Happy Brett Favre Day

Well, it was at least a Happy Brett Favre Day night. Bob an' me was toastin' da streak a 200 straight pretty early on Monday night -- by da time Brett hit da field our cockles were plenny warmed by da single malt we'd toasted wit about a half hour prior.

Now, leavin' out all the talk about how men shouldn't cry and whatnot, I must admit while I watched the customary MNF opening shot from the Good Year dirigible, risin' high above the Holy Land a Lambeau just after Favre took da field -- flashbulbs a-poppin' from roughly 25,000 of da seats -- I nearly wiped a tear away. Instead, though, I decided, rather than bring attention to it by my good buddy Bob, I'd let it stay der wellin' up in my eyeball 'til it decided to either fall or dry up. I didn't bother to look over at Bobberino; I knew we was of da same mind regardin' dat moment.

It had me misty about a certain other MNF game from last December. All night, the folks at ABC were alludin' to it, and a course dey showed somma' da highlights. Dis was da game agin' the Raiders right da day after Brett's dad passed (which, coincidentally, happened on Bob's Birthday -- when I called him dat night, turned out it wasn't all about balloons and sheet cake). Brett lit up dat stadium down der, and his teammates said dat game "was all about Brett." [In case ya' live in a spider hole.]

Monday night was about more than Brett, though, as it turned out. Rookie Ahmad Carroll started us off wit a defensive TD, and Michael Hawthorne finished us out wit one at da end a da game, too, just fer good measure. Carroll had a pretty great game, but so did a certain up-an-comin' runnin' back called Najeh Davenport. Maybe ya hearda' him? See, der was all dis concern over Ahman not bein' able ta start what wit his rib cage bein' all hinky, and Najeh's hammys bein' stretched to da gills. Well, dey was stretched, all right! His first game to break 100 yards, he got 178, wit a average a 9.4 per run, plus a TD.

...Now, here's where we gotta' talk a minute. Davenport's TD. What can I say about Davenport's TD?

Well, let me preface dis wit a mention dat I'm not always wrong. True, I 'spected da Pack to pull out a 17-point victory in Houston... and dey won by 3 in the last second. True, I earlier predicted dat da Giants game would be a high-scorin' affair... and a total of 21 points was scored in dat one. BUT, fer dis game, I made a prediction -- as Bob is my witness -- dat da Pack would be pullin' out a 45 - 13 victory. Final score? 45 - 17. Not bad. So der's dat.

However, I know Bob's gonna' make a big deal outta' how I made da mistake a makin' a stand when we was 4th down and 1 to go on da Rams' 40. I said we wouldn't make da first. I said it, and I admit it and I was... well, I wasn't wrong, really, was I? Hm. Did we get a first down on dat play? Why, no, we didn't! We got a touchdown. A touchdown is really technically not a first down, is it? It means 'der's no more downs necessary, we got it covered, thanks.' So, was I wrong? Well, you be da judge.

Anyhoo, in an attempt to keep what's left a my reputation in tact, I won't be predictin' this upcomin' game wit da dreaded Eagles. (I will say dey're "dreaded," though, which gives ya' an idea I'm nervous about dis one, but it stops der.) (Well, okay, one more: I also predict we'll all hear da phrase "fourth-and-26" no less than two dozen times each leadin' up ta dis game.)

And now, no doubt, some choice words from Bob.