Brett Favre is SI's Sportsman of the Year

[RashanGary]

Favre deserves the career achievment award. He does not deserve the sportsman of the year. Josh Beckett or Tom Brady deserve it IMO. I'd give it to Beckett. Brady is greatly helped by the Moss effect.

The team around Favre is underrated too. The defense (pre injury) kept us in every game by holding teams below 16 untill 2 weeks ago and the Packers have the deepest WR corp in the leage as well as a good young RB and ST's that have done a great job in all but 2 games (the two losses).

[MJZiggy]

Don't you think you're in deep enough shit around here????

[RashanGary]

Don't you think you're in deep enough shit around here????

Huh, I didn't realize wanting to see Rodgers play was deep shit. I don't mind people getting sharp and defensive. I acctually think it speaks to their stupidity to take such a trivial matter and get all huffy puffy. Reminds me of the same aggressive, stupid attitudes that were diplayed toward TT. That's the emotion in poeple, can't take it too seriously, right?

[Kiwon]

This is one of the best pieces I can recall ever reading about someone in sports. It reminds me of how effective journalism can be when it is done well.

Now Farve has to close out the season with a string of good performances to make everything complete.

It would be a great tribute to the whole organization if the Packers can finish the season 14-2 (and hopefully injury-free).

But it all starts with #4 - Sportsman of the Year. Well deserved congrats.

[HarveyWallbangers]

The two most fascinating things about Favre winning the award are:

Its his first time ever winning.

Tom Brady got the same award in 2005.

Apparently it is about the stats....

Not really. Tom Brady didn't have the best stats that year and he was not the MVP. (Peyton Manning won in 2004. Shaun Alexander won in 2005.) However, it was the year he led NE to their 3rd title. New England's dynasty was the sports story of the year, and he was the biggest story on that team. The Red Sox (as a team) and their fans won in 2004. Again, jinx over. Sports story of the year. Tim Duncan AND David Robinson (well past his prime) won in 2003. Again, the Spurs became a dynasty, so they were the sports story of the year. This award is ambiguous, but this is on par with how this award usually goes. Otherwise, Tiger Woods would have won about 8 of these in the last 10 years. Or Roger Federer maybe.

[Patler]

J.H. - Don't confuse "Sportsman of the Year" with "Athlete of the Year" or "Performer of the Year". Favre probably does not deserve either of the last two this year, although it can be argued that he is close. On the other hand, it is difficult to identify a better Sportsman than Favre has been throughout his career.

[Harlan Huckleby]

what does "sportsman" mean, anyway? It used to mean a guy who liked to hunt and fish, but maybe that was a very long time ago. Does it mean good sportsmanship - he shakes hands with Michael Strahan after a sack? A guy who wears sporty clothes?

What the hell is this award?

[Zool]

what does "sportsman" mean, anyway? It used to mean a guy who liked to hunt and fish, but maybe that was a very long time ago. Does it mean good sportsmanship - he shakes hands with Michael Strahan after a sack? A guy who wears sporty clothes?

What the hell is this award?

It goes along with Power Rankings and the BCS poll. All equally meaningless.

[Patler]

what does "sportsman" mean, anyway? It used to mean a guy who liked to hunt and fish, but maybe that was a very long time ago. Does it mean good sportsmanship - he shakes hands with Michael Strahan after a sack? A guy who wears sporty clothes?

What the hell is this award?

It's pretty simple, actually. It's S.I.'s award, so it means whatever they want it to mean. Kind of like Time Magazines's annual award, but for sports figures.

S.I. explained why Favre this year:

It is for his perseverance and his passion that SI honors Favre with the 54th Sportsman of the Year award. But there is more to his story than on-field heroics. On game day the whole of Green Bay may live and die on Favre's rocket right arm, but his greatest legacy lies in how many people he has touched between Sundays.

The article then explains it in detail.

[Harlan Huckleby]

his greatest legacy lies in how many people he has touched between Sundays.

One might nominate Oprah for this award. Or in a couple different senses, the parish priest.

[packinpatland]

Anyone have the text that went with Tom Brady's being named?

Aside from dating supermodels and dressing well, what are his off- field 'credentials'?

[BF4MVP]

Anyone have the text that went with Tom Brady's being named?

Aside from dating supermodels and dressing well, what are his off- field 'credentials'?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/magazine/specials/sportsman/2005/12/02/brady/index.html

I didn't really read that so I don't know if it answers your question, but I hope it helps

[Patler]

his greatest legacy lies in how many people he has touched between Sundays.

One might nominate Oprah for this award. Or in a couple different senses, the parish priest.

What do they have to do with sports?

Let Time, People Magazine etc. nominate them, if they are deserving. S.I. picks individuals from the world of sports. I believe Oprah received the Time or People Magazine award a few years ago, didn't she?

Have you even read the article Harlan? I think the magazine lays it out quite clearly why they think Favre deserves the award. I will admit, when I first heard the announcement, I was very surprised. But after reading the article I do not question their rationale at all. There may be other as deserving or more deserving, but Favre has earned it.

By the way, the words you quoted were not mine, they were a quote within my response. Those are the words of Sports Illustrated.

[Harlan Huckleby]

ya, I get that it is for a guy from the world of sports. IT sounds like a popularity contest. That's OK.

[HarveyWallbangers]

It is a popularity contest. Big deal. More than anything, it usually highlights the most compelling athlete in sports for that year.