Huck Finn's Last Ride (Brett Favre feature), SI, Dec. 4

I want to say up front that I suspect some of you may not like this story by Jeff MacGregor, but I loved it.

Loved it. It was different. And interesting. Lyrical. The point about us being mad at Favre for getting older, and that the "Retire now, Brett" chorus says more about us than him, was perfect, in my opinion. This read like it could have (or should have) run in Esquire, which always feels good when you see a piece like that in SI.

I'm not sure anyone is better than Jeff MacGregor at observing little scenes and then describing body language in a way that illuminates far better than quotes could. And this story is sprinkled with so many good details. Farve's hands being raw and red as a fishmongers. An olive-green duffel bag full of hunting magazines. A cheeseburger and fries for dinner. The fact that he can't tie his shoes. And that he sits, on a bye week, up in a tree stand alone in the woods while the leaves fall and the deer pass beneath him.

There is no link for me to post, but if you like good writing, check it out and discuss it here. (Good writing, like good music, should be paid for, so I won't take it off nexis either.)

I love that MacGregor understands literature, too, to the point where he can weave Shakespeare into a story comparing Favre to Huck Finn and begin with a quote from Dylan Thomas and make it all work. Makes me want to go to grad school and actually pay attention this time in English Lit.

A brief excerpt:

 

They're mixed metaphors, considered a no-no.

I read it today and thought it was breezy and well done. But this Country Fried Brett tack is a little 1993.

 

A Packer can't tie his shoes. I'm walking away from that one.

 

Welcome to the world of every QB who has played in the NFL.

 

He lost me with the two Shakespeares, as our leader would say.
The King Lear of Kiln!
Forsooth, yee-haw!

 

My kingdom for a defense.

 

My God, do writers love Brett Favre. Name another quarterback so effusively praised for throwing jump balls and six-yard slant patterns. The guy has always - always - had better supporting skill players than most are willing to admit.

A couple weeks ago I caught a few minutes of Steve Young ranking the league's top 5 QBs. Had Favre in there. No Rivers. No Brees. No Bulger, who's actually having a good season. Favre.

 

Outstanding!

 

I'm probably going to put a little more stock in Steve Young's opinion of good quarterbacks than that of most other people.

 

Point.

But Young got his head WALLOPED during his career.

 

Boy, I'm not. Those guys are in each other's hip pockets.

Favre's QB rating is 78.1, behind such stars as JP Losman and the now benched Mark Brunell.

Bulger, Brees and Rivers are all above 90. Brees is 97.

Favre's completed 57.1% of his passes.

Bulger, Brees and Rivers have all completed at leat 63% Brees is 66%

Brees has thrown for 500 yards more than any quarterback in the league - yeah, Manning too - almost 1000 more than Favre, on only 10 more attempts than Favre. And his team's in the playoff hunt. And he beat Favre in Green Bay. And Green Bay plays in a division of Chicago and diseased yaks, beat Arizona and Miami at home, and generally pissed away a win in Seattle during the worst game Matt Hasselbeck's ever played.

But, yeah, Favre just a better player than Brees right now. Clearly.

 

Favre has reached Ripkenesque folk-hero status. To some, no matter what he does or how bad he does it, he'll be king of the league till he hangs up the helmet and shouldermapads for good. I think he's well beyond the sunset of his career, but hell, just let him exit on his own accord. At some point, though, the Packers are going to want Rodgers to start running the show.