Now that he’s reportedly had the surgery, does it even matter what Brett Favre does from this point forward?
I don’t ask the question because I’m so sick of Favre stories, I’ll swallow his helmet to make them stop. I bring it up because there’s absolutely no mystery left in the soap opera.
The crux of "As The Favre Churns" has always been whether he’ll come back to play for the Minnesota Vikings. It’s been the most-anticipated plot point in the quarterback’s storybook career. Because if he didn’t return, his Green Bay legacy was salvageable. There was still room for forgiveness in the hearts of Packer Nation.
If Favre suited up in Viking Purple, however, he’d be crossing the Rubicon. For many Packers fans, there would be no shot at reconciliation. Spitefully choosing to play for Green Bay’s arch-rivals would be too much. Firemen would go on high alert. Because there’d be a lot more jersey-burning ceremonies.
But fans no longer have to hold their breath. They can make their decision to burn or not to burn today. All of the evidence is in. They need not wait for Favre to step on the field. They don’t even have to wait on Minnesota’s end-of-the-week deadline for Favre’s decision. Because as of now, whether he actually plays is irrelevant.
See, Favre has sent a clear signal of his intent. And in this case, intent is just as damning as actions.
Yes, it’s still possible that Favre won’t play for the Vikings. But that only happens if his arm doesn’t satisfactorily recover from the surgery. And in that case, Favre wouldn’t be quitting football – his body would.
By having the surgery, though, he’s removed all doubt that he’s doing everything humanly possible to play for the Vikings and against the Packers. Think of the surgery as a Bat Signal, only with a big, fat Viking horn. And with the Favre Signal activated, he can’t hide behind the smokescreen of blaming speculative media reports or agent Bus Cook’s semantic gobbledygook that "Brett is still retired and reserves the right to change his mind."
Right Bus. And Spencer Pratt reserves the right to be a brat. What else is new?
Retired quarterbacks don’t have preseason shoulder surgery. Retired QBs don’t send their agents out to do doubletalk, nor do they have throwing sessions to test whether their arm is 100 percent. Retired quarterbacks hang out on Caribbean beaches and porch swings, even a tractor or two, but not in the offices of a famed orthopedic surgeon like Dr. James Andrews.
The truth is that Favre has never been retired. He’s been nothing more than a free agent assessing his options.
And now that the truth has finally been revealed, there is no more drama. The drama revolved around not knowing whether Favre would really jump off the cliff. We weren’t sure if he was ready to throw away 16 seasons of Green and Gold for a year or two of Viking Vengeance.
Now we’re sure. Now we know what’s in his heart. Now he’s almost Don Majkowski with better numbers.
Maybe you can’t quite charge Favre with robbing himself of his Packers legacy. But attempted robbery is just as serious a crime.
Speaking of Comebacks
Jimmy Johnson returning to coach the Dallas Cowboys?
That was the juicy notion after the former Cowboys coach was photographed with Dallas owner Jerry Jones Saturday night. They were together again at a George Strait concert that served as the grand opening of Dallas’ brand-new Cow Palace. And judging from the photo, they were practically doing the Texas two-step.
But the Dallas media was quick to put the kibosh on the return of Johnson and his hair.
So it’s nice to see that somebody knows when to call it quits.
No Bunting in Baseball
Brewers fans have finally found a way to equate Ken Macha with Ned Yost. Neither one likes to bunt.
But at least Macha doesn’t growl at reporters when he’s asked why.
The Sailing Tale
The only way you’ve heard of Zac Sunderland is if you’re a sailing fanatic or you read his cover story in ESPN The Magazine.
You should remedy at least one of those facts.
Sunderland is on the brink of completing a solo sail around the world. He is not on the brink of being able to legally drink. Because Sunderland is all of 17 years old.
It’s a fascinating story, and while it helps having a dad with the means to meet you in ports around the world, that doesn’t diminish Sunderland’s accomplishments. The sailing skill and bravery is jaw-dropping. Plus, it’s a heck of a way to get out of doing homework.
To follow Sunderland more closely, check out his Web site at zacsunderland.com.
What happens when you booze your way through Bay View? The answer awaits in Bar Time.
And tune in every Tuesday morning during the 6 o’clock hour when I join Doug Russell and Mike Wickett on SportsRadio 1250 AM for Tuesdays with Howie. You can also find the segments in their Audio Vault.
