Tarkenton Judging Favre, Now That's Incredible!

Francis Asbury Tarkenton was a great quarterback. He is a Hall of Famer, was the league’s MVP, and he held most of the passing and rushing records when he retired.

Francis made some comments yesterday on the Minnesota Vikings’ signing of Brett Favre.

Francis has co-hosted a corny TV show (“That’s Incredible”), was a Monday Night Football commentator, and founded Tarkenton Software.

Does that mean “Scramblin’ Fran” is also in a position to criticize Ed McMahon, John Madden, and Bill Gates?

Yeah, didn’t think so. Francis, you embarrassed yourself with your comments and you need to just shut up.

It all comes across as if you ate your Wheaties this morning realizing they came out of a box with Brett’s picture on it.

Let’s analyze what “Frantic Fran” had to say:

1) “…the last time I heard ... football was a team sport, isn't it? It's not just about the quarterback."

The last time I heard, Fran was a scrambling quarterback who often decided he needed to run around and draw attention to his own running ability rather than make a pass to one of his teammates.

Sure, some of his scrambles turned into a great play where nothing was available, but most of them turned into a 30 second highlight replay of a three-yard loss.

Favre has consistently involved all his receivers and tight ends in his successes and failures. Crazy legs Tarkenton thought of his own ability first and then passed second.

Fran was so focused on his own need to run the ball that he butted heads with head coach Norm Van Brocklin. So much that it initiated his trade to the Giants.

Team player? I’ll take the guy who has thrown more to his teammates than anyone else in history. The guy who is applauded by all the guys he’s played with as a leader and teammate. The guy who can retire twice and still be welcomed back to a new team with open arms.

2) “I think he has been a great flamboyant quarterback…”

Fran was a flamboyant quarterback. His skinny stature and “run first” attitude made him look like a third-grader running from the sixth-grade school bully.

Compared to “Sir Francis” (as Howard Cosell referred to Tarkenton), Favre comes across more like Grizzly Adams than flamboyant.

Flamboyancy? Advantage Flamcis, er, Francis.

3) “…he has made more stupid plays than any great quarterback that I've ever seen.”

Is Fran really going there? Yeah, Favre has thrown more interceptions than anyone else, but he’s also thrown more touchdowns, yards, completions, attempts, etc.

Favre makes mistakes because he is competitive and tries to do things others won’t attempt. Sometimes it ends up as a touchdown and sometimes as a pick-6.

Frankie apparently didn’t “see” himself playing because he made some really stupid plays. Then again, he did say “more stupid plays than any great quarterback…”

Stupid plays? Going to say Francis had just as many stupid plays and less success. Brett had more plays that ended up on the positive side of the ledger.

4) "Wouldn't you be upset if you're a Packer fan? I think you're going to have Packer fans burning the No. 4 Favre Green Bay jersey. I think the Packer fans have every right to be outraged."

Fran, you played for the Vikings. Twice. You should be thrilled that Packers fans are upset. Isn’t that the best case scenario for Vikings fans? Doesn’t that really enhance the rivalry?

The Vikings made a move that makes them a better team and you’re critical of it because you don’t like the guy who holds all your records? Get over it. Team player, huh?

Packer’s fans? I guess Fran’s true colors are showing through. At least Favre commented on how much the Green Bay teams and players still mean to him.

5) “…here comes Brett Favre riding in on his white horse, doesn't go to training camp, doesn't come to offseason workouts and he's gonna come on his white horse and bond with all these players."

Wow. Does Fran also hate white horses? “Pouting Fran” thinks Favre is a prima donna.

Reminds me of something my brother used to say, “how come he gets to stay up and I have to go to bed?”

Well, Fran, because Brett has run the offense for 16 years and doesn’t need to practice it. He also just had surgery on his shoulder and in case you weren’t aware of it, he wasn’t officially on the team until Tuesday and he was on the practice field the second he became a Viking.

Brett’s not the first person in the NFL to miss training camp. Fran needs to check out the long list of contract hold outs (draft picks and veterans), players faking injuries, and players who get special treatment because of their value to the team before he singles out one specific player.

Fran played in a time where training camp was like a vacation comparatively. Maybe Fran is a little upset that he was never treated special.

Bonding in training camp? Bonding with all your teammates in training camp really helped you lose those three Super Bowls you were in, right, Fran?

6) “…Look at his final game in a Packers uniform. He blew that game.”

Ah-hah! The coup d’etat! Fran has jumped on the final, painful, lasting memory of Green Bay fans to really vilify Favre.

It was Favre’s last game in Green Bay and he failed after they dominated the regular season with a 13-3 record. It was his interception that led to the field goal in overtime. He almost gave the game away in the fourth quarter with his interception.

Let’s face it, Fran, the game was a classic. The weather was more suited for a scrambler as it was negative three degrees at kickoff. There were lead changes throughout the game and it ended in OT with an improbable field goal that nobody really thought had a chance in those weather conditions and with that amount of pressure.

The Giants weren’t pushovers either. Remember Fran, they went on to beat the unbeatable Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Favre passed for both of Green Bay’s touchdowns in the game including a 71 yard completion to Donald Driver which is the longest play in Green Bay playoff history.

It also extended his NFL record (jealous again, Fran?) of 18 straight playoff games throwing a touchdown.

Fran, do you remember the 1974 playoff game against Dallas? The Vikings were 12-2 during the regular season. Dallas was 8-6.

Dallas won the game on the first “Hail Mary,” but Tarkenton wasn’t really a factor in the game. The Vikings scored TDs on 1 yard runs, twice (one that was set up by a muffed punt).

Dallas went on to lose the Super Bowl to Pittsburgh, which had a quarterback named Terry Bradshaw who won four Super Bowl rings (Sorry, Fran, cheap shot).

Hmmm. Francis loses three Super Bowls and can’t get to the big game the season his team is most dominant? Can’t even help as a “team player” with one lousy touchdown pass?

In Favre’s worst playoff games at least he had 18 straight with a minimum of one touchdown pass.

7) "I asked a few friends here, maybe 10 or 12 people we were out with last night. I said, 'What do you think about Brett Favre going back to the Vikings?' You know who cared? Nobody.”

I know somebody who cared. His name is Francis “Crybaby” Tarkenton.

The Vikings are trying to win a Super Bowl. If Brett can accomplish it in his first year with Minnesota, it would really make Tarkenton look even more like a flamboyant, selfish, scrambling, underachieving quarterback who made more stupid mistakes than any great quarterback in history.

Francis is a legend and a Hall of Fame quarterback. He held all the records and is the Minnesota Vikings’ most recognizable player.

“Chattin’ Fran” showed his football knowledge as a commentator on MNF.

Frankie has gone to Hollywood and became a household name to those who never saw him play.

Sir Francis started a computer company that eventually was taken over by another company.

He is no Ed McMahon. He is no John Madden. He is no Bill Gates. He is no Brett Favre.

He has no room to pass judgment on Favre. Favre has moved on. So should Green Bay fans.

So should Fran Tarkenton. He should realize that and shut up.

Now, that would be incredible.