Opinion
Vikings fan impressed by Favre
March 6, 2008
I know what you’re thinking. I’m going to absolutely tear into Brett Favre. I’m going to bring up his 288 career interceptions.
You think I’m going to mention that he popped painkillers like they were M & M’s.
You think that I’m going to mention how Favre was so much of an arrogant jerk that when Packers management imposed a deadline to give them an answer on whether Favre would return a couple years ago, he said, “What are they going to do? Cut me?”
However, I’m not going to do that.
When I heard the news, I started thinking what my football life would have been without Favre. As I was growing up, my mom, my uncle and my grandpa taught me that Brett Favre was the anti-Christ. As a matter of fact, hating him was my first football memory and probably led to my football addiction.
The more success Favre had, the more I wished he’d get run over by a truck. Favre started to ascend to superstardom, and I couldn’t stand it.
My first Viking game was against the Green Bay Packers, as a matter of fact. When Favre was introduced to the crowd, I don’t think I’ve ever booed and screamed obscenities louder than I did at that moment.
Brett Favre was my first memory of fantasy football as well. I never would take Brett Favre on my team because of the fear he would posses my entire team and drive them straight into the ground. But one December night in 2003, this strategy came back to bite me in the butt.
Ask a majority of Packer fans what their favorite Favre moment is and they’ll probably answer either the Super Bowl that Favre won or the night after Favre’s father passed away from a heart attack.
Favre went off and threw for four touchdowns in the first half and 399 yards overall. It was a teary eyed moment for everyone, except for yours truly. I was in the finals of my fantasy football league and Favre needed to score 27 points to thwart what was my greatest fantasy football season ever. Favre got 31, and I was defeated in stunning fashion. Not only did I still hate him but I lost $100 in the process.
Honestly, Favre will go down as the greatest quarterback ever. He holds every passing record in the history of the NFL, including interceptions. As much as I dislike Favre, I have to give him credit.
Every Sunday, Favre always got up to play. Even though his leg could actually be falling off, Favre went out there and played.
Favre became the face of the franchise and one of the many faces of football. He became one of Wisconsin’s heroes and one of Minnesota’s most hated athletes.
The truth is this: Brett Favre might be the reason I started liking football in the first place. The hatred that I threw towards him made me a bigger Vikings fan. So, I kind of feel like I owe him for introducing me to one of my beloved sports. I will miss booing and screaming obscenities towards Favre, but time marches on, and I look forward to laughing at Aaron Rodgers when he gets booed off the field next season.
Chris Schad is a student at UW-River Falls.