The man now wearing the purple helmet was on the sideline due to a hand the same color.
After 321 straight NFL games, Brett Favre saw his streak come to an end.
The iron man of football will finally, after many false alarms, be riding off into the sunset.
To Brett Favre, after watching you for 20 years, there is only one thing left to say.
Thank you!
I have made no secret of the fact that I am an unapologetic cheerleader for this guy.
I even loved “Favre-Watch.” Every year football’s grizzled equivalent of the groundhog would pop up from his tractor in Kiln, Mississippi, see his shadow, and declare 6 more months of football.
Not this time.
We laughed with him when he ran around the field like a little kid. We cried with him when he played the day after his father died.
(As a Raiders fan, the score of that game added to the tears.)
I remember when one season began with a still photo of his # 4 Jersey, with the Eric Clapton song “Forever Man” in the background.
When I would think about retiring from my football league, I would remind myself that Favre is two years older than me and still playing. I will not have that to fall back on next year.
For those who said he should have retired years ago, these people need to see what happens to some people who retire.
Favre was no charity case. He was still playing at a high enough level to merit starting in the National Football League.
I mean no disrespect to any other quarterback, but let’s look at some of them.
Aaron Rodgers has developed into a fine quarterback, but he has been injured a few times, most recently a concussion.
Tarvaris Jackson just went on injured reserve after one start with…yes…turf toe.
Matthew Stafford keeps hurting his shoulder.
With Vince Young, his thumb did him in.
Favre played an entire season with a bad thumb, and led several miracle comebacks in the final seconds.
(Sadly enough, again one of those was against the Raiders.)
Yet what makes Brett Favre so amazing is that his finest moments came after he turned 40.
In one game he threw for a career high 446 yards. That was this year.
In one game he led his team from a 24-10 deficit with 5 minutes left into a 27-24 overtime victory. That was this year.
In one game he had his team on the road down by 4 with time for one more play. He stepped back in the pocket, and fired a perfect strike into the end zone for the winning touchdown. In one of the great radio calls of all time, the announcer screaming “Oh my Heavens!” That was last year.
Some say that last year was a magic carpet ride. He threw 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Yet for those who say he hung around one year too long, was it his fault that Sidney Rice was injured half the year? Was it his fault that Percy Harvin was tormented by migraines? The team he inherited was not as good as the year before. That is football. That is what makes his treak even more amazing.
For 16 years, he led the Packers in freezing Green Bay Wisconsin.
Yes he leads the NFL in all time interceptions. Some of those killed chances to get to another Super Bowl. So what? Without him those teams are nowhere near the NFC Title Game. In his 17th and 19th seasons, he led two different teams to one game shy of the Super Bowl, and those losses came in overtime.
He made football fun. Watching him run to the end zone after a score and lift a player on his back was fun to watch.
Watching his coaches cringe at his decision making and then breathe a sigh of relief when it worked out was fun.
Watching him get belted to the ground by Warren Sapp and then slap Sapp on the helmet for a good hit as the two friends and foes jawboned was fun.
The NFL will survive without him.
Yet it was a better league on every level because of him.
For 20 years he entertained us.
He will be missed.
Thank you Brett Favre.
Well done # 4.
Goodbye 4-Ever Man.
Stay in touch.
eric
NFL 2010–Week 15 Recap
San Francisco 49ers @ San Diego Chargers was the Thursday night game.
(Chargers by 10, they cover)
New Orleans Saints @ Baltimore Ravens
(Ravens by 2.5, they cover)
Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers
(Panthers by 2.5, Cardinals win outright)
Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals
(Bengals by 2, Browns win outright)
Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys
(Cowboys by 6, they cover)
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts
(Colts by 4.5, they win but fail to cover)
Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins
(Dolphins by 6, they win but fail to cover)
Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants
(Giants by 2.5, they cover)
Kansas City Chiefs @ St. Louis Rams
(Rams by 1.5, they cover)
Detroit Lions @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(Buccaneers by 6.5, they win but fail to cover)
Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans
(Titans by 1.5, they cover)
Atlanta Falcons @ Seattle Seahawks
(Falcons by 6, they cover)
Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders
(Raiders by 7, they win but fail to cover)
New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers
(Steelers by 6.5, they win but fail to cover)
Green Bay Packers @ New England Patriots is the Sunday night game.
(Pick em, Patriots win)
Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings is the Monday night game.
(Pick em, Vikings win)
eric
For me, it was Favre’s longevity in the game that most affected me. Here’s a guy, just a year younger than me, that’s still doing it, still playing football, still living his dream. Now, his long, storied career comes to an end.
I’m certain this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Brett Favre, though. I look forward to it.
JMJ