Brett Favre's Decision

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It is cold. Really cold. Not the usual chilly 32 degrees that you have become accustomed to, but rather 12 degrees below zero. Your hands are freezing, literally. Your right hand is slightly arthritic, so this is essentially torture. You can feel the small amount of mucus in your nose freezing. It is so damn cold that when one of your teammates got tackled, the decal on his helmet chipped off, frozen. These decals are commonly scratched off or nicked, but this one was chipped off by the unforgiving cold. Now it is your turn.

You call the play, your people around you trusting you. You make your way under center. The noise is deafening. Your adrenaline is rushing. The cold doesn't matter. The snow is starting to stick, messing with your footing. Doesn't matter. You snap the ball. Your receivers make their way, running their patterns to perfection. Your 300+ pound offensive lineman moves with grace and speed as he deftly keeps his speedy opponent on his heels and away from you. Then it happens. Out of the corner of your eye, a 6'6 300 pound man comes charging at full speed. You spot your guy. Your arm tenses and draws back. You fire. Your passes have been known to break fingers, so you know it will get to him. As soon as you release the ball, you feel him engulf you, and even though he pulls back a bit, it still hurts. All of a sudden, you become aware of everything. The wind is a little colder. Your hand hurts like hell. A giant man is lying on top of you, laughing his ass off. Your pass was completed, and a first down achieved, but to what end?

This is just one play that Brett Favre ran. One play in 17 years playing professional football, with the majority of his storied career spent with the Green Bay Packers. Over a 17 year period, Favre has been attacked, sacked, punished and brutalized by some of the greatest defensive players to ever step foot on a football field. He took some vicious shots during his career from the devastating Tampa defense led by Warren Sapp. He battled against Charles Haley of the Dallas Cowboys, got smacked around by Howie Long. He was in a constant state of battle with the Minnesota Vikings defensive line, specifically John Randle. Randle would always be in Favre's face and vice versus during their games. Favre always got up.

He battled and won his addiction with pain killers. He played one of the greatest games of his career the day after his father passed away, launching passes that seemed as though they would never come down. Through it all, he had fun. He played football for a living. During one of the now defunct Quarterback challenges the NFL used to put together, Favre became annoyed with himself during the long bomb challenge when QBs were asked to throw the ball as accurately as they could. Favre took the bag of balls when his turn was over and just began heaving the balls down the practice field. His best during the competition was about 65 yards. His throws after that? 80 to 85 yards. No run after catch, no bounce, just an 85 yard bomb. Amazing.

Brett Favre's decision to retire was based on what he felt was best for himself and his family. It is important to know where your stop is at, otherwise you might miss it. Favre knew where his stop was. He could still step out there and sling the ball with the best. He also realized though that his head wasn't in the game, and that is the most important part. You have a city to think about, fans that think the world of you. You have your teammates and coaches. You are not the only piece of this team, but you are a major piece.

Don't question Brett Favre's decision to retire. It does not matter if you think it is right or wrong. The only time anyone has a say in the matter is if they lined up under center, looking across that imaginary line of scrimmage, seeing Ray Lewis with his crazy eyes, or John Randle on the end, or Roy Williams, waiting for his blind side safety blitz. We have no right to even offer an opinion as to whether or not it was the right choice to retire. Only Brett Favre has that right and in his eyes, it was time. Congratulations on an amazing career Brett. Enjoy your retirement.