Favre as a Jet: How did that happen?

I'm still confused. How did Brett Favre, living legend and America's old-school Wrangler-wearin' tough guy get bullied into going to the worst possible destination?

I have to give credit (for simply the tactic, not the stance) of Green Bay's front office for stone-walling Favre and not simply acquiescing to his wishes. It seemed very likely that Brett would be headed to Tampa Bay, and the Jets had no shot. That's what everyone, including myself, were thinking when we realized he was done in Green Bay. Tampa was going to be the best fit for Brett, since he was never going to get traded to Minnesota or the barely mentioned Chicago Bears. I fully expected to see Brett flex his legend-muscles during trade negotiations to make sure he didn't end up as second-fiddle in the AFC East division. But it never happened. Favre was obviously tired of this whole debacle and simply wanted to get into a camp so he could play the game he loved (yet said he didn't want to play anymore only a few months ago).

The other reported reason Favre to Tampa never materialized shocks me still. Tampa GM Bruce Allen apparently played hard-ball with Green Bay during their trade talks, and refused to give Green Bay what they wanted. Now, what insane demands could Green Bay have been making to make the Bucs pass on Brett Freakin' Favre? A third-round pick (perhaps conditional?), and a player. Now, last time I checked the Bucs roster, I didn't see a whole lot of players I'd wouldn't give up to get no. 4. The reported player in question? Brian Griese. Let me spell this out, in case your head hurts like mine did at the absurdity of it.

The Bucs would not give up a third rounder and semi-serviceable back-up Brian Griese for Brett Favre.

Take some Advil Tampa fans, and come back when you're ready.

There's no reason to this logic. The NFC South is a crap-shoot. Carolina never lives up to its potential, despite Steve Smith's uncanny ability to make people forget he exists. Atlanta is slightly better this season, but they're going to struggle to get to 6 wins. New Orleans could be great, but they were supposed to be great last year. Nobody knows. Tampa won the division last year even though they only won nine games. That's the magic number in that division. Nine wins is almost a lock to get that playoff berth. So why not make this move? I guess a 38 year old Brett Favre isn't a tremendous improvement over a 38 year old Jeff Garcia, but it is a definitive upgrade. And in the NFC, getting into the playoffs hot is all you need to make it to the Super Bowl. Guess the Bucs didn't want a better chance of making it to the big game.

Now Brett Favre is in New York, playing for the team that was an afterthought during the sweepstakes to win his services. He's going to struggle starting this season, and the best the Jets can hope for is a playoff spot. They're not overtaking New England, so they can forget winning the division. Indianapolis and Jacksonville (and maybe Tennessee or Houston could as well) are going to play in the postseason, so that leaves one wild-card spot for a load of teams to fight over. The Jets without Favre had no chance, with Favre they've got a slightly below decent chance.

Worth the trade? Definitely. The Jets are trying to win, and that's all you can ask for. Brett is a considerable upgrade for them, even without a deep knowledge of their playbook. He'll help, that's for sure. The Jets won four games last year. Expect them to settle around eight to nine wins. The problem is, in the AFC, nine wins won't get you into the playoffs.

But hey, they've got Brett Favre.