Brett's Next Step

I have never been a quitter, at least not because of problems in sports that made me quit. I’ve always tried to work through those problems by training harder, running faster and staying mentally tough. But when an athlete has made his mark on a sport and has built himself a great reputation, I think he should know when enough goodness is enough and when it is time to quit so that they aren’t a distraction to the team they’ve built themselves on.

What I’m talking about is whether Brett Favre, the legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback, should come back to football for another season after quitting and then coming back so many times.

Now, I’m a 49ers fan. I’ve grown up always rooting against Brett and the way he could mow down a San Francisco defense to rack up points. But more than any silly rivalry, I root for the good of the game, like a lot of fans. Part of that “good of the game” is the good of its players, mostly its stars—stars like Brett. The way he goes down in history is really important to how football of the 1990s is going to be remembered.

I’ve been following the news about Brett and his latest comeback. I’ve seen the clips of his announcing his retirement. He looked like he meant it to me. Now I’ve heard that he says the team pressured him. I think it’s time for this to stop. Brett Favre is great and always will be, even to 49ers fans. I think it’s time that he settle for that reputation and enjoy being a star without getting greedy and trying to add even more to his legendary records.