Two Minute Warning: Modern Day Warrior
Favre Nation
Brett Favre throws six touchdown passes against the Arizona Cardinals and America is goo-goo over the Golden Brett again. Due to alarming amount of press coverage he received over the last five months especially, I’m at my wits end with Favre.
In the past few months, anytime I’ve tried to enjoy NFL programming, he’s somewhere soon to follow. He’s either hawking Wrangler jeans, retiring, unretiring, stepping off a jet (no pun intended at the time), or explaining to the public how unsure he is about learning the Jet playbook.
No player in the 88-year history of the National Football League has consistently received as much media attention as the Jets’ newly minted quarterback. Whether it was his rehab stint during 1996 and his subsequent Super Bowl win or his father’s untimely death leading to his memorable Monday Night Football performance against the Raiders, America has some sick obsession with him.
Tony Kornheiser finds someway to repeatedly mention Favre in games he has nothing to do with; while John Madden harbours some type of wild love affair with him. The mainstream media celebrates him as if he were Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana or John Elway despite the fact that he hasn’t done anything meaningful in the postseason since the ’97 NFC Title Game when the Packers whipped San Francisco at the ‘Stick.
He is a proud owner of one Super Bowl ring, but celebrated as if he’s won nine. He has authored some of the most disappointing post-season performances of the past 15 years, but in the end he remains America’s quarterback. It’s one of the most inexplicable things I’ve seen in sports.
If there were an imaginary room of quarterbacks with a main table for the big boys (Montana, Elway, Unitas, Otto Graham, Tom Brady and Dan Marino) and a kiddy table for the B level guys (Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw, Dan Fouts, Peyton Manning) Favre would still drink from a sippy cup and wear a bib. Despite some claiming he is the greatest of all-time, he falls well short of that claim in my humble opinion.
With each successful performance, fantasy owners and fans continue to fall under a spell of a quarterback that will disappoint you when least expected; thus, is the amazing plight of Brett Favre.
Ten Things We Learned in Week Four
1. Lane Kiffin is on the ship of fools: Many people (myself included) like to make jokes about how crazy Al Davis became. Nonetheless, if your head coach sent out the kicker for a 75-yard field goal attempt against the Chargers, who returned a missed field goal 108 yards last season, wouldn’t one assume the man to be a bit delusional? Viva la Al Davis.
2. Denver’s defense might be worse than we could have possibly imagined: Lost in the offensive brilliance of Denver through three games was how bad its defense played. After giving up 33 points to KC last Sunday, the Broncos are now allowing 29 points per game, which ranks 29th. They don’t stop the run or pass…uh oh.
3. Something is still amiss in Dallas: A week after they were bestowed the title of “best team in football,” the Cowboys offered up a clunker against the Redskins. Beware, Terrell Owens owners, an unhappy T.O. can lead to problems.
4. Ryan Fitzpatrick = fantasy value killer: Thanks, Carson Palmer. The Philadelphia area was stuck watching Fitzpatrick and the Bengals versus Cleveland.
5. Don’t play the Tennessee Titans: If you’re hoping for great fantasy performances against the Titan defense, forget it. Tennessee allows a league-best 11.5 points per game. Next victim — Baltimore.
6. The Green Bay Packers made one of the worst personnel decisions of the offseason: Inexplicably, the Packers decided to have two rookie quarterbacks back up Aaron Rodgers. Facing Tampa Bay last Sunday, you knew there was no way Matt Flynn was going to stage a last minute comeback against the Buc defense. If Rodgers can’t get over the shoulder injury and the Green Bay back-up quarterback situation remains the same, the fantasy value of Donald Driver and Greg Jennings will drop faster than the Dow Jones this week.
7. What happens when you handcuff a pair of running backs and they both get injured?: Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall owners should be greatly disappointed, especially if they were handcuffed. How does a backfield of Mewelde Moore and Najeh Davenport sound?
8. Brian Westbrook owners can start worrying: His ankle injury sidelined him Chicago and could do the same for this week’s game against Washington. Trouble may be on the horizon, Eagle fans.
9. Beware of the direct snap: Hold on to a tape of the Ronnie Brown five-touchdown performance against the Patriots. Assuredly, defensive coordinators around the league have addressed how to defend that play.
10. The Arizona passing game is deadly: Even if Anquan Boldin is out for a period of time, the Cardinal passing game is still among the best in the NFL. Get on the gravy train and pick up Steve Breaston.
Fantasy Power Poll
Last week’s rankings are in parentheses
1. Adrian Peterson (1) – Finally, Peterson breaks paydirt twice against the staunch Titan defense.
2. Drew Brees (3) – He leads the league in passing, despite not having Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey.
3. Jay Cutler (5) – He only threw one touchdown pass last week, but still went over 300 yards again.
4. Tony Romo (4) – Had a so-so performance, yet still cranked out three touchdown passes.
5. Brian Westbrook (2) – That ankle injury is troublesome.
6. Brandon Marshall (4) – Despite a touchdown catch, it was a slow week for Marshall.
7. Kurt Warner (NR) – The good news is he threw for 472 yards. The bad news is if he continues to turn over the ball like he did on Sunday, Matt Leinart will start soon.
8. Reggie Bush (8) – The 49ers were well prepared on how to stop Bush.
9. Brett Favre (NR) – We’ve exceeded our words per column quota on Favre.
10. Anquan Boldin (NR) – A brutal hit to the head may slow down what was set to be a career year for Boldin.
Link(s) of the Week:
In last week’s edition of TMW, I chastised the Bruce Lee/Kareem Abdul- Jabbar scene in Game of Death as one of the most unrealistic fight scenes of all time. As a rebuttal to last week’s column, let me provide you with the top five movie fight scenes of all-time.
1. Rocky Balboa vs. Ivan Drago – December 25, 1985: The setup is simple. Drago kills Apollo Creed, Rocky’s best friend, in an exhibition boxing match in Las Vegas. Hell bent on revenge, Rocky vacates his title, and accepts no payday to battle Drago on Christmas Day…in Russia. Follow this equation: Cold War + Steroids + Patriotism + Unrealism + Reaganomics + Rocky = great fight scene.
2. The Bride vs. Black Mamba: To grasp a full understanding of this battle, a viewing of Kill Bill and Kill Bill 2 is mandatory. In short, the Mamba killed the Bride’s mentor and was a part of an assassination plot on her wedding day.
3. Johnny Lawrence vs. Daniel LaRusso: Cobra Kai meets Mr. Miyagi and Daniel San.
4. Gary Busey vs. Mel Gibson: Detective Martin Riggs introduces the triangle choke to the Lethal Weapon series.
5. King Kong vs. Godzilla: The monster version of Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania III.
