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Divorcing legends can be a tricky game
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
How do you dispose of a legend?
As the Green Bay Packers are discovering in dealing with Hall of Fame-bound quarterback Brett Favre, there is no handbook for this.
At least they didn't do what former Browns coach Bill Belichick did to Cleveland legend Bernie Kosar in 1993 — cut him in the middle of the season and announce it was due to "diminishing skills."
And make no mistake, Favre's skills have been diminishing. He reached back into his past for a good season last year after being erratic the previous two, but who can say what this year would have looked like, especially with a wavering commitment?
You can bet Packers management heaved a huge sigh of relief in March when it seemed Favre actually appeared to retire this time.
Relief not because they necessarily longed to see Aaron Rodgers under center, but because it removed any possibility of the situation degenerating into a messy, Kosar-like firing.
Are the Packers wrong for wanting to move forward with somebody else after watching Favre tearfully step away from the game, then change his mind? I don't think so.
Nor are they wrong for not wanting to release Favre, get nothing for him, then watch him turn up in Chicago, Tampa or Minnesota.
The Packers are blameless here, even though fans probably won't be so quick to let them off the hook, much as Browns fans did everything but storm Belichick's house in the wake of Kosar's dismissal.
There's no easy way to dispose of a legend, especially if the legend refuses to go quietly.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408
or smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com.
