Brett Favre is the most overrated player in football today, if not the most overrated player in sports altogether. He has been in a steep decline, more or less, since the Packers beat the Patriots in the 1997 Super Bowl. Admittedly, he had a good year last year, most probably because of the addition of solid halfback Ryan Grant (who is hopefully going to have a good fantasy year this year too) and a deep man in Greg Jennings. Here's the key here: Favre needed a running back who could lighten the load and a guy who could run fast to make him good. Of course, in football, it is necessary for a quarterback to have a good supporting cast to succeed (see: Peyton Manning, with one of the best all-around supporting casts a few years ago). However, you need more than just this supporting cast to do something; you need that characteristic that sets you apart and makes you able to lead a team and manage to not crumble under the pressure (see: not Peyton Manning a few years ago). Your supporting cast can get you to the playoffs. You're the one who has to win there, especially if you're the veteran of the team (looking at you, Favre).

In the postseasons since 1997, Favre won 3 of 10 games. He had 2 wins and 3 losses in wild card games, the games that feature, generally, the teams lucky to make the playoffs, not the best teams. In those wild card games, he has nine interceptions and seven touchdowns. Don't forget; he threw a crucial interception in 2003 to Brian Dawkins against the Eagles that allowed for a game winning field goal, then an overtime interception last January to the Giants' Corey Webster. That's not what a leader, especially one with the reputation Favre somehow has, is known for doing. In playoff games at Lambeau Field, where the Packers were 13-0 in the postseason in the first 81 years of the franchise, Favre has lost three games and won two. The three he lost were to quarterbacks Michael Vick, Daunte Culpepper and Eli Manning. Not a great resume there. ESPN's Sal Paolantonio points out that if Eli had had a decade like Favre's he'd "be run out of New York." Phillip Rivers would be considered a "first round bust." Despite all this, Favre is seen as one of the top players in the game.

What gives him this appeal to people? Certainly he has had his moments. He has some talent. He's a gunslinger. He has the record for most career yards and career touchdowns. He also has the record for most career interceptions. The thing is, if you play as long as he did with the amount of talent he has (which is a considerable amount, not nearly the talent the media and fans grant him), you're going to break those records. It's inevitable. Still, what's his appeal? It seems to be his cowboy-esque attitude and appearance. He did a Wrangler jeans commercial. He's the kind of guy who you expect to be on the farm, or maybe you just want him on the farm. That's all well and good. He's not the best football player of his era, not even fifth best.

When Brett Favre retired, the Packers met with him to make sure he didn't want to play. He didn't. So the Packers moved on. Finally, the Packers first round pick of 2005, Aaron Rodgers, would be the starter. The Packers went through mini-camp with Rodgers and the team began to follow him. Then Favre wanted back in. The Packers said no, their QB was Rodgers, sorry Brett. But Favre kept pushing. As the weeks pushed on, Favre sent in his letter of reinstatement, the Packers offered 20 million dollars for Brett to stay retired, Brett declined, and Brett was reinstated. The president of the Packers said that with Brett back, there would be a QB competition to see who the starter would be. Coach Mike McCarthy said otherwise, telling Favre in a late-night conference that Rodgers was the starting quarterback and Favre could feel free to sit on the bench all year if he liked. Favre, of course, didn't and promptly left, saying "So they can say they welcome me back but, come on, the way they've treated me tells you the truth. They don't want me back, so let's move on." The best part of this is Favre bitching about how the Packers have been treacherous, in a way, in handling his case, and that they've told him one thing but indicated another. I don't know where he got that impression. Clearly Favre has only been hearing what he wants to hear, since the Packers have said from the beginning that they don't want Favre back.

So now it's official; the Packers have traded Favre to the New York Jets for a conditional fourth round draft pick (conditional meaning that, based on how the season turns out for the Jets, the draft pick might get better). In all likelihood, this means that former Jets quarterback Chad Pennington will be released to clear cap room. I admit, I have in the past, mocked Pennington for various reasons to a certain Jets fan. However, as she will tell you, I have never mocked his skill level. I think Pennington is a hell of a quarterback in a bad situation. If you watch some old Jets games, you'll see Pennington making good passes and the Jets receivers not making easy catches. However, Pennington has led the Jets at various points to good playoff appearances in a hard division (especially when Pennington led them there his first time where the AFC East housed the ever-impressive Patriots, as well as the stellar defenses of the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins). Pennington's been a leader, a team-builder, and a good quarterback. And the Jets are willing to sell him down the river for a washed-up douchebag with an ego problem that the media soothes and encourages.

The best possible scenario: the Packers have a great year, the Jets get shit on, and Pennington goes to a team that makes the playoffs with him starting (maybe the Bucs; they were going after Favre, maybe they'll go after Pennington now).

The worst possible scenario: the Jets receivers learn how to catch and save Favre's abysmal season, making the playoffs and doing some damage, Rodgers gets injured and the Packers fall under .500, and Pennington replaces Alex Smith of the 49ers.