We at OBOD really weren’t planning on writing anything more on Brett Favre.
Oh, don’t get us wrong – we had a field day with him after his latest playoff choke job. But, after telling ESPN’s Ed Werder after the loss that it was “highly unlikely” he’d be back in 2010, we figured it’d be at least another month or so until he began his annual, “I’m done…no, wait, I’m not done” dance. We would, of course, then commence another round of ripping him mercilessly.
But then I was reading Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback column this week. King ran a very telling quote from the Old Fraudslinger, uttered after he retired from the New York Jets last year. The quote sort of confirms some thoughts – or maybe fears – that I’ve had about him for quite some time now:
“I know I’m not going to replace throwing touchdown passes by cutting down three trees tomorrow. I do know this: I’ve gotten bored with everything in my life at some time. I love to hunt, but I get tired of that. I love to work on my property, but I get tired of that. We’ll see. I foresee getting the impulse to play.”
King then went on to say he’s hearing that it’s highly likely Favre will play again next season. Well, after hearing a quote like that, I can’t say I’m surprised at all (then again, I thought he’d be back in purple all along).
Anyways, what Favre said left me feeling not angry or bitter or upset; no, it left me feeling, well, sort of sad because, at a certain point last season, it dawned on me that the real reason he keeps coming back is because the man simply has nothing else in his life that provides him with any real joy. Sure, he loves his family and he’s got some stuff he enjoys doing part of the time. But since he was a kid, this is what he’s devoted himself to for such a large part of the year.
Such is the case for most athletes. The only difference is that most find something along the way that they enjoy doing outside of the game, something they can do when it’s time to hang up the uniform once and for all. For some, like Magic Johnson , it’s the business world (Aaron Rodgers is already somewhat in this world, as well, as he co-owns a record label). Others, like Larry Bird and Jack Del Rio (an odd pair, I know), get into coaching. Finally, there’s television, a great place for a former quarterback, as Troy Aikman, Dan Marino, etc. have all proven.
Favre seems to have no interest in any of these things. That being the case, he’s content to just keep throwing himself out there year after year in lieu of finding anything else. Again, ultimately that’s fine because it’s his life, after all, and he can do whatever the hell he wants with it. And it’s not like he can’t get the job done anymore, as his 2009 season proved.
But by doing so, he’s setting himself up for one of two things to happen: either he suffers a horrific, career-ending injury or, perhaps more likely, he just keeps going until the NFL, as a whole, tells him it is done with him. A lot of people seem to think Minnesota is his last stop, no matter what. I disagree. If things with the Vikings were to flame out, say, after next season, and Favre can con someone else into giving him a shot, he’ll go there. I’ve never been more sure of that.
At this point, those are about the only two ways this thing can end. And both would be tremendously sad in the sense that both could have been avoided had he just simply known when to step away from the table. As my friend Nathan said after the NFC Championship Game, “It didn’t have to be like this.”
But for Favre, it can’t be any other way than this.
In his younger days, he struggled with addictions to painkillers and alcohol. He fought those demons off. Now, the game is his addiction and he can’t shake it. Doesn’t really seem like he wants to shake it, either.
And like any recovering addict will tell you, when you’re hooked on something, you go until you drop. There’s a good chance that’s his fate. One day it will happen and we’ll all be worse off for experiencing it.
-Chris Lempesis
I can only assume that TOG overdid too many things in past years and thus no longer enjoys them. Or, more likely, given his success in football, he just CANNOT envision ANYTHING that would pleasure him or give him the recognition and adulation he’s used to. Hence, nothing appeals to him. In any event, I REALLY don’t give a hoot in hell what he does, as long as it’s far away from my life.