So Long #4

To the relief of many Chicago Bear’s fans and those who are not Green Bay Packers fans, the immortal Brett Favre called it quits today. Besides the fact that he played the mortal enemy of the Bears, there is really not much that can be said in malice of Favre. In many ways he embodied what it is to truly love a game for all its worth and at the same time, he was brilliant in its execution. For 17 years, Favre was indeed one of, if not the brightest shining star in the NFL and rightfully so. If one man is to hamper the hopes and dreams of “your” team, I’m glad it was him and no one else. If you are going to be beaten, it should be by a class act and by someone worthy of greatness.

Football is just a game and I am sure that Favre was well aware of that. But to the extent that a simple game becomes every part of your being, Favre was just that. His story should be one that more people should experience; learning the game from the old man and becoming great at it through perseverance, trial, and error. In a sense, I believe that his star power was fueled by the fact that he was human and showed it. No one is perfect and don’t get me wrong, I’d be the first to point those imperfections out on the football field. I am speaking rather, of not imperfection of life itself, but rather the one thing that every person finds in common; our humanity. He showed us that it is alright to get excited over a game and that it was ok to “let go” of it all through something that we love.

I believe that he is comparable to great figures in other sports in this regard, such as Michael Jordan or Wayne Gretsky. I am not contending that he was the best ever, but it is apparent that he indeed was the best of this generation of NFL quarterbacks. The great thing about history is that it is debatable and I am sure that the debates shall start in earnest about Favre’s place in NFL history. Was he the greatest quarterback ever? The numbers would say so. Yet there are countless variables and passions that will dominate the debate for generations to come. Whatever the debaters have to say, one thing is sure to come up every time; “he was great.”