Brett Fav-ray is a Bad, Bad Man

Brett Favre, my main man! The freshly-signed Minnesota Vikings quarterback is back in action in the Land of 10,000 Lakes and will twice face his former team of 16 years, the Green Bay Packers. But that is not the distinguishing element of Hattiesburg, Mississippi’s finest relic’s latest James Brown-like return to the big stage. 

Not by a long shot.

What makes Favre’s second comeback so monumental is his 12 million dollars of guaranteed money. Vikings owner Ziggy Wilf cannot get out of the contract for any less than six million – and that’s only if Favre stinks up the joint in the next few weeks to the point Minnesota head coach Brad Childress feels the soon-to-be 40-year old (October) is finished as an NFL quarterback. The $12 million is deferred: $4 million this season, $4 million in March, and $4 million in 2011.

Never, in the history of the National Football League has a player run game on the shield as has Favre. Never, not even remotely close.

Brett Favre has gone from chilling out on his spacious farm in Mississippi surrounded by friends and family, riding on his tractor, fishing, and getting a tan, to having surgery performed on his throwing shoulder on the Vikings’ dime, to “rehabbing” by throwing passes to local high school football players, to keeping the Vikings at arm’s length until the Vikings embarked on their preseason schedule.

Then and only then did Favre make his move. In one fell swoop Favre went from retired quarterback and five years from Pro Football Hall of Fame induction to stepping into Wilf’s private jet, flying to Minnesota, hopping in Childress’ SUV with his ever-faithful wife, Deanna, by his side, and cruising to the Vikings Eden Prairie, Minnesota facilities for a “physical.”

Ninety minutes later after arriving Favre was standing on the Vikings practice field in a ‘Don’t Hit Me’ red jersey with a football in his hands.

Five hours later the Vikings had sold 2,000 season tickets and 6,000 single game tickets. All due to the arrival of the “Ancient Packer,” errr, “Mariner,” no, “Viking” ——– whatever.

If 2008 NFL salaries can be carried over to this season, Brett Favre is today, the highest base salaried quarterback in the National Football League. That’s right, he makes more than Peyton Manning, than Tom Brady, more than, than David Garrard. Manning’s base is $11.5 million. Brady’s is a paltry $5 million. Garrard’s is $2.975. Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback for the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers is $2.5 million. 

Brett Favre is making $12 million. Hell, he made the same $12 mil last season with the New York Jets and was the highest base salaried QB of 2008. Only Roethlisberger, who received a bonus of  $25.2 million last season, JaMarcus Russell (who received a rookie bonus of  $16,502,400), and Tony Romo with his $12, 275,000 signing bonus made more in total than did Favre.

And you don’t see Brett in a grip of commercials, either. What’s he got – Wrangler and a new Sears commercial. You don’t see Favre whoring it up on ESPN every other week, or doing a Jim Rome, “Step yo’ game up” follow me through the locker room deal. You don’t see Favre cavorting with Rich Eisen on NFL Network, though it is his favorite place to show up unexpectedly because of his relationship with Steve Mariucci that began when the two were young at Green Bay.

Favre has become the only NFL player under the Paul Tagliabue-Roger Goodell years to run something other than his mouth. The question is, how did he do it?

“It feels like there’s glass in my shoes when I walk.” That’s not a Favre-ism, that is the description Favre gave for the way his ankles felt in his last season in Green Bay. The man has never missed an NFL game. From 1993-2008 there are nothing but 16s next to Brett Favre’s name for regular season starts. And in 1992 there’s a “15″ only because he replace the injured Don Majkowski in game one of that season.

Every game for 16 years when the Green Bay Packers ran their first offensive play, #4 ran on the field with that starting unit. Running on with that excited, boyish trot and that grin that said,”I’m so happy to be here;” without fail, strapping up his helmet as he approached the huddle.

He played through broken bones, torn muscles and tendons, a wicked addiction to painkillers, the death of his father, and his wife’s cancer.

He played.

Every Sunday, Monday night, Saturday afternoon.

Every game.

No quarterback has come even close. Only Jim Marshall has done it more – by one game. When the Minnesota Vikings take the field for game one of the 2009 season, Favre will tie Marshall and barring a catastrophe, the following week the record will be his alone. Favre’s QB record of 269 games makes Cal Ripken’s MLB consecutive games played record of 2,632 look like  a walk in the park.

He plays the game like a well-coordinated little boy. Every game. Even the Monday night game after his father passed away. Favre didn’t break down until he came off the field late in the fourth quarter after, considering the circumstances, one of the most memorable regular season performances in NFL history. And after the game he broke down in his wife’s arms.

Like a real man. And the emotion was real. The elation after touchdown passes during the game was real. The unbridled sadness after the game was real.

Real.

Sure, he has one “only” one Super Bowl. But say that to Donovan McNabb and see what his answer is. Better yet, say it Jim Kelly and watch his response – or maybe it would be best to be prepared to duck. And he would have had two rings if it wasn’t for transcendent games by John Elway and Terrell Davis; two against one of equal talent and want to is never fair.

Yeah, he criticized a teammate, a starting wide receiver important to Favre’s success, when said wideout held out for more money. Favre was called selfish – and maybe he was. but when he wanted more money or more time to think about returning to the game he said it was fair to criticize him, too. But he also said that, in the end, every player must do what’s best for him and his family.

The 2008 offseason of nasty back and forth spats with the Green Bay Packers management team smelled of little boys razing each other’s favorite play things, but it takes two to tango, and anyone who follows football knows there is no such animal as management loyalty, so the blame for that fiasco must be shared equally.

And Favre landed safely in New york with $12 mil to his name. And if not for Favre’s torn up throwing shoulder, the 8-3 New York Jets would have ended the season somewhere very close to 12-4 – and Favre would have been forever a Big Apple icon. Instead, the Jets finished 9-7 and Favre landed where he wanted to be from the moment the Packers let it be known he was done playing for them ———- Minnesota, where he has two opportunities this season to stick it to his former team. There’s nothing like a slight, perceived or otherwise, to get an elite athlete to focus just that little bit extra.

Bret Favre, with his the aw-shucks country bumpkin surface and country cock-strong rocket arm. Brett Favre the savvy professional athlete who surrounded himself with advisors he can trust to his grave, who taught him how to play the game on and off the field better than any other NFL player.

Brett Favre is in the pantheon of modern Western culture White men who the average White guy can look at teach his son to emulate. In the scheme of things that might make him evil, but remember Brett Favre never asked to be in that pantheon —– he just, not only acted the part, which is what so many men can do, but he played the part. Brett Favre did the part; lived it every Sunday, Monday night, or Saturday afternoon.

With the above for a resume, why DeMaurice Smith is head of the NFL Player’s Association is beyond understanding. There is only one man who can look Roger Goodell and 32 owners in their eyes and somehow force them to capitulate to his wishes ————- Brett Fave.

Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

You gotta love Brett Favre.