Brett Favre's horse is ready. The saddle is polished and cinched, the stirrups are fixed, his chaps are drawn up and tightened, and he is beginning to slap the 17 years of field dust from his hat.
His gun belt still rides menacingly on his hips. Inside his holsters is a deadly pair of chrome six-shooters, their chambers packed with custom-made precision cartridges. When they are in his hands, every outlaw knows they are true—they are money. And you don't bet against them.
It is getting to be late afternoon. Many figured he would not have made it this far, that like all the others, he would have been worn down, shot down, or just laid down to rest. But there ain't no lay-down in this one. There is just grit, desire, and determination.
Oh yeah, and those blazing guns.
It is these things that have brought him to a place further than any other gun-slinger has ever been, deeper into the badlands. And it has been a shoot-out the whole way. Many he has fought with have fallen, been turned-aside or side-lined. He has been hit countless times, but has somehow kept his footing, standing on one leg iron-will and the other leg kiss-of-fate.
Those who ride with him now are all replacements. But when the campfire is dwindling some nights, there are whispers among them of names from long ago, there are questions about how one can ride and shoot for so long, and wide eyes wonder if maybe this man is really just a mist.
All are amazed not only that this legend has shown up to bust through these final miles, but that he did so in such spectacular, mythical fashion. He has led the charge with a type of cunning precision and skill that only a wizard can wield.
They all ride together on even footing, but secretly, when the legend speaks, each one tries to burn his words and his lessons into their minds. For they know that those words are coming from a very rare, unprecedented greatness. They also know that it is very late in the afternoon.
Brett Favre puts a foot in the stirrup, a hand on the saddle horn, and pulls himself atop the horse like he has done a million times since he was a kid. He gets himself comfortable in the saddle, adjusts his hat, and takes a look around.
So many things are different now. The view has changed since his father set him on top of his very first horse and taught him how to ride. He feels the toll of wounds from battles gone by. He feels the loss of some of those with whom he started this journey.
He looks back on every mile, every trail. He cannot remember every shootout, but he knows that together they all make up part of who he is and where he is. And he is, once again, grateful. He knows that he has dodged some bullets, but he also knows that he has never taken his good fortune for granted.
Then, for the first time, Brett Favre lifts his head and looks directly in to the sinking sun. He knows that one more mile, perhaps his final gauntlet, remains in front of him. He knows that it is a dangerous road, that there are shootouts ahead and that they could be more costly than ever.
He's heard that there are a few young, hot-shot gunslingers out there, but that doesn't bother him. He quietly knows that he was already a blaze-busting veteran, at home in his saddle when they were wearing pajamas bearing his name.
He reaches for a six-shooter to double-check that it is ready for the gauntlet. His guns, Gutsy and Brazen, have ridden with him every mile. They were his friends when he first learned to shoot. They were his weapons when he rose to prominence. They were his slayers when he came to own such gauntlets three times. And now, on perhaps a final run, there is not a speck of rust—they look to be as fine as they ever were.
Brett Favre grabs the reigns and wraps them firmly around his gloved hand. The sun is touching the tip of the mountain in the horizon. He peers ahead looking at what will be in his path. He knows they're waiting. He knows more are coming. He is not sure if he will make it through to the end, but he knows that he is still Kiln enough to try.
He understands that very shortly the air will be filled with smoke and lead. But experience has taught him, and others, that much of that will be his own.
Brett Favre sets his chin. Then he nudges his horse with his spurs.
"Giddyap."
What a glorious sunset lies ahead.
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7 months ago
What about that " * " beside Bretts name! How many games did Brett Favre play " stoned " on pain killers so he could make it through all those games and then had to go to rehab for his addictions.?? Many of you might not like to hear all this but most of the Superstars of the NFL just play with their pains week after week but not Brett Favre,he went the drug route . I watched him almost every game back then and he made some great plays but,,you could tell by looking at him that he was stoned. But being a man about it Brett confessed to his drug addiction and we all said that was OK.
The difference is this,,,a player twists an ankle and can't stand the pain so he hops a ride on the golf cart and the team doctor injects the area with local freezing to numb the joint for the rest of the game. What Brett Favre did was go in and get a narcotics shot or pills and get stoned for the rest of the game. Man he was even begging his teamates in the locker room before the games for some pills,,remember ??
Yes,,Brett did it all and a little more . Quite the role model for the youth of today.
Brett Favre made history but not without his bottle of drugs!
from 7 months ago
Honestly though Roy, a lot of these guys are on painkillers.
However unlike Brett Favre, nobody else has managed too:
1) Win three consecutive MVPs
2) Not miss a start in 15 consecutive seasons (nearly 16 if he can make it two more games)
3) Set every career quarterback record known to man
Let's pay tribute to Brett and not sell his career short with the "stoned on painkillers" excuse.
Besides, in my mind, it's a feat in itself to throw 30+ touchdowns eight times in a career while stoned on painkillers. Sure, it dulls the pain—but narcotics aren't exactly known as performance enhancing substances! They make people sleepy, forgetful, and lethargic, but somehow that all didn't affect Brett Favre's performance on the field (or if it did, it was damn hard to tell).
Here's the most important point however Roy: Brett Favre is no longer addicted to painkillers.
He dealt with his demons and has been open and honest with the issue. Now he's 38 years old (looking more like he's 55) and playing top notch football once again—and fighting through injuries all the same without any drugs at all.
A man who, at Favre's age, separates his shoulder and finds a way to play the following Sunday is a special thing indeed. Don't take #4 for granted Roy, because you will never see another quite like him...
7 months ago
"He knows that he has dodged some bullets, but he also knows that he has never taken his good fortune for granted."
This sentence says it all, and to me it's the most important thing for people to recognize about this man. Beyond his arm strength, his records, his three consecutive MVPs, and his Super Bowl trophy is the simple fact that Brett Favre has never played the game of football with anything less than 110% of his heart.
This will, without question, be the main point that I hope to convey to my children and grandchildren about #4 (assuming there are some football fans in the family...pray with me).
I don't think we've ever seen a purer example of respect for the game of football than Brett Favre's career. And I don't think we ever will again. I hope every football fan in America is catching as many Packers games as they can this year, because this is the stuff that legends are made out of. We should cherish these moments that Brett Favre is giving us right now.
Packsmack: there have been plenty of Bleacher Report tributes to Brett Favre (I wrote one myself around thanksgiving) but none quite like this. I absolutely love how you cleverly avoid mentioning the game of football itself, and that every cowboy analogy you make lines up perfectly with Favre's current situation in the NFL and his career at large.
What is Favre if not a modern day saloon firing legend? I have often wondered myself how an NFL quarterback could not miss a game for 15 consecutive seasons (going on 16) and not be "really just a mist."
Brett Favre is a mighty man with a mighty story. And this my friend is a mighty fine article.
7 months ago
Geez... Favre has produced more man-crushes than Matt Damon
from 7 months ago
ahahaha
7 months ago
Hey guys ,,I'm not knocking what he has accomplished at all and my hat is off to him and I believe he is one of the best and toughest players in history. I am simply reminding you as I remember the 90's when he should have been on a stretcher or in a hospital instead of on a football field! Myself speaking ,I've had 5 major lower spinal surgeries and I was told in 1998 that I might not walk again. I can and do walk today but can't work or lift anything much. But,if I really wanted to nearly kill myself I might be able to do those things with narcotics . Which leads me to have to say this,,,using narctotic pain meds are for pain relief and not so you can continue on killing yourself. If you need them to get through a tough spell of pain great but most people have to find a different line of work when the pills run out . So I don't know what we are saying to the youth of today.? It's OK to play pro sports while you are in pain cause you can get stoned first and you won't feel it. I took a whole lot of them myself and while you take them you really do think you can do anything .
I really think he is great ,,it's just the type of crutch he used thats all.
7 months ago
Amen. Go Pack!
I really liked your article, well done. I am currently finishing reading Stephen King's The Dark Tower ironically. hehehe
May the Gunslinger prevail! :)
6 months ago
Favre had a fine season, but he is one of the most overrated QBs in the history of the game.
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