And he retires...

I won't get all gooshy about how much I will miss Brett Favre, because I will. I can't image the Packers without him. I can't imagine the game of football without him. I'm sure there are Favre haters out there somewhere, but I think they are few and far between. I hope, at least.

Bright and early this morning, a friend in Wisconsin sent me the link to the Fox Sports story about Favre's retirement. And I admit my initial response was a sharp gasp followed by a quiet "noooooo." But I'm not surprised. If you watched that game against the Giants you could see it in his face. You could see how hard he took that loss. I'd never seen him look like that--the closes was when they lost the playoff game to the Eagles, I forget the year but it was the playoff after his dad died, and I thought he would retire then.

But after that Giants game people kept saying he wouldn't go out on a loss, he wouldn't let the last pass of his career be an interception. But I had my doubts he would return. I knew in my gut he would come back for the 2007-08 season. He wouldn't let that crappy record be his last. But this season? The Packers didn't go to the Super Bowl, but it was one of the best in his career. Even before the season started I figured it would be his last. That's why I wanted to get to a game--to see The Brett Favre play before he was gone from the game. They won--it wasn't a pretty game, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance--and I am so very glad I went.

Some analysts are saying he wasn't the best. But you know what? He was. He had the stats, yes. Did he win the championships? The Super Bowls? No. But the combination of his physical ability, his passion for the game--for being the "little boy" (or girl--I told my mom when I was really little I wanted to be a pro football player) in all of us, for playing hurt, for starting every.single.game since the third game of the 1992 season (including playoffs), and for just being Brett Favre--he IS the best there ever was.

I think this article from the LA Times sums Favre up the best. The author says Favre isn't the best, but I think all the things he lists as making Favre great show that he is.

I still want to go to another Packers game this fall. Maybe tickets won't be so expensive this year. There will still be silly green and gold clothing, there will still be beer. But without Favre, it won't be the same. But... The Packers will always be the Packers and Lambeau will always be Lambeau.

Brett Favre is football and football won't be the same without him. Okay, that's my gooshiness coming to the surface.