As Chuck Norris might have put it, betrayal is a dish best served with a swift roundhouse kick to the face. Such was the case Sunday when Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre’s every move was filmed, processed and broadcast on a live webcast during his return to Lambeau Field and the Green Bay Packers. The NFL took it to a whole new level, offering a “FavreCam” for supporters and opponents alike to capture Favre’s every step in the “Frozen Tundra.” The media knew all about it, as did his teammates and former teammates across the sidelines. Even Favre himself knew. Most of the sideline footage featured Favre looking stoic, occasionally talking to one of his running backs, wide receivers or coaches, but for the most part reserved. But most of the time he looked like he knew he was on camera. Any veteran of pregame and postgame interviews knows he would publicly support his team and teammates, preaching old clichés like “It’s a team effort” or “I’m only where I am because of incredible support from my teammates and some of the best fans in football.” But any sane interpretation of the FavreCam involves a microcosm of how Brett Favre views the league and his career. In four words: It’s all about him. Other than the sheer dominance of the Saints — Who Dat? — the biggest story this NFL season centers around Favre’s outright betrayal after his fourth or fifth retirement — I lost count three retirements ago — and his dismantling of any good will afforded to him by his former Cheesehead faithful. After a lackluster stint with the New York Jets, Favre’s re-return to the NFL with the Vikings left me with the same feeling after Nick Saban did the unthinkable and became head coach at Alabama. The pair both moved to different venues, with Saban accepting the head coaching position for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. The Tiger faithful were happy for him, to a degree. After all, he delivered a national championship to LSU, and we were eager to see him succeed on the professional level. After two disastrous seasons, Saban called it quits in the NFL and took a sledgehammer to the hearts of Tiger Nation by signing a $28 million contract with the Crimson Tide, with the gall to proclaim “It wasn’t about the money.” To be fair, it wasn’t about the money. Again, it’s all about him. Saban saw the NFL for what it was: not for him. He couldn’t wrangle the egos associated with his players’ multi-million dollar contracts and endorsement deals. Instead, his ego got the best of him, and he destroyed any good will he left in Baton Rouge. Both Favre and Saban were successful in their first games where they made their names, with Favre throwing four touchdown passes in a 38-26 victory and Saban vanquishing the Tigers, 27-21, in overtime in his Death Valley return last year. Only Saban didn’t have the “benefit” of having millions of eyes glued to his every move online. Both Packer fans and Tiger fans can take solace in the fact both teams have moved on relatively well. Aaron Rodgers looks promising at best as the new Packers quarterback, while Les Miles has already delivered a national championship of his own to LSU. But the pain remains. No one can undo the hurt Packer fans suffered after the loss of arguably their greatest player ever, while nothing can salvage the outright disloyalty Nick Saban showed by joining one of LSU’s biggest rivals. Well, maybe not nothing. Delivering a swift roundhouse kick to Alabama this Saturday would do it.Eric Freeman Jr. is a 22-year-old political science senior from New Orleans. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_efreeman.– – – -Contact Eric Freeman Jr. at [email protected]
Freeman of Speech: Favre’s return to Lambeau matches Saban’s betrayal
November 2, 2009