Brett Favre At 40:

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre turns 40 this coming Saturday.

This past Sunday, he turned football upside down and set benchmark records all around.

ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast on October 5th, featuring Favre's Vikings vs his long-time former team, the Green Bay Packers, garnered 21.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched cable television program in history. Ever.

Further, the game also trumped the ratings of every other major network that night, as well.

Once again, proving that old age and guile beat youth and inexperience every time. Aaron Rodgers performed well, but he's no Brett Favre. And the Vikings walked away with a 30 to 23 win over the Pack -- essentially, my favorite team.

Until now. Apparently I'm an acolyte of Favre. Because I only wish him to continue on to the Super Bowl. The Vikings won't make it, of course, but I'll still watch.

So fine, I can hear it now: yeah yeah yeah, Favre retired then unretired then retired then unretired. He's a flake.

No. He's a fine football player who still, at his advanced age (for football, at least), has the enthusiasm of someone in their twenties.

And THAT'S what attracts viewers to Brett Favre. And me as well.

People can tell fake from real; a genuine love of an avocation vs a tolerance or a false front. And Brett Favre still retains a youthful exuberance and enthusiasm that is still frothy, catchy, naive and immature all at once. He still -- my God, can I say this? -- loves the game of football. He plays for the love of the game.

And people sense his honesty.

Green Bay discarded him. So it goes. I submit that Brett has been renewed under the right team at the right time. The Jets didn't do it. I believe the Vikings do.

You know what? He still has fun playing the game.

And that's why people want to watch him.

BZ