Now that Brett Favre’s miraculous consecutive start streak has ended at 297 and with his career finally winding down, how will and how should people remember Brett Favre the Quarterback?
Favre’s off the field issues over the past couple years may certainly taint the way people look at Favre now. His multiple retirement debacles during his final years in Green Bay, his only year in New York and this past year again in Minnesota have made us really sick of hearing about Brett Favre. Favre dominated sports news talk for months at a time during the spring and summer seasons on whether or not he wanted to come back or if his body would let him. Now the whole Jenn Sterger fiasco has tainted his image as well, but through it all, Favre suited up every Sunday and played his heart out.
This year, his “final year” in the league with the Vikings has been one of the worst seasons of Favre’s career. Favre has looked awful most of the season and he has lost the Favre charisma that has made him so successful throughout his career. Only 10 touchdowns to 18 interceptions this season and a completion percentage barely above 60% has pushed Favre one step closer to the retirement door. This is not the season anyone anticipated would happen especially after last year where Favre put up some of the best numbers of his career. Favre could not recreate that same magic this year and now it is believed to be over after a devastating hit by a Bills defenseman last week which injured his throwing shoulder. What is believed to be Favre’s last throw in the NFL was an interception, typical of the old gun-slinging Favre that we have known throughout his entire career.
Sure, when sports fan and non-sports fan look at Favre now, they will say that he should have hung it up years ago after his final year in Green Bay or maybe after last season with Minnesota because both were miraculous years for the “wonder boy” Favre. People will also remember Favre for his controversy for the Sterger investigation, but what about five, ten, twenty years from now? How will people remember Favre then? Let me tell you how people should remember Favre after he is out of the game.
Favre should be remembered for all the years in Green Bay where he led countless amounts of 4th quarter comebacks. Favre was dubbed the gunslinger for a reason because he was not afraid to take chances and trusted him arm. Granted, he is the NFL’s all-time interception leader, but without that mentality, he would not be the Brett Favre we knew and loved growing up. Teams that were playing Favre never wanted to see the game on the line come down to Favre’s arm. No matter how much time was on the clock, Favre would find a way to lead his team downfield for the final second victory.
Every time Favre threw a touchdown pass, whether it was to Freeman, Sharpe, Driver, or anyone else, he acted like it was his first throwing TD he had ever thrown and ran around with both arms in the air, grin from cheek to cheek. Favre was intense, but was never reluctant to show his inner child. Favre loved the game of football and anyone who ever had the privilege of watching him play saw that boyish side of him every game.
That is how Favre should be remembered, a fearless quarterback that played that game with a passion unmatched by anyone else in the league.
With every 4th quarter comeback he led there was one where he threw a pick and lost instead...BRAT Favre isn't even a top 8 qb of all time...toughness allbeit unquestionable his mental stability and sharpness was always a question. His over rated, over exaggerated, and much too publicized career needs to come to its final resting place...take him out to pasture and shoot him because the favre that had his 4 good seasons of NFL borderline supremicy at quarterback is done but his penis will live on in cyberspace forever.
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