Brett Favre Saves His Best Effort For When The Game Is All About Him

Peter King’s MMQB – I don’t think there’s been a game with a dramatic tinge to it in recent history like Favre’s return to Lambeau on Sunday… I’d argue that there have been three times in Favre’s professional life that he’s felt more than game pressure — that he’s felt an anxiety based on more than the X-and-O stuff each big game brings. Those games would be the two this year against the Packers, his team for 16 years, and the 2003 game he played in Oakland just 27 hours after his father died. “I’d agree,” he said. “Those three games had as much pressure, or more, than the Super Bowls and the championship games.” Here are his aggregate stats from the three games: 3-0 record, 61-of-91 passing, 67.0 completion percentage, 914 yards, 11 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 139.4 passer rating. Favre’s laid a couple of pretty big eggs in recent years, both when playing hurt and feeling fine. He gift-wrapped the NFC title game to the Giants two years ago. But there’s something about the games that have personal stuff on the line. Maybe it’s a coincidence; maybe the three-game sample size is just too small. But three decisive wins, 11 touchdowns, no picks — I sense a trend. … “I knew it’d probably be the last time I’d ever step foot on Lambeau Field, and it got a little emotional,” he said. OK, now: the last time? You sure? Nope. “I’m reluctant to say that,” Favre said. “You know me. At this stage, I’m game to game. That’s it.”

The recurring theme of yesterday’s over-the-top Favrellatio [(c) Jerry Thornton, Barstool Sports. All rights reserved] from the adoring media was that yesterday’s 4 TD, 0 INT performance by BrettFavre was a validation of him and a repudiation of those of us who’ve been ridiculing him throughout his post-unretirement career. But in truth, the one’s being validated are those of us who see BrettFavre for what he is: A shameless self-promoter. A ruthless attention whore and self-absorbed narcissist. A guy who’s buffaloed 95% of the football press into buying this character he created of the “Aw shucks” downhome country boy who just wants to be one of the guys, out there slingin’ the ball around and just havin’ him some fun. When in reality he’s the ultimate, self-centered, Me-First guy playing in the ultimate team game. Consider this telling quote:

Yeah, it’s worth it, Now people can see why I came back, and why I came back to this team. But I will say I’m relieved it’s over.  What I’ve done here speaks for itself… I know what I was a part of in Green Bay, and it was good. Now they’ve moved on. I’ve moved on. Am I a good fit for these guys [the Vikings]? I hope so. One thing I do know — I felt the respect from those guys out there. And that felt good.

Was there any part of that statement that wasn’t all about him? Or the story he told at the postgame presser about coming over the hill and how many times he’d made the same trip only now he was seeing the crowd with all the purple and what it felt like for him. The Sesame Street episode that was brought to you by the letter “I” had fewer 1st person pronouns in it. We should be glad he spared us the details about what he had for breakfast, what he was playing on his iPod and which nostril he was picking on the drive in. But that’s BrettFavre in microcosm. He’s not part of a unit, oars in the same boat pulling toward a common goal. He’s Britney in the middle of the spotlight and everyone else… his teammates, his coaches his opponents… are all just the backup dancers.

Which is why I promise you we’re about to witness the beginning of the end of this run he’s on. The worst kept secret in the world is that he came back for the sole purpose of sticking it to the Packers for moving on after he retired, almost unretired, officially retired, almost unretired again then officially unretired. He as much as admitted that now that he’s made his point (in his mind) there’s nothing more for him to do. And even King, who’s first in line at the BrettFavre rainbow party, admits he’s not the same guy when the focus is on the team and not on himself. If you can find a prop bet anywhere that the rest of the way BrettFavre throws more picks than TDs, jump all over it. Because that’s what he always does when the goal is something other than his own personal glory.