Brett Favre's new teammate in Minnesota, Adrian Peterson, has the greatest nickname in sports, The Purple Jesus. Well AP meet your new QB, Brett Fav-rah, the Purple Judas. When Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ all he got was thirty pieces of silver. Favre's betrayal will be much more lucrative. A two-year $25 million contract lured the humble Mississippi farmer out of his second self-imposed retirement.
How could he do this? How could THE Green Packer of our generation sign with the hated rival Minnesota Vikings. The face of a team, a franchise, hell a large chunk of the Midwest that loves dairy based snacks, has traded his legacy for a year with the Purple Plague.
Why? Because Favre is a paradox wrapped in a riddle. He carries himself as a humble, aw-shucks common man while drawing as much attention to himself off the field as Chad Ochocinco. He is an egomaniac wrapped in a blue collar image. He needs to be needed. Green Bay decided last year they didn't need him and sent him down the road to the New York Jets. Result: 8-8, no playoffs. So he retired. No he didn't. Oh yeah he did. No wait, he's back again.
Now the Vikings need him. They need him because they had one of the worst QB situations in the league. They were desperate for a human being that could stand upright and throw the ball in the general forward direction of their team without skipping it like a stone across the water. (You suck, Tavarious Jackson.)
And like suckers the Vikings nation is eating it up like Christmas came on the 4th of July and Santa brought them a new shiny toy that will lead them to the promised land. Not quite. What you have is a 40 year old, brittle QB that used to smack your team around from the other sideline. The guy you used to boo and jeer and cuss on Sundays from 1992-2008. Like Jerry Seinfeld once said, we sports fans are idiots. We don't cheer for people, we cheer for laundry. Now that Favre wears purple, he's one of yours. Enjoy.
To quote another comic genius, Vince Vaughn in Old School, "Old people die, Mitch. It's what they do." Well in the NFL old QBs get injured. It's what they do. Minny goes to Lambeau Field in Week 8 for a Monday night game. If Brett makes it there in one piece I'll be surprised.
Games to Watch:
Week 4: Green Bay at Minnesota
Week 8: Minnesota at Green Bay
Week 12: Chicago at Minnesota
Week 16: Minnesota at Chicago
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