Posted by Zach Silva on July 14, 2010
May 26th. That’s the last time I posted anything to this wonderful website. While most of you probably didn’t notice, some of you (hopefully) saw that I have seemingly fallen off the face of the earth. Well don’t worry fan(s), I’m back and better than ever…although being better than subpar isn’t really saying that much. And while I’ve been gone the sports world has been abuzz with excitement. The World Cup, my personal favorite sporting event, came and went with Spain emerging victorious and ESPN devoting more coverage to soccer in a month than it will during the next four years. Baseball is already at the halfway point, and unfortunately, the Brewers are nowhere near the top of the standings. The Lakers beat the Celtics for the NBA crown and apparently there was a free agent who left Cleveland for Miami. I don’t know, though. There wasn’t a lot of coverage for that one.
To say the last few months have been exciting would be an understatement. But there has been one force that has missing from the media circus…one force that we’ve all come to know and love, then hate when he stabbed us in the back. I’m talking, of course, about one Mr. Brett Favre. And I can honestly say that I’m happy without him. Sure, there have been a couple of stories about him. The fact that he had surgery almost guarantees that he will return this season. And he was practicing with a high school team in Mississippi last week. But other than that, we haven’t heard a peep from him.
So why am I writing this article, you may be wondering? Well I realized that I haven’t posted anything for quite some time and that I should probably make it clear that I am still alive. I also have this strange thought that we’ll be hearing something from the Favre camp soon. I base this off absolutely no insider information or fact…it’s just a gut feeling. So in a way, I suppose my last few months have paralleled Favre’s. We’ve both stayed out of the limelight with no news to report. But now I’m back, and if my prediction is accurate, he will be too.
Feel like this was a waste of time? Think it was the greatest article ever? Believe you know more than me? Contact me at zdsilva@brentfavre.com and let me know.
Posted by Zach Silva on May 26, 2010
Who didn’t see this one coming? Brent Favre has undergone surgery on his ankle, making it clear that he intends to play next season. Great. Let’s start the circus up all over again. However, even though my hatred for him may run deep, I can’t actually blame him for coming back. He had his best season statistically last year, and he was one errant throw from being in the Super Bowl. And the Vikings didn’t lose too much and are probably primed for another playoff run.
Not everyone is happy about this news, though. The Vikings quarterbacks must be heartbroken. Most notably – Tarvaris Jackson. He was drafted in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He started 19 games in three seasons before Brent showed up and took his job from him. I personally feel a little bad for the guy. Sure, he wasn’t great, but he tried. He has a good back story, too. Drafted out of Alabama State, many analysts thought he was taken way too early in the draft. But Coach Brad Childress had a vision for him, calling him a “diamond in the rough”. (Not really sure if the second round is the rough, Brad…)
Jackson was quite underwhelming when he started, eventually losing his starting gig to Gus Frerotte (seriously…Jackson lost his starting job to this guy). He was expected to compete with Sage Rosenfels (boy…those Vikings sure know how to find quarterbacks) last season, but then Mr. Favre showed up and destroyed that dream. And it looks like he’s going to do it again. Tarvaris will put in all the time in practice, training camp, and preseason in the hopes of getting the starting job. He may perform unbelievably well, but it won’t matter. The job is Favre’s, and both guys know it.
Honestly, I do feel bad for Tarvaris. To be drafted four rounds ahead of your draft grade, to be handed the keys to the Vikings team at such a young age, and then to lose it to an old man from Mississippi…that’s a roller coaster of emotion in three years. The NFL is a cruel world.
But I hope Brent doesn’t come back, and that Tarvaris gets the chance to start. It would make me happy. I’d be happy for Tarvaris, sure, but I’d be giddy at the thought of him lining up against the Packers this season. Think of how many interceptions he would throw. He’s not a good quarterback, but Brad Childress seems to think he is. And if Favre doesn’t come back, and Childress goes with Tarvaris Jackson as his quarterback, I can guarantee you that they won’t make the playoffs. Which is great news for Packers fans everywhere. So here’s hoping for the best for you Tarvaris. If you start, you’ll have the whole state of Wisconsin cheering you on…albeit for different reasons, but still.
Questions? Ideas? Hate mail? Send it all to zdsilva@brentfavre.com – I’d love to hear from you all!
Posted by Zach Silva on May 12, 2010
For some reason I’m struggling to get to sleep tonight. It could be the fact that I have an exam in six hours on a subject that I know very little about (inventory management…really?). Or it could be that I have a paper due tomorrow morning on a book that I haven’t read yet. Or it could be that finals begin next week. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m juggling five jobs now. It might have something to do with the pot of coffee I made at midnight (bad idea in hindsight). But I think it’s this little conundrum I’ve been dealing with lately that’s keeping me up.
I can’t seem to figure out why the Green Bay Packers are so beloved in the state of Wisconsin. You may be saying to yourself, “Self, why would a question like this bother a college student during finals? Shouldn’t he be studying and focused and ready for summer?” I agree. I shouldn’t care about minor things like this, but I do. And thanks to the internet, I now have a place to share my thoughts, however trivial they may be.
But think about it for a minute, please. The Packers are far and away the most popular team in the state. It’s not even up for debate. They get the most media coverage, sell the most merchandise, and have a 45 year waiting list for season tickets (it’s probably longer now). The Brewers? Well nobody cared about them until they started winning games. Growing up, I remember going to County Stadium and then Miller Park and seeing absolutely no one there. The nightly news didn’t talk about them. You couldn’t buy a Brewers shirt anywhere but at stadium store. There was no pride. The same thing can be said for the Bucks. Last year, no one went to games. It was empty every night at the Bradley Center. Lambeau remains packed (no pun intended) every Sunday, though.
In my humble opinion, I’m not an idiot. I know that attendance and coverage and support generally correlate strongly with winning. Win more games, gain more fans, make more money. That sums up professional sports. When the Brewers turned it around, people got excited. The same thing happened this year with the Bucks. The city of Milwaukee went crazy when these teams made the playoffs. It was great. But what the Brewers and Bucks have experienced recently has been common for the Packers in my lifetime (born in 1989…thanks mom and dad!).
Year in and year out, no matter how they play, the Packers dominate the state. It could be that I grew up in the Mike Holmgren and Brent Era. Since I was born, the team has only had four losing seasons. Even when they were bad, fans still had faith. I feel as though when the Brewers lose, people just assume that they suck and will be terrible again. When the Packers lose, though, they can still reason that everything is ok. I struggle to understand this concept. I guess when a franchise is successful for twenty straight years, fans tend to stick with the team.
I should probably make an attempt to study for my exam. I’m already committed to not sleeping, which is probably a poor choice (honestly…when the sun comes up, there’s no point in going to bed). Hopefully I can put this whole Packers question on the backburner and instead focus on inventory management (I’m bored and confused just typing it). Keep me in your thoughts today. I’ll need a lot of luck and a lot more caffeine.
Got an idea on why cheeseheads love the Pack so much? Have any tips on managing inventory that may help on an exam? Email me at zdsilva@brentfavre.com. Don’t make me beg next week, ok?
Posted by Zach Silva on April 28, 2010
“With the 23rd pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers select Bryan Bulaga, Offensive Tackle from Iowa.”
When Roger Goodel announced this pick in last week’s NFL Draft, I cheered. To say I was excited is an understatement. How could this guy fall all the way to number 23? Didn’t Sports Illustrated have him going fifth overall? Did the Packers hit the jackpot again just as they’d done a few years ago with Aaron Rodgers?
And then I started to think about the pick (and when I start thinking about things like this, it illustrates just how badly I need a hobby). Going into the offseason, it was clear that the Packers needed help in a few areas. Many people pointed to the offensive line as the biggest need for improvement. The team led the league in sacks allowed last year. The line was atrocious in the beginning of the season, and it was only a matter of time before Aaron Rodgers got injured. However, towards the latter part of the season, the line really came together as a unit. In fact, think back to the final game of the year in Arizona ( I know…it still hurts me, too). Who is more to blame for the loss? The offensive line, who helped the team score 45 points but gave up a sack which turned into a fumble which turned into a touchdown, or the defensive backfield, who got torched by Kurt Warner to the tune of 51 points? I tend to blame the defense a bit more.
And that’s when I decided to stop thinking because it hurt my head. Being an NFL GM would be one of the toughest and most stressful jobs I can imagine. The Packers faced a similar dilemma a few years ago when Aaron Rodgers fell into their laps. Coming off a 10-6 year, the Packers were expected to contend for the Super Bowl. With a solid first round selection, they could have improved the team and went after the title. However, Rodgers was too good to pass up. He was clearly a stud QB of the future, and the team pulled the trigger on him. The team finished 4-12 the next season. (I remember just being depressed that season. It was an awkward age for me, dealing with typical 15-year-old drama, and the Packers having a disappointing season didn’t help out with that. Oh memories…sometimes I wish I could forget about you…)
It’s impossible to say whether or not selecting a different player would have guaranteed the Packers a better season in 2005. And it’s tough to argue against Aaron Rodgers when you consider how good he has been. But Rodgers added nothing to a team that went 4-12. If the team had taken someone else with that pick, he might have helped them to a better record and, dare I say it, a Super Bowl victory. Wouldn’t that pick have been better than Rodgers? I’m a huge Rodgers supporter by the way. I just like to dream up impossible situations and scenarios to keep my mind from thinking about important things like taxes and war.
So what was I talking about at the start of this article? Oh yeah…Bryan Bulaga. This pick is very reminiscent of the 2005 pick. Bulaga has a chance to be the Packers starting left tackle for the next ten years. He’s a great athlete, and I personally feel that Big 10 lineman make the best NFL lineman. However, the Packers have a chance to be great this year, and Bulaga doesn’t help them with that unless someone on the line gets injured. Had they selected someone to help out on defense (TCU DE Jerry Hughes, Boise St CB Kyle Wilson, Texas LB Sergio Kindle, Florida St CB Patrick Robinson, and USC Safety Taylor Mays were all available), they could have improved a great deal. If they Packers play poorly this season, this pick may haunt them.
The NFL is tough. You constantly have to build for the future while remaining competitive in the present. When a team is on the brink of a championship, they need to improve themselves right now. I feel that any chance to win a championship outweighs building for the future. Does this mean that I hate the Bulaga pick now? Yes and no. I’m not huge on grading drafts until the players can actually prove themselves. If Bulaga ends up being the next Chad Clifton, then the Packers made a good pick. However, if the team fails to make the playoffs this next season, the Bulaga pick should be criticized.
And with that, I’ve exhausted my brain. I need a nap…
If you want to help soothe my brain, please email me your thoughts, comments, questions, hate mail, fan mail, and anything else at zdsilva@brentfavre.com.
Posted by Zach Silva on April 21, 2010
Ugh. Why is everyone always talking about this Brent Farve guy? He gets more headlines than health care bills, wars, and presidential elections. Who could be more important than him? And how did he get to this level of fame? Did he cure cancer or build a spaceship or end world hunger? Wait…he’s a football player?
The above paragraph was written from the viewpoint of a 25-year-old amnesiac who is just trying to figure out how the world works. To be honest, though, I’ve been trying to figure out how a quarterback for a professional sports team could garner as much attention as good ol’ Brent does. Every offseason he backs away from football, does the “should I retire to my tractor or play another season?” dance, and ultimately decides to give it one more go-around. And every offseason, the public remains captivated with his every move.
When he played for the beloved Green Bay Packers, I (and I’m sure everyone felt this way) didn’t seem to care or notice the outrageous amount of Brent news. He was one of my heroes. He was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and he played for my favorite team. In my eyes, he could do no wrong. But then he retired, and it was sad. He cried at the press conference. I believed it. His career was over, and he would retire a Packer. Although it hurt at the time, it was comforting to know that he would always be a Wisconsin legend.
And then we started hearing chatter about Brent coming back. And the chatter grew into a roar, and somehow Ted Thompson became a jerk who hated Brent. Brent went to New York and played with the Jets. It felt wrong. It felt dirty. Like having impure thoughts about Bea Arthur (she’s at least three times my age, but something about her being on The Golden Girls arouses me). While there was no law that said Brent had to play for the Packers, I just couldn’t picture him wearing any colors but Green and Gold. Thankfully his career in New York ended after one season and he retired again.
And then hell froze over. Brent joined the Vikings and it was as if he never played in Green Bay. I hated him. A lot. He was a turncoat, a traitor. Benedict Favre was public enemy number one in Wisconsin. The worst part about the whole thing? He made the Vikings great. They could have won the Super Bowl with him. Thankfully, they lost in the NFC Championship Game. And with that, Brent Favre yet again retired for good.
Which brings us to now. There hasn’t really been a ton of Brent talk. He’s gotten back to his tractor in Mississippi and stayed out of the spotlight. However, that doesn’t mean that he’s actually retired. After the NFL Draft, Brent will leak some information to Chris Mortensen or Peter King and the circus will begin again. And a 25-year-old amnesiac will be confused.
I don’t know where the fascination for Brent comes from. He’s a southern boy. He didn’t go to a big name college. He wasn’t even drafted by the Packers. I have no idea why he is so interesting. But I look forward to his inevitable comeback tour. I hope he plays well, and that the Vikings play the Packers in the playoffs. I hope that Aaron Rodgers leads the Packers to victory, and that Brent finally retires for good. I could be happy then…at least until he decides to play again.
Contact me with ideas or hate mail at zdsilva@brentfavre.com.
