In a move that has been an off-season will he-won’t he befitting a soap opera for the past 3 seasons, Brett Favre finally decided to hang up the green parka, yellow pants and ride off into the Wisconsin wind-chill for good Tuesday. After his historic season, in which records were toppled like the tin cans he shot at as a mulletted Mississippi youth, Favre leaves the Packers a stubbly god among Cheeseheads and Green Bay scrambling in search of any building, park, and roadway to name in his honor.
What can be said about Favre that hasn’t already been said by John Madden a couple thousand times? In an era in which sports icons from the last decade, names such as McGwire, Bonds, Clemens, and Shaq fall from grace before our very eyes, the 38-year old Favre inexplicably rolled the way back clock to 1997 and gave every right-minded football fan across America one more historic season to enjoy.
Despite finishing the NFC Championship game looking like the old Favre in age only, his 2007 season will be remembered more for his record breaking achievements: Quarterback career wins, touchdown passes, passing yards, and passes to the opposition, and the last of his amazing career.Brett Favre played quarterback every Sunday with the passion of a regular Joe off his recliner, living his dream playing his favorite game, rather than with the aura that comes with being arguably the greatest quarterback of his, if not all, generation. With TomBot’s successful attempts to actually be as unlikable and monotonous as he is good*, how can anybody say they won’t miss seeing Favre charging down the field and being among the first to congratulate his teammate after a touchdown pass, or getting in the face of fat opposing linemen after scrambling away and breaking his defense down for yet another touchdown pass? Football’s ironman took hit after hit during his seventeen-year career, but sacks and tackles, addictions and off-field tragedies proved to be no match for #4. Favre was so likable and, probably even successful, because he played with an unbridled love for the game. Michael Jordan famously had it, Brett Favre definitely had it.
So if Favre has indeed taken his last Lambeau Leap, what a way it was for him to go out. He deserves to leave after an incredibly successful season, surpassing all expert expectations, most of all his. Favre proved he had plenty left in the tank, and who knows what another year with Ryan Grant and Greg Jennings and the strong young Packer core could have amounted to. But the talent was still young and unproven, and 3MVPs, 2 Super Bowl trips and 1 glorious career later, he deserves to leave on his own terms. The football-watching world is worse off not having the gift of watching Brett Favre man the green and gold every Sunday, but what a lifetime of memories he’s given already.
