Brett Favre Is Back...(Crap)

Yesterday, I wrote about Michael Vick's return to the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, and showed apathy towards the topic. Yes, it's a big deal, in a sense, because of all the things he's gone through off the field, but, on the field, it really doesn't affect things very much. He'll see the field about 5 or 6 times a game, and that's that.

But that has nothing to do with this post. What I really wanted you to see is the end, when I wrote, "I hear Brett Favre still needs a job...kidding. Although it would be fun to see ESPN's headquarters blow up if Favre and Vick signed within a week of each other."

That was a joke. I didn't really think Favre would change his mind about coming back only two weeks (give or take) after telling the Minnesota Vikings that he was staying retired. Well, he's back, and we're a lot worse off for it.

I enjoy watching the 11pm edition of SportsCenter on ESPN. It's usually the most informative of the day, and features a ton of highlights that recap the day in sports. Thanks to Favre, that's all ruined. He'll be the lead, middle, and back end story, and will probably comprise 20 minutes of the 1-hour show.

And I don't care about any of it. It's gotten past apathy; it's now on to antipathy.

The first time he said he was done (in 2006), I believed him. Silly me. The second time he said he was done (after the 2007 season, when Green Bay gave the starting QB job to Aaron Rodgers), I didn't. So, you can imagine how I feel now that he's un-retired or come out of semi-retirement or however you want to phrase it, for the fourth time. I think it's the fourth; honestly, it may be more. They all run together now. That's what happens when you go through the exact same routine for 5 years.

From a football perspective, people seem to be living in 2002. The guy isn't good anymore. He had a magical 2007 season, but that was the anomaly, not the norm. Looking at his statistics, year by year, you'll see that since the end of the 2001 season, he's thrown 177 TDs and 138 interceptions. That's an average season of 25 TDs and 20 INTs. Really? That's the guy that everyone thinks is going to put Minnesota over the top? Did anyone else see him fade down the stretch like the New York Mets last year, or was I the only one? And did I mention that Minnesota signed him to a 2-year, $25 million deal? What? Why?

Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels do not provide much in the way of quarterback ability; I'll grant you that. However, Favre isn't good anymore, either. His untimely interceptions and poor decisions have killed his teams for years, and that's exactly the type of quarterback Minnesota doesn't need. They need a guy that'll hand off to Adrian Peterson (aka Purple Jesus) 30 times a game and then congratulate him on his 175 yards and 2 touchdowns. Sage Rosenfels seemed like the perfect candidate. Now, Minnesota's coach, Brad Childress, has basically told Rosenfels and Jackson that they're no good and he doesn't trust them. So when Favre, who turns 40 in October, breaks down physically in, say, Week 11, and the Vikings are in the playoff race, how will Childress react? Will he sign Jeff George? Will he tell Rosenfels that he was kidding all along and really wanted him to be the starter but had to find a way to keep him fresh? Seriously, I can't wait for this scenario to play out (and it will) to see what happens.

At the end of the day, I shouldn't care about Favre's indecision. I don't have any feelings, either way, towards the Vikings, nor do I care about Favre's career/legacy. What irks me is that this guy holds the media and his fans (all 5 of them that are left) at arm's length to gain as much attention as possible. Get over yourself, Brett. Make a decision and stick by it. Is that too much to ask? If you came back after a year or two because you missed the game, that'd be different. But, time and time again, you've "deliberated" in the offseason because you didn't know if you could do it anymore. How many times does it take for you to realize that you'll always end up wanting to play, so you should just go ahead and tell us you're playing?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to write about something a little more pleasant. You know, like Kourtney Kardashian forgetting to take her birth control pills or Tom DeLay joining the cast of "Dancing With The Stars". Those things are funny and entertain me.

Favre's old, tired act does not.

~~ Lank