Must Read: Sage's account of '09 NFC Championship game

[dead_poet]

Read this.

The Vikings-Saints NFC championship will stay with me forever—it was the most physical, and fateful, game I’ve ever been a part of
By Sage Rosenfels

I wrote this piece in January 2010, in the few days that followed the NFC Championship Game between the Vikings, where I was the backup quarterback, and the Saints. You may think this game is special for its place in the Saints’ bounty controversy, but to me it’s special for an entirely different reason: In all my experiences in professional football, it best encompasses the true soul of what the NFL is. For my own sanity, I wanted to express my thoughts on the game and take you inside what happened before, during and after it.

http://mmqb.si.com/2013/08/07/sage-rose ... s-vikings/

[mansquatch]

That was fantastic.

[The Breeze]

Good article from Sage. I certainly won't remember Brett by that one play. He was an awesome QB with an exhilerating style that i enjoyed. One of the best football players I've ever seen. First ballot HOF'er. Plus he texted pics of his weiner to hot chicks even though he was married.

That's how i'll remember him.

[mosscarter]

anyone who blames that loss on favre is an idiot. how, in that situation, do you allow 12 men to be on the field? that, in and of itself, has to be the most inept display in a crucial situation i've ever seen (and that falls on childress). to come all that way, to have a kick to go to the superbowl; and a careless personel decision ultimately sealed their fate?

[Mothman]

Thanks for the link. That was a great read. Sage writes very well!

It was interesting to read about Favre's in-game reactions. I'm not exactly his biggest fan but I can barely imagine how difficult it would be to play that hard, at that age, to take a season's worth of punishment and then even more punishment in that game only to make a crucial mistake at the most crucial time. It would be an awful feeling.

That was a wild, crazy game and definitely a memorable one.

[PacificNorseWest]

Yo! Thanks for posting that. Great read.

I get pissed like Sage, myself, when I hear the SC regurgitation of how bad a player is based on something like that or without having an inkling of the insight.

Favre was always my favorite and probably always will be. And this was before he was a Viking.

[Mothman]

Yo! Thanks for posting that. Great read.

I get pissed like Sage, myself, when I hear the SC regurgitation of how bad a player is based on something like that or without having an inkling of the insight.

Favre was always my favorite and probably always will be. And this was before he was a Viking.

I can't think of many players who received more attention and adoration on Sportscenter over the years than Favre did and it was a crucial mistake at a crucial time, even though, on it's own, it isn't why the Vikes lost the game. There are always some people who choose to to oversimplify things for the sake of conveniently placing blame and perception often fails to match up with reality. As you said, it's indicative of a lack of insight but we see it happen over and over again in the media, among fans, etc. There are still fans who believe the Vikes lost that game because of Peterson's fumbles! We've seen the same kind of oversimplification applied to the Vikes loss at GB last year.

It can be frustrating.

[CalVike]

Glad to see the positive reaction to Sage's account. I thought it was a fantastic read.

[PacificNorseWest]

I can't think of many players who received more attention and adoration on Sportscenter over the years than Favre did and it was a crucial mistake at a crucial time, even though, on it's own, it isn't why the Vikes lost the game. There are always some people who choose to to oversimplify things for the sake of conveniently placing blame and perception often fails to match up with reality. As you said, it's indicative of a lack of insight but we see it happen over and over again in the media, among fans, etc. There are still fans who believe the Vikes lost that game because of Peterson's fumbles! We've seen the same kind of oversimplification applied to the Vikes loss at GB last year.

It can be frustrating.

SC and John Madden definitely played their parts in the slurping of Brett Favre, but I'm moreso thinking along the lines of how they (media) really overhyped the whole multiple retirement deal with Favre that people love to use as a reason why they don't like him. Makes no sense to me.

And further, how things along those lines are leading people to believe that Peyton Manning is garbage in the playoffs and he isn't the best QB of all-time simply because his playoff record isn't up there with other greats.

I mean...Gimme a break, right? I just wish poeple were a little more clued in to exactly how things are working behind the scenes and everything else involved.

[Mothman]

SC and John Madden definitely played their parts in the slurping of Brett Favre, but I'm moreso thinking along the lines of how they (media) really overhyped the whole multiple retirement deal with Favre that people love to use as a reason why they don't like him. Makes no sense to me.

And further, how things along those lines are leading people to believe that Peyton Manning is garbage in the playoffs and he isn't the best QB of all-time simply because his playoff record isn't up there with other greats.

I mean...Gimme a break, right? I just wish poeple were a little more clued in to exactly how things are working behind the scenes and everything else involved.

I'm with you 100% on that. The people who engage in that kind of silly criticism love to move the goal posts too. For example, for years with Manning, the talk was, "He's a great regular season quarterback but he hasn't won a Super Bowl". Then, when the Colts actually won the Super Bowl, the talk changed to " He's great but he only has one Super Bowl".

[Funkytown]

Reading that was...a little emotional.

[Crax]

I still find it funny that saints fans won't admit the reffing in that game was garbage. I realize it may be whining years later, but it's still funny how much denial you see in the comments on an article that's obviously written from a Viking perspective.

[Funkytown]

I still find it funny that saints fans won't admit the reffing in that game was garbage. I realize it may be whining years later, but it's still funny how much denial you see in the comments on an article that's obviously written from a Viking perspective.

Exactly. Putting my Vikings fanhood aside, I was ashamed--as a fan of the NFL--after that game. Pathetic.

[Mothman]

Super Bowls are a terrible way to judge individuals. Would Montana have won without Rice and Walsh, and others? Brady without Belichick? etc.

Are Dilfer and Brad Johnson better than Dan Marino and Warren Moon?

No, they're not and you're absolutely right: Super Bowl wins are a terrible way to judge individual players.

I laugh at people who call Joe Flacco elite. He had a great playoff run but before that he was slightly above average at best.

I land somewhere between those two descriptions when it comes to Flacco. I don't consider him elite but I think he's been better than "slightly above average" for years. In a stat crazy era, he suffers in comparison to 5000 yard passers on pass-happy teams but I consider him one of the better QBs in the NFL.

[NextQuestion]

Pretty classy on his side to not totally complain how the Saints basically got the game handed to them in OT.