Brett Favre Needs To Atone for His Sins

You're probably tired of hearing about Brett Favre, and quite frankly, I am too—but this needs to be known.

Whether you're a Favre fan, a Packers fan, a hater of either, or just a sports fan in general, it is obvious that the events that have occurred following the 2007-2008 season and his year as a Jet are just alarming and disappointing.

Statistically, Favre had a horrible season his first (and probably last) year as a Jet, leading the league in interceptions and therefore contributing to the nosedive that forced the Jets out of playoff contention. 

But the old man started off the year on fire, seemingly picking up where he left off after his last pass as a Packer. The Jets had an up-and-down season, and Brett was a big part of their excitement.

Elsewhere, in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers had a statistically sound season throwing for over 4,000 yards and 28 touchdowns to only 12 interceptions—earning him a franchise contract with a salary rivaling Dallas' Tony Romo. 

The Packers started well, but ended up going 6-10—seven out of those 10 losses were by seven or less points, causing heartbreak for Packers fans everywhere.

But if anybody noticed, there was a rift in Packer nation.

The best way to see this rift is to go on the Green Bay Press Gazette and read through any of the comments left in any of the articles—pretty much all of them feature angry mobs of people who will never forgive Ted Thompson because to them...If Favre was still in Green Bay, the Packers would be hoisting the 2009 Lombardi Trophy.

While it was Thompson who ultimately made the decision, it was "Good Ol'" Brett who forced it.

Everyone has said it. The Packers were literally a play or two away from playing the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Maybe if Ruvell Martin caught that sure 20-yard touchdown pass, they'd be there.

Maybe if Al Harris didn't get torched by Plaxico Burress all night, they'd be there. Maybe if Brett Favre didn't throw that interception in over time, they'd be there.

But Brett threw the interception. Look at it from any angle. That pass was his fault. So he had to live with the fact that he threw the pick for months.

Then he decided. He was going to retire. He made his press conference, half the world and their mother cried, and that was it. The end of an era.

Or so we thought.

Did anybody really think Brett was going to end his career on such a sour note? Nope. But did Green Bay really think that their plans for Aaron Rodgers would have to be put on the back burner for another season?  Nope.

Favre flew back to Green Bay with lots of fans screaming for his name, and Favre waved back at them with a Britney Spears smile on his face. Little did he know that McCarthy would deny him the opportunity to compete for the starting job.

So then he was traded to the Jets. His last choice. On his first press conference with the Jets, you could tell it was his last choice. Favre just had that puzzled look in his face.

If anything here is puzzling, it's the fact that he decided to go through with the trade. He said he wanted to be in control of his legacy. So what happened? He soiled it. If I were Brett, I would've done either one of two things.

Either I would've retired, or I would've just taken the backup job at Green Bay.

So he'd lose his record of consecutive starts. So what? Does that affect his money? If Brett stayed on the Packers as a backup, he would've gotten playing time anyway. If anyone remembers, Aaron Rodgers separated his shoulder in a match against Tampa Bay.

Had he been a backup, this rift wouldn't be as big as it currently is. There probably wouldn't even be a rift, and fans wouldn't have to watch or read garbage about how Favre returns Romo's phone calls and not Rodgers'.

If you want to truly revive your legacy, Brett, you have the same options as before.  Retire now, or come back to Green Bay as a backup.