Favre-Pennington opener looms as classic theater

There was a time when Brett Favre channeled Joe Namath.

It was a different shade of green, and the circumstances weren't quite the same, but Favre declared the words, "I'm going to win the Super Bowl."

Favre: 'I think whatever team I'm with I give them a chance to win.' (US Presswire)

Now, of course, Favre is many months and an AFC championship from getting to Super Bowl XLIII, and even if he did, he wouldn't be likely to guarantee victory. But back in 1996, he was a little less circumspect.

It was the summer of '96, and Favre had just come out of rehab for a serious addiction to pain killers. He felt confident that the Packers would get to Super Bowl XXXI. He was annoyed that the media looked at him with skepticism, as if he were more likely headed toward a relapse than the Superdome in New Orleans. So Favre took a verbal flyer.

"Don't bet against me because you'll lose," he said. "I'm going to win the Super Bowl."

Favre meant what he said, eventually leading the Packers over the Patriots 35-21 in New Orleans. On the second play of the game, Favre saw something in the Patriots defense and audibled to a play called 74 Razor, which put Andre Rison one-on-one with a safety. Rison badly beat his man and flew 80 yards for a touchdown. Favre pulled off his helmet and went screaming down the field.

"He's still that guy," said Rison, now living in South Florida. "Everyone will see it on Sunday."

Sunday is merely the most compelling game of the new NFL season, when Favre will play in a rivalry not unlike the Packers and the Bears. On many occasions of late, the number and noise of Jets fans has drowned out the Dolphins fans who drive up Dan Marino Blvd. to get to the games.

Favre, after all-time records for completions (5,377), attempts (8,758) yards (61,655) touchdowns (442) and interceptions (288), plus three MVP awards and a Super Bowl win, puts it modestly.

"I think whatever team I'm with I give them a chance to win," he said.

The game has added drama in that Favre will be facing Chad Pennington, the quarterback of the Jets for the past eight years. Both have admitted there will be "some emotion" but both have put on the mask of "it's not about us."

Oh, but it is. The connections and roots run deep for this game. Pennington, forced out by Favre when the Packers traded him to the Jets, has many more friends on the other team than he has made in a month with the Dolphins. Laveranues Coles wouldn't even speak to the media when Pennington got traded.

Pennington, playing the role of runner-up in the Bachelor for this game, has old connections with Bill Parcells (who drafted him with the Jets) and Dan Henning (his first offensive coordinator). Former linebacker Brian Cox, who played for the Dolphins, then the Jets (under Parcells), is now an assistant coach for gang green.

And then there's Ron Wolf.

Brett has called it his "storybook beginning." In his rookie season in Atlanta, Favre didn't complete a single pass, but Wolf, the guru of Green Bay, called to tell him he'd been traded for the 17th pick of the 1992 draft. Wolf told Favre that he could be more than a good quarterback in the NFL, that he was a born leader who could have an outstanding career.

This summer, Wolf attended almost every Dolphins practice. A good friend to Parcells, Wolf might know Favre better than anyone.

Sometimes, football is just a wonderful Sunday afternoon. And sometimes, it's a little Shakespearian.