Favre A Jet

The Brett Favre saga ended with a late-night trade to the New York Jets. And so a bizarre tale gets an even more whacked-out ending. I mean, does anyone seriously expect Favre to roll into Jets camp and take over the starting job. Granted, the quarterback position is wide open.

But I bet Chad Pennington will emerge the starter when all is said and done. He is efficient and smart. Favre will have a major hurdle simply learning the playbook, let alone bonding with new teammates. Age is against Pac Man as well.

No, sorry Brett. You should have taken your fairy-tale 2007 season for what it was and walked off into the Mississippi sunset. Now your end will be like so many other great athletes who didn’t know when to say when. Think a punch-drunk Mike Tyson. Or injury-plagued Allen Houston, attempting yet another comeback with another New York team, the Knicks.

Worst of all, Jets fans must endure the brain trust trying to fit Favre into the system — like a round peg in a square hole. They will make every effort to give Favre the starting job, even if he doesn’t deserve it. One way or another, things should prove mighty interesting at the Meadowlands this fall.

Will the Favre Saga Ever End?

Personally, I am sick and tired of this Brett Favre saga. First, he decided to cry and retire. That’s all well and good. Then, Favre decides that he made a mistake, and then he promptly decides that he wants to return. The Packers don’t know what the right course of action is. Should they keep him? Should they start him? Should they release him? Should they trade him? A million questions can be asked, but one thing is for sure. Brett Favre put the Packers in a tough spot.

The latest rumor has Brett Favre potentially landing in Tampa Bay to play for the Buccaneers by the end of today. Other teams that have been linked to his services are the Vikings, the Bears and the Jets. Who makes the most sense as a trade partner to the Packers? You guesses it: the New York Jets.

The problem with the Jets getting Favre is that the Jets don’t know whether Favre wants to play in New York. He has the right to waive any trade, so a lot is going to have to be figured out in order to get a deal done. Hopefully, this saga will end soon, because I feel like we all are eating, breathing and sleeping Brett Favre. Just let it end already.

–MICHAEL GANCI

A SHOCKing Trade

Just two years ago, Giants fans were in love with Jeremy Shockey. He was their star tight end. People didn’t seem to mind his big mouth. Although he was talking the talk, he was also walking the walk. When the injury bug struck, all Shockey had was his mouth, and he used it to drive himself out of New York.

Eli Manning didn’t like the fact that Shockey was always demanding the ball and trying to undermine Manning. So, when Shockey went down last year, Manning was able to ease up, and then the run of excellence began. Kevin Boss filled in more than adequately while Shockey sat on the sideline and watched. The more successful the Giants were without him, the more apparent it was that he was falling out of favor in New York.

The trade of Shockey to New Orleans netted the Giants a second and fifth round pick. This was the same offer that the Saints extended to the Giants earlier in the off season, and the Giants turned them down. I guess the Giants wised up, because getting rid of Shockey to eliminate distraction was worth it in itself.

Shockey should be thanking the Giants, because now they are giving him the chance to resurrect his career one more time.

–MICHAEL GANCI

The Jason Taylor Effect

On Sunday, the Redskins suffered two huge blows when two defensive ends were carted off of the field with season-ending injuries. The urgency was high, and they wasted no time filling in the void. They picked up the phone and called Bill Parcells, and less than five hours later, Jason Taylor was calling Washington his new home.

Taylor was acquired by the Redskins in exchange for a future second and sixth pick. Now, a big worry about Taylor is the comment he made about playing only one more season. According to John Clayton of ESPN, Taylor has told the Redskins that he intends to play out the final two years of his contract.

Remember, this is a former defensive player of the year. Taylor is not going to be a bum. He is going to bolster the Redskins’ defense, and he is going to make their defense a top ten team to draft in fantasy for defense. This is a trade that both sides absolutely needed to make.

–MICHAEL GANCI

Troubled Superstars

The first thing that comes to my mind when thinking about trouble and the NFL is Michael Vick’s dog fighting scandal. Vick is now in prison because of it, and he deserves to be. The one thing I can respect of Vick in the whole ordeal is the fact that he came clean, admitted he was wrong and apologized.

Pacman Jones had been one of the biggest delinquents in football ever since the Tennessee Titans drafted him. He got suspended because he couldn’t stay out of trouble, and the Titans finally decided that he wasn’t worth all of the negative distractions he brings to the team. Don’t get me wrong, because I am not saying Pacman isn’t talented, because he is. But, if you provide enough negative distractions your teammates, you may end up bringing them down with you.

The newest saga is the one that revolves around Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch. On Saturday morning, Lynch’s SUV was used in a hit and run accident where a woman was struck. Thankfully, the woman was all right. At least one witness has identified the Bills back as being the man behind the wheel, and now Lynch is the primary suspect. We will have to wait and see how this all unfolds, but I think teams should stress the importance of good behavior, because what these players are doing is detrimental to their fans and to their teams.

–MICHAEL GANCI

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

Call it a tale of two drafts — the reason why the Giants win Super Bowls and why the Jets are still living in 1969.

The NFL Draft arrived in New York City for its annual catwalk of top college talent over the weekend, and as usual, the contingent of Jets fans was overwhelming. And as usual, Jets fans had a high draft choice to contemplate.

These fans cheered when the No. 6 pick came and New York selected Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston. But the reality is this defensive end was as much a reach as anyone in the top end of the draft. Upside? Yes. But Gholston has bust tattooed all over his massive biceps.

Just luck of the draw. Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan went third and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden fourth. The top linemen were also gone by the time the Jets picked. So they took a guy that’s considered an enigma.

Then the Jets traded back into the first round (30th overall) to select a tight end. Really. Given the Jets’ history with drafting tight ends in the first round, Dustin Keller has already got a target on his back.

Compare that first round with that of Big Blue. The reigning Super Bowl champs used the last pick of the first round (31) to pluck an instant starter at safety with a pedegree worth respecting — Miami’s Kenny Phillips.

Then when the Giants reached, they took someone who could be a real star. That was Michigan’s Mario Manningham in the third round.

In case you are scoring at home, that’s two potential busts for the Jets versus two future Pro Bowlers for the Giants. Enough said.

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