Brett Favre Retires

A pall has fallen over the land of beer, cheese, and sausages. One of the greatest, and arguably most-beloved, athletes of all time has decided to retire. Brett Favre has been one of the best QBs the NFL has ever seen.

His exploits as a gun-slinging iron-man have been well documented. He played every down with the same wry smile on his face. National media fawned over him. Opposing teams hated him, yet they respected him. Packer fans worshiped #4.

As a Viking fan I always wavered between loathing Favre every time he demolished my beloved Purple, and being in awe of the truly unique and spectacular plays he routinely made. It was always difficult as a Viking fan to appreciate that he was one of the greatest ever, especially when he took my team out behind the shed for a good old Mississippi style whoop’n. But even in a monumental Viking defeat, I could still occasionally bring myself to admire his talent. Even against rival teams, when the Packers where rolling, he never rubbed an opponents face in a Packer victory. Sure, he could trash-talk with the best of them. But he was never classless.


Anyone who has watched the NFL over the last 1-5 years has come to know a lot about Farve. Other than the times Terrell Owens acted-up and monopolized the attention of the national media, Favre dominated national football coverage. It isn’t surprising that the national media latched on to him. Farve always paired an awe-shucks personality with a visible joy about playing football. The fun-loving southern boy was disarming as well as charming.

He went through his ups and downs, the pain-killer addiction, Super Bowl victories, his wife’s cancer, MVPs, and his father’s death. The roller-coaster ride that accompanied his career made Favre the football god, still seem human. He never forgot where he came from, nor did his demeanor change. He was always simply Brett Farve.

Now it appears that the legend is finished. There can be little doubt that Favre will always be considered one of the greatest QBs of all time. And more than any other record, Favre’s consecutive games played streak will serve as his NFL eulogy. While there was no shortage of amazing moments and accolades throughout his career, they all pale in comparison to the fact that he started every single game for 16+ years. From the day he got the starting job until the day he retired Brett Favre gave a whole-hearted performance every time he stepped onto the football field.

Brett Favre is a man who created a myth. Goodbye #4.