The past two seasons, Rockies owner Dick Monfort has been under pressure.
No, not to spend money on free agents during the winter or to acquire a marquee pitcher at the midsummer trading deadline.
This is about one of Monfort’s other businesses. He is the money man behind Brett Favre’s Steakhouse, located in the shadows of Lambeau Field.
“They wanted us to rename the restaurant,” Monfort said. “This is the people in Green Bay. They wanted to rename it the Brett Favre Waffle House.”
Business hasn’t been what it used to be since Favre moved on to play last season for the New York Jets and this season for the Minnesota Vikings. But then, is any business doing better today than it was two years ago?
“The Brett Favre Steakhouse in Green Bay is like the Morton’s or Sullivan’s of Denver,” Monfort said. “And all those guys’ businesses are down anywhere from 10 to 30 percent because of the economy. So at the time he left, we were hit with that.
“So how much was caused because Brett’s gone or how much of it is caused by the economy, you don’t know. But it obviously has hurt it. Him being gone has hurt it.”
Good luck, Mike Shanahan. Not that the Brett Favre Steakhouse in Green Bay is dead. Eventually, Favre will retire. For good.
“When he does, we’ll have all his paraphernalia in there and a lot of history of Brett,” Monfort said. “And it will be a museum for him and his great career.”
Favre better at 40 than 39.
History said Favre was washed up, and I essentially told him so last week. In his four previous seasons from 2005-08, Favre averaged 22 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions.
He threw 22 and 22 with the Jets in the 2008 season.
Standing a few feet away from Favre just off the Vikings’ indoor practice field, I told him, “I’ll be honest, I thought last year was because of 39.” As in 39 years old. Favre didn’t wince.
“And it may have been because I was 39,” Favre said.
Thanks, Brett, but this season proved age had nothing to do with performance. Counting playoffs, Favre has 37 TD passes and a career-low seven interceptions.
The Jets’ falloff was about the wounded arm. No one, not even Favre, knew the extent of the biceps tendon tear in his shoulder area until last summer, when he had no other choice but to have it surgically repaired.
And the rest is old-man history.
Good to be The King.
Right, Elvis? The Broncos will wait until after the Super Bowl before they begin negotiating with any of their Big 5 restricted free agents — Elvis Dumervil, Kyle Orton, Chris Kuper, Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler.
All will likely be tendered contracts, although this will only serve as trade mechanisms for Marshall and Scheffler. Expect the Broncos to try to receive a first-round pick, and possibly one more player for Marshall, and a second- or third-rounder for Scheffler.
The Broncos’ greatest financial challenge this offseason will be Dumervil. Besides the premium the league pays pass rushers and Dumervil’s NFL-leading 17 sacks, there could be a Mike Nolan factor. The 3-4 defense Nolan inherits in Miami has aging pass-rushing linebackers in Joey Porter and Jason Taylor.
Dumervil is 26. He might be the Broncos’ only restricted free agent who is slapped with the highest tender, which carries a $3.043 million salary and compensation of first- and third-round draft picks.
Even so, teams like Miami may push a lucrative offer sheet Dumervil’s way.
