Brett Favre: How can you hate this man?

I have a simple question...

What makes fans of football hate Brett Favre?

As a loyal Patriot/Eagles fan, a northeastern resident most of my life, I am baffled when I hear fans of football, those who really know the game, say they cannot stand number 4 for "The Pack". Is it because he is just that good that he seems to have the New York Yankee curse that all consistent winners have until they start to lose? Or is it because people believe he stayed in the game too long? Do some honestly believe that this man broke so many records, including Marino's TD record which will be shattered this season, simply because he played for 17 years?


Dan Marino piled up 4967 completions on 8358 attempts in his 17 years in the league. Favre has 5101 completions in 8349 attempts. Favre has also played in a Super Bowl in which he won (1999 v. My New England Patriots). John Elway is loved because he loyally stayed with a Broncos team that wasn't always a winner. Well, ask Favre about winning and losing, especially in the past few seasons. Ask Favre about loyalty about playing with a Packers team that got him following his 2 games with Atlanta as a rookie where he accounted for 2 int and 1 fumble.... in 5 passing attempts (16 plays). Favre was not a first pick holdout, did not make promises of quitting if drafted by a certain team, did not automatically get traded. He came into the league, and worked to get where he wanted to be. He changed from a gunslinger to a poised and precise passer who is having fun in a 3-0 start in his 17th season. He has overcome addictions, he has been an MVP, and has won rings. He is tough, he plays every game to win, and he knows that the moment he sits out is a moment for someone else to take over the team. Favre will eventually break every record held by Elway and Marino, he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer, and more importantly, he will leave when he is god damn ready to.

So why do fans of the game hate him?

The answer; he isn't what we want in a legend. He doesn't have the Dan Marino suit and tie look. He doesn't threaten his receivers, like Marino. He doesn't have a storied legacy of failure leading to a triumphant Super Bowl victory like Elway. He is simply the kid from Mississippi who played every game like it was backyard football. The guy who everyone wanted to quit because in their eyes he was "destroying his legacy". He was unprofessional, funny, and spoke with a southern drawl which let us know football wasn't a business, it was a great game...

Brett Favre is the guy we all wanted to be when we grew up dreaming of the NFL.

For him, continuing to play football is about being a football player. It's what he does. The idea that the only football he wants to watch is his team's defense when he just led a scoring drive. And the only football he wants to view on a television is game film on this weeks opponent.

In a time when guys like Michael "Too busy in court" Vick, Pac Man "$3000 to make it rain" Jones, Tony "I'm dating Carrie Underwood" Romo steal the spotlights on Monday through Friday for their off the field behavior and gossip stories as Hollywood stars, the kid from the south steals the spotlight on Sunday, and there ain't no body besides Wisconsin that enjoys watching him like this guy.