Brett Favre, Jimi Hendrix, Mark McGwire: Journeys, Joys and Ends

When Jimi Hendrix cranked up his guitar, he could shake those mystical threads connecting your head, heart, belly, and soul into some live, throbbing, writhing mass of electric emotion. Hendrix' wild chords blew a fire into your body that couldn't be extinguished even if your mom and dad and the U.S. government screamed Hendrix' take on the National Anthem would destroy us all.

Even in a time when listening to Hendrix' music might mean intense scrutiny by parents, the Narcs police, or even the U.S. government, a person tattooed by Hendrix' music was tagged forever.

For Green Bay Packer fans, Brett Favre gave us some of the same sort of journey Hendrix gave his fans. Hendrix was the best ever at what he did. Favre is not, but the Packer quarterback gave us a lot of joy in the journey. With Favre there was always the hope of an incredible riff, a moment of 'did you just see, hear, witness that?'

Some national sports reporters and NFL fans believe Packer fans deify Favre. Most of these folks think all Packer fans wear cheeseheads, want Favre to play, dare I say it, 4-Ever, and believe Packer fans didn't exist before or can't see beyond Favre.

Many of these same sports reporters worshipped at the font of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa during their 1998 MLB battle to pass Roger Maris' home run record.

Sports reporters and fans got caught up in the web of McGwire and Sosa during that season but, now, get all snarky and upset because they believed in the joy of the journey, the sheer lightness of being and belly-fire of the riffs of history and then were disappointed their heroes were just some hormone-injected, non-organic imposters.

Favre is just like the sports reporters who worshipped McGwire and Sosa. Favre believes, just like the McGwire/Sosa worshippers, that history ends that moment and no one will ever finger a better riff.  

He believes he is the glory of the Packers. He believes Packer fans don't remember Don Hutson, Arnie Herber, Johnny McNally, Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, Jimmy Taylor, Forest Gregg, and Reggie White. Favre doesn't understand the artistry of music, sports or life and that the Green Bay Packers' fans will live on, with or without him.

Hendrix died of vomiting, drug use, or whatever you want to believe but you can't take Hendrix away from anyone who heard his music. You can't take the journey of McGwire and Sosa from anyone who lived the magic of that summer. You can't take away Favre's many improbable moments and his connection with the fans.

This moment, this life, this day, however, screams out new riffs, new music, new art, new magic. We all said good-bye to Jimi, Mark and Sammy a while ago. Good-bye to you, too, Brett. It was a joy to know you. Some of your riffs will always play in my heart but I'm a Packer fan and know there are always new songs to sing.