Brett Favre Not Behaving Like a Leader
Following his bitter departure from the Green Bay Packers, his one season stint with the New York Jets, his signing with the Minnesota Vikings, and his constant uncertainties about retiring, Brett Favre has become one of the National Football League’s most divisive figures.
Sentiment towards Favre is not going to grow given that he may just be the NFL’s only contractually satisfied player to not attend training camp. Generally the only players to miss workouts are those who are embroiled in a monetary dispute with team management. Favre has shown no signs of dissatisfaction with his $13 million deal with the Vikings for the upcoming season.
Additionally, Favre is still mulling over possibly retiring, even though he had surgery in the offseason which would enable him to play another season. Based on this and previous years, it is fairly certain that Favre will be returning for his 20th NFL season. So why is he running this ruse to avoid training camp?
Favre apologists may note that given Favre’s experience, he has earned the right to avoid the punishing workouts associated with training camp. That’s a preposterous thing to say, because if anything given Favre’s experience he should be present at the camp as a leader. If a 40-year-old veteran shows up and works hard at training camp, it sends a tremendous message to his team’s youngsters.
As a 20-year NFL veteran, it’s Favre’s duty to motivate the less-experienced players on his team. He is the de facto leader based on experience, and leaders always must go through thick and thin with those following them.
Additionally, no other veterans have chosen to utilize such preferential treatment. Wide receiver Jerry Rice and running back Emmitt Smith never missed training camps despite being just as if not more respected than Favre.
On a more contemporary level, Baltimore Ravens defensive stalwart Ray Lewis is 35 and has no intention of missing his team’s preseason training sessions. Perhaps that is why Lewis has been more successful than Favre in recent years. His Ravens have had better playoff runs and have won the Super Bowl more recently. They are also primed for a better 2010 than the Vikings season due to the immense team-building they have done.
What makes this worse is that Favre plays quarterback, which is easily the least demanding training camp position. In training camp, quarterbacks wear red jerseys, and are thus not allowed to even be touched during drills.
Given Favre’s veteran status he doesn’t have to worry about overexertion. Coach Brad Childress would not make Favre throw a single pass more than he wanted to, though that doesn’t mean he can decide to not attend. He throws the ball around in the offseason at Oak Grove High in Mississippi anyway; why not throw the same amount of passes in an environment that benefits the entire team?
It is for this reason that Favre’s teams have failed. Favre is simply not a team leader. A team leader must be there for his team. Fans are sick of his prolonged offseason retirement mulling to the point where few people outside of Minnesota even care if he stays or retires anymore. If he does come back, expect another Favre season ended by an interception.
Favre doesn’t think about team play, he just wants to gun the ball to hold on to his past glory days. The accuracy and the arm are certainly still present, but the leadership he exhibited with the Green Bay Packers is simply gone. That is why even with all the talented rosters Favre has been given as of late, his last Super Bowl appearance was in 1999.
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