Why Is This Man Smiling?

The Football Gods are none too happy with Packers management for contracting a political charlatan like former Bush talking head Ari Fleischer to come to Packers Camp and give a few pointers to the club on the intricacies of media relations in sports. While it is no surprise that people that work in professional football seem to have a conservative political bent, the fact that they would invite such a credentialed double-speaker and truth-dodger, who was the mouthpiece for the Bush Administration during the deception-filled run-up to the Iraq War, informs us as to their intentions concerning the Brett Favre saga.

I have talked about the insulting nature of the $20 million “marketing role” offer to Brett Favre to basically shut up, re-retire, and go away in a previous post here. And if Brett takes the offer, I will certainly have a few things to say about his personal integrity, but as of now the Monkey and I can only construe the offer as further evidence of an “integrity vacuum” that permeates many strata of our culture, from the military to corporate America, to professional sports.

• If the Packers are so confident of the skills and quarterbacking-acumen of Mr. Aaron Rodgers, they should have no problem with allowing him to demonstrate his supremacy over Mr. Brett Lorenzo Favre in open competition.
• If the Packers truly care about winning now, not in the future and in the hands of an unproven backup, they should welcome home Mr. Favre.
• If the Packers really want to increase their advantage against a Division rival over the next several years, they should trade Favre to the Vikings in exchange for a couple valuable draft picks, negatively impacting the Vikings ability to draft quality players in the future.
• If the Packers truly respect the man that literally built the modern-day Packers franchise through his grit, determination, and maverick spirit, they should release him. But one other famous Libra perhaps articulated this concept more eloquently than me and the Monkey ever could: “If you love someone, set them free.”