David Moulton: Favre torching bridges, and probably his legacy, with latest comeback

It's Roger Staubach on the Redskins. Dan Marino under center for the Jets. John Elway wearing No. 7 in Silver and Black.

Brett Favre, after one trade and two retirements, is the new starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.

That's not just burning a bridge, that's called blowing it up.

He just went from the greatest Green Bay Packer of all-time to an expletive. To some a legacy is important. It obviously is not to Favre. He could have had a lifetime contract from the organization and a lifetime of admiration from the fans if he had just stayed retired.

But he still wants to play, and the Vikings still wanted him. So here we are, a 40-year-old legend trying to lead his longtime bitter rival to a championship. A championship that he has won but they never have.

It's the stuff movies are made of. Except Hollywood would produce a happy ending. There are no such guarantees in sports. Very few athletes go out on top.

Does Favre need to go out on top for this second comeback to be a success? The answer is he doesn't care. He just wants to keep trying. It's something us mortals can't fully understand. Marino, Elway and Joe Montana didn't quit because they wanted to. They quit because physically they couldn't play like Marino, Elway and Montana anymore. I guess we'll find out, as John Madden once asked, "Is Brett Favre still Brett Favre?"

I think it's a mistake. Last year his body broke down for the first time in his career. Virtually no QB in NFL history has produced a good season in his 40s. The likelihood is he will have his moments but ultimately look tired, old and spent. He will become Jordan with the Wizards, Mays with the Mets, Orr with the Blackhawks.

But the beauty of Favre is he never did care about appearances.

While most fans remember Favre on his best days, my favorite Favre memory was a playoff game against the St. Louis Rams. Favre had thrown six interceptions. (Six!) His team was losing by five touchdowns. In large part because three of his picks were returned for scores.

Midway through the fourth quarter, when the coaches wanted to take him out, Favre grabbed his helmet, marched back onto the field and flung the ball all over the place leading his team to a final score. He didn't know when or how to quit. On that day, he was a gunslinger to the end.

And, as it turns out, he is going to go out in a blaze of glory one way or the other. Where almost everyone else would have played it safe while protecting their legacy (nevermind their health), Favre is either going to leave the game with his reputation in tatters or as the greatest quarterback of all-time.

Because, make no mistake, if Favre leads the Minnesota Vikings to their first Super Bowl win, it will be the greatest NFL triumph since Joe Namath and the Jets. Remember, Favre tried to be Namath last year for he Jets. And he was, for awhile.

The problem was he ended up looking like Namath during that one sad final year with the Rams instead.

I hope he stays healthy, succeeds and proves people like me wrong. Imagine if he is so good that he turns Packers fans' anger into envy?

Favre has become everything that gets us all worked up about sports. The good, the bad and lately, even a little ugly.

We don't know how this movie ends. But I know I won't miss seeing it for the world.

Brett, I think you are making a big mistake.

But I'm so glad you came back.


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