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Shutdown Corner

Wed May 27, 2009 2:57 pm EDT

Fran Tarkenton will not be welcoming Brett Favre to Minnesota

By MJD

I'm sure there are a lot of Vikings fans out there who would love to see Brett Favre(notes) put on the purple and yellow, but Fran Tarkenton isn't one of them. If it does eventually happen, you won't see Tarkenton showing up at Favre's door in Minnesota with a freshly-baked apple pie to welcome him.

Tarkenton was on 790 the Zone in Atlanta yesterday and talked about the Brett Favre's "I'm retired, wait, no I'm not" bit.

“I think it’s despicable. What he put the Packers through last year was not good. Here’s an organization that was loyal to him for 17, 18 years, provided stability of organization, provided players. It just wasn’t about Brett Favre. In this day and time, we have glorified the Brett Favre’s of the world so much, they think it’s about them. He goes to New York and bombs. He’s 39 years old. How would you like Ray Nitschke in his last year (playing for) the Vikings, or I retire, and go play for the Packers. I kind of hope it happens, so he can fail.”

Wow. That's a Limbaugh-on-Obama level of hatred right there. And Tarkenton wasn't much more complimentary of Favre as a football player, either.

“I think he has been a great flamboyant quarterback, but he has made more stupid plays than any great quarterback that I’ve ever seen. Look at his final game in a Packers uniform. He blew that game against the Giants. He’s playing against Eli Manning(notes), I love Eli Manning, but he’s still not a great quarterback. He’s not Peyton yet, or Tom Brady(notes). He’s just a guy. And they’re (Packers) are playing at home, and they’re in a tight situation, they went to overtime and he (Favre) throws the interception that allows them (the Giants) to come back and win the game. He has done that and driven his coaches crazy all of his career.”

That is shocking. It's not shocking necessarily that Tarkenton has those opinions, but I thought there was some kind of rule that prohibited people from ever going on television or radio unless they had an unbridled love of Brett Favre. It's somewhat refreshing to hear, and not just because I happen to agree.

If Favre does end up in a Vikings uniform in '09, I hope Tarkenton also unretires for just one game to go back into the Monday Night Football booth. That would be fun.

Gracias, KSK, via NFL Nation, via SportsRadioInterviews.com.

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1636 Comments

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  1. Imnotakid
    1. Posted by Imnotakid Wed May 27, 2009 3:01 pm EDT

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    I'm not shocked at all. It is what most Americans think. Yahoo! is the one who seems to follow last on this subject.
  2. Butt Pirate
    2. Posted by Butt Pirate Wed May 27, 2009 3:06 pm EDT

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    This brought tears to my eyes. It's...so.....perfect.
  3. Patrick M
    3. Posted by Patrick M Wed May 27, 2009 3:07 pm EDT

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    He has to know when to say when. Just enjoy your retirement. For the love of god, Im 27 years old and all I can do is think about how great retirement is going to be. I can't wait.
  4. MichaelS
    4. Posted by MichaelS Wed May 27, 2009 3:07 pm EDT

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    I blame it on sarah palin
  5. S B
    5. Posted by S B Wed May 27, 2009 3:11 pm EDT

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    I'm surprised he didn't put his name right after Brady and Payton, does anyone love Fran more than himself
  6. 1Master RED
    6. Posted by 1Master RED Wed May 27, 2009 3:14 pm EDT

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    Go bears
  7. daddymag
    7. Posted by daddymag Wed May 27, 2009 3:19 pm EDT

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    Oh my god. he speaks the truth.
  8. Helter
    8. Posted by Helter Wed May 27, 2009 3:44 pm EDT

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    yeah, yeah, yeah - Farve has not been the only one in this long drag out of retired or not retired issue. every year the media starts it up like clock work and then points the finger at everyone else. they get what they want in way of ratings and stories that people buy and read. Tarkenton is considered a great QB for the Vikings but for him to bad mouth another QB (future hall of fame) and even criticize his play ... when he did his part (or lack of) in a loss of a SB back in the day.
    sure the packers let Favre play there for umpteen years, but when it came down to it and the guy still wanted to play they screwed him over. it's true he should have been sure once he said he was retiring but he's not the only player to do this and yet he's the only one to receive the amount of hate for wanting to un retire.
    this has been ... AGAIN all the biggest load of crap going in entertainment sports news ... I feel like I'm watching insider edition or whatever the tabloid news and papers are called these days - what ever happened to posting and reporting facts ... which would mean leaving Favre untouched until something is certain it is taking place. We are no closer now than months ago as to what the guy will do, but really it does not matter until something is confirmed. and Tarkenton !!! who knows what crawled up his hole. he is tarnishing his stature of what he once was. this is a new game these days ... a style of business long past his days of playing.
    tired of hearing about Favre and all that goes with it - I hate myself for posting to this but I will get over it
  9. i_think_i_am_santa
    9. Posted by i_think_i_am_santa Wed May 27, 2009 3:44 pm EDT

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    My respect for Fran Tarkenton as a great QB just went down the drain. He can just go and choke on his SuperBowl ring. Wait he doesn't have one.
    Vike fan.
  10. ButchCassidy
    10. Posted by ButchCassidy Wed May 27, 2009 3:44 pm EDT

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    I have to stick up for Farve here (that is, until I hear it from him that he's "unretiring"). Farve, himself, has NOT come out and said he's coming back. So why does everyone keep talking about it as if he has? If he's such a "media whore", then isn't it the MEDIA (MJD) that's giving him what he wants? I say everyone should just stop talking about him and maybe he'll just go on being retired. If he comes back, then have at it. Bash him all you want.
  11. Sith Lord
    11. Posted by Sith Lord Wed May 27, 2009 3:45 pm EDT

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    Ah Fran, how I wish you were cloned! Would love to see you in purple again, and boy, did you hit that on the head too!!!!!
  12. Nicolas
    12. Posted by Nicolas Wed May 27, 2009 3:46 pm EDT

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    Didn't Fran leave to go to the Giants for a while
  13. Scott E
    13. Posted by Scott E Wed May 27, 2009 3:47 pm EDT

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    Fran is forgetting Brett's intangibles. The ability to chew Redman and throw an interception at the same time.
  14. Scott E
    14. Posted by Scott E Wed May 27, 2009 3:55 pm EDT

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    @#12- the reason we get our panties all wadded up is that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Brett is the one jerking everyone around, being coy and checking with the Dr., etc. If he'd come out and say absolutely NO and go back to his ranch, I for one would let him retire in peace. If he comes back, largely for the reasons Fran states, I will root against him - and I've generally been a Brett fan all his career until last year.
  15. the_dude
    15. Posted by the_dude Wed May 27, 2009 4:03 pm EDT

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    Fran was traded to and from the Giants to the Vikings. He didn't get along with Norm Van Brocklin, as Norm didn't like the idea of a mobile quarterback.
    Funny, he was just about 20 years ahead of his time...
  16. ButchCassidy
    16. Posted by ButchCassidy Wed May 27, 2009 4:14 pm EDT

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    Hey, Scott E, have any of the things you heard come out of Farve's mouth?
    Last time I checked it's the MEDIA saying he's going to the Dr., the MEDIA is saying xray's of Farve are being sent to Minnesota, the MEDIA that's saying he's going to meet with Childress in Minnesota, oh wait no, then the MEDIA said Childress was going to see Farve. It's the MEDIA MORON's (no offense MJD) that keep this Farve unretiring "story" alive.
  17. Anthony
    17. Posted by Anthony Wed May 27, 2009 4:18 pm EDT

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    Did Fran ever WIN anything that counted? I'm thinking he lost just as many super bowls as Jim Kelly...... What's he scared of Farve coming in at 39, 40 years old and winning a super bowl!!! SHUT UP jelous old man
  18. Nicolas
    18. Posted by Nicolas Wed May 27, 2009 4:21 pm EDT

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    I don't see the problem of Favre still playing. It's the reason for it( with Vikings). He has more support then TT or McCarthy, but if these move happens I don't see many supporters. Sorry Brett but there is different ways of revenge or proving they made a mistake..
  19. YourOpinionSucksTryMine
    19. Posted by YourOpinionSucksTryMine Wed May 27, 2009 4:28 pm EDT

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    Fran doesn't have a ring, but he does have a nifty Hall of Fame jacket.
  20. Nicolas
    20. Posted by Nicolas Wed May 27, 2009 4:34 pm EDT

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    @19, unless you just count super Bowl wins he was,9× Pro Bowl selection (1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976)
    6× All-Pro selection (1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976)
    1975 NFL MVP
    1975 NFL Offensive Player of the Year
    1975 UPI NFC Player of the Year
    1975 Bert Bell Award
    1964 Pro Bowl MVP
    Minnesota Vikings #10 Retired
    I don't agree wiht him but you got to respect the old vets.....
  21. Newly Ingalls
    21. Posted by Newly Ingalls Wed May 27, 2009 4:43 pm EDT

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    I may not agree with Frans political beliefs but he is right about Brett Favre! If Brett wants to play again fine but don't sign for the Vikings because he will whine and cry if hes benched.
  22. Tut
    22. Posted by Tut Wed May 27, 2009 4:51 pm EDT

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    Damn. Fran still has that fire in him. I wonder what the rest of Minnesota is saying.
  23. DUTY FIRST
    23. Posted by DUTY FIRST Wed May 27, 2009 4:58 pm EDT

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    Francis, go back to your info-mercials and hush.
  24. Mr. Z
    24. Posted by Mr. Z Wed May 27, 2009 5:10 pm EDT

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    Thank you Fran. You simply said what an awful lot of people are thinking.
  25. BaseballFan
    25. Posted by BaseballFan Wed May 27, 2009 5:21 pm EDT

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    Fran, I'm with you, my brother! Fartve is a self-serving, self-centered, self-obsessed, self-aggrandizing, humorless, uncharming, disloyal, dim-witted, despicable oaf.

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