Just when we all thought (again) that Brett Favre was out of our lives and out of the public eye for good, he’s back … maybe.
The legendary quarterback, as everyone will recall, sullied his name and reputation over the course of the past year with his flip-flopping about retirement and subsequent awful play at the end of last season with the New York Jets.
Favre asked the Jets to release him from the reserve-retired list this week, and the Jets obliged, making him a free agent, should he choose to come out of retirement again.
In this situation, Favre can do one of three things, and fans’ long-term view of him will depend on which path he chooses.
1. He can sign a symbolic, one-day contract with the Packers so he can officially retire as a member of the team with which he built his legend. Jerry Rice did this with the 49ers in 2006, and other athletes have gone the same route. This simple act could absolve him of all the bad will he accumulated with Packers fans since his first retirement in March, 2008.
2. He can join another team (early speculation involves the Minnesota Vikings, since that’s where he reportedly wanted to go when the Packers were looking to trade him last year). If he does, he will be dead in the eyes of Packers fans for years to come.
3. He can simply stay retired, and stay quiet.
Sadly, I’m not sure he’s smart enough to go with 1 or 3.
1 comment:
I was obviously too young to remember Johnny Unitas playing for the Chargers or Willy Mays flopping all over centerfield for the Mets, but you have to wonder if this does tarnish what is otherwise an outstanding career.
I guess it wouldn't, because I don't remember Jerry Rice playing too much for the Broncos or the Seahawks, and I don't really recall Emmitt Smith's last year in Arizona.
Either way, Brett needs to stay away, not to protect his legacy, but to keep the general public from assassinating him.
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