Most of you who played sports for more than a day can identify with what's going on in Brett Favre's mind the past few seasons. He knows it's hard to leave the game without 1 more ring. He also knows how close he actually was in getting it last season. Barring all the hype and attention, Favre's comradeship built with Steve Hutchinson, Ryan Longwell and Jared Allen is so strong, Raquel Welch in her prime would have went down in flames. I mean don't you think you would take time off for a plane ride, steak and beers with Brett Favre in Bayou Country? I think the charmed ones chose wisely instead of double sessions back in training camp. Coming from a family whose father played semi-pro baseball spanning 5 decades, I can easily identify where Favre is right now. Yes, he was badly beaten up by New Orleans including some questionably late hits. That's not what's really hurting Brett Favre. He's hurt by the painful mental image of throwing that interception when he knew by running a few yards more woul have pushed him into the Super Bowl. That's not the way he wants to go out and neither would any die-hard athlete if they felt they still had something left. Brett may like the hype and has become a king of drama, but let's stick to the real issues. Whether you fail to see the NFL for what it is, 20-year veteran Favre knows it's a war out there and he wants to do battle. He wants some assuredness from his men in the trenches that capturing the enemy flag is obtainable. By now, you must have figured out that everyone involved knows how close it really is. Favre's "There's nothing left for me to prove" statement is pure bullshit. These wishy-washy answers may fool most of the press who never played the game, but it's not fooling this writer of 38 years. Does Favre think he can duplicate the 33/7 TD/INT ratio of 2009? No, but he's going to trade those stats in for the chance to go out a champion. What lies in the back of his sub-conscious? His playoff stats that read 11 career playoff losses as a QB along with 30 career playoff INT's to start. It's nice to know you own the record for career passing yards & attempts, completions, TD passes and wins as a QB. However, to go out with a solid post-season with a ring silences most critics. Being a man who loves attention, that's what he wants to shine on his legacy. Talking about legacy, I think Mike Holmgren should be a man to thank for his trust in Favre early on. Staying on the subject of early on, let's examine his college resilience at Southern Mississippi. Before the 1990-91 season, Favre was hurt badly in a serious car accident in July. In August, they operated and had to take out 30 inches of his intestines. Was his senior season over before it began? I hope you answered the negative. He came back a few weeks later and orchestrated his Golden Eagles to an upset of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Major adversity was never uncommon to Favre. In 1992 when Packer QB Don Majkowski went down to injury in Game 3 versus the Bengals, Favre was inserted by Holmgren and proceeded to fumble 4 times throughout the game. Fans booed and chanted for Ty Detmer. Down 6 late in the game, Holmgren stuck with Brett. Faced with a 92-yard drive for the win, Favre earned Holmgren's trust with a TD strike to Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds to go and the win. The rest is history. What lies in the future for another year of longevity? Favre needs to know his limitations with his ankle and play to his strenghts once again. Yes, he needs to roll out and buy more time frequently. Yes, he needs to have that quick release to preserve himself for the season. Yes, he needs a solid offensive line that can adapt to his shortcomings. If Peterson and Gearhart can lighten the load with a strong running game, Favre should not only last the season, but should take them a step further. Brad Childress may be the catalyst in how effective Favre can be with better command of his offensive playbook. Favre's has shown his adaptability to the new system, let's see how Childress manages the mix and handles a way tougher schedule than 2009 as he faces 7 playoff teams on tap for this season. By Mike Handzelek
 

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