The end of an era

Today, Brett Favre's consecutive start streak ended at 297 games when he was listed as inactive with a sprained SC joint. Thus far through the 2010 season, he had played with a broken foot and severe elbow tendinitis. He has taken shot after shot after shot behind an offensive line that essentially best resembled a turnstile this season. There were points in time when Favre could barely walk, yet still rose up each time. Now, some of this may have been an overdramatization, since he very much enjoys being the center of attention, yet somehow these hits may have hurt more than even he let on.

Watching the Vikings struggle this season, one has to wonder how often Favre questioned his decision to return for one final year. He did not get along with his coach, the now deposed Brad Childress. His primary option at receiver had a severe hip injury, and was not even on the field for most of the season. He seemed a step slower, and never got in sync with the players around him. The receiving corps was a bit of a revolving door, with Sidney Rice hurt, Greg Camarillo being brought in right at the end of training camp, Randy Moss being there for a month, and Percy Harvin's ongoing migraine issues.

If this is truly the end for Favre and he does not play any further this season (as of now, there is talk of placing him on the injured reserve list), what will his legacy be? Some will remember him as the Ol' Gunslinger, who was out there firing the football around and having fun with his friends like it was an afternoon pick up game. Others will remember the narcissistic soap opera that was his waffling between being retired or being unretired, which stretched over four offseasons. Still others will recall how he is the main reason as to why two head coaches (Childress and Eric Mangini) got fired from their jobs.

When looking at Favre's legacy, it is important to remember all of this about him. It is also important to recognize his accomplishments, both positively (most touchdowns in a career, most career passing yards, the multiple MVP's) and negatively (most career interceptions, most career turnovers). Yes, Favre accomplished a lot of milestones and some achieved some potentially unbreakable records. Yet, how many of them are seemingly out of reach due to his ability to avoid injury (or his ego forcing him to continue playing) and the sheer length of time that he did play? To draw a parallel, Nolan Ryan has a lot of the same going for him. A lot of positive milestones (most strikeouts in a season and all-time, 300+ wins, seven no-hitters) and negative milestones (most career walks, never won a Cy Young award). Yes, both were great, but both played for a long time and managed to compile statistics just from the volume of games played.

In the end, Favre's last pass (fittingly intercepted) may have been thrown, and he is now set to limp off into the sunset, until the point in time when he arrives in Canton to wear the mustard yellow blazer signifying his due place in the NFL Hall of Fame. When recalling his remarkable career, don't just focus on the positive, but keep in mind the full portrait of this unique player who seemed incapable of receiving criticism from the pundits. Perhaps that is his greatest legacy of all.