Deadspin
Kickers are always complaining that they have too much pressure on them, and that people only notice them when they fail. This is not exactly true; people only notice kickers when they fail and the team loses. Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes missed two potential game-winning field goals yesterday — one wasn't necessarily his fault — but when he hit the last one, that's all anyone remembered. He's on the front page of the papers today. And strangely ... Brett Favre is not.
Despite the Favre exhaustion of the last few years, the casual, non-partisan fan had to be rooting for Favre yesterday, if just to add even a wee bit more spice to the Super Bowl. The goodwill Favre built up throughout his career returned in 2007, and even those of us who love to make fun of those who worship The Gunslinger Mentality warmed up to him. And then he comes out in overtime yesterday and throws a pass every bit of ill-advised, and even more disastrous, as his famous lame duck in the loss to the Eagles four years ago.
Favre may retire, finally, and he may not; we hope, at the very least, he doesn't take as long to let us know this time. But let us not forget: He has one Super Bowl, lost one, and now cost his team a trip to two others in four years. We know, we know: It's Favre. But one quarterback in Wisconsin yesterday decided to take the game in his own hands, and the other just safely managed the game and stayed out of trouble. Guess which one's going to the Super Bowl?
Another Playoff Run Ends On A Bad Favre Throw [PackersNews]
(UPDATE: Lest we forget, by the way, Coming To America called this.)
Comments
Wow, Favre may possibly be thinking about maybe retiring. Or not. I never saw that coming.
Looks like Farve Gunslinged them out of a victory. Gunslinged? Gunslung? Gunslang? Gunslew? Somebody help me out.
Happy Martin Lawrence King Day, everyone!
What?? Brett's NOT perfect?? Careful there Will. Count yourself lucky if you don't wake up to find a bloody wheel of cheddar in your bed tomorrow.
At least Peter King has found a way to fill the Farve void:
Started watching "American Idol'' the other night, and loved it. Never thought I would, but the show is a riot.
In other news, there's these tiny little creatures who get into your lungs and make you sick! It's a riot.
Somewhere, John Madden is crying with his penis in his hand.
So, Peter King's column is up. Do I want to read the sound of a (over)grown man crying?
At least now that the Packers are out of the play-offs the good people of Green Bay can get back to...
@stealofthedraft: ... eating? Good parenting?
Favre should trade gunslinging for Singapore Slinging, and fast.
Eli Manning talks with a yak tongue. Just saying...
@OchentaYcinco: cheese
strahanwilleattynes.jpg
Heh.
@OchentaYcinco: I truly can't believe that I found this nugget in a football column:
"you want to make Brandon Jacobs happy, serve him some nice lasagna, with a touch of nutmeg, believe it or not."
Got to hand it to King for getting the big story.
Blogger and Author Will Leitch Found Dead.
Editor of the popular sports site Deadspin, Will Leitch, was found murdered outside of New York. Leitch, the author of a new sports anthology, was apparently run over in a tragic hit-and-run accident while leaving a book signing. Reports are sketchy, but police say it appears that the vehicle was a large camper with a Raiders bumper sticker. Witnesses claim the drivers where a pair of pudgy older men, one with facial hair.
The only other evidence found at the scene were a telestrator pen and a field hockey stick with "Montclair High School" written on it.
I hope that Tom Coughlin gets some salve for his face.
@stealofthedraft: Solving the mystery of Dark Matter thus unlocking the secrets of the Universe. Or incest. It's a toss up.
This Packers fan says that the title of this post is wrong.
There's at least 4 bigger reasons than Favre to why they lost this game.
@Stev D:
It's too late for salve. Word is he's ordered a skin graft from Kevin Gilbride.
Why wouldn't Tynes wear gloves?
We are kickers we kick ball we play with ball we kick the ball!
I like to kick, I like to play, but please please, not Green Bay!
BRRR Green Bay! BRRR Green Bay!
Wait, he made it? Oh.
Tynes looks like schrutebag in that pic.
I was cursing him out after the first kick, in shock after the second one, and euphoric after he nailed it. Last night was a great party night in Manhattan.
Totally Favres fault. 9 of 17 for 73 yards with 2 INT's in the second half and OT. That's just shitty play. Did the old man hit the Vicodin bottle at halftime?
@eddierebel:
Because apparently he is the FUCKING BALLS!
@Senators Lost Cojones:
Gregggggggggggg Easterbrook's gonna be pretty pissed if someone finds the mystery of the universe before him.
@eddierebel: better grip while trying to choke the game away...
Wow. Tony Romo really is a young Bret Favre.
No, Will, you're exactly right. The old fart has sucked in the playoffs ever since the 98 game against the 49ers(where Owens caught the last second touchdown).
The Pack doesn't make the Super Bowl due to Favre's ineptitute...
and the Giants *do* make the Super Bowl despite not heeding the warnings of or handing the ball to Tiki Barber.
If only there was some sort of column here at Deadspin that could help me to track how conventional wisdom changes from week to week.
@Afino: 1. McCarthy's playcalling sucked. How many freaking screen passes are you going to call when you realize they DON'T FREAKING WORK, JUST LIKE THEY HAVN'T WORKED ALL YEAR.
2. How the hell does the pass defense fall apart with Eli Freaking Manning as the quarterback. They couldn't cover for shit.
3. No pass rush.
4. No running game, which McCarthy unneccesarily abandoned too soon.
If Deanna had sit in the stands instead of a luxury box, the Pack would have won. Just ask Eli.
@stealofthedraft:
Rockin the ganga
@Afino: Maybe, but I can't help but think that had the Packers won the game in OT, reasons 1-5 for their victory, according to Packers fans, would have been Favre.
@blainer: Guess that whole "No soup for Eli" thing really worked out.
@LeagueofShadows:
1. Too many
2. Al Harris got eaten alive by Plax all day
3. Despite their mistakes, Snee and Diehl did a good job
4. Kawika Mitchell, Osi and Strahan
@Dread: Now why do you have to go and do a thing like that? Uncalled for.
@Student of The Game: Damn, you beat me to the punch.
I feel so gay after reading Peter King today.
Hey! That rhymed!
@Dread: Whoa, whoa, WHOA!! Let's not do anything rash, or say something we can't take back now.
Lawerence was sure excited after learning that Strahan was giving him the OK to do the Cowboy dance
Andre Kristacovitchlalinski, Jr. is not impressed by Mr. Tynes.
@BigTenObsession: Al Harris sucked more than any cornerback I've ever seen.
@Tickenest:
Yep. Funny how that works, eh?
Favre was a reason they lost, not the reason.
Regardless, the Packers didn't deserve to win. I reached the acceptance stage of grief by midnight last night.
By the way, I think Brett's performance was hindered by the cold. A month ago it was around 0 degrees and windy as hell in Chicago and he struggled. He looked old and tired. Same thing yesterday. I hate to say it, but as I get older, I have less tolerance for the shitty weather. And drinking.
@Afino: I'm still in denial.
That wasn't an "ill-advised" pass. It was simply a pass that should have been to outside the numbers, but which he flubbed, so it floated inside and was easy to pick. Ill-advised is throwing into triple coverage, which he admittedly did at least once and got away with it. That last INT was simply a bad pass, not a bad decision.
King didn't select a "Goat of the Week" - I wonder why.
@Crookednose: No, I'd say trying to throw a 15-yard "out" route when you can't feel your hand and you haven't completed that pass all night qualifies as "ill-advised." Stupid play call, for sure, but you can't try to make that throw in 30-below weather. There's no way you can get enough steam on the ball.
@Gourmet Spud: +1, unfortunately not everyone has the day off... I start classes for the new semester today.
Before the game, Favre said that as the game progresses, he'll lose distance and zip on his passes. The 15 yard out would certainly qualify as needing both of those attributes. Also, I saw a stat floating around that the pack is close to .500 in games under 40* in the last couple years.
I think the best part of the post game festivities were the player interviews. They all sounded like they just came from the dentist.
I'll remind everyone again that kicking used to be much more important in this game... about 100 years ago or so.
@Afino: When your an 8 point favorite, at home in the NFC Championship, and your the quarterback the offense manages only 88 yards in the second half and you throw an bad interception on a potentially game winning drive, you deserve a HUGE amount of the blame.
If this were Eli or Grossman or virtually any other QB, he'd be getting slaughtered in the media. Its favre, so every looks for other people to blame
@Worm: fair enough.
Maybe Eli Manning won the game rather than Brett Favre losing it?