Brett Favre: A Sad Ending For a Sad Man

A few weeks ago I read an excellent piece about Brett Favre from "The Paris Review" website written by Miranda Popkey (www.theparisreview.org/blog/tag/brett-favre/).  It was titled "The Saddest Man in Professional Football".  As a fan, I had always felt nostalgic about Brett Favre and I always thought that feeling of nostalgia led to sadness anytime he said he would retire, but after reading the article I understand now that for the last several years, the core emotion that has under lied so many hours of watching football, watching press conferences, and reading articles, was sadness. 

Brett Favre is a sad man and not just now.  He has been sad for several years.  His sadness bleeds to any fan of his that has been loyal to him as long as I have.  As fans of professional athletes, we tend to take on the personalities, the emotions, and the desires of our favorite players.  Maybe we see something in them that reminds us of ourselves or maybe we see something in them that we want to be.  Either way, there is an attraction;subtle reminders or desires of what we are or what we could achieve. 

Brett Favre has been sad because he cannot let go.  He does not know how.  He cannot let go of his desire to make something happen on the field even that "something" is risky or outright stupid because not trying is not being Brett Favre.  Let Mark Sanchez take a sack.  Let Joe Flacco throw the ball away out of bounds.  They are not Brett Favre.  Brett Favre will take his shots.  He will win some, but most often lose in the end.  Gamblers tend to always lose in the end because they can never stop trying to win more. 

Brett Favre is sad because he knows he is at the end.  He has been at the end for a few years now and while endings are sad, the saddest part is waiting for the end knowing it is coming.  Last season was one last rally against time.  A proverbial fist in the face of all that is logical in regards to age and performance in a violent sport, but watching Favre at his press conference after the Jets game, he knows that it is over.  Watching him grab is arm after throwing a touchdown pass to Percy Harvin, I know it's all but over. 

I am sad because the man I have watched for 18 years every Sunday is collapsing under the weight of a relentless media and a very poor decision two years ago.  I am sad because time teased me last year with its free pass to Favre and has now decided to regain its natural course.  I am sad because I never thought it would end like this, with so many things threatening to destroy a legacy, a family, and a man.  In the end, I am sad because Brett Favre is sad.