Super Bowl XLV: Let's Get Some Perspective, People

Packers fever is reaching unbearable stages for those of us who do not suffer from the condition. The infected, in their euphoric state, are oblivious to the pain suffered by the uninfected minority. It is worst for the even smaller minority of us holding our ground, resisting a jump back on the bandwagon after abandoning it three years ago (I use "us" in a somewhat hopeful manner). All those Cheeseheads demanding that Ted Thompson’s doubters apologize and admit they were wrong are more offensive than an aged block of Limburger. What should I apologize for – you don’t even know what you want! Is this about Brett Favre … or Aaron Rodgers … or Ted’s strategy to build through the draft? Let’s explore …

Before talking about Favre relative to the Packers, let me say that I think it’s ridiculous to compare him with Rodgers. First off, Favre is history in Titletown; Rodgers is still playing and Brett’s retired (or at least not playing any more this season). The door on Favre vs. Rodgers should have been shut when the clock in the still-inflated Metrodome hit 00:00 in the Packers’ 31-3 rout of the Vikings to sweep the season series. Or when the 41-year old legend’s head hit the turf at TCF Bank stadium in December. To discuss who is the better quarterback is to compare apples to oranges. We’re talking about a young signal caller at or nearing the prime of his career in Rodgers, and a 40-plus year old legend at the end of his in Favre.

Alas, since some of the Packers faithful insist on asserting their precious #12's superiority, I’m game to play along. However, I suggest a more level playing field; comparing the last two seasons doesn’t reveal much. This season, Rodgers was the better QB in every way – individual stats, head-to-head matchup, regular season wins and postseason success. No contest. Last season, it was Favre, no contest.

The fairest assessment includes looking back at the 27-year old Favre, who reached his first Super Bowl after six years in the league, and match him up with the 27-year old Rodgers, who has reached his first Super Bowl in ... you guessed it, his sixth year. How do you like them apples?

	Favre	Rodgers
Age at first Super Bowl	- 27 years, 3 months	- 27 years, 1 month
Experience	- Backup in Atlanta (Chris Miller and Billy Joe Tolliver) and Green Bay (Don Majkowski) with little playing time for one and a quarter seasons	- Backup in Green Bay (Favre) with little playing time for three seasons
First full season as starter	- Led Packers to 9-7 record and playoff berth (beat Lions in Wildcard, lost to Dallas in Divisional round). - NOTE: Favre took over in the third game of the ’92 season and led the Packers to 9-7 record (missed playoffs)	- Led Packers to 6-10 record during first full season as starter (missed playoffs) - NOTE: Rodgers started the 2006 season as the first-string QB
Playoff history	- Won six playoff games prior to first Super Bowl start (during four seasons)	- Won three playoff games prior to first Super Bowl start (all in 2010)
Offensive weapons	- 5th in total offense - 1st in scoring offense - Receivers: Brooks (lost after Week 7); Freeman; Beebe; Rison; Chmura; Jackson - Backs: Bennett; Levens	- 9th in total offense - 10th in scoring offense - Receivers: Jennings; Driver; Jones; Nelson; Crabtree; Lee - Backs: Jackson; Starks
Defensive support	- 1st in total defense	- 5th in total defense
Special teams	- 13th in NFL in kick returns	- 26th in NFL in kick returns
Coaching	- Mike Holmgren (38-26 record as head coach entering 1996 season)	- Mike McCarthy (38-26 record as head coach entering 2010 season)
Season	- Record: 13-3 (8-0 at home)	- Record: 10-6 (7-1 at home)
Passer rating, regular season	- 95.8 (2nd; Steve Young)	- 101.2 (3rd; Tom Brady, Philip Rivers)
Passer rating, playoffs	- 107.5 (1st)	- 109.2 (1st)
Individual awards	- NFL MVP (second consecutive) - Pro Bowl selection (fifth)	- None

If we really want to talk about whether Rodgers is a better quarterback than Favre, we’ll have to wait. Even then – if Rodgers plays an equal number of seasons as Favre did, and at his current pace – there could still be debate. Rodgers is a finesse, accuracy-above-all, system passer; Favre is the legendary risk-taking, tough-as-nails gunslinger. Each is valuable and endearing for different reasons, and will likely have his own Lambeau legacy. The debate may be decided by rings, or it could be stats. Only time will tell.

Regarding all this ubiquitous “Ted was right” talk, there are two issues to debate:

1. The Favre decision
   
2. Thompson's strategy to build almost exclusively through the draft

On the first point, I will say only that I respect a GM’s opinion in what he thinks is the right direction for an organization. After all, if he’s wrong, he’ll pay for it (theoretically). If Thompson felt that Favre was no longer right for the Packers, man up and make a move. My issue is not whether Thompson was right in moving on from Favre; I’m still upset about the manner in which he (and the team) did so.

Ted could and should have avoided all the melodrama (something for which the organization likely knew Favre had an affinity – even more reason to avoid it) of the Summer of ’08 (oh, yes, capital letter, my friend). Whether that means putting something in writing when Favre tearfully retired, or trading him when the rumors began in June, Thompson needed to be proactive. Bottom line for me: Save the fan base, organization and players the agony of that summer, and the relationship among all parties (Favre perhaps included) is much different today. Heck, I may even be wearing green and gold (and a number 12 jersey).

For those of you still conscious after that revelation, we investigate Thompson controversy number two: Building almost solely through the draft and shunning free agent and trade options.

I know my share of family, friends and acquaintances who all agree that good ol’ Ted resembles an alien in more ways than his awkward antisocial behavior. Oh, c’mon, you’ve heard it – or even said it – yourself. I’m not trying to be mean, only descriptive. OK – I’ll make this better – growing up, my dark locks, large, round glasses and sarcastic demeanor compelled my peers to call me “Daria,” and chant the MTV show’s theme song when I was around. (If you’re not familiar with the show, you can check out a clip here. Note how intelligent young Daria is, too.) Middle school’s a bitch, man. There. Now we’re even; I called Ted an alien, but also revealed an embarrassing name-calling secret of my own.

Anyhow, back to TT. For the past five years, he’s been spawning his own army of aliens – in the truest sense of the word, relative to other teams in the league. Many of these guys are mutations of the typical NFL mold; they are walk-ons, late-round picks and (previously) relative unknowns. And they’re all Ted’s. Once he did away with Favre, Thompson was in control. His hybrid army has been dismantling teams during the past five weeks more thoroughly than Tom Cruise’s nemeses in War of the Worlds. The path of destruction is impressive.

Not all Packers fans and experts have always been on board with Thompson’s strategy, however … which makes the praise about it now even more maddening (two of the most prominent symptoms of Packer fever are clearly delusion and confusion). My argument is perfectly illustrated through tweets, blog posts, sports reports and all out rants by fans and the media over the course of the past 2-3 years. Popular Milwaukee-area Packers reporter Bill “Big Unit” Michaels exemplifies this paradox well in three reports spaced across a two year period:

“The optimism you have as a Packers fan is the fact that Ted Thompson has all but eliminated salary cap ramifications and dead money, stock piled quality players for depth, hasn’t been afraid to make the unpopular choice and stayed true to his vision … I’m still not thrilled with Justin Harrell but … I’ll withhold judgment until this point next season. Beyond that, where are all of the Thompson haters now?”

- From blog post, “Would All Of The Ted Thompson Haters Please Step Forward,” May 14, 2009

"Brett Favre extracted a smile this evening as the Vikings beat the Packers 30-23 but more importantly, Favre was brilliant. Revenge against Ted Thompson, according to Favre, it’s not about revenge but I’m sure Brett’s giggling inside at the thought of Ted and Mike McCarthy’s misery and the ire of the fans that they’re about to face.

Rodgers, to his own fault, took 2 sacks when he should have gotten rid of the football but the rest…the sacks, the pressures, the inability to run the ball at all…that falls squarely on the head of Ted Thompson. Why Ted Thompson, I’ll tell you.

For the last few years I’ve listened to fans complain about Favre or Thompson, McCarthy or Murphy or all of the above, picking up or not picking up Randy Moss, getting Brett or Aaron Rodgers more weapons, ect. ect. Where Thompson has remained steadfast is to his commitment to the draft…to a fault.

Take a look across the field Ted, those guys in purple were built via the draft and their quality leaders were put into place with creative trades and free-agency. That’s what a winning team looks like. You can have all of the quality weaponry stockpiled in your arsenal but if there’s no one to block up front it’s like having a Ferrari with no wheels, you’re all show and no go. I feel for Rodgers, Jennings, Finley, Driver and the rest. They’re superstars in the making but no one will ever know it.

But hey, at least the Packers are well under the salary cap.”

- From blog post, "Obstinance, Ted Thompson's Downfall," October 5, 2009

(Oh, 2009, how I miss you ... )

“The Packers didn’t play the perfect game that I expected against the Eagles but certainly were good enough to overcome some of their own mistakes. That is a testament to the depth and talent on this overall roster accumulated by GM Ted Thompson.”

- From a blog post following Green Bay’s win in Atlanta, January 12

Another confounding example: A website created in 2009 with the URL “firetedthompsonnow.com” now contains only this image. Wow.

Packers followers sure are fickle.

They also can't seem to appreciate a good thing. Hey, Packers backers, you're team is a few days away from a potential world championship and you're still drawing comparisons to the past? Leave that to those of us still squatting in the bitter barn, and enjoy the moment. If you'd like to play the Favre vs. Rodgers card, be careful what you wish for. Two seasons does not a career make; if it does for Rodgers, he won't come close to filling Favre's shoes.

As far as the 2010 Packers, I will say as a football fan and aspiring journalist, that Thompson built one heck of a pod. . .er, team. Beyond the players, his coaches have made the difference this season. Mad-style props to Dom Capers; his tenacious D instills as much misery in its opponents as the band of the same name does in audiences (sorry, Jack, that one was too easy to pass up). Many of them are reserves, playing because of injuries. Some of them are original starters. But all of them are Ted’s.

So can we make the Super Bowl about the Packers versus the Pittsburgh Steelers instead of Favre vs. Rodgers or Thompson vs. Favre? We can all move forward together and take in the 2010 version of the Packers for what it is in itself.

After all, five of the last 12 Super Bowl champs and eight of the last 12 big game losers missed the playoffs the next year. So you might as well enjoy the success while it lasts, Cheeseheads. You could be Ted-bashing again before you know it.