He’s been called the best quarterback in the NFL, he’s been given the title of MVP three times, and he’s played the game of football professionally for just under 19 years, which accounts for almost half of his life. His name is Brett Favre, and at the age of forty, he’s been labeled as too old to play the game, too unfit to compete in the tough environment, and too stubborn to let go of his past as a football star. The legend has retired twice in the last two years, and has also come out of retirement twice, despite much criticism from both sports commentators and fans. It wasn’t long ago that Favre represented everything that was the Green Bay Packers, but he now plays for their arch rival, the Minnesota Vikings. The switch in teams is just one of the reasons that lead football fans to insist that he stay retired for good. But, regardless of the general public’s opinion, the decision made by Brett Favre to play football again was a good decision.
Perhaps the largest complaint about Favre is how selfish of a decision it was to make a big deal about retiring, just to come back out of retirement months later. As if that wasn’t enough, Brett Favre had the nerve to repeat the whole dramatic process once again only a year later. People often ask, why on earth would he even retire in the first place? The truth is, it was hardly about his ego. Brett Favre had either faulty advice or justified reasoning behind each decision he made.
For instance, his first decision to retire from the Green Bay Packers is probably the most controversial decision he’s ever made as a quarterback. Early in the year 2008, Favre sadly announced that he would be retiring from the Green Bay Packers due to his age. The reports that came from the managers of the Packers said that this was completely Favre’s decision and that the team was just backing his choice. However, the journalist Greta Van Susteren later reported after an interview with Brett Favre that the national icon was pressured by the Green Bay Packers to make a rushed decision about retiring (Susteren). It was obvious that the Packers wanted to move forward with their new up and coming quarterback, Aaron Rogers.
But even after a tearful goodbye, and what seemed to be closure, Favre still missed the game of football. Only a few months had passed before rumors started to floating around that the great quarterback would in fact return for another season. The gossip was confirmed on July 2nd when Favre announced that he would be coming out of retirement, and was requesting to return to the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately, the management for the Packers no longer wanted the legendary quarterback that had played for them for fifteen years. With the only other option being getting paid to sit on a bench, Favre was forced to look for another team that would give him playing time, and was eventually traded to the New York Jets for the 2008 season, even though they weren’t his first choice.
Although he had a fairly decent year with the Jets, Brett Favre once again started to flirt with the idea of retirement. He had found out that his biceps tendon was torn, and his shoulder was in need of arthroscopic procedure. Favre realized that it would simply make sense to retire once again, saying that “There are several things that went into decision but most importantly, the most important thing, was that physically, you know with my shoulder the last half of the year it hampered the way I played. I'm 39, I had several options [to have surgery] and to let it heal. How that would affect me in terms of playing I had no idea and it wasn't something I was going to risk.” (ESPN)
To many people’s surprise, the surgery only improved Favre’s playing ability. So, once again, Favre decided to come out of retirement. By this time, even Favre fans were wishing he had just stayed retired the first time around. But Favre wasn’t quite ready to give up just yet. It wasn’t long before the news broke out that Favre was signing with the Vikings, one of Green Bay’s greatest rivals. As a Viking, Brett Favre could actually play against the Packers in a game, which he wasn’t able to do as a player on the New York Jets.
Despite the drama, as well as the many critics, Brett Favre still continues to play football with the same skill that he showed when he was named MVP in 1995, 1996, and 1997. Though there are many comments from sports commentators that he is too old, his statistics prove otherwise. He has a nearly 70% pass completion rating (Yahoo Sports), which is better than almost every other current NFL quarterback, and has thrown multiple passes this season that many would have considered near impossible. His current team, the Vikings, have only suffered two losses of the 13 games they have played, and are ranked third in the entire NFL, according to power rankings. The decision he made to play for the Vikings has significantly improved the team’s performance. There’s even talk about Brett Favre being named MVP again this year. The former Packer continues to amaze, and even his largest fault-finders have issues denying how great of a player he continues to be.
At the age of forty, Brett Favre may struggle to keep up with the younger men in their twenties, but the man is still in great athletic condition. Though some are surprised at how well he plays against other younger players, there were a lot of other great athletes that played professional sports around Favre’s age. Michael Jordon, for instance, played at the age of forty for the Wizards, and had an excellent season. Jordon had also come out of retirement twice, similar to Favre, though there was much less negativity about it. The forty-six year old Giants pitcher Randy Johnson, who can still pitch at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour, is yet another example of a great athlete who continues to play well despite his age.
Most importantly, the decision to come out of retirement was good simply because Brett Favre absolutely loves the game of football, which he has shown football fans in his last nineteen years of playing American sport. He may be a little older then the other athletes, he may not have been totally sure about his future in football, and he may not be a part of the green and yellow Packers franchise that we know and love him for, but he has a genuine passion for the game of football. It is because of this passion that sports fans need to accept Favre back with open arms. No matter what color his sport’s jersey is, he represents what the game of football is all about. At the end of every sports game, when the last point has been scored and the teams find their way off the field, it’s never about the money, the glory, or even about the commitment to team. It’s about how much a player enjoyed the game. Mark Bowden, a the contributing editor at Vanity Fair, once wrote about Favre’s commitment to the game:
Favre stands in my mind as the archtype of the pro football quarterback. If I had a football team of my own, and I could invent the quarterback to lead it, I would want one just like him. Why? It has to do with more than just his collection of skills. I suspect that there are quarterbacks, say Joe Montana and Steve Young, who have exhibited an equal or better mastery of the complex offense Favre has led so successfully in Green Bay. There are quarterbacks like Fran Tarkenton and Randall Cunningham who were better better scramblers, and there were quarterbacks like John Elway with stronger arms. There were quarterbacks, like Joe Namath and Johnny Unitas, more famous for grace under pressure. But Favre has all these qualities in abundance. And he has that transcends physical skills or even field generalship--he plays with infectious joy. (14)
Sources
Favre, Brett, and Bonita Favre. Favre. New York: Rugged Land, 2004. Print.
Favre, Brett. Interview by Greta Van Susteren. On The Record With Greta. FOX New. 18 June 2008. Television.
"Brett Favre - Minnesota Vikings - Career Statistics." Yahoo! Sports. Web. 1 Dec. 2009.
Preach it, brother laz! Brett Farve all the way! (I think hes going to get all american next year... just throwin that out there)
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