Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Brett Favre

Brett Favre really pisses me off. Well, I guess this is sort of a two parter. Favre himself really pisses me off, and the inevitable media circus that always follows him around really pisses me off.

Favre's un-un-un-un-un-retirement is entirely infuriating. He is turning 40 years old this season, too old to be an NFL quarterback... he is older than some active NFL head coaches. The man would look more in place in a Rogaine commercial than on a football field. And while he might be one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, the fact is he really is not that good anymore. Last year he threw just as many interceptions as touchdowns. His total meltdown down the stretch was the major reason his New York Jets did not make the playoffs.

Now, the Minnesota Vikings are paying him 10-12 million dollars to take the reins of a team that already was on the brink of dominance. I'm telling you Vikings... this is a mistake. If I was an NFL executive, I would rather have Tavaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels (the other quarterbacks on the Vikings' roster) than Brett Favre as my starting quarterback. At the end of last season, Jackson was the anti-Favre, taking over down the stretch, putting up good numbers (eight TDs to only one pick), and winning three out of four games as the Vikings rallied to make the playoffs.

If Favre had simply said all along that he wanted to keep playing, I would have no problem with him attempting to play well into old age. But every offseason, its the same story. The attention whore Favre retires, then says he might return, then says he won't return, then returns, grabbing headlines through the entire process.

Of course, the media is partially to blame for this nonsense... news outlets choose to give Favre all this attention when they really should know to just ignore him until there is actual news, not just rumors. But no, Favre is the top story, even when there is real news to report. "Tonight, on the six o'clock news, aliens land in southeastern Idaho. But first, more news on the Brett Favre front!"

Athletes all want to go out on top. And Favre had a great opportunity at the end of the 2007 season, when he put up massive numbers, led the Packers to a 13-3 record, and got them all the way to the NFC Championship Game, where they lost in overtime to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. But Favre just could not leave the spotlight, and came back for one more round last year. And now this year, he is coming back for a second one more round.

Here is how this next one more round is going to play out. Favre will start off well, and the Vikings will have a good record at the halfway point. Then, Favre's age will catch up with him, his body will start to quit on him, and his performance will slide, as the Vikings collapse down the stretch and finish third in their division behind both the Bears and the Packers. Then at the end of the season, Favre will tearfully retire, and people will be stupid enough to believe him. And by the start of the 2010 season, after a multi-month media frenzy, Favre will make another comeback, a few people will pretend to be shocked, and most of us will just be annoyed and say "I told you so."

One more thought. Brett Favre's name really pisses me off. Why the hell is it spelled Favre? It is pronounced Farve, but spelled Favre. I must have been at least eleven years old when I finally realized that is name was, in fact, spelled Favre... I had always thought his jersey was spelled wrong and I was somehow the only one who ever noticed.

Anyway... here is, without a doubt, the awesomest highlight in Favre's career.

1 comment:

  1. LMFAO! I call Favre by the way his name is spelled as well lol. I always knew it was "Farve," but I had to probably be the same age you were to realize it wasn't spelled like that lol.

    We can't deny the fact that he has had an AMAZING career. He is a hall of fame quarterback first chance he gets to me. And hopefully, we do remember him for the consecutive games streak and the outstanding performances under troubled times. But for this certainly doesn't help those who haven't had the chance to see him win and be the quarterback you and I know him as, and it does leave a bad taste in fans' mouths once he finally DOES retire.

    But all in all, Brett Farve pisses me off too. LOL!

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