Favre/Childress spat a study in egos gone wild

(Please note: I was originally planning on writing my Christmas list for the Green Bay Packers as my usual lighthearted Tuesday post. But then Sunday night happened in Charlotte, North Carolina. And, well, that’s just too good to pass up.)

Well, well, well – it looks as though there’s a little lover’s spat going on here in Minneapolis, doesn’t there?

Seems Minnesota Vikings’ head coach Brad Childress and Judas aren’t getting along.

(No, you know what? Scratch that. It’s the holidays. I’m in a giving mood. For just this once, I’m going to refer to him as – gasp! – Brett Favre.)

Childress and Favre got into a verbal sparring match on the sidelines during Minnesota’s blowout loss to Carolina on Sunday night. Apparently, Childress wanted to bench Favre – who had been taking a pounding at the hands of the Panthers’ defense – even though the Vikings held just a 7-6 lead at that point. Favre, as per usual, was having none of that. He got his way, stayed in the game and continued to take a beating. The result? The second loss in three games for the previously 10-1 Vikings.

An argument between a coach and player – even one as massive as Favre – doesn’t make for much of a story. This is the NFL; things get heated.

Now, though, we’re finding out that Childress unleashed a “profanity-laced tirade” at Favre in private well after the game Sunday night and that Childress actually tried to bench Favre for changing a play call in the first game against our beloved Green Bay Packers on Oct. 5.

Now, we would seem to have a story…until you consider that what’s happening between the two was inevitable. Both men have massive egos and both have won their share of public battles in the past.

Childress first came to public knowledge when he, as offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, got into a heated argument with Terrell Owens after a practice in 2005. Philly head coach Andy Reid stood by Childress. The team de-activated Owens for the rest of the season, essentially ending his time in Philly.

Then, as one of his first acts as head coach in Minnesota, Childress got into a public war of words with then-star quarterback Daunte Culpepper over a multitude of factors. Childress again was victorious – Vikings’ ownership took his side – and Culpepper was pretty much done in purple.

We all know Favre’s history. In short, the man slayed everyone who dared stand in his path ever since Mike Holmgren bolted for Seattle. Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy and Mark Murphy were the first to stand up to him in quite some time. Well, we all saw how Favre reacted there, didn’t we?

(But his behavior was, and still is, okay to some “Packers fans” because Favre plays the game like a little kid and he seems like someone they’d know.)

In other words, it was only a matter of time before the two turned on each other in some sort of weird, “Who has the biggest ego?” contest. The team was winning week-in and week-out and there was only going to be so much credit to go around.

In Childress’ mind, he likely can’t stand that Favre got ALL the praise for the Vikings’ great start. After all, Minnesota won a division title last season without Favre. Plus, if you look at the team’s progression with him as head coach, winning more than 10 games this year was a possibility, anyways (the Vikings have gone from six wins to eight wins to 10 wins in his three previous seasons heading into 2009).

And, hey, didn’t Childress just get a long-term contract extension from the team? Why would the team do that if the wins were all on Favre?

In Favre’s redneck noggin, it’s the same old song and dance. He makes this offense go. He allows them to score points in a way Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels could never dream of. He puts the defense in a spot to pin its ears back and rush the passer. It’s not about anyone else. It’s all about him. Hell, he probably believes that roughly half of Childress’ new money should go directly into his bank account.

Neither man is right, really. Both have acted like idiots, again and again. But if you’re asking the question of who is most to blame for things ending up this way, you have to point the finger directly at Childress. He’s the one who has repeatedly let Favre get away with pretty much whatever he wanted.

He set deadlines for a decision last summer. Repeatedly. Favre laughed those off. Repeatedly.

Favre said he was done. No comeback in purple. Childress said the door was closed. The team had moved on.

Favre changed his mind. He wanted in. Not only did Childress accept him with open arms – essentially throwing Jackson and Rosenfels under the bus in the most public of ways – he picked Favre up at the airport!

Before Favre had even taken a practice snap, he KNEW this organization was wrapped around his finger. And when Favre started winning games at an insane pace – causing every Vikings fan that had spent the previous 15 or so years cursing his name to run out and buy a purple No. 4 jersey – Childress really had no shot to reign him in.

That was never going to change, good times or bad. If Childress thought losing two of three would, all of a sudden, allow him the opportunity to get tough on a now struggling Favre, he was a fool. Favre is way sharper than he ever gets credit for, publicly. And in his mind, once he owns you, you’re there forever.

(Can’t you just see Childress screaming profanities at Favre as he sits there with a blank look on his face, Childress’ voice sounding similar to that of the teacher on “Charlie Brown” in Favre’s head?)

It’s not just Childress, either. The Minnesota Vikings are entirely Brett Favre’s team now. They’ll follow his lead – straight to hell or otherwise.

-Chris Lempesis