Green Bay Packer Good Bye: Brett Favre's Final Fade Out

Old soldiers never die they just fade away so said General Douglas MacArthur quarterback and Commander of the  Allied Powers in Japan still angry over his benching in the third quarter in Korea.

Old NFL players have a hard time fading.

Favre knows. Cause he learned from one of the best.

Jim McMahon started as the Bears punky, young, quarterback fresh from a NCAA record setting career at Brigham Young. Soon after winning the Super Bowl in Chicago injuries and then age forced him to become a NFL mercenary.

His final stop?

At Green Bay as Bret Favre's battered backup in the Pack's first Super Bowl since Starr.

Bear to Packer. Packer to Bear.

Somewhere Ray Nitschke rages and Butkus bares his fangs.

McMahon offered advice and amused younger players with his numerous scars from old injuries. Once he frightened a young quarterback by removing most of his false teeth on the golf course to show him his future if he played a long NFL career.

Chicago bear Steve McMichael, who set records for his longevity in Chicago, skipped to Green Bay and ended his career as a cheese head.

The great Minnesota Viking defensive tackle Alan Page left the land of a thousand lakes in a dispute with Vikings ownership and coaches. The Hall of Fame tackle came to Chicago and played a few years at a lighter weight but at a still high level.

And he taught young Bear defensive tackle Dan Hampton the tricks and moves necessary to master the power rush from the inside. Hampton would become the key cog to the great Bears defense's of the 1980's.

Viking QB's would suffer many bruises and beatings as a backlash of Page's defection.

But most players seeking some more star slight as the sun sets on their careers don't find solace or satisfactory endings.

Though some just want one more pay day before hanging up the helmet and hobbling off.

Franco Harris was a shell of his old Steeler shelf as shuffled around Seattle. Mostly he spent his stint as a Seahawk sliding slowly on sweeps seeking the sidelines of Seattle.

Shuffling out of Buffalo, all of the juiced squeezed out, OJ Simpson ended his career by the Bay with the San Francisco Forty Niners.

Seeking the California sun, and likely the blonds, Broadway Joe Namath 's sunset was on Sunset Boulevard as a broken down Los Angles Ram.

Cool Joe Montana headed to not so hot Kansas City.

Kansas City, Kansas City here Joe comes. Joe made a last gallant  run. Reaching the 1994 AFC Championship before losing to the Buffalo Bills.

The Marty Scottenheimer choke mojo was too much for even the magic of Montana to overcome.

But Joe Montana is forever a Forty Niner.

Who remembers Johnny Unitas as a San Diego Charger. Sore armed, bad kneed, and confused about what exactly the young Chargers were smoking in those funny cigarettes.

Sam Huff as a Washington Redskin? George Allen loved the Over the Hill Gang his specialist was grabbing old, slow but still savvy veterans to make one last run for the roses.

Al Davis loved revitalized old players also.

But do Oakland Raider fans remember the Snake as a Saint?

Before the Snake, Kenny Stabler, slithered off to Bourbon street with the Bum, Phillips that is, the aging Raider made a stop in Houston with Dave Casper and Jack Tatum.

Csonka as a New York Giant? Fish fans forget that. But Larry Csonka was the back poor Joe Pisarcik was trying to hand off to, run out the clock, when he caused his infamous Herman Edwards fumble recovery TD.

Legendary Bobby Layne was so bitter about being loosed by the Lions that it is whispered he put a curse on Detroit.

A powerful Texas voodoo, wicked whiskey, curse saying the Lions would not win in fifty years and would be plagued by the confounded trifecta of Ford, Millen, and Kitna.

So far the old, bourbon soaked Texans mojo has been working mighty powerful medicine on the lame Detroit Lions.

Wherever Favre lands it likely won't be a John Elway like Super Bowl winning ending.

He doesn't wish to receive a physical beating behind a bad line on a losing team.

Well who does really? Those million dollar contracts heal many a bad bump and beastly bruise though.

And what sick sadist longs to hear jolly John Madden ramble more about the football beauty of his boy wonder Brett?

Only a few teams with weak QB's and sound teams exist.

The Vikings are the most obvious.

But the Packers do not want him in the division.

So that leaves out the Bears whose offense would still stink even with Favre behind center.

And I doubt the miserly Bears would bite the bullet and pay the big bucks.

Lovie like lame quarterbacks. They showcase the defense

Carolina Blue to replace another Cajun? Delhomme hasn't inspired the Panther faithful and John Fox is desperate to win to save his job. Perhaps he will be a Panther.

Dan Snyder loves the big free agent plunge and the press it receives. Would Jason Campbell want a tutor? Would Favre be a good tutor?

No, and no.

But the Dapper Dan Snyder bank is roll a big one, and one never knows what the media crazed Redskin owner will do for attention.

I mean he once even sat in a small room on national television with creepy crazy Tom Cruise to get media attention.

Wonder if Snyder left touched Tom jumped on the owners box couch?

The Jets?

Broadway Brett?

Doubtful.

Baltimore Brett?

The Ravens need to rebuild. A big uncertain void lingers at left tackle. The team is well below the talent level of the Colts and Patriots.

Five years ago Favre would of been fine in Charm City. Not now the Ravens and Favre are past their prime.

Tampa Bay?

Does Jon Gruden need QB number nineteen on the roster? Nah..

A farewell tour with Mike Holmgren in Seattle?

Not likely.They don't miss each, but they both were better when together.

The Favre fits are few. At least in places where the Favre hits will be few.

The Vikings, Bears, and the Panthers make the most sense.

But I doubt he leave a Layne like lingering malediction the Lambeau loving Favre faithful.

But he is Cajun and strange things happen in those old swamps at night.

Maybe he will curse the the cute cheese heads.

Curl the cheese for countless decades with a crafty Cajun curse.

"Double, double, toil and cheese head trouble. Defense burns and offense struggles."

A Bear fan can only hope.

But I doubt it,

Favre's final farewell. His final fade out to the Hall of Fame will be in Packer green.

And curses don't work long in Lambeau.

Lombardi's shade is still too strong.

Too much Mojo in the house.

Now we'll see how much magic mojo is left in bored in Mississippi Bret.