Tears of _____

I've been sick all week. It started Sunday night with a fever and complete exhaustion. I had the flu. Monday and Tuesday I did nothing but sleep, moving occasionally from sofa to bed and back to sofa again. At some point on Tuesday Valerie told me that Brett Favre retired. That didn't help me feel any better.

Packer fans, like myself, knew it was going to happen eventually. But you never really believed it would actually happen. But it did this week. I didn't cry when I heard the news. And as the week went on I didn't pay much attention to the things on the news about Favre. After all he was the source of so much grief at times. All those interceptions, including his last one. The yearly will-he-or-won't-he questions about his retirement the past five years. I came to the conclusion in my mind that its time to move on. At some point during the week I heard that Favre's press conference would be on Thursday to announce his retirement... but I did not see it... nor did I even consider trying to see it.

Something happened to me, though, this morning when I got to the Sports Section of the Chicago Tribune. I was only about 5 sentences into Mike Downey's touching column describing Favre's press conference before I was fighting back tears. A sort of "Field of Dreams" moment right there on my couch. And I felt awful because I should have known better. Brett Favre, the coolest, most sincere, most unpretentious person in all of professional sports was retiring. Yes, I was crying now.

Downey described a Brett Favre looking like a regular ol Joe in an un-tucked shirt and blue jeans breaking down almost at the very start of his announcement. Not looking for praise, not looking to impress, but being himself, Favre told the world he is walking away. He was that way every day in his career. In his victories he was himself, a regular guy. In his losses and interceptions he never made excuses and was always, always genuine. When his father died he let us cry with him. When his wife got cancer he let us cry with him. When his family lost so much in Hurricane Katrina he still was himself. Completely exposed, true, honest, emotional and sincere: that was and is Brett Favre.

So even as I type this I am tearing up. But I do feel joy as well. While I know I wont see any more of his amazing touchdowns, I also wont have to see another of those uniquely Favreian interceptions. And I know he is not going to disappear. I look forward to many decades of Brett Favre, the emotional and sincere regular ol Joe, either working as a broadcaster or a commentator. Fox better sign him NOW.

Will there be any tears when the Packers retire #4? Or how about when Favre ends up in Canton? You bet. I'll have my Kleenex handy.