MoFo Fantasy Football 2009: Week 8

But we love you and there's nothing you can do about it.

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We are both the source of the problem and the solution, yet we do not see ourselves in this light...

On a personal note: This is weird, I like the Colts and Steelers and another unmentioned team. Normally I would be so glad the Colts won and I would be all smiles and cocky innuendoish. I mean despite Mannings sub-par performance (which really was not all that bad, sure got the yardage like he always does) they played a great game today, as a team. I am glad they won definitely, but somehow the way they won made me a little ticked because of FF. All I can say is: I love it!!.

Favre delivered in spades, and Percy Harvin too. Funny I went against my gut, and Yahoo in playing Favre and it paid off.

IF Roddy White Vs The Saints, and the Saints Defense dont score a combined 16.70 then ill win. Its a longshot, but better odds than what Ive been getting. Ill be on stattracker tomorrow. Ill be the spazzy guy you cant miss me.

As for Favre retiring then wanting to come back...he tried to come back to Green Bay..they said no...why the hate?! Not taking Rodgers under his wing? Wow I think Favre looked at the guy that was groomed to take his spot, and wanted nothing to do with it. Favre was maybe flawed in how much he was involved in his development, but he mightve been correctly looking at Rodgers as a threat to his position. Green Bay made the right call. Them feeling he hasnt the right to play football for an old rival or otherwise is delusional. There was no betrayal other than their own feelings for him.

Aikman brought up an interesting point tonight which was...

Maybe Favre didn't really want to play for the Packers. It is something to consider.

Why are we still talking about this anyway?

BOO got owned today Was fun though !!

Farve (Not Brett Farve) is one of those players you have to hate or love to hate, unless of course you are a fan. I hate Farve, I mean I do, not like a personal hate, but a NFL hate. He reminds me a bit of Marino or Larry Bird (yes of the NBA variety). I hated Bird so much (I am a long time Laker fan I cannot help it) it hurt. The thing is, the reason I hated him so much: he was damn good. Farve was good, now he is just fair IMO. I certainly to not begrudge him of playing for anyone at anytime in the NFL, but I do think he is chasing a lost dream. Now that being said, I would do the same if I was him, why not? Anyway he sux like the cheesehead he will always be, but at the same time, kudos to him for making an awesome carrer of the NFL and being great at being hated. What a pro. You go Brett Farverah, you have built so many fans up Buttercup, only to let ' em down .

Because it didn't quite happen that way. He held them hostage a couple years in a row in the offseason, then finally retired, let them give Rodgers the job, and then came back and demanded to either return as QB or be traded. He put them in an impossible situation which could have been avoided if he'd had a little more self-knowledge, or had been willing to go out more gracefully.

Exactly, he felt him as a threat. That doesn't make him much of a teammate, if you ask me. I think you suck it up and do the right thing for the team, not for yourself. The dude's got a legacy and a ridiculous fortune; if he's a team player, he can help him along a little.

And it turns out his fear was completely unfounded, anyway, because Green Bay let him think it over year after year and didn't move Rodgers into his role until he'd retired. For all his fear, they sat a #1 draft pick for three years for him. Three years! That's unbelievable. It's difficult to overstate how much the "will he or won't he?" stuff can mess with a team's management decisions, salary cap, et cetera. The Packers were incredibly patient with this guy and let him leave when and how he wanted, and for all their patience and goodwill, he still kinda screwed them over.

I dunno who's saying he "hasn't the right to play football." But by the same token Packer fans have plenty of reason to be annoyed that he chose a division rival. How could they not?

And let's ditch the idea that the fans owe the players, and not the other way around. The Green Bay fans adored him and are directly responsible for making him rich and famous, and he put himself before the team in some pretty big ways in those last couple of years. I'd be kinda peeved, too.

That said, we'd all care about this a lot less if play-by-play guys weren't constantly gushing over his every minor accomplishment, or glossing over his flaws so egregiously. It's all just become a little too goofy for some of us, I think.

So, can I get a do-over? I had family in town and totally forgot to update my roster. I mean, it's not like I was doing well to begin with.

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"I was walking down the street with my friend and he said, "I hear music", as if there is any other way you can take it in. You're not special, that's how I receive it too. I tried to taste it but it did not work." - Mitch Hedberg

Trouble on me team!

Booooooo

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From reality back to fantasy (which is just as fun, no?). A few quick notes from yesterday's games:

• Owen Daniels out for the year. Big blow for Seds, as replacement TEs can be tough to find, and Daniels was leading all of them in points, anyway. Tough break man.

• I will never, ever, ever stop complaining about yesterday's HOU-BUF game. Slaton was up against the worst (worst!) run defense in football, but lost a fumble early and got benched for it. His backup ran for 120+ yards and 3 TDs. Against Buffalo, it's not a stretch to assume he'd have put up reasonably similar numbers if he'd been left in, but the coaching staff apparently had to make some goofy statement, even though he's still crazy talented and was on pace to put up 1,400 total yards for them. What was likely to be Slaton's best game of the year ends up being his worst. Ugh. High probability I will never get over this.

• Chris Johnson goes off for Slug again, this time for 37.9 points. The usually silent Slug actually spoke before this one, saying on the league site (this is a direct quote): "I am going to destroy you." So far he's been good to his word; he's up 29 points, but Pete still has Matt Ryan, Reggie Bush, and Michael Jenkins going tonight.

• Mike wins the much-hyped matchup with lady friend LTIZZY in convincing fashion, by exactly 40 points. MJD put up 30+ for the second straight game, and the third time this season. Sleeping on a futon is a small price to pay for pretend glory, my friend.

• Bobby's I-Love-Megan-Fox-ers (?) administer a massive beatdown, besting Spud's Tateraters by almost 100 points. Spud left a couple of lineup spots blank, but this week it just didn't matter, as only one of Bobby's lineup slots failed to reach double digits.

To Be Decided
Five of the seven matchups are still up in the air!

• Slug's Sweeties vs. Beantown Champs
  As mentioned above, Pete has Matt Ryan, Reggie Bush, and Michael Jenkins still to go, and needs about 29 points. I think he'll get 'em.

• 11 Angry Men vs. Team Darcy
  I've got D. Brees, M. Colston, and a 20-point lead, up against M. Turner and T. Gonzalez. I should be okay, unless the Saints passing game somehow gets completely shut down.

• Gadsden Flag vs. Flash
  Flash trails by 20 points, but has Lance Moore and Mike Bell going tonight. Very tough call. I think I'll say he falls just short, but Moore's pretty unpredictable at this point.

• TONGO vs. Da Bears
  Mikey's Bears need about 16-17 points, and have Roddy White and the Saints defense going tonight. I think he should get about 20+ from the two.

• PW's Odd Squad vs. Hired Goons
  PW trails by just over 1 point, and has Jeremy Shockey going tonight. Just needs a 3-yard reception out of him, basically, so yeah, I think he'll get it, and with it a much needed win to stay in the playoff hunt.

Brett Favre didnt want to be anything but the starter, and I think he did want to play elsewhere. So the Packers organization goes thru some public hoopla, and they go seperate ways. Seriously its not like they were screwed by Brett because they did have a starter, and very ready to start.

For someone who supposedly was ignored by Favre Rodgers was playing some great football early, and since too. I doubt Bretts a diva though the media gooshes like a rockstar mark over him like he is one, and just disbelieve he snubbed Rodgers. This is a business, and not some dojo where you take the peeble from the masters hand. Remember how good Joe Montana was treated for grooming Steve Young?! We shouldnt judge him so critically.

They dont own Favre. This isnt college football, and they shouldnt hate him. They should use that energy on insisting they get #1 a great running game which Green Bays rarely had, and #2 an offensive line which Green Bays rarely has had. Both rerasons why I think Favre wanted to play elsewhere too.

They were screwed because they were forced to deal him cheaply, because he issued an ultimatum. They had to trade the face of their franchise to another team. That's a big deal; this stuff matters. And, again, a lot of decisions about roster management, salary caps, etc., will be inevitably affected by any significant player's presence or lack thereof, let alone someone like Favre.

You can make a pretty good case that they let Favre leave when he was good and ready to avoid all that craziness, and then it happened anyway. If they knew Favre was just going to run off anyway, they might have opted to play Rodgers a lot earlier. Instead, they gave Favre a lot of flexibility and courtesy...which he did not extend back to them.

Sure we should; refusing to help along a young player because you feel threatened by them is pretty selfish behavior, and in Favre's case it's also just dumb. After the first two years you'd think he'd have realized that they weren't forcing him out.

Helping younger players along is something we praise veterans for, sure, but it's also expected. A young, promising QB that the Packers had invested a 1st round draft pick waited patientily for three years while Favre figured out what he wanted to do. They gave him all the time in the world to leave how and when he wanted; expecting him to actually, you know, do what's best for the team while he's playing for them isn't unreasonable.

Anyway, Rodgers played great early, but who's to say he wouldn't have played better? He may have done it in spite of Favre. Not that this is really relevant, anyway, because nobody thinks Brett Favre ignored Aaron Rodgers because he thought it would help him develop better.

I don't think being mad at Favre takes any "energy" away from improving the rest of the team. But you know what does? Having no idea if your star QB and presumably highest-paid player is going to come back for, like, two or three straight seasons. That makes it awfully hard to plan long-term.

I dont know Yoda. I admit Favre could have handled his exit alot better, but my point is Green Bay is still overreacting and carrying on needlessly. IF Rodgers wasnt ready that might have been the case. Facts were he was ready, and played better football than Favre when he was with the Jets. Wheres the deep gaping wound left behind by Favre?! Its in their head is where. No the organization wasnt like Al Davis, but too he gave more to Green Bay than any one player ever gave a franchise - ever.

After winning a superbowl Brett comes clean about painkiller addiction, in a sport thats riddled with it btw, and that maybe the most glaring bit of evidence that he isnt a self absorbed take machine. He was and always will be a stand up guy. Green Bay needs to forgive, get over it, and build a friggin team thats super bowl worthy. When Favre was their quarterback the organization seemed unmotivated to improve in other areas. He was getting the snot kicked out of him for years, always started, and hell he even played a season with a broken finger. He couldnt give them any more than what he did. He only had (or has - thats debatable) a few years left, and he wanted to play for another organization imo.

I laugh at how the broadcasters fawn over Favre, but I also laugh at his detractors. Soon there wont be any old guys out there that will play hurt, and show love for the game. When he does retire he will be missed, and Im glad hes finding success on a team thats a real super bowl contender. He deserves it.

I wonder if you really know what it means to be a fan sometimes Tongo. Saying Packers fans just need to "get over it" doesn't wash.

I can speak for myself because I've seen several good to great players leave Seattle over the years. Some for good reasons and some for the wrong reasons. I am still bitter over several departures and may never get over it. I am a fan. Short for fanatic, look it up. Fans are unreasonable, some to the extreme. That's what makes us fans. I contend that if you don't have some deep seated issues like this in your personal closet somewhere then you're not really a fan. You're an outsider or a band wagon guy. Which is fine too. There's plenty of room for those types but they rarely understand how painful it is to be so emotionally invested in a team.

Sports teams WILL break your heart. Die hard fans know this and live with it. But to expect them all to be all logical and levelheaded is kind of silly if you truly understand what a fan is.

Nope! I can be a very loyal fan and not "hate" a departing atlhlete. My Buccaneers have lost more grade A talent than any other franchise in the history of the NFL. Even Trent Dilfer got a super bowl ring ffs! Im desensitized by the Bucs, a franchise that still practices self destruction, and know the Green Bay fans loved Brett. He just wanted to play for a different team....thats it. Seriously he deserves a pass, and to be forgiven the slight.

If he wins the Super Bowl with the Vikings, and Green Bay fans hate him for it that would be truly sad. Fact is he could never have done it with Green Bay again, and that's the black eye to the organization. They need to let go of Favre and go get the next Adrian Peterson. I like the Packers, like the fans. but Im afraid for my Bucs this sunday against them.

I'm not sure what the Packers are doing to make anyone think they're hung up on this. I'm the one lambasting Favre's behavior here, not them. And I don't recall saying anything about a "gaping wound." I'm not making the case that this was some crime against humanity, or that the franchise was destroyed when he left. Not at all.

The case I'm making is this: he behaved selfishly, and he behaved in a way that hurt the Packers for no good reason. My reasons for thinking this are: a) veteran players are expected to help younger players along, and he shouldn't have snubbed Rodgers, b) Favre seemed to feel threaten by Rodgers, despite the fact that he had no earthly reason to be after the first season or two, and c) Favre retired just long enough to let the Packers make other plans before coming back and forcing their hand, when he simply could have stayed with the team to begin with, or else found a way to leave amicably. His timing and handling of things with Rodgers and the team were just horrendous, and sometimes downright irrational.

You believe he simply wanted to play for another team; that's a reasonable theory, and a reasonable thing to want, perhaps. But if that's the case, then that means he pretended to retire knowing full well he didn't want to, and knowing full well it was going to make life difficult for the Packers. That's even worse! If your theory is correct, then it means he wasn't just indecisive and inconsiderate, but practically sabotaging things, rather than being upfront about his desires.

I also don't think there's the slightest bit of evidence that they "weren't trying to improve" when he was there. Really, come on; this is an NFL team, and lots of people's jobs hinged on their success. They were trying plenty, as evidenced by the fact that they won one Super Bowl and went to another, and were in contention for many years. These teams are made up of many, many people, so let's drop the idea that the General Manager being frustrated with Favre is somehow taking away from player development or energies that otherwise would have improved the team. They can walk and chew gum at the same time.

What the hell? I honestly don't know why people are still debating over this, especially the media. First of all, the decisions have been made by the Packers two years ago and I don't think much can be done about it at this point. Brett Favre announces retirement in 2007, cries at the official speech and announcement. Thompson and McCarthy start building and preparing for Aaron Rodgers to take over the team, but Favre thinks that he is so important that he can just join back on the team. And then he is angry at the franchise for not letting him comeback...? Come on, this is honestly unfair and egotistical. Though, the Packers didn't handle the matter very well, they could've you know just sat down with the dude and made some sort of understanding. You guys all know this, and this is how it all got started.

TONGO, Packer fans just need to get over it? It is a big deal for a city who depends on its football in order to have an alright mood. Brett Favre went to the Minnesota Vikings, for gods sake? It is a big deal. Let us not accept the media's portrayal of the whole situation and say that is how it is. As far as I'm concerned, the media doesn't have any way of talking about Minnesota Brett Favre without sucking on his neck. The divided line between Brett Favre and Packer fans has been pretty drastic, but Packer fans aren't concerned about Favre but are cheering hard for Aaron Rodgers. You have to feel bad for Aaron Rodgers for having to deal with this for most likely his whole career, though, he has been statistically excellent.

By the way, Brett is acting like a diva currently.

Aside: Tony Gonzalez's with is hot. Like smokin', even.

Certainly something we can all agree on.

She was just on ESPN, damn...