I'll give you a hint: his name starts wi...nevermind.
The following blog post has been brought to you by Brett "Football Jesus" Favre.
Now I'd been planning on writing this blog for a long time (I actually got the idea of writing this during the season), but because of higher priorities and commitments, I had to hold it off till now, when I'm about to go on spring break, and of course, I think it's appropriate that I do this during the week that the big news hit.
But let me just get to what happened on that fateful Tuesday, March 4, 2008 (is it a coincidence hat he had to do it on this particular date of the month?).
Like any other normal day, I woke up, went to my first two classes (all while struggling to stay awake in both), and went back to my dorm amidst a rain storm (there was actually a flood warning for the area) to handle some business during the 30-minute gap between my second and third classes of the day.
I checked my computer to see if I got any e-mail, but a friend of mine (a Packers fan) IM'd me with the following script:
[friend] (11:22:04 AM): so who are we going to draft now to back up rodgers?
[friend] (11:22:20 AM): damn you and your idling!
As you can see from those messages, he IM'd me while I was in class. After reading the second IM, I kinda wondered what was the big deal about having someone back up Aaron Rodgers. I was thinking, did Craig Nall get traded or die or something? (No offense, Craig.) At this time, my roommate was watching CNN at the time since the
So first, I checked packers.com to see why my friend would talk about someone backing up Rodgers.
And there it was. The big "Breaking News" redirect that had everything. The whole Brett Favre retiring after 17 seasons.
I was in utter shock. But because the site was false before about his retirement a few days earlier, I had to check ESPNews to see if what I was seeing was actually true.
So I turned to ESPNews and there were all the graphics and the little box in the lower-right corner of the screen saying that Brett Favre had indeed announced his retirement.
Holy shit.
My roommate was surprised as well.
It was pretty much on every sports channel (not including ESPNU or CSTV (which will later be known as CBS College Sports Network)). Hell, the NFL Network was dedicating their entire programming to it, including Super Bowl XXXI, which I was still too young to remember anything. Back then, all I knew was that I wanted the team in the green to win (since that was my favorite color). I remember the Curtis Martin touchdown, then the Desmond Howard kickoff return, plus the two point conversion.
But back to the retirement. When I saw the press conference, and when I saw him break down at the table, it was pretty moving. We all knew that he was human, but for someone who loves the game so much to say that the game was stressful to him, especially one of his most successful seasons of his career, this really meant something. primaries were that night.
This upcoming year is going to be very awkward for me as a sports fan. First, the Braves leave TBS, as they go local and TBS widens their coverage to cover all of Major League Baseball. Now, the only quarterback who has started games for the Packers during my time as a Packers fan is calling it a career. Just imagining someone other than that gunslinging No. 4 behind center for the Green and Gold is going to be...I don't know. I just don't know. (I wonder what could be next, JoePa retiring? Not that I'm that into Penn State football or anything.)
Some people may call Packers fans spoiled, especially the young ones around the country (and world), as Favre has given them a lot of successful years, something that not too many quarterbacks who have started in the NFL can say. This is going to be a real test for us. The 4-12 year in 2005 was one thing, but that was a temporary aberration. The icon of this franchise from the 1990s into the early-to-mid/semi-late 2000s retiring, though, is on a whole 'nother level.
One of my friends who goes to
[heart] #4"
Earlier in the year, I wanted to post my top 10 moments as a Packers fan, but I could never get around to doing it, thanks to schoolwork and other stuff. I wanted to post this right after the loss to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game.
But thanks to spring break coming up (and massive amounts of Super Smash Bros. Brawl playing), I have time to write this blog. Now note that I first started watching the NFL seriously in 1997, the season after the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI, so that game is off-limits for the purpose of this list.
*** THE TOP 10 MOMENTS AS A PACKERS FAN, ACCORDING TO KG ***
10.) Samkon Gado's emergence during the latter parts of the 2005 season. For a season that showed little promise and subjected all young Packers fans like myself to constant ridicule from immature peers, the next incarnation of the Nigerian Nightmare emerged from the then-often-ridiculed GM Ted Thompson, and gave us all something to rally around. Getting his first full load of carries in a 4:15 CBS game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (that was, believe it or not, a winnable game as the Roethlisberger-less, Willie Parker-less Steelers only won 20-10), Gado did better than anyone would have expected. I was surprised at how hard he hit the holes and got to the line of scrimmage, as he had 62 yards on 23 carries (not impressive by any stretch of the imagination), but also got his first touchdown then.
The following week, he got a start against the Atlanta Falcons in
He did have his struggles, though, against a fierce
But after his 100-plus-yard effort in a loss against the Philly Eagles, his signature performance was a Sunday Night game against the Detroit Lions, who (*SPOILERS*) couldn't even win at Lambeau when the Packers were in their down year. That's how you know a franchise sucks.
So Gado ran for 171 yards that game, including a long touchdown run, in a hilariously bad game that ended in overtime and a Packers win. Unfortunately, an injury against the Ravens ended this bright point in the Packers' season.
9.) The bizarre end to the 1999 regular season. For those who don't know what I'm referring to, I'll reset it for you. There was a very interesting playoff scenario coming into Week 17 of the 1999 NFL season. The Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers were both 7-8, but so were other teams in the NFC. But the most interesting of the facts is that the next tiebreaker to determine who gets to the playoffs is net points in the conference, and the Packers had an 18-point advantage in that category over the Panthers. (Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see this all unfold because I was busy watching my brother play a youth basketball game, so I didn't really know what was going on.)
What happened after that was something you probably won't see for many years because the NFL changed the tiebreaking procedures to something more simple and something that makes more sense than net conference points. Actually, net conference points are still a criterion for tiebreaking, but they don't have as high a priority as other things that make more sense, such as conference games, division games, and common opponents.
But back to the game situation. The Packers were hosting the lowly Arizona Cardinals; the Panthers were welcoming the woeful New Orleans Saints. And the Packers didn't really think that the Panthers were going to threaten that net points advantage, but they did. The Cats started 31-0 against the Saints, and the Packers suddenly felt threatened when they had a 21-3 lead over the Cardinals, because their lead had shrunk to +5. Funny how the NFL works. "OH, NO! KILLING THESE GUYS 21-3 ISN'T ENOUGH! BRETT, TURN ON THE AFTERBURNERS!!!" And believe it or not, the Panthers actually took the lead in the point differential twice during that period, but not before the Packers would take it right back.
In the end, the Packers would beat the Cardinals 49-24, and the Panthers would win their game 45-13, giving the Packers the +11 point differential at the end. Yeah, it's just funny that you can blow a team out like that and still not be satisfied. Unfortunately, all of this craziness went for naught because the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants, giving the Cowboys that last playoff spot.
Come to think of it, I don't really know why I put this. I just thought this was a weird but memorable scenario that may never arise again, and in retrospect, you kinda have to appreciate it when it comes.
8.) Winning the NFC North by beating the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota. Now this would be lower on the list if it weren't for the events that happened two weeks later (well, let's just say Al Harris is the most overrated cornerback in the NFL, ok?), but at this time, this was a big deal for the Packers, before the Vikings suddenly turned into their bitch. This was when the Vikings had Daunte Culpepper throwing the ball like crazy (as well as his ability to scramble), and they had an offense with the likes of Randy Moss, Kelly Campbell and Nate Burleson at wide receiver, and guys like Michael Bennett and Onterrio Smith (before he went all crazy) as running backs.
So this is what the case was. The Packers and Vikings were both 8-6 coming into their Week 16 game on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, a Friday that year. The winner of this game would win the division and a home playoff game. The Packers would have swept the Vikings, while the Vikings that year had an advantage with a better record against common opponents. Technically (and I actually billed the game this way), this...was the NFC North Championship Game.
So this was a pretty tightly-contested game, with neither team getting a lead of more than 7 points. The second quarter, especially, was a punch/counterpunch deal, with the teams trading scores each time they touched the ball. Boom, TD Vikings. Boom, TD Packers. Boom, TD Vikings. Boom, TD Packers. Boom, TD Vikings. Oops, bam, FG Packers, end of half.
And even into the third quarter, the back and forthness continued, but there were more sustained drives this time. TD Packers, FG Vikes, and we're all tied at 24 in the fourth quarter.
...but WHOA, Favre throws a pick-6 to Chris Claiborne. Ouch, TD Vikes. At least it was an own territory interception, and not a drive killer.
But no worries. Brett Favre can do it. And he did. Big plays by Donald Driver and one by Javon Walker on this drive really helped here. So...fourth and goal. Favre, from the gun...in the pocket...slings it, and somehow hits a diving Donald Driver with all that purple crap all over him. Tied at 31.
After a penalty-laden drive for the Vikes that ended in a punt, the Packers took over in a tie game deep in their territory.
The Driver-Walker show continued. But the biggest play on that drive was a dumpoff to Tony Fisher, who scrambled for 21 yards and a BIG, big first down. Driver and Walker got big catches one more time before the Packers set themselves up for the game-winning field goal from Ryan Longwell, who killed the Vikes a few weeks earlier with a game-winning field goal with no time left. After that game, I felt glad, like I normally do when the Packers won. Unfortunately, two weeks later, my euphoria came crashing down as the Vikings made all of this irrelevant when they went to Lambeau and won their playoff game. :(
7.) Greg Jennings' game-winning 82-yard touchdown catch against the Denver Broncos. This was probably the happiest single moment I've had in a while. This was especially since the Packers had never won a single game in Denver, or even the state of Colorado.
"Playaction from the 18, want it all, deep down the field, it is...HAULED IN BY GREG JENNINGS! THE PACKERS WIN IN OVERTIME!!! UN-BE-LIEVABLE!
I've seen this video plenty of times, and I still get chills down my spine with that play. This is what I'm gonna miss from Favre. His all-or-nothing mentality that has cost the Packers many games, but has also given them many victories. And Mike Tirico's screeching voice calling that play will also stick in my mind. I remember. I literally shouted when that happened, from the comfort of my dorm.
And boy, was I glad that they did pull this one out, because in the waning parts of the fourth quarter, there was a chance that the defense would have blown that game (thanks to Atari Bigby, who I'm still not sold on).
6.) The Packers defeating the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round after the 2001 season. Some people out there probably don't know about this, nor do they really care, but to me, I thought this was meaningful. I don't really know if this is really much revenge for the Wild Card game that occurred just three years earlier (you all should know what I'm referring to here), but this will have to do.
But it was that game three years earlier that made me the most visibly upset because of a football game in a long time. Granted, I was only nine years old then, so I didn't take it as well as I did in later instances. But the media often reminded us about that fateful day in early 1999 (after the 1998 season). The Marc Edwards' broken tackle and run for the first down. The Jerry Rice fumble-ruled down by contact (without instant replay). I refuse to recognize anything that happened after the Rice play.
But the Packers had different plans this game. They had a little trouble with them in the first three quarters, but they came through in the fourth. With the score 18-15, the key play was when Jeff Garcia tried to replicate The Catch II to throw to Terrell Owens, but it was tipped by Mike McKenzie and intercepted by Tyrone Williams. That led to the TD run from Ahman Green to put this puppy out of reach and exact revenge from the three previous years. And believe it or not, the 49ers still can't beat the Packers, showing all of us how much of a fluke that game in 1999 was.
5.) Antonio Freeman's "improbable bobble" and game-winning catch in overtime against the Minnesota Vikings in 2000. Like the Denver game, this was a game which the Packers could have lost, as the opposing team actually got into good position to possibly win the game, but somehow, they messed up, and the Packers got the first shot at it in overtime, where they scored on that very possession, not giving the other team the football in that overtime period. (I'll save the NFL overtime system debate for another time.) I remember after the Denver game, I was talking to a fellow Packers fan over AIM about how that game reminded me of this game and its sudden end.
Now ordinarily, since I was 11 years old when this happened, my mom wouldn't let me stay up late to watch this game, but because this was the night before the Gore-Bush election (which Al Michaels and company mentioned during the game), and there was no school on Election Day, I got special permission to stay awake for the whole thing. I watched this whole game from my kitchen, and I actually ran into my mother's room, which somehow had the game on, even at near 1:00 in the morning on the East coast, to see this play.
Culpepper completed a pass to Randy Moss to put the Vikings into position to win the game with a game-winning field goal, but when it was time to do the kick, the snap was botched in the rainy conditions of Lambeau Field, and Mitch Berger, the holder, threw an illegal pass (I didn't know what exactly was illegal about it), and the game went to overtime. Third and four from the Vikings' 43, about three-and-a-half minutes into the overtime session...
I am still somewhat baffled that Freeman made that catch. I don't know how the hell that was possible. As Al Michaels so eloquently said then, "He did WHAT?!"
First off, how the hell did Cris Dishman not intercept that pass? It hit him right in the hands, and he just couldn't squeeze that pigskin, and kinda deflected it towards Freeman, which started this whole disaster for him.
Secondly, what were the chances that the ball was going to not only not be intercepted by the cornerback, but tipped towards someone laying on the ground, have it hit the back of his left shoulder, have him turn 90 degrees counterclockwise while on the ground, and cradle the ball with his outstretched right hand, and bring it in, all while getting up without being touched by a Vikings player, and scampering the remaining 15 yards into the endzone. I don't know if that play is at all replicable. If so, that'd be a really tough task.
4.) Brett Favre's game against Oakland on the Monday night after his father died. Thanks to the NFL Network's fascination with Brett Favre after his announced retirement, I was able to catch this game again. While throwing for 399 yards, completing 22 of 30 passes, and four touchdowns including the first nine passes and 11 of the first 12, INCLUDING a few instances where Favre just chucked it in the air and his receivers magically came down with them...while that isn't too difficult for an NFL quarterback to do against that Raiders' secondary, I thought the whole occasion was just special. Getting the cheers from the Black Hole given Favre's emotional state at that time really meant something strong.
I remember seeing the second Javon Walker touchdown, the Wesley Walls touchdown, and a Robert Ferguson catch. While the last two I mentioned involved absolute pinpoint accuracy, that second Javon Walker TD catch had to be a lucky heave. I honestly don't know how he was able to grab that, or I don't know how the Raiders didn't at the very least not let him get that. They could have just given him the pass interference, batted it down, or something. But about all three of those plays was something really special. Now if only that last overtime period in the playoff game that same season against Philadelphia had the same consequences.
3.) The end of the 2004 Wild Card game against Seattle (of course, after the 2003 regular season). Yes, this was the "We want the ball and we're gonna score" game. But leading up to that moment was a great game. It was back and forth the whole way, with an exchange of field goals, then the Packers getting ahead with a touchdown after another Seahawks field goal, and then after a Packers field goal, the Seahawks scored a couple times, then the Packers returned the favor, then the Seahawks tied it up, and the Packers tried to win it in regulation, but the cold kept Ryan Longwell from being able to lift the ball very high for it to go through on a 46-yard field goal.
And then...the overtime coin toss came around.
(ignore the second half of the video for now)
You heard it. Hasselbeck was just having fun out there when he made that statement, so I mean no ill will on him. But after a few punts...
(sorry for the bad quality, but here's a better one)
Oh well, you get it. Now you can pay attention to the second half of the first video on this section.
My dad actually went outside to do some work in the backyard when this happened, as my brother, him and I were watching it downstairs before he left at around the overtime period. He told me, "I'll probably tell who won when I hear screaming inside the house." I didn't quite scream when this happened, I just kinda shouted once, and was all giddy inside. Great feeling.
2.) The end of the 2003 regular season. Whoooooooa boy, this one I'm gonna have a field day with. I'll reset this.
December 28, 2003. The Packers and Vikings come into this day with a 9-6 record. However, the Vikings controlled their destiny for the division crown. The two teams split their head-to-head regular season games. The tiebreaker after that: division record. The two teams had a record of 4-2 in that category. Next up: common opponents. Both teams came in 4-3...so what's the big deal? If the Vikings beat the Cardinals, they'd have done something that the Packers couldn't do. And that feeds into the difference in conference record. The Vikings would have had a better conference record.
So...the Packers also had an avenue to get into the playoffs through the Wild Card. But for reasons I don't feel like looking into right now, the Cowboys had a 10-5 record and the Seahawks had a 9-6 record. The Packers had the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Seahawks, but if the Cowboys lost and the Seahawks won, that tiebreaker wouldn't matter, and both teams would have squeezed the Packers out of contention for the Wild Card.
So coming into Sunday, the Seahawks already won on Saturday afternoon against the 49ers, clinching the first Wild Card spot.
And into Sunday, the Packers were rooting for the Cowboys to win to give them a chance at the Wild Card, because at this point, they're probably thinking, "The Vikings canNOT lose to these fools, can they?"
Well, the 1:00 games past, and the final score of that Cowboys-Saints game:
DALLAS COWBOYS [7] NEW ORLEANS SAINTS [13]
Uh-oh. You know what that means. The Packers have been officially eliminated from Wild Card contention.
But wait: they do have an outside chance at the division crown. But it'll have to go through the most outrageous method. The 3-12 Cardinals are gonna have to pull something out of their ass to save the Packers from elimination. But before they think about any help from other sources, the Packers will have to take care of their own business by going against the Denver Broncos. Heading up to that 4:15 start on CBS, I hear that the Broncos are resting their starters for the playoffs. First, Jake Plummer sits out. Then, Clinton Portis (who was pretty good running behind that O-line). Then a few offensive linemen. Then Rod Smith and Shannon Sharpe. And others. Which means guys like Jarious Jackson and Danny Kanell (yeah, you're thinking WTF are these people?) So this is shaping to be a pretty easy win for the Packers.
So the Packers jump out to a 17-3 lead, and the Broncos are threatening with an and-goal situation. They go for it on fourth down, and fail.
Packers ball at the 2, when the longest run in Packers history commences. Ahman Green runs for 98 yards for the score, while the CBS camera fixates on his unflinching face, focused on the endzone. Right after that, the Broncos fumble the kickoff, and it's recovered by the Packers in the endzone. 31-3 in the beginning of the fourth quarter. Cautious happiness from my side.
But wait. Let's check out what's happening thousands of miles away, in Tempe, AZ. At this point, I'm watching the Broncos-Packers game on the rabbit ears television in the den downstairs while following the Vikings-Cardinals game on NFL GameCenter, behind my dial-up Internet access. Nobody else is home. So I check the game. Almost halfway through the fourth quarter. The Vikings just added a field goal to increase their lead to 17-6. Not looking good.
So gradually, my attention is shifting from the Packers game to the Vikings game on my computer. And at times, CBS is giving in-game highlights about the Vikings game during the Packers game.
So at that moment, I'm thinking to myself, it's a shame that a 20-carry, 218-yard performance, a four-game winning streak, a 31-3 blowout, was all going to end because they couldn't get just one more win. Just one more win.
That game against Kansas City where they blew the 31-14 lead and lost in overtime because Ahman Green fumbled what could have possibly been a big carry in overtime (which wouldn't've happened if Favre didn't throw a tipped ball interception for touchdown).
That Thanksgiving game against the Lions where the team turned the ball over five times and still only lost by eight.
That Philadelphia Eagles MNF game where Favre fumbled three times trying to throw the ball downfield, the last of which proved fatal to their chances of winning.
Week 1 against the Vikings where the team just laid an egg until the last parts of the game.
And lastly, the Week 3 game against these very Cardinals who have put themselves in this situation, where the Packers had a chance to tie the score late (or from what I heard, win the game by going for 2). If the Packers had just won that game, they wouldn't even be in this situation. But it's ironic that the same team that beat the Packers would be trying to help them out later in the season.
But back to the game.
Moments pass, and the Cardinals are putting together a nice-looking drive. Fourth and 6, McCown finds Anquan Boldin for the first.
But uh-oh. Josh McCown just got sacked twice. But wait a minute--someone got called for defensive holding. Good thing they got another chance.
Two plays later...another sack. Now they're facing third and 13.
McCown...steps back...finds Nathan Poole for the first down! Big 37-yard gain there. Now remember these two guys.
Now, they're at the two-minute warning. Fourth and 2 just outside the Vikings' 2. I'm waiting anxiously for what happens next.
McCown finds Steve Bush in the endzone. Touchdown, 17-12. And like anyone who has any sense, the Cardinals go for two. But they don't make it.
Oh well, time for the onside kick. Which is pretty much the Cardinals' (and Packers') last hope.
Here we go...the onside kick...touched by a Viking...RECOVERED BY ARIZONA!!! THERE'S STILL HOPE!
And what does McCown have in mind next? Fuck it, I'm throwing it deep! And he does! But it's incomplete...
...but a flag! Defensive pass interference! That moves it to the 31 of Minnesota! And with a minute and 46 to go, the Cardinals are suddenly in business!
McCown to Emmitt Smith for a few...then McCown to Nate Poole (!) for 13...uh-oh, could the Cardinals shock the world again? We'll see.
But whoa...Second down, McCown was sacked...hurry up!!! Third down, McCown is sacked again...but he LOST THE BALL!!! NO! GET IT! But they got it...
...so we're left with this fourth down play...the Cardinals have to scramble to the line of scrimmage to get here...last chance to dance for the Cardinals...and Packers...(And meanwhile, the Packers game is in a two-minute warning.)
I tell you, this had to be the most nerve-wracking two-minute warning that I've ever been a part of.
So GameCenter says 4th and 24 from the 28 yard line, and I'm anxiously waiting for it to update, when CBS chimes in with an update screen that says...
4th 0:00
MINNESOTA
VIKINGS 17
ARIZONA
CARDINALS 18
I was completely shocked, and pleasantly surprised. I remember Jim Nantz saying something along the effects of "Well, Packers fans will be happy when they see this..." as the screen showed the score, and the final play. Here it was.
And as GameCenter finally updated it, they (and CBS) said that the play was under review, so I still had to hold my horses before I celebrated.
So after the two minute warning, I was watching just that game. And CBS chimed in again, saying that it was official, but then again, I could tell by the crowd noise at Lambeau and the players' reactions.
And then I celebrated like hell. I screamed, yelled, all that jazz. I couldn't believe it. I honestly couldn't believe it.
Because the cable at my house was out, I couldn't immediately enjoy this great moment with highlights on ESPN. I couldn't see NFL PrimeTime. I had to settle with postgame shows, and the radio, where I heard the immortal call of Paul Allen of the Vikings Radio Network, as you all heard in that video. I don't know if there could possibly be a better radio call of an NFL play...ever. I don't even think Gus Johnson can top that.
I'd have to say that this was the most pleasant single memory as a Packers fan...ever. Not only getting into the playoffs with such a fluky play, but seeing the hated Vikings succumb in such a fashion. Yes, those same Vikings who started the season 6-0 and missed the playoffs just like...that. It's amazing to think that the Vikings led the division for the entire regular season until that play. Almost as weird as seeing the Patriots go 18-1.
The reason I told you all to remember McCown to Poole was because Poole made this game-winning touchdown catch. Poole was instantly a hero in Green Bay, as he got the key to the city the next day.
But to recap, Josh McCown to Nate Poole. A quarterback-receiver connection that will live in infamy with Minnesota Vikings lore. Yes, this is a lore that includes Jim Marshall running the wrong way, the Purple People getting Eaten alive in four of the first 11 Super Bowls, the Drew Pearson Hail Mary, the Herschel Walker trade, having time run out on them in the 2002 NFL Draft, the "Love Boat" scandal, and of course, the 1999 NFC Championship Game choke from Gary Anderson.
But that said, only one thing has made me happier as a Packers fan.
And here it is. Number one.
1.) The legacy left behind by Brett Favre. The records, the milestones...everything. While Brett Favre wasn't the perfect quarterback, he had to be one of the most enjoyable ones to watch, no matter whether you were a Packers fan, obviously, or the fan of a rival, or if he was giving your team interceptions (:-[)
The first time I actually watched him play was during the Monday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears to open up the 1997 season. I didn't have the smart mind about football that I do have now, but I knew something was special about this team, this quarterback. Sadly, I wasn't able to see everything from this game, as my mom made me go to bed early since we had to go to our first day of school that next morning.
But my first near-full-fledged watching of Favre, even after constant following of the games over ESPN2's Bottom Line, CNN Headline News when they flashed the scores, and FOX's in-game cuts and score tickers, was a game against the Minnesota Vikings. After the team fell behind 7-0, I remember Favre's first of five touchdown passes--a strike to Robert Brooks to tie the score. Unfortunately, again, I had to go somewhere with my mother, and didn't come back until the score was 38-22 Packers, a game they'd win by the score of 38-32.
One year (or at least the first few games of that year) stuck out especially during my young years, and that was 1999. The Packers had won their first three games by coming from behind on their final drive, including once against the Oakland Raiders, and once each against the hated Vikings, and against the then-hated Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both games I was able to see in their entirety. Unfortunately, there was nothing special going on about that particular season.
But what can I say. The guy had a great career. 442 touchdown passes, more than anyone else in the league. 61,655 passing yards, the most of any player. The most completions and attempts in NFL history. The most consecutive starts for a quarterback in NFL history (which is probably why he has a lot of the numerical records). One Super Bowl ring (which is more than Dan Marino, haha), and the only player to have three consecutive MVPs, unanimous or shared. I'd think that's something to be proud of.
When I was following Favre's career, I really had no idea how far he'd be able to go with this record. I remember seeing his 200th touchdown pass, his 300th, including when he tied and passed certain quarterbacks for nth all-time on the touchdown pass list. The passing yards, or completions, by that matter, were less important to me, because yards don't directly lead to wins. Points do. And what Favre did with his touchdown passes was put points on the board, and help his team win. While the yards didn't actually directly give them points, they did set them up for points (like they're supposed to do, duh), so you can't really rule those out. Packers fans, you all have a lot to be thankful for, despite the disappointments after the 1996 season.
And also in the light of Favre's retirement, there have been an inordinate amount of haters (specifically Bears and Vikings fans, but not limited to them) about Brett Favre. Many say that he's overrated. And maybe they're right. Maybe Favre is getting too much love. But how much of it has gone undeserved? I'd have to say little, if any. I think Favre has earned the right to be covered favorably in the media after taking care of business after the 1996 season. While he did have a rough start to his career off the field with his addiction to painkillers or his tendency to be a party animal before getting married, he did turn that around during the latter part of his career, or from what we've seen of him, he has (no one but Favre himself knows for sure). Hell, John Elway got a lot of attention when he retired, but I don't remember hearing any animosity towards him when he did. If the NFL Network and the current state of the four-lEtter SPorts Network were in place back in early 1999, Elway would have just as much media coverage as Favre. So shut it.
And also for those haters who never give Favre credit for when he succeeds, but blame him endlessly when he fails (Bears Fan, Vikings Fan, I'm talking to you (and others), so listen up), get a grip. You guys are just jealous because your quarterback hasn't been able to achieve the same success. You just want to cover your own insecurities about your team. Waaaaaaahhhhhh, my team hasn't done anything meaningful in the last few years, let's just go rag on Brett Favre every time he throws an interception, even if the receiver lets it bounce off his hands and into the defender's.
Bears fan, your team's defense led you to a Super Bowl but your quarterback holds you back, and your team lays an egg in said game? Yeah, that's a lot to feel proud of. Rex, along with guys like Erik Kramer, Rick Mirer, Steve Stenstrom, Moses Moreno, Shane Matthews, Cade McNown, im Miller, Chris Chandler, Henry Burris, Kordell Stewart (past his prime), Jonathan Quinn, Craig Krenzel, Chad Hutchinson, Brian Griese, and Kyle Orton. Pretty much sums it up for you all. And Vikings Fan, I've already put you to shame in this blog, so I don't feel the need to repeat myself. Just read points 5 and 2, and that's all the embarrassment you need.
And for people who make the point that all Packers fans think Favre is the greatest quarterback to play the game, neither I, nor any other sensible Packers fan, is making that point. If you hear anyone making that asinine point that Favre is the greatest quarterback ever, please slap him in the face, because he or she is not indicative of the ideal that Packers fans strive to achieve. We're all better than that. It's just videos like this that piss me the hell off, and the people who make them that want to just dedicate their lives to finding all the flaws in someone's game. It's like the people who hate Michael Jordan because he was better than most of the players during his era. In no way am I intentionally comparing Favre to Jordan in their skill relative to the talent level of those who play their respective sports, but just for the sake of this argument.
Just do all your fellow sensible Packers fans a favor, and stay humble, and when the Packers achieve the ultimate goal again, then you can boast all you want. With respect to the other teams' fans, of course.
And now that he's retired, who are you going to make fun of now? I'd like to hear it. I don't care how much you hated Favre during his career, but I will assure you this: during the 2008 season (and possibly the 2009), you WILL miss Brett Favre.
And so will all the other fans of the game who may not have an opinion on him.
And of course, those who loved him, who admired him, who appreciated his presence on the football field, those Packers fans, and just those people who appreciate greatness when they see it. If I were you, NFL fans, I would feel thankful for having been given the opportunity to see one of the (note, I said one of the, NOT the) greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the National Football League. Not just the numbers and his ability to help his team win games, but the uniqueness he brought to the quarterback position, his attitude towards the game, his personality. Be glad you were able to see him play, because you might not see anyone like him for a long time.
Brett Lorenzo Favre, I wish you the best in the near and distant future. I'll see you in August of 2013 2014 you know what, screw it. Whenever he does choose to retire for good, I'll be glad to see him put on that jacket.
And that's where I'm gonna end this post. Thanks for bearing with me for this long-ass post.
© 2008 Kevin A. Green. Any attempt to republish, rebroadcast, redistribute, resell, or any of that other re-bullshit often stated in copyright notices will earn you physical pain and suffering, and mental anguish from yours truly.
