Depending on where your pro football loyalties lie, Brett Favre’s career affected your life in one of two ways. For the millions of fans that comprise “Packer Nation,” Favre’s arrival from the Atlanta Falcons in the summer of 1992 was nothing short of a godsend. The quarterback took a franchise that had fallen on mediocre times and turned it into a perennial divisional, conference, and league-wide contender, year in and year out. For everyone else, Favre was the face of the enemy, a monster that trampled the dreams of division rivals and playoff opponents on a regular basis. Favre looked good on the field only when buried under a pile of defensive linemen or tossing one of his NFL record 288 picks.

But behind the love-to-hate relationship many fans hold towards No. 4 is a sincere level of respect for an athlete that is truly an anomaly in today’s NFL. Favre personified the essence of sports, and not just because he didn’t run over traffic control officers or shovel thousands of dollars onto the floors of strip clubs. There’s something about the image of Favre racing around the field after throwing the game-winning touchdown against your favorite team, a huge smile painted on his face, that rouses a sense of awe at not only his ability to compete at such a high level, but the passion that allowed him to enjoy the game so completely after so many years.

Two words fell out of my mouth this morning when ESPN.com refreshed on my computer screen: “Oh no.”
After years of harboring resentment towards Favre and his beloved Packers, my initial reaction was not one of celebration or relief, but of disappointment with a trace of remorse. Favre was a competitor, and, above all, a winner, that played with the same vigor whether his team was in first or last. You can say all you want about Favre the Packer, but there is little honest criticism one can offer about Favre the football player.

SportsCenter replayed a telling interview this afternoon that Favre did with Rachel Nichols. In his college days at Southern Mississippi, the coaches would often have a difficult time locating the ecstatic Favre after a touchdown pass. “Where’s Brett?” they would ask. After seventeen years of exhibiting the same youthful infatuation with the game, there will be something missing from the world of sports now that No. 4 has departed.

No matter your disposition, fans everywhere will have one question on their mind when the new season begins in September:

“Where’s Brett?”

Entry was written by Kevin Kaplan

As the new intern at the DI, this is my first day at the office.

Luckily for me, I did not have to spend much time pondering what this first article would be about since this day coincided with one of the most attention grabbing broadcasts in all of sports. As a welcome change of pace, this announcement did not involve steroids, NCAA violations or an arrest of any kind. Instead, it simply marked the departure of one of the most popular and successful athletes in sports history.

At a press conference in the early hours of Tuesday, March 4, Brett Favre announced his retirement effectively the end of an era. Maybe some expected him to quit after going 4-12 in 2006, but surely not after a season that had him firing a career-best 66.5 pass completion percentage. Regardless of outside perceptions, Favre called it quits, citing the fact that he did not have the mental strength left to win another Super Bowl.

As all of the cheeseheads begin their mourning, the rest of sports nation must figure out what to make of this. As an admitted fan of all St. Louis sports, I spent 2007 with modest hopes that my Rams would have a better season than the Miami Dolphins. It turned out to be no-contest, as the Rams went on a run towards the end of the season to triple Miami’s win total.

Unfortunately, the future doesn’t look particularly bright for the Rams, and the quarterback situation in St. Louis is in a state of uncertainty as starter Mark Bulger has faced his share of injuries in recent months. While I was still waiting for the Rams to win a game halfway through the season, Favre was busy dominating the NFC North, all the while looking like his old self and pushing memories of a 29 interception season behind him.

While this resurgence after 17 seasons in the league was inspiring in the eyes of many, it may have hurt the eyes of fans of another Midwestern team: the Chicago Bears.
Living in the conveniently centrally located city of Champaign, one may find fans of any variety of teams, but by far the largest fan-base is that of the Chicago Bears. With so many fans of “Da Bears” around, a person doesn’t have to spend much time in Champaign to find some animosity towards Favre. After all, as Favre cleaned up the NFC North en-route to a playoff loss to the eventual NFL champion New York Giants, the Bears found themselves at the bottom of the division with some major quarterback questions.

With a love-hate relationship between fans and Bears starting quarterback Rex Grossman and the trade of Brian Griese for a draft pick, Bears fans are left with about as much certainty as the Packers with likely 2008 starter Aaron Rodgers.

This puts fans of local NFL teams in interesting spots, as each of them face a degree of uncertainty with their quarterbacks. The thing is, regardless of what will happen in the future and no matter how good any of these teams become, there will never truly be another Brett Favre.

Rex Grossman can’t be mentioned in the same sentence as Favre, but neither can the current most famous/infamous Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Favre’s appeal was on a much higher level than just skills. Despite his problems, which he had just like every other human being, Favre symbolized all the good things about the game.

Now he symbolizes a different era of football that has now officially ended.

That’s right. With Rex Grossman out for the season and Brian Griese struggling, the Bears have turned to Kyle Orton to start this Sunday versus the playoff-hungry Minnesota Vikings.

I’ve been calling for Orton ever since Grossman was benched. I even wrote a column about it two months ago.

http://www.dailyillini.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=e57fcd9c-bca6-4f96-8977-4717a1cd5738

 This actually has me excited for a Bears game for the first time since about week 3. This year has just been brutal on offense with our quarterbacks and runningbacks on their backs most of the time due to an offensive line that nearly qualifies for social security.

Winning really has no positive effect for the Bears anymore as they are all but out of the playoff race and each win worsens their draft pick to bring in some talent. But I would not mind seeing Orton, a Heisman Trophy candidate while at Purdue, carry our offense to a victory. Wishful thinking? Maybe, as Orton is a big fan of Iowa City, Iowa, and the Jack Daniel’s they sell there.

 But is that not a quarterback who symbolizes Bears fans better than any other?

The Chicago Bears are the first to sign a player drafted in the first two rounds, inking tight end Greg Olsen from Miami, the 31st pick in the draft, to a five-year deal. Details of the contract were not disclosed.

The fact the Bears were able to sign Olsen so quickly is surprising for two reasons. One, the Bears have been stingy recently signing their draft picks and free agents. The holdout with Cedric Benson, contract issues with Nathan Vasher and Lance Briggs, and similar contract problems with Lovie Smith have set a standard that GM Jerry Angelo takes a hardline with his negotitations. However, Angelo, after refusing to give Vasher an extention last offseason, opened the pocket books and gave him a very lucrative deal. And now, it appears he did the same for Olsen.

You have to assume he shelled out some big dollars for Olsen because, and this brings me to my second point, Olsen’t agent is the stingy Drew Rosenhaus. Some speculated that Olsen fell all the way to the Bears at 31 only because he was represented by Rosenhaus, who has a reputation similar to that of Scott Boras in baseball, and the Bears have not been on the best terms with him recently (see below).

But when it comes down to it, for a team and player to reach agreement this quickly, both sides must really want to be a part of the other. And, I speculate, there was some grumblings in and around the clubhouse that the Bears weren’t willing to stick their neck out to play players. They proved otherwise yesterday when they signed Olsen.

Briggs Digs

The Bears and Briggs have yet to reach any sort of agreement regarding the linebacker’s future. Briggs wants out, and doesn’t want to be a franchise player, a tag that comes with a $7 million-plus one-year contract. The Bears want Briggs to shut up and play like he’s supposed to. And Briggs should. Every game he sits out, he loses 1/16 of his contract. However, if he plays the last few games, he gets the entire purse.

The Bears are more upset with Briggs’ agent, again Rosenhaus, who tried to go around the Bears and discuss possible trades with other teams, telling the media that many teams were interested in the Briggs, when in fact very few were.

Either way, Briggs is getting good money and a chance to play on a championship-caliber team. Plus, he turned down almost the exact same contract he’s asking for earlier this year.

Quit whining and play.

Tank was not so tanked

The Bears waived troubled defensive tackle Tank Johnson after his last run-in with the law. Tank was pulled over and sighted by the officer as driving slightly impaired. The Bears, who gave Tank a second chance after his gun charges and other violations, said that was the last straw and parted ways with the young linemen.

But when toxicology reports came back, Tank’s blood-alcohol level was slightly below the legal limit. Technically, what Tank did was not illegal. So that begs the question, did the Bears act too early when they cut Tank Johnson?

I say no. Tank knew he was on a tight leash. He knew he would be under a watchful eye and should not have been out that late, drinking and driving, just several days after meeting with the commissioner and telling him he was a changed man. And Tank’s a big dude. It’s not like he was just using mouthwash and blew above a .07. It would take quite a few drinks to get his level that high. He was definitely not keeping a low profile like he should have been doing. Whether or not it was legal doesn’t matter–he didn’t keep his word to his coaches and teammates that he would change his ways.

I don’t agree with the Bears organization often, but I was happy when they gave him another chance and happy when they let him go.

Happy Fourth of July everyone. Have a safe and happy holiday.

With the 167th and 168th pick, the Chicago Bears selected a pair of defensive backs to add depth in the secondary. Kevin Payne, a DB from Lousiana-Monroe was taken at 167, while Corey Graham, a true corner from New Hampshire, was taken at 168. The Bears needed to add depth in the defensive backfield with the probability that Charles Tillman will not be resigned when his contract is up.

I was hoping the Bears would use one of the picks to address wide receiver, but at least they didn’t waste the picks. Payne will most likely play safety, a position that needed back ups with the uncertainty of Mike Brown’s health and the lack of consistent play from a once very good Adam Archuletta. Payne has decent size ( 6′0′’ ) and speed (4.6 forty), and as a four-year starter he has built himself into a solid talent. Better against the run than the pass, but he’s not afraid of contact and will be critical on special teams. Graham, on the other hand, is a little more of a gamble. He has not gone against quality receivers, but he does have good build and speed. He also will be used on special teams.

Up next for the Bears …

The Bears don’t have a sixth round pick, so they will pick next in the seventh round at 221 and 241. Can they find the next Marcus Coleston? They need to at least try.

With the 130th pick in the NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected Josh Beekman, a guard out of Boston College. Beekman will bring immediate depth to the offensive line at both the center and gaurd position. With age a concern with veteran guard Ruben Brown, Beekman will be the heir when Brown hangs up the cleats (or goes somewhere else since he’s only signed to a one-year deal). And he’ll be learning from one of the best, as Brown is a proven Pro Bowl linemen who has blocked for some top running backs over the course of his career. This was a great pick for the Bears and get one of the best players available in the Day Two pool at a position I didn’t think they would have addressed at this point. But not only was Beekman the best player available, but he takes care of a huge need that the Bears probably would have filled in the first round if guard Ben Grubbs wasn’t picked right before their pick by the Baltimore Ravens. This turned out for the best though, as both Beekman and Greg Olsen will have good NFL careers.

Up next for the Bears …

The Bears will have two picks at the end of the fifth round (167, 168). One of those picks will be used on a corner and one of them should be used on wide reciever. But some good linebackers are available as well, and you can never have too many of those.

In a surprise move, the Chicago Bears added speedy Northern Illinois RB Garrett Wolfe to their backfield with the 93rd pick in the NFL Draft. Wolfe lead the nation in rushing in 2006 and, though undersized, is a great compliment to the pounding rusher that Cedric Benson is. A huge pickup for the Bears considering the lack of depth in their backfield following the trade of Thomas Jones. Wolfe will be great on third downs and a change of pace later in the games. He will be similar to Michael Turner (also with NIU roots) in terms of production and can be a solid backup (maybe eventual starter) in the NFL for quite sometime. The local product is a great pickup for the Bears, as he averaged nearly 156 yards per game in his career and 6.8 yards per carry in 2006. Wolfe attended Holy Cross High School.

With the 94th pick, the Bears drafted Michael Okwo, a LB out of Stanford. At 5′11′’ he’s undersized, but scouts agree he is a smart and explosive linebacker. Could he take over for Lance Briggs as early as this year? That’s the million dollar question.

Two good picks for the Bears filling two important needs. Congrats Angelo, you suprised us all.

Up Next for the Bears …

Still looking to add a wideout, but day 1 was pretty successful for the Bears. The Bears will undoubtedly add depth to secondary. Is Troy Smith worth a look?

I realize as the draft progresses, there will be a lot of names that come up that little people know. But I didn’t think it would be as early as the second round.

With so much talent to take, the Bears (dare I say) wasted their pick on Dan Bazuin, a DE out to the MAC (Central Michigan). It’s not that Bazuin isn’t good, or that he is completely unknown, but the Bears addressed a position where they need very little help at. Alex Brown, Adewale Ogunelye and Mark Anderson are all stud defensive ends. The first two are Pro Bowlers and the later had double digit sacks as a rookie last year. Unless Bazuin, who has decent speed at about 4.65, can convert to an outside line backer, this is not a smart pick. If they were looking to take the best player available, they failed; if they were looking to fill a need, then they failed at that, too.

Up next for the Bears …

Lets move up and get Trent Edwards, QB from Stanford, while he’s still there. With back to back picks coming in the third (93 & 94) the Bears can package the two and jump ahead of any who would be interested. Of course the odds of this are slim, and look for the Bears to waste the rest of their picks on defensive depth, special teams spots and not get a wide out or O-lineman until the end of the draft when the talent is thin. Not everyone is a steal, Angelo, how about taking someone we can get excited about.

The Bears traded the 37th pick in the draft, a pick they received in the Thomas Jones trade, to the San Diego Chargers to get a few more selections in later rounds and one next year. San Deigo used the trade to get Eric Weddle, a safety out of Utah.

The trade gave San Diego the No. 37 pick, while the Chargers gave the Bears the their second, third and fifth picks this year and their third round pick next year. Wow, that is a lot of picks to just move down 30 spots in the second round.

With so many play makers on the board and the Bears in need of wide receivers, it was surprising the Bears were looking to trade the pick, but not when you see how much they got for it. How could you turn that down? GM Jerry Angelo considers himself a late-round guru and loves to trade down to get more players in later rounds. The strategy has worked in the past and he has found pro bowlers and other talents in later rounds (Alex Brown, Tank Johnson, Mark Anderson, Lance Briggs, Bernard Berrian, Mark Bradley) and allows you to sign more players at a cheaper price. Hopefully, a QB or WR worth taking is still on the board when the Bears pick next at 62. This is a great deal for the Bears, considering how much they are getting.

Greg Olsen, TE, Miami

Everyone thought the Bears would take TE last draft when the crop was pretty deep, however, a year later, Chicago gets its playmaking big boy. Olsen is 6′5′’ and has great hands and speed. He’ll be great in the seam for the Bears and immediately creates mismatches in the secondary. He needs to work on his blocking, but if the Bears can utilize Olsen’s abilities, he can be a great safety valve for sparatic Rex Grossman. But Olsen will be able to outrun linebackers with his 4.55 forty speed and will tower over safeties. Think Dallas Clark meets Jason Whitten. Olsen will be good.

Up next for the Bears …

With the fifth pick in the second round, I’m looking for the Bears to solidify the QB position by drafting either Michigan State’s Drew Stanton or Brigham Young’s John Beck. Both will compete in a few years for a starting spot. With Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith still on the board, though, wide receiver is a position they can address as well. But, it will be very tough to pass up on OLB Paul Poslusnzy, especially with a disgruntled Lance Briggs, if he’s still there.