Huck Finn's Last Ride (Brett Favre feature), SI, Dec. 4

Unfortunately, though, aren't this story's references to "regular" culture equally forced?

 

This might be blasphemous, but I would have rathered the article been written by Peter King since he actually is tight with Favre.

This article read like a very well-written timeline.

 

King lost every last ounce of credibility with me on the subject of Favre after the incident where Favre changed the play and rolled out so Strahan could break the sack record. King interviewed the Packers offensive line, who said the play was a run and that there is no audible possible from that formation, got similar info from the coaching staff, and then let Favre look him in the eye and lie about the sack. King final judgment was: I believe Brett.

Any insight King on the subject might have would be surfacey at best.

This wasn't a story about Favre for me as much as it was a story about this country's obsession with heroes and the mythology surrounding them. It's an essay as much as it is a feature.

 

Part of the reason why Favre is so beloved is because his life is so fucked up...

Alcoholic
Addicted to pain killers
House destroyed in Katrina
Wife had breast cancer
Father died the day before he had a game

It can be difficult for people to embrace players who they think have perfect lives...

 

But Favre was beloved, especially by the media, before most of the things on that list happened. I think it's in part because he plays his part so well: Gritty country bumpkin who by Gawd just loves this here game and would play it fer free if'n they axed 'im.

As for Favre's great playoff moments, here they are. A thousand thanks to f_m for PMing me this...he should have posted it on this thread and taken the credit.

Year Opp Result | CMP ATT PYD PTD INT | RSH YD TD
---------------------+--------------------------+-----------------
1993 det W,28-24 | 15 26 204 3 1 | 4 18 0
1993 dal L,17-27 | 28 45 331 2 2 | 0 0 0
1994 det W,16-12 | 23 38 262 0 0 | 2 5 0
1994 dal L,9-35 | 18 35 211 0 1 | 2 2 0
1995 atl W,37-20 | 24 35 199 3 0 | 3 -3 0
1995 sfo W,27-17 | 21 28 299 2 0 | 3 11 0
1995 dal L,27-38 | 21 39 307 3 2 | 1 -1 0
1996 sfo W,35-14 | 11 15 79 1 0 | 5 9 0
1996 car W,30-13 | 19 29 292 2 1 | 5 14 0
*1996 nwe W,35-21 | 14 27 246 2 0 | 4 12 1
1997 tam W,21-7 | 15 28 190 1 2 | 5 2 0
1997 sfo W,23-10 | 16 27 222 1 0 | 2 -10 0
*1997 den L,24-31 | 25 42 256 3 1 | 0 0 0
1998 sfo L,27-30 | 20 35 292 2 2 | 0 0 0
2001 sfo W,25-15 | 22 29 269 2 1 | 4 3 0
2001 stl L,17-45 | 26 44 281 2 6 | 3 3 0
2002 atl L,7-27 | 20 42 247 1 2 | 2 -1 0
2003 sea W,33-27 | 26 38 319 1 0 | 1 -1 0
2003 phi L,17-20 | 15 28 180 2 1 | 1 3 0
2004 min L,17-31 | 22 33 216 1 4 | 3 7 0
---------------------+--------------------------+-----------------
TOTAL | 401 663 4902 34 26 | 50 73 1

He's completed 60 percent of his passes. Respectable. 34-26 is OK as a ratio, of course. But we're not talking about numbers, right? Well then, he's 11-9 in these big games, and 2-6 since his last NFC title game win.

Gunslinger, blah, blah blah.

 

I'm not a Favre fan, but how many quarterbacks will even play in 20 postseason games?

 

I'll take Carson Palmer and Phillip Rivers and the over.

 

small disagreement - not because his live is so f-ed up but because his problem's are like other people's problems. people deal with those issues (maybe not katrina but the others) on a regular basis. it's life.

now, the six INT game vs. STL, the four INT vs. MIN and the pick vs. Philly at the end of the game in '03 - i can see why people tire of the fawning despite all the great games and completions. as his career winds down, people see a bit of caricature of this guy regularly throwing the ball up for grabs - whether it's true or not.

 

Right now, Brett Favre is viewed as the Kiss of professional athletes...the man on a perpetual farewell tour. He can't leave the stage. He continues to insult our intelligence by taking the field with imposters playing the role of Ace (Mark Chmura) and Peter (Frank Winters). He doesn't have the range he once did and he's not nearly youthful enough to sling it like he once did, yet he insists on singing "Rock And Roll All Nite" every night. At this point, he's the Gene Simmons of sports: A exploiter of nostalgia who takes advantage of fans who view him as a link to their innocent youth, back in the days before children, high gas prices and sore backs...

 

He's not banging Shannon Tweed, though (as far as I know). Big difference.