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wtfvikesfan (449)Two posts recently written here at VT have turned out to be related.
First, I mentioned that Ben Leber has rejoined the Vikings to provide preseason commentary for Vikings Entertainment Network, and I also mentioned that Brett Favre recently made remarks indicating that money was a main reason he returned to the Vikings for a disappointing 2010 season.
Now, appearing on KFAN and transcribed by PFT, Leber sounded off on Favre’s effort and attitude during a season that turned out to be on the worst, and most chaotic, in team history.
“He clearly wasn’t mentally and emotionally into it, and that’s the thing that kind of bugged me,” Leber said in the segment. “I get it, you’ve got to make the money when you can make it, even though he has made hundreds of millions of dollars. When he says it’s about the money, it just means that he wasn’t committed to us. So that irritated me a little bit, not for him taking the money, but for what it really meant.”
“You know, I’ll kind of stagger back in here,” said Leber in describing Favre’s approach, “And I’ll give you guys what I’ve got, but I just know wholeheartedly I don’t have it in me, and the money’s too good to pass up.”
“If that’s the case, move on,” Leber continued. “I’d rather go with somebody that’s maybe less talented, that’s 100 percent committed to us winning. It bugged me a little bit. I’m not going to say I lost sleep over it, but it bugged me.”
That “somebody” that was “maybe less talented” in 2010 was presumably Tarvaris Jackson. Perhaps some of those reports about the infamous “schism” back in the day were more accurate than they were ever given credit for.
One thing I know for sure, as I ride around in my truck with a Packers fan turned Vikings fan turned Packers fan that is replacing me in my current job, I now have Leber’s comments to back me up in my persistent comments that Favre set this franchise back by four or five seasons.
Hmm. This bugged me too, but I don’t feel Favre is the one to peg for setting the team behind. The way the team was structured, 08 was the all or nothing year. They were only missing the QB, as we all know. I think whether Favre came back, or not, the team was already set back if they didn’t win the SB that year.
What gets my goat is the way the ‘went all in’, in their minds, by doing the unthinkable and at the same time not bring back important players such as Birk and Taylor. We win the SB if those two were still on the team and had seasons similar to their past performances.
That’s not to say they couldn’t have been a little better in 09 with an inspired QB, however.
I know your stance on Taylor, but that guy single handedly won games for the team numerous times by bailing out Favre on third down, during his entire time with the team for that matter. Our problem the past two seasons is third down on both sides of the ball (frazier’s words, though obvious). Look at the change in 3rd down efficiency since those two left.