I Wish He’d Stay Retired This Time

It was December 31st, 2006, in what was supposed to be Brett Favre’s last game. The Packers were finishing up a lack luster 8-8 season at the division champion Chicago Bears. The Bears, 13-3, had already locked up home field advantage throughout the playoffs and only played their starters for part of the game. The Packers go on to win that game 26-7, the closing chapter in Favre’s legendary NFL career.

“It’s a solid way to end” I remember vividly saying as my friends and I were getting our things together for a New Year’s Celebration. Not a defining moment, or going out on top like Elway did, but still solid. Favre did what he did his entire career: beat the Bears.
As that final whistle blew, Chicago fans in the stadium stood up out of their seats, and started putting their hands together for a rousing ovation. As I watched the TV in disbelief, it hit me what that ovation was for. The camera man then switched to the man wearing the white jersey with a green number 4. As Favre nodded his head and waved to the fans that loved to hate him for 15 years, my friends and I too got up and started clapping. “Thank God he’s done,” I said. “He beat us over and over every year, but man was he fun to watch. This is the end of a true legend of the game.”
It was quintessential Bears vs. Packers. The most storied, bitter, and well respected rivalry in the history of the NFL seemingly closed another chapter with Favre’s final game. The Favre era was done, but that ovation was truly deserved. Packer fans would have done the same to the same for Walter, Gale, Singletary, and Butkus. Favre has played his final game.
Or so we thought (sigh). As Favre was mulling his “1st retirement,” he decides to come back for one more shot with the Packers in 2007. Ok, I get it. Jordan did the same thing. Favre didn’t want to end on an 8-8 season and wants things on his own terms. I think the entire football fan base was happy to see him come back for one more. It gives us football fans a chance to watch the greatest quarterback to put on that storied Green Bay jersey and sling that football all around the field.
Sadly for Bears fans, the Packers win the division and go on to the NFC Championship. Sadly for Green Bay fans, Favre’s “last pass” of his “career” is caught by Cory Webster – who plays for the New York Giants. This was more story book for Favre: a gunslinger slinging away until the last whistle, seconds away from another Superbowl. It was true Favre fashion – making an errand pass by trying to create a play, something he’s done his whole career. Though it’s not the lasting image people (especially Green Bay fans) wanted, you cannot deny that it was quintessential Brett Favre. However, now he gets to walk off the frozen tundra in January for his final game – in front of a fan base who adopted him as their own.
Now, Brett Favre really is retired. Right?

Favre holds his press conference and gives up the game of football. He cries again, talks about the meaning of the game and how he is “almost positive” this is it. Now the Packers are ready to move on with Aaron Rodgers, who’s been waiting on the sidelines for a few years. As the off months pass by, there still wasn’t official word from Favre, but the Packer were holding firm. Aaron Rodgers is now our quarterback.

Whether this upset Favre or not, he decides to “retire” only to “unretired” and sign on with the New York Jets.
We have now entered the realm of the ridiculous. Why? Because he went to the Jets. Instead of playing his home games in the most historic stadium in the NFL, he is now playing his home games at a field that is shared with another team. I realize that Green Bay essentially forced him out at this point, but the Jets? Hell, the Jets are not even the #1 team in New York, and Favre chose to go there. With a season that was lack luster, Favre retired at the end of it (yet again) vowing never to come back.

Now we fast forward to last summer and Favre is “throwing the old pigskin” around the high school again. Getting the “itch” to play. Surely he isn’t coming back again, is he? The buzz starts and there are rumors of where he is going. He wants to go back to his old division – the rough and tumble NFC North, the black and blue division, the most historic division in football. That’s where Favre belongs, right? Well, let’s look at the choices
Green Bay Packers – Sorry Brett, you were just forced out and Rodgers is the QB of the future.
Chicago Bears – A couple of years ago, we would have welcomed you with open arms, Brett. However, now we have Jay Cutler fresh off of a 4500 yard pro bowl season in Denver. And he’s only in his mid 20’s!
Detroit Lions – Sorry Lions, no one in their right mind would ever want to play there.
This leaves the Vikings. A 10-6 team the year before Favre with the best back in the league and a nasty physical defense. But going to the Vikings or Bears would be sac religious, right?
Well, it doesn’t matter, because the Vikings have now signed the QB that would almost put them over the top. We all know what happened, the historic year for the 40 year old. The 33 TD’s and only 7 INT. Another NFC Championship game only to be ended by yet another interception. However, now many people are rooting against Favre. Though some wanted to see two legends in Manning and Favre face off in the Superbowl, the media darling Saints are the fan pick, the sympathy pick. Again, we all know the story.

That brings us to this season. Favre, after being “unsure” and text messages of “this is it” and leaving things up in the air, he has come back. After another off season of “what did Brett mean when he said ____,” he is back with the Vikings for his 20th NFL season. With more ridiculous notions and things like, “the leaders of the team flew down to Mississippi to get Favre,” he is playing again. But it’s not storybook, it’s annoying now. Though it may be a guy going out there for the love of the game, it feels more like holding a team hostage and picking up another $15+ million. With all that aside, here is my major issue:
Favre is one of those once in a lifetime players. A top 10 great ever to throw on the uniform. For me, I like seeing those guys in one, maybe two uniforms. I like to see them go out in style and class. When the legends retire, every stadium they visit should be a road show going away party. Why? They deserve it. When Cal Ripken announced his final year, he kept his word. Every stadium he played at had the number 8 on all the bases. Every fan in every stadium gave him a standing ovation. Favre deserved that at one point – especially from Bear fans (who already gave that to him, though prematurely). I wanted Favre to say at the beginning of any year that would be his last, “this is my last year, the game has been good, blah blah.” Now he gets to go out in class, in style. He would have been remembered for nothing but his brilliant play instead of his brilliant play and his 17 pending retirements. To me, that’s the tragedy.
Favre says this year is truly his last? Well Brett, we’ve heard that a number of times from you already. And this time, I don’t believe you. But I wish you would stay retired this time.

-Casey Ryan-