Why Favre deserves to fail but Smoltz deserves to succeed

[Dirty]

7:19 am August 19, 2009, by Jeff Schultz
John Smoltz has a massive ego. He won’t retire. He believes he still can help a team win a championship, even though people think he’s nuts. Gee, you would’ve thought he was Brett Favre.
Big difference.
Smoltz will officially sign with the St. Louis Cardinals today after he clears post-release waivers at 1 p.m. eastern time. Here’s a guy to pull for at the end of his career, not a guy to mock.
Smoltz will sign with St. Louis because the Cardinals are giving him a chance to be a fifth starter. That’s something that wasn’t afforded him after his collapse with the Boston Red Sox. He also presumably won’t have to rehab in the minors, which the Red Sox also wanted.
So you might say, “Smoltz is getting his way. How selfish. He’s just like Favre.”
Not even close. Favre has managed to get his way and signed with the Minnesota Vikings Tuesday, which is what he wanted to do two years ago. But in getting there, he stepped on three NFL franchises along the way and scorched any remaining bit of character left in his soul. He cried crocodile tears at a retirement press conference in Green Bay after the Packers gave him a prolonged period (again) to make his decision. Almost immediately, rumors circulated that he wanted to come back — and never intended on leaving. The idea all along was to force the Packers to trade him to Minnesota, a division rival. The Packers dealt him to the New York Jets. A similar chain of events occurred in New York after last season, except that the Jets, convinced Favre had really retired, just released him. Then came the Minnesota abomination.
It’s one thing to get your way. It’s another to do so without regard to the teammates you’ve played with or the ones you’re about to play with.
Nobody can say that about Smoltz. Whether you believe he can still pitch or not, he never damaged the Braves’ franchise on the way out the door. He still has universal admiration in that clubhouse, and it’s the same in Boston and around baseball. Favre is not embraced the same way. Players, coaches and management have come to recognize him for what he is.
As for Smoltz, while there was little tangible evidence in Boston (2-5, 8.32 earned run average) to lead many to believe that he can still pitch after major shoulder surgery a year ago, some high profile teams obviously still believe he’s worth the risk. The National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers and wild-card contending Florida Marlins both expressed interest. Ultimately, Smoltz will sign with the Cardinals, who are contending for the N.L. Central title. It puts Smoltz back in the National League, where he spent his entire major league career with the Braves.
It also puts him in a potential face-to-face meeting with the Braves, who go to St. Louis for a weekend series Sept. 11-13. And I guarantee you when the Braves meet the Cards, every Brave will wish him luck. Can you imagine a similar scenario when Favre plays the Packers? Didn’t think so.


Why Favre deserves to fail but Smoltz deserves to succeed | Jeff Schultz

[Dirty]

Aug. 19 cartoon | Mike Luckovich

[Minnesota Mike]

Up here most people are tired of losing and want Farve if he helps us. Weather he is an upstanding citizen, a headcase, and a manipulator is irrelevant.
I personally dont like his games and would rather he had just acted like a man and made up his mind. I feel guys like farve and smoltz should play as long as they can , but dislike comments like "deserve to succeed" - they either will or they wont, "deserving" has nothing to do with it.

[doc mercer]

Favre never eletrocuted dogs

If that POS Lowlife Vick is allowed back in the league than Favre should be welcomed back with Open arms

He is still a top 10 qb if healthy ....

He played the last 5 games with a torn muscle in his shoulder and its not like the Jets defv down the stretch reminded anyone of the Steel Curtain

Again ... if Vick is back in then the standards as low as it gets so let Brett do his thing as I don't recall him every spending time in the Big House like Vick did

[doc mercer]

This whole shit never would have happened if dickhead Teddy had listened to Brett and traded that 4th rounder to get Randy Moss

Brett is an all timer and unlike Namath, Unitas or Mays at this age can still produce and
contribute and being a Packers fan I won't say much but sit back and grin if Favre was to win a SB with the Vikes this season

[rjordan1979]

He is still a top 10 qb if healthy ....

No, no he's not.

[doc mercer]

Brett was at 20/13 before tearing that muscle in his shoulder

I bet he does just fine as this is one of the few offseasons he has worked out hard

good offv line in front of him and a stud horse rb


I hope Brett proves them all wrong ... except when playing the Pack

[Dirty]

Brett was at 20/13 before

Was that Retirements to Un-Retirements or Vice Versa or was it how many teams he fucked over in his mental dilemma to get to the team he wanted no matter what

[doc mercer]

Before he tore the muscle in his throwing shoulder

He can still play .....

[rjordan1979]

Yup, those 22 picks last year were AWESOME.