Favre’s Possible Final Season a Microcosm of His Career

By in Sports,

Brett Favre and his purple helmet, now attached to an almost certainly purple bruised body, drifted to his right and crept out of the pocket toward the sideline. If only we could understand what was happening underneath that helmet sometimes. Rolling right and needing to simply allow his kicker a chance to send the Vikings to the Super Bowl, Favre instead blindly attempted a pass across his body, a big no-no for quarterbacks, especially one about to possibly win the NFC Championship Game. It was the type of pass that causes both fans and coaches to cover their eyes long before the end result is even revealed. Considering Favre and his career, the awaiting result could be either a heroic catch or a game-altering interception and nothing in between, for Favre is what he has always been; sometimes brilliant, often controversial, frequently demoralizing, yet always entertaining.

For everything Farve and the Minnesota Vikings accomplished this season, in the end it finished the same way all but one of Favre’s seasons has ended, with a loss. In fact, I think it’s perfectly fitting how Favre’s season, and probably career ended. This past season is no doubt a microcosm of Favre’s entire career, starting with his failed rookie season, all the way to his season-ending poor decision. Favre was never mediocre. The combination of his golden arm and questionable brain resulted in him either winning the game himself or being the main cause of the failure.

Favre was undoubtedly one of the greatest and awe-inspiring players to ever step on the field, and his brilliant play making skills stayed with him throughout his ridiculously long career. His ability to make the impossible probable was as clear as ever this season. Favre’s last second touchdown pass to Greg Lewis in week three against San Francisco should be the highlight shown at his Hall of Fame induction speech. His ability to run around the field making plays where plays did not exist will be his final legacy in the NFL. The unpredictable excitement he created is what his enormous fan base has loved and caused his entertainment value to sky rocket. It got to the point where you almost expected Brett Favre to do what seemed absolutely impossible, and to do it in the most difficult way imaginable. But like most things, what seemed absolutely perfect, had just as many if not more flaws than the average football player.
Favre’s career-long flaws are what makes the ending to his, and the Vikings season so predictable. Amongst all the moments of absolute genius, are scattered hundreds of mistakes, many of which cost a game, and in some cases even a season. In fact, Favre’s career with the Packers, Jets and possibly the Vikings all ended with an interception. I’m not saying Favre isn’t an all-time great or even that he is overrated, I simply believe we shouldn’t be surprised by how his season ended, and that this season has been a fitting possible end to his career. We know how good he can be, but he has constantly reminded us over the past few years why he has only won one Super Bowl. His mistakes often leave us scratching our heads at why someone can look so incredibly brilliant one minute and so amazingly incompetent the next.

Favre also showed his controversial tendencies over the past few months, culminating in an on-field argument with Vikings head coach Brad Childress. Favre and has never been shy about his ego and he showed this in his clash with Childress.

Favre could not survive in a situation where the offense is not all about him, and having Childress, a historically conservative coach, seemed to tick Favre off. It would not surprise me if in the coming weeks the two were further apart than anyone even realized.

With another passing season ending with an interception, and the predictable mulling over whether to retire or not, Favre should take a hint and just be done with it all. He was beat up physically in the final game and although he had a strong season, he cannot help himself but throw games away at exactly the wrong time. Again, usually brilliant, sometimes amazingly inept, Favre will have the legacy of being one of the best quarterbacks of all-time, but as the past season has showed, his flaws usually overcame his genius when it counted most.

advertisement


advertisement

Also in Sports