Where is Leon when you need him? Just once I would love to hear a sports figure say what he really means. That certainly was not the case when Brett Favre met the media yesterday. Favre must think we are all idiots when he says he is not motivated by revenge. I mean, like the Favre Network segment says – “Come on man!” It is just like when a player holding out says “It isn’t about the money”. The second they say it isn’t about the money, you know it is about the money. No different than what Favre is saying. In the end Favre did kind of admit it was about revenge when he told the media to “call it what you want”. Funny stuff.
After hearing former Packers William Henderson and LeRoy Butler on the Rome show this week it is clear that Favre is a traitor. Both former Packer greats admitted they lost respect for Favre when he joined the hated Vikings. And both agreed you can’t ride the fence on this issue. Like Butler said, you are either a Favre fan or a Packers’ fan, there is no in between. Like LeRoy said, you can’t root for Favre to throw for 400 yards and want the Packers to win the game. That is complete bovine excrement. You are either with the Packers or you are with the enemy. And either case is fine. If you love Brett Favre then love Brett Favre and cheer the Vikings’ on. No problem. No Packers’ fans will be joining you. You probably jumped on the Packers’ bandwagon only because of Favre and we don’t want fans like that anyway. By the way, I can say “we” and mean it as I am an owner of this great franchise.
This game is all about Brett Favre getting revenge on Ted Thompson. Maybe the Vikings do win. So what? I remember the Chicago Bears losing twice to the Packers the year they went to the Super Bowl. Nothing will really be decided on Monday night no matter what anybody says. This game means way more to Favre than it does to the Packers. This is one man against 53 and I like the 53. The Packers as a team want this game much more than the Vikings do as a player. The Vikings’ players didn’t even want Favre during training camp and can in know way feel the hate that is in Favre’s heart. On the other hand, the players on the Packers’ team have rallied around Aaron Rodgers for over a year now and are united in their cause to win this game for A-Rodg.
Aaron Rodgers has been as cool as a cucumber since taking over as starting QB for the Packers and I think if he plays that way Monday the Packers win going away. Running back Ryan Grant has had surprisingly good success against the Vikings and if gets 85 or more yards I think the Packers will roll. The only thing about this game that scares me is Adrian Peterson breaking a long run or two for a TD, and by long run I mean the 40 or more yard shots that he is great at. If the Packers make him earn his 100 or more yards and force the Vikings to pass more than they want to it bodes real well. I also think Dom Capers hasn’t shown jack the first three games and the Vikings will see plenty of formations they haven’t seen on film thus far.
Finally, I don’t know if it is a good thing or bad, but I think good. From all accounts the Packers’ players have been loose as a goose in the locker room this week. There has been a running joke keeping everybody upbeat and the players seem to be in a good mood despite the media frenzy. Kind of odd, actually. I think it is a quiet confidence. I know I feel the Packers should win this game with no problem and the closer the game gets the more confident I get. My early prediction of 24-20 Pack has been upgraded to 34-20 Pack. I just can’t see us losing this one and I cannot wait for it to start. We will win – Al.