Wow, is it bad.
Between Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth the gay factor is way, way up tonight - and I'm not making a "that's so gay" type thing out of this - to the point that it's uncomfortable to watch.Gumbel has a real problem with overusing the phrase "in so and so's arms" and there was a string at the beginning of the game where someone was always coming, someone was always in some else's arms and another golden phrase "a whole lotta man."
(We just had another "Jackson in the arms of Kampman yet again..." sighting with 1:20 left in the fourth quarter if you need me to cite my sources.)
This goes way beyond John Madden's sick fascination with fat guys sweating down the inside of their legs - this is borderline obscene. God bless cable, campers.
A few quick thoughts:
This isn't Brett Favre's final game at Lambeau. He's too close to too many records and even several of the studio guys aren't buying into the hype of Favre hanging them up just yet.
Last year was close, but why would he walk now? In a rare moment of clarity, Collinsworth said he knew he was killing the storyline, but he didn't see it happening for those reasons and the fact that with a young team and offensive line, the hard work has been done - it makes little sense to give up now.
I'm torn, because if anyone has earned the right to overstay their welcome, it's Favre. That said, he should have walked a season or two ago. He's not aging well with the revolving door of injuries to the team's running backs and wide receivers and the whole "gunslinger" routine is wearing thin by now.
Danny and I were at Sunday's game and while seeing him in person was as much fun as it's always been, the charge in the crowd was different than it was in the Super Bowl years. Where you always felt that you had a chance with him in the game before now it's an uneasy proposition where he could go the length of the field in two minutes, he could get to the red zone where a bad pass or butterfingers by the receivers will kill the drive.
You just don't feel as secure as you used to with Favre at the helm, but it's not entirely his fault.
Still, the Packers just pulled off the win tonight to keep their playoff hopes alive - Playoffs? Playoffs? I'll be surprised if we win another game... - and everyone will have warm and fuzzy feelings in Green Bay tonight.
The face of the franchise helped work up another win, but against an awful Lions team and an inept Vikings squad, it's hard to feel good about this week in Packers football. Therein lies the problem.
Favre will win enough games and the rest of the NFC North will lose enough that you never really get much better with that setup. Add killer injuries at the wrong time (starters on the offense last year and the year before, including Javon Walker blowing out a knee on opening day) and you'll get middle of the draft picks, but not enough to really help much.
With a season in the toilet last year turning into AJ Hawk this season, you can see how that's a better option than constant mediocrity.
I think the key to Favre's future will be the same as last year - how much crap is he willing to deal with in order to pass Dan Marino in the record books? Who will stay and who will go? Who'll play alongside Donald Driver to give the team two options inside the five-minute mark and who will play on the defensive side of the ball.
(Let's all think about teams a QB away from a breakout season and get together early next week to see what we've come up with, OK? That would be the best situation for Favre to go out on a high note.)
My big concern? Can the media shut the hell up from February to July about Favre's status?
He might be done, but he's not retiring yet.
(Photo from Danny M.)
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