Let’s get one thing straight from the get-go:  Brett Favre retired.  Retired.  From unofficial reports he actually retired, told Packer management he wanted to play, then changed his mind AGAIN and stayed retired.  Then he decided to un-retire and the Packers had moved on, with Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback.  So Favre had to play somewhere else, eventually landing with the Vikings after a disappointing season with the Jets.

So it drives me only a little bit insane when the idiots on the ESPN pre-show talk about how Favre is motivated by revenge because “the Packers told him he wasn’t good enough to play for them.”  The man QUIT.  He was not kicked out because Aaron Rodgers was better, he was kicked out because by the time he made his goddamn mind up they were halfway through training camp!!

Also:  the Packers did not try to pay Brett Favre $200 million dollars to stay retired, as Chris Berman stated.  The $200 million was an endorsement deal with the Packers, negotiated long before he decided to retire, for him to continue on as an ambassador of the Packers after he quit playing.  He couldn’t do that if he didn’t actually stop playing.

Do I hold Ted Thompson blameless in all of this?  No.  Maybe he should have put up with a little more of his bullsh*t in order to keep Favre around for a few more years.  Was it worth the possibility of losing Rodgers?  Absolutely not.  Are the Vikings a better team with Favre?  Of course.  Are the Packers a worse team without him?  Jury is still out on that one.  Rodgers is not the reason for the Packers troubles.  Getting used to a new defensive scheme and an offensive line with more holes than Spongebob Squarepants both rank alot higher on that list.

I am a Packers fan first, and a Favre fan second, so that’s where my loyalties lie.  Brett Favre was the reason behind, for me, one of the greatest moments in sports history.   But the thing that bothers me about Favre playing for the Vikings, is that at some level, I believe he is doing it to stick it to Ted Thompson.  And you can’t stick it to Ted Thompson without sticking it to the Packers.  And you can’t stick it to the Packers, without sticking it to the Packers fans.  And that my friends, is weak f*cking sauce.

 
So I decided to make chili for the game and here is the recipe!!

Woody DeSilva’s Championship Chili

 

Texas chili doesn’t get any better than this fiery-hot version.

Source: Saveur

Photo: Andre Baranowski

4 lbs. beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1⁄2″ cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 tbsp. canola oil
5 medium onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2  6-oz. cans tomato paste
4 tbsp. dried oregano
3 tbsp. chili powder
4 tsp. ground chile pequín
   or cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. sweet paprika
1 tbsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 tbsp. masa harina

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 6-qt. pot over high heat. Working in 4 batches, brown beef, about 3 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a plate.

2. Add onions and garlic; cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Return beef to pot; stir in tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping bottom of pot with a wooden spoon, until tomato paste is caramelized, about 12 minutes. Add oregano, chili powder, chile pequín, paprika, Tabasco, and cumin; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.

3. Add 5 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender, about 2 hours. Stir in masa harina; season with salt. Simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes.

SERVES 6

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #121