NFL approves Favre trade to Packers

The NFL formally approved Brett Favre’s trade from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets on Thursday. Favre appeared at a press conference in Cleveland prior to his new team’s preseason game against the Browns showing off his newly minted #4 Jets jersey before giving one of the least inspiring pep talks in the history of sports: "To a certain degree, I don't know what I'm getting into". Neither, apparently, do the Jets who were one of the few teams desperate enough to make room on the roster for Favre and his ego.

From the team’s standpoint things really can’t get any worse with Favre under center, at least in the short term. Their schedule following a 4-12 season alone should allow the team to show some improvement in the W/L column, and its not like the Jets had some sort of brilliant rebuilding strategy in place. Favre may or may not help them win a few more games but it does buy them some time. Instead of a disgruntled group of Jets fans calling for the heads of QBs, coaches and front office staff they’ve now given them something they can get excited about.

Despite “not knowing what he’s getting into”, Favre pulled a lukewarm and highly ironic “it’s all about team” type speech out of his media playbook: "I'm here for one reason. Not to do commercials, Broadway, all those things. I'm here to help the Jets win." Translation—“as long as I’m the center of attention and things don’t get too bad with this pitiful team I’ll be OK”. Favre also quipped to the media about what a persuasive case Jets’ GM Mike Tannenbaum made about joining his team.

Of course a case doesn’t have to be particularly persuasive when there are no other options, and its starting to appear that the Jets was the only franchise seriously interested in #4. Tampa Bay Bucs GM Bruce Allen denied that his team ever had any serious interest in Favre, suggesting that discussions never went beyond the extremely preliminary stage. In other words, the Bucs figured they were better off standing pat with injured Jeff Garcia, Brian Greise and a couple of journeymen than they’d be by bringing Favre to the Cigar City.

Ironically, there were plenty of teams showing interest in Chad Pennington. The Jets former starter who was sent packing and cut to make room for Favre is reportedly being wooed by at least six NFL teams including the Miami Dolphins. Miami has a couple of promising young signal callers in Michigan rookie Chad Henne and former BYU standout John Beck, but are in desperate need of some veteran leadership at the position.

While The Big Apple was in full gush mode over their new sports superstar, the other teams involved in the mess were content to make some conciliatory statements and put it in their rear view mirror. Packer coach Mike McCarthy’s statement was typical of the lukewarm platitudes expressed by others in the organization: “"We wish him the best. There's no ill feelings. He has a positive reputation within this organization." Tampa Bay Bucs coach John Gruden was more enthusiastic in his assessment of Favre: "You're not talking about Tony the Tiger here. You're talking about Brett Favre."

Of course the primary difference between the two is that Tony the Tiger wouldn’t retire from his job as a Kellogg’s cereal pitchman, decide he didn’t mean it and hold up the company by threatening to go to work for Post if they didn’t capitulate to his demands. The same can’t be said about Brett Favre, who’s legacy as a “team leader” has degenerated to the point that a fictitious and animated feline cereal mascot may have greater leadership upside.