文章基本信息

标题：Favre is still Favre—enjoy him while you can - NFL - Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre - Brief Article - Column
作者：Troy Aikman
期刊名称：The Sporting News
印刷版ISSN：0038-805X
出版年度：2003
卷号：Dec 15, 2003
出版社：American City Business Journals, Inc.

Favre is still Favre��enjoy him while you can - NFL - Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre - Brief Article - Column

Troy Aikman

From time to time, a player comes along who takes greatness to another level. Someone you'll be telling your grandkids that you had the opportunity to see play. Someone like Brett Favre.

There's something about Favre. The Streak--186 consecutive regular-season starts and counting--certainly is part of it. It's amazing, an accomplishment that may never be matched. As many hits as a quarterback takes, blind-side and otherwise, it's almost unfathomable that anyone could last so long without suffering some kind of injury that forces him to the sideline, no matter how tough he is--and Favre is plenty tough. He has been fortunate, to be sure, but he also has gutted it out at times when other quarterbacks would have taken the week off.

Favre has plenty of talent, too. You've seen his strong arm, his accuracy, his improvisations, his fourth quarter comebacks. A Super Bowl championship, three MVP awards and eight playoff appearances also attest to his tremendous ability.

Other players have accomplished as much or more, but Favre has something extra. He's 34, in his 13th NFL season, and he still plays the game with a childlike innocence. You can't help but enjoy watching a guy who's having as much fun now as he did as a kid in his backyard in Mississippi.

Mentally, Favre has never lost some mobility, but that's about it. As long as he's still having fun, I see no reason he shouldn't keep playing at a high level, especially considering the talent assembled around him. The Packers have struggled, but this has just been one of those years. Green Bay has been strengthening its roster, and if Favre returns next season, he has a chance to go out on top, a la John Elway.

Whatever happens, enjoy him while you can. Think about the stories you've heard from people who watched Johnny Unitas play. You'll talk about Favre the same way.

The Troy Aikman Show airs at 5 p.m. ET every Thursday through the Super Bowl on Sporting News Radio. Listen online at http://radio.sportingnews.com.