Gone For Good

This news won’t last throughout the entire spring and summer like last season, but it is still important news to all sports fans—Brett Favre has decided to retire, again. This time will most likely be the last retirement for Favre. After jumping out to a great start to the season, including six touchdowns in one game against the Super Bowl runner-ups, Arizona Cardinals, he sputtered down the stretch as the Jets missed the playoffs. He took a lot of criticism from sportswriters and “experts” alike and also his teammates. Running back Thomas Jones and safety Kerry Rhodes were two players who both criticized Favre’s play in the final weeks of the season. Favre didn’t have any hard feelings for the teammates or coaches: “Mike and Woody, as well as the entire organization, have been nothing short of outstanding. My teammates—Thomas and Kerry included—were a pleasure to play with. Eric [Mangini] could not have been any better.”

Even as Favre struggled through adversary, he remained a class act through it all. He was grateful for the Jets for giving him a chance to play and grateful to his teammates and coaches. And even though many bitter Packer fans don’t want to admit, he was even grateful to his fans. He made watching football fun because he was having fun playing. It was too bad that he received so much criticism towards the end of his career, but that comes with playing in a big city like New York.

So as Favre calls it quits one more time, he still remains one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game of football. He holds many records including most wins by a QB, most consecutive starts, most career passing yards, most career touchdown passes, most career completions, and of course, most career interceptions. He was as tough as they came and played for the glory and passion.

So the NFL is losing an icon. But of course, the NFL will move on and remain successful. But it is still sad to see him go.

Being a loyal Packer fan I would like wish Brett good luck for life after football. Thank you, Brett, for the joys (and bitterness—2007 NFC Championship Game…) you have provided for many fans like myself throughout your NFL career.