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	<title>The Scores Report - The National Sports Blog &#187; Brett Favre Vikings</title>
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		<title>Favre claims he played through groin injury</title>
		<link>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/02/favre-claims-he-played-through-groin-injury/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/02/favre-claims-he-played-through-groin-injury/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:18:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anthony Stalter</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=28057</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Brett Favre told SI.com’s Peter King that he wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to play against the Packers yesterday because of a groin injury. Favre claims he suffered the injury last week in practice and then re-aggravated it in pregame warm-ups.
“I told T-Jack [backup Tarvaris Jackson] and [offensive coordinator] Darrell Bevell [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://search.espn.go.com/brett-favre/photo/8" target="_blank"><img width="477" height="268" src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/1031/nfl_u_favre_sy_576.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>Brett Favre told SI.com’s Peter King that he wasn’t sure if <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/peter_king/11/01/mmqb.week.8/index.html?eref=sihp" target="_blank">he was going to be able to play</a> against the Packers yesterday because of a groin injury. Favre claims he suffered the injury last week in practice and then re-aggravated it in pregame warm-ups.</p>
<blockquote><p>“I told T-Jack [backup Tarvaris Jackson] and [offensive coordinator] Darrell Bevell I may not be able to do it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t know if I&#8217;d be able to drop back very well. After I aggravated it, there was no way I was going to be able to move around in the pocket very much. We never called one bootleg the whole game. But we made it through OK.&#8221;</p>
<p>And now, I wondered, how was the groin four hours and a lot of lost adrenalin later?</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s throbbing right now,&#8221; he said.</p></blockquote>
<p>Oh…come…on. Look, I don’t doubt that Favre injured himself in practice (he is 60 years old after all) and then re-injured himself during pregame warm-ups. I also don’t doubt that he told Jackson and Bevell that he was hurt and might not be able to play.</p>
<p>But I don’t buy for a minute that he was going to hold himself out. He wasn’t going to allow a groin injury to get in the way of beating the Packers at Lambeau and if anything, I’m willing to bet that he wanted people to know that he was hurt just so he could build the moment up even more.</p>
<p>Some are going to look at this as the “gritty” Brett playing through pain; I’m sure ESPN is already salivating thinking about the story. But I think this guy has a lot of people fooled.</p>
<p>Maybe I’m being to cynical and over thinking this, but it’s Brett’s comments that bug me the most. If King asked him how he was feeling and Brett said, “Well Pistol Pete, I’m a little sore because of a groin injury I suffered last week,” then I wouldn’t question him because the comment would have been more fly-by. </p>
<p>But no, Brett made damn sure to note that he might not have been able to play. To me, that’s just another prima donna move by one of the more underrated prima donna athletes of all-time.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>I hope you’re satisfied, Brett.</title>
		<link>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/01/i-hope-you%e2%80%99re-satisfied-brett/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/01/i-hope-you%e2%80%99re-satisfied-brett/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:51:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anthony Stalter</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=28050</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Vikings’ 38-26 win over the Packers wasn’t even an hour old yet and I got an e-mail from my partner in crime here at The Scores Report, John Pauslen, who happens to be a huge Green Bay fan and is/was an active Brett Favre supporter.
I won’t share what John wrote in case there are [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/photos?photoId=2374401&#038;gameId=291101009" target="_blank"><img width="477" height="318" src="http://a.espncdn.com/media/apphoto/12728e59-25b8-459d-bdf5-31c70696997c.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>The <a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=291101009" target="_blank">Vikings’ 38-26 win over the Packers</a> wasn’t even an hour old yet and I got an e-mail from my partner in crime here at The Scores Report, John Pauslen, who happens to be a huge Green Bay fan and is/was an active Brett Favre supporter.</p>
<p>I won’t share what John wrote in case there are women and children reading, but he wasn’t kind to Brett. And I can’t imagine that John is the only one who feels angry with Favre after what transpired on Sunday.</p>
<p>Brett walked into Lambeau Field, a place where he was known for being a legend, a hero and an icon, and essentially burned the place down. He completed 17-of-28 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns, while also spending most of the game pumping his fists wildly in celebration of his accomplishments.</p>
<p>Many people still want to blame Ted Thompson for why Favre currently wears purple and white. But the fact of the matter is that there are 32 teams in the NFL and he wanted to be a Viking. If he just wanted to play football, he could have returned to the Jets. Hell, if he wanted to play football, he could have returned to the Packers two years ago because they said yes to him twice. It was the one “no” that has fans blaming Thompson, yet they should blame Favre for his indecisiveness and his desire to play in Minnesota before blaming the GM that eventually committed to Aaron Rodgers and decided to move forward.</p>
<p>I hope that Brett is satisfied with the outcome from today, because while he once again got his revenge on Thompson and the Packers, he also torched a lot of loyal Green Bay fans in the process. There will always be people that player worship and will root for Favre no matter what color jersey he wears, but there no doubt are many who watched the game today and said, “You know what? To hell with Brett Favre.”</p>
<p>The funny thing is, Brett’s true fans will always be in Green Bay. Unless he helps the Vikings win a Super Bowl, Minnesota fans will forget about him the moment he’s done playing for them and you’re kidding yourself if you think otherwise. So while he may feel good about the way things have transpired so far this season, he’s hurting his legacy in the long run by accomplishing exactly what he wanted in beating the Packers.</p>
<p>Was it worth it, Brett?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>2009 NFL Week 8 Picks &amp; Predictions</title>
		<link>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/30/2009-nfl-week-8-picks-predictions/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/30/2009-nfl-week-8-picks-predictions/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:45:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anthony Stalter</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=27860</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Here are my quick-hit picks for Week 8 in the NFL:
Worth being in trouble with your significant other for:
Vikings (6-1) at Packers (4-2), 4:15PM ET
I think the Packers will have a little something for Brett Favre this time around. I realize he was a legend in Green Bay, but the Packer faithful need to boo [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://search.espn.go.com/brett-favre/photo/8" target="_blank"><img width="477" height="268" src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/1026/nfl_g_favre_576.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>Here are my quick-hit picks for Week 8 in the NFL:</p>
<p><em><strong>Worth being in trouble with your significant other for:</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Vikings (6-1) at Packers (4-2), 4:15PM ET</strong><br />
I think the Packers will have a little something for Brett Favre this time around. I realize he was a legend in Green Bay, but the Packer faithful need to boo this man just as they would Steve Young or Troy Aikman. As long as the Packers somehow figure out a way to get a body in front of Jared Allen, I think they beat a Minnesota team coming off an emotional loss in Pittsburgh last week. Call me crazy, but I don’t think this one will be as close as many expect.<br />
<em>Odds:</em> Packers –3.<br />
<strong>Prediction: Packers 30, Vikings 17.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Giants (5-2) at Eagles (4-2), 1:00PM ET</strong><br />
The Giants are hoping to get a few defensive starters back this week (most notably Michael Boley and Chris Canty), but their concern right now should be moving the ball against a Philadelphia defense that played inspired last week in Washington. (Of course, it <em>was</em> Washington.) Both of these offenses struggled last week trying to move the chains consistently and I can see turnovers playing a huge role in this key NFC East battle. Considering the Eagles lead the league in turnover margin, I think they get a win at home. It’s hard to fathom the G-Men losing three straight, but outside of their Week 2 win against the Cowboys, they haven’t been good against teams with winning records this season.<br />
<em>Odds:</em> Giants –1.<br />
<strong>Prediction: Eagles 20, Giants 17.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Broncos (6-0) at Ravens (3-3), 1:00PM ET</strong><br />
The Broncos haven’t given anyone a reason not to trust them. They’ve played great defensively, have remained balanced offensively and continue to prove doubters wrong. That said, I think this is the week they suffer their first loss. The Ravens are desperate and Denver doesn’t really have the explosive passing attack to take advantage of Baltimore’s issues in the secondary. I’m willing to bet the Ravens’ coaching staff figured a few things out in their off week and Baltimore will come out ready to play on Sunday.<br />
<em>Odds:</em> Ravens –3.<br />
<strong>Prediction: Ravens 23, Broncos 17.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Falcons (4-2) at Saints (6-0), 8:30PM ET Monday</strong><br />
The Falcons are in trouble. Their secondary is starting to show the same problems it had in preseason and Drew Brees should take advantage of that and torch Chris Houston and company. The only chance Atlanta has is to force turnovers on defense and get Michael Turner going in order to leave Brees on the sidelines. I don’t see it happening.<br />
<em>Odds:</em> Saints –10.<br />
<strong>Prediction: Saints 38, Falcons 24.</strong></p>
<p><span id="more-27860"></span></p>
<p><em><strong>Worth tuning into:</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Dolphins (2-4) at Jets (4-3), 1:00PM ET</strong><br />
Even though the two teams combined for over 50 points in their last meeting, this latest battle will be a low-scoring, defensive struggle. I actually like Miami to pull off the small upset this week, because if the Dolphins have struggled with anything this season, it’s quarterbacks that can beat them throwing the ball vertically. Mark Sanchez can’t do that (at least not yet anyhow), so I’m taking Chad Henne and the Fish to sweep the season series in this matchup.<br />
<em>Odds:</em> Jets –3.5.<br />
<strong>Prediction: Dolphins 16-13.</strong></p>
<p><strong>49ers (3-3) at Colts (6-0), 1:00PM ET</strong><br />
While I like the move of Alex Smith starting over Shaun Hill, I think the 49ers have been exposed for what they really are: Overrated. That’s not to say that they’re not a good team because they are, but I don’t see them going into Indianapolis and upsetting a good Colts team on the road.<br />
<em>Odds:</em> Colts –13.<br />
<strong>Prediction: Colts 28, 49ers 14.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Seahawks (2-4) at Cowboys (4-2), 1:00PM ET</strong><br />
If the Cowboys play with the same focus and intensity as they did last week against the Falcons, then they’ll rout a banged up Seahawks team. But considering they’ve never been consistent under Wade Phillips, I bet this game will be closer than people think.<br />
<em>Odds:</em> Cowboys –10.<br />
<strong>Prediction: Cowboys 20, Seahawks 13.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Texans (4-3) at Bills (3-4), 1:00PM ET</strong><br />
The Bills have won two straight thanks to their defense setting up the offense with great field position due to turnovers. But the Texans will take better care of the ball than Buffalo’s previous two opponents and come away with their third straight victory on Sunday.<br />
<em>Odds:</em> Texans –3.5.<br />
<strong>Prediction: Texans 27, Bills 13.</strong></p>
<p><em><strong>Worth being your “B” channel on Sunday:</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Jaguars (3-3) at Titans (0-6), 4:05PM ET</strong><br />
It’s now or never for Jeff Fisher and Vince Young. Either they get this thing figured out and start winning some ball games or else they both could be looking for employment elsewhere in the offseason. I like the rested Jags to win what could be a sloppy game.<br />
<em>Odds:</em> Titans –3.<br />
<strong>Prediction: Jaguars 13, Titans 10.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Panthers (2-4) at Cardinals (4-2), 4:15PM ET</strong><br />
John Fox has decided to hitch his wagon to Jake Delhomme and it’s his funeral. The Cardinals need to build on the momentum they got last Sunday night in their win over the Giants and start pulling away in the NFC West.<br />
<em>Odds:</em> Cardinals –10.<br />
<strong>Prediction: Cardinals 28, Panthers 14.</strong></p>
<p><em><strong>Worth checking the score every half hour while praying you lived in a different area:</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Browns (1-6) at Bears (3-3), 1:00PM ET</strong><br />
The Bears need a win in the worse way after their brutal performance in Cincinnati last Sunday. Fortunately for them, its’ Walter Payton day and they get to play a horrendous Browns team that hasn’t scored a touchdown in five straight quarters.<br />
<em>Odds:</em> Bears –13.<br />
<strong>Prediction: Bears 28, Browns 14.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Raiders (2-5) at Chargers (3-3), 4:05PM ET</strong><br />
If San Diego can put together back-to-back impressive wins over bad teams, it might give them confidence heading into the second half. The Chargers haven’t played consistently on defense this year, but JaMarcus Russell is a joke and the Raiders will once again have trouble scoring.<br />
<em>Odds:</em> Chargers –16.<br />
<strong>Prediction: Chargers 30, Raiders 6.</strong></p>
<p><em><strong>Worth poking your eyes out so you don’t actually have to see any of it:</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Rams (0-7) at Lions (1-5), 1:00PM ET</strong><br />
If the Rams don’t win this Sunday, they have a pretty good chance of going 0-16 this season, which is ironic when you consider who their opponent is this week. If anyone invests three hours of their time watching this game in its entirety, they should be immediately checked into a psychiatric hospital. That said, I’m glad Matthew Stafford is back for the Lions because he showed promise before he got hurt and I’d like to see him continue to develop.<br />
<em>Odds:</em> Lions –4.<br />
<strong>Prediction: Lions 20, Rams 14.</strong></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Is this Vikings team the best Favre has ever been on? Former Packers teammates disagree</title>
		<link>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/28/is-this-vikings-team-the-best-favre-has-ever-been-on-former-packers-teammates-disagree/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/28/is-this-vikings-team-the-best-favre-has-ever-been-on-former-packers-teammates-disagree/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:15:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anthony Stalter</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=27746</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Earlier this season, Brett Favre said that the 2009 version of the Vikings was the best team he’s ever been on based on a physical and talent level. But some of Favre’s teammates from the Super Bowl-winning 1996 Packers team disagree.
From ESPN.com:
&#8220;To say that the team he&#8217;s on now, after seven games, is better than [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://search.espn.go.com/brett-favre/photo/8" target="_blank"><img width="477" height="268" src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/1025/nfl_u_favre_576.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>Earlier this season, Brett Favre said that the 2009 version of the Vikings was the best team he’s ever been on based on a physical and talent level. But some of Favre’s teammates from the Super Bowl-winning 1996 Packers team disagree.</p>
<p><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4601368" target="_blank">From ESPN.com</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;To say that the team he&#8217;s on now, after seven games, is better than the &#8216;96 team &#8212; that&#8217;s just preposterous. Not only did we have the No. 1 defense in 1996, but we had No. 1 special teams,&#8221; former safety LeRoy Butler told the Journal Sentinel. &#8220;I bleed green and gold so much. I don&#8217;t want somebody to beat my team.&#8221; </p>
<p>Mark Chmura, a tight end on the &#8216;96 team, said he went through the rosters position by position and could not find an advantage for the Vikings. &#8220;And it all starts with Brett &#8212; Brett&#8217;s not as good as he was,&#8221; he said, according to the report. </p>
<p>&#8220;I mean, you&#8217;re talking about the No. 1 defense in the league at that time, maybe one of the best defenses ever to play the game,&#8221; Chmura added, according to the report. &#8220;Don&#8217;t get me wrong. Favre is still a good quarterback, but he was unbelievable in the day. When we played back then, teams feared us. I don&#8217;t know if teams fear the Minnesota Vikings today. We knew no one could beat us at home, absolutely nobody.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>This is a situation where Favre probably didn’t really mean what he said, but he was trying to make people believe that the Vikings were/are a great fit for him and that he could lead them to the playoffs. In other words, he was trying to pump himself and his new team up.</p>
<p>That said, it’s hard to argue with Favre’s ex-teammates. That Packers team used to script the first 10-15 plays and march right down the field for six almost every time on their first offensive possession. Opponents then had to try and play catch up against Green Bay’s relentless defense, which often proved to be a fruitless endeavor.</p>
<p>The Vikings are good, but they aren’t Super Bowl-good. (At least not yet anyway.)</p>
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		<title>ESPN Completely Misses Brett Favre Vs. Green Bay Packers Storyline</title>
		<link>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/09/espn-completely-misses-brett-favre-vs-green-bay-packers-storyline/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/09/espn-completely-misses-brett-favre-vs-green-bay-packers-storyline/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>John Paulsen</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=26156</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[

Reason #1,019 why I love The Onion&#8230;
BRISTOL, CT—In what is being called the biggest gaffe in the sports network&#8217;s 30-year history, ESPN totally forgot to cover last week&#8217;s Brett Favre vs. Green Bay Packers storyline.
Favre&#8217;s legendary career with the Packers, which spanned 16 seasons, three MVP awards, and one Super Bowl title, was not mentioned [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/news/espn_completely_misses_brett_favre" target="_blank"><img height="268" width="477" src="http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/TS-Berman-redo.article_large.jpg" alt="" /><br />
</a><br />
Reason #1,019 why I love <em>The Onion</em>&#8230;</p>
<blockquote><p>BRISTOL, CT—In what is being called the biggest gaffe in the sports network&#8217;s 30-year history, ESPN totally forgot to cover last week&#8217;s Brett Favre vs. Green Bay Packers storyline.</p>
<p>Favre&#8217;s legendary career with the Packers, which spanned 16 seasons, three MVP awards, and one Super Bowl title, was not mentioned even once during pregame coverage of the Monday night Packers-Vikings matchup or during the game itself. Records indicated that it wasn&#8217;t until Wednesday—more than 48 hours after Favre led Minnesota to a dramatic 30-23 victory—that producers began to feel that they may have overlooked one of sports&#8217; most obvious storylines.</p>
<p>&#8220;I was looking at a newspaper, and it said, &#8216;Favre Sacks Former Team,&#8217; and at that point I realized we really missed one,&#8221; ESPN president George Bodenheimer told reporters. &#8220;I just want to apologize to our viewers. Had the Favre-Packers connection dawned on us sooner, fans could have enjoyed the same quality sports journalism they have come to expect from ESPN: driving storylines into the ground and exploiting every one of their subplots to the point of nausea.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Read the rest of the article <a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/news/espn_completely_misses_brett_favre" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
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		<title>Highlights from Bill Simmons&#8217;s latest mailbag</title>
		<link>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/09/highlights-from-bill-simmonss-latest-mailbag/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/09/highlights-from-bill-simmonss-latest-mailbag/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:30:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>John Paulsen</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=26146</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Simmons&#8217;s latest column is dedicated to the age-old question: which month is better for sports/time-wasting &#8212; April or October?
On the Russian billionaire&#8217;s purchase of the New Jersey Nets&#8230;
You know the NBA is in at least a little trouble financially when it allows a Russian billionaire to buy a team. Five or six years ago, how [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://search.espn.go.com/bill-simmons/photo/8" target="_blank"><img height="268" width="477" src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0417/radio_simmons1_576.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>Simmons&#8217;s <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/091009" target="_blank">latest column</a> is dedicated to the age-old question: which month is better for sports/time-wasting &#8212; April or October?</p>
<p>On the Russian billionaire&#8217;s purchase of the New Jersey Nets&#8230;</p>
<blockquote><p>You know the NBA is in at least a little trouble financially when it allows a Russian billionaire to buy a team. Five or six years ago, how fast do you think David Stern squashes the idea when someone says to him, &#8220;So, I guess the best way to describe him is that he&#8217;s like a Russian Mark Cuban&#8221;? Two seconds? One second?</p>
<p>Which raises the question: Did Stern just open the door to all foreign billionaires, or was this a one-time thing? I&#8217;d argue that the NBA was soooooooooo desperate to fix this Nets situation and salvage the Brooklyn complex that it didn&#8217;t care where the money came from. This was a one-time exception. We need a cash buyer. Period. I think a Saudi oil sheik would have been approved as an owner. I think Tom Cruise would have been approved. I think everyone short of a Pablo Escobar-type buyer would have been approved. It&#8217;s the NBA and it&#8217;s faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan-tastic … ( … -ally in need of some cash). </p></blockquote>
<p>On CAR Steve Smith versus NYG Steve Smith&#8230;</p>
<p><span id="more-26146"></span></p>
<blockquote><p>Right now, New York&#8217;s Steve Smith is more relevant than Carolina&#8217;s Steve Smith in every conceivable way except for one (teammate punching). He&#8217;s having a better season; he&#8217;s on a better team; and, truthfully, he might just be better. Has this situation ever happened before? Someone with the same name completely usurping that name from an established guy who plays the same position in the same sport at the same time?</p>
<p>Anyway, I came up with a solution: Why can&#8217;t we approach this like versions of software? Carolina Steve becomes &#8220;Steve Smith 1.0.&#8221; New York Steve becomes &#8220;Steve Smith 2.0.&#8221; Done and done. </p></blockquote>
<p>I like it. I think I&#8217;ll start using it instead of &#8220;NYG Steve Smith.&#8221;</p>
<p>On Michael Jordan&#8217;s HOF induction speech&#8230;</p>
<blockquote><p>Jordan&#8217;s original thesis was incorrect: Other than when he got cut in high school, EVERYONE believed in him. Dean Smith diagrammed the title-winning shot in 1982 for him. Bobby Knight built the 1984 Olympic team around him. Nike built an entire marketing campaign around him from day one (something it had never done before, ever). The Dream Team committee callously dropped Isiah Thomas from the team to assuage him in 1992, even though Thomas deserved to be on that team as much as anyone short of Bird and Magic. The list goes on and on and on. No athlete was coddled more than Jordan, and no athlete had a bigger disparity between &#8220;public image&#8221; and &#8220;what he was actually like.&#8221; Hell, for his entire career, Sam Smith was the only journalist with the testicular fortitude to call him out.</p></blockquote>
<p>On why Tony Romo has bloated expectations&#8230;</p>
<blockquote><p>Well, the name &#8220;Tony Romo&#8221; &#8230; I mean, that&#8217;s a great name. That sounds like the name of someone who is going to be such a smash hit, he&#8217;ll end up winning a couple of Super Bowls and opening a chain of BBQ restaurants. I want to root for &#8220;Tony Romo.&#8221; I want to believe that &#8220;Tony Romo&#8221; is going to come through on this game-winning drive. I want &#8220;Tony Romo&#8221; to plow through a series of hot actresses and singers. I want &#8220;Tony Romo&#8221; to stay single past retirement, develop a drinking problem and eventually hit on a sideline reporter during a live telecast before entering rehab. These are the things that &#8220;Tony Romo&#8221; should do.</p>
<p>This is why we projected talents for Romo that he didn&#8217;t actually have. I picked him 40th in my West Coast fantasy draft even though he didn&#8217;t have a proven No. 1 receiver. Why? Because he&#8217;s &#8220;Tony Romo&#8221;! Now, let&#8217;s say his name had been &#8220;Kyle Boller&#8221; or &#8220;Kevin O&#8217;Connell&#8221; or &#8220;Alex Smith&#8221; or &#8220;Jared Lorenzen&#8221; this whole time. Would you have believed in him? Would we have given him the same benefit of the doubt all these times when he kept gagging in big moments? I say no. We believed in Tony Romo mainly because he seemed like a good guy and he had a great name. Really, those were the only two reasons.</p></blockquote>
<p>And, finally, on Brett Favre&#8217;s behavior during and after Monday night&#8217;s game&#8230;</p>
<blockquote><p>And that&#8217;s the part of Monday&#8217;s game that got lost. Every Packers fan felt like how a dutiful wife would feel if she stuck with her husband through thick and thin, watched him become a success, then got dumped for a younger trophy wife who also happened to be her archnemesis. Favre failed in the same way Roger Clemens failed when he signed with the Blue Jays in 1997 &#8212; his problems with management affected his feelings toward his old franchise, and he did a piss-poor job of letting his old fan base know that he still cared about it. I have written about this before, but I turned on Clemens during his Toronto news conference when he simply refused to acknowledge Boston fans beyond a few generic words. It hurt. I took it personally and decided he was an opportunistic, disloyal, dishonest scumbag from that moment on. And as it turned out, he was.</p>
<p>In Favre&#8217;s case, his lack of empathy for Packers fans has been really alarming. I know he plays with his heart on his sleeve. I know he&#8217;s a &#8220;kid out there&#8221; and &#8220;having a ball out there&#8221; and all the crap. And maybe he&#8217;s not a brain surgeon, but he&#8217;s smart enough to understand what he meant to Packers fans and the state of Wisconsin, which means he had to understand how it went over after he (A) signed with an NFC North team two months ago; (B) dialed up the finger-pointing and fist-pumping during Monday&#8217;s Pack-Vikes game so egregiously that even his biggest fan fron Green Bay couldn&#8217;t defend him; and (C) gave that self-satisfied postgame interview in which he never said anything like, &#8220;I just wanted to say hi to everyone back in Wisconsin and tell them that this was as strange for me as it probably was for you, but I want you to know that it was just one game &#8212; a game that I wanted to win because I&#8217;m a competitor and I love my teammates, but still, none of this changes the fact that I love you guys and I always will.&#8221; That&#8217;s it. That&#8217;s all he had to say to Michele Tafoya after the game.</p>
<p>He didn&#8217;t say it.</p>
<p>And believe me, I&#8217;ve been there as a fan. It&#8217;s unforgivable. Especially when you&#8217;re under 30 and don&#8217;t realize that many of your &#8220;heroes&#8221; are people who don&#8217;t deserve that level of worship, or any worship, for that matter. They just play sports well. They don&#8217;t care about you. They care about themselves and that&#8217;s it. If this realization hits you at the wrong time in your life, it can be hard. (I know it was hard for me. I took the Clemens thing personally, as witnessed by the fact that I once wrote a column wondering if he was the Antichrist.) So if the Packers fans want to play along, so to speak, then they can&#8217;t cheer Favre on Nov. 1. He set the stakes. He made it clear that he&#8217;s moved on with his new team and cut all ties to the old one. That means you need to go to Lambeau and boo the living hell out of him. Make him miserable. Rattle him. Flummox him. Do everything you can to get the better of him for three hours. This man does not belong to you anymore, and maybe, he never did. </p></blockquote>
<p>For more on how Favre has destroyed Packer fans everywhere, check out my post from last week &#8212; &#8220;<a href="http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/09/30/how-a-packer-fan-copes-with-brett-favre/">How a Packer fan copes with Brett Favre</a>.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>Bernard Berrian chats with The Scores Report</title>
		<link>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/08/a-chat-with-bernard-berrian/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/10/08/a-chat-with-bernard-berrian/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:45:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anthony Stalter</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=26043</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Thanks to Brett Favre and their 4-0 start, the Minnesota Vikings are one of the most talked about teams in the NFL right now. One of the players off to a solid start is receiver Bernard Berrian, who has 16 receptions for 177 yards and one touchdown on the year. Bernard was gracious enough to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://search.espn.go.com/bernard-berrian/photo/8" target="_blank"><img height="268" width="477" src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0909/nfl_u_bberrian1_576.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>Thanks to Brett Favre and their 4-0 start, the Minnesota Vikings are one of the most talked about teams in the NFL right now. One of the players off to a solid start is receiver Bernard Berrian, who has 16 receptions for 177 yards and one touchdown on the year. Bernard was gracious enough to chat with us about the Vikings’ big win over the Packers on Monday night, a game in which he hauled in six passes for 75 yards and a 31-yard touchdown. Among some of the topics we asked Bernard were what it’s like being in the same huddle with a legend, whether there was any truth to the rumor that there was a divide in the Vikings’ locker room following the signing of Favre, and who is the toughest cornerback he’s ever faced. </p>
<p><strong>The Scores Report: Hey Bernard, how are you man?</strong></p>
<p>Bernard Barrian: I’m fine, how you doing?</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Good. Congratulations on the win Monday night.</strong></p>
<p>BB: Thanks, appreciate it.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: I felt that your touchdown in the third quarter gave you guys the momentum the rest of the way.</strong></p>
<p>BB: Oh yeah I think it definitely did, or put us in position at least.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: No knock on any of the other quarterbacks you’ve played with throughout your career, but you’re playing with a legend now. What’s it like being in the same huddle with Brett Favre?</strong></p>
<p>BB: It’s fun really. He brings a lot of fun to the game. When you see highlights, you see emotion pouring out through different players on the field.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Who put the rocking chair in front of his locker after the win?</strong></p>
<p>BB: I still haven’t found out who did that – I have no idea. But it was hilarious when I saw it sitting there. (Laughs)</p>
<p><span id="more-26043"></span></p>
<p><strong>TSR: (Laughs) I know it’s early, but what has he meant to the Vikings so far?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Just the leadership ability that he brings and the way he approaches the game. It’s fun to watch him play because he brings a lot to the game.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Was there any truth to the rumor this offseason that there was a divide in the locker room between the players when he was signed?</strong></p>
<p>BB: No, there was no truth to that. I don’t even know where that came from. There’s been nothing but unity out here.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: I know the Packers bottled him up on Monday night, but talk to me about Adrian Peterson. How special is he and is his potential sky high?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Oh, he’s definitely a special player. There’s no running back better than Adrian – he’s easily the best by far. He’s the best running back out there and his work ethic is insurmountable.</p>
<p><a href="http://search.espn.go.com/bernard-berrian/photo/8" target="_blank"><img height="268" width="477" src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0913/nfl_g_harvinfavre_576.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>
<p><strong>TSR: Can Percy Harvin be the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2009?</strong></p>
<p>BB: I can definitely see that. The way things are going right now, he’s off to a great start and I only see him getting better. So yeah, that’s definitely a possibility for him.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Have you taken him under wing? Has he learned a lot so far?</strong></p>
<p>BB: I think he has learned a lot just being out there and I think another thing that has helped him is having Brett out there. We’re always having conversations about what he should do and where he should be. He knows a lot of stuff on his own, which is kind of surprising when you sit down and look at things. He knows a lot himself.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: You guys won the division and went to the playoffs last year. Besides adding Favre, what’s the key to you guys getting back to the postseason and not only that, but winning a playoff game?</strong></p>
<p>BB: I think it’s just that little amount of extra confidence that’s the biggest difference. We thought we were a Super Bowl contender even before all the Brett Favre talk, but now that he’s here I think it’s just that little bit of added confidence that will able us to get there.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Is Brad Childress’ offense second nature to you now, Bernard?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Oh yeah, it’s second nature to me now. It’s an easy offense to pick up anyway. Offenses are pretty much the same outside of different styles of offenses. You know in Chicago, we ran a different style of the West Coast Offense anyway, so the only big difference was the terminology and a couple different route structures.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Bring me back to last year when you caught your 99-yard touchdown pass against the Bears. Did you ever think that you’d have the opportunity to score on a 99-yard play, or even that a pass would be the play called in that situation since you guys were backed up against the goal line?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Oh no, never. I was always lobbying for it in practice. We always work on our offense being backed up and I was always like, “Call a pass play – let it go, let it fly.” And then for them to actually call it was shocking and to even land it was even more shocking.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Was it more special because you did it against your favorite team or had that not crossed your mind?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Nah, there’s no hostility towards those guys – what’s done is done. You know, once I signed with the Vikings I was a Viking and I had to let go of the Bears. What was done was done and besides that was the second game (of the series) anyway. All the emotional stuff was gone and let loose in the first game.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Who’s the top cornerback that you’ve come across in the NFL?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Toughest cornerback…I’d have to go with Nnamdi (Asomugha).</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Really? That’s a great choice. That division has two tough cornerbacks in Asomugha and Champ Bailey – have you faced Champ?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Champ Bailey – yeah, he’s good and I have faced him but it wasn’t one of those games where he’s following you the whole game. So it wasn’t like we were going up against each other the whole time. I’ve got to face a guy for a sustained period of time before I can say I really went up against him.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Sure. You faced two good cornerbacks Monday night in Charles Woodson and Al Harris. Are those two the toughest corners in your division?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Oh yeah by far I would say they’re the toughest in the division. They’re two great cornerbacks that are crafty – Charles is definitely a crafty guy and Al is a very physical, crafty guy as well. They play within their scheme very well.</p>
<p><a href="http://search.espn.go.com/bernard-berrian/photo/8" target="_blank"><img height="268" width="477" src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0910/nfl_g_berrian_576.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>
<p><strong>TSR: Who is one Vikings player that you feel is being overlooked but is a key for the team getting to the playoffs?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Ooh, that’s a great question…uh…</p>
<p><strong>TSR: You can say yourself too, Bernard.</strong></p>
<p>BB: Nah, I can’t include myself.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: (Laughs)</strong></p>
<p>BB: Hmm…</p>
<p><strong>TSR: What about Sidney Rice?</strong></p>
<p>BB: I don’t think he’s getting overlooked though.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: That’s true. It could be a defensive guy.</strong></p>
<p>BB: That’s where I think I’m going – the defensive side. I would go with Chad Greenway.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Okay, cool. What kind of impact do you think he can make throughout the course of the year?</strong></p>
<p>BB: He’s always around the ball, he comes up with fumble recoveries or he causes fumbles. He’s a very athletic linebacker and talented linebacker that I’ve seen.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Is it frightening to be in the same locker room with Jared Allen?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Oh no, it’s great being in the same locker room with him!</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Better he be in your own locker room than in another team&#8217;s right?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Yeah, definitely.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Now I know you guys lost, but what’s your most memorable experience from Super Bowl XLI with the Bears?</strong></p>
<p>BB: I think just everything surrounding the Super Bowl, more so than the game. The game to me is always going to be a game, so that’s never going to change whether it’s the Super Bowl or not. But I think everything surrounding the Super Bowl…you know, I have a lot of family out there, so being able to enjoy the things I was able to enjoy.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: One last question for you, if you could pay to watch any player on Sunday not a Viking, who would it be?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Current?</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Current.</strong></p>
<p>BB: Current player…</p>
<p><strong>TSR: I was talking to Junior Seau two weeks ago and he said Tom Brady, so I’m hoping you take us in another direction.</strong></p>
<p>BB: Nah, I wasn’t going that way – I’m actually far from that way. I like watching somebody exciting, where every time the get the ball they can score or watching a defensive player when they get a sack or something. Uh, Ray is always an exciting player to watch.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Who’s that?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Ray Lewis is always exciting to watch.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: What about an offensive guy?</strong></p>
<p>BB: We’ll go with Chad Johnson. He’s always exciting to watch and you never know what he’s going to do.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Very true! Well that’s definitely a good one. What about a former player?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Barry Sanders.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Another good one! Do you have anything coming up that you want to get out there, Bernard? A charitable event or anything?</strong></p>
<p>BB: Feeding America. We’re going to do something around Thanksgiving again this year, so keep an eye out for that.</p>
<p><strong>TSR: Excellent, well I wish you the best throughout the rest of the season, Bernard, and I thank you for chatting with us.</strong></p>
<p>BB: All right thank you.</p>
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