Brett Favre's Streak: Which Streaks In Sports Are More Impressive?

Monday night, when Brett Favre's consecutive starts streak ended, talk of his 297 game feat dominated sports commentary for the rest of the evening.

ESPN's Tom Jackson made two bold statements before the game started, which I'll paraphrase: First, that Brett's streak would never be broken; second, that it was the greatest streak in sports. 

I love it when streaks end and records are broken, because it gives us great material to debate and scream about.

Rather than make a list of my "Top 10" greatest streaks or records, I'd simply like to address Jackson's comments, provide my own perspective, and solicit the opinions of whoever takes the time to read this. 

Will Brett Favre's consecutive starts record ever be broken?

Yes. It could be Peyton Manning, who needs to start every game for the next 5 3/4 seasons (assuming the NFL maintains a 16-game schedule) in order to pass Favre, which is feasible.

We all know Favre played "like a swashbuckler" or "with no regard for his body," (quoting no one in particular, rather what seems to be the consensus among NFL pundits) so that's what makes his streak amazing. He was hurt a lot!

Peyton, on the other hand, stays in the pocket, avoids contact, and generally protects his body very well. I think he can break it and then some. But if he doesn't break it, surely someone else will come along.

Someone who's great enough to keep his starting spot, durable enough to avoid injury, and competitive enough to keep coming back for more.

If someone today is within reasonable reach, then we can't compare it to other records that will never be broken, i.e. Secretariat's 37-length victory and other streaks which I'll discuss below.

It's a remarkable streak, but it's not indicative of transcendent greatness that we can confidently say will never be replicated. 

Is Brett Favre's streak the greatest streak in sports?

Definitely not. It cracks the top ten and maybe the top five, but I don't even think it's the best streak in the NFL... I'll get to that one in a second. People most frequently compare Favre's record to Cal Ripken's consecutive game streak in baseball.

I'll start by saying I think Brett's is more impressive for all of the trite reasons like "football is more physical," "the quarterback touches the ball on every play," blah blah blah.

But here are the two streaks in professional sports that I think are less likely to be broken and therefore, more impressive: 

No. 2: Johnny Unitas throws a touchdown pass in 47 straight games. Best streak in NFL history.

No. 1: Joe DiMaggio hits safely in 56 straight games. Best streak in professional sports.

I don't have to elaborate on why these streaks are great. They are transcendent and will never be broken. What are your thoughts? Have I blatantly forgotten any noteworthy streaks in sports?