Brett Favre Won't Say It, but He Is Dreaming of the John Elway Ending

Back in 1998, in a little town called San Diego, California, an old quarterback who couldn't shake the "loser" tag and a mid-career gunslinger coming off of a Super Bowl title went toe to toe. In what I affectionately refer to as XXXII, the 14-point underdogs led by an NFL legend finally took one down.

In hindsight, Pat Bowlen put it best with a simple phrase: "This one's for John."

Brett Favre walked off of the field that day knowing he had been beaten by an opponent who was tired of losing. People forget Elway's best traits were his intangibles. He led so many storied comebacks, but finally, in the end, he wouldn't let himself lose. To anyone.

Not even Brett Favre.

That quarterback matchup was so good that no Super Bowl hosted a similar pair of all stars until this very year when Peyton Manning took on Drew Brees.

And Elway, the man who incredibly took his team to the Super Bowl one third of the seasons he played in (no matter who surrounded him) finally won the big game. And then he went on the next year to obliterate the Atlanta Falcons (in the best Super Bowl that never happened, which should have included the Minnesota Vikings).

Throughout the league, John Elway finally got his ultimate respect. If he had come back for one more season, the Broncos just might have slain the inconceivable three-peat dragon. But Elway retired on top and the rest is history.

Except for the part about Brett Favre; he is the guy who watched a fellow quarterbacking legend walk away with his glory.

Brett isn't going to be caught dead saying it, but he came back, again because he still thinks there is a shimmering hope he can beat the John Elway legend. And I won't lie, even as a Denver Broncos fan, if the Minnesota Vikings win the Super Bowl this year, he will have done it.

Favre still has a lot in the tank.

His Green Bay finale was in the NFC Championship, which is unsurprisingly where he failed last year. But Favre, now wearing such a strangely unfamiliar uniform (I will never be happy with it) truly believes that in this, one last year, he can beat the odds. He can win the Super Bowl.

He wants to out "John Elway" the entire NFL.

It might be doable. It might not.

But all of the people out there who are still hating on Favre for coming back and dragging out this retirement deal for one more season need to give the guy a chance.

As someone who has always held an immense respect for Brett, since he was a guy I grew up watching (and cheered against in XXXII), I hope he can end his career on that spectacular high note.

To my knowledge, only one NFL quarterback ever has, and it was probably the greatest thing I have ever seen in the history of sports.

I wouldn't be opposed to watching it again. Particularly in a season that I know unequivocally will be Brett's last. I believe him this time.

And if he wins and rides into the sunset, the whole retirement saga will finally be over, and no one will be able to say in hindsight that he tarnished his record or made the wrong choices.