Why is everyone killing Favre?

I wasn't going to address the Favre situation until a decision was made, but I have the unfortunate circumstance of living outside of Philly and they are killing him on sports radio out here… I want to blog this now before everything is final.

The standard attack lines are either that Favre is stirring up attention for himself, that he is holding the Vikes "hostage", or that this is about money. I'd like to address each of these positions. After all, as a Packer fan, I've lived it.

As far as stirring up attention for himself, I ask "How?" Even if he did text his teammates that he was "done" or whatever, SO WHAT? It wasn't like he sent them to Ed Werder or any other ESPN butt-kisser asking him to come down to Kiln to poke a mic in his face. The press ran with either rumor or incomplete information and that is somehow Favre's fault? If he wanted attention so bad he would have set-up a 1 hr special on ESPN to announce his decision.

Next, the Vikings and their fans may feel like Favre is holding them hostage, but it is the decision by Childress and Wilf to let it continue… and I don't blame them. Favre makes the Vikings a much better team. Either one of them can call it off at any time by simply cutting Favre! I have to wonder why they would do that after the year he had last year. Again… is this all Favre's fault? Childress can tell him to get to camp or retire, but he might finally choose to hang it up! How does THAT help the Vikings? An axiom attached to this position is usually that Childress will have to modify his offense for Jackson et al. I see that as a non-sequitur. What Childress will have to do is make the offense simpler, the core offensive philosophy doesn't change.

Lastly, consider the money issue. This is the most ludicrous assertion I've heard. Unless Favre has picked up a penchant for supermodels and Armani suits, I don't think he needs any extra money to keep doing what he likes to do for the rest of his life. He lives on a farm in Mississippi, likes to hunt and fish, and he plays golf. Is more money better? Of course it is! I just feel it's a stretch to assert that he is faking an injury in order to extort more money from the Vikings. I think that if he's coming back, it is to beat the Packers, go to the Super Bowl and win it all… in that order. Not a doubt in my mind.