What Brett Favre and Movie Sequels Have in Common

OK, how many times have you seen a great movie and because the movie was so good you get excited when you see that the sequel is coming out. You start to remember how you felt when you saw the original movie and sometimes even get an adrenaline rush when you think about how great it will be. You think about how the sequel should go and how great it should be. You work yourself up for the movie and when you see it you are let down i.e. The Matrix and it's sequels. Sometimes the sequel may even ruin the luster of the original movie.

The Brett Favre of today is the sequel of the Brett Favre in his prime during the 1990s. He is one of the best QBs of his generation and carried the Packers on his back during his prime. The Packer teams were mediocre teams during this era with running backs that were pretty forgettable (as evidenced by their inability to perform outside of GB), and the defenses were decent. However, they had a star at QB that carried them with him to greatness. He was gifted with mobility, toughness, and a rocket arm that he used to force balls into tight coverage. However, with his age, he has lost some of his mobility, he has been hurt recently, and the arm clearly isn't the rocket that it once was.

I think when the Vikings look at Brett Favre they get that same adrenaline rush that I would about a sequel to a great movie. They are hoping for the "original" Favre and they think about how this season should go with him on their team. Only time will tell if they will get a rare sequel that is as good or better than the original. Even if he is successful this year, I think his indecision regarding retirement has ruined a bit of the luster of the original Brett Favre.

Now, with that being said, I do like Brett Favre and I'm not nearly as harsh on him as most others are. I acknowledge that he makes poor decisions and that he throws a lot of interceptions but I also think he has a lot of intangibles that great QBs have. He is a leader and teams love to go to battle with him. I thought he took a lot of flack in 2007 when in reality he had a terrible team around him with injuries etc. In 2008 he almost lead the Packers to the super bowl losing in the NFC championship game and had one of his best years. Last year before he got hurt he played quite well. I don't know how well his arm has healed but if it is fully healed then I don't blame him for coming back. Could you turn down $25 million dollars for two years? Could you walk away from something you have done your whole life, something you love to do knowing that you will never have the opportunity to do it ever again? Could you do that at a very "real life" young age of 39? What would you do for the rest of your life? I don't know if I could walk away from it so I can't say that I blame Favre for giving it another run.

Is Favre going to be the rare sequel exception that is as good or better than the original (can he take the Vikings to the Superbowl)? Do you blame him for coming back?

Andy Reid "Gets" Michael Vick

I've seen all of the drama surrounding Michael Vick and I've heard all of the arguments. The question that someone asked me a couple of weeks ago is "Should Vick expect to be able to get his old job back?" I believe that anyone that goes to jail for something that is not related to their job should be able to get their job back after serving the time for their wrong doings. However, if their crime was directly related to their job (an accountant embezzling, Pete Rose betting on baseball, etc.) then they shouldn't expect to get their old job back.

Out of all the coaches in the NFL Andy Reid may be best suited to understand forgiveness and the importance of a second chance. He has recently had two sons serve jail time for unrelated drug charges and has seen the importance of second chances. On July 28th he was quoted saying, "Sure. I'm big on second chances at this phase in my life." I don't think there is anyone better suited in the NFL that understands what Vick is going through and the perceptions around him than Andy Reid. I wish the Eagles and Michael Vick the best of luck and hope that Vick makes the most of his second chance.

I'm interested to see what people out there think. Is it fair for Vick to expect his old job back after serving time? I'd also like to hear what people think about how and where the Eagles will utilize Vick. What do you think?

The Most Historic Stadium in America

On Wednesday, July 29th, I was able to go to the most historic stadium in the country.... Fenway Park in Boston. I watched the Red Sox fall to the Oakland Athletics 8 to 6. However, the fans were into it all the way to the end. When David Ortiz came to the plate representing the winning or tying run (I can't remember) the place erupted and there was hope for the Sox.


So, as I was sitting there taking pictures of the "Green Monster" and walking around the park I started thinking about just how historic Fenway park is. I tried to think of a more historic existing baseball stadium in the U.S. and couldn't come up with one. Yankee Stadium was torn down, Wrigley field is close but I don't think there is as much history as Fenway. Then I tried to compare it to the most historic existing stadiums in any sport. The Rose Bowl, Madison Square Garden, Lambeau Field, The Orange Bowl, Memorial Coliseum (L.A.), Notre Dame Stadium and the Boston Garden (Wow, that is two very historic stadiums in the same city) all came to mind. However, I still don't think that any of them have as much history as Fenway Park.

Now my question is.... Does anyone out there agree/disagree with my assessment? Did I forget to mention any other stadiums that should be mentioned here?