Brett Favre: Enough Is Enough

Enough is Enough

Written By: E.T. Mattingly

 
Like any other aging sitcom, the Brett Favre Un-Retirement Show, a show we’ve all seen in recent summers, is in dire need of a pulled plug.
 
I watched Friends to the cliché end, as Ross and Rachel finally found their inner peace.  I sat straight-faced as Seinfeld writers rode off on a horse named Rerun, and I stared blankly as The Sopranos left me hanging, confused, and upset.  Let’s face it, all things must come to an end, but not all end like Elway.  
 
Brett Favre has so many reasons to be proud.  A second-round draft choice of the Atlanta Falcons, Favre welcomed a trade to the Green Bay Packers and carved out a Hall of Fame resume wearing the gold and green.  
 
To scratch the surface I remind you of just a few:  three-time league MVP, 10 time Pro-Bowler, and a lengthy NFL record list that is highlighted by career yardage, career touchdowns, and consecutive starts. 
 
Statistically, there is nothing left to prove.  Favre’s legacy remains safe: the exuberant child-like professional that brought the Lombardi Trophy--and the respect of a nation--back to Titletown.  
 
The working-class faithful of the NFL want to remember Favre as the everyday hero, the NFL legend with whom we felt a connection.  What we don’t want to remember is the whiny, indecisive, “gotta get back at Green Bay” Favre.
 
I understand the attraction in it for Favre.  He still thinks he can go out there and wing it with the best of ‘em.  Come on people, we’ve seen him in those Wrangler commercials.  He’s accurate.  He’s clutch.  He’s having fun the Brett Favre way. Why can’t he saddle up for one more ride to the big show? 
 
As sad as it is to say, Favre just doesn’t have what it takes anymore.  Looking back on his career, Favre was successful when he could move around the pocket, pull off circus throws from underneath a blitzing linebacker, and fire fastballs across the middle to Pro Bowl receivers.  There is still a little of that spark left in the Ole Gunslinger, but not enough to sustain an entire season.
 
Look at his last season with the New York Jets.  Through week 12, after 11 games, Favre had thrown for 20 TD’s and 13 INT’s, good for Favre standards.  He was averaging almost 225 yards per game, boasted an 8-3 record and was looking at putting the Jets right smack into the playoffs.  
 
Packer Nation was not having the same success and was starting to think twice about letting the legend go.  In the final five games of the season, Favre’s age showed through.  Favre played the Jets out of the playoffs averaging a mere 200 yards per game, threw 9 INT’s to only 2 TD’s, and lost 4 of the last 5 games. 
 
Favre will turn 40 this year, only Clint Eastwood can play a gunslinger after 40, and I hope he takes a good look at what he has achieved.  He brought pride back to an ailing town.  He charmed a nation that stood by him through addiction, death and cancer.  
 
He set records that no draft expert could ever imagine a playground quarterback from Mississippi could set and he played himself into a deserving spot in Canton.  As Favre shops around the NFL for the right fit, those who hold his legacy dearly can only sit and hope, “Please, Brett…enough is enough.”