Good for Brett

Well, the four letter network has finally called off the emergency alert status, and have returned to displaying dunks, home runs and occasional sports news.  Brett Favre decided to play football again, thus returning the focus of fall to watching the pigskin fly and eventually blowing some leaves into the neighbor's yard.  When future generations look back at all of this, they are going to laugh.  A lot.  And not at the first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback.  No, those who have a realistic sense of perspective will gain quite a bit of fun observing the inane amount of coverage dedicated to a football player's desire to continue playing -- get this -- football.

This story may turn out to be the most 'much ado about nothing' in the history of sports.  If I had the guy's talent, I would play that great game of football for as long as I could walk.  That is all he is doing.  Taking some time each of the last few years to see if he can get out there one more time, to play the game he loves.  Those concerned with his decision making time table are the kinds of people that rarely, if ever, have to make that kind of choice.

It is sweet that some media types are very concerned with Brett's "legacy".  Really?  Does anyone need to lose sleep because a long time football player decided to play the game again?  How many players in any sport have the opportunity to decide their final fate?  The vast majority are pushed out by age, economics, injury or a talent that has faded too far to contribute at the professional level.

Here in Denver, I know if John Elway woke up one morning and thought he had one more touchdown pass left to throw, everyone from Pat Bowlen to the kid who grabs the kicking tee off the field would seriously consider taking him back.  Because that is the respect he earned during his Hall of Fame duration.  I am having a tough time understanding why Brett isn't getting the same regard across the board.

Ultimately, we all know there is a percentage of humanity outside of Green Bay that want him to fail this last run, because he defied some unwritten law about how and when a player should go away.  Heck, I think a number of Packers' fans have actually moved on and only the most bitter among us are wishing him ill, as a pretty darned good quarterback pursues the love of the game one more time.  Good for him.  It is good for football to have a great go out on his own terms.  It is good for a great Minnesota-Green Bay rivalry and it keeps expert insiders up late at night, just in case Brett changes his mind one last time.