Brett Favre Must Retire from the National Football League

The lingering concern revolving around the New York Jets is one that owns a simple resolution: Brett Favre, the supposed savior, must make the appropriate decision to retire from the National Football League. After unretiring last year and dragging most of the football world through needless and superfluous drama, Favre arrived at the Jets' training facility and immediately received more attention than a presidential visit or papal mass. Yet, the New York scene, one that requires success, especially with a team that had many facets in place to do well, crumbled with his lackluster performance and gun-slinging style. Enough is enough for Jets fans, and Brett Favre needs to realize that his services simply do not cut it any longer in the NFL. The only way that still exists for the immortal quarterback to save face at this point is to stand behind that podium and retire.

All fans understand the man's contributions to the game of football, and all Packers faithful adore him (at least they used to) for the sacrifices and guts he showed time and again at Lambeau Field. On par with the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the position, at least statistically, Favre has dazzled every edition of Sportscenter with miraculous throws, daring tosses, and bravery in the face of fierce challenge. Without question, after the Packers' run at the close of last season-ironically enough with Favre's final pass in a Green Bay jersey being an interception, Favre had the respect and admiration of virtually the entire sports world. And when he elected to retire, with a tearful ceremony complete with his wife by his side, he solidified his place in football immortality. In short, he became a legend.

Then Favre started to regret, to second guess, and to waver. Rumors flew about his possible return, which dissatisfied a Packers team that had moved on and committed to a young and eager Aaron Rodgers. Impressively enough, the Packers, a team that had long adored Favre, held firm to their new quarterback, and even went so far as to offer Favre $20 million to stay retired. Rather than let the game move on with its youthfulness and energy, the old man crawled back, using his legendary status as a crutch to move him back into contention. Selfishly, Favre placed the Packers in a no-win situation, calling for them to trade him to specific places or allow him into camp. The league's teams knew the Packers had to move him, so none felt compelled to offer much in return. Likewise, the Packers knew this, but the alternative was having him walk back into camp, creating a media nightmare that would further distract a team attempting to move on and improve.

Despite his repetitive remarks regarding winning another championship, Favre came back for personal, highly selfish reasons. He wanted to see if he still had it. After retiring, he sat and questioned if he had left any gas in the tank. He knew that he would forever regret leaving if he did not prove to himself he had nothing left to give. Unfortunately for him, his experiment impacted an entire city, and more specifically, an entire team that probably did not want him there anyway.

The Jets brass brought Favre in because they did not like their chances with Pennington or Clemens. The ill-fated Mangini spent the whole off-season preparing for a quarterback battle, and designing an offensive scheme based on ball control and consistency that either quarterback could institute. But, his plans were squashed by an ownership that wanted the remnants of a legend, a big name to excite the Big Apple; thus, they forced Favre on Mangini and sealed the third year coach's fate. Favre's erratic play and risk-taking continually cost the Jets, and he was the primary reason they collapsed at the end of the season.

In the end, Favre needs to own his failures in New York, and he must understand that his selfish need to prove himself should stop. He was great once, but now he has turned into a shell of his once-remarkable self. Rather than being remembered as a player who changed the game of football, and as a man who stood by his word, he now will slide off into history as a person who stayed too long and deteriorated before our eyes.

If he defies logic and decides to return again, we will all watch a Jets team falter because their quarterback, jogging onto the field each Sunday on the strength off a sullied reputation that was once beautiful, allowed his personal desires to overshadow the game itself. We will view a new head coach come to the difficult decision, yet one that must be made for the betterment of the team, to bench the legend-his everlasting image being one of a man with a large green jacket pulled over his head, his hands on his knees, alone.

Retire Brett, and follow the footsteps of those legends who understood that leaving at your peak is the only way to go. Realize that skills deteriorate and youth rules. Wayne Gretzky left with grace. Barry Sanders left too soon. Cal Ripken retired with dignity. Larry Bird left when he could still play. Brett Favre needs follow the examples set by these greats and, to save what little respect and dignity he still maintains, retire from the National Football League, never to look back.