Packers Offer Brett Favre $20 Million To Retire

by Brandon on Jul 30, 2008 11:46 PM CDT in Green Bay Packers News

I've been keeping quiet since news broke that Packers' team President Mark Murphy was flying down to meet Favre and his agent in Mississippi. What the hell was he trying to accomplish by meeting Favre in person? I had no idea.

Now it's come out that the brilliant idea was to offer him $20 million to stay retired. This really pissed me off.

It's not like this is a new idea. In 2000, Bill Walsh offered 38 year old WR Jerry Rice $1 million to retire, Rice said no way and went on to have two more great seasons in Oakland. Apparently they thought Rice was blocking WR J.J. Stokes from greatness, or something, and they had enough 1000 yard receiving years from Rice. At the time, I was no great fan of Rice or the 49ers, but I thought it was awful that they would want an all-time NFL great to retire, even though he could still play, just to help their salary cap and open up a starting spot for an inferior player. When the 49ers and Rice couldn't agree on a retirement bonus, they released him.

Now I'm pissed that they want to force Favre into retirement at any cost. I know this isn't the same situation as when the Packers released S Darren Sharper and let K Ryan Longwell leave in free agency, and they quickly signed in Minnesota, but this stuff happens all the time. A team thinks they can find a better, cheaper player somewhere else. They want to start QB Aaron Rodgers instead, so just release Favre, deal with the consequences, and move on.

The Packers should be looking for any personnel move that can, in some way, make them a better team, and instead they refuse to bring back one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL because they felt they've moved on. He doesn't deserve a chance to compete for the starting job? They have no use for an experience quarterback at all?

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I'll be honest

First things first. I’m a Vikes fan. I “hate” the Green Bay Packers, in that you’re our divisional rivals! Grrr!

That said, I respect Brett Favre. More for his continuous play streak than anything else. Much like Cal Ripken Jr. And I respect the organization as one of the foundations of football. The rivalry is fun and that’s it. It is definitely not an East Coast rivalry.

But when I say I “hate” Ted Thompson, I’m thinking “This guy is a fucking douche!”

So far this off and pre-season, he’s:

1) Forced a HoF QB out of the team and done everything he can to prevent him coming back.
2) Accused my favorite team of “tampering” when he knew it to be bullshit. (I’m calling BS after Favre’s comment about seven to ten teams being “guilty” of tampering if talking with friends across the NFL is considered tampering.)
3) Screwing over a decent running back by refusing to pay him a wage representative of the work he did.

Congratulations, you’ve got the latest incarnation of Matt Millen as your GM.

So, you know what? I rescind my previous position. If Favre gets released, I want him here. Not because of his abilities, or because of how it would affect the Packers fans. I want to spit in Ted Thompson’s eyes and rub salt into his wounds. That guy is a dick, and he has every bad thing coming to him.

by Robert Rence on Jul 31, 2008 7:45 AM CDT reply actions

I appreciate your honesty but...

since you are a Vikings fan, why should anyone care what your opinion of our GM is? I wouldn’t expect you to care that I think Brad Childress is clueless.

Congratulations, you’ve got the latest incarnation of Matt Millen as your GM.

And congratulations on all of your rings

Can't pitch Gagne in rain. He’s like the B-2 bomber of baseball.--TheJay

by verno329 on Jul 31, 2008 7:53 AM CDT up reply actions

You don’t need to care, I’m just saying I sympathize with you guys having your team get dicked over. That’s not cool.

And congratulations on all of your rings

0 for 4 baby!

by Robert Rence on Jul 31, 2008 8:09 AM CDT up reply actions

haha!

I again appreciate your honesty. And thats a great response

Can't pitch Gagne in rain. He’s like the B-2 bomber of baseball.--TheJay

by verno329 on Jul 31, 2008 2:41 PM CDT up reply actions

I aim to not be a dick. It’s sports, and in the end, it doesn’t really matter.

That said, I’m still rooting for 1 for 5. Should be a good year for the Vikes.

by Robert Rence on Jul 31, 2008 3:27 PM CDT up reply actions

nothing wrong with good old fashioned sports hate

Can't pitch Gagne in rain. He’s like the B-2 bomber of baseball.--TheJay

by verno329 on Jul 31, 2008 5:37 PM CDT up reply actions

As long as it's not taken too far.

For an example, see Chicago a few weeks ago.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1081180,CST-NWS-fanfight30.article

by Robert Rence on Aug 1, 2008 12:33 AM CDT up reply actions

big time agree here

sports hate is fine as long you understand that I don’t hate you (fan of the other team or other team member themselves) as a person, I just hate the uniform. good point

Can't pitch Gagne in rain. He’s like the B-2 bomber of baseball.--TheJay

by verno329 on Aug 1, 2008 8:34 AM CDT up reply actions

If this is true, it's asinine

First things first – I don’t necessarily believe this $20 million payment story to be any more true than Brett Favre and Brad Childress having phone sex on a Packer-owned cell or Ted Thompson demanding multiple first-round picks for Favre. But if it is true, then it is embarrassing and it is a mistake.

I have maintained all along that I am fine with the Packers moving on, but if Favre wants to play again the Packers should do everything within their power to make sure that happens on a team that does not conflict with our interests. That means instead of flying Mark Murphy out to Mississippi to convince him to stay retired, they should be giving him Eric Mangini and Brian Schottenheimer’s phone numbers and urging him to talk to them. And if he won’t talk to them, then ask him to at the very least call Bubba Franks.

by Packschmid on Jul 31, 2008 12:16 PM CDT reply actions