Angel
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Krieger: Realistic? Not fans of Pack, Broncos
April 10, 2006
Musings for a Monday morning on different strokes for different folks and other examples of our widely divergent realities . . .
• My suggestion of a Broncos- Packers trade the other day drew a little reaction.
• Much of it was critical and even the criticism was contradictory.
• Avid Broncos partisans wondered how I could possibly suggest trading a Pro Bowl quarterback for a has- been doddering off toward retirement.
• Avid Packers partisans wondered how I could possibly suggest trading a legend for a journeyman.
• In the middle were a few brave souls who thought it was an idea worth pursuing. Clearly, these were my most intelligent correspondents. Some of them wrote in complete sentences, for which I give extra credit.
• Among the others, "Idiot!" ran just ahead of "Moron!" "Crackhead!" and "Stupid!"
• To review, I suggested the Broncos trade Jake Plummer and their two first-round draft picks (Nos. 15 and 22) to Green Bay for Brett Favre and the Packers' first-round pick (No. 5).
• I further suggested the Broncos use the fifth pick to take their quarterback of the future. I recommended Jay Cutler.
• Frankly, I was a little surprised at the Packers fans, who have a reputation as some of football's most knowledgeable. Several said it was ridiculous to suggest the 15th and 22nd picks were worth the fifth. As anyone familiar with an NFL draft value chart knows, the 15th and 22nd picks are actually worth the fourth, so my proposal gives the Packers a little extra credit for Favre vs. Plummer.
• Packers fans, some of them overly fond of the caps lock on their computer keyboards, said there is no way the Pack would ever trade Favre. What they don't seem to recognize is he's contemplating retirement as we speak. If that's the way he goes, they lose him and get nothing in return.
• Even in Wisconsin, I believe something is still better than nothing.
• And there is mounting evidence that if Favre does walk away, it will be because he has no chance to compete in Green Bay, where they are rebuilding. Simple logic suggests the Packers would be better off getting what they can for their veteran signal-caller and Favre better off finishing somewhere he has a chance to win.
• If the 49ers could let go of Joe Montana, if the Colts could let go of John Unitas, if the Jets could let go of Joe Namath, the Pack can let go of Favre, especially if they hasten the rebuilding process by doing so.
• The complaints of Broncos fans come down to whether you believe Plummer is the guy to lead them to a Super Bowl championship. If you think he is, you have a good reason to oppose the suggested trade. But calling him a "Pro Bowl" quarterback is a bit of a spin job.
• The AFC's Pro Bowl quarterbacks last season were Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer and Tom Brady. Only after Palmer and Brady dropped out did they start working their way down the list to Trent Green, Plummer and Steve McNair.
• I'm not quite sure what happened to Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees, but they belonged in there somewhere.
• At this rate, every quarterback in the AFC will soon be a Pro Bowler.
• Anyway, these vastly different perceptions do provide a little insight into the nature of partisan thought and why it's so difficult to get committed partisans to agree on anything, not to go off on a rant about the mess in Washington.
• Packers fans think Favre is still a superstar and Plummer just another guy. Broncos fans think Plummer is a franchise player and Favre way over the hill. Neither, I would suggest, is within two zip codes of objective reality, if such a thing exists.
• This is the sort of subjectivity that makes deals hard to do. Even if logic dictates the Pack get something for Favre while they can, many Packers fans have an emotional attachment they feel is more important than logic.
• Meanwhile, back on the home front, you do not need to see your optometrist. Yes, that's the Rockies and the Nuggets in first place this morning.
• This is going to take some getting used to.
• It's early yet for the Rocks, but at this point a year ago they were still looking for win No. 2.
• By contrast, they just rampaged through San Diego by beating the yarn out of the ball.
• Don't look now, but Garrett Atkins is hitting .462. Cory Sullivan is hitting .400. Jason Smith is hitting .563.
• Jason Who?
• Jason Smith is a journeyman minor leaguer who turns 29 in July. In 283 big-league at-bats coming into this year, he was hitting .219 with six home runs and 27 RBI.
• He hit two homers Sunday.
• So things are going well for the Rocks.
• Oh, and Todd Helton is hitting .400.
• Hope he breaks out soon.
• In this unlikely place, we finally find common ground for Colorado and Wisconsin. Each has a fun young baseball club off to an exciting start.
• On that, perhaps they can agree.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/sports_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_83_4609588,00.html
April 10, 2006
Musings for a Monday morning on different strokes for different folks and other examples of our widely divergent realities . . .
• My suggestion of a Broncos- Packers trade the other day drew a little reaction.
• Much of it was critical and even the criticism was contradictory.
• Avid Broncos partisans wondered how I could possibly suggest trading a Pro Bowl quarterback for a has- been doddering off toward retirement.
• Avid Packers partisans wondered how I could possibly suggest trading a legend for a journeyman.
• In the middle were a few brave souls who thought it was an idea worth pursuing. Clearly, these were my most intelligent correspondents. Some of them wrote in complete sentences, for which I give extra credit.
• Among the others, "Idiot!" ran just ahead of "Moron!" "Crackhead!" and "Stupid!"
• To review, I suggested the Broncos trade Jake Plummer and their two first-round draft picks (Nos. 15 and 22) to Green Bay for Brett Favre and the Packers' first-round pick (No. 5).
• I further suggested the Broncos use the fifth pick to take their quarterback of the future. I recommended Jay Cutler.
• Frankly, I was a little surprised at the Packers fans, who have a reputation as some of football's most knowledgeable. Several said it was ridiculous to suggest the 15th and 22nd picks were worth the fifth. As anyone familiar with an NFL draft value chart knows, the 15th and 22nd picks are actually worth the fourth, so my proposal gives the Packers a little extra credit for Favre vs. Plummer.
• Packers fans, some of them overly fond of the caps lock on their computer keyboards, said there is no way the Pack would ever trade Favre. What they don't seem to recognize is he's contemplating retirement as we speak. If that's the way he goes, they lose him and get nothing in return.
• Even in Wisconsin, I believe something is still better than nothing.
• And there is mounting evidence that if Favre does walk away, it will be because he has no chance to compete in Green Bay, where they are rebuilding. Simple logic suggests the Packers would be better off getting what they can for their veteran signal-caller and Favre better off finishing somewhere he has a chance to win.
• If the 49ers could let go of Joe Montana, if the Colts could let go of John Unitas, if the Jets could let go of Joe Namath, the Pack can let go of Favre, especially if they hasten the rebuilding process by doing so.
• The complaints of Broncos fans come down to whether you believe Plummer is the guy to lead them to a Super Bowl championship. If you think he is, you have a good reason to oppose the suggested trade. But calling him a "Pro Bowl" quarterback is a bit of a spin job.
• The AFC's Pro Bowl quarterbacks last season were Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer and Tom Brady. Only after Palmer and Brady dropped out did they start working their way down the list to Trent Green, Plummer and Steve McNair.
• I'm not quite sure what happened to Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees, but they belonged in there somewhere.
• At this rate, every quarterback in the AFC will soon be a Pro Bowler.
• Anyway, these vastly different perceptions do provide a little insight into the nature of partisan thought and why it's so difficult to get committed partisans to agree on anything, not to go off on a rant about the mess in Washington.
• Packers fans think Favre is still a superstar and Plummer just another guy. Broncos fans think Plummer is a franchise player and Favre way over the hill. Neither, I would suggest, is within two zip codes of objective reality, if such a thing exists.
• This is the sort of subjectivity that makes deals hard to do. Even if logic dictates the Pack get something for Favre while they can, many Packers fans have an emotional attachment they feel is more important than logic.
• Meanwhile, back on the home front, you do not need to see your optometrist. Yes, that's the Rockies and the Nuggets in first place this morning.
• This is going to take some getting used to.
• It's early yet for the Rocks, but at this point a year ago they were still looking for win No. 2.
• By contrast, they just rampaged through San Diego by beating the yarn out of the ball.
• Don't look now, but Garrett Atkins is hitting .462. Cory Sullivan is hitting .400. Jason Smith is hitting .563.
• Jason Who?
• Jason Smith is a journeyman minor leaguer who turns 29 in July. In 283 big-league at-bats coming into this year, he was hitting .219 with six home runs and 27 RBI.
• He hit two homers Sunday.
• So things are going well for the Rocks.
• Oh, and Todd Helton is hitting .400.
• Hope he breaks out soon.
• In this unlikely place, we finally find common ground for Colorado and Wisconsin. Each has a fun young baseball club off to an exciting start.
• On that, perhaps they can agree.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/sports_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_83_4609588,00.html