# Brett Favre to the Vikings **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 4, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333 "2009-05-04T20:47:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/182 "2009-08-20T17:08:47Z")
I don’t know that I’m being dramatic, just realistic about the downside to this whole fiasco that I don’t know if Childress has really thought about. A lot of it comes from Ross Tucker’s article on [SI.com](http://SI.com) today, which I think has some really good points. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/ross\_tucker/08/19/favre/index.html?bcnn=yes](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/ross_tucker/08/19/favre/index.html?bcnn=yes) Favre’s an amazing quarterback, no doubt about it. But how great a leader is he going to be when he doesn’t show up for camp to train with the new teammates and gets preferential treatment? I’m just skeptical, is all. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/183 "2009-08-20T17:12:55Z")
**Dio** , you’re absolutely right that if the Vikes win, the fans won’t complain a bit. But what if they don’t? It’ll be ugly. I’m sure Rosenfels knows he’s a backup-caliber quarterback. But he came here to get the starting job. Yeah, regardless he’s well-paid to learn from a guy who’s past his prime (however excellent), but I doubt that he’s 100% thrilled about it the new situation. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/184 "2009-08-20T17:14:33Z")
Brett doesn’t know the Packers Defense but the Packers Defense sure knows Brett. In the words of Aaron Kampman ‘the red jersey will be off’. ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/185 "2009-08-20T18:25:35Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Favre’s an amazing quarterback, no doubt about it. No, that’s the problem. He’s not an amazing quarterback. He used to be an amazing quarterback, but he hasn’t been one for years. Minnesota is paying $12 million for vapors. As [Cold Hard Football Facts points out](http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Articles/11_2773_A_northern_saga.html): > [@](#): > > It’s all part of a four-year trend of substandard play for Favre. These are Favre’s cumulative numbers over the past four seasons (three with the Packers, one with the Jets): > > ``` > * > 1414 of 2277 (62.1%), 15,393 yards, 6.76 YPA, 88 TD, 84 INT, 79.5 passer rating > > ``` > > His volume numbers are great – attempts, completions, yards – which means that teams still believe they can win by letting Favre gun the ball all over the field. His completion percentage is actually pretty strong, too. > > But the all-important efficiency numbers – the numbers that mean the difference between victory and defeat – are mediocre to bad. In an era when a 2-to-1 INT-to-TD ratio is considered great, Favre’s nearly 1-to-1 ratio is pretty pathetic. His passer rating is slightly below average. And his yards per attempt are slightly below average. > > Anyone who studies the Cold, Hard Football Facts know that these substandard numbers at the QB position lead to a substandard team record. Favre’s Packers and Jets went 34-30 in these four seasons. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/186 "2009-08-20T23:32:26Z")
[Blind Vikings Fan] But he didn’t the greatest running back evah! getting handoffs from him those years. We’re going to teh SUperbowl!!!1! [/BVF] ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/187 "2009-08-21T02:08:38Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I’m hearing sound bytes from players at Winter Park talking about how psyched they are to have Favre calling plays in practice. He’s bringing a credibility to the QB position that the Vikings haven’t had in a long time. “A long time”? It was only [4 years ago](http://www.nfl.com/players/daunteculpepper/profile?id=CUL586056) that they had the guy who would unquestionably have been the league MVP if not for Peyton Manning’s record year. Ask Bears fans if 4 years of poor quarterback play is a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Anglachel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Anglachel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anglachel)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/188 "2009-08-21T02:53:21Z")
As an aside, Adrian Peterson’s nickname is not ‘AP’, it’s ‘AD’. Short for ‘All Day’. It was given to him by his Mom when he was a child because he never got tired. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/189 "2009-08-22T05:02:18Z")
Favre looking “good” in his preseason debut. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/190 "2009-08-22T07:36:34Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > His penis is more famous than he is. A noble achievement, I think we can all agree. > [@davidw](#): > > As [Cold Hard Football Facts points out](http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Articles/11_2773_A_northern_saga.html): I wish people would stop quoting that website. It’s like quoting a Chick Tract in a GD thread. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/191 "2009-08-22T09:11:05Z")
> [@unwashed\_brain](#): > > I’ll refer you to point 3 in this article: > [Brett Favre: Five Attributes He Would Bring to the Vikings' Offense](http://bleacherreport.com/articles/179114-brett-favre-5-attributes-he-would-bring-to-the-vikings-offense) > > Favre said as much in his press conference, as well. Of course he did; that doesn’t make it true (nor does a fan blog). But as has already been pointed out upthread, there is a lot more to fitting into a team than just knowing the plays. Timing and coordination between QB and reciever are essential parts of the WCO. > [@Snickers](#): > > I don’t know that I’m being dramatic, just realistic about the downside to this whole fiasco that I don’t know if Childress has really thought about. A lot of it comes from Ross Tucker’s article on [SI.com](http://SI.com) today, which I think has some really good points. If the Vikings don’t go farther than they did last year, Childress is gone. He knows this. He’ll only have to deal with long-term consequences if he actually keeps his job. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/192 "2009-08-22T11:23:04Z")
Sigh. [NFL.com](http://NFL.com)’s highlights of the [game](http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_id=54744&season=2008&displayPage=tab_gamecenter) showed Brett arriving at the stadium, twice and then all of Favre’s 1 for 4 for 4 yards. And then we see Favre’s 1 for 4, for 4 yards again, from different angles. And then, at the end, only as an afterthought, do they show Jackson’s 12 for 15 for 202 yards and 2 TDs. Favre wouldn’t be quite so annoying if the media didn’t play their part in it. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/193 "2009-08-22T13:52:07Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Favre wouldn’t be quite so annoying if the media didn’t play their part in it. And the fans. Don’t forget them. They booed, actually booed their own team, when Jackson replaced Favre as QB. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/194 "2009-08-22T15:29:13Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > And the fans. Don’t forget them. They booed, actually booed their own team, when Jackson replaced Favre as QB. Oooh, classy. My own team’s fanbase has been pulling that sort of shit and it makes me ashamed. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/195 "2009-08-22T16:46:45Z")
Jackson managed to outplay Farvre _and_ Cassel. Wiping the field with two overhyped losers in the same game has to make for a good day! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/196 "2009-08-22T16:48:37Z")
That’s why pre-season doesn’t mean anything. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/197 "2009-08-22T21:48:25Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Favre looking “good” in his preseason debut. I’ll never forget Brent. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/198 "2009-08-22T22:44:12Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > That’s why pre-season doesn’t mean anything. What do you mean. Last year the Lions were undefeated in exhibition football. They won last week. We are on a 5 game winning streak. Don’t scoff at pre season, it is all we have. Four years with a bad QB. If we only had it so good. ---
**Author:** ![quixotic78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3ab097/32.png) [@quixotic78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quixotic78)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/199 "2009-08-23T20:11:29Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Rosenfels has no reason to gripe. He’s going to be a well-paid back-up with a chance to learn under a Hall of famer for a season, and then start next year. _snort_ Favre’s strengths as a teacher are rivaled only by his dedication to training camp. This is a pretty raw deal for everyone on the Vikings except Favre. If the Vikes win, all will be good, because victory is a panacea, but once the losses start piling up (like they will), the fingers can only point towards Childress and his insane experiment. Poisonous chemistry, a highly overrated aging QB, a star RB who will probably get hurt, and a weak division? 9-7, playoffs, embarrassing first round exit. Print it. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/200 "2009-08-23T20:19:36Z")
> [@quixotic78](#): > > _snort_ Favre’s strengths as a teacher are rivaled only by his dedication to training camp. > > This is a pretty raw deal for everyone on the Vikings except Favre. If the Vikes win, all will be good, because victory is a panacea, but once the losses start piling up (like they will), the fingers can only point towards Childress and his insane experiment. > > Poisonous chemistry, a highly overrated aging QB, a star RB who will probably get hurt, and a weak division? 9-7, playoffs, embarrassing first round exit. Print it. I’m not convinced that Childress will be treated too harshly when the experiment fizzles. Favre will sell a lot of tickets and jerseys and raise fan interest in Minny. The finances aren’t great in Minnesota and I’m thinking the owner will be pretty forgiving in the on-field results are marginal. It’s similar to the T.O. experiment in Buffalo, its as much, if not more, about dollars than wins. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333/201 "2009-08-23T20:32:57Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > I’m not convinced that Childress will be treated too harshly when the experiment fizzles. Favre will sell a lot of tickets and jerseys and raise fan interest in Minny. The finances aren’t great in Minnesota and I’m thinking the owner will be pretty forgiving in the on-field results are marginal. It’s similar to the T.O. experiment in Buffalo, its as much, if not more, about dollars than wins. I agree. The Vikings are trying to get a new stadium built and have called for investors to cough up more cash to fill the deficit. Letting Favre skip training camp and the signing itself wasn’t about making the Vikings better, it’s about selling tickets and merchandise and getting the city or State to cough up dough for a new stadium. That’s why they gave Favre the start with all of 3 practices under his belt, and while he’ll be starter from day one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brett-favre-to-the-vikings/495333.md?page=11)