By John Garces/sports editor
After 17 seasons in the NFL, and single-handedly breathing life into one of the NFL’s most storied franchises, legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre has announced his retirement.
Saying he is mentally tired from his years in the game, he decided it was time to call it a career.
Though not totally unexpected, the move is nonetheless surprising.
Many believed the QB would return for the 2008 season. After all, he led the Packers to the NFC Championship Game last year, where they fell to the New York Giants, the team’s third-ever postseason defeat at home.
Favre, the owner of every major passing record in the NFL, looked like the leader of one of the NFC’s favorites going into the 2008 season before his announcement.
Not only is this a sad occurrence for the Packers and their legions of loyal Cheeseheads, it is also a sad day for the NFL.
Favre is one of the few genuinely good guys in the NFL. He turned his life around years ago after battling alcohol and pain-killer addiction to make what proved to be one last run at a championship after leading the Packers to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in the ’90s and one title.
A lot of what is written or said about Favre will focus on his last professional pass: an untimely interception in the overtime loss to the Giants.
But focusing on that pass would be a huge disservice to one of football’s greatest ambassadors.
He meant more to the city of Green Bay, Wis., than touchdowns, wins and losses.
Though fans of the Lions, Bears and Vikings, his division rivals through his 16 years in Green Bay, might disagree, Favre was one of those players every NFL fan rooted for.
That kind of void is one the league will not find easy to replace.
Who among those millions of fans who watched Super Bowl XXXI can forget Favre, helmet off, running down the field like a school kid after throwing a pivotal touchdown pass?
When professional athletes seem to do their best not to have fun when the camera is on, perhaps that will be the one thing missed the most by his retirement.
All his records will probably be broken, and people might eventually forget his iron man quality. But his child-like enthusiasm for the game will perhaps be his greatest legacy.
Congratulations on a great career. Guys like you don’t come around too often. See you at the Hall of Fame in Canton in five years.
Not too many guys deserve it more.
