Guiding Light is America’s longest running soap opera, airing on both radio and television since 1937. CBS has decided to end the show this September, but its producers think it still has enough life to be picked up by another network.
So what does this have to do with Brett Favre? Well, Favre has many things in common with Guiding Light. For starters, both are long running soap operas. Since the conclusion of the 2004 season, Favre has kept fans and the sports media on their heels as they wait to hear his decision.
Both also don’t know when to call it quits.
“All good things must come to end.”
Who said that? That’s right, Favre did during his teary-eyed goodbye to Packer fans in March, 2008.
But, he fooled us of course. Favre had the itch to play, but the Packers weren’t willing to scratch it. They wanted to move on with their new, young quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
As a result, ESPN decided to air the soap opera all summer. Everyday, the network’s best NFL experts, or lack thereof, tried to give their opinions on Favre. It seemed like a rerun because the questions were all the same everyday. Will the Packers take him back? Where is he going to go? Will he even come back at all?
Favre did return and was traded to the New York Jets. He had a mixed year with highs (8-3 start, 22 TDs, 3,472 yards, voted to the Pro-Bowl) and lows (1-4 finish, 22 INTs, crushing loses to the Raiders, 49ers, and Seahawks).
It was evident that his partially torn bicep hindered his play down the stretch, so you have to at least applaud him for playing through obvious pain. Favre eventually decided to retire this past January quietly, saying he didn’t want to create an uproar similar to last summer’s circus.
He fooled us again of course. Shame on us! We should have known that when Favre’s not playing football, drama is his game. He issued a statement in April saying, “At this time, I’m retired.”
That little statement caused ESPN and other sports media outlets to re-air the soap opera that swept the nation in 2008. At first, you felt Favre was just toying with everybody. However, it’s starting to look like he’s serious about a possible return.
ESPN’s Ed Werder reported Tuesday that Favre is set to meet with Vikings’ head coach Brad Childress to discuss a comeback. His agent Bus Cook said they are in the process of finding a former NFL quarterback coach to help him train as he deliberates over his decision.
Favre embodied everything we football fans dream of in a quarterback, a proven leader who no matter what can find a way to win games. Sure, his gunslinger mentality could also cause problems, but Packer fans will tell you he found ways to make-up for it.
The Vikings are a quarterback away from become legitimate contenders in the NFC. Everybody knows that Favre wanted to play in Minnesota last season, and the interest from them was mutual. It seems like the perfect marriage, but why bother coming back if your tenure ends up being short and inefficient like it was in New York.
If he returns and does well then the decision will look brilliant and it will add to his already enormous legacy. But, what if he struggles and the Vikings suffer a losing season because of it? That could potentially destory his legacy.
Even as a Bears fan, I can say Favre gave me a lot of great memories and is probably one of the best quarterbacks I have ever seen in my lifetime. However, ten years from now, I and many other fans might not remember the years Favre lit-up the NFL. Instead, we might remember him as a player who became a shell of his former self, trying to recapture his glory days.
We can expect the Favre soap opera to continue its long, agonizing run as long as the speculation continues. Hopefully, it gets cancelled before it possibly damages his legacy.
