Better Late Than Never

I've spent the past ten years of my life in Northeast Wisconsin. That's by Green Bay.

Now, growing up in Northern Minnesota, I learned that a true Minnesotan (which I really, truly believe I still am even after all these years) can't like the Green Bay Packers.

So a few of my Minnesotan friends who may read this will probably give me Hell for this, but I just gotta write it:

Congrats on your retirement Brett Favre.

(That wasn't so hard, really. And just because it's been a few weeks doesn't mean it's not sincere.)

As I always qualify my remarks when I write about sports: I don't follow them. Just not my thing. But you cannot live in this part of the country and not have an appreciation for the history and legacy of this team.

And for the past sixteen years, you could not separate the Green Bay Packers from Brett Favre.

While I watched very little of Favre at work, I am acutely aware of what he meant to the team, to its fans, and to this area in general. Also, since I've started paying attention to the NFL for Fantasy Football, I have become aware of just how important he was to the league.

It is truly astounding that he was traded to a team who had experienced two decades worth of bad seasons, the smallest team in the market, and the only publicly-owned company in the league (three really bad strikes against the team for this young player), and led it to a Super Bowl and kept Championship dreams alive for almost twenty years.

Even more astounding: he started every single game for the Packers since he took over for an injured Don Majowski in the third game of the 1992 season. A quarterback! The player every player on the other side of the ball wants to get a piece of.

You've probably heard the accomplishments besides the remarkable consecutive games started. Many of those accomplishments came this year: most career touchdown passes, most career passing attempts, most career passing yards. He also won a Super Bowl as well as played in another. And he is the only three-time MVP in history.

But the records, although enormous, weren't what he was about. The guy played balls-out every game. Sometimes it got him into trouble-- he also owns the most career interceptions (although INTs come with the territory when putting the ball in the air as much as he has). But sometimes it allowed him to complete truly astounding plays as well. He has been called the last of his breed-- the guy who can go out and pull off a miracle nearly single-handedly (and although he always gave the props to his team, it was his leadership and confidence that allowed things to happen)

And off the field, his accomplishments were probably even greater. His notoriety in this area allowed he and his wife to start two foundations to help people in need. These programs will most assuredly continue even though Favre's career has ended.

For years, Favre led the team, but had usually had some help. But this year, the 37-year old had the entire team on his shoulders; especially in the early part of the season when the run game was truly pathetic and most of the five guys he had to throw to were second-year players or younger. But he led the team to a 14-4 season and was one throw away from another Super Bowl appearance. That's just crazy, but he did it.

But it got to be too much. And how couldn't it? I mean, not only an entire NFL football team carried their dreams on his shoulders, but an entire state also relied on him. That's a huge burden, and although he could still play at a high level next season, he decided he couldn't live up to the expectations that would be on him. And you have to respect that.

He gave everything he had to this team and to its fans and to the league for sixteen years, and we're all grateful. He will go down in history as not only one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, and not only as one of the greatest players ever-- but also one of the greatest people to ever play the game.

Congrats again, Brett. You have earned it.

And for those of you who may not have read it, check out the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (only the third quarterback ever to have the honor) article about him from last year at the attached link. It truly captures the essence of who this man is.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/magazine/specials/sportsman/2007/12/03/sportsman.2007/