Brett Favre vs. LeBron James: Who's a Bigger Attention-Monger?

Reports are floating around today that Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Brett Favre is retiring and will not be returning for the 2010 season. Favre has held the full attention of the NFL and ESPN for the past few off seasons with this "will he/won’t he?" dance.

That was until this off season where we all got to experience “the summer of LeBron.”

I am sure all the attention LeBron received leading up to his “decision” really rubbed Favre the wrong way. Both of these guys are incredible athletes but they are both huge attention-mongers.

Favre and James both kept everyone in the dark—their coaches, their franchises, the media and their fans. All just to squeeze every drop of attention out of ESPN and sports fans across the nation. 

And it worked.

Who did it the best? Well let’s take a look, shall we? 

The Decision Vs. The Indecision

LeBron James had an hour-long special on himself with the Boys and Girls Club as the backdrop to answer a question that takes about two seconds to ask and .2 seconds to answer.

Watch—time yourself saying the answer below.

Miami.

How long did it take you? It took me about .1 seconds—and I have a processing disorder. LeBron turned a fraction of a second into a full hour of television WITH commercials.

Favre on the other hand, didn’t say anything. Which in essence holds an entire franchise and fan base on pins and needles for an ungodly amount of time.

ESPN goes into full Favre mode, and Brett is loving every minute of it. I imagine he is in his home watching ESPN and admiring his many leather-bound books and the smell of rich mahogany.

Close call, but I’m giving this one to the self proclaimed King. 

Breaking the News

It was reported that Favre called teammates and informed his team that he was retiring before making a formal announcement to the media.

LeBron told pretty much everyone (outside of Pat Riley five minutes before) at the same time on national television. 

While that is a great attention grab by LeBron, it was a flash in the pan. Where as Favre, with his veteran attention-mongering under his belt, leaked his “decision” as to assure himself nonstop coverage leading up to a formal announcement, and with no big sports events on the calender until September, he got the last word in for the summer.

Advantage goes to the attention veteran, Brett Favre. 

Rubber Match

It’s close so looks like we will have to go to a rubber match to decide who is the biggest attention-monger in sports.

The only way to decide a true winner is like any high school election for class president—popularity contest.

Now LeBron went from the most popular player in the NBA to the most hated but well-known bad guy in the NBA. He also ripped the heart out of his hometown on national television.

Favre basically got kicked out of Green Bay for holding the franchise hostage, and then sacrificed a season in New York just so he could play for Green Bay’s rival and beat his old team.

Both of these guys command a huge amount of attention wherever they go, but Favre going from Minnesota to Mississippi, and LeBron going from Cleveland to Miami, I’m going to have to say the winner is—LeBron James.

With an hour long narcissistic TV special, LBJ takes the title as the “king” of attention-mongers in sports.