Thursday (Brett Favre, Bill Simmons and the purpose of sports) edition: Wha’ Happened?
Posted on May 7th, 2009 – 7:21 AMBy Michael Rand
Back in our younger, more naive days, we asked a very good friend what we thought was a philosophical question with just two possible answers: Was the purpose of life to have fun and enjoy yourself, or was the purpose of life to try to “make a difference?” He thought about it for a little while and said something to the effect of, “the real purpose of life is to experience it.” That sticks with us to this day, so much so that we now turn the same type of question onto sports. Framed in the same way, we might ask: What is the ultimate goal as a sports fan: Is it to see a team win? Or is it to be entertained? And again, the answer is the same — it’s all about understanding “the experience.” It’s all of those things, and it’s dependent on circumstance, nuance and understanding the fine line between desperate and brilliant. And that directly relates to a couple of fun things going on right now.
First, Brett Favre. If you don’t want Brett Favre here, you’re wrong. You have to shed your dislike for the Packers. You have to shed your disdain for his personal narcissism and his comeback merry-go-round. You need to stop bringing up his injury because if he’s here, that means he’s healthy enough to play. You need to forget everything and think about the experience that this year could be. It would be unlike anything else. It would be Johnny Damon returns to Boston in pinstripes, times 10. It will create a crazy buzz surrounding your favorite football team. It already has players excited. Bernard Berrian is falling all over himself, and this thing isn’t even a done deal yet. If you are still caught up on Xs and Os, this move would WITHOUT A DOUBT make the Vikings a more dangerous team. We all know Favre is feast or famine, sometimes from one play to the next. But when he’s in the right situation, as this one is, the feast is worth it. As Mark Craig so ably pointed out today, Favre was a 71 percent passer and the Jets were 8-3 when he was healthy last year. He is far from washed up. He is the missing piece to this year’s Vikings experience. He will win and entertain. This needs to happen.
Second, Bill Simmons. The notion of him even being considered for the Wolves GM job that he is seriously lobbying for is, we know, the longest of long shots. But it is far from ridiculous. In fact, it makes a lot of sense. As Simmons said yesterday in the Q&A, “We have copious amounts of evidence that there is no correlation between succeeding as a college coach and succeeding as an NBA coach, or succeeding as an NBA player and succeeding as a GM, or succeeding the second time when you failed the first time. The job hinges on having common sense and a high basketball IQ.” Judging from the response to that post, the e-mails we’ve received, the work at Canis Hoopus, the fact that Kevin Love is Tweeting about this, the fact that the hire Bill Simmons as Wolves GM Facebook page (which we believe was started yesterday afternoon) now has more than 1,000 members (link fixed), the fact that Sassbottom, unprompted, made that excellent Simmons “Howl” poster … all of this tells us that there is genuine momentum for this from a group of fans eager for this experience. (Commenter Peter Christian: I would sell my house and live out of my car for a year to ensure that I had season tickets for the Wolves if they hired Simmons. I’m not joking.) Remember, this all started yesterday with Simmons on Twitter.
Fans might be irrational at times, but they’re not stupid. They know the difference between an idea that’s crazy bad and crazy good. The “experience” isn’t about creating a chaotic mess. It’s about unique opportunities that can mean winning, being a part of something and having fun at the same time. And that’s what sports, from a fan perspective, are all about.
Fasola-link! 50 great infographics.
P.S: We’ll have some choice stuff coming later, including Stu’s Hunt Down.
30 Responses to "Thursday (Brett Favre, Bill Simmons and the purpose of sports) edition: Wha’ Happened?"
The Packers releasing Favre last year was really a master plan to bring down the Vikings and help the Packers. They had a side deal with the Jets to have the Jets release him after one year knowing he would go to the Vikings. Favre coming to Minneapolis has basically split Viking nation into two sides going to war with one another. This will tear Vikings fans apart causing a riot in the streets of Downtown Minneapolis. Leading to the City/State never building the Vikings a new stadium. This in turn will lead to the Vikings moving to L.A. or Vegas or Mexico City leaving Minnesota fans stuck cheering for the closest teams KC and GB. See it’s a full circle, GB let Favre go to gain more fans. It’s pretty obvious when you think about it.
99% of the time winning is entertaining so there’s your answer. The other 1% is winning when you have a Childress coaching your team, not so entertaining.
More Simmons for GM fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyYo-PNuqcw
Sure, it’s a bit depressing, but it gives me HOPE.
Bonus fasola-link. Business cards. Beef jerky. Together at last. Thanks to Bob Collins for finding it.
I don’t think I’ve ever been entertained by watching one of my teams lose. I think Favre will lead to more losses (see: last season in New York.) Moreover, the guy’s a complete turd in the locker room (see: last season in New York.)
Hence, Favre will not be “entertaining.” You want entertainment, go and watch clowns.
Jon: see last season in New York? He took a team that went 4-12 and more than doubled their win total even with a bad arm.
You want entertainment, go and watch clowns
I don’t know, I’ve never really understood the entertainment value of clowns.
Except for when they all get out of that little car. That [redacted]’s funny.
Jon — the point is that it won’t just be a circus. They’ll win games. He is a definite upgrade.
The post about Bill Simmons yesterday showed the hopeful desperation of Wolves fans. If Glen Taylor is smart, he’ll listen.
Wolves fans are looking for anything to make them hopeful about their team. David Kahn, for obvious reasons, doesn’t make them hopeful.
It’s cliche, but desperate times call for desperate measures. What’s a more desperate measure than hiring Bill Simmons?
Glenn Taylor could have hired a Great Basketball mind that actually has experience working in an NBA front office by hiring Dennis Lindsey. Unfortunately Taylor can’t get out of his own way and the guy who is probably the best get, turns him down to return to his Asst. GM duties in S.A.
I still can’t figure how some of these owners become Billionaires only to lose all brain functioning once they buy a pro franchise.
Are you sure Favre is an upgrade at this point? Plus he isn’t exactly the game manager type that is really all the Vikings need.
Plus he isn’t exactly the game manager type that is really all the Vikings need.
Game manager = throwing for 3 yards when we need 5
At least, that’s what it means when you play for the Vikings.
Obviously Taylor will not hand over the keys to Simmons. A more likely scenario* would involve some sort of Triangle of Authority, where Simmons is the VP of Basketball Operations, Hoiberg is the VP of Player Personnel, and I am named the VP of Cheerleader Outfit Operations (COO).
If Simmons still gets to write the book, I wonder if he would go along with a scenario where he doesn’t have 100% GM authority, but still has a say?
*still no chance of happening
Game manager types don’t win Superbowls. E’nuff said.
Dave
I think a game manager is a guy who doesn’t turn the ball over, not Favre, and who makes the right throw on third downs, not T-Jack.
I think Vikings fans have been brain washed into thinking a 3 yard pass on 3rd and 5 is a game manager. Now if it’s 3rd and 5 and your options are to throw it into triple coverage or throw it short then throwing it short is the right play, which a game manager would do. But if you have a chance to get the first down a competent QB will try for it.
By the way I heard on the radio the Vikings have had 14 QB’s start a game since Favre joined the Packers. It sounds like someone is trying to one up the Bears again.
I think Vikings fans have been brain washed into thinking a 3 yard pass on 3rd and 5 is a game manager.
I would blame this brainwashing on a poor offensive scheme. Well, that, and Ryan Cook.
Game manager types don’t win Superbowls. E’nuff said.
Tell that to Trent Dilfer.
Brett Favre wears onions on his belt, because that’s the fashion of his youth.
If Favre comes in, this franchise is a joke.
Does anyone remember when Bill Simmons used to be funny?
Trent Dilfer? You are laughable. So you are saying the Vikings will have one of the all time greatest defenses this year like Dilfer had with Baltimore? Better come up with something better than that buddy.
And Simmons is still funny, your sense of humor is just lame mixmaster.
jpf - The Vikings aren’t trying to turn an awful team into a mediocre one. How many playoff games did the Jets win last year?
RandBall - Favre will be 40 years old this fall, he now has arm problems, and has a long and storied history of throwing picks. Rosenfels and Jackson are terrible, but I’m not taking it as gospel that Favre will be an upgrade.
I guess it makes sense when considering Rosenfels is basically a career backup … but considering they had essentially the same stats last year and Favre’s o-line was far superior, he is older and possibly injured and I’m failing to see the “definite upgrade” aspect. From my point of view, it’s more like “if he stays healthy and if he plays smart, then he’s worth an extra win or two.” Which is worth the risk, probably.
I’m placing a self-moratorium on Favre-talk starting now.
Robby
You don’t have to have the best defense when you have the best running game.
Game managers that have won a Superbowl in the past decade.
Dilfer
Eli Manning
Ben Roethlisberger in his first SB
Brad Johnson
You don’t have to have a star QB to win the SB. It obviously helps but a good, above average defense and a good running game can get it done too. Christ the Bears made it to the Superbowl with Rex Grossman as their QB.
Regarding Favre…I know it’s been pointed out that Favre exhibited some prima donna treatment last year in NYC, but the guy’s from Mississippi and played in Green Bay. I’m guessing some of that prima donna business had to do with just being uncomfortable in New York. Or am I crazy?
I have to believe that being back in the midwest (albeit in a city/state that was once his rival) among staff he already knows will help tone down the “I need my own office” routine.
And regarding Simmons… Sure, his articles might not be (quite) as funny as they once were. But he’s trying to fit articles in around doing podcasts and other things for ESPN. The guy’s just busy. But if you do keep up with his articles, he obviously knows his stuff about basketball. Sadly, though, if he has not done so already, Glen Taylor will choose David Kahn, a guy whose name we have to look up on the interwebs to find out who he is.
darlo - You’re crazy. He’s a selfish prima donna, plain and simple; it’s got nothing to do with being in New York.
I’ve been reading Bill Simmons for years. I truly feel he would be motivated to succeed at this position above anyone else. There would be things that he wouldn’t have any idea how to do (contract negotiations, etc) but he could get someone for that and he’d be there to oversee everything. He realizes the economic aspect of this league more than former players and coaches. The Timberwolves are years away from folding like a WNBA team, what do we have to lose.
Why is this that crazy? The Wild hired 20-something Chris Snow from the Boston Globe to be in their front office. He was only a beat reporter. Simmons breaks down the NBA like no one on TV or on the internet and knows the game inside and out.
I’ve only been to 4 games in the last 3 years but would definitately get season tickets if Simmons came aboard. We can build on this!
I grew up in Minnesota and now live in California. I don’t get to watch much of the wolves anymore but I always read Simmons. If he gets this job, I would come back to MN and get season tickets ASAP.
Do it!
Can we find Glen Taylor’s email address and start filling his inbox with this stuff? Maybe we should just email our congress people…
So no tweets from Bill at all today. He was updating like crazy yesterday at this time. Conspiracy theory, anyone?
Sorry Shoes, I’m pretty sure he’s furiously penning something Manny-related.
But…but…but…I WANT TO BELIEVE.
