Eating Crow on Favre

Eight games into the 2009 football season, let's revisit my reaction to the signing of Brett Favre back in August:

I think it's a bad deal.

An excellent illustration why my professional football coaching career never really got off the ground.

Contrary to my stellar instincts, Favre has not only played very well for the Vikings, he is having one of the best seasons of his career. He has turned Sidney Rice into a superstar, utilized Percy Harvin beautifully, taken a lot of pressure off of Adrian Peterson (leaving him fresh for the home stretch while other premier backs - like the Bengals Cedric Benson for instance - are breaking down), and generally infected the team with a joy for football and a hunger for victory.

If I harbored any lingering fantasy that the Vikings would be anywhere near where they are without him, they flew high and wide with T-Jack's passes late in the Detroit game.

My main argument in August was that Favre was a one-season answer to a decade problem. Perhaps, but what a season. A quality quarterback truly was the missing link. Plus, and frankly, if Favre finishes the season healthy and successful (with or without a Super Bowl) I am not convinced he won't be back next year. Why wouldn't he play again? He's at the top of his game, is surrounded by extraordinary talent, has a great defense, and a system designed for his success.

As for the Vikings in general, I think they are still getting better from week to week, and are poised to peak in December. Will it be enough? Don't know, don't care. At this point what would a prediction serve anyway? My track record doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

Best of all has been the deepening agony of Packers fans with every Favre success. Their hope Favre would "break down" in the second half of the season now has a distinct odor of desperation which, to me, smells like a Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.

Mmmm.