Tue Mar 4 13:56:29 2008

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Line of Scrimmage: Legend of Favre Reaches Final Chapter

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Brett Favre never cared much about outside perception, and spent even less time worrying about his legacy.

Never were those facts more evident than on Monday, when Favre somewhat unexpectedly lowered the curtain on a 17-year career in which he developed into one of the NFL's all-time icons.

The outside perception was that Favre, still a Pro Bowler at the age of 38, could have played at a high level into his 40s. With a fine young supporting cast around him, the Favre-led Packers would have been among the top picks to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLIII next February, and league observers figured No. 4 would give it one more go mainly for that reason.

The pundits, myself included, were also doubtful that Favre would want the final image of him to be a poorly-thrown pass, intercepted easily by the Giants' Corey Webster, to set up the Packers' NFC Championship loss at frigid Lambeau Field in January.

Those who have watched and admired Favre for all these years might find that image difficult to digest, but clearly, Favre doesn't feel that way. By going out in this manner, he's washing his hands of any legacy talk - though of course the pundits are unable to do so.

Where does the pride of Kiln, MS rank in a discussion of the league's all-time quarterbacking greats?

The consensus is that he belongs somewhere in the top five, with his many league passing records, a mind-boggling consecutive games played streak, and two Super Bowl appearances (with one win) listed as the top bullet points on his Hall of Fame resume'.

He's not the best - the league-record 288 interceptions are the biggest red flag - and when Peyton Manning begins to dismantle his more positive marks in the coming years, Favre's standing among the greats will undoubtedly be diminished just a tad.

At the same time, however, the respect and admiration that football fans hold for him will only grow.

Just look at a list of quarterbacks widely held in the highest regard. You'll find Favre's name listed alongside those also regarded as nobodies at one time - Unitas, Montana, and Brady primary among them.

The other candidates - Manning, Elway, Marino - are respected but not universally beloved, and the reason is that they were always harder to relate to. Each of the three were blessed with great physical gifts, and while the average Joe or Jill was awed by their performances, they saw little reflection of those players in themselves.

Favre, like Unitas, Montana, and Brady before him, was different. Yes, he always had a super-human arm, but coming out of Southern Miss, Favre's initial Q rating was not high. When the Falcons dealt him to Green Bay in February of 1992, it was not headline news in Atlanta or anywhere else outside of the Packer-mad state of Wisconsin.

Then we saw him play, a tough guy who not only loved the game but played it the way we thought we would if they gave us a helmet and a chance.

He didn't play in fear of what the Monday morning quarterbacks, or the writers, or the radio hosts were going to say, and that kind of courage ultimately means more to the average NFL fan than the ability to throw the football from goal line to goal line. You wished you could be as tough as Favre, and you wished that you could do your job without a fear of making mistakes.

Favre wasn't a surgeon. He made plenty of mistakes, including some in big games. Before his subpar performance in the NFC Championship, there was a terrible interception against the Eagles that probably cost the Packers a Super Bowl appearance in 2003, and there were some plays he failed to make in that loss to the Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII.

People criticized, and yet Favre never came unglued. Until the end, he always seemed like a guy you could have a beer with, and in professional sports circa 2008, that is a rare thing indeed.

What now for Favre?

Well, he doesn't project as the kind of person you'll see trading barbs with Terry or Shannon or T.J. on Sunday afternoons. He loved playing the game, but you never got the sense that he went in for all the surrounding hoopla, particularly in regard to the media. Favre was always polite to the press and often gave good sound bytes, but there was a distance there that suggested he was talking out of a sense of responsibility, rather than desire.

Chances are he'll stay away - the rare sports figure who actually DOES spend more time with the family - until that magical night some time next season when the Packers bring him back to Lambeau for the inevitable "Brett Favre night" extravaganza, and the whole nation tunes in.

Expect there to be some tears on that night - from the people on the field wearing white, dark green, and gold jerseys, and from those in the crowd, and from Favre himself.

It is only fitting that a man who played with such emotion will generate a similar amount when it comes time to make one final goodbye.

As he walks back into the tunnel and disappears from sight, we hope the P.A. will cue a Sinatra tune that while a cliche', is indisputably fitting in the case of Favre.

He did it his way, right up until the end.