It used to be that living well was the best revenge, but if you happen to be Brett Favre, it's pretty clear that playing well is actually a better one.
No Packer fan enjoys seeing the Vikings succeed, but there are a substantial number that are glad to see Favre do well, wherever he plays. On the other hand you have those Packer fans for whom the 10-1 record that Favre and the Vikings have amassed is nothing less than the worst kind of insult one man could inflict on a town.
These types are driven nearly insane with hatred for Favre, their blind rage increasing with every touchdown. My facebook feed is littered with their early Sunday afternoon rants, bad vibes, and ill-wishes for Favre and the Vikings. Which almost weekly, has been replaced by late afternoon laments following another Viking Victory. Even the mild-mannered Mrs. RWC has conjured up a dislike for Favre, which transforms her otherwise cheery disposition into something almost monstrous and barely recognizable.
This phenomenon even has some Packer fans sounding like Oliver Stone, seeing a conspiracy in every completion. The latest theory that I was assailed with was that Viking head coach Brad Childress, who was in favor of acquiring Favre, has been skewing his offensive mix toward passing in order to make the deal seem like a great one for the Vikings. Never mind the fact that the Vikings have a balanced offensive attack, I say just look at the record.
At 10-1 Childress doesn't need Favre to have more yards, touchdowns, or attempts to seem like a genius. When you have 10 wins in 11 games, most of the decisions you make will look pretty good, no matter what you do. Besides, there's no need to wonder why Adrian Peterson has a tendency to disappear from the offense, Childress has a habit of inexplicably dropping him from the game plan. This was a habit that existed before Favre was a Viking.
Look, I'm sick of the clearly phony aw-shucks good ol' boy persona. How many good ol' boys does Barbara Walters interview? But if I could be so bold as to offer my adopted hometown a few words of advice: Revenge is a dish best served cold, so until the Packers can deliver on the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field, there is no sense in hating Favre. You don't have to root for the Vikings, just grit your teeth, guzzle your beer, stop yelling at the TV and recognize Favre for what he is, one of the all-time greats.
Besides, in Green Bay, he'll only ever be one of many great players; if he manages to lead the Vikings to a Super Bowl, he might become the greatest Viking ever after only a single season. So even in victory, Viking fans will know that we have had so many great players we've got at least one to spare, and it took a Packer to finally lead them to victory.
1 comment:
the favre haters will be ecstatic when he comes to phx on sunday and gets his lunch fed to him on national television.
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