Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Do me a Favre, Just Stay Retired

Multiple sources (including my mother, strangely enough) are reporting that Favre will stay retired and not sign with the Vikings. Since I didn't want him to come here I should be relived, right? Well...not really.
It has long been believed that part of the reason Favre was dragging this out because he didn't want to attend offseason practices and camps. The belief was that he'd sign right before training camp and finally join the team. What if today's announcement is just a way to trim off the Mankato portion of preseason? The Vikings first game is on Sep 13. If he signed during the last week of August he could probably be up to speed and able to play that game.
Or even later. The Vikings host the Packers at the Dome on Oct 5. What's the deadline for him signing and playing in that game? Four weeks later they play in Green Bay. He could easily be a mid-season replacement QB.
This isn't over. Not with any certainty at least.

------------

Michael Vick's name has also been floated around as a Viking pick up. A few years back I said that I would not cheer for the Vikes if they signed him. I still feel that way. I'm not much of a dog lover but that level of cruelty is too much.
I listened to some sports talk last week where they asked callers if Vick should be reinstated. The overwhelming feeling was that he paid his debt and should be given a second chance. They compared other football players who had driven drunk, including Donte Stalworth who did so and killed a man in March. I think their missing something here.
Drunk drivers make stupid decisions. Stupid, but not malicious. Setting up a dog fighting ring and killing the dogs personally shows a dedication to malice and evil. Obviously drunk driving is a more serious problem and taking a human life is worse than killing a dog. But there is a difference between 'stupid' and 'evil'. Michael Vick has fallen into the second category.
Can he redeem himself somehow? Probably. But it will take years and years before we can actually trust that he's a changed man. Let him do it for some other team. I don't want him here.

2 comments:

MamaD4 said...

What is wrong with football players? I mean, seriously? Their enormous, gigantic egos and senses of entitlement are part of the reason I can't stand football.

I'm trying to imagine Mankato with Brett Favre in it...hopefully this waffling will be over soon.

Peder said...

These athletes are treated like gods at a young age. As soon as they show exceptional talent they start to get nothing but positive feedback. No tells them "no". It's a recipe for disaster.
The stars are also given incredible amounts of money when they're too young to know what to do with it. They have to hope for a very strong family to help them but usually they get moochers and yes-men. Again they're told that they can do no wrong. It doesn't always make for good people.