August 7, 2008. Thursday.
War between Russia and Georgia broke out on this day, marking the first European war of the 21st century.
I won’t get into the details of the war, but all you need to know is that an egotistical, power-driven, underperforming maniac decided to invade a little neighboring country to gain territory and stave off a potential rebellion from its constituents.
August 7, 2008. Still Thursday.
The Green Bay Packers trade quarterback Brett Favre to the New York Jets, marking the end of Favre’s 16-year stint with the team.
I won’t get into the details of the trade, but all you need to know is that an egotistical, power-driven, underperforming sports franchise decided to trade for a little market’s longtime signal caller to gain relevance and stave off a potential rebellion from its fans.
I mean, I know it’s ridiculous and unfair to compare a whole-ass war to one NFL trade, but there are parallels.
A disclaimer here: I do not in any way want to minimize war or offend anyone with these comparisons. Just want to point out that the Jets might be a little evil, and that they’re not very good at it either.
Fast forward to 2023. We all know what Russia is trying to do in Ukraine. It invaded only last year.
Again, won’t parse through details. It’s the egotistical, power-driven, underperforming guy, again, invading a smaller neighbor to win territory and show off strength.
And, for the first time since August 7, 2008, the Packers are losing their longtime quarterback.
No details here, either. It’s just the same egotistical, power-driven, underperforming team looking to capitalize off Green Bay’s loss to win fans back and improve the franchise’s status.
The Jets’ move for Favre solidified Aaron Rodgers as the Packers’ starter, and 15 years later, the Jets’ move for Rodgers solidified… Jordan Love …(?) as the Packers’ starter.
It isn’t 100% certain that Love will be the guy, but it would seem silly for the Packers not to at least give him a shot at the job after they used a first-round pick on him in 2020, throwing the team’s quarterback hierarchy into question.
That ultimately led to now, with the Jets and Packers openly negotiating trade compensation for Rodgers, who is now a hostage in a place he long called home. I could make other Putin parallels there, but I won’t. They write themselves given the context.
Much like Putin’s Russia in small ex-Soviet states, Woody Johnson’s Jets are a destabilizing force in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They took their quarterback once, and they’re doing it again.
But remember what happened last time?
Favre ended up starting all 16 games for the Jets. He threw for under 3500 yards, matched his 22 touchdowns with just as many interceptions, and finished with a whopping 43.4 QBR.
They missed the playoffs. Favre was in Minnesota by the next season’s open.
On the other end, it didn’t take long for Rodgers to establish himself as a bonafide superstar. By the end of the 2011 season, the Packers had won an MVP and led the Packers to a Super Bowl title.
That went well for Green Bay, huh?
Now, history repeats itself as the Jets once again bet on an aging Green Bay quarterback. If history continually reruns, Love will be nothing short of a fine replacement.
It’s too hard to tell whether Love will actually be anywhere near as good as Rodgers was, but history’s cyclical nature certainly plays in his favor.
If the Jets are the NFL’s Putin, we can surmise that Love will be pretty good. After all, Putin is losing in Ukraine right now pretty badly. If evil can lose in Ukraine, and if evil can lose in Green Bay in the late 2010s, it can certainly lose again here.
Given the franchise’s history and pedigree, I have little doubt it will come out just fine from this whole Rodgers fiasco. The Jets have invaded again, just as they did in 2008, but if Green Bay came out better then, it can certainly do it again now.
There’s a lot of uncertainty with Russia and Ukraine, just as there is with the Jets and Packers in 2023. One thing is for sure, however: If you’re a Packers fan, heads up if Russia decides to invade someone! You just might lose your quarterback to the Jets again.
Follow Nick on Twitter @nicktrimshedges or Instagram @nicktrimshedges