#4 Should Retire

The popular question following the victory by the New Orleans Saints over the Minnesota Vikings to clinch the NFC Championship and the right to play in the Super Bowl has been, "Are you happy now?" Happy is not the word I use.

Watching Sunday's game I grimaced at every painful hit given by the Saint defense onto the Viking quarterback. Every tackle that was borderline late, I winced at. But each time the veteran QB got up off the Superdome turf and returned to the huddle. Every time but one, then he was helped off the field at the end of a possession. While watching the trainers and doctors of the Vikings checked him out and re taped his ankle, many wondered if he would answer the bell. But like a great title fighter he came back in to take his licks and fight his team one more time.

But was I happy the Vikings lost? No, I was relieved.

I was relieved that the one time QB of my favorite team, the Green Bay Packers wasn't able to take the division rival to the Super Bowl. Throughout the year all Packer fans were expecting the "old" Favre to come back. We were waiting for Brett to begin forcing the ball, being intercepted and costing the Packers a possible victory. Green Bay fans would shrug it off as "Brett being Brett." We felt that is what made him the QB that Packer fans fell in love with.

But the divorce wasn't pretty and eventually Brett wanted to prove to the administration of the team that he parted ways with that he could still play. He did take Green Bay to the NFC Championship game in his last year in Wisconsin just two years ago and he knew there were still many touchdown throws left in that right arm.

But was I relieved that he didn't take the purple to Miami and the Super Bowl? He did prove that he could still play at a higher level than anyone thought he could play. He is destined to be the league MVP for another time. Is it five? six? Packer fans know he earned the award every year for their team. And with arguably the best surrounding cast of his storied career, he proved to the Packer brass that he could've done this for their team had they listened to him and acquired such free agents as Randy Moss, who instead ended up in New England, and not showing off his rear end again in Lambeau Field. But this isn't why I was relieved.

I was relieved because it became painful watching him take brutal hit after crushing blow. I didn't want him to win the game, but I also didn't want to see him possibly close his career by being carried off the field and not being able to return. Regardless of what jersey he was wearing all fans of professional football want to see their stars play at the top of their game and retire at that same time. No one, including Packer fans wanted to see Brett take one critical blow that would send the iron man permanently to the sidelines.

Now the season is over and the "R" word will repeatedly come up. Should he or shouldn't he? For Brett's sake I hope this is the end. He has proven he can still play and the Packers may have made a mistake...although Packer issues aren't with the play of the QB...and with the proper supporting cast he can still take a team to play at the highest level possible. But as he did in his last play with the Packers, he also threw an interception to possibly end his career. But this time it is different. I would be relieved to not hear the constant retirement talk and relieved to know he is able to walk off the field to end his career.

Please say it is so

Today Brett Favre announced his retirement from the New York Jets. This comes almost a year after his last retirement speech. Many Packer fans did not want to see him in a jersey other than the green and gold of Green Bay. I did not want to see Brett forced to leave the game due to injury or as a loser. I wanted to remember him for taking the Pack farther than anyone else thought he could, the NFC Championship game and walking off the Lambeau Field turf into retirement. His comeback with Jets wasn't disappointing, finishing just out of the playoffs with a winning record, but watching him I didn't see the fun he had with his players or fans that he did in Green Bay. Brett, please let this be the final time you retire from football.

End of a Legend

Today was a difficult day for any Green Bay Packer fan. Brett Favre, 16 year quarterback for my favorite team was traded to the New York Jets. It culminated a difficult month of constant speculation of whether or not he would play again after retiring from the game six months ago.

This is my take. General Manager Ted Thompson and Head Coach Mike McCarthy began to form the post-Favre team a few years ago by drafting Aaron Rodgers in the first round. Rodgers was projected as a top-ten pick, but slipped to mid to late 1st round. It was difficult for the Packers to not take him as Favre's retirement was imminent. Brett has flirted with the idea of retiring the last few years, and pulled the trigger in 2008.

When building this team, McCarthy has expectations on and off the field. He wants the same committment off the field to studying the game as he does on the field to giving 100%. While Brett has been toying with the idea of retiring the last few years, the team began to question if he was committed to what McCarthy was putting into place.

Now Brett retired. The draft came and went with Thompson taking two QBs. Mini-camps and OTAs came and went focusing on the new Green Bay Packer philosophy--all working harder to learn the game in film study. Favre said at his retirement press conference he couldn't see himself put the time into watch video as what is needed by Mike.

The new mindset was instituted in April and May. Late June, Brett wanted to come back and his terms. But his terms aren't part of the new Green Bay way. McCarthy said "the train had left the station," but Brett wanted to be on the train, but not under Mike's engineering.

So today Brett was traded to NY. Thompson said he didn't want to be the guy who signed the trade papers. Brett is a Packer. I was not happy Green Bay offered Brett $20M to stay retired, but I believe they did this so he would not tarnish his image. He is Green Bay and Green Bay became known because of what Brett did for them.

I wasn't born when Bart Starr was the Green Bay quarterback, and my earliest recolection is Lynn Dickey. I would celebrate every win as a little kid, and cry when they would lose. Finally the Packers became a winner and the quarterback who led my team is my age. He takes them to the playoffs, Super Bowl and brings back the Lombardi Trophy to a town in northeastern Wisconsin. While I don't like to idolize, there was no player that was Green Bay to me than Brett Favre. Now he is gone.

I will continue to watch and cheer every weekend for my beloved Packers, but it will take a few years to accept my guy is playing for another team. I want nothing but the best for him as he deserves to be a champion again.