Does this change given Favre's wanting to continue in 2008?

[woodbuck27]

Brett Favre's retirement: What they're saying

ESPN.com news services

Updated: March 4, 2008,

Reaction from around the world of sports Tuesday to Packers quarterback Brett Favre's retirement:


"Brett's career accomplishments will be measured among the greats of the game for the balance of time. He truly was as gifted a player as I have ever seen, and as proud and amazed as I am of what Brett has accomplished on the playing field, the thing that impresses me the most is what kind of a man and leader he has become off the field since I have known him. I have taken great joy in watching him develop as a person and father -- perhaps even moreso than as a coach watching his quarterback. -- Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren


"His style of play was as unique as it was effective. I admired his skills, his leadership, and especially his love for playing the game. You knew he was having fun when he played, and that made him fun to watch. He set the standard at the position for a long time."
-- Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo


"What he has meant to Green Bay and that franchise and to the fans in Green Bay has been a tremendous rallying point throughout the 16 years he played there."-- Giants coach Tom Coughlin


"It's an honor to have competed against Brett Favre in his last game. Brett is by far one of the best quarterbacks I have ever competed against."
-- Giants cornerback Corey Webster


"He was the prototypical gunslinger type. He's the type of guy where, 'Oh, what's he throwing into that crowd for?' But he had intuition, toughness, resilience. It helped to have a good cast around him, which he often did. Those are all qualities which good quarterbacks have."
-- Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy


"I think this announcement comes about 17 years too late and I don't know if I will completely believe it until Green Bay opens the season without No. 4 lining up under center. In all seriousness, no one has given more to our game than Brett Favre. There is no player I respect more. He is one of the all-time greats to ever play in the NFL."-- Bears coach Lovie Smith


"In his case he realized that last year was an unbelievable season for him and the tragedy of it is that it ended with that interception [in the NFC Championship Game]. So he had to take the best and the worst and realize that if were to come back, he would have to try and duplicate this whole situation of last year and hopefully get to the Super Bowl, and I don't think he was really up to that."-- Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown


"As great a passer as he was, the thing I really admired was his toughness. His record for most consecutive starts will never be broken. It's one of the most amazing records in sports. I guarantee you, he gets an immense amount of respect from every quarterback in the NFL for that record."
-- Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer


"To me he's an ironman. He was around a long time. He played hard the whole time. He worked hard the whole time. He inspired and encouraged his team the whole time. He played through pain, he played through losses."-- Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France champion

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[MJZiggy]

Woodbuck, that story is from March 4--things have changed since then and may be relevant to Favre's retirement at the time as a nice "honor" piece, but do not speak to the current situation.

[woodbuck27]

Woodbuck, that story is from March 4--things have changed since then and may be relevant to Favre's retirement at the time as a nice "honor" piece, but do not to the current situation.

MJ I'm aware of that... See the title of this thread is:

Does this change given Favre's wanting to continue in 2008?

I highlighted the date that just followed Favre's announcement of his retirement. MJ...I'm posting this to get a Forum reaction on Favre's Legacy and any determination of 'a fall', based on his desire to return in 2008. Specifically how the NFL community may or may not judge him.

For instance: See HOFer Jim Browns comments on the opening of this thread:

"In his case he realized that last year was an unbelievable season for him and the tragedy of it is that it ended with that interception [in the NFC Championship Game]. So he had to take the best and the worst and realize that if were to come back, he would have to try and duplicate this whole situation of last year and hopefully get to the Super Bowl, and I don't think he was really up to that."-- Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown

Versus now and the comments of HOFer Tim Browns comments:

TIM BROWN SAYS FAVRE SHOULD STAY RETIRED

Posted by Mike Florio on July 17, 2008, 9:07 p.m.

Retired receiver Tim Brown, who is destined to have a bust that shares space in Canton with a bronze sculpture of Brett Favre, says that Favre should remain retired.

Brown told Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times that there’s “absolutely, positively no way” that Favre will return to the Green Bay Packers. And Brown indicates that the Packers not only don’t want Favre now, but that they didn’t want him in 2007.

“I don’t think he serves himself or anybody any good by coming back,” Brown said. ”Bottom line is this: If this was anybody else, this wouldn’t be a conversation, because they’d be like, ‘Man, you’re retired. Go on about your business. What’s wrong with you?’

“But because it’s Brett Favre and it’s the legendary quarterback, everybody’s having these conversations. He puts the team and his teammates in a position where they have to say the right thing. You can’t say anything bad about Brett Favre publicly. Are you kidding me? Who are you to say something bad about Brett Favre? But I know for a fact that the organization doesn’t want him back. They didn’t want him there last year.”

Wow. It’s a strong statement, and we’d love to know more about the basis for Brown’s conclusion.

Brown also thinks that the current problem has its roots in the fact that there’s no one close to Favre who can tell him that he needs to stay on his farm in Mississippi.

“Everybody goes through what he’s going through where you say, ‘I’m going back. I can still do it,’ “ Brown said. ”But it takes somebody around you to say, ‘No, you’re not. I remember what you said at the end of the season, and you’re not going back.’

“Obviously, [Favre] doesn’t have anybody around him to tell him that.”

[BallHawk]

Woodbuck, that story is from March 4

God, I love when this happens. :D

[Guiness]

You're right Woodbuck, I wonder what those people would say if asked again now?

You have to appreciate Lovie's comment...that Brett should've retired 17 years ago, as far as he is concerned. The guy's got a sense of humour!