I really hate to say I told you so, but it’s so damn hard not to.
After all of the criticism the guy has gotten over the past few years. After all of the so-called analysts were crying for him to hang up his cleats and saying he didn’t have it anymore.
After dealing with an absolute moron as general manager who refused to get Randy Moss (No, he wouldn’t have helped at all, Ted Thompson…not at all) or any semblance of an NFL running back to take a little pressure off the passing game.
After all of that, I stuck by my boy Brett Favre, and how does he repay me? By sticking a metaphorical middle finger in the air to all of his doubters and leading the Packers to a 4-0 start.
Oh yeah, and he just broke one of the greatest records in all of sports in the process. You probably wouldn’t be able to tell that he broke Dan Marino’s touchdown pass record if you talked to him, but he did.
All the while, he just keeps putting on that goofy grin and running around like he’s an 11-year-old in an arcade.
Case in point: When he threw the touchdown to Greg Jennings that broke the record, Favre jumped up and down and hugged a couple people, then ran over to Jennings and picked him up in a fireman’s carry. Then, in the midst of a Dan Marino tribute on the Jumbotron, Favre went over to the bench and started studying the Vikings’ defensive printouts. He couldn’t give a rat’s left butt cheek that he just broke the record. Favre was just concerned about putting up more points and getting his team another win.
In this day and age, it’s so rare for an athlete to be that selfless. Barry Bonds set the home-run record and couldn’t have been happier with himself. Kobe Bryant makes 13 of 40 shots in a game and then says he needs more help.
How can you hate a guy that just wants to win and isn’t concerned about setting personal records?
Actually, it’s probably a good thing he doesn’t care about records, because he’s about three interceptions away from passing George Blanda on that list as well.
What does Favre have to say about that?
“You can’t get all the good ones.”
Favre’s humble, team-first attitude has never changed. He has always practiced with the same fervor as he plays with in the games. He throws those same 100-mph, whistling fastballs and celebrates touchdown passes with a matching intensity.
Sure, his style is unorthodox and he takes way too many unnecessary risks, but you’ve got to love a guy who goes out on a limb once in a while and trusts his receivers to make a play.
You can’t hate Brett Favre. His country-boy attitude and on-field demeanor makes it impossible. I don’t even know a Chicago Bears fan that hates the guy. Sure, they don’t root for him, but they also don’t boo. Vikings fans even paid tribute to Favre last weekend when he broke the record.
It could have been pretty easy for the gunslinger to give up on his career before this season. General manager Ted Thompson seemed content with not getting any free agent help, which was basically like telling Favre that the Packers were ready to move on.
Everybody in the national media was likewise telling him to throw in the towel.
But I wasn’t. I knew that all he needed was a couple decent receivers and a running back, and he could turn the Packers into a contender once again. It turns out he didn’t even need that.
So here’s me extending a literal middle finger to the Bill Simmonses and Jim Romes of the world who doubted Favre and said he should retire.
He would never say it, but I sure don’t mind — I told you so.
