It's Baseball Season... Without the Baseball Weather!

While April is only a couple days away, baseball is officially here! In honor of "baseball's New Year", I decided to revamp my blog in hopes of cheering on the Brewers to the playoffs in '08.

While I am a huge baseball fan, along with Megs (she will be, trust me), it appears that Mother Nature isn't so fond of the diamond as we are. As we woke this morning on baseball's opening day, we were greeted by none-other than....


...3 inches of snow!!!!



Yes you read that correctly. After nearly two weeks of highs in the 50s and 60s, Mother Nature has decided that winter isn't over yet. Not to fear though, I'll be out this afternoon clearing the base-paths with my snow shovel and Megs will be at the store buying peanuts and cracker-jacks!

Madness in March!

Now that mid-March has arrived and the basketball brackets are set, it's finally time to move-on past football (until the draft on April 26th) and enjoy the spectacle that is March Madness! So in honor of the Big Ten Champion Badger Basketball team, I've re-worked my blog to root on Bucky! (It'll be changing again immediately after the tourney, so stay tuned...)

In the process of banging my head against the wall and splitting hairs, trying to figure out how to fill out my bracket of predictions for the tournament, (be sure to fill out your brackets ASAP!) I came across some interesting economic developments in regard to the tourney. FoxNews.com is reporting an estimate, made by the outplacement consultancy firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, that American companies could lose upwards of $4 billion... yes, you read that right, billion. The first thing that came to mind when I read that was simply,...

God Bless America.

Seriously, where else in the world do we have the luxury of neglecting our work to fill out brackets, organize office pools, collect dues, track scores, watch streaming live video of games online, root for upsets and trash-talk your co-workers, all to the tune of several billion dollars?! And do you think the websites and media conglomorates that are peddling this 3 week recession are ashamed of the economic burden that they impose upon unknowning firms across the country??

Heck no.

Both ESPN and cbssports.com have so-called "boss buttons" that you can click to instantly change your screen from the tournament bracket or video, to faux-spreadsheets and reports, thus doping your employer into thinking that you're working, when really, he's paying you to prognosticate the Final Four!

As an economics major, one might wonder how I feel about this. You see, economics isn't expressly about having the most wealth, assets, or even the highest GDP, it's all about human utility. Whatever raises your utility (level of happiness and satisfaction in life) is what we economists really want... (which by-the-way often tends to be based around one's level of wealth or a nation's GDP). So, if the benefits of March Madness (in terms of our own personal utility) outweigh the costs of lost time and wages (I feel that they do), then by all means, let the Madness begin!

Permit me thus to conclude with one simple nugget of insight into this world of Sweet 16s, Elite Eights and Final Fours, Never pick the 16-seeds.

And oh yeah... God Bless America.

A New Era Begins...

As a final postlude to my Brett Favre tribute, it's now time to recognize that the future is now, and our future lies with Packers' QB Aaron Rodgers, a 3-year backup, to whom all of Packer-Nation now looks to lead us to victory. Rodgers was drafted 24th in the 1st round of the 2005 Draft and now has the heavy responsibility of filling the shoes of one of the game's all-time greats...

Good Luck.

However, Packers fans shouldn't lose all hope, as Rodgers has not-only shown plenty of promise in the limited playing time he's had, but he seems also to have the confidence of his teammates that he's the right man for the job. Here's what Brett Favre himself had to say about the "Young Gun", Aaron Rodgers...



So without further ado, I present to you, the new starting QB of the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers!



While Brett will be sorely missed by us all, I find myself surprisingly excited to see what Rodgers will bring to the table and confident that he can lead us back to the playoffs in '08! Let's all rally behind the guy as we usher in what will be another great era of Packers football!

But as one last farewell, before we officially part ways and move on from this Favre tribute on my blog, I'd like to share two last video clips of the great #4.

First, SportsCenter recap of Brett Favre and the Packers 2007 Season...



And lastly, a tribute to Brett not only from us, but also from several of the greatest athletes of all-time, showing their respect to the man who lined-up under center for the Green-and-Gold for 16 straight years, comprising 275 consecutive games. The one, the only, the timeless, Brett Favre.



Goodbye Brett Favre, Hello Aaron Rodgers...

Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4... Part IV

For the final edition of my critically-acclaimed series, Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4..., I chose to save the best for last. In today's post, we'll look back at some of Favre's greatest achievements and performances, those that set his career apart as being the greatest quarterback of all time.

~One, Two, Three-Time MVP: From 1995 to 1997, Brett set the standard for all future pros who hoped to be the best, as he was crowned the NFL MVP for three consecutive seasons, becoming the only player ever to win the award three times. As he retires this year, Favre remains the only three-time NFL MVP.

~The Touchdown King, September 30, 2007: Mid-way through the first quarter against the Vikings on the road, Favre lead the Packers down the field, to a 3rd and 7, at the Vikings' 17-yd line. Coming out in a shotgun-spread formation, Favre saw single, man-to-man coverage across the field and used his 17 years of experience to call out an audible to take advantage of the situation. Brett dropped back to pass and hit Greg Jennings on a slant-route over the middle for his 421st career touchdown pass, making him the all-time NFL career touchdown passing leader. Congrats Brett!



~Super Bowl Champions: Lead by NFL MVP Brett Favre, the Packers rolled through the regular season (13-3) and playoffs on the way to Green Bay's first Super Bowl appearance in thirty years. The Packers got on the board first as Favre threw a 54-yd touchdown pass on only the Packers' second offensive play. They never looked back. Though kick-returner Desmond Howard was named the Super Bowl MVP, Brett put together an MVP-worthy performance throwing for 246 and 3 total touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing). Favre had led the Packers back to the top of the NFL, and brought the Lombardi Trophy home to Titletown for the first time since Lombardi himself paced the Packers' sideline. Thus cementing his place in history among the Packer greats.



~Thanks for the Memories: After 17 seasons in the NFL, 3 league MVPs, 1 Super Bowl win, 275 consecutive starts as well as every signifcant career passing record, Brett Favre retired from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL, ending his legendary career. On March 6, 2008, Brett appeared in a news conference in Green Bay, WI to announce and discuss his retirement from the game. He was true to himself to the end, and in what may have been the greatest, most emotional retirement news conference of all-time, no. 4 left the game in true Favre-fashion.



I watched this news conference live, struggling to control my emotions as I watched my favorite athlete of all-time walk away from the game I love. My favorite quote from his news conference was "I hope that every penny that the Green Bay Packers spent on me... that they feel was money well spent." Well Brett, I've got news for you. Your money will never be any good in Wisconsin, because we'll be forever indebted to you.

Bonus Materials

This past year, Sports Illustrated named Brett the 2007 Sportsman of the Year. This illustrious award, which has been given out to other athletes such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong (here's the list), celebrated Favre not only for his amazing accomplishments on the field, but also his exceptional character and selfless contributions to others and the community.



~My favorite play from the 2007 Packers season: Tied 13-13, on the first play of overtime on Monday Night Football against the Broncos, Favre bombed a perfectly thrown 82-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings to cap one of Brett Favre's most memorable MNF performances and a 19-13 Packers' win.



So there you have it, Kodison's tribute to the greatest player of all-time. I hope that you've enjoyed reading Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4... as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let us never forget the fun and the memories we have of watching this great man play the game we all love. He played football the way it was meant to be played, and we loved watching him lead our favorite team every weekend. As much as I will miss him, I'm thankful to have witnessed his career, and for all the priceless memories that I'll pass-down to my children.

As I run out of superlatives and ways to describe his Hall-of-Fame career, it becomes difficult to describe my emotions towards my favorite athlete in history. So to finish this tribute, there's really only one thing left to say...

Thank you Brett.

Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4... Part III

For this third installment of my future award-winning series, Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4..., I felt that it was important to include some of the more fun memories that I have of Brett's career, even those that aren't directly related to throwing touchdowns on the field. Plus, at the end of this post, I included some bonus clips to thank you for reading and to entice you to come back tomorrow for the series finale.

~Up Top Ref!: With the Packers winning 14-3 over Detroit in week 17 this past December, Favre rolled right and threw a strike to Bubba Franks in the front of the endzone for his second touchdown pass of the day. Running off the field after the play, Favre had some fun with the referee in front of the Packers' bench before joining the rest of his teammates on the sideline.



~Brett the Business Man: Recently Brett was ranked as the 10th most marketable figure in sports (2nd in the NFL behind Peyton Manning), and he's got the commercials to prove it. Here's one of my favorites...



~Trash Talkin': Favre was always known for his smiles and light-minded trash talk with opposing players as well as his teammates. While this entry doesn't specify one distinct moment, I felt it appropriate to include this video, as so many of our favorite Favre moments have to do with his fun-loving, entertaining style of football. :)



~Favre Magic: The Packers dismantled the Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Playoffs this past January in what was a typical Wisconsin snowstorm. As the field turned white and snow filled the air, Favre led the Packers back from an early 14-0 deficit to rout Seattle 42-20. Known for his magical plays and circus throws, late in the 1st half, Favre pulled another trick out from his sleeve to convert a crucial third-down, which led to a Green Bay touchdown, one that would propel the Packers to the NFC Championship Game.



After watching these clips, it's hard to imagine anyone having more fun playing the game of football, nor anyone that's more fun to watch playing it, than our own Brett Favre.

Bonus Materials

I included Favre's first real playing time as a Packer in yesterday's post, and I found a couple post-game interviews the Brett gave immediately after the game. Knowing what we know now, they're pretty fun to watch.

Favre Interview #1

Favre Interview #2

Do you know how Brett did the very next game in his first career start? Here's the game recap from that match-up against the Steelers. What a performance he gave in his first start, which began his record-setting streak of 275 straight games.

Game Recap

And last but not least, as another example of Favre's fun-loving demeanor, here's a video clip taken from Halloween in 1995, when Brett, along with teammates Don Beebe and Frank Winters, disguised themselves and went Trick-or-Treating to Coach Mike Holmgren's house. (I think there ended up being more tricks than treats...)

Trick-or-Treating

Be sure to log on again tomorrow for the final installment of my Brett Favre tribute series, Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4...

Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4... Part II

In my second installment of Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4..., I'll continue to examine four more of my favorite memories from Brett Favre's career. Again, these come in no particular order, so just enjoy them as they come! Also, feel free to leave comments at the end of this post, sharing some of your thoughts on these memories, or go ahead and share some of your favorite Favre moments too!

~He Did What?!?!: On November 6, 2000, the Packers played host to the rival Vikings on Monday Night Football. The hard-fought game went back-and-forth, and at the end of regulation was tied 20-20. With the Packers driving in overtime, Favre lofted up a pass to favorite wideout Antonio Freeman on a deep fade route to the sideline. After the defender tipped the ball in the air, Freeman fell down and tipped the ball several times while on the ground. Once he had the ball in his grasp, Freeman got up and sprinted past the confused Vikings defenders into the endzone for a miraculous 26-20 Packers' win.



~The Winning Tradition: Trailing the Lions 24-21 with less than a minute to play in the 1994 NFC Wild Card playoffs, Favre connected on one of his classic deep-bombs to Sterling Sharpe to lift the Packers to their first playoff win in 11 years. Favre had returned a winning tradition to Green Bay.



~Brett Goes the Distance: Playing in Chicago against the Bears on September 11, 1995, with the Green Bay offense backed-up to their own one yard-line midway through the second quarter, Brett launched a perfectly placed pass to Robert Brooks who tip-toed down the sideline for a 99 yard touchdown, only the 8th 99 yard pass in NFL history. The Packers would go on to win 27-24 and Favre finished with 312 passing yards and 3 touchdowns to notch yet another spectacular primetime performance on Monday Night Football. (Sorry, I couldn't find any good clips of this...)

~Playing for Dad: The day after his father Irv died of a tragic heart-attack, Brett put together one of the most memorable Monday Night Football performances in history. With his wife Deanna, along with the entire nation looking on, Favre threw for 399 yards and 4 touchdowns. His near perfect game was not only one of his best statistically, but this emotionally-charged feat would define him for the rest of his career as he overcame trial after trial in his life.


As shown in this post, as well as the final two installations to come, Brett Favre was consistently one of the best clutch players in football. Whether it was on the national stage of Monday Night Football, or late in the fourth quarter or overtime, Packers fans always felt that if only we could give Brett the ball, he would come through when it matters most and Brett delivered, almost every time. Be sure to tune in tomorrow to see what four Favre moments made the list next!

Favorite Favre Moments : Four Days of #4... Part I

The first installation of a four-part series, documenting 16 of my favorite moments from Brett Favre's legendary career. Note that these moments do not come in any specific order.

~Favre's First Pass: Where else to start this list but at the beginning of Brett's illustrious career? His first pass attempt in the National Football League came during his rookie season in 1991 while playing for the Atlanta Falcons. His first pass in the NFL was tipped and intercepted, then promptly returned for a touchdown by the other team. A fitting beginning to his gunslinger career.



~Favre's First Completion: After spending only a year with the Falcons, and attempting 4 passes (resulting in two interceptions and zero completions), Favre threw his first complete pass in the NFL as a Green Bay Packer. Who was on the receiving end of this historic throw?... Himself.



~Head-first into the Playoffs: On Dec 18, with the 1994 season coming to a close, the Packers desperately needed a win to keep their hopes alive to make the playoffs. Favre orchestrated one of his signature, late fourth-quarter drives and scored while diving into the endzone from nine yards out, with only 14 seconds remaining on the clock. The Packers would go on to win 21-17 and not only would Green Bay make the playoffs that year, but Favre cemented his status as one of the toughest players in the NFL.


~The Legend is Born, September 20, 1992: Coming off the bench for the injured Don "Majik Man" Majkowski, Favre saw his first meaningful minutes as a Packer, and he would make the most of them. Entering the game midway through the fourth quarter with the Packers down 20-10, Favre directed an 88 yard TD drive, including a perfectly thrown 35 yd TD pass to Kintrick Taylor with 13 seconds left to cap off a game-winning drive and propel the Packers to an unprobable 24-23 comeback victory. Brett started the following week... and every game since.



Log on tomorrow to see the next four moments in the 2nd installment of my series, Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4...

A Day That Will Live in Infamy...

On this day, March 4th, 2008, the greatest quarterback in the history of the Green Bay Packers organization and possibly the National Football League, Brett Favre, at age 38 is finally walking away from the game of football, ending his streak of 253 consecutive starts.

After 17 seasons, 160 regular season wins as a starter, 442 passing TDs, 61,655 passing yards, 5 league MVPs and one Super Bowl win, Brett is taking his all-time record-breaking career and riding off into the sunset.

I grew up watching this man play the game I love in a way that displayed his undying love for the game as well. His fun-loving demeanor attracted friend and foe alike, his charisma and down-to-earth attitude was familiar to thousands of fans across the country, and his winner-take-all, gunslinger mentality produced the better part of two decades of winning football in Green Bay, WI.

Forever known as the NFL's Ironman, Favre will go down in history as one of the toughest and fiercest competitors professional football has ever known. His talent, humor, personality, leadership, desire and unique style and flair made him one of the most beloved players in NFL history.

While many across America were shocked upon hearing the news of Favre's retirement, I was simply heartbroken. The man to whom I owe my fanhood was retiring from the game I love, and walking away from the team I . So, as a tribute to my favorite athlete of all-time, and in honor of the Great #4, I'll be posting four of my favorite Favre memories everyday for the next 4 days.


Upon reading the news early this morning and hopelessly attempting to come-to-grips with a world without Favre, I did the only thing that made sense, the only thing that a tough guy or real ironman could do... I cried.

Please come back Brett, we love you.