NOT MY FAVRE-ITE PLAYER

By Your Athletic Supporter, Jack Strap

Brett FAVRE is NOT & has never been MY FAVRE-ITE or Favorite PLAYER, but after the Vikes went down in The Big Easy, I was a bit surprised by the degree of hater-ism displayed towards him. For example, right after the game I saw the following from some old high school classmates:

Judy Tomko Dowdalls Saint are in.... good bye Mr. Favre, here goes the retirement again and again and again..... GO SAINTS!

January 24 at 10:20pm · Comment · · View Feedback (10)Hide Feedback (10)

Lynn Dettra Bozzelli

wonder what team he'll try to worm his way onto next year?

January 24 at 10:31pm

Judy Tomko Dowdalls

well we will have to wait till after training camp.....

January 24 at 10:33pm

Lynn Dettra Bozzelli

yeah, thats when he usually gets in his good cry.

January 24 at 10:34pm

Judy Tomko Dowdalls

ya know i dont like the iggles, but, if he does retire.... McNabb to Minnesota? Childress is there?? but then again, along as reid is coach iggles lose.

January 24 at 10:36pm

Glenn Miller

you gals are vicious; To be fair Favre took some mean hits & just kept getting up & almost throwing them to the Super Bowl

January 24 at 10:45pm ·

Judy Tomko Dowdalls

Paalleessse, Bears fan here, tired of him. he needs to go home to his wifie poo and mom.

January 24 at 10:46pm

Lynn Dettra Bozzelli

Brett Favre just needs to retire already Glenn...give it up, take a rest, go back to Mississippi.

January 24 at 10:53pm

Rick White

Favre was faking those injuries yesterday. The Old Gunslinger lost another game because he's a selfish, overrated and reckless QB. Isn't there a Facebook group I can join out there called Brett Favre Haters?

January 25 at 10:11am

Lynn Dettra Bozzelli

Rick, I bet we could find a BF Haters page. There's a page for everything else

January 25 at 11:53am

Judy Tomko Dowdalls

I'm in and I know my hubby is in, he is the biggest Fav...re hater.

January 25 at 1:54pm

Judy joined the group Sports Fountainhead.

Then shortly after Judy joined the Sports Fountainhead as noted above, her & the others joined Facebook's "Brett Favre Haters" group. I joined too just to see what the members were posting & they were fittingly flinging it at the gunslinger.

The BF Hate also showed up before & after the game in this very Blog by our Founder Joey Mays "Hayes" (reference Major League) and you can read all about it below.

Although not a full-fledged FAVRE Hater, I first started getting annoyed by John Madden's "love affair" with Brett, although then really enjoyed it when Frank Caliendo entertainingly mocked it. Then of course the whole "retirement" thing back-and-forth with the Packers was annoying and I unbiasedly felt that FAVRE handled it all very irritatingly. On to the Jets & the way he finished up there was a fiasco, so I guess I can kind of understand how that would build some hatred. Finally this year, he came back out of "retirement" yet again to stick it to the Packers by leading the Vikings to a Super Bowl victory before his fitting "gun-slinging" interception ended that & kicked off a final round ("he's not coming back"--reference end of "Point Break") of hate that may not subside until he's elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Best. Facebook Group. Ever.

Join me, won't you?

Hat tip: Jack Strap

Voice of the Vikings Isn't Too High on Favre at the Moment

Have a listen.

Yeah, Paul Allen of KFAN is (rightfully) upset.

But why do you even ponder passing? I mean you CAN TAKE A KNEE AND TRY A 56-YARD FIELD GOAL! THIS IS NOT DETROIT, MAN, THIS IS THE SUPERBOWL!

--Paul Allen, KFAN (Twin Cities), following Favre's 4th quarter INT

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

What a terrible decision, one Jets and Packers fans are all too familiar with. And how does Brett respond?

By (supposedly) hanging them up, of course! Third time's a charm... I hope.

Colts, Saints Set for Showdown in Miami

Congratulations to the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, the AFC and NFC Champions, respectively, for the 2009 NFL season. This will be New Orleans' first appearance in the Super Bowl.

Also, congratulations to the Jets and Vikings on putting together great seasons as well. Though I have to say for personal reasons I'm glad you lost today. Sorry, but it is true. Still you both had wonderful seasons and should be applauded for that.

I have officially finished 1-9 in the 2009-2010 playoffs, prediction wise. I'm telling you people, it's hard to prognosticate as well as I do.

Super Bowl XLIV will be epic, as two potent offenses will face off with the ability to put points on the board on every play from scrimmage. I won't do any predicting now; we have two weeks to do that!

During those 2 weeks I expect plenty of coverage of what the media believes is the most important thing after these games - will Favre retire...again?

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Bye bye, Favre!

A Little Late to the Party, Don

Sports Illustrated's Don Banks has a piece today about Brett Favre and his flirtation with unretiring for the second straight offseason.

It's beyond tiresome by now. Let's face it, it's sad and kind of pathetic that we're once again being sucked into another Brett Favre watch. What are we up to now, four, five summers in a row with the same basic storyline: Will he play or won't he? The indecision of the man has become as legendary as his football feats, and infinitely less entertaining.

...

Sorry, but no one will ever convince me it's not all about ego at this point with Favre. The need for adulation and adoration -- he doesn't know how to live without either.

Thanks, Don. I like when people agree with me. Of course I started my hate for Favre circa 2006. But it is only documented on this site since early 2008.

I urge you to read his entire article. He basically sums up everything I've been saying over the last 18 months. Except Banks is famous and published for a widely circulated periodical. Not the case here.

E, are you friends with these people?

Go and check out this blog post by ESPNs AFC East writer Tim Graham. Then read my rebuttals below.

To Donnel in New York: No YOU'RE an idiot.

To Gilbert in Palo Alto, Calif.: It's FAVRE, not Farve. And the Jets season was a failure. They spend millions of dollars to make the playoffs. They failed. The coach was fired. It doesn't matter that they improved from last year. The additions of Alan Faneca, Tony Richardson, Kris Jenkins, Calvin Pace, Damien Woody, and Brett Favre should have been able to take the Jets to the playoffs. It didn't happen. Failure.

To Brad in Denver: Who cares about a winning season if there is no playoff appearance and, after the season ends, your team is back in shambles? No QB for the future, unless Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff, or Erik Ainge blossom this offseason. A new head coach and staff. Plus, the salary cap isn't in the best of shape.

To Jack in Sioux Falls, S.D.: You're a football fan but didn't know the Jets were a football team? Favre making the Jets relevant is the point? WHAT? I though it was to win.

To Joe from Parts Unknown: The ramifications aren't that severe? The team was built to win NOW! Like as in 2008! Woody, Faneca, and Richardson aren't spring chickens. Favre is gone. Who's the QB?

To Adam in Rockford, Ill.: Agreed!

To Jim from Parts Unknown: Jim, Tim is one of the most unbiased bloggers I've read. He covers the NFL professionally for ESPN. Just because he had stints in the other AFC East cities doesn't mean he's a fan of any of those teams. I dont' remember where Graham grew up but, if I recall correctly, Graham was a fan of no AFC East team. I want to say he liked the Redskins as a boy. Not 100% sure on that. Mangini leaving is a good thing? Ah, you're one of those. You know the kind, don't you Jim. The one's that call someone "Mangenius" one week and then say "Mangini leaving is a good thing". The Jets line couldn't keep Favre off the ground? They gave up only 30 sacks in 2008, 14th in the league. That's better than average. "How did they do in the playoffs?" about Miami. Wow. Smack talking a team that made the playoffs and beat you on your home turf to win the division. Nice.

To Nate in Las Vegas: For the third time, the Jets having a winning record in 2008 means nothing. It is a failure because the bar was set so high for this group of new and, supposedly, amazing players. The team didn't perform to lofty expectations. Failure. And about Favre's injury... come on! You think Favre hurt was better than Clemens or Ratliff? No way. Favre, as usual, showed his selfish nature and continued to play when he shouldn't have been.

To Dan from Ashwaubenon, Wisc.: Stop making excuses for Brett. He does that good enough for himself. And Tim, if these fools really want you to leave ESPN then you can, by all means, blog for me. The pay is great, right E and Steely McDonati?

OK. No more of this. These fools don't need this much attention from me. Sorry Jeff in Denver, Hawkhunter in Chicago, Steve in Cincinnati, Jeff from Parts Unknown, Pat in New Haven, Conn., Russ in Mobile, Ala. (though I may come back to his, it's a good one!), Steve in Parkersburg, W.Va., and Craig in York, Pa.

And So it Begins...

See ya later!

ESPN - SOURCES: Favre tells Jets he's retiring.

My thoughts exactly

While reading a recent article by ESPN Ombudsman Le Anne Schreiber, the last bullet point under the "Fine points from fans" section caught my eye. And I just smiled.

Finally, a viewer from Castle Rock, Colo., speaking for himself, me and many others: "I am sick and tired of ESPN's obsession with Brett Favre!"

I am so glad I don't live in New York/New Jersey for fear of hearing more about the over-hyped, overrated, prima donna.

P.S. - Be sure to check out the Ombudsman's articles frequently. Her stuff is some of the best out there. Schreiber analyzes ESPNs use of their various media outlets and voices her opinion on how they handle certain story's. For someone who hates the media, her work is gold.

Despite media hype, Favre and the Jets were merely average in week 1

The way the media is swooning over Brett Favre and his new team you'd think the final score yesterday was 66-10. It wasn't. Not even close. The Jets did win, beating the Dolphins 20-14. But with some ridiculous comments from people at ESPN you'd think they just made it to the Super Bowl. ESPNs Gene Wojciechowski says

At the exact moment Brady's knee buckled, Favre and the Jets became the team to beat in a division previously leased by the Patriots.

Well if that is true, based on yesterday's performances, where does that put Buffalo who destroyed Seattle 34-10. Or Miami? They were a play away from pulling the upset. With New York now the favorite, they more than likely would be favored to get to at least 11 wins. Based on the performance yesterday? Against a team that, entering the season, "experts" thought would struggle to win 3 games? Surely a meager 6-point win over a perceived "awful" team wouldn't make the Jets a favorite for anything.

And the praise for Brett Favre? Please. If the stat. line of 15 of 22 for 198 yards and 2 TDs was attached to anyone else it would be a nice, solid game. But not when it comes from Favre. Then it is a performance that just reeks of how amazing he is. That 2nd TD was a freak play and complete luck. Favre is another machination of the media hype machine that does more harm than good.

The Jets played good enough to win yesterday but to say that this team is a clear favorite in the AFC East is crap. I think E would agree with me. The Jets performance yesterday was average. Teams that should be reveling in praise after dominating wins yesterday - Dallas, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and perhaps Chicago - have to feel good. As good as you can feel after 1 week. If I were the Jets I would feel disappointed. You beat an inferior opponent by only 6 points and were on the cusp of a loss.

This isn't to say the Jets can't be good, or great for that matter. The potential is there. I can guarantee you that if the game played out the exact same way except Pennington was the Jets starter, no one would be considering the Jets the team to beat in the AFC East. GUARANTEE. And with Brady down the Patriots will stumble. But despite my hatred for them and their coach, they still have elite players at other positions. They will fall but not as far as many would like them to. They will still be in the hunt for the playoffs, like the rest of the teams in the AFC East.

Speaking of the Patriots, I don't want to see players get injured. I would never wish that on anyone. Not even Brady and the Patriots. But this just shows that karma works. Their cheating ways and sleazy play last year was sacked in the Super Bowl and an exclamation point was added in week 1. You angered the football gods last season. Payback is a bitch. This also shows the complete arrogance that Bill Belichick employs. Why in the world is Matt Cassel the backup to Brady? Despite his solid play in relief yesterday, the Patriots can't possibly believe he is the answer for the rest of the season. And they don't. They are bringing in free agents Tim Rattay and Chris Simms for workouts today. If you do this when your star goes down, why not have one of them as the back up already? Simms was cut in late August and Rattay wasn't even in a camp. Both of these players are more than likely an upgrade over Cassel. Why weren't they brought in and groomed as a backup in case this happened? Arrogance. That's all it is. Now Cassel will have to start for the next week or two until a free agent gets up to speed. Just more New England arrogance.

Favre: By a Jets Fan

Now that I've had a little bit of time to digest the situation, I feel I'm capable of offering an official person opinion on the matter. That opinion is that I like this situation.

Heading into this season, it was either Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens. Kellen is alright but won't (at this point) lead us to a division title over the Pats, let alone a Super Bowl. Chad is frail. Very frail. He's also 32 and when you're that age and have a history of injuries like he does, that typically doesn't bode well. Could he have had a good season and take the Jets to the playoffs this year? Absolutely. But that's about it. With Pennington in, NO defense respected the deep ball, and rightfully so. Chad (or Kellen really) couldn't throw it. Because of that, defenses could creep up and snuff out our running game, forcing us to throw short-moderate distance passes for much of the game (I will put part of the blame on our O-Line for this happening last year though). With Brett under center, secondaries are going to have to back off. That, combined with adding Faneca and Woody to the line will help Thomas Jones immensely. He couldn't run at all last year. Our offense will be much more dynamic with Favre.

Also, a free agent signing that mostly went under the radar was our pickup of Bubba Franks. Oddly enough, that signing will probably help out much more than we bargained for. It'll be good for Brett to have a familiar face around that can help translate the NY playbook for him.

Another aspect is attention. Yes, Brett Favre is a drama queen...but the Jets rarely get any attention on the NY sports scene. It always Yankees and Mets and oh yeah, the Giants did win the Super Bowl last year. It's nice to see my team really get put on the map for once. And even with all that attention, Favre can definitely live a pretty low-key life away from Giants Stadium. He will have to deal with a lot more media scrutiny, which I think he's capable of, but the Jets new practice facility is not far away at all from rural areas of NJ.

When it comes down to what we gave up for Favre, I'm actually satisfied. Right now its a 4th rounder, if he plays more than half the season its a 3rd rounder, if we make the playoffs (with him at the helm) its a 2nd rounder, and we give up the 31st or 32nd overall pick if we make the Super Bowl. I like that. We get Favre and keep a first rounder (which GB undoubtedly wanted for him) unless we make a Super Bowl. I personally would do much worse to see my team in the Super Bowl, but that's besides the point.

The NFL is a win now league. If the Jets want to win now, Brett Favre is the right choice. I love Chad Pennington but he just couldn't cut it. With Brett, the Jets should be favored to win at least about 10 games. I wouldn't put them as a Super Bowl contender yet though. We really have to see how all the free agent pickups work out. I would pin them as a Wild Card favorite right now, with room to advance as the year moves on. As for right now, I'm excited to get this season underway and see what Brett can do for the Jets...assuming the Madden Curse doesn't get in the way of that...

I'm now officially ready to embrace Brett Favre as a member of the Jets family.

Damn... Now I Have to Hear Even More About Favre!

I hate Brett Favre. I have expressed that many, many, many, many times on this site. But him being traded to the Jets sucks. Being a Dolphins fan I will now have to face this awful "role model" twice a year, not to mention the fact he will be the focus of everything in the AFC East. Damn you, Brett! Why couldn't you have just stayed retired?

Gene Wojciechowski is normally one of my favorite ESPN writers. But his coverage of the Favre saga has been abysmal. He is completely and utterly one-sided, and belongs in the corner with most of the media and John Madden. He kisses Favre's ass as if he has never done anything wrong. Don't believe me? Read this junk.

I could easily go on and on about how he is wrong. But I'll just steal the thoughts of others. The pictures below is a compilation of all the rebuttals to Gene's article. Combined they cover everything I think of this article, Gene, and the drama queen that is Brett Favre. Obviously you'll have to click it to read them.

I don't think this makes the Jets contenders, either. Could he get them to the playoffs? Sure. But I've been saying they were a Wild Card challenger to begin with. Some people think the addition of Favre makes them a slam dunk contender. Um, OK? No one knows this will or will not pay off. What if the Green Bay offense better suited Favre and brought out his best football qualities? What if all of the Jets other offseason acquisitions fail? Favre improves the QB position - for now. But he won't be playing for more than 2 years. And then the Jets will still have to find a QB and all of those expensive free agents they signed will be 2 years older. If the Jets hope to win they better do it this year.

Brett Favre is a New York Jet

Being a Jets fan, I don't know how to react. I'll probably have to sleep on it, which is what I'll do right now. Expect to hear more from me soon.

Amen!

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk is a bit of a polarizing blogging persona. He has his opinions and sentiments and mixes them with colorful comments on anything revolving around the NFL. Florio also writes for The Sporting News and his most recent piece is one of, if not his, best that I've read... mostly because it echos everything I've been saying here for months. Here's the title: Favre more diva than good ol' boy. Damn straight. Check out Florio's article here and then head on over to PFT for more football offerings during this dead time before training camp (the Jets actually begin tomorrow!). I specifically like the end of point 3 and everything about point number 4. Enjoy!

Picture also from PFT.

An Open Letter to Brett Favre

Click on the image below to read a great letter to Brett Favre about his possible comeback and how he would (read should) be treated if he were to return...


That is a comment from this article on Pro Football Talk. I couldn't have said it much better myself. TboneXXL is spot on. And the Star Wars reference is nice, too.

Delusional "Packers" Fan

Comment from this article.

Oh. My. God.

Misspell starting QB's name? Check. Want your former QB to play for a rival? Check. Hate the man largely responsible for returning your team to respectability? Check. Follow one overrated player over an entire team? Check.

Give me a break.

Still Think Favre Is Above a Team?

Brett Favre is selfish. Always has been, always will be. The cheeseheads in Wisconsin don't like to admit (and neither do some blind sports fans that praise and worship the dry dirt he walks on) but it is undeniably true. His actions show it.

He always claimed he was about the team. What he really meant what was best for him was undeniably the best thing for the team. He wanted to win another title. That's his claim for staying and for stalling the Packers front office for the past 3 or 4 offseasons. However, the year after 'leading' the Packers to the NFC Championship game the man up and quits? Oh I'm sorry, he 'retired'. Is there any doubt that Favre came back solely for the personal titles he gained through the 2007 season? Nope. Why leave a 13-3 team when you claim you only ever want to win? Did winning for the first time in 3 years take that much out of him? The Packers are a young force in Green Bay; they could be fielding their best team since the mid-90's this season (minus the QB spot, where Aaron Rodgers is still relatively unproven). And yet Favre 'retires'? Give me a break.

Of course I talked about Mr. Favre before (twice, actually). But every time his name is brought up it makes me cringe. Having him as a role model is an awful things for kids. Sure if they only yearn to have his physical skills and tools then fine, yeah, he's a good 'role model'. But I though role models were supposed to do the right things in their personal life and conduct themselves with utmost class? That is not Brett Favre. His 'me before the team' mentality is utterly ridiculous.

With the talk of a comeback again (which seems to happen every two weeks) the real Brett Favre is revealed, despite his continual denial. It is rumored that Favre has contacted the Packers about returning and they basically said "Thanks, but no thanks, unless Rodgers gets injured". As they should have! They have been preparing for 3+ months now with Aaron Rodgers as the starter; not Brett Favre. It's over for you in Green Bay, Brett. The team has closure; get yours. The only reason Green bay should allow you back is to play if Rodgers is injured. That's it. And if you truly have an 'itch' to play then force the Packers hands; they'll release you and hopefully the unwise sports fans out there won't blame the team for doing the right thing. You may be one of the Top 15 QB's of All-Time. But what you have done these last couple of years has really tarnished your legacy in the eyes of many people. If you force the Packers to release you because you want to play and they won't let you come back, I hope you're booed everywhere you go. It's what you deserve. This whole mess is your fault, Brett Favre. And the country is sick of it. Proof is in the pudding.

Football fans around the country (and world) think Brett Favre should not come back.

Shut. Up. Brett.

Right on the heels of my last post comes this. I think it's clear that I am not a huge fan of Brett Favre. His idol status is mind-boggling to me. How can fans of the NFL, and in particular Green bay fans, stand to hear this (as stated on David Letterman last night):

Favre: I think when training camp gets close, something’s bound to happen.
Letterman: What does that mean?
Favre: I don’t know. Did I just say that?

Yes you did, Brett. And stop it. You are going to alienate people who love you. Every time you hint about returning more people will be pissed at you. And imagine what would happen if you try to return with another team (which can only happen if he forces a trade)? Shut up Brett Favre.

Favre? Really EA?

You couldn't find someone better? Ya know, like someone who is still playing? What is the over/under on John Madden demanding Favre be on the cover? It's ridiculous how this guy is so beloved. Worst Madden cover since John himself was on the cover.

Favre Retiring...Finally

According to ESPN, FOX Sports, and the Biloxi Sun-Herald, Brett Favre is going to retire. I am shocked. We have been following the Brett Favre-Retirement dance for, what, 3 years now? It's gotten old. VERY OLD. In my opinion his yearly standoff with retirement is awful. He holds an entire organization and fan base hostage. I hate when people say athlete's have "earned" the right to do what they want. Aren't professional sports supposed to be the biggest stage for TEAM sports? Since when does one player get to take months to decide on his future? Should he have the right to decide for himself? Sure. But his process takes MONTHS. This completely handicaps the organization in terms of free agency and then the draft. No player, I don't care how good you are, should be treated differently (outside of the boatloads of money, of course). ARE YOU LISTENING ROGER CLEMENS? Well your playing days are over anyway. Ah digression...

Favre always stated that he wasn't about records; he was always about winning. If he thought he was in physical and mental condition to return to the field for another year AND the team would be competitive he'd come back. This decision sometimes took months. In the past few seasons, years he was considering retirement, Favre broke a few QB milestones. He is now the career record holder for pass completions, pass attempts, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and interceptions (though he may not want that one). All of those records, except the INT one, were previously held by Dan Marino.

When Favre first contemplated retirement, I believe after the 2005-2006 season, the Packers had just finished 4-12. Favre threw 29 interceptions. It looked like he had lost it. Retirement looked imminent. Favre wanted to keep playing but wanted to contend. The 4-12 Packers did not have a lot of hope in the eyes fans or the media. The Packers organization did very little during free agency in 2006, mostly because they had no clue what Favre's plan was. They had already selected his successor, Aaraon Rodgers, in the 2005 draft. But should the team grab established veterans for one last run? Or should they purge the roster and get younger? If they knew Brett was coming back they could have had a plan. But they didn't. Because he wasn't telling them what he was doing. Finally on April 26, 2006, Favre announced he would return.

Fast forward through the 2006 season, one in which the young Packers team showed modest improvement and finished 8-8. You will now experience deja vu. Favre takes until mid-March to decide to return in 2007. Again, the Packers are not players in free agency, possibly due to the fact that they didn't know their direction. As the draft approaches, hoping for one more run at a second Super Bowl title, Favre yearns for the Packers to add Randy Moss. It doesn't happen. Favre is furious because he thinks the team isn't showing effort to make strides and get to the next level. There were numerous rumors that he demanded a trade. Favre would later deny this. Even without Moss the Packers surprised a lot of people. They finished with the second best record in the NFC at 13-3 and played host to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game, which went into OT. A Favre INT and then a Lawrence Tynes FG would end the Packers season and, apparently, Favre's career.

I find this very odd. Favre, a man who says he is in it to win, will leave the team after they go 13-3 and are minutes away from a Super Bowl berth? What??? The Packers are the youngest team in the NFL. They just went 13-3 with the gunslinger under center. Why the hell would he retire? Are there underlying health (that bad ankle) or family problems? Is the drive gone? What is up?

Unfortunately we don't know yet. And probably never will. But this decision reeks of hypocrisy. You wanted to win again. Now is your chance! But no, I'm hanging them up. Perhaps this is because you have now accomplished everything you wanted. The personal records, of course. It seems that the end of Favre's career never was about the Green Bay Packers or about winning another Super Bowl. It was about Brett Favre. That and only that.

I hope I'm wrong. I hope there is a real reason behind this. As of now, I don't see one. It makes no sense. I never was one to love Favre, much like numerous fans and the media did (right John Madden?). There is no doubt that Favre was an amazing QB and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. But people always bring up what and outstanding person he is and how deserving of everything he is. I don't buy it. He is just another example of a selfish athlete. Something the world doesn't need. Good riddance.


Just to let everyone know I understand everything Favre and his family has been through. From the death of his father and brother-in-law, his wife's fight with cancer, and Hurricane Katrina. This doesn't make him any different or more important than the other people effected by those same types of tragedies. He did not persevere any more than any other 'average' person would. I had the utmost respect for him when he took the field on Monday Night Football the day after his father passed away in December 2003. But I have the same kind of respect for any person that does their job after a family tragedy. He isn't different, despite what the media says (Man of the Year, Sports Illustrated? Really?). Everyone goes through these things. EVERYONE. Don't put him on a pedestal because he is a terrific athlete.