To the Surprise of Nobody, Brett Favre Returns, AGAIN

You knew he could not walk away from the game with this look
on his face after the NFC Title game loss to the Saints.

In case somehow you have avoided all things sports in the past month, Brett Favre did some of his usual antics, only this time not going quite so far as if to actually announce an actual retirement, yet still indicating multiple times that he would not 100% for sure be playing in the September 9th opener in New Orleans, a rematch of last season's NFC Title Game, or for that matter, anytime during the 2010 season.

But did anybody really think there was any way he wouldn't be there donning his purple get-up opposite Drew Brees to get the season going?

This guy sure did not, nor do I imagine many others anywhere really had any doubts.  Not after the season he had last year.  Not after the heartbreaking way it ended.  And surely not with the way the schedule begins this season.

But is Brett Favre really to blame at all for this becoming yet another media spectacle, even if it did not even begin to compare to what the sporting world went through in the summer of '09, or is it really the media themselves?

It was almost instantaneous after the loss in New Orleans in January that the media began to talk about whether or not he would return. We would get the occasional break over the next few months when the LeBron talk would heat up, along with the 'where would Tebow end up saga', but throughout it all, any football talk in May and June had to have some mention of whether or not Favre may play in 2010.

As soon as LeBron made his 'DECISION', you almost had to expect that ESPN was doing all they could to get Favre to make his own 'Decision', although ESPN stands by their notion that they had nothing to do with the LeBron ordeal, nor did they benefit from it.  But as much as I like ESPN as a network, I fully realize just how much they can beat a story into the ground, and even this summer's Favre saga was no different.

A simple text message from Favre a few weeks back blew up to the fact that he was retiring, and maybe he did actually say to a few friends/teammates that he was stepping away during a down moment because of his ankle, but he stood by his saying that is his ankle was healthy, he would play, and now we have come to realize that was in fact the case.

Viking teammates Steve Hutchinson, Jared Allen and Ryan Longwell flew down to Mississippi, presumably to find out what his decision would be, and maybe to do a little coaxing at the same time, and if so, that is fine.  Tedy Bruschi of ESPN says he has lost all respect if that is the case, but WHY?  They know full well just who Favre is, and what he means to the team, and in no way do I think that disrespects the other QB's on the team, they just know Favre is a real legend of the game.  It was also August 17th, 1 day short of one full year of his return last year, time to get things rolling or move along if he were not going to return.

But now that he is back, the anticipation for the new football season can resume, and the anticipation of one of the best opening night NFL games in recent memory.  We do not have to endure another New York/Washington bore fest, or another Pittsburgh/Tennessee defensive battle to get things started.  We can sit back and watch the fireworks that the 2 high powered offenses of the Saints and Vikings are sure to provide, and get the season rolling along right away.

We can also rest assured in the world of fantasy football that Favre will indeed be there, and Sidney Rice is not some extremely risky pick in the early rounds as a receiver.  But more on all the fantasy talk later.

For the first time in 4 years, this blogger is finally happy that Favre is not leaving the game.