Wrong, Wrong, and Wrong

I completely and totally agree with Sal's post below, stringently criticizing Wisconsin State Journal columnist Tom Oates for his typically lazy, ill-thought out, and poorly reasoned piece claiming the Packers would have been better off this season had they welcomed Favre back. I had to mute the ridiculous Tony Kornheiser comments at the end of the Monday night game, where he started making the same point, under the pathetic guise that "this is what people around the country are going to be saying." You're a coward, Kornheiser. If "what people are going to be saying" isn't accurate, and it isn't in this case, then don't bring it up, you superficial sellout. As you can tell, this whole argument really pisses me off.

Favre did not cause Ryan Grant or Atari Bigby to pull their hamstrings and become ineffective for weeks and weeks. He did not cause Clifton and Tauscher to start showing their age. He didn't tear the knee ligaments of James Jones and Josh Sitton. He did not rip Cullen Jenkins' pectoral muscle off of his sternum, get Johnny Jolly arrested for codeine possession, pull Justin Thompson's groin, cause KGB to never recover from a knee injury, or slip Justin Harrell's vertebrae. He did not repeatedly pull AJ Hawk's various muscles, or change the terms of a trade for Tony Gonzalez at the last minute, or lacerate Al Harris's spleen. He didn't cause McCarthy to remarry and opt to have a newborn baby during the middle of the season. He didn't make the Packers' linebackers incapable of blitzing effectively (excepting Brandon Chillar) and turn Bob Sanders into an exceedingly one-dimensional defensive coordinator. In short, Favre's absence didn't suddenly make the Packers' pass rush ineffective. The "leadership void" left by Brett didn't make the run defense disappear. He didn't cause the running game to start and stop like a rusted jalopy.

Here's what Favre did do. His retirement gave the Packers lots of money they could have used in free agency to chase some defensive linemen (maybe Kris Jenkins, who's playing great for the Jets this season), and/or franchise Corey Williams and play him this season. They should have done one or the other. That was Thompson's error. Favre's retirement also egged the team into drafting Brian Brohm, at a point in the draft where they could have grabbed one of several pass rushing prospects. So if Favre had never retired, maybe they draft a d-linemen there, who might be helping put some heat on the quarterback right now. That's the only conceivable argument I can think of that the team would be better off with Favre at the helm. But, of course, the writers are criticizing the Packers for not taking him back from his unretirement, when it was too late to undo the Brohm pick. It's an absurd argument, and so stupidly shortsighted. How about next year, or the year after that? Who "wins the trade" then? How about when the Jets crash out in the playoffs this season? What a bunch of desperately-seeking-a-lede jackasses.

And what's really sad is that I'm not upset that Favre's team is doing well. I wish him success (especially because it will improve the Packers' compensation). But all of this ridiculous back-biting by bored, uncreative journalists is making me want to see the Jets fail, not to spite Brett or Mangenius or long suffering Jets fans, but just to make these stupid hacks shut the hell up.