Hacker: NFL

Brett Favre’s return to the NFL was one of the hot topics of the off-season. Since his return, though, Favre has been nothing short of spectacular, leading an undefeated team, and recently becoming the only quarterback in NFL history to record wins over all 32 teams. Fears that his latest comeback might damage his legacy have been well and truly banished, although Favre’s attitude towards a Green Bay franchise that treated him so well throughout his career has done some damage to his personal reputation.

I see little more for Favre to achieve, perhaps other than earning a Super Bowl ring with a second team. I feel this comeback had its basis in a need for Favre to return to what he knows, after his well-publicised family problems [Favre’s father recently passed away, and he has been through a fairly messy and public divorce]. After all the turmoil in his life, I think coming back to the sport that has been his whole life for so many years has given him something to hold onto, and he seems to be relishing that security at
the moment.

Favre’s place among the all-time greats is assured, but the question of who exactly is the greatest of all time is one that could be discussed for days on end. Though Dan Marino is, in my opinion, the best passing quarterback in the history of the game, there have been many fantastic players throughout the years who tend to be forgotten in discussions such as these. Guys like Johnny Unitas of the Colts, who was a star in the 60s, are often overlooked. There is a lot of sentimental feeling and statistical evidence that points to Favre being top of the pile, but we shouldn’t forget the greats of the past, and, of course, my own choice: Dan Marino!

The NFL brought a regular season game to London last weekend, which is great for growing the popularity of the NFL brand in the UK. Unfortunately it’s not done as much as people like myself might have hoped in terms of increasing participation levels in the sport at grassroots level here in Britain, but then that’s not something we can expect the NFL to do for us. In order to boost the sport here in Britain, and through our own Club in Edinburgh, we need to jump on any advantages the NFL’s presence might bring us, and capitalise on them as much as possible.