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Friday TIME: US | UK WEATHER: US | UK HOME THE NEIGHBORHOOD "Life in the UK" American Groups Essential Contacts Money Education Driving WHAT'S ON US Group Events Diary Dates Music Live FEATURES Politics blog SPORTS Features Sideline blog NFL Draft THE AMERICAN MAGAZINE ONLINE |
SIDELINE ARCHIVE Unnecessary Hits To The Pocket / Upset: BYU October 17, 2008 Romo's Pause / Seattle Seahawks October 15, 2008 Weekend Prep: Red River and More October 10, 2008 College Football's 'Crossroads' Weekend October 9, 2008 Gramatical Error October 7, 2008 Turning The Page September 30, 2008 So Cal 'Quizzed — But Who Will Answer? September 26, 2008 3rd Tuesday Panic Button / Forté Yard Dash September 23, 2008 Two and Oh; Oh and Two September 22, 2008 No More NCAAffeine September 11, 2008 Week 1 College Football September 6, 2008 How To Spell Heisman / Chad Ocho Cinco September 1, 2008 Why the Favre story STILL won't go away August 18, 2008 Olympic Notes / Ricky's Still Relevant August 14, 2008 Committee Meetings August 9, 2008 Let the QB Battles Begin August 8, 2008 Slinging The Slinger — More Favre August 6, 2008 Welcome to the 2008 season July 28, 2008 Plus One May 27, 2008 Draft: The Morning After April 28, 2008 Draft: Thinking the Unthinkable April 25, 2008 Draft: Ready For The Long Haul April 23, 2008 Sofa–bound Sport April 16, 2008 Post–Winter Wonderland April 11, 2008 Six Impossible Things February 4, 2008 Brady's Misdirection Play February 3, 2008 Colorful Language January 23, 2008 Let the Romo–bashing begin: Dallas lost January 14, 2008 Bowl Bites: The Wrap January 10, 2008 All About The Coaches January 1, 2008 Bowl Bites 3 and A Communication Breakdown December 29, 2007 Bowl Bites 2 December 27, 2007 Bowl Bites 1 December 23, 2007 The Empty Chair - Coach Situations Vacant December 22, 2007 For Some, The Playoffs Are Now December 15, 2007 A Certain Lack Of Welcome December 13, 2007 Unrelated Notes November 29, 2007 Two Thanksgiving thoughts November 22, 2007 Halftime: NFC November 9, 2007 Halftime: AFC November 8, 2007 London, Part 2 / A Tale of Two Chads / A Game of Intimidation November 4, 2007 Damp Squib / Other London Notes October 29, 2007 Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em / Dolphins – The Aftermath October 23, 2007 The Dolphins Did What? October 18, 2007 Notes on the Defenses October 13, 2007 Habits to be Broken October 12, 2007 Overtime October 13, 2007 This Week's Starters October 6, 2007: USF: Covering The Spread / Fantastic Football September 27, 2007: Grossman: The Final Act? / McNabb, the Epilogue September 24, 2007: Eagles QB in Slight Controversy September 21, 2007: Leftwich's Parting Gift to Jacksonville? / Boos cruise September 18, 2007: Notre Dame M.I.A. September 16, 2007: Looking Beyond NFL Wk. 1 September 12, 2007: Best Hope For Heisman September 10, 2007: Coaching Hot Seats / AP Poll Feeling ’Appy September 7, 2007: The NFL’s Prime Cuts September 5, 2007: Michigan Falls to Killer Apps September 3, 2007: Look Out Couch / The Taint's On You, Bud September 1, 2007: |
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SPORTS SIDELINE 
Observations, Opinion & Occasional Silliness by Richard L Gale Why the Favre story STILL won't go away If the Brett Favre epic hadn't already driven you to muffle your ears with cushions every sports bulletin, don't expect it to be over now. It will continue to be the overarching theme of the season. Here are five teams where quarterback situations will spark a recap and update of the Favre story every time the commentators get a chance. Until some team goes 8–0 and begins the first 'unbeaten' story of the year, maybe we could turn it into a challenge game, guessing how many minutes it'll take before his trade is referenced. 1. Green Bay. Estimated time until mentioned: opening possession of the season. Between the Bart Starr and Brett Favre eras, the Packers were a punctuation mark in their division, a team of historical significance only, an undesirable football destination keeping themselves from the basement of the NFC Central only when Tampa Bay owner Hugh Culverhouse got the better of the Buccaneers. It's understandable then, that there's a quiver of fear when Packers fans consider life without Brett. Heck, even the Buccaneers aren't in their division anymore. There's every chance that Aaron Rodgers will be just fine as their new starting quarterback, but Rodgers isn't an icon, isn't a passer who can defy the odds. After last year, it would be understandable for Packers fans to think it's all downhill from here, regardless of the fact that RB Ryan Grant is locked into a multi–year contract. The shadow of Favre will fall many places this year, but it will fall heaviest and darkest on Rodgers. Never mind that Favre has thrown an NFL record 288 interceptions, Rodgers won't be allowed one without crowd and commentators invoking the F–word. 2. Minnesota. Estimated time until mentioned: anytime Tarvaris Jackson struggles. Tarvaris Jackson stayed calm throughout the unretirement saga, listening to pundits and columnists declaring that, with Brett Favre as quarterback, the Vikings could be Superbowl bound. There seems little doubt that Favre would have liked to lead the Vikings, who have the line, defense and running game to make a charge at Roman numerals. Green Bay were so scared of the idea of Favre in purple that the eventual trade of Brett to the New York Jets reportedly included a clause demanding three No.1 picks if the Jets traded him on to the Vikings.The weak link, people seemed to be suggesting, was Jackson. Tarvaris enters his third season after a 2007 campaign in which he managed just 9 scores to 12 interceptions. But there were flashes of why Minnesota spent a late 2nd round pick on him in the 2006 draft, including a 41–17 regular season upset of eventual champion New York Giants. The consensus is that QB aside, the Vikings are equal rivals to the Packers in the NFC North. But if the Vikings don't go deep into the playoffs, don't win the division, or don't even make the playoffs, Vikings fans will be saying 'what if...?'. 3. Tampa Bay. Estimated time until mentioned: as soon as Jeff Garcia gets hurt. According to some, Tampa Bay were practically gazumped by the Jets, though the Buccaneers haven't confirmed what stage they got to in discussions about Brett Favre, but Bucs coach Jon Gruden certainly likes collecting quarterbacks, with Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese, Luke McCown, Chris Simms and Josh Johnson presently on the roster. He also isn't too loyal when if comes to QBs keeping their starting jobs, Brad Johnson was replaced by Simms while injured, Simms rupturing his spleen during a 2006 game only to have Garcia adopt the starting job in his absence, and the 38–year old Garcia watching over his shoulder for Griese. Simms is the only one who would have been glad for Favre appearing on the roster, as he's been eyeing a ticket to some new job for a while. Buccaneers QBs were sacked a moderate 36 times last season, so if a Garcia–Griese transition becomes necessary, somebody's soon going to compare Griese's inglorious 2007 Bears campiagn to Favre's 2007 Green Bay swansong. 4. Miami. Estimated time until mentioned: when Chad Pennington puts on his helmet. Chad Pennington's ride on the NFL carousel probably isn't over yet, but for a couple of years at least, he's a Miami Dolphin. It's a nice acquisition for Miami, whose deliberations between rookie Chad Henne, near–rookie John Beck and non–rookie Josh McCown seemed set to keep the 'Phins in the mire for the whole of 2008. With Pennington aboard, they at least have a justification for keeping all three away from the starting job, gaining an experienced arm to feed the ball to an unproven receiving corps and hand off to a probably–good running game. Still, the Dolphins backfield hasn't been an inpenetrable haven for QBs in recent years (42 sacks conceded in 2007), and Pennington has a history of getting dinged along the way. So, expect to hear the Favre tale twice: once to explain why the ex–Jet is now a Dolphin, and, when Pennington illustrates by way of civilian clothes, why this Dolphin is no longer a Jet. 5. New York Jets. Estimated time until mentioned: not so often, unless Favre gets hurt. Okay, so Brett Favre is now a New York Jet. I think this story has been covered sufficiently by a few media outlets, and the New York press is still reporting every move of the fabled arm. It's hard to believe that there will be anything — any moment, any rumour, any anecdote, anything — left to report once the season starts for real. Second behind Aaron Rodgers in my sympathies has to be Kellen Clemens, however. People may say that Broadway Brett replaced Pennington, but last time the Jets took the field, Clemens was the starter, and he was in a fight to be the starter against Pennington. Then Favre showed up, and now Clemens is back to holding a clipboard. Spare a thought for Clemens when the next offseason Favre–athon comes around, with the annual will–he–won't–he–and–if–he–does–will–he–stay–retired shenanigans. Of course, Chad Pennington managed to stay fit behind the Jets line just once in the past six seasons, so who's to say Clemens won't see the field after all? And yes, Favre IS on the cover of Madden — one place you can still see him in a Packers uniform. |
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