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Well, the New York Jets finally put the coffin on the Chad Pennington era. About time. Favre is one of my favorite players ever and Green Bay was the first team I followed in professional football because of Favre, just as New England was the second because of Drew Bledsoe. The first Super Bowl that really imprinted on my brain: Pats v. Packers in the 1996 season.

Last season’s almost Packers/Pats Super Bowl was stopped just short when the Packers went down to the New York Giants in the NFC Conference Championship game largely on Favre’s gunslinging arm. For years, Green Bay lived (December 21, 2003) and died by that arm (all of 2005).

Now a Favre/Brady showdown in the AFC East would be…well it is not not a test of loyalties. My loyalty is towards New England and Tom Brady all the way. But somehow the trade today made this whole saga so much more personal for me.

Suddenly, I woke up this morning and instead of the story being just about Favre, a player I worship and have followed his entire career, it’s a story about the Patriots/Jets rivalry. It kind of blows me away.

So I had to dive into the archives back a couple of seasons to see what I’ve written about the Pats/Jets, if nothing else to remind myself just how much I obsess about these two teams.

• 11/12/2006
  “The New England Patriots lost to the New York Jets today, marking the first time the team lost back-to-back games since they lost to the Jets on Dec 12, 2002.”
• 01/07/2007
  “The Jets were stomped by Patriots in Gillette Stadium in the early game today…The final blow was an Asante Samuel interception of Jets quarterback Chad Pennington, which Samuel returned 36 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.”
• 06/21/07
  “there was talk that former protégé Eric Mangini was planning a takedown of his mentor Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots in the wild-card game. Dream on.”
• 12/12/07
  “So let’s rephrase the worst case scenario a) Brady plays 60 minutes or b) the Jets are so abysmal that Belichick actually puts Cassel in for the fourth quarter?
  
  “…(never before has Mangini been so thankful for being in the AFC East. It’s two guaranteed under .500 opponents every year.)
  
  “Just because the Patriots have clinched a first round bye, don’t think they aren’t playing for nothing. The perfect regular season record is tantalizing (with only the New York Giants realistically in the way,) and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs goes a long way to an undefeated season, especially deep in January when Gillette Stadium is almost as unfriendly as Lambeau Field. But the real motivation here is revenge, nothing more, nothing less. Mangini ratted out Belichick during their first-week match-up because Belichick was recording signals from the sidelines. The NFL handed down tough sanctions for the violation and now Belichick needs to take a first round draft pick and some salary out of Mangini’s ass. It’s that petty. This game is that personal for the coaches.
  
  “Mangini should consider himself lucky if the Jets only lose by 40.”

and (sigh)

• 12/16/2007: Pats Revenge Scenario Spoiled by Weather

The Jets sent a conditional draft pick to the Green Bay Packers based on their performance in the 2008 season. The trade also includes a clause that prevents New York from trading him to the Minnesota Vikings without an extreme penalty (3 first round picks to the Packers.)

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