Bretsky
11-23-2007, 07:53 AM
If Testaverde is playing into his 40s, why not Favre?
Posted: Nov. 15, 2007
Tom Silverstein
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Green Bay - Asked what he thought 44-year-old Vinny Testaverde's motivation was for returning to the National Football League this year, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre joked:
"I guess he loves the game or he's broke. One of the two."
He's definitely not broke. Testaverde reportedly owns a mansion in New Jersey with a basketball court and a weight room that any number of Division I colleges would kill for.
Desperate for help at quarterback after starter Jake Delhomme and backup Brett Basanez both landed on injured reserve, the Panthers surveyed the market and decided the ancient Testaverde was a better option than, say, Aaron Brooks, Rohan Davey or Tim Rattay. And they were right.
Testaverde hopped off a plane and onto the practice field on a Wednesday and led the Panthers to a 25-10 victory over Arizona on Sunday. Of course, he was 43 years old way back then.
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He has since turned 44 - on Tuesday as a matter of fact.
Testaverde's flirtation with the fountain of youth makes you wonder whether Favre will still be around when he's 44. Were you to ask that question a year ago or two years ago, the answer would clearly be no. Not a chance. Not in a million years.
But an 8-1 start led by a rejuvenated Favre allows you the freedom to wonder whether the No. 4 uniform will remain in commission another three, four, five or six years. The way Favre has taken care of his body the past two off-seasons leads you to believe, if he's willing, he can finish out this decade at the very least.
A bigger question would be why would he want to?
Should he win a Super Bowl this year or next, you would think he would call it a day. But John Elway had the chance to do that after stunning the Packers in Super Bowl XXXII and he stuck around another year because he thought he had a chance at a second ring.
Favre already has one ring and if he gets another, he'd have all the credentials necessary to be considered one of the top three quarterbacks of all-time (if he doesn't already have them). It would be logical for him to ride off in the sunset with his two Super Bowl rings.
But as Testaverde - and Elway to a lesser degree - prove, it's not always about winning Super Bowls. It's about playing the game you love, enjoying everything team sports has to offer and riding the adrenaline wave that comes from competing against the best.
Michael Jordan had no reason to come back after winning six NBA titles, but he couldn't stand not being in the game. Favre ultimately couldn't stand the thought of being out of the game when he decided to come back following a 4-12 season in 2005.
If anyone understands why Testaverde came off his elliptical trainer to subject himself to chronic soreness and potential surgical repair, it's Favre. Yet he couldn't say for sure the fire would still be burning in his belly at age 44.
"I never thought I'd make 17 years," Favre said. "I figured that my body would give out, I just would not play at a high level that long. Physically, I thought I could stand for awhile and throw the ball, but you never know. And then all of a sudden 17 years is here and you can still do it. We're playing well and the team's doing well. Five years from now I have no idea.
"But a guy like Vinny maybe at different points of his career, felt like there was a lot left for him to give. I think everywhere he's gone he's had success, memorable games, memorable seasons. Physically, he still looks great. In his mind, why not? I think (former Minnesota running back) Robert Smith leaving early in the peak of his career, to him it wasn't worth it. Other people say, 'That's crazy, the guy had a lot left to give.' Maybe that's why he left. He wanted people to say that. So I don't know."
The sports world is full of athletes who didn't know when to finally say goodbye. One of Favre's closest friends in the sports world, Reggie White, wasn't ready to say it when after his last season with the Packers he came out of retirement to play one more season with the Carolina Panthers in 2000. And while he didn't distinguish himself on the field he clearly enjoyed being back in the football environment.
Testaverde is somewhat of a special case in regard to those who are thinking about playing beyond 40.
When he came out of the University of Miami in the mid-'80s, he was the model for what a quarterback should look like. Tall, sturdy and cannon-armed, he was the epitome of a pocket passer. The ball twirled out off his hand with the beauty of a tight funnel of fall-colored leaves.
Too often, however, it landed in the wrong guy's hands, which is why in his 21st season he has almost as many interceptions (262) as he has touchdowns (271). Way back when he was throwing 35 and 22 interceptions in back-to-back years with the Buccaneers it was rumored that Testaverde was color blind and couldn't distinguish between his own team and the opposition's jerseys.
Even in his later years, Testaverde was an interception machine, throwing 34 as Dallas' starter in 2004 and 12 in four starts with the New York Jets in '05.
The reason he has been coveted in his latter years is his experience and physical condition. When he finally retires for good, Testaverde plans on being a personal trainer. Unlike most quarterbacks, Testaverde's workouts are very much oriented to weight lifting, which explains his toned physique.
You can't buy his experience and arm strength just anywhere. So the Panthers signed him knowing that - unlike the others - he could win them a game from time to time.
You can bet there will be a number of teams burning up the phone lines to agent Bus Cook if the Packers move on without Favre in the near future. Shoot, Mike Holmgren called up Joe Montana when he faced a quarterback crisis in 1995 just to see if the great one would consider coming back for a game or two.
As long as Favre stays healthy and he keeps working out the way he has been, there will be a market for his services, whether it's with Green Bay or somewhere else. If that's in two, three, or six years, that's something no one can predict.
Of course, there are benefits to such longevity. As linebacker Nick Barnett noted about Testaverde this week, "He must have a hell of a 401K."
Posted: Nov. 15, 2007
Tom Silverstein
Green Bay - Asked what he thought 44-year-old Vinny Testaverde's motivation was for returning to the National Football League this year, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre joked:
"I guess he loves the game or he's broke. One of the two."
He's definitely not broke. Testaverde reportedly owns a mansion in New Jersey with a basketball court and a weight room that any number of Division I colleges would kill for.
Desperate for help at quarterback after starter Jake Delhomme and backup Brett Basanez both landed on injured reserve, the Panthers surveyed the market and decided the ancient Testaverde was a better option than, say, Aaron Brooks, Rohan Davey or Tim Rattay. And they were right.
Testaverde hopped off a plane and onto the practice field on a Wednesday and led the Panthers to a 25-10 victory over Arizona on Sunday. Of course, he was 43 years old way back then.
Advertisement
He has since turned 44 - on Tuesday as a matter of fact.
Testaverde's flirtation with the fountain of youth makes you wonder whether Favre will still be around when he's 44. Were you to ask that question a year ago or two years ago, the answer would clearly be no. Not a chance. Not in a million years.
But an 8-1 start led by a rejuvenated Favre allows you the freedom to wonder whether the No. 4 uniform will remain in commission another three, four, five or six years. The way Favre has taken care of his body the past two off-seasons leads you to believe, if he's willing, he can finish out this decade at the very least.
A bigger question would be why would he want to?
Should he win a Super Bowl this year or next, you would think he would call it a day. But John Elway had the chance to do that after stunning the Packers in Super Bowl XXXII and he stuck around another year because he thought he had a chance at a second ring.
Favre already has one ring and if he gets another, he'd have all the credentials necessary to be considered one of the top three quarterbacks of all-time (if he doesn't already have them). It would be logical for him to ride off in the sunset with his two Super Bowl rings.
But as Testaverde - and Elway to a lesser degree - prove, it's not always about winning Super Bowls. It's about playing the game you love, enjoying everything team sports has to offer and riding the adrenaline wave that comes from competing against the best.
Michael Jordan had no reason to come back after winning six NBA titles, but he couldn't stand not being in the game. Favre ultimately couldn't stand the thought of being out of the game when he decided to come back following a 4-12 season in 2005.
If anyone understands why Testaverde came off his elliptical trainer to subject himself to chronic soreness and potential surgical repair, it's Favre. Yet he couldn't say for sure the fire would still be burning in his belly at age 44.
"I never thought I'd make 17 years," Favre said. "I figured that my body would give out, I just would not play at a high level that long. Physically, I thought I could stand for awhile and throw the ball, but you never know. And then all of a sudden 17 years is here and you can still do it. We're playing well and the team's doing well. Five years from now I have no idea.
"But a guy like Vinny maybe at different points of his career, felt like there was a lot left for him to give. I think everywhere he's gone he's had success, memorable games, memorable seasons. Physically, he still looks great. In his mind, why not? I think (former Minnesota running back) Robert Smith leaving early in the peak of his career, to him it wasn't worth it. Other people say, 'That's crazy, the guy had a lot left to give.' Maybe that's why he left. He wanted people to say that. So I don't know."
The sports world is full of athletes who didn't know when to finally say goodbye. One of Favre's closest friends in the sports world, Reggie White, wasn't ready to say it when after his last season with the Packers he came out of retirement to play one more season with the Carolina Panthers in 2000. And while he didn't distinguish himself on the field he clearly enjoyed being back in the football environment.
Testaverde is somewhat of a special case in regard to those who are thinking about playing beyond 40.
When he came out of the University of Miami in the mid-'80s, he was the model for what a quarterback should look like. Tall, sturdy and cannon-armed, he was the epitome of a pocket passer. The ball twirled out off his hand with the beauty of a tight funnel of fall-colored leaves.
Too often, however, it landed in the wrong guy's hands, which is why in his 21st season he has almost as many interceptions (262) as he has touchdowns (271). Way back when he was throwing 35 and 22 interceptions in back-to-back years with the Buccaneers it was rumored that Testaverde was color blind and couldn't distinguish between his own team and the opposition's jerseys.
Even in his later years, Testaverde was an interception machine, throwing 34 as Dallas' starter in 2004 and 12 in four starts with the New York Jets in '05.
The reason he has been coveted in his latter years is his experience and physical condition. When he finally retires for good, Testaverde plans on being a personal trainer. Unlike most quarterbacks, Testaverde's workouts are very much oriented to weight lifting, which explains his toned physique.
You can't buy his experience and arm strength just anywhere. So the Panthers signed him knowing that - unlike the others - he could win them a game from time to time.
You can bet there will be a number of teams burning up the phone lines to agent Bus Cook if the Packers move on without Favre in the near future. Shoot, Mike Holmgren called up Joe Montana when he faced a quarterback crisis in 1995 just to see if the great one would consider coming back for a game or two.
As long as Favre stays healthy and he keeps working out the way he has been, there will be a market for his services, whether it's with Green Bay or somewhere else. If that's in two, three, or six years, that's something no one can predict.
Of course, there are benefits to such longevity. As linebacker Nick Barnett noted about Testaverde this week, "He must have a hell of a 401K."