Nihilist in Shoulder Pads
Being from Minnesota, I'm genetically predisposed to disliking the Packers. Yet even I am able to see through the haze of partisanship and occasionally recognize something of merit in the opposition. No, this isn't an olive branch extended to Najeh Davenport (lord knows what he'd want to do with it). Instead it's an ode to Brett Favre. On the radio this morning I heard him drop a quote that resonates with the football fan in every city, and starkly contrasts with such Vikings' antics as Randy Moss walking off the field of play last Sunday, with time remaining on the clock and a chance for the offense to re-take the field.
Favre, when asked if he was preparing any differently for this week's playoff game against the Vikings compared to regular season games, said (paraphrasing, from memory - I can't find it online):
'we don't prepare any differently for the playoffs than we do for the season, we always try our best, if we step things up for the playoffs it just means you?ve let your team down for the last 16 weeks.'
Amen, cheesy brother But I still hope you lose on Sunday (integrity only takes you so far, this is the playoffs we're talking about).
Former Star Tribune writer Don Banks did the NFC Playoff preview for Sports Illustrated. And he seems relatively positive on the Vikings chances of success. He points out that Randy Moss is critical to their success:
I'll be really interested to see how Randy Moss plays in the postseason. I think that's going to be the guy to set it apart for the Vikings, and give them a chance to pull the upset.
Maybe that will happen, if Moss feels up to it. But, as a reminder of his many game day moods, I refer you to this column by ESPN's Jim Caple (a former Pioneer Press writer), a satire of a Dear Randy advice column:
Dear Randy,
My parents say I can go to a Vikings game. Which game will you feel like playing? -- Todd R.St. Paul, Minn.
Sorry, I don't decide that until the networks announce which games they're broadcasting nationally. But I will say that I generally like playing in "Monday Night Football" games because those always get big ratings. If I were your parents, I definitely wouldn't waste my money if the game is being blacked out
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