Thursday, August 7, 2008

The Attention Whore Chronicles

Even here at BrickintheBox we can’t ignore the biggest NFL story of this off-season. Some sights will call this the biggest ever, but we seem to remember something to do with dogs, and another thing where players gained free agency, and I fail to see how an aging Diva overshadows those items, but none the less. We have decided to go with the time honored tradition of naming winners and losers long before the smoke clears and an actual game is played.

Brett Favre – Loser

Face it, Favre was going to get the loser tag no mater how this played out. His constant cries for attention grate on this blogger, he has gone from Green Bay Icon to a Diva the likes of T.O. But what cements his place in the loser category is where he ended up, the New York Jets.

Favre has gone from one of the youngest, best built teams, to the Jets. The Jets reek of desperation, and the Farve trade is just the latest lame attempt at regaining relevance. The Jets have watched the team they share the NY market, and a stadium, with win three Super Bowls since the Jets last appearance, they have failed at an attempt to get their own stadium, they have become an afterthought in their own division and their own city.

This off-season has seen them overpay for questionable talent in a manner that only Al Davis could truly appreciate. They have a coach, that thanks to busting his ex-employer in the spygate scandal, knows that once his welcome runs out here he most likely will be a pariah in NFL circles. They have a GM that knows his fate is tied to the pariah coach. This team must win at all costs, or these gentlemen will be on the streets.

It all adds up to an unfavorable situation for any player, let alone Favre, and then you look at the two offenses, and you have to wonder why Favre would accept a trade to the Jets.

Offensive Line – A quick look at the two teams and the Jets definitely have more name recognition across the line, but does that make them better? I say no. In fact the only starter on the Jets who I would take over the Green Bay starter would be Nick Mangold, who is one of the best young centers the league has seen in years. Ferguson is unsteady and could still go either way. Faneca was brought in with much fanfare, but those who call him the best guard in the league stopped watching the game in 2005. And Woody at right tackle, the Jets might have been better served to sign a NY subway turnstile.

While I wouldn’t put any of the Green Bay interior lineman above the Jets interior players, there is not as much of a difference as name recognition would lead you to believe, and Green Bay holds a decided advantage at tackle.

Wide Receivers – This isn’t even close. Would you take Driver, Jennings and Jones or Coles, Cotchery and ummm….yeah you get the point. Lets not forget the tight ends here either, Green Bay has Donald Lee, the Jets counter with Chris Baker, Dustin Keller (a.k.a. the 800th TE drafted in the 1st round by the Jets in the last 15 years) and Bubba Franks, well at least Favre will have someone to go to dinner with.

Running Back – Well here we go again. The Jets have Thomas Jones who proved he has little left in the tank last season, and Washington who is a great kick returner. The Packers have Ryan Grant, who may well be a one hit wonder, but behind him are a couple solid guys in Jackson and Morency.

Add it all up and Favre is going to go from National Media darling, to New York media punching bag as quickly as Lindsey Lohan downs a bottle of Dom. Mr. Attention Whore is going to get loads of print, but somehow I doubt he is going to want to read it. But at least Mrs. Attention Whore is getting a bigger market to parade herself on; maybe she can get a reality show out of the deal.

Green Bay Packers – Losers

They can’t like the way this all transpired, and this story isn’t going away anytime soon. Ted Thompson will be followed around by this Brett Favre trade for the rest of his career, hell his life. The only way that the Packers come out on top in this one is if Aaron Rogers leads them to a Super Bowl win this year. So in other words, they are losers also.

N.Y. Jets – Losers

Yeah Favre is an upgrade over Pennington, but they are the Jets, you can’t spell Jets without the letters L, O, S, E, R, S.

Tampa Bay – Winners


Sure they are going to have to deal with a disgruntled Jeff Garcia, but I see no way that Favre and Gruden could co-exist and succeed. Gruden is too controlling and Favre too much of a Gunslinger, that’s oil and water right there. The Bucs are better served to stand pat and try to win a week NFC South, where their only real competition is the Jeckle and Hyde franchise in New Orleans, than bring in Favre and his media circus.

And Finally, IMO, the biggest losers here are the fans. Not just those in Green Bay and New York, but all NFL fans. This story isn’t going anywhere. Every week will be a compare and contract of Rogers. We have weeks of preseason left for interviews with Farve, Pennington, the coaches and GM’s. This just isn’t going to end.

God, I hate when Attention Whores get what they want.

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