Brett Favre: The Chimercal Trickster of American Sports
by Guest Contributor invisman52, originally published at Max Protect
After Brett Favre threw an interception at the end of the NFC Championship Game–a fatal mistake that cost his team a chance to make the Super Bowl–I knew that if the Saints would go on to win the game in overtime, many in the media would bemoan the end of Favre’s incredible, improbable season. (At age 40, he had the best statistical season of his career.) Since the Saints did win the game in the extra period, I was immediately attuned to how those in the football punditry would react to the game. To be fair to Favre, with the exception of that crucial late-game turnover, he played remarkably. Yet, in a twisted sort of poetic football justice, and if Favre retires, his last pass as a Minnesota Viking will be an interception. His last pass a New York Jet: an interception. His last pass a Green Bay Packer: an interception. For all of Favre’s success, he has also thrown more interceptions than anyone in the history of the league.
Many will attribute this fact to his longevity and durability, that Favre has played so many games. This argument is often coupled with the notion that Favre is a “gun-slinger,” risking whatever it takes to help his team win. But what underlines most of this line of defense is a love affair that many in the media have for Favre; and it is much more than a so-called “man crush.” What is clear to me is that what courses through pundits’ constant approbation and excusing of Favre is a deep, racialized identification. That is, many white pundits in the media are quick to absolve Favre of any kind of blame because of his particular brand of whiteness–a whiteness that I argue is consciously performed.
First of all, Brett Favre plays with the kind of selfless abandon that a coach at any level would hope to get from each of his players. Favre sacrifices his body and is a dedicated worker. He does not care about flash, only success. This is seemingly evident even in the ways in which Favre carries himself: he is often rugged and unshaven, shows up to press conferences in dirty hats and “regular clothes” (i.e. not tailored suits, but jeans and t-shirts off the rack), constantly talks about working on the farm and driving his tractor. He does commercials, but they are not for glamorous products. (See above: Wrangler Jeans is probably his biggest campaign.) In sum, Favre emerges as a kind of regular joe, an everyman that through study and perseverance made it to the highest levels of his profession. Ostensibly, Favre is a model of what self-determination and a tireless work ethic can achieve.
Yet this is only part of the story. Underneath the scraggly beard and crusty, three-year old baseball cap is a man who is extremely spoiled and selfish. For instance, when he played with the New York Jets two seasons ago, his teammates described him as “distant.” They were not only talking in psychological terms, but in literal physical ones as well: Favre had a separate locker room from the rest of the team. Furthermore, Favre is hardly an everyman (even in the world of professional sports) as his Minnesota Vikings’ salary and contract perks attests. When the Vikings reached out to Favre and he agreed to join the team–and after an ongoing back and forth which produced the worst kind of media speculation and titillation–the head coach, Brad Childress, met him at the airport as the quarterback emerged from the owner’s private jet. This is not what happens to an everyman, but rather to a special man, to an uber-man. Favre gets singular treatment because, well, he often deserves it. It is too bad, though, that the media refuses to acknowledge the whole picture.
But some might quibble with my argument and suggest that Favre’s everyday guy act takes place where it matters most: on the field. To that, I say the chimera of sports has fooled you again. No doubt, Favre likes to joke around and jump into his teammates’ arms after they score a TD. This looks great, like he is “a kid” just “having fun out there.” And to many, this is his greatest attribute, it is what makes Favre “Favre.” (There is an article on the Vikings site that calls him “boyish, bionic” Favre.) However, he is hardly just a kid out there chucking it around because, as this season shows, he is incredibly spoiled and does not follow orders. As many documented at the end of 2009 when the Vikings were going through a late-season swoon, losing 3 out of 4, Favre refused to come out of the game as the coach ordered. He also changed many plays at the line of scrimmage, plays that the coach wanted the team to run. What was remarkable about this episode, is that many in the media excused Favre for his belligerence. Former quarterback and ESPN NFL analyst Trent Dilfer went so far as to say that Brett Favre was bigger than the NFL and that Favre knows more about the game than Childress and ought to able to do what he wants. Only Favre can be called bigger than the NFL–the center of the ultimate team sport and entertainment juggernaut. The problem for Dilfer and others of his ideological ilk, is that Favre is not bigger than the league (and, to be frank, not even the best quarterback during the time of his career.)
Now that the Vikings are out of the playoffs, the speculation has begun as to whether or not Favre will retire. This off-season song and dance has been going on for at least the past 3 years and it is tired. For those that do not follow sports, allow me to offer a brief precis of this exasperating variety show: Brett Favre goes to Mississippi. On his farm he relaxes with his kids and goes “fishin’” and “huntin.’” Interested teams kowtow to Favre and beg him to come back and play. There is a period of about 8 weeks in which he changes his answer–yes-no-maybe-yes-no-maybe… The team eventually moves on without Favre and promises another player that he will be starting quarterback. After off-season workouts and the first two preseason games are over–the most grueling part of the year–Favre decides he can’t give up the game (NFL: I wish I could quit you, he intones) and supplants whomever thought he was getting his shot to play. This script is not one of an everyman, but one of an extremely talented, in high demand, and pampered player.
The question becomes, then, where do I see an operation of race in (the coverage of) all this. I argue that a good deal of the media and fans look past (or refuse to see) Favre’s damning qualities and instead fixate on his boyish, rugged, and everyday performances. They see Favre and see someone whom they could be like. He looks like a regular dude out there having a blast; it looks like something we all could do. They project on to Favre an aura of normalcy; he becomes the aspirational figure. (It could never be Peyton Manning, as he is too mechanical and cerebral. It could never be Tom Brady, as he is too statuesque and immaculate. Favre is the regular one.) Where race comes in is that white men in particular too easily identify and feel for Favre because they get “the white guy” Favre, where that comes from, and its quotidian tastes for jeans and a fishin’ pole. He is like Andrew Jackson in that way: a kind of working-class hero who on the surface is of and about the folk and its interests, yet when you pull away the layers you see extraordinary privilege and singular qualities.
After the game last night, I turned to NFL Gameday Final on NFL network. Rich Eisen, the host, seemed to be emotionally shaken-up that Favre lost; so, too, did Steve Marricui. Both men are white. Marriuci’s upset is understandable as he is personally close with Favre. But Eisen said he was upset because he hated to see Favre go down; he is just an everyday guy out there trying to win one for the team. Deion Sanders and, to a lesser degree, Michael Irvin were not buying his line of argument and wanted to get back to what happened on the field of play–namely, an awful interception that, in a crucial way, cost his team an opportunity to win the NFC Championship at the end of regulation. Sanders and Irvin are both black. I don’t think it is a coincidence that they did not identify with the Favre narrative.
Rather, I argue that when we look for heroes and aspirational figures, we are hard-wired to look first at those with whom we share racial identification. Of course this is not wholly problematic, per se. However, it too often forces us to miss the rotted forest for the verdant and shimmering trees.
The case of Favre is particularly thorny because it is so multidimensional, and conflictingly so. On the one hand, his charm, bodily sacrifice, and hard work (during the season) are ideal models for young athletes. At the same time, however, the specialized treatment and expectation of privilege that accompanies Favre is exactly the opposite of what we say we want sports to teach our children. Contra Dilfer, it is atrocious to excuse a player’s disregard of a coach by saying he is bigger than the game or league itself. Can you image someone saying that about Allen Iverson, Barry Bonds, or the Williams sisters?
In the final analysis, when he finally does retire what must be kept in mind is this: Favre is a first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback who had the greatest durability in the history of the NFL. At the same time, he was not an everyday guy and is full of personal and professional flaws that too must be accounted for.
I understand that all people need heroes; it is just the reasons many give for their admiration of Favre too often glosses over the totality of the man. (But perhaps that is part and parcel of hero-worship.) If people consider his entire record, they might begin to see Favre as he truly is: one of the greatest slingers and trickster figures in the history of professional sports.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
Kenny wrote:
So much truth is this article.His refusal to come out of that game would have been bashed if he were not White.That last interception was a horrible rookie- like decision.The fact that he has one championship ring unlike a lot of the other greats who have many , is glossed over. Troy Aikman covers his games and actually had a more succesful albeit shorter career.I’ve always wondered if Troy would blurt out during a Favre game that “hey I actually always beat this guy”
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 12:43 pm ¶
Pasithea wrote:
I know next to nothing about football or the Favre saga, but thank you for this analysis. It’s a racial thread I’m not entirely surprised to be seeing played out in football, as it happens in baseball with regularity (most recently, Bary Bonds steroid use, blown FAR out of proportion, as opposed to Maguire’s admittance…). The article spoke a lot of truth.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 12:54 pm ¶
macon d wrote:
Thanks for reprinting this excellent analysis of Favre’s trickster-like performance of a fantasized white masculinity. It really clarifies a lot for me about how race factors into the adulation that he receives from white male fans. Sure, Favre is highly regarded because he’s a stellar athlete, but his screwups (and worse) often get explained away because he fits a certain set of admired white male ideals.
And yes, as Kenny pointed out, thinking about how much else of who he is and what he’s done gets ignored, AND about how much a black player doing the same egregious things would NOT get ignored, helps me see the normalized, supposedly invisible whiteness of that interaction between Favre and his white male fans. It is a very “white” relationship. (Good luck trying to explain that to most of his white male fans.)
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 1:05 pm ¶
Elton wrote:
George W. Bush.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 2:17 pm ¶
RG wrote:
Wow…great read! I can not agree enough on how these sport “super-stars” look down upon the world. It really is sad that children grow up idolizing these athletes, unaware of the drama behind the scenes. I was recently at a conference where a speaker gave a lecture on Cultural Capital. He, coincidentally, used the topic of quarterbacks saying that in order to be a successful, minority quarterback, you must be better than good. Almost, unmatched! While, such Anglo qb’s, such as Farve, need a story, theme to accompany their success. Very interesting article/perspective.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 2:28 pm ¶
gatamala wrote:
excellent article!
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 2:30 pm ¶
hga wrote:
Very true. Kenny hit it right on the nail. 2 super bowl appearances and only 1 win. Guess what favre was doing during his lone championship season? Addicted to pain killers. Although they are not teachnically steroids, I do recall during the whole BALCO era that many of those roids helped athletes recover quicker from injuries. I also recall a hank aaron interview where he said roids won’t help you hit homers BUT that as the season went along, his bones and joints would ache more and take more time to recover so, using these roids to recover quicker instead of naturally was an advantage over those who didn’t use roids. The only reason he won was because of the painkillers!! The next years? 0 pain killers = 0 superbowl wins/ 1 sb appearance.
For one, all sports media is worse than the regular media. Over the last 10 years, its been harder to distinguish between “sportscenter” and “entertainment tonight”. I’ve always noticed the different treatment of favre throughout his career. For example, he’s always forced these dumbass interceptions. I’ve seen other qbs make the same picks and analyst are all over them; but once favre does it, its “ok cuz only favre can do that” I’ve always said that he represents the america of yesteryear and shown the spotlight because he is “all-american”…of yesteryear. Why wasn’t he villified in the media for refusing coach’s orders much the same way when Iverson made his “infamous” “practice?! practice!?” statements?
In US sports, which all but hockey (golf is as much a “sport” as playing texas hold em; its a competition but it aint a sport) are dominated by Black athletes, he is one of their last white hopes. Which is why when a Black quarterback is at the helm, analysts say that he isn’t a “real” quarterback because they expect them to do shit that they wouldn’t expect from white qbs.
Unfortunately, its not just the media but the referees who are also in love with him. Anyone remember a ref hitting up favre for an autograph for his “nephew” c. 1998? Or just look back at sf vs minnesota this past september when a sf cornerback was flagged with a “unsportsmanlike” conduct penalty on a game changing 3rd down because the cb deflected the ball away causing minn to punt and the sf cb (who is black) celebrated by motioning his arms in a incomplete sign like the refs. He was flagged when I’ve seen worse celebrations for 2 yard gains not get flagged! What I feel happened was that the ref couldn’t stand that we were manhandling his boy and he tried to help him by giving him a new set of downs. There were 3 questionable flags on that drive. All coming on 3rd downs. Changed the game around and we lost.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 2:38 pm ¶
Val wrote:
I’ve always found it interesting how the media always overlooks Favre’s drug problem. It is almost never talked about. A Black player, no matter how good, would never be allowed to put something like that in the past.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 3:05 pm ¶
Tony wrote:
Wow, thanks for this article.
I never much liked Favre and most of my white relatives love the guy, mostly because he’s from Kiln, which isn’t far from where they grew up. (Infact one of my uncles is married to a woman from Kiln)
Quite simply the image has overtaken the reality, a man who acts like a spoiled brat being treated as a “boy next door”.
Heck, the cult of worship is so powerful even my own mother was ticked off with the Saints defense for “playing dirty” by hitting Favre so much during the game.
(My mom was born in Mississippi, but moved to New Orleans before I was born. She always roots for the Saints…until they hit Favre)
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 3:12 pm ¶
Lola wrote:
Favr is a perfect example of white male privilege. The ability to be considered a regular guy or boy next door type despite his wealthy pampered existence. The overlooking or excusing of negative behavior that would be attacked in a non white athlete. TEXTBOOK
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 4:35 pm ¶
kenda wrote:
Wow, great read. This is the most complete take I’ve ever read on Brett Favre & the sports media’s infatuation with him. I’m glad this posted on Racialicious. Excellent article.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 4:38 pm ¶
Just A Thought wrote:
So many valid points in this article. I would also like to add that Favre had the nerve to complain about a receiver holding out for more money, when Favre had done the same thing himself. Such a hypocrite!
And his privilege is astounding! I watched football, and he really isn’t that great. He’s good, and his selfishness and privilege worked in tandem with the coddling by coaches, owners, refs, and sportscasters to allow him to rack up his conflicting stats.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 5:08 pm ¶
Celeste wrote:
I’d swear if Farve dropped a turd on the 50 yard line, people would not only excuse it but go on and on about it’s glorious smell. I 2nd the GWB comparison.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 5:27 pm ¶
Dr. Beef Wellington wrote:
While this article does a somewhat effective job of explaining the media’s obsession with him, it completely fails when it comes to fans. There is a very, very large group of fans who genuinely despise Favre. I, nor any other white football fan I know, views Favre has an everyman. I’m not saying there isn’t any racial component, but this article fails when it comes to how fans view him. He has no special relationship with white fans outside of him being a very good QB for a very long time.
As far as Aikman having a better career, that is absolute nonsense. Favre won three consecutive MVP awards, and made two Superbowl appearances. No serious fan would ever think that Aikman was a better QB than Favre during their primes.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 5:51 pm ¶
Luey wrote:
Fascinating article! I do have to second the fact that there are many white fans (my husband and his friends included) who dislike Favre for the spoiled, selfish behavior that he has displayed. This doesn’t nullify the analysis presented, but it adds another dimension to the idea of Favre as the White privilege champion.
There is some kind of connection here between Favre’s White performance and the fans’ reaction to him that may go beyond how he is supported in the media. Regionality (I’m from Minnesota) and the continuation of Favre’s bad behavior may have worn off his image as the perfect White man, at least for some.
Thanks for this perspective. I love to explore how Whiteness is performed (particularly in conjunction with Maleness) and how that intersects with our understanding of the neutral category in our society. I don’t think many people consciously read white performance in the same way we read performance in the actions of non-white persons. We are so used to the neutral, and programmed to notice the marked.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 7:19 pm ¶
jpl wrote:
While I agree that Brett Farve has embraced, benefits from, and to many, is the embodiment of Whiteness, or at least White masculinity, it is also true that his family has Choctaw ancestry. His father, Big Irv, was half Mississippi Choctaw. This is widely touted by Native people who are Packer fans, and probably, more recently, by those who are Vikings fans.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 7:41 pm ¶
Invasian wrote:
I would say changing the plays at the line of scrimmage caused them to almost win the game. He is a better QB than Childress is a coach.
Otherwise, an interesting and unconventional analysis.
Does anybody read Dave Zirin, a sportswriter with a social/political conscience?
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 8:57 pm ¶
guante wrote:
What i find interesting is how media and fans treat white players who AREN’T as legendary as Favre. Third string receivers and linemen are always described as “hard-working” and “scrappy” and “team players.” There’s definitely an unspoken comparison there, and Favre, despite the fact that he’s always been pretty amazing as a player, still benefits from that.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 8:59 pm ¶
CVT wrote:
Great post. I can’t even imagine how the media would flip it all if a great like Donovan McNabb made the same kind of crucial mistakes, while addicted to painkillers . . .
To be honest, I still don’t damn Favre for that addiction, and think it’s great he beat it, but there is no way in Hell a black athlete would have had something like that turn into a PLUS for them in how the media depicted them.
Nice to see this article on Racialicious, as well.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 9:30 pm ¶
Jessica wrote:
As a devoted Vikings fan, I’ve spent the last 19 years hating Brett Favre. Needless to say, this was a very emotionally conflicted season for me…
I’m glad you posted this article, and I would love to see more analysis on the media’s love of white quarterbacks in general. There was a big dust-up here in Minnesota a few years ago when we got rid of black quarterback Daunte Culpepper. The minority media raised the question of why we love our white quarterbacks so much, and there was a lot of backlash and “how dare yous.”
So, Racialicious, what’s your take on the larger white quarterback love affair?
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 9:43 pm ¶
Jessica wrote:
@Invasion #17 – I didn’t want to open up a can of worms in my previous comment, but just wanted you to know that I totally hear you on the Childress thing.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 9:46 pm ¶
BSK wrote:
Amen, amen, amen.
If Favre shows up in dirty clothes, he’s rugged. If a black athlete shows up in jeans, he’s a thug. If Favre makes his wife illegally acquire painkillers to feed his addiction (an action that has an impact on the field), it’s because he’s a gamer. If a black athlete is caught with a little weed (an action that generally has no impact on the field), he’s a criminal. If Favre refuses to come out of a game, it’s because he only wants to win. If a black athlete shows any insubordination, he’s arrogant. If Favre celebrates up and down the field, he’s a kid having fun. If a black athlete (Ochocinco anyone?) celebrates, he’s a hot dog and everything wrong with the league. If Favre gift wraps a gimme-sack to an opponent he is friends with so he can set a record, it’s because of his respect for the game. If a black athlete achieves a record, legitimately or not, he’s called into question for how he has disrespected the history of the game.
Thank you so much for this. If you read most legitimate analysts, they’ll tell you the same thing: Favre was often more bad than good. He was certainly one of the better QBs to ever play the game, but the last half of his career demonstrated his me-first attitude and lack of respect for his teams, opponents, and the game itself. He cares only about himself and his own reputation and seems so self-absorbed as to fail to realize how his recent actions are ultimately only going to tar his image in the minds of any thinking individual.
Kudos on a great article. I have seen criticism of Favre that rightly calls his own actions into question, but no one has touched the “race” issue with a 10-foot-pole. Bravo.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 9:52 pm ¶
Phrone wrote:
I know next to nothing about football (I only recognized the name Tom Brady because he used to play for the school where I now go. People still talk about him sometimes.) but I do think it’s true that a white man is going to be forgiven for a lot more than any woman and/or non-white individual would be.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 9:57 pm ¶
JC wrote:
This reminds me of Rush Limbaugh’s faux pas re: Donovan McNabb. I think the media (and some fans) were very desirous that a white quarterback succeed and fit the heroic, everyman image of white masculinity that goes back to the colonist and frontiersman days.
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 10:20 pm ¶
Kelly wrote:
I had to re-read this article because it confused me, probably because I’m not too up on football, let alone football politics. But do you think Favre is hailed because of his *whiteness* or his performance at his *age?*
Posted 27 Jan 2010 at 11:50 pm ¶
Doret wrote:
This is a great post. You got to the heart of the matter of how the media feels about and gives free passes to Favre
Though I don’t think Favre has many fans left
There comes a time when fans are unforgiving of a player (of any race) who is in then out, in then out. (Make up your mind, play or don’t play)
When Favre’s signed for the Vikings there were probably a few Packers Favre Jersey’s that got thrown away or burned.
Favre was a good QB but he is not one of the greats. I don’t care if he holds a few records he played forever since 91 and he was a starter at the beginning of his career.
If Favre was so great he wouldn’t hold the record for must interceptions in a playoff game nor would he end a playoff game with three different teams with an interceptions, if Favre was so great he would know how to read the field
If a Black QB was around as long as Favre was and threw that many interceptions the press would take him apart.
A true blue collar QB is Jeff Garcia and I’d take him over Favre any day.
I think pitcher Roger Clemens gets similar treatment.
Posted 28 Jan 2010 at 12:06 am ¶
Jessica wrote:
I think it’s partly because the quarterback position is seen as the smarts of the team, and the team leader. We’re fine with our black receivers and tackles, but sure seem to like a white guy making the big decisions.
Posted 28 Jan 2010 at 12:10 am ¶
Therese wrote:
I was just coming to post what jpl did — Favre is quite known amongst the native american community on the Gulf Coast as he is one of us. My father’s maternal family are Tunica, but we’ve friends who are Choctaw, and a good number are them are quick to sing Favre’s praises.
I don’t follow Favre’s career (he’s never interested me — quite frankly, he comes off as a giant penis — and I’m a New Orleanian — gotta root for our boys!), but he is often brought up as “one of us”. As for the white fans, I’m sure that the Cult of Favre is somewhat akin to the Cult of Brees (”Breesus”) that has sprung up in NOLA, especially amongst the local whites. Brees has been active in the post-K recovery charities, and he gets a lot of credit for that, so I can at least respect him somewhat.
Posted 28 Jan 2010 at 12:11 am ¶
Whitney wrote:
@Val #8:
Sometimes, not always.
Look at Mark McGwire. How old is he and how long ago did he retire? Yet people STILL talk about his steroid usage, and people STILL ask questions to him in interviews about it. People are still pissed about it and they’re never going to forget it or forgive him for it.
Posted 28 Jan 2010 at 12:28 am ¶
ashlynn wrote:
Right off the bat(hahaha)m I already know that I’d love to see more Racialicious posts on football. Or from anywhere, really.
I’m seconding Dr. Beef Wellington in that there’s a huge Eff Farve! fanbase. My house contains about 6 of those members. Brett’s everyman image does allow him to walk all over a lot of traditions and principles in sportsmanship, and yet I never quite made the connection to white privilege until now. I realize that what Brett does is noble, but let McNabb have done it, and he is a selfish, spoiled athlete.
A lot of the image work the NFL does is SPECIFICALLY geared toward black men- everything from handling finances to (because black players get a check and hit the club, which I will not deny has some truth) style of dress (because black men have to look like fucking Don Draper in order for anyone to take them seriously and feel safe) to most importantly, dealing with the law (you don’t need me to explain this). Farve obviously is way above this. Pfft.
It’s funny that I was just discussing why people look past Peyton Manning with my brother because of his mathematical approach to the game.
For the record, though, if you’re looking for an everyman, Polamalu is right there! Actually no- he’s not an everyman, he’s my man. lol
Posted 28 Jan 2010 at 3:54 am ¶
Jess wrote:
There’s an interesting set of comparisons to be made between Favre and Barry Bonds.
One of the reasons I think Barry Bonds ran into problems wasn’t because he was black per se — there are others who had the same issues. It was because he refused to be the “nice” black man a la Hank Aaron or Willie Mays.
He was a jerk — but he had every right to be a jerk. There’s nothing in any sport I know that says, in the rules, you have to be a Nice Person. Not that you shouldn’t be, but when a player says “I want mine,” I can’t say that the logical part of my brain really blames him. It’s a job, just like going to the office every day. If his employers (the Giants) were willing to tolerate his antics, and as long as he hit homers, fine.
White players — like Favre — often get a bit more of a pass on that basis, I think. I would also posit that Favre isn’t an idiot, and he has people who help him with his image, and he understands where his bread is buttered. But he took advantage of the spot he was in and it paid off. I can’t get mad at the guy for that. You do what you gotta to do make a check. But the fact that commentators and fans seem to miss this always drives me batty.
(By the way, to be fair, setting a record for interceptions might be an artifact of his longevity. Is his pass/interception ratio any worse than anyone else of his caliber? He has made 9,811 pass attempts and thrown 317 interceptions, so that means he throws an interception 3.23% of the time. Peyton Manning’s ratio of attempts to interceptions is only 2.7% — a hair lower than Favre, but not that much, and he hasn’t put in 20 seasons. Aikman managed 2.9%, and he also didn’t hit age 40 as a player. I haven’t checked everybody across the NFL but it seems to me any elite QB is going to be below 5%).
Posted 28 Jan 2010 at 9:50 am ¶
Persephone wrote:
I sort of want to reach through the screen and high-five the person who wrote this article. I’m with ashlynn — I’d love to see more football posts on here.
Posted 28 Jan 2010 at 10:01 am ¶
Colin B wrote:
I would say there is a large anti-Favre base amongst fans, much due to Favre’s retirement antics as well as the sometimes obvious media love for him no matter what.
I’m a Chicago Bears fan, so I’ve seen this song and dance for over a decade. During games, Favre’s brilliant and unstoppable no matter if he throws interceptions and wild passes and fumbles. It’s disgusting to me. Only when Brett went to Minnesota did I notice Green Bay fans (his longtime former team) start to realize how duped they were for years.
I think that’s part of what’s happening with fans now. People are seeing the Favre infatuation get kind of ridiculous (Frank Caliendo does a funny impression of John Madden’s Favre obsession) and getting sick of it.
That said, Favre has his fans. I know a black man, we’ve known each other for many years, who loves Brett Favre. Gets all his jerseys. Kinda buys into this narrative of which you speak, Kenny.
Generally, I would agree that unless a player performs the act of looking like an everyman, the archetype that white supremacy often holds white people up as, the smart, strapping, hardworking man with courage and toughness against impossible odds, they will get crap from the sports media on a regular basis.
Check Terrell Owens (Wide Receiver for Buffalo) for instance.
*Plays well at his position into his late 30s
*Acts very privileged, demanding more and more attention from his team and the media
*Also self-important, as he’s well-known for mocking his teammates when things go bad in a season and not accepting responsibility.
Called a talented receiver and a problem.
Now let’s go to ‘everyman’ Brett Favre:
*Plays well at his position at age 40
*Demands more power on team than anyone else
*Known for throwing ball so hard it breaks receivers’ fingers and doesn’t show any care
*Known for not taking responsibility when things break down
–>Example: I saw him play my Bears a month ago. He lost. Played well, but had a terrible first half. When it was asked how he fit into the loss, he didn’t admit any fault. He brought the team back into the game, you see. I was appalled. He threw his team under the bus.
Called one of the best QBs and an awesome teammate.
Both work hard to stay good. Both have flaws personally dealing with teammates. But one is still the favorite son.
Posted 28 Jan 2010 at 10:46 am ¶
its debatable wrote:
Thank you thank you thank you!
Now, if only this could be posted on cbs sports or espn or something. Too bad they lack the consciousness to discuss such a subject rationally. *sigh*
Posted 28 Jan 2010 at 10:48 am ¶
Kenny wrote:
Dr Beef yes Favre has had a longer career with greater stats than Aikman.I was referrring to the success of three Super Bowl rings in four years for Troy and thier head to head games.I don’t think you’ll find a lot of clips of Aikman throwing interceptions at key moments of play off games either.
Posted 28 Jan 2010 at 12:15 pm ¶
Val wrote:
@Whitney
“Look at Mark McGwire. How old is he and how long ago did he retire? Yet people STILL talk about his steroid usage, and people STILL ask questions to him in interviews about it. People are still pissed about it and they’re never going to forget it or forgive him for it.”
I’m no expert on the situation but I think people are upset because he did not come clean when he had a chance to a few years ago.
But despite his not coming clean until now he’s just been hired to be a batting coach for his old team. That seems like his drug use is being put in the past to me.
Posted 28 Jan 2010 at 1:15 pm ¶
bruinseattrojans wrote:
“Can you image someone saying that about Allen Iverson, Barry Bonds, or the Williams sisters?”
No, but I can imagine someone saying something like that about Michael Jordan.
Posted 28 Jan 2010 at 2:53 pm ¶
Eric wrote:
A fantastic, wholly encompassing article. Thanks for sharing.
Posted 28 Jan 2010 at 4:11 pm ¶
spaceghost wrote:
@Dr. Beef Wellington
On the comparison between Favre and Aikman
3 SuperBowls > 2 SuperBowls
3 SuperBowl wins > 1 SuperBowl win
Playing within yourself & not making mistakes > making stupid throws/interceptions costing your team playoff games
Bowing out gracefully when injuries/performance no longer allow you to perform at a high level > retiring/unretiring/retiring again, quitting on your team (Packers AND Jets) just to come back in a better situation
Favre’s team never beat Aikman’s team in a playoff game
Posted 29 Jan 2010 at 8:50 am ¶
Gregory A. Butler wrote:
This is a truly awesome article! An excellent analysis of race, football and the Brett Favre phenomenon.
It’s nice to see Racialicious expanding into covering race and sports – because there’s a whole lot to say about that!
Posted 30 Jan 2010 at 4:04 pm ¶