"I'd TiVo that..."

By Tyler Roth

My adventure as a blogger begins with a topic that the majority of us have wished away for the past four years. A topic that we were all forced to take a concrete stance on despite its emotional tug o' war and factual conjectures. A topic that, no matter where you turned, it was impossible to escape the headlines, like a bad episode from The Twilight Zone. No, I'm not referring to our newly-crowned American sweetheart Amanda Knox, although, up to this point that may be indistinguishable. Today, we turn our attention to Brett Favre -- the man (unfortunately, we have visual proof), the myth (3x League MVP), the legend (NFL records abound: most career TD's, most career passing yards, most consecutive starts...just to name a few).

Most recently, Favre has been condemned for his comments regarding Aaron Rodgers to an Atlanta radio station. Speaking on the issue of Rodgers leading the Packers to their fourth Super Bowl title, Favre said, "I'm going to be honest, I was not surprised. The biggest surprise to me would be that he didn't do it sooner." Taken alone, this statement does not come off as combative or condescending. However, he later intimated that Rodgers' rise into all-star status has been aided by a supporting cast that was better than what existed when he was in Green Bay. Many have defended Favre arguing that "he is right in that he is only stating the facts". However, stating the facts doesn't negate the existence of his clear and underlying, subjective tone. In this particular case, that tone was speckled with a belittling of Aaron Rodgers' individual talent and a noticeable, self-glorifying agenda that has become all too characteristic of Brett Favre. The implication that Favre would have been able to achieve the same heights last year as Aaron Rodgers given the surrounding cast is not only false, but flat out insulting.

Favre's crime to society and particularly his once die-hard supporters is that he absolves himself of any wrong-doing by believing himself bigger than the game. That his passion for the sport overrides the selfish, and at-times amoral, actions his decisions predicate themselves upon. [Enter stage, Jenn Sterger] For most men, texting a picture of his manhood (or lack thereof) would necessitate a real, unwavering confidence. They'd review proper grooming, receive positive feedback from their fans, and wouldn't need to think twice about angle or lighting. In fact, I wouldn't doubt this was the case with Favre. I'm sure there was no second guessing the infamous text and it wouldn't surprise me if there were other victims.

Favre needs to take a lesson from a man that he may have more in common with than he ever could have imagined -- former Congressman Anthony Weiner. While one distinguished himself on the sports field winning over the hearts of football admirers everywhere with his endless determination and laser-like arm, the other vaulted himself into the national spotlight with heated debates on Sunday talk shows and passionate, progressive rhetoric on the House floor. Both men had the misfortune of what was surely meant to be an intimate, "sextual" offering explode into a viral broadcasting of misconduct. However, where the two undoubtedly diverge is how they handled the phallic situation. Anthony Weiner took to the podium, apologized to family and constituents, swallowed his pride and resigned. Brett Favre, didn't even have the balls (sorry, couldn't help it) to admit his mistakes, but rather offered a tearful apology to Ryan Longwell and company for "being a distraction from the team". He not only suited up for the rest of the season but has recently got his feet wet with sports commentary (granted, it has only been for his alma mater, Southern Mississippi, thus far).

I have to be honest, there was a brief period of time where I was certain Anthony Weiner would take to the airwaves and become the next Eliot Spitzer. He'd get back up, brush the dirt off his shoulders, and move on to his career providing political commentary for MSNBC. Don't tell me you wouldn't stop scrolling through your TV guide if you came across "Weiner-Spitzer in the Morning". It sounds like something you ordered from the Hofbrau Haus thinking it would nicely complement your Oktoberfest, only to find out later that it wasn't a food special but was served by a woman named Bruno. I can only imagine a similar analogy would be appropriate should Favre be granted the opportunity to give play-by-play analysis with the likes of say...Big Ben Roethlisberger.

On Wednesday, the Atlanta radio station released a statement saying Favre's comments regarding Rodgers were taken out of context by the national media. I write to you today to put Favre's legacy in context -- to strike Favre's comments from the record and publicly censure his acts over the last four years. Send sports broadcasters a message that you've had enough of the Favre headlines, the Favre PTI and Around the Horn tabs, the Favre tweets, and for goodness sakes...the Favre blog posts. It may not deflate his ego, but at least it will save us from a "Favre-Big Ben in the Morning".