I must toot my own horn again. I predicted back in August that this could end up being a problem. When Brett Favre strode into Winter Park atop his alabaster steed of salvation, I thought that benching him would create a huge issue for the Vikings coaching staff.
In a chuckle-inducing display of insubordination, The Gunslinger kicked in the saloon doors and let everyone know that the guy with the glasses and beard wasn’t in charge. At least not while he was around and had a one point lead in the 3rd quarter of a winnable late-season conference game.
All Favre did was yank his arm away from Childress when the coach reached out to grab it, but he may as well have grabbed his crotch and flipped him off. There’s lots of psycho-analytical angles that many people have already taken on this issue, so I will attempt a different tact: What Would Ditka Do?
The correct answer is that benching Favre for fear of his safety would have never been an issue had Mike Ditka been coaching last night. In a hypothetical confrontation, Ditka’s widows’ peak alone would have Childress pissing himself and begging his forgiveness. But in a different hypothetical, one in which Favre were to nationally televise his own lack of respect for that Widows’ Peak, what would Da Coach do?
The correct answer is that yeah, Ditka would scream and yell, but Favre would have stayed in the game anyway. Jim McMahon wasn’t half the QB Favre is, and he got away with all kinds of sh*t with Ditka. McMahon would throw three picks and Ditka would lay into him as he walked off the field, and McMahon would snicker, make fun of him behind his back, or maybe just clear his sinuses and hock a big loogie on the ground right at Ditka’s feet.
There are reports that Favre has already mutinized his coach twice before, so this episode isn’t a surprise to anyone in the locker room. Which is great for Favre, who has taken to calling his own plays, and it’s bad for the team, who is stuck with a pussy coach who has lost all authority with any players now on the roster once Favre leaves.
Many Vikings fans and haters are both saying “I told you so” right now when it comes Childress’ contract extension. Even the testicle-bathing Twin Cities sports media is quick to let Chilly have it for allowing Favre to hump him so brazenly and on television. Don’t underestimate how big a story this is here in the Twin Cities. Favre is taking full advantage, media whore that he is. Not only did he usurp power visibly during the game, but he strode to the podium and declared himself the victor in that argument.
Much is being said here about whether Favre understands how detrimental his behavior will be once he leaves the team. The response to that is that Favre doesn’t give a f*ck. It is naive to think that Favre cares about anything else other than beating the Packers and winning a Super Bowl, and in that order. He doesn’t care about the coach, the fans, the team, or anyone else. He’s Favre. He cares about Favre.
BEARS HOMER SECTION
This isn’t really worth it, but I will say that next week’s game against Minnesota on Monday night just got more interesting, but only till the point in the game in which the contest will likely be over, which will be right after kickoff.
I know the motivation of a division rival on national TV can drive a team to play better than normal, and the Bears will play better than they did yesterday. But they still don’t stand a chance. The Bears haven’t beaten a team this season that didn’t suck. The Pittsburgh game doesn’t count, that was their fluke win that gave them a shred of early credibility.
And while the Vikings are a lot of things with a lot of weaknesses, they most certainly do not suck. And there’s no way that the Purple lose this one after the loss at Carolina. It was exactly what Minnesota needed to do to ensure victory and to sweep the division on Monday night.
OH YEAH, THE SAINTS LOST TO THE COWBOYS THIS WEEK
The only thing I can offer up about this game is maybe to point out how terrible New Orleans’ final two-minute drive looked. Everything was to the middle of the field, the attempts that failed didn’t make sense, and the Saints played with no urgency. It was kind of disappointing as a fan who hasn’t seen every Saints game this year and was expecting some surgical, skilled hurry-up offense out of New Orleans.
Instead it was a lethargic effort to just get the game overwith, and even then they weren’t completely out of range. Drew Brees had a crappy game, and I guess that just happens. It really doesn’t do anything except deflate the notion that the Saints were unbeatable at home. Now they’re not unbeatable, but it isn’t like going into the Superdome is easy because the Cowboys did it.
I talk as much sh*t as anyone about the Cowboys, and any Cowboys fan who may have been to this site likely is long gone, never to return. But I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t say something about how good the Cowboys looked, particularly the pass rush, with DeMarcus Ware coming back from a scary neck injury. But no one in a Dallas uniform ever looked intimidated by anything New Orleans was doing, on either side of the ball. That was a cocky win in an nearly impossible atmosphere.
NON-DENOMINATIONAL HOLIDAY WELL-WISHES
To anyone who may read this and not be checking back in before Xmas is mercifully at hand, Flyingpigskin.com wants to thank you for your clicks and response this season, and also wish you a very safe and cheerful winter-holiday season. When the family is making your blood-pressure rise and you need a break from that tiny, sweltering living room that you’re crammed into on Christmas Eve, come see us on your iphone-dealie and I will have something up that will give you a laugh when you need one. It may not even be football related. It may be offensive. But it will be funny. Seasons’ best to you and yours.
contact email: nick.thomas@flyingpigskin.com
