Tuesday edition: Would you buy a Purple Favre jersey?
Posted on July 8th, 2008 – 8:12 AMBy Michael Rand
The recent (and intensifying) speculation that Brett Favre has the “itch” to come out of retirement — while Green Bay doesn’t share his sentiment — has led to a question from Rocket: if by some chance Favre wound up in Minnesota, would you buy his Vikings jersey? Three quick notes: 1) Vikings fans seem somewhat torn over the very remote possibility that Favre could be in Purple. We had a swear-filled e-mail exchange with Big Daddy Drew about this yesterday, and he might have swayed us over to the “[redacted] no!” camp. 2) Other Vikings players to have worn No. 4: placekickers Doug Brien, Dale Dawson and Donald Igwebuike; punters Eddie Johnson and Mike Saxon; and QB Archie Manning. So, um, the number still has plenty of good years left in it. 3) Apparently because of NFL licensing rules, you can’t put certain names on certain jerseys, even if it’s in the pretend interweb land. Hence the spelling of “Favray” on the fake jersey above, which has circumvented the rules and will surely result in a lawsuit from the comically litigious No Fun League.
And now: Rocket has the floor.
What if the greatest “[Redacted] you, Green Bay” scenario in the history of the world actually happens? What if Brett Favre, deciding that he can no longer stand living and playing in Green Bay without painkillers forces the Packers’ hand and the team releases him? And what if the Vikings pick him up? That, of course, is not only a long shot scenario, but it raises a host of potential ethical questions for your average fan. Thus, I propose we open up one particularly intriguing can of worms for the RandBallaholics. Would you buy a Brett Favre Vikings jersey?
Pros: It would be absolutely [redacted] hilarious. Can you imagine the amazing fight in the stands at the Vikings-Packers games between the really fat guy wearing a brand new Vikings #4 and the really drunk, really sad, really fat guy wearing the faded, threadbare green #4? It would be perhaps the greatest middle finger the state of Minnesota could possibly waggle eastward (since we don’t have any Super Bowl trophies to shake at them). Plus, he is a top ten all-time great quarterback. And it is nice to celebrate the greats that are attached to your favorite franchise, no matter how fleeting.
Cons: Would it be absolutely hilarious to own a Vikings Brett Favre jersey, or would that just make you the biggest hipster [redacted] in the world? Would you actually want to own the thing or would you be shelling out a bucketful of cash for what amounted to a seriously overpriced joke? Wearing / owning / displaying something purely (or perhaps even just mostly)
for its ironic effect it the calling card of the hipster [redacted]. Besides, jerseys of great players long past their primes from teams with whom they are not immediately associated are littering the backs of closets all over the sports landscapes (I’m looking right at you, all of you chumps who own a Michael Jordan Wizards jersey).
And just for the heck of it, let’s make this a two part question. The first part is would you buy a Brett Favre jersey immediately after he signs with the Vikings after the third week of training camp? The second part is would you buy a Brett Favre jersey right after he accepts the Super Bowl MVP trophy for his glorious effort in leading the Vikings over the Chargers in the big game and then announces his retirement (for real) right on the field?
38 Responses to "Tuesday edition: Would you buy a Purple Favre jersey?"
Even if you crossed out every Vikings reference and replaced it with Bears there is still no chance of me buying that jersey.
It would be fitting for the Vikings fans to buy the jerseys since their owner is trying to buy a Super Bowl ring. If he was smart he would have saved several million dollars and just bought a SB ring off Ebay from one of those ex-players who needs to fund his coke habit.
Ummm…how are the Vikings trying any differently than anyone else to buy a Super Bowl?
Oh, that’s right, teams like the Giants and Patriots win purely with “home grown” talent, that they’ve obtained in the draft and nurtured along.
Frankly, I’d rather have made some deals and signed some free agents to make myself competitive than let my roster fall into something that resembled the Bears current roster…
I’d sooner wear a #4 Kim Jong Il jersey than a Brett Favre jersey.
Tooncie
I think it’s time for a nice friendly waager. $5 says the Bears win a Super Bowl before the Vikings do. What do you say?
I’d buy it if it came with a free gas can and book of matches.
Instead of Favre, you should have put Douchebag. That’s what you’d be if you wore that jersey.
jama - By the time that bet came to fruition, your $5 wouldn’t buy you a gumball.
I love my team!
i am down right giddy that this could happen. all the years of favre hate would go right out the window for this guy. the giant middle finger to east is just waaaay to much to pass up. seeing a weeping lambeau field crowd on monday night as bert farvay steps out of tunnel in purple pants, i mean wow, just wow.
I think Id buy a Kim Jong Il jersey. Ive heard he’s actually now the second string quarterback for the bears.
If I took that $5 and put it in the bank, by the time either team won the SB it would have to be worth at least $6.50
How long is this Favre nonsense going to go on? If this drags on for more than a week I may do something crazy…
Favre in Purple would quickly surpass Hilary in the 2008 race for “the most people to suddenly turn on an icon”.
I almost want it to happen just to watch the Packers fans who have revered and defended the guy for so long, abruptly swing around and savage him (and my fellow Viking rubes who would do exactly the opposite).
Imagine the absolutely delightful hatefest that would occur if Favre became a Viking and the Twins played the Brewers in the World Series. The National Guard would be posted on the St. Croix. It would be awesome.
“I’d buy it if it came with a free gas can and book of matches.”
I’d buy it if it came with free gas.
The real question should be:
Would watching your wife or girlfriend walking around in the morning with nothing on except an oversized Favre Vikings jersey make the night before more or less worth it?
I would not buy it, however I support Favre to the Vikings, so maybe people around here will stop following the Vikings and they can leave for LA.
One positive if Favre came to MN. More primetime Vikings games which would mean I could watch the Bears on Sunday afternoons.
If you don’t like John Madden you better be rooting against this happening.
I am fully in favor of people buying a Vikings “Favray” jersey right now (before any transaction has taken place)…
I have never and will never ever buy any Vikings related merchandise.
I have never and will never ever buy any Vikings related merchandise.
I’m with Matt…
Now Twins gear…I’ve got tons of that.
Nathan, I do not want the Vikings out here in L.A. these people annoy me enough with there MPLS. Lakers jerseys. I don’t think they realize Kobe never played in Minneapolis.
I’d prefer a Jon Favreau Vikings jersey. He was a bad man in “The Replacements.”
Merx:
I don’t think the people in L.A. know where Minneapolis is.
They probably think the jersey’s from where Kobe went to high school.
1) I haven’t purchased a Vikings jersey since I picked up a #57 Dwayne Rudd in 1999. Lesson learned.
2) Wearing a Purple Favre #4 jersey says, “I have no sense of history and less sense of pride.”
3) Speaking of pride, there is no greater entertainment than poking fun of jama’s Bears. He’s very sensitive.
4) Is anybody in Minnesota confirming McLuvin’s latest trade? Rodney Carney, Calvin Booth and a first-rounder from Philadelphia for the MIA exception we acquired in the Blount deal? I like it.
According to the Public Information Minister of North Korea the Divine Leader Kim Jong-Il can throw a football over them mountains and if Glorious Emperor had been playing in the fourth quarter his team would’ve been state champs.
That actually looks like a good trade. Again.
According to the Public Information Minister of North Korea the Divine Leader Kim Jong-Il can throw a football over them mountains and if Glorious Emperor had been playing in the fourth quarter his team would’ve been state champs.
He’s living the dream. But can Kim Jong Il hit his bicycle-riding nephew in the face with a steak?
I think you guys are missing the real questions here.
If Favray goes to MN would people stop drinking at his bar?
If Favray goes to Chicago, would he complete more than %15 of his passes?
latte
I saw that trade on Yahoo and thought it was actually a good move. I think McHale must be up north at the cabin while all the minions get the real work done. This has Fred Hoiberg written all over it.
The 1st Round pick alone would seem to be enough to justify the trade. But would either of those players actually accomplish anything for the Wolves?
Jama - $5 isn’t worth my time to remember that I made the bet–especially in the year 2018, when one of our team’s might actually win.
Now, if we were to get some more people into the pool (like, oh, some resident Browns fans, etc…), make a pool of it or something, I might be interested.
Of course, the Strib might frown on us turning this into a gambling forum…
I’ve got $5 on the Saints.
You keep chasing that money you lost on them last year, Vic.
What if instead of money we bet, say, peanut butter sandwiches?
Like, I’ll bet jama 50 peanut butter sandwiches that the Vikings win a playoff game before the Bears do (C’mon, it’s possible we’re both dead by the time either franchise wins a Super Bowl).
Aw c’mon, latte, both teams are only “a few pieces away…”
I have never owned anything Vikings, but if Favre came to play for Minnesota I’d proudly wear the jersey around the University of Minnesota campus just to piss off all the Wisconsin immigrants
Favre and Obamee passed liked ships in the night. One going down and ..hell..one going down as well
Vic
Carney was a lottery pick, 2 years ago so that can’t be a bad thing can it? Did I mention he was a lottery pick not drafted by McHale?
Victor Lebanon says:
“…But would either of those players actually accomplish anything for the Wolves?”
Has anyone ever really accomplished anything for the Wolves?
+1 Toonces
Are you kidding? If the Vikings won the Super Bowl with Favre, every one of you lying liars (copyright Al Franken) would put down $200 for a Favre jersey and wear it every day for a year.
I would definetly sport a Vikes Favre jersey, it’s like a subtle F U to all of Packerland. He belongs here just like all the pre-retirement aka washed up QB’s we’ve had (Moon, Cunningham) although I do think Favre has at least a couple good years left in him 
