Oh, Brett Favre's back? Ho hum...

So what can you say? You can't say you're surprised that he's back because he's played this game of 'I will, no I won't, yes I will' for the last couple of years. You can't say you wish he would've stayed retired (unless you're a Packers fan) because he's a future hall of famer, one of the best ever to put on a helmet...and hey, if the guy wants to play then let him play. So what can you say? Perhaps you can say what I did - whatever.

I'm so tired of Brett Favre stories I really don't care anymore. And I wasn't surprised that the Vikings made this move despite the denials by coach Childress, mainly because they passed on Vick when they didn't really have a solid option at Quarterback. I feel like the Vikings and Favre led us on a wild goose chase during the whole summer and finally ended up doing the exact opposite of what they said they would do just in time for Favre to miss enough of training camp to rest his body (quite convenient). But then again, I'm numb to the whole thing and don't care anymore. Let's just get the season started.

Are the Vikings better with Favre? Absolutely. Can they do some damage in the playoffs? Definitely. Will they win a SuperBowl? I can't see that happening. The talent pool in the NFC is deep and I expect that Brett will start to wane toward the end of the season again just like last year. And though he signed a 2 year contract, I think its pretty much this season or bust as far as any hope to win a championship.

So what can you expect from the Vikings and Favre? Big plays, an even more potent running attack from Adrian Peterson now that there is a legit deep threat, and for you fantasy leaguers...expect Bernard Berrian to have a really good year. His numbers last year were pretty impressive without a solid QB in the huddle. This year Favre should be dialing up the deep ball plenty.

I'm not going to write a whole lot on this topic right now. Instead I will reserve judgement. Partly because the season hasn't started yet and there's a lot of football to be played. Partly because I know I will end up writing ten thousand articles about Brett before the season is over. But mostly because I'm pretty apathetic to the whole Brett Favre saga right now. In a few weeks when football is coursing strong through my veins and we've had a chance to actually see him play, perhaps I will start caring.

Congratulations Brett - You Made the Right Choice

One of the legends of our time, Brett Favre, retires...again. Or, to be more precise, flirted with the idea of coming back to the NFL and ultimately decided to remain retired. Bravo! I don't mean that as a dig either. He's absolutely one of the best quarterbacks ever (I don't necessarily think he is the best ever, but he's definitely in the conversation). But it was time and I'm glad he recognized it.

Here's the deal, you saw him come out and have an awesome 1st half of the season last year with the Jets and then fade a little toward the end when they were in the playoff hunt. He's 39 and will turn 40 in October. He's taken a lot of hits. I actually think he would've gotten the Vikings to the playoffs if for no other reason than having the best running back in football on his team. But those December games in Minnesota and those January games (or game) in the playoffs would not have turned out well. I am a legend fan - meaning I root for the legends to go out as heroes riding off into the sunset on their own terms.

Even though he had a 'good' year with the Jets, after all the hoopla every day (will he or won't he? will he or won't he?), not to mention the verbal rips back and forth with the Packers, and then to see him fade in December took a little bit of the luster off of his legacy for me. Just a little. You can only lose so much luster when you lead the NFL all time in touchdown passes, completions, yards passing, most consecutive starts and regular season victories (and interceptions...but we'll gloss over that for now) But you have to admit, it was a little disappointing to see how things played out last year.

If you're a Vikings fan, this news sucks. I mean, you have 2 serviceable quarterbacks with Rosenfels and Jackson but neither has shown themselves to be a franchise quarterback. And then of course there's John David Booty, remember him? But Favre wasn't your long term answer here anyway. The Vikings organization has to do something at some point to get a younger, long term solution at the position.

This brings me to why I'm happy for Brett. First of all, he decided to call it quits. This was on his terms. He didn't get 3 quarters of the way through the season only to realize he couldn't do it anymore. He doesn't have to worry about any embarrassment during the season. Secondly, he comes off looking classy by letting the Vikings know before training camp (or at least classier than he looked during the Packers/Jets travesty last year) Thirdly, this is Brett Favre and we can officially close the book on this chapter of his life. (Until next year when the Broncos call him up...another team that desperately needs a long term solution at QB). We can now look back fondly over a career that was, to say the least, incredible. He is firmly entrenched as a legend of the game.

Here's to you Brett. A great quarterback who made a great read on this one. Enjoy you're retirement. Hopefully, relationships can be repaired with the Packers organization so that you can have some future involvement with the team that will be forever synonymous with your name.