Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Black & blue Brett



Does taking pleasure in another’s pain make someone a bad person? Even if it does, I’ve decided I don’t care. Seeing Brett Favre take yet another brutal hit that left him face down on the frozen field at the University of Minnesota’s stadium made me laugh. Still does.

Perhaps we finally have seen the last of No. 4. If that’s the case, good riddance.

At the risk of kicking a proverbial dead horse (or, more accurately, an almost-dead quarterback), and stating the obvious, he should have stayed retired. Maybe this time he actually will.

He could have called it quits after the 2007 season and he would have done so as a legend, talked about in the same breath as the all-time greats.

He could have made his second retirement, after the 2008 season, his final goodbye. It was so-so year with the Jets that really did nothing to change anyone’s perception of him. If it had been anyone but Brett Favre, few would remember it.

He came within a game of a third Super Bowl last season after one of the best statistical seasons of his career last year. He enraged an entire fan base and turned countless former supporters against him, but it was almost worth it.

Then, like a card player down to his last few chips, Favre refused to walk away. Instead, he threw those chips into the pot for one last chance at a winner. Not surprisingly, he lost.

Despite the fact that this season became meaningless for the Vikings a couple weeks ago, Favre couldn’t resist the temptation to suit up Monday night against the Bears. Quite possibly his last NFL game ended rather predictably — with Favre injured and on the sideline.

Let’s hope this year’s edition of Favre’s farewell is the real deal, for his sake and ours.

1 comment:

Scott Barrett said...

As someone with absolutely no connection to the Packers, the Vikings or Favre, I have to disagree.

Sure, his wishy-washy retirement talk was awful, but that guy is one tough SOB.

And before our anonymous friend (I'm wondering when he'll unmask his ornary self) says it, I will: You're bitter. Extremely bitter. If Favre were still in a Packers uniform, you'd still be rooting for him, no matter how bad it got or how injured he was.

If he trotted out onto that field last night as a Packer, your tune would be completely changed.

"Man, he's a warrior," you'd say. But no, because he left and went to Minnesota, which nobody really cares outside of Wisconsin, you're just flat out bitter.

Don't get me wrong, I'd be bitter, too. But get over it. The Packers are much closer to the playoffs, and the Vikings are a poor excuse for an NFL team right now. It just comes off as pathetic.