Favre's Tears Dampen New Year's Eve

REUTERS/John Gress


Early in the evening on New Year's Eve, I offered a few predictions for the coming year.

One was that Brett Favre would not retire in 2007.

I made that prediction before the final game of the Packers' 2006 season, a victory against the Bears.

Then came the post game interview. It's been replayed more times than the Zapruder film.

Favre choked up when reflecting on the end of his career.

SO WHAT?

Favre posed for photos and there were lots of hugs.

SO WHAT?

Suddenly, it was assumed that all the signs were there that the Favre era was over. We saw his last game.

What had been a festive mood for the last night of 2006 completely deflated -- not good on New Year's Eve, less than two hours before midnight.

So I spent the last moments of 2006 listening to how shocked everyone was at Favre's emotional display, supposedly an unquestionable indication that Favre would not be coming back.

It caught people off guard I guess.

I certainly don't know what Favre will do. He and his wife have said the retirement decision hasn't been made yet and I believe them.

All the speculation is pointless. It's wasted energy.

One thing is certain -- Favre's career as an NFL player will end. His playing days are coming to an end. He's nearing the end of the road, if he's not already there. That's the reality.

I do hope Favre returns for another season. It will be tough to say goodbye when the time comes. Still, I don't see why SO much is being made out of his tears.

He got emotional thinking about leaving something he loves behind.

BIG DEAL!

Actually, I like that ironman Favre was moved emotionally. Tears aren't a sign of weakness. They're a sign of being human. Big boys do cry.

I'm not going to jump to any conclusions about Favre's future with the Packers just because he got choked up.

Favre's teammates aren't.

GREEN BAY -- Favre's would-be replacement, 2005 first-round draft pick Aaron Rodgers, warned Monday that Favre's emotional display isn't necessarily proof Favre is finished.

"I wouldn't read too much into that," Rodgers said. "Yeah, he's an emotional guy, but there really weren't any tears or anything in the locker room. Lot of laughs actually, a lot of storytelling like we usually do after the games. It was a good time. Everybody was on Cloud Nine."

Added veteran fullback William Henderson: "When I saw Brett (in the locker room), he was yapping it up with the boys. When I saw him on the bus and the plane, he was jovial, he was having fun, and he was enjoying himself."

Center Scott Wells agreed, pointing out Favre got similarly mushy in the locker room following last year's season-ending victory over Seattle at Lambeau Field.

"Last year when we played Seattle, when we got in here, he was pretty emotional," Wells said. "I don't know what he's going to do. We'll probably find out at the same time y'all do. He hasn't given any indication one way or another to anyone else. It was an emotional moment, just because I don't think he knows yet."

Also, don't try to find deeper meaning in Favre posing for a postgame photo with his offensive linemen - that was left tackle Chad Clifton's idea, not Favre's - or the fact the left ankle surgery Favre was supposed to have Monday was postponed, with no new date set, according to a club spokesman.

I was amazed by the intensity of the reaction to Favre's post game interview.

It snowballed into such a major story, putting everything else in the world on the back burner.

Forget that a former U.S. president is lying in repose in the Capitol Rotunda, Saddam Hussein has just been executed, and the Dems are about to storm Congress.

FAVRE CRIED!!!

The media and some fans need to get a grip, leave the guy alone, and quit guessing about Favre's future.

Yes, I did make a guess about what Favre would choose to do as one of my 2007 predictions; but it was a thought, one sentence. It wasn't a round the clock obsession with an analysis of every word uttered and move made by Favre.

A little perspective is in order.