I don’t know about you, but I had a blast watching 19-year veteran Brett Favre play quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings this year. I was really hoping the Vikings would get by the Saints and into the Super Bowl because I’d pay the $1000 ticket price to see Favre and Peyton Manning duel for a championship. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be…………….this year.
Brings me to this. The 40 year-old future hall-of-fame “gun-slinger” needs to come back for his 20th season, the one year left on his two-year contract, and finish the job getting the Minnesota Vikings to Super Bowl XLV….win or lose. One more run, Brett.
The Vikings were the better team in their 31-28 NFC Championship Game over-time loss to New Orleans. The Norsemen out-gained the Saints almost two to one. Problem is, you really can’t expect to win with five turn-overs and a “12-man on the field penalty” that takes you out of game-winning field goal range. Don’t get me wrong, the Saints are worthy champions. They were the more “opportunistic” team taking advantage of those Viking miscues. That’s part of a run to a championship.
Back to Favre. I understand most fans are tired of his “un-retiring act” the past two summers and don‘t want to go through that again. So, Favre should just stay un-retired. Let’s be honest here. The Green Bay Packers wanted him to retire because Aaron Rogers’ time is now. That’s quite evident. But, back then, at 38 years of age, and now at 40, it’s clear Favre’s not done at all. Even last year with the New York Jets, until that shoulder injury undermined what looked like a Jets playoff run. Statistically, he had his best season as a pro this year guiding the Vikes to the NFC Title Game. He threw a career-best four touchdowns in Minnesota’s 34-3 pasting of the Dallas Cowboys in the division playoff game. Favre, virtually, had the Vikings on South Beach until that “CFL moment” and subsequent interception crashed and burned the Vikings Super Bowl plans. You know what, he was smiling all the way having fun.
If you ask me, if Favre’s having fun and, considering the inevitable bumps and bruises a quarterback takes, stays relatively healthy, why shouldn’t he come back. Like he said in his press conference after the title game loss, he’s got nothing to prove. No matter what happens from now on, Favre’s proved all us sports pundits wrong. He’s finishing on top. Favre’s an entertainer and we should all expect nothing but the best in entertainment if we’re going to plop in our easy chairs on Sunday afternoons. Favre’s fun to watch.
Fact is, Farve is still one of the best at his position. 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL. The best right now….. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers. Only one I’d take over Favre…… Peyton. Same goes with Arizona’s Kurt Warner. If healthy, he should come back too. If Favre doesn’t come back, who will the Vikings have at quarterback….Tarvaris Jackson? That didn’t work. Sage Rosenfels? Maybe back to John David Booty. I don‘t think so..
Anyway, didn’t hall-of-fame QB/K George Blanda play until he was 45 years old. I remember watching him take apart Tom Landry’s Cowboys after Ken Stabler couldn’t go for the Oakland Raiders……love handle’s, pot-belly, wrinkles, gray hair and all!! Come on, it was the 1970’s. Athlete’s didn’t take care of their bodies back then like they do now. Favre’s still in top-shape.
ESPN NFL blogger Adam Glazer hit the nail on the head earlier this week when he said Vikings head coach Brad Childress should get Favre a personal trainer and let him enjoy summer vacation with his family. Then, show up at training camp for the final pre-season game and be ready to rock and roll. Favre doesn’t need six weeks of training camp anymore. Come on, look at what he did showing up last summer with about two weeks left .
It’s not as if he‘s playing like an aging Johnny Unitas, the Colts legend looking like a has-been his final season with the Chargers. As long as Favre’s healthy, and barring crucial turn-overs and penalties, he‘s the Minnesota Vikings shot at the Super Bowl. But please, Brett……no un-retiring this time!
On Any Given Sports Day 
Leave a Reply