Moving Forward
When you are a franchise that finds out your starting quarterback is retiring - after nearly reaching the Super Bowl - you tend to be disappointed with the decision, but because you have a job to do you can’t be stuck in the past and you have to look toward the future.
The Green Bay Packers were forced to do so when Brett Favre announced his retirement earlier this year. So when I see a headline like this:
Favre: I don’t feel welcome in Green Bay
I don’t feel bad for Brett. The organization believed the face of their franchise was through with football. Regardless of how selfish or classless Favre has been, Green Bay knew that losing Brett at that time was a liability. Why? Because they wanted to win a Super Bowl and they were so close this past season. Now they have to do it with basically a rookie quarterback. So be it. That is football. That is the way it goes. And now Favre says he wants to come back? The franchise was forced to move forward because YOU moved forward. Now you expect them to take a step back for you? What kind of self-service, me-first athlete are you?
You have put this organization in one hell of a rough spot simply because you’ve never truly cared for anyone except yourself. Go play for Minnesota or whomever, choke in the playoffs as you normally do on cue and keep padding the career stats so that you make Peyton Manning work harder to blow your records away. And maybe this year you can sincerely congratulate a running back who scores a touchdown that you felt should have been a pass.
- What did anyone expect from Alex Rodriguez? Did you expect him to be a faithful, loving husband? Did you expect him to show class on the ballfield? Did you expect him to come through in the clutch? Did you even expect him to participate in the home run derby? If you said yes to any of these then you should probably take a break from sports and take some time off for personal reasons. It would be out of A-Rod’s nature to do the right thing. I bet a long time ago he was a nice kid, did right by everyone and was a tough kid. Then somewhere down the line things changed; he stopped showing guts, he continue to plow through women despite being married and his insecurities caught up to him ON the field as well as off it. The more homers he hits the less impressed we are with him. He just cruised past Yankee legend Mickey Mantle and I could care less about it. Seriously, whatever is making you play without a Richard isn’t worth all of this Stray-Rod, so move forward.
- Within 3 years the Washington Wizards will live to regret the Gilbert Arenas signing. First, will he stay healthy. Second, will he ever touch the production he had 2 or 3 years ago before he had the injury? Last, who the hell thought he was worth 111 million for 6 at his very best? Is he even a top 5 guard in the NBA? No way. He isn’t a Deron Williams or Chris Paul-type of player, but he’s more like an Allen Iverson - and he isn’t even Allen Iverson. He may not even be Baron Davis. What a horrible move by Washington. This is a move backward.
- Sticking with basketball, Phil Jackson must think he can coach the cancerous Ron Artest, otherwise there would be little interest. Considering that Phil did win a ring with Dennis Rodman (3 rings) and Isiah Rider, he may be the guy to keep him in line. However, Artest will be asked to do more than what Rodman and Rider were asked to do on the court. And if Kobe doesn’t get in Artest’s face because Ron is "his boy", then Kobe is softer than you all realize. MJ would never allow a teammate to skate on stupidity. Who knows where the Lakers would move?
- I haven’t watched a single minute of Golf since the U.S. Open. In fact I’ve watched more LPGA than PGA since Tiger announced he was going to the 60-day DL. I have moved forward to next year.
- Over to the NHL…naw, I won’t do that to you. Not today.
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July 15th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Just one question about the Favre situation, since I’m just as sick of it as everyone else. When the Packers say they were “forced to move on”, what exactly does that mean? Camp hasn’t even started yet! Or did they already change the name on the lockers, and going through that again would be just too painful?
What exactly are you bashing A-Rod about? I could also care less about the dude. But is he any less faithful than other pro athletes? And who gives a shit about him sitting out of the home run derby?
Did you ever consider the slumpbuster factor? Maybe his numbers are so good because of a steady diet of beefy Toronto strippers. Certainly gives new meaning to the phrase “take one for the team”.
I agree that Arenas isn’t worth that much. They paid $111 to remain mediocre. A trio of Arenas, Butler, & Jamison isn’t bad…but not likely to win any championships.
I’m not completely sold on the Artest to LA deal. I guess it could work, but I don’t see him as a significant upgrade over Odom. Lamar was somewhat inconsistent, but could be an absolute beast on the boards. In Artest, they would also be getting a less efficient scorer. Artest might be better at defending guards and small forwards, but Odom seemed to rattle some of the big boys like Boozer & Duncan.
Thanks for not writing an NHL section that I would have had to skip over.
hi
July 15th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Shooter - You know with the NFL that teams begin for next year the minute their own season is over. Since February Green Bay has begun prep for the 2008 season and since the Favre retirement the team has prepped for Rodgers to be the starter. That’s football. I’d be less critical of Favre if he was more selfless.
As for A-Rod, I too don’t care about his infidelities being dragged out. His problem is his skank is a singing icon. Do I care about the derby all that much? Not really. But I had to throw it in there as people are making a big deal out of it. All of my points had to paint the picture of insecurity - and the news about him tailing his wife (allegedly) helps prove that point I made.
Artest is just a big risk. I would only make the deal if Bynum is ok and if the Lakers have a great psychiotrist. That’s not a sure bet at this time.
July 16th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Well done Dan!
I’ll bet A Rod was different before Texas gave him an un Godly amount of money and told him how great he was.