TheChez.net

By: Lundin’ Bridge

After months and months of waiting and fickle decisions, Brett Favre finally announced his retirement today. Again. It seems like just yesterday when we watched the ESPN slide show paying homage to Favre’s career. Oh wait it was yesterday. And last week. And the week before that. See a pattern here? I regard Brett Favre as one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL. He’s definitely going to be a first ballot hall of famer. His inability to accept retirement will probably be the only sour spot of his career. But how does this compare with Roger Clemens?

The answer of course is Steroids. Just kidding. In comparison. both players were the top athletes in the respective sport for many years. As we saw with Roger Clemens, when writers and fans speculated he would retire, he made the decision to do so. But then he un-retired and signed with the Astros (after some coaxing from Andy Pettite) and won the Cy Young. So he came back the next year and posted a sick ERA but got no run support and didn’t do anything in the postseason. Then in ’06 he un-retired again, this time midway through the year, and didn’t really do that much exciting. After another comeback midway through the ’07 season, this time as a Yankee, a shitty ERA and a bad hamstring finally put Clemens away for good. Along with the steroid scandal of course.

On to Brett Favre. 16 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Impeccable career. The face of the franchise. So when Favre tearfully announced his retirement in March of ’08, everyone was shocked. Until July, when the shock turned to excitement because Favre was slated for a comeback. And then more shock when he said he wanted out of Green Bay. Then after some name calling and an ugly parting of ways, Brett Favre put on a Jets uniform to start the ’08 season. After leading his team to an 8-3 record, the Jets lost four out of their last five games of the season and didn’t make the playoffs. Ouch. So was this it for Favre? He again retired February, but in May was granted release from the Jets and had arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder to again work toward a comeback. Favre told the Vikings he was interested in playing for them, but to hold their horses cause he wasn’t completely sure he wanted to play yet. So the Vikings bowed down to Favre. Week after week, his decision was prolonged longer and longer. ESPN somehow managed to scrounge up enough information to gave us day by day coverage of what was up with Brett Favre. Until today of course, when Brett Favre decided enough is enough, and his career slide show was played again. He nsaid he could’t handle the physical strain on his arm and body for a whole season anymore. But you can never say never with Brett Favre.

So the question is, will Favre follow in Clemens footsteps come October or November and decide he wants to play again, if only for half a season? Will a team sign him for only half a season? Only time will tell. I would have liked to see my boyhood idols like Michael Jordan and Clemens retire when they were on top of their game. That ship has likewise sailed for Favre. Perhaps he will finally take his losses and retire from the NFL before we remember him as the guy who overstayed his welcome and not as an MVP for the Packers. But one thing is for sure. One never knows when it comes to Brett Favre.