| Really, Brett, when will it be time for you to call it quits? |
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| Written by Emily Warner, Daily Vidette Sports Editor |
| Thursday, 20 August 2009 19:20 |
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Brett Favre is a good football player. He has been great, really. I get chills watching some of the top plays of his career. But like Favre said on March 6, 2008, when he retired the first time, "All good things must come to an end." I think Favre might have some commitment issues. He just seems unable to take the plunge and stop playing football for good. He recently came out of retirement and signed a $25 million, 2-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings after coming out of retirement to play for the New York Jets last season. This upcoming season will be his 19th. If you ask me, I say 19 is one, maybe two, too many. "I would be the first to admit, I don’t think I am capable of making some of the plays I used to make," said Favre in a possible attempt to sound humble. Yeah, I don’t think it would be too difficult to find someone else who is ready to admit that either. Almost 40 years old with a partially torn rotator cuff, it’s not an ideal position to be in. Not only is Favre not capable of making some of the plays, but is he even capable of making it the season? The Vikes plan on going deep into the play offs, more than just your run-of-the-mill 16 game season, which will be rough enough as it is. Favre is a future Hall of Famer who holds many NFL records, including most career touchdowns passes (464), most career passing yards (65,127), most career pass completions (5,720), most career pass attempts (9,280) and most consecutive starts among NFL quarterbacks (269). There is no doubt that he is a record breaker. I think Stephen Colbert put it best when he commented on Favre’s most recent achievement, "Congratulations to Brett Favre on setting the record for incomplete retirements." When Favre retired about two months after the conclusion of the 2007 season, he said, "I don’t want to be one of those guys that you say ‘Well, he stuck around too long.’" Well it looks like his old age is affecting his hearing, because that is exactly what people are saying. He had the perfect opportunity to go out on top after leading the Packers to the NFC championship game and an impressive 13-3 season. Packers fans should feel betrayed that their golden boy for 16 seasons is now playing for one of the most hated teams in Wisconsin. Some say Favre signed with the Vikings to spite the Packers because he feels that they forced him into retirement. Favre said otherwise, "If it was about revenge, I would’ve signed on the dotted line the first day." He definitely did take a long time to think things through. It just so happens he took long enough where he got to miss training camp. Training camp is the worst part of the season and someone Favre’s age may not be able to keep up. He is 39 years old. Not old by regular standards, but for a professional athlete, yes that’s old. Training camp is the most rigorous part of the season. It’s hot, it’s hard, and it is required of all players. If Favre is being put on this privileged pedestal, then he better lead the way towards Miami because come February 7, that is the only place the Vikings franchise wants to be. No one has ever won a Super Bowl ring as a Viking. Minnesota has tunnel vision and it can only focus on a win in the Super Bowl. Deliver or go home. Brett, three-time NFL MVP, 10 time Pro Bowler, you’re not some young twenty-something fresh out of jail with some years left in you. You’re old, hurtin’ and have moderately grey hair. Say goodbye to the game before the game and what comes with it says goodbye to you first.
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