I, Who Am Not a Cryer...(Thoughts on Brett Favre)

I, who am not a cryer, have cried a lot over this Brett Favre situation.

To many (or maybe all) of you this may seem silly. Here is a man who has played football all of his life, who made a decision to retire and then changed his mind.

And really I have wondered why it is such a big deal to me. Is it because as long as I have been a Green Bay Packer fan, there has been a Brett Favre leading the team? Probably at least in part. Is it because I am loyal to a fault? Definitely. Is it because it will damage my fantasy line-up? Probably not.

I think the main reason this has become so personal for me is because it is reminiscent of what my Dad went through, when he was forced to retire earlier than he wanted.

I didn't realize how much this bothered me until I have had to watch Brett go through it in the media.

I have always known that I am deeply moved by stories of a spouse lost in death. Both my parents lost their spouses before they met and had me. But even though that is not a part of my personal family history, it is. I know those people had a part in making my parents who they are today. I have always felt a deep connection to this part of their story.

One story that has always made me cry is when my dad, a few weeks(? months?) after his wife had passed away, went out and laid on her grave and cried. And any story or movie that reminds me of that brings out the tears. When I watched Return to Me, I sobbed through most of the movie.

Now, having seen the treatment of Brett Farve from a team to which he has been so loyal, I have seen that connection to my dad's story again. I have been angry and cried again. My dad was loyal to a company all his working life and when it was sold to out-of-town owners, he was encouraged to move to retirement. I knew at the time (a ninth grader) that this was hurtful, but seeing it happen (through Farve's story) again as an adult, I am more hurt by it personally.

I don't know why people don't honor loyalty. When someone has given all of themselves to a team, or organization, or company, or church, why can they not be given the dignity of making their own choices? Who is it that places themselves above that person to get ahead? I believe those people should be honored EVEN TO THE SLIGHT DETRIMENT of the group.

I am disappointed in the Green Bay Packers. I know there are just a few who are responsible for the management of the organization, and they have lost my trust. I think they have hurt themselves by trying to get ahead. It will take some time and some better choices for me to support these people, and to a point, the team, again.

On the other hand, I commend Brett for his loyalty, even to the end, upholding the dignity of the team and fans of Green Bay. I hope he will make the Jets proud.