Favre's going to regret this move
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It should also serve as notice of just how desperate the NFL's greatest unretired quarterback had become. From the beginning, this story has been about an athlete's mortality. Favre just couldn't accept his. He handled defenses with cunning and courage. He handled physical trauma with authentic nobility. But retirement, and the inevitable onslaught of doubt and regret (figure Favre's was commensurate with his unmatched résumé) has proven beyond his coping capacities.
Earlier this week, Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy declared that "the train has left the station." For Favre, it had become a runaway train, set into motion by his brooding ego.
He says he's in it to win a Super Bowl. But agreeing to this trade — I don't care if the Jets spent more than the Department of Defense this offseason, they're still coming off a 4-12 season — proves otherwise. Favre's desire to return to the championship round was less than his fear of not playing while he still thought he could. Maybe he was loathe to acknowledge that winters in Mississippi aren't what they're cracked up to be. By the same token, he should've known that winters in East Rutherford haven't been good for the Jets, either.
Favre can forget about the Super Bowl now. He won't even win the division.
As it happens, the Jets last won a division title six years ago. Before that, it was 1998. And before that? 1969, when they were still in the American Football League. Three times in 40 years. So much for the franchise's proud tradition.
The voice of Packers posterity belongs to the velvet baritone of John Facenda. For the Jets, there's Fireman Ed. Green Bay was known as the frozen Tundra. The Jets are known for Gate D, haven to louts and losers.
You want a lock for your preseason picks?
How about this? At some point this autumn, Brett Favre will wake up and ask himself the same question he posed in March: What the hell have I done?
I guarantee it.
That's not to say this deal doesn't make sense for the Jets. In fact, general manager Mike Tannenbaum has pulled off a coup. Already, he's done the near impossible in making people actually care about the Jets, even with the Giants reigning as Super Bowl champions.
There will be talk about how much the Jets had already improved this offseason, even before acquiring Favre. They've signed Alan Faneca, a five-time All-Pro guard; Damien Woody, another formidable offensive lineman; Bubba Franks, the former Packers tight end; and Tony Richardson, who opened holes for Priest Holmes in Kansas City. Then again, there's talk about how much the Jets have improved every offseason.
Bottom line, putting Favre in this mix makes the Jets interesting, maybe even a playoff team. But not much else. He's not going to create a new tradition (certainly not on a "year-by-year" basis) or, as the fashionable phrase goes, change the culture.
The single triumphant moment in Jets history goes back to Joe Namath. As it happened, Namath's career ended badly on a wet, muddy Monday night at Soldier Field. He threw four interceptions before getting knocked out of the game, clutching his throat.
Now people wonder if Favre's career will end as badly. It won't. The comparison is neat, but flawed. Unlike Favre, who is coming off a great season, Namath arrived in Los Angeles physically diminished. He was unable to run around the Rams practice field. Still, his faculties were intact, as he at least had the good sense to go to a contender.
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