Oh Brett Favre

Let the record officially state that I am not upset that Brett Favre is still playing football, or that he is playing for the Packer's second biggest rival (sorry kids, the Bears are still #1), although I suppose the Vikings are the biggest rival now.

I am more frustrated and ticked off at how the process went. If two years ago Brett Favre had told the Packers that he still wanted to play, I would have been fine. Sure I was getting sick of the 'I might retire after this year' shenanigans, but who wasn't? I would have been fine last year if he went to the Vikings or Bears or wherever. The Packers are a better team with Aaron Rodgers, I truly believe that. Brett Favre leaving was better for the Packers future because it finally allowed the team to move forward. I, like many people, am just sick of this 'will he or won't he' crap that happens EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

The part that bothers me is that I always thought Brett Favre was different. I didn't think that he was the prima donna. I believed that he didn't care about the records (at least not THAT much). I believed that he didn't like the attention. I believed that he was the kind of player that would go out and throw 4 touchdowns, 3 picks, and still have a PBR after the game just like one of the guys. I believed he wasn't New York City or LA, he was Green Bay. He was wranglers and John Deere. But it turns out I (and most Packer fans) were wrong. Brett Favre is no better than Terrell Owens, a player that wakes up every morning and thinks 'how can I get onto Sportscenter today?'

Perhaps the worst part about Brett Favre is that he has added to my already depleting stock of faith in athletes and other public figures. When I hear someone say something now that makes me think 'they are different,' I will question that thought even more. Barack Obama almost tricked me, but it turns out he isn't that different either (health care reform anyone?). Seems the further you get into the public eye, the more Hollywood you become.

I won't miss Brett Favre the person, but I will miss the fun that he was as a Packer, and going to the Vikings has sort of ruined those memories. Now when I see Brett Favre running around the Superdome field with his helmet above his head, I will think about these last few years, and not those 14 or so years of pure joy.

I could write for pages about this subject, but I am sick of it. And the sad thing is that I bet we are still discussing this NEXT summer when Brett hasn't decided if he will come back for the NEXT season.

Go to the game? I might rather stay home!

I am reaching a point in my 'sports fan' career that I never thought I would reach. There are times I would rather watch the game than go to the game.

I used to be the guy that wouldn't sell his Badger tickets for anything. Wisconsin versus Ohio State? I didn't care I could get $100 plus dollars for my tickets, I was going. There was always something about being in the stands, hearing the crowd, yelling at B.J. Tucker or the refs, and everything else that goes with being at the stadium. This holds true with my Brewers tickets. There is always something great about being at Miller Park, although the culture at Miller Park is nowhere CLOSE to Camp Randall.

This is all changing now, and I am not completely sure why, but I have a few thoughts. First, the crowds at sporting events have changed, at least at Brewer's games. Gone are the days where fans went to support THEIR team, now fans go to support a winner. Fans don't want to just watch the Brewers, they want to watch the Brewers win. If they don't win that day the world is going to come crashing to an end as the abyss swallows us. I love fun-loving, sports-loving crowds that are happy to be there. If the home team wins, great, if not, at least we had a good time. Joe and I can talk baseball all day, but if we have to put up with more fans telling Doug Melvin how to do his job we might snap. I am to the point now where my favorite part of being at Miller Park is tailgating. Not that I love the Brewers less, I just hate the fans screaming and complaining all game.

Second, people have better televisions. This has more people staying home, inviting some friends over, and watching the game that way. The company is just as good and the beer is cheaper. Sign me up. Why deal with the stresses and cost of the stadium? There are perks, but HDTV is shortening the gap between being at the park or being at home.

Third, I have a life. I don't mean that people that go don't. Not at all. I just find it hard to donate an entire day to a game (in college I could donate an entire weekend!). But I am not willing to give up the 'parking lot' time with my buddies because this is sometimes the only time I get to talk with them.

Finally (although I could list more), I think fans are more rude than they used to be. Fans find almost as much pleasure rooting against a team, as for their team. Cubs/Brewers games are the best example. Fans scream things at each other for no good reason. I would rather cheer for my Brewers than against the Cubs. I know I don't share this view with most fans, but that is my choice (and why I sell Brewers/Cubs tickets if Joe lets me).

One of my favorite sporting events ever was the PGA Championship at Whistling Straights. Golf is great to attend because people don't get negative like they do at team sporting events. People are generally just happy to be there. That is the kind of crowd I can get behind.

So as teams experience a severe decline in revenue and attendance because of the economy, I will be interested to see how many fans come back when the economy turns around. I honestly believe that more people are enjoying watching the game with THEIR crowd, rather at their favorite sports bar or having some friends over to watch the game.

I will always go to games. Opening Day will always be one of my favorite days of the year. Being at Camp Randall will always hold a certain mystique. I am simply saying that I don't need to be there like I used to.

Why am I against Lance Armstong?

If you had told me 5 years ago that in 2009 Lance Armstrong would be riding in the Tour de France I would have assumed I'd be excited. I used to watch the Tour. I used to really care. Yet here we are, Lance is riding (and riding well), and it almost angers me to see him performing well. I am trying to figure out why.

I blame Brett Favre for most of my feelings against Lance Armstrong. Brett Favre was the classic "I will retire, I won't retire" athlete. I consider that a 'God Complex.' Every summer Brett Favre danced with Packers and their fans. Every summer the media was there to analyze every move and quote. The sheer amount of Brett Favre coverage lowered my tolerance for athletes and their "God Complexes." Now I feel generally the same with Lance Armstrong. If I were one of his teammates (because cycling is very much a team sport) I would be terribly upset. Here is Lance, retired for 3+ years, who decides to ride and swoops in to assume the number one spot on his team. "Sorry guys, Lance is back, please move to the back of the bus." Probably similar to the setting when David Beckham came over and played for the L.A. Galaxy.

The Lance Armstrong God complex is also aided by my addiction to twitter. Lance is one of the few celebrities or athletes I follow. Lance's twitter feed was everything I feared it would be (and why I hope Tiger Woods never has one) because it is all about him. He simply has started to annoy me because he thinks I should want to be him (eat his food, listen to his music, and anything else he does). Twitter could be an amazing tool for an athlete to show they are normal people, that they drink coffee in the morning just like the rest of us. Sadly Lance's (and seemingly other athletes) miss that opportunity.

So I will cheer for Lance, even though I bet my boss he would lose. I just hope that he is humble if he wins. It would be a story, and I will be interested to see how he goes about it. Will it be "of course I won, I am Lance Armstrong," or "my teammates were amazing by allowing me, and not them, to have this opportunity."