Minnesota Vikings: Don't Dismiss Brett Favre Starting vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Since 1992, American sports fans have gravitated towards Brett Favre because we see a little piece of ourselves in him. What drives us to succeed in any aspect of life is the will to persevere through adversity in order to reach a goal, and Favre has always been one to battle back from any obstacles in his path.

We devote our fandom to athletes that give it their all to bring their teams to the pinnacle of their respective sport. In an era of inflated contracts and injury-plagued phonies, Favre has always appeared to be genuine and relatable to us because of his working-class attitude and unrelenting warrior spirit.

Over-dramatic press conferences and faux-retirements aside, it is hard to disparage an athlete that has the competitive drive to want to play through pain and give the fans a solid effort week in and week out. Having passion for the game is something that cannot be taught. It is an intangible that lies deep within Favre's soul, and is the reason why he remains in the NFL after 18 seasons.

After Favre was crushed to the icy turf in Minnesota Dec. 20th, his emotional post-game press conference had all of the makings and sound bites of a farewell speech. Joe Webb is presumed to be the starting quarterback for the Vikings in Tuesday night’s showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles.

With Minnesota eliminated from playoff contention, all that is on the line for Favre is one last chance to feel the rush of the game and experience professional competition. If he is cleared to play, not many would be surprised if America got one final Sunday night to see No. 4 at work.