The Vikings Sell Their Soul For One Chance At Immortality

Well, here we are again in that old familiar place with that old familiar face.

Once again, the sports soap opera that is Brett Favre’s career has been brought back to life. No, we aren’t surprised by this announcement. Annoyed, sure, but not surprised. It was roughly one year to the day when Brett decided that he wanted to play and Vikings coach Brad Childress flew to Mississippi and brought Brett back to Minnesota with him.

Now here we are on August 18, 2010 and the story plays out pretty much the same. Brett Favre has decided that he wants to play football again. This will be his 20th season and he claims that this one will be his last. Give him credit, at least now he is saying it before the season starts so that way we won’t have to see that question answered from now until next August. But this raises an interesting question: Should we take him at his word this time around?

Initial reaction to that question would likely be a resounding “NO!” However, this is the first time that Brett has ever come out and said that this will be it before a year has started. He retired for a couple of hours back in 2008 then got bored and decided he wanted to play again. However, that happened during the offseason. Right now we are nearing the end of training camps with games set to begin in three weeks and Brett says that this will be his last year and that he “owes it to the Vikings.”

It’s easy to understand why the Vikings would make it worthwhile for Brett to play this year. They need him to get to where they believe they can go. Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels aren’t going to win the Minnesota Vikings a Super Bowl anytime soon. With Brett Favre, this team got so close to the Super Bowl. With Jackson and Rosenfels, they could get to the playoffs but they aren’t threatening anyone.

Brett Favre is going to play one more year and the Minnesota Vikings are going to be favorites to reach the Super Bowl. So everyone gets what they want out of this whole messy situation: Brett got all his media attention and the Vikings got their man back under center for one more year. Congratulations, Minnesota; you have sold your souls for one chance at immortality. Hopefully for Brad Childress and co., it all works out.