Some Thoughts on Favre

I've returned from my trip to Fargo and the beautiful Detroit Lakes region to find that Brett Favre is still in the news, threatening to report to Packers training camp as if working out and exercising is the same thing as blowing up a federal building. If I was the Packers, I'd say fine, come on to camp and make him hand out water to the other players and wash their jerseys and such. Somewhere along the lines players have forgotten that they're employees, just like everyone else who gets paid to do something, and that contracts are contracts.

No matter what, I think Favre's made it pretty clear during the last few months that he's a crazy, delusional professional athlete just like all the rest, utterly incapable of exiting the spotlight gracefully, and I think this above all else is what is driving Favre fans, and the media who've built him up into this iron man/loyal to the death/football saint, a little bit insane. The Favre media hoopla has actually made me nostalgic for the heyday of Paris Hilton/Brittney Spears coverage, and I didn't think anything could do that.

As a side note, I find it hilarious that the Packers have accused the Vikings of "tampering" with Favre, especially when he called them. I guess your loyal Packer football demi-god is actually fragile and opportunistic enough to be "tampered" with by a phone call? What? At least college athletes have to be swayed by a free Humvee or something. If your hall of fame quarterback is just one call away from switching to your mortal enemy's team, after many long years of service, I guess he must not be such a stand up guy after all. Or, at least, mentally stable.

Addendum: I'm not saying this situation is all Brett's fault. Packer management should have been clear with Brett, knowing as they did of his propensity for changing his mind about retirement. I doubt he would have been as quick to retire if he'd know that once retired, he wouldn't be welcomed back as the Packer starter immediately. From what I've read the management pressured him for a decision. They must really like Aaron Rogers, Favre's QB heir. I expected them to grovel before Favre and hand him the starting keys as much as anyone in Green Bay must have. I wonder if they know something about his medical condition we don't.