As a Minnesota Vikings fan, I am relieved at the retirement of Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, announced earlier in the week. Our cheese-reeking rivals in the NFC North are now passing the reins over to Aaron Rodgers, who, despite preemptive pleas to fans that he not compared to the man responsible for the teams last Super Bowl championship and should thus not be judged against such lofty standards, will undoubtedly be jeered out of The Land Hygiene Forgot after only lasting two playoff-free seasons with a 2 to 1 interceptions-to-touchdown ratio. It's going to be the worst division in football. C'mon Vikes, strive for that elusive 10th win!
As a football fan, I am relieved at the retirement of a mere mortal who many in the media canonized because, well, he best fit their preconceived notion of what a "real" footballer should be: white, humble, from the South, strong family, willing to give interviews.
The relentless flagellation of Favre by John Madden, Chris Berman, et. al was bad enough to listen to while the man played the game. With his decision to hang 'em up, the print media (online and off) have rallied together also to reminisce on the wonders of "The Gunslinger": that time he threw into triple coverage while a bull bore down on him; his penchant for shovel passes while temporarily blinded by his own innate awesome; his forbearance throughout a career that saw him being the only person involved with the Packers, from the field on up, who knew anything about the game and had any kind of talent and love for it whatsoever. If the article is long enough, you can read about the incident in 2003 where he found a cure for cancer but lost it when he had to save a young boy from being struck by an errant Greyhound bus.
"Perspective" is practically nonexistent when people talk about Favre. People either adore him beyond reason and don't see how anyone could not consider him a top 5 QB or are so put off by what they see as suffocating unconditional love that they believe anyone who would dare rank Favre among Montana, Bradshaw, Brady, etc. is a know-little homer.
The truth lies (with Monie) in the middle.
Favre finished his career with the most passing yards, most touchdowns and most wins of any quarterback in NFL history. He also played 17 seasons. Saying that amassing sheer numbers over a lengthy period of time makes him the best at his position is like saying Nolan Ryan is the greatest pitcher of all time. Favre had 288 interceptions, also a record. Ryan had 2,795 career walks and and 277 wild pitches.
Favre knew how to win, at least for awhile there. He was the reason the Pack took Super Bowl XXXI, and he racked up 3 Most Valuable Player awards. Ryan had a middling win percentage, was just another player on the '69 Mets, and never won a Cy Young.
Favre also knew how to lose. Spectacularly. But whereas another QB would get reamed by the fans and media for poor decision-making, Favre's oft-fatal foibles were excused with, "That's what happens when you're a gunslinger"; or, my absolute favorite--by which I mean the one that most makes me want to throw acid on John Madden's manatee-like face--"He just has fun out there! Favre is just a kid playing a grown man's game." Imagine Carson Palmer getting a pass like that. Nope. He's just a SoCal pretty boy on a team of degenerate thugs with no love for the game. When Favre admitted to an addiction to painkillers, the media was cautious and respectful. To this day, many admire Favre for "being real". Which, I don't doubt he was. A pill popping schlub is a pill popping schlub. But if one gives Favre leeway on that, then give leeway to the rampant egotism of Terrell Owens, who is being every bit as real and true to his personality as Favre (just not in a way palatable to the public).
What irks me most severely about the lovefest is the tendency of so many writers--a proclivity that I try with all my heart to avoid when I put pen to paper or fingers to keys--to create some communal understanding that everyone does, or should, love Favre. They use phrases such as, "That's what you loved about him" or "We'll miss that about him". Piss off. You only use language like that when you're trying to convince the readership that the Kool-Aid only looks like it has something floating in it. Not everyone is losing sleep and/or planning to name their newborn sons after a goddamn football player. Mind you, some are; that's why I am using language that reflects the natural differences between people.
Favre was great. There have been greater. There are greater now, and will be greater to come. It seems the media is more in mourning over the loss of a personality than a player. This ESPN article seems to support my vibe, mainly the opinion of Matt Mosley that Favre was more clutch than Montana, qualified by, "I don't think any man has ever played the game with as much joy and passion as Favre." As if love of the game makes Favre the go-to guy. What, it was a brief shock of ambivalence that caused that INT in OT against the Giants in the NFC Championship game? Name the QB with 3 interceptions in two overtime playoff games. It ain't Joe Cool.
NFL Brett Favre
i hope this doesn't mean you favre against ALL cheese
ReplyDeleteTrue dat!
ReplyDeleteMy biggest complaint against Favre was when he "gave" Michael Strahan his record-breaking sack. Talk about a tainted record.
Yes! A few media talking heads here and there called him out for giving Strahan the record, in fact I think even one of the Packers o-line men said it was bull. But did the Bermans, Maddens, et. al get on his case for lying down and letting his friend get the record? Nope. What a great guy, he's just havin' fun out there!
ReplyDelete