great story on ESPN about Brett Favre:

This is the story of how an out-of-shape third-string quarterback named Brett Favre got traded to the Green Bay Packers, changing the course of NFL history

Was his being out of shape true? I didn't really care about Favre until he started beating the Bears on the regular.

Ken Herock: It's like a nightmare almost when I talk about this trade because I grew up in Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh let go of a great player -- Johnny Unitas. And I used to always think, "How could anybody be so g**damn stupid to let a player like that go? What was wrong with them?" So when I was in the league doing this, I always told myself never to give away a great player. It was one of my principles because I always thought of Johnny Unitas. So when this was happening, I'm thinking of Johnny Unitas.

I could still hear the remark from the coach. He said [imitating Glanville voice], "You get a first-round pick for him, you're a genius." And I was a genius just like the Pittsburgh Steelers were when they cut Johnny Unitas.

Wonder if anyone's thought of having Farve sit down and try to talk some sense into Manziel?

NFL Draft Year: 1992
Round: 1
Overall Pick: 19* (from Green Bay)
Atlanta Falcons
Player: Tony Smith
Position: RB
College: Southern Mississippi


Running back Tony Smith averaged 3.8 yards per carry in two seasons for the Falcons. Favre won a Super Bowl and had a Hall of Fame career with the Packers.

I think this is one of those times when it's easy to look back with rose colored glasses but I don't blame the Falcons because AT THAT TIME who was Brett Favre? He had injuries and he was also a head case as a rookie that he admitted as much. The Falcons got a first round pick for him but blew the pick. No one, even the Packers, would've ever guessed Favre would turn into a HOF QB.

Remember when the Saints/Mike Ditka traded away their entire 1999 draft and their first and third round picks in 2000 for running back Ricky Williams? Now that was stupid.

(08-06-2016 02:11 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  Wonder if anyone's thought of having Farve sit down and try to talk some sense into Manziel?

Johnny would talk to Brett or anyone else for that matter but he won't listen and take heed unfortunately. Manziel will likely end up paying a high price for his chosen lifestyle. I am still pulling for the guy to turn his life around and I hope he can before it's too late.

(08-06-2016 06:55 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  I think this is one of those times when it's easy to look back with rose colored glasses but I don't blame the Falcons because AT THAT TIME who was Brett Favre? He had injuries and he was also a head case as a rookie that he admitted as much. The Falcons got a first round pick for him but blew the pick. No one, even the Packers, would've ever guessed Favre would turn into a HOF QB.

Remember when the Saints/Mike Ditka traded away their entire 1999 draft and their first and third round picks in 2000 for running back Ricky Williams? Now that was stupid.

No it wasn't, Ricky Williams was a great running back but he just became a severe pothead--err I mean casehead-err I really mean head case. He didn't do what he should have and was a coward, ruining Dave Wannstedt's career in the process.

But all things being equal at the time, he was a great talent and certainly worth the risk. And he wasn't Ryan Leaf, he had a solid and productive career.

(08-06-2016 02:25 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  NFL Draft Year: 1992
Round: 1
Overall Pick: 19* (from Green Bay)
Atlanta Falcons
Player: Tony Smith
Position: RB
College: Southern Mississippi


Running back Tony Smith averaged 3.8 yards per carry in two seasons for the Falcons. Favre won a Super Bowl and had a Hall of Fame career with the Packers.

Funny that they took another Southern Miss player.

(08-07-2016 02:47 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(08-06-2016 06:55 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  I think this is one of those times when it's easy to look back with rose colored glasses but I don't blame the Falcons because AT THAT TIME who was Brett Favre? He had injuries and he was also a head case as a rookie that he admitted as much. The Falcons got a first round pick for him but blew the pick. No one, even the Packers, would've ever guessed Favre would turn into a HOF QB.

Remember when the Saints/Mike Ditka traded away their entire 1999 draft and their first and third round picks in 2000 for running back Ricky Williams? Now that was stupid.

No it wasn't, Ricky Williams was a great running back but he just became a severe pothead--err I mean casehead-err I really mean head case. He didn't do what he should have and was a coward, ruining Dave Wannstedt's career in the process.

But all things being equal at the time, he was a great talent and certainly worth the risk. And he wasn't Ryan Leaf, he had a solid and productive career.

Never said Williams wasn't talented or did not become a productive NFL running back. No NFL franchise had ever traded an entire draft for one player before the Saints did and I don't believe it has happened since. There's a good reason for that. To be fair, the Saints had previously traded their second round pick that year but this was a panic move pick from Ditka who suffered back to back 6-10 seasons. The aftermath? Ditka got canned after the Saints went 3-13 after trading for Williams who ended up playing for 3 average seasons with the Saints. I stand by my comment that this was a stupid draft pick for what the Saints gave up to get it and it was far worse than the Brett Favre trade IMO.

Quote:Nearly 20 years later, the stunning trade still stands as one of the most ridiculed in NFL history. The Saints sent eight picks to the Washington Redskins, including two first-rounders, just to move up seven spots from No. 12 to No. 5 and draft the Heisman Trophy winner from Texas.

http://www.espn.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_...ft-history

Quote:On this day in Saints history, April 17th, 1999, the team dealt their entire draft for the rights to select Ricky Williams with the #5 pick of the 1st round. This was preceded by Mike Ditka announcing to the whole world at the NFL owners meetings that he would trade his entire draft for Williams, and thus, giving the Saints ZERO leverage in any negotiations.

After two miserable seasons with identical 6-10 records, Mike Ditka was grasping at straws and flailing about like a drunk who fell off The Riverwalk and into the Mississippi River. He was trying to raise an already sunken ship that he spent the previous two years blowing huge holes in the hull with his own torpedoes. So, he pushed all of his remaining chips to the middle of the table and decided to go "all in" on the 1999 Draft by taking Ricky Williams.

http://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/201...itka-trade

Their trade was excessive but still the right move. I'd have traded a lot for him at the time.

(08-06-2016 02:10 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  Ken Herock: It's like a nightmare almost when I talk about this trade because I grew up in Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh let go of a great player -- Johnny Unitas. And I used to always think, "How could anybody be so g**damn stupid to let a player like that go? What was wrong with them?" So when I was in the league doing this, I always told myself never to give away a great player. It was one of my principles because I always thought of Johnny Unitas. So when this was happening, I'm thinking of Johnny Unitas.

I could still hear the remark from the coach. He said [imitating Glanville voice], "You get a first-round pick for him, you're a genius." And I was a genius just like the Pittsburgh Steelers were when they cut Johnny Unitas.

Not really the same. Favre was in the ATL in the 90's. You know, back when you could stumble from bar to bar on Peachtree until about 3AM and Freaknik was still a thing. Going to Green Bay with nothing to do but focus on football was the change he needed. Brett was never going to be the Gunsliger with Falcons.

but espn sucks and sh!t. who else was going to get that awesome expose?

(08-12-2016 08:57 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  Not really the same. Favre was in the ATL in the 90's. You know, back when you could stumble from bar to bar on Peachtree until about 3AM and Freaknik was still a thing. Going to Green Bay with nothing to do but focus on football was the change he needed. Brett was never going to be the Gunsliger with Falcons.

Farve hanging out around Atlanta? He'd strike me as a guy that would go to rural Georgia, Tennessee or Alabama to have fun, not really a city person. I guess going to Green Bay was the best thing that could have happened to him because there's no smaller market in pro sports.

(08-12-2016 11:41 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(08-12-2016 08:57 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  Not really the same. Favre was in the ATL in the 90's. You know, back when you could stumble from bar to bar on Peachtree until about 3AM and Freaknik was still a thing. Going to Green Bay with nothing to do but focus on football was the change he needed. Brett was never going to be the Gunsliger with Falcons.

Farve hanging out around Atlanta? He'd strike me as a guy that would go to rural Georgia, Tennessee or Alabama to have fun, not really a city person. I guess going to Green Bay was the best thing that could have happened to him because there's no smaller market in pro sports.

Favre was the kind of guy who could hang in just about any setting IMO. I mean, there are stories of him going to the Gold Club and Magic City during that time and he was just a rookie.