Photograph of Brett Favre during the 2008 NFC Championship game by Mike Roeme/AP
It was just over 30 years ago that a franchise, in the midst of a falling out with their star quarterback, traded him and brought an era to an end. It is amazing how similar that trade, where the Jets sent Joe Namath to the Rams, is to today’s announcement that Brett Favre is on his way to New York from Green Bay.
However, this trade is also very different. Namath was a shell of his former self, mostly living on his star power. Favre is coming off a season where he threw for 4,000 yards and 28 touchdowns while leading his team deep into the playoffs. New York is sending Green Bay a conditional draft pick, possibly a first rounder depending on how much Favre plays and how well the team does. To make room for Favre, the Jets are releasing Chad Pennington, a sad end to a good career in green.
Overall, this trade is about reversing karma and turning the team into playoff contenders. Favre brings his star power and still considerable abilities to New York and wipes away the stain of the Namath trade. Now, he just needs to deliver the one thing Jets’ fans everywhere have been waiting forty years to see again.
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WTF?
what a welcome addition to NY football! but if the jets think that they're a shoo-in to make it to the Superbowl, that's just silly. who knows what kind of season BF is going to have and who knows what the team chemistry is going to be.
but at least Jets football might actually be interesting to watch and hopefully not pitiful for a change!
Favre's throwing skills are magnitudes above Pennington's. That said, many Jets fans will be smacking their heads during the interceptions.
But it does add some star power to the Jets, which is probably what Woody Johnson wants.
Hilarious. Can't wait to see the old man crash and burn and watch all the Jets fans new hope turn to dust.
He's an upgrade over Pennington, but he's not Joe Montana. Let's see how he deals with the 30 reporters pestering him when the Jets are 2 and 4 compared with the three guys covering the Packers beat.
Guaranteed that his performance will go way down with the Jets. That said, he's a dramatic improvement over their other options.
Sucks for Chad though.
Favre is an unlikable, old, washed-up, overrated, whining asshole and I can't believe I'm going to have to listen to the New York media talk about him all the time until he finally fucks up in a big game, sends the Jets home early, and then re-retires for the sixth time.
I wish he'd headed to Tampa and the irrelevancy he so soundly deserves.
Prediction: season-ending injury in five games or less.
Arrgh. Now we're gonna have to hear about Princess Favre every day.
I like the guy as a football player, but his off-the-field behavior this year leaves something to be desired. He could have shut up and settled the situation quietly, but instead chose to use the press as he bargaining chip. ESPN, of course, played along.
Yeah shitty deal for Chad. He played with a lot of heart.
Though as a Jets season ticket holder I'm excited to see this change. It does not guarantee any playoff spot let alone a super bowl but it will hopefully provide some dynamic games.
I think it's a good deal. The Jets just went from "These guys Motherfucking suck!" to "Not as sucky, but still sucks!"
cwbuecheler spoken like a true Giants or Packers fan. Favre washed up? 4155 yards, 28 td's and 66.5 completion percentage is hardly washed up. A no brainer move. A first ballot hall of famer coming to NY is hardly irrelevant.
This is about two things: 1) getting back on the back page and 2) exciting the fans who are going to have to pay through the nose soon for personal seat licenses at the new stadium. They're delirious if they think Favre will take them to the Superbowl. The Jets were 4-12 last year with two of those wins coming against the Dolphins! And their long-term QB situation is now totally up in the air. They've admitted that they don't have anyone on the roster to fill that role so they basically have two years between now and Favre's next retirement to find and groom a new QB.
Favre is a damn good quarterback. He will show these shitty underachievers how to win another few games. If they finish 9-7 I would be thrilled. This is not like when Boomer Esiason showed up-god I hope not. At least we are talking Jet football in the first week of August! When was the last time that happened?
since when is this jerseyist? the jets are not a NY football team, there's only one, and they play in bufallo.
@bornbrednewyorker -
I am neither a Giants nor a Packers fan. In fact, I actively root against both franchises, on the rare occasions I pay any attention to the NFC. In all honesty, NFL football's the third sport down the ladder for me and it's a rare occasion that I watch any of it outside of the playoffs.
I'm just sick to death of hearing about Brett Favre. I'm not denying he's headed for the hall of fame, I just wish he'd stfu in the meantime.
ESPN said Favre didn't pass his physical with the Packers. Usually, trades require passing a physical to be done before it's complete.
I'm sure the NFL loves Favre as the QB of the NYJ. Patriots fans are underwhelmed.
Another over the hill acquisition by the JETS. Remember Ronnie Lott, Anthony Gonzalez?
With all the college quarterbacks making themselves available for the draft, quarterbacks in the CFL, those that are on waivers, and other team's back-up quarterbacks, the JETS could have acquired a better quarterback than Favre. I wouldn't mind this trade if the JETS has an up and coming young quarterback who can learn from Favre at the sidelines; Favre probably would only play for one season, that's if he doesn't get himself injured or claims to be injured, so that he can retire again. Then agai,n this is a team who doesn't even have their own stadium. What a boneheaded move.
I don't know if they could have acquired a better quarterback than Favre, but they definitely could have gotten one that would set them up to win in the future. This team isn't turning it around so drastically in one or two years that it's worth slashing and burning to make room for Favre. They should be developing a QB for down the road.
But ultimately who gives a shit? It's only the Jets.
And why does the pronunciation of "Favre" rhyme with "Marv"?
"Go Big Blue"? I didn't know New York was such a big fan of Michigan.
jenchungsbra there's no such thing as setting up to win in the future. This is New York and with the money these guys make the owners have a win now mentality. What you're talking about hasn't existed since the early 70's and it was only 2 years ago that the Jets were 10-6. They've vastly improved many aspects of their team this year and their schedule isn't as tough as last years.
I'm happy for the Jet's they aren't in the NFL East and we don't play them this year except for pre-season. I just hope they play him for a few mins that game, anyone think they will?
There's no such thing as setting up to win in the future? So when a team trades for a young player like...say...Eli Manning, and then makes him the starter in his rookie year and lives with the growing pains for three seasons, what's that?
Better to have a young QB gain experience now than to put it off because regardless of the schedule this is a team that was 2-12 last year against teams that weren't Miami. And the AFC's tough right now, the Jets' window of opportunity just ain't open. Better to plan ahead. But that's just my opinion. The fans may enjoy going 9-7 this year but that won't make the playoffs and even then what happens in two years? Even if they draft a QB in the first round next year that player will have no playing time until Favre retires again. It's not like this is a team that just needs a QB to make a run.
We just put up ringtone-ready Jets audio at Entertonement.