Favre: I don't mean to bug ya'

Editor's note: One of Vegas Gopher's old friends is RJ, frequent commenter and purveyor of Midwestern tales of parenting and sports at "The Sirvio 5" blog. In the wake of the retirement of Breffarve (pictured left on his wedding day with groom John Madden, sans kneepads), RJ has agreed to grace WHIH with his take on the legacy of the man known throughout Dairyland simply as "No. 4."

"At the request of WHIH, I decided to take a different approach to this retrospective of Breffarve. I could have simply relived highlights and fond memories, spouted out statistics ad nauseum and reveled in the fact that Breffarve dominated the Vikings in recent years after a dubious history against the hated rival, but I thought there was an interesting parallel making an unlikely link between two icons. Enjoy.

Brett Favre and Bono have each had their share of glorious moments and achievement (Super Bowl champion, three-time MVP, certain hall of famer; primary songwriter and frontman for one of the best-selling bands in history, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, noted philanthropist and champion for social issues) as well as moments which made even their biggest fans cringe (one-time painkiller addict and alcohol abuser, all-time interceptions leader, questionable decision-making in key plays of games; an over-the-top performance in “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” an inexplicable photo kissing Liam Gallagher, the goofy “Stuck In A Moment…” video). (Editor's note: This list is incomplete without mention of Bono's mullet, circa the concert at Red Rocks.)

Believe me, I know both sides of the coin being a fan of both icons and their work. Ample ammunition has been supplied over the years to arm their critics. But just as the fans need to be honest to acknowledge the flaws, the critics need to acknowledge and recognize the legendary, one-of-a-kind greatness and bravado they personify, performing in a unique way very few in their respective fields have been able.

Favre and Bono reached points in their respective careers where they appeared to be washed up and no longer relevant (dismal 2005 NFL season; Pop) only to rebound back to prominence and greatness (2007 record-breaking NFL season; All That You Can’t Leave Behind to present).

They both stay true to themselves and truly don’t care what anyone else thinks; they only know one way to do what they do, according to their own convictions. Their courage to take risks is what propelled them to become great.

And at the end of the day, the ledger of highlights outweighs the faults.

These are flawed heroes but all-time greats nonetheless."