Favre files papers for the final time (I hope)

Will he?  Won’t he?  Did he?  And so on.

These are just questions that seem to pop each NFL off-season about the one and only Brett Favre.  The marry-go-round that is his offseason decision-making may finally have come to a stop from its perpetual twirling, and all I can say is PLEASE let it be for real.

Favre, don’t come back with another team who only needs a quarterback, don’t come back to the Packers in any way, shape or forum.  Just head down to Hattiesburg Mississippi and ride your tractor that you seem so fond of.

I don’t think many can blame Favre for his first dance with retirement.  He wanted to keep playing and felt he still could, after missing the Super Bowl by one game in his last year with Green Bay.

Favre wanted to come back but Ted Thompson and the organization, against the desire of many of its fans, decided to part ways with the long time quarterback.  Rodgers was clearly ready to play and Thompson felt it was not fair to keep him on the bench any longer.  Packer fans who hated the decision, what do you think now?  I’m just asking because Rodgers is easily one of the top five qb’s in football (Brady, Manning, Brees, Rodgers, Matt Ryan in no particular order) and is on the verge of bringing you to the Super Bowl.

Favre’s trip to New York was simply one year of purgatory he had to suffer so he could play for Minnesota, which was what he wanted to do from the moment he knew Green Bay didn’t want him back.  Favre flirted with not coming back when Minnesota came calling, but that was only a ploy to keep out of training camp.  We all know how that season went.  Favre had statistically the best year of his career and was one bad decision away from the Super Bowl.  Throwing accross his body in an attempt for a first down was picked off, when he could have run for the first now problem.  The memory still haunts me and Vikings fans throughout the world.

So Favre’s last rise from the ashes of retirement made sense too.  Coming that close to a championship with nothing to show accept a bruised ankle and hurt shoulder left the idea of unfinished business in his mind. However, center Matt Birk was let go and fled to Baltimore, wide receiver Sidney Rice had off-season hip surgery and what was a deep secondary became depleted fast.Favre’s season was terrible, bad enough that he ended his consecutive start streak and he faced allegations of harassment from a former Jets employee.

Now don’t get me wrong, with Favre gone the Vikings will need a quarterback, but as I wrote in a blog late last year, Minnesota can no longer put an old player under center and expect to win consistently enough for a championship.It was fun Favre, it really was.  The 2009-2010 NFL Viking’s season was magical, and I’m sure your fans in Green Bay will never forget the 15 + years you gave them.  But the next time they see you, I’m assuming it will be for your jersey retirement ceremony instead of lacing it up for another season of football.No one can take away your career and accomplishments, not even a sexting scandal that could have been a lot worse if the NFL wouldn’t have botched the investigation.

- Adam St. Paul

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