the 4th star

It took seventeen games, but we were right. We knew No. 4 had it in him, no matter how many jumped on the bandwagon. That kind of makes it a little sweeter, doesn’t it? I mean, this is what sports is all about — picking teams and then rooting for your side to win. And if things really work out in your favour, the opposition will crash and burn something spectacular. Some thoughts on the game last night, that wonderful contest which saw Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson demonstrate just what kind of big game players they are. And let’s not forget about Brad Childress. He should have been fired right after the game.

1. The NFC Championship
Good game? Sure. Exciting? You bet. A great game. Not even close. Great games involve great players making great plays. All I remember is the ball bouncing around on the carpet. It’s the biggest game of the year. Play like you mean it.

2. The Audio
This clip is making the rounds today. The disappointment in Paul Allen’s voice warms me during this almost-blizzard we’re having today.

3. The Satisfaction
Driving around looking for Maginot Arena after the game (turns out it’s not in St. Boniface), I thought of the Green Bay Packers fan. As good as the anti-Favre establishment in Winnipeg feels, multiply it by four million and you’ll get close to the smile on the Packers fan’s face. Is it karma? Favra? Who knows. The justice for Green Bay, watching that drama queen cough up the game for the rival Minnesota Vikings, is pretty sweet, though.

4. The Truth
Florio nails it when he hammers Favre for saying that he’s going out on top. Add yesterday’s EPIC collapse to the overtime pick to Corey Webster in the NFC championship game two years ago (giving the Giants the win), and Favre is making it very difficult for fans to defend his game. Yes, I know. Those games in October are very important! Here’s a great line from the post:

Last night’s outcome isn’t the top.  It’s the bottom.  It’s as low as it gets, for a player, a team, a franchise, and its fan base.  Though Lions fans might say they’d trade decades of irrelevance for a shot at failing on a much bigger stage, failure is still failure.

Agreed. One hundred per cent.

5. The Legend
Does Favre’s pick come close to this slice of NFL lore?

6. The Vikings Fan
Talk about being confused today. Where do you put the blame? Do you blame Peterson for his untimely Tiki Barber impersonation? Do you blame Favre for making one of the worst decisions in professional sporting history? Or do you blame Childress for trying to gain a competitive advantage by putting 12 guys on the field before THE BIGGEST DOWN ON THE SEASON? Interesting reading in some of the comments following the stories today. Minnesota fans are mad at everyone, but Farve seems to be getting a free pass. Clearly, Vikings fans are idiotic.

6a. The Vikings Fan: Part II
Save your breath about the overtime format, too. Remember when Farve and Childress ran up the score on the Giants and the Cowboys, prompting Dallas LB Keith Brooking to complain during and after the game? Remember what ‘Chilly’ said: “It’s our job to score points and it’s their job to stop us from scoring points.”

7. The Favre Fan
Quote from the guy wearing purple at the bar last night, moments after he made the throw that even rookie quarterbacks don’t make anymore: I would still bet on Favre! He actually shouted it to the patron population. Really? How much more do you need to see? I hope you kept that receipt for that jersey, too. Here are some numbers: In 24 post season games, Favre is 13-11, throwing for 43 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. Two games over .500 in the post season. Way to go.

8. The Officiating
From poor spots to missed calls, the men in stripes were lucky to get out of the game without serious controversy. And give everyone a break, Vikings fan. Did you ever stop to think that maybe the reason for the ball appearing uncatchable was because the Vikings defender was holding Thomas down the sideline? If the pass interference flag on Porter (against Berrian) gets thrown, that coverage deserves some nylon, too.

9. The Coach
You know you’re not doing a very good job with the headset when a stump like Peter King comments on it (not with any conviction, mind you). Playing for a long field goal is essentially playing for overtime, which is straight out of the Clock Mismanagement chapter in the Bad Coaching Handbook. A couple Vikings fans sitting behind me were wondering what their team was doing at the end. They weren’t angry about — it was more a confusion or disbelief. Why aren’t they trying to move the ball down the field? Why aren’t they calling a time-out? Brad Childress is a terrible coach, that’s why. Oh, there’s a flag. Five yards back.

10. The End
Favre’s middle name is Lorenzo. Listen to that clip again. How great is that?