Brett Favre

He was my favourite player ever, perhaps in any sport. The first game of American Football I ever watched was his Superbowl victory against the Patriots, he single handily created my interest in American Football from nothing.

I openly criticise Eli Manning constantly, and perhaps it’s unfair. But the reason I do it is Brett Favre. Favre plays with such inspiring emotion that when you watch him, it feels more than just a game. When you compare that to Eli Manning who plays with no emotion, it is slightly sickening.

The problem with praising Brett Favre, is that there is nothing left to say that hasn’t been said by John Madden 5000 times on Monday Night Football. The praising of Brett Favre became a subject of parody, it shouldn’t. It’s unfair on Brett, his impact on the game is immeasurable. His contact with the fans is probably greater than any sportsman of all time. The Brett Favre retirement story becomes a saga each year because people care about Brett Favre, people love Brett Favre.

Hear him in an interview and he always looked as if he felt lucky to live the life that he does. The game against Oakland the day after his father died will be an often repeated story over the coming days. But it shouldn’t be, it should exist as a memory, one that every fan of sport can share in silence, it was more than sport and people’s own memories of it shouldn’t be tainted by other people talking about it.

“Woman want to be with him, men want to be him” That age old cliche might aswell have been written for Brett Favre and I don’t imagine many hetrosexual men could resist the former.

His last final push may not have ended with a Superbowl run but it’s still one of the most classic stories of the NFL. Nobody gave the Packers a shot, but behind Favre they rallied round and became one of the best teams in the NFL. It ended in typical Favre like ill-advised gunslinging, but it was those imperfections that made him more perfect to watch.

I don’t know what he’ll do next, I hope he doesn’t coach and suffer the humiliation of the ambiguous media reporting, I hope he doesn’t do a Jordan and come back and play for the Texans or something, but most of all, I hope he doesn’t go into TV. American football coverage can taint the untaintable, managing to turn anybody into a cliche spouting charachature. He should retire to his ranch, drink beers, sit on a rocking chair untill in about 30 years he reappears for the “Brett Favre : The movie”.

Brett Favre is better than Rocky. Green Bay remains the most mystique filled franchise in the NFL because of his leadership, the power of his personality , his ability on the field and his mentality. He wasn’t flawless, his career was filled with problems both personal and on the field, but that’s what makes his story so timeless.

Thankyou Brett Favre.