Brett Favre - Shoulda Been A Steeler

There is no joy in Titletown, mighty Brett has bowed out.

In what is old news now, Brett Favre, quarterback extraordinaire for the Green Bay Packers has called it a day. After many years of exciting, fun football, his legacy will be a tough one for the NFL to replace.

People can talk all they want about Michael Vick and how he had revolutionized the game, but the one thing you can't say is that there were any postseason glories there. Favre had his unconventional style and made it work. To the tune of a Super Bowl ring at the expense of the overblown Patriots and Miami's Tuna. Vick isn't even fit to attend a dog show.

Many quarterbacks have come and gone in the past 16 years, and Favre has been there to greet them and to bid them farewell. Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Payton Manning, Tom Brady and John Elway are just a few of the QBs that come to mind when I think of Favre's exploits on the gridiron.

I can be pretty judgmental when it comes to sports and the athletes that play them. I hate phoniness and cheaters. Favre was neither of these things. Favre was raw and emotion-based. It was exciting to watch him play.

These other quarterbacks, Vick included, were exciting in their own way. But this is what I remember most about Favre. I liked him. He was about the only quarterback (or player, really) that was not a Steeler that I really liked. He played the game like a kid plays it. Honest, gritty and fighting for that last shot each and every game.

The best that I can say about him is that I wish he'd been a Steeler. But he was a Packer, and those fans are lucky to have been able to witness such fine football artistry for those 16 years. Those fans should send the Atlanta Falcons a thank-you note. Mike Holmgren should too.

I paraphrase something that was said about Baltimore Oriole manager Earl Weaver: "All Holmgren had to do to win on Sunday was to be able to spell Favre." Fortunately for us fans...Holmgren was a good speller.