Guys, very sad news. I heard on Sporting News Radio tonight that Brett Favre's father was killed in an automobile accident today. He was 58 years old. Naturally, Favre's long streak of consecutive starts is at risk for Monday night.

Favre is playing. I'm sure his dad would have wanted him to play. As a Packer fan I support his decision even if I don't necessarily agree with it.

Brett is one hell of a strong man, and I really sympathize and admire him very much.

My deepest sympathy to the Favre family.

Despite the fact that the Packers are still fighting for the division title this is one helluva courageous decision by Brett....you know he will be playing with a heavy heart and then apparently will be flying directly to Mississippi on Tuesday morning to assist with funeral arrangements and mourn with his family....I fully expect his teammates to play a VERY inspired game tonight and win decisively -- in fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Green Bay had such a big lead by halftime or the third quarter that they sat Brett down and put in Doug Pederson.

I only hope that the fans in Oakland and the media (including Lisa Guerrera and the ABC MNF crew) show Brett the proper amount of respect, handle the situation with decorum and don't try to get him in a postgame interview in order to ask a dumb, heartless question like "how do you feel about your father passing away?"

I can't believe he's playing tonight. Amazing.

Well said! Very sad indeed.

With 13 minutes left in the 2nd quarter, Favre is 9 of 9 for 183 yards and 2 TD's. He's on a pace to set records tonight.

That last touchdown (that brought the score to 24/7, Walker's second) sure was emotional. But then again, it may be the beer!

Favre is flawless tonight! What a guy.

To play a career stat game with your father's death hanging over you is amazing. He is one of the greatest players ever and a truly inspiring person.

Throughout his career, Brett Favre has been one of the classiest and hardest-working players in the NFL. Tonight just reinforced that. Four hundred yards passing, five touchdowns and zero interceptions would be the envy of any QB under normal circumstances, but to achieve this while trying to deal with such painful emotions is nothing short of remarkable. Certainly nobody with a shred of humanity would have criticized Favre if he had chosen not to play, but I'm impressed by the fact that I have heard no criticism of Favre's decision to start tonight. Perhaps people have finally realized that how we handle grief is very much an individual matter, and Favre's decision in no way diminishes his love and respect for his father.

It was pretty awesome.

I shed a tear when he was giving his postgame interview to Lisa Guerrero tonight. He was teary-eyed while giving it and his emotions almost got the best of him. His performance tonight was one for the ages, especially considering what he was going through. God bless him and his family!! RIP Papa Favre, you coached a talented quarterback and even moreso, you raised a classy, terrific human being!

[ December 22, 2003, 10:24 PM: Message edited by: SmoothRon ]

This was one of the all-time great performances EVER by an NFL QB and the events of Sunday only make tonight's game even more remarkable....I know the Packers weren't facing the toughest competition in the league on Monday but the inspired play of Brett's Green Bay teammates left no doubt about their love and respect for their field general....it will be interesting to see how they perform again this Sunday in a key game at Lambeau again the Broncos -- especially given the short week AND the emotions that Brett will be dealing with once he returns to Mississippi tomorrow.

Yes, it was a great performance by Favre considering the events of the last 36 hours.

ON THE OTHER HAND, I couldn't help but feel like ABC realized they had a dud of a game on their hands and milked this tragedy for ALL it was worth. Yes, I know that it's hard to keep a TV audience when you're calling a 41-7 game, but they KEPT making references to Favre's father when they didn't seem necessary. Sorry, maybe I'm alone here, but I was very uncomfortable watching it, and I found it quite disrespectful.

I agree Spartan - how much of it was Favre putting on a display, and how much was he actually in mourning. I'm sure they could beat Oakland with the second string QB, and Favre should have been with his family instead, IMO.

If it was one of us ordinary people and we were at work the next day our co-workers would say get the hell out of here and go home.

What a classy performance by one of the best to ever play football. My thoughts are with you Brett.

Everybody handles mourning in a different way.

Favre is amazing and let's not forget -- the guy is playing with a broken thumb and will be having surgery at the end of the season.

It was a very impressive performance, especially under the circumstances...but it WAS against a pitiful team, though.

Farve did a great job. I bet his Dad is proud of him right now.

I would say, don't judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes (or, as Jesus is reputed to have said, judge not that ye be not judged).

The fact is, we ordinary people are much easier to do without on the job than is Brett Favre. He's the undisputed leader of that team. They need the win to have a realistic shot at the playoffs. Not just his teammates, but Cheeseheads around the country are counting on him. At the end of the day, whether this or that group of millionaires gets into or wins a tournament shouldn't matter all that much -- but it does (that's why we all are here, after all). Favre's family told him to play, and it was, IMHO, a selfless act for him to forgo the solace of his family to play in the game.

I think one has to separate Favre's performance last night from the treatment ABC gave the circumstances surrounding the game. He seemed to be able to focus on the job at hand while the network (and ESPN's pre- and postgame coverage) draped the game in black crepe over the death of Irvin Favre. Of course, sports reporters want to be able to "tell a human story" in game coverage and Favre's situation enabled them to have a "human story" angle & more than one of the reporters used that hoary cliche "If Hollywood produced this story, you wouldn't beleive it..."

~Adam

You know...

It's really sad that he lost his father...

However, Was there a football game going on? Or just the farve love fest? The only thing missing was for madden to run down and lay a sloppy french kiss on him.

Brett hurt his team this year (keeping his stupid playing streak in line). I realize that yes, he's great, yes he's wonderful. yes there will never be anything better EVER..blah blah blah.. but come on...

There are still 10 other people playing. There are still players on the other team.

I turned this game off after the first quarter cause i was going to throw up.

Really? This is the same Raider team that beat both Minnesota and Baltimore at home. Hard to see Doug Pederson stepping in and performing a tenth as well as Favre. It was an amazing performanace and, unlike PF, I watched until the end.

There are second-string QBs who could've beaten the Raiders last night. Doug Pederson is NOT one of them.

I watched the game too, but only because I needed Jerry Rice to score a couple of TDs for Team Trixie in fantasy football.

Anyway, I have to agree that just about any QB could have blown away the Raiders. More because they had no "D" against the run. Oakland always seemed to need 6 people (and 1 GB player) to help bring A. Green down. It probably wouldn't have been such a huge blowout with a backup QB, but Green would have scored 3 TD's on his own if Farve's passing was so exceptional. Just my two cents.

This post made me sick.

How in the Hell do you question someone who just lost his father so suddenly?!

Unbelieveable.

Umm....we weren't questioning Favre and his performance, and I think we can all say that throwing for 300+ yards in the first half, regardless of what's going on around you, is an incredible performance.

We were questioning ABC beating this story to death and invoking the name "Irv Favre" as every third word. Okay, talk about it before the game, talk about it at halftime, maybe a mention or two during the game, but it was all they talked about over and over and over and over and over. Like I said, I felt like ABC used this story as a way to keep viewers during a horrible, horrible game, which I found to be very disrespectful.

[ December 23, 2003, 11:46 AM: Message edited by: AtlantaSpartan ]

Reading the entire post, it reads like osufan is questioning whether Favre was actually mourning or not, and if he was mourning he shouldn't have played. If this interpretation isn't correct he can clarify it. But he doesn't mention ABC at all.

Listen the media, and MNF, have a hard on for farve. Good or Bad... he's great. If the wind blows and his pass sails another 2 inches, proclaim him "unstoppable".

Come on.. Go back to Eagles-Packers game. Farve SUCKED. He personally lost that game because he played hurt. Shit, when he handed the ball to Green and they got that long TD.. it was Farve magic.

ABC saw something from what happened... RATINGS. That is the bottom line for them. I feel sorry for the guy losing his father... but dont beat the horse 10,000 times (just in the first half).

I'm quite sure other players have gutted it out when a family memeber died or they had a painful injury.. they just dont get the press that the glory boy does.

Joe in P., I lost my Dad and I didn't go to work the next day, so take that any way you want. (And I'd like to think I'm somewhat valuable to the company I work for).

The second it was announced about Favre I knew the media would have a field day with the drama of the situation, having the game the next night. I can't believe so many on this board fell for it. And b/4 anyone says I have no feelings blah blah blah yes I felt sorry for Brett; b/4 and WITHOUT having the game played. I don't need the media to create emotional drama for me.
Pfan is right, ABC only cares about ratings, not about Favre's family.

Ummm, not to put too fine a point on it, but you're no Brett Favre. While I'm sure you're valuable to your company, I'd be shocked if, in the role of "analyst/programmer" you're as vital to them as Favre is to the Packers.

Favre will, after all, miss practice this week, and still play next week. If his Dad had passed on a Tuesday, I'm sure he'd have left for Kiln right away to be with his family. As it is, he delayed by one day to be there on game day for his teammates and fans. (and I'm sure your company's business isn't structured like football, with one "game day" a week. You missed some run of the mine just-like-every-other business days, as Favre will this week).

Regardless of how you dealt with the tragedy of losing your Dad, you've no right to judge Favre. Your initial post was really judgmental and inappropriate.

Oh, and one more thing, osufan -- you're location at the bottom of your posts says "national champions." Ummmm......not anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go Blue!!!!!!!!!!

[ December 23, 2003, 03:21 PM: Message edited by: Skiguy ]

Professional sports is an entirely different breed of animal than any other occupation in so many ways. You can't compare it to a regular "9-to-5" job because in those cases either the work sits until the person returns from his mourning period, or it's given to someone else, or some combination. If you compare it to an actor: a TV or movie set would temporarily shut down or rearrange shooting schedules. A Broadway show would have the understudy go on, and while I presume refunds would be offered to someone who only wanted to see the star and not the understudy, it isn't going to have an effect on the Tony Awards if a star misses a few shows.

The NFL is not going to reschedule a game because Brett Favre's father died. So it was up to him if he felt he could and should play. I would presume that if his father were seriously hurt, he would have rushed immediately to Mississippi rather than play in the game. But his father died. There wasn't anything he could do to help his father. So if he felt he could play the game -- not only play, but play more effectively than Doug Pederson (and granted, that's not difficult) -- and if his family agreed that they could take care of themselves until he got there a day later, I can't say he did the wrong thing. And I don't think anyone would have blamed him if he DID leave the team.

The issues of how Favre reacted and how the media handled the story are two entirely different issues. Let's not blur them.

I'm usually pretty cynical about these kinds of things, but this is one time where I thought the coverage matched the moment. And Cyd, who has hated Favre since his beloved Pats lost to the Pack in the SB, said his opinion of Favre totally changed last night. I think all you kill-joys are off-base on this one.

[ December 23, 2003, 03:53 PM: Message edited by: Jim at Outsports ]

Thanks Jim. I really wanted to say something, but I'm glad you did. Some of you guys are just way too cynical.

Okay, so he was valuable and went to work the next day and played through pain, cuz his team needed him so much.

Now we're suposed to believe from all these emotional articles and commentaries, that some higher power guided him into completing even MORE passes and MORE yardage than he normally would have, just because his Dad passed ? Some say I'm missing the point, but what about counting touchdown passes and yards instead of reflecting on what a nice guy the Dad was ?

OSUFan,

are you for real?

In the history of sports, the most memorable moments, the most sublime performances always come when taking the human, personal story into account.

Whether it's Dan Jensen falling in the winter olympics after the death of his sister, the story of Brian Piccolo, Rudy at Notre Dame or any other athlete who overcomes tragedy/adversity while performing on the field/court/ring.

Remember Monica Seles playing after the death of her father and reaching the French Open Finals? Would the moment/story have been as compelling had it been another player who didn't have to overcome a personal tragedy?

For you to say "let's just look at the numbers" and overlook the human angle of the story..... tells me that you don't understand the true meaning behind some of sports greatest moments.

OSUFan ... if you were him and your father died the day of a football game, wouldn't you want to play your best for your Dad? I sure as Hell would!

Take some Ex-Lax and loosen up, okay?

[ December 23, 2003, 07:47 PM: Message edited by: Allen ]

I totally agree with Jim and Joe, and others. The bitterness and cynicism of some of the other contributors is, to say the least, disheartening.

GREAT column by Cyd!....his sentiments echo my feelings about Favre 100% -- even though my disdain for Brett (who for the past couple of seasons I have often described as the "most overrated player in the league") was not based on him knocking off my favorite team in the postseason....nevertheless, after watching his courageous, memorable performance on Monday night, my view of Brett has changed immeasurably and my "humorous" jabs at his heart and ability have permanently ceased.

I also agree with Jim's statements about the callous comments made by a few Outsporters on this thread....the most memorable moments I have from a lifetime of watching sports (many of which are obscure to the "average fan") have been those where some special human drama and emotion have been involved -- which is a topic that may warrant its own thead....to me, these are moments that serve to remind the fans that these "Godlike" athletes that we cheer for and admire are human, after all, and despite their fallacies they can rise above adversity and achieve greatness through their courage and actions on the field, which Brett Favre clearly earned on Monday night.

[ December 24, 2003, 02:01 AM: Message edited by: gamecock ]

My opinion of Favre hasn't changed because of his decision to play MNF nor his brilliant performance. He showed that he compartmentalize his emotions. I always found him to be a decent, upstanding self-effacing man (whose ass looks really hot in those yellow pants).

Favre's performance reminds me of how Bill Clinton was able to compartmentalize in his roller coaster life. I remember his being interviewed on Air Force One the day of his mother's death being rushed to some
important event. I thought, "WOW"

Favre's performance was different from the gutwrenching performance of Dan Jensen, who clearly was affected by his sister's death.

If I were Favre, I wouldn't have been able to play the game. I remember how badly I performed at work the day after my dad choked, lost conciousness, was revived, sustained massive brain damage, and on the brink of death. When my dad eventually died 8 months later, I took off college, calling my college advisor that my dad died and if he could take care of telling my professors. I missed an entire week of work and school.

I find it...for the lack of a better term...weird, almost surreal. I could understand better Jensen, because the Olympics only happens once every 4 years (sometimes just once in a lifetime), doing it for the memory of his sister....but it's a regular NFL game. I also found it weird, awkward seeing camera shots of Favre alternatively switching between a WIDE smile and a grimace/saddened face. How am I suppose to feel?

A courageous story would have been a person who lost a parent but he had to go to work at a minimum wage job the next day to put bread on the table cuz if he didn't go to work he wouldn't get paid, and his kids would go hungry... When what he really wanted to do was stay at home and make funeral arrangements and comfort his family.

Posters like me who are against this Favre drama by the NFL and maybe Favre himself, are not callous, we are just the opposite. I think the focus should be on remembering those that we lost, and not watching the entertainment of football (and I love football) and not by creating extra drama for the entertainment of the public. He didn't solve world peace; and what he did wasn't so courageous, the whole thing could have been avoided by him ignoring the public and being with his family. That makes me callous ?

In a way, yes, you do ...

Farve felt that it was his duty to play a game - no matter how much of a throwaway game it was. He played with all of his heart and soul because, even though his Dad was not there in the physical sense, his spirit was there. Farve did not want to let his Dad down and played one of the best games he's ever played.

!!!!NEWS FLASH!!!!NEWS FLASH!!!!!NEWS FLASH!!!!!

According to media sources, Favre, who has been able to eat the last several days, is still sad...

Please continue to check ESPN.com and other sports media outlets for continual, pathetic jock sniffing behavior in the days ahead.

(Is anyone but me long past disgusted with the media's obsession with this story??!!)

Wow.

Heartless.

Coyoteugly, read a little closer. My scorn was not directed at Favre -- that would be heartless. Instead, my ire is directed at the media, who deserve no sympathy. They are lower than dirt.

[ December 29, 2003, 11:02 AM: Message edited by: Skiguy ]

Exactly. And, to paraphrase another post in this thread, everybody mourns in different ways. So if he'd decided not to play, I would've respected that, but I respect the decision he made. :cool:

As for the media coverage, especially during the game, it's all too typical of the way "flavor of the month" stories are pummeled into our consciousness, as if we all have 10-second attention spans (think Chandra Levy). Tragedy shouldn't be ignored, but it doesn't have to be milked for every ounce of maudlin sentimentality. eek! It's ratings-driven, but I can't help thinking it backfires in the end, when viewers get sick of it ... and if we don't, what does that say about us as the audience? :confused:

And now that Green Bay is in the playoffs, anyone who doesn't cheer for them doesn't feel sorry for Bret After all, won't each game be dedicated to his father, and no i'm not being a pain, I'm predicting how the media will play this up, if Green Bay makes it far into the playoffs, so all bleeding hearts prepare yourselves.

I heard someone on ESPN Radio say that Favre deserves serious consideration for MVP this season, in part, he said, for his "remarkably brave performance against Oakland." Fortunately, someone reminded the speaker that many other players have also performed with "heavy hearts, without our [media] attention." I agree that we'll be awash with cloying coverage of "brave Brett Favre" on the order of the treacle NBC turns out during the Olympics (those "up close & personal profiles" of athletes.)

~Adam