JAY GLAZER reports FAVRE is DONE

[gureski]

How easy it must be for the armchair QB's to talk about Favre being a wimp for not wanting to go for an 18th year. Do you guys realize you sit on your back side while he plays on Sunday? He's known as the Iron Man. He's started how many consecutive games and nailed almost every record around and you guys are calling him wimpy and weak?

If it's so damn easy to keep playing then why aren't all star players around for 17 years or more? Maybe it's tougher than you think?

You guys may want to rethink your stance. You're making a rather shallow accusation. You go ahead and leave home for 7 months a year and push yourself physically and mentally ....day in and day out....and then talk about how wimpy it is to not want to push it to an 18th year. It's easy to forget that Favre's home is in the South. His family is in the South. After a certain period of time any human being is going to want to just stay home. He's not a wimp for saying he is tired or worn out. Look at the big picture and realize he's gone farther than anyone this side of Vinny Testeverde and Favre did it playing every game.

[Fritz]

No, Harvey. It makes no sense. Favre is not allowed to retire until after next season, when he has led the Packers to a Super Bowl victory.

That's it. All of this stuff is a bad dream.

[Lurker64]

4-12 team... he comes back...

13-3 team... he leaves...

I still don't get it...

Here's how it makes sense: Favre knows he can still play, and he doesn't want the world thinking he can't play anymore. A 4-12 season where he doesn't play very well doesn't really show this, but a 14 win season where he only has a couple of bad games is as good an argument for "still got it" as you're going to find.

What Favre doesn't want to do is continue to keep playing after he can no longer play the game at a high level.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

I think you are being a bit shallow in regards.

No, I think I'm being practical.

Football is a fucking game. If the mental challenges are so difficult that you can't bear to continue with it, then your priorities are screwed up.

I'm fine with 9-1-1 dispatchers burning out due to mental fatigue. I can understand.

I'm fine with brain surgeons burning out due to mental fatigue. I can understand.

I can't understand how a football player burns out due to mental fatigue. Favre can basically take 6 months off from ANY mental preparation whatsoever. Sure, he has to PHYSICALLY prepare for football continually, but he has no mental demands on him relating to football whatsoever right now.

If anything, he is mentally burned out from the RETIREMENT QUESTION...God knows we ALL are. That is his own damn fault as well.

Actually I agree with pretty much everything you wrote. If his reason was just that he didn't enjoy playing anymore or that his body can't handle it anyone more that would make more sense. But the reason he gave is not good enough for me to believe he will not regret his decision later.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Basically it was the studying that became to much according to Favre. He said every week it became to much as the season went on and he said he found himself trying to always top the previous weeks preformance.

I'm guessing hunting won't be as fun for him this year when that is ALL that he has to do with himself.

He's going to find that the mental work he put in was what made everything else in life enjoyable...both on and off the field.

Sitting on your ass in mental checkout mode 24-7 is not very enjoyable for anyone long term.

Leaper,

Get off it. Being QB for the pack and any team is a 24/7 job for months on end.

Burnout is burnout. Let the man enjoy is free time with his wife and kids. You, nor i, nor anyone else knows what he is going to do with his time.

But, i'm pretty sure it just won't be sitting around the house, watching springer, and eating mallomars.

Tyrone, your comments got me thinking - what does a crack addict actually do in retirment? Do you take on a new hobby, like staying sober? Or do you move on to other drugs? Do you travel, visiting crack neighborhoods in far away lands, like English teachers visiting London?

Well, like most good, normal americans..we crackheads like to buy an RV and travel the beatiful U.S. of A.

We love to drop in on friends and relatives and then overstay our welcome.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

I think you are being a bit shallow in regards.

No, I think I'm being practical.

Football is a fucking game. If the mental challenges are so difficult that you can't bear to continue with it, then your priorities are screwed up.

I'm fine with 9-1-1 dispatchers burning out due to mental fatigue. I can understand.

I'm fine with brain surgeons burning out due to mental fatigue. I can understand.

I can't understand how a football player burns out due to mental fatigue. Favre can basically take 6 months off from ANY mental preparation whatsoever. Sure, he has to PHYSICALLY prepare for football continually, but he has no mental demands on him relating to football whatsoever right now.

If anything, he is mentally burned out from the RETIREMENT QUESTION...God knows we ALL are. That is his own damn fault as well.

Football is a game? WTF are you talking about. It is a job. There are millions of dollars at risk. It long stopped being a game when they were in hgh school and they realized it was CAREER.

Leaper, because YOU can't understand the mental and EMOTIONAL demands doesn't mean it is there.

You are descending into Partial like stupidity. Stop it now, before I lose respect for you.

[Fritz]

Cool.

[The Leaper]

You are talking out of your ass.

No I'm not.

Favre has brought the burnout ON HIMSELF by using the entire off-seasons the last few years debating whether or not he was coming back rather than taking the time to mentally recharge.

ANYONE can be mentally burned out if they let themselves, regardless of profession. Successfully managing your time and stress levels are key for any human being. Burnout only occurs when you do not successfully manage those aspects of life. For some, there is no way to manage it...when you face life-and-death everyday in a hospital or in military service, burnout is a real factor each and every day. Granted, you know that going into those professions, but that is why those professions deserve our respect. I don't view football in the same context...although certainly the ability for burnout is still there if you allow it to consume you without allowing for time to recharge.

Favre clearly does not possess the capacity to successfully manage the mental aspects of his career at this point. Billions of people take their jobs home every night on this planet...and most aren't as fortunate as Favre to be able to walk away from their career with a fortune intact. He's very blessed in that regard to be able to walk away now and not be worse off for it.

[Lurker64]

Isn't the better reaction to "Favre retiring" more of a group hug than whatever sort of acrimony is going on now?

We're all already upset by this, there's really no reason to take it out on each other.

[GBRulz]

Favre has brought the burnout ON HIMSELF by using the entire off-seasons the last few years debating whether or not he was coming back rather than taking the time to mentally recharge.

I didn't realize the off-season ended Feb 2 (when he made the announcement last year).

Perhaps you need to just take a breather. I think everyone is a little emotional right now.

[Freak Out]

Come on folks and get over it already. Were back to the good old days of wondering what kind of a QB were going to have on the team!

[Fritz]

Can't we all just get along?

Kumbaya, man.

[Harlan Huckleby]

We're all already upset by this, there's really no reason to take it out on each other.

I'm not upset, I think its cool that he left after a strong season. I thought he might play until he had a lousy year, this is better.

[KYPack]

Jay Glazer from FOX just had a great interview on Rome.

He says the "Packers didn't get Moss so I'll quit" angle has no credence.

He basically broke the story and has found Brett quit because of the "mental fatigue" factor. he just couldn't go anymore and informed the team of that when he arrived at that conclusion.

I believe the guy

[The Leaper]

I'm not upset, I think its cool that he left after a strong season. I thought he might play until he had a lousy year, this is better.

I have to think this is part of his reasoning. He didn't want to go out on a bad note...and although he isn't going on top, he's pretty close.

That is why I discount the "mental burnout" reasoning. I think Favre just feels he's gone as far as he needs to and wants to walk away before something bad happens. He knows he could still play. He knows he could still handle the mental strain. He just doesn't really want to roll the dice anymore.

I'm fine with that...just don't tell me you left because you can't handle it. You've earned the right to say "I want to retire before my leg gets crushed like Theisman." We'll understand if you THINK you don't want to try to handle it anymore.