Anyone who loves sports, respects healthy competition, and admires excellence has to be a fan of Brett Favre.  On March 4 Favre announced his retirement.  After 17 seasons in the NFL, Favre will no longer lead the Packer onto the “frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.”  He always played with passion, unbelievable grit, heart, and leadership.  Sixty years ago he likely would have been leading a battalion up the beaches of Normandy – and the Nazis would have had even less of a chance.  Brett always played all-out, and more often than not he came out on top. 

Consider these NFL records:

• Career Passing Yards  61,655
• Career Passing Attempts    8,758
• Career Completions     5,377
• Career Touchdowns     442
• Wins as Starting QB     160

Favre is second in NFL history for consecutive games started (253) to Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Jim Marshall (270), demonstrating his remarkable durability. Add in the post-season playoff games, and Favre has 275 starts.  He also was the league’s MVP three different seasons. He owns the Packers record book, with about 3X more attempts, completions, and total passing yards than the legendary Bart Starr. 

The only thing I ever really disliked about Favre is that he didn’t play for the Denver Broncos.  But, John Elway did.  They were often compared for the way they lead their teams and played the games; never willing to quit until the clock ran out.  Anytime they were on the field expectations soared awaiting one of their heroic plays; a last minute comeback.  They are the stuff good memories are made of.  Had either of them actually gotten into politics (and maybe they will) they would surely invoke thoughts of Teddy Roosevelt’s reflection about “the man in the arena.”  That’s how they always played the game.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
     Theodore Roosevelt – April, 23, 1910