Brett Favre: Was the Fan Favre-Ite Better-Suited for the NBA?

As if on cue, news broke earlier this week of Brett Favre threatening his ump-teenth retirement. As usual, rumors are plentiful, facts are few.

If the news does prove true, it would mark the end of a sure-fire Hall of Fame career, filled with all the ups and downs that come along with such.

The ultimate outcome is every bit as certain as the exact future of the NFL itself beyond the coming season. But rest assured, we will hear repeatedly from everyone except those with actual insight and first-hand knowledge from now until this matter is closed.

With this latest set of rumors calling Favre's future into question once again, as we, the citizens of earth (or at least America) sit on the brink of the Nth Annual Favre-a-Palooza, a question comes to mind: Was the NFL really the right league for Brett Favre?

Sure, his production speaks for itself, and to deny him entrance into Canton would simply be heresy. But the NFL is the league of Jim Brown and Barry Sanders; a league where legends walk away on top of their game, and make it stick.

Certainly Favre's infamous indecision breaks that mold.

Furthermore, it creates a self-serving, ego-stroking publicity storm that has no rightful place in the premier professional sports league in America, at least not from outside the wide receiver ranks.

Where would such antics be not only fitting and commonplace, but seemingly be encouraged and abetted?

The NBA, of course.

The NBA has a proud history of such antics among elite pillars of the game. Far from being met with derision, the league seems to thrive on it.

Michael Jordan decided he had gone as far as he could with basketball after winning three titles with the Chicago Bulls. He stepped away to pursue a career in professional baseball, but after realizing he was no Bo Jackson, returned to the Bulls to win three more titles.

But wait, there is more! After retiring for a second time, MJ became a minority owner with the Washington Wizards. After reportedly demonstrating impressive skills in team shoot-arounds, he returned to the NBA for a third tour of duty, this time in the nation's capital.

The media circus this series of "decisions" brought about was impressive, but it would pale in comparison to the events of the summer of 2010.

Time and reality stood still, aghast with anticipation over what career move the heir-apparent to MJ—LeBron James—would "decide" to make. The self-described King James would string out his decision for months, monopolizing sports and entertainment news, until finally revealing his plans in a made-for-publicity televised spectacle.

As if the anticipation were not exorbitant enough in its hype, the aftermath was even more so.

Literally every North American sports outlet—reputable and otherwise—presented wall-to-wall coverage of fan reactions, league reactions, owner rants, and of course the punitive implications for the rest of the league in what remained of the offseason, since up to that point such details were of trifle importance.

Sound familiar?

Thanks to Brett Favre, we can look forward to much the same in the coming weeks. He could have made a great power forward!

Keep the Faith!