There have been plenty of special dates in my life:
1. August 14, 1981 – My first "real kiss" with Sheri Stadtlander
2. March 29, 1993 – The birth of my first child
3. July 25, 2005 – My first hot-air balloon ride
Add the following to the laundry list of days to celebrate and remember:
March 5, 2008: Green Bay Packer QB Brett Favre announces his retirement from football!
Finally…a chance for all of us Cheddarhead haters to rejoice!! Our arch nemesis has thrown in the towel. Oh, Happy Day!!...or IS it?
At the close of the 2007 season, surefire first-ballot NFL Hall of Famer, Favre ended his illustrious career with:
Most Touchdown Passes (442) – NFL record
Most Passing Yards (61,655) – NFL record
Most Wins by a Starting QB (160) – NFL record
253 Consecutive Regular Season Starts (275 including playoff games) (QB record)
Two Super Bowl Appearances (1996,1997) (winning his first in Super Bowl XXXI)
Nine Pro Bowl Appearances
These are all well & good and reason to respect him for what he accomplished as a player. Conversely, these are reasons to HATE him if you happen to root against the Packers.
At the end of the prior season (2006), Favre taunted everyone around him (Packers organization, fans, family) verbalizing the idea of his own retirement; pondering aloud, to all that cared to listen, if he was going to step away from the game. The Packers were a young team that hadn't fared particularly well that year and the team's future looked bleak.
After (waa-ay too) many weeks of suspense, he decided to play in 2007, and play he did.
Favre enjoyed a career renaissance in his final season and led Green Bay to the NFC Championship Game, which the Packers lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants in overtime.
Sure, he didn't lead his young team to the Promised Land (Super Bowl, boys & girls, keep up!), but certainly produced a season worthy of holding ones head high, providing the backdrop for his exodus and allowing him to bow out gracefully; which he apparently did on March 5th.
At least, that is how it appeared it to be; how it was supposed to be…until this week.
Categorically, I am against the notion of "retiring" (tearfully saying your good-byes over and over in front of the cameras/newspapers), then saying "eh, I might of, sort of changed my mind".
NO!! No do-overs.
Michael Jordan did it (twice actually). The first time (with the Bulls) it worked, the "comeback comeback" (with the Wizards)…not so much.
Now, in a moment of unabashed honesty, I do have a small confession to make. My frustration with this current situation is escalated by the fact that I {{whisper}) just plain don't like the guy.
For me, I think it all starts with his name, Favre (F-A-V-R-E?? "I'd like to buy a vowel, please?").
Simple right? Nope. It's pronounced FAR-veh" (not "FAV-rah" or "FAV-er" like it probably should). He's already asking for trouble with me.
When I think of the word "Favre", I think Hannibal Lecter.
"I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti".
I think there's a parallel here; after all, over the years he HAS ripped out my internal organs on many a fine Sunday afternoon when his reviled Packers bested my vaunted Vikings on the frozen tundra at Lambeau or the cozy confines of the ("There's No Place Like…) Dome.
Personally over time, I have come to substitute the word not simply as the noun for his namesake; but also as a creative form of expression, replacing commonly used words and phrases…with FAVRE.
For example, "Boy, you really Favre'd that up again" or "Give me a Favre'n break"
It works. Try it.
Maybe I don't like the state (I do!)…or the team name. "Packers"?...really?
Gee, Wisconsin, what possibly could you have you used to inspire such a lofty, inspiring name?
Oh, of course, "a packer is someone who works at a packing house, an establishment for slaughtering, processing and packing livestock into meat, meat products and byproducts".
Um…er…hmmmm, nice visual for the kids there, guys.
"Green Bay Packers" is the longest standing team name in NFL history.
Yeah?...well, sweet modern logo ("G"), too, cheeseheads. Your marketing firm must be proud.
Ooops, sorry the A.D.H.D. got away from me again. Dare I digress.
So, the breaking story is that Brett Favre has now decided that maybe he wants to come back and play some more football. The Packers organization went on record by telling him that he CAN come back to the Packers…but as a backup quarterback, not the starter. How awesome is that?
(Writer's Note: I now hate the Packers just a little bit less!!).
Favre is getting all whiny about that; his tender ego obviously bruised. Better yet, the Packers won't release him (allowing his to freely pursue other team options). If they can't (won't, shouldn't) play him, nobody will!
(Writer's Note: Packer Lovefest to begin @ 9:00 p.m. SHARP!! Bring plenty of beads and string.).
Time will tell how this drama will play out (stay tuned to ESPN or your local sports news personality to find out more), but regardless I think this much is clear:
First of all, Brett Favre was a great football player, I admit it. His name will undoubtedly go down in Wisconsin lore with mystical, legendary proportions much like Paul Bunyan did for State of Minnesota or Rocky did for the City of Philadelphia (those two ARE real, right?)
Years from now, there will be grandfathers cackling to their young, impressionable (read: brainwashed) grandsons perched on knees: "Why I remember once when it was -300 below zero and Brett had broken fingers that looked like candy canes on his hands. He still threw for…ah, twenty touchdowns in the 4th quarter to win the game!!."
More importantly, Brett Favre needs to know when to hang up his cleats and return to his homeland of {{snicker…sorry}} Mississippi and "make things with dirt and straw".
For what it's worth, I hope his wife, Deanna (somebody, ANYBODY!), can talk some sense into him.
"Grab some bench, Brett! Sit down and shut your Favre'n piehole and give it a rest already!!"