by Darien Watkins

Created on: May 03, 2010

Before debating the question of whether or not Brett Favre should have returned to play football in general, one must recognize the difference between football as a hobby, and football as a business, which is what the National Football League is. In no way would I ever doubt Favre's love for the game, but the increased press and fame that he and the league would achieve by him not only returning to play,but for a rival organization, is undeniable. The

2009 Vikings-Packers gameset a cable television all-time record being played in 15.1 million households,with 21.8 million viewers. ESPN executive Jay Rothman summarized Favre's affect with the statement that he is "one of those rare athletes that moves the [television] meter." Lets be honest, love him or hate him, there is no question that since his first retirement in 2008, Brett Favre's legend has grown almost exponentially, being that it could also be seen that his job was lost to the much younger future star in Aaron Rodgers, who in 2009 became the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in both of his first two seasons.

The trend of aging stars in the NFL finishing their careers with other teams is neither uncommon nor new. From legendary Baltimore Colt Johnny Unitas finishing his career with the San Diego Chargers, to 49er great Joe Montana finishing his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, there have been numerous business factors that affected these moves that seem mine boggling to most football fans. Having said that, it is uncommon for a franchise player to sign with a rival franchise, which in the Packers' defense was not their intention. In light of Favre's indecision on retirement, Green Bay was forced to look forward to the future, which most successful organizations are accustomed to doing, giving little credibility of the thought of Favre signing with a team inside their own division, which in fact occurred after a brief 2008 stint with the New York Jets.

Being as it may, Brett Favre is indeed free to sign with whichever organization he sees as a good fit, however, it is completely understandable to raise an eyebrow to make the most divisive decision out of 31 possible others. Granted the Vikings were looking to fill the quaterback position at the time, having dwindling faith in their current prospects, it would be hard for me to believe a team with an 'established' quaterback would not give serious thought to the idea of signing a hall of fame player to their roster for a possible playoff push.

With all the factors not involving Farve himself to the side, Brett is a competitor, and always has been. As with any professional sports league, notably the MLB and NBA, teams that are right on the cusp of winning a championship are always looking for that missing piece to bring them over the hump. Aging stars such as Favre at the end of their careers are intrigued by these situations, with the possibility of winning another championships trumping all other factors such as fan backlash, which was not as severe as most would have thought it to be.

Moving forward, there is a trend that can be seen in the last few years that deserves notice, with the recent trading of Donovan McNabb from the Philadelphia Eagles to the rival Washington Redskins. A game that would probably not made it to prime time television during the 2010 season is now one of the most anticipated, driving television ratings to epic levels. Though we as fans would hate to look at the sport we love as a business just like any other, we have to give credit to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for being an excellent executive in trying to grow the game to new levels, with no more efficient way of doing so than creating story lines.

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