NFL Preview - Brett Favre May Be a New York Jet, But He is Hardly a Jet "All the Way"

After playing 16 seasons with the Green Bay Packersevery two minutes.
and then being faced with riding the bench in favorYou may not know that Favre's No. 4 Green Bay
of a lesser light (backup "rookie" quarterback AaronPacker jersey is the best-selling jersey in NFL history.
Rogers), Brett Favre chose to do what he doesThe arrival of Favre will help the Jets convince
best, act like a winner about to win again.season ticket holders to pony up $300 million in
Favre (pronounced Farve) forced Green Bay to tradeseat-license revenue in connection with their move to
him, and he ended up as a New York Jet. Favre wasa new stadium.
"family" in Green Bay, a small metro-market townNew York is on the rise. The Jets dropped $140
compared to the glare and lights of the Big Apple. Inmillion revamping their roster after last season's poor
New York, Favre will be roasted, toasted and filleted4-12 showing, they dropped another $75 million on a
by the media pundits and fans, who are not patientstate-of-the-art practice facility in New Jersey, and
and not happy most of the time.look to build a $1.6 billion new stadium.
As a Green Bay Packer stockholder, I did not agreeSo how will Favre do as a Jet? He is not the first
with the management decision to let Favre go. Icurrent or future Hall of Fame quarterback to switch
understand that Favre will not play at his normal levelteams at the end of his career. Broadway Joe
forever, and that Aaron Rogers has spent 4 yearsNamath went from the New York Jets to the Los
as Favre's backup (I hope Rogers was payingAngeles Rams, and Joe Montana went from the San
attention).Francisco 49ers to the Kansas City Chiefs.
However, Favre is a gamer. He passes the test onNamath made no impact in Los Angeles, but Montana
every measurement you cannot make-courage,was huge in Kansas City. He led the Chiefs to an 11-5
heart, determination, inventiveness and guts.record and the playoffs his first year. Montana led a
Moreover, he owns nearly every NFL career record27-24 come-from-behind victory over the Steelers in
you can measure that is worth talking about-mostthe AFC wild card game, and led the Chiefs past
touchdown passes (442), completions (5,377),Houston 28-20 on the road. Kansas City ended up in
attempts (8,758), yards gained (61,655), QB winsthe AFC championship game but lost to Buffalo 30-13.
(160) and consecutive starts (275 including playoffs).A year later the Chiefs were playoff bound for the
Yes, he is durable.5th straight year after compiling a 9-7 mark, only to
Did I mention that he is a 9-time Pro Bowl selectionbe eliminated by the Miami Dolphins 27-17 in their first
and the NFL's only 3-time Associated Press Mostplayoff game. I think Favre will do well as long as he
Valuable Player? There are probably 100 moreis healthy. Everyone loves a winner, and Favre is a
impressive things that could be said about Favre, allwinner.
of which left Green Bay's management and coachWhatever happens, Favre will not take New York like
unimpressed and still looking at Aaron Rogers. Is itthe stage play "West Side Story", wherein the song
possible that they simply did not like Favre?proclaims "When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the
Green Bay's loss is the New York Jets gain. Favre'sway, from your first cigarette to your last dying
new Jets jersey went on sale the day after heday."
signed a one-year contract for $12 million,In Favre's case, I think not. His 16 seasons in Green
approximately the same amount he would haveBay has made him a living legend. He will go into the
received in Green Bay. Once Favre was a Jet, hisNFL Hall of Fame as a Packer, not as a Jet.
new jersey began selling at a record pace--3 shirts