Fran Tarkenton Blasts Brett Favre
May 27, 2009 by David Kindervater
Filed under Minnesota Vikings
Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton was my original favorite professional football player. And he’s the reason why I became a Vikings fan at five-years-old. Fran greatly advanced the role of a mobile, scrambling quarterback in the National Football League. And while he never led the Vikes to a Super Bowl win, he did manage to play in three and has to be considered one of the best QBs to ever play the game. He’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame to prove it.
Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings / Image: Zuma Press
Fran made his feelings about fellow quarterbacking legend Brett Favre public today, blasting Brett for being selfish in possibly attempting to “unretire” for a second time:
“I think it’s despicable. What he put the Packers through last year was not good. Here’s an organization that was loyal to him for 17, 18 years, provided stability of organization, provided players. It just wasn’t about Brett Favre. In this day and time, we have glorified the Brett Favre’s of the world so much, they think it’s about them. He goes to New York and bombs. He’s 39 years old. How would you like Ray Nitschke in his last year (playing for) the Vikings, or I retire, and go play for the Packers? I kind of hope it happens, so he can fail ….. He told the Packers [after 2008 that], ‘I’m retiring.’ They’ve got to move on. They’ve got to go through their offseason plan, their workouts, they go with the other quarterback (Aaron Rodgers), who is a good player, and then (Favre) comes back and says, ‘I think I want to play.’ ….. You build your team in the offseason. Everybody knows that. It’s about team. It’s not about Brett Favre. So he goes and runs up to the Jets, doesn’t even dress in the locker room with the players. Has a separate facility. Playing quarterback is about the relationships you have with your coaches, with your players, with your trainers, with your managers. How can you do that if you show up on gameday and you haven’t put the time in. And now he’s trying to do it again in Minnesota. And if Minnesota bites, God bless them.”
Whoa. I have to admit, Fran has a point. It is all about Brett. But as a Brett Favre fan—as a fan of his style of football over my lifetime—I can’t get enough of the possibility of seeing him return to the game one more time. Especially as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. Sure, it would be unholy to see Brett suiting up for The Purple. But it will give me a lot of material to write about. And he’s a far better option at the most important position on the team than either Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson. Maybe it is all about Brett. But in the process, it could end up being all about a Vikings Super Bowl run.
Source: StarTribune.com
I’mj a lifelong Green Bay (not Greenbay) Packers’ fan, and I loved Brett for a while, but when he started his annual “shoud I stay or should I go” routine, I became disenchanted. When he finally retired in the Spring of 2008, the Earth tilted on its axis, little girls cried,ad the universe trippe out of line. So, afte the Packers accepted his decision (even though he never filed his retirement papers with the league), went through the draft and prepared to mve on. suddenly the man who hd lost iteest in football decided to milk he cssh cow oe more time, but horrors of horrors, the Pack declined!! “What,” the media screamed? No Brett Farve? He, who single-handedly ruled the universe of football(forgetting the greats that went before him)? Brett, Good Riddance!!
I don’t think I could have said it any better (referring to Fran’s comments). The guy is waaaay too selfish right now for any team on the verge (or in the midst) of contending to take seriously. Look what happened to the Jets after they took him. BACK TO SQUARE ONE. We don’t even know if Sanchez will live up to the hype…And what happens if they were unable to secure him on draft day? They’d be in a MUCH worse situation.
I admit, the Vikes have needed a go-to QB for quite some time now, but I don’t think Favre will provide any type of short-term or long-term upgrades. He will most likely perform like he did on the Jets, and fold when the pressure hits. What happens after his one-year deal too? BACK TO SQUARE ONE.
But what do I care? Seahawks all day! Oh, and is it me or has a little rivalry been bubbling between Seattle and Minnesota recently? Hutch, Burleson, and now TJ Housh? I’m thinking so…
I’ve been a Vikes fan since I moved to Minneapolis in ‘69.
After all the disappointments I’ve endured over the years, and stuck it out with my team, the one thing that I can think of that would finally tip the balance to the “who gives a damn” side of the scale would be for them to sign Brett Favre.
If they want to get a quarterback out of retirement to lead the team, my vote goes to Fran Tarkenton.