Sources are saying that Brett Favre has contacted the Green Bay Packers about a possible return to football. Rumor has it that he, or agent Bus Cook, has spoken directly to head coach Mike McCarthy, but nothing has definitively been said.
There's the news part of it. Now to the editorial part of it.
If Brett Favre really has contacted McCarthy about a comeback (which he denies), it would not surprise me at all. From the way he talked at his retirement speech, everyone could tell, and see for that matter, that he did not lose his love for the game nor his passion, and definitely not his ability. But as he said, he had lost the drive and had become mentally tired.
This is not an uncommon way for a player to end his career. Players' bodies take abuse every week during the games, not to mention the abuse taken during practices, so their bodies can sustain the abuse taken during a game.
That is visible by the laundry list of injuries week in and week out: broken bones, torn ligaments and muscles, sprained this, and fractured that.
But what's not seen is the mental toll football can take on someone.
In addition to games and practices, there are countless meetings. A lot of times players arrive before the sun rises, and leave after it sets. Hours are spent flipping through your playbook, re-watching the same play over and over for hours, attempting to pick up all the subtle nuances, going over the scheme and gameplan for the coming week and so on and so forth.
This is all time spent away from your family and loved ones. Most players don't even go back to their homes after practices, they stay in hotels or in a home they bought close to the stadium.
Even with a home close by, most players don't bring their families. Children can't handle that type of back-and-forth and their wives must stay back with the children.
All of that can be a heavier price to pay than the wear and tear on a player's body. Broken bones will heal with time, tears can be surgically repaired and not affect living conditions, even Kevin Everett is walking again and will be able to lead a normal life.
But what cannot be fixed is the mental anguish sustained while leading the life of an NFL player. Even the sturdiest of marriages would be greatly affected by the absence of a husband, father, or both. Even the sturdiest of men may be shaken by what can seem like a 25-hour-a-day job.
The fact of the matter is that this side is rarely shown. The only thing the fans get to see is the glamour side to being an NFL superstar, and of course, when those superstars get themselves into trouble.
Which brings me to another point: Can the mental anguish lead players to behave the way they do? Ricky Williams sure seems like a prime example. Granted, he had psychological problems before becoming a player in the NFL, but did the mental side of the game exacerbate the problems he was having and lead him to the life he chose?
No one can really say for sure, but it's food for thought.
Back to Favre specifically. He used the phrase mentally tired repeatedly, but also made sure to point out that he still feels he can play, physically. We all knew that around the time he called it quits that it would be easy. Not having to attend the OTAs or do all the lifting and running probably seemed wonderful at the time, and after 17 years of doing it, who could blame him?
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6 months ago
It is without question that Brett should return! Starting a season in Green Bay without our hero of the green and gold would be like starting a school year without a classroom instructor—the fans and students . . . everyone would be lost. Who will coach the Packers without Favre? You think McCarthy is a coach? Think again!
Parrick T. Randolph
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