Brett Farve; the NFL’s modern day Charlie Brown?

So here it is, the NFL off-season, training camps are starting up, new rookies are trying to break in to the big leagues, and old warhorses try to stick around for another year with whoever will take them in. But hey that’s too boring, so we need to have, yet another, Brett Favre “will he-won’t he” episode to drown out any other possible story that might emerge.

Yes NFL fans, say it with me. You know the words.

“Here we go again.”

Like having Bill Murray’s “Groundhog Day” playing as an all day feature, we the fans are lucky enough to Bill Murray’s character as we continue to be bombarded with this news “story” in what seems like every off-season since 2008 (or for local market in Green Bay, since 2002). Some of the plot twists are different (this time, he’s recovering from a surgically repaired ankle, which we’re told is the reason for the indecision), but it’s like a sequel that Hollywood would pump out. Same well known cast members starring, some new faces, new locations, a new plot twist, but the overall premise is still a carbon copy as all the times before, and the story feels old and repetitive, lacking the actual feeling of breaking news that it had back when it made it’s national release in 2008.

And speaking of plot twists, this version starts off with Favre allegedly texting teammates and officials that due to his ankle not responding to rehabilitation, he was going to announce his retirement, with indirect confirmation by Vikings Tight End Visanthe Shiancoe. And with the predictability of a bad sequel (or would it be a trequel now?), Favre denied sending any such messages and there was no explanation for the discrepancy. And with that we get the usual reactions. On one side we have those that feel Favre is up to his old tricks again, lacking class and respect for those that will be relying on him to captain the Vikings to yet another chance to win it all, and being in it only for himself and the attention such an announcement would generate in the media. This year former Pro Bowler Rodney Harrison is the lead candidate to fill that role. On the other side we’ve got the legion of Favreheads, who are with the guy through thick and thin, erring on the side of Favre whenever there is a news story regarding this overdone of topics, with this years twist being that the team is behind the news releases. While there’s no lead actor to come up for this role this year (well outside of Favre himself, but it’d be more a stand-in role.), I’m sure one of the more vocal writers in this group could fill the role. Heck doesnt’ ESPN have both the writers and the drama experience? Sounds like a match. Heck we even have a love interest, if by love you mean Jenn Sterger stating that she has incriminating photos of the center of this growing tempest.

With the media pimping this third installment of “Brett Favre; Will he or wont’ he?!”, there’s a growing contingent that is falling into the third category, and they are screaming “Enough!”. They have every right to be at that. We already know that Brett’s opinion about playing professional football flip-flops more often then a fish taken right out of water, and I’m sure there’s at least someone out there that thinks that he wants to retire for every interception he’s thrown. And on the flipside we already know he actually has a semi-legitimate reason to be thinking about seriously calling it a career, as recovering from injury and surgery, especially when being in the fourth decade, is neither easy, fun, nor aggravation free. So why the huge brouhaha over something that has happened at least twice already? Is this one of those things that the media thinks the majority cares about enough to follow in and watch with baited breath, because really this ranks on par with having Lebron doing a third “I’m signing with Team X” hour long telethons again. Like Hollywood and ESPN, I guess someone must think this is actually new and fresh for us sport fans, probably the same folks that are quite a few layers removed from knowing actual fans.

From what I’ve gathered, most folks want to know where the Vikings stand coming in to camp, with or without Favre. They want to know how Tarvaris Jackson is throwing, if Gus Forette will give him a challenge for the QB position. They want to see how Tony Gerhart looks after his recent signing. And of course how Adrian Peterson and other players returning from last years team are looking. And outside the few on the fringes of the field, no-one else is allowing themselves to be held hostage by the reheated drama, because like that friend that we’ve all had that could never be relied upon, we’ve moved on from them, to bigger and better things. It worked for Green Bay with Rodgers putting up similar numbers, and Sanchez hasn’t been too bad in New York after Brett’s departure. And honestly I think that if this drama ends with Favre ending as retired for good, the Vikings will be just fine. There is a lot of confidence that Jackson will be able to step into Favre’s shoes and be able to mimic them on the field just find, even if their reputation his predecessor carried might make them a bit loose on his feet for a time.

In short, we’re better off just moving on from this reheated story with different toppings. Give the man kudos for his past achievements, and lambaste him for his Charlie Brown’esque wishy-washyness that seems to have flared up in his latter end of his career, and then move on to the much greater world that the NFL preseason has to offer. As New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees stated, “Haven’t we all seen it before?”

That we have Drew. Time to change the channel.

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