Favre Coming Back

Brett Favre has kept fans in suspense for months in previous seasons as to whether he would return for another go-round. This year, if a story in a Biloxi, Miss., newspaper is taken at face value, there won't be any questions -- he's coming back.

For the last couple of years, Brett Favre has effectively held the Packers organization hostage – waiting until April to decide whether he would return for another season. Games have been touted as his potential final game, his last game at the Metrodome, his last game at Lambeau Field, etc. Yet, when all is said and done, he has come back more times than Cher has had final concert tours.

This time around, however, it looks as though Favre isn’t going to keep anyone in the dark. In Friday’s editions of the Sun-Herald newspaper in Biloxi, Miss., Favre is quoted as saying he will return in 2007, which presumably will again be touted as his final season.

While many Vikings fans don’t particularly like Favre, there is a respect that goes along with the disdain. A warrior who has played through injuries, seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, whether Favre bashers like it or not, he is a first-ballot unanimous Hall of Famer and any time he takes the field, he has the chance of winning. Last year, many believed the Packers would finish 4-12 and be in line for a young QB like JaMarcus Russell or Brady Quinn. Instead, the Packers finished 8-8 and were just a game out of the playoff hunt.

Whether Vikings fans want to see Favre return or not, the fact of the matter is that he is a rare commodity in the NFL – an ironman who is respected almost universally by his peers. While it gets a little tedious to have announcers like John Madden fawn all over him like he is mythical royalty, the praise in most cases is deserved. Vikings fans have been able to witness one of the greats to ever play the game ply his trade at the Metrodome for 15 years. When he finally does go, the Packers will have a huge void that will take time to fill. But until then, it’s one more time around for the next version of the Favre Farewell Tour.