If you are a member of the Jets organization, a player on the Jets roster, or a fan of the team, you must be thinking that the franchise has been cursed by Brett Favre. Favre is like a contractor, who builds your house using shoddy techniques, covers up the mess, collects a big check and then disappears as your dream home starts to crumble around you.
His tenure in Gotham started out blissfully as he led the Jets to an 8-3 start. Personally, he threw 20 touchdown passes against only 13 interceptions and look like a sure-thing Pro Bowl quarterback. Unfortunately, for Jets fans, the wheels came off quickly starting with a week 13 loss to the Denver Broncos. Instead of cruising into the playoffs, Favre's poor play down the stretch dragged the entire team into the toilet. The Jets lost four of five games at the end of the season with Favre throwing nine interceptions and only two touchdowns. Favre fleeced the Jets for $12 million and appeared to have made no friends in the locker room with his superstar attitude and loner approach. After the season, at least two former teammates made it clear that Favre was not giving the Jets the best chance to win at the end of the season.
After the season, Favre did the whole retirement song and dance for the second consecutive off-season and ultimately signed with the Minnesota Vikings. The Jets must have felt a great deal of relief that Favre had decided to ruin someone else's team. Unfortunately, Favre found a way to haunt New York from thousands of miles away. In a press conference with the Minnesota media, Favre intentionally dropped the bomb that the Jets knew about his arm injury and still didn't include him on the injury report, which is contrary to NFL policy. As a result of Brett's disclosure, Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum was forced to admit that the Jets had indeed failed to include Favre on the injury report. By ratting out his former team to the media, Favre knew exactly what he was doing. It was completely unnecessary for Favre to accuse the Jets of purposely leaving him off the injury report. In my opinion, it was an extremely vindictive move by Favre and it further reduces my already low opinion of the future Hall-of-Famer.
As a result of Favre's admission, the NFL unleashed a full investigation. After examining the affair more closely, the NFL levied $125,000 in fines: $75,000 for the Jets organization, $25,000 for Mike Tannenbaum and $25,000 for former Jets coach Eric Mangini. Since the Jets got caught with their hands in the cookie jar, I completely agree with the NFL's decision to hand down a stiff fine. The NFL cannot allow other teams to think that they can play with the injury report rules and get away with it. Nevertheless, it should have never come to this. Favre should have kept his big mouth shut and let bygones be bygones. Now that he has inflicted so much damage, Favre should throw some money to Tannenbaum and Mangini to help offset the 25 large that they lost due to his loose lips.
The honeymoon period is in full force in Minnesota, but no one will be surprised when Favre sinks their promising season as well. I can only hope that GM Rick Spielman and Head Coach Brad Childress have started a rainy day fund to cover the fines when Favre throws them under the bus next year. We all know that if you play with fire you are bound to get burned.
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