Is Favre Worth Brad Childress' Job? He's Betting On It

Brad Childress was a long time offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.  His work with that offense had his name mentioned in the head coaching carousel for many years until Minnesota finally gave him a chance.  The main knock on him in my opinion was that he wasn't assertive enough.  You don't have to be loud to be assertive (look at Tony Dungy) but you do have to have a certain attitude about you.  After a few years of mediocre teams in Viking land, he's out of the hot seat and firmly in the flames.  He's reaching out and actually waiting on Favre to make a decision to play.  He's laying his hopes on a 40 year old QB who was reckless with the ball when he was young, and is even more reckless in the past few years.  He's laying his hopes on the NFL all time TD passer, and completions leader.  To hell with the fact that he's also the record holder for most interceptions.  You gotta take chances right?

I'll tell you, it's making for some drama from the man competing with T.O. as the NFL's most dramatic figure.  How many players who are clearly out of their prime can hold a team hostage like Favre?  Why is Childress even allowing this to happen?  Well, I have no clear answer but I have a good guess.  Maybe even more than 1 guess.  First, it can help him at the end of the season to retain his job should the Vikings not make the playoffs.  If Favre has a breakdown in play and starts throwing more to the defenders than his own receivers Childress can always say that he did what he could and went out and got a legend to help the team.  In essence, it's not the coach, it's the players who can't execute.  If Favre has even a mediocre year and the Vikes make the playoffs again he can make the argument that he deserves yet another shot to make the team better and take it deeper in the playoffs.

Childress has done a wonderful job this offseason deflecting the spotlight off of himself.  With the diva storm known as Favre always on his lips when asked about the upcoming training camp and season.  No matter how much the rest of the team, especially the QB's, try to spin it they'd like to be sure about the Favre situation.  Everyone calls T.O. a chemistry killer, but what about Favre?  Is he too big for the game?  Is he such a legend that he can't be talked about like that?  I'd be mad knowing that some guy who should have retired is going to possibly change the whole look of the team, the attitude, and the way we play if even just for 1 year.  And to know that the reason he wants to play for my team is just to be able to play against the team he feels betrayed him is a huge insult.  Personally, I think having a chip on your shoulder when you play is good, makes you more intense and focused.  Playing with a vendetta just makes you selfish and childish. 

Favre is exemplifying one of the biggest flaws in a lot of athletes right now.  That flaw is the lack of accountability for his actions, and it seems that Childress is following suit preparing to deflect the outcome of a bad season if he needs to.  The jets wouldn't have tanked in the 2^nd half if he wasn't there.  He didn't admit that his arm was bothering as much as it was.  He cost the Jets their shot at the post season.  Favre has a history of playing selfish tough.  Nothing will stop him from hogging the spotlight helping his team on game day.  And when all is said and done and his team wins a game, he gets the praise.  When his team loses because he threw a few costly picks, well, that's just Favre being Favre.  He's having fun out there.  Hey, since we'll know by July 30^th whether he'll be playing for the Vikings, does that mean we'll know by July 31^st if John Madden is coming out of retirement for one more season?