Thoughts on Favre's Retirement

I’ve tried to write this piece twice on paper, and at least a dozen times in my head. Every time, I try to reconsider what Brett Favre meant and what his retirement means. Brett Favre was a savior for football in Wisconsin. He almost single handedly pulled the national spotlight back onto a small paper city in Eastern Wisconsin. He is without a doubt the greatest player in the illustrious history of the Green Bay Packers. In this way, his exit signifies the end of an era for older fans.

Favre, however, was also a fixture in the NFL for so long that many don’t know the league without him. Any Packer fan under the age of 21 literally does not know the Packers without Brett Favre. He has taken at least a few snaps in every Packer game we have ever seen. None of us will really fully grasp the implications of this until the beginning of next season, when Aaron Rodgers trots out as our starting quarterback.

On the other hand, opposing fans, particularly those of the Lions, Bears, and Vikings, hated Brett Favre. To them, Favre was a talented but overrated quarterback who turned the ball over a lot and consistently failed to win in domes for much of his career. They despised him, but most of them would also admit that they would give up their first born child for a quarterback with as much talent as he had. They’re glad he’s gone, but even they will miss having an object on which to focus such blinding hatred.

Casual fans have yet another conception of Favre. He famously embodied toughness and durability at a fairly unstable and injury prone position. His consecutive starts streak has been built into a modern legend. He’s simultaneously seen as fun loving and competitive. His very public tribulations have humanized him to a degree no other superstar ever was.

The media adoration of Favre is readily apparent in mainstream media outlets, but a vocal backlash against him is present, and has been growing in recent years. Many have been critical of the way the media covers Favre—they believe he’s given a break because of his candor and ‘aw shucks’ personality in interviews and press conferences. These people don’t see a country boy, they see a savvy superstar who got the press on his side.

All these rewrites and re-thinks have brought me to a single conclusion: Brett Favre may not have been the best football player ever, but based on the aforementioned footprints he has left on the game, he very well could be the most important. Much like Michael Jordan did in the nineties, Favre managed to become the most important (and probably best) player of his era. Their skills captivated millions, spawned backyard imitators, and led to ubiquitous media presences. Michael inspired much of the same intense loyalty and fierce hatred as Favre. Both famously overcame injuries and sickness to play outstanding games. Both were lauded by the press for their skills and competitiveness.

However, unlike Michael Jordan, Brett Favre wasn’t a blank slate. Jordan was whoever the fan wanted him to be, and that’s exactly how he wanted it. Brett Favre, on the other hand, just was. Now, he certainly could handle a press room, but Favre made few efforts to hide his problems. He was disarmingly open about his addictions to alcohol and painkillers, and the problems it was causing his marriage. He hoped that, in spite of all this, we would accept him. His critics might say we never knew the “real Brett Favre,” but I think we have a pretty good idea.