NFL Notes: Favre dies of old age

By Mike Walsh


Every spring for the last three years Brett Favre had been given one year to live. He fought to maintain his quality of life, with varying success.
This last year he rebounded to the point that most people were convinced that he was going to live at least another year, if not two or three.
Then, unexpectedly, Favre died.
Doctors, friends and family have tried to pin point the actual cause of death. Some said it was the physical, day to day strain.
Others maintained that it was the psychological toll of knowing he was near the end and still trying to live as though it were 1997. It is often said that, at an advanced age sometimes people just lose the will to live, or in Brett's case, to compete.
Brett will be remembered as a fierce competitor and one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL. A service, in the way of almost 24-hour Brett fever on every sports network, will take place over the next week. Brett will ascend to football heaven in precisely five years. We wish his family and friends well.
Ok, that's not true. Actually he just retired. It seems plausible though, considering that it feels like he's been in the NFL for my entire life. The coverage of this event has already been inescapable.It's right on par with Barbero, TO, Bonds and Clemens as the most saturated story of the last few years.
In this case it is warranted given the magnitude of the player and personality that was Brett Favre. Favre wasn't the elite, untouchable athlete. He was an everyman who lived a simple life and over came addiction and tragedy throughout his career.
Everyone has their favorite Brett highlight, improvisation or quote. For me, the defining "moment" of Favre's career has to be the three consecutive MVPs.
In a time that featured many superstar quarterbacks and different position players including: Steve Young, TroyAikman, John Elway, Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice and Barry Sanders, Favre stood above them all for three straight seasons as the league's Most Valuable Player.
As excited as I am to see fellow Pleasant Valley High School alumn Aaron Rodgers get his shot, it is a sad day for football to lose such a fantastic player and, more importantly, such a great person.

Dunn in Atlanta: Cat Fancy may have finally caught up with Warrick Dunn. Dunn holds the record at Florida State for single season yards (1,242, at 7.5 yards per carry!) and career yards (3,959). At 5'9", 180 lbs., Dunn has amassed over 10,000 career rushing yards in the NFL, becoming only the third running back under 5'10" to do so.
It is amazing that he has only missed a total of 10 games in his NFL career with such a small stature for a running back.
After six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Dunn has been released. He has mentioned Dallas as a place that he would like to play. In the right situation Dunn could help propel a team like Dallas to the next level. He can still run and is a good receiver out of the backfield; something Dallas has lacked the last few seasons.
I hope he ends up in a good situation where he is able to contribute to a good football team. If not, the magazine cover curse may have finally got him.

Free Agent Frenzy: The annual free agent frenzy has begun. The Pats were able to hang on to Randy Moss at a discount price. While $27 million over three years might not seem like much of a discount, it is when you consider than theRaiders just gave Javon Walker 55 million over the next six years.
Especially given the fact that Walker had a bum knee last year.
Speaking of the Raiders...... they decided to give Kwame Harris a three year, $16 million deal. This is ludicrous when you consider that, while being completely healthy last year, Harris was left inactive for several games for the Niners last year.
If you are healthy and can't crack the roster of one of the worst teams in the NFL with one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, why would anyone sign him??? Al Davis, that's why. The man is senile. His entire front office knows that they will have to over pay free agents to come to Oakland because no one wants to go there to play anymore.
While the Raiders have added some talent with Gibril Wilson, Javon Walker (pending the health of his knee) and Tommy Kelly, they have overpaid to do so and still have holes to fill. Still, they are in much better shape than last year and if Huggi Bear Jr. (read: Justin Fargas) can play like he did for most of last season, the Silver and Black might be on their way to competing in the AFC West.
Meanwhile, across the bay the Niners may have hired Brian Sabean to help out with free agent signings. That is the only explanation for signing Isaac Bruce. Not only is he old (he was a non-factor for the Rams the last two seasons), but every Niners fan hates his guts because he played for the Rams!
It's bad enough that Mike Martz is running the offense, now we have to watch Bruce be ineffective while remembering how he burned us time and time again at the beginning of this decade.
The Niners also signed DeShawn Foster, who is already upset about being behind a workhorse like Frank Gore. By not addressing their biggest problems which are O-line, D-line and wide receiver, the Niners are leaving a lot up to the quality of players in the draft.
And if they don't address those needs in the draft I will need to be defibrillated.