Brett Favre

Seldom do I make sports posts; I purposely try to appeal to a more global audience (as limited as I am) instead of posts concentrated on sports or science fiction or photography or trains or video or any of my other personal interests.

Today is the exception; today I write about the quarterback of my favourite all-time team, Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers.

Today, Green Bay kicked the living ass of the Minnesota Vikings, 34 to 0.

In this, likely the final season of play for Brett Favre.

Still, he set an NFL record today, joining Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for more than 60,000 career yards. Ever. In the entire NFL.

Favre also has the record for the greatest number of consecutive starts (243) in the NFL.

He's the league's leader in completions -- as well as interceptions.

During 15 campaigns under center for Green Bay, Favre has led the Packers to 10 postseason appearances, including six division crowns, three NFC Championship Games, two Super Bowls and a World Championship with a victory in Super Bowl XXXI.

And for my money, he's essentially the last of what we typically call a "franchise player." That is to say, a player who will stick with one team through thick and thin and not jump ship when fiscally- or win-expedient.

Favre only has a few more games to go under a Green Bay yellow helmet.

This is the beginning of the end of an era; the franchise player who decided to place loyalty above most any other factor. Like Dick Butkus, a player whose talent clearly exceeded that of his team in any given season, Brett Favre values loyalty. And it is that aspect, along with his records, durability, courage and honor for which he shall be remembered.

I first paid attention to football in 1967 and the Packers became "my" team because I liked their uniforms, whilst living in the so-called mid-west at the time. These are the players I can recall from back then:

• Vince Lombardi;
• Bart Starr;
• Jim Flanigan;
• Jerry Kramer;
• Fuzzy Thurston;
• Henry Jordan;
• Ray Nitschke;
• Herb Adderly;
• Boyd Dowler;
• Willie Davis;
• Donnie Anderson;
• Elijah Pitts;
• Forrest Gregg;
• Gale Gillingham;
• Max McGee;
• Ken Bowman;
• Jim Weatherwax;
  

With Favre passes an era; not just for the Green Bay Packers, not just the franchise, but the entire NFL as well.

BZ