Brett Favre Can't Stand To Be Away

For every slobbering member of the media who sold you the lie that Brett Favre was a simple country boy who disliked the spotlight and would disappear into a deer stand after finally retiring, you can hold up this week as a prime example of why the former Packers/Jets/Vikings QB will spend the rest of his life refusing to go away. Between doing color commentary (badly) for a Southern Miss game and openly saying that Aaron Rodgers should have won a Super Bowl in Green Bay sooner, Favre has pretty much obliterated whatever small chance he had of staging a dignified retirement.

Already, people are taking Favre to task for trying to reclaim the spotlight. Aaron Rodgers, on the other hand, has handled the situation with characteristic minimalism:

"You know what? I'm just, the only thing I want to say is I'm just really proud of our guys and what our team did last season. It was a great accomplishment," Rodgers told ESPN Milwaukee on Wednesday. "It took all 53 of those guys, and obviously it got the attention of a lot of people, and we're proud of the fact that we achieved the ultimate goal as a team."

Did Rodgers feel disrespected?

"You know what? Again, I'm just going to say I was really proud of our team," Rodgers said.

You can almost hear Rodgers chewing through his lip as you read those quotes. Off the record, I'm sure Rodgers has far more colorful things to say about his predecessor. But that's the difference between Favre and Rodgers. On the field and off of it, Rodgers knows something about restraint. And his play over the past 12 months has left no doubt as to whose side Packers fans are now on. Rodgers, right now, is playing football better than Favre ever did. Watch the tape and see for yourself. And this Packers team is so good, it's easy to imagine them winning a second consecutive Super Bowl, something Favre never did.

And perhaps that's what's driving Favre right now. Like the rest of us, Favre assumed his stature as the greatest QB in Packers history was secure. But that's not the case anymore. If Rodgers wins another title and continues to be a dominant passer (no reason to think otherwise), he'll assume the throne. And you know that eats at Favre. So don't expect this to be the end. Don't expect Favre to suddenly stop talking and be the quiet country boy he's always claimed to be. As the Packers get closer and closer to winning it all again, expect Favre to make his presence known, to try and steal Rodgers' spotlight. And expect him to fail miserably.

Contact Us