I was catching up on some podcasts over the weekend while I was traveling and one topic was especially interesting to me. It was over the course of two days on the Dan Patrick Show on ESPN Radio, and it had to do with Brett Favre. Now, normally I don't care one bit about the NFL in May but this was just a great debate and it continued to illustrate just how insane people are about Brett Favre.
Dan Patrick and his one-hour-a-day partner Keith Olbermann were discussing Favre's abilities and the whole drama that's been going on recently, and somehow they ended up getting into a debate over whether or not Favre was a top 5 QB in the NFL. I believe Patrick said this in passing and Olbermann shot it down and said he's no where near top 10. An argument between men with impeccable hair ensued.
Patrick stood by his contention that Favre was a Top 10 QB, while Olbermann said he'd take any of the following QBs over Favre for this upcoming season:
1) Manning (Peyton)
2) Brady
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
And then he listed these guys as "maybes" as far as whether he'd take them over Favre:
Manning (Eli)
McNabb
Rex Grossman
Patrick reacted by telling Olbermann he was certifiable, which may or may not be true and may or may not have anything to do with who was right in this particular debate.
Patrick then made perhaps the most asinine, blinded-by-love-for-Favre thing I think anyone has ever said. He said that if Peyton Manning had the Packers last year, he couldn't have even gone 8-8.
I would submit to Mr. Patrick that the cadaver of Brett Favre -- he of the 72 rating -- guided the Packers to an 8-8 record last year. I'm fairly certain that Peyton Manning, one of the best QBs of all time, in his prime no less, could probably do that without a problem.
Peter King came on the next day and, in his infinite Peter King wisdom, claimed Favre was indeed Top Ten in the NFL.
Top Ten. Quarterback. Brett Favre. Really?
When will people realize he's not that good? He's been not very good for several years now. He has 38 TDs and 47 INTs over the past two seasons. Granted, he throws the ball a lot and he has to given that the Pack is usually behind... but still. To suggest you'd take him at this point in his career, given that he provides at least one or two "What the hell" throws each game, well, I just don't know.
I can see when people look at certain statistics -- i.e., pass yardage -- how they could think he's still the gunner of old. But I just don't think he is and I don't look at him and think he's anything like John Elway at the end of his career.
But maybe I'm way off-base. So I ask you, who would you take ahead of Brett Favre? If you have an average team and you can have any one single NFL QB right now for one season, who do you take? And where on that list is Favre?