Let me start off by saying I don't blame Favre for this defeat, any more than I blame Rodgers for the Packers' defeat. Favre was the only Viking to show up to play yesterday. Watching the old man on the sideline in tears as his dreams went up in smoke was gut-wrenching. On the other hand, he is now the first person ever to finish his career with (presumably) three consecutive teams with an interception. They
would have won that game had he simply run out of bounds -- he had an easy 10 yards ahead of him -- instead of throwing across his body.
That game pissed me off. It was more about who wanted to lose less than who wanted to win. If I had bought a ticket to that game, regardless of who I rooted for, I would have been livid. It was obvious that no matter who won, Peyton Manning, M.D., will methodically and surgically dissect them in the forthcoming Super Bowl. It's probably going to be a rout from the second quarter on.
Something that occurred to me this morning is I wonder if Favre's performance this year will spark a debate about the necessity of training camp, at least for veterans. If he can sign on in August, have a great season, and lead a team to the NFC Championship, what could other players do without the grind of offseason training? It wouldn't surprise me to see vested veterans attempt to negotiate clauses in their contracts that reduce their offseason obligations. Something to watch for.