Favre set to be traded to “too hot” Tampa Bay

Brett Favre’s legacy stock continued to plummet on Tuesday, even as a deal to move the former superstar QB turned self absorbed diva to Tampa Bay was reportedly being finalized.  In yet another strike against Favre’s dwindling reputation as a “blood and guts” team leader he reportedly didn’t want to go to Tampa Bay initially because its “too hot”.  His attitude changed upon the realization that few other teams wanted his services, and particularly teams that were far enough under the salary cap to pick up his $12 million dollar salary for 2008.

To underscore just how little trade value Favre has at this point reports suggest that the Packers will send him south for a single draft choice, which will escalate based on #4’s performance in Tampa Bay.  The Bucs will say the right things about Favre’s leadership and experience, but basically they were one of the few teams that could afford to pay for him and have a team that’s really not going anywhere this year.  In other words, bringing the circus to town for a season in hopes to sell some tickets isn’t a bad tradeoff for them.

Favre’s excuses, rationalizations and blame placing are starting to border on the comical.  While hard pressed to top Monday’s quote blaming Roger Goodell—who did little more than try to do “damage control” for the Packers and the league before rubber stamping his reinstatement request—his suggestion that he couldn’t commit 100% to the team because “they hurt his feelings” came close:
They want to know if I'm committed but I want to know if they're 100 percent committed. The problem is that there's been a lot of damage done and I can't forget it. Stuff has been said, stories planted, that just aren't true. Can I get over all that? I doubt it."

Favre should have a fawning fan and media base in Tampa Bay, and may serve as a welcome temporary diversion for a franchise that’s spinning its wheels.  Hopefully his fragile ego can handle sharing the spotlight with the resurgent Tampa Bay Rays baseball team and the Sunshine State’s many high profile college football programs.
So hopefully within a couple of days this seemingly never ending soap opera will have a conclusion.  The Packers can continue to rebuild with their QB of the future, the Bucs can sell a lot of tickets to watch the Favre circus and sports fans outside the two markets can hopefully get away from #4’s incessant whining for awhile.