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Brett Favre Retires: Jets’ Fans Can Finally Have Their Team Back
Published: February 11, 2009
The winter has been a long, cold, and cruel one since the New York Jets’ 2008 season came to an embarrassing end. But on a surprisingly beautiful February morning, Brett Favre sent word through agent Bus Cook that his one season in a Jets’ uniform will be his final with the NFL.
And so ends the annual Brett Favre saga—sooner than anyone expected, and a lot sooner than Favre-history would have suggested.
While it’s always difficult to bid farewell to a legend, the happiness felt by most Jets’ fans on this glorious day of days will make his retirement a pleasant one. The implications surrounding Favre and what one more season would have meant are no longer a concern.
As relief washes over everyone, it must be understood that the reasons for such jubilation are many.
It wasn’t only a money issue, but the $13 million coming off the Jets’ cap is a satisfying burden to have lifted from the team’s shoulders.
It wasn’t only about the offense and how Brian Schottenheimer had to adjust his game plans to accommodate Favre. However, the Jets did become predictable when the gunslinger voiced his displeasure with pre-snap shifts and motions.
It definitely wasn’t only about his declining play and poor decision-making. But to ignore his 22-interception season as if it wasn’t a significant hindrance to the team’s attempts at a postseason run would be asinine.
While all of that matters, it’s not the only thing Jets’ fans can wash their hands of with his retirement.
As Favre’s shoulder pads rest in his travel bag—never to be worn on an NFL field again—his nation of faithful followers can finally stop feigning interest in the New York Jets.
While Brett has chosen to bow out gracefully, the split between Jets fans and Brett fans won’t be as amicable. The people who hold him in the highest esteem can follow him to the woods of Mississippi, and leave the Jets alone.
With his retirement, true and faithful Jets fans will no longer be subjected to the emotional tirades of irrational Favre followers who cross their hearts and swear to Brett.
When the Jets were 8-3, Favre was heralded as the man solely responsible for New York’s success. But when the Jets finished 1-4, New York’s failures were suddenly a team effort.
While Favre’s nine-interception run to close out the 2008 season is well-documented, his terrible play in October is conspicuously overlooked.
As easily as Favre is credited for the Jets 8-3 start, New York could have been 6-5, or worse, on his arm.
An overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders, struggles against the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, and a game salvaged by an Abram Elam interception in Buffalo could have gone the other way if left to Favre’s arm.
But his blind supporters won’t allow such blasphemy. The New York Jets were blessed to be graced with Lord Favre’s presence, and that’s the only way they’ll have it.
Thank you for the memories, Brett. The effort was appreciated. But there’s no space for icons that transcend the efforts of a team.
With Favre finally hanging up his jersey, hopefully the fans that followed him to the Meadowlands will hang theirs up, too.
Tagged with: Brett Favre, New York Jets
2 Comments on "Brett Favre Retires: Jets’ Fans Can Finally Have Their Team Back"
football fans are blowhards on Mon, 16th Feb 2009 10:43 pm
i rly cant stand all u ppl putting everything on favre. the man traded everything he knew about his football life to come into yours, and he did it with flying colors. every1 wants to blame brett for the losses at the end, but what about the recievers droppin every ball??? what about the defense not stopping the pass or the run??? what about the runningbacks not makin it past the line anymore, or the offensive lines poor protection???? the truth is NEW YORK sucks because of the fans and the players. you guys get a godsend sent to you and he shows a bit of glory, but once thats taken away for one day, you spit in his face. its rly pathetic, did you ppl not see the 2007 season??? maybe the 2006???? you get ur team back????? whats that supposed to mean??? did brett change the name??? did he move the team to a new city??? he did nothing but come to your town and do what he could to help you guys win, and for the most part he did. But its a team effort remember, was brett supposed to throw it down the field to himself???? and the comment about wehn they were 8-3 brett got all the credit, but wehn they went the last 1-4 it wasnt his fault, is just ridiculous and only a selfish douche who cares dick about his team, would write something like that. they lost on a team effort, the whole team didnt perform, not just brett. i didnt see a buncha #4’s on the field, did you???? the point is brett brought something to your home that in my perspective you didnt have before, and that was a chance, a chance to make a new name for yourselves, a chance to show that your not just that other team where the giants play. Is it just coincidence that you guys had more pro-bowlers this year then ever before??? maybe, but i doubt it. he brought the team confidence that played out very well in the beginning, but every1 had to jump on their high horse and blow it, guys like thomas jones and coles are major blowhards. 2 guys who had nothing and no1 gave a crap who they were, but when brett came he gave them light were they had none, and others. and they bash him because they no longer get that light on them. So now i hope your happy jets fans, you got just what you wanted, your team is back and no1 can take that away from you. who the hell would want to, you guys will go nowhere and there is a clear and blatant reason why. You ppl are cold, and ignorant. you took a diamond and turned it into coal. You broke the ironman. and to the writer of this article “angel” (you rly sound like an angel with all the bullshit you talk) get a life dude and show some respect, he took a chance on your loser team and you, the fans, the players all turned it into shit. you guys should just STFU and listen to the coaches and the managers, let them figure out whats best for THEIR team. GOOD LUCK on going back to being the team doesnt matter, hope u enjoy it
Angel Navedo on Mon, 16th Feb 2009 11:44 pm
Thanks for proving my point. No matter how badly you wanted Favre to be this team’s savior, the fact remains that the Jets were a team with a faithful following before you ever decided to buy his new jersey.
No one is taking away from anything Favre did in NY! I’m just happy to see Favre fans like yourself finally leaving my “pathetic” team alone. He is not God’s gift to the world, football, or the Jets.
You’re damn right. The Jets losses fall on the whole team. But your hero isn’t the Godly QB who was victimized by everyone else. Enough with the “woe is Brett” rhetoric.