Reusse Gets It Right

Reusse's column today perfectly expresses my expectations for how the Vikings' flirtation with Favre will play out and why.

Let's Drag This Out A Bit

So, apparently Childress did not go to Mississippi yesterday. Which is good, because I much prefer this drag out as long as possible. Making a decision is for people that don’t enjoy the game as much Favre does.

A couple more thoughts:

• If I believed Favre would be willing to step into the “game manager” role as quarterback, I might be a little more ok with this. But I don't. Favre doesn't just want to win--he wants to be the reason for the victory. Favre averaged 32.6 passes a game last year, and he’s only had one year where he averaged less than 31 attempts a game. He’s also notorious for being a “gun slinger” that tries to “make plays”. And he threw a league leading 22 interceptions last year. You do the math.

• One positive thing that would happen if Favre signs and Childress shifts the focus of the offense to the passing game—less wear and tear on Adrian Peterson. Peterson had 383 attempts last year (including the playoff game), and, as we all know, running backs break if you use them too much. Favre 32.6 passes a game came despite having Thomas Jones in the backfield with him. Jones was one of the most effective backs in the league last year, rushing for 1312 yards on only 290 carries while racking up the 5th most DYAR among running backs and the 7th best DVOA. His DYAR and DVOA were both better than Peterson's.

• I can’t believe that people are actually worried that Favre’s decision to play is motivated by revenge instead of his “love of the game”. I’m really going to hate this season.

Killing Time: Please Don't Let This Happen

So Brad Childress is well on his way to Mississippi to meet with Favre. Blerckkkk

I still have hope though (which, if you combined with 3 parts cynicism and 2 parts bitterness gives you exactly what you need to root for the Vikings). They're going to make demands of the Ol' Gunslinger. Unreasonable ones at that. And by unreasonable, I mean, demands that any other human being would find perfectly reasonable, like the requirement that he get in shape, come to voluntary team activities to learn the offense and generally act like a member of the team. So maybe Favre will turn down Childress. I mean, if anyone can out stubborn Favre, it's got to be Childress, right? Right?? Please???

More on Favre:

• Big Daddy Drew perfectly sums up every Vikings fan's feelings on what's about to happen.

• More lamentations from the Daily Norseman.

• Cold, Hard Football Facts points out the statistical reasons for Favre to play one more year (That's right folks--he could break Jim Marshall's consecutive start streak this year, while wearing a Vikings' jersey. If this happens, I will no longer care if the Vikings move to L.A.)

• Kevin Seifert and Scouts, Inc. chime in on ESPN. (H/T Grant's Tomb)
  

• Michael Lombardi doesn't understand why the Vikings are willing to put up with Favre's attitude when they weren't willing to put up with Jay Cutler's (excuse me while I slam my head into a door to dull the pain).

• Don Banks calls the whole situation "sad and pathetic". And he's right.
  

Ugh

Let's see here. Free agency wasn't exciting. The Vikings' draft class wasn't the type that puts a pep in your step (Do people actually say that, or did I just pull that out of nowhere?), mainly because I don't trust our coaching staff or quarterbacks to take advantage of the high risk/high reward players that were taken (not to mention the whole "hospitalization" thing that just happened to Percy Harvin). And now the Favre story is back.

Ugh.

Pacifist Viking thinks it's happening. Jason Winter shows why it's not a good idea. And I'm sitting here trying to decide which is less painful to think about--selling out to get a mediocre Favre in Purple (he's not the answer at QB this year anymore than Sage Rosenfels is) or the massive buzz kill that is the Twins bullpen (and the knowledge that the Twins' season is likely doomed for the same reason it was last year). At least it's not raining here in D.C.

Oh wait.