So Long, Brett (I think)

As an erstwhile follower of the Chicago Bears, it's my duty to hate all things Green Bay. The stupid orange hunting camo their fans wear, the obnoxious upper Wisconsin accents and those dumb foam blocks they all stick on their overgrown melons all drive me just about bonkers.

But for some reason, I've always had a certain amount of grudging respect for Brett Favre. The Cal Ripken of the NFL, there's no one who's been so good for so long and worn the same uniform the whole time (well, aside from the 4 passes he threw as a member of the Falcons when I was a sophomore in high school).

Yeah, I know he had somewhat of a pillpopping problem for a while. But I don't think he's swallowing the Vike by the handful anymore. He's gutted it out playing with a steel rod in his finger, cracked ribs and plenty of concussions. So when he came back onto the field after a vicious hit on the previous series at the hands of Mike Brown, I fully figured he'd set his jaw, drive the Pack up the field and score the winning TD to break the Bears' hearts, just like he always does when the wind's whipping and it's just too damned cold.

But not today. Favre rolled, looked left and gunned the ball up the field...right into the waiting arms of Bears Big Play Poster Boy Nathan Vasher. We all know what happened next. Vasher zipped down the sideline, pranced into the end zone and we got to sing "Bear Down Chicago Bears" and chant "Green Bay Sucks" at Soldier Field for the first time in God knows how long.

I think he's lost a step, or two. Granted, the Packers have been just decimated by injuries all season and they've long since been eliminated from any shot at the playoffs. But still, it looks like the Favre magic is finally gone.

I don't want #4 to end up like Willie Mays as a Met, or Roger Maris as a Cardinal or Scottie Pippen as a Trailblazer struggling to grab one more shot at glory. Hang it up, Brett. You've done it all.