Well, sometimes you just get it dead wrong. I admit it: I got this one dead wrong. When Brett Favre told the Vikings back in July that he wanted to remain retired, I thought it was over. But it wasn't over. Today, he just became the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. He left for the Twin Cities this morning.
My reaction? I'm absolutely, positively stunned. I know, I know: Nothing should surprise us when it comes to Brett Favre. But to actually see this become a done deal? It's quite a shock.
There are a lot of questions that ought to be answered. Was this planned all along? That is, did the Vikings know that Favre just wanted to skip training camp before opting to join the team? It's what many have been speculating: Favre wanted to play this season, but good luck getting him to attend training camp.
What happens now? Well, that quarterback competition we spent last week talking about is over. This just became Brett Favre's team. I personally don't know how that can be considered a bad thing -- the Vikings just got all the veteran leadership they could possibly ask for at the quarterback position. Among Rosenfels, T-Jack and Favre, there's no question about which is best suited to lead a playoff run: Brett Favre.
Indeed, the final piece of the puzzle is in place. Love him or hate him, Favre fills the final big need on the roster. There are no longer any excuses for the Vikings: They must take advantage of this unique opportunity.
But while adding Favre is a no-brainer for me from a football perspective, what about a more personal perspective? There's no getting around it: A man many of us have hated strongly disliked over the years is now leading the charge for our favorite team. Still, I can get over it. Winning some football games should no doubt help in that regard.
Welcome to Minnesota, Mr. Favre. With guys like you, Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian on this offense, this team has become a whole lot more balanced than it once was. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll start counting down the seconds until your November 1st date at Lambeau Field with the Green Bay Packers.