Last night on Monday Night Football, we were subjected to the standard display of hero worship that accompanies prime-time games featuring the Green Bay Packers. You all know what I'm talking about. . .whether it's ESPN, NBC, Fox, NFL Network, or anybody in-between, the fellatio that is given to one particular member of the team from Wisconsin inevitably gets to the point where the game becomes nearly unwatchable.
But last night, ESPN managed to sink things to an entirely new low. Which, considering the current state of ESPN's programming, is really quite an accomplishment. And I'm not even talking about the fact that they let Vince Vaughn into the announce booth at some point during the game.
(Seriously, is there a more overrated actor out there today than Vince Vaughn? The guy hasn't been funny since Old School, and even there he was completely carried by the comedic genius that is Will Ferrell. But I digress.)
But last night, despite all the hero worship and all the slurping and everything else that went on last night, I will say that I came out of last night's Monday Night game with a brand new respect for Favre.
Deanna Favre.
(Come on. . .you didn't think that I really meant. . .how long have you been reading this site, anyway?)
Now, let me say this. I've always had a great deal of respect for Deanna Favre. I don't have a damn bit of respect for her husband, but Deanna Favre is different. Mrs. Favre, like millions of other Americans, is a cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, and has become an advocate for it since her diagnosis. Now, I've been fortunate in that none of the women in my life have ever been diagnosed with breast cancer, but cancer has touched my life, and I'm sure it's touched the lives of many of you out there as well.
I spent this past Saturday helping to organize the Biloxi version of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. Even though it's not directly connected to Deanna Favre in any way (she has her own charity known as The Deanna Favre Hope Foundation), when you go to something like this and talk to some of the survivors of this terrible disease, you find out just what kind of amazing individuals they are. I don't think that Mrs. Favre is any different in that sense. Because of people like Deanna Favre and the people behind the Strides walk and the V Foundation and numerous others, someday cancer is going to be a thing of the past. . .and for that, those people are heroes.
So, last night during the Monday Night game on ESPN, Deanna Favre was in the booth with Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Tony Kornheiser. When she was introduced, the fact that her new book (entitled Don't Bet Against Me) was in bookstores and that October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month were briefly mentioned. What follows is a transcript of the conversation that the MNF announce crew had with Deanna Favre.
"Blah blah blah Brett blah blah blah Brett blah blah blah Brett blah blah blah Brett blah blah blah enjoy the rest of the game, Deanna!"
Seriously. That's a pretty accurate transcript. One of them (I believe it was Kornheiser) even asked her what color underwear Brett wears.
So, I feel bad for what happened to Mrs. Favre last night. As if the yokels in the booth didn't spend enough time yakking about her husband, they had to take time that Deanna could have spent talking about breast cancer and breast cancer awareness or her book (the proceeds of which go to her foundation) and spent it. . .surprise. . .yakking about her husband. What a terrible waste.
It's just a part of the continued de-evolution of Monday Night Football. MNF used to be something special, something to look forward to, something that meant something. Now, it's something to flip to during commercial breaks of Monday Night Raw. Hell, the Vikings have one Monday Night game this year. . .I'd like to kindly ask the folks that make the National Football League schedule to not give them ANY in 2008, if they'd be so kind. I don't want to subject myself to this crap any more frequently than I have to.
So, to Deanna Favre, I wish the best of luck in her continued fight against breast cancer, and the best of luck to her foundation. And my apologies on behalf of the schmoes at ESPN who refused to take an opportunity to do something good for a change. Maybe someday, someone at ESPN will figure it out.