Brett Farve Retires

Their have been few times when this columnist was truly sad and one of those times happened this past week with retirement of Brett Favre.
Now I must admit my favorite athlete of all-time is a certain 6’6” guard from Chicago; which speaks a lot since basketball is not even one of “the Grandeur’s” top sports. I’m not even a Packers fan but more of a Cowboys guy. Heck, I would even be straight-up lying to you if I didn’t tell you that I enjoy college football over the NFL. But all that aside, the now former quarterback from Green Bay will go down as one of the most loved athletes in my heart and many others as well.
Rarely, in the history of sports as there been an athlete that compares to Favre in playing the game with such sheer passion and joy. The man turns into the 7-year-old who just got a new football every time he steps out on to the field. He has the perfect balance of how an athlete should approach the game because he lives and dies by each play. He’s completely livid when something goes wrong and absolutely ecstatic when something goes right. It’s watching him scream and yell after an interception or drop pass and high-five the referee after throwing a touchdown pass.
It was entrancing watching him run across the Superdome in the Super Bowl win over New England, it was tear-jerking watching him throw five touchdown passes the day after his father passes away, and it was inspiring watching him throw a touchdown just a play after receiving a concussion. The man played the game as hard as he threw his “who-knows-how-fast” passes.
Even his off-field persona made help make him the perfect everyman quarterback. While everyone else was wearing coats, sunglasses and watches totaling most people’s quarterly income, Farve conducted his interviews in an old t-shirt and baseball cap. Even during his press conference interview to announce his retirement he donned a week’s worth of stubble and un-tucked button-down shirt. Probably the most dressed up he’s been since his wedding. And still yet while everyone else was doing commercials for high-end sports cars and energy drinks, Farve did his for Wranglers wearing a faded pair of blue jeans and beat up tennis shoes. It goes along with the stories we hear about him spending his summers on his lawn mower back home in Mississippi.
Farve said in the days after announcing his retirement that “I know I can play, I just don’t want to. I’m tired.”
Brett, trust us, you don’t have to tell us that, we all know you can play and wish you still would. But we know that those 17 years you spent in the league, making all the consecutive starts, taking all those poundings and having the burden of entire franchise on your shoulders has taken its toll. We know you went out there every weekend giving everything you had and often a little more. We knew you dragged your team along through the good and bad times. But do be honest, we wish you would stick around a little more although we know you can’t play forever. Of course, we also know that if you choose to play for the next 20 years that you still do it at high-level with incredible passion and drive. And that is something you’ll never have to tell us.