Time for Brett Favre to Retire
For the Sake of His Legacy, Former Green Bay Packer Needs to Pack Up
Jul 22, 2009
In 1979, Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” hit the top of the Billboard country music charts. The song’s toe-tapping melody kept it at the top for several weeks, but what really struck a chord with listeners was its memorable chorus: Knowin’ when to hold ‘em, knowing when to fold ‘em, knowin’ when to walk away, and knowin’ when to run.
This metaphor for life has been embraced by some in sports, like Barry Sanders, who knew when his career was through after 11 years of superb play.
For others, it’s been flagrantly ignored, as players like Michael Jordan and Roger Clemens have refused to fold, despite advancing years and diminishing returns.
But no one has violated this metaphor for life quite like Brett Favre.
Favre's Retirement Ritual
In the last several years – though it seems like much more – Brett Favre has been a constant presence on NFL shows like NFL Live, sports news programming like SportsCenter, even inaugural sports magazine shows like Joe Buck Live.
The ubiquity of Favre hasn’t been due to scandals or controversy, as is often the case with public figures that dominate the limelight. No, it’s been whether or not he will play the next season.
It began in 2006, when after an uncharacteristically poor performance the season before (led the league in interceptions, a career-low 70.2 QB rating, threw for 10 fewer touchdowns than in 2005), Favre announced he was leaning towards retirement.
Soon after that announcement, Favre began the song and dance that’s continued not one, not two, but three years later: tipping his toe into the retirement waters, never fully taking the plunge.
Speculation of retirement continued in the 2007 offseason after bone spurs were removed from his ankle. Favre spurned the rumor mill, though, returning to the Packers and posting numbers that had many thinking Favre found his second wind (more passing yards than any previous season since 1998, fewest interceptions since 2007, his highest QB rating since 2004, and an NFC Championship appearance to boot).
Despite his improved play, that didn’t prevent him from contemplating leaving football…yet again. And once again, NFL programming was dominated by Brett Favre discussion: Will he or won’t he retire?
Favre answered that question at a press conference on Mar. 4, where he tearfully sniffed and slobbered into the mash of microphones that “all good things must come to an end.”
His weeping seemed to indicate that this time, his leaving was legit.
And if it was legit, though his dabbling with retirement had been annoying, no one could deny he left on a positive note, something every athlete hopes to leave ringing in fans’ ears as the exit the stage.
As the mercury rose in July 2008, however, so did the rumor mill about Favre’s return. Football fans had been foiled yet again: Favre had an “itch,” an itch that needed scratching.
It must have been some scratch, as talk of his return never let up in the intervening months, reaching a full crescendo that July, after four months of constant speculation, innuendo and debate that raged on sports radio stations across the country, even primetime news talk (per Favre’s interview with Greta Van Susteren on Fox News’ On the Record with Greta Van Susteren).
Though his first few weeks of the 2008 started out great with the J-E-T-S, he finished the season throwing as many touchdowns as he did interceptions (22) leading the league in INTs. Though he’d fooled the football watching world several times with his “retirement” rantings, the way the Jets finished seemed to seal the deal that this time, he would retire…for real.
He confirmed those suspicions a few days after the Steelers’ Super Bowl victory, telling the big wigs of the New York Jets that his 18-year career had reached its end.
Only, it didn’t. Three months after his latest “retirement” incarnation, Favre began discussions with potential suitors. The Minnesota Vikings were the most interested. The only question was whether he could overcome arthroscopic surgery performed on his throwing arm.
July 24: Will He Stay or Will He Go?
Which brings us to today, awaiting Favre’s latest “retirement” decision: a topic stealing the headlines of NFL Live, topic space on Pardon the Interruption and precious time on sports flash updates…again.
Perhaps fearing that his tired “Am I going to retire?” shtick is wearing on football fans, Favre’s made Friday D-Day, not July 30 as previously reported.
Favre’s addiction to limelight is almost drug-like. And as every drug user has his dealer, ESPN is Favre’s.
With PTI’s Tony Kornheiser extolling his virtues in nearly every episode, ESPN the Magazine billing Favre as the best No. 4 in the history of sports (so much for Bobby Orr and Lou Gehrig), a perpetual presence on ESPN’s “Bottomline,” and only Vick’s legal issues taking the top story spot away from Favre on NFL Live (it’s a wonder a segment hasn’t been named in his honor; “Fawning Over Favre” has a nice ring to it), ESPN is fanning Favre’s flames.
Favre's Retirement Rantings Hurts His Legacy
While the latest installment of "The Favre Chronicles" may be compelling for Favre fans, prolonging this story is doing a disservice to other more worthy topics, like season schedules, offseason pickups, and potential trade possibilities. Further, it’s cementing what people will remember about Favre: Not his pocket presence, but his topic presence, not his bombs, but his bombast.
 |
