering charges but they are the only team he is willing to be traded to?)

Brett’s Mommy offered this statement on her son’s retirement.    “Brett has considered this moment long and hard and feels he is emotionally spent and unable to commit to the game.  He has given his life to this game he loves but feels it is time to hang up his cleats and quietly go off into retirement.  BESIDES, MINNESOTA NEVER REALLY WANTED HIM!  THEY MADE THAT CLEAR JUST BY THE WAY THEY TRADED FOR HIM. BRAD CHILDRESS AND THE OWNERSHIP OF THE VIKINGS NEVER HAD ANY INTENTION OF TREATING HIM FAIRLY.”

Brett’s mother cut the interview short by stating it was time to change Brett’s Huggies and put him down for a nap.

In an unrelated story, Brett left a charity event for orphan’s moments after arriving stating that the orphans never really wanted to see him.  If they had they would have brought their parents.  It’s like they are ashamed to be seen with me.

Brett Sets New NFL Record

With his latest retirement, Brett has set the new single season record and career record for retirements by a single player. Out of the game for only minutes and yet the records continue to fall almost as fast as his credibility.

It has been a busy week in sports despite the dearth of college and NFL football games.  Here is a short week in review.

Eli Manning Talks Smack at The Dinner Table - Tuesday evening, Archie had the clan over to house for dinner.  You could feel the tension in the room as Peyton was visibly upset by the constant smack talking by younger brother Eli. 

According to those at the meal, Ely asked Peyton, who was sitting at the opposite end of the table, to 'pass the mash potatoes'.  When Peyton handed them to Archie, Eli loudly exclaimed "The pass is intercepted and Peyton won't be going to the Super Bowl"

This barb was dismissed as more of a brotherly chidding until Eli offered to cut up Peyton's food in to small pieces to he doesn't CHOKE!!!!!!.  That's when the problems really started. 

Peyton retaliated by suggesting to his dad that they should all watch the super bowl together at his house and telling Eli he was invited to...... implying there is no way the giants are going to beat Packers.   The evening ended on a very tense note when Eli overheard Peyton talking to Brett Favre on his cell phone.

Randy Moss is Being Charged with Battery - This is absolutey ridiculous.  Randy Moss is one of the best wide receivers in the game today which makes him a Model Citizen.  If you don't believe me, just listen to the reports from ESPN and the game day announcers all year on what a model citizen Randy has become.  Apparently, when you have someone who can throw a football to Randy on Sunday afternoon, he undergoes a spectacular metamorphosis which turns him into a model citizen as evidenced by his inability to be arrested for drunk driving, smokin the weed, carrying unregistered weapons in his vehicle, or simple assualt over the past 12 months. 

Coming to the aid of Randy is his mentor and head coach Bill Belichik,  "I am eccstatic about Coach Belichiks faith in my innocence.  And when a guy with Bill's reputation for honesty and fair play is in your corner, there should be no doubt that you are innocent!  What other reason could he have for supporting me this late in the year? I mean come on, we only have one or two games left!"

According to Randy, this battery case  'was an accident'.    We were having a friendly discussion where she disagreed with me and then she accidently fell forward hitting her head on my open hand.  Three maybe four times.  At most. 

However this plays out, this reporter is looking forward to to the post randy moss era in football.  What will happen to Randy?  How will Randy survive without someone  throwing a football to him on sunday afternoon?  Will he revert back to his old habits?  A search is underway to find someone who will show up at Randy's home every sunday afternoon for the next 40 years to help keep him out of trouble and be the model citizen we know he can be.

Bobby Fisher Dead at 64 - Bobby Fisher, former world Chess Champion and Reykavik Icelands resident looney-toon  passed away on Thursday.   Does anyone really care if a bigoted anti-semite passes away? 

Roger Clemens Didn't Say Anything This Week - The most shocking event in sports this week was the absence of anything from Roger Clemens or his attorneys.  I for one belive Roger is telling the truth.  How can a 45 year old man who is approximately 12 years past his prime pitch in MLB with more success than he did in his earlier years?  EXERCISE! What else could it be.  Like I am supposed to believe that there is some miracle drug that made him better!  I'm not that stupid.   You want proof?  Chuck Knoblauch was accused of the same thing and he sucked!

Brian McNamee lied about Roger. He was dead on about everyone else but he lied about Roger. 

As for the Mitchell report, they should have given Roger the opportunity to defend himself before the report was issued.  I mean they only asked him twice.  Twice is how many times you ask Ron Villone.  You have to beg a superstar like Roger.  Senator mitchell made almost no effort to gravel before Roger to the level at which he is accustomed.  Case complete.  It was senator Mitchell's fault

Jim Rice Left Out Of The HOF, Again - Goose is in. Rice is out.  First off, goose and rice, maybe with a little seasoning, is a natural winner but only on a restauraunt menu.  In the MLB, Rice does is not good enough to make it into the HOF.  He was only a gold glove outfielder, League MVP, silver slugger award winner and the most feared hitter in baseball for 12 years. 

Who feared him the most; Pitchers or Reporters?  Well apparently it is the reporters who are still holding a grudge against Jim for refusing to answer thier inane often vaccous questions.  Rices biggest failure though seems to be he only batted .290 instead of .300 for his career.  Sure this puts him in the same category as Lou Gehrig, Micky Mantle, Willie Mays, Joe Dimaggio, Ted williams, and Stan Musial but those guys were better interviews (With the exception on Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig and Willie Mays).

Several reporters, who are voters for the hall of fame, expressed disgust over the HOF hoopla surrounding Jim Rice.   The consensus opinion appears to be 'Why does Jim Rice continue to think he will make it?  Does he think the HOF is only about carreer stats?  He ain't getting in as long as I have a vote!'

Kelly Tilghman Advocates Lynching - Kelly Tilghman, announcer and super hot golf analyst on the Golf channel was suspended for suggesting that the only way to stop Tiger woods was for the other golfers to #### tiger in an alley.  Kelly immediately realized her mistake and in an effort to correct that racially inflaming statement clarified her comment with the following.

"First off I don't want to imply that tiger woods would ever walk down an alley.  He lives in palm beach and they don't have alleys.  Well maybe if he was in a bowling alley but that is a different story copletely. 

'I also want to say that there are definitely other ways to stop Tiger.  You could shoot him, or stab him or even club him but lynching is out of the question.  Short of that I don't think the other golfers have any hope to beat him .  I hope I have been clear on this. "

Tiger and I have been friends for years.  I did call tiger and apologize and he said, 'It's cool, you are a super hot white chick.'

Joe Paterno - Joe Pa's salary is FINALLY revealed!  The best kept secret in college football is now public domain.  He makes a whopping $512,000.  Well it certainly vindicated the need for the law suit to get this disclosed.  While this is not chump change this is vastly less than the average head coach at a perrenial top 25 team makes.  Couple that with the money that Joe Pa gives back to Penn State in the way of donations and Penn State should give him a 50 year contract extension. They'll get 25 years of that salary back just in donations from Joe Pa.

After 42 years as the head coach, that averages out to a 6% annual pay raise, assuming his starting salaray in 1965 was approximately 36,000 (Which is not unreasonable for 1965).  Talk about a steal for Penn State.

Michael Vick  - Has created a $900,000 grant to care for 52 Pitt Bulls who were trained as fighting dogs on his "Bad Newz Kennel" property. 

First off, who gives thier illegal dogfighting Kennel a hip-hop name?  Aren't you just advertising to get caught?  Maybe he thought he could keep a low profile by being an NFL superstar......Good Thinking!    How did he get caught again?

Secondly, after abusing these dogs to turn them into pit-fighters, do we really  think that caring for these dogs for the next 10 years will turn them into pets?  Remember, these were the ones with the Killer Instinct.  Mike had the ones without the Killer instinct killed off already.   What is the purpose here? Could that money not be used more effectively in caring for strays at legitimate Kennels?

Packers - Cowboys - What a game!!!! I wish I could have watched it.  Thanks NFL 

Louisville - Rutgers  - This is why College Football is so much better than the NFL.  On a night when the NFL said thier fans are not as important as the NFL network, the NCAA treats us to two schools, one fighting for bowl eligibilty, the other playing for a bowl upgrade.  Points Scored, A Comeback, Big Plays....This game had it all. I guess I really didn't need the Packers - Cowboys.

SMU Contacts Neuheisel - Rick Neuheisel, Architect of the demolition of Colorado and Moral Compass at Washington that continually pointed south has been contacted by SMU.  Apparently memories are short at SMU.  Didn't they have  problems there a few years ago?  SMU is already down so Rick Nueheisel really has nothing left to do there.

Mike Price To Wash St - "With the economy on the decline and the departure of Mike Price to Alabama several years ago, it has been tough on the strip club industry here in Washington.  Lets just hope the college does the right thing and bings Mike back home.....for the community"  Ted McSleazy, owner of the Jiggles Men's Club

Santana Mania - With almost every team who has a chance to contend for a playoff spot next year eying Johan Santana, the Cardinals and Tony LaRussa have opted to look at less costly talent such as former Cardinal and Current Pirate, Matt Morris. When asked why the cardinals would be looking to bring back an aging veteran such as Morris when the pitching staff is in need of a fresh starting pitcher, just to stay in the NL Central Arms Race, La Russa said, "He's a great guy......No Really a great guy.....Can I get another drink dammit.......he is better than Reyes......I'll show that Rolen......WHERES MY DRINK!!!!!"   You'll get no argument from me Tony.

Tony Easons Brother Does Something - Bo Eason, younger brother of Former NFL quater back and superbowl winner Tony Eason, has a play about what it is like to Live in the shadow of his more talented and successful brother.  Several stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicholas Cage have shown interest in the play.  Experts have stated "This is a growing issue in america and a play like this helps the losers deal with it."   Several less talented siblings who have lived in the shadow of their more successful athletic brothers are coming forward.

1. Marcus Vick - "I tried and tried to get the attention of the Nation but I was alway's Micheals little brother.  I turned to acts of crime and he still is going to out-do me by serving time.  It Just isn't fair."
2. Eli Manning - "Sure he won a super bowl.  He also throws to his receivers.  But, has he ever thrown three touchdowns in one game to the other team, in one game?  I don't think so!!!