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Do you love the NFL Draft?  I do and there must be many out there like me.  The National Football League and ESPN have taken their show to prime time hours.  This is another sign that I am old and have no life.  Rounds two and three are on Friday night and I think to myself, perfect.  What could be better than watching this kind of exciting programming.  You have shots of guys on telephones and young guys wearing hats and holding up jerseys.  You also have guys telling me what my team needs and who is the best guy to fill those needs.  Does this kind of excitement get you pumped up?  If it does then you have got problems just like me.  So be it.

I admit the NFL has me hook line and sinker.  My only relief is in knowing that I am not alone.  The NFL schedule came out and it was the sports story of the day!  They do not do this for baseball nor basketball.  For professional football they announce early in the morning that the schedule will be announced later in the day.  I believe the draft means everything and it means absolutely nothing at the same time.  Let me explain.

You can never know if your team has had a good draft or a bad draft.  You may be elated that your squad got your favorite college player or that they have filled a huge need.  You can also be let down because you do not recognize the names nor the colleges some of your guys are coming from.  I would also suggest that you do not put too much stock in what the draft experts say.  Draft and expert are two terms that should not be used together.  Like expert and weatherman should never be used together.  I would say, draft best guesser would be more realistic.  Let’s take a look at some of some draft stories I came across.  There are millions, you may add your own.

We all love the famous stories of Joe Montana being drafted in the third round and Tom Brady being drafted in the sixth.  This illustrates that the draft can mean everything and nothing at the same time.  How could these two guys go that late?  Have you ever seen the pictures of Brady at the combine?  He was very slow running and very skinny.  Not only was he skinny but he did not have a defined muscle in his body.  He was also sporting that Dumb and Dumber haircut that Jim Carey made famous.  A few years later he wins Super Bowls and marries a Super Model.  Who knew.

My friend the Sports Dr. was so excited when the Colts drafted Peyton Manning because then his Chargers could draft Ryan Leaf.  The expert opinion that year was Manning was more polished but Leaf had the larger ” upside”.  Peyton wins a Super Bowl and will hold most passing records and Leaf disappears except on police blotters and biggest draft busts lists.  Many believe him to be the biggest draft bust ever.

In 1995 the 49ers drafted J.J. Stokes out of UCLA to be the heir apparent for Jerry Rice.  I believed Stokes was a can’t miss star as the 10th player taken that year.  Stokes career numbers: 342 catches for 4293 yards and 30 touchdowns.  In that same year there was a tiny receiver out of that football powerhouse Hofstra named Wayne Chrebet.  Chrebet was not even good enough to be drafted at all, not even in the last throwaway round.  He did not even qualify for Mr. Irrelevant status.  His career numbers: 580 catches for 7,365 yards and 41 touchdowns.  You just never know.  Terrell Davis was the 196th player taken that year.  Jamal Duff a defensive end from San Diego State and Foothill High School in Tustin was the 204th player taken by the Giants.  Jamal played a few years  and then went into acting.

My personal favorite draft story that I came across is the Brett Favre draft in 1991.  You see when you get old you forget things and you also just have more experiences so there is just more to remember.  Favre was the 33 player drafted that year out of Southern Miss. even though I had never heard of him.  I had heard of the quarterback drafted in the first round at number 24, Orange County’s very own, Todd Marinovich.  Is that amazing?  All of these years later I did not put those two together.  Todd was out of the NFL after the 1992 season and Brett…well we know that Grandpa Brett is coming back for season 2010.  Marinovich had career numbers of 8 touchdowns, 9 interceptions and 1,345 yards.

The funny thing is the team that drafted Favre, the Falcons traded the future Hall of Famer to Green Bay.  You just never know.  Other quarterbacks taken in that draft:  Dan McGwire( yes one of Mark’s brothers), Browning Nagle, Scott Zolak, David Hollas, Bill Musgrave, Craig Erickson, Pat Justin, Pat O’hara, Shawn Moore, Jeff Bridewell and Larry Wanke.  I am no draft expert but I am predicting there will only be one Hall of Fame quarterback from that years draft.  So I will enjoy the draft and all of the nonsense that goes along with it. I will also try to remember my own words, you just never know.

To be honest I was waiting for some of my fellow friends on SportsNetUSA.net to blog first.  I was hoping that someone would write in and smash Brett Favre and then I could respond.  So far it has not happened.  The week after the NFL championships is usually a slow sports week.  This week has been no exception and already I want to scream.  It has me thinking I want to find a classical music station and stop listening to so much sports talk.  I would like to take a look back and a quick look forward to the Super Bowl.  Somewhere another tradition has bit the dust with the Super Bowl now in February instead of January.  Just think if they go to an eighteen game schedule maybe we can get the Super Bowl pushed to March and keep the draft in April and cut down the months in which there is no NFL.

Did you ever really worry when the Colts fell behind the Jets?  I never once believed in that game that the Jets were going to win.  The Jets are what they are, an up and coming team.  The Colts are already there.  The Colts have become the model organization in football.  It helps when you have guys like Dungy, Manning and Polian.  I am happy they are in and I believe they will beat the Saints.  I just want to see a good game because like last week I have no hatred for either team.  Normally I like to be really for or really against a team but not in this one.

I was very happy for the Saints and the city of New Orleans to beat the Vikings.  It is nice to see long suffering franchises win sometimes.  The Saints defense was something to watch and what a whipping they put on Favre.  Turnovers were the difference.  I do not see them getting to Peyton like they did Brett.  If the Saints win the Super Bowl that would be fine with me too.

I have no interest in the Pro Bowl at all.  Do not care when they play it or where they play it.  It is a useless exhibition and a waste of time.  Of course I believe every professional All Star game in any sport is a waste.  I have some ideas on what would make the game more interesting but don’t want to go into that now.

This brings me to the past week and all of the nonsense about legacy and who is the greatest.  I must learn to change the channel when this kind of talk comes up.  Where does Peyton Manning rank with the all time greatest quarterbacks?  What will Peyton’s legacy be if he wins or if he loses?  Brett Favre has all kinds of records but he is not among the all time quarterbacks because he has only one ring and he always throws an interception in the crucial moment of a game. Give me some Bach or Beethoven right about now.

Remember when the standard was if you won a Super Bowl?  Well now a quarterback or coach has to win more than one or they cannot be called great.  That is garbage.  Where did all of this legacy stuff come from?  The greatest of all time talk is comparable to me to which came first the chicken or the egg?  It is useless and yet I cannot stop listening or getting ticked off.  Peyton Manning will, if he stays healthy, pass most of Favre’s records.  He is and has been a great quarterback for some time now.  He will be a great quarterback if the Colts lose.  Favre is a great quarterback despite the interception and the Vikings loss.  Did I mention the greatest back in the league kept putting the ball on the carpet in that game?  Remember in the NBA playoffs last year and I railed against the “what is Kobe’s legacy if he loses?”  Kobe haters were chomping at the bit to say, see he never won one without Shaq.  I heard a guy say that he was not sure how to rate Montana because Joe had Jerry Rice and great players around him!  What!  Shut off your mike since I can’t seem to change the station.

That is what we have to look forward to now.  Grainy films of Joe in the Super Bowl and HD pictures of the current greatest of all time, Manning.  You know if Peyton wasn’t tall, athletic, blessed with a strong throwing arm, a dad named Archie, football smart, had great coaching, have a great offensive line, have a great game plan, play in today’s pass happy game, never have a major injury, get to run the no-huddle, play in an indoor stadium and have great receivers….if he didn’t have all of that, I am not sure I could call him great.  I know this is not grammatically correct but I hope the point is made.  Chicken or the egg, Manning or Montana, enough, stop it.  Now, how about some music!

I need to apologize about not getting this entry in earlier. Sometimes I am really very indecisive about what subject to write about. I have learned that sports fans hate people that are indecisive and really hate those that change their minds. Anyway, as a former president used to say, there you go again. That is right, another entry about the Brett Favre endless story. I really just want to hear people that were against him coming back to now say, the facts are in and it has been great for the NFL. Is that asking too much? I have enjoyed watching TV and listening to announcers attack this guy and then last week watched them retreat before the Monday night Packer-Viking game. There were many ESPN guys that were against his comeback and then turned and pumped up the Packer-Viking game and the hype machine. The hype worked as that game was the most-watched show in cable TV history with 21.8 million viewers watching.

So is it really asking too much for some of you to come clean and say, Favre’s return has been fantastic for the NFL? I know you can do it. There is not much else to say about the game, it was a pretty good game. Aaron Rodgers will probably end any association he has with any one with a first or last name of Allen. Jared Allen could not be blocked all night but it would have been nice if a Packer at least touched him on occasion. Could someone explain to me why Allen’s calf roping/tying thing is not taunting? What is the difference between an end zone taunt and what he does after a sack? I have heard some say, well Brett is with a better team. Well that is not his fault is it? If the Vikings have more talent then certainly that would be on Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson. I look forward to the rematch in Green Bay.

Here is some more retirement news. Junior Seau is reported to be rejoining the Patriots. Charger fans you need to burn your Seau gear as he is just coming back to stick it to the Chargers. Junior is even older than Favre! Olympic swimmer Dara Torres is having surgery that may take 18 months of recovery time. Torres who is 42 is not saying she is finished yet and has not given up on the Olympics of 2012. It is obvious she is coming back to just stick it to…okay I don’t know who she is trying to stick it to. Jeff Jordan who played guard for Illinois and months ago said he was done with basketball to concentrate on studies. He has changed his mind and wants to un retire. Guess he has had some Favre-itis or maybe he has done a Jordan. His dad, Michael changed his mind on retiring a time or two. You know Jeff is coming back just to stick it to Iowa.

This week the Broncos play the Patriots which can only mean one thing. Josh McDaniels went to the Broncos just so he could stick it to the Patriots and Belichick. Patriot fans you must burn all of your Josh McDaniels paraphernalia. He could have been a college coach but no he stays in the AFC all so he could stick it to the Patriots. How much more obvious can these examples be? They are all selfish and do not care about their sports or play because they love their sport. They all just want to stick it to someone. I know what you are thinking about now, you would like to stick it to me.

So let’s move on shall we? Are Cleveland fans still happy they brought the Browns back? One of the true joys of living in Northern Cal is the chance to watch the Raiders nearly every week. The previous line was sarcasm. The Colts need to be looked at as one of the best run organizations in the NFL. They are the Patriots without the cheating. Hey TO how is life in Buffalo? Chad Pennington has been a class act and lets hope for a great recovery. Broncos defeat the Cowboys and the Steelers defeat the Chargers, four words, Wade Phillips, Norv Turner. I love Jon Gruden as an announcer. He is actually an ex-coach that really adds actual insight into the game. Enjoy him this year because he will be back on the field soon. Last item for the day. Is anyone else sick of the little robot football guy that is on the commercial breaks on Fox? I was hoping that he would be dumped this year but no, he is still around. Maybe we should start a write-in campaign or maybe it is just my issue.

One of the things I really enjoy about a professional sport season is the up and down ride we go on. Very few times is there a dominant team that looks to be the favorite at the beginning that is the champ at the end. Many times when the best team at the beginning is the best team at the end there was still much to overcome in the middle. I love it, it makes each season interesting.

So, hey did you catch any of that San Francisco and Minnesota game? Did you find it very, very sad? I don’t know about you but I had to tell my son to avert his eyes. Wait I do not have a son. Well, if I did I would have said son this is too sad to watch, too much pain to bear. Old number four is almost forty and not what he once was. You see him throw a pass down field and then run forty yards to knock All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis off his feet? Very sad. You know he only ran down there to block Willis because he came back to just stick it to the Packers.

That is no way for a quarterback to act, you know the young qbs in their twenties do not run forty yards to make a block, silly guy. Look away son, number four is running around without a clue and avoiding younger, stronger, bigger guys trying to sack him as he throws a dart in the end zone for the game winning score, so sad. You know he held up that poor Packer team, just held them hostage. He led them to a 13-3 record and then retired and my gosh had the nerve to change his mind and wanted to try it again. He is a rotten human being, so selfish, in it for the fame and money. He came back only to stick it to the Packers. This guy does not love the game. This guy has no love for the game he only plays for the wrong reasons and is so selfish that he won’t let the other quarterbacks get into play as he starts for the 270 something time. The end of the game is the reason I love sports so much.

Despite all of the things that go wrong and off field woes, all of the money pro players make, it still comes down to talent, effort and competing. The players and the fans at the end of that game knew they had witnessed something special and for three hours all the bad stuff is left behind. Favre did not look like a famous multi-millionaire, he looked like an excited kid that loves football.

I know it is a long season and this still may not end well for Favre and the Vikings. I also think there may be some Packer fans hoping he will get hurt, I hope not, never root for injury even if to prove your point. He may very well get injured however it will not be because of his age but because football is so violent. Look at Tebow and Bradford, guys in their twenties, we all think we are indestructible in our early twenties. Indestructible and football do not go together. I am also laughing at the ESPN announcers. So many of them cracked jokes about Favre coming back and how bored they were of the story. Those same people are now hyping the Monday night game with the Packers and the Vikings and the anticipated ratings. Believe me, the ratings will be through the roof. This is so perfect for this game to come up now. You can now admit it. Brett Favre coming back has been great for the NFL and has added even more interest. Last on Favre, love the Sears commercial where he can not make up his mind. Hey, how come there was no commotion about John Smoltz not retiring?

Here are some other of my thoughts about the NFL. Remember when Marc Bulger was considered one of the best quarterbacks in the league? That is what injuries can do to a promising career. By the way, how is the attendance out there is St. Louis? I could not stand his dad Buddy but I love Rex Ryan. Mark Sanchez is an example of a player being ready to grab his opportunity and making the most of it. Remember when Kevin Kolb replaced McNabb last year when Andy Reid benched him? Kolb had an awful half and then the word was out that Kolb could not play. Last week his 24 of 34 for 327 yards and two touchdowns may indicate differently. Good for him.

Congrats to Matt Stafford and the Lions for ending their losing streak which makes me ask. Why is Matt Millen still considered an expert? I am happy any time the Redskins lose because I love to see another expert, Daniel Snyder the skins owner fail. I was happy to see Carson Palmer and the Bengals pull that game out over the Steelers. I saw Troy Polamalu interviewed and what a kick that was. He is so quiet and soft spoken that it does not match the whirling dervish he is on the field. The Jags won over the Texans. Let me see the hands of those who said Maurice Jones-Drew would be a better back than Reggie Bush. At this point it is not even close, Jones-Drew has 46 career touchdowns to Bush’s 21. I always want to see Phillips Rivers of the Chargers play. Josh McDaniels has obviously done some things right in Denver. All of the problems with Cutler and Marshall and they are 3-0. Finally, the Dallas Cowboys are not a very well coached football team right now. It is a long season so that may change but for now, just two words, Wade Phillips.

Oh that season of bickering and buffoons has fallen on us once again; yes the smell of football is in the air. It is that time of season where we watch players who are too young to relate to, too old to remember and those we never knew existed. Ah yes, that time of year where we see our first, punt, pass, kickoff return and say,” did you ever see (FILL IN THE BLANK) play? Now there was a football player”.Of course, before, during and after the game we argue for hours about who has seen the best and how nobody could ever touch one of our heroes. The sad aspect of these arguments is that most young people believe that the NFL started with the Super Bowl and that ever game, player, coach that came before it has no relevance to professional football today. SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN hold on to your hats and programs because the Buddha of Babble is going to give you his top 10 quarterbacks of all-time:

WARREN MOON: joined the Canadian Football League in 1978, and promptly led his Edmonton Eskimos to the Grey Cup title in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982. In 1983, he set the single season passing yards record, and won the Most Outstanding Player award. Warren Moon, 9-time Pro Bowler and NFL Hall of Famer. He still ranks in the top five in NFL history in completions. Moon was a classic thrower, not a runner, and showed that black quarterbacks could run any offense — including the Run ‘N Shoot. In 1990 and 1991, Moon threw for an incredible 9,379 yards.

BRETT FAVRE: He holds every single passing record in the NFL and if he doesn’t hold them now he will when he ends his career. Plus he has a Super Bowl ring, something that seems to go unmentioned when people talk about his accomplishments in the NFL.

ROGER STAUBACH; People keep forgetting that roger the dodger started his career in the NFL late because of his duty to the UNITED STATES NAVY. He won titles for America’s team in 1971 and 1977 and also won passing titles in 1973, 1978, and 1979. Plus, this was another noted QB who could run, he rushed for over 2300 yards and 20 touchdowns, not bad for a Vietnam Veteran.

TOM BRADY: Yes Big E, this one is for you, and I am sure he is not far enough down on my list for you. Yes I know he has won multiple Super Bowl Titles and if it was not for him Bill Belichick wouldn’t be coaching in the NFL today. Before Brady, Belichick was 48-52, after Brady he looks like an absolute genius, plus there’s also been one clutch fourth-quarter performance after another, almost single-handedly capturing victory from what appeared to be certain defeat time and again.

JOHNNY UNITAS: I guess when football fans talk of all time greats they think of Johnny U and for some younger fans they remember the Unitas Colt team as the first NFL team to lose to the AFL before the merger. His 1959 is thought of as one of the all time best, 32 touchdowns to 14 interceptions in a 12 game season. Those 32 touchdowns that year set a new NFL record.

STEVE YOUNG:　　Okay Rahshaun you get the first taste of your double dip in my top 10. Nothing can be tougher than following a legend especially a legend who knew how to win world championships, Steve Young not only followed Joe Montana but he had to live with the fact that Montana brought the Super Bowl trophy home to San Francisco. Not only did Steve Young accomplish that task, he may have been the better in Super Bowl performances. The greatest Super Bowl performance in history: a 67-percent, 325 yard, 6-TD, 0 INT explosions in a 49-26 victory over overwhelmed San Diego in Super Bowl XXIX.

PEYTON MANNING: Peyton might be the quarterback who breaks all of Brett Favre’s records. Manning so far is that quarterback who seems to rack up more impressive stats at a quicker pace than any other quarterback before him. If you were compare Peyton to Dan Marino (whom at least I know a few that thinks he should be on this list) you will find that Peyton is far ahead of the legendary Dolphin quarterback. The knock on Peyton was he was great during the regular season, but did nothing during the post season, but that changed when he picked up his Super Bowl title and was named MVP of the Super Bowl. If Brett ever retires, this may be the quarterback that would break Brett’s consecutive game record. Peyton, the new IronMan.

OTTO GRAHAM: This quarterback might have been the Tom Brady of my dad’s generation. As a matter of fact, in his 10 year career, Graham played in a Championship game in every one of those years; he won 7 of them in two different leagues. Otto Graham also led his team to 6 consecutive appearances in the NFL Championship game from 1950-1955 a record that still stands today.

JOE MONTANA: Corey/Rahshaun/Erik, guys I got him as close to the top of the heap as I could. In the era that most young fans can relate to, the Super Bowl Era, Joe Montana is deemed untouchable. He won four Super bowls and in three out of the four he was named the MVP and if that is not enough his passer rating in the biggest game combined is an outrageous 127.8. Plus Joe is known for one of the more spectacular drives in a Super Bowl, a 92 yard drive against the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII which ended in a pass to John Taylor with 34 clicks remaining on the clock. Not only was he spectacular in great post season games but in 1989 he completed over 70% of his passes and threw 26 touchdowns to 8 interceptions.

*Sammy Baugh: you have to put him in here some place, but I’ll leave it to you to decide where.

BART STARR: Year after year I have to listen to “who is the greatest?” and the answer varies and in all those answers, do I ever here the name BART STARR? No, not from the so-called experts. I guess it was best said by a sports writer and I quote: “History has done a grave disservice to the legacy of Starr, the 17th-round draft pick out of pre-Bear Bryant Alabama who turned into the most clutch and most cruelly efficient passing assassin of his or any other generation.” If you want to talk stats, then I guess we will have to see how Mr. Starr would match up: He led the NFL in passer rating five times. Johnny Unitas led the league in passer rating just twice. Ditto for Joe Montana. Only Steve Young surpassed Starr’s mark with six. Starr averaged a remarkable 7.85 YPA over the course of his entire career better than that of a slate of quarterbacks who are generally regarded as the best passers in history, including Dan Marino (7.37), Joe Montana (7.52), Roger Staubach (7.67), Dan Fouts (7.68), Sonny Jurgensen (7.56), Fran Tarkenton (7.27), Y.A. Tittle (7.52), Terry Bradshaw (7.17) and Joe Namath (7.35). Plus do not forget that Bart Starr was the quarterback in one of the most shown championship games in NFL history, the ICE BOWL. He also was the 1st NFL quarterback to win a Championship ring (5) for each digit on his throwing hand not to mention that three of those championships came in a row, still an NFL record.

Did I leave off many quarterbacks that could have been listed? Yes. Did I list everyone’s stats? No. But once again I have given fodder to all of us who are sports fans that will cause us hours of pain, constant complaining, whining and dissertations about WHO IS THE NUMBER 1 GREATEST QUARTERBACK of ALL TIME, I guess that is why I am the Buddha of Babble

I was going to write about college football then I was going to write about the NFL, I just could not make up my mind.  Oh no I thought, did I just do a Favre?  Gosh, this is kind of fun, being like the big media boys and using Favre’s name as a target and punch line.  When I heard number four was coming back and would be wearing people I knew I had to write about Brett and his comeback.

I wrote a blog entry about that it should be Favre’s choice when he would retire and not be made by the fans.  We all should hope to have the freedom to decide when we are done and ready for the porch rocker.  Brett was lucky, he had a team that in the Vikings that really needed him and wanted him.  Let’s not forget that is really the decisive factor always, the demand for your services.  If the Vikings do not come calling, Brett is left to throwing passes to high schoolers, mowing his lawn and seeking wisdom from his youngest daughter on the back porch. Andy and Opie could not have done it better.

It was so interesting to me to watch how this played out and how it was covered.  Forgive me if I often find the coverage of an event more entertaining than the actual story.  I was surprised by how much anger some covering the story had.  One of my favorite reporters, Dan Patrick seemed to me to be very upset by it all.  Dan usually has much more humor about these things.  He mocked Brett’s story and his time line and thinks Favre should come out and say he really wants to stick it to the Packers.  Really?  Can Brett Favre really come out and say that?  Maybe he has not handled all of this in the best manner but he utters those words and he sets himself up to be the butt of all jokes.  I watched as reporters put on their mystery solvers glasses and debated what was said and when everyone said it.  I heard some call Viking coach Brad Childress, a liar.  They said he could never have the locker room.  There was the debate about which QB was the odd man  out now.  Let’s face it, for all of the talk about being sick of Favre, he knocked Michael Vick, Donte Stallworth, Tom Brady, Tony Romo and Jessica and Thumping Tom Cable right off the front page.

Everyone needs to relax and get ready for a season that just got a whole lot more interesting.  I have not watched a Minnesota game for years because other than Adrian Peterson, they were not very interesting.  You know that I will watch at least two Viking games this year.  The Vikings are now on the hottest of seats, Super Bowl or bust.  They are shelling out $25 million for a forty year old quarterback and second place is last.  So how good would a Vikings-Jets Super Bowl be?  How about a Vikings-Packers Championship in Lambeau?  The NFL is the league that always captures the country’s attention and heart now has as many intriguing story lines as one can imagine.  Heck I may even watch some preseason games.

I defended Favre’s comeback and I still do however…however at this point in their careers I think Aaron Rodgers is a better quarterback than Favre.  I also admire the way Rodgers has handled the situation and I look for him to have a phenomenal year.  I also think the Packers will rebound this year and be one of the better teams in the league.  I also do not envy the heat Brad Childress will be taking because he had the look of a man that had just wagered his farm.  Everyone has said the Vikings have Super Bowl talent the last two years.  Childress was supposed to be an offensive guy and thought he had a winner in Tarvaris Jackson.  Two years and three weeks of training camp obviously convinced him otherwise.  Childress has been a .500 coach and knows full well what Jerry Glanville said the NFL stands for.  You remember that right, Not For Long, he told an official, you keep making calls like that and I will be bagging groceries. For Brad and Brett then it is win the Super Bowl or the next question is, paper or plastic?  It does not get any better!

Thankfully Brett Favre and the will he or won’t he story is not the lead topic any more.  I do not say this because I was sick of the story but rather I was sick of people crying about it.  The jokes made about the man got very old as well.  Pick out your favorite or least favorite one you heard.  They all were a version of, ” Bob I am not changing my mind here, believe me I am not pulling a Brett Favre yuk, yuk, yuk.  Gosh those were funny.  Sportscasters cracking on Favre like he is some mental weak willed lightweight.  When did changing one’s mind about a very important choice become so frowned upon?  News people were making fun of this ego-driven, weak-minded quarterback that only started 269 games in a row, an all time record.  The previous mark was 110 games in a row!  Think about the toughest quarterbacks you’ve seen play and then realize they were not even close to this record (Peyton Manning may have a shot at breaking it). 

Yet the jokes and the anger about Favre not making up his mind continued.  I ask why?  I even heard some packer fans criticize him.  Come on Packer fans you should be ashamed!  Let us check some of the records.

Favre holds most of the all time passing marks, won three straight MVP awards, the Packers won seven division titles, played in four NFC Championship games winning twice and won their first Super Bowl since 1968.  The team winning percentage in the 70’s was .412, the 80’s was .438 and in the 90’s it was .581 and so far this decade it stands at .583.  Favre became a Packer in 1992 and brought the organization back from a faded memory to prominence again.  Last year on a Jet team that finished 4-12 the year before, under Favre they went 9-7 and were in the hunt for a playoff spot.  Yes Brett played poorly down the stretch but probably was injured.

Now I have to bring out the hammer here because I also heard the word “legacy” being thrown about again.  We love to talk about athletes and their legacy and are they tainting his legacy.  In almost all cases the answer is no!!!!  First let us keep in mind that athletes do not play for the fans.  They play for many reasons, the first being money, love of the game, fame and way down the line, the fans.  So let’s test the legacy theory, hang on here.

How many of you think of Johnny Unitas as a Charger or Joe Namath as a Ram?  Did Babe Ruth hurt his legacy by playing with the Boston Braves his last year?  Gosh Hank Aaron really messed things up by playing two years in a Brewer uniform and hitting twenty-two home runs.  Who was the most talented running back to ever wear a Denver Bronco uniform?  Easy you say, TD.  You are right; Tony Dorsett played his last year as a Bronco.  I bet you think of him as a Dallas Cowboy and running ninety-nine yards for the longest run in NFL history.  Is Emmitt Smith remembered as an Arizona Cardinal?  Not a chance.  We remember an athlete where he played the longest or where he had his biggest moments.  We think very little about where they proved to be human and mortal.  Trust me, as time goes by you will forget that Jerry Rice did not play his whole career in San Francisco.

The season Favre had with the Jets will be one very, very small footnote.  Yes it is sad when beloved athlete’s careers come to an end.  My suggestion to you is to get over it.  I know it reminds you that Brett does not look twenty-five any more and well, neither do you nor I.  It has to be hard to know that you are one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history and that you have to give that up.  How many of us can say that we were one of the greatest in history of anything?  I certainly cannot.  So cut the guy and future athletes a break when it comes time for them to hang it up.

They know that nothing they do will match the high they get from being at the top of their sport.  Do not be so quick to jump on the joke bandwagon.  Realize their legacy will remain in tact.  Brett if your arm heals some more and the Vikings call you at mid season, I say welcome back.

I have to leave now and start my campaign to have Vin Scully be forced to retire.  Vin, you are eighty-one years old, do not tarnish your legacy. Don’t you know that most people retire in their sixties.  Vin, I have seen pictures of you at twenty-five and you do not look the same.  Oh it hurts me to see and hear you do something you love at eighty-one.  Don’t you know that play-by-play is a young man’s game?  Get out of the way for the young guys.  Certainly one of those young, smart ESPN guys would love to have your spot.  Will you all join me in telling Vinnie he needs to preserve his legacy?  No, Vin and Brett, keep going as long as you can and thanks for your greatness