When I saw Brett Favre step on the field in a purple uniform Monday night, I didn’t really know what to think. I wanted to be happy for my former favorite player in the NFL, and the man who led my beloved Packers to two Super Bowl appearances, including a Super Bowl win against the Patriots. But I couldn’t.
Brett Favre has let his ego completely destroy his reputation with many fans – not just those of us who bleed green and yellow and hope to one day make the pilgrimage to Lambeau Field. He wanted to play again, which is fine, but he expected an entire franchise to stop and wait with bated breath, while he “agonized” over the decision. Now, I have no doubt it was a tough decision – the first time.
When I was a kid, my dad’s friend would always come to our house wearing his Max McGee jersey. Google it. He would always talk about how great the Packers were, and he would come and watch some of the games with me. I fell in love with the tradition, from the cheese heads to the Lambeau Leap.
I also fell in love with Brett Favre. All he did, all day long, was throw the ball ridiculously hard and make big plays at big times. But, when he stepped onto the turf at the Metrodome, all those memories did not matter anymore. He betrayed Packer Nation.
It’s not right his second comeback overshadowed Aaron Rodgers’ monster game. He had better numbers than Favre and earned them with a very battered line. Rodgers proved he is and will continue to be the new Packers’ franchise quarterback for years to come. But Favre stole the limelight. Don’t get me wrong; he played a great game. He knew Al Harris’ tendencies and torched him. But Rodgers threw for 384 yards, a career high, and almost brought the Packers back in the final five minutes of the game.
Favre has lost favor with people, and because of this, I am proposing the NFL put a cap on the number of comebacks a player can have. The one good thing Favre’s indecision has given the world is the ESPN commercial with Pat Patriot and the lanterns. YouTube it. Or, just wait for the next Favre comeback. They’ll probably air it again.
