Surprise! Brett Favre Is Back!
As of now, Brett Favre appears to have come back to Minnesota to play his 20th season of NFL football. I’ve written several unflattering posts about Favre (here, here, here, here, and here). NFL teams are apparently unaware of my blog. And let’s face it. Favre had a tremendous year this past season, almost leading the Vikings to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately. he threw an interception in the last minute of regulation play, giving the New Orleans Saints a chance to win the game, which they did.
Favre first quit in 2006 but came back. Every year since then, he’s quit, only to come back “one more time.” When he left the field in the Saints game, he could barely walk. He had surgery on his ankle, and it seems to have worked.
He has already missed workouts, the first weeks of training, and the first exhibition game. Since 2006, the New York Jets and the Vikings (but not the Green Bay Packers) have shown, however, that a different set of rules apply to Favre. He can do whatever he wants. That’s not a good model for employers.
His supporters will say, “Look at his numbers.” If that’s all that matters, then let the 41-year-old play forever. In fact, since Favre is calling the shots, he should be made player/head coach. In the modern era of pro football, I don’t think there’s ever been one. Another record for Favre to grab.
The Favre quitting and coming back saga has gone on so long that I don’t think too many fans care what he does at this point. If anyone can have the best season of his career at age 41, it’s Favre. Unless he suffers a catastrophic injury, there’s always a chance he’ll come back at age 42 and beyond, and whatever team he’s with at the time will let him.
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Chris Parker's practice focuses on the representation and counseling of companies in matters pertaining to the workplace and the protection of their intellectual property and trade secrets. In addition to serving as an advocate for clients, Mr. Parker is also trained as a mediator and frequently serves as a third-party neutral.
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While serving in an Of Counsel relationship with the firm, Mr. Bridgesmith also serves as the Executive Director at the Institute for Conflict Resolution at Lipscomb University and as an officer and principal in Strategic Resolutions Group, LLC. In these roles, Mr. Bridgesmith brings over 30 years of legal experience in dispute resolution and innovative workplace strategies to clients, students and business entities alike.
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Today’s Wall Street Journal has a great line, commenting on Favre’s wavering, which it calls “absurd” and “a bit rude”:
“Had Mr. Favre been leading actual vikings in the ninth century, it’s safe to assume they would have eaten him by now.”
Tony,
Thanks for adding this. The WSJ has a better way with words than I do.
John