The Divorce is Final...The Thrill is Gone

With a blues song whining in the background, the Green Bay Packers finally signed the divorce papers. Can't you just hear B.B. King singing "The Thrill is Gone"? After 16 years with the same girlfriend team, Brett Favre is a free man and will soon hit the mean streets of New York as the NY Jets new QB. The soap opera is over.

According to a Sports Illustrated article:

After some hope for reconciliation between the franchise and perhaps its most beloved player earlier this week, the final split between the Packers and Favre became obvious Tuesday evening.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Tuesday that after approximately six hours of what he called "brutally honest" conversations over two days, the coach had determined that Favre doesn't have the right mind-set to play for the Packers.

McCarthy said Favre couldn't seem to get past emotional wounds that were opened as tensions mounted in recent weeks -- even with the chance to win his starting job
back potentially on the table.

"Brett has had a long and storied career in Green Bay, and the Packers owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for everything he accomplished on the field and for the impact he made in the state," Green Bay officials said in a statement.

"It is with some sadness that we make this announcement, but also with the desire for certainty that will allow us to move the team and organization forward in the most positive way possible."

Jets chairman and CEO Woody Johnson issued a statement early Thursday.

"I am looking forward to seeing Brett Favre in a New York Jets uniform," Johnson said. "He represents a significant addition to this franchise, and reflects our commitment to putting the best possible product on the field. Mike Tannenbaum and his football administration staff did a great job of navigating this complex process. I am excited about welcoming Brett, Deanna and their family to the Jets organization."

Within an hour of the announcement, Favre's #4 jersey was on sale on the New York Jets' website.

In the News

If you're suspended for smoking weed If at first you don't succeed - try, try again. Former/current(?) Miami Dolphin running back, Ricky Williams wants another shot at playing football in the NFL so that he can clear his name.

Williams has had a slew of problems. A bad contract negotiation and injury in his first season, a premature retirement in 2004, a comeback attempt in 2005 and soon a 4 game suspension for smoking weed. A full season suspension in 2006 (in the immortal words of Rick James, "I'm in love with mary jane. She's my main thing."). A reinstatement in 2007 only to be injured after 6 carries. Well, every dog dolphin has it's day, and maybe in 2008 the stars have aligned and Ricky will get another chance to live up to his potential. He's 100% healthy, in good standing with the team, and the Dolphins' starting QB (that's lingo for quarterback, ladies) has not fully recovered from knee surgery.

"Number one, it's a good salary. There's not many jobs where you make this kind of money,'' Williams told the Miami Herald when asked why he continues to play football at age 31. "Plus, the way I left made it difficult. To come back and clear my name was important to me." (source)

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He had no idea that 5 months later he's still be crying.

One of the greatest QBs of all time, Brett Favre, announced his retirement in March after playing his entire career with the Green Bay Packers. Now, after spending the summer integrating into life-after-football, he decided that he's not ready to retire. Only problem is that his career-long team doesn't quite feel equally as sentimental. The Packers have a thing for Brett and they can't let go. It's kind of like breaking up with a long term boyfriend or girlfriend. At the time, it felt like the right thing to do, but after a while you forget the reason you broke up in the first place and try to revisit getting back together. Then you work on getting back together and figure out you hate each other and you break up all over again.

The Packers are basically telling Brett, "If I can't have you no one will." See, Favre is still under a three year contract with Green Bay and they would rather pay him for not playing than to release him and he go to a rival team and possibly lead the new team to a superbowl over his former team

There's so much drama in the NFL. They should turn this into a reality TV show.