You have to feel a little sympathy for Minnesota Vikings fans. OK, you don’t have to, but you can see how somebody would.
See, the Vikings are searching for something that they’ve never had before: ultimate success. They want a Vince Lombardi Trophy more than you want the Wrangler commercials to stop.
Put simply, they are desperate, and when you’re desperate, you do questionable things. Just ask Brad “Chauffeur” Childress, who’ll be played by Morgan Freeman whenever they make the movie. (Which means Brett’s role goes to the ghost of Jessica Tandy).
So yeah, when Favre made his preseason debut, Vikings fans cheered the former enemy like he was Patton liberating Paris. He was a conquering hero, even though he only conquered four passing yards. And they’ll cheer him again and again, at least until the interception numbers start approaching his age. After all, they weren’t exactly begging Brett to stay in New York.
But who cares what happened in the Big Apple? Or for that matter, who cares about the losses Favre used to inflict on Minnesota? Because right now, Vikings fans are wearing rose-colored glasses, and that’s fine. It’s expected, even. They see Favre as nothing less than a messiah. Brewers fans gave similar treatment to CC Sabathia, right up until he left for Yankees money. And that was expected, too, because player loyalty is a notion that left town before bullpen carts. Ditto for teams being loyal to players.
Wisconsin thought Favre and the Packers would buck that trend. And when it didn’t happen, well, the breakup was bad.
Not because Favre is the worst person in the world. Far from it. It’s not like he’s waging legal battles against children with cancer. (Nobody with an ounce of compassion would do that kind of thing, right?) But Favre has broken his former fans’ hearts, and when he finally signed with Minnesota, he broke their last strand of trust. No, Brett’s not a bad person. But for now, he’s turned into a bad Packer.
Around here, that’s quite the indictment. No fan base loves its team more than Packers Nation. It’s an inexplicable bond that’s made stronger with each cold Sunday and every Lambeau Leap. And thanks to community ownership, it’s a marriage that will never end.
Favre will never find that bond in Minnesota. His current marriage is one born not of love, but of convenience. He’s using the Vikings and they’re using him. The affair may burn hot now, but when they’ve used each other up, they’ll have no substance to fall back on. And Favre will begin the long and awkward process of trying to make up with his old flame.
But enough about Brett (for at least a few weeks, I promise). A couple of quick notes.
King Backs Pack
For what it’s worth, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King says the Packers look like the NFL’s best team after two weeks of preseason play. Hard to argue with him. But it’s also hard not to think that playing Cleveland and Buffalo has something to do with it.
By the way, if the Vikings cut quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and Packers backup QB Matt Flynn is injured for a while, doesn’t irony demand that the Pack sign T-Jack?
Quick Fix
Jerry Jones has a problem with his oversized television. Brewers pitchers have a problem with allowing too many home runs. So let’s relocate the TV to Miller Park and solve both problems at once.
No ballgame to watch? No problem. Check out our new TV Guru column to get the lowdown on your remote control options.
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