The fact that he's found a way to draw a parallel that I can't completely discount between his Celtics and my Packers is driving my nuts. But like I said, I can't argue with it:
4. Green Bay
During Larry Bird's last two years on the Celtics, when his back was killing him and he was just about cooked, Dee Brown and Brian Shaw showed up, Reggie Lewis was coming into his own, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish were healthy again, Eddie Pinckney was emerging off the bench ... suddenly, they were playing fast-break basketball and Bird's game was completely rejuvenated in the process. The most fascinating dynamic? The respect the young guys held for Bird, Parish and McHale -- because of that respect, the youngsters followed instructions, never took a game off and never stopped busting their butts. You could see the reverence they had for the older guys, just like you could see how much the old guys loved playing with them. Even though they never made the Finals because Bird kept getting hurt, those were meaningful seasons for everyone who cared about the Celtics. Like two generations colliding. Everyone had the right level of urgency, as well as the proper level of appreciation for what was happening.
We're seeing the same thing happen with Favre and the Packers right now. It's not that "he's having fun" and "he's managing the game" and all the crap that the talking heads are spewing. This goes deeper -- it's about a seemingly washed-up superstar who landed in the right situation, realizes it, appreciates it, embraces it and, invariably, his skills regenerated and his team reinvigorated itself in the process. Everyone keeps mentioning how much fun Favre is having; nobody is mentioning his teammates. Each guy looks happier than the next, and if you think these guys aren't killing themselves to make sure Favre succeeds, you're crazy. (NFL Films caught a great moment before the Vikings game when each of his receivers was talking about how much he wanted to catch No. 421.) Most of them are young enough to remember watching Favre in his prime, and most of them are smart enough to appreciate that they've become part of something that's bigger than just a typical 4-0 season. Throw in Lambeau and it's the most amazing sports story in awhile. I just wish the Packers had a running game. Or even the mirage of a running game.
Can you imagine what people would say if all of the sudden we get one or two of those fluke 100 yard games from one of our runningbacks?
