The last time we saw Brett Favre, he had just thrown a touchdown pass against the Lions. He had led the Packers to a 21-3 lead in little more than a quarter, and because this was the regular-season finale, and his team was locked into the second seed in the NFC, he was done for the day.
Favre almost ran into a referee on his way off the field. As the ref backed away, he extended his hand -- and Favre slapped it. Later, Favre said he was looking for someone to celebrate with.
Is that Brett Favre or what? Beating the Lions at Lambeau. Playing with excellence and enthusiasm. Having fun. Sorry to go all John Madden on you, but that gives you a glimpse of why Favre is the most beloved player in the NFL -- and why he might be dangerous in these playoffs.
Like Favre, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have won the Super Bowl and the most valuable player award. But there is a feeling that they must do more. If Brady doesn't follow up on the Patriots' 16-0 regular season with a Super Bowl victory, he will have missed an opportunity for unprecedented greatness. For all his accomplishments, Manning is measured against Brady. Then there's Tony Romo, who has to make up for his biggest playoff moment to date, a mishandled long snap that cost the Cowboys a game.
Favre, who faces Seattle today, doesn't seem to have that kind of weight on his shoulders. For years, there has been talk about Favre retiring. But he came back this season and threw for 4,155 yards and 28 touchdowns. He broke Dan Marino's all-time records for passing yards and touchdown passes. This surprising season is seen as a bonus. If Favre succeeds in the playoffs, that will only make the bonus bigger. If he fails, his legacy is still secure.
"I'm one of the few guys who can say that individually I have far exceeded every goal," Favre said in a conference call with Detroit reporters before the Thanksgiving Day game. "To have been on a team that won a Super Bowl, to have gone to Pro Bowls, to pretty much own all passing records good and bad, and to have played as long as I have and play for one of the greatest organizations in all of sports and have the success I had, makes it easier.
"I don't feel like I have to come back to prove anything. I don't feel like I have to come back to still feel like somebody. It's all been done. I'm here because I love to play. I still think I can play at a high level. I still think I can help this team win. If it doesn't work out and I walk away, hey, it has been a pretty good ride."
But Favre's legacy is about more than production or accomplishments. It's about moments like the one when he slapped the ref's hand.
Brady is the quarterback of that joyless juggernaut in New England, the GQ QB who has been photographed for fashion mags and has dated an actress and a supermodel.
Manning is the purebred quarterback, son of Archie, brother of Eli, and despite his great, goofy TV commercials, he is known for his obsessive preparation and robotic style of play.
Romo is the NFL's "American Idol," the hot young star who came out of nowhere to lead America's Team. He even dated Carrie Underwood and now is with Jessica Simpson.
Favre, meanwhile, describes himself as a "good, old country boy from south Mississippi." His Wrangler ads capture his image perfectly -- scruffy beard, faded T-shirt, broken-in jeans, tossing a worn, leather ball around the backyard.
The public has watched him deal with personal problems -- from addictions to painkillers and alcohol, to his wife's battle with breast cancer, to the deaths of loved ones -- all while playing with the joy of a little boy in the NFL's small town. Even if some of it is mythology, it doesn't matter. It's who he is and always will be.
"I hope that what I've left behind up to this point doesn't need to be in the record books to be remembered," Favre said in that conference call. "I hope that I played this game in a way that people say, 'He was sure fun to watch.' "
source: http://www.freep.com
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