So, it's finally official, he's coming back. I knew it all along. I've been thinking a little bit about what that means for the Packers next season (partly because I was asked by a radio person last night and it got me going) and here's what I have come up with: At least they know who their QB is going to be next year and what they can expect. Maybe that doesn't sound like much (and maybe it isn't) but we sure weren't looking at a winning season next year with an untried almost rookie as the number one guy and nobody else really as plan B. I suppose they would have picked up some cast-off from another team, someone with experience as a starter (even if he was bad, and really, what else would be available) and done the best they could but realistically if Favre would have retired they would have been looking at 5-11 being a pretty lofty goal. At least now they have one issue addressed and they can move on to others. And there is hope. Maybe Ahman Green regains his pro-bowl caliber form, maybe Javon Walker decides his best course of action is to quit whining about his contract and come back and play hard (with a future hall-of-famer throwing to him) and earn a big contract instead of just demanding one. Maybe they have a good draft and get some immediate help on defense, maybe, dare I hope, they get a real impact player with that first pick. They lost five games by three points or less last season, maybe in '06 they win those. Add that to the four that they did win and there's nine already.

I also want to comment on what it is/was about Favre that made him one of the best ever (I'm still not sure just where he belongs, definitely top 10 though). In my opinion the one thing that he did as well as anybody ever (and better than all but a couple) is to make a play work. When he was surrounded by other talented players that meant working within the system, going through the progressions, getting the ball out to the right guy and marching them down the field. Most of the time. But every so often something would happen like oh say the left tackle fans on his block and the fullback is occupied helping on the other side or something and here comes John Randle or somebody with a seeming free shot. He was the best I ever saw at making the play still work in that situation. And there have been a lot more games in which he has played with lesser talent than ones with superior talent; they were only really on top for two seasons, he's been the Pack's QB for 14. And oh yeah, he can throw the ball really hard and really far.

In Saturdays paper (Wisconsin State Journal), on the Your Opinion page, the following:

Respect Passover

April 18 was Pizza Hut day at our schools. It was also the sixth day of Passover, which means we are forbidden to eat grains, oats and any leavened products, including pizza. Therefore we were unable to enjoy Pizza Hut day, a special lunch offered only once every month. We have written to the schools about this in the past, that during Passover there should not be a Pizza Hut day, but nothing has changed. We respect the customs of all holidays, and feel ours should be respected as well.

Comments?

Here are some thoughts of mine: The writers (looks like a brother and sister team) are school-age kids, so I guess it's not fair to expect them to have a mature viewpoint but this seems to me very much like they are saying "we have to abide by these restrictive religious rules that say we can't eat pizza (among other things) on some days so we don't want you to be able to eat pizza on those days either".

The letter doesn't say so but I suppose they could (probably do) mean switch it to a day that is not during Passover. I don't know... God might be pissed. And what happens if some other people don't like that date? And can you only object on religious grounds or is it anything goes? As you might guess I think it is highly unlikely that "God" is impressed by these man-made dietary restrictions. I think that "He" would be more impressed if you went out and did something nice for somebody or bought pizza or something for some starving kids (in Ethiopia).

"We respect the customs of all holidays (really? ALL holidays? I bet not), and feel ours should be respected as well". So who's not respecting your "holiday"? The people eating pizza? Just because they're not practicing your religion? Suppose my religion says; oh never mind, I have no religion (not in the traditional sense anyway) and I'm beginning to lose any respect for people that do. But I am surrounded by people (a few anyway) that do it right so I guess it is possible. Go figure.

On coast to coast a.m. they're talking about the "Gospel of Judas", perhaps you've heard of it. It was actually discovered in the early 1970s but is just now "coming out". Not surprisingly it seems that many Christians are a bit slow to embrace this "new" gospel. I guess it's upsetting to them to be told that maybe what they learned in Sunday school or wherever is not exactly right. Or even wrong. We'll see how easily they dismiss it, or whether perhaps some of them will accept and even embrace it. More divisions among the faithful? We shall see.

This all reminds me of the numbers in baseball; specifically some records that were modified in light of new information that caused some recounting to be done. Ty Cobb no longer has 4,191 hits, he has 4,189. Hack Wilson's single season record of 190 rbi in a season was increased to 191. Cy Young's win total went from 511 to 509. Or it didn't, depending on your source. Which led to the question being asked at least once (in the letters to the editor in Baseball Digest) "why can't they just leave those numbers alone? Why do they feel the need to "fix" everything?" Gee, I don't know. How about maybe for the sake of accuracy?

Here's another team (offense):

Line: LT Jim Parker, LG Larry Little, C Dwight Stephenson, RG John Hannah, RT Anthony Munoz.

Wides: Don Hutson, Don Maynard

TE: Dave Casper

RB Jim Brown
Blocking FB: Bronko Nagurski

QB: Bart Starr

Maybe they can play that other team.

Next: Deee-fense!

Here's a football team that would be tough to beat(just the offense):

O-line: Left side has Art Shell and Gene Upshaw. Center is Mike Webster. Right side is Jerry Kramer and Forrest Gregg.

Tight end is Mark Chmura.

Wideouts are Paul Warfield and Otis Taylor.

Halfback is Lenny Moore.

Fullback is Jim Taylor.

And the Quarterback....

Number 4 in your program, number 1 in your heart

all the way from Kiln, Mississippi

Mr. Brett Favre

Whatdya think?