Should He Stay Or Should Everyone Shut Up About It? » Brats & Beer

November 14, 2006
posted under: Brett Favre, Packers

Anyone out there not have an opinion on Brett Favre and the possibility he comes back next year? Both of you are excused to go back to your jobs at McMurdo Station, but please accept a subscription to Sports Illustrated for Peter King’s gushing columns about our favorite signal caller and take a complimentary copy of Favre on your way out.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, thanks to FOX Sports, set off an avalanche of commentary about the three-time MVP quarterback’s career when he reportedly told FOX’s Jay Glazer in an interview he hopes Favre returns for another season. The next day, McCarthy quickly denied the report, saying he doesn’t want any distractions. Good luck with that, by the way.

One of the unexpected benefits of this season has been the sheer entertainment value of watching all the “analysts” on ESPN and sports columnists around the country wear themselves out jumping on and off the Favre bandwagon. Before the season, the conventional wisdom was Brett should retire or the team should trade him (two idea I thought seemed diametrically opposed to one another), then he starts playing well and suddenly everyone is on board with the first ballot Hall of Famer. A bad game in Buffalo and everyone’s jumping ship again, but then redemption in Minnesota and Favre is once again the greatest thing since sliced bread. I sure hope they all kept their ticket stubs or this ride is going to get expensive.

Should Favre come back for another season? Honestly, I don’t see where it’s any concern of anyone outside the Packers organization and its fans. The team and Packer Nation have a stake in this decision — whenever it comes — not ESPN, not those dopes on FOX Sports, not Bob Costas and his crew. I get that he’s an iconic figure and a superstar in this league, but ultimately this “debate” happening on the outside is all just fodder for selling magazines and newspapers. And anyway, everyone should let the man actually make a decision first before praising or criticizing a decision he might or might not make.

Should Favre return for another season? It’s hard to say since we’re only half way through the season. Personally, if at the end of the year he’s healthy and can still play, I would love it if he decided to stay. Who wouldn’t want a leader like that on your team? (Well, other than maybe Aaron Rodgers.)

In fact, I hope at the end of the season Favre goes back down to his farm in Mississippi, sits on that world-famous tractor and ponders life and football. I hope he gives interviews where he contradicts himself and then says more contradictory things at a series of public functions. I hope he keeps the sports world in suspense and dominates the headlines for a couple months. That should really get the blood boiling for all the haters out there.